I'm pleased to turn with me in your Bible to Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11. And we're going to commence at the first verse. Hebrews 11, verse 1. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it, the elders obtained a good report. Through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts. And by it, he being dead, yet speaketh. By faith, Enoch was translated, that he should not see death, and was not found, because God had translated him. For before his translation, he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith, it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. By faith, Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. 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 whether he went. By faith, he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country that is unheavenly. Wherefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city." We'll end our reading there. At the end of verse 16, we trust the Lord to add his blessing and even to speak to us through the public reading of his precious word. One thing I'd like to mention just before I invite our brother to come up and bring God's word. is that after the service, I know most of you don't rush on on a regular basis, but if possible after the service, if we could gather together for a congregational photograph, our brother would appreciate that just to bring back with him to Ulster. So I'll just leave that with you at the end of the service. We'll seek to get that arranged. But at this stage, I am very glad to be able to welcome the Reverend Murray to the pulpit today. I know I speak on behalf of the whole congregation. We've been looking forward to this visit, and so we trust that now we'll know the Lord's blessing as he comes and ministers to us through his servant. Could we turn in our Bibles this afternoon to the first book of the scriptures, the book of Genesis and to the chapter 11, Genesis chapter 11. While you're finding the place, could I thank our brother for the kind words of welcome and also for driving us up here this afternoon. He's a good driver and I managed to get my eyes shut for a little bit off the way, so I had a chance to get a little refreshed. I also bring greetings to you from the presbytery at home in Ulster, and could I say, although we are separated by thousands of miles, it's not until you get on a plane and you travel hour after hour that you begin to realise how far away you are. And then when I was in Perth, to realise how far it is across even to South Australia as well. But although we are separated by thousands of miles, there's a great interest in the works in Australia. And I would say there's not a congregation, there's not a free Presbyterian who doesn't or hasn't heard of Locke. And could I also congratulate you on this beautiful building here. It's warm, it's very comfortable and it looks really well coming up the road it stands out there. We are remembering you in prayer and I know that the denomination is a great interest here. Of course my own congregation and myself I have an added interest because although I've never been here, well, I've been in Google Maps. I took a walk around it one day in Google Maps. It's amazing. You're thousands of miles away and you can walk up the street and you can see the houses, et cetera. But I had a reason for that because my own congregation is Cumber and Cumber has a little more interest in Lough because a few years ago you had Mr. Paul Foster with you and he ministered for some time And of course he is from my own congregation. He's now left us for a good reason. He's now the Reverend Paul Foster and he is the minister in our Tyndale congregation. And since he left you, maybe you're to blame, I don't know, he's got himself a wife and now has twins. as well and the twins are doing very well. And then of course another connection as well, Mr. Andrew Fitton was out here and Mr. Fitton works with us in Cumber for two days every week and he's a great interest. He tells us story after story about Lough and Port Lincoln. There's hardly a sermon but Australia doesn't come into it. So he really enjoyed his time and so we have an added interest and he told me to make sure that I mentioned his name and send greetings to you as well. We started our journey in Perth and it was nice there to meet the congregation. It's a holiday time so they had number away but on the Sunday morning they had over 40 gathered there and that was very encouraging and we enjoyed the fellowship and of course we're here and then we're moving on to Tasmania and I have the privilege there on behalf of the Presbytery of installing the Reverend Ralph Hall as a minister of that congregation. That's not tomorrow night, but tomorrow night week, and I'd ask you to remember him in prayer. Sometimes people wonder, yes, I'm the moderator of the Presbytery. Moderator can serve for three years. You're elected every year, but the most that you can serve as moderator is for three years. So I'm just finishing my second year as moderator. And just back in June, we have the election for moderator at that stage. You don't officially start in September, but we have the election in June. So I was re-elected back in June, and so I have another year. So I'll be doing the three years, if they can put up with me that long. for the three years and then the following year it will move on. But I do bring greetings from the Presbytery and assure you that you're remembered and the work is much thought about here. Perhaps we could turn this afternoon to the book of Genesis and to the chapter 11. Genesis and the chapter 11. reading just a few verses. Genesis 11 verse 31. Now the Lord has said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, And in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken unto him, and Lot went with them. And Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarah his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran. And they went forth to go into the land of Canaan, and into the land of Canaan they came. Amen. We know that God will bless the reading of his own word to each of our hearts. Let's just bow together in a word of prayer. Our Father in heaven, we thank thee for an open Bible. We thank thee for the privilege that is ours to gather in this fashion and to think upon thy precious word. We rejoice, Lord, that thou has given to us thy spirit and we pray, Lord, that thou would even come among us and open the book to us this afternoon. We long, Lord, like Samuel, to hear thy voice, and I cry to thee that thou would speak to my heart, and Lord, through thy word, speak to each of our hearts this afternoon. We pray, Lord, that even as those disciples on the road to Emmaus, I ask that our hearts might burn within us lord in ourselves we are nothing we can do nothing and so we need thy help and so i ask thee for wisdom and words from thyself now come among us i pray for i pray lord in thy name and for thy glory amen genesis 12 we read in that opening verse and the lord had said unto abram get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land that I will show thee. In the opening words of this chanter we are brought into the hour of the child he in olden times it was a large flourishing city near the Persian Gulf watered by two mighty streams it was extremely fertile archaeologists tell us that it was a sophisticated city with a population of several hundred thousand The average home had between 10 and 13 rooms with running water, central heating and an indoor kitchen. It was known as a center for mathematics, astronomy, and international commerce. And growing up in this vicinity, Abram was surrounded not only by luxury and beauty, but he was surrounded by Babylonish idolatry. In fact, for the first 75 years of his life, he had a God for every season and every situation. There was a God of war, a God of healing, a God of childbirth, a God of harvest, a God for journeys and journeyings and so on and falling down before them he did obeisance to them however my heavenly light penetrating this satanic darkness his eyes were suddenly open Beholding things that he had never seen before, the Lord tells us in John 8, 56, Abram rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. And beholding the Lord upon the cross, the burden of his sins suddenly rolled away. And rejoicing, this same voice then summoned him to leave his home. My going out to begin a journey, a journey that would take many, many years, a journey towards a land that he knew not. And so we see that Abram being converted, he then commenced a journey, a journey that would take many, many years. And you see, conversion is not merely the conclusion of an old life, but it is the commencement of a new life. Being pardoned, there must then be that progressing with the Lord. In fact, notice in these words, the verbs used to describe his life, we're told in verse 4, he departed. Verse 5, went forth. Verse 6, passed through. Verse 8, removed. And verse 9, journeyed. There was no letting the grass grow beneath his feet. There was that continual progressing, going farther and farther and farther. And similarly, the Christian life is one of progression. There is to be that continual pressing onward and forward with the Lord. Johnson Oatman, taking up his pen, he wrote, I'm pressing on the upward way. New heights I'm gaining every day, still praying as I'm onward bound. Lord, plant my feet on higher ground. And the Christian life is one of progression. There should be that continual going on and going forward with the Lord. That adding to faith virtue and to virtue my knowledge and so on. And believer we ought not to be spiritually where we were ten years ago. We ought not to be spiritually where we were a year ago. In fact, we ought not to be spiritually where we were a week ago. There should be that going on with God, that growing in the faith, that becoming more knowledgeable with every passing day. Just as you would look at a child and if after 10 years they had not grown, they had not changed in any way, you would say there is something wrong with the child. And so it is with the Christian. If there is not that growth, if there is not that strengthening, there is something wrong. We should be going on with God, progressing with the Lord every day. And so I want to draw your attention to Abram as we see him here commencing this journey. I want you to notice firstly here the path demanded often the glory of God penetrating the darkness and deadness of a soul, a voice summonsing or speaking to him of a new people and a new place that then summoned him into a new path. And you notice here that this was a call, but it was a call to separation, shattering the silence of his tent. We read in verse one, Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house unto a land, that I will show thee. The country or city referred to here was the Ur, the Chaldees. while it had a library containing over 60,000 tablets that lay in spiritual darkness. Joshua tells us that its inhabitants including Abraham served other gods. Such was its idolatry that in Romans chapter 1 we are told not once or twice but three times over that God gave them up. And rather than leaving Abraham in the midst of this dark, sinful city to be a witness. The Lord told him that if he was going to be a blessing to the nations, he had to depart. He had to leave this place. And you see, if we are going to become channels of blessing, rather than my embracing, there must be an exiting of false religion. A putting of it away from us. as far as we can. Indeed, reminding the Hebrew converts of the Savior's suffering and how he, by his death, had carried away their sins, Paul then said in Hebrews 13, verse 13, Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach. And rather than trying to change old, dead, false apostate Judaism, there