05.05. Living By Faith- Abraham
Living by Faith- Abraham Hebrews 11:1-2 ; Hebrews 11:8 ff
Spurgeon speaks of an evening when he was riding home after a heavy day’s work. He felt weary and depressed, when as suddenly as a lightning flash came this verse, "My grace is sufficient for thee." He said, "I should think it is, Lord," and he burst out laughing. It seemed to make unbelief so absurd.
"It was as if some little fish, being very thirsty, was troubled about drinking the river dry, and the river says, ’Drink away, little fish, my stream is sufficient for thee.’
"Or, it seemed like a little mouse in the granaries of Egypt after seven years of plenty fearing it might die of famine, and Joseph might say, ’Cheer up, little mouse, my granaries are sufficient for thee.’
"Again, I imagined a man away up on yonder mountain saying to himself, ’I fear I shall exhaust all the oxygen in the atmosphere.’But the earth might say, ’Breathe away, oh man, and fill thy lungs ever; my atmosphere is sufficient for thee.’"
Little faith will bring our souls to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to us.
When the world looks at us what do they see. Are we living in such a way that our faith is showing through our countenance? When the world looks at how to handle situation could they find a hero in us and our walk of faith?
The NASB says "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2For by it the men of old gained approval."
Dr. Harry Ironside, for 18 years pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago, told of visiting a Sunday School class while on vacation. The teacher asked, "How were people saved in Old Testament times?"
After a pause, one man replied, "By keeping the Law." "That’s right," said the teacher. But Dr. Ironside interrupted: "My Bible says that by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified." The teacher was a bit embarrassed, so he said, "Well, does somebody else have an idea?"
Another student replied, "They were saved by bringing sacrifice to God."
"Yes, that’s right!" the teacher said and tried to go on with the lesson. But Dr. Ironside interrupted, "My Bible says that the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin." By this time the unprepared teacher was sure the visitor knew more about the Bible than he did, so he said, "Well, you tell us how people were saved in the Old Testament!" And Dr. Ironside explained that they were saved by faith-the same way people are saved today! Twenty-one times in Hebrews 11 will you find the same words, "by faith."
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Living By Faith- The Example of Abraham
1- By Faith Trusted God to Guide His Path- Hebrews 11:8 "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 whither he went."
We all know that tomorrow is filled with a certain amount of uncertainty. No one can know for sure what it holds. God calls Abraham to leave family and go to a strange land that he had never seen. Most of us will never be called to do this but it just magnifies how much we can trust God to guide our path in known lands.
By the way another thing we notice is the obedience of Abraham was linked to a great blessing of God. He was to go to the place where he would receive an inheritance.
2- By Faith He Trusted God’s Promises-
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
When he first sojourned Isaac and Jacob were still to come but it is spoken of here as if it had already taken place.
Two little girls were counting their pennies. One said, "I have five pennies." The other said, "I have ten." "No," said the first little girl, "You have just five cents, the same as I." "But," the second child quickly replied, "my father said when he comes home tonight he would give me five cents, and so I have ten cents." Trustfully, she counted what her father had promised. That’s exactly how a Christian can be poor in the estimation of the world and at the same time be rich. He counts as his whatever his Heavenly Father has. I often hear someone say when they are asked how they are reply something like "I am alive and that beats the alternative." May I say this is not true for the Christian? The alternative that God has promised is spectacular. The thing that makes the promises of God sure is He is behind them. When Lawrence of Arabia was in Paris after World War I with some of his Arab friends, he showed them the sights of the city: the Arch of Triumph, the Louvre, Napoleon’s tomb, the Champs Elysees, but none of these things impressed them. The thing that really interested them the most was the faucet in the bathtub of the hotel room. They spent much time in turning it on and off. They found it amazing that one could turn a handle and get all the water he wanted.
Later, when they were ready to leave Paris and return to the East, Lawrence found them in the bathroom with wrenches trying to disconnect the faucet. "You see," they said, "it is very dry in Arabia. What we need are faucets. If we have them, we will have all the water we want." Lawrence had to explain that the effectiveness of the faucets did not lie in themselves but in the immense reservoirs of water to which they were attached, and he had to point out that behind this lay the rain and snowfalls of the Alps.
3- Trusted God for the Impossible:
What is the most impossible thing that you can think of that has come about. Perhaps it is when Kennedy said we were going to put a man on the moon, and we did.
Perhaps it is some modern day miracle of a healing that took place. In the first three synoptic gospels we have recorded for us the words of Jesus as He discusses how a rich man can go to heaven. He acquaints it as possible as a camel going through the eye of a needle. It is impossible for man to accomplish this but notice what He said in Luke 18:27 "And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."
Abraham was 100 and his wife was 90 when Isaac was born. Remember all things are possible for God.
Hebrews 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
Even though this should have not been possible for Abraham and Sarah he believed God in spite of it seeming impossible. He lived to see Isaac reach 75 years of age.
4- Trusted God Completely-
Many have given up children to mission fields, work in other towns and other things. Most of the time it was not the parents choice but the child’s.
Hebrews 11:17 "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure."
We have the story of Job in the Bible. We know Job lost everything in his trials. He lost all his animal and children. In the end everything was restored to him two fold. He only received back the same amount of children. Why? Because it is simply the fact that we never truly lose our children that die in the faith. They only wait on the other side for us.
Abraham trusted God to the point that he knew even if he wanted him sacrificed that God could raise him up again immediately.
II- Beginning the Journey:
Peter Eldersveld tells of a rich Christian who had a large company of employees, and many of them owed him money. He was constantly trying to teach them something about Christianity, and one day he hit upon a plan. He posted a notice for his employees to see that said, "All those who will come to my office between eleven and twelve o’clock on Thursday morning to present an honest statement of their debts will have them canceled at once." The debtors read the notice with a great deal of skepticism, and on Thursday morning, although they gathered in the street in front of his office, not one of them went to the door. Instead they gossiped and complained about their employer, and ridiculed the notice he had posted. They said it didn’t make sense. But finally, Matthew 11:45, one man jumped forward, dashed up the steps into the office, and presented his statement. "Why are you here?" the rich man asked him. "Because you promised to cancel the debts of all those who would come as you instructed," the other replied. "And do you believe the promise?" "Yes, I do." "Why do you believe it?" persisted the employer. "Because, although it was too much for me to understand, I know that you are a good man who would not deceive anyone." The rich man took the bill and marked it "Paid in full," at which time the poor man, overcome, cried out, "I knew it! I told them so! They said it couldn’t be true, and now I’m going out to show them." "Wait," said his benefactor, "it’s not quite twelve o’clock. The others are not entitled to any special proof of my sincerity." When the clock struck twelve, the forgiven debtor ran out waving his receipt in the face of his fellows. With a mad rush they made for the door, but it was too late. The door was locked.
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Beloved God has prepared the way to be with Him in eternity but it begins with faith in Jesus Christ. He wants you to begin the journey today if you have not accepted Christ as Savior.