“Take your son, your only son whom you love—Isaac—and […] sacrifice him” (Genesis 22:2 NIV). So began the hardest trial of Abraham’s life. Imagine you were in his shoes: could you trust God and obey Him? In this message, Dr. Stanley assures us that obeying God, even when we’re afraid of the outcome, is always our best option. Like He did with Abraham, God will test our faith—never to break us, but to strengthen us.
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when he God tells you to do something do
what he says don’t argue with him about
this and that and the other because God
has already taught through the whole
process in your life he knows what he
wants you to do he knows what you are
equipped to do he knows where he wants
you to go he knows what the effect is
going to be you can’t figure that out
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four decades ago we started in touch
ministries to lead people worldwide into
a growing relationship with Jesus Christ
throughout the years we’ve seen God’s
greatness his love and his blessings in
such awesome ways that we just want
everyone to know him so let’s open God’s
Word and seek Him together next on
InTouch our faith on trial well there’s
the difference between being tempted and
being tried and sometimes we get those
mixed up and we think when sometimes God
is allowing a trial that we are being
tempted and sometimes when we are
tempted we think this is a trial so I
want to distinguish between the two of
those and I put them on a screen here so
we can make it simple enough it’s
important that we distinguish between a
trial and the temptation a trial is for
the purpose of purifying us and
strengthening us not cause us to sin
purifiers and strengthening us very
important we understand what that’s
about a temptation is for the purpose of
enticing us the sin to pollute us to
weaken us that is one is for a good one
is not for a good so what we’re talking
about in this message as a trial not a
temptation and so when we think about a
test in our own life they come in all
different sizes and different times in
our life and if you were to believe it
you’re gonna be tested you’re gonna be
tried and you’re going to be tempted all
of us are there at times in our life
faith on trial and this passage of
Scripture is a severe test in Abraham’s
life you remember we’ve been in Genesis
for some time and God spoke to Abraham
that’s worth chapter the verse special
way and tell him what he was gonna do
and he didn’t say if and the but he said
here’s what I’m gonna do
and he got promised in the Sun and
finally at the age of a hundred and his
wife Sarah was 90 they had a son Isaac
and now God has required him to do
something that does not did anything he
believes anything he’s known so I want
us to look at this at these first few
verses here and let’s look at at the
22nd chapter of Genesis beginning in
verse 1 now it came about after these
things that God tested Abraham so we
know this in the temptation it’s a test
there’s a trial and he said to him
Abraham and he said I Here I am he said
take now your son your only son now he
had already had another son through an
Egyptian I made named Hagar which didn’t
count me out God’s eyes that wasn’t in
that line whom you love Isaac and go to
the land of Moriah and offer him there’s
a burnt offering on one of the mountains
of which I will tell you which was
absolutely totally unexplainable why
after I waited a hundred years of age
why after all these years are you
telling me to go to Moriah is about a
three-day trip and sacrifice him to you
imagine the kind of thoughts that went
through his mind the hesitation he
probably had I want to be sure that God
was saying that to him it it wasn’t
something he was saying to himself the
scripture says in verse 3 so Abraham
rose up early in the morning saddled his
donkey took two of his young men with
him and Isaac his son split wood for the
burnt offering arose and went to the
place of which God had told him and so
he now is in a different place in this
life and he has this son for whom God
had promised and all the promises of God
he believed that God would take that he
would fulfill every single one of them
and now God is telling
I want you to sacrifice him which has to
be confusing as much as he’s listening
to God and sometimes he’s made mistakes
and sometimes he’s done the right thing
but now God is saying this son through
whom now he didn’t say this to him but
through him the Messiah is coming I want
you to take him to Mount Moriah I want
you to sacrifice him that is I want you
to kill him
like you’d kill a sheep so imagine what
went through Abraham’s mind what I want
you to notice is this not only did God
tell him to do that but the scripture
says in verse 4 on the third day Abraham
raised his eyes and saw the place from a
distance that is he did what God had
told him to do he did it when he said do
it he did it how he said do it with whom
he said do it he did it exactly like God
said now listen carefully when God tells
you and me to do something he’s usually
going to give us some instructions and
