20200208 | Where Is The Lamb? | Pastor John Lomacang (tvsdac)

the Apostle Paul writes to us in Romans 12:1 the following words I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your what your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service bow your heads as I asked for God's direction this morning loving father in heaven speak to your people that your name may be glorified in Jesus name I pray amen sometimes you've got to pause and take inventory on your journey I don't know how many times you have chosen to do that too to pause and look at where you were in decades maybe in shorter times for those of you that are younger maybe sometimes you pause on those cloudy days and remember the sunny days or maybe on the sunny days something happens that reminds you how God pulled you through the cloudy days maybe on the days when your record your medical record is not so good you begin to appreciate when your life was stronger I have before me today a journey this Bible that I have I received when I was a young man in New York City just getting out of the disc jockeying world just getting my feet wet again and how that happened I was invited to participate in prison ministry this was the Bible that we gave to inmates Donald it just has Genesis and revelation I look through the Bible this Bible has been with me I could see all the markings I had no concordance I made my own concordance the pages have been yellowed by years and water spilled and I remember this Bible becoming my right hand a day and night looking at God developing this young disc jockey this Bible was with me when I gave my first Bible study at the base of the World Trade Center three days after giving up my pool stick and a boombox this is the Bible I took the work almost brand-new with a book the great controversy this is the book that I received hope from that Friday night when my girlfriend who's now my wife was still my girlfriend told me about the plan that God had for my life and I cried my eyes out and this Bible was with me on the a train in New York City I held on to it until I moved down to Florida and when I moved into my wife's aunt's house as we got married just brand-new married just before we joined the heritage singers she said John I want to give you something and she gave me this Bible my first King James Version Bible they said if you have a Bible that's falling apart this was the Bible that was on the plane with me when I tell you the story about turbulence hitting from Taipei Taiwan to Los Angeles this is the Bible that I was highlighting in the book of Acts while they were showing the movie by George Burns Oh God you devil this was where my focus was when I was in God's in God's care over the Pacific Ocean 37,000 feet in severe turbulence every time I turn to the book of Hebrews I remember that journey I held onto this Bible until I went to Fairfield then the Lord gave me this Bible this Bible has fallen apart so many times even the case fell apart and Rochelle Stanton stitches back for me on the leather machine and I look at this Bible my wife has encouraged me get a new Bible get a new Bible and I say to her honey you don't know where me and this Bible has been it's like an old friend but I look at this Bible and I remember where I was I remember the battles I remember the struggles I remember the days of tears and heartache and difficulty it's all in this Bible and today I introduced to you my new Bible it's already falling apart from usage I got to get it in a case this is the Bible that when my wife and I get together and have Bible studies this is the new Bible where highlights are beginning to show up and that's going to be from the sermon today you see if you can pause and look at your life and if in the course of your life you can find God's Word traveling with you young folk I tell you don't gauge your life by the new phone you get gauge your life by the old mists of your Bible when your Bible is getting old and worn your life is becoming new and strong and today we're going to walk through the life of a man who God had to take through the bible's of his life the stages of his life to become the man that we look back now on as the father of the faithful three of the most transforming words in your life could be parallel to the very words that raises the story raises the curtain on our story today these three words God tested Abraham when the test comes to you the question is how will you respond look at Genesis chapter 22 and verse 1 when the Bible tells us now what came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham and said to him Abraham and Abraham his response together was and he said together Here I am my prayer to you is that when the test comes your way that's going to be your challenge that's gonna be a response Lord if you want to test me Here I am now to be able to appreciate the next chapter in Abraham's life we have to understand the previous chapters of his life I got some previous chapters if you have some previous chapters let me hear you say Amen we've got some previous chapters praise God that he has white out for the young people that's an old thing praise God that when we look at some of the former chapters of our lives we can see God with white out but to appreciate where we have arrived we've got to appreciate the previous chapters of our lives every one of us has chapters of development today we're going to introduce you to a man who had to go through transitional chapters who had to go through many tests to be now categorized in our minds as the father of the faithful I introduced you to the early part of his life in Genesis chapter 15 verse 1 to 4 you see Melchizedek was a man that was in the early stages of Abraham's life before God changed his name Abram survived the attacks of the enemy and his familiarization with a king you see the Bible says Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek Melchizedek had no beginning Melchizedek had no ending it was not a part of the Levitical or Aaronic priesthood he was a priest that had no beginning no end his life is a mystery Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek and when Melchizedek sought to bless Abram by giving him possessions Abram refused because he said to Melchizedek at the end of chapter 14 the very last verses he says I don't want you to think that my wealth is because you gave me gifts so he refused the gifts but that same night the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision Genesis chapter 15 verse 1 to 4 we get a peek into that vision and when you read these stories you're going to see a continual stream throughout Abraham's life that was a concern to he and his wife the Bible says after these things that is after Abraham refused the gifts of Melchizedek the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision saying do not be afraid Abram I am your shield God is our shield you're exceedingly great reward but Abram said Lord God what will you give me seeing I go childless and the heir of my house is Eleazer of Damascus he's innocent saying this is the best I have to offer what are you gonna do Lord this is the only guy that I have to pass my inheritance on to