Hebrews 11, eight, once again,
I've entitled this message, the source of obedience, the source of obedience. Verse eight, by faith, Abraham, when he was
called to go out into a place which he should after receive
for an inheritance, obeyed, and he went out, not knowing whether
he went. Now I thought about that many
times. I thought about the Lord telling Abraham to march, and
Abraham marched, and he didn't even know where he was going.
And I thought to myself, Would I have the faith Abraham did? Well, if the Lord told me to,
I would. Just like Abraham did. Now this is the writer's summary
of Abraham's obedience to God's call. We read about that in Genesis
chapter 12. Abraham is the most significant man other than Christ
himself in all of the Bible, Abraham. The God of glory, the
God of grace, the infinite creator God said regarding this man,
Abraham, my friend. There's something so touching
about that. I want to be that man, don't you? Abraham, my friend. He is called the father of the
faithful and believers are described as children of Abraham. I couldn't help but think in
Luke chapter 19 when Zacchaeus came down from the tree, in obedience
to Christ's command, and he said, Lord, the half of my goods, I
give to the poor. And if I've taken anything by
false accusation, I restore unto him fourfold. And the Lord looked
at that group and he said, this day is salvation come into this
house. He didn't say, This day salvation
has come into this house because he has restored all the things
he unlawfully took. He said, this day salvation has
come into this house for as much as he also is a son of Abraham. By faith, Abraham obeyed. There is no salvation apart from
the obedience spoken of in this passage of scripture. By faith,
Abraham obeyed. Now, like I said, I've entitled
this message, The Source of Obedience. And if we don't understand The
source of obedience. We don't understand obedience
period. And we miss the meaning of this passage of scripture
by faith. Abraham wants to say when he
was called. When he was called. That is the source of Abraham's
obedience when he was called. I almost entitled this message,
irresistible grace, because that is what is being taught in this
passage of scripture. The irresistible, invincible,
effectual call of God. When God calls you, you will
obey. And if you don't obey, he never
called you. If he calls you, you will obey. Irresistible grace. I like that term. Irresistible
Now, I realize that that may conjure a picture of men being
dragged into heaven against their wills, but that's foolishness. When God calls you with irresistible
grace, you find Jesus Christ and his grace irresistible. That's what irresistible grace
is. It's when you find the Lord Jesus Christ irresistible. Now this term irresistible grace
was coined in the Senate of Dort in 1618. And it was against what
was known as the Arminian view that God's grace can be resisted.
Now, what do I mean by that? God sees someone and He wants
to save them by His grace, and He desires to save them by His
grace, and He offers them His grace, and He tries to save them
by His grace, but they resist it. So God's will is not done
because they're resisting His grace. Not. God's grace cannot be resisted. That is irresistible grace. If God calls you, you won't resist
it. You can't resist it. That's just
the truth. And you know what my response
to that is? Lord, call me. Call me, I'm not gonna try to
argue around about it. Call me, pass me not, O tender
Savior. Hear my humble cry, while on
others thou art calling, do not pass me by. That is his irresistible
grace. We have so many examples of that
in scripture. Matthew, follow me. Could Matthew have said no? No
way. He rose, forsook all, and followed
the Lord Jesus Christ. And if the Lord says to me, follow
me, you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna rise, I'm gonna forsake
all, and I'm gonna follow Him. Lazarus, come forth. Don't believe a will. Oh, it
didn't happen, did it? When he says come forth, he that
was dead came forth. Zacchaeus, make haste, come down. Today I must abide at thy house. Now remember this, the only reason
he must do anything is he must do his father's will. I must
abide at thy, you know what Zacchaeus did? Scripture said he made haste. He didn't delay. He didn't put
it off. He made haste. He came down and
he received him joyfully. Abraham, when he was called. It works like this. The Lord
said in John chapter five, the hour is coming and now he is
when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son
of God, and they that hear shall live. Wouldn't it be something
if some dead sinner here tonight heard the voice of the Son of
God? If you do, you will live. Now by faith, Our text says,
Abraham, this special man. What a special man he is, the
friend of God. By faith, Abraham, when he was
called. The Young's literal translation
says, being called. By faith, Abraham, being called,
obeyed. The source of obedience is God's
irresistible call. Now there's no salvation apart
from obedience. If I don't obey the gospel, I
will not be saved. If you don't obey the gospel,
you will not be saved. What is the source of that obedience?
