Thank you for tuning in. As we look at our next series in our LifeWay Bible study, How to Handle Life's Interruptions. You know, interruptions can be so irritating they ignore the clock. They don't care about our routines, our hopes for the day, or the people we're trying to serve. They arrive without knocking. seize our attention, hijack our plans, often drain our time, our energy, and even our resources. Well, most of us have felt the frustration of watching a carefully planned day unravel because life simply refused to cooperate. I've certainly felt that way, and I used to complain that I could never finish anything because I was constantly being interrupted. But recently, as I look back over Some of the chaotic days, I realized that behind each disruption, each deter, I didn't choose, God was doing something that I hadn't seen at that time. What felt like turbulence was actually God at work in ways I didn't expect. And so, interruptions come in various ways. And, you know, as we look and realize that merely some days alter our day, Others can rewrite the trajectory of our entire life, because the question isn't if we'll face interruptions, but how we'll respond to them, and more importantly, how God may use them for his purposes. And so over the next six sessions, we'll walk alongside Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and others whose lives were dramatically altered by unexpected turns. Their stories reveal a very powerful truth. Interruption aren't always thieves that take from us. Many times they're messengers sent by God. Holy invitations, wrapped in inconvenience, and what we see as roadblocks may actually be construction zones where God reshapes our character, redirects our steps, draws us into deeper faith. And when we learn to recognize God's hand in the interruption, those frustrating detours can become on ramps to new opportunities for spiritual growth and greater intimacy with God. Here in our first lesson, when God interrupts your life, it'll be out of Hebrew. If you have your copy of the scripture, turn to Hebrews chapter 11, verses eight through 19, because Abraham shows us what it means to trust God when the interruptions come directly from him. And so, here we start out lesson one on page 65. When God interrupts our plans, we can trust what he's doing. And so, three significant events were triggered by a wrong turn, a change in the wind, and a mistake. History is replete with major shifts that were prompted by small interruptions that unleashed a series of consequences no one could have imagined. What if Archduke Franz Ferdinand's driver had not accidentally turned down the wrong street? given a Serbian assassin his opportunity to start World War I? What if the wind had not shifted to the north, forcing the Spanish Armada to retreat in the battle with the English fleet? What if an uncovered Petri dish of bacteria in Alexander Fleming's lab had not been contaminated with penicillin mold, producing a life-saving discovery. You see, the Bible contains many such stories whose outcomes were dramatically altered by a providential turn of events. Angelic appointments are God's calling. Abraham's day turned out like any other, with well-worn routines running their course, and then God interrupted. how Abraham responded would put in play a series of outcomes that were bigger than could have ever been dreamed. And so we look at, first of all, what's one of the best interruptions you've ever had in life? Probably I would have to, if I answer honestly, probably the one that pushed you closer to God, even if it didn't feel like it at the time. I've taken wrong turns and I have done things that run red lights accidentally. And you know what? By doing some of those, it brought me to the love life of my life, my dear wife, Lita. knowing that one kind act for someone that I didn't even know that had Agent Orange, had trouble breathing, going over to help out would lead to my future wife. We never know, do we? And so we look and we realize, first of all, our scripture that we see, and that is how to handle life's interruptions. But before we go any further, And get into Hebrews chapter 11, verses 8 through 19. Let's open up with a time of prayer. Father, we come before you asking you to interrupt us, not for trouble, but for transformation. Forgive us of our sins, cleanse our hearts, shape in our faith like Abraham of old. And as we look into Hebrews 11, verses 8 through 19, help us to understand what it means to obey when we don't know where you're leading us, to trust when we cannot see, and to believe when the odds seem impossible. Speak to every weary soul listening to this Sunday School lesson, every confused heart and every discouraged mind, and save sinners today. Stir saints today. Sharpen our entire church at Bethel Crossroads to reach the seven million lost people in Georgia across all of the 159 counties. In Jesus' marvelous mighty name we pray, amen. When we look at Hebrew chapter 11, verses eight through 12, Hebrews is written to unbelievers under pressure. Christians that have been tempted to give up, give in, and give out. The author is unknown, though many early writers believe it to be Paul. Writers like a preacher with fire in their bones, but Hebrew is a call upward, forward, and onward, and press on. And in Hebrews