the neighbor who said look you have given me no offspring indeed one born in my house is my heir and behold the word of the Lord came to him saying this one shall not be your heir but one who will come from your body shall be your heir Alisa was in charge of Abraham's household God was saying to Abram he is not the one that I have in mind for you in other words Abram your circumstances are not a hindrance to my blessings which brings me to a very important point it's a travesty when we approach God somehow thinking that our circumstances is a hindrance to the divinity of God sometimes we approach God as though we are in such a pickle that God needs to call somebody else to help him figure out our circumstances he's saying to God I don't have a child how you're gonna do this I just don't understand God a short Abraham Abraham what seems impossible to you is not impossible to me just wait but the next point in the sermon is very powerful because long before Abram had a son and before Abraham's son had a son and before Abraham's sons son had a son God predicted what would happen to the descendants of Abraham look at Genesis chapter 15 verse 5 before God detailed his life which we will see in just a moment God gave Abram a glimpse I know what that's like let me tell you a quick story when I gave up all my records in New York City I was a disc jockey I told you that I had more than 400 albums and disc jockeys back then we didn't scratch CDs we scratched LPS I had two Technic turntables four 15-inch speakers two 400 watt power amps man I could thump you into next week and I turned my music up I remember one day putting my speakers outside the window in front of my house and lowering the cord three stories down and plugging it in and turning the music up and my dad came home everybody in front of the house partying good idea everybody house for everybody for the house it's just partying there huh and the music's so loud I don't hear my room door opening and my dad comes in said what is wrong with you and I said I'm like yo guys the party's over god he walked in I'm just I mean that was me before they called it rappin I was rapping before they gave it a title I was doing it so I understand so when I got to the place where I gave up all my albums I was in the park in the city in Brooklyn in bed-stuy which are called bed-stuy do or die it was tough back then crack bottles and roaches they call them that the butt of a joint was on the ground some people were so addicted they would reach down and pick up the butt of a joint and smoke it to the to the detriment of burning their fingertips I saw a druggie so drunk they let me so addicted they be going down you said they're gonna go down and they come right back up like zombies on drugs we played in the parks where you had to have a game or have a have a have a voice or had a fight at any moment a fight could break out and I remember those times but I never forget when I got rid of all my record albums all my disc jockey records all my cool and the gang and Earth Wind and Fire and the emotions and all that stuff and I want to tell you the devil made it hard but God got that records those records out of my house because one Sunday morning I kept saying God okay this is last time okay this is the last time okay this is the last time in on the Sunday morning when a small Honda Civic you remember when they were little we ran through the back of an American car an Electra 225 back then they called it the deuce in the quarter hit that car it didn't budge but our car crumpled like a piece of aluminum foil and my wife Angie had broke the windshield I bent the steering wheel broke the windshield made a hole in the windshield and I knew that if I died there that was it I got rid of those records so fast but God gave me a glimpse of my future the first record I got after I got rid of those records the first Christian album that somebody gave was a heritage singers record never knowing that one day I would be I heard a saying God gives us a glimpse you see if you pause your life every now and then you can look back and see God smiling at intervals in your life saying you have no idea what I'm about to do in your life when you look back when you pause in those quiet moments when the TV is off and the radio is off and you can hear your heart beating in your chest sometimes God says I knew you when so God had to give Abraham a glimpse before all the details came out before this before the stage and the people in the audience will applaud pausing him thousands of years later before we look back and applauding this faithfulness God had to break him down to build him up but God gave him a glimpse look at verse 5 of Genesis 15 then he brought him outside that's at night God sometimes reveal the greatest blessings of your life at night and God said look now toward heaven and count the Stars if you are able to number them that's God and he said to him so shall your descendants be on the heels of them complaining about I don't have any kids God said can you count this guy get yourself a Hubble telescope and you still can't do it I want to tell you fast for today if you are a son of God if anyone is in Christ we are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise Abraham had no idea how many children God would connect to his faithfulness if you have accepted Jesus you are one of the heirs of the promise that God made to Abraham we are among the stars in Abraham's night sky as the Sun was setting a deep sleep fell upon Abraham and God spoke to him look at verse 13 to 15 and this blows me away because when you read this you're gonna see that God did hear what some of us think that God is not able to do God is able to outline things in your life I've only been around for a number of decades and some of you have been around longer than I have and some of you less than I have but I want to let you know today nothing happens in your life that takes God by surprise he's the god of the end in the beginning he sees your thoughts he understands your heartbeats he sees the intentions in your mind before you even carry out the actions and God outlined the entire plethora of Abraham's genealogy but let's look at what he said and I want you to know as you read this he doesn't even have a child verse 13 to 15 then he said Abram know certainly know what church certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs and will serve them and they will afflict them for hundred years and also the nation whom they serve I will judge afterward they shall come out with great possessions now as for you Abraham you shall go to your fathers in peace and you shall be buried at a good old age now I want you to get this God gave Abraham this vision before Abram was changed to Abraham before Sarai was changed to Sarah before Abraham had Isaac before Isaac had Jacob before Jacob had any children of his own that became the twelve tribes of Israel does God see our future before it comes to pass God said this is what it's going to be like and when you are laid to rest at a hundred and seventy five sorry pastor Turner you got a ways to go when you are laid to rest at a hundred and seventy-five you got to remember