God Will Provide.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] If you have your Bibles, open them up to Genesis chapter 22. [0:04] That’s where we’ll be this morning. [0:06] This is the final Sunday in our Genesis part two series. [0:13] And next Sunday morning we’re going to be starting a series, a seven week series going [0:18] through the kingdom parables that Jesus gave where he frequently begins them by saying [0:24] the kingdom is like.

[0:25] And this has been a series I’ve been wanting to do for probably four years, probably since [0:31] we started. [0:32] And I’m excited that we finally found a good time to do it. [0:36] And what Jesus does in these parables is he uses figurative language and he tells stories [0:42] to represent the way in which the kingdom of God will function, the way in which those [0:49] who endure through faith to enter into the kingdom, what that will be like, what it’s

[0:54] going to look like, what the kingdom is inside of our hearts really right now. [0:59] So when Jesus tells these parables that we’re going to really dig into next week, he’s not [1:03] as much talking about the future reality of the kingdom of God. [1:08] Instead, he talks of the present nature of what the kingdom causes in us, what our longing [1:14] for the kingdom of God is going to look like, what living in a different kingdom under the [1:19] values of that kingdom is going to be in our lives.

[1:22] And oftentimes he gives these parables to the masses and it’s totally lost on them. [1:27] And then his disciples take him to the side later and say, Jesus, teacher, rabbi, we have [1:34] no idea what you’re talking about. [1:36] And I think sometimes when we go to God’s word, maybe we feel the same way. [1:40] And Jesus is the greatest teacher, always says to you, it is given to understand the [1:47] things of the kingdom of God.

[1:49] And so for the next seven weeks, my prayer is that through faith in Jesus to you, it [1:54] will be given to understand the kingdom of God. [1:57] But it’s only going to be through the power of the spirit that you can grasp his kingdom, [2:01] because when our kingdom is totally invested in this world and in this life, you can’t [2:08] fathom a greater kingdom. [2:10] You can’t imagine a greater reality than the one that’s right in front of your face.

[2:15] So for seven weeks, we’re going to delve into God’s kingdom that’s greater than any [2:22] kingdom that’s ever going to exist. [2:25] And it will be eternal in which this one is not. [2:28] But I’ll wait till next week to unpack it more than that. [2:30] I’m going to start preaching that series right now if I’m not careful. [2:34] So so in Genesis twenty two and we come to the end of what we’ve called part two of

[2:40] the book of Genesis. I wasn’t sure if you would have the endurance to go all fifty [2:43] chapters. So we’ve split it up and we’re going to spread it out over the next two [2:47] or three years, going through the book of Genesis and going through other parts of [2:52] the scripture as well. [2:53] But this really does put a great book end on the story of Abraham. [2:59] As we’ve seen, God calls this man Abraham, a man who doesn’t know God, a pagan.

[3:04] He’s not following God. He’s not seeking God. [3:07] But God simply comes into his life and says, follow me. [3:11] Really the same thing that he does to us when we are given the gift of faith in Jesus [3:17] by God and Abraham follows and Abraham has moments of faith and Abraham, [3:23] Abraham has moments of no faith or he trusts in himself more than he trusts in God. [3:29] And so quite often we can see ourselves in the story of Abraham.

[3:33] Quite often we can see the broken path that we take, where we stumble, where we trip, [3:38] where we fall, where we’re disappointed with God, where we’re fearful of things [3:43] other than God, when in reality we know in our minds that there’s no one greater [3:48] than God, there’s no one more powerful than God. [3:51] But there are so many voices and messages and things that we see in our lives that [3:54] seem so much more present than God, that seem so much bigger than God, that seem

[4:00] so much more mighty than God. [4:02] And so in those moments, our faith struggles and those moments, doubt may enter in [4:06] those moments, we may treasure things like security and material gain and power [4:13] more than we treasure God. [4:17] And in the story of Abraham, we see God never give up on Abraham. [4:23] But over and over again, in his great grace, the grace that’s abundant for you and me,

[4:28] God continues to go into Abraham’s life. [4:30] God continues to draw him. [4:32] God continues to confront him. [4:34] God continues to reiterate Abraham. [4:36] This is my promise. [4:38] It will happen because I am faithful, not because you are, because God is.

