Today I want us to be looking
in Genesis chapter 12. We're going to be reading the
first four verses. And the title of the message
today is Abraham, a picture of grace. The Lord had said unto
Abram, get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from
thy father's house and to a land that I will show thee. and I
will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make
thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless
them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee. And in
thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. So Abram
departed as the Lord had spoken unto him, and Lot went with him,
and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out
of Haran. Today I want us to be looking
at this man, Abraham. Now he's spoken of many times
throughout the scriptures, throughout God's word. And he is set forth
in the word of God as a man of faith. And I think it would be
profitable for all of us to learn something about this man, Abraham.
When the Apostle Paul wanted to illustrate justification,
he used Abraham. He said, Abraham believed God
and it was accounted unto him for righteousness. What God did
for Abraham, he has done for all of his chosen people. And
they are described and called the children of Abraham. Galatians
3 verse 6, even as Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto
him for righteousness, know you therefore, The day which are
of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. So today as we look
at this man Abraham, I want us to look at seven things which
are said about Abraham, and they are said also about all God's
children, all his elect. First of all, Abraham was chosen
by God. He was picked out from his whole
family. God separated him, God set him
apart, and God singled him out from everybody else. God chose
Abraham and God has chose all his people. And why did God choose
Abraham? Why did God pick him out? The
book of Genesis is a book of beginnings. We read and find
out about Adam and Eve. And then God started over again
with Noah and his three sons. And now God begins as he sets
apart this man, and he's gonna set apart his whole family. As
we see all through the Old Testament, how God set this family apart,
and he begins with this man, chose him, chose him by his grace. The reason God chose him, it
pleased God to do so. There's many other illustrations
in the scriptures. God chose David above his seven
other brothers. The whole town was filled in
Jericho and God chose Rahab the harlot. He chose Ruth and we
could go on and on and on where God picked out individuals and
he chose them by his free grace before the world ever began.
Our Lord said, you've not chosen me. But I've chosen you. If we'd left to ourselves, we
would never choose God. The choice was all of God's free
grace. Ephesians 1 verse 4 says, according
as he, God, hath chosen us in Christ, in him, when, when did
all this happen? Before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before him
in love. So we see God's choice was before
the foundation of the world, before we ever existed. Not that
God looked down through time and saw Abraham and saw what
Abraham would do or wouldn't do and chose him on those basis. No, he chose him according to
his own will, God's will. God has elected a people that
he chose and set apart, set apart before the world was ever made. It was not that Abraham just
decided one day to choose God. God chose him and that means
that God set his love upon Abraham. We've just read this man was
75 years old, but God set his love upon that man and God chose
him. Like Noah, Abraham found grace
in the eyes of the Lord. Why would God set his love upon
anyone? That is a question. Why would
God set his love upon anybody? What amazing love. John Newton
said it right. Amazing grace, how sweet the
sound that saved a wretch like me. God said, I will show mercy
on whom I will show mercy. And whom I will, I'll hardeneth. So we see that God chose him,
picked him out, selected him, set his love on him. Why? It
pleased God to do so. When it pleased God who separated
us from our mother's womb is what Paul said. It's all God's
work. Secondly, he was called of God.
The day in which Abraham lived was a wicked, wicked time. It was a wicked world. By this
time, the religion of Nimrod and Babel had become the religion
of the world, and there were very few exceptions, except for
maybe Job and Mochizedek. Most everybody was idolaters,
worshiping images, worshiping themselves, and that was where
he lived. That's how he lived. That was
the condition. But God called him. Abraham was an idolater
like everybody else, like his father, his father before him. But the Lord appeared to Abraham. It says in Acts chapter 7 where
Stephen was preaching, he said, men, brethren, and fathers hearkened,
the God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham. Who appeared
to him? The God of glory. when he was
in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Charon or Haran as we read
here in the scriptures. And God said unto him, here's
what God said to him when he appeared to him, get thee out
of thy country from thy kindred and come into a land which I
will show thee. Then came he out of the land
of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Charon. And from thence, when
his father was dead, he removed him into this land wherein you
now dwell. God called him. God revealed
himself to him. God called him. God called him. Our Lord appeared to Abraham
and preached the gospel to him. He said, in thee shall all the
nations of the world be blessed. How can that be? This is speaking
of Christ. It is through him that all the
nations of the world are blessed, from every kindred, tongue, tribe,
and nation. That blessing that he spoke of
was justification. Abraham was blessed, we're gonna
see that in a minute, because he was called and chosen. He
was justified by free grace, not by his works. This is where
he was when God called him, when God called him. He was not looking
for God. God came looking for him. And
God still calls sinners to himself. And those that he chose, he's
gonna call them in his own time. Abraham's 75 years old. Age has
nothing to do with it. But God called him. How does
God call? He calls through the preaching
of the gospel. And through that gospel, God
reveals himself unto that sinner. 2 Thessalonians 2.13, but we
are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved
of the Lord, because he hath from the beginning chosen you
to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit. Now listen to
this, and belief of the truth, the truth of God, whereunto he
called you by our gospel. to the obtaining of the glory
of our Lord Jesus Christ. How does God call sinners? Through
the preaching of the gospel, through the truth of God. This was a particular distinguishing
call. God called Abraham. Just like
when God came to Lazarus's grave that day and Lazarus was dead.
