01-44 The Father of All Who Believe, Part 2
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
Genesis 12:4
Genesis 12:4
Scripture Reading Hebrews 11:8-12;
Do you remember the TV commercial in the 80s featuring Heinz ketchup? The slogan—“good things come to those who wait” suggested how much better the hotdog/hamburger would be if you wait for the ketchup to pour out rather than try the variety of ways to make it come out quicker. (I think they were trying to compensate for the poor design of the bottle).
I don’t like to wait. That’s a discipline that I struggle with. Do you ever have that problem? (driving, line at store, etc…)
Good things come to those who wait is not a biblical expression but nonetheless a truth that the Bible develops. There is a general principle underlying the people of God that they wait upon Him.
14 Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.
7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
22 Do not say, “I will repay evil”; Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.
31 Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.
God extends His blessing upon those who are patiently waiting for God to work-act. Abram is a man who demonstrates this discipline of waiting for the Lord demonstrated b/c he trusted in the God who called him. His name means “exalted father.” Abraham was the first to be called a Hebrew (14:13) b/c descended from Eber/Shem. His name is changed by God to “Abraham” (father of a multitude) and not only did he become the father of the Hebrew nation more importantly, on account of his faith, the father of all who believe.
29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.
Abraham is a towering figure for 3 major world religions: Xty, Judaism, Islam. He stands as pillar for all these and each one looks to him for aspects of their faiths. This doesn’t mean they’re similar—radical differences b/t the 3. But it underscores the significance behind this historical person.
3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Paul is quoting Gen 15:6 here as he begins to explain the faith that results in justification (declaration by God that one is righteous). Abraham becomes Paul’s example/pattern for this saving faith. We’re going to explore the nature of this faith in a moment but a brief review of Gen 12...
I. God Speaks to Abram
I. God Speaks to Abram
A. The Call
A. The Call
“Go forth yourself...” God calling Abram to separate himself from every relationship that would hinder complete, unhindered, unreserved devotion to YHWH (3 levels of relationships)
B. The Promises
B. The Promises
“I will...” (5x) promises that form (1) personal blessings, (2) global blessings—God’s blesses so that we would be a blessing to others.
II. Abram Responds to God
II. Abram Responds to God
vv 4-9
Abram shows us what faith is and what faith does
“Abram went forth just as...” This is simple, straightforward obedience. Everything that God was commanding and what God was promising stood against Abram’s life in Ur of the Chaldeans. You’ll have to remember that Scripture attests that God called Abram while he was still living in Ur (Gen 15:7; Neh 9:7)—before they set out for Haran (where his father, Terah, died). The call of God stood against everything that was precious to Abram. This wasn’t like all the people who are exiting California—the “can’t wait to get out of there” mindset. Ur represented everything about Abram’s existence. He had comfort, security, prosperity—in what he understood at that time.
Jewish philosopher Philo
“Taking no thought for anything, either for his fellow-clansmen, or wardsmen, or schoolmates, or blood relations on father's or mother's side, or country, or ancestral customs, or community of nurture or home life, all of them ties possessing a power to allure and attract which it is hard to throw off, he followed a free and unfettered impulse and departed with all speed from Chaldea, a land at that time blessed by fortune and at the height of its prosperity.”
Ur was one of the oldest cities in the ancient world. Ur dates to about 3800BC (Wiki—we know that’s right). The archaeological discoveries in the in 1850s and again in 1920s-30s have uncovered a great deal about the society, culture and life in this city that was once situated where the Euphrates flows into the Persian Gulf on the coast.
Wealth
Prosperity (center of commerce)
Irrigation canals—so the desert would be fruitful
75’ Ziggurat to moon god—Sin
People lived in massive 2-story houses (14 rooms) which even had early septic system
As a pagan, polytheistic, moon worshiper, life was really good in Ur. And this describes Abram’s family. They were all influenced by pagan culture and worshiped other gods (Josh 24:2).
So God calls Abram (while in Ur) and says “go forth...” And I want you to notice Abram’s obedience here. He went forth as the Lord directed him.
Heb 11:8 is even more precise in describing Abram’s response—in the present tense “while being called” Abram responded. It was an immediate obedience that resulted from his faith. God commanded and he obeyed.
