A Faithful Friend

If you have your Bibles, I want you to turn to Genesis chapter 15.

Genesis 15 · chapter mention

Genesis chapter 15, the other day, or yesterday actually, as I was reading, I read numbers and I read some numbers.

Genesis 15 · chapter mention

And I read about Paul preparing to speak to Agrippa.

And then I turned to Proverbs 18.

And I read Proverbs 18, 24, a man of many companions may come to ruin, but there's a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

I posted that, and one time I posted that before on social media, and somebody asked me in the comments, is that talking about Jesus?

I said, it sure is.

Now, the reality is Solomon didn't know the details of Christ when he wrote that.

He didn't know what we know about him, but that's who he was speaking of.

He was talking about this friendship that we can have with the Lord.

And we see that kind of friendship with the Lord in our passage today in Genesis 15.

I want you to see this morning how that friendship with God played out for Abram and how also it plays out for us.

Now, there's a lot in this passage of Scripture.

We're not going to cover it all today.

I know where my cutoff point is.

I want to focus on the faithful friend that we have in God.

Genesis 15, beginning in verse 1.

It says, after these things, remember what these things are?

Abram went to rescue Lot with 318 men.

Lot's been going on.

He's fought a battle.

After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision.

Fear not, Abram.

I am your shield.

Your reward shall be very great.

And Abram said, O Lord God, what will you give me?

For I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eleazar of Damascus.

And Abram said, Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.

And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, This man shall not be your heir.

Your very own son shall be your heir.

And he brought him outside and said, Look toward heaven and number the stars, if you're able to number them.

Then he said to him, So shall your offspring be.

And he believed the Lord, and God counted it to him as righteousness.

Now let me just say this.

Let me just make a commercial here, okay?

Although we have modern technology that is excellent, there is value, and I'm going to show you what it is.

There is value in bringing a copy of God's word with you.

There is.

And I want to encourage you to do that.

That's not a chastisement.

It's just an encouragement, okay?

And one of the reasons why is because when you get to a verse like verse 6, you need to underline it.

Because it is crucial to understand the relationship that God had with Abram and what he gave to Abram.

And how that relates back to us.

And every time you come across that passage, it needs to beam in your life.

He goes on and says,

And he said to him, I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.

But he said, O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?

He said to him, bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle dove, and a young pigeon.

And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other.

But he did not cut the birds in half.

And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

And as the sun was going down, a deep sleet fell on Abram.

And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him.

And then the Lord said to Abram,

Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and will be servants there.

And they will be afflicted for four hundred years.

But I'll bring judgment on the nation that they serve.

And afterward they shall come out with great possessions.

As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace.

You shall be buried in a good old age.

And they shall come back here in the fourth generation.

For the iniquities of the Amorites is not yet complete.

When the sun had gone down, and it was dark,

Behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.

On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying,

To your offspring I give this land,

From the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,

The land of the Kenites,

The land of the Kenizzites,

The Kamanites,

The Hittites,

The Perizzites,

The Rephram,

The Amorites,

The Canaanites,

The Gerbushites,

The Jebusites,

And the Termites.

That's why you need a copy of God's Word.

The covenants of the Bible are precious.

And there's a difference in the covenants and a contract.

A contract can be breached.

But God's covenants are kept and fulfilled by the Lord.

He's faithful.

He made a covenant with Noah

And promised the earth would never be destroyed by a flood again.

And he put a rainbow in the sky to mark it.

He made a covenant with Moses that actually reestablished and backed up the one that we have here.

He made one with David to establish the Davidic throne which would be fulfilled through Christ.

Which is also promised in the new covenant that is found in Jeremiah 31, 31-34.

This covenant is the promise for the nation of Israel.

And it is carried out in a profound manner.

And we'll get there.

But more than that, I want you to just know today three truths about God that are blessings.

I really just want you to be blessed today to know what a friend you have in the Lord.

It is quite precious, the opportunity that we have in God.

God is a comforting friend.

God is a comforting friend.

God is a comforting friend.

He knows there will still be battles.

He knows there will still be battles.

And no king that goes to war likes to lose.

And this was an alliance of kings.

So you knew they were coming back.

There was going to be more battles.

That's why this begins in verse 1 by saying,

After these things.

and in the midst of that not knowing what the future would hold and not knowing what battles

that Abram would continue to face and knowing that he just came through a very difficult one

but yet God was with him and empowered him beyond measure in order to succeed after these things

after the successes there's still things that you have to face and God responds by saying I am your

shield so when you come combine that the word of the Lord came and you see the shield there it is used

numerous times in scripture but this is the first time it's used Abram needed to be comforted

one because he didn't know what was ahead the other thing is is because he's waiting

for 10 years he has waited it has been a decade since God had promised him a bunch of stuff and

yet he hadn't got any of it yet he he waits he's not possessed the land not not any of it he has

not started a nation he did not have his promised son he didn't have anything that God had promised

him and God comes to him I am so glad that when it seems like God's silent his word will come through

and speak just in the nick of time I'm so glad the word came to Abram that tells me that we don't all

always have to come to God let me go further than that we don't come to God he comes to us he always

comes to us he may require a step of faith on our behalf but he is always the one that initiates that

he didn't come to God on his own you didn't come to God on your own he came to you Romans tells us we

were dead in our trespasses and sins we could not come to God thank God he met us where we were and

brought us to where we are and we'll continue thank God as a shield he'll go before us you remember the

disciples in the midst of the storm in the midst of the storm Jesus told them in Matthew 14 verse 27

