SACRIFICIIAL FAITH

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A story is told about , a 99-year-old war veteran who walked six miles each day —to visit his wife while she was in the hospital. Luther Younger, from Rochester New York. visited his wife Waverlee each and every day while she was in the ICU with a brain tumor.

This story which date back to 2018, was one of such passion that it drew the attention of national television including CBS news. Kaitlin O’ Kane who covered the story exclaimed: After hearing about Luther, I decided to go up to Rochester so I could take the walk with Luther to the Hospital. It was a hot August day — over 90 degrees — but that didn't faze him. When I arrived at his home on Tuesday, he proved he was in tip-top shape and ready for the trek. He dropped to the floor and started doing perfect pushups. Then he popped up, slung a backpack over his shoulder and said, "Let's go."

He warned me I would have to keep up with him. I wasn't prepared for him to start running, but he did — several times. I started running behind him, trying to keep up as he led the way through the suburban streets.

On the walk he reminisced about his marriage. He said he had met his wife Waverlee in a laundromat and got married at their home, adding that his wife looked beautiful on their wedding day.

Luther went on to explain "She wasn't easy. She was the type of person, if you didn't work, you got to go. And I had to work…” . "That's why I'm sticking with her, because if it hadn't been for my wife, I wouldn't have made it."

When Luther and the reported walked in the door of her hospital room, he turned to the reported and said, "Watch this ... baby, give me a kiss." He kissed Waverlee, and her eyes fluttered. Then he said, "That's my cup of tea, and she's sweet too,"

When asked why he wouldn’t take a bus Luther explained "I got a wife. I don't want to wait on the bus. I want to go up there to see my wife," The reporter who covered the event stated: went on to say his daily walk wasn't about proving how strong he was…. But rather, it was about proving his love for Waverlee.

Friends, this morning… We can learn something from Luther. And though we walk different journeys in life, we can learn from his love, and his commitment and his faithfulness to his wife and walk (or run) our own journey of selflessness as we follow after Christ.

You see, if you’ll recall, we’ve been discussing this theme of faith… And living our lives out as Christians… but a question I would pose to us this morning, is does the walk match the talk? You see, a lot of people claim to have some sort of faith… or some sort of religion… but there’s a difference between what we say… and what we do… is there not?

And yet, this morning, God is calling us and saying, “hey, follow after me…” “at all costs” in all seasons of life, in the goods in the bad… keep following me… and watch what I will do...

You see, we’ll recall from our time in studying Abraham together… that God called him to go from where he was living, to this new land that God would show him… and at the age of 75, God promises that if he’ll follow his lead… and go to this new land, that God would bless him, and give him numerous descendants and that he would give him this new land of Canaan (or Israel.)

And so far up until this point, Abraham has walked with the Lord. Not to say he’s been perfect… but he’s walked with God, and God has walked with Him…

But this morning, God is about to call him to the greatest sacrifice of his life… Abraham has been faithful up until this point, but now, God’s about to ask him to do something that completely ups the ante. It’s now not only about giving up his old way of life and following after the Lord… Now God is going to call for him to give up his only son who he loves.

If you have your bibles with you this morning, turn with me to Genesis 22 as we unpack the story together.

As you’re turning there, there are 3 sermon points that we’ll find this morning 1. Sacrificial faith leads to reliance 2. Sacrificial faith leads to providing. 3. Sacrificial faith leads to blessing.

So, beginning with Point number 1, Sacrificial faith leads to reliance

The bible tells us in Genesis 22:1-7: Sometime later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

As we study the text this morning, I want to explain a few ideas. First, we notice that God is testing Abraham. He calls to him, and says take your Son whom you love- Isaac- and sacrifice him on the mountain I will show you.

Now if you remember from Genesis 12:1, we’re told: “The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” And so here, The Lord has a similar call to Abraham. And there’s this parallel idea, that Abraham would have to completely depend on the Lords lead in his journey.

We notice that God says to take his son, his only son whom Abraham loves (which by the way, this word love is the first time in Genesis that this word love appears.) and God says to sacrifice him in this place God would reveal. Now we know, Ishmael is no longer in the picture. Instead, it is Isaac, this loved, special son, that God tells Abraham to sacrifice, and give up.

A couple of other key points include the fact that Abraham has taken the wood and placed it on his son… so we know that his son is old enough to carry the weight of the wood. And, Isaac is intelligent enough to notice that there is no animal for the sacrifice… and so, while we don’t know Isaacs specific age, we can gather that he’s likely a boy or perhaps a teenager at the time.

