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We’re in a new series together. If you got a Bible with you, I’m going to invite you to turn to the Book of Genesis. And so you’re two weeks into the new year, right? Yes, I guess that was rhetorical. I’ll answer myself. Um, so how are your commitments going? Right. Two weeks in and I’m done. I lost a pound, and that was it. That was me. Um, I can’t help it. It’s football season, and wings are good, so. But but here’s here’s the good part of that is with with the coming of the new year, one of the the commandments were encouraging everybody to in our church family is is to go through God’s Word. And if if there’s one thing in your life that’s going to matter, it’s taking God’s Word and treasuring it in your heart, you know? Wait. We’ll come and go. But God’s word is intended to last. And in whatever commitment that you make on New Year’s comes and goes. But God’s Word is intended to last. And so we’re going to go through. We’re tackling the giants of of the Old Testament together, learning to fall in love with that. And, and one of the reasons we do that is because many people, uh, balk at the Old Testament because they, they find it difficult to understand. But reality is, the more that you come to understand what the Old Testament is communicating to us, the more deeply you appreciate God’s Word, and the more deeply you fall in love with God’s Word and you desire to want to know it.
Uh, the Bible for us contains real people and real events. They ask the same questions we ask. They go through the same things that we go through in life. They bleed the same way that we bleed. They experience both the joys of life and the pains of life, the goodness of life and the trials of life. It’s important for us to understand God’s Word. I think we said in the past one of the beautiful things that God did when he desired to communicate to us is to put it in written form. And the reason it’s in written form for us is that when one of us feels led of something from from God, we. We have the Bible to back it up. But not only do we have the Bible to back it up for our personal lives, when we gather together as a church family, if someone says something that’s a little off the rocker, we can go to God’s Word and see it together. God’s word is truthful. It’s timeless. It’s significant for us. And as we learn it, it becomes important for us because we want to get to the places in our life where we say things like, rather than, say, the Book of Palms, we say the Book of Psalms, right? Or the Book of Job.
We say the Book of job, right? Or when someone says, turn to the book of Hezekiah, you immediately know Hezekiah is not even in the Bible. Baby, I got that right. It sounds like it. I mean, he was a king, but it’s not a Bible book. And so it’s important for us to understand God’s Word. God created it to reveal himself to us, that we may know him and enjoy him. In fact, we began last week in the Book of Genesis, which is a book of beginnings, and we sat this platform that Moses wrote the book of Genesis. And the reason that Moses wrote the Book of Genesis is he’s leading the nation of Israel out of the land of Egypt, through which they’ve been slaves. They’ve lost their identity. They they they don’t have a sense of self-worth. They have they have no idea who they are, really, in light of who God is. And so Moses begins this book of beginnings to set this precedent for which the nation of Israel can operate on a platform and understanding who they are, where they came from and why they exist, and what God has called them to in this world. As a matter of fact, when you look at the first 11 chapters of Genesis, more history is covered in those first 11 chapters of Genesis than all the other parts of the Bible put together. Most conservative historians. Biblical conservative historians will say Genesis chapter one to Genesis chapter 11, somewhere in that realm covers a period of time period of 2000 to 6000 years of history.
From the time of Abraham will pick up today to the end of your Old Testament is only 1800 years of history. From the time of Jesus to the time that we exist today is a little over 2000 years of history. And why does the Bible cover such a span of time in such a short period? And that’s to lay the foundation of who we are as individuals, to get to where we need to be in order to pursue after the Lord. The theme of Genesis goes like this God created saying to us as people, when God created God, God created in such a way that says he desires to be made known. The evidence of of the glory of God is seen within creation. Both Psalm eight and Psalm 19 explain that to us in Romans one as well. In the midst of his creation, God forms man who was last man and wo man, right? She comes after man, and it was after woman was created that God says, man, that is very good, right? Guys were just good. And the woman’s maintenance becomes very good. God breathes into us, his spirit making us a living creature, saying to us as people God and saying that we’re very good breathing. His spirit designs us different than any other creature.
