If we were to examine our personal lives, and in particular our personal walk with Christ, we would discover that there are some things that we still need to work on. There are some areas of life we still struggle with. There are some actions we’re still trying to let go, and some sins that get the best of us every time.
• I don’t know maybe I’m in the wrong church this morning; maybe this is the congregation that has it all together.
• Perhaps I should sit down and let ya’ll talk to me this morning, because I know that I have several things I need to work on in my walk with Christ.
• I know for a fact that I don’t have it all together. I know there are some actions and some attitudes that I need to leave by the wayside.
Somebody may be saying, “Why he up there preaching if he has things to work on?” Well, the fact that God has called me to preach, teach, and proclaim His Word does not make me perfect.
• The devil gets after me just likes he gets after you. I go through troubles and trials just like you. My physical health has the tendency to fail just like yours, and the last time I check I was still made of flesh.
• Of course God expects His ministers to be an example to others, just like He expects all of His children to be a light to this world, yet we’re all a work in progress.
I said all of this because there is one area in our Christian walk that I believe all of us could improve in, and that’s our faith in God. The bible says that it only takes faith the size of a mustard seed, which if I was holding a mustard seed between my fingers you couldn’t see it no matter how close you were, but it takes faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains.
• In other words, if you possess just that much faith, God can do great things in your life. Although the initial quantity of faith required is that small, many of us still struggle with faith in God.
Faith in Christianity is directed toward Jesus Christ, therefore as Christians we aren’t distinguished by faith, but by the object of our faith, which is Jesus Christ. Faith is essentially an act of trust, reliance or dependence on God.
• So since faith is an act of trust or dependence, it leads to an active life of obedience to the one being trusted.
• Now remember it takes faith the size of a mustard seed for God to work in our lives, but this doesn’t mean God wants our faith to stay that small forever, He expects it to grow and blossom.
• One way you know that your faith is growing is when it is no longer just faith, but it matures into a willing faith.
A willing faith means that you’re eager and ready to trust and believe in God and His promises. A willing faith doesn’t mean you just trust and believe, but that you have joy in doing so.
• A willing faith holds to God’s unchanging hand even when it seems like all hope is gone. A willing faith trust in God, when friends and even family turn their back on you.
• A willing faith gives you strength to pay your tithes when you know that you can use the extra money somewhere else.
• A willing faith!
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A willing faith is what we find in the text, exhibited by Abraham at one of the times in his life when he was tested by God. Abraham wasn’t a perfect man, but he displayed a willing faith on many occasions in his life.
Abraham had a willing faith at the age of 75, when God told him to leave the land of his fathers and move his entire family and possessions to the land of Canaan. Abraham had a willing faith when God promised that his descendants would be uncountable, at an old age and at that time he had no children of his own. Abraham had a willing faith when God told him that his wife Sarah would bare him a child, at a time when she was already way pass childbearing years.
If we are going to live the abundant life promised by Christ, we’re going to need a willing faith. If we’re going to survive in these last days, in a world that has no faith, we’re going need a willing faith. The Hebrew writer says that it’s impossible to please God without faith, in other words if we want God to smile upon the life we live, then we must have faith, and a willing faith makes it all the more enjoyable.
Through the promises of God and the willing faith of Abraham, Sarah did bare a child at the age of 90, and because she laughed when she first heard that she would have a baby, the child was named Isaac, which means “laughter”.
• But let’s back up a little bit, in the 15th chapter of Genesis we find that God made Abraham, whose name was Abram at the time, a promise that he would have a son that would come from his own body, and of course he shared this with Sarah his wife, but her faith wasn’t strong enough to believe this promise from God. And when our faith isn’t strong enough to believe God, what do we do? We come up with our own solutions.
After some years had passed, Sarah noticed that she wasn’t popping any babies out, so she came to the conclusion that God had prevented her from bearing children. So she came up with a solution that involved her giving her maid Hagar to Abraham, so that he could have a child through her.
• Now, I can’t let Sarah take all the blame, because although Abraham had faith, at this time his faith was wavering, because instead of telling Sarah he would wait on God, he went ahead and took Hagar. Hagar did bear a child for Abraham, whose name was Ishmael, but this wasn’t the son that God promised to Abraham.
Has God ever promised you something that seem like it just wasn’t coming, so instead you decided to do your own thing, and come up with your own solution? He promised you that car, but time has passed so you bought this car, and this car keeps you at Pep Boys every month, spending money you don’t have.
• God told you to wait for a spouse, but you were too eager to jump the broom and didn’t wait on God, and now the spouse you did marry, you found out was a hell raiser before you got back from the honeymoon. We wouldn’t have to take so many Tylenol if we just learn to wait on the Lord.
But despite the fact that Abraham and Sarah didn’t wait on God, God still blessed Ishmael in which many nations were born out of. Years passed again, before God finally allowed Sarah to bare a son for Abraham. The promised son Isaac had finally arrived, and Abraham raised him in the knowledge and fear of the Lord.