Martin Luther
“It was hard to leave his native land, which it is natural for us to love. Indeed, love for the fatherland is numbered among the greatest virtues of the heathen. Furthermore, it is hard to leave friends and their companionship, but most of all to leave relatives.... And then it is clear that with his obedience of faith Abraham gave a supreme example of an evangelical life, because he left everything and followed the Lord. Preferring the Word of God to everything and loving it above everything.”
Understanding Abram’s faith has bearing on your own relationship with God. For that reason I want to lay before you this morning a brief “theology of faith//biblical faith.” Why? B/c…biblical faith:
Justifies
is what results in salvation
places you in the household of faith
makes you a child of God
makes you a citizen of kingdom of God
is what is pleasing to God
But there is a faith that will keep you from these things. It is a dead faith, useless faith, a condemning faith:
19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
For centuries that truth was buried under the false system of works-righteousness (taught by every false religion) particularly under Roman Catholicism. God was going to open the eyes of men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Philip Melancthon to re-discover the faith that justifies. It was during the reformation that these men began to understand the teachings of Scripture (contrary to RCC) that it is by faith alone that a sinner would stand right (righteous) before God. These men were very careful to explain what is the nature of that faith. They recognized that true, saving, biblical faith had 3 elements to it. They would describe it using 3 Latin words (whenever you’re debating—this is the trump card—pull out the Latin and people can’t argue): notitia, assensus, fiducia
Notitia
Notitia
This refers to awareness or knowledge (forms Eng “notice”). The reformers understood that at its core, biblical faith had to understand the content of the Xn faith—the gospel. You place your faith in something, or as believers—more appropriately we place our faith in someone—namely, LJC.
This is the call of the gospel:
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
The notitia of faith—the content of faith, there must be understanding of what the Bible teaches about the object of the faith that justifies.
Assensus
Assensus
This means “to assent to, to agree.” This is your conviction that the content of your faith (what you believe) is true. It isn’t enough to intellectually know the content of Xn/biblical faith, your heart must accept, agree that it is indeed true. you can know the Xn faith and not believe it to be true. Both your intellect and emotion is at work in believing in JC. You understand what you believe and your heart is drawn to what your mind understands.
Paul praises the Thessalonians:
13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.
Fiducia
Fiducia
But even this is not enough…you can understand the content of the faith even believe it to be true and not be saved. This is what the demons believe. They understand who Jesus is. They even agree that He is who He claimed to be and believed what He did—but they aren’t saved. There must be something beyond the intellect and emotion…the reformers recognized biblically that saving faith required volition, and act of the will…they referred to it as “fiducia” or trust. For those with fiduciary responsibilities—there is trust, confidence, reliance upon those individuals. Faith that justifies, the faith that saves, the faith that is effectual: knows the content of Xn faith (truths of the gospel), agrees with the claims that Jesus made, AND personally trusts Him alone for salvation.
The mind understands, has knowledge that Jesus saves. The heart assents to that truth, agreeing that it is true. The will responds by making a personal commitment to trust in LJC. This last part is really the crowning element in the faith of a believer—b/c it involves surrender to the object of faith/Lordship of JC. The whole of your being is involved in the commitment to Christ so that He is truly what you trust in.
Faith manifests trust. The reformers understood this is what separates true faith from many false professions where a person would trust in his own efforts to justify him before God. These were the ones Jesus described in Matt 7
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
What are you trusting in for your justification: acceptance by God? It cannot be Jesus and your efforts. If there is anything PLUS Christ then you’re not trusting in Christ alone.
Let me come back to Abram—for he is the prototype of this faith—the exemplar, so to speak.
Faith was manifesting itself in Abram’s trust in several ways:
Trust in Uncertainty
Trust in Uncertainty
The writer of Hebrews explains
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
Back in Gen 12 God told him “go forth…to the land which I will show you” (vs 1)
vv 4-5
Abram left to go to a destination that was unrevealed. Understand that this was not normal travel arrangements in Abram’s day. Travel was treacherous. You were at risk from the natural elements of the desert and from bandits. People generally travelled in large groups, merchants used caravans to go from one place to the next. People would not typically set off without knowing the destination, or knowing what supplies to take and how long it would take to get there. God told him to go to a place that He would show him at a later time. He trusted thru this uncertainty—b/c his faith was genuine/authentic. That’s what true faith does—it trusts—especially in uncertainty.