We connect to God. We relate to him. We reflect his image in this world. The Bible tells us of God creating us. That man turns from God. Genesis chapter three gives the answer to the question if a good God created the world, then why do we see so much destruction? Why is there pain? Why is there death? And why is there heartache? And the answer is that man turned themselves away from the one who is the giver of life, who is the sustainer of life, who is life himself. The Bible says because of sin, death came. And the wages of sin is death. Man turns from God. When you get to the end of Genesis chapter three, you see something about God’s character being proclaimed to us. That in being created in his glory, though we may sin against him. God still demonstrates his love to you. And in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve put on the fig leaves to run and hide from God, to prove in their religious setting that they can, they can validate themselves and show that they’re worthy for God to accept them back as their hiding. God runs into that garden in pursuit of them, and he brings them a plan of redemption. God kills the first animal, makes the first sacrifice, clothed them in priestly garments, and gives them the promise that from the seed of the woman, one will come, and he will crush Satan’s head, and Satan will bruise his heel.
That one is Jesus. And so from Genesis chapter three to the end of the Bible, it is one major theme of God’s story. It’s his his story in history. God’s pursuit of man and his redemption for us, that we may know and live with him for all eternity. You think after Genesis three that we would get the clear picture, right? I don’t know, walking outside of the garden that day, seeing devastation wrecking the earth, you might think to yourself, maybe, maybe we should listen to God. But Moses and the story of Genesis gives us the outline of what takes place in Genesis four, right after Adam and Eve, their next children kill one another when Cain kills Abel. But God in Genesis five gives genealogy to remind us that that through a descendant, this Messiah is coming, but he doesn’t tell us who. Then in Genesis chapter 6 to 9, you get the the flood devastating the world because mankind has turned against God. And I think last week I mentioned one of the more difficult theological verses in all of the Bible is Genesis chapter six. When the sons of God breed with the daughters of men, and I kind of left you open to interpret that how you want, but there’s devastation. All over the world. When man turns against God. And again in Genesis chapter ten, God shares with us genealogy.
To remind us as people that through the descent of one, through the seed of the woman, a promise is coming of a messiah who will redeem mankind. In Genesis chapter 11, you get to the section again. It’s the Tower of Babel, and once again, man’s doing the same thing of the roller coaster and the relationship with God. God sets things right. God reminds them of why they’re created and and how he created us for that relationship with him. And once again, man turns their back on. God creates the Tower of Babel, and he answers the question to Israel, where did all these nations come from? And the answer is that in tower, the Tower of Babel, God confused the people and languages were born, and from the Tower of Babel 70 nations are birthed. In the midst of tower of the Tower of Babel. God then begins a new story. And it comes through the life of Abraham. Once again as the world has turned its back on God. God is faithful. In Genesis chapter five, Genesis chapter 12. God’s given us a genealogical representation of where his hand is moving in this world, to the point of drawing us in to Genesis chapter 11 and saying to you, it’s right here. This is where the evidence of my redemption will be made known for mankind. Abraham in the Bible is a person who lives life beyond himself. Matter of fact, the title of today’s message is Living Life Beyond Me.
Abraham so important for us to understand in the Old Testament, because when you read the New Testament, the the idea of what Abraham did in the Old Testament is discussed 69 times within the New Testament. And so when you understand the framework of the idea of what Abraham represents to the nation of Israel, you can understand better what God is communicating even in the New Testament for us as individuals. Abraham is considered the the father of nations and the father of a nation, the Jewish people. You know the song, right? Maybe father Abraham, many sons. Many sons had father Abraham. I am right arm, left arm, right foot. If you don’t know that, I just look weird. That’s okay. But Father Abraham. The identity of who the nation of Israel centers itself and focuses upon who this man is and what was accomplished through him by the Lord in the Old Testament. And the story of Abraham begins in Genesis chapter 11. There’s a man by the name of Torah as Abraham’s father. Bible tells us that actually, before God calls Abraham specifically, he’s also leading to the the father of the family into a promised land, which is Canaan. It says this in verse 31. Terah took his son Abram, his grandson lot, son of Herron, and his daughter in law Sarah, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur the Chaldeans to go to Canaan.
But when they came to Haran, they settled there. That’s where I lived 205 years, and he died in Haran. For Abraham’s journey begins with the Lord. It kind of starts off with a rough beginning. Get this idea that Abraham’s father necessarily wasn’t a godly influence in the life of Abraham. That God led this family to this particular place. But before God got them to where they desired to go, it tells us that Terah just settled. When we think about in our own personal relationships with the Lord, how easy that becomes for us sometimes. The Lord guides us, leads us, directs us to do particular things within our lives or for him. And and we we halfway do the job and and just settle. And that’s the evidence that the Bible gives us in the life of Torah. Maybe look in that passage and thinking to yourself, well, how do we know that that Abraham was called out of out of earth? But how do we know that Turad was mishandling the calling that God has placed on him? And the reason is, is because of of the evidence found in Nehemiah chapter nine and verse seven. It says this you are the Lord God who chose Abram and brought him out of ur of the Chaldeans. Meaning. When Abraham was called, there was evidence within the family that they understood that calling way back in the land of her.
