Baby Steps Part 2
RISK
Last week we began a journey of baby steps… taking one step at a time to find true faith.
What is faith?
Hebrews 11:1-3 1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Our backdrop for this series is the story of Abraham in Isaac found in Genesis 22… We left them last week as God was taking them through a test of Trust… remember God’s hand in yours, T.R.U.S.T….
A 3 day journey where God is asking for everything from Abraham… a test if Abraham is willing to let go of his dreams, his son, whom he loves…
Genesis 22 - 1 Later on God tested Abraham’s faith and obedience. "Abraham!" God called."Yes," he replied. "Here I am." 2 "Take your son, your only son – yes, Isaac, whom you love so much – and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will point out to you."
3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son Isaac. Then he chopped wood to build a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place where God had told him to go. 4 On the third day of the journey, Abraham saw the place in the distance. 5 "Stay here with the donkey," Abraham told the young men. "The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back." 6 Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the knife and the fire. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac said, "Father?""Yes, my son," Abraham replied."We have the wood and the fire," said the boy, "but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?" 8 "God will provide a lamb, my son," Abraham answered. And they both went on together.
Today we are looking at the aspect of Risk… as an important part of faith…
Last week we learned…
FAITH WITHOUT TRUST IS IMPOSSIBLE
Today we learn…
FAITH WITHOUT RISK IS A CONTRADICTION
What is obedience?
submissive to the restraint or command of authority :
willing to obey
with God… To trust enough to follow through even when you don’t understand why.
What is disobedience?
refusal or neglect to obey
The belief that I can see the picture clearer than God can. To ignore… or neglect… the warnings God gives us in scripture…
9 When they arrived at the place where God had told Abraham to go, he built an altar and placed the wood on it. Then he tied Isaac up and laid him on the altar over the wood. 10 And Abraham took the knife and lifted it up to kill his son as a sacrifice to the LORD.
FAITH WITHOUT RISK IS A CONTRADICTION
God, wait a minute… this doesn’t make sense…
To leave my job now… to give this amount of money… to volunteer to do this… God my time, my resource, it’s my life…
And I know you are a good God but I think I got this one…
The risk of obedience is a step of maturity. To go beyond the childish understanding of no…
(I.E. when an older sibling baby sits a younger one… the younger one has the fork and sees the outlet – what do you do?)
(when your kids come and ask to do something you know is not a good idea for them…)
HOW BIG IS GOD?
Let’s get scientific for a moment…
Let me introduce you to a friend of mine…
This is Fred (I was going to call him Bob)
Fred is a two dimensional person…
We are 3 dimensional people…
Now imagine me trying to get involved in Fred’s world… my 3 dimensional hand trying to reach Fred… Almost like me trying to communicate with a group ants…
Scientists say that at least 10 dimensions exist... so God is atleast 10 dimensional. So how can we as 3 (4 if you include time) understand God. Obviously God is big enough to see my life clearly.
FAITH WITHOUT RISK IS A CONTRADICTION
To believe God has the bigger picture in mind… this is a risk.
To have faith and believe in something you can’t see… this is a risk.
To get in your car and drive… this is a risk.
What happens if you honestly ask this question?
God if you are so big… bigger than any circumstance or problem… then I can ask this question…
What does Abraham do?
He takes the risk… 3 days of trust…
Straps his son to the table… and raises the knife…
Faith without risk is a contradiction!
ASKING THE QUESTION…
WARNING!
But if you do – BE READY FOR WHAT CAN HAPPEN. I am here in Illinois because of this question… the last year of my life is because of this question… but I would rather be in the hardest place in the world and be in God’s will then to be in the easiest place and be outside of His will…
Risk – obedience – Faith…
How do you walk the journey of Risk? Of Faith?
1. Believe God will provide…
What happens when you give up the dream?
What happens when you are obedient…
God is big enough… and He will provide!
11 At that moment the angel of the LORD shouted to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!""Yes," he answered. "I’m listening." 12 "Lay down the knife," the angel said. "Do not hurt the boy in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld even your beloved son from me." 13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering on the altar in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place "The LORD Will Provide."
This name has now become a proverb: "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."
2. Know God will bless you…
Then the angel of the LORD called again to Abraham from heaven, 16 "This is what the LORD says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your beloved son, I swear by my own self that 17 I will bless you richly. I will multiply your descendants into countless millions, like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. They will conquer their enemies, 18 and through your descendants, all the nations of the earth will be blessed – all because you have obeyed me." 19 Then they returned to Abraham’s young men and traveled home again to Beersheba, where Abraham lived for quite some time.
3. Be obedient… and Trust…
Trust that God has the bigger picture… that he is big enough to handle whatever things are…
