Address—D. Nicolet
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Hymn #32 in the back of the book in Weakness and Trial with God, we may plead No Fear of denial. We're sure to succeed.
Hymn #32 in the back of the book.
In weakness and trial with God, we may plead No Fear of denial.
We're sure to succeed for the way of grieving his promises clear and love will be lead him, our father will hear against the giant like mine we can bring.
Evans of Fight of Heart, Stone, and A.
Should this have this made us souls and nature?
Let called on to wake us. Our father will hear.
Our calls.
Him and cry our hearts be both way scarcely scarce venture on line, you know.
For us pleading.
May persevere.
Throw him into her sea. Sing our father.
Here.
Let's ask the Lord's blessing.
Our blessed God and Father. What a joy and a confidence to know thou dost here. We recognize our weakness. We recognize our inability and lack of strength to take.
I.
Feel very much.
In fellowship with our beloved brother Don Ruhl.
In a comment he made in the address that he had on Friday when he said that.
The Lord had.
Given him something else than what he thought he was going to share.
With the brethren.
I want to read 2 verses and with the Lord's help notice a couple things and then perhaps.
We will look to him for this to be encouraged, but let's look at a very well known verse.
In second Timothy.
A very, very well known verse two Timothy.
Chapter 3.
And verse one. And I would like to read this to you, dear brethren, from the J&D translation.
Second Timothy 31. But this know that in the last days difficult times shall be there. Now I want to turn to another verse, and this in the New Testament in the book of Job.
Or in the Old Testament rather in the book of Job.
Job chapter.
35.
Job, Chapter 35.
And justice going to read part of verse 10.
God who giveth songs.
In the night God who giveth songs in the night as I sat here this afternoon.
Seeking a bit to consider what the Lord might have different than what I may have thought.
I was enjoying beautiful music and it wasn't a practiced group of people, but oh, was it beautiful.
To hear songs in the night when things tend to at times seem to be dark.
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And seemed to be opposed and difficult.
That by the grace of God, you and I by faith.
Can sing. We can sing, and we have every reason to sing.
I'm reminded of a story that I think is very well known, and I'm only going to tell the version I've heard of it, so perhaps there are many other versions. I don't know for sure the details of this, but it was told many years ago by a brother and it was an encouragement and has always been an encouragement to me.
And I would like it to be that this afternoon to my beloved brethren and to my own heart. That's the story of a time when some young Christian men.
We're carrying out a gospel work and at that time they were able to go to in the area. I think perhaps it was in England.
They were able to go to an area of the Oceanside, a beach that was frequented by crowds of people, and they would go there and they were able to have an open air gospel meeting at the beach.
And after one time the young man who was kind of leading in this exercise came back and he met an an elderly brother in the assembly and and this young man was rather discouraged and the elderly brother asked him why he was discouraged. He said, well, he said, I just don't understand. We went there today to preach the gospel.
To tell people about the Lord Jesus and there were crowds of people there and we know more than God ready to start preaching.
Then along came a brass band and set up right near where we were going to preach.
And started playing. Well, the elderly brother hadn't been all that interested, showing all that much interest in what the young man was saying up to that point. But when the young brother said this brass band came there just when we were ready to start preaching, and it was so discouraging.
The elderly brother perked up his ears and he looked and he said what a brass band.
A brass band came when you were ready to start preaching the gospel.
Satan, was that interested in what you were going to do that he sent a brass band?
To stop the gospel. Tell me about it, I want to hear.
About it, beloved brethren, we live in difficult days.
And we need a reality check. I do from time to time to realize that in these well favored lands, Satan is no less interested in, shall I say, sending a brass band.
To stop evident blessing.
Than he is in some of the lands that our beloved brethren have been able to visit and have told us about where we would expect those kinds of things to go on. We live in difficult days.
And we have been taken, brethren. You know as well as I do. From the youngest of the oldest here, we've been taken in these last few days to rare sweet heights. We have had precious things revealed to our hearts, not just for our heads, but for our hearts and our feet, from the youngest to the oldest.
And beloved brethren.
Satan has ways of sending grass bands.
Because he's not interested in our being encouraged in the path of faith. He's not interested that you and I have had a rich and a rare privilege entreat.
And so before, or perhaps as leading into what I have in my heart, that I trust is from the Lord.