[4:45] So God’s promise, finally, last week, we saw it fulfilled as Sarah [4:50] in the promised land has Isaac.

[4:54] And this great delivery of God’s promise, this great fruition moment [4:59] where we see the promises of God come full into reality, full into lens. [5:04] We see him have this interesting birth to a woman who’s past childbearing age, [5:10] to a man who sees himself as too elderly to raise a boy. [5:14] And God turns their laughter into amazement as Sarah has Isaac. [5:20] And so this morning, the temptation is for us to stop there.

[5:24] And I really I think that’s where the story would end if we were writing it, [5:28] because that’s the happy ending. [5:30] They write off into the sunset. [5:31] They have a child. They have a life. [5:33] They have a family. [5:34] God’s promises are fulfilled.

[5:36] But that’s not where God ends the story. [5:40] God goes on to Chapter 22.

[5:46] And in Chapter 22, what we see [5:48] is really the story of two fathers and two sons.

[5:58] I’m going to ask this morning that you bear with me, it’s not frequent [6:02] that that I’ve I weep while I’m writing a sermon.

[6:07] This week, I did.

[6:10] Gladly, I was here by myself. [6:13] And no one saw it. [6:15] But I’m going to pray that you bear with me this morning.

[6:20] I’ve read this story probably hundreds of times. [6:25] I’ve heard it preached on. [6:26] I’ve seen the flannel graph.

[6:30] If you’re old enough and you’ve been in church long enough, [6:32] you know what I’m talking about.

[6:37] But as a father.

[6:43] The gospel.

[6:48] In Genesis 22.

[6:51] Is so powerful.

[6:57] In Genesis 22, through Abraham and Isaac, [7:01] God proclaims the gospel, in my opinion, [7:05] in a more profound way than we see in the rest of this great, great book. [7:11] So I just want to go ahead and start reading in Genesis 22. [7:15] After these things, God tested Abraham. [7:20] And said to him, Abraham,

[7:23] And he, Abraham said, Here am I. [7:26] He said, Take your son. [7:29] Your only son. [7:32] Isaac, whom you love and go to the land of Moriah. [7:38] And offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, [7:43] of which I shall tell you.

[7:46] So Abraham rose early in the morning, [7:48] and he sat on his donkey and took two of his young men with him and his son, Isaac. [7:52] And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose [7:55] and went to the place of which God had told him. [8:00] We see very early in this story that there are similarities [8:04] as well as peculiarities to the rest of the story of Abraham.

[8:08] We see oftentimes Abraham, when God tells him to do something, he does it. [8:13] But there’s always this begrudging fashion or there’s always this plan B. [8:17] There’s always this weight. [8:19] There’s always I’m confronted with something, this insurmountable task. [8:23] And I don’t know that I can trust God for it.

[8:28] But in this story, we see that Abraham hears from God [8:31] and we see a difference immediately, and it’s because it says in early [8:35] the next morning, Abraham immediately rises and he goes to obey God. [8:42] We see immediately that God’s speaking into the life of Abraham. [8:45] And Abraham looks back and he says, here I am. [8:50] And we see this close knit relationship

[8:52] where it’s no longer just God speaking into Abraham’s life and Abraham [8:56] just kind of wearily going along. [8:59] But instead, there’s this new closeness. [9:01] I want to tell you that when you have a transformed relationship with God, [9:05] because you see his promises, you see his power [9:08] in a way that you’d never seen it before.

[9:11] And Abraham’s been there. [9:12] He’s seen Isaac. [9:13] He’s seen the power of God. [9:15] Then your response to God will always be different [9:18] because it is the response of faith.

[9:22] And we find Abraham have more faith than we’ve ever seen him have before. [9:25] It says that God tested Abraham.

[9:30] Why would God test Abraham?

[9:34] It seems almost like a fool’s errand because Abraham’s such a failure, doesn’t it?

[9:40] God tested a man who over and over again fails every test. [9:45] God lays in front of them every trial, every moment of suffering, [9:49] every moment where there is an out, Abraham is failing God over and over [9:53] and over again, but there’s something different in this part of the story.

