Let's establish something that we know without question concerning Abraham. We know that it is the Lord's
purpose, the Lord's divine purpose, that Abraham should be an example
of faith. He was to be the pattern of saving
faith, the father of all believers of all nations. Now, that's a
fact. We know that. Over here in Romans 4, verse
11, it says, Abraham received the
sign of circumcision. It was a seal, a token of the
righteousness of the faith, which he had already. For 15 years he had believed God. He was 90
here now, but since 75 he believed God. And he had righteousness. He was holy before God. He believed
God and he was righteous. But here 15 years later he received
the token, the seal of that righteousness. Yet being uncircumcised, he was
declared righteous. that he might be the father of
all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, the
Gentiles and Jews. That righteousness of God which
was given to him by faith, through faith, might be given to them
through faith. He's the father. One other scripture
I want us to read in preparation for this message is Galatians
chapter 3. Abraham, God purposed and willed that he should
be the pattern of saving faith to all believers, Jew or Gentile. Now, Galatians 3, verse 26. For ye are all the children of
God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ, and there is neither
Jew nor There's neither bond nor free, there's neither male
nor female, you're one in Christ, all one in Christ Jesus, and
if you be in Christ, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs
according to the promise God gave Abraham. But the reality of Abraham's
faith, which is to us an example, and the power of Abraham's And
the perseverance of Abraham's faith could never be known, except
by God putting Abraham through the most severe trials and testings. That's how we know Abraham believed
God, by Abraham's life. That's how we know that Abraham
believed God. The reality of this faith, we
might read about Abraham believed God, but if all these other written of Abraham had not happened,
if God had not put him through these severe trials and suffering
and testing times, we would just be reading a theory. We wouldn't
see that faith demonstrated. That's the reason these trials
are necessary in the lives of those whom God His purpose and
his pleas to use as examples, leaders of his people got to be tried. One trial, Abraham's life was
one trial after another. From the time God called him,
think about when God called him. Here he was living comfortably,
happily. surrounded by loved ones. His
father's, his country, that's where he was born and raised.
Seventy-five years old, born and raised right here. Early
counties. And God came and said, get out
of your country. Now that's pretty easy for some
of you to get transferred to a place where the gospel is preached.
Get transferred to a place where there's other gospel speaking
and hearing friends, but Abraham went to the pagan wilds, the
wilderness, and wandered until God called him home, living in
tents. Get out of your father's house.
That wasn't the end of that command. Get away from your kindred. Get
out of your country, from your kindred, and your father's house
to a land I'll show you. And Abraham went. You just sit
for a long time and think about that. That, in that day, with
the dangers and lack of conveniences and things of that nature, was
a severe test. But Abraham believed God, and
he's an example to us who are sojourners in an unfriendly world,
in a hostile environment. He's an example. And he had to
do that to be your example. And then the dividing of the
land. Do you remember that? Turn to
Genesis 13. The dividing of the land. Abraham, his nephew Lot went
with him. Lot wasn't always an encouragement
to Abraham at all. He was a problem to Abraham most
of the time. And here is when the first problem
arose. in Genesis 13. Here's the second
major test. In verse 5 of Genesis 13, and
Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents,
and the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell
together. Their substance was great, so they couldn't dwell
together. And there arose a strife between
the herdsmen of Abraham's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle,
the Canaanites and the for as I dwelt then in the land. And Abraham said to Lot, now
let's not have any strife. I pray thee between me and thee,
between your herdmen and my herdmen, we're brethren. Is not the whole
land before thee? Now you separate yourself from
me. I pray thee for me. And Abraham was the older one,
Abraham was the uncle, Lot was the nephew. But Abraham didn't
pull rank. He said, Now, Lot, if you go
the left hand, I'll go the right. If you go the right hand, I'll
go the left. You take your pick. What does the scripture say to
us who are believers? Look not on your own things,
but on the things of others. This is a trial. This is God
establishing the faith of our example, putting him to the test. God didn't tell him what to say.
But he believed God. And Lot lifted up his eyes and
beheld all the plains of Jordan. It was well watered. Water was
the most precious, precious gift at that time. He looked and he
saw where the grass was the greenest and the water was the deepest.
This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the
garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest
unto Zohar. And so Lot said, I'll take that. He chose all the plains of Jordan. Lot journeyed east and they separated
themselves and Abraham dwelt in Canaan. All right. That's this man's faith. God
tried him. And then the riches of the world
came knocking on his door. Fabulous, untold riches. See, Abraham was dwelling up
here in the mountains, and Lot was down there in the well-watered
plains in Sodom, and some wicked kings invaded the land and captured
Lot and all of his people and friends and people of that town,
took them all. And Abraham gathered his men
together and went after them, and God gave him the victory.