God's call. Remember when he said to that
man, stretch forth thy hand? He couldn't do it. But when Christ
told him to, he stretched forth his hand, didn't he? And he lived. By faith, Abraham. When God called. Now here's the point. It wasn't
Abraham's decision. He didn't hear the call of God
and scratch his head and say, well, am I going to do it or
am I not going to do it? I need to make a decision. This is a
crossroads for me. I realize this. I need to make
a decision. Am I going to do it or am I not going to do it?
That would make Abraham's will the source of obedience, wouldn't
it? Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 and 9 says, For by grace are
you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. That faith that you have, it
didn't come from you. It's not of yourselves, it's
not the product of you making some kind of decision, well I'm
gonna believe. You don't decide to believe, you believe because
you have no choice. Every time, that's the only reason you believe.
It's not some decision you make where I got this option and that
option, I think I'm gonna go in that direction. That ain't
faith. Abraham was a pagan idolater
before God called him and God called him. And he responded. Turn to Galatians chapter 1 for
a moment. Paul said in verse 11, Galatians
chapter 1, I certify you brethren, I assure you brethren that the
gospel which was preached of me is not after man, it was not
derived from any human source. For I neither received it of
man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus
Christ. Four, you've heard of my conversation
in times past in the Jews religion. how that beyond measure I persecuted
the church of God and wasted it. And I profited in the Jews'
religion above many might equals in mine own nation, being more
exceedingly zealous of the tradition of my father's." Now he could
look at all of his cronies, all of his buddies, and say, I'm
more zealous than they are. Exceedingly zealous of the tradition
of my father's. He was going somewhere in the
Jews' religion, so he thought. But verse 15, but there's the difference. But when it pleased God who separated
me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace, just
like he did Abraham. He called me by His grace to
reveal His Son. Now, this is when God's revealed
Himself to you when you find out who Jesus Christ really is.
You find out He's God, man, He must be, because of who He is.
He's the Savior, He's the Lord, He's God's Christ. You find out
who He is, and I love what Paul says. He doesn't say to reveal
Him to me. but to reveal him in me. You see, if all he does is reveal
himself to me, I'll forget it quick enough. I know me, I know
you. But this is better. He revealed
himself in me. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Paul said in Galatians 2.20,
I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life that
I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me. I don't frustrate the
grace of God. I don't make it meaningless.
If righteousness came by the law, by my works of obedience,
then Christ died in vain. What is the reason behind God's
call? Abraham when he was called. This is talking about the effectual,
invincible, irresistible call of God. And even while I'm talking
about it, I'm saying, Lord, call me. Call me. Don't pass me by. Call me. Don't leave me to myself. Call me. That's the only proper
response to this. Call me. What is the reason behind
the call? the purpose of God. Romans 828, I'll quote it to
you. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are what? The called. According to His
purpose. If God has called me or you,
He purposed to call. near you. It wasn't an accident.
It was his eternal purpose. Romans 9 11 for the children
being not yet born neither having done any good or evil that the
purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but
of him that calleth. Lord call me Second Timothy 1.9
says he saved us and he called us with a holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. I love
that verse of scripture. It says he saved us, then he
called us. That's the order the Holy Spirit
gives. He saved us, then He called us. You telling me you were saved
before you were called? I didn't know it until I was
called. But I was saved in the eternal purpose of God. I was
saved when Christ said, it is finished. Now I don't have any
reason to even suspect that I'm saved. I don't have any reason
to suspect that God loves me until I believe the gospel. I
wouldn't give anybody any hope that doesn't believe the gospel.