when he tells us to do something the
question is are we gonna do what he said
and oftentimes there was a time when he
says it and I can remember the one time
in my life there been many times one
time in my life when God said something
that was totally unbelievable to me and
he said here’s what I want you to do and
his when I want you to do it and it was
difficult for me to figure that out
except I realized in my heart if that’s
what God said do you don’t question it
sometimes we might question what God
says
but Abraham did exactly what God’s told
him to do now was there conflict in his
mind about it yes there was because
remember he’d waited it’s a hundred
years of age before the son that was so
very important in his life was born and
I want you to think about this in the
twelfth chapter Genesis now the Lord
said to Abram go forth from your country
from your relatives from your father’s
house that the language I’ll show you
I will make you a great nation I will
bless you make your name great you shall
be a blessing and I will bless those who
bless you and the one who curses you I
will curse and in all the families of
the earth will be blessed because of you
so that was ever ringing in his mind and
now he’s come to this place this son and
God is saying kill him what would you
have thought the same thing he thought
episode Camtasia how how could I do both
of these and both of them be true so
this is not a temptation this is an
awesome trial in his life and notice he
spoke he spoke of him he said take now
your son your only son there wasn’t his
only son but it was his only son from
God’s perspective in his line of
genealogy through whom Jesus would come
the son who listened your only son whom
you love Isaac God made it crystal clear
and that made even worse your only son
whom you love Isaac and I want you to
sacrifice him like he would sacrifice
the lamb what in the world was God up to
and all this so I want you to think
about something our lack of
understanding of why God tells us to do
something is never an acceptable excuse
but not done it listen whatever our
excuses are it’s unacceptable to God
because God loves you because God has a
plan for your life because he has a
purpose for your life even notice God
didn’t give him a lot of explanation and
think about this God doesn’t know a lot
of explanation I think about people our
age and all of you young people are
sitting here and God says to you here’s
what I want you to do about your life or
at this particular point in your life
obedience says I’m gonna do what he says
when he says do it whether I understand
it or not and so here’s a perfect
example that he doesn’t understand but
he does exactly what God told him to do
now he’d made his mistakes before we go
on down to Egypt
there was a big mistake in his life and
so now God is saying to him at this
pivotal point sacrifice him like you
would a lamb I don’t think we can
possibly grasp what that meant to a
father when God Almighty Jehovah God
Yahweh Elohim is Hebrew names he’s
saying I want you to take him and
sacrifice him but Abraham’s response was
so Abraham rose up early in the morning
settlers donkey took those two men that
is he did exactly what God told him
today
now I want you to notice something
probably the most important part of this
passage is this in verse 5 of verse 4 on
the third day Abraham raised his eyes
and he saw the place from a distance mal
Araya listen this carefully Abraham said
to his young men it will with him is to
servants watch this carefully this is
why every word in the Bible is important
stay here with the donkey and I and the
lad will go over there and we will
worship and we will return in the Hebrew
language that’s exactly what it says we
will worship we will return to you so
what does that say on the one hand it
may say I’m a sacrificing but if I do I
caught him the gods promise God you know
raised him from the dead you said that
you’ve given me this son
and through him the world is going to be
blessed now you’re telling me to offer
him as a sacrifice I’m gonna offer him
as a sacrifice and surely if I do you
were raised him from the dead that’s
what you call living awesome faith amen
you’ll raise him from the dead if
necessary because you’ve made a promise
now think about this listen there’s just
this much power and authority behind his
promise to you as it was the Abraham
this is God speaking and this is why I
say the young people for example who are
looking for God’s will when God tells
you to do
they do what he says don’t argue with
him about this and that in the other
because God has already thought through
the whole process in your life he knows
what he wants you to do he knows what
your equipment or he wants you to go he
knows what the effect is going to be you
can’t figure that out
Abraham was totally stunned by the idea
of sacrificing this son his only son as
he said killing him like a lamb and when
you promised look at your promises God
but he did it anyway let me ask you a
question can you think this morning
about a time that God has told you to do
something and you argued with him and