I would like to remind my beloved brethren of something.
That we might be encouraged.
And that we might be exercised both.
I was encouraged because I didn't hear a brass band this afternoon. I heard singing from the heart and it was beautiful.
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And the spirit of it was wonderful. Praise the Lord for songs in the night.
But I want to remind us, brethren, of a time when there was a work of God that took place in this world.
The like of which has never been seen before.
And the Spirit of God moved in a way, in this world that was incredible, miraculous, amazing.
And that was on that day some 2000 years ago.
When 120 or so believers were gathered together.
In one place, in obedience to the words of the Lord Jesus, to wait for the promise of the Father.
And the Spirit of God came down and dwelt that little company and formed.
The assembly.
And it was marked, beloved brethren.
By the most incredible and miraculous signs and gifts.
And do you think that Satan left that alone?
I'm not going to go through it. I'm going to leave it for each of you to study on your own. Perhaps others here have gone into it far more in detail than I.
But I will tell you that in the book of Acts, we're going to look at two or three.
And then?
Allow that to move us into another passage.
But I would submit to you that in the book of Acts, in the early chapters by Acts chapter 10, there are 7 distinct times.
When there is a very special.
Effort.
Of Satan.
To stop, to confuse, to destroy, if he can the work and the blessing of God.
And I would submit to you, brethren, if you want to study it further, that you could turn back to the book of Nehemiah in the days of the recovery.
When the temple had been built and the wall was now being built around Jerusalem to separate that temple and that city once again from the world and the enemies around and you would find a like number of very distinct times that Satan sought to come in and hinder the work of God.
And I would submit to you one further and then we'll go on that you might find something very similar in the history of the children of Israel when they were delivered from Egypt to be taken to the promised land.
God does not, I say carefully and reverently, do or move in blessing. But what the enemy seeks to come in and turn aside and destroy and confuse that blessing. Let's just look at two or three of them.
In acts and I will leave it to your own joy, on your own time.
To study Nehemiah, and in some of you, perhaps most of you know it better than I those histories to find those similar circumstances. But let's turn to Acts Chapter 2.
And.
Forsake of time we will just remind ourselves of we will read verse.
Perhaps one in two, the first two or three verses and when the day of Pentecost was fully come.
They were all with one accord in one place, a wonderful unity and obedience that Satan hates.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared onto them cloven tongues like as a fire, and sat upon them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost blessed Happy time, wonderful time.
And began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave him utterance. Is Satan going to leave that alone?
No, just a few verses later, verse 13.
Well, verse 12 and they were all amazed and were in doubt saying one another. What mean is this?
Others mocking said these men are full of new wine or these men are drunk. That's the first one. Something wonderful begins and Satan mocks it.
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Those of you, all of us, have had that in our lives individually, have we not?
We have come at one time or another to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior or in our Christian life, Beloved young people, you take a step for the glory of the Lord Jesus, and what's one of the very first things you notice somebody has sent along to make fun of you? You ever been made fun of for being a Christian? Ever been mocked? It's because there's a work of God going on in your heart and in your life. You make a commitment to the Lord to seek to follow and please the Lord.
And Satan will be there very quickly to mock. Well, we're not going to spend time on this, but you can ponder that. Let's move on to the next one that I'd like to consider in Chapter 4.
First of all, in chapter three we will remember that a very wonderful miracle was done. A man born lame.
In impossible condition. Those of the beloved brethren sitting here who are medical authorities, I think could give a far better explanation of that. But to be born blind or to be born lame is a rather naturally speaking impossible situation. But this person was healed in the name of Jesus.
Wonderful name Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, He's healed and so.
The word is obviously gets around. The testimony goes out. A man, we've seen him begging all of his life.
He's walking. He's not only walking, he's leaping.
Some of us, the speaker included, couldn't leap right now. There was a man born lame, and he's leaping.
And verse chapter 4 is Satan coming in what a testimony this is.
And they and as they spake unto the people, the priests and the captains of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them. They're not just making fun of them anymore.
But the enemies of the cross of Christ, the enemies of the gospel, come on, these people, the apostles, and they laid hands on them. That's different than just getting laughed at.
This physical contact.
And put them in the hold until the next day. They're going to shut them up, they're going to physically take them and stop.