But I know this. His calling is according to his
purpose and his grace, which was given in Christ Jesus before
the world began. Paul said in Romans 8, 29, moreover
whom he did predestinate, them he also called. The call of irresistible grace. Now what is the content of the
call? This is very important. Turn to 2 Thessalonians chapter
two. 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2. Verse 13. Paul says, but we're bound to give thanks always to God
for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath From
the beginning. That's before Tom again, chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth. Where unto he called you. What are those next three words? by our gospel. The gospel Paul called our gospel. Isn't that special? That means
the gospel that saves, the gospel of the scriptures. There are other gospels people
preach that aren't the gospel of the scriptures. No one's saved
by those. by our gospel, the gospel that saves sinners, the
gospel that's successful, the gospel that magnifies every attribute
of God. Now that's so important. If the gospel I believe doesn't
magnify every single attribute of God, it's not God's gospel.
The gospel of God. There is no salvation, listen
to me, this is the truth, there is no salvation apart from hearing
and believing the gospel. That is the gospel call. He saved you and called you by
our gospel. Now who is called? I've got to say this, to be honest
with what the scripture teaches. God doesn't call everybody. He
doesn't call everybody. Somebody says, why not? You have to ask him. I can't
answer that question completely. I guess I probably can't even
answer it partially. But he doesn't call everybody.
And the Bible is very clear about this. And there's a reason we
need to understand this. If he calls everybody and some
of those people he calls are not saved and end up going to
hell, that means his call is not effective. That means there's
something you need to do. And that is why we make, or the
Bible makes an issue of this. You and I need to understand
that God's call is never unsuccessful. Whoever he calls, they believe
the gospel. Now, Romans chapter 8 verse 29
says, moreover, whom he did predestinate, that's who he calls, whom he
did predestinate, them he also called. Romans 17 14 speaks of
the lamb who is king of kings and Lord of lords and they which
are with him are called Chosen and faithful That's who he calls
Those who are chosen and he gives them grace to be faithful Peter said on the day of Pentecost
and I love thinking about this that Think of the audience Peter's
preaching to. He begins that message saying,
him being delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of
God, you have taken, you have taken. He was talking about the
people who were actually crying out, crucify him. That's who
he was preaching to. He's preaching to men who drove
the nails in his hands and his feet. He said, him being delivered
by the determinate counsel of God, you have taken and with
wicked hands have crucified and slain just because he was delivered
by the determinate counsel of God. It doesn't get you off the
hook. Oh, they heard that message. And they said, men and brethren,
what shall we do? We're in trouble. What shall
we do? I love what Peter says. Repent. Change your mind all
together. Be baptized every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. For the
promise is to you, listen to this. He's speaking to the murderers
of Christ. He says, the promise is to you
and your children and all that are far off, even as many as
the Lord our God shall call. John chapter 10 verse 3 says
he calleth his own sheep by name. Matthew 9 13 says I came not
to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. First Corinthians
chapter 1 verses 23 and 24 says we preach Christ crucified unto
the Jews a stumbling block, unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto
them which are called. You hear that? to them which
are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the wisdom of God, Christ,
the power of God. And do you see Christ as the
wisdom, the very wisdom of God, His wisdom in making a way to
be just and holy and righteous? And He's able to justify and
declare as not guilty somebody like you. Do you see that as
the very wisdom of God? Do you see that as the power
of God that He can actually take you through what His Son did
and made you perfect and holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in His sight? Christ is the power of God. Do
you see Christ as the wisdom and power of God? You know what
that means? You've been called by God. God called you, and His
call is never without effect. If you see Christ as the wisdom
and power of God, God has called you. Now, back to our text. Hebrews 9. Hebrews 11, I mean. by faith, verse 8, by faith Abraham
when he was called to go out into a place. That's very important. He was called to go to a place. What does that mean? He was called
to go to a Place, and that place that every believer is called
to go to is in Christ. That's the only place I want
to be found, in Christ. You know, when I was a kid, Sherry,
you might remember this, we had this record, it was called The
Incredible Journey, and it was about this, I think it was two
dogs and a cat, and they got shipped off somewhere hundreds
of miles away, and there's been so many stories like this. These
animals somehow make it back home. They make it back to the
place. Now, I know this about all of
God's elect. Those who are in the place in the first place
always make it back to the place. That's the only place they want
to be. Do you know anything about that?
