The God Of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob - Message 12 - Isaac Is Not Indispensable

[0:00] Welcome. Thank you for choosing to listen to another faith-building message by Pastor David Entry. Faith comes by hearing and by hearing the Word of God.

[0:12] May your knowledge of Jesus Christ increase as you listen. Be blessed. I've been talking about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And I said about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

[0:24] If you are part of God's people, you must know God as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. What does it mean to know God as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Abraham works with God because, first of all, God himself calls himself the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

[0:39] That's very significant. So if God calls himself the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, when he was going to deliver the people from Israel, that's how he described himself. And then in other places, he called himself the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

[0:52] He takes his identity, he attaches his identity by himself to these people's names. So what is it about Abraham's work with God, Isaac's work with God?

[1:06] He never called himself the God of Daniel. He actually never even called himself the God of Moses. But he called himself the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He never called himself the God of Noah.

[1:17] So why Abraham? Why Isaac and Jacob? He called Abraham. I've been teaching him for some time now, so you have to go. But just to recap, he called Abraham. And we did Abraham, through Abraham, Isaac, and then through Isaac and Jacob.

[1:32] And there were others, but it ended there. Because he called Abraham from the heir of the Chaldeans and then started work with him to form his people. And so Abraham became the father of all God's people.

[1:46] Very important. Abraham became the father of God. So then to the extent that those who become born again in this day, we are also called the children of Abraham. Very interesting.

[1:58] According to Galatians chapter 3 and Galatians chapter 2. We are the... It says that for all those who are faith, the same are blessed with believing Abraham. And in Romans chapter 4, verse 11, 12, 13, it talks about how...

[2:14] What do we say that Abraham, our father, has got through the flesh or by the law? So Abraham is our father. He's the father of us all. Not only to the Jews. Very important. In Romans chapter 4.

[2:25] In Romans chapter 4, verse 11, I think it's verse 11. It talks about that... And that he might be a father of... He might be the father of all those who believe.

[2:38] Though they are... Though they are our circumcised, that the righteousness of God may be... ...referred to them as well. So he's the father of all those who believe.

[2:49] Not only to the... I think the verse 9 from verse 9, it talks about not only to the Jews, but to us all who believe. So Abraham is the father of... What is it about Abraham that he becomes the father of...

[2:59] Because he is the father of God's people. When I say father of God's people, not that he... He takes the position of God, but that something started with him.

[3:10] Now, so why is God the God of Abraham? To understand that even Muslims try to trace their root to Abraham. Jews say Abraham. All right. Because Abraham is significant. Why did he call himself the God of Abraham?

[3:21] Because Abraham's work with God procured something that everybody who is part of God's people, God's family, must know God that way.

[3:32] Isaac's work with God, he worked with God and gained a certain experience which is necessary for everybody who is part of God's people. He must know God that way. Abraham knew God in a certain way.

[3:44] Isaac knew God in a certain way. Jacob knew God in a certain way. And those three ways, everyone must know God in that way if you are part of God's people. Now, does that make sense? Because after Jacob, we didn't say the God of Joseph.

[3:57] No. But it's the God of Abraham. He called himself, I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus said that in the last day. He said, when you come to the kingdom, you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

[4:08] Talk about Abraham, Isaac. He didn't talk about anybody else. And he said, he is the God of the living, not the God of the dead. He calls himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So there is a peculiar relationship that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had individually, which everybody who performs part of God's people must have.

[4:28] Number one, Abraham knew God as the father. We have been explaining how Abraham was called from somewhere. God called him from the heir of the child here and started building a relationship with him.

[4:39] And when, oh, thank you, Lord. When God called Abraham, Abraham had a certain problem before he was called. He was called from an idolatrous background. But when he was an idol worshiper, before God called him, he was childless.

[4:51] According to Genesis chapter 11, the last three verses of it, Sarah was childless. For Sarah was barren. She had no child. God hadn't called him yet.

[5:02] So before God called Abraham and his wife, they were barren. And God called Abraham and he told Abraham, I will bless you and make you a blessing. Make you a great nation.

[5:13] I'll make you a blessing. I'll make a great nation out of you. So God called him in chapter 12, told him to leave his mother's house and his father's house. His father's house. Leave and I'll make a great nation out of you. And then in Genesis chapter 15, Abraham, God appears to Abraham in a vision.

[5:29] And God told Abraham, I am your shield and your exceeding great reward. And Abraham said to God, you have given me sin that you have given me all these blessings and all these things. But a foreigner, a stranger, a liaison of Damascus is going to be my heir.