This testimony did at work. Is the spirit of God going to be stopped? Is blessing going to be stopped by that kind of condition?
Turn over in this chapter.
To verse 31.
And when they had prayed, This is after the Apostles have been released. They go back to their own company. The prayers go up. When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. And they spake the word of God with boldness.
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul. Neither said any of them, that ought of the things which he possessed was his own. They had all things in common, and with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked for as many as were possessors of lands or houses, sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles Feet, and distribution was made onto every man according as he had need.
When there was mocking.
3000 souls were saved. I think the number here is at least 5000 now, perhaps more.
We've just read the condition. Would you like to have experience a condition like this among the Saints of God, this wonderful and precious? Did the attempt of Satan to put those apostles in prison, to lay hands on them, to come against them like that? Did that stop the blessing? No, indeed.
We'll stop with the third one, and I'll leave you the joy of finding the others. The third one, we won't read. You know it well. Ananias and Sapphire. If Satan can't work from the outside, he'll cite. He'll seek to come into the assembly and work from the inside. And so there were those who were connected with the assembly, and they lie. They live a lie. They don't tell a lie.
But it's a lie, and there is a very solemn judgment.
It is solemn, Beloved brethren, we're in days of great weakness.
And great confusion. But never ever think that.
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Being gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ is not.
Infinitely important to God, And woe be to those who reach out for I'll and touch that which is precious to the heart of God.
Ananias and Sapphira did that.
And there was a solemn judgment.
Did Satan gain his hands by bringing into the bosom of the assembly that which could confuse and destroy?
Look at this.
Verse 14 of that same chapter and believers were the more added to the Lord multitudes, both of men and women, in so much that they brought forth the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might over shadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities roundabout onto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks and them which were vexed with unclean spirits, and they were healed.
Everyone.
Satan's efforts were thwarted again. He doesn't stop the very next verse.
I'll give you a hint. I think that's the 4th one, the very next verse.
This time, they're not just put in a hole, they're put in a common prison.
But I stop now. What I want to encourage us, beloved brethren.
Is to recognize the darkness of the day in the United States of America.
And the darkness of the day in Canada.
And recognize that we gather to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In very much weakness and with very much that ought to exercise our hearts.
Are not one bit less the target of an enemy who would seek to come in and divide and destroy.
And cast.
Insults.
On that precious name to which we are gathered.
And I say by way of encouragement that every time.
In this precious book, In the book of Acts, In the book of Nehemiah.
The history of the children of Israel. And perhaps you're thinking of other occasions recorded in the word of God.
When the enemy comes, when God is at work and the enemy comes, it doesn't result in destruction, it results in more blessing. May we be encouraged by that, that there's blessing God desires in circumstances that take place in our lives and in the assembly. He desires to speak to us. He desires to bless us.
May we be encouraged.
And with that, I want to talk about.
A man specifically.
Who lived in dark days?
One of the most horrible.
Corrupted.
Conduct.
That takes place openly in our world today.
Had its genesis during perhaps this man's life, or at least gained its name.
During this man's life. And of course you know, now I'm Speaking of Abraham.
Abraham lived in a very dark day. He lived in a time when the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah ascended up to heaven.
He lived in a time when there were enemies in the land that God said his.
Family and his seed would inherit.
He lived in a time when God told him to walk through that land.
Not for himself to possess it, but to by faith walk through it and know that the time would come when his seed and he had no children at that time, and he was becoming an old man would possess what God was going to, was telling him he was going to give him.
It was a difficult time. It was a time when those that.
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Won that I feel I'm convinced in my own heart, not dogmatic. I trust that Abram loved a man named Lot, that he cared for, that he had the desires of blessing for.
Had separated from him, and had chosen a very, very sad path to become connected with the very thing that was such a horrendous insult, offered up such a stench to the nostrils of God, the conduct of those in Sodom and Gomorrah.
And Abram went through various exercises of faith in his life.
But I would like to pick him up at a time that I think would typically answer to a rather difficult time.
And the reason I want to pick up the story here is because for the last, well, I'm going to go back to our brother Don's address once more to remind us.
That the exercise of that address was that we might be willing to accept and enjoy the food that God wants to give us.
And as many have noted.
The Lord.
In his sovereign ways gave us exactly the passage that we enjoyed here last year.
