February 26, 2006

Choosing of a Friend
Genesis 11:10-12 4

The book of beginnings has recorded many beginnings and now we see yet another as God begins to call a specific people to be His people and He starts with a son of Shem called ABRAM.

There is quite a span of years here according to the way we figure things and the earth is very populated by now. The old line has died out and new babies are being born at every turn.

Now we jump into a genealogy of Shem...a typical Jewish genealogy that picks on the number 10 and lists ten family heads probably to match the ten of chapter 5 that deals from Adam to Noah.

I have been tracing our family tree (there are a few nuts in there) and it would be a lot nicer to just fly over the top sometimes. It is a very involved process... but these people have a numerical bent, I am not sure why, but numbers matter to them. So we have a list of "high points" in a genealogy that leads us to a man named Abram.

Sometimes it would be good for you to check out some names and incidents of this genealogy and ask some questions, but for today's purposes, lets look at the beginning of a new race, the Hebrew Race.

We don't know much about the religious back ground of Abram, but we do know that he had a family line that at least should have imparted some knowledge of the true God. Probably they did, because he was well enough acquainted to listen and Obey when God called. That's the hall mark of one chosen of God, they will listen and obey when God calls... Maybe I ought to stop right here and ask if that is the case with you? Are you in a relationship with God that when He says, "Go", you'll go? or "Stay here" you'll stay, or Talk to your neighbor" you’ll do that too? Abraham was called the friend of God and His Faith made Him righteous, but his faith was demonstrated faith. Is yours? do you hear a holy God's voice or the voice of this world?

Abraham heard God and He knew Him well enough to believe what He said, and act on it.

We tend to read this glibly and are not moved by this much. If God wants me to leave this place, I am going to probably require convincing. I will probably want a clear direction, a place to go, a ministry ahead of me... I am sure that we all have that expectation. But what if God indicates ,"OK, its time to move, pack up all your stuff and move"

"OK where? "

Well, you pack and start driving and I'll let you know where to go once you are on the road."

You gonna do that? I know that I'd be headed to Carmel real fast for a sure roof until I got some idea of where to go.

Think about it, God said to Abram , OK buddy, load it all up and follow me."

It takes a real trust in God to do that huh?

Lets look at other places where this trust was displayed and see how we can apply this to our situation. the SO WHAT of the lesson

Let's look at a time thousands of years later when God in flesh came down. Here, just as with Abraham, God is hand picking people who will be friends. Disciples, yes, but true friends too as he told them, I no longer call you servants but friends because I tell you what I am going to do.

Mt 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

First we see that when we follow Jesus He gives us a calling. God said, Abram, follow me and I will make you a great nation." Jesus bade his disciples "follow me and I will make you fishers of men." We are called to follow Jesus and serve, not sit. If you think you are called to sit you are wrong. If you can just plain sit then check your answering machine, you may have missed the message. We are saved "unto Good works" Eph 2:10 tells us.

So if you are a follower of Jesus you have a calling. Now note further something about this calling.

Mt 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Mt 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mt 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go [and] sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come [and] follow me.

Mr 8:34 And when he had called the people [unto him] with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mr 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Lu 9:23 And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.- v. 57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain [man] said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. v. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God .

v. 61-62 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God .

Second we see that not only do those who follow Jesus have a calling, but also they have a commitment. Notice the depth of commitment that Jesus urges here, "Come and follow me, even unto death. " Take up your cross is not bearing a burden, it speaks of death. These Jewish men knew all too well what Jesus was talking about. This was no cross on a gold chain around the neck, this was death, total commitment.

Deitrich Bonhoffer who died for his faith in a Nazi prison, said,"when Jesus calls a man He bids Him come and die." Jesus said, "He who would save His life shall lose it, but He who would lose His life for my sake and the gospel's will surely find it."

It is a commitment to death. Also a commitment of treasures, recall the rich young ruler? Jesus hit the heart of his objections to faith by touching his precious purse. Give away all your funds and follow me friend" Jesus said. And the man went away sorrowful for he had mega-bucks. I think that security is a major reason why we often refuse to follow Jesus. we may be afraid we'd wind up poor or without that VCR or whatever.

