Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Genesis

Genesis 20-21 08/25/02

Intro: There was a movie that came out a few years ago starring Tom Cruise called 'Jerry Maguire'. Tom Cruise played a sports agent who was fired by all his clients but one, Cuba Gooding jr.. Do you remember Cuba's famous line from that movie? 'Show Me The Money'.  Cuba Gooding's. character was a flamboyant but talented football player whose contract was up and needed his agent to get him signed to a huge contract. He needed his agent to follow through on his word and do what he promised.

     As I was reading over this text for this morning, all I kept thinking was 'Show Me your Faith' It was as if I heard God say,
 
     Abraham, are you willing to go all the way for me?
         Are you willing to put it all on the line... for me?
             Are you willing to follow through on your faith?
                  If so  Abraham, show Me YOUR faith'

     But which Abraham would show up? The one who lied about Sarah being his sister..twice or the Abraham who left everything that was comfortable and known to follow God to the unknown? If Abrahams journey of faith could be charted on a graph it would look like the Himalayas with many peaks of trust and dependence upon God and with numerous valleys of doubt when he trusted in himself. But what Abraham didn't see was the next mark on his chart would be Mt. Everest or to be more specific, Mt. Moriah. What took place there stands throughout history as one of the greatest demonstrations of faith in God that anyone has ever made.

     At the end of Jerry Maguire, Tom Cruise's character pulled it off and got Cuba Gooding jrs character a really huge football contract. HE followed through on what he said he would do. He showed him the money! And by the end of Abraham's journey to Mt. Moriah, Abraham too would follow through and show God his faith.
 
    Abraham will once again be an example to all of us of one who follows through on his faith by being obedient to God's Word.

Read: Gen 22:1-2

     God puts Abraham to the test. Does that fit your picture of God? Does it really? People today, even many Christians, think God is some really nice guy whose main  job is to make people feel good about themselves. The idea that God might initiate a test of  faith and obedience to Him is foreign. But not to God and it shouldn't be to the Christian either. However, much Christians come to James 1:2-4 and often skip over it as not being relevant for today.

     What is James 1:2-4? It was what Abraham learned through the testing of his faith by God.

Read: James 1:2-4

     Faith, like our muscles, need to be strengthened. Just as it is thorough exercise that our bodies are made strong, it is through testing that our faith is matured. How is our faith tested? By our actions, by our obedience to God and His Word. James also has something to say about.

Read: James 2:17-18
 
     God told Abraham to take his son, his only son, whom you love, and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. It seems like an outrageous demand. God was saying, Abraham, show me your faith, by giving back to me what you hold most dear, your son, your only son now that Ishmael is gone. If you were Abraham, what would you be thinking?

Congregational Response

     God, what is going on? Come on, is that really you? First you tell me to get rid of my dear Ishmael. Now you want me to kill Isaac? I just don't get it.

     This incident takes place about 12 or so years from the end of Ch. 21. Isaac is now about the same age as Ishmael  was when God told Abraham to send him away. Now God was telling him to kill Isaac the only son he had left.

     It's one thing to profess your faith in God when you are waiting for something from Him, it is quite another thing to have the faith to obey when God answers.

     Abraham professed faith in God. Now God would test him  to see if his faith was would be demonstrated by complete obedience. Would he cling to his only son or would he trust God and obey His Word?  In other words, how far would Abrahams obedience go?

     Consider this. Wrapped up in Isaac were the promises of God to Abraham concerning not only his own descendants but also the One who would defeat Satan and bring salvation to humanity.  The dilemma is obvious. The promise of God required that Isaac live, yet this command of God called for him to die.
 
    Have you ever been there? God seems to be telling you something that just doesn't make sense, or something happens that just doesn't fit your picture of who God is and what He does? How do you respond?

     I think I will keep doing what I am doing because God wouldn't ask me to change my plans like this with so much already invested.
 
         Unbelief stumbles when God doesn't make everything clear.

 Or, OK God, I hear you. I don't like it, I certainly don't understand it, but I hear you and I will obey.

         True faith waits to see how God is going to work things out according to His hidden but perfect wisdom.