Matthew 14:27

take heart it is I it is I don't be afraid yeah yeah but what about the storm I'm going through

what about that alliance of kings that we just defeated that will continue what about the fact

that I haven't conquered the nation that you told me that I was going to get and I haven't taken on

those properties yet what about all that what about and in the midst of that God says he brings his

word and says I'm your shield in the midst of the storm Jesus said don't be afraid they didn't recognize

Jesus at first in that storm but just because they didn't recognize him does not mean that he was not

there I want you to understand that even when you don't recognize the hand of God upon you even when

you don't recognize his presence even when you don't recognize the movement of God around you he

is there he is a shield that is spoken of again and again and this is the first time but it's spoken of

again and again and again in scripture and I want you to notice how it's spoken of in Psalm 28 verse 7

Psalms 28:7

it says the Lord is my strength and my shield in him my heart trust and I am helped my heart exhorts and

with my song I give thanks to him in Proverbs chapter 30 verse 5 says every word of God proves true

Proverbs 30:5

he is a shield to those who take refuge in him so I'm telling you today that God is a shield he's a

protector he's a guard he's a defender he's a shelter he's a screen and I love the way Proverbs 30 verse 5

Proverbs 30:5

puts that every word of God puts the word of God in there as well as the shield not only is God a shield

a protector a guide a defender a shelter a screen of protection but thank God his word is

if you'll hide the word of the Lord in your heart and you'll live by it he'll keep you out of a bunch

of mess that you would otherwise go into he protects you from that every word proves true and you can rest in

the word of God when you have difficulty run to it when you get confused by the sways of the world

run to it when your life gets hit by a blizzard of heartache and difficulty run to the word of God

even better yet just start the day with the word of God let it be implanted in your life before the

junk of the junk of the day hits you you'll be amazed but in those times of distress and in those

times of hurt and in those times of difficulty you run to the word of God trust him at his word

the lack of clarity in our country today is absolutely amazing you know what clears up all the mess

the word of God it's clear it's clear yeah but preacher I just don't feel I don't it don't really

matter what you feel it's based on the word of God period he is a comforting friend but not only that

but God's a faithful friend he's faithful from the time God told him that he would not only bear a son

but that a nation would come through him I want you to hear me today it was 25 years until he saw the

signs of pregnancy in his wife 25 years last time I looked that's a long time

we can glorify that all we want to I'm gonna tell you the truth it was tough

it's tough waiting a decade

and that's what he waited for to hear the word that we're reading today it's tough to wait two and a

half decades for the promises of God to come through but that's what he did it's tough

but holding on to the promises of God when you see no evidence of his moving that's tough

but God's movement is not based on what we see

God's movement is not based on what we recognize

it's based upon his faithfulness

but the silence of God which I want you to understand

the silence of God is not connected to his absence

he is present whether you hear him or not

the silence of God is broken when the word of God comes and the first thing that Abram asked him

is what about that air remember what you promised me

and God pointed him to the sky

and he said as numerous as the stars is in the sky so will your offspring be

Abraham never thought that children would call him father Abraham and would sing father Abraham had many sons

and many sons had father Abraham man he didn't feel like it that day

so where's my hair

and God then said and

and not only that I'm going to give you this land

and Abram asked how will I know and God showed him and and what he described in verses 9 and 10 and 17 is a covenant

it was to be a pact between two usually in front of their own people

and he took these animals that God instructed him and he laid them out in a systematic fashion

and typically when a covenant was made both parties would walk through

those those animals that had been split and divided

both parties would walk through that and they would form a bond

the best way I know how to describe it is it was as if they were saying if I break this covenant with you

I'll be like one of these animals

I'm dedicated to to what I'm doing it was a public event

it was a lot more elaborate than just signing a piece of paper

a lot more elaborate than a handshake

although it meant the same thing it was just weightier

but I want you to notice the difference in this covenant that God made with Abram