And when God called this family to a particular place, Turad, not necessarily being a godly influence on his son, fell short for the family. I don’t know what excuse we could give to that. Maybe it was because Tara and the family left the land of ur of the Chaldeans. You know, it’s one of the oldest cities that we’ve archaeologically discovered. And in discovering that city when it’s located just 250 miles southeast of where modern day Iraq is, the understanding of that city was that was heavily involved in false worship and pagan idolatry. Maybe in following other gods. Turad didn’t see the influence of the one and true living God of his life and the significance of following after him, but Abraham did. The Bible tells us that Abraham was able to live life beyond himself because Abraham lived a life that was full of faith. And so in Genesis chapter 12 and verse one, you get the call of Abram, who will later become Abraham. In chapter 17 it says this the Lord had said to Abram, go from your country, your people, and your father’s household to the land I will show you. Sorry it went off the screen. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you. I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you. And whoever curses you, I will, I will curse, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
Abraham’s calling comes in Genesis chapter 12. Abraham in the Bible is described as a man of faith. As a matter of fact, when you turn to the book of Hebrews in chapter 11, it’s called the the Faith chapter or the Hall of Faith chapter. You guys probably relate to that better. It’s the end of the football season. I think they just elected people going to the Hall of Fame. You think about Football Hall of Fame or the Baseball Hall of Fame, Genesis or excuse me, Hebrews chapter 11 is is God’s Hall of Fame. It’s interesting you think about the qualifications to get in any sort of Hall of Fame in this world. When God creates his Hall of Fame, the one thing that he is interested in is not what you accumulate in this world, not what you do in this world, but the faith that you put in him in this world. And so in Hebrews chapter 11, the Hall of Fame is created, and Abraham is considered so important to this Hall of Fame that when you read Hebrews chapter 11, it describes different individuals throughout biblical history and the things that they did for the Lord and putting their faith in him. But everyone within that chapter only gets one verse. Except for Moses. He gets six. And Abraham. He gets eight. Abraham lived a life beyond himself because Abraham lived a life of faith.
And you think about the significant calling that God has placed upon his life. And in Genesis chapter 12, when Abraham calls God, he’s calling him from the land of ur of the Chaldeans to the land of Canaan, giving an illustration. It’s like living the high life in New York City and going to the country bumpkin western lifestyle where no one lives. He has all the luxuries in the world. The Bible in fact, tells us in in chapter 12 and verse four that when God calls Abraham, he’s 75 years old. I don’t know about you, but when I would want the ship to sail on God’s calling in my life, it’s when I retire, put me on a beach and let me think about me. That’s. That would be selfishness, I know, but Abraham’s at that place. I’ve retired, man. I’m kicking up my feet. I am relaxing, and then all of a sudden, God calls. And when you study the the land of ur where God calls Abraham, this place was so well advanced for a city that it paled in comparison to the towns around it. They had irrigation systems, they had sewage systems, they had public educational systems. They’ve even discovered receipts from bills of cells. They had shops. They had multiple roomed homes with brick ovens and living rooms for families to dwell and enjoy one another. And when God called Abraham from the land of ur.
He’s calling him from the life that he has built for himself to enjoy a place of luxury and a place of peace. To what? Conan. I mean, those people live in tents. They dig holes to go to the bathroom. I’ve got. I’ve got sewage in my house. They don’t even talk, right? They sound like they’re from West Virginia, right? But when God calls you somewhere. You will leave some things that are precious to you. And Abraham was able to live a life beyond himself because Abraham was focused on living a life of faith. Bible tells us in Hebrews chapter 11 and verse eight. In that faith chapter describing Abraham, it says by faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which was to receive for an inheritance, and he went out. Not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise. By faith. Abraham. Trust God and his plan. Above his own. I mean, could you imagine the way that verse 11, chapter 11, verse eight describes that Abraham, I’m calling you to leave this amazing place, right? Are you enjoying yourself? Yes. Okay. Time to go. Where? I don’t know, verse eight. You’re just going to just start following me. That’s the plan. Are you sure? Yeah, yeah.
