Is God Ashamed Of You?

PP0528 DATE

THE FORMULA FOR KEEPING GOD FROM

BEING ASHAMED OF YOU?

Hebrews 11:16.

Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. (KJV)

I want us to consider the phrase – “Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God.”

INTRODUCTION: This is one of the most sobering statements in all of the Bible. When we stop and consider the impact of this statement, who is saying it and why it is being said, should make each of us sit up and take inventory of ourselves.

This phrase will tell us that God may be ashamed at any one of us, or even all of us. There were some things Abraham did that caused God not to be ashamed of him. This wasn’t considered because of Abraham’s total obedience, because early on he was not completely obedient.

Remember he took his wife down to Egypt and caused some problems between he and Pharoah over Sarah, Abraham’s wife. Then some years later he gave up on God and had a son by the Egyptian hand maid. But neither of those incidents are mentioned in this passage. So neither of those made God ashamed of him. So it must not be moral issues that brings shame to God. David was also immoral, and we don’t find where God was ashamed of him either. I am not minimizing the sin of immorality. It is a horrible and wicked sin. I am saying that God did not mention Abraham’s immorality in this passage.

I believe that we can study these verses concerning Abraham’s faith and discover how we can keep God from being ashamed of us.

In the entire Bible we see the phrase “God of Abraham” seventeen times. Mixed in those seventeen times we will see “God of Isaac” and “God of Jacob”. But always first is the “God of Abraham”. That will assure us that God was pleased to be called Abraham’s God. He was not ashamed of him.

Would He be ashamed of you? How can you and I be assured that God would not be ashamed to be called our God. When someonne calls your name does God in heaven say to the hosts of heaven “I am not ashamed of him. I am proud to be called his/her God?”

Let’s examine these verses of scripture and see if we can discover why God was not ashamed of Abraham and Sarah.

Notice Vs. 8-11.

Heb 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.

9 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:

10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. His sole interest was to find the city of God. For you and I that would amount to being in the will of God and following the plan He has directed for each of us.

11 Through faith also Sara 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. (KJV)

In these four verses we see four reasons for God’s pleasure in Abraham. We will see two more reasons in verses 10-13.

I. HE WAS CALLED OUT!

Heb 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.

The key ingredient in this verse is Abraham’s faith. All that took place in Vs. 8 is because of faith. Heb 11:6 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. (KJV)

Ro 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. (KJV)

To find out when this calling took place look at Gen. 12:1-3.

Ge 12:1 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 shew thee:

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:

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (KJV)