[5:45] In other words, he's going to inherit my estate and everything I have. Because I don't have a child. Sin that I go childless. That's what Abraham told him. Lord God, what will you give me sin? I go childless.

[5:55] He knew he was childless. So every time he met God, that was one of his biggest issues. I'm childless. And because I am childless, a foreigner, a stranger is going to be my heir.

[6:08] God said, no, a stranger will not be your heir. Don't say that a liaison of Damascus will be your heir. But he said that this one shall not be your heir, but one. Let's all read that part together.

[6:18] Can you see it on the screen? From the back. Let's go. But one who will come from your own body shall be your heir. Can you imagine? The man was childless. I'm sure he had all his medical certificates there of childlessness.

[6:31] But God said that a stranger will not be your heir, but your own child. Your own child. And so in Genesis chapter 12, Bible says in the verse 6 of Genesis chapter 15, verse 6, and Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

[6:45] All right. He believed God. What God told him that you have it. You have your descendants shall be uncountable as the stars, unnumerable as the stars. And Bible said he believed God. It was accounted to him for righteousness. Now quickly going on.

[6:56] And then in chapter 16, Sarai realized that God was delaying in coming. God is not showing up. So he told Abraham, Abraham, look, you are growing old. So you are growing old. Me, I've crossed the barrier. But you are growing old.

[7:08] So God said that there are children in your lois. So since me, I can't give you children. Let my servant, my servant, who is called Hegai, let go into my servant and that she'll produce children.

[7:24] In those days, you can take your servant, your slave, your servant, whatever, and give it to, if your slave has children, they are yours. So if you are not having a child, you can let your mate have children on your behalf.

[7:37] So he said, well, it's okay. It's a normal custom. There are different customs among human beings. So at that time, it was a legitimate custom. So take my servant and go into her and then she'll produce children for me, to you on my behalf.

[7:52] And Abraham said, I think that's a very good idea. So, and Bible said, watch this. And Bible said, and Abraham married her. And she became his wife. Genesis chapter 16.

[8:02] Abraham took her. And Sarai, Abraham's wife, took her, the Egyptian gave her her husband, to be his wife. That's it. You say? To produce children. And guess what? True to Sarai's word, the woman conceived.

[8:16] So it looks like there was no problem with Abraham. God's word is true. The woman conceived. The problem was with Sarai, not with Abraham. So Abraham had a child. And Abraham said, yeah, yeah, yeah. I've got it.

[8:26] I've got it. And God said, this guy, you miss me. You're going to produce Ishmael. Ishmael is after the law. It's after the flesh. After the flesh. So God said, no, you miss me. For 13 years, God didn't have communication with Abraham because of that detour.

[8:39] Be careful. Be careful. Your detours can cost you more than you bargained for. Be careful. He detoured. He took a detour. He was derailed because of somebody's advice.

[8:50] But the advice sounded good. He lost by twos in God. And that made God. He lost 13 solid years of working with God. 13 solid years.

[9:01] But one thing I like about God is God doesn't give up on his people. Someone say, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. So when Abraham Bible told in Genesis chapter 16, the last verse, Abraham was 80, around 86.

[9:16] It was 86 when he had Hagar. So God waited. When he was 80, 99. So Abraham was, go back to that verse before. And Abraham was how long? 86 years old.

[9:27] Now we didn't hear anything about communication with God. So the next verse. It looks like it's only one verse, but it's 13 years. And when Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, I am almighty God.

[9:38] Walk before me and be blameless. To it my way. 99 years old. Abraham at that time was also dead. His body was dead. Since he was about 100 years old.

[9:49] According to Romans chapter 4 verse 19. Just to backtrack the point. Look at Romans chapter 4 verse 19. Not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body already dead.

[10:00] That's Abraham. Why? Since he was about 100 years old. So God waited for his body to go off now. Because you thought when I said I was going to give you a child, you thought I was going to depend on your abilities.

[10:13] So that is why you were using other people to get it, produce it, to present it to me that God, I've done it, I've done it. And I said, I don't want it. That is not my plan. Because each man is not my promise. But interestingly, Abraham missed it and produced Ishmael.

[10:26] So God waited. When now he was off and there's no way at his age he could give birth. In Genesis chapter 21, in Genesis chapter 21, verse 3, 4 and 5.

[10:39] Verse 5, I think it's 5, 5. Verse 5, I'm looking for. Abraham was now 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him. God waited. God has plenty of time. Those of us who are in a hurry, God has plenty of time.

