Title: The Life of Faith is a Life of Dying Meta: The path of faith that Abraham walked on led him to die to what God had promised him. The Lord told him to take his only son Isaac, who was the joy of his heart, and burn him up on an altar. The life of faith led him to die to what was near and dear to him, yet in the end God gave him back his son. We see that the life of faith is not easy, but one of dying to that which is dear to us and entrusting ourselves to the Lord. Tags: faith,Abraham,Isaac,dying,believer,Christian,A Life of Faith 1 00:00:00,478 --> 00:00:04,028 Let's pray again just for a moment. 2 00:00:05,653 --> 00:00:09,445 Lord you know our hearts tonight. 3 00:00:09,445 --> 00:00:11,827 Lord I pray that you'd, 4 00:00:11,827 --> 00:00:15,521 O God you'd subdue our hearts before you. 5 00:00:15,521 --> 00:00:17,489 And all those things around us Lord, 6 00:00:17,489 --> 00:00:21,742 the bugs and the dogs and everything else that would try to distract us. 7 00:00:21,742 --> 00:00:24,611 Lord I pray that you'd subdue all these things and Lord 8 00:00:24,611 --> 00:00:28,576 help us tonight that we might hear from heaven. 9 00:00:28,576 --> 00:00:31,832 O God we need to hear from you. 10 00:00:31,832 --> 00:00:33,455 Lord there's situations, 11 00:00:33,455 --> 00:00:35,713 there's home lives, and there's- 12 00:00:35,713 --> 00:00:38,281 Lord there's souls in the balance here 13 00:00:38,281 --> 00:00:40,537 and I pray O God you'd help us tonight 14 00:00:40,537 --> 00:00:42,491 to hear from you. 15 00:00:42,491 --> 00:00:44,364 Some dad, some 16 00:00:44,364 --> 00:00:47,952 young man Lord, who needs to hear a word from God. 17 00:00:47,952 --> 00:00:50,060 Lord speak to us. 18 00:00:50,060 --> 00:00:52,265 Speak to us from your Word I pray. 19 00:00:52,265 --> 00:00:57,028 Help us to know what you're saying to us by your Word I pray in Jesus name. 20 00:00:57,028 --> 00:00:58,713 Amen. 21 00:01:00,263 --> 00:01:02,722 Let me ask you to turn tonight to the book of Romans. 22 00:01:02,722 --> 00:01:08,464 We're going to look at that passage in Hebrews 11 again. 23 00:01:10,204 --> 00:01:14,969 But I want to read a passage to you in Romans chapter 6. 24 00:01:17,539 --> 00:01:20,749 "What shall we say then? 25 00:01:20,749 --> 00:01:23,767 Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 26 00:01:25,367 --> 00:01:27,855 God forbid. 27 00:01:27,855 --> 00:01:31,470 How shall we, that are dead to sin, 28 00:01:31,470 --> 00:01:36,000 live any longer therein? 29 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,369 Know ye not, that so many of us 30 00:01:38,369 --> 00:01:41,579 as were baptized into Jesus Christ 31 00:01:41,579 --> 00:01:44,409 were baptized into His death?" 32 00:01:44,409 --> 00:01:46,600 Now let me stop there. 33 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:48,378 I don't know what your version says, 34 00:01:48,378 --> 00:01:50,818 but the word baptize is baptizo 35 00:01:50,818 --> 00:01:53,375 which means immerse. 36 00:01:53,375 --> 00:01:55,506 So read it like that. 37 00:01:55,506 --> 00:02:01,130 "Know ye not, that so many of us as were immersed into Jesus Christ 38 00:02:01,130 --> 00:02:04,495 were immersed into His death? 39 00:02:04,495 --> 00:02:07,686 Therefore we are buried with Him 40 00:02:07,686 --> 00:02:10,636 by immersion into death: 41 00:02:10,636 --> 00:02:14,340 that like as Christ was raised up from the dead 42 00:02:14,340 --> 00:02:16,133 by the glory of the Father, 43 00:02:16,133 --> 00:02:19,219 even so we also should 44 00:02:19,219 --> 00:02:20,538 walk in newness of life. 45 00:02:20,538 --> 00:02:22,780 For if we've been planted together 46 00:02:22,780 --> 00:02:25,058 in the likeness of His death, 47 00:02:25,058 --> 00:02:27,594 we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection: 48 00:02:27,594 --> 00:02:29,343 knowing this, 49 00:02:29,343 --> 00:02:33,179 that our old man is crucified with Him, 50 00:02:33,179 --> 00:02:37,711 that the body of sin might be destroyed, 51 00:02:37,711 --> 00:02:39,771 that henceforth 52 00:02:39,771 --> 00:02:43,870 we should not serve sin. 53 00:02:43,870 --> 00:02:46,680 For He that is dead 54 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:50,391 is freed from sin. 55 00:02:50,391 --> 00:02:52,319 Now if we be dead with Christ, 56 00:02:52,319 --> 00:02:56,671 we believe we shall also 57 00:02:56,671 --> 00:03:00,721 live with Christ." 58 00:03:00,721 --> 00:03:02,018 Look at verse 11. 59 00:03:02,018 --> 00:03:05,298 "Likewise reckon ye yourselves also 60 00:03:05,298 --> 00:03:07,804 to be dead indeed unto sin, 61 00:03:07,804 --> 00:03:09,924 but alive unto God 62 00:03:09,924 --> 00:03:13,396 through Jesus Christ our Lord." 63 00:03:13,396 --> 00:03:16,926 Hebrews chapter 11. 64 00:03:16,926 --> 00:03:20,369 Verse number 17. 65 00:03:21,289 --> 00:03:23,575 "By faith Abraham, 66 00:03:23,575 --> 00:03:25,730 when he was tried, 67 00:03:25,730 --> 00:03:28,736 offered up Isaac: 68 00:03:28,736 --> 00:03:33,831 and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 69 00:03:33,831 --> 00:03:38,644 of whom it was said, 'That in Isaac shall thy seed be called.'" 70 00:03:38,644 --> 00:03:42,295 Hebrews 11 verse number 19 now. 71 00:03:42,295 --> 00:03:44,583 "Accounting that God 72 00:03:44,583 --> 00:03:46,493 was able to raise him up, 73 00:03:46,493 --> 00:03:48,650 even from the dead; 74 00:03:48,650 --> 00:03:51,622 from whence also he received him 75 00:03:51,622 --> 00:03:54,270 in a figure." 76 00:03:54,270 --> 00:03:59,479 I want to talk to you tonight just a little while about 77 00:03:59,479 --> 00:04:01,607 one of the elements 78 00:04:01,607 --> 00:04:04,377 of this life of faith 79 00:04:04,377 --> 00:04:06,277 that is most important; 80 00:04:06,277 --> 00:04:11,046 that I think so many people miss, 81 00:04:11,046 --> 00:04:14,481 so many people forget about, 82 00:04:14,481 --> 00:04:19,787 and it's simply that when a person is saved, 83 00:04:19,787 --> 00:04:28,724 they not only are brought to life in Christ Jesus, 84 00:04:28,724 --> 00:04:32,956 but there is an actual death 85 00:04:32,956 --> 00:04:34,871 to the old man. 86 00:04:34,871 --> 00:04:39,519 There is an experience of repentance, 87 00:04:39,519 --> 00:04:44,135 an experience of dying out to the old man 88 00:04:44,135 --> 00:04:46,689 that is a real thing. 89 00:04:46,689 --> 00:04:51,404 What Paul describes in Romans chapter number 5 90 00:04:51,404 --> 00:04:56,377 is something that our generation knows very little about. 91 00:04:56,377 --> 00:04:59,540 You know we're the generation that talks about, 92 00:04:59,540 --> 00:05:01,619 "Say this prayer after me. 93 00:05:01,619 --> 00:05:05,385 Pray this little prayer and you'll be saved" and so forth. 94 00:05:05,385 --> 00:05:07,144 And Paul says, 95 00:05:07,144 --> 00:05:08,410 the question came up, 96 00:05:08,410 --> 00:05:11,491 "Paul are you teaching and preaching that if a person is 97 00:05:11,491 --> 00:05:14,080 in Christ that they can live any way they want to? 98 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,676 That they can live in sin and God accepts them?" 99 00:05:16,676 --> 00:05:21,125 And Paul says, "God forbid! Let it never be." 100 00:05:21,125 --> 00:05:22,900 That is not true. 101 00:05:22,900 --> 00:05:25,689 That can't be. 102 00:05:25,689 --> 00:05:27,794 Don't you understand 103 00:05:27,794 --> 00:05:32,054 that when you were immersed in the Christ, 104 00:05:32,054 --> 00:05:36,366 you were immersed into His death, 105 00:05:36,366 --> 00:05:41,480 And the life of faith has something to do with dying? 