chapter 11, the hall of faith, God highlights men and women who lived by faith when life interrupted, when it collapsed, when it shifted, when it turned upside down. And no one in scripture experiences divine interruptions more than Abraham. A story tells of a man whose GPS malfunctioned and led him down a muddy hunting trail. The sign read, when he got down there, road ends, life doesn't. He said later, had that interruption not happened, I'd have driven straight off a washed out bridge. Well, that's what Abraham discovered. God's interruptions are often God's interventions. When God interrupts your life, like grandma used to say, Baby of the Lord ain't never late, but he sure ain't scared to change your plans. And so, I wonder, as we look at Hebrews chapter 11, starting with verse eight and reading the King James Version, the Bible says, by faith Abraham, when he called to go out into a place which he should have after received for an inheritance, obeyed and he went out not knowing whether he went. And verse nine, By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. In verse 10, for he looked for a city which hath foundation, whose builder and maker is God. In verse 11, through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed. and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised, in verse 12, therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable. Well, We look and we realize, by every worldly standard, Abraham had it made. He was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold, according to Genesis chapter 13, verse 2, with hundreds of servants in Genesis chapter 14. He also lived in a happening city of Ur in Genesis chapter 12. Ur might sound like we, uh, utter when we can't find the right word, but it's in its heyday. Ur was sophisticated, wealthy, religious, and safe. And Abraham was happily married to Sarah. And at 70 years of age, life was very comfortable. But Abraham had no knowledge of God. Joshua chapter 24 verse 2 tells us that Abraham grew up in a family of idol worships. He was thoroughly pagan, serving gods of his own making, when no thought of God who had made him. And then it happened. God interrupted his life. Acts chapter 7 verse 2 says, The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham. His words unsettled everything for Abraham, because, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I shew thee. In Genesis chapter 12 verse 1. Well, God's orders came with promises, including the pledge to give Abraham the land where he was going, to bless his family, and that in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed, according to Genesis chapter 12, verse three. Put yourself in Abraham's sandals. Life in Ur was very comfortable, but God was standing in front of him, calling him to leave his old life behind and go with him into an unknown future, armed with promises that were amazing, but not very detailed. Abraham faced the question in life's interruptions, Hey, can I trust God? Will he do what he said? Abraham's chapter 11 verse 8 tells us what happened by faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive of an inheritance obeyed. Just like that. He didn't balk at the sacrifice that they was called to make. He didn't wait for more information. Abraham believed that this God who cared enough to interrupt his life must be up to something bigger than he could imagine. And he's inviting me into it. God's interruptions may not always make sense. They will always stretch you, test your faith, but you can count on this. God's weaving Romans chapter eight, verse 28 into your life. He's taking you deeper into his purposes and shaping your character. When we look at the ways God tested Abraham, we see the land promised to him that was occupied in verse nine, that it tells us Abraham sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in Taplanacles for the rest of his life. Not only the land promised to him that was occupied in verse 9, but also we see then that there was a problem of infertility. God promised that Abraham and Sarah would have a son in Genesis chapter 12 verse 7. In Genesis chapter 17 verses 5 and 6, but they faced serious challenges. Sarah couldn't have children. 25 childless years passed after God's promise in Genesis chapter 21 verse 5 and they were now past that childbearing years. So what do you do when things don't go the way that you imagine? You do what Abraham did. By faith, he reasoned that God's promises must not be confined to the present. Something bigger, something better, something longer lasting is coming. In verse 10, Abraham looked past his temporary life all the way to heaven. He couldn't wait to trade his flimsy tent For the eternal city God was constructing and future-looking faith kept him on going. In verse 12, the Holy Spirit shows us the world-shaping outcome of Abraham's faith. It was an amazing thing when God invites us into his plans. And often, interruptions are his calling card. It makes me wonder if I'm willing to go with him when he interrupts my life, believing that he wants to work in and through me in a big way. It brings us to that second question. How do you typically respond when life changes directions in a way that you didn't expect? Well, sometimes we look and we realize that those interruptions that we have, that come