[10:54] He will wait until you start doing it his way. He is not intimidated. He is not looking for votes. So if you don't do it his way, he will wait. He will wait. But the more God waits, the more you waste.

[11:05] So better stop wasting and start working with God. Because none of us ever grow younger.

[11:17] God doesn't grow. He is. He just is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Forever. He is. His Bible says that your years remain the same.

[11:29] Your years never change. Our hope keeps changing. Can you imagine last year, you were a year younger. Last year, you were a year younger. This year, you are a year older. You are not growing younger.

[11:40] The earlier you do the things you have to do, the better. Some people need to get out of your lives. Because you are growing. They are wasting your time. You keep going to nightclubs with them. You are growing. Now, you used to not have a child.

[11:52] Now you have three children. You are still going to nightclubs with these guys who don't have a child. No. Because you are growing. Now you have children to feed. No, the things you used to do when you were in secondary school or university, you can't be doing them now that you finished three years ago or four years ago looking for a job.

[12:07] So, we are growing older. God waited. Because Abraham, he didn't get his way. He waited. Okay. Nature will switch you off. God doesn't have to bring punishment on people. No, no, no, no. Let me throw this in.

[12:17] God does not bring punishment on people. God doesn't afflict people. It's the devil who does. Okay. So, once a woman is going through trouble and don't say, oh, God is punishing me. God doesn't bring trouble on people.

[12:28] God life is full of trouble. Enough troubles for him to come and hardly. But what God does is he protects us from entering into trouble. Jesus said, what you pray. Pray that deliver us from, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us.

[12:41] There is always evil. His job is to deliver you. So, if you don't hear that evil will come. He can't deliver you. Then you say that God is punishing. God is not punishing. You took yourself into it because evil has been waiting for you all along.

[12:51] Someone can hear what I'm saying. God doesn't bring evil. And so, the earlier you walk with God, the more you enjoy divine immunity, supernatural security, protection, and comprehensive insurance. Someone shout, I am blessed.

[13:03] I am blessed. So, Abraham missed God and God came to him and said, now, you, I didn't give up on you. Work with me and be perfect. Okay. God warned him. Work with me and be perfect.

[13:14] And the issue of child came up again. Every time Abraham missed God, he talks about children. And then God said, I'll bless you. Look at verse 4. Let's look at, let's go to Genesis chapter 17, verse 14.

[13:25] The book of Genesis is the first book in your Bible. So, when you just open it, it is there. Verse 14. And, um, Genesis chapter 17. Let's go from verse 15. And God said to Abraham, verse 15.

[13:37] Okay, please. Genesis chapter 17, verse 15. And God said to Abraham, ask for Sarai, your wife. You shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and give you a son by her.

[13:51] This is a serious one. And at that time, he was 100 years old, 99 years. God said, I'll give you a son by Sarah. And according to Romans chapter 4, verse 19, at the time, God was telling Abraham this, Sarah's womb was dead.

[14:05] As I jokingly say, it's not monopause. It was monostop. Her own was monostop. Or monocuit. So, at the time, there was no way Sarah could give birth.

[14:19] But God, look at it, look at it. He said, I will give, I will bless her and she shall be a mother. Okay, let me, verse 16. I will bless her and also give you a son by her.

[14:31] Then I will bless her and she shall be a mother of nations. Kings, kings of people shall be from her. And Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in her, in his heart, shall a child.

[14:45] Now, see, he's gone. So, shall a child, shall a child be born to a man who is 100 years old? How does Abraham say that?

[14:56] He's too late now. It's good. God will wait till just to teach you that he is the provider. God was trying to teach Abraham that he's the father, not him. So, in Abraham, we know God as the father, the one, the initiator, the one from whom all blessings from.

[15:13] Everything originates from him. So, that marriage, that blessing, that peace you are believing God for, it comes from God. If you are God's people, we must see that it is he who will provide. It is he who will do it.

[15:24] God will do it. So, God waited. He said that, listen, listen, I will wait for your strength to fail. I will wait till it cannot be done. Then I will come and do it.

[15:34] So, in Genesis chapter 21, Bible says that, from verse 1, and God visited Sarah as he has said, he did unto Sarah as he has spoken. For, verse 20, verse 2, he said, for Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the same time which God has spoken to him.

[15:50] So, when God came to Abraham, the issue came up. Watch this. Watch this. Verse 17. Then Abraham fell in his face and said, shall a child be born to a man who is 100 years old? And shall Sarah, who is 90 years old, very child.

