How to take a test, Faith to go all in - part 3
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Abraham who is going through a test from God, is about to sacrifice his son
10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
12 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.”
Here we get to the heart of the test, and we see that
Abraham went all in
Abraham went all in
God’s Tests separate the real from the fake
it so easy to say/think that God is your all and all
it’s to say I love the Lord
easy to sing a popular Christian song
it’s to make a Christian post on social media
but a test will truly show you, if you are all in
show you what you really think about God, believe about God, how much faith you have in God
show how high God is on your priority list
This test showed that Abraham was all in
God said, “for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
in other words, Abraham, you went all in
Abraham took what was most precious to him, and offered it to God . . . . Abraham went all in
Abraham had faith to believe that God’s promises would somehow, someway still come to pass . . . Abraham went all in
Abraham trusted God with everything . . . Abraham was all in
13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.
14 Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.”
The Lord will provide - a simple and powerful truth
not maybe, could, might, possibly . . . but will
God held up his end, as always, he is faithful
Abraham was all in, but also . . .
God was and all in
God was and all in
when going through a test, notice how we have the nerve to try and flip it, and test/question God?
God what are you doing?
God do you care?
God when are you going to rescue me?
Why God, why?
we start asking him test questions!
I can’t answer all of the what’s, why’s, when’s . . . in my own life, let alone yours . . .
but I can tell you one thing, never doubt that God . . .is all in
take comfort in that
remember that
hang on to that . . . Jehovah Jireh
The Lord will provide, because he is all in
what you need, when you need it, how you need, where you need it
The Lord will provide because he is all in, he is faithful
God is all in and fully committed to your relationship with him
he dived into the relationship with us
so much so that God did not withhold his only son, but sacrificed Him for us . . . because he is all in!
God provided a way for us to be saved
when we have communion, it reminds us that God is all in
15 Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven,
16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son,
17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.
18 “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
There’s a blessing in being all in
There’s a blessing in being all in
there is a blessing in passing the test
Test are given because God wants to bless you, promote you, favor, expand you, grow you
when we pass other tests in life
we move up to the next grade
we get the diploma/degree/certification/llicesne
because we passed the test
Understand that Abraham had been already blessed by God in earlier in Genesis
God said he would be blessed
God said he would multiply him
God said he would have descendants
but after Abraham passed the test,
Abraham went from being blessed to greatly blessed
Abraham went from being multiplied to being greatly multiplied
Abraham went from having descendants, to having victorious, conquering descendants
There is a blessing in being all in
turns out that Abraham’s test was actually an opportunity
opportunity to be greatly blessed, greatly multiplied
opportunity for his descendants to be blessed even more
more favor, more grace
Abraham would testify that there is a blessing in being all in
so the question is . . .
Abraham went all in
God was and is all in
There’s a blessing in being all in
but will you go all in . . .
God is faithful, he is asking, “will you be faithful”
everybody wants to be surrounded by people that are down for them, ride or die, people who are all in for them
God is the same way
no one is surrounded by more hanger-ons, gold diggers, opportunists than God
God is surrounded by people who don’t want him, don’t care for him, don’t have his interests in mind
people who will only be there in the good times
they don’t really want/like him, they want his things: money, stuff, power, influence, help, favor, healing, wisdom
God’s test are there to see who is really ride or die, who’s really down, who is really all in
that’s why you see people falling away, you can’t fake your way through God’s tests
you need to decided that no matter what happens, come what may, I am all in with God
the old songs says, I will trust in the Lord, until I die!”
I will do what the Lord says do
I’m gonna stay on the battle field
Are you wiling to go all in?
let me ask it another way:
What is it that you will NOT give up for the Lord if He asked you to?
lifestyle, time, money, status, power, dreams, popularity, freedom to live by your own rules
or is it vengeance and unforgiveness in your heart that you are not willing to give up?
the problem is that we take comfort in the areas in our lives that we have given up the the Lord
“i’m doing pretty good in this area, and that area”
but not the area that God is asking about. . . what about that one area .
we say, “Yes, Lord”, but not for that
have your way Lord, but not for that
do what you want Lord, as long as it is not that
but guess what the test is going to be over . . . . going to be over that . . . ask the rich young ruler
And it will be hard, but remember there is a blessing in being in!
blessings, promotion, more favor, more grace
Don’t misunderstand, you don’t earn blessings or gifts . . . that’s why they are called blessings and gifts
but you earn God’s trust
and with his trust comes more grace, more favor
this is a spiritual principle
we see it in the scripture that says, “Well done thy good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things”. . . there is a principle there of being blessed when you earn God’s trust
Now if you are not willing to go all in, you are saying
I don’t want any more blessing in my life
favor, grace, promotions, increase
my family doesn’t need anything else
my ministry has enough impact/power
I’m cool, i’m set
Don’t you want everything that God has for you?
wants to do for you?
wants to do through you?
Then go all in?
and if the Holy Spirit is speaking to you through this word, you already know what to do, in order to go all in
whether it’s stopping something, or starting something
doming more of something, or less of something
or sacrificing something, or changing something
whatever it is, go all in
Abraham was all in
God was and is all in
There’s a blessing in being all in
God sent me to encourage you, to go all in