Our Faith On Trial – Dr. Charles Stanley

[Music] when he God tells you to do something do what he says don't argue with him about this and that and the other because God has already taught through the whole process in your life he knows what he wants you to do he knows what you are equipped to do he knows where he wants you to go he knows what the effect is going to be you can't figure that out [Music] four decades ago we started in touch ministries to lead people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ throughout the years we've seen God's greatness his love and his blessings in such awesome ways that we just want everyone to know him so let's open God's Word and seek Him together next on InTouch our faith on trial well there's the difference between being tempted and being tried and sometimes we get those mixed up and we think when sometimes God is allowing a trial that we are being tempted and sometimes when we are tempted we think this is a trial so I want to distinguish between the two of those and I put them on a screen here so we can make it simple enough it's important that we distinguish between a trial and the temptation a trial is for the purpose of purifying us and strengthening us not cause us to sin purifiers and strengthening us very important we understand what that's about a temptation is for the purpose of enticing us the sin to pollute us to weaken us that is one is for a good one is not for a good so what we're talking about in this message as a trial not a temptation and so when we think about a test in our own life they come in all different sizes and different times in our life and if you were to believe it you're gonna be tested you're gonna be tried and you're going to be tempted all of us are there at times in our life faith on trial and this passage of Scripture is a severe test in Abraham's life you remember we've been in Genesis for some time and God spoke to Abraham that's worth chapter the verse special way and tell him what he was gonna do and he didn't say if and the but he said here's what I'm gonna do and he got promised in the Sun and finally at the age of a hundred and his wife Sarah was 90 they had a son Isaac and now God has required him to do something that does not did anything he believes anything he's known so I want us to look at this at these first few verses here and let's look at at the 22nd chapter of Genesis beginning in verse 1 now it came about after these things that God tested Abraham so we know this in the temptation it's a test there's a trial and he said to him Abraham and he said I Here I am he said take now your son your only son now he had already had another son through an Egyptian I made named Hagar which didn't count me out God's eyes that wasn't in that line whom you love Isaac and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there's a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you which was absolutely totally unexplainable why after I waited a hundred years of age why after all these years are you telling me to go to Moriah is about a three-day trip and sacrifice him to you imagine the kind of thoughts that went through his mind the hesitation he probably had I want to be sure that God was saying that to him it it wasn't something he was saying to himself the scripture says in verse 3 so Abraham rose up early in the morning saddled his donkey took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son split wood for the burnt offering arose and went to the place of which God had told him and so he now is in a different place in this life and he has this son for whom God had promised and all the promises of God he believed that God would take that he would fulfill every single one of them and now God is telling I want you to sacrifice him which has to be confusing as much as he's listening to God and sometimes he's made mistakes and sometimes he's done the right thing but now God is saying this son through whom now he didn't say this to him but through him the Messiah is coming I want you to take him to Mount Moriah I want you to sacrifice him that is I want you to kill him like you'd kill a sheep so imagine what went through Abraham's mind what I want you to notice is this not only did God tell him to do that but the scripture says in verse 4 on the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance that is he did what God had told him to do he did it when he said do it he did it how he said do it with whom he said do it he did it exactly like God said now listen carefully when God tells you and me to do something he's usually going to give us some instructions and when he tells us to do something the question is are we gonna do what he said and oftentimes there was a time when he says it and I can remember the one time in my life there been many times one time in my life when God said something that was totally unbelievable to me and he said here's what I want you to do and his when I want you to do it and it was difficult for me to figure that out except I realized in my heart if that's what God said do you don't question it sometimes we might question what God says but Abraham did exactly what God's told him to do now was there conflict in his mind about it yes there was because remember he'd waited it's a hundred years of age before the son that was so very important in his life was born and I want you to think about this in the twelfth chapter Genesis now the Lord said to Abram go forth from your country from your relatives from your father's house that the language I'll show you I will make you a great nation I will bless you make your name great you shall be a blessing and I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse and in all the families of the earth will be blessed because of you so that was ever ringing in his mind and now he's come to this place this son and God is saying kill him what would you have thought the same thing he thought episode Camtasia how how could I do both of these and both of them be true so this is not a temptation this is an awesome trial in his life and notice he spoke he spoke of him he said take now your son your only son there wasn't his only son but it was his only son from God's perspective in his line of genealogy through whom Jesus would come the son who listened your only son whom you love Isaac God made it crystal clear and that made even worse your only son whom you love Isaac and I want you to sacrifice him like he would sacrifice the lamb what in the world was God up to and all this so I want you to think about something our lack of understanding of why God tells us to do something is never an acceptable excuse but not done it listen whatever our excuses are it's unacceptable to God because God loves you because God has a plan for your life because he has a purpose for your life even