what I said when you didn't have children the vision God gave Abraham was an outline of more than 500 years before one of them came to pass you think God didn't know what you were gonna be in 2020 then you don't know God you think that God didn't understand that you will be what you're doing now then you don't know God God does not manipulate but God so knows how to program a GPS that he'll guides you where he wants you to be so so as you worry about what you're headed take courage as Isaiah says in Isaiah 46 verse 9 and 10 remember the former things of old for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like me declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done saying my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure you know I get I find courage in that because before I was abandoned let me go further back before I was born God saw my young mother this young Filipino lady making her way to the large metropolitan city of New York City God saw her enamored with a young jazz musician by the name of Johnny Parker and God may not have blessed the way that they brought me into the world unmarried but God said this child is not going to be a disgrace he's going to be my son come on somebody help me out this child is not going to be what the society calls him he is not illegitimate he is legitimate as I am as many as received him the Bible says to them he gave power the right to become sons of God when you receive God you've got a right that you don't have before you receive God and it's not to any body but those that receive him but the sad reality is one of the reasons why there is so little faith today is we think that God has to respond to our requests like a Google search God created the nanosecond but God doesn't work in our lives in nanoseconds he understands your heartbeats but sometimes he's got a rose mary did take you to the mountain before you appreciate the valley you have to be in sometimes he has to give you a glimpse of where you are to understand that he saw you will you used to be sometimes God has to let something break down in your life so he can fix it to remind you that there's nothing impossible for God God sees us God understands us God is always faithful now as I read those verses a moment ago I read verses 5 of Genesis chapter 15 but I but I left out a particular verse that I'm gonna share with you right now because this next verse I call it the fulcrum point in abraham's connection with God the fulcrum point is that center point of balance where your life can go one way or the other you see many of you live at the fulcrum point and you need an urging to understand which direction to go Abraham lived at the fulcrum point and this very next passage determined that God just received authorization and permission from Abraham to go the rest of the way in his plan for Abraham's life look at verse 6 of Genesis chapter 15 and the Bible says speaking about Abraham and he believed in the Lord what did Abraham do he believed God told him you're gonna have a lot of kids your descendants something to be like the stars of the sky and Abraham probably swallowed a few times I believe you got you know sometimes my brothers and sisters you don't need more than anything all you need is to know that God said it and when God says it he means it when God says a year from now he means a year from now his blessings no no haste and they know no delay Abraham simply said and the Bible says and he believed in the Lord and he accounted it to him for righteousness he said god I okay I understand I understand go back to bed by yourself I'll let you know when kids are coming and Abram went to bed that night with a quiet household but I want you to know something when we express our belief in God nothing angers the devil more then when we get to the place that we believe in God now let me introduce another character into the story so far we talked about Abram Abram believed God but what about suraíh let's look at Genesis chapter 16 verses 1 & 2 and I want to say this right now some of you may believe God before your spouse does that's not unusual to God Abram believed God before sir I did God's got to take you one at a time we are not going to be saved as couples we're gonna be saved on our own merits and by God's grace individually so it behooves us not to not to trust in our spouses righteousness but we must have a relationship with God on our own Abram believed got bored about Sarai Genesis 16 verse 1 & 2 now Sarai Abrams wife had borne him no children and she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar so Sarai said to Abram see now the Lord has restrained me from bearing children please please Abraham go into my maid perhaps I shall obtain children by her and Abraham can I add this in wording here fool heeded the voice of Sarai she says now this is only for the purpose of bearing children so go ahead just go ahead and have a there's just with the purpose of beer and children Abraham that's all it is it's a one-time thing go ahead Hagar I'm giving you permission this is my husband but y'all go ahead because we need to have some kids because God God has restrained me from bearing a child when I read that I gotta say something to you guys this is to the husband's because it said in the end of that verse Abraham heeded the voice of Sarai the problem was that Abraham accepted God's promise without question but this is where Abraham failed to realize that God has his own timing and God has his own method we get into trouble when we try to help God when we say you know how god I understand you have a whole lot of people to answer so maybe my prayer request is down on that maybe like 1.2 million people down so I'm gonna help you out I know I prayed like four months ago and maybe you need some help so what I'm gonna do since I have a spear woman live in my house i'ma get my husband permission come on now somebody help me out is that weird I hope none of y'all do that Amen wives not today Bible says wait on the Lord and be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart wait I say on the Lord I have to say this right here brethren husbands I'm talking to the husband's this is the place where I could make this statement without the ladies getting upset husbands don't listen to everything your wife tells you come on man you can say Amen today come on Terry check with God first I'm all right don't believe everything your wife tells you and don't take her word above God's word even though it may line up with your carnal heart because it was a desert this is a sinister nature of carnality and Abraham's heart to think oh I've been looking at for a while but I don't know since you say there's something wrong there because a gold cause a righteous man would have said come on now did not tell you that God said we're gonna have kids it's not the way that God said it's gonna happen but he said alright honey I'll be back that's why we're in this mess to this very day and Bible says in Genesis 16:16 Abram was eighty-six years old lord have mercy when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram Ishmael means God will hear Ishmael is now known today as the father of the