No question about him being dead. He began to stink. And God walked
to his grave, our Lord Jesus Christ did, and said, Lazarus,
come forth. And God called Abraham, spoke
to him distinctly, particularly, and something else, there was
an irresistible call. God made him willing. He didn't
want to say no. By nature, we will say no. By
nature, we don't want God, we will not listen. But if God ever
calls, you're gonna listen. And it was an unconditional call.
It wasn't based upon anything that Abraham would do or ever
do. God called him, called him. What a blessing. Blessed is the
man whom thou choosest and calls us to approach unto thee. Our
Lord said, my sheep, my sheep, hear my voice and I know them. He knows them. They're his sheep. Abraham was one of his sheep
and God called him. And when he calls him, he said,
and they follow me. Not a stranger, not some other
voice. They follow him. And how do they
follow him? Through the preaching of the
gospel, the gospel of the grace of God. So Abraham was a chosen
man. He was a called man. He was a
believing man. Abraham believed God. Now think
about that for a moment. He didn't say Abraham believed
in God. He didn't believe there was a God. He believed God. He believed God. Why did he believe? Now listen. Hebrews 11 verse
6, But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh
to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him. Verse 8 of the same chapter,
By faith Abraham. By faith, when he was called
to go out to a place which he should after receive foreign
inheritance, and here's the word, he obeyed. Why did he obey God
when God spoke to him? He believed God. And he went
out not knowing where he's going. Now that's belief. By nature,
man wants to see all the details. He wants to have everything just
in line and say, well, where are we going, God? How are we
going to get there? What's the means we're going to use to get
there? What's it going to be like when we get there? God just
said, Abraham, you come out. You come out. And he believed
God. That's faith. Believe God. Believe God. He simply simply
believed God. He believed Him. Faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. When God gives a man a new heart,
he will believe God because God enables him to believe. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and it not of yourself, it's a gift of God. God gave
him faith, and he believed God. You know why people don't believe
God? They don't have faith. How are they going to get faith?
God must give it to them. How does He do this? He gives them
a new heart. He comes to them. He has chosen
them. He's going to call them. When He calls them, they're going
to believe Him. Romans 4 verse 1, what shall
we say then that Abraham our father is pertaining to the flesh
hath found? For if Abraham were justified
by works, he hath were of the glory, but not before God. For
what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it
was encountered or imputed unto him for righteousness. Now how did this come about?
Now to him that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace,
but of debt. That's what he earns. But to
him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth unto the
ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. He believed
God, and God declared Abraham righteous. Perfect, justified
in God's sight. And he does it for all his children.
They believe God. We are what? We are believers.
What do believers do? They believe. And they obey. Why do they obey? Because they
believe, and you can go on and on. What did Abraham believe? He believed the Word of God.
This was his foundation, and he stood upon what God promised
him. God said, I'm gonna bless you,
Abraham. And he never, and he doesn't have a child for several
years. But it stood upon God's faithfulness and God's promise,
what God said. Faith comes by hearing. And hearing
by the word of God. A man has to hear the true gospel. He's got to hear about a God
that can save. It's not what Abraham did. It's
what God promised to do. So Abraham was chosen. He was
called. He was a believing man. And something
else, he was a blessed man. He stood before God as a blessed
man, accepted in Christ, justified, and declared righteous. Ephesians
1, 3, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly
places in Christ. All those blessings were in Christ.
