By Faith Abraham
A Sermon on Hebrews 11:8
Originally preached Jan. 1, 1961
Scripture
8By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
Sermon Description
When the future is unknown, how should one live in the present? Anxiety about the future leads to time wasted, frantically attempting to discover the answer to “what will happen?” It also leads to impatience. In this sermon on Hebrews 11:8 titled “By Faith Abraham,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones exclaims that all of one’s thinking about the future will not affect the future. He examines the faith of Abraham who lived his life not knowing what would happen. He wasn’t preoccupied with questions on the future. In contrast, Abraham went out only with the promises of God. The early Christians were depressed and discouraged. They had reason for worry. The writer of Hebrews gives them this great picture of faith to remind them: Abraham believed God. He was a man of great faith, and needed not worry about the future. It does not matter how one will spend the next few years of their life, but how one will spend eternity. Whatever may happen in the future will not affect God and His promises to His people. If God is truly with them, they can face anything in this life.
Sermon Breakdown
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The passage under consideration is Hebrews 11:8 - "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."
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The great problem of life is how to face the future, especially an unknown future. This is the theme of the Bible.
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Most people think the Bible is irrelevant to practical life but it teaches us how to live and face life. The Bible gives us teaching and history, showing how the teaching works in practice.
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Hebrews 11 gives examples of people who lived by faith to encourage readers facing difficulties. Abraham is the preeminent example.
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Abraham was not concerned with knowing the future. He "went out, not knowing whither he went." This is the first secret of facing life. Do not be overanxious about the future.
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Being overly concerned with the future leads to impatience, either with life being too slow or too fast. The Bible teaches us to live for today, not the uncertain future.
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Abraham was not resigned or stoic but had faith in God. He "went out, not knowing whither he went" but he knew with whom he went - God. This is the second secret. Walking with God is what matters, not where you are going.
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The privilege of fellowship with God is greater than any circumstance. God's character, love, and purpose give confidence for any situation.
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God's promises give assurance of good purpose and eternal glory. The journey through life matters less than the destination. We can face anything with God.
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We can be confident in God's unchanging character, sure promises, almighty power, and working all things for good. Nothing can separate us from God's love.
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We must obey God as Abraham did to experience this life of faith. We must believe God's word, accept Christ, leave sin, and submit to God's leading. Then circumstances will not matter.
Sermon Q&A
How Did Abraham Face the Unknown Future According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
What was the key to Abraham's ability to face an unknown future?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Abraham's key was faith in God. He explains that "Abraham went out not knowing whether he went. But he knew with whom he went." Abraham wasn't concerned about where he was going because his focus was on who he was going with - God. This relationship with God was the foundation of his ability to face uncertainty with confidence.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say the Bible is actually a practical book?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses the misconception that the Bible is irrelevant to modern life by explaining that it's "a book about life" and "a kind of textbook of life." He emphasizes that the Bible is not remote from reality but actually teaches us "how to live and how to face everything that comes to meet us in a world such as this." Its practicality comes from teaching principles for facing life's challenges rather than merely providing theoretical concepts.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast the world's approach to life with Abraham's approach?
According to Lloyd-Jones, most people think of life "in terms of what they're going to get, what's going to happen to them," which leads to anxiety about the future. They constantly try to predict what's coming next. In contrast, Abraham wasn't concerned about knowing the future because his focus was on his relationship with God. The preacher says, "It isn't life that matters. It's the way in which we face them that matter."
What promises does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say Christians can rely on when facing the future?
Lloyd-Jones identifies several promises Christians can rely on: 1) God will never change - "He is the father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning"; 2) God promises "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee"; 3) Nothing can separate believers from God's love; 4) "All things work together for good to them that love God"; and 5) "The Lord is my helper. And I will not fear what men shall do unto me."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about the importance of life's destination versus the journey?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones refutes the idea that "to travel hopefully is better than to arrive," calling this "stuff and nonsense." He emphasizes that it's "the destination that matters, not the traveling." For Christians, the ultimate destination is glory with God, which makes present circumstances less significant. He notes that "when you and I will stand on that land, on that shore that lies beyond time, in the glory everlasting, it'll all seem comparatively trivial to us."
What conditions does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say we must meet to experience Abraham's kind of faith?
The condition is obedience to God. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Abraham "obeyed" when called. To experience the same kind of faith-filled life, we must: 1) Believe God's word; 2) Accept Christ as Savior; 3) Separate ourselves from sinful influences; 4) Submit to the Holy Spirit's leading; and 5) Leave our concerns entirely in God's hands. Lloyd-Jones quotes, "My times are in thy hand, my God, I wish them there."
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.