was to be that withdrawing You see, rather than trying to reform false religion, there must be a repudiating of it, and then there must be a retreating from it. You know, in the days of Luther, in his early days, seeing the corruption of the Church of Rome, he said, let us try and restore her purity. However, his efforts failing to make any intent or change upon that city or that religion, he then said, come ye out from among her lest ye be partakers of her plagues. And you see, God has not called us to reform false religion, but rather he has called us to withdraw from it. Sometimes people say, But you know, there's a church down the road and my, it's an old dead church. The minister never preaches the gospel. And my, would I not be better to stay in that church and by staying in that church, try to reach those people with the gospel. You know, if Abraham was going to become a blessing to the nations, he had to withdraw. And if you and I are going to become a blessing to the nation, we're going to become a blessing to those in our neighborhood. There must be that withdrawing, there must be that separating, that coming outside the camp. And that's certainly what you've done in this place. Now you've come outside the camp. There must be that separating from false, dead religion. But not only was it a call, my, to separation, surely it was a call to consecration. summonsing of here to pluck up his roots we read in verse one now the lord has said unto abram get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land that i will show thee being situated at the mouth of the euphrates the Ur of the Chaldee was an important trade centre. It was famous for its jewellery, its gem engraving and its weaving. More than that, a man's country is something that is very dear and precious to him. Over the centuries, millions upon millions have willingly and gladly laid down their lives in the defence of their nation. and as well as leaving his country and leaving his business and leaving his kindred. He was now to leave his father's house. And in obeying, we see that Abram loved the Lord more than he loved his family, more than he loved his farm, more than he loved even his finance. You see, love to Christ must be paramount. It must exceed that to every other thing. Indeed the Lord Jesus himself setting down the standard of discipleship. He said in Luke chapter 14 and verse 26, if any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters Yea, in his own life also he cannot be my disciple. And the Lord here was not telling them to hate their brothers or to hate their mothers or to despise their sisters. But just as Jacob, Mai was said to hate Leah because he loved her less than he loved Rachel. So the Lord was telling them here that they were to love their wives, they were to love their children less. than they loved him. You see, love for Christ is not only demanded, but it is demanding. It must exceed that to every other thing or person. John Brown of Priesthill in Scotland. I was arrested in the 1680s for the simple crime of reading the scriptures. and being arrested, my old, wicked, vile Claverhouse there, and then sentenced him to be put to my death. The tears running down John Brown's wise face, and she knowing that he should not and he could not recant. My, she turning to him, she said, I can willingly part with you." And you know what? She loved her husband and she loved her husband dearly, yet loving Christ more, she was willing to give him up. That day those dragoons were so moved by that scene that when the order was given to open fire, they put down their muskets. Old Claverhouse pulled out his own pistol and over to John Brown and put it to his head and blew out his brains. And I wonder believer today, do you love the Lord more than every other thing in life? In fact, anything that we love more than Christ becomes an idol. The Lord may never ask you as he asked Abraham to leave your country. He may never ask you to leave your home. He may never ask you to leave your family. But my friend, he wants you to be willing to do that if he was to ask it. And I wonder today, do you love the Lord more than any other thing? Do you love the Lord more than any other person? Abram was willing to give up everything to go through with God. And you know, that's the sacrifice, that's the devotion that the Lord demands of each one of us. But I think notice also here was a call to restoration because we read in verse 1, Now the Lord has said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land that I will show thee. In obeying this command, he lost not only his country and his family, but he lost his house. However, in the following verses, the Lord promised to give him a new country, and he promised more than that, to make him the head of a far greater family. And more than that, he promised to make him a blessing to those around him. In fact, his name is mentioned 308 times in the Word of God. You see, God is no man's debtor. He always restores more. than he ever requires. You remember the widow woman in Zarephath and how hearing the demand of the man of God, she gave her last of her flower and the last of her oil. And giving the last of it, we're told that she sat down to die and to watch the death of her child. And having given all, we read in 1st Kings 17, 14, For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, the borrow of meals shall not waste, neither shall the crews of all feel, unto the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. And we find that the Lord intervening, he gave to this woman far, far more than she ever gave up. To sacrifice for Christ is never to lose, but it is gain. It brings even greater spiritual blessings. You know, poor minister, by the name of John Jones, one day, many, many years ago, was walking through the streets of London. All that he had was one shilling. And as he walked along the street, the Lord said, John, I want