the time when we have to say
goodbye. I've enjoyed this week so very,
very much. I appreciate so much your kindnesses
and your hospitality and the accommodations and the fellowship. It's been a very enjoyable week
for me. I think I'll say goodbye in the
words of the old English Puritan, He'd been visiting for a few
days with a congregation and he said now me and mine want to thank thee
and thine for being so kind to me and mine. And thee and thine
ever visit me and mine I hope me and mine can be as kind to
thee and thine as thee and thine has been to me and mine. But I mean it from my heart,"
said George S. Wheatley. I'm going to speak tonight on
the subject, Abraham, friend of God. When one mentions Abraham, Everyone
knows something about Abraham, even the children, the young
people here are familiar with Abraham. Turn to the book of
James. Let's read over here in the book
of James what it says about Abraham. Chapter 2, verse 23 of the book
of James. In James 2, 23, it says this,
And the scripture with full appeal would say of Abraham, Believe
God. Abraham believed God and it was
imputed to him for righteousness and he was called the friend
of God. The friend of God. God spake
to Abraham face to face as a man speaks to a woman. The Lord Jesus is called in the
book of Galatians, turn over there to Galatians chapter 3.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the book of Galatians chapter 3,
is called the seed of Abraham. It says in Genesis 3, 16, Now
to Abraham and his seed, where the promise is made, he saith
not unto seed, not seed, not plural, but seed, to Abraham
and his seed. were the promises of life, inheritance,
glory, heaven made. And deceived, he saith not, and
deceived, as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which
is Christ. Christ is the seed of Abraham.
And if we be Christ, if we be in Christ, we're sons of Abraham.
He's not a Jew which is one outwardly, he's a Jew which is one inwardly.
Look at verse, if you will, Galatians 3, 29, and if you be Christ,
if you be in Christ by faith, by grace, then are you Abraham's
seed. You're looking like that, a full-fledged
Israelite. In Christ, I'm a son of Abraham,
and I'm an heir according to promise. And our Lord said concerning
Abraham, he said, Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and
was glad. And then in Matthew chapter 8
verse 11, you need to look it up, let me just quote it here.
I say unto you that many shall come from the east and from the
west and shall sit down with Abraham in the kingdom of God. This man Abraham, father of believers,
friend of God, But was Abraham not a sinner
like you and me? Was Abraham not a son of Adam,
a fallen son of Adam, by nature, by nature a child of wrath, even
as others? Oh yes. Let me show you in Joshua
chapter 24. Abraham, when God found Abraham
and called Abraham, he was in a family of idolaters. in Joshua
chapter 24, verse 2 and 3. Listen to this, Joshua 24, verse
2 and 3. And Joshua said unto all the
people, Joshua 2, 24, verse 2, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel,
Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old times,
even Herod, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor, and
they served other gods. Abraham's kinfolk worshiped idols. And I took your father, Abraham,
I took Abraham from the other side of the flood and I led him
throughout all the land of Canaan and multiplied his seed and gave
him Isaac. That's where God found Abraham,
dwelling among idolaters. And he was 75 years old, almost
75 years of age, when God called him How did that family of idolaters
turn to Genesis chapter 12? In Genesis the 12th chapter,
reading verses 1 through 4, listen to this. Now the Lord said unto
Abram, the Lord said unto Abram, Genesis 12, 1, Get thee out of
thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house,
unto a land that I'll show thee, and I'll make of thee a great
nation. I'll bless thee and make thy
name great and thou shalt be a blessing. I will bless them
that bless thee and curse him that curses thee and in thee
shall all the families of the earth be blessed." So Abraham
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 hell. Abram was seven or eight years
older than I am, when God came in grace and mercy and called
him out of idolatry. So here is a sinner whom the
Lord is pleased to call by his grace. Like Noah, Abraham found
grace in the eyes of the Lord. And God is pleased to choose
him, and to call him, and to redeem him, and to accept him,
and to make him a friend of God. Now I'm interested in this man,
so let's turn to Romans chapter 4. And I have five questions
that I'm going to ask about Abraham tonight, and try to answer these
five questions, and they'll serve as my sermon point. First of
all, what did Abraham find? What did this man Abraham find? Secondly, how did he find it? And thirdly, when did he find
it? And fourthly, what proof do we
have that he found it? And fifthly, what's all this
got to do with me? What's this got to do with me?