you lost the battle because you didn’t
do it can you think of a time that God
has said you here’s what I want you to
do here’s what I want you to wear I want
you to go here’s what I don’t want you
to do that’s not what I had in mind to
you and you did it in a way it all boils
down to listen carefully olive oil
standard weather I believe that God is
God omniscient knowing all omnipotent
having all power
I’m the present everything is in his
presence who always knows what’s best
for you and me at any given moment in
our life do I really believe that I’ll
tell you the only way you’ll know is
whether you do the little things that
God tells you to do when the big thing
comes along you’re not to worry about it
you’re in the habit of obeying God and
think about what it says if you disobey
Him you are denying his omnipotence you
are denying his position is God you are
denying his omnipotence that he can do
all things because you are gonna have
your way in this situation no matter
what the little word obe why obey is the
key and Abraham heard what God said I’m
sure he didn’t like it and I’m sure on
the way he probably cried on the way to
memorize those three days he asked you a
lot are you sure how can this be true
I can imagine thinking about it and I
put myself in this position for a few
moments and I said God if you told if
that hadn’t been me and that’s been
ended myself what would I have thought
walk into Moriah with the torch over the
fire maybe a flint however they did it
and a knife and the wood on Andy’s back
and I’m marching him over here and
you’re telling me to kill him you know
what it’s one thing to think about what
they did think about what you would do
imagine because it was his own the Sun
it’s the Sun God had promised them in
listening to this he waited a hundred
years to have this Sun so he was born by
a miracle to Sarah’s life and now
they’re on their way to a place of
sacrifice and you’re gonna kill him
that’s obedience he could have argued
with God and said Lord why should I
sacrifice this son whom you promised
when why why this one I don’t think you
could think of a question that he didn’t
ask God all this way
and yet they kept walking the scripture
says Abraham took the wood of the burnt
offering ladies on Isaac’s back took his
hand the fire and the knife so the two
of them walked on together Isaac spoke
to Abraham his father and said My father
listen to this can you imagine this my
father he said Here I am my son he said
look we have the fire and we have the
wood but where is the lamb for a burnt
offering can you imagine how that tears
the heart of Abraham where is the lamb
for the offering I see them
I see the fire Abraham said God will
provide for himself the lamb for the
burnt offering my son so the two of them
walked on together that must have been
he said left his servants over here were
the animals that must have been the
longest walk imagine what went through
his mind every step of the way God are
you sure how could this be true love
what can I do
have I missed it father have i disobeyed
you what what about 10 sheep what about
a hundred sheep what about can you
imagine what went through his mind
anything except what God had asked him
to do so the scripture says they came to
the place of which God had told them
Abraham built the altar there and
arranged the wood so I had it all set
and I think about the turmoil while they
set up the altar they built the altar
and to remember that Isaac had to carry
the wood on his own back he had to carry
his own wood to be killed on and I don’t
know how long they were at the place and
they built the altar if either Ben
Abraham on death had been sliced built
altars every second and yet they put it
together and what is what is Isaac
thinking all this time this is my father
we have the fire and the knife and the
lamb but what’s going on then he had the
tell him son God has told me to
sacrifice you to himself what do you
think Isaac must have felt you’re my
father I’m your son you you called me
your only Son you’ve told me about all
the things that God has told you we’re
gonna happen through me and that you’ve
walked me out here for three days and
now you’re going to kill me
and so the altar is built and scripture
says they came to the place of which God
had told them and Abraham built the
altar there and arranged the wood and
bound his son Isaac and laid him on the
altar on top of the wood you can’t even
imagine
what went through both their minds the
father looking down at his son his only
son whom God had promised would be a
blessing to the nations of the world and
the son looking up at his father and
thinking I know you love me
you said God gave me as a gift to you
and father are you sure you done the
right thing
there’s no verse in here it says about
any opposition on the part of Isaac to
wrestle the whole idea and get off the
health I know none of that but there he
lay and he’d seen this happen many times
his little sheep and so what happened
was his what Abraham did he took the
knife and he was about to come down with
it God said to him the scripture says do