Trust Through Sojourning
Trust Through Sojourning
vv 6-9
Heb explains that Abram in 11:9-12
Abram was an alien, living in a foreign land. Now granted, God had given the land to Abram and his descendants but he didn’t come to realize this inheritance in his own lifetime. He continued to live as a foreigner in temporary, nomadic tents (even his children and grandchildren did the same thing). He went camping perpetually. If you were after security, this is not what you would do. Abram trusted God’s promise.
A term that describes Abraham’s life dissonance. Used as a musical term for 2 notes that just don’t sound right. Abram’s life was at odds with everyone around him. As he sojourned thru land of Canaan, they were polytheistic and pagan (Just like Ur). He was always clashing with the inhabitants of those lands whose lifestyles were in constant dissonance to his own faith.
He came to Shechem when God told him “I’m going to give this land to your descendants.” Rejoicing, he set up an altar to worship God. He passes by Bethel and he built an altar there and called upon the name of YHWH. Continued on always at odds with those around him.
The NT reminds us that believers live in dissonance to the world around us. We too are sojourners...
11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
The world under the direction of the evil one is set against the things of God. Because we belong to God, it is set against us. We do not belong to this world. But the Lord makes it clear that while we are here, we must live by faith—as sojourners (those who never really fit in).
Abram trusted as a sojourner…Heb says “setting his eyes on a city...” He’s just going from place to place, setting up his tent on a lifelong pilgrimage. And there were constant challenges that were before him.
Canaanites were in the land (vs 6). They were the ones that would constantly oppose God’s people. Moses mentions “the oak of Moreh” which is an interesting place. The word “oak” is Heb terebinth. This was a tree of some sort. Moreh means “teacher or and oracle giver.” As you study thru the OT you will see that trees and hills are important places of worship but especially pagan worship, the worship of other gods would take place under a tree or on a hillside.
One lexicon describes it: “the terebinth being a holy tree from which divine teaching was given, and the hill of the teacher the seat of a holy place whence divine teaching was given.” Some guru, teacher in these pagan religions would sit under a tree or on a hillside and give teaching from whatever god was being worshiped. They would hear the rustling of the trees and offer the oracles to whoever would listen. So this is pagan worship. Later in Israel’s history the images and high places would be torn down. There is nothing wholesome about the “oak of Moreh” b/c it is the place where the Canaanites would gather to worship their gods. YHWH appeared (this is a theophany) at this place-the place of idolatry where He would confirm to Abram that He was going to give this land (the land of Canaan) to Abram’s descendants. That was bad news for the Canaanites—good news for Abram.
Here is this pilgrim, in a foreign land, in the midst of pagan idolaters who have nothing to do with the one true God who has called Abram to Himself. And Abram is simply obediently trusting the Lord to carry out His purposes and promises that were given to him. This is all he had—the word of God and he trusted God while sojourning this land and he would worship while he went about.
Trust Through Infertility
Trust Through Infertility
God’s promise in Gen 12:2 was to make Abram a great nation (implied there would be too many descendants to number). The problem of course is that Abram was aging and so too was his wife Sarai (barren).
Abram was 75 when he set out from Haran. He was 85 when God promised a son and his wife (10 years younger) brought her handmaiden to Abram who conceived and bore Ishmael (Gen 16).
He is 99 when his name is changed to Abraham. Sarah at this point is 89 and humanly speaking it was beyond all probability that she would have a child at that age (before the flood this happened all the time—but things are different now). They both understood that it was not humanly possible (Sarah laughs).
The Heb passage is enlightening here:
Some translations make Sarah the subject of vs 11—the problem with that is with the phrase “received ability to conceive” lit “the power for the deposition of seed” which belongs to the man. Abraham is the subject of vs 11. It was biologically impossible for him to have children (86 before Ishmael was born). For 85 years he was sterile—this is the reason she was barren (without children). Vs 12 indicates that he was as good as dead—no children to come forth from him.
But he trusted God’s promise. There’s much to learn about Abram’s faith and the nature of true faith.
True Faith, saving faith, justifying faith:
Believes the bare word of God (Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Steps out on God’s Word
Follows wherever God’s Word directs
Builds altars and worships the true God wherever it leads
Proclaims the name of the Lord
What is God calling you to? For some it may be initial faith that would bring new life. For others, it is a sin that grieves the HS. Still others, God may be calling you to a ministry, a service where you can use your gifts to be part of the building up of the body of Christ. Be like Abram—step out in faith, trusting God wherever He leads.