The Friend of God

Several times in the Word of
God, Abraham is called the friend of God. The friend of God. In 2 Chronicles, the 20th chapter,
verse 7, we read these words, Art thou not our God, who did
drive out the inhabitants of this land, and gave it to the
seed of Abraham, thy friend forever? Then Isaiah wrote in chapter
41, verse 8, But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob, whom I
have chosen, the seed of Abraham, my friend. And then in James
chapter 2, verse 23, the apostle wrote these words, Abraham believed
God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness, and he
was called the friend of God. the friend of God. Now the Arabs
and the Jewish people today, even to this day, refer to Abraham
as the friend of God. Now you may be saying, well preacher,
that's all well and good for Abraham, but that's a high degree
and I cannot attain unto it. Just think, to be called the
friend of God. It'd be foolish for me to even
dream of being called the friend of God. I disagree with you. I want to be the friend of God. I want to be as Abraham was,
God's friend. And I believe it's possible for
you, I believe it's possible for me to be called the friend
of God. Listen to what the Lord Jesus
said in John 15, 14. You are my friends. You are my
friends. If you do whatsoever I command
you, I call you not servants, I have called you my friends."
Abraham was the friend of God. Now here's the key. I believe
this is the key and this is the heart of the message for you
today. Abraham, James said, believed God and he was called the friend
of God. It's impossible to please God
without faith. The scripture says that in Hebrews
11, verse 6. Without faith, it's impossible
to please God. Now, if I can believe God as
Abraham believed God, why can't I be the friend of God? Abraham
believed God, and it was accounted unto him or imputed unto him
for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. Now,
if I believe God, why cannot I be like Abraham, the friend
of God. I want us today to look at an
example of Abraham's faith. He was called the father of believers,
the father of the faithful. He was a friend of God because
he believed God. And I think the best example
of Abraham's faith is found in the book of Genesis, chapter
22. Now I want you to take your Bibles today. You take your Bible
there with the television. And you listen to this entire
message on Abraham, the friend of God, and I want you to follow
verse by verse as I read these verses and talk about the nature
of faith and the depth of faith. Abraham believed God, and he
was called a friend of God. First of all, in verse 1, Genesis
chapter 22, it came to pass after these things that God did try
Abraham. The word in your King James Bible
is tempt. The word there is try. God did
try Abraham. Now, the first thing about Abraham's
faith that enabled him to be called a friend of God is this.
His faith was a tried faith. Now, I can be certain of this
one thing. If my faith is the faith of Abraham,
if my faith is true saving faith, it's going to be tried It's going
to be tested, tried by God, tested by God, in the most severe manner,
in a strong and severe manner. Now listen to these scriptures.
In James 1, verse 2 and 3, brethren, count it all joy when you fall
into or encounter various trials, knowing this, that the trying
of your faith worketh patience. Faith is going to be tried. If
it's genuine faith, If it's God-given faith, if it's saving faith,
it's going to be tried. God tried Abraham. And James
says, Brethren, count it joy when you are called upon by God
to endure trials. Listen to 1 Peter 1.7. The genuineness
of your faith will be tried. It will be tried. In 1 Peter
4.12. Think it not strange concerning
the fiery trials, and as I said, they will be strong trials, they
will be severe trials. And don't you count it strange
when these fiery trials come upon you, they are to try you.
Rejoice inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's suffering. Abraham's
faith was a tried faith. Notice these three words, after
these things. God did try Abraham. Now, Abraham's
faith had been tried many times before. Abraham's faith had endured
many trials. First of all, he was called away
from his home. God told him to get thee out
of thy father's house, and from among thy kindred and thy brethren,
and go to the land I'll show thee. And Abraham left, not knowing
where he was going. Abraham never had a son. He never
had an heir. He was getting to be an old man,
and still he didn't have an heir. He didn't have a son. God was
trying him there. God promised him a son. And finally
a son came through the handmaid, Hagar. And God rejected that
son. And finally when the true son
came along, Abraham had to go through another trial. He had
to send Ishmael away. He loved Ishmael. He was his
child. But he had to send him away.
That was a trial of faith. Abraham wandered in a strange
land, having no home, having no dwelling place. That was a
trial. Abraham had to part with Lot.
He had to give Lot the best part of the valley while he took the
mountains. That was a trial of his love and of his compassion,
of his consideration. That was a trial. He had to fight
with powerful kings. God gave him the victory, but
that was a trial. But after all these things, after
all these things, after all these trials, Abraham, when he was
an old man, gray-headed, 120 or 30 years of age, Abraham had
to endure the most severe trial of all. After he thought, well
surely the battle is over, the warfare is finished, he must
face his most severe trial, and that is the giving up of this
boy Isaac. After these things. Now my friends,
our last trials could be our greatest trials. Abraham's certainly
was. We can never say that the journey
is over and the journey is finished until we are with Christ. and
perfectly conformed to his image. As long as I'm living on this
earth, my faith is going to be tried. God promises me that.