You want a good illustration of following Jesus? A missionary from Greenville , Kim , Here he is in a jungle, sick a lot and facing tremendous hardship. His wife has no place to call her own and had to send her sons away to school and a great separation. He left home this time and He said," Steve, I don't know If I'll ever see Mom on earth again: yet he went in obedience to the still voice that said," follow me".

And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air [have] nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay [his] head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

Vivian lost both of her parents while serving on the field. Listen, that is the kind of discipleship that turns the world upside down.

The kids have not got Nintendo's ( poor things) and a video store, just what ever they could carry and some of that gets ruined by the weather. But Kim and Viv and those kids have answered a call by the master who said, "FOLLOW ME"

Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Jesus calls and gives us a calling and asks our commitment, but one more thing we should note, When Jesus calls us He not only gives us calling and commitment, He gives us Comfort.

Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will [my] Father honor.

And in Matt 28, I am with you always even unto the end of the age"

Are you a true disciple of the Lamb of God? When He called you did you say, "yes Lord I will follow?" or do you say, "Well Lord I need to get things in order for the future, I need to make sure my ducks are in a row, I need to get financial security, I need to provide future security. I can't worry about the lost or the things of the kingdom of God just yet because I have a few things to get set first. I'll go dear Lord, but not just yet, I mean I'm as willing as anyone else as long as it doesn't infringe on my rights and my comforts and my pet sins... other than that, hey` no problem.. and Oh yeah Lord, I need to be close to my family, I can't leave them behind you see... I don't know what our answer to God is, but I pray that when God calls, those that are HIS will listen, listen to the voice that says," follow me".

It may not be across the sea, but just across the street

that the Savior calls you, to locate some lost sheep

to live a life before them, that honors God's own Son

that draws them to the Father, before their time is done

It may not be a pulpit, that God uses as your tool

it may be just a coffee time, or where you go to school

it may be at your work place, that God is lifted high

that draws the erring one to Christ, to heaven bye and bye

But whatever path he asks of you, this Lamb who set you free,

please listen close and you will hear

him say," Child follow me". (sn)

Are you a follower of the Lamb of God? Are you one who says, "Jesus I'll do it your way, or no way?" Are you one who has decided to put God's concerns first in your life and your own second?

Are you one who honestly is a true disciple of Jesus? Recall that He said it ,"If any man would come after me, let Him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me."

Are you a disciple? Ones who were first called Christians at Antioch ?

Did the disciples know what Jesus meant by that call to come and die? What was their earthly end??

Matthew was martyred by sword in Ethiopia .

Mark died at Alexandria Egypt after being dragged through the streets of that city.

Luke was hanged on an olive tree in the classic land of Greece .

John was put in a cauldron of boiling oil but escape death in a miraculous manner and was afterward banished to the Isle of Patmos.

Peter first had to watch his beloved wife die on a cross, all the while calling out to her, remember Christ beloved, then was crucified with his head downward at Rome .

James the greater was beheaded at Jerusalem .

James the less was thrown from a lofty pinnacle of the temple and then beaten to death with a fullers club.

Bartholomew was skinned alive .

Andrew was bound to cross from which he preached to his persecutors until he died.

Thomas , no longer doubter, was run through with a lance at Coromandel in India .

Jude was shot to death with arrows.

Matthias was stoned and then beheaded.

Barnabas of the Gentiles was stoned to death in Thessalonica.

Paul after various tortures and persecutions was beheaded in Rome by Emperor Nero and yet He echoed the clarion call across the ages, “This light weight of afflictions is nothing compared to the eternal weight of glory we shall enjoy.”

Are you a follower of the Lamb? Are you a ready follower of the Lamb?

The insignia of the Baptist missionary Union has these words," Ready for Either" and under them is the picture of an Ox, on one side a plow, on the other an altar.

Now you think about that, Amen