• Isaac was the son that Abraham and Sarah had waited for so long. Can you imagine parents, a child that God promised you, and the child’s birth was a miracle within in itself? I can imagine that a parent must have a special love toward that child.
• This is how Abraham felt about Isaac, the only son he had through Sarah. Ishmael was gone now, so Isaac was the child that Abraham spent time with. Isaac was the one who Abraham groomed and developed.
God knew how Abraham felt about Isaac. He knew that this was the son that Abraham looked forward to, after Isaac was promised by Him. He knew the deep love Abraham had for his son, and this is where we discover characteristics of a willing faith.
• You see if we possess something, we can’t use it to the fullest of our abilities if we don’t understand its characteristics. Spiderman isn’t Spiderman, if he doesn’t understand how to swing on his web.
• Faith isn’t faith, if we don’t understand anything about faith. So, if we’re going to have a willing faith in this crazy world, we need to understand willing faith characteristics.
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As we examine the biblical pericope, Genesis 22 says in verses 1-3, “Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 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.” 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. The first characteristic we see is that willing faith acts immediately and responds to God.
The first thing I want to clarify is the test of God. God doesn’t test us so that He can see how we will respond to Him, He already knows. God sees all and knows all, so when God test us, it’s for our growth and development. The test of God shows us where we stand and how we measure up to His Word and standards. So, here God’s test was for Abraham’s spiritual evaluation of himself.
As God spoke to Abraham, He said Isaac is your only son, whom you love, but I want you to offer him as a burnt offering to me.
• Now look at the characteristic of willing faith Abraham displayed. The next morning, Abraham didn’t take a week or two to think about what God was telling him to do, but the very next morning he got up early, prepared the wood for the altar, woke up Isaac, and they headed toward the place God told Him to go.
Nowhere does the Bible say Abraham tried to argue or reason with God. He didn’t remind God about His promises to him, he didn’t disobey God, instead his willing faith allowed him to act immediately by waking up early in the morning, and he responded to God by going to the place in which he was told to go.
• And I see something very important in verse 4; it took Abraham three days to get to the place God told him to go. Let’s keep it real, how many of us would have turned around and went back home after just a few hours? Abraham had three days to think about what he was about to do, but his willing faith didn’t allow him to turn around.
You see we’ve already messed up our faith walk, if we can’t get this first characteristic down. God is looking for a person to respond to Him in faith immediately, not after you’ve examined the situation.
• Our examination of God’s request to us won’t make sense 9 times out of 10. I mean that’s what faith really is; not understanding completely what God is doing, not being able to see the outcome and how it will work for our good, but still trusting and believing that God will work it out.
God is telling someone that you must separate yourself from a certain person, this person is your friend, and it doesn’t seem like the friendship is harmful, but if you have a willing faith you will act immediately and separate from them.
• Money is tight, not funny, it’s so tight that money isn’t funny, but God is telling you to bring your tithes to the church, exhibit a willing faith and act immediately by writing that tithe check first, and watch God make a way.
• If Abraham’s willing faith acted immediately when God told him to sacrifice his son whom he loved, then why can’t we possess a willing faith that acts immediately and respond to God?
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So, a willing faith acts immediately and responds to God, and look at the next characteristic, a willing faith believes God’s promises. Verses 5-8 says, “Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” 6 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. 7 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?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.
After the three day journey, Abraham finally arrived to the place God told him to go to offer Isaac as a burnt offering, and when they got there, he left the two young men who journeyed with them behind, and told them, “Isaac and I are going to worship and we will return. Abraham, what are you talking about? God said to offer Isaac as a burnt offering, so what do you mean we will return, don’t you mean I will return?
Abraham’s willing faith allowed him to not only believe, but to stand on the promises of God. Don’t misinterpret this, Abraham wasn’t changing his mind about sacrificing Isaac as God told him to, but his willing faith in God was so strong that he knew that God would not go back on His Word.
What was God’s Word? God’s Word was that you Abraham will be a father of many nations, and through your seed all nations will be blessed. Not through Ishmael, but through Isaac the only son bore to you by Sarah.
• Abraham had three days to ponder on the promise of God, and he came to the conclusion that somehow God is going to keep His promises to me, so I need to obey His command and do what He says, and let God work out the rest.
• I already told you that we aren’t going to always understand why God does things the way He does, but a willing faith doesn’t worry about all that, a willing just believes in the promises of God.
Now Isaac understood sacrificing to God, because Abraham raised him in the knowledge of the Lord, but Isaac is confused because he sees the fire and the wood, but he does not see the sacrificial lamb. So just like any curious child would ask, where is the burnt offering?
• Once again Abraham displaying a willing faith that believes in the promises of God, he says, “God will provide.” I want to pause right here for a station identification to see if I have a witness that God will provide?
• Your back was against the wall, you didn’t know which way to turn, but God did provide! Your heart was hurting and you didn’t feel like going on, but God provided peace to your weary soul.
