I don't like them. I never have. As a matter of fact, when I was a student, I had two recurring
nightmares. The first one is naked in a high school hallway. I don't know why you dream that.
I studied dreams as a minor in psychology. I never figured out what that was about,
but that has nothing to do with the sermon, but I had to be honest. I got two nightmares.
Anyway, the second was that at the end of a semester, don't make that come back to haunt me,
but anyway, at the end of a semester, I have an exam and I haven't been to class. It's a class I
signed up for and I never went to the class, and now I don't know what to do. So I don't like tests.
I sure don't like pop quizzes and are tests that you're not expecting. And today,
we look at one of the biggest tests, probably in all of history, but we sure look at the biggest
test in Abraham's life. And it's not in a classroom. It's at a place of worship. Now, in Hebrews chapter
11, they have a list of those who lived by faith. It's a wonderful example of how to live by faith and
what they did in their lives that stood out to live by faith. It is what's often called the hall of fame
of faith. And Abraham is one of the, he's in the foyer of the hall of fame of faith. And you don't get
there without going through some trials in your life, some tests in your life. And this is probably
the climax of his life. He has withstood his toughest test of faith in our passage today.
And it's pretty crucial for us too, because we learn a lot, I believe, from this passage about one of
the most difficult subjects of our faith. And that is the tests of God. They're often unexpected.
They're often misunderstood. They can be very frustrating. However, they're always for a purpose.
And they're always timely. For instance, this could not have taken place at any other time in Abraham's
life. And God had been preparing him, at least indirectly so, for a hundred years, literally,
for this test. Yet, even with that, the demanded sacrifice is admittedly hard to grasp. Now listen,
this is a familiar story to many. But if it is not to you, brace yourself. Okay? Genesis chapter 22,
beginning in verse 1, it says this, after these things, God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham,
and he said, here am I. He said, take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of
Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.
So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and
his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to a place of which God had
told him. On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said
to his young men, stay here with the donkey. I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again
to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac, his son. And he took
in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father,
Abraham, my father, my father. And he said, here am I, my son. He said, behold the fire and the wood,
but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, God will provide for himself
the lamb for a burnt offering, my son. So they went, both of them, together. When they came to the place
of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac,
his son, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the
knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham,
Abraham. And he said, here I am. And he said, do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him.
For I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.
And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his
horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
So Abraham called the name of that place the Lord will provide. As it is said to this day,
on the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided. Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, I pray today
that more than the historic details of Abraham and Isaac's life, as important as they may be,
that we'll instead see the relation of this story to our own lives.
God, I speak to folks today, some of which are going through tests. Some of them have been through tests
and some of them will go into tests. But God, I pray today that you'll give us guidance.
Guidance for what has happened to us. Guidance for what is happening to us. Guidance, oh God,
for what will happen to us. And help us, Lord, to trust you more after learning the truths of your word.
In Jesus' precious name. Amen. What an event. Why was Abraham asked to do this? Now, don't let the end
result take away from the difficulty of the story because when you suffer difficulty from a test of God
and you're in the middle of it, you feel the weight of it. So I want you to feel the weight
of what Abraham dealt with. This was a three-day walk with Abraham and Isaac. And there was some
pondering going on on that walk. Isaac's wondering, how is this all going to work out? And Abraham's
going, how is this all going to work out? Now, I could tell you about pagan rituals of that day
that would make something like this rather common. It was a familiar concept for pagans of that day
to make those kinds of sacrifices. Those rituals that made the society more susceptible
to understand the story than we do today. But I can't soften the request.
And any way you soften it, the demanded sacrifice, it's difficult to grasp.
But the lesson from it is invaluable. Anyone that God is going to use, he's going to test.
It relates to every one of us because God wants to use you. And in order to make you ready for that,
he has to test you. I don't pretend to say that every test is the same. I don't believe you ought
to ever tell anybody, I know exactly what you're going through. Because you don't. You may have lost
the same kind of relational loved one as they did, but those relationships were different. You don't know
exactly those circumstances. You may have had a relative that got into trouble like yours has got
into trouble. And so you understand that somewhat, but all those circumstances are different.
You may be going through a health crisis right now or a relational crisis right now
or a personal and mental crisis right now. And the reality is when somebody tells you,
I know exactly which. No, they don't. No, they don't. Maybe they've suffered through the same
kind of test that you've went through, the medical test and all those things, trying to find a
diagnosis. Maybe they've dealt with that. Maybe they've had similar confusions than you have.