106 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:42,880 I thought one time, 107 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:45,592 this is egotistical I admit it. 108 00:05:45,592 --> 00:05:46,688 I confess it. 109 00:05:46,688 --> 00:05:51,156 I pray that the Lord would forgive me if it's actual sin. 110 00:05:51,156 --> 00:05:54,298 I thought one time about writing my autobiography. 111 00:05:54,298 --> 00:05:57,513 I mean you got to admit God has done some good things for me. 112 00:05:57,513 --> 00:06:00,703 And I thought about writing my own autobiography. 113 00:06:00,703 --> 00:06:03,272 And when I started thinking about that I thought, well where would you start? 114 00:06:03,272 --> 00:06:05,224 Most people would start when they were born. 115 00:06:05,224 --> 00:06:07,022 And then I got to thinking about that and I said, 116 00:06:07,022 --> 00:06:08,487 "My goodness I don't want to start when I was born 117 00:06:08,487 --> 00:06:11,280 I want to start when I was born again." 118 00:06:11,280 --> 00:06:15,230 Because the old man is dead. 119 00:06:15,230 --> 00:06:19,047 Mike Morrow was pronounced dead 120 00:06:19,047 --> 00:06:21,586 the evening, that Thursday evening, 121 00:06:21,586 --> 00:06:24,576 that God saved me. 122 00:06:24,576 --> 00:06:26,454 And if you've been saved by the Grace of God, 123 00:06:26,454 --> 00:06:29,004 you've experienced a death 124 00:06:29,004 --> 00:06:30,803 a real death. 125 00:06:30,803 --> 00:06:31,870 And here's the thing, 126 00:06:31,870 --> 00:06:34,969 people want to put that off into some sort of positional truth 127 00:06:34,969 --> 00:06:39,503 some kind of mystical thing that happens in heaven 128 00:06:39,503 --> 00:06:41,360 and God writes you down as dead. 129 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,628 I'm telling you something my friend, 130 00:06:43,628 --> 00:06:45,620 if you've come to the Lord Jesus, 131 00:06:45,620 --> 00:06:47,927 that old man has died. 132 00:06:47,927 --> 00:06:50,105 He's been placed on a cross. 133 00:06:50,105 --> 00:06:51,935 Now you may not believe it. 134 00:06:51,935 --> 00:06:54,988 But that's what Romans chapter 6 says. 135 00:06:54,988 --> 00:06:59,218 He says, "Don't you know that the old man is crucified with Christ?" 136 00:06:59,218 --> 00:07:04,910 Listen, the new man has been raised to life in Christ. 137 00:07:04,910 --> 00:07:07,171 And that's what happens in regeneration. 138 00:07:07,171 --> 00:07:09,197 You're lifted out of that death 139 00:07:09,197 --> 00:07:10,768 into genuine life. 140 00:07:10,768 --> 00:07:13,644 And you begin to experience life in Christ. 141 00:07:13,644 --> 00:07:16,698 That's why things that happened to you, 142 00:07:16,698 --> 00:07:18,604 spiritually, 143 00:07:18,604 --> 00:07:20,753 are so real to you 144 00:07:20,753 --> 00:07:23,538 that things that were not real at all 145 00:07:23,538 --> 00:07:25,238 before God saved you. 146 00:07:25,238 --> 00:07:27,024 Church wasn't real. 147 00:07:27,024 --> 00:07:28,740 Prayer wasn't real. 148 00:07:28,740 --> 00:07:30,733 Bible wasn't real. 149 00:07:30,733 --> 00:07:32,769 Preacher wasn't real. 150 00:07:32,769 --> 00:07:34,789 I mean none of that stuff really 151 00:07:34,789 --> 00:07:36,394 had much of an affect on you, 152 00:07:36,394 --> 00:07:39,755 and you didn't care a whole lot about it before God saved you. 153 00:07:39,755 --> 00:07:41,619 And then all of a sudden 154 00:07:41,619 --> 00:07:43,250 life was breathed into you, 155 00:07:43,250 --> 00:07:44,227 but you hear me, 156 00:07:44,227 --> 00:07:46,381 when life came there was a death also. 157 00:07:46,381 --> 00:07:49,172 There was a dying out to your own thoughts. 158 00:07:49,172 --> 00:07:51,351 A dying out to your own desires. 159 00:07:51,351 --> 00:07:53,342 A dying out to your own will 160 00:07:53,342 --> 00:07:56,038 and a coming down and collapsing at the cross of Christ. 161 00:07:56,038 --> 00:07:58,999 Somebody said, "Are you preaching Lordship salvation?" 162 00:07:58,999 --> 00:08:00,308 Jesus has been Lord. 163 00:08:00,308 --> 00:08:03,909 He is Lord. He always will be Lord. 164 00:08:03,909 --> 00:08:06,390 And if you get saved, you'll take Him as Lord. 165 00:08:06,390 --> 00:08:08,504 He is, 166 00:08:08,504 --> 00:08:10,021 if you don't know what Lord means, 167 00:08:10,021 --> 00:08:11,813 it means He's the boss. 168 00:08:11,813 --> 00:08:13,774 He is in charge. 169 00:08:13,774 --> 00:08:14,869 And when a person is saved, 170 00:08:14,869 --> 00:08:16,959 they bow before Him. 171 00:08:16,959 --> 00:08:19,464 As the one who is in utter charge. 172 00:08:19,464 --> 00:08:21,367 He is in absolute charge. 173 00:08:21,367 --> 00:08:23,257 Now 174 00:08:23,257 --> 00:08:26,807 I read that passage about Abraham 175 00:08:26,807 --> 00:08:29,789 because we are talking in Hebrews chapter number 11, 176 00:08:29,789 --> 00:08:34,321 about faith and the faith life. 177 00:08:34,321 --> 00:08:37,749 So He brings up Abraham several times. 178 00:08:37,749 --> 00:08:39,558 He talks about Abraham 179 00:08:39,558 --> 00:08:40,767 leaving his country. 180 00:08:40,767 --> 00:08:44,781 He talks about Sarah receiving strength to conceive seed. 181 00:08:44,781 --> 00:08:46,074 He talks about, 182 00:08:46,074 --> 00:08:51,813 now he is talking about Abraham offering up Isaac 183 00:08:51,813 --> 00:08:55,040 as a sacrifice to God. 184 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:56,878 Do you really understand 185 00:08:56,878 --> 00:08:59,192 what was going on there? 186 00:08:59,192 --> 00:09:01,923 I want you to look back with me and we are going to stay here for awhile 187 00:09:01,923 --> 00:09:03,984 so I might have you flip it around. 188 00:09:03,984 --> 00:09:10,048 But look back at chapter number 12 of the book of Genesis, just for a minute. 189 00:09:10,048 --> 00:09:13,481 Bible says in verse number 11 of Genesis, 190 00:09:13,481 --> 00:09:17,450 "And Terah," this was Abram's father, 191 00:09:17,450 --> 00:09:19,629 "took Abram his son, 192 00:09:19,629 --> 00:09:23,598 and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, 193 00:09:23,598 --> 00:09:27,618 and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife..." 194 00:09:27,618 --> 00:09:30,570 This is chapter number 11 in verse 31, 195 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:38,107 "And they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go to the land of Canaan; 196 00:09:38,107 --> 00:09:42,256 and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. 197 00:09:42,256 --> 00:09:45,517 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: 198 00:09:45,517 --> 00:09:49,527 and Terah died in Haran. 199 00:09:49,527 --> 00:09:53,297 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, 200 00:09:53,297 --> 00:09:57,257 'Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred,'" 201 00:09:57,257 --> 00:10:00,858 hear that, "and from thy father's house 202 00:10:00,858 --> 00:10:03,672 unto a land that I'll show you." 203 00:10:03,672 --> 00:10:08,008 So what is the first step when Abraham begins to 204 00:10:08,008 --> 00:10:09,378 walk by faith? 