Faith on the Altar: Living a Life of Submission and Trust

INTRO

Good morning, everyone! It’s good to see you. If you have your copy of God’s Word, go ahead and turn with me to Genesis chapter 22.

While you are doing that, let me just say that yes, it is Sanctity of Life Sunday. We believe that all life is created by God and all people are image bearers of God even when they are still in the womb. So many women find out that they are pregnant and they just don’t know what to do. The Nest, the ministry from that video, is a fantastic ministry here on the Westside that serves these women that have no one.

Many women go through abortions and carry so much burden for the rest of their lives. Just know if that is you or someone that you are close to, there is always hope and there is always forgiveness. We thank God for this ministry. They are doing a good work.

Is anyone doing a Bible Reading Plan this year? I feel like I start a Plan every year but have only actually completed it a couple of times. It takes a lot of work, but it really is worth it. If you aren’t doing a Reading Plan, let me just encourage you to consider it. In fact, if you started now, you may even be able to catch up for the year.

I’m doing the Chronological Plan and Genesis chapter 22 is the reading for today in that Plan. You know, when Mike asked me to preach today, I was having some trouble thinking about what it is I wanted to talk about. But I really do believe that the Holy Spirit has made it clear to me and it is this,

1. God will ask us to do hard things both to test us and refine us. And,

2. With those Tests, God provides exactly what we need, when we need it.

All of us have had our faith tested or will have our faith tested. This is something that is just a part of being a disciple of Jesus. And as with anything that we have to deal with as disciples of Jesus, God has given us an example to follow. A model of what it looks like to be tested and to make it through the test of faith.

Today, I want to talk a little bit about Abraham. Abraham is an incredibly important figure to our faith. In fact, Paul says that Abraham is the father of all who believe, both the Jew and the Gentile. It is through the line of Abraham that Jesus was born, Jesus the long promised Son of God.

Context

Before we begin reading in Genesis 22, I just want to give you a little background for context,

After the building of the tower of Babel in Genesis 11, the nations were scattered because God confused the languages. And with that scattering of peoples, different nations took on different pagan gods to worship (You can read about that in Deuteronomy 32:8).

Our God, Yahweh, did not choose a nation, instead he chose an individual. A man by the name of Abram. What’s interesting about God choosing Abram is that Abram was an old man with no descendants and no hope of ever having descendants.

God chose Abram and he made him a promise (Genesis 12:1-3). A Covenant. That he would have a biological son who will carry on his name and give him SO MANY offspring that no one would even be able to number them. And through his line would eventually come the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the one who would restore mankind back to God.

Abraham was so old that he was resigned to make one of his servants his heir. In Genesis 15, God reiterates that Covenant with Abram. Listen to what Genesis 15:1-6 says,

Genesis 15:1–5 ESV

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Look at what happens in verse 6,

Genesis 15:6 ESV

And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Abraham believed the Lord God and because he believed, he was counted as righteous. Is this not exactly how you and I are saved? We believe God, his Word, and his Son, and because of that belief, we are counted as righteous. We are justified.

And this is exactly what Paul says in Romans 4 when he is trying to explain to the Jewish and Gentile believers at the church in Rome that no one is justified by keeping the Law. He says in Romans 4:3-5,

Romans 4:3–5 ESV

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

Why is this important? Because according to Paul, Abraham is our father even though we are not Hebrew. We are made a part of his family lineage by having the same faith as Abraham.

But again, why is this important? Because if our spiritual father, Abraham, had his faith tested, then we should expect no different. Testings, trials, hardship, all of these things are coming and we must have a faith that can last - like Abraham.

Fast forward now to Genesis 21, Isaac is finally born. The promised son that Abraham had been waiting for so long. God had fulfilled his promise to Abraham. Interestingly, Isaac’s name means laughter because when he was born, Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” You know that Sarah and Abraham experienced so much joy when they finally laid eyes on that baby.

God always keeps his promises. This is one thing that we can always count on. He loves us and when he says that he will do something, he does it.

APPLICATION:

Maybe this is something that you need to hear today: God keeps his promises. He has promised that he will always be with you, he will never forsake you. He has promised that he will come for all those who have faith in him. He has promised that he will always give us a way to escape temptations. He has promised to take our sins away through the death and resurrection of his Son, the Lord Jesus. All of these things, you can have assurance that God will make good on these promises.

God promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a child of their own even though Abraham was 100 years old, and Sarah was at least 90. That just doesn’t happen unless God makes it happen.

And this brings us to Genesis chapter 22. Genesis chapter 22 is such an important chapter. It is so rich with gospel truths.