you to give that shilling to a poor beggar that you've been witnessing to about his soul. John said, Lord, but it's my last shilling. The Lord said, I want you to give it. He said, but I have children at home, I have rent to pay, I need to put food upon the table. But the Lord said, give it. And going to that poor man, he putting his hand in his pocket, he willingly took the shilling and he gave it to the man and he walked away. And as he walked away, he ran into a benevolent gentleman. And the man stopping him, he said, I'm glad to see you. If I had a sovereign in my pocket all week for some poor preacher, and you might as well have it. And if you don't know what a sovereign is, my, it's 20 times more than he gave to the beggar. And sometimes, you know, in life we say, Lord, I'd love to serve you, but I have no time to serve you. We say, Lord, I'd love time to read my Bible every day, but such is the crushing pressure of life that I have no time to read my Bible. I want to tell you, my friend, you give time to serve Christ, you give time to read your Bible, and God will give you all the time to do the things, not always that you want to do, but to do all the things that he wants you to do. God was calling this man to consecration. calling him to separation. And that call comes to you and to me today. He's looking for us to go with him. But not only do we notice in these words the path demanded of him, but I want you secondly to notice here the place desired by him. why the Lord called him to leave his home, yet we find him in the previous chapter there only partially obeying, traveling over 800 miles. He stopped at a little place called Haran. He didn't obey fully. Notice the cause of his disobedience. Here in the call of God, chapter 11, verse 31, And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife. And they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldee to go into the land of the Canaan, and they came unto Haran and dwelt there." You notice there it wasn't Abram that brought Terah out of the Ur of the Chaldee. but rather it was the other way around. We are specifically told there, Tera took Abram. However, while he was responsible for starting Abram on that journey, instead of bringing him the whole way, they stopped short. Tera fulfilling his name, which means delay. He being an idolater, he delayed Abram. He stopped Abram for five years of his life. from going through with God and obeying him. You see, the unequal yoke in life, rather than helping, it hinders the soul. It delays and distracts. You remember Peter and I coming up into and to the outer court he sat down with the very enemies of God. At first it seemed to be advantageous. He was near the Lord. He could maybe hear his voice. He could maybe see him in the distance. And yet sitting down with the enemies of God, we read in Matthew 26, 74, Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man, and immediately the cock crew. And you see, sitting down with the enemies of God, it wasn't long until he began to talk like them. And he began to walk like them. Unity with the corrupt is often corrupting. It hinders the soul. F.B. Meyer, the great Bible teacher, on one occasion said, it becomes us to be very careful as to whom we take with us in our pilgrimage. How many have started out in evangelism and in their evangelism they have joined even with the Church of Rome. At first it seemed advantageous. It gave to them access to far greater numbers of people. They could preach to great crowds. However, my friend, I've seen those same individuals, year after year, compromising their position, compromising their stand, until they no longer preach the gospel. How many a young man, many a young woman, and seeking a partner in life, they've reached out and they've taken one who has no faith and they've said to themselves, I will pull them up. And sometimes they do, but most times they pull them down. and soon their Bible study goes and their prayer life goes. We need to be careful in life as to whom we journey with. Abram, Mai took Terah and Terah delayed him, hindered him in his walk with God. And we need to be careful lest we form relationships in life or in business or whatever, Mai, that would hinder us, hinder us in our walk with God. Not only the cause of his disobedience, but surely we notice the cost of his disobedience. Delaying, we read at the end of that verse 31 of chapter 11, And they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. In Isaiah 51, in the verse 2, we're told that the Lord called Abram, called him alone. And as such, in bringing with him terror and also bringing with him lot, he was disobeying the Lord and only partially obeying God. He came to Haram. Haram is a special place because it means parched. You see, partial obedience rather than bringing blessing, it brings barrenness, it blights the soul. Moses, obeying the Lord, he brought the people up to the rock. However, instead of speaking to the rock as he was commanded, we find him taking the rod and lifting the rod and smiting the rock. And we read in Numbers 20, 12, And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believe me not to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. And only partially obeying God, we find he lost his usefulness. The Lord said that you will not bring them into the promised land. God requires not partial obedience, but perfect obedience. Anything less brings barrenness. Don't we sometimes like to congratulate ourselves? We like it sometimes to give ourselves a little pat on the back and say, I'm doing pretty well. And we say, Lord, I have done 50% of what you've asked me. Or Lord, I've done better. I've done 60%, 70% of what you asked me. My friends, 70% is not obedience, it's disobedience. Abram only partially obeyed God, he came part of the way, but not the whole way, and it ended in barrenness. And partial obedience in our lives, it brings barrenness, it brings