The Life of Abraham

I'm just going to move, I hope not too quickly, but touch on a few little thoughts on the life of Abraham. Genesis 11 and verse 31 please. 31st verse, 11th chapter of the book of Genesis.

And Terah took Abram his son-in-law, the son of Aram, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, and his son Abram's wife. And they went forth with them from Ur of Chaldees into the land of Canaan, and they came unto Herod and dwelt there. Now let me just ask the question of the audience, can you hear me? Because yesterday I was told some couldn't hear, so I see thumbs up, so I guess my volume is all right.

One time in the Arlington conference they told me you spoke too loud. And so I told brother Kevin, I says now you raise your hand and I'll watch for you if I'm speaking too loud. His wife said to him after the meeting, Kevin what was wrong with you? You're holding your hand up for so long and we don't raise our hands in these meetings.

And I says Kevin I couldn't find you in the meeting and I didn't know whether I was too loud. So you can only get a volume check from somebody in the back. Chapter 12, and the Lord said unto Abram get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house into a land that I will show thee.

And I will make of thee a great nation and I will bless thee and I will make thy name great and thou shall be a blessing. Verse 4, so Abram departed as the Lord had spoken unto him and Lot went with him. And Abram was 75 years old when he departed out of Haram.

And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son and all their substance that they had gathered and the souls that they had gotten in Haram. And they went forth to go into the land of Canaan and into the land of Canaan they came. Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem unto the plain of Morah and the Canaanite was then in the land.

And the Lord appeared unto Abram and said unto thy seed will I give this land and there built he an altar unto the Lord who appeared unto him. And he removed from hence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent toward Bethel on the west and Hai on the east. And there he built an altar unto the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.

And Abram journeyed going on still toward the south. There was a famine in the land and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there for the famine was previous in the land. And it came to pass when he was come near to enter into Egypt that he said unto Sarai his wife behold now I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon.

Verse 13. Say I pray thee thou art my sister that it may be well with me for thy sake and for my soul shall live because of thee. Verse 17.

And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife. And Pharaoh called Abram and said what is this that thou hast done unto me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou she is my sister? So I might have taken her to be me to wife. Now therefore take thy wife take her go thy way.

And Pharaoh commanded all his men concerning him and they sent him away his wife and all that he had. Chapter 13. And Abram went up out of Egypt he and his wife and all that he had.

Verse 2. And Abram was very rich in cattle and silver and he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel. Now that's all I want to read and it might be a very long reading but we know that the Lord blessed the public reading of the word of God. I would find a number of little principles we might say here we see a number of beautiful comparisons before Abram between Abram and before the Lord Jesus Christ.

Abram left his country and the Lord Jesus left the splendors of heaven above and Abram was chosen on a mission by God. We find in Nehemiah chapter 9 and verse 7 that the call came from the Lord and we find in the book of Acts that Abram was called of God and so I want to remind each one of us that God has his own unique way of calling us and his own unique way of wanting us to be molded and conform to the image of his son. And so there's similarities here and Abram was one that had bread and wine the kisadek and the Lord Jesus gave us the bread and wine and remembrance himself this morning.

And Abram's biggest trial was the offering of his son and maybe the biggest trial if I could label it that way and probably not expressing it right was when the Lord Jesus laid down his life on the cross at Calvary. And Abram was buried in a cave and the cave's name was a place of two doors and of course the Lord Jesus passed through death's door and he rose again. And so Abram here had already known what God had wanted him to do and so I would say that he had a knower in his knower and there was a hesitancy factor.

And I would have to confess sometimes that there can be a hesitancy factor that's occurred in my life, shame on me, and we know what God wants us to do and maybe to talk to this one, maybe go here, go there, whatever it is and human reasoning could enter in and we might say how is this ever going to work, how is it going to be? God wants us to walk by faith, he saved us by faith and he longs that we might move on the ways of the Lord. Now you would notice in the early part of Abram's life here with the family that you can find a little picture here that the times of nature can hinder our growth and development. Our daughter asked us when she got married, Bruce, she said do you have any advice for me dad? I'm getting married.

I says I do. She says what is it? I said move 500 miles away from all family and friends. She says well I can't do that.

I says well I don't have any more advice. What did I mean? You have to establish your life, you have to establish your family and don't be influenced by other families, don't be influenced by in-laws or outlaws or anything like that. You have to cut the ties of nature, you're accountable to God, you two together are heirs of life together.

So Abram had a no and a snore because I find in verse one the Lord had said. So that's past tense and you're going to find that he tells him to get me out of thy country to the land that I will show thee. You know if he's not Lord of all he's not Lord at all and sometimes in our lives we hesitate and separation is not optional but separation is essential.

