GOD NEEDS A LAMB!

TEXT: Genesis 22:1-14

Genesis 22:1–14 ESV

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

David declares in Psalm 23 :1

Psalm 23:1 ESV

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

This declaration illustrates the fact that God is the Shepherd and we are sheep.

God requires His children to have a lamblike attitude as Christ! Jesus was referred to as the Lamb of God. Therefore, if we are going to be like Christ then we have to be as he were. HE WAS A LAMB!

Proposition: Every Child of God can be like Christ

T.S: When we examine the following truths it will become clear to us that every believer can be like Christ

IT IS NECESSARY THAT THE BELIEVER DEVELOPS THESE DAILY DISCIPLINES IN ORDER TO BE LIKE CHRIST---”A LAMB”

Listen to His voice

Why is it out of all the animals that God created, He chose to refer to His people as sheep?

The Sheep is one of the most DEFENSELESS, DEPENDENT, DIRECTIONLESS animals. This is illustrated in Psalm 23

THE SHEEP HAS TO LISTEN TO THE SHEPHERD’S VOICE

FOR: PROTECTION, PROVISION, PRESERVATION. SIMILARLY, THE BELIEVER HAS TO LISTEN TO GOD’S VOICE FOR SURVIVAL!

St. John 10:3-6

John 10:3–6 ESV

To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

What does it means to listen to His voice according to John 10:3 the word “hear” in the greek means to give consideration/audience. How do you give audience???? Hebrew 3:15 while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” HEAR AND OBEYING IS DERIVED FROM THE SAME WORD “SHEMA” IN HEBREW Listening to God’s word should result in an act of obedience that is following Jesus

ACT UPON HIS WORD (Gen 22:3)

Sheep are known to be dumb/unintelligent they will follow the shepherd no matter how foolish it looks. Who are you following????? Following the shepherd determine the sheeps: Provision—The sheep will stay at one spot and glaze for hours; if everything is eaten it can stay there and starve unless it is moved to another pasture by the shepherd Protection and preservation—Sheep are defenseless animals.There is in the Middle East a bug that torments sheep by landing and nesting on their heads. If the bug remains undetected by the shepherd, it will multiply and eventually blind the sheep. Shepherds in the Middle East routinely rub olive oil on sheeps' heads to prevent the bug from landing on them, thereby eliminating the problem. In Scripture, the devil is called Beelzebub (the lord of the flies). In the Spirit realm, therefore, bugs are symbolic of demons. The anointing of the Holy Spirit protects us from being harassed by demons.

Make a commitment

St. John 10:5a, Romans 12:1-2 A sacrifice has no use to itself…a sacrifice never benefits itself it always benefits someone else. The Shepherd is committed to the Lamb’s: 1. Sanctification The idea of sanctification is to rid of impurity or to cleanse. The sheep normally has very heavy coats which secrete a special type of oil which results in the coat attracted all kinds of debris. Not only is the coat very dirty but it is very hot and heavy for the sheep. This can result in the sheep being cast down which can endanger the life of the sheep. Thus, the shepherd has to ensure that the sheep is sheared hence Isaiah 53:7. This is a process that the sheep does not enjoy but after the process both the shepherd and sheep are relieved. Psalm 42:5-6 Hebrew 12:1

📷 2. Salvation The word salvation in the greek “soteria” suggests deliverance, preservation, and safety This process of salvation is a total commitment! The shepherd after carrying the sheep into the fold would stretch himself at the opening of the fold so he would literally be the door. In so doing he keeps the sheep in and keeps preys out. This could be to the point where the shepherds life is endangered. He