The most prolific author of the New Testament, the Apostle Paul, names Abraham as the “Father of all those who believe.” Undoubtedly this is referring to spiritual lineage, with his spiritual descendants reflecting his character and life choices.   In this message Pastor Clark uncovers the upstanding way (especially later in life) in which Abraham approached his relations with others.

The most prolific author of the New Testament, the Apostle Paul, names Abraham as the “Father of all those who believe.” Undoubtedly this is referring to spiritual lineage, with his spiritual descendants reflecting his character and life choices. In this message Pastor Clark uncovers the upstanding way (especially later in life) in which Abraham approached his relations with others.

Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.

Dalton SDA Church

Abraham: Father of the End-time Faithful

Chester Clark

Father Abraham: Father of the Faithful

Abraham, having not yet seen the fulfillment of God's promises, nevertheless believed, didn't he?

He believed that God was able to do what He had promised to do, that He was fully persuaded that what God had promised he was able also to perform.

Now we're going to be looking, in the next couple of times together, we're going to be looking at Father Abraham a little more because Romans 4, verse 11 tells us that Father Abraham, Abraham became, because of the life of faith that he lived, because he was willing to believe having not yet seen, because he counted it not impossible for God to give him a son, his own son, even though he was as good as dead as far as childbearing was concerned and even though Sarah was up in years, you see, despite all of those things, Abraham believed and became Abraham, the father of the faithful.

And because of this, he became the father of all those who believe.

Let's see if we can get started here with our presentation or continue with our presentation.

Father Abraham, let's just bow our heads for an initial word of prayer as we begin.

Father in heaven, today we just thank you.

We thank you that you've given to us your Word.

We thank you for giving us the example in your Word of men and women who live lives of faith.

Today, Father, We're thankful for fathers.

We're thankful for those who have been there to give us instruction and counsel.

And today as we study the life of Abraham, Lord, we're even thankful for Father Abraham.

And we ask that as we open Your Word that You might not disappoint us, but that You would fulfill Your promise to lead us and to guide us into truth.

So Abraham is considered here in this passage, our scripture for today, Romans chapter 4 and verse 11, the father of all those who believe.

We might even say the father of the faithful.

Now I realize that Abraham is genetically, he's biologically related to many people who believe, right?

He's the ancestor of 3 major world religions.

When we look at Christianity, we trace our beliefs back to the Old Testament and back to the patriarch Abraham.

When we look at the Jewish belief system, their Jewish nation, they also, of course, trace their beliefs and their ancestry back to Father Abraham.

And also, we have the world of Islam, the Muslim world in the Quran, it teaches also about Abraham, and they trace their roots back to Father Abraham.

So when we talk about Father Abraham, it could mean more than 1 thing.

It could mean that, we already reviewed last week, so we'll just move on.

We could, It could mean that he's genetically our ancestor.

The Bible says in Romans 4, verses 17 and 18, as well as a number of other places in the Bible, the Bible says, and it calls Abraham the father of many nations.

Now I think that when God gave that promise to Abraham all the way back there in Genesis chapter 15.

I think that God was talking about literal nations, and I think He was talking about literal fatherhood, wasn't He?

I mean, after all, He promised him a son, and it wasn't a spiritual son, it wasn't an adopted son, it wasn't a surrogate son, as was attempted, it was a son.

And he was to be a father, he was to have the gift of fatherhood himself.

But not only is Abraham promised to be the father of many nations and to be the literal, physical ancestor of many people who would believe, and of course, I suppose some who wouldn't believe.

Abraham is also given as a spiritual father.

I want us to notice another verse, Romans chapter 4 and verse 11, our verse for today.

Let's look at it more carefully, and we don't have a lot of time together, so we're going to just sort of concentrate it all into a few minutes here, is that alright?

Romans chapter 4 and verse 11, Maybe you're already there, but we're going to read it again.

Romans 4 verse 11 says, and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believed.

Now we looked a little bit at that last week.

We looked at how Abraham, he wasn't forgiven or made righteous or justified because he obeyed and was circumcised.

In fact, Paul's making that point here in Romans chapter 4.

Abraham's obedience was not what led God to justify him.

In fact, the Bible says in chapter 15 and verse 6 that he believed the Lord and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

And now we also looked at how the devil's might believe in tremble, but James says if you have faith show it by your works, right?

And we saw that in Ephesians chapter 2 and verses 8 through 10 God says that we are saved by grace through faith, but we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, right?

