be a challenge, but they met this challenge with faith in God's promise and obedience to God's command. And so tonight, one more story of how faith and obedience work together in the Christian life. The story is a familiar one. Abraham offering up his son Isaac. And again, as I've had you turn to Hebrews, now turn to Genesis. chapter 22. We'll get all of this in our minds before we start looking at Hebrews and the lesson that is here, but Genesis chapter 22, and we'll read verses 1 through 18. I think it's important that we have this lengthy account in our minds as we turn and study the book of Hebrews. And let's pause and ask for God's grace, even as we have sung and ask God to search our hearts. Again, let us acknowledge his grace in our lives and his willingness, his pleasure to give us his spirit as we study his word. Father, we do thank you that you have promised to give in answer to prayer your Holy Spirit. And so we do pray that you would come to us, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. illuminate our minds, cause our hearts to be sensitive to your truth. We pray that by your grace, you would work in us and that you would speak to us that message that you would have us to hear. And we pray this in Christ's name. Amen. Genesis 22 and verses one through 18. Sometime later, God tested Abraham. He said to him, Abraham, Here I am, he replied. Then God said, take your son, your only son whom you love, Isaac, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain. I will show you. Early the next morning, Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you. Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son, Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father, Abraham, father, Yes, my son, Abraham replied. The fire and wood are here, Isaac said, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Abraham answered, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, Abraham, Abraham. Here I am, he replied. Do not lay a hand on the boy, he said. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God. because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son. Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place the Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said on the mountain of the Lord it will be provided. The angel of the Lord called Abraham from heaven a second time and said, I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies. and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me. Then Abraham returned to his servants. And then if we turn to our text tonight, Hebrews chapter 11, we have the Reader's Digest version of the same story. Hebrews 11, verses 17, 18, and 19. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice, he who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son. Even though God had said to him, it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned, Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead. And so in a manner of speaking, he did receive Isaac back. from the dead. God tested Abraham. We're specifically told in Genesis and in Hebrews that it is a test. Not so that God could find out something that he did not know. If we look at all of scripture, it's very clear that God is omniscient. He knows all things. He knows the past. He knows the future. He knows the present. He knows the secrets that are in our hearts. Here in Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 13, verse 12, he says, the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double edged sword penetrates. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. And then verse 13, nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. And so this test is not for God to find out what Abraham is going to be like, it's more of a test for Abraham to see in himself what God is doing in his life. But God is omniscient. He knows exactly what is going to happen. We are told that it's a test. Abraham is not. All Abraham hears are those words from God, take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac and offer him as a burnt sacrifice. Who can imagine what was going through his mind? You know, this is no ox. This is not a bull. It's not a lamb. This is my son, my only son, the son that God promised me. You know, this is the son through whom God's blessing is going to come to all the nations. This is the son that God promised, and God promised to bless all the world through me and through this particular son. No mistake about which son we're talking about. It's not Ishmael, it's Isaac, mentioned by name, the son of promise. This is the son that Sarah and I have waited for for all of these years, and now I have to give him up for good, And besides, it doesn't sound right, does it? This is something pagans do, offering child sacrifices. Why would God ask me this? Life is a gift from God and is to be held precious. But what does Abraham do? He obeys. Genesis 22 says nothing about his thoughts and there's no record that he said anything in response to God. All that we read is early the next morning. He got up and he went to the very place that God said to go. No arguing, no sleeping in that day, no excuse. He doesn't say, well, let me pray about it. Let me go get some advice from some friends of mine. No hesitation, no dragging his feet. Early the next morning, he gets up and he sets out. Hebrews 11, 17, that little word offer. By faith, Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac. It's in the perfect tense. It's my favorite tense in the English language. Perfect tense, something that happened in the past. completed action, but it has a present result. It's not just a past action. It's not just that Abraham offered his son, but it's something that happened in the past, but it's now in that kind of a condition and it has a present effect. It's very awkward to put this in English, into everyday English. The idea is that Abraham presented Isaac in an offered-up condition. In Abraham's mind, as he set out early that morning, he