Abraham: Passing the Test

Genesis 22

This isn't the final event in Abraham's life. That's worth talking about. But we're going to go ahead and I'm going to read the chapter real quick and then we'll discuss it.

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him Abraham here. I am he answered take your son. You said you're only said Isaac who knew love and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I tell you about Play Abraham got up early in the morning sell his donkey and took with him two of his young man and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place. God had told him about on the third day. Abraham looked up and saw a place in the distance. And Abraham said is you're going to stay here with a donkey the boy and I will go over there to worship then we'll come back to you Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac in his hand. He took the fire and a knife and a two of them walked on together. Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said my father and he reply here. I am son. Isaac said the fire and the wood are here. But where is the Lamb for the burnt offering Abraham answered God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering my son the two of them walked on together when they arrived at the place that God had told him about Abraham built the altar there in a range of the wood. He found his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood and Abraham reached out took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called him from Heaven. It's an Abraham Abraham here. I am he replied Then he said do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him for I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your only son for me Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by a Torrance Abraham went and took the RAM and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. And Abraham name that placed the Lord will provide. So today it is said it will be provided on the large mountain. Then the angel of the Lord called Abraham a second time from Heaven said by myself. I have sworn. This is the Lord's declaration because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son. I will indeed blessed you and make your Offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore you're offering will possess the city Gates of their enemies and all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offering because you have obeyed my command Abraham went back to his young man and they got up and went together to Beersheba and Abraham settled in Beersheba. What do you do? when the very thing that you had hoped for and prayed for for the longest time is all the sudden threatened. And about to be taken away from you. How do you respond?

This was the test that Abraham was given. He had prayed for Isaac so did Sarah that was the one dream that they had more than any other dream is that guy would provide them super naturally US hunt? And I got put that dream in their heart. And so it's a little weird that Abraham is like Okay. Now I have to go kill the drink. That you gave me a guy that makes no sense. In fact isn't murder a sin. It doesn't make sense in this is one of the things that I think 80s I can try to like this proof Christianity with you know, it doesn't make sense. But here's what I want you to know. Did God promise Abraham a blessing? Okay, a big one. The huge pretty much be the mightiest family on the face of the Earth and from his family all of the families of the world all nations would be blessed through him. That is a place of honor. And God was going to Supernatural to provide them bless him to get him there and I like this because of how the list comes out his like you're offering will possess the city Gates of your enemies.

You're going to be a conqueror. Okay, David picks up that same thing. He's like Lord you prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies memory talks about haters guys going to continue to bless you and provide for you and promote you because your Faithfully following him and you're trusting in Him and people going to be jealous in any of that and a table. What do you do if you just relaxing you eat you just having coffee and people are just like who does he think he is? Anna and and you don't have to fight back. You don't have to even let it discourage. You just keep eating and that you make there's more than just wanted to know if you want to come join and they won't.

You stay focused on what God is doing. And where God is taking you remember where he's taking you? What is making you? And it's for the purpose by the way that you bless others. Okay. It's not the hold on to it all for yourself. So we have this big test that comes to Abraham. And it doesn't make any sense. I think about him like a widened guide go to such Extreme Measures the test Abraham like this. This is like this is Extreme which by the way Jews look up to Abraham and Moses, but they kind of avoid Abraham. And you want to know why it's not because he went to go do something radical and it mentions it twice whenever you see something be repeated twice in the passage of scripture. That means are more than that. Let me sit there trying to make a point. And What's the phrase that gets repeated a couple times here let you have not. Withheld your only son. Who does that sound like of God God didn't withhold his only son so this very chapter actually points to the Savior Jesus Christ. You see that as prosthetic.

So based on this we know okay, it's more about God saying hey I'm going to send my only son in the future and you know how hard that was for him to even comprehend. So God setting it up for the savior of the world to come who's going to need by the way the Senate actually being promised and being provided for like everything about this points to Jesus Christ. Okay. So that's the prophetic here is the point but it was a test of Abraham's faith and trust in God and His obedience. the more extreme the testing the more awesome and wonderful the treasure that's promised. So if you're going through massive amounts of testing and tribulation and trials right now, you just know that God has something phenomenal at the other end for you. I got you to encourage you like okay, turn the heat up then I want to be blessed to the fullest. So two things come from the passage from this chapter. We understand that. Hey, this is prophetically looking forward to the savior of the world Jesus Christ where God would give his only son and number two guys going to test your faith and he explains why he turned it. I'm out of order my versus this morning, but if you turn the Hebrew real quick chapter 11 verse 17

It says his success by faith Abraham when he was tested offered up Isaac. He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son. The one to whom it had been said you're offering will be called through Isaac. He considered guide to be able even to raise someone from the dead therefore. He received him back figuratively speaking. So Abraham obeyed God's voice knowing that somehow and someway this makes no sense that God would call me to go do this. But he has I'm going to obey I'm going to trust him to provide.