[9:59] And I think is that Abraham’s come to a place in his life [10:02] where Abraham understands the covenant, I think Abraham is now saved. [10:06] I think Abraham now knows God in a way that he never knew God before.

[10:14] There’s two reasons that God tests. [10:18] But number one, this morning, I want you to understand that the tests of God [10:21] serve to proclaim faith in God, and there’s two reasons for this. [10:26] You see, faith is strengthened by faith. [10:28] Faith is not something that is stagnant. [10:30] Faith is not something that you sit

[10:33] and it’s like in the holster your entire life. [10:36] And then in moments of need, you pull it out and it’s ready [10:38] because you can have faith.

[10:42] Faith is something that is strengthened over the period of your life [10:46] through exercises of faith, through moments where you’ve exercised [10:50] faith, through moments where you’ve had to believe. [10:54] You see, faith is something that must be strengthened. [10:56] Faith is not something that’s there just in case you need it. [11:00] Because if you wait until the moment of need,

[11:02] you will find yourself paralyzed. [11:05] If you wait until the moment when you need faith [11:07] because you haven’t been strengthening your faith, [11:10] your faith is going to be found lacking. [11:12] Because it hasn’t been strengthened.

[11:16] So the first reason that God sends tests is to strengthen our faith. [11:22] He’s strengthening Abraham’s faith through this test. [11:24] See, does God send a test to find out whether or not Abraham really has faith? [11:29] No, God doesn’t need to do that. [11:31] God knows. God knows how much faith you have right now. [11:36] God knows how you will respond to any test.

[11:38] So the tests of God are not for the benefit of God. [11:41] The tests of God are for the benefit of us. [11:45] The tests of God in this moment, in this situation, are for the benefit of Abraham [11:49] so that Abraham can strengthen his faith. [11:52] Look in James, chapter one, starting in verse two, it says, [11:56] Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

[12:00] for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness [12:04] and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete [12:09] and lacking in nothing.

[12:12] So you’re saying that when things come into our lives, [12:14] that kind of take us off to the side or kind of bring us to a place [12:18] where we’re having to deal with God in a way that we’ve never had to deal with God, [12:21] in a way that we’re struggling, in a way that we have a trial. [12:25] The half brother of Jesus is counted as joy.

[12:32] That’s so difficult in the moment, isn’t it? [12:38] The scriptures tell us that when temptation to sin comes into our life, [12:41] no, God did not bring that God doesn’t tempt you with sin. [12:45] But it says when trials come counted as joy.

[12:51] So that lets me know, number one, that there’s no trial [12:53] that comes into my life that surprises God because it’s all under his sovereignty. [12:57] It’s all working for his good. [12:59] And ultimately, because of that, through faith, it’s working for my good. [13:02] But it also lets me know that the source of joy is God. [13:04] So God does send trials into your life.

[13:09] And in this moment, Abraham’s going to have to go through a trial [13:12] that he never thought he would have to go through. [13:13] He goes to a test that he never thought imaginable in his life. [13:16] He goes to a test that I think I would see as the ultimate test. [13:19] When God looks to him and says, Abraham, you’re going to sacrifice your son to me.

[13:26] And the word tells us [13:28] when those tests come, counted as joy.

[13:35] The second reason that tests come into our life from God [13:38] is also for others to see the work of God in our lives. [13:42] God desires for faithful actions and words to be seen and heard by the world around us. [13:48] God draws us into moments where our faith must be worked out for others to be heard. [13:52] To be able to see the gospel, the tests that come into your life from God, [13:57] the decisions that you have to make, the discernment that’s needed to say,

[14:02] will this benefit the gospel? [14:04] Will this make the name of Jesus great to those around me? [14:08] Or should I choose another way that will be less likely [14:10] for the fame of Jesus to be spread by me? [14:13] That is a moment in which God is using you to proclaim [14:17] faith in him to the world around you.

[14:21] And in this moment, that’s what God’s doing in Abraham’s line. [14:26] Because faith must be lived. [14:29] Faith is not something you simply agree with mentally. [14:33] And I think oftentimes we reduce it to that.

