The Gospel Preached Unto Abraham

Temple Baptist Church - 5-20-2009

Galatians 3:6-9; Genesis 22:1-19

Introduction:

A. In these verses, we find the amazing faith of Abraham mentioned. Verse 6 says, “Abraham believed God!” This was no small act of faith that Abraham exercised in Genesis when God gave to him the promise of the “Seed.” When we get to Genesis 22, we find the depth of his faith in the testing of the sacrifice of Isaac.

B. People today normally say, “Oh, I believe.” Do they believe as Abraham believed or do they believe as the devils believe in the Book of James? The devils also believe and tremble! This tells me that simply fear of judgment and hell are not enough to get one to Heaven! Saving faith is much more than fear! Saving faith is just that, faith!

C. Let us see the faith of Abraham for a moment:

Hebrews 11:17-19 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.

D. God promised Abraham a son named Isaac through which the godly line would continue until the “Seed” should come which was Christ. The Old Testament saint knew that the “Lamb of God” would one day come to take away (not simply atone) for the sins of the world. Isaac had no children, therefore, he must continue to live in order to bring about the accomplishment of the “seed of the woman.”

E. This meant that if Abraham sacrificed his son, then God would have to bring him back to life again. What faith!

F. Now that we have seen the “Faith of Abraham,” let us look at the “Family of Abraham.”

Galatians 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

1. Saving faith is in the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, not in the fear of judgment and hell.

2. Saving faith is the acceptance of the finished work of Christ as the only means of sacrifice and salvation for the sinner. It is trusting Christ and Christ alone! The Galatian believers had been bewitched into thinking otherwise.

G. I want to look at the “Gospel preached unto Abraham” for a while tonight.

Hebrews 11:17-19 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.

Turn to Genesis 22 with me.

1. Pre-determination Plan – vs. 2 “offer him” - Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

1 Peter 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

2. Pre-determined Person – vs. 2 “thine only son” - John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Matthew 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

3. Pre-determined Place - Genesis 22:2-4 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

Luke 23:33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

4. Pre-determined Price – vs. 2 “burnt offering” - Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

5. Pre-determined Process – vs. 3 “clave the wood” - Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

6. Pre-determined Pact – vs. 6 “both of them together” - John 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

Isaiah 53:10-11 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

7. Pre-determined Path – vs. 6 “the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son” - John 19:17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

8. Pre-determined Provision – vs. 8 “God will provide himself”- 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

9. Pre-determined Propitiation – vs. 13 “Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son” - 1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Hebrews 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

10. Pre-determined Promise – vs. 19 “So Abraham returned unto his young men” - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.