205 00:10:09,378 --> 00:10:13,325 What's the first thing he's going to have to die to? 206 00:10:13,325 --> 00:10:16,964 Same thing a lot of times we have to die to when we come to the Lord, 207 00:10:16,964 --> 00:10:19,324 and that's our family. 208 00:10:19,324 --> 00:10:23,060 Word of God says that he had to get away from his family. 209 00:10:23,060 --> 00:10:26,280 "And so Abram departed as the Lord had spoken unto him." 210 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:27,876 But here's a problem, 211 00:10:27,876 --> 00:10:30,523 "and Lot went with him." 212 00:10:30,523 --> 00:10:34,448 So nephew Lot is tagging along now with Abram. 213 00:10:34,448 --> 00:10:39,714 And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son 214 00:10:39,714 --> 00:10:42,734 and all their substance that they had gathered 215 00:10:42,734 --> 00:10:45,416 and the souls that they had gotten in Haran 216 00:10:45,416 --> 00:10:47,036 and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan. 217 00:10:47,036 --> 00:10:49,382 Into the land of Canaan they came.." 218 00:10:49,382 --> 00:10:52,810 And then the Bible tells us about Abraham 219 00:10:52,810 --> 00:10:55,642 passing through the land of Schechem and so forth, 220 00:10:55,642 --> 00:10:59,475 and the Lord appeared to him in verse number 7. 221 00:10:59,475 --> 00:11:04,856 And the Lord said to him, "Under your seed I'll give this land." 222 00:11:04,856 --> 00:11:11,452 And so there he built an altar to the Lord 223 00:11:11,452 --> 00:11:13,350 and worshiped God there. 224 00:11:13,350 --> 00:11:16,983 You go down through there then you come into chapter 13 225 00:11:16,983 --> 00:11:20,213 and the Bible says that Abram went up out of Egypt. 226 00:11:20,213 --> 00:11:21,674 There's been a drought. 227 00:11:21,674 --> 00:11:23,324 He's gone down into Egypt. 228 00:11:23,324 --> 00:11:25,182 I don't want to get into that story, 229 00:11:25,182 --> 00:11:27,323 but it was a lack of faith. 230 00:11:27,323 --> 00:11:30,006 You know when we talk about these Heroes of the Faith, 231 00:11:30,006 --> 00:11:35,388 if we're not careful, we'll talk about them as if they never had any lapses. 232 00:11:35,388 --> 00:11:37,447 Abraham had a lapse. 233 00:11:37,447 --> 00:11:42,001 Came a drought in the land, he was dry so he goes down to Egypt. 234 00:11:42,001 --> 00:11:44,318 When he comes out of Egypt, he brings somebody with him 235 00:11:44,318 --> 00:11:46,339 that he shouldn't have ever brought out of Egypt, 236 00:11:46,339 --> 00:11:48,961 but he brings a slave girl with him out of Egypt. 237 00:11:48,961 --> 00:11:51,436 When he comes out of Egypt 238 00:11:51,436 --> 00:11:55,631 then we are told in chapter 13, 239 00:11:55,631 --> 00:11:58,321 "When Abraham went out of Egypt, 240 00:11:58,321 --> 00:12:00,019 he, and his wife, and all that he had, 241 00:12:00,019 --> 00:12:01,933 and Lot was with him, 242 00:12:01,933 --> 00:12:03,952 into the South. 243 00:12:03,952 --> 00:12:06,615 Abram was very rich in cattle." 244 00:12:06,615 --> 00:12:08,295 Look now in verse 5, 245 00:12:08,295 --> 00:12:14,076 "And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 246 00:12:14,076 --> 00:12:15,966 And the land 247 00:12:15,966 --> 00:12:17,856 was not able 248 00:12:17,856 --> 00:12:20,616 to bear them, that they might dwell together: 249 00:12:20,616 --> 00:12:23,059 for their substance was great, 250 00:12:23,059 --> 00:12:25,741 so that they could not dwell together." 251 00:12:25,741 --> 00:12:29,029 In other words in God's providence, 252 00:12:29,029 --> 00:12:32,760 God was separating Abram 253 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:33,950 from his family. 254 00:12:33,950 --> 00:12:36,068 That was the first step. 255 00:12:36,068 --> 00:12:41,443 The first thing God did for Abram was take him away from his family. 256 00:12:41,443 --> 00:12:44,309 Terah dies in Haran. 257 00:12:46,439 --> 00:12:49,658 Now he's gone down to Egypt. He's come back. 258 00:12:49,658 --> 00:12:52,452 He's got Lot with him. 259 00:12:52,452 --> 00:12:55,450 They've spread out all over the country. 260 00:12:55,450 --> 00:12:59,394 The Bible says that Lot's herdsmen and Abraham's herdsmen 261 00:12:59,394 --> 00:13:02,636 couldn't get along and so now they've got to separate. 262 00:13:02,636 --> 00:13:07,900 And Abraham has nobody left in his family except his wife 263 00:13:08,608 --> 00:13:12,447 and his immediate servants and so forth. 264 00:13:12,447 --> 00:13:14,795 You know who he's got left? 265 00:13:14,795 --> 00:13:16,342 He's got God. 266 00:13:17,305 --> 00:13:18,935 He's got God. 267 00:13:18,935 --> 00:13:20,518 Now hear me. 268 00:13:20,518 --> 00:13:22,068 Listen to me. 269 00:13:22,068 --> 00:13:25,625 When the Lord saves you and calls you. 270 00:13:25,625 --> 00:13:27,996 He's enough. 271 00:13:27,996 --> 00:13:31,598 I love my mother and my daddy. 272 00:13:31,598 --> 00:13:33,839 I love my family. 273 00:13:33,839 --> 00:13:37,789 When the Lord moved on our heart to go to Mississippi, 274 00:13:37,789 --> 00:13:42,504 my mother especially did not like that idea at all. 275 00:13:42,504 --> 00:13:45,620 And then over the years, you know, she's 276 00:13:45,620 --> 00:13:47,729 occasionally mentioned the fact 277 00:13:47,729 --> 00:13:50,009 that we raised her grandchildren 278 00:13:50,009 --> 00:13:52,136 five hundred miles away from her. 279 00:13:52,696 --> 00:13:53,884 And I understand that. 280 00:13:53,884 --> 00:13:55,294 That's a natural desire. 281 00:13:55,294 --> 00:13:58,414 She has a natural desire to be with her grandchildren, 282 00:13:58,414 --> 00:14:01,124 and to be with her family and so forth. 283 00:14:01,124 --> 00:14:02,421 But I'm going to tell you something. 284 00:14:02,421 --> 00:14:04,985 When God calls you, 285 00:14:04,985 --> 00:14:09,281 He's separating you so that you can be to yourself and Him. 286 00:14:09,281 --> 00:14:12,979 And you have to die to that. 287 00:14:12,979 --> 00:14:14,479 Now we're going to take a step farther 288 00:14:14,479 --> 00:14:16,737 'cause I want you to see what happened. 289 00:14:16,737 --> 00:14:19,646 Look at chapter 16. 290 00:14:19,646 --> 00:14:21,590 Chapter number 16. 291 00:14:25,850 --> 00:14:30,092 Abraham had to die to his family 292 00:14:30,092 --> 00:14:32,942 in his walk of faith. 293 00:14:32,942 --> 00:14:36,204 And all through here God's making him promises. 294 00:14:36,204 --> 00:14:40,600 If you look at chapter 15 verse 7, 295 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:42,479 And He said unto him, 'I'm the Lord.'" 296 00:14:42,479 --> 00:14:47,256 God speaks to him and says, "I'm the Lord that brought thee out of Ur the Chaldees 297 00:14:47,256 --> 00:14:49,961 to give thee this land to inherit it." 298 00:14:49,961 --> 00:14:53,831 And He said, "Lord God where by shall I know that I shall inherit it?" 299 00:14:53,831 --> 00:14:57,093 How am I going to inherit this land? 300 00:14:57,093 --> 00:14:58,825 How shall I know? 301 00:14:58,825 --> 00:15:02,861 And He said, "take a heifer, divide it up." 302 00:15:02,861 --> 00:15:08,440 God puts Abraham to sleep and God says, "Alright this is the formal way" 303 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:10,322 They made a covenant in that day. 304 00:15:10,322 --> 00:15:14,831 And God makes a covenant with Himself before Abraham, 305 00:15:14,831 --> 00:15:18,867 that He is going to do what He promises Abraham He is going to do. 306 00:15:18,867 --> 00:15:23,588 You understand by the way that your salvation is a covenant between 307 00:15:23,588 --> 00:15:26,142 God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 308 00:15:26,142 --> 00:15:27,472 It's not all about you, 309 00:15:27,472 --> 00:15:29,255 it's all about what God's determined to do. 310 00:15:29,255 --> 00:15:30,855 You do understand that don't you? 311 00:15:30,855 --> 00:15:34,771 God has promised to do something. 