Arab nation but running ahead of God let me tell you something running ahead of God will always have negative consequences goes the question is what kind of child did he have Dakota look at verse 12 Lord speak to us today the Bible says Abram I know you were trying to help but here's the problem this is what's going to happen with that son that you just had that I didn't authorize he shall be a wild man now you know let me not mess with you all you got wild children maybe you didn't wait on the Lord I'm just saying he shall be a wild man his hand shall be against every man now you know al Qaeda and jihadis and all that crazy stuff I always ask myself the question why can't they just leave us alone because Abraham stepped outside of God's plan his hand shall be against every man no discrimination and every man's hand against him and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren but you know God is faithful sin has results after this child was born the house fell apart Hagar despised sera sera sera hated Hagar thence arrived blamed Abraham for following her advice to have a baby with her may brethren when you think you can't figure out your wife we all say now I know you better not say men too loudly but I know if you've been married long enough there are still days you keep saying who is woman it was a funny story my brother-in-law sent a little funny little video to my wife yesterday and it was a video call of a woman detector if you say honey can I go to the bowling alley and she says okay the woman detector says don't listen to her it's a trap she want to see if you want to stay home and watch TV with her so it says if she says okay say no honey I want to stay home with you and watch the soap operas you see okay that's so nice see because men I'm telling you I've been married a long time and there are days that my wife says step I think who is that woman so you ain't alone Tim sorry Barney you ain't alone Ozzy come on Jeff smile a little bit you ain't alone we all been there there are days that we wonder suraíh she took pleasure in saying now Abraham you know why this is a you know why our households falling apart because of you he said what you said no I know what I said but you shouldn't listen to me don't listen to everything your wife tells you check with God can we get an amen because impatience is not a virtue impatience is a fool's trap I'm quoting John Lowe McCain now let's fast-forward in this saga Melanson foundation let's move forward now 13 years we're now in Genesis chapter 17 made a dumb decision at 86 but God made her promised him before he had any kids look at verse 1 and 2 when Abram was 99 years old the Lord appeared to him and said I am Almighty God Evon I am El Shaddai Almighty God look at what he said to him now walk before me blameless and I will make my covenant between me and you and I will multiply you exceedingly in other words God said to Abraham walk before me blameless translated don't do that again some feel some folk have to do the same thing twice to find out that once is enough when God said don't do that again what does God me don't do that again but I want to take you now to the next stage because God saying don't do that again we have to respond to that in a sincere way and the response is a transition between who Abram was and who he became before God blesses hear me carefully he has to effect a change in us before God blesses us he's got to change it God doesn't bring blessings and folks that are not interested in change he said it clearly why would I cast my pearls to the dogs why would I give the children's food to the to the dogs if you don't want to be changed you will not be eating from my table God will bless us but before God blesses he will affect the change in us we cannot be the same God will change us before the blessing comes look at verse 3 and 5 3 to 5 in chapter 17 of Genesis what did Abraham do when God said walk before me blameless this is an act of repentance then Abram fell on his face he became he came clean before God Abram fell on his face and God talked with him saying as for me God is speaking for himself my covenant is with you and you shall be a father of many nations no longer shall you your name be called Abram but your name shall be Abraham for I have made you a father of many nations let me make the point here that name change did not happen until Abram fell on his face and confessed he's wrong he fell on his face he didn't say he'll got us cool I got that Abram humbled himself before God he didn't treat God like his homey or his buddy or the guy next door he fell on his face before Almighty God I am El Shaddai that's how God said it in the English they said the Lord God Almighty but Abraham heard El Shaddai and he understood I can't play with God so he fell on his face and repented before God and God said since your sincerity is clear I'm gonna change your name this is a transition between who you are and you're gonna become and God reassured Abraham that time is not a barrier to divinity look at verse 17 to 19 look at verse 17 to 19 God still had to take him through a couple of changes because sometimes God says things that kind of make you want to smile am i right when somebody says God told me that here's what he's gonna do for you from a year right like my wife and I we were watching Oprah Winfrey once when Oprah did that you get a car and you get a car and you get a car come on I set up I set my wife and I sit on this on the edge of the bed I said she's just up in Chicago what why don't we go to that show that day everybody got a car and we only got this one Nissan Maxima that keeps getting stuck in the snow I'll hear when it snows just for the jist for the bulletin I still have that 1995 Nissan Maxima I got some new tires on it got some new shocks on it got some tie rods put on new axles and yesterday I drove that car after Zimmerman calibrated my my my master cylinder Don he put a master cylinder in for my clutch I'm holding on to that car you know why because that was the first brand-new car I ever owned and just in case the time of trouble comes in my lifetime and they have all these devices now they can track in your cars my car don't have anything in a digital it's all manual the radio still sounds like it still has an antenna that comes up and it's a five-speed and it can move so there I am sitting in my car yesterday like an old friend I found receipts in the ashtray from many years ago and I said we cool my car said yeah see God's gotta show you where you used to be in that car sat on my front yard for long periods of time I'd buy a new battery and forget I buy a new battery in the I said it's gonna be different in 2020 between you and me we're gonna have a new relationship it's gonna start all over so I went ahead and took that car down a Zimmerman they said come and get it and I drove that car home it sputtered a little bit but now it's purring like the day I took it off the lot in 1995 God reassured Abraham there's no barrier between humanity and divinity but look at Abraham's response for 17 to 19 the Bible said the neighb'ring fell on his face and left and said in his heart shall a child be born to a