Hebrews chapter one.
It was rich food, was it not?
It was precious.
We had a wonderful feast.
Now, in the midst of the difficulty that comes, recognizing that the Lord wants to feed us and has fed us, and we have been greatly young and old encouraged.
In the midst of a difficult day in the last days, the difficult times, what I want to exercise our hearts about is do we have some food to give to our God? He has fed us.
Do we have something to feed him? What do I mean by that? Do you remember in the Gospels? Let's turn and look at that first in Mark, Chapter 11.
I just want to read 3 words of a verse mark Chapter 11.
And three words from verse.
12.
He was hungry.
That's the Lord Jesus. As a man walking through this world. May I be allowed to make an application this afternoon, brethren?
There is a sense in which the Lord Jesus, I say reverently and carefully, I believe, is hungry.
And you and I.
In the midst of difficult days as Abraham lived.
Can present to him and provide to him that which will satisfy his heart. And we're going to look at an instance in Abraham's life, and then we're going to look at some things that took place in closing after Abraham had this supreme joy.
Of giving food to His divine guest. You know there is a verse the Mary the Mother of our Lord.
Says in her wonderful little praise there in the Gospels.
Something like this. The hungry hath he filled with good.
Things the rich hath he sent away empty.
Anyone who sat here these last few days hungry.
Has been filled with good things now in this difficult day that you and I are in.
The perilous times, the last days.
Can we find something to give him for food? Let's turn to Genesis chapter.
18 And follow this thought just a little bit.
Genesis Chapter 18.
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And we'll just start with verse one. And the Lord appeared unto him, Abraham.
In the plains of mammary, and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
May I say the comments that I trust are from the Lord that I would like to share with you.
Are in application to take these wonderful, precious divine words and apply them to our hearts and lives more.
That, I believe the heat of the day applies to the difficult.
Times.
Anyone who works, I see my beloved brethren sitting here. Who?
Our farmers, landscapers, other occupations that cause you to be outside. I would assume that, at least from what little experience I've had with it myself, that the most uncomfortable part of the day to be working outside is what is recorded as the heat of the day when one feels the pressures. There We read in the Gospels about those who had borne the burden.
Of the heat of the day.
That's the time of pressures.
Of trials, of difficulties, the heat of the day, and we feel that in our lives, individually and collectively, in many, many ways.
And the beloved young people feel them just as much if there's an exercise to walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.
As those of us who are older, we all sense what it is.
To feel the heat of the day. And so here's Abram, the man of faith, the one called the friend of God. And he's sitting out there in the wilderness in the heat of the day, feeling the difficult times.
And he's going to have something wonderful happen.
He's going to have the opportunity to feed.
The Lord.
A divine visitor.
What else can we learn from this verse? We learned he was sitting in a tent.
We know what that means. I wonder if we know what it means in our feet. He was.
Practically living as a Pilgrim going through a world.
Without putting down roots and foundations in that world, because he looked for a city that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God and all beloved young people. That's a whole lot better than a tent.
What God has for you so much better than a tent. But until you and I come to that point where we are brought in to the full joy of that, let's be willing to let our lives be characterized by living in a tent, even as the Apostle Paul, when he worked with his hands. I think it's so lovely, was a tent maker.
That's no mistake, and it doesn't.
Denigrate other jobs, but it's wonderful to see the beloved apostle occupied with making what Abram, the man of faith in a Pilgrim and a stranger lived in a tent.
And that tent was located in Mammary. If we would turn back a little earlier, we'd find that Mammary was a place in a location called Hebron.
May I say.
That when Jacob sent.
Joseph out after his brethren that he sent him out, I believe it says out of the veil of.
Hebron, that is, that talks about communion.
Fellowship.
With God and the richness and the fatness, mammary of such fellowship.
And that I submit, Beloved brethren, beloved young people, if you're feeling the pressures of the day sometimes I submit to you that that is the antidote for it, to find the joy of dwelling in fellowship, the richness and the fatness of enjoying fellowship and communion with the heart of the one who hung on a cross for you and shed his blood for you.
And washed your sins away and suffered in such agony.
Isn't that a worthy object to desire, to have communion and fellowship? And can you find?
A richer, more satisfying object than that. So here's Abram in that place, and what happens? He looks. He lifts up his eyes and he looks.