[14:39] I believe that faith begins with information. [14:41] I believe God designed our brain. [14:43] I believe information is a very good thing. [14:45] I believe it is a step in discipleship. [14:47] I believe we must know God. [14:49] We must know God.

[14:49] We must know about God the same way I must know my wife [14:51] to have a good relationship with my wife. [14:53] I need information about the lady.

[14:57] Years later, still need information.

[15:00] I’m a slow learner.

[15:04] But she’s very gracious.

[15:07] But once we agree, understand that it must move to our hands and our feet, [15:13] must move to the way in which we live.

[15:17] So in James, chapter two, when God’s dealing with this, he says in verse 21, [15:22] was not Abraham, our father, justified by works when he offered up his son, Isaac, on the altar? [15:28] You see that faith was active along with his works and faith was completed by his works. [15:35] See, faith is this gift that God gives us, but it’s a gift he wants us to use. [15:40] So when a gift is really valued, when a gift is really treasured, [15:44] when a gift is really exciting, man, we rip the wrapping paper off.

[15:48] We open that bad boy up and we use it.

[15:53] And when God gives us this great gift of faith in him, we says, let it transform your existence. [16:00] My grace is abundant. [16:02] You cannot fail me. [16:04] I’ve forgiven you completely. [16:05] Now use this gift. [16:07] Live this gift.

[16:08] Work this gift out. [16:09] Live life as if he’s God.

[16:14] And when we believe he’s God, it changes everything because we follow him. [16:20] We trust him. [16:21] We walk down paths that seem somewhat dimly lit and somewhat dark to us, [16:26] because we know that our God will give us strength. [16:30] Our God will light our way. [16:33] Our God will endure us to the end.

[16:35] We walk. We go. [16:39] Faith does not sit idly by while the world passes. [16:42] Faith also does not sit as we just do what seems best to us. [16:46] Faith is something that’s active in our lives. [16:49] Faith is something that takes over your life and takes you into places [16:53] you probably never thought you’d go.

[16:57] Because that’s where the presence of God is. [16:58] And once you’ve seen the presence of God, you want it.

[17:02] Anything else is less. [17:04] Any other path, you know, will be sin.

[17:09] Because joy is found in the presence of God nowhere else.

[17:14] The question this morning, are you trusting God?

[17:21] Or are you working your plan rather than saturating your life with God’s plan?

[17:30] Do you trust yourself more than you trust God? [17:33] In every other story, that is what we see Abraham do. [17:38] He trusts himself. [17:39] This story, though, he’s not going to do that.

[17:46] Time and time again, Abraham has seen God work in spite of him. [17:50] Now, Abraham wants to see God work through him.

[17:58] We saw a few weeks ago in the story of Abimelek that God works [18:01] through Abimelek rather than working through Abraham. [18:03] God works through a pagan rather than work working through the man [18:06] who has his covenant. [18:07] And Abraham missed out on seeing what God could have done at the very start. [18:12] And Abraham, I just have to believe that in this moment, God says,

[18:14] I mean, Abraham says, not this time.

[18:18] I’m going to trust, going to obey, I’m going to follow. [18:22] Nothing’s going to stand in my way of having faith in my God. [18:27] Going to trust that he’s good. [18:28] I’m going to trust that his plan is better than my plan. [18:30] And I’m going to follow. [18:31] How many times do we use excuses as to why we’re not obeying God to pacify

[18:39] ourselves rather than admit we’re disobedient?

[18:44] Well, I can’t right now. [18:47] Well, as soon as I get this done. [18:50] Well, I’m not gifted.

[18:53] Well, I don’t I can’t I’m not going to wait.

[18:58] And Abraham says, not this time. [19:02] I’m going to follow you, God.

[19:06] Because I’ve seen you work. [19:09] And you’ll endure me.

[19:14] All of this adds up to the truth of whether or not our faith is real.

[19:24] Secondly, this morning, God can be trusted with everything. [19:29] More than we can be trusted with anything. [19:32] Look in verse four.

[19:36] On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. [19:41] And then Abraham said to his young men, stay here with the donkey. [19:45] I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you. [19:50] And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering. [19:54] And laid it on Isaac, his son. [19:57] And he took in his hand the fire and the knife.