our way, sometimes we're afraid because what obstacles that are out there that are keeping you from trusting God during those interruptions. Well, sometimes we typically respond with the changes in direction with fear, with pride, with impatience, with spiritual forgetfulness. And so each and every one of us are almost alike. But the question that we need to really ask ourself is what if God's interruptions are invitations to a deeper faith? You know it? And so, when I'm looking at Hebrews chapter 11, verses eight through 12, but first of all, at verse eight, we see when God interrupts, he calls us out. He calls us out when God interrupts our life. And so, in doing that, he said, by faith, Abram, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed and he went out, not knowing whether he went. And so, he was called, he was summoned, he was demanded for a movement. And I'm glad that this was not a suggestion, it was a command from God requiring total commitment. You see, God calls you out before he ever brings you in. Abraham's life was interrupted by a call, not a catastrophe. He obeyed immediately, faith responds without delay. There was no debate. There was no committee meeting. There was nothing that was, uh, I want that toilet paper. I want that color of carpet. No, there was no committee meeting. Agent Rogers said delayed obedience is disobedience wearing a necktie. And so. We look. When God interrupts, he calls us out in verse 8. He obeyed immediately, but he also obeyed without details. Faith walks without a mount, not knowing whether he went. And so having no earthly idea, Tony Evans says, faith is believing God when your eyes can't find him. And so he obeyed immediately. He obeyed without details and he obeyed with dependence because faith clings to God and not comfort. Abraham left everything familiar. Warren Wiersbe said, faith is living without scheming. Paul Harvey told of a farmer whose barn caught fire, destroying everything, except the one thing that he prayed God would change, his direction in life. That fire became the push God used. And sometimes God's interruption is the only thing that gets us moving. Some folks say they want God to lead them, but they won't even leave the parking lot without arguing with a GPS. And so we look and we realize that what God is wanting to do is we see on further that from verses 9 down to 12 when God interrupts he changes what he sees God moved Abraham from sight living to faith living a new vision for living seeing this world as just being temporary because he said in verse 11 the city whose builder and maker is God Wow! He began to see the architecture that God had created, the craftsmanship. Abraham looked beyond the tents of time to the towers of eternity and saw a new vision for living in verse 10. But in verse 11, He saw a new vision for family, seeing them possible as possible. Sarah received strength. It was an explosive power of dynamite. Boy, I'm gonna tell you, I was reading in Guideposts the story of a couple told they never have children until God interrupted the doctor's prediction. Faith isn't blind. It just sees beyond the natural. And so we look and we see that as we go on, what God's wanting to do by every worldly standard. Abraham had it made. He was rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold, amen. He had everything that he needed. But you know what? It brings us to our next question again, because in Hebrews chapter 11, verses 13 through 16, we see when God interrupts, he changes what we see. He changes what we see. In verse 13, These all died in faith, not having received the promise, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. In verse 14, For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek country in verse 15 and truly if they have been mindful of that country from which they came out they might have had opportunity to have returned in verse 16 but now they desire a better country that is a heavenly wherefore God's not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a city well we look that when God interrupts he changes what we see And the book of Hebrews calls a time out in Abraham's story because in verse 13 there's a new vision for eternity, seeing God's promises that are certain. He sees them afar off, they're persuaded, they're embraced, they're confessed. And we see the four verbs of faith because here he talks about the word seen in verse 13. Faith perceives. And I'm glad that when we see that, not only the word seen, faith perceives, but the word persuaded, faith believes. And the third word in verse 13 of Hebrews chapter 11, embraced, faith clings. And the fourth word that we see in verse 13, confessed, faith speaks. My mama used to say, baby, if God said he'll bake the bread, don't you start preheating the oven? And so a hunter was unexpected in a detour in the woods that helped him find the biggest buck that he'd ever harvested. It was interrupted by path, but directed by success. And that's what God does with our vision. Amen. And so we look and we see that the book of Hebrews calls a timeout in Abraham's story to help us answer the question, how did Abraham do it? Because verse 13 fast forwards to the end of three generations in Abraham's family, and they all share the same eulogy. He didn't receive all that God promised, but