312 00:15:34,771 --> 00:15:37,213 He's promised to do something with His people. 313 00:15:37,213 --> 00:15:41,904 He's promised to give His son a bride. 314 00:15:41,904 --> 00:15:47,044 And thank God if you're saved tonight you're part of that. 315 00:15:47,044 --> 00:15:50,303 Well I digress, but anyway. 316 00:15:50,303 --> 00:15:51,521 He said, "How will I know?" 317 00:15:51,521 --> 00:15:56,824 And so the Lord makes this covenant with Him. 318 00:15:56,824 --> 00:15:59,448 And He says, "I'm going to give this land to your seed." 319 00:15:59,448 --> 00:16:02,195 Abraham doesn't have any seed. 320 00:16:02,195 --> 00:16:04,676 He doesn't have a child. 321 00:16:04,676 --> 00:16:06,235 How are you going to give this? 322 00:16:06,235 --> 00:16:09,610 I can almost hear him as he goes back to his tent later and 323 00:16:09,610 --> 00:16:10,818 in the days that are coming, 324 00:16:10,818 --> 00:16:12,133 and he talks to Sarah about it 325 00:16:12,133 --> 00:16:15,487 and he says you know God's promised to give me this whole land 326 00:16:15,487 --> 00:16:17,666 and to give it to our seed. 327 00:16:17,666 --> 00:16:22,919 Sarah says, "Uh there's one little thing there Abraham, 328 00:16:22,919 --> 00:16:26,848 we don't have any children." 329 00:16:26,848 --> 00:16:28,242 "Yeah but God's promised it!" 330 00:16:28,242 --> 00:16:32,497 "Yeah but we don't have any children." 331 00:16:32,497 --> 00:16:34,209 "Yeah but God's promised us." 332 00:16:34,209 --> 00:16:39,012 "Well maybe the Lord's going to work it out this way.." 333 00:16:39,012 --> 00:16:41,553 And then she gives 334 00:16:41,553 --> 00:16:43,653 Hagar, her servant, 335 00:16:43,653 --> 00:16:49,516 this Egyptian girl that's come out of Egypt with Abraham and Sarai. 336 00:16:49,516 --> 00:16:52,848 She gives her to Abraham 337 00:16:52,848 --> 00:16:55,258 to raise up a seed. 338 00:16:55,258 --> 00:16:57,496 And of course we know Ishmael 339 00:16:57,496 --> 00:17:00,886 comes from that union. 340 00:17:00,886 --> 00:17:03,574 Now here's the thing that had to happen. 341 00:17:03,574 --> 00:17:06,433 The Bible tells us that 342 00:17:09,013 --> 00:17:12,371 Sarah gets upset because 343 00:17:12,371 --> 00:17:14,551 Hagar actually 344 00:17:14,551 --> 00:17:17,077 makes fun of her because she's childless. 345 00:17:17,077 --> 00:17:18,812 Listen, let me just read it to you. 346 00:17:18,812 --> 00:17:20,085 Chapter 16. 347 00:17:20,085 --> 00:17:24,327 "Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: 348 00:17:24,327 --> 00:17:27,924 and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 349 00:17:27,924 --> 00:17:34,077 And Sarai said unto Abram, 'Behold now, the Lord hath restraineth me from bearing: 350 00:17:34,077 --> 00:17:38,392 I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her.' 351 00:17:38,392 --> 00:17:42,411 And Abram hearkened unto the voice of Sarai." 352 00:17:42,411 --> 00:17:44,400 He cooperated. 353 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:48,881 "And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid 354 00:17:48,881 --> 00:17:50,135 the Egyptian, 355 00:17:50,135 --> 00:17:53,965 after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, 356 00:17:53,965 --> 00:17:57,176 and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 357 00:17:57,176 --> 00:17:59,939 And he went in unto Hagar and she conceived: 358 00:17:59,939 --> 00:18:02,908 and when she saw that she had conceived, 359 00:18:02,908 --> 00:18:05,548 her mistress was despised in her eyes." 360 00:18:05,548 --> 00:18:07,227 In other words, 361 00:18:07,227 --> 00:18:11,237 Sarai was despised in the eyes of Hagar. 362 00:18:11,237 --> 00:18:14,868 Hagar said, "I can have kids, you can't." 363 00:18:14,868 --> 00:18:16,513 She mocked her. 364 00:18:16,513 --> 00:18:17,976 And so Sarai's upset. 365 00:18:17,976 --> 00:18:18,929 Verse 5. 366 00:18:18,929 --> 00:18:21,943 Sarai said unto Abram, "My wrong be upon thee: 367 00:18:21,943 --> 00:18:24,830 I have given my maid unto thy bosom: 368 00:18:24,830 --> 00:18:28,752 and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: 369 00:18:28,752 --> 00:18:30,396 the Lord judge between me and thee. 370 00:18:30,396 --> 00:18:34,148 And Abram said unto Sarai, 'Behold, thy maid is in your hand; 371 00:18:34,148 --> 00:18:36,331 do to her as it pleaseth thee.' 372 00:18:36,331 --> 00:18:40,215 And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. 373 00:18:40,215 --> 00:18:42,193 Now listen, 374 00:18:42,193 --> 00:18:45,572 you need to do a study on this preachers sometime. 375 00:18:45,572 --> 00:18:49,866 Hagar is one of the most mistreated women in the Bible. 376 00:18:49,866 --> 00:18:52,370 She really is. 377 00:18:52,370 --> 00:18:55,022 But when you read that, 378 00:18:55,022 --> 00:18:59,132 you find Abram saying, 379 00:18:59,132 --> 00:19:02,852 "You know Sarai your little scheme didn't work 380 00:19:02,852 --> 00:19:03,991 you might as well.." 381 00:19:03,991 --> 00:19:06,595 So he's having to die now to his 382 00:19:06,595 --> 00:19:09,716 his idea that God's going to raise up 383 00:19:09,716 --> 00:19:14,366 a seed for him through Hagar. 384 00:19:14,366 --> 00:19:16,686 That little episode's over, 385 00:19:16,686 --> 00:19:18,836 at least for now. 386 00:19:18,836 --> 00:19:23,162 Chapter 17 God renews His covenant with Abraham. 387 00:19:23,162 --> 00:19:25,903 "When Abraham was ninety years old and nine, 388 00:19:25,903 --> 00:19:28,089 the Lord appeared unto Abraham and said unto him, 389 00:19:28,089 --> 00:19:33,113 'I am the Almighty God, walk before Me and be thou perfect, 390 00:19:33,113 --> 00:19:35,640 and I will make My covenant between Me and thee 391 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:37,773 and will multiply thee exceedingly.' 392 00:19:37,773 --> 00:19:39,857 Abram fell on his face 393 00:19:39,857 --> 00:19:41,567 and God talked with him saying, 394 00:19:41,567 --> 00:19:43,713 'As for Me behold My covenant was with thee, 395 00:19:43,713 --> 00:19:47,269 thou shall be a father of many nations.'" 396 00:19:47,269 --> 00:19:51,679 And Abram still he's in unbelief. 397 00:19:51,679 --> 00:19:53,520 Look at chapter 17 verse 18. 398 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:57,641 "And Abraham said unto God, 'O that Ishmael may live before thee.'' 399 00:19:57,641 --> 00:19:59,109 "Lord we're working this out." 400 00:19:59,109 --> 00:20:01,708 You know I believe Sarai had probably quoted him the verse 401 00:20:01,708 --> 00:20:06,072 that says God helps those that help themselves. 402 00:20:06,072 --> 00:20:10,114 He says, "O God that Ishmael may live before thee." 403 00:20:10,114 --> 00:20:13,752 And God says, "Yes I'm going to make a great nation out of Ishmael 404 00:20:13,752 --> 00:20:19,698 but Sarah, Sarai will bear the seed." 405 00:20:19,698 --> 00:20:23,852 And Abraham getting older now 406 00:20:23,852 --> 00:20:26,327 is having to die 407 00:20:26,327 --> 00:20:31,017 to his own ability to fulfill the will of God. 408 00:20:31,017 --> 00:20:32,561 Listen to me guys 409 00:20:32,561 --> 00:20:35,914 the life of faith means that I begin to die 410 00:20:35,914 --> 00:20:37,314 to my own ability 411 00:20:37,314 --> 00:20:39,694 to do the will of God in my life. 412 00:20:39,694 --> 00:20:43,833 In other words when I'm first saved, 413 00:20:43,833 --> 00:20:45,075 you know, give me the world. 