He whipped them, and he set the people free. In Genesis 14, let's
see what happened over there. Genesis 14. So here comes a trial. Abraham delivered these people
from the clutches of the enemy. In Genesis 14, verse 21, and
the king of Sodom said to Abram, Now Abraham, it was his name
Abram, and God changed it to Abraham, but he said to Abram,
give me the persons, I'll take all these people that you rescued,
my friends and neighbors and everybody you rescued, and you
take the goods. Can you imagine what the goods
were? Can you imagine? Moses talked about the riches
of Egypt. But you just take everything that we've brought back from
this war, all the spoils, all the goods, all the riches, all
the diamonds, gold and precious stones, they're yours. And Abram
said to the king of Sodom, I've lifted up my hand to the Lord,
the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, and I'll
not take a thread, even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take anything
that's yours. lest you should say, I made old
Abraham rich, he's indebted to me, I've supplied his needs,
he's indebted to me, I made him rich. I'll tell you what I'll
take, verse 24, I'll take that which the young men have eaten,
and the portions of men that went with me, and let them take
their food and their supplies, the rest of it. And I'll tell
you there is today, in this day, of riches and materialism, there
is a great temptation to the people of God to draw away our
affections and our thoughts and our fellowship with Christ. We're too prosperous. That's
exactly right. We've got too much of this world's
riches and materials. Our affections are not on things
above, they are on the things of the world. Abraham is our example. You take
everything you've got and go back up here to this mountain
and walk with God. You can have the rest of it.
Then came to command Genesis 21. That's another trial. He's the example of faith. And he's got to be tried. He
has to be tried. His faith has got to be tried,
for God begives him as his leader, as his example, as his preacher. Genesis 21,
verse 9. You remember the story of how
Ishmael was born. Abraham was going to help God
out a little bit, and Sarah, and Hagar, But now this is Isaac
already born now in Genesis 21, the child God promised. Genesis
21, verse 8, And the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made
a great feast that same day that Isaac was weaned. And Sarah saw
the son of Hagar, the Egyptian, Ishmael, which the Egyptian woman
had borne unto Abraham, saw him mocking Isaac, making fun of
Isaac, the heir. the promised child. Therefore
she said to Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son. And
here Sarah is doing some mighty fine preaching here. The son
of the bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, Isaac. Ishmael represents the works
of Abraham. Isaac represents the grace and
power of God. And the son of the bondwoman
can't rule and reign with the son of the free woman. Grace
and works can't reign together, can't live together. Not in the
same heart. Can't do it. Not in the same
home or heart. Can't do it. And the thing was very grievous
on Abraham's side because of his son. Ishmael was his son.
Only son he'd had for 15 or so years. Loved him dearly. And the Lord said, Abraham, let
it not be grievous in your sight because of the lad and because
of the bondwoman. And all that saith it said to
thee, you hearken to her voice. For Abraham, I told you, and
I told you, and I told you." In Isaac, you see, because we
are hard-headed, aren't we? Grace, grace, grace, God's gift,
supernatural, born from above, not by works of righteousness
which we've done, by his mercy, grace he saved us. So Abraham, oh, Ishmael, he'll be a great
nation. Boy, you can see his posterity, his people over there
now, Egypt, Arabs, that's Ishmael. all over the world. He'd be a
great nation, but in Isaac, in thy seed, which is Christ. And believers have to learn this.
It's so slow to learn, so slow to learn. Daly learned it. Our works and God's grace cannot
reign together. Paul had to learn this. He said,
I count all things but loss. I do count them but dumb." He
named all the things he had done in the kingdom of God, in the
name of God, and he said, I count it but lost for the excellence
and the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. And I do count it but
garbage that I may win Christ to be found in him. And Abraham putting that son
of the flesh out. It's just painful to him and
it's equally painful to some people who put their works out
the door and rest only in Christ. In my hands no price I bring,
simply to the cross of Jesus Christ I cling. Could my tears
forever flow? Could my zeal know respite? No, these for sin cannot atone.
Christ was saved. Christ alone has got to go. Oh, what a trouble,
he came as an example. And then in his old age, 120,
in his old age, Genesis 22, look at this one. God came to him
in Genesis 22. Genesis 22 starts this way, verse
1. It came to pass after these things,
after these things. Isn't this enough? Hasn't Abraham
suffered enough? Hasn't he been tried enough?
