Waiting by faith is the most challenging lesson in the school of faith, using Abraham's decision to have a child with Hagar as a cautionary tale. True biblical faith is defined not by feelings or circumstances, but by acting for God's glory, based on His Word, being willing to wait for His timing, and experiencing the joy and peace of the Holy Spirit. Abraham failed these tests by acting impulsively to please his wife, resulting in ongoing conflict and problems, illustrating that actions not aligned with God's Word and timing lead to negative consequences.
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Good to be together tonight. Turn in your Bible to the book of Genesis, chapter sixteen. Genesis chapter sixteen. Now let's pray together. Father, we do thank you for the privilege of being together, of opening your word, and we pray that it will be indeed profitable unto us. grant that we may hear thy voice, and that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will be exceedingly precious to us. For we pray in his name with thanksgiving. Amen. Now the most difficult school of all that anyone ever enters is the school of faith.
And we're enlisted in that school of faith if we're in that company known as the people of God. There are five basic lessons in the school of faith, and Abraham teaches these five lessons. We've already looked at how to walk by faith in Genesis twelve and thirteen, and then how to war by faith in Genesis fourteen and fifteen, and now the hardest of the lessons, how to wait by faith, here in Genesis chapter sixteen. And chapter seventeen. Now I need this lesson. I really need this lesson.
Because I'm very impulsive by nature. Now it isn't too difficult to walk by faith and to war by faith. Because when we walk by faith and when we war by faith we're doing something. And we're doers by nature. But waiting by faith. That's something else. That's something else. You see, wait, I say, on the Lord is what David told us. And in Isaiah forty, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary.
They shall walk and not faint. Now in the Bible, waiting is not passive doing nothing. Waiting in the Bible is endurance, active endurance. It is preparation for the next step. And a good illustration of this is the sixteenth chapter of Acts. When Paul was waiting at Troas, Paul wanted to go north into Bethany, the Spirit said no. Paul wanted to go into Asia, the Spirit suffered him not. And he waited at Troas. Now while he was waiting at Troas he wasn't doing nothing. While he was waiting at Troas he was busy and the reason I know it is because of Acts chapter twenty.
When Paul came to Troas in Acts chapter twenty there was an assembly there for there's a fellow committed that awful sin of sermon sleeping. You remember and he fell out of the third story. You remember his name too. It's easy to remember. And he fell out of the third story because he fell asleep during the sermon. So while Paul was waiting at Troas, he was busy. Waiting means active endurance. Waiting is saying it is a courageous patient that says, I'm not going to quit.
I'm going to keep on going. And this is the word, let us run with patience the race that he set before us. And this is the word, the verse that I use with Brother Sutton every time I visit him. He said to me, I wish I would have had them take my leg off. He doesn't like the pain. Nobody does. But I said, the word of God says, let us run with patience the race that he set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith. Who for the joy that was set before him? Get your mind on that joy that's going to come when you're able to walk, when you're able to realize that you're still of your own leg, that you're able to walk and you're able to do things.
Who for the joy that was set before him? He endured the cross, despising the shame, and he sat down on the right hand of the Father. Now, if you and I are going to have patient, enduring faith, faith that teaches us how to wait, there are three basic truths that you and I have to understand, and we have to apply them. Number one, we have to know what real Bible faith is. We have to know what it is. What is Bible faith? Number two, we must know how important patience is. What is the cost of impatience?
We have to take a good look at that. And then number three, we must, as the Lord teaches us, draw on the resources that He has provided for us. What Bible faith really is? Well, let us read Genesis chapter sixteen. What does it mean to wait by faith? This is a very interesting chapter. Now, Sarah, Abram's wife, bear him no children, and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian. Everything that got Abram into trouble came out of Egypt. He went on there when, out of lack of faith, he had this Egyptian handmaid near at hand.
The things that you collect in Egypt are going to give you problems. And we are living in a day when I find believers lusting after the things that this world has, and all they can bring you are problems. What Abram got down in Egypt never satisfied his soul, never at all. He had an Egyptian whose handmaid whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now the Lord hath restrained me from bearing. Isn't it nice to blame God? How we want to blame God when things don't go the way we wish they would.
This is exactly what Adam said when God said to him, Had you eaten of the tree? He said, The woman thou gave us me. In other words, if he wouldn't have given her that woman, wouldn't have given him that woman, he wouldn't be in the predicament that he did. The woman now gave her sleep. He went to the woman. She said, The serpent. Well, you couldn't go any further. So the Lord began to deal with the serpent. He dealt with the serpent. Then he dealt with a woman. Then he dealt with Adam. The Lord hath restrained me from bearing. I pray thee. Go in unto my maid. It may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
And Sarah Abram's wife took Hagar, her maid, the Egyptian, after Abram had, well, ten years in the land of Canaan. He's now eighty-five years of age. He's been there ten years now. And he gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. Now it was legal. It was a law of the Babylonians, and you must remember, Abram came from Babylonia. According to the tablets that have been unearthed, law number one hundred forty-four of the Code of Hammurabi says, give the permission of a man to take a handmaid and have children by her.