He was chosen in Christ, and he was blessed. God would bless
Abraham by giving him a son in whom all the nations of the world
would be blessed. That's pictured in Isaac, who's
a picture of Christ. All the nations of the world
are blessed in Christ. That's the seed. That's what
he's promising to Abraham. God set him apart, set him apart. When the world speaks of blessings,
they usually refer to wealth, health, or success. It would
be several years before God finally gave Abraham a son. He's 75. I think he was 100 before he
ever had the son. 25 more years. But he's already
blessed. If God ever reveals himself to
you and calls you by his grace and gives you faith to believe
and trust in him, I can't think of a greater blessing. Now notice these are spiritual
blessings. Most people, if we were left
to ourself, would just go our own way. But God richly blessed
Abraham. God gave him eternal life. God
gave him peace. God gave him rest. God gave him
hope. And God gave him himself. God
told Abraham one time, that he was his exceeding and great reward. That's what God told Abraham.
Can you think of a greater blessing? Can you think of a greater blessing?
This world knows nothing of blessings. They say, well, how can Abraham
be a blessed? Where's his blessing at? It's in Christ. It stands upon the promises of
God. Oh, what a blessed man. Blessed is the man. Blessed is
the man. Something else, Abraham was a
tried man. I can tell you this about genuine,
true faith. The faith of God's elect, it
will be constantly tried. The world has the idea that if
you're a believer, you will never have any problems. You will never
be sick, and if you do have trouble, it's because you've sinned. Now
listen, we've all sinned. There's not a day, a second that
goes by that we don't sin. And I know most of our problem,
everything's a result of our sin. We know that. But everyone
in this world today, and it bothers me every time I hear it. I don't
know what, they say have a blessed day. They have no idea. What do they mean by this? Do
they think they have the power to invoke a blessing on somebody?
I think not. Abraham and all his children
were blessed, and in this world, God's people are severely tried. Look at the rich man and Lazarus.
Lazarus laid his gates full of sores, but Lazarus went to glory. Look at the rich man. He fared
selflessly. He had everything he ever wanted.
What happened to him? Now, who was blessed here? And he was tried. His faith and our faith is constant. Tried. Sarah was still barren. He didn't know whether he was
going. He didn't know where he was going. He just depended on
God. Now that's faith. It's tried. He didn't know where he was going,
how he would get there, or what his place would be when he got
there. But he never once asked God to show him these things.
He simply committed everything to God. He had to break many
earthly ties. He not only had to leave his
family and friends, he had to leave them in religion. Now that's
a trial. Would you want to leave all your
family, your children, your father, your brothers? Abraham did. When
he got into the land of Canaan, there's new trials awaited him.
The Canaanites were everywhere. They were troops of, they were
idolaters. Abraham still roamed about dwelling
in tents. And he still believed God. And
at last, his daily bread began to fill him. And what did he
do? He goes down to Egypt, looking to the world. Then there was
the trouble with Lot. with Ishmael and Hagar. Then
the Lord tried Abraham and he said, Abraham, after God gave
him a son, he said, you take your son, your only son, and
you offer him unto me. He was a tried man. Tried man. True, genuine faith
will be tried. And when it's tried, it will
manifest to that faith that is genuine. that is trusted in God,
not in the power of the flesh. You say, why did he go down into
Egypt? Unbelief. It's not based upon our faith
or our unbelief, it's based upon the faithfulness of God. And
God sends us these things to wean us from this world so we
will trust him, not ourself. You say, well, the Bible says,
he that thinks he stands, take he lest he fall. Think it not strange concerning
the fiery trials which try you? You're to be tried, and he was
tried. And Abraham, he was a sinful
man. As long as we live in this world,
we will have to deal with this old man. I think some people
have the misconception that when God saves a sinner, that he totally
eradicates sin and they'll never have another wrong thought. have
another wrong motive, and that's just not the case. There's a
struggle on the inside. There's this old man that can
do nothing but sin, but there's the new man, the Bible says,
which cannot sin. Would you like to explain that?
I can't. I just believe it. But I know there's a struggle.
Paul said, the things that I would do, I don't do. And the things
that I don't want to do is what I find myself doing. Oh, wretched
man that I am. We see our sinfulness. We see
our wretchedness. And God won't let you forget
it. His temptations were severe.