Abram didn't walk through the split animals

only God did

and his presence was made known through a flaming torch

it was God's way of saying I won't break my promise

Abram didn't participate

it was based on God entirely

God makes unbreakable promises

and that's the grace of God

God doesn't do what he does for us based on us

God does what he does for us based on who he is

and God keeps his promises

we break our promises

God keeps his promises

and we misuse what God has entrusted to us

but thank God

in response

God is steady

he is faithful

he walks alone

when no one else walks with him

I want you to notice two more things about God's faithfulness

one is

he works on his timetable

not ours

now that bothers me

but that's the truth

verse 13 and 14 says

then the Lord said to Abram

get this now

know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs

and will be servants there

and they will be afflicted for 400 years

but I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve

and afterward they shall come out with great possessions

in other words

it's going to take a long time Abram

for the promises that I've made to you to be fulfilled

the Egyptians will overtake them

they will become slaves for 400 years

that's easy to get past when you just turn the page from Genesis 50 to Exodus 1

but I got news for you

America is 246 and a little over half years old

246 years old

and they were in slavery for 400

and God raised up Moses to deliver them

and Abram

he says I will give you the land

and more descendants than you can count

on my timetable

the second thing about God's faithfulness is this

he works even when we can't see him work

now

I've said this before

and I'll probably say it again

because we got to get this

God was going to fulfill his promise

but Abram wouldn't see the fullness of those promises in his lifetime

but God's faithful

God's faithful

you do what you do for the Lord

you trust the Lord

you live for the Lord

you honor the Lord

you sacrifice yourself and your own desires

and you serve the Lord and do what he'd have you do

do what you do for the Lord

and you trust him for the results

because God

is faithful

he's faithful

and lastly

God is a saving friend

it's the best part

God's a saving friend

James chapter 2 verse 23

James 2:23

when he talks about this passage

he says

and the scripture was fulfilled

that says Abraham

Abraham believed God

and it was counted to him

as righteousness

and he was called a friend of God

now if you notice chapter 15 closely

you'll see the dialogue back and forth

between God and Abram

it was friend to friend

that's how God communicates with us too

but he does it through his word

when we share our burdens with the Lord in prayer

and then we open up the word of God

asking him to lead us

just like in verse 1

it says

the word of God will come

he will dialogue with us

through the Holy Spirit of God

leading us in his word

just like a friend

but I want you to notice the best thing

and there is so much more here

Genesis 15 verse 6 says

Genesis 15:6

and he believed the Lord

and he counted it to him as righteousness

God credited him with the righteousness

it's not that Abram got it right

he didn't get it all right

he messed up again and again

but he believed the Lord

and he trusted him with things

that he could not see

and when he did not know

how it was all going to go down

he trusted God

he trusted him

his trust and his faith

is what he needed

to get him the credit

that God would give him

with the righteousness of God

that is just like the salvation

that we find in Christ

as a matter of fact

all of this scene

prophesies to our hope in Christ

the sacrificing of those animals

that led to the covenant

with the Lord

speaks of the sacrifice of Christ

that gives us opportunity

the Lord working through

the sacrifice alone

points to the fact

that our salvation

is in Christ alone

the promises of God

being beyond what Abram could see

and beyond his lifetime

speaks to the eternal promises

that we have in God

the credit of righteousness

speaks to having faith

to believe in the Lord

and in return

the Lord bless us

with the righteousness of Christ

in other words

he washes all of our sins away

that's a friend

a friend that is willing to comfort

a friend that is faithful

thank God

a friend and a Lord

that saves

as I was pondering

on all this yesterday

thought of an old hymn

that says this

have we trials and temptations

is there trouble anywhere

we should never be discouraged

take it

to the Lord

in prayer

can we find

a friend so faithful

who will all our sorrows share

Jesus knows

our every weakness

take it

to the Lord

in prayer

are we weak

are we heavy laden

cumbered with a load of care

precious Savior

still our refuge

take it to the Lord

in prayer

do your friends

despise and forsake you

take it to the Lord

in prayer

in his arms

he'll take

and shield you

you'll find

a solace there

friend today

I don't want to

chase you

I don't want to

correct you

I don't want to

try to convict you

I just want to

bless you

to tell you

you've got a wonderful

friend

in the Lord

and he'll walk with you

through the valleys

that you walk through

and he'll comfort you

and I'll let you down

and the person sitting next to you

will let you down

and anybody else you know

will sometimes let you down

but I know one

that will never let you down

and that's the Lord

he loves you

but not only that

but he'll meet you

where you are today

and he'll change your life

for all eternity

if you're here today

and you don't know

the Lord Jesus

I didn't ask you

if you was a member

of this church

I didn't ask you

if you came from

a different denomination

I didn't ask you

if you've been in church

all your life

or how much

your grandpa loved God

if there's never been

a time in your life

when you surrender your life

to the Lord Jesus

and ask him to

cleanse you of your sins

to come into your life

and to change you

I want you to know

today's the day of salvation

he'll do that

he is your friend

he meets you where you are

he'll make you

what he'd have you to be

and you come to him

are you burdened today

you come to this altar

and you lay it down before him

he's your friend

he'll meet you here

he'll walk with you

he loves you dearly

I don't know about you

but when somebody

loves you that much

and is always there for you

you want to do

everything you can for him

you know what we can do

for him

we can live for him

we can celebrate him

we can share him

thank God for a friend

that we have in Jesus

every head bowed

and every eye closed

I just want you to

obey God

this morning

no matter what he'd have

to say to you

what he'd have you to do

just be faithful

Lord Jesus

let your sweet spirit

move and work in this place

as only you can

God have your will

and your way

in our midst

bless us with the power

of your presence

God save the lost

convict the saved

as needed

help each one of us

to simply be obedient

to follow you

as you lead us

oh God I pray

in Jesus precious name

Amen

marvelous

you

you

you