Sermon

Lay It Down
Genesis 22:1-17a

Questions
1. What’s Pastor Jeff’s favorite Starbucks drink?

• Hazelnut Latte
• Cappuccino
• Coffee of the Day
• STMJ

2. Which child was born to Abraham first?

• Isaac
• Ishmael
• Jeffrey
• Sinchan

3. Who wrote the book of Genesis?

• Abraham
• Moses
• Noah
• Paul

 

 

1. Test of Faith

1 Some time later, God tested Abraham's faith. "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. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.“

(Gen.22:1-2)


    * We often don’t understand it
      How could God ask such a thing? Not Fair! – Martin Luther
    * Life is full of tests
          o Rick Warren
          o Test are usually considered DIFFICULT & the tests we experience are often looked at as a POP QUIZ (4 Peter 1:7)
          o Tests passed and failed
    * What kind of test are you taking now?


2. The Response

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 for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 "Stay here with the donkey," Abraham told the servants. "The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back."
 
6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac's shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together,7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, "Father?“
  "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.
  "We have the fire and the wood," the boy said, "but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?“ 8 "God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son," Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.
 
9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice.11 At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
  "Yes," Abraham replied. "Here I am!“
(Gen.22:3-11)


    * Obedience
          o Abraham’s
          o Isaac’s
          o Our’s
    * Surrender – “Lay it down”
          o Abraham was asked to lay down his son on the altar
          o Some of my own experiences
          o What’s God asking you to lay down?
    * Faith
          o In God’s promises – Gen.21:12
          o In God’s power to do anything – Heb.11:17-19
          o Illustration story


3. God's Response

12 "Don't lay a hand on the boy!" the angel said. "Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.“ 13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means "the LORD will provide").

To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.“ 15 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 son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 
17 I will certainly bless you. 
(Gen.22:12-17)
 

    * He provides for us
    * He blesses us
          o He rewards us for our FAITH & OBEDIENCE

Closing: Korean Family Story