Life of Abraham 11

Question

Poll question (reveal it to online people first)

How many years did it take for the promise of Isaac to come to pass?

Is God Testing You?

because God does give test

tonight we review Abraham’s test

If you know the story of Job, you know Job was tested

Test: special circumstances, unique situations that come into your life . . . more than just hard times (and God will help you with those) . . . but a specific problem aimed directly at you?

Tests normally deal with learning and promotion

learning, being taught (material, about yourself, about the teacher)

12th grade English

material - learned skills and tools to writing better

myself - learned I had been skating by with my writing

teacher - learned she was not going to put up with mediocre version of Dimitri, and not just a mean, crazy lady

being taken to the next level, promoted (only class I needed to graduate)

God has tested you, or is testing you, or will test you . . . and whatever your situation might be, this will be a valuable Bible study

So let’s use the scripture to seek the answer to, “Is God testing you?”

Chapter 22 - The Test

Super simple version: God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son. it is only a test but Abraham does not know it.

Abraham is obedient and takes Isaac up to the mountain to kill him

Isaac ask where is the offering, and Abraham answers God himself will provide the offering

“God will see to it”

we see a foreshadowing of Jesus, God provided the lamb of God as the offering for our sins

as he is about to kill Isaac, God stops him at the last moment.

Abraham then seeds a ram nearby that has been caught in the thicket, and sacrifices the ram instead of Isaac.

Then Abraham called the place Jehova Jireh

God will provide . . . . He truly does . . . He provided Jesus, so certainly he will provide whatever else you need

Then God says that he will bless Abraham even more.

Now, let’s see if God is testing you

Genesis 22:1 NASB95

1 Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham

After what things:

Son, Isaac was finally born – the promised miracle has come to pass (25 years)

Ishmael is sent out – baby mama drama has ended, peace in the home

Agreement reached with Abimelech – peace on the job

Finally, things are really looking up, but after these things . . . God decided to test Abraham

When God gives a test, the timing will seem unfair

there is no syllabus with the test schedule, no official announcement, no heads up . . .

just at the seemingly worse possible time, God will give you a test

You just got out of a tough situation

you just made it through a rough patch

Just had a breakthrough, just gave your testimony at church

Still catching your breath . . . and here comes a test from God

So is God testing you?

Maybe, if the timing seems unfair (like during Covid season)

Genesis 22:2 NASB95

2 He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”

When God gives a test, the situation will seem unfair

in this verse, God gives the time, place, people, and conditions, it’s all God’s doing, he sets is up

Abraham has done nothing wrong

let me say it this way, a test from God is not a result of you acting up

If you cussed everyone at the job and got fired, that’s not a test, that’s the result of not keeping your mouth shut

if you cheated on your spouse and they left you, that’s not a test, that’s results of your unfaithfulness

if God is testing you, you won’t be able to trace back why, it will be of no fault of your own

you’ll wonder, “How did I end up in this predicament?”

it probably will be unfair and disturbing

Abraham had to be wondering, “How did I end up with a knife in my hand, about to kill my only son?”

Job would say, I did everything right, and I have to suffer? That’s unfair and disturbing

Joseph would say, I was a man of integrity, and I go to jail for it?

David would say, I defeated Goliath, I won many battles, I play music to sooth your soul, and Saul repays me by trying to kill me?

The test won’t even seem to fit God’s character, find yourself saying, “this makes no spiritual sense! Why has God put me in this situation?”

or “why did God give it to me, just to take it away!”

Abraham . . . . Isaac

Joseph . . . his dreams

David, anointed as king, national hero . . . .fugitive

God opened the door for you to get that new house/new car, and then lost your job

You just committed to a new venture, God opened doors and everything was a go, but then everything unexpectedly got shut down

surprise loss of relationship (David and Samuel)

great relationship, favored servant, faithful son-in-law, to Saul wants to kill me

it doesn’t seem right, it doesn’t seem fair, does God know what he’s doing? . . . . you might be taking a test

So is God testing you?

Maybe, if the timing seems unfair

If it is a situation you didn’t cause

When God gives a test, sometimes the test will come in the area of your purpose

You give a fireman, a fireman’s test

You give an electrician, an electrician’s test

layer takes the bar exam

Abraham, The father of many nations is tested in fatherhood

love for son vs love for God

Daniel, known for hearing from God through prayer was tested in prayer - Lion’s den story

Test how bad you want to hear from God

hearing from God was more important that life itself for Daniel

For Abraham and Daniel, their tests were situations that threatened to shut down their purpose all together.