notice God didn't give him a lot of explanation and think about this God doesn't know a lot of explanation I think about people our age and all of you young people are sitting here and God says to you here's what I want you to do about your life or at this particular point in your life obedience says I'm gonna do what he says when he says do it whether I understand it or not and so here's a perfect example that he doesn't understand but he does exactly what God told him to do now he'd made his mistakes before we go on down to Egypt there was a big mistake in his life and so now God is saying to him at this pivotal point sacrifice him like you would a lamb I don't think we can possibly grasp what that meant to a father when God Almighty Jehovah God Yahweh Elohim is Hebrew names he's saying I want you to take him and sacrifice him but Abraham's response was so Abraham rose up early in the morning settlers donkey took those two men that is he did exactly what God told him today now I want you to notice something probably the most important part of this passage is this in verse 5 of verse 4 on the third day Abraham raised his eyes and he saw the place from a distance mal Araya listen this carefully Abraham said to his young men it will with him is to servants watch this carefully this is why every word in the Bible is important stay here with the donkey and I and the lad will go over there and we will worship and we will return in the Hebrew language that's exactly what it says we will worship we will return to you so what does that say on the one hand it may say I'm a sacrificing but if I do I caught him the gods promise God you know raised him from the dead you said that you've given me this son and through him the world is going to be blessed now you're telling me to offer him as a sacrifice I'm gonna offer him as a sacrifice and surely if I do you were raised him from the dead that's what you call living awesome faith amen you'll raise him from the dead if necessary because you've made a promise now think about this listen there's just this much power and authority behind his promise to you as it was the Abraham this is God speaking and this is why I say the young people for example who are looking for God's will when God tells you to do they do what he says don't argue with him about this and that in the other because God has already thought through the whole process in your life he knows what he wants you to do he knows what your equipment or he wants you to go he knows what the effect is going to be you can't figure that out Abraham was totally stunned by the idea of sacrificing this son his only son as he said killing him like a lamb and when you promised look at your promises God but he did it anyway let me ask you a question can you think this morning about a time that God has told you to do something and you argued with him and you lost the battle because you didn't do it can you think of a time that God has said you here's what I want you to do here's what I want you to wear I want you to go here's what I don't want you to do that's not what I had in mind to you and you did it in a way it all boils down to listen carefully olive oil standard weather I believe that God is God omniscient knowing all omnipotent having all power I'm the present everything is in his presence who always knows what's best for you and me at any given moment in our life do I really believe that I'll tell you the only way you'll know is whether you do the little things that God tells you to do when the big thing comes along you're not to worry about it you're in the habit of obeying God and think about what it says if you disobey Him you are denying his omnipotence you are denying his position is God you are denying his omnipotence that he can do all things because you are gonna have your way in this situation no matter what the little word obe why obey is the key and Abraham heard what God said I'm sure he didn't like it and I'm sure on the way he probably cried on the way to memorize those three days he asked you a lot are you sure how can this be true I can imagine thinking about it and I put myself in this position for a few moments and I said God if you told if that hadn't been me and that's been ended myself what would I have thought walk into Moriah with the torch over the fire maybe a flint however they did it and a knife and the wood on Andy's back and I'm marching him over here and you're telling me to kill him you know what it's one thing to think about what they did think about what you would do imagine because it was his own the Sun it's the Sun God had promised them in listening to this he waited a hundred years to have this Sun so he was born by a miracle to Sarah's life and now they're on their way to a place of sacrifice and you're gonna kill him that's obedience he could have argued with God and said Lord why should I sacrifice this son whom you promised when why why this one I don't think you could think of a question that he didn't ask God all this way and yet they kept walking the scripture says Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering ladies on Isaac's back took his hand the fire and the knife so the two of them walked on together Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said My father listen to this can you imagine this my father he said Here I am my son he said look we have the fire and we have the wood but where is the lamb for a burnt offering can you imagine how that tears the heart of Abraham where is the lamb for the offering I see them I see the fire Abraham said God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering my son so the two of them walked on together that must have been he said left his servants over here were the animals that must have been the longest walk imagine what went through his mind every step of the way God are you sure how could this be true love what can I do have I missed it father have i disobeyed you what what about 10 sheep what about a hundred sheep what about can you imagine what went through his mind anything except what God had asked him to do so the scripture says they came to the place of which God had told them Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood so I had it all set and I think about the turmoil while they set up the altar they built the altar and to remember that Isaac had to carry the wood on his own back he had to carry his own wood to be killed on and I don't know how long they were at the place and they built the altar if either Ben Abraham on death had been sliced built altars every second and yet they put it together and what is what is Isaac thinking all this time this is my father we have the fire and the knife and the lamb but what's going on then he had the tell him son God has told me to sacrifice you to himself what do you think