So with that, let’s begin reading the text. I have just two points for you if you are taking notes. This will be the first point,

POINT I: Surrender Completely to God

Look with me in verses 1-2,

Genesis 22:1 ESV

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

I love that, this is exactly how God wants his people to respond to him when he calls. Do you remember when God called Adam in the Garden and Adam hid? We need to be like Abraham. Willing to hear and do whatever it is that God calls us to do. “Here I am,” would be how a humble servant would respond.

Let’s continue to verse 2,

‌Genesis 22:2

Genesis 22:2 ESV

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.”

What? After waiting all that time and having faith in these promises, God then says that he wants Abraham to give Isaac back to him? How on earth could God do this? Can you imagine the shock that Abraham must have felt when he first heard that the son he had been waiting so long for was now to be sacrificed?

By the way, Genesis 22:2 is the first mention of the word Love in the Bible. What I love about that is the love that is mentioned is between a Father and a Son. Abraham and Isaac. And I also think that it is interesting that God calls Isaac, Abraham’s only son. If you remember the story, Abraham did have a son with Hagar, Ishmael. But Isaac was the son of the promise. Much like Jesus is the ultimate Son of promise.

To Abraham, this is was complete surprise. We are told in verse 1 that this is a test, but you must put yourself in Abraham’s shoes to really get the weight of what is going on. Abraham did not have Genesis 22:1 to tell him that this is a test. This is just his life. He does not know what is going to happen, all he knows is that God is asking him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. But Abraham also knows that God is good and faithful and always keeps his promises.

This is an important thing to understand about testing and trials that we are going through. They come up as surprises. We can’t really plan for them but we have to expect that these things will happen. Even though we don’t know when these tests will come, we can still prepare. We have to expect that our faith will be tested throughout our journey with Christ.

Does anyone here struggle with procrastination? I have always been a procrastinator. I have definitely gotten better as I get older and as due dates have become more of a constant in my life. But as a student going through school and eventually making it to college, I always put off things like homework and papers and studying for tests until right before they were due. But here’s the thing, Tests do not care for Procrastination. Procrastination never works out the way that studying does. But how do we get ready for our faith to be tested?

I think that it begins with our own personal walk with Christ. The only way that you will be able to pass the tests of faith in your life will be by abiding in Christ. And by abiding in Christ, I mean having a real, intimate relationship with Jesus that is maintained consistently. This means that our discipleship with the Lord Jesus must be a priority in our life.

Why? Because when your faith is tested, only those who are abiding in Christ consistently will make it through.

You know, when I think of people in the Bible going through real trial and testing of faith, I think of Job.

Have you ever read the book of Job? In my reading, I finished the book of Job this past week. Job was a man that was tested. Literally everything that God had given him was all taken in a single day. All his livestock, his property, even all seven of his kids, gone in a single day. He was a man that had his faith tested.

The beginning of the book of Job tells us that before all of this happened, Job made it a practice to make sacrifices to God every day on behalf of his children. In other words, Job regularly worshipped the Lord and expressed gratitude for the good things that he had given him.

When his servants came and informed Job that he had lost everything, listen to how he responds in verses 20-22 in Job chapter 1,

Job 1:20 ESV

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.

Because Job made it a regular practice of worshipping the Lord when things were going well, as soon as disaster struck, he had that foundation to fall back on. Worship must be our default in the good times and in the bad. Look at what he says next,

Job 1:21–22 ESV

And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

What he is saying is that everything that we have comes from the Lord and if he decides to take it back, he is still good. He said, “I came into this world with nothing and I will leave this world with nothing.” John Piper used to say, “there are no U-Hauls behind hurses.”

The Lord gives and he takes away. We can trust him with our lives and with the things that he entrusts us with. Abraham understood this and that is why when he heard God calling him, he said “Here I am.”

“Here I am” is the response that God is looking for when he calls us to do anything. Just a couple of weeks ago at our DBS, Angela and Gina both shared about how they were presented with opportunities to share the gospel. I think Gina was in an airport and there was a stranger that she just happens to overhear talking about the Bible. Typically, when we hear things like that, we just move on. But God called Gina to speak with him to encourage him. She responded with “Here I am.” That’s what that looks like.

When we are at the coffee shop or the grocery store, and we hear someone talking about faith and the gospel, it’s easy to brush it off or think, "Someone else will talk to them." But what if God is calling you in that moment? What if He is saying, “Step out in faith and share My love with them”? Responding with “Here I am” means being available and willing to step into those opportunities, even when they feel uncomfortable or inconvenient.