     But the waiting can be very difficult. This whole thing may sound like your worst nightmare about God, but we need to deal with it. The bottom line for this morning is:

     If you truly are a Believer, a Christian, then know that God sometimes tests your commitment to Him by asking you to give over to Him what you love the most. It may be a car, a boy or girlfriend, even a spouse or child, it may be a job, or your home.  I want you to give it over to me, says God.

     How can He do this? Because He is God! He is the sovereign, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And He is a jealous God, in that He wants to be your first love. He wants all other affections you may have, no matter how good they may be, to pale in relation to your love and commitment to Him.

 But we must never forget,

Rom. 8:28.. 'And we know that in all things (even the most difficult of testing) God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.'

 God's purpose in our time of trial is always  to help bring out our best. To help us mature, grow up in our faith. To help us be like Christ. But the best often don't come easy, does it?

Read: Gen 22:3

     It sounds like Abraham got up early with a smile on his face, and whistled while he worked. Some would say this is how you are supposed to feel when you trust God, even in the midst of a difficult trial or testing of your faith, you must be happy and cheerful all the time. Well, I don't think so.  Although the text doesn't say, I think Abraham woke up early because he couldn't sleep. He was probably agonizing over what God had asked him to do.  And Abraham didn't need to split the wood, he was rich and had servants for that kind of stuff. I think he was working out his anxiety and frustration with each swing of the ax.

     I don't believe Abraham was happy or felt good at all about what he was told to do. However, to his credit, Abraham ignored his feelings of anguish and frustration because he had faith in God's promises and he trusted God's character. God had proven to him that He was his friend, that he loved him. He may not have understood but he believed God and was willing to be obedient to Him.

Read: Gen 22:4-5

     'We will come back'. What? Abraham told the servants who traveled with him, that he and Isaac would return after they worship. What was he thinking? Well, we actually know what Abraham was thinking  because the writer of the Book of Hebrews tells us.

Read: Heb. 11:17-19

     There is no mention up to this point in Genesis, of any kind of resurrection from the dead, yet, that is what Abraham thought God would do. He thought he would sacrifice Isaac and God would  raise him from the dead. It was the only way he saw God keeping his promises to him if he was obedient and sacrificed Isaac.  It didn't take away the pain or the anxiety, but it gave Abraham hope. Hope that God would give his son life.

     Death, resurrection, life, it all makes sense to us now...after the cross, but Abraham lived before the cross. And that is the point of  ch. 22 of Genesis. That is also why we are moving slowly through this chapter. Chapter 22 is a snapshot, a glimpse into the future. It is a partial revelation of what God is going to do in sacrificing His only Son, Jesus, whom He loved, to die as a substitute for our sin and who will be resurrected to life so that all who believe in Jesus might have eternal life.

     Isn't that great? God shows us what He is going to do even before He does it. That too is grace. But I am getting ahead of myself. We will see all this in two weeks when we return to Abraham and Isaac alone, or so they thought, on Mt. Moriah.

Conclusion

 Abraham faced the most difficult trial he would ever face. And he trusted God and followed through, and so must we.

     Even when it hurts,
     Even when we don't see the good,
     Even when we have to give up something so very dear to us,
     Even when we can't see the end from the beginning.
     Even when we don't know why?

     We still know the who...God. And we follow through in faith. Because we know that God keeps His Word, that God remembers His promises, that God's character is unchangeable and He has an unending love for His children.

     Even still, making a decision to follow through in obedience to our faith is not easy. Two final examples.

     You are given the choice to do something you know is wrong in school or at work. If you do it, your friends may think you're cool if not, they may think you are a loser.
 
    Marriage has many choices to be made every day. On one special day you made the choice to be committed to your spouse for life when you said 'I do, till death do us part'. Marriage is fun at first, but with the kids and responsibilities often come conflicts and hurt feelings. And often it doesn't feel so good anymore. Where is the romance? Where is the excitement? Where is the woman or man I married?
    Do you follow through on your faith in God's Word concerning marriage?
    Do you follow through on your commitment..I do, till death do us part?

     In all the Christian life, when it comes to following through on your faith, good intentions just don't cut it. God tells his children 'Show Me your faith'. And He is looking for us to follow through. But which You will show up. The one who is doubts and trusts in self or the one who has faith and trusts in God? To both of you God says...Show me your faith.