Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Genesis

Genesis 22:6-19 09/08/02

Intro:  From Dan Goldsmith:
     Bill Faye, an evangelist who was a guest speaker at a church on Sunday, Sept 9, returned to his home in Denver on Monday, Sept 10. On his American Airline flight he saw a stewardess breaking up ice with a wine bottle. He got up from his seat and asked her if there wasn't a safer way to do it. He said he was afraid she would hurt herself. She was moved that he would be so concerned. He then gave her a gospel tract to read when she had a spare moment.

     A short time later she found Bill and told him that this was the sixth gospel tract she had received from someone. "What does God want from me?" she asked. Bill responded, "Your life." A few minutes later he was praying with her to accept Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior.

     You never know when someone is ripe unto harvest.
     You never know when God has opened the eyes of someone who will now, for the first time see the truth of the Gospel and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.
     You never know, but God knows...and you must be willing to act, to share your faith, the hope that is within you for the forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

     For the next 12 weeks in the Adult SS class we will look at how to do that in a way that fits your personality..in a way that will be natural for you. Why a class on evangelism? Because you may just be the one God uses, at just the right time, to lead someone to faith in Christ. And there are few things we can do in life that are more important, of more eternal value. But why this talk about evangelism and sharing the gospel when we are smack dab in the middle of Genesis? Well, there just may be no clearer illustration in the OT of the Gospel, than right here in Gen. 22:7-19.

     In our text this morning we will find that God's timing in our lives is perfect, a trait we can count on. And we will see that Abraham's obedience to God's word is complete, an example we can follow.
 
    One more thing. We often talk about 'God sightings' in the world around us. This morning we will look for 'Christ sightings' in our text, pictures of Christ's work on the cross, hundreds of years before it ever happened.

Read: Genesis 22:6-8

Christ Sighting: Did you see a Christ sighting in vs 6? Just as Isaac carried the wood on his back for his own sacrifice, so in Jn. 19:17 we read that Jesus carried a wooden cross on his back for his own sacrifice. Pictures of the work of Christ, way back here in Genesis..amazing!

     Isaac speaks for the first time and he has a very good question. 'I see the wood, and the fire, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? But, dad, haven't you forgotten something?'

Christ Sighting: Do you see the next Christ sighting in Abraham's answer to Isaac's question  in vs. 8? A more literal reading of the Hebrew is, 'God will provide himself a lamb for the burnt offering.' Note the word, himself. Catch this, what it is really saying is God will provide himself, as the lamb, for the offering. Who was the lamb God provided to be our substitute? Jesus. And who is Jesus but God's Son, the eternal, second person of the Trinity. So God did, provide himself, in the Son, as the lamb who would take away the sin of the world. The Gospel in Genesis!

     Vs 8 ends with 'And the two of them went on together.' I love that. Father and son, going forward in obedience to God's word, trusting in Him to provide their needs. And notice it is not just Abraham displaying faith and obedience. It is his son, Isaac as well. Oh that we would be fathers and mothers whose children have learned by our words and our actions to walk obediently on  their own journey of faith in Christ.

Read: Genesis 22:9-14

     Abraham was over 120 yrs old, Isaac was about 18. Think about it, if Isaac was strong enough to carry the wood, he was strong enough to resist his father tying him up and placing him on an altar to be sacrificed. But he didn't. He was obedient to his father, even if it meant dying. Amazing! Isaac loved and trusted his father that much.

Christ Sighting: Do you see another picture of Christ here in vs. 9-10?..Christ's willing submission to the Father. Matthew 26:39 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.' Isaac and Jesus went to be sacrificed, willingly.

     With an eye lifted up to heaven, Abraham raises the knife. And God intervenes. Not too soon, not too late. Right when he needed it. You see, God never intended Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. It was a test of Abraham AND Isaac's faith, and obedience. It was a test to see if God had first place in Abraham's heart. God already knew it, but now Abraham knew that he would not withhold anything from God, nor place anything or anyone before his Lord. A true believer never holds anything back from God but obediently gives Him what He asks, trusting that God will provide.  Abraham understood this and even named the place.. Jehovah Jireh, God will provide.

Christ Sighting: Do you see a Christ sighting here in vs 12? As Abraham did not withhold his only son, neither did God the Father withhold His Son, His only Son whom He loved.

     The Angel of the Lord showed Abraham, the ram in the bushes. He told him to take the ram as a substitute for Isaac and sacrifice it instead.

Christ Sighting: See another Christ sighting in vs 13? God provided the ram as a substitute for Isaac. Later all Israel would offer animal sacrifices to God in worship for their sin. Until God, at the right moment in time would send Jesus, His Son, to be the perfect sacrifice for sin.
 
    Abraham was a man of faith, a man who loved God, trusted God and was obedient to God. And God provided a substitute for Isaac so he wouldn't need to be sacrificed. That's clear. But what is lost by most people today is that God did the same thing in sending  Jesus to die as our substitute, so we wouldn't have to die for our sin.

     And God did this not for those who like Abraham loved God, trusted God and were obedient to God, but for those who hated God, who were in rebellion against God, and who wanted nothing to do with God. Rom. 5:8 says 'But God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' That is the Gospel. That is what Bill shared with the airline stewardess. That is what she believed and that is what changed her from sinner to saint, from an eternity in Hell to an eternity in Heaven. And it happened at just the right time in her life.

Read: Genesis 22:15-19

     God acknowledged Abraham's obedience and blessed him once again. Folks, this blessing for obedience is not just for Abraham alone, it is for all who are obedient to God and to His Word. How about you? Do you want God's blessing but have often failed in your obedience to Him? Well, be of Good cheer. According to Eph. 1, God's storehouse is full of every blessing in Christ.  They will never run out or be unavailable when we are obedient to God and His Word. Trust Him, Obey Him..today, right now, say YES to God and be blessed by God.

Conclusion
 
    The Gospel is on every page of God's Word. Have you seen it this morning? Do you believe it? Will you tell others, someone about it?

 Remember Bill and the airlines stewardess? After the 9/11 attacks, Bill looked up the names of those on American Airlines Flight 11, the first plane that crashed into the World Trade Center. The name of the stewardess he led to the Lord was listed.
On Tuesday, 9/11, she entered into the eternal presence of her Lord and Savior -- after being a Christian for less than 24 hours! How is that for perfect timing?
 
    God knows the times! If God leads you to witness to someone, DO IT! You never know when someone is living their final hours. And never hold back because you or someone else has already witnessed to that person -- this woman received six tracts before one finally got through!  Share it with someone. Don't be afraid or shy. Just tell them what God has done for you. It may be the perfect time for them to hear of God's wonderful grace and forgiveness.

     But, perhaps you are hear this morning and you have never trusted in Jesus Christ's as your substitute for the penalty of sin.
Perhaps you have never trusted in his death and resurrection to bring you forgiveness and eternal life. Listen...Is God speaking to you this morning..

     Do you want to know the God who loves you so much He sent His Son to pay the penalty for your sin?
     Do you want to know the God who desires to bless and provide all your needs...

     You can meet Him at the cross where Jesus gave His life so that you can have eternal life.
     You can meet Him at the cross and ask God to forgive you and make you his child.

 If right now, God is speaking to your heart, listen to what God says to you in 2 Corinthians 6:2 'In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.'

 Don't let this time pass you by.  Let's pray.