Wait...You want me to WHAT?!

I. Introduction

Would you open your copy of God’s Word to Genesis Chapter 22…We’re going to be looking at when God asks for more than we think we can give. That’s Genesis Chapter 22....we’re going to look at verses 1-24, that’s the entire chapter.

Now we live in a world today that is all about ease. It’s all about comfort. And we enjoy it....there’s always a new product that saves us time....a new service we can farm out to somebody else. We all take advantage of it.

Robotic vaccuum cleaners for example....if you’ve got the internet, these vaccuum cleaners will digitally map out our floor of your home to be sure they cover the entire surface area of your carpet. You can even program them to only clean when you’re away at work…or at night when you’re asleep. They actually have a similar product that is a robotic lawn mower....it’ll cut your grass. Works in a very similar way to the robotic vuccuum.

Automatic dog feeders....automatic security systems....My dad has this camera system at his house. The other day I stopped by to get a piece of tin from under his shed while he was at work and he called me as I was leaving and asked if the piece I got was the right size....he got an alert on his phone that somebody was under th shed and he was watching me the entire time on his phone from work.

Amazing....

we have found so many new ways to save ourselves from certain mundane tasks....and it’s almost to the point now, where we have gotten so comfortable being comfortable that we struggle when God asks us to do something hard.

God asked something hard of Abraham in this chapter. Let’s read about.

a. Scripture: Genesis 22:1-24

I’m going to ask you to stand with me, if you are able, as we read from God’s Holy, Perfect, Sufficient and inerrant Word.

<Pray>

Thank you, and you may be seated.

II. Major Points

God Demands We Leave Our Comfort Zones

Do you see Jesus?

III. Point #1: God Demands We Leave Our Comfort Zones

Explanation

Now I want you to understand something here that’s very important. God, had NO intention of having Abraham kill Isaac. God wanted to give Abraham an opportunity to live his faith.

The Bible says that Abraham tooks Isaac from Beesheba to Moriah....which in those days would’ve been a journey of about two days. Can you imagine two GRUELING days with that terrible secret in your heart…eating with Isaac…looking into his eyes…knowing what was coming....Must’ve been hard…uncomfortable.

You see, faith, is a lot like love…it’s an action word…it’s verb. Love isn’t feeling…have ever thought about this before....you don’t look at your wife and say “I feel love for you.” Right? I mean not unless like English is your second language…That doesn’t make any sense....yet we so often treat love like a noun…like a thing…a feeling. You don’t say that to your wife, right men? You said “I LOVE you.” Not “I feel love for you,” I love you. It’s verb. It’s something you do....therefore it is supported by action. That’s why God emphasizes in Scripture that love is an action....What does Scripture say is the greatest expression of love one human being can give to another?

John 15:13 says it:

John 15:13 NASB95

“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

It’s act....similarly faith is a action....Do you remember what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:7?

Paul said there is one action word by which we must live....

2 Corinthians 5:7 NASB95

for we walk by faith, not by sight—

How do you live....by faith....an action. And without faith, Hebrews 11:6 says it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.

What was it that healed the blind man in Mark Chapter 10?

Mark 10:52 NASB95

And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.

Church listen to me: Faith cannot fully be displayed without discomfort. Without an imposition.

Think about it…You sitting telling me you have faith while everything is just wodnerful in your life is about like you shining a flashlight up into the sun....it doesn’t mean a whole lot, does it?

No, no…you see....it’s when it’s dark outside....that your flashlight stands out....that it pierces the darkness....

The same way is your faith....you put faith on display when things are good…that’s easy....but when you get uncomfortable....when things are dark....that’s when your faith really shines through.

I want you to see something here....everything God set up in this story was to bother Abraham at his very core....as a parent....as a father....as a leader....as a man of fiath.....all of was intentionally aimed at taking Abraham out of his comfort zone.

Think about it....

He’s being told you are about to lose the one thing you BEGGED God for in your life.....your son. Do you remember what he and Sarah went through to have achild.....nearly 100 years of baronness....and shame....and worry....and God finally gave Isaac to Abraham. And now....God says he’s taking Isaac....God....what?

Not only is he losing his son, the one he wanted so badly....but he’s being asked to take him by his own hand.....to do this horrible act himself....

Talk about out of your current zone.

Illustration You know Abraham was different from a lot of us....Many of us see difficulties in every opportunity....Abraham saw opportunity in every difficulty.

Several years ago one cold, cold winter morning…the sun hadn’t even risen yet...we were up getting ready for school when my Mama looked out the window and to her horror, she saw that our French Poodle Precious had fallen into the water.

My brother Aaron wasted no time....he dove into the icy water grabbed Precious…and brought her out of it to safety.

Totally uncomfortable....he, of course ran to jump in the hot shower after that…but if he hadn’t been willing to leave his comfort zone for a moment....we would have lost our dog that day.

Application

Church....let me tell you something very important this morning: If you’re going to please God…it is IMPOSSIBLE to do so without faith....and to have faith, means you have show it....live it....DO it. And all too often, we are perfectly happy to show our faith in comfort....it’s when hard times come that we struggle....we, for some reason…be it culture or something else, hate to be inconvenienced.

Abraham was seriously inconvenienced in this test from God....he was launched out of his comfort zone. The only real way to show REAL faith is to leave the place that we are most comfortable.

You cannot share your faith with others without reaching out. Brother Aaron reminded us of that last week. People aren’t coming here. The world isn’t coming to the church....that’s why God says we must go OUT to them....