Don’t you? Don’t you mean the other Abraham who lives on five one, two three or Chaldean Street? I mean, that’s not the other guy down the road. He’s better than me, right? Just pass the buck here. God, I’m. I’m 75. But Abraham trusts in God. In a situation where he didn’t know God exactly was leading, but God was calling him to a foreign land. God was revealing the steps that he had desired for Abraham, just piece by piece. I look at this and wonder why? Why would God do that? Why is it that God just is interested in showing us where where the next foot goes, rather than showing us the the end of the road? Where’s the finish line? I would tend to say it’s because of this. If God were to show us everything in life that we were to go through the moment you entered into your relationship with the Lord, we probably, out of fear, wouldn’t take another step forward. Just being honest. When. When the Lord led me to Utah. And put me in a place in a position for a church here. Had I known five years ago everything that was in front of us before we did this. I don’t know that I could have done this. It’s overwhelming. God always puts us in a place of trust within him, shows us the the next place he desires to lead us and just asks us by faith to follow.
Because in reality, when we do so, rather than look at the overall situation and stress out about our power, we look to him and trust in him in that moment for his power. Matter of fact, the the Bible tells us in Matthew chapter six and verse 34, therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. And what God is saying to Abraham in chapter 11 verse eight, Abraham, if I showed you everything that was about to happen, you wouldn’t want to do this. But right now, here’s what you need to know. Just let go. Let go of what you’re holding on to and just listen to me. I said, I know tomorrow’s got a lot of stuff that you need to do, but right now, what’s most important is the trust that you place in me. When God creates his Hall of Fame. It’s all about faith. He’s not interested in how strong you are. He’s not interested in how gifted you are. He’s not interested in the talents that you have. What is first interested in is the faith that you carry in him. I know we’ve said here often God doesn’t call the equipped, but he equips the called. We met Abraham in that moment and said, are you ready for this? His response to us with a very simply, I think, been no, no way am I ready for this.
But I trust in the one who knows what I have in front of me, and he’ll make me ready. Abraham lived beyond himself because Abraham was a man of faith. And when God calls you to follow him, he first calls you into worship of him. Abraham, by faith, trusted in God to accomplish his plan in his life. You know, the interesting thing is that when God calls us, the road ahead isn’t always easy either. I mean, if you’re following Jesus because you think it’s going to be easy, then you’re not following the biblical Jesus. I mean, Jesus is life himself wasn’t easy. I mean, you look at the apostles, their lives weren’t easy. Jesus said he’ll put brother against brother and father against son and mother against daughter. It’s not easy. But it’s worth it. Abraham understood one thing about the message which was shared in Genesis, and that is this that God desires a people for his name and for his glory. You think about the life of a soldier. You would ask them, did you enlist? Because it was easy. No. No way would they ever know. It’s not easy. We know it’s not easy. But. But here’s. Here’s why they listen. Rather than thinking. It’s easy. We we enlist to serve because it’s noble and it’s worthy. And it’s full of honor and respect. You think of the the calling that the King of Kings then puts on your life? It’s it’s not easy, but it’s it’s noble and it’s worthy and it’s full of respect.
It’s honoring to him. My mom. I don’t know if I’ve told this story, but pretend like I haven’t before. This is the first time you’ve all heard this, okay? Um, you’ve never heard this? Um, my mom went to Germany this fall, and she went into this restaurant. And as she walks in, she says the restaurant’s full, and they’re getting ready to close. I guess because they close in the middle of the afternoon there. And when she walks in, she’s not going to be able to get a table to eat in time, because by the time everyone got finished and the table was clear, she wasn’t going to be able to enjoy a meal. So. So this older couple, two older couples see her and they motioned her to come and sit down with them. And so she walks in. She sits down with them and the older couple that’s there, she said they’re both in their 90s and and one of them starts to share a story. One of the couples they were from, I think it was France, and they were sharing his kids. They grew up in and lived in France during World War two, and Hitler had come in and took over the town that they were living in. And they said that they had to run for the hills as little kids.