All right, let's see, what did Abraham find? Let's start with
verse 1, Romans 4. What did Abraham find? What shall
we say then, that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the
flesh, hath found? What did he find? For if Abraham
were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before
God. But what saith the Scripture?
Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him. For what? Abraham found righteousness. Holy righteousness. Read on. Now to him that worketh is the
reward not reckoned of grace but of death, but to him that
worketh not but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness. What did Abraham find? He found
perfect righteousness, perfect holiness, purity before Almighty
God, perfect holiness. Our Lord said in Matthew 20,
except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes
and Pharisees, you shall no wise enter the kingdom of God. These
Jewish brethren of Paul, he wrote about Romans 10. Turn over there
and listen to Paul. They were going about to establish
a righteousness of their own and would not submit to the righteousness
of God. In Romans 10, Paul said, Brethren,
my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they
might be saved. I bear them record. They are
not atheists. They believe in God. They have
a zeal of God, but it's not according to knowledge. What's the problem?
Their ignorant of God's righteousness, what I talked about last night,
the holiness of God, the righteousness of God, not only his essential
holiness, but that righteousness and holiness which he has provided,
which Christ has purchased for his people. Righteousness, holiness,
without which no man will see the Lord. How good does a man
have to be to go to heaven? Just as good as God. How holy
does a person have to be to stand in God's presence? As holy as
God. And these people here, they're
ignorant of God's righteousness, and they're going about through
their works, and through the law, and through the ceremony,
and through the sacrifices, and through all these other things,
they're going about to establish their own righteousness. And
they have not submitted themselves unto the holiness and righteousness
of God, the righteousness of God which is by the faithfulness
and the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's by his obedience
and through his precious blood. Verse 4 says Christ is the goal
of the law. Christ is the consummation of
the law. Christ is the end of the law
for perfect holiness, perfect righteousness. perfect purity
before God. He's the end of the law for righteousness
that everyone that believes is you a Gentile. The hymn writer says, with his
spotless garment on, I'm as holy as God's Son. That's how holy I have to be.
Another hymn writer said, near, so near to God, nearer I cannot
be. In the person of his Son, I'm
just as near as he. Who shall stand in his presence?
Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? He that has clean
hands and a pure heart, who's never lifted up his soul to vanity,
who's never exaggerated or sworn deceitfully. Well, that's Christ, and that's
us in Christ. clothed in his righteousness,
washed in his blood. Turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter
5. Listen to this verse here. 2nd
Corinthians chapter 5. I'm talking about what Abraham
found. Abraham found perfection. Abraham found holiness. Abraham
found purity. He found it by, I'll show you
how he found it in a moment, but that's what he found. In
2nd Corinthians 5 verse 21, listen. For he, that's the Father, hath
made him, that's the Son, to be sin for us, that's us sinners. He had no sin, he did no sin,
that we might be made, what? The very righteousness of God
in him. I want to show you something
very interesting. And I want everybody in here with a Bible
to turn to this scripture. Two passages in Jeremiah. The
first one is found in Jeremiah 23. Now you hold Romans 4. We're
coming back there. But I want you to look at Jeremiah
23. And some of you know something
about the names of Jehovah. Jehovah, Rapha, Jehovah, Sidhenu,
Jehovah, Rea, Jehovah, my peace, my shepherd. You know something
about the names of our God. Well, Jehovah Sidkenu is the
Lord my righteousness. And this is what it's talking
about here in Jeremiah 23 now, verse 5. Listen. Behold, the
days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous
branch, a righteous branch, and a king shall reign, and prosper,
and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his
days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely. This
is his name. This is his name whereby he shall
be called in capital letters. Who is he? He's the Lord our
righteousness. Jehovah Sidkenu, my righteousness. Christ Jesus is my righteousness. And we'll turn to the other scripture
in a minute. Old John Jasper. Somebody said, John Jasper, you
expect to go to heaven? He said, I surely do. They said,
when you get to the door of heaven Somebody stops you at the door
and says, what right have you got to be here? What are you
going to say? He said, I'm going to say, I ain't got no right
to be here at all. I'm not here on my rights or
righteousness. I'm here on the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my righteousness. You believe that? That's what
that says. Now turn to Jeremiah 33. His
name, his name, His name is the Lord our righteousness. What's
your name? What's my name if I'm in him?