man who is come on past eternal 100 years oh look out now and shall Sarah who was 90 years old barracks child and Abram said to God oh that Ishmael might live before you then God said no I like that no divinity Sarah your wife shall bear you a son and you shall call his name Isaac I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with your descendants after him God knows how to take his time we ought to know how to wait because God takes time God but what I like about this story thus far is God often waits until the time of human blessing seemed to have expired God waits till the milk expires and says he drink it and he said it tastes like it's brand-new expiration dates there are no expiration dates in God's calendar he waits till the time of the blessing seemed to have passed and then he makes your life that talk of the town you know what happened what Sarah Sarah what Sarah you talk about Sarah Abraham's wife you know you know all she is ninety what do you mean now are you sure it's not a grandchild you sure she's not you sure that's not an abscess no Sarah had a baby I'm gonna visit Abraham today take him some flowers let's make this real somebody right what was it a boy i got a boy we were taking some blue clothing that's what we do today right apron habits a Hollis Abraham he's 100 oh no what does he eat oh no what kind of vibes did he say I don't know what kind of items he takes but I'm gonna get some tomorrow a hundred and Holden's wife she's 90 and she takes Geritol and she still had a baby that's some serious stuff see God will mess you up to let you know who he is am i right God says I'm making you the talk of the town hey Sarah coming home gray here everywhere see my baby we'd better take a DNA test cuz they impossible let me tell you something with God nothing's impossible God takes his time look at Genesis 18 this saga is getting sweeter Genesis 18 verse 11 and 14 now Abraham and Sarah were old well advanced in age and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing verse 4 now they're laughing you know that I'm leaving those two verses out but verse 14 is beautiful is anything too hard for the Lord can we get a congregation response is anything too hard for the Lord and this is the key at the appointed time God has a timing for everything God said I have on my calendar don't do it when she's 45 because people would think she did that naturally don't do when she's 61 because they may think she took some birth enhancing drug don't do when she's 75 because they may say Matt let's really mess her up she gonna get one at 90 the appointed time at the appointed time what do the Lord say I'll be back I will return to you according to the time of life and Sarah shall have a son Carson I'm a way to your life I'm a way to a time in your life and why does he do that has God ever done that to you before or not now but God said I told you about this four years ago and today's the day I remember God sending me one day and I must tell you this I remember God saying to my wife and I our life is a life like that when God called us in Orlando Florida and we were praying Dakota to enter the ministry no degree no theology degree we just prayed we'd knelt on our faces on our single bed in our two-bedroom apartment with no table no no couches no place for people to sit when they visited us we were the laughingstock of the town but God said you laugh but laugh again when you see them on television and their faces all over the world and I give God the glory come on somebody help me God says to people don't laugh now laugh later and when you understand that God blesses you you better be humble because God doesn't bless you for your glory he said at the appointed time I will wait and according to at the time of life you are going to have God is going to conceive in us things that we never thought were conceptually possible that's who God is but I'm gonna make this point clear to you God develops our patience by not answering our prayers in our time put that on your fridge when you pray next week and nothing shows up in the mail put that on your fridge he will show up at the appointed time you think that God forgot your children God's got an appointed time he's got to take them through more stuff so they could realize I'm too old or keep partying God's got to take him through that next drug hit that almost takes their life and they say God saved me God's got to take some folk through some stuff because some people are just too hardheaded for God to do it the easy way but God will show up at the appointed time he will return according to the time of your life and he will conceive in you what you never thought was possible praise God for that now let's fast-forward to Genesis chapter 20 when you go home sit down and read all those chapters 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 because we're covering them all and then read it in patriarchs and prophets your mind will be blown away chapter 20 verse 6 and 7 because this is the powerful part I want to just lay the foundation look up real quickly look up look up look up along the way as a part of the saga see God often there are certain things in our lives that sometimes go unmentioned this is a part of Abraham's life that often goes unmentioned but I want to fit here because as I read the story this is a powerful significant pivotal point in his life as Abram is traveling he meets a king by the name of a bin Malik and Abimelech is a powerful King and he figures whoa a BIM elects Y f-- cannot have children none of her maids can have children and Abimelech sees Sarah and she's beautiful and he says who was that woman abraham fearing his life knowing the power of the king says my sister my sister so a BIM elect aches Abraham's wife Sarah because he's thinking since nobody in my household can have children i'ma have a child with her Abraham already failed with the Hagar situation now he lies about his wife being his sister but God who has a plan that will not be distorted by men's dishonesty and man's unfaithfulness God says since you can't tell the truth Abraham I need to talk to Abimelech myself so God visits Abimelech in his dream look at verse 6 and 7 and God said to him that is to Abimelech in a dream yes I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart in other words I know you did I know you did this honestly you didn't know that they that was not his wife for I also have held you from sinning against me therefore I did not let you touch her I didn't don't touch that woman she's not your wife now therefore restore the man's wife for he is a prophet if you listen to me Abimelech look what God will do if you listen to me and he will pray for you and you shall live but if you do not restore her know that you shall surely die you and all who are yours does God take fidelity seriously God said don't touch that woman God is reserving Sarah for the birth of the son of promise don't you touch that woman Abimelech woke up that morning and said Abraham come on now come on now man come on you know God almost killed me because of your lie Abimelech almost lost his life because of Abraham's dishonesty look at verse 17 and 18 but something