And so the obedience comes as a natural result.

God doesn't say, okay, get your life, get your act together, And once you get everything put together, then I'll accept you as my son or my daughter.

In fact, God says, if you will, if you'll simply trust me, if you'll give up trying to do it on your own, if you'll say, I believe that you are able to do the impossible, Not because I'm able, but because you're able.

That's when it is accounted unto us for righteousness.

And having made this type of a bold act, decision of faith, Abraham, the Bible says here in verse 11, it says, He became the father of all those who believe.

Now I would suggest to you that here we're not talking about physical ancestry.

Here we're talking about spiritual ancestry.

I would suggest to you that we're talking about a spiritual fatherhood, that Abraham becomes the spiritual father of all who believe now Let's explore this a little more in our few moments.

Let's look at a couple of passages I want to start with John chapter chapter 8 Let's look at the positive and also the negative in this spiritual ancestry story because there were those in Jesus' day who said, we are the physical descendants of Abraham.

Because we're the physical descendants of Abraham, We are something special.

And this Jesus teacher, who is trying to make us feel bad for our sins, he doesn't understand.

John chapter 8, and we're beginning in verse 31.

And it says here, a familiar passage to many of us, I'm sure.

Jesus said to those Jews who believed him, if you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Now I want you to understand, this is an amazing passage, because I read this for many, many years, and I thought this was an interaction between Jesus and the people who were you know The Pharisees who didn't like Jesus, but it begins verse 31 by saying Jesus is actually talking with the people who who what does it say?

These are these are the good guys and this is what the retort was, that they came back with Jesus, with to Jesus.

They answered him, verse 33, we are Abraham's descendants and have never been in bondage to anyone.

How can you say then, you will be made free?" Now, I have to say that we as humans are sometimes guilty of studying our history rather selectively, aren't we?

And the Jews must have forgotten 400 years of Egyptian bondage, because when they said, we have never been in bondage to anyone, we're Abraham's descendants.

How do you say we're going to be set free?

Jesus answers, He says in verse 34, most assuredly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

And a slave does not abide in a house forever, but a son abides forever.

Therefore if the son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Jesus is saying, look, it's not so important that Abraham is your physical father.

If you're, if Abraham is your physical father, but yet you will keep doing the things you know are wrong.

If you keep living a life of sin knowingly, willfully, consciously, you're a slave of sin.

He continues on, he makes the spiritual ancestry idea very, very clear.

Verse 37, I know that you are Abraham's descendants.

I understand that you physically descended from Abraham, but that's also, that's always a very important word, right?

I think it was John, he said after our sermon we talked about therefore.

He said 1 person taught him that whenever you see the word therefore in the Bible, You're supposed to ask yourself, what's it there for?

Well, we could do the same thing with but, couldn't we?

I understand, Jesus says, you are Abraham's natural children, but, oh, how could there be a but after that statement?

"'But you seek to kill me, because my word has no place in you.

I speak what I've seen with my Father, and you do that which you have seen with your Father.'" Who?

Father Abraham: Stranger and Pilgrim

Well, I just want to do a real quick review.

It's been a little while, so let me just, let's just back up a little bit.

It was last month sometime we talked about therefore, Romans 5, verse 1.

We explored how that therefore is there because it's pointing us back to the experience of Abraham.

Abraham had that experience of believing in God and it was counted to him for righteousness.

And Romans 5 verse 1 says, therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We each need that peace that passes all understanding which only Jesus can bring us.

We looked then at Father Abraham, how Abraham is considered, it talks about it here in Romans chapter 4 and verse 11, he's considered the father of all those who should believe.

Now this is not talking necessarily about about spiritual, about physical ancestry, but about spiritual ancestry.

It's because Abraham had such faith and such belief that he actually became fully persuaded that what God had promised he was able also to perform.

Sometimes we think that the Bible's promises are for other people.

Sometimes we think that the Bible's promises are for our neighbors or our friends.

We fail to remember that what God said he will do, he can do and he will do if we allow him, even in our own life.

It doesn't matter where we've been, it doesn't matter what we've done, God's promises are for us.

And Abraham became fully persuaded that even though he was advanced in years, and Sarah also, that God who had said that he would give him a son was able even to give him a son.

And Abraham believed God and the Bible says it was accounted unto him for righteousness.

It was not because of Abraham's obedience or because of what he did, but because of Abraham's belief.

Faith is believing that God can do the impossible.

Not that he's done the impossible, not that he can do the impossible for somebody else.