[20:02] So they went both of them together. [20:05] And Isaac said to his father. [20:08] Abraham. My father.

[20:13] And he said, here am I, my son.

[20:17] He said, behold, the fire in the wood, but where is the lamb? [20:22] For the burnt offering.

[20:26] And Abraham said, God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son. [20:32] So they went both of them together. [20:35] Moses wrote the book of Genesis and in Genesis 22, [20:39] through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we see Moses as a master storyteller.

[20:45] We see a conversation between a father and a son.

[20:51] Very similar to a conversation Abraham had with God at the very beginning of the chapter.

[20:57] Where Isaac says, my father. [21:01] And once again, Abraham says, here I am.

[21:07] This time, he looks to Isaac as God looks to his children and says, my son. [21:15] You see, we see this intimate moment because it cannot be lost on us. [21:19] What Abraham is enduring in this moment, that he’s not enduring the loss [21:23] of some boy that he doesn’t care about, but instead it’s his son. [21:27] It’s his child. [21:28] It’s the one that he’d waited for for one hundred years.

[21:34] God made the promise two and a half decades before he saw it.

[21:40] Endured being childless. [21:43] And now, in this moment, God says, the one that I gave you, [21:46] I want you to understand that I want him back.

[21:51] So for three days, we see they journey.

[21:55] Before he sees the mountain.

[21:58] I don’t know what those conversations must have been like. [22:01] Scripture doesn’t tell us.

[22:06] But there’s a son and there’s a father, we think, because of the records, [22:10] that it’s probably a teenager at this point. [22:14] Maybe he’s talking about the rest of his life.

[22:18] Dad, this is what I want to do.

[22:22] Dad, this is where I want to see my life go.

[22:26] What do you think about this, dad?

[22:30] And the whole time. [22:33] A father who loves his son sits there, knowing. [22:37] At the end of this journey, hold.

[22:41] And yet he still goes.

[22:46] Isaac takes up the wood.

[22:50] Moses. [22:52] Takes up, excuse me, Abraham takes up the nice.

[22:57] Faith must be in God more than anything else. [23:04] Who gave Isaac to God? [23:05] Excuse me, Abraham. [23:07] God did.

[23:10] Who did Isaac belong to? [23:12] Belong to God. [23:14] He was entrusted to Abraham, to Stewart, he was entrusted to Abraham to raise. [23:20] He was entrusted to Abraham to to raise, to have faith in God, to raise, [23:24] to follow God. [23:25] And God comes back and he says, Abraham, I want you to understand.

[23:30] That Isaac’s not God.

[23:33] I still am.

[23:38] We have this illusion of control in our lives and even the delusion of mine. [23:44] You see, in spite of everything that life tells us, in spite of everything that life [23:48] shows us, we still think that we can have some semblance of control [23:52] as to what’s going to happen in my life. [23:56] We still believe that we are the masters of our own paths, that we choose, [24:02] that we move, that if I go here, this is going to be the benefit.

[24:06] And so I’m going to go here, I’m going to do this with my family, I’m going to do [24:09] this with my children. [24:10] And in a moment like this and in a test like this, God inserts himself into the [24:15] story of man. [24:16] And he says, you are not in control.

[24:22] Isaac is not yours.

[24:27] Isaac belongs to God.

[24:32] But we still look at our possessions, we look at our families, we look at our [24:35] lives and we have the delusion.

[24:40] Mine.

[24:42] It’s mine to do with what I please.

[24:46] It’s mine to plan for my benefit. [24:50] It’s mine to control.

[24:55] Even though time and time again, things come into our lives to remind us every [24:59] single day, you are not in control and it is not yours. [25:07] The terror would be that it would be mine because I’m helpless.

[25:14] And friends, so are you.

[25:21] This illusion gives way to the belief that we know what’s best for ourselves as [25:28] well as everyone around us. [25:30] How’s that working out for you?