happened now because there's a key I want to get I just there's a key there is a key to Abraham and Sarah being blessed here is the key he already discussed it with Abraham you could read the rest of that yourself Abimelech called abraham on that dishonesty but listen to what God told Abimelech he said if you do what's right Abraham's gonna pray for you and this is powerful verse 17 so Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech his wife and his female servants and they bore children come on somebody they could not have children because Abraham repented of his dishonesty and prayed as God said he should for Abimelech God opened the womb of a member ex-wife and Abimelech servants look what it says they bore children for the Lord had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah Abraham's wife you took his wives none of your women are gonna have kids you give her back and everybody in your house will be blessed God's blessings are always conditional if you think you can ignore the conditions and still get the blessing shame on you but I don't think you got the key when we pray for those when we pray for God to bless those that have the power to hinder our blessing he reverses their predicament and then he blesses us in the process I want to say that again when we pray for God to bless those that have the power to hinder us Abimelech didn't have to listen a bit Milla could have said I'm the king I'm gonna do what I want and he had the power to make Abraham a slave but he listened to God that man with all that power when Abraham prayed for the one that had his life in his hand God not only reversed Abimelech decisions and Abimelech difficulties but God set Abraham and Sarah up for their blessings you see my brother catch this when you are willing to pray for those that are powerful and can do you harm God will reverse their predicament when you say father bless so on that's why the Bible says bless those that curse you pray for those that despitefully use you he's saying if you are willing to be used by me to bless those that you don't like and pray for those that you hate I will turn your life around so often we want we won't hate and harm to come to those that do us wrong because it if that's your attitude you ain't my child blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God don't pray for people that misuse you praying for God to harm them even in our anger he said oh wait a minute do good to them and if it doesn't change them you're just keeping cold on them overcome evil with good look at first chapter 21 we're getting to the apex of the story are you enjoying the journey chapter 21 verse 1 2 3 remember they prayed they prayed now they prayed and God blessed Adam elects household his wife but look what God did when they prayed for those who were in the position to harm them look what God does when we do the same he's waiting to do the same for you but they are fokin your lot that you don't like and you praying for God to do them in he will not do them in but he will do you in and he would hold your blessing because you have nothing but angst in your heart for people that you don't like you may be wondering why the blessing ain't coming because you have the wrong attitude toward other people they prayed for them and God bless them and look what God is gonna now do for Abraham and Sarah first one and three one two three in chapter 21 and the Lord visited Sara as he said and the Lord did for Sara as he had spoken praise God is his word sure I said it I did it for Sara concedes and bought Abraham a son in his old age get this at the set time of which God had spoken to him and Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him whom Sara bore to him what was his name Isaac the son of promise now we get to the initial verse because here we are having walked with him through the formidable years of this experience with God having seen him falter in his humanity having seen God changes attitude toward people he didn't like having seen God deal with his fear replacing fear with faithfulness God was about to now now we go back to the verse that we started the story with wherever you fail God will test you again verse 20 verse 1 of chapter 22 now what came to pass after these things laughter the after he failed the Haggar test and lied about Sara being his sister now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham and said to Abraham Abraham and what was his attitude this time Terry what'd he say Here I am God brought the greatest test to Abraham that he would ever face at the latest stages of his life wait until he was old some of the toughest tests we'll ever faced come at the advanced points in our life why because the our experience with God ought to teach us something when we fail to learn what God has been trying to show us for years he'll reserve the severus test later on in life just to see if you've learned yet this time God tested Abraham and said where are you Abraham and Abraham this time said Here I am I'm past a hundred now more my wife is getting close to a hundred Here I am and look at the test then he said take now your son your only son Isaac whom you love God will come after the things in our lives that we love and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on the mountains of which I shall tell you you willing to go Abraham now friends let me introduce to you a transformed Abraham Abraham's doubt is finally gone his half-truths are dried up and he's no longer laughing at God because God had to take him through the wash cycle the rinse cycle the spin dry cycle the dryer and now he's putting him on the ironing board to remove every spot and wrinkle because that's the kind of church jesus is coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing and I want to tell you if God is about to apply some heat to your life let him do it because when he's done he's going to show you off to the world he's gonna put your name in the annals of faithful men and women and he's gonna say this is how I want you to live so God says to him take your son and go to the mountain what do they ma'am do this time so Abraham rose early in the morning saddled his donkey took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son he split the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him let me say something here if you believe God obedience requires action what'd I just say obedience requires action if you believe God do exactly what he says Abraham did not leave out a single detail he understood the requirements of his sacrifice I need I need a sacrifice I need some wood I need a burnt offering and I need a place to offer that sacrifice God said I'll show you the place and he got up early in the morning he didn't hesitate he didn't wait till noon he was on hesitant this time as soon as he got up in the morning when you begin your day be willing in the morning to believe to believe God when you wake start your date with God get up early in the morning and I'm gonna walk you through the saga Abraham leaves home without telling Sarah what God told him to do she's home he sneaks out of the bedroom on the plush carpet taps on Isaac's door let's go Shh does mom