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And he sees.
Three men who stood by him.
You know, there's very, very much, let me just say.
That.
When Lot looked up in the gate of Sodom, he saw two messengers bringing judgment. When Abram looked up out in the wilderness, in the place of communion and the richness of being in the wilderness as a Pilgrim and stranger, he looked up and he saw three and they weren't coming to bring him judgment. They were coming to allow him the most wonderful privilege to be able.
To offer them something that would satisfy their heart. Is that not?
Something very precious to consider. We have had before us brought out from Hebrews chapter one and Chapter 2 The Lord Jesus Christ as the eternal, the Person, the eternal Son of God, and as the Son of Man. And we have heard and enjoyed.
Some measure fed upon in real sweetness, the richest, the fatness, the sweetness of that blessed person. Now let me ask you, is it not a very precious thing to think that it's possible that you and I could offer him something to satisfy his heart?
That's the privilege Abraham is being offered out there in the wilderness in the most difficult time.
That you could select in the day, the heat of the day, and Abraham.
Had a divine guest and was given the privilege of giving something to him that satisfied his heart.
He says I'm going to go on very rapidly here in verse four. Let a little water, I pray you be fetched and wash your feet and rest yourselves.
Under the tree.
You know, I want to be very, very careful what I say here, but I suggest to you that the water was not offered to the Lord. And I say this knowing it's true, because there was any defilement that was connected with his walk. That wasn't why the water was offered. I would like to suggest that Abraham was morally in a position that he could offer water to refresh.
The Lord that the word of God, if I may make it this way, this kind of an application.
The word of God had a proper effect.
In Abram's life.
And he walked according to it, and it was able, may I say.
To be that which refreshed his divine visitor, beloved young people. The Bible isn't just something that you read in the morning quickly before you go to school or to work. The word of God is something that ought to so affect your life and mine that we can walk in a way, may I say, that refreshes the heart of God. And so he gives water to them and he says, where is he going to find refreshment?
Under the tree? Under the tree, What is the basis upon which you and I are going to be able?
To have fellowship with the Lord of Glory and offer something that his heart desires because he's hungry for it today.
Where is it? It's going to be under the tree, that glorious cross of Christ.
That every blessing that we have is founded upon the work that took place at that cross under the tree. Well, it goes on and he says.
May I just say before I go on, rest yourself under the tree. That is where.
The basis, may I say, upon which God finds his rest.
The work of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary's cross and beloved young people in a world that doesn't know what rest is, that doesn't know what peace is. I tell you this is true peace and rest to enjoy in fellowship with God.
What he has been satisfied and enjoys the cross of his beloved son.
And then it goes on, and it says, I will fetch a morsel of bread, comfort ye your hearts, and after that ye shall pass on.
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Well, we find out that there are three measures of fine meal.
In verse 6 and verse 7, Abram runs to the herd and fetches A calf. Tender and good. You know, I thought of this last night.
I apologize, Bob. Was it you that spoke about the fatted calf or Jim, was it you, Bob? OK, it was last night. Then the fatted calf. There we have that fatted calf that the father presents to the prodigal coming back. Here's the first mention of it, if I can say it in application. A calf tender and good. But who's it presented to 1St?
Is presented to God.
That work on the cross, so precious soul valuable, that means everything to you and me for eternity, if we accept it by faith.
Think what it means first of all to the heart of God.
And so here's a calf presented. Here's fine meal presented.
Think of it. A man walked through this world.
In absolute perfection, full, abundant testimony to the perfection of his walk.
3 measures of fine meal and that man, and only that man.
God, manifest in the flesh, could go to the cross.
And there satisfy God.
What a feast. What a feast. That Abram.
Could offer this kind of food to the heart of God.
Do you have to be a mighty man of faith like Abraham, to do this? I hope not. I'm not.
I hope you don't have to be, but I think we can offer God this very same feast, and He will accept it. Food that will satisfy his heart that I say reverently He is hungry for.
And then it goes on and it says he took butter and milk. Oh, the richness. That's I think in the new translation. It reads sweet.
Milk, Sweden. Let's see. I've got it here.
He took thick and sweet milk.
What sweetness and richness?
Well, moving on quickly in closing.
The end of that eighth verse, they were standing by him to begin with.