And here’s finally where the text starts to get interesting… You see, verse 1 tells us: Sometime later God tested Abraham... God tested Abraham. And by the way, on the way to this test… Abraham was given 3 days to run away from the test, right? It was a 3-day journey… 3 days to pounder and think through his relationship with his Son whom he loved…. 3 days to perhaps even wrestle with the idea of what God was asking him to do… and yet… We seem to glean a sense of his faithfulness to the Lord, because… when he speaks to his servants. He doesn’t say it doesn’t say in verse 5 that: 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then I will come back to you.”No…. what does it say? We will worship and then We will come back to you…

But catch this… Abraham was willing up for the test…

I think of my daughter Taylor this morning… but Taylor told me just a few days ago that she had to take a test an English Test. She went on to explain that the test was being given to her, and that if she passed the test, she wouldn’t have to repeat the test later next year.

You see, here’s the key… the test Taylor was being given was designed to show her, and the teacher… where she was in her growth. This test, which by the way she passed… was given to help her measure areas that she needed to improve upon, but the test also showed her how far she had come in her studies.

But here’s the key… This same test, had you given it to Taylor in kindergarten… guess what… she probably wouldn’t have passed it… you see, before Taylor could pass this test, she had some growing to do… she had some learning to do… She didn’t pass the test by accident, rather her teacher had been preparing her for that moment from day one…

This morning, I recall the stories of Abraham which we’ve shared over the last week… and we saw 2 weeks ago, that Abraham was put to the test when the famine hit… and so in response, he moved to Egypt, and then to cover up his wife’s identity and spare his life… he cheated on the text so to speak, and had lied about his wife so she could go and be with the pharaoh. And then last week, we saw that God promised to bless Abraham through his descendants… and yet at the age of 86, Abraham didn’t have any descendants… so his wife had him sleep with the servant Haygar…which he agreed to… and again, Abraham failed the test. Abraham cheated so to speak… he struck out… he didn’t get it right… and he ended up paying the price for it…

And yet this week… God has called him to another test… Only this time, it’s the greatest test he’s ever faced. He’s saying, give up that sweet boy, the one you love… and kill him out of obedience to me…

This morning, some of us are going through test… Which by the way, Who here actually likes test? But actually, the bible would tell us that we should consider them pure joy. James 1:2-4 explains: 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Now I will say scripture tells us there’s a difference between this idea and temptation for later in James 1:13, we’re told: 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone…

But there is this idea, then in our trials and difficulties… that God allows our faith to be tested because it produces perseverance… and perseverance leads to maturity and completion.

Watch this brief video behind me for a second… (Cheez it )

You see, funny as it is… the key phrase is that at Cheez it, real Cheez matters.

You see, there’s this idea of maturity and completion… and being the best version of ourselves possible… And God this morning, wants us to be mature… and complete, not lacking anything… and it’s ultimately for our good and his glory.

That takes to point number 2. Sacrificial faith leads to providing

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

You see, Abraham passed the test. God called him to give up his only son, the one he loved… and Abraham showed that he was willing.

We see here that God calls Abraham to give up Isaac, to kill him… and we don’t see Abraham reasoning with God. We don’t see him questioning the Lord… instead, he simply obeys.

You see, Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”[c] 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

You see, Abraham was prepared to kill Isaac. He knew that God could raise the dead… and yet God, stopped the pain from ever taking place. God spared Abraham the torment of hurting his only son that day and provided a sheep instead.

Now if you’re thinking of the connection to Jesus… Your exactly right. You see, just like Andrew read last week during service. “For God so loved that world that he gave, his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish… but have eternal life.” And friends, the same pain that God withheld from Abraham and from Isaac that day… he took it… and willingly placed it on himself and his only son… for our sin… so that we should have life. You see God provided for Abraham that day, and God provided for us through Jesus, and God continues to provide each and every day for us.

What’s interesting to me, is when you look at the text… we see that Abrahams upbringing by his father, was centered around the pagan gods of the time. We recall the words of Joshua which read:

2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.

Now just so we know, Terah, Abram’s father… lived in Ur, before they moved away… and who did they worship? 31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there.

But here’s what I want us to catch… when we look at Abrahams upbringing… and the chief deity in Ur… There prominent God was the moon God, who crescent shape was also associated with the bull (if you can imagine the horns of a bull and the crescent of a moon) this god, known best as Nanna or Sin (picture) was associated with protection, and fertility in the land.

Now the moon god had his cult center at the great temple of Ur. Known best as the ziggurat of Ur. And here’s what you need to know about ziggurats… a ziggurat was a massive man-made structure, much like a pyramid. (picture)

At the top of the ziggurat was a shrine to the god. The priests would perform sacrifices and other rituals here. They built them high because they wanted the shrine to be as close to the heavens as possible.

Here’s the point this morning… God in many ways, brought Abraham back to his upbringing that day… and when he had him on that mountain top. He showed him

· it wasn’t sacrifice on top of the ziggurat, but on the mountain.

· it wasn’t by the bull… it was by the lamb…

· it wasn’t made by the moon god… but friends, to this morning… it’s only by the son…

You see friends, that day… God provided for Abraham. And he did so in a way that was countered everything he had known growing up… God made this story personal for Abraham and showed him that he would provide.