Isaac must have felt you're my father I'm your son you you called me your only Son you've told me about all the things that God has told you we're gonna happen through me and that you've walked me out here for three days and now you're going to kill me and so the altar is built and scripture says they came to the place of which God had told them and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood you can't even imagine what went through both their minds the father looking down at his son his only son whom God had promised would be a blessing to the nations of the world and the son looking up at his father and thinking I know you love me you said God gave me as a gift to you and father are you sure you done the right thing there's no verse in here it says about any opposition on the part of Isaac to wrestle the whole idea and get off the health I know none of that but there he lay and he'd seen this happen many times his little sheep and so what happened was his what Abraham did he took the knife and he was about to come down with it God said to him the scripture says do not stretch out your hand against the land do nothing to him for now I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son your own the son for me thinking about what happened at that moment they probably shouted I don't know what all they did but I can tell you one thing they weren't quite about it because God had sent him a message now I know now watch this carefully God didn't do that to find out whether Abraham would obey Him or not because God knows everything he knew he would obey but Abraham didn't know he knew that Abraham needed to know by experience that he loved God above everything else in the world and so he stopped him just in time and it's interesting he didn't just say it wants not Abraham but Abraham Abraham let there be no doubt then Abraham raised his eyes looked and behold there was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns and they offered him as a sacrifice Abraham called the name of the place the Lord will provide as it is said in this word in the mount of the Lord it will be provided then the angel of the Lord called him Abraham a second time from heaven and he said by myself I have sworn declares the Lord because you have done this thing and I've not withheld your son your only son listen this indeed I will greatly bless you I will greatly multiply your seed listen to this as the stars of the heaven and there's the sand which is on this issue I just want to say yes but the simple reason they're uncountable you can't you may be able to count some stars not all of them but you can't count the sand and he said to him he said in you your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed because you have obeyed my voice he obeyed God he didn't understand it he didn't like it he would have exchanged anything he owned to keep his son but he obeyed God and what a lesson for us if we obey Him we never lose we obey Him listen we obey Him it may be difficult for us to understand it may not be what we want what we'd like in life but obedience is the key to everything with God no excuses but to be like Abraham he did exactly what God told him thinking every step of the way he was having to kill his own son to be able beat into God that God's not going to ask you to do that but he's going to ask you in life to do many other things things that are precious to you things that are valuable to you things that you may hold there or people that you might have may hold there in your life I'm certain that God has said to men and women don't marry him don't marry her and that person is thoughtfully this is it Lord if I don't get this one I'm captain I don't have anybody know one thing for certain you can't you can't lose anything that is good for you if you obey God whatever God tells us the lay down is something that is not in the will and purpose and plan of God for our life and here's a perfect example of absolute obedience when it would have cost Abraham in his mind everything and yet he obeyed God and the rest of the scripture was a debacle since Abraham died on a ripe old age happy you know why he obeyed God so I just say all of this to tell you obey God no matter what he's thought about the repercussions he's thought about what you think you will lose he's also thought about what he knows you're on the game so what is this story all about this story is all about the absolute faithfulness of God that everything you're one of us can count on and we are tested and we were tried amen now if you've never trusted Jesus as your Savior you might not quite understand this but if you ask him to forgive you of your sins he will do so you're not an exception no matter where you are which you've done where you've been whatever the circumstance God will forgive you of your sin he will write your name in the Lamb's Book of Life he'll be forever his child and what I want you to be reminded of is that Jesus the Son of God was crucified so that you could be saved so that you could walk obediently before God and that's my prayer for you father we thank you and we praise you and we love you for putting this particular passage of Scripture in your word it brings us to the cross and realize you gave your son and all of us are forgiven of our sins and our name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life and you with us through the Holy Spirit through all the trials and heartaches and burdens we face in life but you've kept your word you kept it Abraham you keep it to us and I pray that you would speak to our hearts this morning and remind us if there have been wrong turns ask for your forgiveness if there has been decisions that we're not was that you would forgive us if there's something that you are presenting it to us at this very moment it should be a part of that life that we've said know that now we will say yes to obey you to trust you and to watch your work God is the most awesome thing and I pray that you will take this message and apply to each of our hearts according to where we are in life and what you want to do in our lives and we prayed in Jesus name Amen if you've been blessed by today's program please visit us at intouch.org e in touch leading people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and strengthening the local church this program is sponsored by in touch ministries and is made possible by the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts

Channel: In Touch Ministries

Views: 181,608

Rating: 4.8835211 out of 5

Keywords: Charles F. Stanley, Charles Stanley, In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley, In Touch Ministries, Preaching, Bible teaching, Dr. Stanley, Intouch ministries, intouch

Id: hAyZkGK1kms

Length: 27min 2sec (1622 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 27 2018