And he did it. And identified that was just a test. I guarantee you guys doing this in your life today and my life today and and he finds like harder more creative or difficult ways to just continually test the hey, are you still try to me? Are you still obeying me now? What would have been one of The Temptations that Abraham could have struggled with okay and I get this cuz I got a baby girl and saikawa sudden. She's like the part of my life, you know, you begin to love the gift more than the God who gave you the gift easy to get distracted with that, right? So that's another thing that got kind of testing here. He's like, are you all about your future that I promised you? Are you still about me? The one who makes it possible for you to have that future. It's easy to get caught up in the in the the gift and a worship. Andalus devotion into the guy who provided it. I want you to know that God tests your faith. Because he has treasure showed up for you that he wants you to take Holo but he wants to make sure that you are worthy of it. Meaning it's not going to pull your devotion off of him. Okay guy would not bless you or give you something that's going to make you love him less or make make you worship that more than him. Now here's the application that part don't let anything like how foolish would it be completely miss out on God's blessing simply because you can't control your last or desire for that thing. Make sense, like like I don't want to not have something because I would have worshipped that more than guys. I don't like that prevents him actually having it. It's kind of like weird way of thinking about it, but it's actually think about it. It's just we don't really do that math in our mind. Okay, James talks about this in James 1:12. He says blessed is the one who endures trials Abraham had a lot of Trials up to the point that he would have the greatest test, which was the sacrifices one almost done. Because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to who to those who love him. Two guys going to put you through a series of tests to prove that you love him. And he's like don't quit don't give up because I got something for you. And I want you to understand that in this at Abraham's life in your life.

Check this out. Go to Deuteronomy 14 if we have that on the screen, I'm sorry Deuteronomy 8 verses 1 through 14. This is why I want I'm going to read it, but this will kind of breakdown from scripture.

What this is all about? You must carefully follow every command that I'm giving you today so that you may live and increase and may enter and take possession of the land the Lord swore to your father's. Remember that the Lord your God LED you on it the entire journey through these 40 years in the wilderness so that he might humble you and text you to know what was in your heart whether or not you would keep his commands. Why is it important to keep God's commands? Jesus says those who love me will keep my commands Okay, so there are going to be many people who say Lord Lord I believe in you. They like why don't you do what I said that only those who keep God's commands love him. That's why it's important that I Don't Preach legalism. I Don't Preach moralism not going to improve your life. I try another like me better than the person next to you. You're going to preach love God and boy that you know, if you have got us cuz you keep his word.

He humbled You by letting you go hungry. NASA knows we go hungry and we're like God are you mad at me? No, he could just be trying to test you if you're on your way to a place that's better than where you are now. And he might drop a little test to make sure a is you worthy of getting there still.

He gave you managed to eat. What was Manna it was God's Supernatural provision for Israel when they were in the wilderness. I just was watching this documentary the other day where they talk about this ancient civilization that they just found this little Stone Place. Like Stonehenge Stonehenge is all throughout the world in like only Giants are aliens to build them getting kind of and they found this other one. I could think somewhere near Jordan and it's where this like people, you know, $15,000 years old or so and they called me like they're not to fruit tribe used to break unleavened bread. I might do the only people bacon unleavened bread in the Middle East or juice. But they wouldn't call it that I don't like you're trying to avoid be able to history too hard. And that's just the way the world Works. How do I get on that Mana?

