The value of the Scriptures illustrated in Abraham's life

2nd Timothy chapter 3 for a first reading. The end of the chapter. Verse 16.

2nd Timothy chapter 3 verse 16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Now this is an important scripture in the Bible.

God giving us through the Holy Spirit of God the purpose of the scriptures from the very beginning to the end. The marvelous book that we have in our hands, the Bible. They're inspired by God, though he used so many different men to give us the scriptures and yet it dovetails all together, the Old Testament and the New.

It's all to make known to us God's purposes in the person of his beloved son, the Lord Jesus, foretold and planned as God had as he brought him forth even the promise in the very beginning in the Garden of Eden. And our blessed Lord Jesus came as the obedient one to bring to pass the work of salvation, the redemption of fallen ruined man, to make provision that he who is the mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, he came to do that work and he accomplished it as none other for the glory of God. Now I'm thinking of the value and the blessing of the Holy Scriptures.

And we have in these words here in verse 16, it's not only inspired by God but it's profitable for doctrine. That's the very foundation of truth that we rest upon and have been brought into the good as to God's desire in spiritual ways to know himself through the person of Christ and to be assured of not only salvation, deliverance from the penalty of sin, but we notice that it's God's mind that we know something of being deliverance from its power and its practice and yet it's going on to the day, of course, when we'll be delivered from the very presence of sin when we think of heaven and glory and the ages to come that we'll enjoy as believers with Christ. And so I'm thinking of doctrine, reproof and correction and instruction in righteousness that the man of God, that expression is used often in the Old Testament, many times referred to Timothy here in the New Testament, but it is enjoined by the fact that all have come into the good of the truth of God.

We've been brought into God's family that we might serve him whether men or women, boys and girls, saved by the grace of God, furnished, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Now what I have before me, I would like to look at Abraham. Let's turn forward to Hebrews 11 and seek to point out, suggest a few thoughts that the word of God, God spoke to him and not only in the very beginning but throughout his lifetime and the importance and value of it.

So in Hebrews 11, as the spirit of God through its writer gives us Old Testament worthy, some are named and some unnamed, lived a life of faith and obedience to God's truth and an honor to him. But we'll read the words concerning Abraham. Look down with me at verse 8 of Hebrews 11.

By faith, when he was called Abraham, 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 out not knowing whether he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles or tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for a city which hath foundation, whose builder and maker is God.

Now the next few verses refer to Sarah's wife, and of course she was very important as far as the picture was concerned and the purposes. Notice down to verse 14 or verse 13. These all died in faith not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth.

For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country, and truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country that is a heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city. By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

According that God was able or accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure. Now verse 19 shows that the faith that Abraham had in the God's promise in view of the seed that was to come and then that promised one he would bring blessing to all nations. And of course that's the very beginning as we look at the genealogy according to flesh the Lord Jesus.

Now in thinking of Abraham from Genesis 12 to about 24-25 good section there of the book of Genesis you have Abraham's experiences. How wonderful is we think of coming to the New Testament when Acts chapter 7 records to us Stephen's message to his fellow people the nation the Israelites and he's bringing before them the purpose of the Savior coming into the world and showing that all of this was predetermined and desired and already brought in God's mind that would be brought to pass. Stephen refers to Abraham he says the God of glory called him.