had already done it. It's already accomplished in his mind. Philip Hughes, in his commentary on Hebrews, said, his obedience is such that the deed is as good as done. He's already offered Isaac because he has set out with that intention that that's what he was going to do. Now how was Abraham able to do this? By faith. By faith, Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham believed that It was God who commanded him to do this. There was no doubt in Abraham's mind that this was God who was saying to do this and that it was God saying to do this. Even though he couldn't work out the details in his mind, what am I supposed to think about this? This doesn't sound right. He was absolutely certain that God had spoken and that God had told him to do this very thing. At the same time, Abraham believed that it was God who promised that his son would live. That this son would be the beginning of a long line of people through whom God's blessing would come to the Gentiles, to the nations. So Abraham believed the command and he believed the promise. Abraham obeyed and he obeyed by faith. And the result is that he was commended by God and he received his son back from the dead. God smiled upon Abraham's faith and obedience. He gets included in Hebrews 11. It's by faith, look what Abraham has done. God was pleased with his friend. who took him at his word and did exactly what he said to do. And that's James' comment on this same story that we've already read. Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God's friend. You know, a friend is somebody who believes his friend and does what his friend says. And that's what God is telling us through the book of Hebrews. and obey, believe my promises, obey my commandments, take me at my word and live a life of faithful obedience as God's friend. That's the story. Now the lessons, three lessons that I would bring out of this story, just about the kind of faith that we see illustrated here. First of all, we can and will do what God says because we believe in God's love. We believe in God's love. Abraham had to be convinced that God loved him. So he thinks about, I mean, we're just jumping into the story in Genesis 22, but you think about what Abraham has experienced in his relationship with God. God has come and sovereignly called him, woke him up, called him out of darkness, saved him out of pagan idolatry, graciously given him a new home and a new name, and has given him all of these promises. Abraham knows that God loves him. Abraham is convinced that God was good and would never do any harm to him. God may test him. God may train him. God may exercise his faith. God may even discipline him if God saw that Abraham needed that. I mean, if we just turn over to Hebrews chapter 12, we find an extended section on God's discipline. But just notice verses 6 and 7, quoting from Proverbs, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son. My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline. Do not lose heart when he rebukes you. Don't make light of it. Don't lose heart when God puts you to the test. Because the Lord disciplines the one he loves and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son. Verse seven, endure hardship as discipline. God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? Abraham knows that God loves him. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. What God is calling Abraham to do is what God himself is prepared to do. God would give up his son, his only son, the son that he loves. This is my son, my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, Jesus. Romans 8.32, he who did not spare his own son but delivered him up for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things? When you find obedience to be difficult and daunting, It means you don't want to do it. God says do something and you say, I don't know if I want to do that or if I can do it. Remember that you're God's friend. Remember that God loves you. Remember that God has nothing but good for you, good desires for you. Secondly, we can and will do what God says because we believe in God's faithfulness. Isaac says, here's the fire, here's the wood, but where's the lamb? And what was Abraham's answer? The Lord will provide. You guys stay here and wait. We're going to go off and worship, and we are going to come back. That's faith. He's obeying. He's taking his son to offer him. He's got the wood. He's got the fire. He's got a knife. They're going, but he says, we will return. And his son says, well, where is the lamb? The Lord will provide. I often think, how did he get Isaac on that altar? This is a strong young man, and he has to get him up on that pile of rocks and on that wood and tie him up. Isaac knows what's going on. Can we not see some faith in Isaac? Believing what his father, a prophet, is telling him the Lord will provide? He could have easily overcome his father. Fascinating story. Isaac says, here's the fire, here's the wood, where's the lamb? Abraham says the Lord will provide, and what did the Lord do? provided exactly what Abraham needed right when Abraham needed. Oh, look over here. There's this animal that is stuck in the bushes right here on this mountain right when I need it. Abraham believed not only that God loved him, but that God was faithful to his promises. God had already promised, this is your son, and through this son, A whole line of people are going to be born. He's got to get married. He's got to have children. Children will come from him and people will come and it will be a blessing to all of the Gentiles throughout the world. Abraham believes that. He believes that God is faithful. I think Abraham learned something from Sarah. You can learn something from your wife. Verse 11. As we look back, remember, what did Sarah do when she first heard that promise? When she heard it herself, when she's inside the tent, what did she do? This doesn't make any sense. I'm too old. I've been barren. I haven't been