The history science Archaeology is going to back up Faith in Jesus Christ more and more and more and more and it's going to get more ridiculous to deny it it really is. End of Rabbit Trail, which you and your father's had not known. So that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone. But on every word that comes out good comes from the mouth of the Lord. Here's another go back please. His another thing. Okay, how easy is it to think that our job is what sustains our life or I need someone. I need a spouse to like otherwise, I'm lonely and depressed and discouraged and honestly, I met people who that's why they're married is just because or why they're with this person is because they're afraid of you know, I don't find anyone else too if I'm I'll be by myself. And that's not that's not God inspiring your thoughts at this point. That's someone else. Okay, so it's really easy for us to think that our lives are sustained by the things that we can see your life is sustained by what you can't see in this case. God is invisible right now. Jesus can appear and also that invisibility. But we don't We're Not the Same by the things we can see where our lives are sustained by the things that we can't see. But naturally we don't buy into that. We got to learn that from the word of God. And that's one of the things that God was testing Abraham with Abraham had no idea how God will provide the sacrificial lamb. But he knew that God would and God did and it became very visible. And Isaac was like roof is about to die here that we don't really think a lot about how k your dad's about to kill you and doesn't make any sense. We we know that Isaac had been probably at least 10 years old because our older maybe even cuz he could carry a load of wood. I'm going to show you what that looks like here next Sunday. The new a sacrifice a lot of what so Isaac was also did CrossFit. Okay, he can carry someone and he submitted to God to so Isaac being tested as well. All right, everybody's being tested cuz they're about to be blessed like crazy. All right, and both of them relied on God to do what he said he would do but they haven't seen him do

I'm trying to really drive on this point that we don't live based on the things that we see we live based on what every word that comes from the mouth of God, but if you're not in the word, you're not really able to sustain your life like this is what sustains our life. This is where you get guidance. This is where you get energy. I wrote this note down the other day. What is this whole like what's my goal is I want all of you to have a personal relationship with God had by the way, they were really close. You know, how your closest friends or family members? You don't have to sugarcoat nothing waiting to speak Point Blank and they take it in another respect you for the love you for it again. Clothes. That's how close Abraham and God were because God told him.

So and Abraham was like, okay and he went did it. He went to go try to do it. So they were so close that I don't expect nothing cuz I want to go do and he and he bought into it. So that actually also speak to the intimacy that got him and he could clearly hear his words his voice and you get that I being in the work God will never guide you by the way to do anything contrary to this word. So the more you understand this word the more the voice of the holy spirit in your life is going to become like clear and evident. You're going to know where the person God wants me the night. I knew that was Katie. Like I literally spoke to me one day many many many years ago when I was just a lad and my dorm room.

And he made it clear. That's the one I'm supposed to marry. And I didn't hear with my ears. I heard it in my heart, but it was so powerful. I swear that like all the air left the room. I couldn't breathe I could breathe but I mean, it's Tyler cuz you when you hear God speak to you you like. Wow God's here right now and that happen in Life Is Life by the way Elijah went up the mountain to go talk with God and a big earthquake happen. No God big fire happened. No guide then a gentle breeze started blowing and God was there. Now there is a testing that comes. From someone else 1st Peter 5 8 through 11 says be sober-minded be alert your adversary the devil. Is prowling around like a roaring lion?

Looking for anyone he can devour resistant How firm in the faith. Knowing that the same kind of submarines are being experienced by your elbow leaders throughout the world. When I read this first there's a couple things that I love about it, but Christians complain in America, like if they're not prospering You know Christians are being killed around the world. Christian girls are being enslaved and sold it. It is a bad existence to be a Christian outside of the US and it's becoming about existence to be won in the US. We often kind of gauge of God's prophecy calendar based on how life is here Christians make that mistake a lot in America. We see persecutions happening like crazy pretty much every continent but here so it in the other thing to his is really easy to get focused on how bad our struggles are, but we're all struggling. So like when I don't have anything that they need prayer for my I got like 10 things. So unless you are all my bubble last week.

Everyone's in a fight everyone's going to struggle and we're only getting through the trouble cuz of the grace of God.

But I want you to avoid the tests that come from the devil and not think those are the ones that come from God. OK some tests. We like to sign up for the other test guide like I'm going to do this cuz I want to build you up and I'm going to strengthen you and I'm going to grow your faith. But what is Satan do he gives us test and Temptation. Temptations on this has to be like God to the new shiny thing. Temptations could just be like a God for you is never going to bless you. Your life's going to be this way for the rest of your life. Okay, and what NM Peter tells us here. Hey, here's how you stand firm against adults with faith. So we know that the primary goal of state of Satan stuff in our life is to make us doubt. Okay? Cuz that's what we're told to fight combat with is like a bee sperm in the face. He's trying to get you out of the face trying to get you to doubt that God's word which exactly what he did to eat. So I think I'd say you would really die. He was holding something from me and hate there's a better that you could have. So God doesn't want to rush you to the food. You see I was already getting to doubt God's promises. That's how it works. That's how it works in your life and my life. And anything that comes in your life. That you feel like is making you doubt God's word and you already know the source and based on the source alone. You know that it's a lie. You get that based on where this. Comes from. I know that it's a lie. I'll bring a banquet next Sunday.