Not yet. Not yet. But God did try Abraham. God did prove him. He's proven
him. He said, Abraham, behold I. He said, Take now your son, your
only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go up to the land of Moriah
and offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains. He says right here in Abraham,
verse 3, no argument, no quarreling, he rose up early in the morning
and saddled his ass and took two of his young men with him.
Isaac, his son, claimed the wood for a burnt offering, rose up
and went to the place where God told him. He believed God. This
is our example. the culmination of the whole
thing. Look at Genesis 22, verse 11 and 12. Verse 10, Genesis
22, 10. And Abraham stretched forth his
hand, took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the
Lord, God himself, called unto him out of the heavens, Abraham,
Abraham! He said, Here I am. Lay not your hand on the Lamb,
neither do thou anything to him. I know thou fearest God. Did God not know that before?
Why, certainly. I believe a better translation.
I believe what God is saying. He is saying, Now it is known
beyond a shadow of a doubt that you fear God. Now it's really known. How is
it known? Get out of your father's house.
Give up the land. Lay down the riches, get rid
of your works, and now your most precious possession. He that
loveth father, mother, brother, sister, husband, wife, more than
me, you're not worthy of me. The man does not take up his
cross and follow me, he's not fit for the kingdom of God, cannot
be my disciple. He certainly can't be an example,
he certainly can't be a leader, he certainly can't be the example
to everybody that's coming down the road. But now it's known,
now it's clearly known, now it's evident that you believe God. And that's what trials are all
about. I hear these silly preachers
trying to ask the question, answer the question, why do good things,
bad things happen to good people. That makes me so nauseated I
don't know what to do. If God is pleased to try me or
you, you better rejoice. You better rejoice, because whom
he loveth, he chastened. If you be without chastisement,
you're not a son of God. These things are essential. If
any man will live godly in Christ Jesus, he shall suffer persecution. It's given unto us not only to
believe on him, but to suffer. And that's this man here. Now
it's evident. Now it's evident. that you do love me, you do believe. Not only did I know it, now you
know it, Abraham, and everybody else knows it too. And I'm awed, I'm speechless
in the presence of such faith. You are too. I'm awed by such
faith. Yet again and again the Lord
declares that this man is our example, this man is our pattern,
So using that, I'm going to give you four things, four things
for you to remember. Number one is the reason for
Abraham's faith. Let me give them to you one at
a time and just mention the first one. Romans 4, let's look at
our text. The reason for his faith, the
reason this man believed God, the foundation of the Word. I
think it's in chapter 4, verse 18, two statements, the reason
for Abraham's faith. Verse 18 says, who against hope,
believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations
according to that which was spoken. There's the first statement.
That's the reason for his faith. He believed what God said, according
to what God said. That's the foundation of his
faith. God said this and he believed it. Look at verse 19, or verse
20. He staggered not at the promise
of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory
to God, being fully persuaded that what God had promised, what
God had said, God was able to perform. So it wasn't dreams
now that he trusted. It wasn't dreams and visions
that were the reason he believed. It wasn't feelings or theories. Abraham believed the word of
God. God said this to Abraham. It wasn't a dream, it wasn't
a vision, it wasn't a feeling, it wasn't a theory, it was the
word of God. And that's the same foundation
of our faith. Faith comes by hearing, hearing
by the word of God. Heaven and earth shall pass away,
but my word shall never pass away, till it all be fulfilled.
David said, Forever, O Lord, thy word is established in the
heavens. We believe God's word. That's the reason for Abraham's
faith. You believe what God said. You believe what God promised.
Believe it right. Thomas Manton is not a name most
people are familiar with. He was a great preacher, great
writer, Thomas Manton. And he divided the promises of
God into two categories. We believe, Abraham believed
the promise of God, promises of God. And he divided these
promises into two categories. Number one is the promises of
the creation. God's the God of creation. He's
created all things for his glory. We believe that. both the old
creation and the new creation. There'll be a new heaven and
a new earth. Also, there's a general promise of a covenant. There's
an everlasting covenant. There's a kingdom. It's called
the kingdom of his dear son. It's called the everlasting covenant.
We believe the promises of the covenant, the covenant of the
mercies of the covenant God, the sheer mercies of David and
the covenant. There is also incarnation. and
redemption by the giving of his son. Christ came to redeem a
people. The Christ is talked about all
through the Old Testament. Someone's coming. Be like Melchizedek,
a priest, like Moses, a prophet, like David. We believe that.