[16:03] And Abraham said to God, oh God, that Ishmael, it's okay, I've got Ishmael now. This guy has not given up on Ishmael, you know. He said, Ishmael, that Ishmael shall live before you. Might Ishmael live before you.

[16:15] And God said, don't talk about Ishmael. I will bless him. Because it's a child, your natural child. There's a blessing done. But it's not a child of promise. Now, today my title is, Isaac is not indispensable.

[16:26] God always kept telling Abraham about your child of promise I'm going to give you. The child of promise I'm going to give you. The child. Why did he, why did he give him that promise? Because God had a program for Abraham's family.

[16:40] And God was doing his own thing. So, he gave him a child of promise. And Abraham needed a son for God's agenda to be fulfilled. And he needed the son of promise for God's agenda to be fulfilled.

[16:52] So, that is why when they met, they were talking about this sonship. The first time he started blessing, he was talking about other nations, peoples. Not only you, Abraham. And people are going to come out of you. And so, God was always eyeing what his plan was concerning Abraham.

[17:07] But then, he was very clear about it. That this son is going to be a son, a child of promise. Not a child of the flesh. And Abraham detoured and went and got himself Ishmael.

[17:20] Ishmael is the flesh. Some of you ladies, it's good. Please, you can't marry Ishmael. Sister, you can't marry Ishmael. She will get other wives.

[17:31] She will get other wives. You will always be coming here. Let's start, let's save her. Brother, you can't marry. That sister is at Ishmael. You will see the signs that Ishmael, Ishmael, Ishmael. Ishmael, it doesn't fall into the programming of God.

[17:44] Already, he started telling you that you are going to church too much. Sunday is enough. It's an Ishmael. Why are you always praying? Why are you always praying? You don't have to go to church. It doesn't matter. You don't have all these things. Just one is okay. We can go ahead and do anything.

[17:56] Ishmael will take you outside. It will move you out of God's plan. Anything that keeps putting pressure on you to move you out of God's plan is an Ishmael. It's the flesh. It may look convenient.

[18:07] It may look reasonable. But you know, this thing is taking me out of... Some jobs are Ishmaels. But that's... It's my family member. My husband said it. Or my wife said it.

[18:18] Or my mom. I don't want to... Abraham, it is his wife who... His wife said, give me a child through this other woman. Their wife... No, women don't share their men. No woman wants to share their... No, no, no, no, no, no.

[18:28] If she's normal. No. Sarah said, don't worry. In this instant, I'm willing to share you. So Abraham could have a better excuse than I told Sarah.

[18:41] Oh, Sarah. Sarah's idea. God. But God said, still it will cost you. It's you it's who cost. Not your mother. Not your father.

[18:51] It's you it's who cost. So when you are making decisions on your... So young as your destiny in God is concerned, be careful who you consider. Oh. Important. So Abraham got Ishmael.

[19:07] God said, no, it's not him. It's not him. Isaac is coming. That's my child of promise. And so in Genesis... And God can imagine in Genesis chapter 20, when after the incident with Abimelech.

[19:17] So Abraham, after the incident with Abimelech, Abraham went to lie. And it's not my wife, my sister. Abimelech went to lie. And then God shut the wounds of all the women. And then at the end of it, it's very interesting.

[19:28] Genesis chapter 20 towards the end, Bible says that God told Abraham, pray for him. And so Abraham prayed for Abimelech and his house.

[19:39] Verse 17. So Abraham prayed to God. And God healed Abimelech, his wife, and the female servants that they bought children. Can you imagine? He was childless. He prayed for others to have children.

[19:51] And after he was able to do that, knowing that God is the one who provides, even though I don't have... Well, it's not me. It's God. God said, once you have done that. The next verse, Sarah also conceived. Sarah also conceived.

[20:02] As soon as he prayed for them, Sarah conceived. And when Sarah conceived, the boy grew up. And when he was weaned, Ishmael had to leave the house. Isaac must be weaned.

[20:13] Ishmael must leave. But then that's after Ishmael left. Something interesting. Watch this. This is the crux of the message. Then I'm done. After Ishmael left the house, Isaac was growing. And Abraham had gotten to a stage.

[20:24] He's now an old man. I mean, what test hasn't he gone through? Is it not so? If you think about it. 100 years old man finally has given birth to a child. He tried every means. He's traveled from his country.

[20:36] So many things. Lots. You know the story of Abraham. So many things have happened. And God has proved to him that I'm the God. I'm the father. And as though that was not enough, Genesis chapter 22, the first statement there is very disturbing.