• This is the one I like, I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, I was sinking to rise no more, but God provided salvation!
Now back to the regularly scheduled sermon. Stand firm on the promises of God knowing that people do lie, but you can trust every Word that comes from God.
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A willing faith believes God’s promises, and another characteristic is a willing faith isn’t selfish. Look at verses 9-12, “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. 10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 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.”
Abraham sincerely trusted in God, he was about to actually go through with the sacrificing of his only son. He built the altar, and when it came time to offer the sacrifice, he tied Isaac up and placed him on the altar. The Bible doesn’t say whether Isaac resisted being placed on the altar or not, but Abraham being over a 100 years old and Isaac being a young boy, Isaac could have possibly resisted being placed on the altar.
• But I believe that Abraham instilled in Isaac so much about the knowledge, promises, and fear of the Lord, that Isaac too had a willing faith. Parents, you have to teach the Word of the God to your children and really instill in them the promises of God, so when you tell them that you have to pay tithes, instead of buying them those new shoes, they won’t complain, instead they’ll encourage you to remain faithful to God.
As Abraham picked up the knife and stretched out his hand to kill his son, the angel of Lord called from heaven, “Abraham freeze, stop right where you are and do not sacrifice your son. You’ve passed the test of the Lord, because you weren’t selfish in keeping your only son from God, now I know that you fear the Lord.
• A willing faith isn’t selfish, when you receive that income tax refund, and the Lord says to you, “I know you want that new bedroom set, but your brother and sister in Christ needs a little help, so that the bank won’t foreclose on their home. Give it to them, and I’ll give it back to you.
• A willing faith isn’t selfish when you want to sit and watch your favorite television show, but your friend is going through a crisis and they need you to come and listen to their dilemma, and no you don’t have TiVo, so you’re about to miss your favorite show. But your willing faith isn’t selfish, so you get up from the couch immediately and go see about them.
I think Abraham’s situation was a little more serious, he was about kill the son God promised him; the only son that he had with his wife Sarah; a son that he loved so much.
• Can you imagine the emotions and pain that he must have been going through inside, but yet his willing faith wasn’t selfish, and because of this willing unselfish display of faith, Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the bush, and so he took that ram and offered it as a sacrifice in place of his son Isaac.
• And he praised God, Jehovah Jireh, knowing that the Lord did provide.
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I’m getting ready to sit down and be happy all by myself, but there is one more characteristic of a willing faith, a willing faith is rewarded by God. Verses 15-18 says, “15 Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
As we mentioned earlier, it is impossible to please God without faith. Abraham’s willing faith throughout his test from God was pleasing to God, therefore he was rewarded by God. Now this doesn’t mean that we do things so that God can reward us, but when we live a life of faith because of who God is, He blesses us.
• It was more than just a willing faith that Abraham was rewarded for, but God said because you obeyed My voice, you shall be blessed. Obedience is the foundation of a willing faith.
• If we can’t obey God, then how can we trust Him. If we can’t obey God, then how can we believe Him. If we can’t obey God, then how can we stand firm on His promises. If we can’t obey God, then how can we please Him.
From the time God first spoke to Abraham, to the moment he raised his hand to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham obeyed God, and because of his obedience, his willing faith was rewarded by God.
• Often times when we hear that God blesses us, we think financially, but how many of you know that God can bless you with peace of mind and joy divine? God can bless you with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. God can bless you with unconditional love.
• He can bless you with talents that bring glory to His name. There are so many ways that God blesses those with a willing faith.
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Thank God for father Abraham, who through his life has taught us about a willing faith. When God test us, we too must display that we’re willing and faithful to obey His voice, believe His Word, and trust in His promises.
• The characteristics of a willing faith give us a better understanding of how to be faithful to God. If you want to please the Lord, then you must be found faithful. If you want to survive in this sin-sick world, then you must be found faithful. If I want to see My Lord, then you must be found faithful.
I said I was about to sit down and be happy, but can I tell you one more time about a willing faith? A willing faith acts immediately and responds to God. A willing faith believes God’s promises. A willing faith isn’t selfish. And a willing faith is rewarded by God.
• Can I add some more to that? A willing faith is unshakable. A willing faith pleases God. A willing faith moves mountains. A willing faith glorifies God. A willing faith gives you peace of mind. A willing faith passes all understanding. A willing faith is a gift from God.
I know a man, His name is Jesus, whose willing faith allowed Him to be born of a virgin.
• His willing faith healed the sick and raised the dead.
• His willing faith made Him enemies.
• His willing faith allowed Him to be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.
• His willing faith allowed Him to bare the cross alone.
• His willing faith stretched Him wide.
• His willing faith allowed Him to stay on the cross and die for our sins.
• His willing faith kept Him in the grave for three days, but early Sunday morning, His willing faith allowed Him to be raised from the dead, and because of His power I can have a willing faith too!