able to have children. We tried to have children all through the years. And now I'm too old, and she laughed. God says, you know, why did Sarah laugh? And she repented in dust and ashes. Not. What'd she do? She lied about it. I didn't laugh. Must have been somebody else. It wasn't me. And what did God say? Is there anything too hard for the Lord? He says the exact thing that's going on in Sarah's mind. You know, this can't happen. In Hebrews 11 verse 11, by faith even Sarah who was past childbearing age was unable to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. The particular thing that Sarah was thinking about is God promised, I have every reason to believe that God's not lying to me, that he's telling the truth and that he can do this, he's faithful. And it seems now that Abraham has learned that lesson from Sarah. If God made a promise, I should believe that promise. God doesn't lie. He cannot lie. He's not going to deceive me. Sarah focused on God's faithfulness, and it appears that here Abraham is doing the very same thing. He can't reconcile the command and the promise together. Kill your son. but your son is supposed to be the beginning of a whole line of people. How do you reconcile that? I know that God loves me, but I've got to believe that God is faithful to his promise. Somehow he's gonna bring this promise about. When you find obedience difficult, think much of God's promises to you. Remember that God does not lie. He who promised is faithful, Hebrews 10, 23. Think much of God's promises. And then thirdly, we can and will do what God says because we believe in God's power, God's ability. Again, like Sarah, Abraham believed that God could do the impossible. Is there anything too hard for the Lord. I wonder how often they talked about that. They'd lie down to go to sleep at night, and Sarah would say, you remember when I was laughing in the tent? God said, is there anything too hard? Abraham said, yeah. And he's made us some promises. God's able to do amazing things. Like Sarah, Abraham believed that God could do the impossible. God loves me. And because God loves me, he's promised me the sun. Us, the whole world, is going to be blessed, and God now says, kill this son, don't spare him, sacrifice him, give him up for good. I believe this, this is God's command, gotta kill my son, but I believe God's promise, my son's gonna live. Seems like a contradiction, but both have to be true. I will do what God says, but I'm not gonna stop believing what God has promised. There's only one conclusion. Verse 19. Abraham reasoned. He thought about it. Turned it over in his mind. He began to put all the difficulties and all that of who God is into that equation. Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead. And so in a manner of speaking, he did receive Isaac back. from death. God is able to do what seems impossible. But if I were to kill my son, because of God's promise and on the strength of his word alone, faith alone in that word to believe, God's going to bring my son back to life. When you find obedience to God difficult and daunting, remember the power that is at work in you. It's not up to you to make it happen. How is Abraham gonna make this happen? You know, he's only doing what God says, which is sacrifice his son. All he can do is believe God's promise. There's nothing that he can do to bring his son back to life. He has got to believe in God's ability and God's power. And so when you find obedience to be a difficult thing, particularly focus your faith upon the ability of God, the power that is at work in you. Ephesians chapter one, verse 17, Paul says, I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and the incomparably great power for us who believe. What kind of power is that? That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. God is able to bring the dead back. He's done it in his son, Jesus Christ. And here Paul prays for believers that we would know and experience this very same power in our lives. Again, Ephesians 3. Verse 20, now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen. Let's pray. Father, this is a story that has fascinated people for centuries. They have thought on this extreme example of faith and obedience. We know that Abraham was a man just like us. We know that he was a sinner. We know that he made mistakes. We know that at times he became fearful. And yet he was able to believe and to put his faith in your promise. Tonight we pray for this kind of faith, knowing that it's not something that we can make up and we cannot work it up in our own hearts and our own minds. Faith is a gift that comes from you. It's faith and faithfulness is an aspect of the fruit of the spirit. We know it's something that you give to your people and it's something that you nourish. We pray that you would enhance our faith in your love, in your faithfulness, and in your power and ability. Help us to dwell often upon those promises that you give to us as we go through our Bibles, as we read them, as we meditate upon them, to look particularly for those promises, to lay hold of them, to pray them, to hold them before you in prayer. to feed upon them and to find our faith nourished that he who promised is faithful. We pray that you would give us an enduring faith, a faith that will persevere to the very end. When we find ourselves tested and challenged and we think that we can't go on or that we can't accomplish or we find ourselves even resisting and not wanting to do what you have called us to do, that you would again just increase our faith so that by faith we could overcome those objections that rise in our minds and hearts and that by faith we would be faithful to you and that we would answer your call in obedience. We pray that you would do this for the good of your people for our brothers and sisters who have gathered here tonight. And we pray that you would do it for the glory of Jesus Christ and for his church. We pray this in the name of Christ. Amen.