Jeremiah 33 verse 16. In those days, well let's read
verse 15. In those days and at that time
will I cause the branch of righteousness, we're back on this subject again,
to grow up under David. and he shall execute judgment
and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be
saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely, and this is the name
wherewith she shall be called, the church, the Lord our righteousness."
That's your name. That's what he calls us. He's
the Lord our righteousness, and in him We're called the Lord
our Riser. That's right. Our Lord prayed
in John 17 that they may be one Father as we are one. I'll tell you this, if the head
is exalted at the right hand, the body is not too far behind. That's right. Look at Ephesians 4. We're one
with Christ. This is a believer's confidence.
This is the believer's assurance. Ephesians chapter 4. This is
the believer's hope. It's not in what I am or what
I've done or what I'm doing or what I shall do or what I know.
It's whom I know. The Apostle Paul, turn to Ephesians
4. The Apostle Paul didn't say I
know in whom I have belief. Martin Luther said don't you
even let a preposition come between you and him. I know whom I have
believed not in whom or of whom I know him He didn't say I know when I believe
and I know what I believe he said I know whom salvation is
a person Not a doctrine. It's a person You don't arrive
at Christ through doctrine you arrive at doctrine through Christ
A man doesn't learn the true doctrine or the truth of the
doctrine until he learns Christ. I don't preach the sovereignty
of God, I preach the God who's sovereign. Somebody says, I love
the throne of God. I don't, I love Him who sits
on the throne. It's not the cross that saves me, it's the Christ
on the cross. Look at Ephesians 4, verse 4,
there's one body, one spirit, Even as you call in one hope
of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and
Father of all, who's above all, through all, and in you all.
That's one! One with Him. The Lord, our righteousness. That's my Lord. A miracle of
miracles. All of us who are redeemed by
Him and robed in His perfect purity are called the Lord, our
righteousness. That's right. Let me show you
one other scripture here in Romans 5. Romans 5, right across the
page there, verse 19. Listen. For by one man's disobedience,
Adam, where many made right and made sinners, by one man. God deals with two men, the two
Adams. Adam represented us. You say,
well, I don't like this imputation. I don't. Why in the world should
I be guilty because he's guilty? Well, I'll tell you, don't find
fault with imputation. Why in the world should you be
holy because Christ is holy? What's both ways then? For as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners, so by the perfect obedience of one
shall the many be made. That's what Abraham found, righteousness,
perfect, perfect holiness. Oh, I turn back to the text.
How'd he find it? Romans 4, how'd he find it? Well,
let's look at, he must have been an unusual child. Oh, he was
born in sin just like we were. Well, he must have lived the
most holy life. I read a while ago he lived in idolatry. Well,
he must have walked in holiness after he met the Lord. Yes, he
did, but he told the king one time that Sarah was his sister
because he was afraid he was going to get killed, so he said,
you can have her. That's not very holy. A lot of other things
happened. What sayeth the Scripture? Let's
look here at verse 3. What sayeth the Scripture? That's,
oh, isn't that the important thing? What did Abraham find?
What did he find? Righteousness. How did he find
it? Verse 3. What sayeth the Scripture? Abraham believed God. And it
was in, it was counted unto him for righteousness. You watch
this word in Romans 4 about 11 times. This word is used, counted,
reckoned, infused. Just about 11 times, by faith. Abraham believed God. Now, I
didn't say Abraham believed there is a God. I didn't say Abraham
believed in God. Abraham believed him. He believed
God. He believed him. I wish all of
you could have been with me a few months ago as I watched a believer
die. It was about 10.30 at night,
and my wife and I had already prepared for bed. I had my pajamas
on, my bathrobe, and the phone rang. and she picked it up and
she said she answered and she told me they want to talk to
me and I went on picked up the phone and they said brother or
the man said Mamie the doctor said won't make it through the
night and she'd like to see you at the hospital so I said I'll
be right down. Doris and I got ready we went
down the family was all in the hall there, and they were in
the room, and the nurse was in the room, and just people everywhere,
and they made me want to talk to her about it. So I walked
up to the folks, and I said, I'd be very much obliged if all
of you'd leave the room, except Merle, her husband. She's 80 years old. So there
was Burl across the bed, and my wife and I hear Mamie on the
bed, and she was smiling, sweetest smile, sweetest expression, so
faithful to the gospel, so faithful to the word of God, so faithful
worship, such a wonderful belief. And I looked at her and I said,
Mamie, are you resting in Christ? Are you resting in Him? Are you
ready to meet Him? She said, Brother Henry, I want
you to listen to this. She said, Brother Henry, my hope
is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and His righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
praise. I wholly lean on Jesus. And she
said, I watched you on television last Sunday lying here in this
hospital. And you preach the sermon on believing God, believing
God. And she said, I want you to know
right now, I know what you're talking about. I don't believe
in God. I used to believe in God. I believe
God now. I believe. You know what she's
talking about? I do. I believe. Abraham believed
God. Here's the secret. Look at verse
20 and 21. Verse 20 and 21, Romans 4 here, right where you are.
