Tune In - Pt. 2 - Broadcast Series

Tune In

Pt. 2 - Broadcast

I. Introduction

?The last time I was with you was the last Sunday of 2017. I started this series because, like for many of you, 2017 was a quite year. Scripture makes it clear that God is speaking. We are told that we are to live on every word that is proceeding out of His mouth. The idea there is that He is constantly communicating. So, I am trying to take some time and help us learn to tune in so that we learn to hear Him clearly.

I want you to join me in a very familiar passage of scripture and see if it won’t help us learn some crucial truths about hearing God clearly.

TEXT: Genesis 22:1-13

(NIV) After all this, God tested Abraham. God said, “Abraham!” “Yes?” answered Abraham. “I’m listening.” He said, “Take your dear son Isaac whom you love and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I’ll point out to you.” Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young servants and his son Isaac. He had split wood for the burnt offering. He set out for the place God had directed him. On the third day he looked up and saw the place in the distance. Abraham told his two young servants, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I are going over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and gave it to Isaac his son to carry. He carried the flint and the knife. The two of them went off together. Isaac said to Abraham his father, “Father?” “Yes, my son.” “We have flint and wood, but where’s the sheep for the burnt offering?” Abraham said, “Son, God will see to it that there’s a sheep for the burnt offering.” And they kept on walking together. They arrived at the place to which God had directed him. Abraham built an altar. He laid out the wood. Then he tied up Isaac and laid him on the wood. Abraham reached out and took the knife to kill his son. Just then an angel of God called to him out of Heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes, I’m listening.” “Don’t lay a hand on that boy! Don’t touch him! Now I know how fearlessly you fear God; you didn’t hesitate to place your son, your dear son, on the altar for me.” Abraham looked up. He saw a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. Abraham took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.

Before we get deep into the story notice the first couple of words. Abraham was listening! He was tuned in. This is for free but if nothing else this account teaches us that if we are not tuned in then we can actually kill our destiny and promise!

1. God tends to broadcast.

God has established a pattern very early with Abraham. He calls him to uproot his family and move but doesn’t tell him exactly where. He simply says go to a land I will show you. Now in this account He tells Abraham to take his beloved son Isaac and start a week long journey (20-26 miles a day) to a place He will show him. Then to make it even more obscure He doesn’t inform Abraham that He will intervene at the last second to spare Isaac’s life.

God broadcasts. One of the things that this account shows us and that I have learned is that God tends to give direction but not detail! Here is the rub. I am a detail person. I like to know all the information. I want every intricate piece of info. I am not spontaneous! I want every second, minute and hour of vacations lined out. I want turn by turn maps before I head out! I wished God would narrow things down! Instead God broadcasts! God tends to just give us enough to get us where we are supposed to be. It is important to know this when we are trying to tune in because if we are not careful we will fill in any moment of silence! We will make up instructions. We will make up steps.

We must learn that God will not give us so many facts that we will not need faith! If He gave us all the facts, then we wouldn’t need any faith!

So, we have got to become comfortable in the knowledge that when we need to know we will. When it counts He will let us know the next step. He may tend to be silent on the journey but at the right moment He will speak and fill in the gaps.