How Solid is Your Faith?

If you are familiar with Scripture then just hearing the words, “Turn to Genesis 22” makes you wonder why this passage? I agree it is a strange passage to look at when we’re discussing the necessity of giving to missions, and I agree, I had the same thought when I couldn’t get the passage out of my head. “Why this passage God?” Trust me, its there.

I want to be clear. The interpretation of this passage, what it means, is clear as crystal: God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.

Again, “What does that have to do with faith promise and missions?” Well, everything!

See, the whole chapter, is a picture of the substitutionary death of Jesus. Abraham is a type of God the Father, willing to sacrifice his son. Isaac is a type of Jesus, demonstrated in his carrying the wood for the sacrifice (just as Jesus would physically carry His cross and spiritually carry our sins), and even the ram is a picture of Jesus as God sent it to die in Isaac’s place, just as Jesus died in our place. Its beautiful really.

“Pastor, how does this apply to missions and faith promise giving?” Well, let me ask you, “What is the purpose of missions?” To share the gospel with the whole world. That answers the first part: This passage reflects the gospel, and it is the gospel we are commanded to share with the world. The second part deals with Faith Promise, right?

This passage got me thinking about those two words: Faith and Promise. Here is what I realized: Your faith is only as solid (strong) as the object of your faith.

Abraham’s life to this point had been one of ups and downs. Of faith and failure. He would one minute trust God and then the next moment he would fail God. But then something chagned in his life and his faith became rock solid!

There is a lot we can learn about faith promise from the faith of both Abraham and Isaac.

We see that their faith was rock solid in the following ways: Notice...

The Response v.1-2

Genesis 22:1 KJV 1900

1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

God called to Abraham, and Abraham readily responded: “here I am.” There was a familiarity with the voice of God and Abraham had learned to listen.

God called his name and Abraham said, “I’m here. I’m ready. I’m willing to obey.” But we know something that Abraham didn’t! God had a purpose in calling Abraham: To “tempt” him.

-the word “tempt” does not mean to do something evil, but rather to test him-

Church can I say to you today that when God calls you to something, you need to be ready to answer Him as Abraham did, but you must also understand what Abraham didn’t, that when God calls upon you to do something, there is a test involved.

Abraham had learned from the failures in his life to trust God, but God had seen him waver so many times, his faith had to be tested. So what does God do?

Genesis 22:2 KJV 1900

2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

We know that God has never commanded human sacrifice as part of worshiping Him, in fact he condemns it in His law. We know that this was merely the ultimate test of Abraham’s faith, and we know that God NEVER intended Abraham to go through with it...but Abraham didn’t know that!

Church, this month God is going to impress on your heart to give to missions and you’re going to say, “Yes Lord! I’ll give.” That is the right response, but that response invites with it testing. There will be times when you are “tempted” to slack off on your promise, but remember the object of your faith. Remember what He has promised - to never leave you, nor forsake you. To be with you always. We’ve seen Abraham’s response to God’s call, now notice...

The Reaction v. 3

Genesis 22:3 KJV 1900

3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

Read that again church. God called. Abraham responded. There is no indication of any hesitation on his part. He saddled his donkey. He cut the wood. He called two servants to go with them and they left.

Not the response I would have had!

If we’re honest, it’s also not the response that we have when listening to another sermon on missions giving either.

Church let me remind you that the great commission has not been rescinded. It is still intact for us today.

There is a huge difference between the response to God’s call - the willing heart, and the reaction to His call, the “what am I actually willing to do?”

If Abraham were here he would say to you today, “You can trust God. If He is calling you to do something, He will equip you to accomplish it.”

But, I don’t want you think this was easy for Abraham and Isaac. Notice....

The Reality v. 4-7

Genesis 22:4–7 KJV 1900

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

For three days they had been journeying to Moriah. For three days Abraham had been tossing around in his head what God had asked him to do. For three days he had been dreading seeing the mountain. And now here they are.

Isaac wasn’t a foolish young man. Most scholars believe he was around 20 years old, some even say 33 since that is roughly the age of Jesus when He died, but we don’t know for sure. Isaac carried the wood, while Abraham took the fire and the knife. Isaac knew there was to be a sacrifice, that this was the only way to please God, but “where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

Church this is the crisis missionaries all across the world are dealing with: There are people dying and going to hell, who do not know of the sacrifice given for them so they could avoid it.

Husband, and wife - when it comes to faith promise giving, there is no such thing as individual decision making. This affects both of you. It will involve sacrifice. It will involve...faith.

Isaac trusted Abraham and Abraham trusted God. Church, if we are going to do our part to reach the world then we must have faith in God! Notice lastly...

The Resolve v. 8-14

Genesis 22:8–14 KJV 1900

8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.

Don’t for a minute think that Abraham’s heart wasn’t broken by Isaac’s question. I know that it was, but as hard as it was to hear his son ask that question, Abraham still had faith in God!

Notice his words in verse 8.… How prophetic! On that same mountain range one day would the Son of God hang suspended between heaven and earth to die for our sins.

Abraham didn’t stop. He built an altar, bound his son (as he would have a lamb), and was preparing to take his life when God called him again, and guess what, He did provide a substitute for Isaac. There behind him was a ram caught in a thicket...God had provided.

Conclusion:

God has commanded that it is the church’s responsibility to reach the world with the gospel. You and I cannot go to every single country and speak with every single person, and God knows that. Therefore God has provided missionaies as substitutes to go in our place. By giving to faith promise you are doing your part to reach the lost of this world with the news of the greatest substitute: Jesus Christ who died in their place.

How solid is your faith this morning?

If God calls you to give will you respond with a willing heart?

Will you react in a way that honors God?

Will you allow the reality of what is going on in this word to impact your decision to give, get a sense of the need of those lost and dying without Jesus and then

Will you have the resolve to trust in God no matter what?

These are the questions God wants us to answer as we continue into Faith Promise Month. WIll you bow with me today?