Now he's standing by them. But.
It's under the tree. He is there with the privilege.
You think of it. Beloved young people. There are so many heroes this world has.
Whether they're entertainment or athletic or whatever they are, they have these heroes and they become giants.
To the world.
And so many people would do anything to be able.
To be in the presence of one of those heroes and do something for them to serve them.
In some way.
You have a hero like that here in Saint Louis, as I understand it, last year set a record that had many thought would never be broken in professional sports.
And I imagine there are not a small multitude of people who would love.
To be able to somehow get into the presence of this man, Mr. McGuire, and do something for him and be recognized by him.
Come on, think about it a minute, young people.
Who do you want to serve, Mr. McGuire or Jesus?
Which is a better one to serve?
The Lord Jesus.
Right now would desire that you would stand, I say, carefully and reverently, under the tree.
And offer that which would satisfy his heart.
Isn't that worth your life to have such an opportunity? And knowing day by day I can stand under the tree?
And offer that.
Which Jesus will be satisfied with? Fellowship, communion, praise, worship? What does that mean to the heart of God? Do we have to wait, beloved brethren, beloved young people? Do we have to wait till we get home to heaven to see the realization of He shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied? Can we not seek now in our lives?
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To satisfy him.
We have the ability. Can we not do it now? Well, I want to finish up by noticing. Now, remember, we talked here about the heat of the day as a difficult day. Now I'm going to talk very quickly about three places after this, and I think they're the only three that are mentioned in the history of Abraham, where we have it mentioned early in the morning or early in the day. Let's turn over.
To.
Chapter 19.
I think we're going to read all three of these, just the phrase, and then we'll make comment with the Lord's help. Chapter 19, verse 27. And Abram got up, got up early in the morning.
To the place where he stood before the Lord. Now that stood before the Lord, is when he interceded for.
Those in Sodom Lord, if there's even 10 there.
Will you spare the place? Yes, I'll spare the place if there's even 10 there. And in that place where he stood and interceded, he gets up early in the morning, and he goes to that place, and here's what he sees. And he looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the plain and beheld. And lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. Let's go on now.
To.
The next one.
And that is in chapter.
21.
Verse 14 And Abram rose up early in the morning and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it on to Hager, putting it on her shoulder, And the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wondered in the wilderness of Beersheba, and then that precious well known portion that our beloved brother.
Ministered to us from this morning, Chapter 22.
Verse 3. And Abram rose up early in the morning and saddled his *** and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son.
Clave, the wood for the burnt offering. Now let's think about this carefully and reverently, beloved brethren.
Abram has just had the privilege of receiving a divine guest.
And feeding him, and bringing rest to his heart, the Lord's heart under the tree.
Now, may I say very carefully and reverently, wouldn't you think? And I say this very reverently.
Wouldn't you think he'd get a better deal than this?
He gets up early in the morning and what he prayed for is going up in smoke.
He gets up early in the morning and takes a son that he loves and sends him out in the wilderness.
He gets up early in the morning and takes the son that he loves and goes to offer him up.
On an altar.
Difficult.
It is a difficult path.
But God is in it because if we were to go back, I don't have time to develop it, brethren.
But do go back and read these passages.
To natural sight it seems like, why would God do this when Abram has enjoyed that time of fellowship with him and given him that food and had such a sweet time? Why does he have to have these things come into his life?
Because in the purposes of God, there was a greater blessing coming.
And we'll just notice it. Go back now to chapter.
21.
No, I'm sorry, Chapter 19.
And the very next verse, Remember, Abram gets up early in the morning. He looks to Sodom and Gomorrah. He knows that's where Lot has dwelt. He knows he's asked the Lord. And the Lord has promised if there's ten there that are righteous, he won't destroy it. And he sees the destruction.
That's what he views early in the morning. But the very next verse, and it came to pass when God destroyed the cities of the plain that God remembered. Shall I read it wrong? God remembered a lot.
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God remembered Abraham.
He remembered what Abraham had desired. He remembered that, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow. His answer, his desire, was answered.
But it wasn't answered the way he thought it was going to be answered. But lot was delivered, The city was destroyed, and right that it should be. Beloved young people, Let me speak. I know it's getting late. Let me speak from my heart. Don't you ever give in to this horrible, wicked thought that homosexuality is a normal thing.
It is a gross wickedness.
And don't become so attached to this world that you get hardened by it. And get fooled to think that you have to show love and acceptance for something that is so horribly, horribly wicked it's an abomination to God.
And this was fitting.
I'm not talking.
About an anger towards souls, our brother John brought that portion out in Psalms.
I'm not talking about that. Not that we hate souls, but all that we have a divine, perfect hatred of this horrible, horrible immorality that, more than anything else, is dragging this North American continent to its destruction.
Smoke and fire.
And it was deserved.
But God remembered Abraham, and with Hagar I want to say something.
Here that has been such a joy to my heart.
Ishmael could not be the son of promise. It can't be. He has to be separated. He has to be sent out into that wilderness. And Abraham, the man of faith, who could provide a meal that was acceptable to the Lord, a meal that God could receive and eat under the tree, couldn't provide.
What his son Ishmael needed to sustain him in the wilderness, it ran out.
He got out in the wilderness and the bread in the water ran out.
I want to tell you bothers. You know exactly what I'm talking about.
And I say this not facetiously. The times I've been on my knees saying, Lord Jesus, can't I please go back and do it again?
As a father.
No, I can't.
And neither can you. But notice this, it is so precious.
Chapter 21.
And the water verse 15 was spent in the bottle.
And she cast the child under one of the shrubs, and she went and sat down over against him. A good way off, as it were a bow shot, for she said, let me not see the death of the child, and as she sat over against him and lift up her voice and wept.
Father's helpless, Mother's helpless.
And God heard the voice. I'm going to misread it. God heard the voice of Hager.
Now God heard the voice of the lad.
And the Angel called, And the Angel of God called the Hager out of heaven, and said, Under what aileth thee, Hager? Fear not.
Oh beloved brethren, I want to tell you those of you who are parents know what I'm talking about, to be on your knees weeping. And here the Lord Jesus say, fear not.
Here fear fear not. Why?
For God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
What was he saying?
He was doing what he saw his father do. He was praying.
He had a father who failed.
He had a father who believed he had a father who prayed.
And that, son.
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Did what his father did when he was in trouble. He prayed and God heard his prayer and he didn't say, get up to a higher ground.
Change your ways.
But where he was?
In the words that he used, God heard the lad and he said to the lad's mother, Fear not all beloved brother. I want to be careful with this, because there's ever so much more and we don't have time. There's so much more. But let that encourage your heart. He got up early in the morning to do what God told him to do, to send that boy away. But out there in the wilderness, God heard that young man and he preserved him.
He spared him.
And there's more. I won't go further with it, but ponder that beloved brethren, and let it encourage your heart. And then with Isaac, he gets up early in the morning to take every bit of that which he could hope in.
In bodily form, there in his presence, Isaac, the repository of every hope and promise, was standing there, and he's going to take him, and lay him on an altar and give him to God.
Every father and mother in this room knows what must have gone through his heart.
As he reached out to pick that knife up.
And I don't think I say reverently. God let him touch the knife.
He said he stopped it, he laid all of his hopes on the altar, and it says he and Isaac returned to the young men. They came back.
Oh, the joy in the heat of the day and the difficulty of the moment, of giving that which will satisfy the heart of our God, our Savior, fellowship and joy with him, to give him that and then to have the confidence. Because I think that's what Abraham had in every one of these circumstances, when it seemed to the outward eye that everything was so opposed to what he could have wanted, what he could have desired.
That then, in a sweet confidence, he could lay it all out and know that in the end God was there and God was going to bless him.
Light is spared.
Ishmael is spared. Isaac is given back to him.
Everything he could have wanted.
In one sense.
Is oh what a God we have. It's a dark day.
They're difficulties and it's going to get darker. I don't think the difficulties are going to get any easier. I think we're going to feel it more and more.
But are they going to be greater than our God? Are our mistakes going to be greater than our God? I don't tell us to be sloppy parents. I don't say this beloved young people to tell you not to be careful in your lives. I tell you this to tell you you have an infinitely great God and you can trust him when everything to your eyes looks like it's going exactly the opposite direction, the one whose heart you can satisfy today in fellowship and praise and communion.
Is there to do nothing?
But the very best for you and for me. Let's pray, Father. We thank thee for the Lord Jesus Christ.