Paul put it this way. Oh, that I may win Christ and
be found in him. That's the place I want to be
found. That's the place. Not having my own righteousness. I don't want to have anything
to do with that. I don't want God to look at me according to
what I am, who I am, what I do. I simply want to be found in
Christ. Not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faithfulness
of Christ, the righteousness, which is of God by faith. Is that the place you want to
be? Now I'm asking you. Is that the place you want to
be? Can you say, when God looks in your heart, does He see this
with regard to you? I only want to be found in Christ.
I don't want to be found in my works. I don't want to be found
in anything that has anything to do with me. I don't want my
fingerprints on it. I simply want to be found in
Him. If that's you, He called you. And this place was a place we're
to afterward receive as an inheritance. You don't earn an inheritance.
It's given to you solely by the will of him who willed it. Aren't
you thankful for the inheritance, the promise of God, the inheritance
given to you simply because he willed to give it to you. Now, once again, when I hear
that, I don't say, well, if it's totally up to his will, No point
in me doing anything. Now that's not what I say. I
say with the leper, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. And he says, I will. Be thou clean. by faith Abraham, when he was
called to go out into a place which he should after receive
for inheritance, obeyed. There's the obedience of faith. He obeyed. He obeyed The gospel. He believed the gospel. The source
of obedience is not you being given a choice and then making
a decision to choose which way you're going to go. You obey.
You believe. You don't choose to believe.
You believe because you've got no choice. That's the reason
people believe. God has chosen them, and you
find Jesus Christ irresistible. You find His grace irresistible. Now, when I began this message,
I'm going to close with this thought. When I began with this
message, I've always thought, thinking about Abraham just walking,
not knowing where he was going. And I thought, what faith? Him
going out and he just, God said, move. He moved and he just started
walking, not knowing where he was going. That happened again.
Remember when he said, go to a mountain that I will tell thee
of. He didn't tell him yet. He just said, start walking.
And God finally told him which mountain it was after he had
already been walking. But here he goes walking, not
knowing where he was going, not knowing where his destination
was, but he went out. What is the point of that? He was trusting a person. That's what faith is. He didn't
need anything else. You trust his character. You see, the only way you'll
trust him is if you know him. And if you know him, you know
his character. He's revealed it to you in the
gospel. And you trust him. And you do not need to know anything
else. Faith is faith in a person. It's not a creed, it's not a
denominational brand or distinction. Faith is faith in the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said, I know whom I have
believed. What's necessary to faith? You've
got to know who he is. You've got to know his character.
You've got to know his gospel. And you believe he trusted the
character of God as he went out, not knowing where he went because
he was trusting a person. Abraham believed God and the
scripture says it was counted to him for righteousness. Now,
I want to quote one last scripture. Please listen carefully. To him
that worketh not. Where are you there? Everybody's, their works are
so important to them and I understand that, but have you ever learned
what it means to work not? to him that worketh not, but
believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith. What's his faith? He believes
on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith. is counted for righteousness. Abraham is the great example
of that. May we all be enabled to have
the faith of Abraham and it's caused by the irresistible, invincible
call of God. Lord, call me. Let's pray. Lord, we ask in Christ's name.
That you would call. Each person in this room. By
name. By your spirit. Invincibly and
irresistibly. To that son. Enable each one
of us. to trust him only for Christ's
sake. In his name we pray, amen. Let's
sing as a closing hymn, Pass Me Not, hymn number 235. We'll
stand and sing together. Number 235. ? Bless me not, O gentle Savior
? ? Hear my humble cry ? ? While on others Thou art calling ?
? Do not pass me by ? ? Savior, Savior ? humble cry. While on others thou art calling,
do not pass me by. Let me at a throne of mercy find
a sweet relief. Savior, Savior, hear my humble
cry. While on others Thou art calling,
do not pass me by. Trusting only in Thy merit, would
I ? Heal my wounded, broken spirit
? ? Save me by Thy grace ? ? Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry ?
? While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by ? the spring of all my comfort,
more than life to me. Whom have I on earth beside Thee? Whom in heaven but Thee? Savior, Savior, hear my humble On others thou art calling, do
not pass me by.