Remember, Jacob did the same thing. So the two handmaids, the one that was a handmaid of Rachel and the one that was a handmaid of Leah. George McDonald, that quaint Scottish preacher, said this, whatever man does without God, he must fail miserably or either succeed more miserably. My what a statement. Whatever man does without God, he must succeed miserably or else fail more miserably.
or he must fail miserably or else succeed more miserably. Whatever he does is not God. And we need to keep that before us. You see, it's possible for something to be illegal, but not righteous. Just because it's according to the law, does it mean it's right? And here Abram and Sarah are doing what is legal, but he's not doing what he's righteous verse four says and he went in unto Hagar and she conceived and when she saw that she had conceived her mistress was despised in her eye she can have children and I can't you look at a verse like this and you say how many Christian couples are there who want to have a child and they can't have one and here's an incident where a child that he's born is going to bring problem and yet you can see the greatest judgment friend that God could put in my life is to
let me have my own way and enjoy it that would be the greatest judgment that God should ever put in my life so let me have my own way and enjoy it. Abram is going his own way. Notice verse five, and Sarai said unto Abram, my wrong be upon thee. It's your fault, Abram. It was her idea. Oh, how do you like to blame somebody else for our problem? You see, my wrong be upon thee.
I have given my maid into thy bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. The Lord judged between me and thee. In other words, a handmaid could say, I can have children, you can't. She was down on Sarah, and now the handmaid is, as it were, in the driver's seat. But Abram said unto Sarah, I behold thy maid is in thy hand, due to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarah dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. Verse nine, And the angel of the Lord said unto her, That is to Hagar, return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
Verse fifteen, and Hagar bear Abram a son, and Abram called His son's name was Hagar bear Ishmael. And Abram was four-score and six years old. Then Hagar bear Ishmael to Abram. May the Lord bless the reading of his words. What really is biblical faith. How to wait by faith. Now there is a counterfeit faith among Christians. And when we talk about biblical faith there, I'm not primarily talking about saving faith, but rather living faith.
Living faith. But you've got to keep in mind that both saving faith and living faith are very closely connected. For Colossians chapter two, verse six says, As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. So they're very closely related. But some people build their faith upon feeling. Now I don't want to be judged to be overly critical in this. But I've heard people in my short history say, God has given me the conviction that that person is going to get better. They're not going to die. They're going to recover. And then God takes that person home.
Now what do you say? Now what do you do? You see, there are certain people who work up their faith, and it's a glandular faith. They get it all pumped up, and the glands are working. But it doesn't quite work. But God. You see, and then on the other hand, there are people who build up their faith on circumstances. Feelings are so treacherous. In chapter fifteen, the chapter we looked at last week, Abraham exercised one of his greatest steps of faith at a time when he was full of fear. He was anxious and he was surrounded by doubt.
Genesis fifteen six says Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Circumstances. Can we trust him? Remember that trip that Paul made as a prisoner? Acts chapter twenty eight. Oh, what a time that was. You see, Paul said to the captain of the ship, now I don't want you to leave the harbor. Don't leave the harbor. Let's stay here in winter here. Oh, no, there's a centurion, and the centurion had a group of prisoners. He said, oh, no, we got to get the Rome. I have a contingent of prisoners to deliver to Caesar.
What do you do at a time like that? Well, they did what everybody does. They took a vote. You see, the best way to determine God's will is to take a vote. And the majority said, let's go. Let's leave. Let's leave. Paul voted no. Dr. Luke voted no. But they were outnumbered. You see, the captain and the owner of the ship, they were experts. They were experts. And then the south wind began to blow softly. And they supposed that they had just what they wanted. The gods are propitious. The gods are working with us. Everything is falling into place. But you see that south wind turned into a stormy wind, and they bounced like a cork on the sea for fourteen days and fourteen nights.
They lost everything except their lives. And the only man in the midst of that mess was a man who said, don't go. He was a man who could say, cheer up, brothers. Not a life here is going to be lost, but we're going to lose the ship. How would you like to be around a fellow like that? In the midst of a hurricane, in the middle of the sea, and he says, now we're going to lose the ship, but we're not going to lose a life. I believe God. That's what he said in the midst of that. I want to tell you, beloved, that's faith. That's living faith, but it's a living faith that he's resting in the proper place. Now, how many people are doing exactly what the wind is doing?