God did try Abraham. If he tried Abraham, he certainly
will try us. If Abraham was tried, Abraham
was a friend of God, then if I would be a friend of God, I'm
going to be tried too. And let me tell you this, he
that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. We are of
the household of Christ if we hold fast the profession of our
faith firm unto the end. Faith is no good unless it's
tried and proven. And God's going to try your faith.
He's going to try. I want to be a friend of God.
I want to believe God. And whatever trials God must
send my way in order to prove my faith and to try my faith,
I want them, don't you? Now the second thing about Abraham's
faith is in verse 2. Every word of this verse ought
to be carefully, carefully observed. It deserves our particular attention. And God said, Abraham, take now
thy son, thine only son, Isaac, thine only son, whom thou lovest,
and offer him for a burnt offering unto me. Abraham's faith is going
to be tried, but Abraham's faith will prove this, that it's devoted
to Christ alone. Now, Abraham loved Isaac, but
not more than God. Abraham loved his son, but not
as much as he loved God. And he is willing to give his
son to God. Now, the believer loves. The
believer is a lover. The scripture says, he that loveth
not knoweth not God. The love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts for the Holy Spirit. Believers, those who are the
friends of God, do not hate. Their hearts are not filled with
malice and vengeance and grudges and hatred. True believers love
God. True believers love God. And
they love their families, but not more than they love God.
Christ said, He that loveth father, mother, brother, sister, husband,
wife more than me is not worthy of me. True believers love life,
they love living, they love their work, they love the surroundings,
they love God's universe, but not more than they love Him.
One day our Lord was sitting with a fire talking to Peter.
Peter had been out fishing in the boat with the nets with the
other disciples. This was his life. This was his
occupation. These were things that he had
been doing since he was a lad. And Christ looked at him and
said, Peter, do you love me more than these? more than the boats,
more than the fish, more than the nets, more than these things?
Do you love me more than these?" And I say the believer loves
his family, but he does not love his family more than God. He
loves life, he loves his work, he loves things that God has
given him to do, but not more than he loves God. And he's willing
to part with family, children, mother, father, he's willing
to part with everything, yea, even his own life, even hell,
if that's God's will. And it is for God's glory. The
believer loves God. True faith is willing to be stripped
of everything. This is what God is showing to
Abraham here. He said, Abraham, you take your
son, whom you love, your only son, and you offer him as a sacrifice
to me. I'm going to be first. Christ
is going to be Lord of all, or not Lord at all. Now, that's
what true faith is. Would you be the friend of God?
Your faith will be tried. Would you be the friend of God?
If that faith does not put Christ first, then it cannot be saving
faith. You cannot be the friend of God. Abraham, you love your son. Yes,
Lord, I do. Do you love him more than I do,
more than you love me? In Revelation chapter 2, the
scripture says, these people left their first love. Christ
was their first love. And they had left that first
love, and that was the condemnation and the charge against them.
You've left your first love. You've put other things first.
Anything is out of place if it's in the place of Christ. I don't
care what it is, your business, your friends, your family, your
health, anything. It's out of place if it's in
Christ's place, which is first place. God came to Eli through
Samuel one time. Samuel said, Eli, God said he
was going to kill your sons because your sons have violated his commandments
and his law. And Eli said, well, it's the
Lord. Let him do what he will. Faith
is devoted to Christ. That's true faith. That's saving
faith. That's the faith of the person of whom it can be said
he's the friend of God. Christ is first. Now, I cannot
emphasize that too much. Christ is first. Now, the third
thing about Abraham's faith is found in verse 3. It was tried
faith and it was found to be devoted faith. And thirdly, it
was obedient faith. This was evidently in the evening
sacrifice that God spoke to Abraham sometime in the evening. He said,
Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, to a place
I will show you, and you offer him up as a sacrifice, a burnt
offering to me. And the scripture says, And early
the next morning Abraham rose up and went to the place that
God had showed him. Early the next morning. Early
the next morning. He went out and saddled his donkey.
He got two young men to go with him. He called Isaac, got him
out of bed, didn't tell him where he was going, got him out of
bed. He said, let's go, son, we've got some place to go. He
obeyed God. Now, Abraham could have presented
many human reasons and arguments for not obeying this command.
I hear people do that. They'll read a verse of Scripture,
and then they'll start giving human wisdom and human reason
and human arguments against the Word of God. God said, Abraham,
you take your boy. your boy Isaac, whom you love,
and you offer him as a burnt offering to me." And Abraham
arose up early the next morning and started for that place. Why,
he could have said, but Lord, you said in Isaac shall thy seed
be called. Now how is my seed going to be
fulfilled in Isaac if I slay him? But Lord, now how am I going
to explain this to my wife Sarah? I take this boy out there and
come back without him. What am I going to tell my wife?