That's the general promise of God. The fulfillment in Christ's
coming. Unto you is born a Savior, Christ
the Lord. That's general promise. There's
glorification. of his people, whom he foreknew,
he predestinated someday to be conformed to his image. Whom
he predestinated he called, whom he called he justified, whom
he justified he glorified. That's the general promises of
God. I believe them. But faith is also made up of
faith and believing the personal promises of God. Personal promises,
what are they? If any man thirsts, let him,
we're not talking about the creation, we're not talking about the covenant,
we're not talking about all the host of people and all nations,
we're talking about you now. If any man, any individual, if
any man thirsts, desire to know God. tired of sin, weary of the
ways of sin, wants to be cleansed and made whole, if any man let
him come to me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
I believe that. I believe all that great unexplainable,
unsearchable riches of God's glorious purpose, but this comes
home. Coming to me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, I'll give you rest. I'll give you rest. If thou shalt
confess with our mouth Jesus to be Lord, and believe in thine
heart God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. That's
coming home now, that's what I believe. Feelings come and feelings go
and feelings are deceiving. My warrant is the Word of God.
Nothing else is worth believing. And though all my heart should
feel condemned for want of some sweet token, Lord give me a sign,
give me a token. I know one greater than my heart,
the word cannot be broken. So I trust in his unchanging
word till soul and body sever. The words of men, the thoughts
of men, the plans of men, the ways of men will pass away. His
word abides forever. Why did Abraham believe? The
reason? The foundation? He believed what God said. He believed what God said according
to that which was spoken. Secondly, the strength of his
faith. power of his faith. What motivated
this man to act so quickly in these commands? I know that the
reason, God said it, but listen, wait a minute, Abraham's an intelligent
man, Abraham's a rational man, Abraham's a reasonable man, Abraham's
a human who loves his children and his father's house, he's
a human being. Where did he get the grace? walk out of his country. Where
did he get the grace to look over there and see that well-watered
field, give it to Lot and take to the hills? Where did he get
the grace to put Ishmael out? Where did he get the grace to
take that boy up on that mountain? I know the reasons, the word
of God, but there's something else in here, and I found it,
I believe. Look at four things in this Romans
4. Verse 18, "...who against hope
believed in hope." Humanly speaking, he knew it
was impossible to save it ever so. It's against hope. It's against all natural means,
it's against all natural understanding. But Abraham believed in God,
the power of God that reaches beyond human means, reaches beyond
human ability. That's where his strength came
from. Hope which is seen is not hope.
Hope which is not seen, that's hope. And Abraham, against hope,
against all natural means and natural ways, believed God. I believe it would be exactly
like God said. Then secondly, in verse 19, it says, And being
not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead. He
was an old, old, old man, a hundred years old. Now talk about conceiving
a child? Well, that didn't enter his mind.
No, yet the deadness of Sabaoth's womb, that didn't bother him.
He looked at her and she was old and wrinkled. She's a hundred
now, talking about bearing a child. But Abraham knew this, God created
the world out of nothing, and God made Adam out of the
dust. Why not a son from a dead womb?
It wouldn't be any harder, would it? That's the way he got it. who didn't even consider the
impossibility of having a child. If God says she's going to have
a child, she's going to have one. That's the reason. And then the third thing it says
here, verse 20, he staggered not at the promise of God through
unbelief. Is anything too hard for God? The Lord said, Jeremiah, come
down to the potter's house. Come down to the potter's house.
Let me just read that to you here in Jeremiah 18. He said, The word of the Lord
came to him, verse 2, Jeremiah 18, Rise, go down to the potter's
house, and I'll cause you to hear my words. And I went down
to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of
the potter, so he made another vessel. That seemed good to the
potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came
to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this
potter? Saith the Lord, Behold, as the
clay is in the potter's hands, so are you in my hand, O house
of Israel. Abraham believed that. He believed God was able to do
what God willed to do. Then the fourth thing, verse
21, he was fully persuaded that what God promised God was able
to perform. That's the strength of his faith.
He was against hope, believed in hope, didn't even consider
the difficulty of the task. He was fully persuaded of what
God promised he was able to perform. Listen to the questions of men.
Now these are the questions I found running through the scriptures.
Yisrael said, can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Can God? God made the wilderness. Bildad said, How can man be just
with God? Behold, the moon shineth not,
but the stars are not pure in his sight. How can he be clean
born of woman? Well, with men it's impossible,
but with God all things are possible. Listen to Mary. The angel told
her she'd have a son. How can that be? How can that
be? I don't know a man. Oh, he's
God. Listen to Nicodemus. How can
a man be born when he's old? How? How indeed? Listen to the
disciples. Well, who then can be saved?