Faith is believing that God can do the impossible even for me, even for you.

And so Abraham became not just the father of many nations physically, but he became the father of all those who believe.

We're talking about spiritual ancestry here.

And today we're going to be talking about how I believe Abraham is the spiritual father of all who believe even in the last days.

Now there's many different aspects to Abraham's life we could explore.

But today we're gonna be looking at 1 of them.

We're gonna be looking at how Abraham believed God enough that he was willing to go out into a land that he didn't know.

He was able to do a, to take a trip with an uncertain destination because He is the Father of the faithful and He's the Father of us today.

I want us to just bow our heads for an additional word of prayer as we begin.

Father in heaven, I just ask that as we open Your Word, that Your Spirit would teach us, Lord, my lips are human, they're stammering, my mind is finite, but You are the infinite God.

So today I just pray that You'll speak to those who are gathered here, Your children.

Lord, they are expecting something from You, and I just pray that You would speak to us.

So Abraham, the father of the end-time faithful.

Today we're going to be looking at how Abraham was willing to follow God and he was willing to leave his comfortable home in the Ur of the Chaldees.

He was willing to be a stranger and a pilgrim.

So this is the quality of Abraham that we're looking at today.

Abraham, the Father of the faithful in the last days.

So let's start by looking in our Bibles at the story in Genesis.

We're going to start in Genesis chapter 12 and we're going to look at verses 1 and 2.

Genesis chapter 12, so turn with me there back to the very first book of the Bible, the story here is found of Abraham's journey of faith, Genesis chapter 12, and we're going to look at this in God's word for our own selves, with our own eyes.

This is what happened, and when you're there you can say amen.

Genesis chapter 12, and we're gonna begin in verse 1.

Now, the Lord had said to Abram, get out of your country, from your family, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.

I will make you a great nation, I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing.

I will bless those who curse you, I will curse him who curses, I'm sorry, I will bless those who bless you, I will curse him who curses you, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Now these are very, very big words that God gives to Abraham.

Now we remember that Abraham is living at a time not too removed from the global flood that we talk about.

In fact, if we go back to some genealogies and some timelines of the Old Testament, we'll find that Abraham was born while Noah was still alive.

Noah, who lived 350 years after the flood, He was still alive, as I recall, off the top of my head, 350 years.

He was still, maybe, may have been less than that.

But as I recall, it was about 75 years of overlap between Noah and Abraham.

That meant that Noah was able probably to tell personally to Abraham some of the things that he had seen before the flood.

I mean, after the flood, we don't believe, for example, that there was any Garden of Eden anymore.

It had been, well, the world had been destroyed.

The Garden of Eden had been taken to heaven for its keeping, I believe.

And here we have the story of the angels and the guarding the entrance to the Garden of Eden.

We had Methuselah who had died just at the time of the flood.

I mean, Noah had known these people, Abraham had known these people, and Abraham had had an opportunity to hear these stories.

Abraham probably wasn't the only person who had the opportunity to hear these stories, right?

I mean, everyone alive had had the opportunity to hear these stories.

This was, these were the survivors of the flood.

Noah was the father of all those who were alive at that time, so they all would have heard.

But remember, it didn't take very long for even those descendants of Noah to begin rebelling against the God of heaven, did it?

It wasn't long before they even built the Tower of Babel.

Remember that story where they got together and they said, we're gonna keep God from being able to destroy us again.

We're gonna build a tower so tall that even if another flood comes we're going to survive on our own without God, without the help of God.

And the story is found here in the book of Genesis about how God confused their languages because they were becoming so wicked again.

I mean just after destroying the earth by flood, already they're beginning to rebel and they're forgetting God.

How am I going to keep the truth of God alive?

There are no more angels visible at the gates of the garden anymore, but God's people still have to be remembering the stories and the truths.

That person will become what we would call a patriarch.

Now patriarch may be a misused word today.

We have sort of the patriarchy and that's sort of a negative term today, especially when it's opposed to some of the feminist ideas that are present in our world today.

We're not talking about the negative things of patriarchy here, we're talking about someone who will say, I'm going to raise my family to fear God.

That was a patriarch, that was what a patriarch was supposed to be, when God said, I'm gonna choose a man who is going to follow me and have his children follow me as well.

The idea was that as a father would teach his children, particularly the firstborn son, would become the heir, the spiritual heir of the lineage through which the world would be kept abreast of the truth of God, of the true character of God, of the knowledge of God.