414 00:20:45,075 --> 00:20:46,134 When I first got saved, 415 00:20:46,134 --> 00:20:47,993 get out of my way. 416 00:20:47,993 --> 00:20:51,163 I'm going to charge to hell with a water pistol. 417 00:20:51,163 --> 00:20:51,989 I'm a going to get this done, 418 00:20:51,989 --> 00:20:53,167 I'm going to get that done. 419 00:20:53,167 --> 00:20:57,063 It didn't take me very long to find out I couldn't do that. 420 00:20:57,063 --> 00:20:58,923 Abraham is finding out 421 00:20:58,923 --> 00:21:00,811 that it's not by might 422 00:21:00,811 --> 00:21:02,117 nor by power. 423 00:21:02,117 --> 00:21:03,704 It's not by his intellect 424 00:21:03,704 --> 00:21:05,189 and it's not by his conniving 425 00:21:05,189 --> 00:21:08,320 and it's not by his working out the situation. 426 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:11,015 Anytime you are in an impossible situation 427 00:21:11,015 --> 00:21:13,167 and God is calling you 428 00:21:13,167 --> 00:21:17,077 to trust Him and to walk through something by faith, 429 00:21:17,077 --> 00:21:19,915 and you are tempted to grab hold of it 430 00:21:19,915 --> 00:21:22,035 and start twisting knobs 431 00:21:22,035 --> 00:21:24,137 and fixing things on your own, 432 00:21:24,137 --> 00:21:26,003 you be very very careful 433 00:21:26,003 --> 00:21:29,823 because you may have to just start all over again. 434 00:21:29,823 --> 00:21:31,855 Here God says to Abram, 435 00:21:31,855 --> 00:21:34,961 "Abram it's not going to be Ishmael 436 00:21:34,961 --> 00:21:37,879 and it's not going to be Hagar whose the mother of this 437 00:21:37,879 --> 00:21:39,849 great nation I'm going to raise up. 438 00:21:39,849 --> 00:21:42,438 And that's not where your seed's coming from. 439 00:21:42,438 --> 00:21:46,334 But it's going to be Sarai." 440 00:21:46,334 --> 00:21:50,880 And so the Bible tells us that 441 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:53,880 God continued to make His covenant with Abraham 442 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,662 and continued to talk to Abraham. 443 00:21:56,662 --> 00:22:03,424 Chapter 21. "The Lord visited Sarah as He had said, 444 00:22:03,424 --> 00:22:06,918 and the Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken. 445 00:22:06,918 --> 00:22:11,740 For Sarah conceived and bear Abraham a son in his old age 446 00:22:11,740 --> 00:22:15,734 at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 447 00:22:15,734 --> 00:22:19,180 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, 448 00:22:19,180 --> 00:22:21,554 whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac." 449 00:22:21,554 --> 00:22:24,668 I told you this morning it meant laughter. 450 00:22:24,668 --> 00:22:28,219 "And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old 451 00:22:28,219 --> 00:22:32,169 as God had commanded him. 452 00:22:32,169 --> 00:22:37,587 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born." 453 00:22:37,587 --> 00:22:39,397 Wonderful. 454 00:22:39,397 --> 00:22:42,081 Isaac's born! 455 00:22:42,081 --> 00:22:44,552 The will of God is being done! 456 00:22:44,552 --> 00:22:46,727 I didn't have to help God. 457 00:22:46,727 --> 00:22:48,977 The Lord did a miracle! 458 00:22:48,977 --> 00:22:51,218 Well you should have seen Sarah. 459 00:22:51,218 --> 00:22:54,859 She's was up cleaning the house a week after she had the baby and she's ninety years old! 460 00:22:54,859 --> 00:22:56,092 Isn't that amazing? 461 00:22:56,092 --> 00:22:58,050 I mean God did this! 462 00:22:58,050 --> 00:23:01,632 Listen! Who got the glory? 463 00:23:01,632 --> 00:23:03,849 God got the glory. 464 00:23:03,849 --> 00:23:06,995 How was this accomplished? 465 00:23:06,995 --> 00:23:09,690 By faith Abraham. 466 00:23:09,690 --> 00:23:11,763 By faith Sarah. 467 00:23:11,763 --> 00:23:16,789 This was accomplished because they believed what God said to them. 468 00:23:16,789 --> 00:23:18,457 God made promises. 469 00:23:18,457 --> 00:23:20,710 Now again, there were lapses. 470 00:23:20,710 --> 00:23:23,592 There were times when they decided to fix it themselves. 471 00:23:23,592 --> 00:23:25,452 And God in His patience, 472 00:23:25,452 --> 00:23:26,961 just pushed that off and said, 473 00:23:26,961 --> 00:23:28,721 "No, I'm not having that. 474 00:23:28,721 --> 00:23:30,804 No, I'm not going to allow you to do that. 475 00:23:30,804 --> 00:23:32,694 No, you are not going to do it that way." 476 00:23:34,017 --> 00:23:35,838 I'm telling you, 477 00:23:35,838 --> 00:23:37,708 there's a dying there. 478 00:23:37,708 --> 00:23:40,393 He had to die to his wife. 479 00:23:40,393 --> 00:23:43,935 He had to die to what she said ought to be done. 480 00:23:43,935 --> 00:23:46,521 He had to die to Hagar. 481 00:23:46,521 --> 00:23:48,099 He had to die to Ishmael. 482 00:23:48,099 --> 00:23:52,097 He had to give it up in faith to the Lord. 483 00:23:52,097 --> 00:23:57,094 "O God here I am an old man, it's impossible for me to father a child. 484 00:23:57,094 --> 00:24:02,311 Here is my wife, she's an old lady. It's impossible for her to mother a child." 485 00:24:02,311 --> 00:24:04,769 And brother nine months later they are saying, 486 00:24:04,769 --> 00:24:06,659 "Hallelujah his name is Isaac. 487 00:24:06,659 --> 00:24:10,614 Let's have a laughing good time here." 488 00:24:10,614 --> 00:24:13,344 God did that. 489 00:24:13,344 --> 00:24:16,741 I'm coming, I know it's been tedious, but I want you to hear me. 490 00:24:16,741 --> 00:24:20,630 I"m coming to the point of my message tonight. 491 00:24:20,630 --> 00:24:23,859 The Bible tells us in chapter 22, 492 00:24:23,859 --> 00:24:28,798 "It came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham 493 00:24:28,798 --> 00:24:32,029 and said unto him, 'Abraham 494 00:24:32,029 --> 00:24:37,122 and Abraham said, 'Behold, here I am." 495 00:24:37,122 --> 00:24:41,631 I mean Abraham has been having some good experiences with God, hasn't he? 496 00:24:41,631 --> 00:24:45,016 I mean the old man has been doing pretty good. 497 00:24:45,016 --> 00:24:48,468 And not disrespectful, 498 00:24:48,468 --> 00:24:51,488 but the old lady has been doing pretty good too. 499 00:24:51,488 --> 00:24:52,787 And everyone's been getting along good. 500 00:24:52,787 --> 00:24:55,027 And God's just been working miracles after miracles. 501 00:24:55,027 --> 00:24:57,398 And here is Isaac 502 00:24:57,398 --> 00:25:00,218 and boy God's just done some good things. 503 00:25:00,218 --> 00:25:03,045 And God says, "Abraham." 504 00:25:03,045 --> 00:25:04,795 And (Abraham) says, "Yes sir!" 505 00:25:04,795 --> 00:25:08,246 "Lord here I am." 506 00:25:08,246 --> 00:25:12,400 And He said, 'Take now thy son, 507 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:15,374 thine only son, 508 00:25:15,374 --> 00:25:20,944 you know the one you love. 509 00:25:20,944 --> 00:25:24,543 And get thee into the land of Moriah; 510 00:25:24,543 --> 00:25:27,131 and offer him there 511 00:25:27,131 --> 00:25:29,191 for a burnt offering 512 00:25:29,191 --> 00:25:31,317 upon one of the mountains 513 00:25:31,317 --> 00:25:34,817 which I tell thee of.'' 514 00:25:34,817 --> 00:25:37,150 Now wait a minute. 