God places us in specific situations for a reason, and being open to His leading allows us to be part of His work in someone else’s life. Just like Gina and Angela, you never know how your obedience in that moment could plant a seed, encourage someone, or even lead them to salvation.

So the question is: Are you ready to say “Here I am” when God calls you, even in the everyday moments?

Let’s look at what happens next,

Genesis 22:3–4 ESV

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.

And this is the second thing in your notes,

Point II: Rest Fully in God’s Faithfulness.

Abraham’s response of “Here I am” didn’t stop at just being willing to listen—it led to action. That’s the next part of what true faith looks like: a faith that steps forward even when the path is uncertain, or the request is difficult. Abraham’s obedience teaches us something profound about trust: real trust in God means that we follow Him even when we don’t have all the answers because we trust that he is faithful. Again, Abraham did not know that this was a test in the moment.

But let’s be honest—this kind of obedience is challenging. Abraham was being asked to sacrifice his son, the very fulfillment of God’s promise. And yet, he trusted that God’s plan was good, even when it didn’t make sense in the moment.

And that is the secret to obedience. The secret to responding to the tests of Faith with Obedience is in the substance of what you are trusting. The writer of the Book of Hebrews gives us insight to what is going on in the mind of Abraham through all this. The real reason that he was able to trust God and follow him in complete obedience.

He writes in 11:17-19,

Hebrews 11:17–19 ESV

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

Abraham knew that even if he did kill his son as a sacrifice to God, God would raise him from the dead because God promised that Isaac would be his heir. Not a different kid, Isaac.

Abraham knew and trusted that God’s Word will always come to pass. He had seen God move in mighty ways and he knew that he could even raise the dead. And he can because he has.

Let’s pick up in verses 5-14,

Genesis 22:5–8 ESV

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.

You can see that even here, as Abraham was in the process of taking steps to obey what God had called him to do, he still had faith that God would somehow intervene. God will ask you to do hard things. This is the stretch and refine you. Trust him and be willing to obey.

Let’s keep reading and see what happens next.

Genesis 22:9–12 ESV

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.”

Genesis 22:13–14 ESV

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.”

God provided a substitute to die in the place of Isaac. Can you imagine the relief that Abraham must have felt?

When God calls us to trust Him in the middle of our trials, He’s not just testing our faith—He’s refining it. Tests are opportunities for us to grow deeper in our dependence on God, to experience His faithfulness in ways we never could otherwise. And just like Abraham discovered on Mount Moriah, God always provides what we need in His perfect timing.

Let’s ask ourselves: How is God calling me to trust Him today? What “Isaac” might He be asking me to lay on the altar, trusting that He will provide in ways you can’t yet see? True faith says, “Here I am, Lord. I trust You.” What is it that God has given you that you would refuse to let go of? This is how we make idols in our life.

GOSPEL

The substance of what you are trusting in will determine how you respond when the testings and the trials of life come our way. And in the last moment, the Angel of the Lord called out and stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son. Because of that, Abraham called the place, the Lord will Provide. Yahweh Jireh is his name. God our provider.

And God has provided for our biggest need. He provided a sacrifice to die in our place, his Son. This is what this story in Genesis is really illustrating and I don’t want you to miss the parallels between what is going on in Genesis 22 and what Christ has done for us. Just look at this for a minute, I got ten areas of comparison although there could certainly be more:

1. Promised Son (Genesis 17:16–19; Isaiah 7:14; Galatians 4:4)

Isaac is described as the promised Son. In Genesis 3:15, God reveals that there is coming a Son that will forever crush the head of the serpent. That promised Son is the Lord Jesus. The story of the Old Testament is the story of Jesus lineage and family tree. When he finally comes onto the scene in Matthew 1, he fulfilled exactly what it is God said he would.

2. Only Son (Genesis 22:2; John 3:16)

Isaac is also described as the Only Son. You all remember John 3:16, right? 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Just like Abraham was called by God to sacrifice his only Son, God actually did give his only Son. And he gave him for me and for you.

3. Loved by the Father (Genesis 22:2; Matthew 3:17)

Abraham loved his son, Isaac. God loves his Son, too. In Matthew 3:17, after Jesus is baptized in the Jordan river, God spoke from heaven and he said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

4. Sacrificed by the Father (Genesis 22:2; Romans 8:32; John 3:16)

Romans 8:32 says, 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

5. Carried the Wood (Genesis 22:6; John 19:17)

In Genesis 22:6, Isaac is described as carrying the wood for his own sacrifice much like how Jesus carried his own instrument of execution, the cross.

