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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/john-fitzpatrick/the-life-of-abraham/
I'm just going to move, I hope not too quickly, but touch on a few little thoughts on the life of Abraham. Genesis 11 and verse 31, please. 31st verse, 11th chapter of the book of Genesis. And Terah took Abram his son-in-law, the son of Aram, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, and his son Abram's wife, and they went forth with them from Ur of Chaldees into the land of Canaan.
And they came unto Herod and dwelt there. Now let me just ask the question of the audience, can you hear me? Because yesterday I was told some couldn't hear, so I see thumbs up, so I guess my volume was all right.
One time in the Arlington conference, they told me you spoke too loud. And so I told brother Kevin, I says, now you raise your hand, and I'll watch for you if I'm speaking too loud. His wife said to him after the meeting, Kevin, what was wrong with you?
You're holding your hand up for so long, and we don't raise our hands in these meetings. And I says, Kevin, I couldn't find you in the meeting, and I didn't know whether I was too loud. So you can only get a volume check from somebody in the back.
Chapter 12, and the Lord said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, into a land that I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and I will make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing.
Verse 4,. So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken unto him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed out of Haram. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haram.
And they went forth to go into the land of Canaan, and into the land of Canaan they came. And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem, unto the plain of Morah, and the Canaanite was then in the land.
And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said unto him, Thy seed will I give this land. And there built he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him. And he removed from hence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent toward Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east.
And there he built an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed going on still toward the south. And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was grievous in the land.
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold, now I know that thou art a fair woman, so look upon. Verse 13, Say I pray thee, thou art my sister, that it may be well with me, for thy sake, and for my soul shall live, because of thee.
Verse 17,. And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues, because of Sarai, Abram's wife. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this, if thou hast done it to me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
Why saidst thou she is my sister? So I might have taken her to be me to wife. Now therefore, take thy wife, take her, go thy way. And Pharaoh commanded all his men concerning him, and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.
Chapter 13,. And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had. Verse 2, And Abram was very rich in cattle and silver, and he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel. Now that's what I want to read, and it might be a very long reading, but we know that the Lord blessed the public reading of the word of God.
I would find a number of little principles we might say here. We see a number of beautiful comparisons between Abram and before the Lord Jesus Christ. Abram left his country, and the Lord Jesus left the splendors of heaven above.
And Abram was chosen on a mission by God. We find in Nehemiah chapter 9 and verse 7 that the call came from the Lord. And we find in the book of Acts that Abram was called of God. And so I want to remind each one of us that God has his own unique way of calling us, and his own unique way of wanting us to be molded and conform to the image of his son.
And so there's similarities here, and Abram was one that had bread and wine, and the Lord Jesus gave us the bread and wine in remembrance of himself this morning. And Abram's biggest trial was the offering of his son.
And maybe the biggest trial, if I could label it that way, I'm probably not expressing it right, was when the Lord Jesus laid down his life on the cross at Calvary. And Abram was buried in a cave, and the cave's name was a place of two doors.
And of course the Lord Jesus passed through death's door, and he rose again. And so Abram here had already known what God had wanted him to do. And so I would say that he had a knower in his knower, and there was a hesitancy factor.
And I would have to confess sometimes that there can be a hesitancy factor that's occurred in my life. Shame on me. And we know what God wants us to do, and maybe to talk to this one, maybe go here, go there, whatever it is.
And human reasoning could enter in, and we might say, how is this ever going to work? How is it going to be? God wants us to walk by faith, he saved us by faith, and he longs that we might move on the ways of the Lord.
Now you would notice in the early part of Abram's life here with the family, that you can find a little picture here that the tides of nature can hinder our growth and development. Our daughter asked us when she got married, Bruce, she said, do you have any advice for me, dad, on getting married?
I says, I do. She says, what is it? I said, move 500 miles away from all family and friends. She says, well, I can't do that. I says, well, I don't have any more advice. What did I mean? You have to establish your life.
You have to establish your family. And don't be influenced by other families. Don't be influenced by in-laws or outlaws or anything like that. You have to cut the ties of nature. You're accountable to God.
You two together are heirs of life together. So Abram had a know it as knower because I find in verse one, the Lord had said. So that's past tense. And you're going to find that he tells him to get me out of thy country to the land that I will show thee.
You know, if he's not Lord of all, he's not Lord at all. And sometimes in our lives, we hesitate. And separation is not optional, but separation is essential. Some of you brethren here, God bless you, have gone to lands, to labor, far off from all family, all friends, all contact.
I can remember in earlier days, the city of Yonkers, New York, we would go down to the water and they would pray with the missionaries and they would go and they wouldn't be seen for years. And it would only be a little letter now and then they would come back.
They knew God and they proved God and they waited on God. And so Abram has many tests in his life. And God has many tests in our life to make us, to mold us, to enable us to be men and women for God, for his honor and glory.
So Abram, separated from family, he has a promise. And whenever God calls, God has promises. He will supply, He will enable, He will give that special grace or that enablement. He says, I will bless thee.
I will make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing. Did you know that it's better to obey than sacrifice? And the Lord longs that we might learn to depend on Him. Whether you be an old fellow like myself, or God bless you young ones for coming to the conference, thrilling to see, to learn, to walk with God.
I've been thrilled and chatting with some of the conference this weekend. Some that are just in high school and I can see that they have depth in the things of God and they have a desire to go on for God.
Let me make an odd comment, but it's really not an odd comment. You will make the greatest choices in your life, in your youth, when you've had the least time to learn God and the least time to prove God.
Know God, move in His ways. The choices you make in your youth may affect you the rest of your life. Them that honor, I will honor. Divine promise from the word of God. So Abram is called, he's leaving and he's only got partial obedience.
There was never any instruction to bring Lot with him. Sounded like a nice thing to do, maybe I should. He had to leave before progress was made. In our lives as believers, there are things we need to put aside for progress to be made in the things of God.
I want to remind ourselves, and I speak to myself, that our life is to be lived for the pleasure of the Lord. We live in a pleasure-mad world. I don't fit in. My baptism many years ago said I died to the world, its wants and its wishes.
And our lives should attempt by His grace to be lived for the pleasure and honor of the glory. Of the Lord Jesus Christ. I see that I read here that he took his family with him and he took all his substance.
Could I encourage you, if you've got to go to work way out in the north country, in the well country or something, bring your family with you. Tremendous catastrophes have occurred and the family doesn't go with them.
And I also see he says he took all his substance. I was at a farewell for a worker one time where they send them off to the regions beyond and I told Linda, I says, he's going to be coming back. She says, how would you know that?
You only hardly know who he is. I says, it's very simple. He stored all his goods in his father's property. I said, he didn't leave it all behind. In a couple of years, he was back. Sadly, it didn't work out.
When God calls, he wants us to leave everything else beside. He gathered them all, they went, they passed through the land. And the learned appeared unto Abram, communion, guidance. First time we read of the Lord drawing near.
First time we read in the word of God of an altar here. And an altar would always speak of worship. It was thrilling in the meeting this morning for such a spontaneous rising and giving God thanks for his well-beloved son.
Worship precedes service and prayer precedes service. We do not have the power on our own selves in any way, shape or form. The strength, the power, the enablement comes from God alone. And so the Lord appeared unto Abram and built an altar.
You know, it's a wonderful thing to be gathered to the Lord's name outside the camp unto the one who loved us and gave himself for us. And it's a wonderful thing, but not only a wonderful thing, but it's a responsibility.
He says, on the first day of the week, we can come and remember him,.
The breaking of bread, the breaking of the cup.
I remember the first breaking of bread I ever sat back in. High school, didn't have a Christian home. And I knew for a couple of months I should be attending, but I didn't want to deal with the reproaches of the family.
Shame on me. And the hymn was given out, Abba, Father, we approach thee. And I sat down there, tears running down my face. John, you silly fellow. You knew you should have been coming earlier. Look what you've missed.