515 00:25:37,150 --> 00:25:39,875 Abraham has died to his family. 516 00:25:39,875 --> 00:25:42,910 He's died to his home life. 517 00:25:42,910 --> 00:25:45,868 He's died to his kinfolks. 518 00:25:45,868 --> 00:25:48,906 He's had to die out to the opinion of his wife. 519 00:25:48,906 --> 00:25:53,087 He's gotten into some awful situations with 520 00:25:53,087 --> 00:25:56,167 an Egyptian servant girl. 521 00:25:56,167 --> 00:26:00,576 There's another child running around now. 522 00:26:00,576 --> 00:26:01,894 The whole thing's been a mess. 523 00:26:01,894 --> 00:26:04,468 And then God, 524 00:26:04,468 --> 00:26:09,585 he's come before the Lord and his body is dying; 525 00:26:09,585 --> 00:26:11,852 he's old, 526 00:26:11,852 --> 00:26:16,261 and God miraculously gives him a child. 527 00:26:16,261 --> 00:26:19,425 Do you know what Isaac was? 528 00:26:19,425 --> 00:26:21,034 He was the fulfillment 529 00:26:21,034 --> 00:26:24,694 of all the promises God had made to him over and over and over again. 530 00:26:24,694 --> 00:26:27,137 We read through Genesis and it's like, 531 00:26:27,137 --> 00:26:31,281 God said this to Abraham and tomorrow God said something else 532 00:26:31,281 --> 00:26:33,029 and the next day God said something else. 533 00:26:33,029 --> 00:26:38,541 There were years intervening here when God spoke to Abraham. 534 00:26:38,541 --> 00:26:39,697 And he's walking along. 535 00:26:39,697 --> 00:26:40,749 What's he doing? 536 00:26:40,749 --> 00:26:44,190 He's going around and around Canaan land. 537 00:26:44,190 --> 00:26:47,513 God's already told him everywhere you put your foot I'll give it to you. 538 00:26:47,513 --> 00:26:49,644 So he's putting his feet in places 539 00:26:49,644 --> 00:26:52,074 and he's going around and around Canaan land. 540 00:26:52,074 --> 00:26:54,341 But the real problem is nothing's happening 541 00:26:54,341 --> 00:26:56,411 on the seed side of things. 542 00:26:56,411 --> 00:26:58,573 Nothing's happening as far as 543 00:26:58,573 --> 00:27:01,013 an heir is concerned. 544 00:27:01,013 --> 00:27:03,115 The promise of God, 545 00:27:03,115 --> 00:27:04,495 "How do I know?" 546 00:27:04,495 --> 00:27:05,295 He asked God this. 547 00:27:05,295 --> 00:27:08,302 "Where by will I know that my children will inherit? 548 00:27:08,302 --> 00:27:11,587 How am I going to know this?" 549 00:27:11,587 --> 00:27:13,365 And God said, "I'm going to give you a child." 550 00:27:13,365 --> 00:27:18,566 "When? When? When?" 551 00:27:18,566 --> 00:27:20,325 I'll tell you when. 552 00:27:20,325 --> 00:27:23,235 When it's absolutely impossible for you to father a child. 553 00:27:23,235 --> 00:27:25,967 When your wife can't mother a child 554 00:27:25,967 --> 00:27:28,616 and I get the glory for it. 555 00:27:28,616 --> 00:27:30,316 And you don't get the glory for it. 556 00:27:30,316 --> 00:27:32,211 And Hagar doesn't get the glory for it. 557 00:27:32,211 --> 00:27:34,846 And Sarah don't get the glory for it. 558 00:27:34,846 --> 00:27:36,563 But I get the glory for it. 559 00:27:36,563 --> 00:27:38,833 And Abraham is ecstatic. 560 00:27:38,833 --> 00:27:42,541 But now God has stepped in again. 561 00:27:42,541 --> 00:27:44,607 Do you know what? 562 00:27:44,607 --> 00:27:47,245 That thing, 563 00:27:47,245 --> 00:27:48,459 hear me, 564 00:27:48,459 --> 00:27:50,081 that very thing 565 00:27:50,081 --> 00:27:52,611 that was born of faith, 566 00:27:52,611 --> 00:27:55,559 that came directly from God 567 00:27:55,559 --> 00:27:58,049 and was a miracle, 568 00:27:58,049 --> 00:28:02,267 was the last thing Abraham had to die to. 569 00:28:02,267 --> 00:28:04,624 He had to die 570 00:28:04,624 --> 00:28:08,139 to what God had promised him. 571 00:28:08,139 --> 00:28:11,382 You need to think about that just a little bit. 572 00:28:11,382 --> 00:28:14,274 God said take your son. 573 00:28:14,274 --> 00:28:17,801 Your only son Isaac. 574 00:28:17,801 --> 00:28:21,121 Again He said, "You know the one you love." 575 00:28:21,121 --> 00:28:23,626 He didn't say take Ishmael. 576 00:28:23,626 --> 00:28:27,424 He said take your only son, the one that's really going to be your heir. 577 00:28:27,424 --> 00:28:29,258 Take the one that you idolize. 578 00:28:29,258 --> 00:28:31,127 Take the one that you love. 579 00:28:31,127 --> 00:28:32,771 That is the joy of your heart, 580 00:28:32,771 --> 00:28:35,918 that you love to hear running up and down outside the tent. 581 00:28:35,918 --> 00:28:41,660 Take him, go to a place that I'll show you and burn him up on an altar. 582 00:28:41,660 --> 00:28:45,019 And let that smoke ascend to me. 583 00:28:45,019 --> 00:28:49,872 All for Him as a burnt sacrifice. 584 00:28:49,872 --> 00:28:53,742 "And Abraham rose up early in the morning, 585 00:28:53,742 --> 00:28:56,881 saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, 586 00:28:56,881 --> 00:29:00,508 and Isaac his son." 587 00:29:00,508 --> 00:29:03,118 The Bible says, "He clave the wood for the burnt offering 588 00:29:03,118 --> 00:29:05,338 and rose up and went into the place in which 589 00:29:05,338 --> 00:29:08,666 God had told him. 590 00:29:08,666 --> 00:29:12,684 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off." 591 00:29:12,684 --> 00:29:14,353 Wait a minute! Wait a minute! 592 00:29:14,353 --> 00:29:18,033 God didn't say let's get this over with over here on this hill. 593 00:29:18,033 --> 00:29:20,773 On the third day. 594 00:29:20,773 --> 00:29:23,836 Abraham is going along with his 595 00:29:23,836 --> 00:29:29,216 donkey and his son and his servants and the wood. 596 00:29:29,216 --> 00:29:31,604 And on the third day, 597 00:29:31,604 --> 00:29:33,211 he sees Mount Moriah, 598 00:29:33,211 --> 00:29:36,924 the place where God says, "Do it." 599 00:29:36,924 --> 00:29:39,464 I don't know about you, but even as I read that story 600 00:29:39,464 --> 00:29:42,011 and as I put myself in Abraham's shoes 601 00:29:42,011 --> 00:29:43,871 I feel dread. 602 00:29:43,871 --> 00:29:45,435 I'm getting closer. 603 00:29:45,435 --> 00:29:46,979 I'm getting closer to the mountain. 604 00:29:46,979 --> 00:29:50,598 I'm getting closer to sacrificing my son. 605 00:29:53,398 --> 00:29:56,283 "On the third day he lifted his eyes and he saw the place far off. 606 00:29:56,283 --> 00:29:57,963 and Abraham said to his young men, 607 00:29:57,963 --> 00:29:59,440 'Abide here with the donkey; 608 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:02,736 and I and the lad will go yonder 609 00:30:02,736 --> 00:30:04,536 and worship, 610 00:30:04,536 --> 00:30:09,116 and come again to you.' 611 00:30:09,116 --> 00:30:13,687 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; 612 00:30:13,687 --> 00:30:17,090 and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; 613 00:30:17,090 --> 00:30:20,090 and they both went both of them together. 614 00:30:20,090 --> 00:30:24,228 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and he said, 'My father.' 615 00:30:24,228 --> 00:30:25,878 And he said, 'Here am I my son.' 616 00:30:25,878 --> 00:30:28,918 And he said, 'Behold here's the fire and the wood: 617 00:30:28,918 --> 00:30:32,658 where's the lamb for the burnt offering?'" 618 00:30:34,648 --> 00:30:35,968 Isaac you just took a 619 00:30:35,968 --> 00:30:39,008 knife and put it in your father's heart deeper. 