Those people went according to the wind. When the wind blew softly, they went. And of course they went everywhere the wind went. When they were on the sea, they bounced up and down with the wind. What are the true tests of faith? What are they? Well, there are four of them. And they're found in the book of Romans. Where else would you find it? There are four tests of faith that you'll find in the book of Romans. And there are four verses. And in these four verses we have four great tests of faith. Now, how can I know that what I am doing, I am doing by faith?
Well, it's very important. Because Romans fourteen in verse twenty-three says, whatsoever is not of faith is sin. And in the school of faith, I must learn to wait by faith. Now what are the tests of faith? Well, let's turn to the book of Romans. We'll start in chapter four. Test number one, Romans chapter four and verse twenty. We'll be coming back in a little while to the sixteenth chapter.
Romans four, verse twenty, it says concerning Abraham here, that he staggered not at the promise of God to unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. In other words, test number one, can I do this to the glory of God? Am I doing this for my own good, for my own pleasure, or am I doing this for God's glory? Test number one. Is it for the glory of God? Is it for the glory of God? This is so important. We'll come back to this in a little while. Test number two. Romans chapter ten and verse eleven.
Romans ten verse eleven says, For the Scripture says, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Test number two, am I willing to wait? When you read Romans chapter ten, verse eleven, you notice it is a quotation from Isaiah twenty-eighth verse sixteen, where it says, Whosoever believeth on him will not make haste, or excuse me, whosoever believeth on him will not be in a hurry. The Holy Spirit of God interpreted Isaiah twenty-eight and verse sixteen for us in Romans chapter ten verse eleven. Every time I get in a hurry, I end up ashamed.
Whosoever believeth on him will not be ashamed. David prayed in Psalm thirty-two, and I think it's about the ninth verse, be not as a horse or as a mule. that must be held in with a bit and a bridle. Don't be like a horse or like the mule. And there are times I'm just like the mule. Stubborn. Stubborn. If you ever worked with a mule, you know how stubborn they can be. At other times I'm just like a horse. I run ahead. I don't wait. I just rush into things. But you see, I shouldn't be either one of these. I shouldn't be like either one.
I should wait on the Lord for guidance. Am I willing to wait? Here's Romans chapter ten, verse eleven. When I find my energy level impulsive, all worked up, I must stop and I must say to myself, wait here, fellow. You're about to do something or you're about to say something that's real dumb. Wait. wait. Now we don't wait when we know the will of God. But when we don't know the will of God, we take just one step in faith and we wait for God to caution us and give us approval.
Now there's a good illustration of this in Acts fifteen. When Paul got the vision of the man from Macedonia, come over and help us. And he and Silas and the company, Dr. Ruth was with them. at that time and they went to Philippi Paul didn't rush in and start handing out tracts he waited on the Lord and he found the prayer meeting and he proclaimed the gospel and God opened Lydia's heart and the result was the church at Philippi was founded test number one is it for the glory of God test number two Am I willing to wait?
Test number three. Romans chapter ten, verse seventeen. Test number three. Do I have the authority of the word of God? Romans ten seventeen says, Now faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Is there some word of God that some promise, some precept, some principle? Some example or some exhortation on which I can stand for the action I'm about to get to be engaged in. God has given us the word of faith.
His word is a word of faith. The Word of God is a Word of Faith, and the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of Faith, and the Spirit of Faith puts a Word of Faith into our minds and impresses it upon our hearts. In the great biographies of the giants, men like Hudson Taylor and Jim Elliott and the man who built the great orphanages there in Bristol, George Bueller. These men were giants in the face, and you often find, as you read their biographies, that they waited for some definite word from Holy Scripture to form the basis of their action before they moved, before they took the next step.
Test number three, do I have the word of God for my actions? Test number four, Romans chapter fifteen and verse thirteen. Romans fifteen and verse thirteen, where we read, Now the God of hope, fill you with all joy and peace and believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Do I have joy and peace? Test number four, Now the God of hope, fill you with all joy and peace in believing when I am making a step of faith based on the word of God not impulsive it's to the glory of God there is within me a joy and a peace even though the world around me may look very dark that joy and peace is there and we have the experience of joy and peace even when some Christian friends have said it is the wrong thing to do.
Joy and peace accompany the will and the mind of God when we walk and wait by faith. Here we have the four tests. Test number one is it for the glory of God. Test number two, am I willing to wait? Test number three, Do I have the authority of the word of God for it? Test number four. Do I have joy and peace in the midst of it? Well, let's go back to Genesis fifteen. Genesis sixteen. How did Abram pass the test? Let's look at Genesis sixteen.
How did Abram do? Well, test number one. Let us see if he passed the test here in Genesis chapter sixteen. And then... After I examine Abram, I have another fellow to examine. So, how do I pass? You see, for I'm the guy who has to learn to wait by faith. That's number one. Did he do this for the glory of God? No, he did it to please his wife. That's why he did it. Now, it's possible to do both. Sometimes, but not always.