Genesis 12 tells us he was living in Ur of Chaldeas probably in a land of idols and heathen ideas and yet God had in mind and wondrous grace to call a man and he responded the God of glory and he was told to get out come out from that country and he would lead him forth into a place where he would give them as an inheritance and of course it would be a part of the land of the what is to be given eventually to all of Israel. But the thing that I was considering it was a personal call yet you read in Genesis 12 that when Abraham made the move that Terah was the one that went partway his father he may never have broken away from any idols he made we know nothing as to indicate whether Terah ever he responded to God as to truth he may have thought this is something my son is going to do and determine but God had called Abraham alone and after Terah's death he leads forth and goes on but it was a personal call and as you think of it he said he would he said where the evidence was there we read here Abraham obeyed called to go out into a place now that would be an unknown path before him you read back there in Genesis as you think of the chapter he left the native land he's going forth but nevertheless he had the Word of God and of course it was as we liken it to our experience you know it's wonderful to have been brought to be awakened to our need of a Savior and to realize that this one our blessed Lord Jesus not only a Savior but he's the Lord and is to be Lord in our life and the Word of God is given that you and I might recognize divine guidance and the experiences of Abraham are an example he had his weaknesses his failures and yet he responded from time to time as to what God had in view for his pathway and as you think of chapter 12 he had promised him that that seed he was going to bring forth and of course he's not only as we read here we didn't read the verse but in verse 13 it was or verse 12 the seed would be as the stars of the sky and as well the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable the heavenly side of things and we picture in our minds that result of Abraham and the Isaac and Jacob and the twelve tribes of Israel established eventually and from the tribe of Judah the Lord used as a one marry the virgin as a channel to come into this world wonderfully the design and purpose of God and he'd give us his word but Abraham was told to go forth to a place you read there in chapter 12 of Genesis he journeyed as he entered the land he journeyed south God had told him not to go down into Egypt but Abraham went down and all that you read before he had left that land he built an altar by Bethel another altar there was worship in his life there was acknowledgement of God and the truth of what experience has brought you and I as well to know God in the person of his son as a New Testament in the Old Conveyed Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness we love those words and the truth of Romans 4 not only it's describing Abraham's coming to know God but then verse 5 to him that worketh not but believeth on him that believeth on him who slipping my mind for a moment senior citizen moment but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness and so we think of the grace of God it was always unmerited favor his kindness to reach out here we are 2012 our lot is cast we're in the last days but we have the Holy Scriptures not only to bring us to know Christ but there's a pathway to please him and to honor him in this life no there was tests in Abraham's life as he moved as a stranger he went down into Egypt and he however time was there he seemed to a prosperous far as material substance but he was aroused to leave stirred up they brought along a maidservant to his wife Hagar which eventually would be problems in the way as in the future this her child with Abraham Ishmael and so on but as we think of recovery it was always God speaking so all scriptures given not only for doctrine but it's for reproof we acknowledge and our own weakness shortcomings but how wonderful God can give us truth to show us the path of life to please him you know as we know in our day as a believer we were realized and made to understand that the Lord Jesus teaches through his word and the truth in the New Testament every child of God should be baptized believers baptism entering into those waters to declare I have died with Christ as far as my position before God we were in Adam and her sins now in Christ and this sacrifice took her sins away and the baptism is a picture of death burial and resurrection our identification with the Savior's death is burial is resurrection and thus coming forth out of the waters to walk in newness of life if you're a Christian here and you've never entered those waters I remind you that the Lord teaches not only to preach the gospel baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things and lo I am with thee always to the end of the age Matthew 28 the commission so Abraham as he moves out of Egypt he comes back to the land in Genesis 13 his nephew has went well he's gained much material substance there in Egypt as well and it isn't long until the herdmen are striving much cattle and substance goats and sheep and so on and they they're striving for material goods to feed them and so on and so their strife among the herdsmen Abraham showed that he desired that there be no strife and he took the lead and he said to Lot you can go to the left I'll go to the right or you choose to the right I'll go to the left and I think they're likely all familiar Lot's choice which men ended in despair and in life as far as testimony that which was unbecoming and a failure before men he chose a well-watered plain of leading towards Sodom and he took that because he thought of his no doubt his earthly possessions and thus he took the way and you know the end of Lot of course not only in Sodom and so on but we leave that we wouldn't but know he was a righteous man that is saved until you read in Peter he was vexed with a wickedness on every hand but lost his testimony Abraham is now to turn in all the land where God speaks to him east to the west and the north or south and there in Genesis 15 you find the boundary lines from the river Euphrates to the great river a river there in the desert in Sinai the river called the river of Egypt not the Nile they haven't all had their land yet but they'll get it in a future day but in thinking of the fact the word of God he didn't want strife then he hears that Lot has been taken by a captive by men that invaded the companies that invaded where he lived Abraham has a sympathetic thought and an interest and he rescues Lot with his armed men God give him the victory of course as you know in chapter 14 but on the way back he meets a Mechizedek a man who is king of Salem and king of righteousness and he blesses Abraham and Abraham presents her is willing to acknowledge that God has been good to him and so as we think of this pathway you know brethren and sisters you and I have been blessed of God wonderful not only to be saved we're thankful for spiritual truth in any measure life goes by in a hurry if you're young in the faith I trust that the word of God will be that which will fasten upon your heart here you are we that are older to realize God has given us truth and the midst of life's experiences there comes the trials there comes the test and yet Abraham God would come back and speak to him again you come to chapter 15 and we're reminded there in Genesis that what God had promised he's going to keep his word it has to be the seed of son he's promised and yet the years are slipping by and so the confirmation of God's truth to him and that remarkable chapters laid out before Abraham you know that's why the benefit of coming apart even on a holiday and all that are here to give heed to words that we might be helped along the way surely we're in the last days of the age and I thought at times been many years since we've had a drought in this measure that we've seen this year and they're still in it and yet you know when you think of the coming years of the tribulation especially the latter part there's going to be times of famine and so on no doubt it's a foreshadowing possibly of what's to come but our source of