[25:36] But when I look at the story, if I don’t get to the end and I just see what God [25:40] is saying to Abraham, because Abraham doesn’t know. [25:43] I want you to remember, Abraham hasn’t read the end of the chapter. [25:45] [25:45]

[25:48] It’s easy for you because you have. [25:51] But I want you to be in Abraham’s shoes. [25:53] I want you to be walking his path. [25:55] I want you to be on that donkey beside Isaac where he says, God, I’ll just do [26:00] whatever you want and trust you with the outcome.

[26:04] God, I’ll obey.

[26:07] The pathway seems too hard, but I’m not going to fail again. [26:13] I’m going to trust. [26:15] I’m going to obey. [26:15] I’m going to follow you because you do what you say you’re going to do your God.

[26:25] And God is to be trusted with Isaac more than Abraham is.

[26:35] What is it that you’re struggling to trust God with?

[26:40] Who is it that you’re struggling to trust God with? [26:46] Is it your child?

[26:51] Is it your life?

[26:53] Is it your spouse?

[26:56] Your significant other? [26:58] Your career?

[27:01] Your bank account?

[27:04] Some hobby that may seem meaningless to someone else, but to you, it’s the world.

[27:10] Some possession that you know is fleeting.

[27:16] Some status in your circle of society.

[27:21] Some power that can be taken away tomorrow. [27:27] Some ability.

[27:30] You could lose.

[27:36] See the message is. [27:38] That all of those things.

[27:42] Are put in your hands. [27:44] By the creator of the universe.

[27:47] To be used for him. [27:50] Whatever he calls you to do with them. [27:53] Whatever he commands, you need to obey.

[27:58] Because they’re his.

[28:02] And he’s wiser than you are, he has more control, he has power. [28:07] You think you have power, he knows he does.

[28:11] The man who speaks everything out of nothing.

[28:15] The one who knows the future as well as the past. [28:19] God. [28:20] Can be trusted with anything, excuse me, with everything more than you can be trusted [28:24] with anything.

[28:27] You either.

[28:30] Want those entrusted in your life to be safe, good people [28:35] who never have any trouble, never have any risk.

[28:40] And never have to exhibit any faith in God because you have control [28:45] or you can have faith in God.

[28:52] Doesn’t work both ways.

[28:55] Because there are moments that God’s going to call you to do things that seem very [28:59] risky to you, there are moments when God’s going to call you to sacrifice things you [29:03] don’t think you can live without. [29:05] There are moments where God is going to literally take things out of your life [29:09] that you never thought you would lose.

[29:16] And in those moments.

[29:19] He wants you to trust him.

[29:23] He wants you to know that he’s got a plan.

[29:31] Abraham has been down this road before, and he trusts God with Isaac.

[29:37] He doesn’t believe the lie. [29:40] But there’s a way to follow Jesus where there’s no risk in this world.

[29:46] To see God move in big ways, you have to trust him. [29:50] And live like.

[29:55] Abraham. [29:55] Abraham took up the knife. [30:00] He began to walk.

[30:03] Up the mountain.

[30:07] Look in verse 10.

[30:10] Excuse me, in verse nine. [30:13] When they came to the place of which God had told him.

[30:17] Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood. [30:21] In order.

[30:24] He bound Isaac, his son.

[30:28] And laid him. [30:30] On the altar. [30:32] On top of the wood.

[30:37] Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

[30:45] I want you to be in that moment.

[30:51] I want you to see the faith. [30:53] But I also want you to see the risk. [30:57] I want you to see the fear.

[31:00] I want you to see the pain.

[31:06] And know that God. [31:09] Well, at times.

[31:12] Take you to that edge.

[31:16] He’ll take you to that moment of reckless abandon where if he doesn’t work.

[31:25] You could lose it all.

[31:30] Thirdly, this morning, I want us to understand.

[31:34] That whatever the Lord requires of you.

[31:39] He will graciously provide.

[31:44] You see, God hates murder. [31:47] We know that because the scripture tells us that. [31:50] So it was never God’s intention to have Abraham murder his son, Isaac, because God isn’t glorified in that he actually forbids it.

[32:01] But in that moment.

[32:04] Jesus Christ himself calls down. [32:08] Verse 11, it says, but the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham, who’s the angel of the Lord? [32:17] Jesus.

[32:20] And he said, here am I.

[32:24] I cannot help but imagine that he said, who?

