Hard Faith

Abraham and Isaac

Genesis 22 (NIV)

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.”

Easy Faith

Let’s start with what is faith?

Faith- complete trust or confidence in someone.

I have actually preached a few messages about this in the past, but I think it is so important because it is the very foundation for us as Christians. We believe therefore we see. Not the other way around.

I think unfortunately we live in an easy faith society.

We hear pastors preach messages that God wants nothing but good for you. That it is God’s will that you prosper.

We even have an entire genre of preaching called the prosperity gospel. I’m not here to preach for or against that, but I will say I think we very often taken the word “prosper” out of context.

Prosper

2 Chronicles 26:5 “He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.” or God made him prosperous.

Prosper- To flourish or succeed.

Here is the problem......... We have tied that word to earthly things. We have decided that when God wants to prosper me, He wants to give me riches, He wants to give me 12 Ferrari’s. He wants me to live in a mansion in Cherry Hills.

Do I think God cares for our earthly needs? Yes I do.

But do I truly think what God wants when He blesses us with prosperity it monetary? I absolutely do not!

God’s desire is that our soul would flourish before any other thing.

John 3:16 NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

This verse sums it all up so beautifully. Probably why it is the most popular verse in the Bible.

God so loved......who......the world.

That means the whole world. Every person who was is and will be is loved by God!

That He gave His only son. To put that into perspective.......

I was listening to a story a parable you could say.

A man was driving a bus with a group of children down a mountain side when suddenly his brakes gave out.

The bus began picking up speed and was borderline out of control. The driver looked to his left and saw only the side of the mountain. He looked out to the right and only say the edge of the cliff where the road dropped off hundreds of feet below.

As he continued down he was getting closer and closer to losing control. He then remembered a hairpin turn not much further down. He surely could not control the bus through that corner. If he pushed it that far everyone would surely not make it

However he knew that just a short ways down was a gate that led into a pasture.

He knew if he could get to that gate he could blow through it and there would be lush field on the other side providing a safe way for his bus full of children to stop.

As the man got close to the gate he saw a boy sitting on top of the gate.

At this moment he knew he had two choices he could continue down this road eventually leading to the hairpin curve and certain death for everyone, or he could hit the boy and save the bus of children.

The driver aimed for the gate, blew through, and the bus stopped safely on the other side providing saving everyone on the bus.

When the parents arrived they said where is the driver? We want to thank him. The police officer said he’s not here. He had to be taken to the hospital for shock.

The parents said we can imagine! This was a very traumatic event.

The officer said you don’t understand, it was his only son sitting on top of that gate when he blew through it.

That is the love God has for us that He sacrificed His ONLY son so that we may be saved.

He did not do all of that so we can flaunt our Dolce swag. So that we can throw ourselves online and be an “influencer.”

What is the last part of that scripture. So that we may have eternal life! His first priority has and always will be our soul.

And with that, sometimes God needs hard faith. Faith that will obey even when it will hurt or even kill us.

Abraham waited so many years for a son. He waited longer than most people live today. 100 years old!

God promised Abraham a son and delivered that promise. But then he flipped the script on Abraham.

He said that son I gave you, take him to the place that I will reveal to you and sacrifice him as a burnt offering to Me.

Gut check time...... How many of us can honestly say we could and would step out in faith and obey that command?

People question why would God even command that of Abraham. That’s sick!

This is where people get so stuck. God knew the outcome no matter what Abraham chose to do. I believe, without any scriptural backing of course, that if Abraham had refused, Isaac would have lived.

But what God wanted to see was HARD faith. Would Abraham truly put his God above all else including his flesh and blood?

Genesis 22 (NIV)

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.

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.”

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Jehovah Jireh!

God had a plan for Abraham’s obedience.

Abraham had no idea what lay ahead of him. As far as he knew he was walking up this mountain having the last conversation he would ever have with his son. I can imagine that he was thinking of what little bit of life he had experienced with his son. Watching him come into the world. Learning to walk, to talk, teaching him.

And now he is about to lay his life down in obedience to God. HARD faith.

I read this and I get so embarrassed. Abraham was about to sacrifice his son for God, but I complain when God calls me to speak to another human about my savior?!

I start questioning God when he tells me to take my last 20 dollar bill and give it to someone in need?!?!

I cry God why have you forsaken me when bills start to pile up?!?!?!

Soft faith can not stand in the face of adversity. We live in a soft world. Men are not supposed to be men. Toxic masculinity?

We are supposed to bend and shift with the whims of whatever anyone wants to deem acceptable?

Soft Christians with soft faith won’t step up and step out and speak against satan and his deceit in this world!

It takes hard Christians with Hard faith to stand today. Why do you think the opposite is being pushed so hard?

If satan can pacify us then he has won!

Abraham had unwavering faith. Hard faith. Faith to the point of giving his only son..........

And through his faith God rewarded him.

Genesis 22 (NIV)

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

I said earlier that I believe, and I truly do, that if Abraham had refused, Isaac would have lived and possibly lived a good life.

But what happened when Abraham obeyed? Not only did God spare Isaac, He said that he would be the father of so many descendants that they would be counted as the stars or sand.

We even sing a song about it.

Father Abraham had many sons and many sons had father Abraham and I am one of them and so are you. So let’s all praise the Lord!

Soft faith sees God as our genie granting wishes. God I recognize you and accept you as the one true God. And as such, it would be SAWEET if you’d reward my faith with that new Ford F350 single axle king ranch diesel.

Hard faith is a father saying yes and obeying God even when it means taking his son.

Hard faith is singing, worshipping, and spreading the Gospel while sitting in chains in prison.

Hard faith is is standing toe to toe with a giant with nothing but a sling and some stones.

Hard faith is standing against a world that would have you believe that a God who condemns them for “being themselves” is not a truly loving god.

Closing

I believe that God wants good things for us. I believe that can include worldly possessions.

However, I believe that God cares more for our soul than He ever would for any of the junk on this planet.

It comes down to what comes first. If it isn’t Him then don’t expect the blessing.

God blesses down. Everything under Him, He’ll bless. Anything you decide to put over Him not gonna happen.

Our purpose in God does not always include earthly prosperity. Paul was one of if not the greatest apostle and his life by all worldly accounts became much MUCH worse after he turned his life to Jesus.

But none of that matters. Paul is now walking streets of gold in a place with riches unimaginable on earth.

Hard faith is giving it all to God no questions.

God needs hard Christians with Hard unwavering faith. Is that you?

Stand

Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son for our Lord. But God provided an escape. God made the same commitment with His ONLY Son, yet He did not provide a way of escape.

Jesus came to this earth to die for us so that we may live in Him forever.

But we must accept Him. He will never force Himself. He is a gentleman Who knocks and waits for you to let Him in.

Every head bowed every eye closed.

If you’re here today and you can say Zach I know this Jesus that you speak about but I do not KNOW Him. I want you to raise your hand.

No shame, no embarrassment. This is a celebration.

The question should really be, do you want to live forever, in a place where sadness does not exist. Where death is no more. Where we live with the Creator of the Universe for eternity?

If that is you, please raise your hand.

If someone does have them come forward.

Explain why we do. Proud moment, like a graduation, public declaration.

Anyone who wants personal prayer? Any need?

Corporate prayer.