And they didn’t have any time to grab anything from their house. And they just ran into the woods. And everyone from the city that could make it to the woods ran into the woods, and they just hid. And they stayed there. And they said, as little kids, they can remember going to grade school. And then the next day, running into these woods and going days with nothing to eat. And they said, when we say there’s nothing to eat, there was nothing to eat. And they said, they sat and they watched as their friends starved to death, as they hid in the woods from the danger that was awaiting them in their city, and there was nothing they could do. And they said one day they heard planes overhead. And they knew that it was the Americans. And they knew that everything was going to be okay. The couple was sharing that story, and as they shared that story with my mother, they said in a few years ago, we were traveling across the country and we were sharing this story with this couple. And what we found out was this man was flying that plane over that city for us as people the day that we needed him to. And he delivered us. If you study World War two and pilot history, you know those men that left on those missions. Most of them did not come back alive.
Think about that. Is that easy? No, it’s not easy. But it’s noble and it’s worthy and it’s honoring and it’s full of respect. And when God calls Abraham from a life of luxury, is it easy? No, no, it’s not easy. When you read his story, the Bible tells us that he’s attacked his. His nephew has taken his his wife has taken he he has Ishmael even in his own life. There’s sin. And Ishmael is born. Who? Who birthed the the Arabic nation that wars with Israel. Is it easy? No, it’s not easy. As a matter of fact, when you read in chapter 17 and you look at what God says, it says, now when Abraham was 99 years old, get that when Abraham is 99 years old, I don’t know what kind of condition you think you’re going to be when you’re 99. But me, I want to be pushed everywhere. Okay? And Abraham is 99 years old, and the Lord appeared to Abraham and said to him, I am God Almighty. Walk before me, not push before me, but walk before me and be blameless. Now get this at 99 years old, this is what God says to him. But God said, But Sarah, your wife will bear you a son. She will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. And I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
I mean, could you imagine that moment, if I would have said, this is what did Abraham in? It’s when the wife comes in and says, honey, I’m pregnant, right? Like kids are a blessing. But 99, come on, 99 years old, he has this child. I love the way that the Bible gives Isaac his name. His name literally means laughter. So when God tells this to Abraham and Sarah, they laugh out loud like this. That’s just that’s just ridiculous, right? I think to myself. I wonder if they’re laughing with him or at him, right? Because Isaac’s name, a positive name or they’re just making fun of him, I don’t know, but but Abraham, at 99 years old, he would say, yeah, it’s not not easy. But get this, I would say, okay, that’s that’s enough. Abraham’s had enough, right. Check this next one out guys. He’s 99 years old, I don’t. How do you not get. He’s 99 years old. I mean, don’t. Touch me. Right. I’m looking in the passage Scripture. I’m waiting. And Abraham had an argument with God, and it never happens. Bible saying to Abraham. Abraham, even in the most intimate of settings. Even the most private places of your life. I am still Lord. And Abraham by faith, trust God. Abraham by faith takes the next step. You read the life of Abraham and you think. Okay. How much more can this man go through? Well, what else could God call him to? You get to chapter 22.
And I think the Bible describes one of the most difficult things Abraham had to do out of everything that the Lord called him to. Bible tells us in this chapter that after God gives him that son, his only son, from his wife, Sarah. Then God asks Abraham to take the life of his only child. I’m not going to tell you before I read this passage of scripture. Many of you are probably familiar with the sacrifice of Isaac, but if you’re like me and you read the Bible for the first time and you come to places like this, you just get uncomfortable with it and you just say, ah, I don’t I don’t get it, you know? Uh, this can’t really this didn’t really happen. Uh, I hope no one asks me about this. I don’t know what to say. God’s telling someone to kill kids. What’s up with that? The story of Abraham offering Isaac is is a story of communicating God’s glory to Abraham. And I’ll get to it in just a second. But I just want to say to us, I don’t think we’re much different from Abraham in this situation. I mean, as a nation, we’ve figured out ways to kill kids. For self rather than for God. Taking life is no different. And what Abraham is doing here. Matter of fact, if if we were to ask Abraham about the way that we take out human life today, the the innocent baby in the mother’s womb.
People in the land of ur of the Chaldeans, when they looked at that, they would say, you think what we’re doing is bad, what you’re doing is bad. Like we we at least think that we’re doing it for a deity. You do it for yourself. It’s not that different. But even still, considering life, we’re challenged with the question why? Why on earth would God ever ask this of someone? You turn to Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 19. The Bible tells you that when Abraham comes to this moment, if God calls him to take the life of this child, the. The thought in Abraham’s mind is God has promised. God has promised that this kid would bring the seed that would bless all nations, and through him all nations would be blessed. And he says in verse 19 of Hebrews 11 that if God requires me to kill him, then God will bring him back from the grave. Abraham knew how important this kid was and the promises that God had given to him. Abraham even could have reflected in this moment on on Genesis 15. This was a signifying moment in the life of Abraham and what God called him to do. It says this. So he said to him, bring me a three year old heifer. God is talking to Abraham and a three year old female goat, and three year old ram, and and turtledoves, and a young pigeon.