know Shh she doesn't know don't tell her what are we going I'll tell you when we get there you got to understand Sarah's ninety it was 90 years old when this child was born this is the son of God's promise how do you tell Sarah that are now growing son is about to die how do you tell a mother who waited till she was 90 to have a child I think God muted Abraham steps to spare the pain that would pierce a mother's heart I'm sure she woke up a few hours later Abraham Abraham check the garage looked outside the donkeys are gone I Isaac the two servants are gone the two servants are gone Abraham's gone Isaac's gone well he'll be back in a few hours one day passes no Isaac no Abraham no servants another day passes no Isaac no Abraham no servants at any point in that journey that Father's heart could have said this does not make sense how could God who says thou shalt not kill tell me to kill my son my brethren he could have questioned the legitimacy of God's instructions he can citizen amazing I can't find a single text in the Bible that where God says kill anybody says down that's the commandment down shall not kill and he's telling me kill my son but after traveling three days the mountain comes into view abraham sees the mountain and he changes course he says to his two servants you wait right here I got to make a point when we are intimately connected to God did you hear what I said somewhere in our souls in the middle of our journey of obedience when you are intimately connected to God somewhere in the depth of your soul you will find words to confirm that you trust God no matter what Abram did not wait till the deliverance he said to his servants you ain't right here look at verse five the statement of faith the statement of faith because he at this stage in his life had an intimate connection with God he said to his servants and Abram said to his young men stay here with the donkey the lad and I will go yonder and worship and we'll come back Tim you got to know God intimately to say that you got to say I know God said to kill him but it's got to be this got to be something else because God is not a murderer since I know God is not a murderer we'll come back God will take you to the extremity of your life to see if you're willing to go past logic and trust him when it doesn't seem to make sense but he makes a statement I know God has something else in mind because I've seen him flip on me before we'll be back verse seven and eight I'm already almost done don't run away you can't miss the end of the movie four seven eight but Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said My Father and he said Here I am son then he said look the fire and the wood but where's the lamb for a burnt offering and Abraham said my son God will provide God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering so the two of them went together my brothers and my sisters today you've got to know when it doesn't make sense Reza Lynnette when it doesn't seem like the future even makes any sense God will provide Abraham and Isaac they don't just arrive at not Moriah they arrive obediently you cannot end up where you are when it's three days unless you are following God out of obedience God didn't say kill in the backyard God will take you through days in your life to see if you are willing to be obedient the first day and then the second day and then the third day Jesus was obedient for three days he stayed in that tomb till his father said it's time to get out verse 10 and 11 Abraham binds Isaac to the altar and Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son but the angel of the Lord who called to him from heaven said Abraham Abraham so he said Here I am this is El Shaddai again God Almighty is calling Abraham Abraham so he said Here I am hand poised knife sharpened he knew what it take to take the life of his sacrifice his son is bound looking in the eyes of the Father I'm your only child what's going on he is holding the knife his son is laying there bound daddy where's the sacrifice he said if God tells me to do this I got to do it and he's about to bring it down in losses Abraham Abraham Here I am do not lay your hand on the lad or do any harm to him anything to him for I now know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son your only son from me God will see if you're willing to give up what is special to you and if you're willing to give it up and God knows us for your blessing he'll give it right back to you he's gonna come after the things you love he's gonna come after the things that are near and dear to you there's some people that would serve God by saying I'm not giving this up he said well you'll never be able to get the greater blessing on the other side if we hold on to that which we love and I'm not willing to give it up for God he will never bless us abundantly we hold on to the scraps and he wants to give us the entire dinner we are fighting for this planet he wants to give us the universe we are arguing for a car God God wants to give us a castle God wants to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can even imagine but we hold on to little things made of plastic and wood and stone things made of metal that shine in the night we hold on to things made by the hands of man and we refused to be inheritors of all that eyes have never seen I said you were young lady that said she wanted to be famous said she do you know what look at the dot on your living room floor and she looked down on the living for us said you see that dot that's your world now look at the dots on the rest of this carpet that's my world you could fight for that little dot but God's got a whole lot of dots that I have not yet seen yet and I want to see it come on somebody say hey man God's got worlds he want to introduce me and say you remember John Parker Loma King this is he he used to be a disc jockey in one day I'll stand before unfallen universes to talk about the story of redemption they are watching our lives play out on HD 8k panorama somebody's watching us we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses the worlds are watching the great controversy they're seeing the devil fighting to take us down and gods fighting to bring us up but we hold on to temporary things as though they are world God said give it up I got so much more like a child holding on to a piece of candy and God says I want to take you to the largest jellybean factory in the city I know you fear God three powerful lessons as I close one faith does not have to harmonize with ordinary logic believe God because he said it James 2 verse 23 and the scripture was fulfilled which says abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness and he was called a friend of God you want to be the friend of God I want to have a friend like that what about you I want a friend like God who's your friend God who's in your who's on the top of your calling list God you look at my phone eh Almighty God be the beautiful Rose of Sharon see the cry I mean I want God to be all through my phone come on somebody help me yeah faith does not have to harmonize with ordinary logic second point internal faith without external proof is of no