Some of you brethren here God bless you have gone to lands to labor far off from all family, all friends, all contact. I can remember in earlier days the city of Yonkers New York we would go down to the water and they would pray with the missionaries and they would go and they wouldn't be seen for years and it would only be a little letter now and then they would come back. They knew God and they proved God and they waited on God and so Abram has many tests in his life and God has many tests in our life to make us, to mold us, to enable us to be men and women for God for his honor and glory.

So Abram separated from family he has a promise and whenever God calls God has promises. He will supply, he will enable, he will give that special grace through that enablement. He says I will bless thee, I will make thy name great and thou shall be a blessing.

Did you know that it's better to obey than sacrifice and the Lord longs that we might learn to depend on him whether you be an old fellow like myself or God bless you young ones for coming to the conference thrilling to see, to learn, to walk with God. I've been thrilled in chatting with some of the conference this weekend, some that are just in high school and I can see that they have depth in the things of God and they have a desire to go on for God. Let me make an odd comment but it's really not an odd comment.

You will make the greatest choices in your life in your youth when you have the least time to learn God and the least time to prove God. Know God, move in his ways, the choices you make in your youth may affect you the rest of your life. Them that honor I will honor.

Divine promise from the word of God and so Abram is called he's leaving and he's only got partial obedience. There was never any instruction to bring Lot with him. Sounded like a nice thing to do, maybe I should.

He had to leave before progress was made and in our lives as believers there are things we need to put aside for progress to be made in the things of God. I want to remind ourselves and I speak to myself that our life is to be lived for the pleasure of the Lord. We live in a pleasure mad world I don't fit in.

My baptism many years ago said I died to the world its wants and its wishes and our lives should attempt by his grace to be lived for the pleasure and honor of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. I see that I read here that he took his family with him and he took all his substance. Could I encourage you if you've got to go to work way out in the north country, new el country or something, bring your family with you.

Tremendous catastrophes have occurred when the family doesn't go with them and I also see he says he took all his substance. I was at a farewell for a worker one time where they send them off to the regions beyond and I told Linda I says he's going to be coming back. She says how would you know that you only hardly know who he is.

I says it's very simple. He stored all his goods in his father's property. I said he didn't leave it all behind in a couple years he was back and sadly it didn't work out.

When God calls he wants us to leave everything else beside him. He gathered them all they went and passed through the land and the lyrid appeared unto Abram. Communion, guidance, first time to read of the Lord drawing near.

First time to read in the word of God of an altar here and an altar would always speak of worship. It was thrilling in the meeting this morning for such a spontaneous rising and giving God thanks for his well-beloved son. Worship precedes service and prayer precedes service always.

We do not have the power on our own selves in any way shape or form. The strength, the power, the enablement comes from God alone and so the Lord appeared unto Abram and he built an altar. You know it's a wonderful thing to be gathered to the Lord's name outside the camp unto the one who loved us and gave himself for us and it's a wonderful thing but not only a wonderful thing but it's a responsibility.

He says on the first day of the week we can come and remember him. I remember the first breaking of bread I ever sat back in high school didn't have a Christian home and I knew for a couple months I should be attending but I didn't want to deal with the reproaches of the family shame on me and the hymn was given out Abba Father we approached you and I sat down there tears running down my face John you silly fellow you knew you should have been coming earlier look what you've missed and I was convinced the first day this is where the Lord is this is where I belong. I trust you're convinced the assembly is not a place but the place the place of his name the place where the Lord is and we find there that he had an altar and then we find that circumstances had changed there was a famine every time Abram followed with a word from God there was blessing and no difficulties and every time he took things in his own hands he had the backtrack and he had to correct things same principle in my life same principle in your life beloved and he's there he's at Bethel he's in house of God he's worshiping he's rejoicing he's praising God shall I say for his wonderful marvelous works and there's a famine.