I think an old, diseased, decrepit, dying, hopeless leper answers
that question. Every one of these questions.
How? How? How? How? This old, diseased, dying, hopeless,
withered leper, on the edge of eternity, fell at the feet of
the Lord Jesus Christ, and looked up in his face, and he said,
Lord, Lord God of heaven and earth, if you will, you can make
me whole. That's the answer. If he will,
he can. Not if you will, he will. How? Indeed. Well, if he will,
that's what Abraham believed. That's how he did it. I want you to see the sole object
of his faith in Romans 4, verse 3. Listen. He believed God. He didn't say
he believed there is a God. You haven't said one thing when
you say, I believe there's a God. In fact, you really blaspheme. You act like God is something
out here, separate from the creation. There
is a God. There is a monument in Washington.
There is a Nile River in Egypt. But that's not that there is
a God. God is, and everything is in God. And you haven't said
anything when you say you believe there's a God. In fact, you're
blaspheming. Abraham didn't believe about
God. It says here, and it says it everywhere in the scripture,
Abraham believed God. He believed God. He believed
God. He believed God. Everything else aside, he believed
God. Let God be true and ever man a liar. Now here's a strong
illustration. Turn to Acts 27. Acts 27. This is what faith does. It believes
God. It believes God to the exclusion
of everything else. There's nothing that changes
that. If God said it, we believe it. Acts 27, verse 21. Paul was on this ship, and it
says here in Acts 27, verse 21, after long abstinence, there
was a storm raging. Verse 20 says, When neither sun
nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us,
all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. After long
abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and he
said, Sirs, you should have hearkened to me. and not have loosed from
creep, and to have gained this harm and loss. But now I exhort
you, be a good chair. There shall be no loss of any
man's life among you, but of the ship." We're going to lose
the ship, but nobody's going to die. "'For there stood by
me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve.'
He said, Fear not, Paul. must be brought before Caesar,
and, lo, God has given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore,
sirs, be of good cheer, for I believe God. It shall be even as it was
told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon
a certain island. But when the fourteenth night
was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight
The sailors, sea shipmen, deemed that they drew near to some country,
so they sounded and found it 20 fathoms. A fathom is about
6 feet, so it was 120 feet deep. When they'd gone a little further,
they sounded again and it was about 15 fathoms, about 90 feet. Then fearing lest we should have
fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern
and hoped for the day." Now, watch this. And as the shipmen
were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down
the boat into the sea, under color, pretending as though they
were casting anchors out of the foreship, in other words, these
fellows had given up. They were going to abandon the
ship. So they got the lifeboats. and they started letting it down.
You sailors know about the lifeboat. It's held by ropes and you let
it down the side and then everybody gets, climbs down rope ladders
and gets in the lifeboat and skedaddles. So these fellas,
they heard what Paul said. God said stay in the ship, nobody
will die. I believe God. It will be exactly
as he said it was. But these fellas gave up. They
needed to help God out a little bit so they started lowering
that boat, pretending that they were going out to anchor. And
Paul turned to the centurion, and he said to the centurion,
to the soldiers, Now, except you're bowed in the ship, you
can't be saved. Can't be saved. Here are these men standing there,
and they're watching them let that boat down, and the boat,
this big ship's cracking up. And Paul said, Now, stay in the
ship. No matter what happens, stay
in the ship. You can't be saved. They're at a crossroads, aren't
they? What'd they do? Then the soldiers cut the ropes and let her fall into the sea.
He believed it. They cut the ropes, every one
of them. And they watched that boat roll
off into the sea, cast themselves on God. That's faith. Cut the rope and
let her fall into the sea. false hopes and works and duties
and deeds and professions of faith. Let's just cut the ropes
and watch them go out to sea. Rest in Christ. That's faith. And last of all, the results
of the faith. Turn to Romans 4 one more time. I'll close with
this. The results of faith. In Romans
4, Verse 20, he staggered not at the promise of God through
unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being
fully persuaded of what God had promised he was able to perform,
and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. That's
it. That's it. That seems so easy. It's not that easy to cut the
ropes. God has to give you grace to
do it. Christ, strive to enter into his way. Now, that wasn't
written for his sake alone, but for us also, to whom it shall
be imputed if we believe. Believe God, believe God.