emptiness, it robs us of the power of God. Oh, go through with God, your vows to pay. Go through with him as God has been dealing with you. Don't be content to obey him partially. Obey him fully. Surely he deserves the very best. Not only the cost of his disobedience, but there was the conquering of his disobedience. Chapter 11, verse 32, in the days of Terah were 205 years and Terah died in Haran. Terah was the old man of the family. And as such, he speaks to us of that old man that dwells in every believer. And you notice here, it was only when the old man died that he then went on and received the blessing. You see, before there can be a receiving of the blessing, there must be an executing of that old man, a slaying of the flesh. Sometimes people come to you and they'll say, well, what do you mean when you talk about the flesh? Well, my friend, take the word flesh, turn it around, drop the letter each. What are you left with? You're left with the letters S-E-L-F. Self. There must be a dying to self. You know, you go into chapter 17 and you'll find there the name Abram being changed to Abraham. You'll find the name Sarai being changed to Sarah. But you'll also find another name in that chapter, the name of Ishmael. Ishmael speaks in scripture of the flesh. His name was never changed. You see, you can't change that old sinful nature that is within. There must be a dying to it. Abraham, my dying, as it were, to the flesh. He then went on with God. And there must be that dying to self, that dying to her own desires, her own ambitions in life. Only then can we know the blessing of God. And only then can we know the fullness of what he's purchased for us. But not only do we notice in these words the path and the place desired by him, but we notice the promise delivered to him. Beholding his weakness, you read on through the chapter, we'll not go into it today, you'll find that the Lord gave to him a sevenfold promise. And in that, notice there that his sons were prospered. Look at verse 2, And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing. He promised not only to bless him, but to make him a blessing. And through him, his sons, his daughters, his neighbours, They were all blessed. You see, as well as being blessed, we're to be a blessing. We are to be a channel of blessing to those that are around us. I often think of Joseph and how Joseph there went into Potiphar's house. Potiphar was an ungodly man, a wicked man. And yet we're told that because of Joseph, God blessed Potiphar's house. And believer, we're not only to be seeking God's blessing, we're to be a blessing. My dear neighbors come, or maybe not come to you, but dear neighbors, I thank God for you, because you're a blessing. Through you, they've been blessed of God. My dear children, thank God for you, because through you, they have been blessed, blessed of God. The hymn writer said, channels only, blessed master. And I wonder, child of God, are you a blessing? To those that you know, thank God for you. You know, there's some Christians and you wouldn't want to know them because they're like a dark cloud. But if we're walking with God, we're not like that. We'll be a blessing. We'll bring God's blessing upon those that are around us. Abram was a blessing to all around him. Are you a blessing? Not only that, his soul was protected. Look at verse three, I will bless him. that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee. The Lord promised Abram, you walk with me, and not only will I bless you, but I will curse those that curse you. Read through the scriptures. And you'll find God through the scriptures cursing those that curse Abram's, my descendants. My Jerusalem being destroyed, God smote, God smote Rome. And God not only blesses the obedient, but he curses the disobedient. He smites them because of his people. Indeed, the Lord said, did the Lord not say it better for a man never to be born? Or better for a man to have a millstone tied around his neck and cast into the sea than to offend one of his dear children? And you see, believer, when you walk with God, God will bless you. but he also smite those that smite you. He'll deal with those that seek to ruin you and bring you down. But I think also his sins were pardoned while he at first only partially obeyed the Lord. Yet you go into the portion that our brother read earlier, Hebrews 11, and you'll find that there's no mention there of Abram's disobedience. Why? It's the chapter of faith. because through faith our sins are forgiven. And more than that, they are forgotten. Through faith our sins are washed away. And yes, in life, by day we feel. But my friend, if only we bring those failures to the Lord, none of them will be forgiven. They'll be forgotten. Here was a man, a man for his day. God called him out. and God was with them. And as he called Abram, he's calling you, he's calling me to walk with them. The Christian life is one of progression, of going on with God, of going through with him. Oh, today are you walking with the Lord. Can you say, preacher, I'm not where I was last week. I know more of his blessing. I'm stronger, I'm wiser than I was a week ago. You know in the first three verses the personal pronoun appears several times because this was a personal call. We find the Lord calling him. And maybe you're here today and you're not seeing him. Could I say today the Lord is calling you. He's calling you to come and to follow him. Oh today will you come to him. And I tell you if only you come to him and walk with him. He'll bless you. Yes, there'll be trials. Yes, there'll be troubles. Read through the life of Abram, and there were many trials. But I want to tell you, my friend, there is no life like the Christian life. And I trust that you'll walk with him, walk with him every day, and you'll know his blessing and his guidance and his protecting hand upon your life. May God help us to walk as Abram walked. Thank you.