But in this case, it was not for the glory of God. Can you hear Abram saying, now to the glory of God, I'm going to take another wife? That just doesn't sound right, does it? It sure doesn't. And it was not to the glory of God. He failed. Test number one. Test number one. You know what faith is? A good definition. Faith is living without scheming. That's simple, isn't it? Faith is living without scheming.
That's faith. That's number two. Was Abram willing to wait? No, that was his real problem. He was not willing to wait. Neither was Sarah. No son had come yet. He wasn't willing to wait. He that believeth on him shall not make haste, shall not be in a hurry. Test number three was his decision based on the word of God. No. When you examine the life of Abraham before a great moment of faith in his life, you usually have the expression, not a word of the Lord came unto Abram saying.
But you don't have that here. You don't have that. There is no word from God at all. It is interesting to notice verse two. Notice verse two. Sarai says, it may be in verse two. Oh, my. God said in verse thirteen of the previous chapter, no of a surety. Well, what a difference. Sarah says it may be, God says, no of a surety. What a difference. What a difference. You see, when you have the word of God, he had no word from God at all. When God speaks, beloved, there are certainties.
When man moves on his own, there's uncertainty. He failed test number one. He failed test number two. He failed test number three. Now test number four. Did it bring joy and peace? Oh, why it pressed their home, didn't it? You see, Abram and his descendants have been paying ever since. And when you and I go to the gas pumps today, we're paying tribute ever since for this problem right here. Genesis chapter sixteen.
Isn't it amazing? Did it bring joy and peace? Oh, no. Instead of joy and peace, there was almost a rift between Abram and Sarah, his wife. And when Isaac was born, Ishmael was now a teenager. And he began to persecute. Isaac. And when you read the book of Galatians, chapter four, we learn that Abram had to harken to Sarah his wife, and the spirit of God there says, Test out the bond woman and her son, for the son of the bond woman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And so it is today. It is a person who is born after the flesh, who persecutes the man who is born after the spirit.
Beloved, there was no joy, and there was no peace in that home. The poor test of faith. Beloved, this is living faith. And we sang tonight, faith is a victory that overcomes a world. But the foundation for faith is a revelation of the Word of God. God said, know of assurity. Sarai said, it might be, or it may be, She had no word from God, and Abram listened to Sarah rather than to God. That brings us to a conclusion.
I'm convinced that so many problems that we are trying to solve would be solved if we just lived by faith. Just so God had his word. Family problems are caused by steps of unbelief. Unbelief in the Word of God. Church problems are caused by impatient steps of unbelief. What is true faith? True faith means that I am doing what I am doing for the glory of God based upon the Word of God.
willing to wait on the timing of God, filled with the joy and the peace of the Spirit of God. That's true faith. Do you want me to repeat that? True faith means that I am doing what I am doing for the glory of God, based upon the word of God, willing to wait on the timing of God, and filled with the joy and the peace of the Spirit of God. Now when you have that kind of an experience, you can step up with confidence because God is with you. You can walk on the water.
Peter did. Peter did. Do you remember God gave Peter three great tests? First of all, he tested him in daytime, in the middle of the sea, and Peter learned that the Lord Jesus could be trusted. in the boat in the middle of the sea in daytime. The next test, he found that God could be trusted in the middle of the sea in a storm with the Lord Jesus asleep in the boat. But then he learned also the third test that the Lord Jesus could be trusted at night In the storm.
In the middle of the sea. Outside the boat. Walking on the water. Because the Lord Jesus said. Come. That's graduate school. In the school of faith. How to wait by faith. Now there are two more sections. I gave you a heavy load. And we're going to stop here. And by the grace of God, I'm going to finish the next three sections next towards the evening. What is genuine faith? True faith means that what I am doing, I am doing for the glory of God, based upon the word of God, willing to wait on the timing of God and filled with the joy and peace of the Spirit of God.
a weight by faith. You see, it's one thing to war by faith. It's another thing to walk by faith because we're basically doing something. But to wait by faith can be very difficult. You see, God puts all his children in the school of faith. We're in the school. And if we're his child, We're going to learn the lesson. One way or another. Abram learned it. He learned the lesson. He's a great example of faith in the Old Testament.
But I'll tell you how to learn how to waste our faith. Beloved, since whatsoever is not a faith is sin, Philip has to learn this lesson. And it isn't always easy. And if you're the Lord, by the blood of his cross, You have to learn this lesson too. And it isn't easy. But it pays rich evidence. Now let's pray. Now we pray to our God and Father. That you will take this word and bless it through every heart. Cause thy name to be glorified. Through the ministry that I heard. For the Lord Jesus sake. Amen.