And Lord, what about the people around me? I'll be a murderer
in their sight. I'll be a killer of my own son. Lord, that's not reasonable.
That doesn't make good sense. He could have said, Lord, I've
proven through the years that I love you. Why put me through
this test? Oh, he could have offered many,
many arguments, but he presented no human wisdom to contradict
God's Word. He presented no human arguments
and no human reason to contradict God's Word. He believed God.
Would you be the friend of God? Then you've got to believe God.
From Genesis to Revelation, whatever God says, it may not be reasonable
to my human mind, but my thoughts are not God's thoughts, and my
ways are not God's ways. Subject your thoughts to God's
Word, not God's Word to your thoughts. When they ran out of
wine at the feast in Cana of Galilee, the mother of Christ
called the servants over and she said, Now whatever he says
to you, you do it. Now that's good theology. Whatever
God says, you do it. And that's the kind of faith
that you must have if you'll be the friend of God. Whatever
you say, Lord. I may not understand it. It may
be a mystery. I may be called upon to go through
valleys I don't understand, and I may be called upon to go through
trials and experiences I don't understand. And I may be called
upon to believe scripture that my human reason and human wisdom
rebels against, but Lord, whatever you say, I believe." God said
it. That settles it. Now the fourth
thing about this, and I want you to listen to this, the fourth
thing about this faith of Abraham, it was patience. Patience. Then on the third day," read
verse 4, then on the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and
saw the place afar off. The third day. The place that
God had designed for the offering up of Isaac was three days away
from where Abraham lived. Now think with me a moment. God
came to Abraham on this evening, the evening sacrifice, and spoke
to him. He said, Now Abraham, I want
you to take your son, whom you love, and offer him for a burnt
offering. unto me at the place I'll show you." Abraham had to
sit and think about that all night that night. And then he
got the lead and started toward the place that God would show
him, and they walked all day, and then another night, and all
day, and another night, and then on the third day, God showed
him the place. Almighty God gave Abraham three
days and three nights to change his mind. to change his mind. The days of travel, can you imagine
what they were like? This must have been like three
years to Abraham. Think of these days of walking
along beside that boy, and Isaac had no idea where they were going
or what they were going to do. And he'd look at that boy and
he'd remember the days of joy and happiness and how thrilled
he was when that lad was born, and at times they had honey together
and fish together, and it must have stabbed his heart every
time he thought of it. And then at night when Isaac
would be over there sleeping, Abraham never slept. He'd lean
back against a rock and he'd look at that boy and think, my,
how I love that boy, but I love God more. I love God more. Now, God slowly prepares his
vessels. That's right, men get in a hurry,
but not God. Through time and trial, he proves
their faith. Moses, how long was he on the
backside of that desert? He left the universities of Egypt,
the luxuries of Egypt. the power of Egypt and went out
there on the backside of a desert for forty years before God spoke
to him. How long was David hunted in
the mountains and the caves before he became king of Israel? How
long was Joseph on his way from home through the pit, through
the experience with Potiphar's wife, through the prison, before
he became the king of Egypt? Psalms 27 says, you wait on the
Lord. Wait on the Lord. Christ said,
sit down and count the cost. Once he turned to his disciples
and said, will you go away? God will give you plenty of time
to think about this faith. Will it be God or will it be
self? Will it be his will or my will? Will it be God's word
or my thoughts? Which will it be? Now modern
evangelism, now you listen to me a minute. Modern evangelism
says strike while the iron's hot. Modern evangelism says put
the pressure on people to make decisions today, right this minute,
now. God never works that way in his
Word. God gives men time to think, to consider, and yes, to fack
out. That's right. He says, Abraham,
you take your son and offer him as a burnt offering to me. In
three days and three nights, God didn't say another word.
Three days and three nights, God didn't send another message.
God had given his Word. Now he left Abraham plenty of
time to think it over. And when the end of those three
days came, Abraham was of a firm decision and a firm commitment
and a firm resolution, just like he started to do what God said.
How about you? Has your faith tried, and is
it patient, and is it enduring faith? This thing of starting
the race rapidly, that's not the question. It's how do you
finish the race? I want people who listen to me. I want them
to hear the word of God, and examine their sins, and examine
their position, and examine what I say, and examine the gospel,
and look to Christ, the Christ of Calvary, the Christ of the
tomb, the Christ of the resurrection, the Christ of intercession, and
I want you to sit down and do business with God, not with me.
I don't want you walking an hour shaking my hand, making a decision,
and then going out and regretting it. I want you to sit down and
count the calls. Do you want Christ? Do you want
salvation? Do you want eternal life? You
don't want it? I don't want you to have it.