620 00:30:39,008 --> 00:30:42,303 "Where's the lamb?" 621 00:30:43,893 --> 00:30:46,198 "Abraham said, 'My son, 622 00:30:46,198 --> 00:30:49,608 God will provide Himself 623 00:30:49,608 --> 00:30:52,228 with a lamb.' 624 00:30:52,228 --> 00:30:53,931 They came to the place 625 00:30:53,931 --> 00:30:56,291 which God told him of; 626 00:30:56,291 --> 00:30:59,381 and Abraham built an altar there, 627 00:30:59,381 --> 00:31:02,380 and laid the wood in order, 628 00:31:02,380 --> 00:31:05,790 and bound Isaac his son, 629 00:31:05,790 --> 00:31:09,952 and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 630 00:31:09,952 --> 00:31:12,756 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, 631 00:31:12,756 --> 00:31:14,836 and took the knife 632 00:31:14,836 --> 00:31:17,126 to slay his son. 633 00:31:17,126 --> 00:31:20,500 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, 634 00:31:20,500 --> 00:31:22,594 and said, 'Abraham! Abraham!' 635 00:31:22,594 --> 00:31:24,257 And he said, 636 00:31:24,257 --> 00:31:26,277 'Here am I.' 637 00:31:26,277 --> 00:31:28,595 He said, 'Lay not thy hand upon the lad, 638 00:31:28,595 --> 00:31:30,995 neither do thou anything unto him: 639 00:31:30,995 --> 00:31:34,735 for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou 640 00:31:34,735 --> 00:31:38,769 has not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.'" 641 00:31:38,769 --> 00:31:42,082 Not only is it revealed there but it is revealed to all of us, 642 00:31:42,082 --> 00:31:46,404 Abraham feared God. "And Abraham lifted his eyes, and looked, and behold 643 00:31:46,404 --> 00:31:50,471 behind him a ram caught in the thickets by his horns: 644 00:31:50,471 --> 00:31:55,522 and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering 645 00:31:55,522 --> 00:31:57,299 in the stead of his son." 646 00:31:57,299 --> 00:32:00,303 And somebody said, "How on earth could he do that? 647 00:32:00,303 --> 00:32:05,087 How could Abraham have ever even consented 648 00:32:05,087 --> 00:32:07,507 to take his son to the side of the mountain 649 00:32:07,507 --> 00:32:09,513 and put a knife in his heart 650 00:32:09,513 --> 00:32:14,123 and light a fire under his body until he was burned to ashes? 651 00:32:14,123 --> 00:32:18,653 How could he even consider doing that? 652 00:32:20,623 --> 00:32:22,767 "By faith Abraham, 653 00:32:22,767 --> 00:32:25,237 when he was tried, 654 00:32:25,237 --> 00:32:27,255 offered up Isaac: 655 00:32:27,255 --> 00:32:30,761 and he that had received the promises-" 656 00:32:30,761 --> 00:32:33,371 all of them right there in Isaac, 657 00:32:33,371 --> 00:32:35,561 he had received them, 658 00:32:35,561 --> 00:32:41,045 "offered up his only begotten son-" 659 00:32:41,045 --> 00:32:45,318 his uniquely born son, 660 00:32:45,318 --> 00:32:46,897 "of whom it was said, 661 00:32:46,897 --> 00:32:49,327 'that in Isaac shall thy seed be called.'" 662 00:32:49,327 --> 00:32:51,463 How could he do that? 663 00:32:51,463 --> 00:32:53,834 "Accounting-" 664 00:32:53,834 --> 00:32:57,466 believing with all of his heart, 665 00:32:57,466 --> 00:33:02,661 "that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; 666 00:33:02,661 --> 00:33:04,181 from whence also 667 00:33:04,181 --> 00:33:06,641 he received him in a figure." 668 00:33:06,641 --> 00:33:09,475 Now hear me closely. 669 00:33:09,475 --> 00:33:11,465 Abraham 670 00:33:11,465 --> 00:33:14,255 was about to literally 671 00:33:14,255 --> 00:33:18,275 put the knife in the heart of his son. 672 00:33:18,275 --> 00:33:20,090 He would have done it. 673 00:33:20,090 --> 00:33:21,649 Do you get that? 674 00:33:21,649 --> 00:33:25,756 He would have done this thing. 675 00:33:25,756 --> 00:33:28,139 He doesn't even seem to be hesitating. 676 00:33:28,139 --> 00:33:30,885 He's just about to plunge the knife 677 00:33:30,885 --> 00:33:34,215 into the heart of his son. 678 00:33:34,215 --> 00:33:36,381 Now listen closely. 679 00:33:36,381 --> 00:33:40,502 God stops him. 680 00:33:40,502 --> 00:33:44,553 How could Abraham come to the place where he was willing to do that? 681 00:33:44,553 --> 00:33:46,463 The Bible says 682 00:33:46,463 --> 00:33:48,343 that "He believed 683 00:33:48,343 --> 00:33:50,873 God." 684 00:33:50,873 --> 00:33:53,878 Here's his reasoning, 685 00:33:53,878 --> 00:33:56,909 "God said he was going to give me a seed. 686 00:33:56,909 --> 00:34:00,832 God said he was going to make him a multitude that just filled the earth 687 00:34:00,832 --> 00:34:03,871 like the stars of the heaven and the sands of the sea. 688 00:34:03,871 --> 00:34:06,804 God said He was going to give them this land. 689 00:34:06,804 --> 00:34:11,208 God said those things, and God promised me by covenant. 690 00:34:11,208 --> 00:34:14,417 And He covenanted with Himself to do this. 691 00:34:14,417 --> 00:34:15,587 Not even with me. 692 00:34:15,587 --> 00:34:17,777 He covenanted with Himself to do this. 693 00:34:17,777 --> 00:34:21,263 And promised me that He would do this. 694 00:34:21,263 --> 00:34:25,722 And so if God requires me to give this up 695 00:34:25,722 --> 00:34:28,234 and give him up, 696 00:34:28,234 --> 00:34:31,394 then to keep His word to me, 697 00:34:31,394 --> 00:34:34,771 He's going to raise him from the dead 698 00:34:34,771 --> 00:34:39,441 and do through him what He promised me He would do." 699 00:34:39,441 --> 00:34:41,348 Now brother 700 00:34:41,348 --> 00:34:45,578 that's why this man is called the Father of the Faithful 701 00:34:45,578 --> 00:34:47,639 and that's the kind 702 00:34:47,639 --> 00:34:49,329 of faith 703 00:34:49,329 --> 00:34:51,609 that works 704 00:34:51,609 --> 00:34:55,189 genuinely to the glory of God. 705 00:34:55,189 --> 00:34:59,011 You see the Lord's called some of you. 706 00:34:59,011 --> 00:35:01,110 Leave your home. 707 00:35:01,110 --> 00:35:03,878 Leave your folks. 708 00:35:03,878 --> 00:35:05,574 And some of you men, 709 00:35:05,574 --> 00:35:08,225 God's called you 710 00:35:08,225 --> 00:35:09,747 to deal with your wife 711 00:35:09,747 --> 00:35:12,578 be the head of your house, 712 00:35:12,578 --> 00:35:15,110 walk in the way God's word says your supposed to walk 713 00:35:15,110 --> 00:35:17,388 as the head of your house. 714 00:35:17,388 --> 00:35:20,119 She doesn't understand exactly what's going on 715 00:35:20,119 --> 00:35:23,757 but you're dying to her, to that. 716 00:35:23,757 --> 00:35:26,639 You're walking on with God. 717 00:35:26,639 --> 00:35:29,633 God's called you to this great project. 718 00:35:29,633 --> 00:35:33,325 Boy you see this thing happening in Mexico or Nicaragua 719 00:35:33,325 --> 00:35:37,303 or Iraq and you see boy praise God this is really happening! 720 00:35:37,303 --> 00:35:40,856 And in front of you 721 00:35:40,856 --> 00:35:43,731 it starts falling apart. 722 00:35:43,731 --> 00:35:46,786 Now I've got a question for you, 723 00:35:46,786 --> 00:35:49,876 when does God get the most glory? 724 00:35:49,876 --> 00:35:52,629 When you start tinkering with it 725 00:35:52,629 --> 00:35:55,379 and fix it for yourself? 726 00:35:55,379 --> 00:35:58,329 Or when the Lord God Himself 727 00:35:59,644 --> 00:36:00,694 takes it from you 728 00:36:00,694 --> 00:36:02,461 and gives you something else 729 00:36:02,461 --> 00:36:04,971 or resurrects it Himself 730 00:36:04,971 --> 00:36:07,208 for His own glory? 