[20:47] Genesis chapter 22. Let's not read it from the screen. Are you ready to read it out loud? Let's go. Let's read it. Now, it came to pass. After these things that God tested, eh? And said to him, Abraham.

[20:59] And he said, after these things that God tested. Then what kind of test is this then? I've gone through everything. God tested him. What else, God? What else? And he said that I want you to get rid of Isaac.

[21:13] No way. God said, bring me best to God tested him. And God said, take your son.

[21:23] He was specific. Your only son, Isaac. He didn't say your son. He was born for Ishmael. He was born to look for Ishmael. Ishmael. He said, take your son. Your only son. Look at him.

[21:33] And say, whom you love. And go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering. On one of the mountains. Eh?

[21:44] Over my son. My only son. Now, guess here. Quickly. This is the crux of the message. Abraham knew that God had a plan for Isaac. So Isaac was not so much for Abraham as he is for God's purpose.

[21:56] Very important. Okay. Let me just throw it. Look at Hebrews 11, verse 17. Quickly. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 17. By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. And he who received the promise, offered up his only begotten son.

[22:11] Say, only begotten son. That's a very interesting statement, isn't it? Only. For God so loved it. Only begotten son. He offered up his only begotten son. Go to the next. So, so long as God was concerned, Abraham's real son was Isaac.

[22:22] Yeah. Only. Only son. Only son was Isaac. All right. Of whom. Watch this. Watch this. Watch that. Of whom God said, in Isaac, you're. God told him that the thing I'm going to do with you is in Isaac.

[22:36] God told him already. Then God comes to say that, come and offer him as a sacrifice. Hey. So, two things. Abraham is about to lose his son who he loves.

[22:47] But that's not. Abraham said, God, this cannot be because God. Your program is in Isaac. I need to protect your program. Your plan. Your purpose is in Isaac. God was trying to let Abraham know that Isaac is not indispensable.

[23:02] I can do without Isaac and still do what I wanted to do with Isaac because I am the father myself. Moses is dead.

[23:12] Get up and move on. When Moses died, God came to Joshua and said, Moses, my servant, he's dead. Now rise up and move forward. You must know how to close a chapter in your life.

[23:25] And walk with God in obedience. Some of us, what is affecting us is we are too fearful. We are too fearful. So we can't obey God.

[23:36] We are afraid. Jesus said, why? Oh, ye of little faith. Why did you fear? That's why Peter started sinking. When Peter screamed, Jesus, Lord, help me. He brought him up and said, why did you doubt?

[23:47] You could have been okay without allowing doubt to come in. They were in the boat. They were stormed. They woke Jesus up. Jesus was sleeping in the boat. They woke him up. And then, when they woke him up, they said, this is their language.

[23:58] They shook him. Master, master, carest not, King James. Carest not thou that we perish. In other words, don't you care that we are perishing? He woke him up. He said he rebuked the storm. He told them, oh, ye of little faith.

[24:08] Why are you so fearful? Why? Who told you you perish? Some of us need to make some hard decisions, you know. You know he's God, but you're finding it difficult because, watch this. One of the things I wanted to say, I wrote it down today, that it is wrong to produce Ishmael.

[24:25] But it is equally wrong to try to use the hands of the flesh to hold on to the promise. It is wrong to use the hands of flesh to hold on to the promise.

[24:36] So God said, don't hold on to Isaac with flesh. God will always, listen, every genuine faith will be tested. If you say you are a Christian, you believe in God. God will test your faith.

[24:48] Forget about this. This is what I think. This is what I think. This is how I'm thinking. The reality is that you know what God is telling you in your spirit. Sometimes we disturb ourselves with our thinking.

[24:59] But deep in our hearts, you know God is telling you something. There are people, God told you this morning. He told you, wake up. Make sure you are the first to be here. Come and pray at the altar before the church starts. And when you woke up, it didn't rain, but you saw rain all over you.

[25:11] So you came and said, I wanted to do it, but you know it's just raining. It's just raining. You have convinced yourself that you are okay, but your heart knows. You know in your heart, you have the weakness in your spirit.

[25:23] You have the weakness in your spirit that this is where I'm supposed to be in church. I'm supposed to cut down these extra hours. You know in your spirit. Suddenly, your mind is telling you, oh, but if I cut down these extra hours, I've been planning to buy a jaguar.

[25:37] I can't buy the jaguar. You know, just build me a house project. I can give more if I'm able to do extra. And you know it is at the expense of your walk with God. Your spirit is telling you one thing, but your mind is convincing you to go ahead.