Abraham staggered not at the promises of God, the promise
of God through unbelief. Abraham wasn't staggered by all
the natural and human things that were against those promises
and that promise. Abraham was strong in faith,
giving glory to God and being fully persuaded. Here's the key
to Abraham's faith. He was strongly, fully persuaded
that what God promised, God was able to perform. This impotent God that's being
preached today, you can't believe Him. Saving faith is in a sovereign
God who is able to do what He says. He's able to do what He
promises. He's able, able. That's what
Brother Otero was preaching on the other day. He's able to save
to the othermost. He's able. You can trust Him. You can believe Him. He's able
to perform all that he promised. He's able to keep me from falling.
He's able to raise my vile body and make it like his own. He's
able to present me faultless before his Father's presence
with exceeding glory. He's able! He's our sovereign
high priest. You know the only place a man
really worships. I'm not talking about playing
church or going through the motions, or going through the form of
religion. I'm talking about the only place where a man or woman
will really worship, worship, worship. You know where it is?
It's before the throne of a sovereign, almighty God. Now a man will
fall down and worship that. He'll bargain with an equal.
He'll argue with an equal. Thou thoughtest thou was altogether
such a one as thyself. God said, but I'm not. I'm God. And that's where a man will worship.
Secondly, that's where a man finds salvation, a God who can
save, who's able to save, who's not trying to save anybody. I
hear preachers say, well, God's trying to show you this. Now,
he gets ready to show you something. He'll show it to you. God's trying to save you. Everybody he's ever set out to
save, he saves. You won't find salvation anywhere
but from the hand of an almighty sovereign God. And I'll tell
you where you find comfort, real comfort. And this is where I
told you last night about the death of that soldier boy of
mine, 21 years old. I'll tell you where I found my
comfort. His death wasn't an accident.
It was ordained and decreed of my heavenly father for his good,
my good, and his mama's good. Somebody said, I'm sorry your
son's life was cut short. I said it wasn't cut short. God
gave him 21 years, and that's how long he lived. They said,
well, where was God when your son died? I said, same place
he was when his son died, on the throne. I believe that. I believe that.
I'm not playing games. God is God. Let God be God. Never mind you're a liar. He's
a sovereign Lord. He's a sovereign Lord. Look up
at verse 17, Romans 4. As it is written, I've made you
a father of many nations. Before him whom he believed,
even God who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which
be not as though they were. A promise of God is as good as
a deed. It's done. If God decrees it,
it's done. If God purposes it, it's done.
If God ordains it, it's done. That's right. He declares the
end from the beginning. There's no accident with God.
That's comfort. That's comfort. Abraham believed
God. What did he find? Acceptance,
holiness, righteousness, purity. How did he find it? He believed
God. He believed God, and it was counted
to him, charged to him, that righteousness as if he had done
it himself. That's right. There's no condemnation
to them who are in Christ. There's no judgment to them who
are in Christ. Somebody asked me if we were
going to be judged, believers judged. No. We might be witnesses,
but I don't have anything to be judged for. He purged my sins by the sacrifice
of himself. He paid the debt. You say, well,
don't you believe God punishes his children? I do not. And I'll ask you parents a question.