731 00:36:07,208 --> 00:36:08,950 Here's the thing we do. 732 00:36:08,950 --> 00:36:11,037 This is what we do guys. 733 00:36:11,037 --> 00:36:12,976 God gives us. 734 00:36:12,976 --> 00:36:16,172 We die when the Lord saves us. 735 00:36:16,172 --> 00:36:20,319 We live this life of faith and it is a life of dying to stuff. 736 00:36:20,319 --> 00:36:23,408 Dying to people. 737 00:36:23,408 --> 00:36:26,140 Paul said, "I die daily." 738 00:36:26,140 --> 00:36:29,642 He said, "Don't you understand when you came to Christ you started dying 739 00:36:29,642 --> 00:36:35,387 that's what this Christian life is about, it's a life out of death. 740 00:36:35,387 --> 00:36:38,785 That's what it's about. 741 00:36:38,785 --> 00:36:41,749 God gives you something 742 00:36:41,749 --> 00:36:44,872 then He takes it away from you. 743 00:36:44,872 --> 00:36:47,116 Cause you know what, 744 00:36:47,116 --> 00:36:51,018 He doesn't want that 745 00:36:51,018 --> 00:36:55,038 to be your reward 746 00:36:55,038 --> 00:36:58,172 or the thing that grabs your heart. 747 00:36:58,172 --> 00:37:02,605 He says to Abraham, "I am your reward." 748 00:37:02,605 --> 00:37:04,678 "I am your reward." 749 00:37:04,678 --> 00:37:07,672 "I am your 750 00:37:07,672 --> 00:37:12,442 rearguard; and I am your front guard, and I am your reward. 751 00:37:12,442 --> 00:37:17,847 I am your exceeding great reward. 752 00:37:17,847 --> 00:37:20,416 So as you walk in faith 753 00:37:20,416 --> 00:37:23,966 and learn what it means to walk in faith, 754 00:37:23,966 --> 00:37:30,586 understand that God calls you to die. 755 00:37:30,586 --> 00:37:33,555 If you present the faith life 756 00:37:33,555 --> 00:37:35,175 as a life of, 757 00:37:35,175 --> 00:37:36,545 "Zippity do da. 758 00:37:36,545 --> 00:37:37,905 I'm living by faith. 759 00:37:37,905 --> 00:37:39,275 Praise God. 760 00:37:39,275 --> 00:37:41,336 Isn't everything wonderful? 761 00:37:41,336 --> 00:37:44,105 I can just pray and God just supplies." 762 00:37:44,105 --> 00:37:46,873 He does supply our needs. 763 00:37:46,873 --> 00:37:48,305 But I want to tell you something, 764 00:37:48,305 --> 00:37:49,752 there's a dying. 765 00:37:49,752 --> 00:37:51,101 Constant dying. 766 00:37:51,101 --> 00:37:53,388 That's what the Christian life's about. 767 00:37:53,388 --> 00:37:54,528 You're dying to self. 768 00:37:54,528 --> 00:37:55,913 You're dying to the flesh 769 00:37:55,913 --> 00:37:57,511 Dying to the world, the devil. 770 00:37:57,511 --> 00:37:59,220 You're dying to good things. 771 00:37:59,220 --> 00:38:01,338 You're dying to things 772 00:38:01,338 --> 00:38:03,718 that you say, "O God's called me to." 773 00:38:03,718 --> 00:38:05,352 And He has. 774 00:38:05,352 --> 00:38:07,062 But you die to that too 775 00:38:07,062 --> 00:38:10,726 until Christ is all and all. 776 00:38:10,726 --> 00:38:13,524 Until Jesus is everything to you. 777 00:38:13,524 --> 00:38:15,514 And it just doesn't matter 778 00:38:15,514 --> 00:38:17,617 whether you go to Vietnam 779 00:38:17,617 --> 00:38:20,007 or whether you sit on a church pew 780 00:38:20,007 --> 00:38:21,271 for the glory of God; 781 00:38:21,271 --> 00:38:23,646 It just doesn't matter anymore. 782 00:38:23,646 --> 00:38:25,685 It's whatever the Lord wants. 783 00:38:25,685 --> 00:38:29,716 And if this ministry that He has called me to has crashed, 784 00:38:29,716 --> 00:38:31,786 and yet He promised 785 00:38:31,786 --> 00:38:33,200 that He's was going to give it to me; 786 00:38:33,200 --> 00:38:34,856 I believe with all of my heart 787 00:38:34,856 --> 00:38:37,056 He can raise it up out of the ashes, 788 00:38:37,056 --> 00:38:38,742 if He so chooses. 789 00:38:38,742 --> 00:38:40,208 And use it for His glory and honor. 790 00:38:40,208 --> 00:38:42,019 But it will be His ministry, 791 00:38:42,019 --> 00:38:43,186 it will not be mine. 792 00:38:43,186 --> 00:38:44,577 It will be His work, 793 00:38:44,577 --> 00:38:46,312 it will not be my work. 794 00:38:46,312 --> 00:38:49,427 And ever after. 795 00:38:49,427 --> 00:38:51,657 Isaac was more of God's 796 00:38:51,657 --> 00:38:54,247 than He was Abraham's. 797 00:38:54,247 --> 00:38:58,639 And God worked His perfect will through Isaac. 798 00:38:58,639 --> 00:39:04,679 Isaac as a personality is not one of the most striking men in the Old Testament. 799 00:39:04,679 --> 00:39:08,083 But o how the promises of God rested in him. 800 00:39:08,083 --> 00:39:10,410 And how through him 801 00:39:10,410 --> 00:39:12,630 comes the Messiah, 802 00:39:12,630 --> 00:39:15,149 the savior of all men. 803 00:39:15,149 --> 00:39:17,676 I want to encourage you tonight. 804 00:39:17,676 --> 00:39:19,629 Don't be surprised 805 00:39:19,629 --> 00:39:22,029 when you're called to die. 806 00:39:22,029 --> 00:39:24,418 Don't be surprised 807 00:39:24,418 --> 00:39:26,318 when everything around you crashes. 808 00:39:26,318 --> 00:39:28,070 You see that's our problem. 809 00:39:28,070 --> 00:39:32,632 We have so bought in to the idea that if we serve God 810 00:39:32,632 --> 00:39:34,096 everything will be great. 811 00:39:34,096 --> 00:39:36,877 I mean maybe we got a little hump right here 812 00:39:36,877 --> 00:39:39,924 but just get over this hump and everything is going to be great. 813 00:39:39,924 --> 00:39:44,042 Absolutely not. 814 00:39:44,042 --> 00:39:45,528 And it's not 815 00:39:45,528 --> 00:39:49,078 the bad people that's making it rough on you. 816 00:39:49,078 --> 00:39:51,179 God's calling us to die. 817 00:39:51,179 --> 00:39:53,165 He's calling us to die. 818 00:39:53,165 --> 00:39:55,199 That's what it's about 819 00:39:55,199 --> 00:39:58,683 and that's what living by faith is. 820 00:39:58,683 --> 00:40:00,617 That's what living by faith is. 821 00:40:00,617 --> 00:40:06,610 Father, I pray tonight that you help us to think about Abraham. 822 00:40:06,610 --> 00:40:09,869 Lord, to remember how he gave up the most precious thing 823 00:40:09,869 --> 00:40:13,953 so that you could be more precious. 824 00:40:13,953 --> 00:40:16,454 And Lord how that you showed him 825 00:40:16,454 --> 00:40:18,754 how precious you were to him. 826 00:40:18,754 --> 00:40:21,101 And how you really really were 827 00:40:21,101 --> 00:40:23,541 his exceeding great reward. 828 00:40:23,541 --> 00:40:24,550 Help us tonight. 829 00:40:24,550 --> 00:40:26,710 Help me tonight Lord, 830 00:40:26,710 --> 00:40:28,160 to value You 831 00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:30,510 above my ministry, 832 00:40:30,510 --> 00:40:31,524 above my family, 833 00:40:31,524 --> 00:40:35,074 above every single thing in my life. 834 00:40:35,074 --> 00:40:37,368 Help me to value that way. 835 00:40:37,368 --> 00:40:38,616 You. 836 00:40:38,616 --> 00:40:42,237 And help me to love you Lord more than I've ever loved you before. 837 00:40:42,237 --> 00:40:44,578 I pray that for all of us Lord. 838 00:40:44,578 --> 00:40:46,704 God would you have mercy on us? 839 00:40:46,704 --> 00:40:50,415 Would you revive our hearts? 840 00:40:50,415 --> 00:40:53,281 Lord would you stir up these men 841 00:40:53,281 --> 00:40:55,381 to live by faith; 842 00:40:55,381 --> 00:40:58,489 to not live by sight but to live by faith? 843 00:40:58,489 --> 00:41:00,271 And as we do that then Lord 844 00:41:00,271 --> 00:41:04,601 would you work the miracles that glorify Your name through our lives? 845 00:41:04,601 --> 00:41:08,846 Would you do that for Your honor o Lord? 846 00:41:08,846 --> 00:41:11,484 I pray in Jesus name, 847 00:41:11,484 --> 00:41:13,002 Amen.