"FAITH"

ABRAHAM'S GREAT TRIAL OF FAITH



(Gen 22:1-14) Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." And He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship and return 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 the two of them walked on together. And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" And Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him; 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. And Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to slay 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 stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the LORD it will be provided."

ABRAHAM'S FAITH WAS EXHIBITED IN HIS:



SACRIFICE...(Gen 22:2) And He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."

A. Think....compare to Jesus, God sacrificed His Son

B. We might say, "I couldn't do that!"

(Luke 14:26-27) (Jesus)..."If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

(Rom 12:1-2) (Paul)..."I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

1. If we say, "I couldn't do that." What are we telling God? When things get too rough, the sacrifice too great, are you going to quit?

2. Rom. 8:35-38 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? [which of these will cause you to quit] Just as it is written, "FOR THY SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

NOTHING IS MORE POWERFUL THAN GOD....NOTHING!!

BUT WE CAN QUIT IF WE WANT TO!!

ABRAHAM'S FAITH WAS EXHIBITED IN HIS:



OBEDIENCE: (Gen 22:3) So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

A. How he must have felt.....

B. What he must have felt....1) This is son of promise 2) through him blessings to come...

3) God can take care of it!!

(Heb 11:17) By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;

A. Forshadowing of Jesus' death

B. He was spared/Jesus was resurrected---BY GRACE OF GOD

WHAT IS SAVING FAITH?.... MANY SAY IT IS JUST BELIEF IN JESUS

(James 2:21-22) Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.

A. Many say that works have nothing to do with your salvation

B. H/S says we are justified by works...not works alone / not faith alone

C. Just like Abraham

ABRAHAM'S FAITH WAS EXHIBITED IN HIS:

EXPECTATION: (Gen 22:5) And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship and return to you."

(Heb 11:17) By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, it was he to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED. He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type.

(Gen 21:12) But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

WHEN IT IS REQUIRED THAT YOU PUT YOUR LIFE IN HIS HANDS

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN TOMORROW....BUT I KNOW WHO HOLDS TOMORROW...AND I KNOW WHO HOLD MY HAND."

THAT IS SAVING FAITH!!!