You punish your children? No, you don't punish them. You
correct them. You discipline them. You instruct
them. You take the car keys away from
them. Why? Because you hate them? Why? Because you want to hurt
them? No. Why? You want to teach them. Our sins
are paid for. Our sins are put away. Our sins
don't exist anymore. God said, I don't remember them
anymore. But I'm a child and I need correction
just like your children do. I need chastisement. I need discipline. I need to be taught. But God's
not beating the power out of me because he doesn't love me.
He loves me. I'm his child. He loves Jesus. So I'm scared. I'm scared of
death. God's gonna beat me to death. No, no. He'll chase you. I tell young preachers this.
I said, don't ask God to use you. He might. And if he does, he'll wheel you
down, won't he, Pastor? He'll strip you. He'll break you. Not
because he hates you, he loves you, but he wants you to be your
best. He wants you to be a blessing. He wants you to be a comfort.
He wants you to help others. He's doing it for your good,
not to punish you. God's not on my trail with a
whip anymore than I'm on the trail of my children and grandchildren
with a whip. If he does, he'll wheel you down,
won't he, Pastor? He'll stretch you. He'll break
you. Not because he hates you, loves you, but he wants you to
be your best. He wants you to be a blessing. He wants you to
be a comfort. He wants you to help others.
He's doing it for your good, not to punish you. God's not
on my trail with a wheel. Anymore and I on the trail of
my children grandchildren with I love you being evil know how
to give good things to your children How much more more does your
heavenly father give good things to his children? I love his chastening. Don't
you love the crowd? I want to I'm trying to let's
put it that way. I Rejoice in those things knowing
that it works patiently My goodness. Thirdly, when did Abraham find
this righteousness? He found righteousness how? He
believed God. He believed God and it was counted
to him and imputed to him for righteousness. Look at verse
9. When did he find this righteousness? Cometh this blessing then upon
the circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision also? We say
that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it
reckoned? When was it reckoned? Would they reckon to him when
he was in circumcision or uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
When was Abraham declared righteous? When he believed God. When was
he circumcised? Fifteen years later. Fifteen
years later. When was Isaac born? Years and
years later. Abraham was justified and declared
righteous when he believed God right there. I read about his
trials look at verse 11, and he received the sign of circumcision
a seal of the righteousness of faith Which he had being uncircumcised
God took Abraham out and said take a look at the stars and
count him He said I can't he said that's how many seed you'll
have and he believed God and right then it was handed to him
for life I being yet uncircumcised, that
he might be the father of all them that believe, though they
be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also.
You know, I think about the thief on the cross. Somebody said,
well, there wasn't but one thief that no one may presume, but
there was one that no one need despise. That's pretty good,
isn't it? That's not mine, I sold it. There
was only one thief, just one, that no one may presume. But
there was one, thank God, one, that no one may despise. Was
he saved? Well, sir, sure he was. How was
he saved? He believed God. When was he
saved? He never walked, he never washed,
he never worked, he never won a soul, he never witnessed, He
died within hours after he believed, but he went to glory. Was he
saved? Who saved him? Christ did. When
was he saved? Right then. Are you saved the
same way? Come on now. Are you the same
way? Yes, sir, if you're saved, you
are. Not by works of righteousness, which you've done, but according
to his mercy, he saved you. By faith. Look at verse 16. Therefore it,
righteousness, holiness, acceptance, is of faith, that it might be
by grace. If anything were required other
than just trusting Him, believing Him, then it wouldn't be by grace.
It'd be works involved, wouldn't it? A man sold me a lot one time
on which to build a house for $1. He's gonna give it to me, but
legally, I had to pay a dollar for it. So really, he didn't
give it to me. I didn't pay but a dollar, but
I paid a dollar, didn't I? But it's by faith that it might
be by grace to the end. Here's the reason, to the end
that the promise might be sure to all to see. If there was any
works involved, you could never be sure. Have I done enough? Have I given enough? Have I worked
enough? You've never had any peace. You
can't have peace in anything you're doing. You can have peace
resting in Christ alone. It's by grace that it might be
sure to all the seed, not to them only that are of the law,
but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who's the
father of all of us. Now, here's the fourth thing.
I'll move on. What proof do we have that Abraham really believed
God? What proof? I'll tell you, he
obeyed God. That's the proof we have. He
obeyed God. Turn to the book of James. Book
of James. Now listen carefully to this.