And I was convinced the first day, this is where the Lord is. This is where I belong. I trust you're convinced the assembly is not a place, but the place. The place of his name, the place where the Lord is.
And we find there that he had an altar. And then we find that circumstances had changed. There was a famine. Every time Abram followed with a word from God, there was blessing and no difficulties. And every time he took things in his own hands, well, he had the backtrack and he had to correct things.
Same principle in my life. Same principle in your life, beloved. And he's there, he's at Bethel, he's in the house of God. He's worshiping, he's rejoicing, he's praising God, shall I say, for his wonderful, marvelous works.
And there's a famine. Tests are not to drive us too away from God, but to draw us to him and to prove him. Sometimes we may not wait. And we'll miss blessing halfway back there. The famine came. It's not a man's heart to direct his steps.
And Abram said, I guess what I'll do, I'll head on south. You'll find in the word of God, that Abram went forth in verse five of chapter 12. And you'll find that he went down in verse 10 of chapter 12.
When you come to chapter 13, you find that he went up and you will come to the third verse of chapter 13. You found that he went on. And we can find that through the life of Abraham, there were test after test after test.
And your life and mine consists of tests. Count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations. That's not a test of sin as we find in the second half of the book of James. And I've read that many a time.
How can I count it all joy? Seems very difficult, may seem very dark. I found a lot of help from Psalm 31 and verse 15. Our times are in his hands. There is nothing that will cross our path that God hasn't allowed, that he won't give us the grace and help to go through that trial for his honor and glory.
Abram's going down south. He's out of the will of God. There's no word from God. Going into the land of Egypt, into the world, the wrong place. Is there anyone that's a believer here? You're in Egypt, your associations with the world.
I know one thing about you, if that's the case, you're a miserable person. Not to look at, but inside. It's impossible to ever be a happy camper. The greatest pearl that we can be in as believers is the pearl of sin.
It's not forsaken and not confessed. And so Abram's going down and you know what? Bad step leads to another bad step. His wife is going with him. There's no tent. He's lost his pilgrim character. There's no altar.
There's no worship. There's a cold heart. And he's taking on the world's tactic. And he says to his wife, you're a very pretty lady. And I think Pharaoh probably want to kill me. So he can have you. So let's have a little agreement before we get there.
And you can just tell him that you're my sister. It was a half lie. The fear of man brings a snare. Integrity is not optional. It's essential. Morals are not optional. They're essential. Proverbs 6 says, these six things, yea, seven, that the Lord ate, a lying tongue.
Honesty is not optional amongst the people of God. It's essential. And testimony is making God look great in the eyes of the world. I used to live in Connecticut. It's a building. I was working down the street from where Brother Gresham had his printing business.
Matt called me over to see if I'd like to have a coffee with him. And the man I was working for, he says, you know Mr. Gresham? I said, I do. He says, let me tell you, he's one of the most honest men I have ever dealt with.
Good name is better than riches. Abram's going down. The fear of man brings a snare. The test of honesty has come. The test of obedience has come. It's not waited for a word from God. He's taken things in his own hands.
Now, well, we better lie. He lost his peace. He lost his pilgrim character. He forgot the priestly activities of worship and the altar. He forgot the promises. He fed the flesh. And he lost the presence of the power of God.
And the Lord was kind. And the Lord was gracious. And sometimes those that are not saved.
Know more how a Christian should be.
Than even Christians behave at some time. And the Lord plagued Pharaoh's house with great plagues because of Sarin and Abram's wife. We can't engage in a spiritual work and warfare. The sin in our lives, the sin in the kingdom.
Abram had to learn to live and to die. Isaac was an ordinary son of an extraordinary man. Faith was a pilgrim pathway, not only for Abram, but it's the pilgrim pathway for you and I. Day at a time, step at a time.
Yet I would believe it would be the mind of God to prepare for the long haul also, even though the coming of the Lord might be today. If a man provide not for his own, he's worse than an infidel. It's good to get schooling.
It's good to get a trade. It's good to be able to provide. I've met some in the north country, years ago way up in Alaska and hardly any fire would cut, hardly any preparation made. And I'm scratching my head and I said, why not?