value to say you believe God and there is no external proof is of no value James 2 verse 21 and 22 I'd like to invite the praise team to come up right now I'd like to invite those are gonna sing to come on up just come on up if you play a piano come on up don't hesitate come on down that's right and you could play softly for me I appreciate that so much Danielle internal faith without external proof is of no value James 2 verse 21 to 22 was not Abraham our Father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar do you see that faith was working together with his works and by works faith was made perfect oftentimes we say that we are saved by grace through faith and we can't save ourselves by works no you're not saved by works you're save for work God says show me that you really believe I exist without faith it is impossible to please him for he that comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him Hebrews 11:6 if you believe that God exists do something so people can believe that's true talk of somebody who say they belonged to the creator of the universe cry when their bills are not being paid and the third point you have to be willing to lose it all to gain it all you have to be willing to lose it all to gain it all the Genesis 22 verse 15 to 18 look at it and the angel of the Lord called to Abraham the second time out of heaven and said by myself I have sworn says the Lord because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son your only son blessing I will bless you and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed because you have obeyed my voice God wants to bless somebody but you have to be obedient he doesn't want to just give you a blessing but your obedience will become the blessing for somebody else you see my message is entitle where as a lamb and you may have missed this because you know that God provided a lamb instead of Isaac but until I'm gonna say it slowly until we are ready to be bound to the altar of obedience until we are ready to be bound to the altar of obedience we will never know that God is more than we ever dreamed of and could do more than we ever thought of until we are willing to be bound to the altar he will never see the need to replace us with his own son you see God doesn't want to kill us he wants us to be a living sacrifice holy and acceptable God which is our reasonable service but he's asking until we are willing to lay it all the altar the blessing will never come my brother my sister what are you holding on to today what's so special to you that you don't want to lay it down what do you have in your possession that you feel you could you could rightfully be comfortable in trading it for eternity what do you have to say god here's the reason I don't want eternal life another cigarette another movie another woman another man what is it the focal point of the story is not Abraham it's Isaac Isaac was willing to lay his life down and Isaac through his seed all the nations of the earth are being blessed today you see God gave me this and this is a closing statement every test we face how many tests every test we face has something to do with our past and everything to do with our future everything every test we face has something to do with our past something to do with our past but everything to do with our future God tested Abraham and Abraham said this time Karia God wants to test you before he blesses you but what's your response is there somebody here today that's will understand and say Laura and I know the test is gonna come but here I am but here I am he wants to bless me but it's gonna test me first it may be not what I expect but father I know on the other side of that I'll be written down of the pages of the faithful if there's somebody here today that's willing to lay it all down for Christ by standing today you're saying Here I am Here I am you know we say here I am to worship Here I am to bow down Here I am to say that you're my god that's where that song came he found that that God was altogether lovely altogether worthy altogether wonderful to him but he was willing to bow it down that somewhat plays that song in the background imma change your closing song I just want to sing that chorus I understand but it fits and I thank you for your patience but here I am to worship Here I am to bow down imma climb on that altar of sacrifice but you got to be willing to response to God test and when you respond to the test the blessing is on the way has that song plays in the background Heavenly Father here we ought to worship Abraham took his son Isaac and said we're going yonder to worship you and we'll be back better than we were when we left father today somebody is between where they live in the mountain that you're leading them to somebody's standing between the thing that possesses them the thing they love and the blessing that you want to give them and I'm praying today Heavenly Father that in this audience in this congregation there's somebody who's saying I want to worship you I want to let it go because I want to know what's on the other side I've seen everything I've understood everything and nothing has worked out the way that I think it should and they don't understand it's simply a test and until we face that test and endure the cleansing hand of God the blessing will never come now we look back at Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and we love the father of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob because we want and we know that we are the children of these faithful men but God is calling some bodies day to be faithful if you want me to pray today that you'll be faithful just raise your hand where you are father you see these hands but you know what's in the lives that are standing here you know what is special what they love what they're holding on to what they have embraced what seems so near and dear to their heart you know what makes us tick you know the pet sins that we visit as though it's a lover of our lives the God is saying get up tomorrow morning follow me get some wood get some fire bring a knife and I'll show you the mountain where I'm gonna lay you down but when you get up I'm going to pour into your life such a blessing that from generation to generation your name will stand for faithful forgive us father where we have failed you but today we're here to worship you today we want to bow down and see our God and we thank you for what you have left us as an example take us through the bibles in our lives take us through the journeys the mountains in our lives take us to the places that are uncomfortable and bring us forth shining like a son and daughter of God we thank you that you're willing to bear with us well thank you that you're willing to be with us through our lies throw out half truths through our deception through the moments but even we even laugh at you because you don't make sense sometimes when that just comes this time may we say Here I am and Jesus name I pray amen

Channel: Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist Church

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Length: 78min 28sec (4708 seconds)

Published: Sat Feb 08 2020