You know, in the book of James, chapter 2, It says this. Now, I'll make this as plain
and simple as I can. Somebody said, well, you're a
simple preacher. I really am. I want to be simple.
I want to be simple. I want to make it as plain as
I can. In James chapter 2, verse 21, was not Abraham our father
justified by works? Was not Abraham our father justified
by works when he offered Isaac, his son, upon the altar? What's
that talking about? Paul said, not by works of righteousness
which we've done, but according to his mercy hath he saved us.
Paul is dealing with the justification of our souls before God. That's
what he's dealing with. Totally, completely. We conclude
that a man is justified by faith without the works of the Lord.
Totally by faith alone. Abraham believed God righteous.
But James comes along, Abraham was justified by work. What's
James talking about? James is talking about the justification
of his faith before me. You say you have faith? Show
me your faith without your work. You can't do it. It's an impossibility. Faith is shown and revealed by
work. Let me show you that in 1 Thessalonians
chapter 1. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Listen to this. And that's what
Paul is dealing with, the justification of our souls, just by faith alone,
without works. But James is talking to these
people who claim to believe God and be saved, and they have no
grace, they have no works, they have no holiness, they have no
obedience. They live in for themselves.
And he said, that's not faith. That kind of faith can't save.
Faith without works is dead. We're not saved by grace to live
in disgrace. We're not saved without the law
to live like a bunch of outlaws. A man shows that he believes
God when he obeys God. Abraham believed God and he left
his father's house not knowing where he was going. And I say,
he really believed God, didn't he? when he walked out, 75 years
old, and walked out not knowing where he was going, that's faith. Faith is justified by his actions. And then the father told him,
the Lord told him he'd have a son, and he believed him. He didn't
know how. He's 99 then, wasn't he? The Savior was nearly that old,
but he believed God, not knowing how. And then God came to him
one time and told him to kill that boy. Take him up on the mountain and
put a knife in his heart and burn him on an altar as a sacrifice.
And that old man started from the mountain, not knowing why.
And I'll tell you this, when God told him to take that son
whom you love and sacrifice him on an altar as a burnt offering,
he never spoke a word to Abraham for three days. Three days journey,
isn't that right, from there to that mountain, but Abraham
kept going, believing God, believing God. Was he saved because he did that?
No, he did that because he saved. Isn't that right, Pastor? He
doesn't save, you're not saved because you pray, but if you're
saved, you'll pray. You're not saved by giving, but
I tell you, if you're saved, you'll give. You're not saved
because you love somebody, but if you are you will. That's right,
you will. Abraham and he wandered around
living in tents looking for a city and he didn't know when. He didn't
know where, he didn't know how, he didn't know why, and didn't
know when, but he kept going because he believed God. First
Thessalonians, let me show you this. Verse 4, 1 Thessalonians 1, Paul
said, knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God. I know
you're God's elect. How in this world can you know
somebody's God's elect? How can Paul know that this church,
the Thessalonica people, are elect? Well, he tells you. He
said, I'll tell you why I know you're God's elect. Number one,
our gospel came to you, came not unto you in word only, it
came to you in power. and in the Holy Ghost, and in
much assurance, and you know what manner of men we were among
you for your sake. I saw how the gospel came to
you and quickened you and awakened you, the power of God's Spirit.
And secondly, you became followers of us and the Lord. That's how
I know you're God's elect. You're following God's people.
You're identified with God's people. You're following the
Lord and following His service. And then you receive the word
with much affliction and joy in the Holy Ghost. Verse 7, and
you were examples to people around you. Somebody said one time if
a man is saved, even the old hound dog in the backyard will
know about it. He won't kick him nearly as much. And verse eight, and from you
sounded out the word of the Lord. You became witnesses, missionary
minded. That's how I know you're God's
elect, you showed it. And then verse nine, the last
line said you turned from your idols to serve the living God.
And you're waiting for his son from heaven. I know you're God-blessed.