Tests are not to drive us too away from God but to draw us to him and to prove him sometimes we may not wait I will miss blessing halfway back there the famine came it's not a man's heart to direct his steps and Abram said I guess what I'll do I'll head on south you'll find in the word of God and then Abram went forth in verse 5 of chapter 12 and you'll find that he went down in verse 10 of chapter 12 when you come to chapter 13 you find that he went went up and you will come to the third verse of chapter 13 you found that he went on and we can find that through the life of Abraham there were tests after tests after tests and your life and mine consists of tests counted all joy when you fall into diverse temptations that's not a test of sin as we find in the second half of the book of James and I've read that many a time how can I count it all joy seems very difficult may seem very dark I found a lot of help from Psalm 31 and verse 15 our times are in his hands there is nothing that will cross our path that God hasn't allowed that he won't give us the grace and help to go through that trial for his honor and glory Abram's going down south he's out of the will of God there's no word from God going into the the land of Egypt into the world the wrong place is there anyone that's a believer here and you're in Egypt and your associations with the world I know one thing about you if that's the case you're a miserable person not to look at but inside it's impossible to ever be a happy camper the greatest pearl that we can be in as believers is the pearl of sin it's not forsaken and not confessed and so Abram's going down and you know what bad step leads to another bad step his wife is going with him there's no tent he's lost his pilgrim character there's no altar there's no worship there's a cold heart and he's taking on the world's tactic and he says to his wife you're a very pretty lady and I think pharaoh probably want to kill me so he can have you so let's have a little agreement before we get there and you can just tell him that you're my sister it was a half-lie the fear of man brings a snare integrity is not optional it's essential morals are not optional they're essential proverbs 6 says these six things yay seven that the lord ate a lion tunnel honesty is not optional amongst the people of god it's essential and testimony is making god look great in the eyes of the world I used to live in Connecticut it's a building I was working down the street from her brother Gresham at his printing business Matt called me over to see if I'd like to have a coffee with him and the man I was working for he says you know Mr. Gresham I said I do he says let me tell you he's one of the most honest men I have ever dealt with good name is better than riches Abram's going down the fear of man brings a snare the test of honesty has come the test of obedience has come it's not waited for a word from god he's taken things in his own hands now well we better lie he lost his peace he lost his pilgrim character he forgot the priestly activities of worship and the altar he forgot the promises he fed the flesh and he lost the presence of the power of god and the lord was kind and the lord was gracious and sometimes those that are not saved know more how a christian should be but even christians behave at some times and the lord played pharaoh's house a great place because of sarin and abram's wife we can't engage in a spiritual work and warfare the sin in our lives as soon as we can abram had to learn to live and to die isaac was an ordinary son of an extraordinary man faith was a pilgrim pathway not only for abram but it's the pilgrim pathway for you and i day at a time step at a time yet i would believe it would be the mind of god to prepare for the long haul also even though the coming of the lord might be today if a man provide not for his own he's worse than an infidel it's good to get schooling it's good to get a trade it's good to be able to provide i've met some of the north country years ago way up in alaska and hardly any firewood cut hardly any preparation made and i'm i'm scratching my head and i said why not for the lord may come tomorrow so i'll take care of it tomorrow no i don't think the lord wants us to live that way we live in anticipation that he that shall come will come and will not tarry and it will be in the blink of a twinkling of an eye before we get the word for an adam but he gives us responsibility to prepare for the assembly to teach the younger ones the truths of god that the testimony might carry on for the honor and glory of the lord jesus christ not optional essential i got the nexus card at the border i had a good an interview and no offense to any canadians here the lord blessed him but he wasn't very happy with me and so he says why would an old fellow like you like to have a nexus card to go to the land of canada speak to these little churches you say you go to local churches i told him i says he says why don't they have younger ones do that i says well sir the younger ones don't know all the doctrine of the church yet i didn't know what to tell him so then he says well what kind of money would you make going up there well i says i'll tell you what i'll tell you exactly where i've been every place i'll tell you exactly what i got and he looked at me he says and you drove there from way down in the states and you got motels yeah oh okay in other words he realized i wasn't in it for the coin but my heart was in it so abram here he's he's lying there's a problem that's in and restoration is going to be taking place let me ask a question i've only got a few minutes is there anyone in this gathering some question never has to be for my life that needs to be restored to god getting away from god is usually a slow gradual process and restoration can be an instantaneous prophecy where you confess it and you forsake it and you move on for god and you forget the things that are behind and you make progress moving on for the honor and the glory of the lord jesus christ turning your mind to first john chapter one and verse nine and then maybe i'll bring all my brethren with me on that but i think they'll be gracious if we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness what does that mean scott's got that book there like what does it really mean all our sins were forgiven past present and future at calvary i am not saying that to get confessed to get my sins forgiven it's to maintain fellowship with god all our sins were forgiven at calvary i can get out of fellowship i need to confess the matter to restore fellowship with the lord not to get my sins forgiven they've all been forgiven already so i don't know if everybody agrees with that we be brethren but abram came to that point of restoration i need to get right with god i need to get back with god abram went out of egypt chapter 13 the third test there was a voice and separation was because of a voice of communion do you know what it is to get a word from god do you think well that's kind of far-fetched i have never been