Abraham Walked With God In Faith

Temple Baptist Church - 1-29-2020

Hebrews 11:8-10

Introduction: 

A.  As we continue through God’s “Hall of Faith,” we find a man named Abraham.

1.  Abraham is called the “Father” of our faith.

2.  Abraham is called “the friend of God.”

3.  Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are called the “Fathers” of the Jewish nation.

4.  Abraham was the first Hebrew while Jacob was the first Jew.

B.  As we studied in Genesis, Abraham-Isaac-Jacob were flawed men.

1.  Abraham failed God to lead him.  He went down to Egypt in a time of famine.  He also went to Gerar.

2.  Abraham failed God to feed him.  In famine, he left the place that God sent him to because he felt that God had blessed Egypt.

3.  Abraham failed God to protect him.  Twice, he and Sarah lied about their relationship, placing Sarah in jeopardy to protect Abraham.

4.  Abraham hearkened to the voice of his wife.  He took Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian handmaid to wife.  This brought about the birth of Ishmael, whose descendants continue to be as thorn in the flesh to everyone living about them.

C.  The “Hall of Faith” is not about perfect men, it is about men of Faith!

1.  God can use flawed men who are men of faith!

James 5:17-18  Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.  (18)  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

2.  There is an old saying: “God can take a crooked stick and draw a straight line!”

3.  God is no respecter of persons.  But He is a respecter of men of faith.

4.  God is pleased with man’s 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.

5.  God honors faith.  God uses flawed men because He honors their Faith!

D.  The Faith of Abraham:

1.  Abraham had Saving Faith – Romans 4:1-3  What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?  (2)  For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.  (3)  For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.  (He had nothing to glory in except God!)

a.  Abraham’s Faith was a Personal Faith.  “Abraham our father … hath found”

b.  Abraham’s Faith was a Glorifying Faith.  “he hath whereof to glory; but not before God”

c.  Abraham’s Faith was a Biblical Faith.  “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him”

d.  Abraham’s Faith was a Saving Faith.  “For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God … counted unto him for righteousness”

2.  Abraham had Following Faith – 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.  (Abraham did not know where he was going but he knew that God did!)

a.  The age of Abraham’s call.  Abraham is now 75 years and almost half of his life is gone.

b.  The place of Abraham’s call.  In the Ur of the Chaldees, a heathen land of idolatry.

c.  The answer of Abraham’s call.  His obedience was immediate, not delayed.

d.  The unquestioning obedience to Abraham’s call.  At his age to leave his people and the land of his birth to go to a land that he had never seen.

3.  Abraham had Enduring Faith – Hebrews 11:9  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:  (Abraham never returned to the place of his family.)

a.  Abraham sojourned in the land of promise.  “sojourned in the land of promise”  He remained faithful to his call.

b.  Abraham sojourned in a strange country.  “a strange country”  He remained where God placed him.  A place where he remained an outsider.

c.  Abraham raised his children there.  “dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob”  He did not go home to raise his children and grandchildren.

d.  Abraham gave his children his heritage.  “the heirs with him of the same promise”  Neither did his children returned to the land of the father’s nativity.

4.  Abraham had Financial Faith – Genesis 14:18-20  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.  (19)  And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:  (20)  And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.  (Abraham gave to God what belonged to Him because he knew where it all came from.)

a.  Abraham gave at the right place.  “the priest of the most high God”  In our economy, the local church.  Malachi 3:10.  Will a man rob God?  So many do.

b.  Abraham gave the right amount.  “tithes”  The tithe is the Lord’s!

c.  Abraham gave to the right Person.  “the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth”  All that we have belongs to God!

5.  Abraham had Strong Faith – Romans 4:19-21  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:  (20)  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;  (21)  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.  (Abraham believed God when all human hope was gone.)

a.  Abraham believed God!  “the promise of God”  If God says it, you can put it in the bank.

b.  Abraham believed the Impossible!  “an hundred years old … the deadness of Sara’s womb”  He was strong in faith.

c.  Abraham believed Unwaveringly.  “being fully persuaded”  He never doubted what God had promised.

6.  Abraham had Sacrificial Faith – Genesis 22:1-3  And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.  (2)  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. (Abraham believed God for the incomprehensible.)

a.  What God gave, God required.  “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest”  The most precious thing that God had given to Abraham, God required.

b.  Abraham was willing to give what God required.  “And Abraham rose up early in the morning … And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.”  I find no hesitancy in Abraham’s obedience.  What faith this required?

c.  Abraham knew that God would have to resurrect his son, Isaac, the child of promise.  “Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.” (Hebrews 11:19) 

7.  Abraham had Eternal Faith – Hebrews 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.  (Abraham knew that God’s promise was sure and Abraham’s eternity was secured.)

Conclusion:  Galatians 3:6-9  Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.  (7)  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.  (8)  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.  (9)  So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

The Church at Thyatira - The Apostate Church - Parable of The Leaven

Temple Baptist Church - 1-26-2020

Revelation 2:18-29; Matthew 13:33

Introduction: 

A.  The Blessing of the Fundamental Church.  God has always and always will have people who seek, walk in, and maintain the Old Paths of the Fathers.

Revelation 2:19  I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

1.  A Working Church.  “thy works”

2.  A Loving Church.  “charity”

3.  A Serving Church.  “service”

4.  A Faithful Church.  “faith”

5.  A Patient Church.  “patience”

6.  A Flourishing Church.  “thy works; and the last to be more than the first”

B.  The Burden of the Fundamental Church.  “hold fast till I come”

C.  As Pergamos was the Compromising Church, Thyatira became the Apostate Church.

1.  Compromise Begets Compromise – Liberal Churches Become More Liberal

                       

2.  Compromise Begets Apostasy – Liberal Churches Become Apostate Churches

D.   Fundamental Churches cannot compromise what made them fundamental in the beginning.  Preaching the Word of God as it is to the people of God as they are.  Compassionate but straight.  Hot water destroys leaven!  Hot preaching will destroy apostasy!