But the reality is we're all individual. I mean, listen, no temptation exceeds you except what is common
to man. There's a commonality among us. But when it comes to the difficulties of our life, we don't know
exactly what anybody is suffering for that. So each situation is different, even when they look the
same. And when we bring into a test or a dilemma, what we bring into that is different for every
person. You can emphasize or empathize or you can sympathize with them, but don't ever pretend to know
you understand completely what they're going through because you don't.
And by the way, if you don't know what to say, don't say anything. Okay. I have heard more
preachers fill up an empty spot with words because you could tell you didn't know what they said, what
they had to say. Your presence makes a difference when somebody's going through a dilemma. I promise you.
All of God's tests are not the same. There's some common characteristics, and I want to focus
on the common characteristics of those tests because they're found here in this account.
But they're all different.
Let me give you the commonalities. The tests of God are unexpected.
I doubt when a test comes you ever understand the timing of it.
But never does it come out of the blue.
God knew it was coming
for him, and he placed it
in his infinite timing
where it needed to be for the circumstances.
And Genesis 22 verse 1
begins by saying, after these things.
That's what the ESV that I use, the English Standard Version,
that's how it describes it. It says, after these things.
To me, that's a poor translation.
They got it wrong.
Because in the Hebrew, it says,
in the fullness of time.
This is more than just another chronological event.
This is in God's timing.
It's a divine appointment.
And when Abraham's life was ready for God's test,
God allowed it.
It's like when Christ said,
the hour is at hand.
It's like in Luke 9 31
when he says,
he set his face towards Jerusalem.
It was time
to endure
the last week of Christ
at that point.
And when Jesus knew
there with the disciples,
the time was up.
He said, the hour is at hand.
God's time has come.
In the same kind of way,
when Abraham had experienced enough,
when he had grown enough faith,
he didn't understand it,
but when he had grown enough faith,
God had a test.
God understood exactly
where he would be,
and God has a time for everything.
Ecclesiastes 3 lists many.
I'll give you an example
in the very beginning of it.
It says, Ecclesiastes 3 verse 1
says,
there is an appointed time
for everything,
and there is a time
for every event under heaven.
Therefore, the time had come
for Abraham.
Although we may never understand it,
God has a time
for everything that we experience,
and his timing is always right.
Does it always seem right?
No, it does not seem right.
And that's the problem.
We don't look forward to the test.
I've never liked the test,
nor the timing of them.
God's tests are unexpected.
What we see is limited,
and what he allows is unexpected,
but God sees it all the time.
Therefore, you can rest in his judgment
and know that what happens to us
is in his time.
Has the rug been ripped out from under you?
I promise you,
God's still on the throne,
and it's in his timing.
The other thing is this.
I wish I could sugarcoat this,
but I can't.
The tests of God are difficult.
They're difficult.
Now, I want you to understand,
a test of God is not a temptation.
God does not tempt.
James 1, verse 13 through 15 says,
Let no one,
when he is tempted,
say,
I am being tempted by God.
For God cannot be tempted with evil.
For God cannot be tempted with evil,
and he himself tempts no one.
But each person is tempted
when he is lured
and enticed
by his own desire.
Then desire,
when it is conceived,
gives birth to sin,
and sin,
when it is fully grown,
brings forth death.
Tempting is what we walk into.
Ushered along by the evil one,
God does not do that.
If you wonder,
there are two differences
between a test of God
and a temptation.
One is,
we lead ourselves into temptation.
God don't lead us into temptation.
We lead ourselves in that.
That scripture tells us that.
When we are caught up
and lured
and enticed
by our own desires,
God leads us into a test.
Second thing is,
tempting involves evil.
Testing is different.
I want you to notice in verse 2,
it says,
Your only son
whom you love.
Now,
if you've been following along
and tracking us
for these last few weeks,
you know that's not his only son.
He's got another son
with Hagar,
his maidservant.
When his wife
could not have a child,
they took alternative means,
which was
not what God had in store,
and Ishmael was born.
God doesn't mission to Ishmael.
Ishmael is
his first son,
but God speaks
as if he does not exist
because Isaac
was the son
of promise.
Isaac was the son
that Abraham
had been waiting on.
And I want you
to get the weight of this.
Isaac is the one
that all of God's promises
were based on.
Everything we know,
even the childhood song
we sing,
Father Abraham
had many sons
and many sons of him.
It all came back
to Isaac.
The nation of Israel
would come through
that bloodline.
All of Abraham's future,
his heritage,
his legacy,
were held
in the life
of Isaac.
Isaac,
he looked
to the birth
of his son
for decades,
yet he was
a hundred years old
before his boy
was born.
And now God
speaks
of Isaac.
And when God
spoke of Isaac,
he spoke of
Abraham's
everything.
It's tough.
It is the things
that we love
that God
will often
ask us
to put
on the altar
of sacrifice.
Now I want you
to hear me.
That don't mean
he's going to take it.
Whether he takes it
or not,
we walk away
with it
in its proper place.
It's his.
By the way,
it was his
to start with.
But it has
to register
with us.
It's his.
Whatever it is.
When you put
what you love
on the altar
of sacrifice,
whether God
takes it
or not,
it's his.
And that
is the proper
perspective
that we are
to have
about our stuff.
About what's
ours.
Remember,
God does not
give us tests
to see where
we are.
He knows
that.
He gives
us tests
so that
we can see
where we are.
Tests are tough.
They're tough.
Third thing
is this.
The test
of God
demand
obedience.
There are
two signs
of Abraham's
sure obedience
here.
First is
how he
obeyed.
I want you
to notice
he went
when God
told him
to.
Verse 3
says,
so Abraham,
let me give you
the context.
take your
son,
your only
son whom
you love
and go
to the
land of
Moriah
and offer
him there
as a
burnt
offering
on one
of the
mountains
of which
I shall
tell you.
That's
verse 2
of Genesis
22.
Verse 3
begins,
so Abraham
rose early.
He didn't
even wait
until mid
morning.
He got
up.
He got
up and
got after
it.
I think
that's
significant.
It does
not speak
of a
struggle
with going
when God
told him
to go.
Did the
Bible leave
that struggle
out?
I don't
believe it
did because
the Bible
speaks of
his struggle
watching Sodom
burn and
the difficulty
of that.
He did
struggle there
but he does
not struggle
here.
He just
went because
he knew he
could trust
God.
And I'm
telling you
folks,
just trust
God.
Go with
the Lord
and trust
him.
As you
pray,
you can
question.
As you
go,
you can
pray.
And as
you pray,
you can
question.
Whatever,
but move
in the
direction of
obedience for
God.
He went to
the place
where God
had told
him.
And by
the way,
when he
started,
God hadn't
yet told
him where
exactly he
was supposed
to go.
He learned
along the
journey.
I'm a
planner.
I can
ruin a
vacation.
Okay?
A couple
of years
ago,
right,
when things
were coming
out of
COVID,
but yet
people were
wanting you
to travel
and all
that stuff,
I watched
a movie
about South
Dakota and
that area,
and I
wanted to
go.
And I
wanted to
hit it
before
everybody
else
hit it.
And so
as soon
as school
was over,
I booked
us a
trip where
we would
see all
of the
Northwest
in about
four days.
I was
a test
to see
if my
family would
stay together
through the
trip.
We'd be
scattered
throughout
the West.
I think
we was
going to
book about
400 miles
a day.
Look.
But
Millie was
graduating
from the
eighth grade,
and I
found out
late in
the process
that there
was an
eighth grade
graduation.
So much
to my
chagrin,
because nobody
wanted to
go but me
anyway.
I told
Millie,
I said,
listen,
your gift
for getting
out of
the eighth
grade is
to get
out of
middle
school and
go to
high school.
And that's
it.
We ought
to be
in the
West.
But I
went
begrudgingly
and I
canceled
all my
plans.
I love
to plan.
I love
to plan
it out
and know
what the
deal is.
But the
reality is
you can't
plan out
the test
of God.
You got
to trust
him.
You got
to move
and trust
him along
the way.
Not only
did he go
when God
told him
to go,
but he
went where
God told
him to
go.
He went
to the
place where
God had
told him.
It was
not easy.
It was
three days
away.
It was
not a
long
journey.
But I'm
telling you
with what
was going
on,
it was
a long
journey.
Can you
imagine the
pondering on
that trip?
Scripture
also tells
us why
he obeyed.
Verse 12
says,
God said,
do not lay
your hand
on the
boy or
do anything
to him.
For now
I know
that you
fear God
seeing you
have not
withheld
your son,
your only
son,
from me.
He feared
God.
Now,
I want you
to understand
there's two
types of
fear,
at least
two types.
There's a
phobia kind
of fear,
an irrational
fear,
the kind
of fear
that I
have for
snakes,
for instance,
okay?
I may run
a fit,
but I ain't
going to
handle a
snake,
I can
tell you
that.
And I've
always had
this sick
fascination
with snakes.
I mean,
that's my
favorite part
of the zoo
to go to,
to watch
and to look
and all that
stuff.
However,
if there
was one
on this
stage,
I wouldn't
be on
this
stage.
When I
was growing
up,
there was
a creek
that went
through our
neighborhood
and there
was a
bush that
hung over
that creek
and one
day I
was down
the creek
and I
saw a
snake in
that bush.
Another
day I
saw another
snake in
that bush.
Some
days I
saw two
snakes in
that bush.
So I
got fascinated
with seeing
them and
scared and
all that
stuff.
One day
I went
down there
and looked
and the
snakes were
green and
so they
matched the
bush.
It was
hard to
see and
I didn't
see any.
So dejected
and somewhat
glad, as
weird as that
is, I
started home
and all of a
sudden I
looked down
and on this
little rock
was a
little snake,
a little
brown snake
sunning,
about that
long.
By the time
I looked at
him, he
had his head
raised up
and his
tongue out
and I
started running.
I lived
about a
quarter of a
mile away
and I ran
all the way
home, worried
that snake
was chasing
me down the
road.
I have an
irrational fear
of it, okay?
That's not the
fear this is
talking about.
The other
kind of fear
is a fear
of respect.
This has
more to do
with the
character of
the one
respected
than it
does the
one doing
the
respecting.
It's not
a fear of
punishment.
It's a
fear of
reverence.
My dad's a
whistler.
He'd work in
the garage and
he had one of
those big
tube radios
where it had
to warm up
when you hit
the button.
And he
played
instrumental
music,
elevator music
out there
and he'd
whistle to
it while he
was out there
working.
But he also
had another
whistle that
was somewhat
legendary and
that was the
come home
whistle.
And when he
wanted his
boys to come
home he'd
walk outside
and he'd
whistle.
And when
dad whistled
it was time
to come home.
one time I
know as
the bird
flies that I
was over a
half a mile
away from
him and I
heard him
whistle.
And the
moment I
heard him
whistle I
commenced
running.
Jumping
creeks,
running through
woods.
I commenced
running because
I wanted to
get home and
beat the
dreaded second
whistle.
I'm just
going to be
honest with
you.
I don't
ever remember
being punished
for not
coming home.
I never
remember being
scolded for
not coming
home.
I don't
ever remember
not coming
home when I
was called.
I just knew
to come.
My dad
expected me.
my father
never asked
much of me.
He never
does.
But when he
has I've
tried to
deliver.
And supper
was ready.
And it was
time to come
home.
And I had a
fear of him.
I didn't fear
what he would
do.
I didn't fear
what he
wouldn't do.
I just knew
what he
wanted.
And I
respected him.
The test
of God
demand
obedience.
And Abraham
heard the
whistle of
God and
he knew
to obey.
the test
of God
also
demand
faith.
They demand
faith.
Abraham knew
whatever God
would ask he
would trust
him.
How?
Because he
walked with
God.
And when you
walk with
folks you know
whether you
can trust
them or not.
You learn
them.
And he had
learned God.
He had lived
with him and
he knew him
and so he
could trust
him.
There are
two sure
signs of
that.
The first
one is seen
in verses
four and
five.
When it
says on
the third
day Abraham
lifted up
his eyes
and saw
the place
from afar
and then
Abraham said
to his
young men
get this
now.
Stay here
with the
donkey.
I and
the boy
will go
over there
and worship
and come
again to
you.
Did you
catch that?
He knew
they would
worship and
he knew
they would
come back.
He
didn't
doubt
God
would
somehow
take
care
of
the
matter
and
Hebrews
chapter
11
verse 17
through 19
gives us
insight into
how he
thought it
would be
handled.
It says
by faith
Abraham
when he
was tested
offered up
Isaac
and he
who had
received
the promises
was in
the act
of offering
up his
only son
of whom
he
was said
through
Isaac
shall
your
offspring
be
named.
He
considered
that God
was able
even to
raise him
from the
dead
from which
figuratively
speaking
he did
receive him
back.
