Alpha and Omega, Part 22
Our Trust makes room for God’s Rewards
Genesis 21:1-7; Genesis 22:1-18
Introduction
- 2023 has had one primary “purpose”: To know there is a God!
-- Continuing our series, “Alpha and Omega”; examining the beginning to the end
- Last week we saw how we can become a friend of God by conquering unbelief
-- It is a mindset change, a choice to admit, “His promises matter more than …!”
-- We must assert that God knows - God cares - and lean to Him for our strength
- How do we conquer unbelief? The answer is knowing:
1. God’s omniscience – know He is everywhere, so He knows
2. God’s omnipotence – know He can overcome; His power can overcome
- BIG: Unbelief will always keep us from trusting & drawing closer to God
-- It is here, in the life of the great Abraham, that we must see our need also
- Today, we are going to see how conquering unbelief leads to God’s rewards
-- Spoiler: There is still a testing of faith as life goes on … but God still provides!
-- Today will end Part 1 of the A&O series, next week: promises of Messiah / Rev
- Let’s dive in … Read Genesis 21:1-7 and 22:1-18 / Pray
- TR: When you think of this story, a couple applications can come to mind
-- I’d like to look at the app for you and I vs. what it meant for Abraham
Point 1 – God’s promises give us reason to celebrate!
- We ought to celebrate when God fulfills His promises – it gives us hope
-- Three questions to see about God and why we can celebrate …
• First, how does God fulfill His promises? (v1-2)
- He keeps His word! He is always faithful to Himself (this builds trust)
-- He proves Himself, and His power, and does exactly what He says He will
- We need to grow in our faith, to know He does this, to:
o Learn more endurance and patience
o Become stronger and more determined
o Learn to trust and hope more in God
o Desire to pray and fellowship more with God
- God will always keep His promises!
-- Saw this moment last week in Genesis 18:14, “Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
• Second, how does God achieve His promises? (v3-5)
- He stirs obedience & faithfulness to Himself
-- Abraham’s joy can only be imagined here, but many of us can see it
-- Abraham would’ve been overflowing with happiness & celebration
- But it’s not the joy that is focused on – it’s the obedience (which brings joy!!)
o He named His son Isaac, in obedience to God’s command (ref Gen 17:19)
o He circumcised his son when he was 8 days old (v4)
o And he recognized his dependance on God: miracle of this birth at their age
• Third, how does God call us to realize his promises? (v6-7)
- He causes us to rejoice over what He has done (v6)
-- This is what reminds us to persevere through even the toughest times of life
-- Look: We see Sarah holding the child of God’s promise, even after her unbelief
- APP: The line of Isaac is part of the greatest promise known to mankind
-- It is through this lineage, given to Abraham, that God will give us Jesus Christ
- But there is more to this than meets the eye …
-- As we look at this, won’t you consider marveling at how amazing God is?
• Isaac’s birth was miraculous, Abraham and Sarah too old (Gen 17:17)
• Jesus’ birth was miraculous, Mary was a virgin when conceived (Matt 1:23)
• God set the time of Isaac’s birth (Gen 21:2)
• God set the time for Jesus’ birth (Gal 4:4, “in fullness of time, God sent”)
• Isaac was the promised seed (Gen 17:16)
• Christ was the promised seed from the very first of history (Gen 3:15)
• Sarah was too old, but God assured her of His omnipotence (Gen 18:13)
• Mary was a virgin, but God’s omnipotence comforted her (Luke 1:34)
• God chose the name of Isaac (Gen 17:19)
• God chose the name of Jesus (Matt 1:21)
- APP: When God says, “He will”, our place is not to find doubt and argue
-- This is the lesson Abraham and Sarah had to learn, and we still need to focus on
- TR: So, how does God affirm this with Abraham, and in turn, for us?
-- By showing how us a pattern to follow for how we can rely on Him completely
-- RE: From the first message of A&O, we went on a journey of “TRUST”
-- EX: God either created in 6 days or He didn’t … it’s not metaphorical
- Very first sermon: Hebrew: yom (day)
-- It is a literal translation of the Hebrew word for “order” of things
-- Evening in Hebrew is “ereb” and morning in Hebrew is “boqer”
-- One cycle of light and dark – one evening and morning … 6 days in total
- (again) When God says, “He will”, our role is not to cast uncertainty
-- But … there’s more, and it’s what we see in the second part of the story
- The story is a familiar one … but what is the application for us?