But if you're thirsty, you come and drink. If you're weary, you
come find rest. If you're heavy laden, you come
and he'll give you peace. But God will give you time to
think about it. And I will too if I'm in God's will. And then
the next thing about his faith, it was certain. Verse 5, look
at it. And Abraham said to the young men with him, he says,
Now you fellows stay here, abide you here, While I and the lad
go yonder and worship, and we'll be back, we'll come again to
you." Abraham believed God. Abraham knew that God had said,
Abraham and Isaac shall your seed be called. Abraham knew
that Isaac, according to the purpose and promise of God, would
have sons and daughters. Abraham knew whatever happened,
now watch it right here, whatever happened now, Whatever he was
called upon to go through, or Isaac was called upon to suffer,
would not change the promise and purpose of God. God had promised
Abraham's seed would be in Isaac, and Abraham believed God and
knew it would be so, and he'd have to raise Isaac from the
dead. True faith knows this, that whatever I go through now
will not change the purpose of God in the future. Whom he foreknew,
he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his son. whom
he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son, he called.
And whom he called, he justified, and whom he justified, he glorified.
And I know if God has chosen me and redeemed me in Christ
and accepted me in the Beloved, I'm going to be with Christ out
yonder, whatever I have to suffer now, whatever I'm called upon
to bear now. For all things work together
for good to them who love God, who are called according to his
purpose. He leadeth me. O blessed thought,
O words with heavenly comfort thought, content whatever lot
I see, since it is my God that leadeth me." And Abraham turned
to these young men, and he said, Isaac and I have grown up young
in worship. We'll be back. We'll be back. And then his faith
was informed. Now I want you to watch this
carefully in verse 7. So Isaac and Abraham started
up the hill. And Isaac turned to his father and said, Father,
here is the wood and here is the fire. Where is the lamb for
the burnt offering? Where is the lamb? This young
man had been taught and taught well by his father. What had
his father taught him? His father had taught him the
gospel. His father had taught him that there was no sacrifice
for sin without blood, without the shedding of blood. His father
had taught him well, as Moses wrote in Leviticus 17.11, the
life of the flesh is in the blood. I have given it to you upon the
altar to make an atonement for your soul. It is the blood that
makes the atonement for the soul. Isaac knew there was no salvation,
no forgiveness in works, promises, resolutions, deeds, ceremonialism,
ritualism, legalism, or any other kind of ism. He knew that in
order for sin to be put away, In order for the sinner to be
accepted by God, there had to be a substitutionary death. There had to be the death and
the shedding of blood. His father taught us that. If
you've been taught of God, if you're the friend of God, you've
been taught of God. And you know what God teaches
us? He teaches us that the blood maketh atonement for the soul.
Without the shedding of blood, there's no remission of sin.
He teaches us the gospel of substitution. Our Lord said, can come to me,
except my Father which sent me draw him. And every one that
cometh to me is taught of the Father. He that is taught of
the Father cometh unto me." God teaches his people the gospel. It comes by revelation, not by
education, not by high-pressure methods. It comes by revelation. It's revealed to the heart by
the Holy Spirit, the gospel of substitution. Isaac said, Here's
the fire, here's the wood, where's the lamb? I ask you, where's
the lamb in your religion? You have plenty of promotion,
you have plenty of programs, you have plenty of singing, you
have plenty of methods, you have plenty of entertainment, you
have plenty of these things, where's the gospel in your religion?
Where's the gospel in your message? Where's the gospel in your, where's
the blood? Where's Christ in him crucified?
You know what Abraham replied to his son? He said, My son,
look at verse 8, he said, My son, God will provide himself
a lamb. Christ said one time, Abraham
saw my day and was glad. I believe this is when Abraham
saw his day. God will provide himself a lamb. And that lamb was provided by
God. John the Baptist stood on the
banks of the Jordan and saw the Lord Jesus Christ coming toward
him, and he says, There is the Lamb of God that taketh away
the sin of the world. But I'll tell you something else
Abraham saw in this. He saw that God himself would
be the lamb. God will provide himself a lamb. God was in Christ reconciling
the world unto himself. Did you know that this mountain,
Moriah, where Abraham would have sacrificed his son Isaac, this
very mountain is Mount Calvary, where God gave his son to die
for sinners. Christ shed his blood. God on
Mount Calvary provided himself a lamb to put away our sin and
our guilt. I want to be a friend of God.
I want the faith of Abraham, the faith that says he believes
God and he's called a friend of God. But I know this. And
that faith will prove to be devoted to Christ alone. And that faith
will be obedient. He won't argue with God's word.
It's God's word. Let him do what he will. It will
be patient. It will be enduring. It will
be certain. It will be taught of God. Now,
these messages I bring to you on this program each Sunday are
taped and they are available at a small cost. If you want
them, write to me. I'll be glad to send them to
you. Until next Lord's Day, I bid you a very pleasant Good day.

The Friend of God

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The Friend of God

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