He gave
up Isaac
and God
gave him
back.
He trusted
that his
willingness to
sacrifice to
God would
lead to
worship and
that is
exactly what
happened and
he knew
God was
at work
before he
ever went
up that
mountain.
He trusted
God with
that because
God will
provide.
I can
promise you
as well
in every
test God
will provide
and when
God provides
it will
change
your
worship.
When you
see God
come through
it will
change
your
worship.
Verse 13
and 14
tell us
that just
as Abraham
had said
God provided
and it was
time to
worship.
Our job
is to
obey.
God's job
is to
provide and
when we
choose not
to obey
we try to
go our
own way
and when
we obey
we don't
go our
own way
we trust
him.
You may
not like
the experience
of a test
but the
benefit of
God's test
outweigh the
agony I
can promise
you and
in that
we are
changed.
Lastly
the test
of God
are
blessed.
Sure
don't feel
like it in
the middle
of it.
I can't
explain to
you how
God will
bless you
through your
trials and
through your
test.
That may
be some of
the most
distinct
differences
that you
will ever
hear in
people's
testimony
when they
talk about
how God
came through
for them.
God is
an individual
God that
gives us
what we
need whether
we know
what it
is or
not.
But let
me tell
you three
ways that
God
blessed
Abraham.
Three blessings
and I'll
close.
Three blessings
that I want
you to see
about Abraham.
One is
he walked
away from
this with
an even
stronger
commitment to
God than
he had
before.
I want you
to notice
something.
God never
wondered how
Abraham would
respond.
God knew it.
Why?
Because he's
omniscient.
He knows
all things.
But now
Abraham would
never question
his own
level of
obedience
again.
He knew
that he
could and
he knew
that he
would trust
God.
Makes a
world of
difference.
Second thing
is this.
What he
had now
was the
Lord's.
He might
be sitting
at his
table but
he's not
his.
He's the
Lord's.
What's
God asking
of you?
Give it
over to
him.
trust him
with it.
You may
get to
keep it
but it'll
never be
yours again
once you
give it to
him.
And it's
our job
to be
stewards
of the
blessings
that God
gives to
us as
long as
he allows
us to
have them.
And one
more blessing
he got.
He knew
he did
what God
asked.
he walked
off that
mountain
knowing that
he did
exactly what
God told
him to
do.
That he
obeyed
God.
And that
makes my
friend a
world of
difference in
your life.
When you've
trusted God,
when you've
obeyed God
and just
let him have
it and
watched him
work in
the midst
of that.
it is my
goal that
I will
stand before
the Lord
one day
and he
will look
at me
and say
well done
my good
and faithful
servant.
You
obeyed.
You
trusted.
Trust
God
in your
test.
He will
not let
you down.
He's
good for
it.
With
every head
bowed and
every eye
closed, I
don't say
any of this
lightly.
Because
I walk
through valleys
with many
of you.
Many of
you I
pray for
daily.
Because I
know the
struggles that
you're going
through.
I know the
difficulties.
I'm also
well aware that
for those that
I know of,
there's that
many more
that I have
no idea
about.
Whatever
it is
that you're
facing today,
give that to
the Lord.
Give that to
the Lord.
It may be
that you've
never really
surrendered your
life to
Christ.
You've been
playing the
game or
hanging pretty
close, but
you've never
surrendered your
life to
Christ.
And the
good news
is, when
you give
love and
surrender your
life to
Christ, he
won't take it
from you, but
it'll be his.
You've never
done that and
would like
guidance in
that you
come today.
As soon as
we stand and
sing, you
come.
Maybe you
have done
that, but
you've never
acknowledged that
publicly.
It's just
something you've
done privately.
And the
first step of
obedience is to
follow him in
baptism.
Or maybe
God's leading
you to be a
part of this
fellowship.
You know
God's drawing
you here.
It's clear to
you.
I just
encourage you to
trust him with
that.
Or there may
be something else
in your life
that you've just
got to give over
to God.
You can do that
where you are.
You can do it at
this altar.
You can do it
with a pastor
praying for you.
But today,
let's trust God.
He's worthy
to be trusted.
Lord Jesus,
lead us right
now.
Have your will
in your way
with every one
of these folks
today, dear God.
Help them to
feel the power
of your presence,
the direction
of your spirit,
and work and
move in our midst
right now,
oh God,
I pray.
In Jesus'
name,
amen.