[32:31] I cannot help but imagine that in that moment, he just said, oh, thank God.

[32:38] In that moment.

[32:42] In his mind and in his face, you saw faith.

[32:48] You saw gratitude.

[32:51] You saw hope.

[32:57] Jesus said, do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for I know that you fear God. [33:03] For now, I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me. [33:12] And Abraham lifted up his eyes. [33:15] And looked and behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. [33:21] And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering. [33:26] Instead of the sun.

[33:29] Here’s what I want you to understand about burnt offering. [33:31] When Abraham has his knife in the air, when Abraham takes it up into his hand, he’s about to do a burnt offering to the Lord. [33:39] And we know that through the scriptures, what happens in this place is that it’s it’s a lamb. [33:44] It’s an animal. And what you do is you slaughter the animal, you start the fire and then piece by piece, you throw the pieces of the lamb. [33:54] Into the fire. Until they’re reduced to ashes.

[34:02] And Abraham knows that this is what’s in front of him. [34:06] And he takes up the knife.

[34:13] We can trust God because he is so good.

[34:20] If Abraham had never walked up that mountain. [34:24] If Abraham had never taken up that knife.

[34:27] He would have never seen God move.

[34:31] He would have never seen God work.

[34:34] He would have never seen God’s grace. [34:36] He would have never seen God’s power.

[34:42] He would have never heard the voice of Jesus.

[34:49] Say, Abraham. [34:51] I’ve provided a sacrifice.

[34:58] You see, there are moments. [35:00] In our life, they’re going to define the totality of our lives. [35:07] That faith is trusting God with the journey as well as the outcome.

[35:17] Faith is trusting that the pathway that you’re on, so long as it measures up to what God has revealed to you, is a good path. [35:25] It’s a path that God has determined the way that the end is going to do. [35:28] And you trust God with absolutely everything else because God was to be trusted more with Isaac than Abraham was because God is a God who provides.

[35:38] God is not a God who just whimsically works in just ways that are not thoughtful, in ways that are just hurtful, in ways that are detrimental, in ways that are not thought through. [35:50] Our God works in ways that will confound our minds, but they will turn out for our good and for his glory.

[36:02] Verse 14, So Abraham called the name of that place the Lord will provide.

[36:11] As it is said to this day on the Mount of the Lord, it shall be provided.

[36:19] He knew that whatever God wanted to do with Isaac, it would be good, but he could not fathom what God would do in this moment through Isaac was to actually tell the story.

[36:31] Of the time that God, the father took a journey. [36:37] God, the son.

[36:42] God will take you to the brink. [36:45] And in the brink, God will show you his goodness. [36:50] You may go further than Abraham, not to murder, but you may lose something or someone.

[37:00] Some of you will.

[37:04] Some of you have.

[37:07] You’ll say, God, not now. [37:09] I can’t do this. [37:10] I can’t take this walk. [37:12] And God says, I’ll take it with you.

[37:20] I see less in this story about what God’s requiring of me. [37:25] And more about what he’s done for me.

[37:30] Finally, this morning, live to trust the God who took this journey and sacrificed his son for you.

[37:41] There’s so many parallels.

[37:45] But here’s what I want you to see.

[37:49] And when Jesus intervened and said, don’t kill your son, Jesus knew because of the plan from eternity past, because Revelation says that he was the lamb that was slain before the foundations of the earth. [38:04] And that moment, Jesus knew that this is a picture of what he’s going to do. [38:10] Jesus is Isaac.

[38:13] And Jesus is the ram caught in the thicket.

[38:20] And so for thirty three years on this earth, God, the father. [38:25] Takes the walk. [38:28] With God, the son.

[38:32] And the baptism, Jesus is lifted up out of the water and the father looks at his boy and he says, this is my son, in whom I am well.

[38:43] Pleased. [38:45] In John, chapter one, verse twenty nine, John the Baptist proclaims, he says, Jesus. [38:51] Behold the Lamb of God.

[38:58] I believe John the Baptist was quoting Genesis twenty two.

[39:03] Because he knew the walk, Jesus was on.

[39:07] John, nineteen seventeen, the scripture says that Jesus went out bearing his own cross.