he never lost his confidence in the Lord. What's the secret to this overcoming faith in verses 13 through 16? shows us what happens inside the person who trusts in the Lord with all of his heart, all of his soul, all of his mind and his strength. These three motivating conditions. That first motivating condition is maintain a pilgrim mindset. The patriarchs saw themselves as strangers and pilgrims on earth in verse 13. Abraham introduced himself to the Canaanite locals as a stranger and a sojourner with you in Genesis chapter 23 verse 4. And the family chose to declare plainly that they seek a country. That wasn't on this planet. In verse 14, they will believe in God's promises severs our roots in this world. And we're foreigners here waiting to go home that we don't fit in. Because here, I'm glad that we maintain, he said, the motivating confidence and condition was maintain a pilgrim mindset in verse 13. But We anticipate heaven. Hebrews 11, verse one tells us that faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is a rock solid trust that's so convinced God will keep his promises that it becomes a foretaste of the fulfillment right now. Faith helps us see and embrace what is coming as real, as wonderful. The patriarchs so believed God's promises that having seen them afar off, they embraced them as though they were near, in verse 13. They desired a better country than this world offers, heavily, in verse 16. And the same heavily mindedness will strengthen us. All the promises of God in Him are yea and amen. According to Paul in 2 Corinthians 1, verse 20, that moves us to seek those things which are above. where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God in Colossians chapter three, verse one. And so, the three motivating conditions maintain a pilgrim mindset. Number two, anticipate heaven. But number three, refuse to return. Every hero of Hebrews chapter 11 had the chance to return to his or her old life. If they had been mindful of that country from whence they had came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned in verse 15. But the living conditions for Abraham were certainly better His family and friends would welcome him back. But if he wanted an easier earthly life, it was within reach, and yet he never turned back. Unlike Demas, who loved this present world, in 2 Timothy 4, verse 10, Abraham didn't dwell on the past or pine for his former life. He looked forward in faith, cherishing God's promises like the priceless pearl worth more than everything he owned, in Matthew 13, verses 45 and 46. I wonder what obstacles get in the way of trusting God when our lives are interrupted. And so we see that when God interrupts, he calls us out in Hebrews 11, verse eight. When God interrupts, he changes what we see in Hebrews 11, verses nine through 16. But in verses 17 through 19 of Hebrews 11, we see when God interrupts, he changes what we trust. This is Abraham's greatest test, because we read in verse 17 that he tells us, by faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. In verse 18, of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called. In verse 19, accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure. And so, I'm glad that each and every one of us, when God interrupts, he changes what we trust. And I'm glad that this is an uncomfortable part of Abraham's story, one that confronts what we believe about the kindness of God and the cost of following him. And when God interrupted Abraham's life and called him to trust him regarding things that weren't visible yet, Abraham took God at his word, even when it defied common sense and biological ability, Abraham remained convinced that the one true God was committed to his good and up to amazing things in this world. This interruption in verse 17 challenged all that, where will Abraham find the faith to lay his son on that altar? Though we're never told Abraham's inner musings, I suspected that he wrestled with the same questions that we asked when we were hit hard. Why are you doing this to us? And what possible good can come from this? Well, why are you doing this to us? Abraham and Sarah had waited 25 years for God's promise of a son to be fulfilled. And now, when Isaac was a teenager, God pronounced a death sentence over him. So why are you doing this to us? But secondly, what possible good thing can come from this, God? On a parental level, God knew the toll this would take on Abraham. He described Isaac as Abraham's only begotten son. Capturing how cherished and important Isaac was as the son of promise, how would Isaac's death serve God's purpose? Genesis chapter 22 verses 1 through 19 captures the full story after God makes this incomprehensible demand to Abraham in verses 1 and 2. Early the next morning, he started the three-day journey to Mount Moriah with Isaac and servants. And somewhere between the wrenching command and their arrival at Mount Moriah, Something happened inside Abraham. Years of waiting and wandering on this pilgrimage where the Lord had formed a deep God confidence in his soul, deep down. He had this unflinching conviction about God. Something Moses would later write, God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent. Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? In Numbers chapter 23, verse 19. Abraham's unwavering confidence in God's faithfulness led him to stake everything that he had, even the life of his son, on the integrity of the Lord. And on that basis, he reasoned that God's promise through Isaac and God's command about Isaac were not contradictory. God had bound Isaac to his purpose for the future, and God had required that Isaac be sacrificed. And there could only be one solution. God intended to raise Isaac from the dead. God interrupted Abraham once more this time in the split second before he plunged the knife into his son. And Abraham's story of faith reminds us that no one gets through life without severe tests that will shift the quality of our confidence in God. Even when we don't understand what God's doing, we can bank everything that we have on our faithful God who always keeps his word. I wonder, how can spiritual disciplines help us prepare for life's interruptions? And how has our lesson helped preserve when faith has tested each and every one of us? Well, when God interrupts, he challenges what we trust in verses 17 through 19. This was Abraham's greatest test. It was the test of surrender, giving God what you love most. Because in Hebrews 11, verse 17, he offered up Isaac. And the Hebrew word olah in Genesis chapter 23, the burnt offering, the total surrender that he made out of his son. I'm glad you'll never know God is enough until God is all that you have left. So not only do we see the test of surrender when God interrupts, he challenges what we trust, but the test of confidence, trusting God with what makes no sense at all. In verse 18, in Isaac shall thy seed be called. God promised through Isaac and yet asked Abraham to sacrifice him. Well, Warren Wiersbe said, faith does not demand explanation, it rests on promises. And so, when we look at when God interrupts, he challenges what we trust most in verses 17 through 19, the greatest test, the test of surrender, giving God what you love the most. Secondly, the test of confidence, trusting God with what makes no sense. But thirdly, the test of resurrection faith, believing God can bring life out of death. Because in verse 19, counting that God was able to raise him up. Man, that was some calculating, that was some conclusions. Abraham believed God would resurrect Isaac if necessary. There was a story told of a missionary who lost everything in a fire except his journal. Inside one entry, it said, if God removes it, he can resurrect it. Hallelujah, that's Abraham's level faith right there. Some folks say God won't give you more than you can handle. That's not Bible, that's Facebook theology. God will give you more than you can handle so that you'll handle it back to him. And so as I get ready to close out, When God interrupts our plans, we can trust what he's doing. We can shift our focus. We can follow God's leading. We can learn to reason by faith in verse 71, because every divine interruption is really a call out of the old, a call up to the new, and a call into deeper trust. Because I'm glad that when we look and we realize that Jesus himself is the greatest example. He interrupted earth with heaven, time with eternity, death with life, the grave with resurrection, praise his mighty name. And to reject him is to embrace hell. To receive him is to embrace eternal life. And this is the moment, your moment, at the crossroads of faith and hope. That you can shift your focus and meditate on the scriptures about heaven. Revelation chapter 21 verses one through four. verses 22 and 27. Revelation chapter 22 verses one through five. When you read Randy Acorn's book, Heaven, you can sing songs about what it will be like when you're home with him. So shift your focus, but also follow God's leading. Train yourself to obey God immediately. When he urges you to pray with a friend, help someone financially, share the gospel, don't ignore him. Obey God's leading that opens doors to experiencing him in so many wonderful ways. So shift your focus, follow God's leading, and learn to reason by faith because when challenges arose, Abraham considered what is unchangeable and true about God before deciding what to do. God's word, prayer, and wise counsel provide godly guardrails when life gets confusing. Each and every one of us as we go through life today, I'm glad that as we get ready, I wonder what's one of the best interruptions that you've ever had. What obstacles keep you from trusting God during those interruptions? What do you need to surrender today so that God can redirect your life, your plans, your control, your fear, and your future? Because this is your altar call moment. Come and surrender to Jesus this morning. When God interrupts, he calls us out. in verse eight. When God interrupts, He changes what we see in verses nine through 16. But when God interrupts, He changes what we trust in verses 17 down to verse 19. I hope and pray that you got something when God interrupts your life. Let's close out in prayer. Lord Jesus, interrupt our sin. with salvation, interrupt our fear with faith, interrupt our confusion with clarity, and help us reach those seven million lost across Georgia. Shake the churches, stir the saints, save the sinners, and may every interruption become an invitation to walk deeper with you. In the mighty name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray.