"GOING THE DISTANCE TO PLEASE GOD"
GENESIS 22:12
INTRO:
How do we as flesh human beings even begin to please God? She sung that song last Sunday and it really blessed my soul and God began to deal with my heart on this thought, Going the distance to please God. I believe in order to do that we need to Give it all away, Just as Abraham did here in this text, He proved to God he was willing to do whatever to please Him. Now I know some of you might be pondering the question isn't God all knowing Yes He is but here He left the choice up to Abraham just as He has for you and Me. The Apostle Paul said it right in Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Are you willing to GO THE DISTANCE TO PLEASE GOD? Abraham knew his God was the God and he knew that even if he had to kill Isaac God would bring him back because God had promised Abraham in Genesis 17 He changed Abram to Abraham the Father of many nations And Sarai to Sarah who was gonna be the mother of many nations because she was gonna bare him a son. It grieved Abraham to send away Ishmael because Sarah told him too but he never batted an eye to doing what pleased God which was to offer up Isaac, He even said in verse 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. And he told the his young men that were with them in verse 5 that him and the lad was gonna go yonder and worship and would come again unto them.
Illustration:
It is a most amazing thing to see how most people spend their time and their energy for trifles, while God is cast aside. He who is all seems to them as nothing, and that which is nothing seems to them as good as all. It is lamentable indeed, knowing that God has set mankind in such a race where heaven or hell is their certain end, that they should sit down and loiter, or run after the childish toys of the world, forgetting the prize they should run for. Were it but possible for one of us to see this business as the all-seeing God does, and see what most men and women in the world are interested in and what they are doing every day, it would be the saddest sight imaginable. Oh, how we should marvel at their madness and lament their self-delusion! If God had never told them what they were sent into the world to do, or what was before them in another world, then there would have been some excuse. But it is His sealed word, and they profess to believe it.
Richard Baxter.
I'm asking you a very important question this morning are you willing to go the distance to please God, hey God didn’t want Isaac He wanted the Abraham.
• He wanted Abraham's Loyalty:Trust
• He wanted Abraham's Availability:Time
• He wanted Abraham's Love:Tenderness
I wonder today if they might be some of us need to lay down our Isaac and show God we are willing to do whatever it takes to make Him happy.
God desires a few things from us just like He did Abraham
1. WE NEED TO GO THE DISTANCE IN OUR SERVICE
Years ago, the Salvation Army was holding an international convention and their founder, Gen. William Booth, could not attend because of physical weakness. He cabled his convention message to them. It was one word: "OTHERS."
• By Proclaiming the Gospel (I Cor 1:18-2:5)
• By Praising God for all things (Ps 69:30-31; Heb 13:15-16)
• By Pressing toward the mark( Philippians 3:14)
2. WE NEED TO GO THE DISTANCE IN OUR SUPPOSITION
Illustration: The content of belief is important: Jonathan Whitfield was preaching to coal miners in England. He asked one man, "What do you believe?" "Well, I believe the same as the church." "And what does the church believe?" "Well, they believe the same as me." Seeing he was getting nowhere, Whitfield said, "And what is it that you both believe?" "Well, I suppose the same thing."
Jonathan Whitfield.
One man said this: You may not believe what I'm preaching but you'll know I believe what I'm preaching.
• Real Profession- I'm afraid we have a lot of people sitting in our churches who think there ok
• Real Passion- A real burning fire for God
• Real Prayer- we were talking about prayer Thursday and there is a difference in real prayer and selfish fake bowing of our heads
3. WE NEED TO GO THE DISTANCE FOR HIS SATISFACTION
Jesus said Himself,He came to do the will of His father and Paul said he did not seek the approval of man but the approval of God We need to start doing what pleases God and not ourselves I have found it funny how most people want do anything if it don’t glorify them.
• By asking for wisdom (1 Kings 3:10, Col 1:9-14; James 1:5-8)
• By giving to others in time of need (Phil 4:10-20; Heb 13:16)
• By submitting to authority (Rom 8:7-8, Col 3:20; 1 John 3:22)
• By exalting Jesus Christ, His Son (Matt 3:17; Col 1:15-19
CONCLUSION: I SURRENDER ALL!