What was Jesus telling us in the Great Commission of:

Acts 1:8 NASB95

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Well friends....how do we go witness locally, regionally, nationally, and all over the world? Do you think they’re going to come here to hear it?

If they were, bless God, we’d be full every Sunday....Jesus said go be witnesses of of Him by GOING....to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Friends....we can’t sit on our lazy boys and never leave comfort and be good Christians....it can’t happen.

We are all expected to do things that make us a uncomfortable…why? Because God wants us to realize that we not only SHOULD but we MUST rely on Him. That’s the lesson....

I cannot please God the same way I please man. Man looks at me and says “show me what YOU can do.” God looks me and says “Let me show you what I can do through you.”

You have to be willing to get uncomfortable.

Abraham’s reaction was NOT to argue with God....to try to get God to reconsider....what was Abraham’s reaction? Verse 3 says:

Genesis 22:3 NASB95

So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

Abraham didn’t delay....he didn’t want to give himself an opportunity to talk himself out of being obedient....so he got early and went....without delay...

He responded with obedience....despit his discomfort.

You have to be willing to get uncomfortable.

IV. Point #2: Do you See Jesus?

Explanation Folks....do you see Jesus in this story? He’s all over it....He’s ALL over it.

First…I want you to pay attention to Isaac.

What about Isaac? In the movies and story books, Isaac appears to be just a kid, like 8, 9 or 10…but Scripture indicates that by the time of this incident, Isaac was probably more like 20 years old.....

Isaac wasn’t an idiot....he looked around....and something didn’t look right, did it?

Genesis 22:7 NASB95

Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Isaac was beginning to put two-and-two together....that there was no burnt offering…that HE was going to be to sacrifiece.

Now I love my daddy....I love him very much…and I trust him....but if that joker ever builds and altar and tells me to lay on it and expects me to say “ok!” and just hop up there he’s lost his mind…ain’t gonna happen. Why? I’m grown man and I aint about to let somebody cook me on a altar.

Isaac was a grown man too....He was 20 years old…and his daddy was over 100…he was about 100 when Isaac was born…so you do the math. If Isaac didn’t want to get on that altar....there wasn’t ANYBODY putting him up there.

It was an act of obedience, that Isaac allowed his father to put him on that altar. Yes, verse 9 says that Isaac was bound....tied up....but I believe fully that he allowed his father to do that....out of obedience…out of trust.

I want you to think about this this morning....who put Jesus on the cross...

Was it the Romans? A powerful civilization that had become so wicked they met the Son of God and decided to kill Him?

Was it the Jews? You know some people hate Jewish people until this very day because they blame them for sending Jesus to the cross....

Who was it that killed Jesus? Who put him on that cross?

In John 10:18 Jesus said:

John 10:18 NASB95

“No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

If Jesus had not wanted to go up on that cross....there weren’t enough Romans or Jews alive to make him do it. He gave his life willingly.

Do you Jesus in this story? Isaac willingly going to the altar is a picture of Jesus willingly going to the cross....

Do you see what the angel of the Lord emphasized when he spoke the second time? Listen to this....

Genesis 22:12 NASB95

He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

Your ONLY son…For God so loved the world…that gave his ONE AND ONLY SON.

Do you see Jesus, once again, tucked nicely into a little piece of the Old Testament?

He’s all over it if you’ll just take a minute to look.

When Isaac asked where the lamb was…do remember that? Isaac realized there was nothing sacrifice so he said “where’s the lamb...” What did Abraham say?

Genesis 22:8 NASB95

Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

Just like that was a promise that would ultimately save Isaac’s life....it’s a promise to us, that God would one day provide the lamb of God....Jesus.

When the angel told Abraham to stop…to spare his son....he looked around and sure enough the lamb provided…a ram…a male sheep…and it was bound…stuck in a thicket. Easily taken…given by the Lord....no fighting…no hunting…there it was.

The horns of the ram are believed by many to represent a crown, like that of Christ. I’m not sure if that’s what God meant to refer to there with the ram’s horns or not. Some scholars say it was, some don’t....but I know this: Typically, the word thicket in English just means woods that are really bushy and hard to get through. The Greek word used for thicket hjere is bas·sə·ḇaḵ....that word is only used in the Old Testament about 3 or 4 times. In Isaiah 9:18, listen to how the word thicket is used:

Isaiah 9:18 NASB95

For wickedness burns like a fire; It consumes briars and thorns; It even sets the thickets of the forest aflame And they roll upward in a column of smoke.

Thickets can have briars in them…I just wonder…if those bushes that that rams horns were stuck in, had thorns piercing its brow....don’t you? Just like our Savior had a crown of thorns piercing His.

Do you see Jesus in this story?

Application Church: Understand this: No matter what we learn about in this book called Genesis, every bit of it points to Jesus Christ....not always as easily detectable as the Christ-Type that we see here in Isaac’s story....but Jesus is always there.

HE is the message of the Bible. We would do well to look for Him.

VI. Conclusion

a. Let me ask you this morning: Have you been asked to leave your comfort zone? You say I can’t serve at church....or I can’t share my faith....or I can’t do this or that....it’s too hard…it makes me uncomfortable.

God’s gonna ask you to be uncomfortable. He’s vastly more interested in your holiness than your happiness....He vastly more interested in your service than your splendor....he’s vastly more interested in your obedience than He is your opulence or your riches, and he’s vastly more interested in your worship than He is your worldly comforts.

Step out on faith....Jesus will be waiting.

b. Let’s Pray