[25:51] Somebody obey God and God will polish your life. Shout hallelujah. Hallelujah. He said, I don't need Isaac. I can do without Isaac. That's God.

[26:01] I'll buy myself. Hebrews chapter 11. Bible says that, put verse 18 again on the screen. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 18. And Bible says that, and of whom it was said. This is strange.

[26:12] God clearly said in Isaac. Now he's asking you to offer Isaac. In Isaac, your seed shall be blessed. Verse 19. And Abraham went concluding that God was able to raise him up.

[26:23] Even from the death, from which, what's it? From which he also received him in a figurative sense. So when he was going to kill Isaac or offer Isaac, he knew he has received him already because the promise was in Isaac.

[26:36] But God knows how he works his own thing. God can do without Isaac. Even though he promised to be fulfilled, it's to be fulfilled in Isaac.

[26:50] He can. He can. God can do without anybody. We may not have anybody where we think we, oh, this is the word God has given us. Even though, and then once we begin to know that just having him is the answer, then he takes precedence and begins to do what he actually wants to do.

[27:08] Don't try to help God to fulfill prophecy. Walk with God. That's what I meant by Isaac must be winning before Ishmael. Some of us are trying to do, do, do, do, instead of be, be, be, be.

[27:18] Who you are is more important than what you do. Religion will tell you, do, don't. Do this. Don't do this. You have sinned. You have not sinned. You have done this. You have done.

[27:28] That's religion. God will give you Isaac. But be careful. Watch this. Be careful. Isaac doesn't replace God. Careful. Because you'll be always waiting for Isaac.

[27:40] God gave you Isaac. Now, Isaac is becoming like all you are living for. God will tell you, bring me Isaac. He said, but God, you need Isaac to do what you want. You've got to be black. He said, I can do without Isaac. Because Isaac is not indispensable.

[27:59] My prayer for you is that you will not hold on to the promise with the hands of flesh. My prayer for you is that you will not try to fulfill God's promise. Depending on Isaac.

[28:11] But on God. Don't try to fulfill God's promise for your life depending on Isaac. Do it depending on God. Don't try to do that. I like what I wrote here.

[28:21] Can I say that? Thank you, Jesus. God said, come and sacrifice Isaac to me. And when they were going, in Genesis chapter 22, verse 5, Abraham told his servants that wait, me and the boy, we are going, we are going yonder and worship.

[28:38] He didn't say to go and sacrifice. What you may think is sacrifice is an act of worship. That's what God is marking. Too many Christians in nowadays, generally, but Christians that come to church are so allergic to sacrifice.

[28:50] But the Bible says that you are called not only to believe, but to suffer for his name's sake. Suffering is part of Christianity. Actually, that is where you begin to enjoy Christianity.

[29:04] Suffering. Not suffering recklessly. Because you are not born again to suffer again. But what it actually means is that if it means obeying God and being unpopular, if it means obeying God and forgoing some things, then you will obey.

[29:19] In your obedience to God, you will suffer some rejections. In your obedience to God, some people will look down on you. In your obedience to God, you may lose some. Your boyfriend who used to pay your rent.

[29:29] The married man who used to pay your rent. Because he was your boyfriend. You used to minister to him. If you used to pay your boyfriend, suddenly, you will have him paying your rent.

[29:41] And your landlord is chasing you because you are only three months and yet you are in church. Lord, I love you. And God is watching you. God is watching you. God is watching you. Are you getting what I'm saying? Now, watch this.

[29:52] This is the point. The crux of the matter. Listen, listen. You can sacrifice Isaac, but you can't sacrifice God. Give me no.

[30:05] You are so attached to Isaac. God gave you Isaac. And never let Isaac take the place of God because Isaac can be sacrificed, but not God.

[30:17] But not God. I will never place anything above God in my life. Not my wife. Not my children. God is first. I will not change my message to secure money.

[30:30] No way. Let money go. If God can't take care of his work, then he should do it the way he wants to do it. And when you have that disposition of heart, God will say, now I know you are ready.

[30:45] Thank you for listening. To hear more from David Entry, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Why don't you subscribe to our YouTube channel at Karis Church and subscribe to our podcast so you are always up to date.

[31:04] Be blessed. Thank you. At Karis Church Wat2020C We are the last guest. Thank you. What do you understand? And we love you. Bye bye bye bye. nie Peace.

[31:14] Bye bye. Bye bye bye.

[31:25] Bye bye bye bye bye bye. Ruch.