The Art of Letting Go
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 3 viewsNotes
Transcript
Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
PRAY/BE STILL
New Years means usually one thing. Resolutions. Don’t get me wrong, resolutions are good. but most of the time we give up on them after a couple of days. Maybe weeks if we are lucky.
Researchers suggest that only 9% of Americans that make resolutions complete them. In fact, research goes on to show that 23% of people quit their resolution by the end of the first week, and 43% quit by the end of January.
After this we go right back into the same habits, the same routines, the same place we were in before.
What does this have to do with our faith?
Most that want to make a change in their spiritual life end up going back into the same habits, same routines, and the same place as before.
What would it look like if we changed it? What would it look like if we let go of what is holding us in a place that showed no movement forward?
Faith is letting go of the good FOR THE BEST.
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
This was the promise that God had given Abraham.
Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
Abraham reasoned that even though it had not been performed, that God would somehow resurrect Isaac. He reasoned that this wasn’t going to be it.
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Where Isaac was almost sacrificed was the very place that Jesus WAS sacrificed for us.
Isaac was the GOOD. Jesus was the GREATER.
ILLUSTRATION
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LET GO OF?
PAPER AND TRASH/ALTER CALL?