for a farewell of one going out of the work or however you want to label it that when they expressed their exercise they didn't say that they had a word from god steve anderson and i were quite close we had meetings together in different areas and so i had the honors to speak at arlington when he was officially commended however you want to put it that way so i told there that i asked him i said steve do you have a word from god because you're going to africa to labor unrewarded i says does stephanie have a word from god because after two weeks it's going to be tough and the challenges and the trials will come you see what's a word from god you're before god with a deep exercise what should i do and it might be in a week it might be in a month it might be in a year it might be in a number of years in your reading of the word of god it comes out between your eyes bang and you never even thought about it and i've got a word from god and i know this is the path i need to take i may not take anybody with me i hope i do that that word from god is going to be essential if you're going to step out of the work of god that word from god is going to be essential if you're called to be an elder because you're going to need the height of rhinoceros and the heart of a mother and we go back to that word you say well what made you john you went out in the work later ceased building and rameth whoever told me john put down the tools and others go as well i don't have any word when that first came i stopped working shut down the business two years later the brother handed me a letter i didn't ask for them and 20 years before i was commended i did tent work all summer long for 20 years with my own debt so what i'm saying is that you need a word from god to step out on god and to prove god and abram had words from god but he was hesitant and he was he was frightful about it and so restoration is taking place in chapter 13 isn't that thrilling god a lot of complications divine restoration he's rich lots of problems but you know as you weave through this year we find that there was a strife now i talked on interpersonal relations yesterday i'm not having a senior moment though could happen strife between lot abram's cattle and all that strife never would have occurred if lot didn't wasn't brought with him one bad step leads to another but thankfully he's getting back getting back to bethlehem getting back to house of god getting back to worship being restored to god the joy of the lord is our strength and if we lose our joy we've lost our strength and we're a defeated foe and you know it's possible to grow tired in this pilgrim life the world at times might look bright possible to get discouraged the test of the trial shows the true character of the believer lot was never restored that i find in the word of god abram was restored and i find a solemn principle here verse 14 of chapter 13 and the lord said unto abram after that lot was separated from him her voice was closed until the separation took place the word of god reminds us there's a three days journey you would remember pharaoh you can go but not three days journey you can go but but don't take the cattle and the sheep with you and you can go but don't take your children with you leave them here in the world and in egypt and moses says we will take our cattle and our sheep to sacrifice moses says we need the three days journey from the world its wants and its wishes and moses says we will not leave the children in the world they will come with us are you children in the world you're children in the world and you're in the assembly that could happen as much as possible bring them to every meeting you have that honor me i will honor sometimes we think the little types don't get anything out of the word of god you know what train up a child the way he should go and when he's old and not forget you do a bird study on it it's a babe in arms those little ones there were a couple down there in garfield and one of them's kind of a real rascal no offense you know what happens anyway but he was telling his mother the next day of some of the statements in the gospel meeting and we're like how could this little rascal be learning anything and saying anything and getting anything and the next day he's telling his mother some of the message oh he's a smart kid i guess but they do learn and so abram is going back getting restored there's a strife between lot and baby contention comes only because of pride what they do in the strife how do they handle it he says lot you take whatever you want you took the best feeling he says we'd be brethren no need to fight over things brother if you get along with one another not good it's essential it's good to be able to bow down and let the other have his way how do you do in the bible reading i've never been really in the bible reading when you visit assemblies and and do you know the bible reading is not a place for debate the bible reading should never be an argument amongst us ever we present our view in the fear of god respectfully we listen to your view respectfully we might say this is how i see it because of this verse we'd be brethren and we move on vain striving of words ends nothing abram had learned that and the test here of getting back and getting restored was showing his true character and his one step that led to another bad step to another bad step he's now retracing his steps and he's getting back to bethel and he's leaving a lot and he's leaving all the goods and he's making progress moving back for god and in verse 18 of chapter 3 abram removed his tent and came and dwelt in the plan of andrew and there he built an altar strife was out of the way the unequal yoke was out of the way the distractions and the difficulties were over the distance and the danger was over you might say he was able to worship get into the next chapter there's a war but we won't get there now but i want to encourage you beloved to enjoy him i want to encourage you to attempt i'll speak to myself to walk with him day by day and enjoy him there's nothing greater than salvation nothing greater than seeing his guiding directing hand day by day and his preserving hand all along the way and the lessons of the life of abram the things are written before written for our learning that god might help us in this late day of grace and live the pilgrim pathway and not get all caught up with the glitter and all the world and all that you have to offer but be occupied with him there's one that loves us unto death even the death of the cross and because of what he did for us on the cross of calvary he desires that we might lay down our lives for him during covid i had a phone call from a fellow by the name of mark he says john you're an older fellow you saved my life a number of years ago i will do anything you need during this time of epidemic i owe my life to you we owe our lives to the one on the cross that loved us and gave himself for us and he wants us to lay down our life to live the life i gave him the life of faith on the pilgrim pathway