[39:16] As Isaac carried a bundle of wood up the mountain for his father, Jesus.

[39:24] Did the same.

[39:27] The garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus says, oh, father, if there be any other way, let this cup pass for me. [39:34] It’s Isaac saying, where’s the lamb, dad?

[39:39] Where’s the lamb?

[39:43] Jesus says. [39:45] You’re my father.

[39:49] Not my will. [39:51] Yours.

[39:57] So for the next day.

[40:01] A father and a son.

[40:04] And do a great hardship.

[40:11] The son takes a walk.

[40:15] Place of the school.

[40:19] Some believe it was right near, if not the same spot.

[40:26] The son gets up on the altar.

[40:31] And the father says.

[40:34] This is what I’ve done. [40:36] For the sins of the world.

[40:40] A loss.

[40:43] I could never imagine.

[40:47] At the hands. [40:49] Of the father.

[40:53] Behold the Lamb of God.

[40:57] Who takes away. [40:59] Sins of the world.

[41:03] Jesus Christ. [41:06] Our Savior.

[41:08] The son of a good father.

[41:12] Who loves his boy.

[41:16] And a boy loves his father.

[41:22] Saving you.

[41:25] From having to go through it yourself. [41:28] The only reason Abraham. [41:30] Had to stop.

[41:35] Was because that same Jesus who intervened said I’m gonna take Isaac’s place.

[41:48] God can always be trusted.

[41:53] Because God always provides.

[41:57] He always has a way of redemption.

[42:04] Even if the consequence is death.

[42:09] Dying in faith is better than living without it. [42:14] Because our God has the power to resurrect the dead.

[42:22] I want you to see that. [42:25] But more than that, I want you to believe. [42:26] Believe it. I want you to live it. [42:28] That the son of God did not die a fruitless death. [42:31] But instead he got up. [42:36] It took Abraham and Isaac three days.

[42:40] Three days to see the mountain and it took Jesus and the father three days. [42:46] Three days.

[42:48] Until under the power of God. [42:51] Jesus got.

[42:54] And he got up for you.

[42:57] He got up for me. [43:01] He got up and he said.

[43:04] I’m now going to conquer the world. [43:06] Because I’ve conquered sin and death. [43:10] And he looks to you and he says that same God that intervened on Isaac and Abraham, that same God who took that same journey, that same God who took death onto himself, that same father that poured his wrath on his very son so they wouldn’t have to pour it on you. [43:25] That same God calls you and he says, trust me, because I’m the God who dies for you and I’m the God who has the power to get back up.

[43:35] You can trust him to death because, you know, death’s not the end of the story with God. [43:39] It never is with God. [43:41] Life goes on for eternity. [43:43] And if you have Jesus, you have life. [43:45] If you have Jesus, you have hope. [43:47] If you have Jesus, you can take the walk of Abraham and you can take that walk.

[43:52] Can you say because I trust because I believe because I’ve seen him move, I’m not going to fail.

[43:59] With faith, there is no failure. [44:01] It’s impossible.

[44:05] Question this morning is, do you believe in that God? [44:10] Have you trusted him?

[44:15] Do you trust him enough? [44:17] To live the life of faith as the band comes up.

[44:29] That story took place a few thousand years before the gospel of Jesus.

[44:40] But that story is the gospel of Jesus.

[44:45] He’s a God so good. [44:49] You can trust him with your life and the life of those whom you love.

[44:55] Because he’s always in control.

[45:01] He’s always got a plan.

[45:07] And he’s always willing to substitute himself. [45:12] He’s always got a plan for you.

[45:16] And he did that on the cross.

[45:22] The cup at the six tables around this room represents the shed blood of Jesus, that Jesus who laid himself bear on the altar.

[45:33] The bread represents his broken body. [45:35] It was whipped.

[45:39] Mangled spat upon for you.

[45:47] And if you trust him, this table is open for you to come proclaim his death. [45:52] And you say, what a thing to proclaim and joy.

[45:57] And I say, it would be if death was the end of the story.

[46:04] But with God, it never is.

[46:09] If you’ve trusted in him, these tables are open when you’re ready.