Well, the Lord may come tomorrow, so I'll take care of it tomorrow. No, I don't think the Lord wants us to live that way. We live in anticipation that he that shall come, will come and will not tarry.
And it will be in the blink of a twinkling of an eye before we get the word for an Adam. But he gives us responsibility to prepare for the assembly, to teach the younger ones, the truths of God that the testimony might carry on for the honor and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Not optional, essential. I got the Nexus card at the border. I had a good interview and no offense to any Canadians here at the Lord flagship, but he wasn't very happy with me. And so he says, why would an old fellow like you like to have a Nexus card to go to the land of Canada, speak to these little churches?
You say you go to local churches, I told him. I says, he says, why don't they have younger ones do that? I says, well, sir, the younger ones don't know all the doctrine of the church yet. I didn't know what to tell him.
So then he says, well, what kind of money would you make going up there? Well, I says, I'll tell you what, I'll tell you exactly where I've been, every place, I'll tell you exactly what I got. And he looked at me, he says, and you drove there from way down in the States and you got motels, yeah.
Oh, okay. In other words, he realized I wasn't in it for the coin, but my heart was in it. So Abram here, he's lying. There's a problem that's come in and restoration is going to be taking place. Let me ask a question.
I've only got a few minutes. Is there anyone in this gathering? Some question, never has to be before in my life that needs to be restored to God. Getting away from God is usually a slow, gradual process and restoration can be an instantaneous prophecy where you confess it and you forsake it and you move on for God and you forget the things that are behind and you make progress moving on for the honor and the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Turn in your mind to 1 John chapter one and verse nine. And I may not bring all my brethren with me on that, but I think they'll be gracious. If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
What does that mean? Scott's got that book there. What does it really mean? All our sins were forgiven past, present and future at Calvary. I am not saying that to get my sins forgiven. It's to maintain fellowship with God.
All our sins were forgiven at Calvary. I can get out of fellowship. I need to confess the matter to restore fellowship with the Lord, not to get my sins forgiven. They've all been forgiven already. So I don't know if everybody agrees with that.
We be brethren. But Abram came to that point of restoration. I need to get right with God. I need to get back with God. Abram went out of Egypt chapter 13, the third test. There was a voice and separation was because of a voice of communion.
Do you know what it is to get a word from God? You might think, well, that's kind of far-fetched. I have never been for a farewell of one going out in the work or however you want to label it, that when they expressed their exercise, they didn't say that they had a word from God.
Steve Anderson and I were quite close. We had meetings together in different areas, and so I had the honors to speak at Arlington when he was officially commended, however you want to put it that way.
So I told there that I asked him, I said, Steve, do you have a word from God? Because you're going to Africa to labor unrewarded. I said, does Stephanie have a word from God? Because after two weeks it's going to be tough and the challenges and the trials will come.
You say, what's a word from God? You're before God with a deep exercise. What should I do? And it might be in a week, it might be in a month, it might be in a year, it might be in a number of years. In your reading of the word of God, it comes out between your eyes, bang, and you never even thought about it, and I've got a word from God.
And I know this is the path I need to take. I may not take anybody with me, I hope I do. But that word from God is going to be essential if you're going to step out in the work of God. That word from God is going to be essential if you're called to be an elder because you're going to need the height of a rhinoceros and the heart of a mother.
And we go back to that word. You say, well, what made you, John? You went out in the work later. Cease building and rameth. Or whoever told me, John, put down the tools. And others go, I said, well, I don't have any word.
When that first came, I stopped working, shut down the business. Two years later, the brethren handed me a letter. I didn't ask for them. And 20 years before I was commended, I did tent work all summer long for 20 years with my own tent.
So what I'm saying is that you need a word from God to step out on God and to prove God. And Abram had words from God, but he was hesitant. And he was frightful about it. And so restoration is taking place in chapter 13.
Isn't that thrilling? Got a lot of complications, divine restoration. He's rich, lots of problems. But you know, as you weave through this year, we find that there was a strife. Now I talked on interpersonal relations yesterday.