strength is heaven itself and here's Abraham and it said here in Roman and Hebrews 11 that he moved in faith not knowing where he would going but nevertheless God was leading and so his faith is confirmed and all nations are going to be blessed through this promised one and yet at times Abraham loses sight of the fact how is God going to do it and of course as we know the story involving Hagar and Ishmael coming into the scene but that was not to be the promise saying from thine own self will come the child Isaac and of course in due time he would come into the scene be born you know when we think of him as we consider Abraham and that light that he God sums up that he said of him his life was he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country you know we're misunderstood by the world I know we made a stop at the rest stop this morning and I'm sure a few people there wondered what a couple of course they would look at us as senior citizens what we were doing all dressed up where you're going for the day you know people no doubt are wondering they spend their time for self and we acknowledge that encroaches in our own life but how nice to find you here and we saw it it was an interest to hear what God would have to say truth to help us we're dwelling we're strangers in the world but we're pilgrims but amidst it all verse 10 of Hebrews 11 for he looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God this shows us that even though Abraham dwelling there in that land long ago he acknowledged there's something ahead that's waiting that's greater yet you know we live in a land we're thankful for our country the liberties we enjoy the freedom we do to gather many places in the world they live Christians can't come together as freely as we do and so here we are and yet our lot is here to seek to please him the Lord Jesus and thus he looked for that city and you know the trials that came and the most severest of the trials of course was Genesis 22. Isaac is now a full-grown young man we don't know his age but nevertheless this one that was the promised seed in Isaac shall the seed be the channel that will be blessed the same promises to Isaac and Jacob now God says to Abraham take now thine only Isaac you notice in the your new your King James version that the word only there in Genesis 22 is in italics it was only one Isaac and take that young man and offer him in a mountaintop that I shall tell you of in Mount Moriah you know Abraham obeyed God what a cost what a trial no God knew that he was not going to allow Isaac's life to be taken as he had indicated to Abraham what he was to do but it was going to show and to Abraham and to others and we've read it down to the ages to be encouragement here's a man of God who's willing to recognize that all that I have and possess I'm willing to let go just for the honor of the Lord it wasn't for this verse here that tells us that Abraham he believed that though Isaac's life would be taken that God would have to raise him from the dead because he would keep his word and his promise and of course as we think of them they bought there were two of them we read they went up together lovely illustration of what we have and received in our savior God the father sent the son the one who loved us the God of heaven and all of our sin and unbelief and guilt and as the savior came and as Calvary approaches we love to think that the father and the son went up together pictured in the Abraham and Isaac near came that moment Isaac is wondering where is the lamb for a burnt offering he's carrying the wood suddenly is a burden he's a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus totally submissive to what the father was going to do and yet we picture in him our own selves when we began aware of a burden and how that when Isaac was bound to the altar Abraham was about to plunge the knife into his son God spoke Abraham Abraham lay not thy hand upon the land Isaac is loosed behind him by the cock in the thicket by its horns a ram he offered that ram in the stead of Isaac Isaac stood back and saw that innocent victim there on the altar the place of sacrifice just as Abraham had said to the young men before they started that three days journey I am the lad will return we're going off to worship together and so as we think of trials and tests none of us can know what tomorrow will bring none of us know what experiences will be our way circumstances the trials of life the cares and responsibilities but we need to be reminded our hearts are fresh the God that led Abraham and directed his way through his word we have a written word of God in our own language all scripture is given by inspiration of God and the pathway that will lead us not only to know Christ as Savior to all of us Lord in life but to recognize the gathering center in the holy scriptures is the person of the Lord Jesus and we're met together in his name only no other lots of times in the world you ask people at times they're Christian they'll mention where they go to church well that's a place of fellowship the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch Acts 11 and we are not only the fact that they were followers of Christ we see them as brethren we see them in their exercising and development in spiritual truths that the Lord might be honored and thus we see of this man he received the promises and he enjoyed them and his like the life that he lived he showed this God was with him you know you come to chapter 24 of Genesis and Abraham's concern about Isaac as to a wife as to he knows that this seed that's promised and it's foretelling of course as you see in the New Testament it would be Christ and the channel that God would use to bring the Savior into the world and so as we see him there was a servant sent out go back to their native their people and of course as you think of the story of Rebecca and all that was told then her hearing what the servant had to say about his master and his master's son and finally the question is put to her wilt thou go with this man she says I will go we allow this servant to lead you to through life journey to that day of a wedding and a pathway that she is willing to take you know brothers and sisters we don't know how long we have left the Lord is coming but until then how good it is to realize our times are in God's hand you heard last night at home Heightsville in Iowa at the meeting that a brother in the Lord has been very ill for the last couple of weeks I called home and they had a message in the answer machine that he went to be with the Lord this morning probably six thirty or seven o'clock saints are going home to glory others they were on the way we wait with that promise respect in review the rapture oh joy oh delight should we go without dying no sickness nor sadness no sorrow or crying caught up that's the blessed hope but until then there will always be the times when we say our last goodbyes and see our loved ones that are saved apart we're thankful for all that we're assured are departed to be with Christ so I trust these few little remarks in opening as we listen to the word of God and truth that is given to us not only for doctrine for reproof for correction but for instruction and righteousness that we might realize the truths of this book given to us in the new testament as to gatherings life and collectively and individually and yet so many wonderful illustrations in the old testament portraying what was to come how good of God to give us his blessed word that it has been a blessing in your life and mine and we'll enjoy God's blessings forever in the through the person of his son we're reminded in a meeting last night at home of the time when the Lord Jesus brother took up the thoughts of the mount of transfiguration and the glory that was displayed there the face of the Lord Jesus and yet as he reminded us last night that face was so marred at Calvary you putting our guilt and sin away the day is coming when we'll see at the moment out of the unending the glories of the person of Christ thank God for salvation and a savior and peace and joy and reconciliation and righteousness and all these wonderful blessings and we know yet the best is yet to come the unending ages will display his glories for all eternity