not stretch out your hand against the
land do nothing to him for now I know
that you fear God since you have not
withheld your son your own the son for
me thinking about what happened at that
moment they probably shouted I don’t
know what all they did but I can tell
you one thing they weren’t quite about
it because God had sent him a message
now I know now watch this carefully
God didn’t do that to find out whether
Abraham would obey Him or not because
God knows everything
he knew he would obey but Abraham didn’t
know he knew that Abraham needed to know
by experience that he loved God above
everything else in the world and so he
stopped him just in time and it’s
interesting he didn’t just say it wants
not Abraham but Abraham Abraham let
there be no doubt then Abraham raised
his eyes looked and behold there was a
ram caught in the thicket by his horns
and they offered him as a sacrifice
Abraham called the name of the place the
Lord will provide as it is said in this
word in the mount of the Lord it will be
provided then the angel of the Lord
called him Abraham a second time from
heaven and he said by myself I have
sworn declares the Lord because you have
done this thing and I’ve not withheld
your son your only son listen this
indeed I will greatly bless you I will
greatly multiply your seed listen to
this as the stars of the heaven and
there’s the sand which is on this issue
I just want to say yes but the simple
reason they’re uncountable you can’t you
may be able to count some stars not all
of them but you can’t count the sand and
he said to him he said in you your seed
all the nations of the earth shall be
blessed because you have obeyed my voice
he obeyed God he didn’t understand it
he didn’t like it he would have
exchanged anything he owned to keep his
son but he obeyed God and what a lesson
for us if we obey Him we never lose we
obey Him listen we obey Him it may be
difficult for us to understand it may
not be what we want what we’d like in
life but obedience is the key
to everything with God no excuses but to
be like Abraham he did exactly what God
told him thinking every step of the way
he was having to kill his own son to be
able beat into God that God’s not going
to ask you to do that but he’s going to
ask you in life to do many other things
things that are precious to you things
that are valuable to you things that you
may hold there or people that you might
have may hold there in your life I’m
certain that God has said to men and
women don’t marry him don’t marry her
and that person is thoughtfully this is
it Lord if I don’t get this one I’m
captain I don’t have anybody know one
thing for certain you can’t you can’t
lose anything that is good for you if
you obey God whatever God tells us the
lay down is something that is not in the
will and purpose and plan of God for our
life and here’s a perfect example of
absolute obedience when it would have
cost Abraham in his mind everything and
yet he obeyed God and the rest of the
scripture was a debacle since Abraham
died on a ripe old age happy you know
why he obeyed God so I just say all of
this to tell you obey God no matter what
he’s thought about the repercussions
he’s thought about what you think you
will lose he’s also thought about what
he knows you’re on the game so what is
this story all about this story is all
about the absolute faithfulness of God
that everything you’re one of us can
count on and we are tested and we were
tried amen
now if you’ve never trusted Jesus as
your Savior you might not quite
understand this but if you ask him to
forgive you of your sins he will do so
you’re not an exception no matter where
you are which you’ve done where you’ve
been whatever the circumstance God will
forgive you of your sin he will write
your name in the Lamb’s Book of Life
he’ll be forever his child and what I
want you to be reminded of is that Jesus
the Son of God was crucified so that you
could be saved so that you could walk
obediently before God and that’s my
prayer for you father we thank you and
we praise you and we love you for
putting this particular passage of
Scripture in your word it brings us to
the cross and realize you gave your son
and all of us are forgiven of our sins
and our name is written in the Lamb’s
Book of Life and you with us through the
Holy Spirit through all the trials and
heartaches and burdens we face in life
but you’ve kept your word you kept it
Abraham you keep it to us and I pray
that you would speak to our hearts this
morning and remind us if there have been
wrong turns ask for your forgiveness if
there has been decisions that we’re not
was that you would forgive us if there’s
something that you are presenting it to
us at this very moment it should be a
part of that life that we’ve said know
that now we will say yes to obey you to
trust you and to watch your work God is
the most awesome thing and I pray that
you will take this message and apply to
each of our hearts according to where we
are in life
and what you want to do in our lives and
we prayed in Jesus name Amen
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