6. Sacrifice Location (Genesis 22:2; Luke 23:33)

Even the location that this whole thing took place, Mount Moriah, was in the same vicinity that Jesus would be ultimately killed.

7. Submission to the Father (Genesis 22:9; Luke 22:42; Philippians 2:8)

This is a big one. Remember, when Isaac was being tied up by his father, Abraham, he could have easily resisted. If you remember, Abraham was an old man. Isaac was much younger and much stronger. He could have easily fought for his life, but he didn’t. Is this not exactly how Jesus was when he went to the cross? He was willing to die. Philippians 2:8 says, 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

This is really where the parallels end though. There was no ram caught in the thicket while Christ was on the cross. In fact, that Ram that took the place of Isaac is a type of Christ. The eighth point of comparison would be,

8. A Substitute Provided (Genesis 22:13; John 1:29; 1 Peter 3:18)

Christ is the perfect substitute that is sacrificed in our place. 1 Peter 3:18 says, 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.

This is the gospel, the message that has changed everything. Christ came to save sinners. This message is the reason that we exist as a church. Because we believe that Christ really came and he really died in our place for our sins. But here’s the thing, Christ did not stay dead.

9. Restored to Life (Hebrews 11:19; 1 Corinthians 15:4)

Just like Abraham believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead, Christ was raised on the third day. And when he rose from the dead, everlasting blessings followed. And if you are found in Christ on that Day, you too will be resurrected into Eternal Life.

10. Blessings Through the Sacrifice (Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:14; Revelation 7:9)

Because of the resurrection of Jesus, you and I, even though we are Gentiles, are counted as coheirs of the blessings of Abraham. Galatians 3:14 says,

14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

You see, no one stopped Christ’s sacrifice. There was no substitute for him. Why? Because he was the substitute for me and you. This is the gospel, and Genesis 22 masterfully illustrates this, you deserve to die for your sins. You deserve sin and death and hell. You deserve judgement. But at the last moment, Christ willingly became your substitute, much like the Ram that the Lord provided Abraham at the last moment.

APPLICATION

1. Trust God’s Promises

2. When you hear him call, respond with “Here I am.”

3. Prepare for trials through daily worship

4. Share the gospel with every opportunity

5. Rest in the Sovereignty of God

So by way of application, I have three things I want you to take with you:

Trust God’s Promises

Abraham’s story in Genesis 22 is all about trusting God when it doesn’t make sense. He held tightly to the promises God had made, even when asked to sacrifice the very son through whom those promises were supposed to come true. How often do we find ourselves in situations that don’t add up? Trusting God’s promises doesn’t mean we always understand His plans—it means believing His Word even when we can’t see the outcome. That’s faith in action, and it’s the foundation of a life centered on Him.

2. When you hear him call, respond with “Here I am.”

When God called Abraham’s name, his response was immediate: “Here I am.” He was ready to listen, ready to obey, ready to step into whatever God asked of him. I wonder how often God is calling us—through His Word, through His Spirit—but we’re too distracted or hesitant to say, “Here I am.” Let Abraham’s response remind us to be willing to say “yes” to God even before we know the full picture.

3. Prepare for trials through daily worship.

Before the sacrifice, Abraham tells his servants, “We will worship, and then we will come back to you.” Worship wasn’t just a song or a ritual for Abraham—it was his whole posture toward God. Even in the face of a heart-wrenching command, Abraham approached God in trust and reverence. Worship prepares us for the trials of life. It realigns our hearts to focus on God’s greatness rather than our circumstances. Are we preparing for life’s challenges by prioritizing worship, not just on Sundays but in our daily lives?

4. Share the gospel with every opportunity

Abraham’s obedience and faith pointed to something greater—the gospel itself. Just as Isaac carried the wood up the mountain, Jesus carried the cross for us. This story gives us a natural opportunity to share about the ultimate sacrifice God made for us. How can we take the everyday moments of life—conversations with coworkers, time with family—and point people to Jesus? Sharing the gospel doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s about connecting the hope we’ve received to the lives of those around us.

5. Rest in the Sovereignty of God

In the end, God provides a ram in place of Isaac. He is Jehovah Jireh—the Lord who provides. Abraham didn’t know how it would all work out, but he trusted that God would keep His promises. The same God who provided for Abraham is still sovereign over every detail of our lives today. We don’t have to carry the weight of figuring it all out. Instead, we can rest in His sovereignty, knowing that He sees the bigger picture and is always faithful to His Word.

Let’s pray