Don't you remember that and I want you to know that? God's going to text you to build your faith. Satan's going to try to tear it down.

I don't want you to fall for that when you guys to me Weiss and ladies to me why it's okay now.

What's the whole I think message of Abraham's life here that were supposed to see as Christians? And I tried to summarize this by saying that faith is walking according to God's commands while trusting in Him and his promises. Okay, so if I wanted to find Faith that's hard to find it. It's walking according to God's commands while trusting in God and his promises.

It mentioned in Hebrews 11 what you've already read?

I will love how chapter 22 in. Okay, and I've highlighted this I've written it down over and over. Because this is the one thing that allowed Abraham to persevere and make it through the test. He was sure that God will provide. He never once doubted that and it was that faith that made him righteous by the way, and it was that face that also led to answer. Okay, that's what he was talking about number is it was cuz Abraham believed God actually Abraham believed that if he were to lose Isaac right there. Would resurrect them again another prophetic statement. Okay, but Abraham believed that he was too nice to provide no matter what so he went forward and two what didn't make any sense that God is telling you to leave a job leave a relationship Levi Levi Place living environment doesn't make sense. Cuz that's the only place you need to be right now and go. And know that God is going to provide. In fact, what if the one that he's about to delete remind? The place that God is leading you to is much better than PlayStation right now.

So don't hold on to the bad situation the toxic relationship. the low paying job or whatever and miss our God wants to take you just because you're not sure if you can provide throughout the one that's on the way.

I am really trying to help us all learn how to walk by faith. And this is something that I like. I have to think about this all week long enough. And so I think you need to trust me here and you just stop doing that. I mean it this morning but trust me at work in me as well. Okay?

And yes, it just is and it never comes at a convenient time like the car breaking down and I'll in the $3,000 bill.

Back to something. I want you guys to remember. Two things. I love Howard 22in before we head like this. I want to I want to point out something the place that God is leading you to and leading us all to us Believers in Jesus Christ, Isaiah talks about

Isaiah 65 I think I wrote down the wrong reference ear Route 17 is the right one.

God talking I love this chapter.

For I will create a new Heaven and a new Earth. The past events will not be remembered or come to mind. Then be glad and rejoice forever and what I am creating, how does this connect to the story? I'll explain it. Well God wants us to constantly be focused on the future and he has in store for you and I okay now. This is in reference to him creating a new Heaven and a new Earth. And what's the result of hoping in that new Heaven and new earth is it actually gives us joy and gladness today. When you praise God and gives you a whole new perspective on your problem that you don't have if you're not praising God. If you constantly just think about your problems or how bad it is right now that's going to like multiply the thing that you meditate on in your life and multiplies. Remember that it works for good that works for bad. The thing that you meditate on in your life multiplies and goddess and I want you to constantly remember that I have an amazing future waiting for you. And that's in heaven in the new Heaven and new earth over to learn about that and Daniel and Revelation because I just discovered the other night that one of the things that most Christians 36% of Christians today actually understand or believe in a bottle of Resurrection. Okay. Most people thought is that when we die, we are going to continue on and Eternity in a soul if State without a body. The Core teaching of Christianity is that when we die our soul goes to be with God when God comes back our body gets resurrected that's a Core teaching in Christianity. Okay, that's key. But for some reason most people think it's a Polish experience in heaven and we're playing Harps and sitting on clouds. How do you do that as a soul? I don't know but you're going to be back on this planet in an impenetrable state. You can't die. If you can't get sick. You don't have to I heard the ladies talking about like anti-aging whatever but the workout I have no doubt. They'll be coffee. And then you are by the way, I am going to talk about I am going to talk about we need to change some of our language just run at top of real quick. We talked about the afterlife. I think one of the songs we had mentioned death or something like that. Like when I die, I don't know. I'll never forget a couple weeks ago. I'm giving the message about a funeral and I'm like Cindy is more alive than we are today and everyone is like there's a mean with a girl who's like 65 in an old lady and she's smoking that came to mind just now like what is he smoking pot? Not good. But not good. This legalization. I won't even buy pot stocks go to the next things that blow up and I like to invest in stocks. I'm not going to support that that's going to lead to slavery and enslaving people destroying lives. In fact, there's probably a darker thing behind drug use which opens up the gateway to demonic activity now if you want that,

Here's why I went outside with Isaiah 65 17.