I'm not having a senior moment, though. It could happen. I had strife between Lot, Abram's cattle and all. That strife never would have occurred if Lot wasn't brought with him. One bad step leads to another, but thankfully he's getting back.
Getting back to Bethlehem, getting back to house of God, getting back to worship, being restored to God. The joy of the Lord is our strength. And if we lose our joy, we've lost our strength and we're a defeated foe.
And you know, it's possible to grow tired in this pilgrim life. The world at times might look bright, possible to get discouraged. The test of the trial shows the true character of the believer. Lot was never restored that I find in the word of God.
Abram was restored. And I find a solemn principle here, verse 14 of chapter 13. And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, the voice was closed until the separation took place.
The word of God reminds us there's a three days journey. You would remember Pharaoh. You can go, but not three days journey. You can go, but don't take the cattle and the sheep with you. And you can go, but don't take your children with you.
Leave them here in the world and in Egypt. And Moses says, we will take our cattle and our sheep to sacrifice. Moses said, we need the three days journey from the world, its wants and its wishes. And Moses says, we will not leave the children in the world, they will come with us.
Are you children in the world? You're children in the world? And you're in the assembly? That could happen. As much as possible, bring them to every meeting. They'll honor me, I will honor. Sometimes we think the little tykes don't get anything out of the word of God.
You know what? Train up a child the way he should go when he's old and not forget. You do a bird study on it. It's a babe in arms. Those little ones, there were a couple down there in Garfield and one of them was kind of a real rascal, no offense.
You know what happens anyway. But he was telling his mother the next day of some of the statements in the gospel meeting. And we're like, how could this little rascal be learning anything and saying anything and getting anything and the next day he's telling his mother some of the message.
Well, he's a smart kid, I guess. But they do learn. And so Abram is going back, getting restored. There's a strife between Lot and David. Contention comes only because of pride. What did they do in this strife?
How did they handle it? He says, Lot, you take whatever you want. You took the best feeling. He says, we'd be brethren. No need to fight over things, brethren. We could get along with one another. Not good, it's essential.
It's good to be able to bow down and let the other have its way. How do you do in the Bible reading? I've never been really in the Bible reading when you visit assemblies. And you know, the Bible reading is not a place for debate.
The Bible reading should never be an argument amongst us ever. We present our view in the fear of God respectfully. We listen to your view respectfully. We might say, this is how I see it because of this verse.
We'd be brethren. And we move on. The vain striving of words means nothing. Abram had learned that. And the test here of getting back and getting restored was showing his true character. And it's one step that led to another bad step to another bad step.
He's now retracing his steps. And he's getting back to Bethel and he's leaving Lot and he's leaving all the goods and he's making progress, moving back for God. And in verse 18 of chapter three, Abram removed his tent and came and dwelt at the Plan of Man where he built an altar.
Strife was out of the way. The unequal yoke was out of the way. The distractions and the difficulties were over. The distance and the danger was over, you might say. He was able to worship. Get into the next chapter.
There's a war, but we won't get there now. But I want to encourage you, beloved, to enjoy him. I want to encourage you to attempt I'll speak to myself, to walk with him day by day and enjoy him. There's nothing greater than salvation.
Nothing greater than seeing his guiding, directing hand day by day and his preserving hand all along the way. And the lessons of the life of Abram, the things are written for our learning. That God might help us in this late day of grace and live the Pilgrim Pathway.
And not get all caught up with the glitter and all the world and all Egypt has to offer, but be occupied with him. There's one that loves us unto death, even the death of the cross. And because of what he did for us on the cross at Calvary, he desires that we might lay down our lives for him.
During COVID, I had a phone call from a fellow by the name of Mark. He says, John, you're an older fellow. You saved my life a number of years ago. I will do anything you need during this time of epidemic.
I owe my life to you. We owe our lives to the one on the cross that loved us and gave himself for us. And he wants us to lay down our life and live the life like Abram, the life of faith. And the Pilgrim Pathway.
That's what I think.