I know you're God-blessed. I know you're God-blessed. I
know you're God-blessed. I know you're God-blessed. I
know you're God-blessed. I know you're God-blessed. I
know you're God-blessed. I know you're God-blessed. I
know you're God-blessed. I know you're God-blessed. I know you're
God-blessed. I know you're God-blessed. I know you're God-blessed. I know you're God-blessed. I
know you're God-blessed. I know you're God-blessed. I know you're God-blessed. I know you're God-blessed. I
know you're God-blessed. I know you're God-blessed. I know you're in a town years ago. Pastor invited him to come preach
for him and Brother Barnard went and there was a lady in the church
who was faithful to the gospel but her husband never came. He
never came. He didn't care a thing about
the Bible or God or the church. But this lady always invited
the pastor and the evangelist to have dinner at her home during
the meeting. So the pastor and Brother Barney went to the home
and the husband was there. He always came. He was a congenial
fellow. He ran a tavern down the street. He owned a tavern. And they were
having dinner and the husband said, Preacher, did I guess you
noticed I hadn't been to the meeting? Brother Barney said,
Yes, I noticed that. He said, You know why I hadn't
been to the meeting? He said, No. He said, I don't go to any
of the meetings. You know why I don't go to any
of the meetings? He said, because every preacher that comes here
tells me that I've got to sell my tavern if I'm going to be
saved. And he said, I'm not going to
sell my tavern. Brother Barney's a wise old man.
He said, you don't have to sell your tavern to be saved. That's
not the way a man saves by selling a tavern. You're saved by looking
to the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, I'll thank God I come
here and you preach. He thought he'd kind of like
that religion, you know. Get saved and keep his tavern.
Well, he went. He went. And you know, God slew
him like he did you. Broke him, stripped him, brought
him to faith. Saved him. You know what he did? He sold his tavern. True believers aren't motivated
by fear. They're not motivated by duty
or reward or pride. They're motivated by love. Christ
said, oh, seep us down. Simon Peter said, you love me?
Yeah, Lord. You feed my lamb. You feed my
lamb. You love me? Yeah, Lord. You
feed my sheep. You love me? And he was grieved
because the Lord asked him the third time if he loved him. He
said, Lord, you know all things. You know I love you. Then you
feed my sheep. We're not motivated, but by love, aren't we? We love
him. If you love me, you'll keep my
command. That's right. If you love me. Preachers don't
need to pass out stewardship cards and whip people, just get
them to come to church, recognize what they do, brag on them to
get them to do things. He just preaches Christ and the
grace of God and God's people fall in love with the Lord Jesus
Christ and they do what they're led to do because they love him.
Makes a much happier relationship. A home built on law is not worth
much, but one built on love is awful sweet. I don't put a set of rules up
for my wife. Now in the morning at eight o'clock
you have breakfast on the table, rule number one. Rule number
two, you get the washer loaded by nine, you get the floors swept
by 10, and you get the grass cut by 11. We don't have those
rules. She loves me and I love her.
And I help with the floors myself sometimes, and the dishes too. I taught her how to die for a
baby when we were first married. That's right. You love each other.
Husbands, love your wives. Be not angry against them. And
wives, be obedient and submissive to your husband. That's the way
to build a home. All right, last of all, what's
all this got to do with me? Romans 4, let's look at it, and
I'll let you go. Romans 4, the last line, the
last three verses. Now, verse 23. He believed God, verse imputed
to him for righteousness. Now, verse 23, this was not written
for Abraham's sake alone, that was imputed to him, but for us
also, to whom it, righteousness, holiness, shall be imputed, recounted,
if we believe on him, that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,
who was delivered for our offenses. and raised by justification.
What a wonderful gospel of the free sovereign grace of God. It's by grace through faith. That not of yourself, that's
the gift of God. Repentance is the gift of God.
Faith's the gift of God. Anything I got worth having is
the gift of God. The only thing original about
me is sin. I got original sin. The rest
of it's from Him. All right, let's pray. Our Father, I thank you for these
days together. Thank you for your mercies and
blessings to us and helping us preach the gospel. Thank you
for our dear friends. Thank you for this family of
believers. Thank you for their leaders.
Lord, bless the Word preached this week. Use it for your glory.
Make it effectual. Make it effectual to every heart.
Do what we can't do for anyone. Convict of sin and grant repentance
for thee in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Save us, O, that
we may win Christ in the founding days, that we may know Him and
the power of His resurrection, that we may attain unto the resurrection
of the dead. Through His precious blood we
pray. Amen.