And then he brought all these to him and cut them into and laid each half opposite the other. But he did not cut the birds. The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abraham drove them away. Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abraham. And behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. And it came about when the sun had set that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham. And that covenant is through your seed. All nations would be blessed. Through the seed of Abraham, God’s Messiah would come. And so what God calls him to in Genesis chapter 15 is to make a covenant. And this was a traditional thing, not Peta approved, that existed back in the Old Testament, where a sacrifice of animals would be made and two individuals who make a covenant with each other would walk through on that agreement. With that covenant, they would walk through these dead animals, and they would say to one another, if whatever we do, if we violate this covenant, let what happens to me be what happened to these animals? It’s a very sobering moment. I don’t know about you, but passing between two dead carcasses, I would be pretty sober.
Saying to myself, let what happened to me happen to these animals? Okay, I guess I promise, right? But what God does in this passage. He has Abraham prepared the ground. And the thing that God does is he rewrites the covenantal commitment. He does something that other people couldn’t even conceive of. Rather than require Abraham to walk through this covenant, God requires Abraham to fall asleep and God alone walks through this covenant. Meaning God’s promise to us. Is despite our sin. God demonstrates his love towards us and that while we are yet sinners, Christ died for us. This would have been blown people away. And you think about all other gods at this moment in the early of Chaldeans, these these individuals, they would have they would have been worshiping these false gods in ways today that we would just consider vile before God. And here in this moment, they’re they’re proving to these, these false gods that they’re worthy to be loved. God, I’m doing this. I think that now, now you should have to love me. But in this moment, rather than showing God God, you need to love me and find me acceptable. God loves Abraham anyway. We’ll just blow their mind away. Abraham’s thinking about this sacrifice as he brings Isaac to this altar. Genesis 22. As he gets ready to lay Isaac up, he’s thinking about the promise that God gives him and the sacrifice he’s about to make that God could resurrect him from the grave.
Abraham by faith is trusting. Bible tells us that he’s laying Abraham, or laying Isaac on the altar to sacrifice him. Angel Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham. And he said, here I am. He said, do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me. God is communicating something about his character to the nation of Israel. To Abraham. When Abraham left ur of the Chaldeans, a common practice in that land was to sacrifice children. When Abraham gets to Genesis chapter 22, we read it today and think there’s a problem with that. But we’re reading it from a Judeo-Christian mindset. Abraham when he’s telling this story, is in a mindset of ur of the Chaldeans. And he would have been saying to himself, you know, I’m following this God, and I’ve trusted in this God, but this God is no different than the gods I left behind. The things that are precious to me. This child that he’s promised me, he’s taken away just like I’ve seen him do to to families and or. He’s no different. And then God in this moment. Stops Abraham. And he says, Abraham, I by far am different from the gods of earth. I don’t require you to make a sacrifice.
Bible goes on and explains the story goes like this. And Abraham raised his eyes and looked and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by thorns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham called the name of the place the Lord will provide, as it is said to this day, in the mount of the Lord it will be provided. You know what happens when you trust God with your life by faith? What Abraham said. The Lord will provide. Abraham is about to deliver the fatal blow to a son and God, he’ll stop. 2000 years from that day. Jesus will come. And God will deliver a blow to his son. And this time the hand will not stop. Bible tells us in this passage of Scripture that there is a ram caught in the thicket. 2000 years from this time, Jesus will come into Jerusalem, caught by the crown of his head, by thorns in the place of sacrifice. This picture that Abraham is enduring in Genesis chapter 22 is a foreshadowing of what Christ will accomplish for us. Just as Isaac, as a son was to be sacrificed, so Jesus would become that sacrifice. Just as the ram showed up, caught by a crown of thorns around his head. So Jesus would come, caught by a crown of thorns around his head. And you know, the beautiful place about this entire story is today in Israel.