1.  The Itching Ears Crowd will not like it.

2.  The Liberal Crowd will not like it.

3.  The Sinful Crowd will not like it.

4.  The Complacent Crowd will not like it.

E.  Paul used this phrase twice: “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”

1 Corinthians 5:7a  “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.”  (You purge by washing with water.  Water is a type of “the Word of God.”  Leaven MUST be preached out.)

F.  “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”

G.  3 Types of Leaven:

1.  The Leaven of Hypocrisy - Luke 12:1  In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Matthew 23:1-3  Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,  Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:  All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

            a.  The Testimony of John The Baptist.     

Matthew 3:7-8  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

            b.  The Testimony of Jesus.

Matthew 21:12-13  And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

            c.  The Testimony of Paul.

2 Timothy 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

d.  We must be real!

2.  The Leaven of False Doctrine - Matthew 16:11-12   How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?  Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

a.  The Testimony of Jesus.

Matthew 16:12  Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.  (Satan’s first lie concerned what God said: “Yea, hat God said?”  If I can change how you perceive the Word of God, I can change how you use the Word of God!)

b.  The Testimony of Paul.

Romans 16:17  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

Ephesians 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

1Timothy 1:3  As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

                        1Timothy 4:13  Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to

doctrine.

1Timothy 4:16  Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

                       

3.  The Leaven of Sin - 1 Corinthians 5:1-8

1 Corinthians 5:6-8  Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

            1Corinthians 5:11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man

that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

            2 Thessalonians 3:6  Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus

Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE CHURCH CLEAN?

1.  Because it pleases God. 

2 Corinthians 6:17-18  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,   And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

2.  Because it keeps a right testimony before the world.

2 Timothy 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

2 Peter 2:1  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

Jude 4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

3.  Because it protects the local church.

1 Corinthians 5:6-7  Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

4.  Because it keeps purity among the brethren.

            Ecclesiastes  8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily,

therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

            1 Timothy 5:20  Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

5.  Because it sets a right example before our children.

Judges 17:6  In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Judges 2:10  And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. 

The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death

Temple Baptist Church - 1-26-2020

Psalm 23:4

Introduction: 

A.  The Bible teaches that there is a time to be born and a time to die.  Ecclesiastes 3:2  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

1.  Life begins at conception.  The Bible speaks of God opening and closing the womb.

Genesis 20:18  For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

Genesis 30:22-23  And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.  (23)  And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:

Genesis 18:13-14  And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?  (14)  Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Psalms 139:14-16  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.  (15)  My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  (16)  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.  (I thank God for a president who will openly attend a Rally for Life!  Everyone running against him believes in abortion from conception to birth and even after a child is born.)

2.  Life on earth ends in death.

Hebrews 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

B.  Death: an inevitable event that happens to us all.  Death: an event that no one likes to think of or talk about.

C.  Death: the cessation of our temporal existence in the flesh and the beginning of our eternal existence.

D.  Death: a time of fear or a time of peace.  We have been taught to fear and dread the day of death that comes to every person.  Psalms says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is his saints.”  The Apostle Paul said that death was “gain…far better.”  I want to look at death in the Psalm of Psalms and get a biblical perspective.

E.  Death is a reality!  Ignore it and it will not go away.  Try to escape and die anyway. 

1.  Death is a Place of Appointment - none can escape. 

2.  Death is a Place of Helplessness - none can prevent. 

3.  Death is a Place of Separation - none can cross the gulf that is fixed. 

4.  Death is a Place of Appointment - none can change it. 

5.  Death is a Place of Permanence - no second chances.

F.  Our trek towards death is a walk that begins at conception and ends at the end of our physical lives.  Preparation for death is made during life, not after the fact.  I want to see a few things that make up a “peaceful” end to this life as we are ushered into the eternal presence of our Lord.

1.  A Peaceful Death Is Acknowledgement – “I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” – That day is coming for each of us and life teaches us that we are but temporal creatures.  This “vapour” that goes faster than a “weaver’s shuttle” is rapidly coming to an end for each of us. 

2.  A Peaceful Death Is Found In Acceptance – “Yea…fear no evil” – Death is not an evil thing!  God loves you and I more that we can ever know!  He wishes no evil upon His children and has allowed death to simply be the DOOR through which we walk into His presence. 

3.  A Peaceful Death Is Found In Confidence – “for thou art with me” – “If Jesus goes with me I’ll go; anywhere!  It’s heaven to me; wherever I be if He is there!”  Our Lord promised that He would never leave nor forsake us!  Where I go, He goes; where He goes, I go. 

4.  A Peaceful Death Is Found in Faith – “thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” – Death is a comfort as it is the end of this present evil world for the child of God.

5.  A Peaceful Death Is Excitement – “my cup runneth over!” – No sin, no sorrow, no sickness, no parting, no disappointments, no discouragement, no devil, no necessities, and no more curse.  Home forever and ever and ever and ever and, when you get through all of those “forever’s,” say, “AMEN!”

1.  God’s Presence In The Valley Of Shadows – “thou are with me”  Romans 8:35-36  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2.  God’s Peace In The Valley Of Shadows –  “I will fear no evil”  Hebrews 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

3.  God’s Promise In The Valley Of Shadows – “through the valley”  2 Corinthians 5:8  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

4.  God’s Prospect In The Valley Of Shadows – “Yea, though I walk”  Philippians 1:21-23  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.  For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

5.  God’s Purpose In The Valley Of Shadows – “and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”  Psalms 16:11  Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.