So the firstborn son in the patriarchal system, we know Abraham was the first and then we had Isaac and Jacob and so forth, The firstborn would be the 1 who would not only receive more of the inheritance, more of the inheritance, physical inheritance, but they would also become the spiritual priest of the family.

They would become the spiritual leaders of the next generation.

And God intended by this method to keep the knowledge of the truth alive.

He was going to try to keep a light burning in this darkened world where people kept forgetting about him and ignoring him and even rebelling against him.

And so God says, I'm gonna choose Abraham, and I want Abraham to be the 1 who will carry that message of my love and my grace and my mercy and my salvation to the rest of the world.

And what God says to Abraham here, he says, All nations of the earth will be blessed through you because through you I will continue to keep the knowledge of truth alive.

Let me tell you, friends, this world may not be very spiritual or religious.

We live in a world where the headlines are filled with sin and vice and corruption and perversion.

And perversion is considered normal and even laudable today.

Father Abraham: Building Altars

Abraham, get out of your country, from your family, from your father's house, to a land that I will show you, and I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless those who bless you and curse him who curses you and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.

The Bible records that by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out.

And we've seen the last few weeks how Abraham has become a type or an example.

He's become the spiritual father of the faithful.

The father of the faithful in the last days.

Father Abraham, we saw how Abraham is not just the father of many nations, he's also the father of those who believe, he's the spiritual ancestor of those who would walk in his steps.

Remember, Jesus told the Jews, you're not really of your father Abraham.

Oh, it wasn't that they weren't born the descendants of Abraham.

It was because they weren't the spiritual heirs.

If you were the children of Abraham, you would do the works of Abraham, Jesus said, right?

And so I believe that we're living in the last days, and even in the last days of earth's history, God would have us be the children of Abraham.

How many of you when you were kids sang the song Father Abraham?

You know the right arm, left arm, right foot, left foot and turn around and up, up and down and all that?

At first it seems like just a silly song, but when you think about what it means to be the children of Abraham, it's not just a silly song, it's a reminder that we are to live the lives that Abraham lived, the father of the end time faithful we talked about last week.

We talked about how he was a stranger and a pilgrim.

He didn't set down roots here because he knew he was looking for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

This was his focus, and we saw this last week.

Remember we talked about the different phases of Hebrews chapter 11?

These men of faith, they had not yet experienced the promises, but they saw them afar off.

They were convinced of them, or they were persuaded of them, and finally they were persuaded of them and they embraced them and once they had gone through these steps, and I think this is a progression, it seems to me in my own life at least it's a progression, We see them first, they seem far off, and then we're persuaded of them, we come to believe they're really true, and finally we embrace them, we make them our own, and once we have done that, once the Bible becomes so real to us that we see that it's God's Word speaking to us, It's not just a whole collection of historical legends.

It's not just a bunch of fanciful ideas and pipe dreams of a butter land.

And when that becomes a part of us, that we've been persuaded of them, we embrace them, we make them our own, then we can finally do what these men and women of faith in Hebrews 11 did.

We can confess that we're strangers in pilgrims Because this world is not our home, we're just a passing through.

Oh, it's a wonderful thing to make the Bible real for us personally.

We're going to see about Abraham and his habit of building altars.

Our scripture today in Genesis chapter 12 it says that the Lord appeared to Abram and said to your descendants I will give this land and there he did what?

He built an altar to the Lord who had appeared to him.

He moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel and he pitched his tent with Bethel in the west and Ai in the east and there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord." Now I don't think that Abraham just had sort of an architectural fascination with altars.

I don't think Abraham was just 1 of those guys that just likes to build, so let's build.

Now I think that's great, I enjoy building, I think that would be a wonderful thing to build, but I think there's a deeper reason for why Abraham built altars.

You notice that everywhere he went the first thing that the Bible says he did is he built an altar.

It's because he wanted to make the service and the worship and the teaching of God central in his life.

And so we're going to look at some passages here in the book of Genesis, and we're going to see a little bit of this story.

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Series

Abraham: Father of the End-time Faithful

Father Abraham: Unimpeachable Ethics

Transcript

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Parts

Father Abraham: Father of the Faithful

26m

Father Abraham: Stranger and Pilgrim

42m

Father Abraham: Building Altars

46m

Father Abraham: Always Giving

40m

Father Abraham: Ever Obedient

40m

Father Abraham: The Intercessor

53m

Father Abraham: Unimpeachable Ethics

45m

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