-- Yes, God provided the sacrifice, ultimately, a visualization of Jesus
-- But do we see the roadmap God has given us to celebrate?
- God gives 6 steps to yield to Him – and this is where we build our trust in Him
-- It is why these two events should be studied together …
Point 2 – Six steps to surrender and experience God’s joy
- IMO, this is one of the most important pieces of scripture in the OT
-- It shows what absolute surrender looks like, and is a roadmap to success for us
- Consider: Are you close to God? So close you’d sacrifice anything?
-- That is the imagery here … would get give your #1 thing for Him?
-- APP: It is a matter of SURRENDER where we wrap up Part 1 of this series
-- CH: Will we SURRENDER to the God who put all of this in place?
- God’s word gives us six steps to follow (don’t overcomplicate this):
Step 1: Understand God’s demand for absolute sacrifice
- God’s highest demand is for us to come to Him and give it all
-- If we do not make this our #1, we are casually coming to Him, not sacrificially
- When God called (v1), Abraham was ready and willing to answer
-- Jesus said Rev 3:20, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”
Step 2: Think through God’s sacrifice and realize what’s being asked
- Consider the piercing nature of the request (v2) – it had to cut Abraham to core
-- APP: “Give me back the one thing you have always wanted”
- The next morning (v3), burdened and all, Abraham packed up and got ready
-- Luke 9:23, “Then he (Jesus) said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” It is a total commitment, not when it makes you feel good.
Step 3: We must trust God and His power to use our sacrifice
- Abraham had to completely trust God’s promise, had to rely on his faith in God
-- RE: God gave him a promise that his son (and he) would have a great lineage
- And here, God is calling Abraham to kill his son … the impact is enormous
-- It had to be a life altering moment – “Will you believe and trust in me?”
-- David wrote in Psalm 37:5, “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.”
Step 4: Follow through with the sacrifice (be committed to Him)
- Most important step in sacrificing your life to God – do what He said!
-- As they traveled and talked, Isaac knew something was missing (sacrifice)
-- Abraham knew the truth – but he affirmed that God would provide (v8)
- Consider what must’ve been through his mind (he was only human - see this)
-- Rom 12:1, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”
Step 5: Experience God’s acceptance and provision
- Here is where we see/find the joy in what God is doing for us
-- Because of Abraham’s faithfulness (he followed through), he was rewarded
- Consider: What must’ve been his thought preparing to kill his son
-- Or what must’ve been God’s thought preparing Jesus for you and me?
- Abraham’s willingness led him to submission, led him into total obedience
-- This can take on different forms … but it always has the same result
-- APP: Our needs for faith in Him (re: God credited to him righteousness)
-- Psalm 51:16-17, “You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”
Step 6: Receive and live with a renewed heart
- God’s promise leads us to a renewed heart; one built on trust and faith
-- BIG: Live with a purpose that He is who He says He is (thoughts, actions, etc.)
- Abraham went from that place with renewed purpose, knowing God deeper
-- APP: He spent time on the mountain top and received the joy of the Lord
-- He received the promise of God – and experienced God’s provision (sacrifice)
-- Result of faithfulness for all of us: 1 John 2:25, “And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.”
BIG IDEA
- Do we live with the knowledge that God knows what He’s doing?
-- From creation to this moment, God has been preparing us for redemption
-- THIS is why the end of this series (next 6 mo.) is so pivotal to 2023
- What is to come is God’s wrath for our disobedience
-- His holiness demands it – but His grace provides a way through (or out of) it
- God’s grace, His sacrifice, is Jesus … and why we’ve unpacked all of this
-- It is the ultimate representation of love and forgiveness for the sins we commit
-- Abraham experienced God’s promise and lived with purpose of service
-- CH: Will you turn to Him, surrender, and receive? Or …
- Pray