We see when he went down to Egypt, he betrayed a lack of confidence
in God. If he hadn't, he'd have just
stayed. Said, well, I think we'll go down there and look to the
world. We'll look to somebody else and everything will be fine.
Read the rest of the chapter. He even tells his wife, he says,
now you're a very attractive woman. And when we get down to
Egypt, Pharaoh is gonna want you and they're gonna kill me
to take you. And when we get down there, you're just gonna
tell them, I'll tell them and you can tell them that you're
my sister. Does that sound like a believer?
No, but that's who he was. He's a sinful man. There's no man without sin. Listen to me, what are we to
learn from that? Abraham, Abraham, this man of faith. The best of
men are only men at best. Everyone will let you down because
we look to Christ, not to men. They're only men, they're only
flesh and blood. And one thing we know, one thing,
there's many ways, but one way we know that this is the word
of God, God didn't cover up anything. God exposes everything about
everybody. What Noah did, made a vineyard
and got drunk. Abraham didn't believe God here
at this point. He was a sinful man. God leave
you alone, isn't telling what you do. True saints are plagued
with much sin. True believers. You say, is he
a believer? Yes, he was a believer. God shows
us that it's all his grace. It is not our faith that merits
our justification, but it is Christ, the object of our faith. And God will teach you. And God
must teach you every day. that you're a sinner. But people
say, well, I know I've committed a few things. Would you say you're
a sinner? Would you say I'm a sinful man?
Every time I read in God's word where somebody's saying God's
glory, they saw themselves. Paul said, oh, wretched man that
I am. Isaiah said, woe is me, I'm a man of unclean lips. Peter
said, depart from me, I'm a sinful man. Job said, I'm vile. What made
men make confessions like this? They saw themselves as a sinner. And you know what it did? It
broke them. It humbled them. And all God's elect are still
sinful people. Sinful. We know it, and we regret
it. But it's just a fact. But I want
to show you this. Abraham was a kept man. Why didn't Pharaoh kill him when
he was in Egypt? He could have said, you lied
to me. I'm going to just have you put to death. God protected
him. And God even used it to make
him. You say God doesn't do that.
Oh, yes, God does. God says, I create light and I create darkness. God still was faithful to himself
and to his promises. We might see in a few weeks where
Abraham, God told him he was gonna have a son, and he doubted
God, and his wife said, okay, here, you take my handmaid in,
and she conceived and had a son named Ishmael. Everybody thought,
oh, this is the son God was gonna give him. No, he wasn't. It was several years later before
God ever gave him Isaac, and the longer he waited, the older
Abraham got. But God kept him. God was faithful
to him, even though Abraham was not faithful. God was faithful. It's God's faithfulness. God
keeps his people. God preserves his people, all
of his people. Salvation from beginning to end
is of the Lord. Did you hear what I said? Salvation. from the time that God chose
him, called him, blessed him, gave him faith to believe, tried
him, showed him his sinfulness, but God kept him. God preserved
him. If God left us alone, every believer
would apostatize and leave tomorrow. We all would. Abraham, like all believers,
are kept. by the power of almighty God,
and they'll never leave him. They're preserved. If we were left to ourself, we'd
all leave him. The apostle Paul said, being
confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good
work in you, that he not begin a good work in Abraham, he will. He will perform it until the
day of Jesus Christ. God doesn't begin to build a
house and then leave it. God didn't begin a work of grace
in this man and then say, okay, I'm going to leave him alone.
I'm going to remove my love from him. Oh, no, no, no. He's a kept
man. And all God's people are chosen
and kept. What are we to learn from this
story of Abraham? Salvation, as I've just mentioned,
is by grace, free, sovereign grace. And as long as we live
in this world, we have to keep learning that
we're still sinners. And long as we live in this world,
Our faith will be tried and it will be tested with something
else. Lastly, God is faithful to keep
his own. He will be gracious. That's why
it's gracious. He didn't leave him. I loved
him. What a blessing. What a blessing our God is that
he would call us and choose us and set him apart, set us apart
and send the gospel to us. And I pray that God would enable
you to hear today. That you would hear Him, not
hear my voice, but you would hear Him. And God would give
you faith to believe Him right where you are. It's not coming
to the front of a church. It's not doing anything. It's
not moving a muscle. It's when God enables you to
believe Him. And only God can do that. And
when He does, you will. Till next Sunday, may God bless
you.