If Abraham’s child was dead . . . no father of many nations

if Daniel couldn’t pray . . . . no revelations from God (book and end times prophecies)

Then if you don’t know your purpose, sometimes you can look at the kind of you are going through and learn about your purpose/calling

So is God testing you?

Maybe, if the timing seems unfair

If it is a situation you didn’t cause and seems unfair

Could be a sign if the situation have something to do with your purpose

Breakout Rooms: What is the name of your test?

for Abraham

he learned about material - trust God’s word

he learned about himself - that he truly put God first

he learned about God - you might not know how, but God will come through

The name of his test - God will provide

my test - God is your real source

welcome back

what if you think you are actually taking a test. Then let me give you the answer to the test

Genesis 22:10 NASB95

10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

The answer to the test: Be all in with God

that’s how God formats his tests, everything will look so off, so weird, disturbing, not right . . . that you will have to simply trust God or not trust God

put God first or not put Him first

love God or not love God

fully believe in God’s word or not fully believe in God’s word

run on to see what the end is going to be . . . or quit

You will have to be all in

and that’s what we see in Abraham, he was all in

The Bible tells us what he was thinking

Hebrews 11:17–19 NLT

17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18 even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

Hebrews teaches us that Abraham thought that we would kill Isaac and that God would raise Isaac from the dead . . . because Isaac was the promised son

He was wrong on how God would deliver Isaac, but he knew God would deliver Isaac . . . all in

and when we are faced with a test from God, we need to decided to be all in

100% trust in God - his word, promises, his love, his knowledge, his plans, his wisdom, his power

So the answer is simple, “be all in” . . .but the problem will look hard!

for Abraham the answer was simple: kill him . . . . but the problem was hard, lose my child

for Daniel the answer was simple: keep praying . . . but the problem, lose my life in the ion’s den

for the three Hebrew boys the answer was simple: don’t bow down . . . . bu lose my life in the fire

simple answer, hard looking problems

Example: don’t be like the little girl, who cried and cried when I gave her a math test

i told her any number times zero is zero

she said this is so easy, she was so happy . . .

SIMPLE ANSWER

until I gave her a test

she was doing well until the last problem

and on the last problem, tears began to fall

“I don’t understand the last problem”

yes you do . . . more tears

“can you show me how to do the last problem?

I already have . . . tears

the last problem was this giant number x 0

how could he give me a problem with a number so big that I can’t even say ii

how could he give me a number I’ve never worked with before

he won’t even help me or give me a hint . . . this is unfair, not right, . . . .disturbing

tears of sadness, frustration, and some anger at me

all I would say was, “remember what I told you”

trust what I told you . . . it looks different, it looks impossible

but the word I taught you still works in this situation

Some of you are facing some disturbing situations, that you’ve never faced before

and I’m here to tell you, remember what God told you

the same word that got you through those smaller problems, those earlier difficulties, is still good for what you are going through right now

continue to trust fully in God and his word

so finally . . . is God testing you?

Maybe, if the timing seems unfair

If it is a situation you didn’t cause and seems unfair

Could be a sign if the situation have something to do with your purpose

if so, the answer is easy . . . . be all in

Mentor Moment

Casting all your care prayer list, I keep it going 22 answered prayers

I think you need some type of prayer journal, scripture journal (written, electronic)

Poll Announcements

Our 40 days celebration for 40 years will begin . . .

During our church anniversary, we will . . .

During our Anniversary Celebration, Women’s Day will be which Sunday?

During the cake baking competition, who will likely win?

October, 40th anniversary

Special presentation each Sunday

1st Sunday – 40th Picture day, Mother Alston installed

2nd Sunday – Youth Day/T-shirt day

t-shirt sizes to 1st Lady Sherry Caver

3rd Sunday – Old School Service Day (songs, dress)

Clothes: dress up

Men – 3 piece suit Ladies - Children – dress up

4th Sunday – Men’s Day

Men’s Praise Team

5th Saturday, October 30 - Carnival

5th Sunday – Women’s Day

Women’s Praise Team