Price of Obedience

Good afternoon, and I just share a few things that I've been learning from the life of Abram, or Abraham. Let's read in Hebrews chapter 11, please. In the book of Hebrews chapter 11, verse 8, it says, And it says, 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, he went out not knowing whether he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs of him of the same promise. I'd just like to consider very briefly something of the obedience of Abraham.

And this is something that I have appreciated as I've been reading in the book of Genesis and seeing the life of Abraham. We read this, that when he was called, he obeyed. I don't know if we appreciate what this meant for Abram or not.

We would have read in the book of Genesis, we would have read these words that the Lord said unto Abram. Get thee out of thy country from thy kindred and from thy father's house. If we've never experienced this, I don't think we appreciate it and what it meant to Abram.

To get out of his country, the place of his security. And to leave his family, to leave his father's house, to be a stranger in a strange land. I'd like to speak very simply about the price of obedience.

Maybe we hear a lot about the price of disobedience, but I want to speak about the price of obedience. Very simply it says this, that Abraham or Abram, he was called and he obeyed. And often times there's a great price to be paid to obey God.

As I think about Abram as he was called. And oh, maybe some time had gone by, maybe five years before he finally left here. To go out as a stranger.

Leaving everything that was near and dear to him behind. Obeying the voice of God. You know we could have read what God told him of the blessings.

But what I can appreciate of this, of the obedience of Abraham is that there was blessings for him. But can I speak briefly of the price of obedience. When we think of what the disciples said.

They said, lo we have left all and followed thee. What did that mean to the disciples who obeyed the call of the Lord Jesus? That meant for some they were going to leave their nets. Some left their boats and some left their fathers.

And of course there was one that left his tax table. And there was others that left their political parties. Was it an easy thing to obey his voice? Was it an easy thing for Abram to obey the voice of God? I don't see that it was an easy thing.

There was a price of obedience. I was with Ross Vanstone this summer and he told us a story. He told us a story of a couple young ladies that had been saved.

They were Hutterites on the Hutterite colony. And this is what he said that the young ladies that were saved had a desire to obey God. They understood they could not on the colony obey God.

And of course their parents pleaded with them not to go. And they stayed for a little while until the moment finally came. They said we cannot obey God here.

You know they turned their backs on everything they ever had or ever known. So they could be baptized. And they were baptized.

The two of them, the two sisters on the same night. Do you know what touched me was this. Because of their desire to obey God.

They were going to pay the great price. And they had to say goodbye to dad and to mom. To everything they had ever had close to them.

The price of obeying Him. But you know these two girls they left and they were baptized. You know what the result was? There were up to 30 people that were eventually saved and baptized.

And some added to the assembly. God bless them and their obedience. What do we see in the life of Abram? We see a man who was called and he obeyed.

Leaving the security of his own country to be a stranger in a strange land. To be all alone. You know it's not an easy thing.

But what I appreciate about this is Abraham being alone was one who was drawing closer to God. And knowing God in a greater way in the land where he was a stranger. You know this made me appreciate something of what the Lord Jesus Christ did.

What it must have been to leave the place of heaven. Where he was adored by every being that is there. In obedience to the Father's will.

To the will of God and the great plan of salvation. He would come down into this world. You think it was a small thing to come into this world where he was despised and rejected of men.

You think it was easy? To be one who was ridiculed and belittled. Where he was not appreciated by men and women. So sinful on this earth.

What does the Bible say? A stranger unto my brother and an alien to my mother's children. You know what touched me was this. That he was as it were a stranger in this world.

The foxes have holes. The birds of the air have nests. But the son of man hath not where to lay his head.

The foxes they have their homes. The birds they have their homes. But he was here as a stranger.

And of course we read those precious words. Lo I come to do thy will. In our hearts were warm this morning.

To be taken up with the one that was so pleasing to God. Why was he so pleasing to God? Because he was one that obeyed God. That sought to do the will of God.

Of course it was supreme in his life. What do we read? Behold my servant whom I uphold. Mine elect in whom my soul delighteth.

I will put my spirit upon him. He shall bring judgment to the nations. He will not fail.

Nor be discouraged. When you see the nation of Israel. Jacob spoken of as a servant.

The book of Isaiah. They failed God. Their ears weren't open to hear the word of God.

We read that in Isaiah chapter 52. Their ears were open but they didn't want to hear. Their eyes they didn't want to see.

But what do we read of the Lord Jesus Christ? As morning by morning he opened mine ear. And I was not rebellious. What did he say? I gave my back to the smite.

My cheeks to them that plucked off the hairs. Was it an easy thing? What does John say? The father sent the son to be the savior of the world. I was not rebellious.

You know it isn't always easy to obey God. I make this very practical. Maybe you've been saved.

You've understood that God desires you to be baptized. Is there any question in your mind what you should do? I hope you'll be like Abraham. And when you understand that God calls you, you obey.

Or maybe you're with your group of friends sitting back Sunday morning after Sunday morning. You understood the assembly is a place where I ought to be. You know there might be a price to be paid.

You might have to leave all your friends behind to obey God. What it was for Abraham. So you know what I appreciate is Abraham was called and obeyed.

He dwelt as a stranger in that strange land. He knew God. You know, God revealed himself to Abraham.

You can see the different ways that God revealed himself to him. The most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth. The next chapter, what do we read? Chapter 15.

My shield and my exceeding great reward. What else do we read? He understood that he was master. Adonai, the one to whom all services do.

And of course, we see the altars that were set up. I should have mentioned this. As Abraham moved as a stranger in this land, we see the altars.

We see the communion with God in Abraham. Knowing God and appreciating God and worshipping God. And God revealing himself to Abraham in different ways.

The almighty God. Chapter 17, El Shaddai. The strong one.

The sustaining one. The nourishing one. The one who can take a barren life and make it fruitful for God.

You know, God revealed himself to Abraham. And Abraham knew God. Chapter 18, he knows him as a righteous one.

The righteous judge. You come over to chapter 22. You know what I see, Abraham? He appreciates God as the one to whom all is due.

I don't think any of us have entered into what it was for Abraham to offer up his dear son. That one of special affection in his life. We could read that again in the book of Hebrews.

What does it say? When he was tried, offered up Isaac. Someone has put it like this. It was a test of his devotion.

Whether he was one who was willing to honor the giver instead of the gift. The one from whom he had received his son. That to him all was owed.

You know, unreservedly, it says early in the morning. That when God called him, he rose up early in the morning. This moves me.

There was no thinking. There was no wavering. There was no doubting.

Early in the morning. To take his son, to offer him up. You know, the very dearest was something.

It was something to consider. The very dearest of the heart of Abraham. Yet he would not keep him back if that is what God asked of him.

This is something that, no doubt for us, is very difficult. In obedience to God, to give up things that we appreciate and hold dear. Maybe there are many more things that could be said of the life of Abraham.

I hope that our lives will be lives modeled after the Lord Jesus. One who desired to do the Father's will. That when we are called, we might obey.

We might appreciate the blessings that God desires us to have. That is what Genesis 12 and verse 2 says, I will bless you. How did God bless Abraham? With a greater appreciation of himself.

If there is a greater appreciation of God and who he is, there is going to be a greater desire to worship him. There is going to be a greater desire to honor him and to obey him.