The future that God has waiting for you that you could take hold of me to let go of where you are now and the things that hold on to you now because you think that's what sustains your life is going to be so incredible that you weren't even remember how bad it used to be. Okay. Now I know that when were in that new Earth phase of Eternity will still know each other will still play ping pong. I'll still win.

But we're not going to remember the pain of the past. Right now some of us wake up in the morning then tell we think about this how painful that our past life is. God bless you so much is going to be so awesome. You're going to forget about that. I know that's big because some of us have had hard times with marriage marriages. I come from a broken home a divorced home, but the future is going to be so good. That you're not going to remember how painful it was in the past.

Not only is it just like a future heaven expectation. But watch what Jesus says in Matthew 19. I'm going to wrap it up with these two forces. Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or mother or children or Fields jobs. That's what that means. If it was a job back then when is my name everyone who has left something that mattered that meant everything the way of saying it? Okay, check this out will receive.

a hundred times more and inherit eternal life God does not like to be the one who's in debt. He likes to be the one who is so like I'm going to pay that back a hundred times. You loan me $10. I'm going to pay you back a hundred. Okay. Now we're talking about the things that matter most to us in life.

If you leave this for my sake and that's what exactly Abraham was going to do. I'm willing to leave my son. And what did he get in return? He got his believe the son and he got so much more.

I hope that today's message gives you the confidence for one that you can be so close to God that you know him personally. Okay, and you can recognize his voice in your life. The number to I want you to live a Spirit-filled life where you know that hey, this is where God is directing me to go. This is what he wants me to this is where he's taking me and what he's making me. I'm not going to buy this like I'm going to tattoo now.

Only pagans do that.

I want you to be filled with the spirit of God so that you know where he's taking you in ways making you. I want you to know that the thing that you're terrified to let go of right now is the very thing that is stopping you from having the future that God want you to have Okay, and I want you to have this mindset that Abraham had. It was based on what God Said to Abraham was we've already seen that. He was not a perfect example by any stretch of the imagination. The guy had plenty of failures in his life. Okay, and they were bad you and I didn't feel as bad as this guy did and repeated that failure. Okay, but God we still faithful to him. Why was God so favourable upon a guy who wasn't perfect is wasn't really even a good example at times at all. It's because Abraham had faith in him. I want you to understand how important it is to God that we have faith in him that we trust in him. Like that means the world to him. That's the biggest compliment. That's that's the thing he wants most from you. Is he like I want you to trust me. I want you to believe in me that I'm going to provide for you and I'm going to protect you. Okay Abraham did because Genesis 22:17. God says I Will Bless You indeed That was a tattooing phrase. I was referring to a minute ago. I will bless you in need Abraham never questioned that one thing that God would bless him. How is easy is it for us? There's like, okay. Well God might have been after Abraham or he might have done that for a Jimmy or someone else but he's not going to bless me and I want you to know that that is that why that Peter talks about it saying trying to get you to buy into so he can devour your life. That is a very lie that he's bought into she's like God has more blessing but he's not letting me know know God indeed will bless you not because you are perfect. Are you deserve it? But because of who he is.

because of Grace what's closing for? Heavenly Father

Help us to trust in you. and in your promises

Help us to be close enough to you to recognize your voice in our lives. Help us to also recognize that fear comes from Satan.

And that we don't we don't want our fear to get in the way of the future that you have waiting for us. That's just a mental internal mindset. And it becomes our biggest enemy at that point. God help us to completely trust you and to realize that you are the one who sustains our life our spiritual and physical and emotional and mental well-being comes from you. It doesn't come from the things that we can see.

Got it comes from you and it's so easy for us to forget that and to put all of our security into our job or our marriage or home or our popularity. are drugs partying or whatever Help us to realize that our lives are sustained by you guide. I pray that everyone who hears this message would have the same mindset that Abraham had.

That we would be fully confident that you will indeed. What's us? And that we would live every moment every day this week. Was that confidence? And God, what is also take the blessing that you pour into our lives and use that to bless other people so that they would come to know you and trust you just like we do. God help us to be smart this week to recognize where Satan is attacking us and give us the faith to stand firm. Got enter resistant and we know that as soon as we do. He flees and it's because we follow a lion who has a bigger Lion in that one and he is God. I pray that everyone will continue to read through the Psalms and that they would pray the Psalms out loud.

That you would give them the time to do that. Don't let them start the day or go on their own way without doing that first. God teach us how to pray prayers that get ahold of you and that reach your heart cuz I know that those are the prayers that are going to get answer. Lord make us more like your son Jesus.

Give us the faith that he had give us the character that he had. We ask this in his holy powerful name. Hey, man.