The Islamic nation has built a place on the Temple Mount where the Jews would worship. It’s called the dome of the Rock, and under the dome of the Rock is contained a rock from which they say Abraham offered his son Isaac up for a sacrifice. Not only is God using this as a foreshadowing of Jesus who was to come, God is picking the exact place Jesus would give his life for you and for me. What God is saying. By faith. By faith. We see his hand move in our lives. If you’re looking for ease. Then Jesus isn’t for you. But here’s what we know God desires a people for his name and for his glory. He did it in Genesis. He’s doing it in the life of Abraham, and he’s called all of his followers to be a part of that picture. In the Bible for us connects these stories of of individuals who who are characters within what God being the main characters desires to accomplish. From Genesis chapter three, all the way to the end of the Bible. God redeeming mankind for for his good name and for his glory being created in his image, that we may know him for all eternity. And so my encouragement to you this morning. As you see the life of Abraham. Still underestimate your story. Don’t underestimate your story. But most of all, don’t underestimate how God is the main character of your story.
It’s really not about us, but about his glory being made known through us. Abraham’s life tells us yes. Following God isn’t easy. But in following God, he he always provides. And get to the end of this this morning. And I ask myself, as I studied this week, I wonder what Abraham thought about. As he’s on this journey with God. He left Earth. He’s heading to Canaan. He knows he’s left the good life, and he’s probably going to be living in tents. As a matter of fact, he does. The Bible tells us he does wonder. Wonder what he thought about. When do you think he worried about the luxury he left behind? Where do you think about the glory? He thought about the glory that was to come as he and through his seed all nations would be blessed. I wonder what he thought about. Bible tells us in Genesis chapter 11 when he’s called, his name’s Abram, which which means respected father, and he changes his name in Genesis chapter 17 to Father of Nations. Give me some indication of what he thought about, but I wonder how much Abraham thought about his life and how it would be used by God. I wonder if he had ever imagined that we’d be singing songs years later, called Father Abraham and Many Sons. Now I wonder if he thought beyond his his generation and the next generation, and the effect that he had in the Lord by following in faith.
I wonder if we think about that. We come to God as it for particular selfish reasons. Or do we think about the legacy that could happen through us if by faith, we follow after him? Not only is one nation blessed through Abraham, but all nations are blessed through Abraham. Bible tells us this in Hebrews nine chapter 12. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise. I wonder if he thought about what he left in her. The Bible then goes on and tells us the answer to that question in verse ten, for he was looking for the city, which was which foundations, whose architect and builder is God by faith. Even Sarah herself received the ability to conceive even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead, at that as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. Its meaning. Abraham, no doubt, was brought to this moment where he had one son that God was going to supposedly do all these things, and that kid was as good as dead. But he trusted God because he wasn’t thinking about what was yesterday, but he was thinking about living by faith in that moment for Christ, that for generations to come, in that faith, all nations could be blessed.
In your walk with God. Do you think about that? Forgetting what lies behind. And looking ahead. I would propose to you this morning. The reason we have the Bible as it’s contained is because Abraham and faith lived life beyond himself. And the living life beyond himself. He thought of the impact the Lord could use him to make in generations to come, and he looked by faith to that in Christ. Can I give you a verse this morning? Just one verse to think about as we’ve looked at Abraham’s life. That calls us to a similar way. And it says this in second Timothy one nine. This is in the New Living Translation. It says, For God has saved us. And he called us to a holy life. God doesn’t just save you to save you, but he calls you to a holy life. And a holy life doesn’t mean that you just go in life without sinning. If that’s what holy life is, then you can do that in any religion in the world. But what God is saying and calling us to a holy life is a life that’s separated to him. What it means is, it’s not that you’re not sinning, it’s it’s that you’re looking to him for direction, and he is governing your past.
And as you do that, then God will move you from sin closer to him. But it’s it’s not a it’s not about just avoiding sin. But it’s about pursuing him. What I’m saying this morning is I’m not saying try harder. What I’m saying is trust deeper. Rather than look to yourself for your power, look to the one who has called you to be holy. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. I say as a church family this morning, God is doing incredible things in our church. Lives are being transformed more into his image. Our family is growing. A church is being established in the city that will last for generations to come. But the success of that story rests on the people who look at a life by faith beyond themselves and understanding what God has called me to do, even at 75, even at 99 years old, is by faith trust in him. Not my power, but his. It’s not going to be easy. But here’s what God desires. By grace to make himself known. It may not be easy. But it’s noble. It’s worthy. It’s respectable. It’s got Jesus’s name all over it and through you generations to come will be blessed.