You see as we look at verse 14 again, we see that it says: 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” When you look at the original language, we see Yahweh Yireh or Jehovah-Jireh was the name that Abraham gave to the mountain… which by the way, has vast history through Israel and is the home to the temple mount in Jerusalem to this day…

But what’s so key is that the words, Jehovah-Jireh means that God provides, and God sees.

You see, just like the message last week, where God saw Hagar and Ishmael and met them where they were… God also saw his son Abraham, and Isaac on that mountain… and God provided for them that day.

The teacher doesn’t normally talk during test… But ultimately, the test is for your good and His Glory…Friends, you might be going through a season this morning... and you may not know what’s next. And you may have questions… but know this… God sees, and God provides.

Sacrificial Faith Leads to Blessing

Genesis 22:15-19 explains: 15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring[b] all nations on earth will be blessed,[c] because you have obeyed me.”

19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

If we stop for a second, we see that the Angel of the Lord calls out a second time and reaffirms the covenant that was made to Abraham all those years before. The lord promises to make his descendants as numerous as the stars and like the sand of the seashore and he promises that his descendants will take over the land which their enemy possesses and finally that through his offspring all nations on earth will be blessed… because he obeyed God.

For even in Matthew 1:1 we read: This is the genealogy[a] of Jesus the Messiah[b] the son of David, the son of Abraham. You see friends, because Abraham obeyed God would ultimately send his Son, for each of us… so that we too to this day, could be heirs of the promise of blessing…

But listen Abraham had to give up the old, for the new… Abraham had to leave the old way behind, and follow where God was leading him. And Abraham had to sacrifice, what he loved so much, what he was so dearly holding onto… so that God could bless it.

Here’s a key idea this morning. Friends, God is in the business of blessing what’s in his hands…

With the 5 loaves and 2 fish, Jesus is with a large crowd, and we’re told: “And He directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He spoke a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.”

You see, before he feed the thousands… they we’re simply just 5 loaves and 2 fish, but once they were put in the masters’ hands… he blessed them, and they fed many.

And as we celebrate communion together in a few minutes, we’ll see the same point: we read: “As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”

You see God’s in the business of taking things, from our hands… to his… and then he blesses them, according to his will… and they’re far better than before… when they were in our hands…

But the key is this, they’re blessed in his hands… You see A question for you this morning? What are you holding onto?

Whether it’s giving more of your treasure, or giving more of your time or giving more of your talent… I would simply ask this one thing from you… Go to the Lord, and ask him if he’s calling you to give more…

You see when you start out the day in prayer, and you sacrifice the start of your morning by going to the Lord… it changes your entire day.

When you give up your talent and you serve the Lord… or you go on a mission trip… God will take your time, that you’ve given to Him… and bless it far beyond what it would have been otherwise…

And when you give your money, to the Lord… by faith… God blesses what you’ve given… and provides for you…

My prayer this morning is that you would see that in giving to the Lord… he gives back to you… and all he’s looking for this morning is a heart that’s willing.

But here’s the key… yes, it’s about giving sacrificially to the Lord… but it’s really not about the money, or the time that you spend in prayer, or giving of your talents even… but rather… It’s a matter of the heart.

So here’s where I would challenge us this morning, I would simply ask this one thing from you… Go to the Lord, and ask him what he wants you to give. Spend time in prayer… Maybe it’s giving up this, so that you can have that…

Maybe, it’s starting your day in prayer… and your sacrifice to start your morning by going to the Lord… will change your entire day.

When it’s being mission minded, and serving others… You see, our time is so valuable… but listen, God will take the tme, that you’ve given to Him, and bless it with truly amazing moments.

And when you give your money, to the Lord… by faith… God blesses what you’ve given… and he blesses it and provides for you…

You see, just like giving up ice cream… which is a sacrifice… but in doing so, I’m far healthier then I would be otherwise…

My prayer this morning is that you would see that in giving to the Lord… he gives back to you… and all he wants is a willing heart this morning.

Friends this morning, we have hope because ultimately, Sacrificial Faith Leads to Salvation

Call the elders (Communion)

And as they’re coming up, I’m excited that we have the opportunity to take communion together. You see ultimately, Abraham didn’t have to sacrifice Isaac… because God provided… This morning, in our sin, in our weakness, in our shortcomings… God provided. God sent his only Son, the sacrificial lamb, who was perfect, and spotless… and who took his sin upon him for our sake.

So, this morning, if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior… then together, we will take communion… I’ll have the elders pass out the bread first, and then the cup… but as they pass the elements out to you…. Take a moment, right where you are and come clean with your Father.

1 Corinthians 11:28-29 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.

Friends, lets take a moment and examine ourselves, and spend time in prayer as the elements are passed.

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for[b] you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

(Elements, lets take together…)

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

(Elements, lets take together…)

Pray