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The Ultimate Test; The Ultimate Sacrifice Genesis 22: 1-19

The Ultimate Test; The Ultimate Sacrifice Genesis 22: 1-19. God , what in the world are you doing? Abraham faced the ultimate test of his faith. Do we know how strong our faith is until it is tested?

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The Ultimate Test; The Ultimate Sacrifice Genesis 22: 1-19

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  1. The Ultimate Test; The Ultimate SacrificeGenesis 22: 1-19 God, what in the world are you doing? Abraham faced the ultimate test of his faith. Do we know how strong our faith is until it is tested? Our faith is tested when God asks us to bear what seems unbearable, to do something that seems totally unreasonable, to expect something that seems impossible.

  2. From time to time God will bring testing into our lives to strengthen our faith and mature us in our spiritual walk. • God’s Ultimate Test • Abraham’s Ultimate Obedience • God’s Ultimate Provision • God’s Ultimate Sacrifice

  3. 1. God’s Ultimate Test Abraham’s life of faith had been a roller coaster ride of victories and failures Genesis 22: Things going well. God had promised Abraham: • descendants would be as many as the stars • they would possess the land of Canaan • that they would become a great nation of people • through Abraham all peoples would be blessed

  4. When Abraham was 100 years old and his wife Sarah 90 they had a son of their own – Isaac. Abraham was enjoying life with his son Abraham’s faith had grown tremendously through the problems he had gone through Abraham’s faith in God’s power and his word was at an all-time high He called God by a new name: El Olam - “the Everlasting God” (Genesis 21:33)

  5. Genesis 22:1b–2 (NIV) - [God] said, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” God, what in the world are you doing? Isaac was the son of promise; the miracle child; the final hope of Abraham’s future

  6. Genesis 22:1a (NIV) – Some time later, God tested Abraham. As God tests our faith, it is stretched and thereby grows. Here Abraham’s faith was going to be stretched to the utter limit, and because he held firm, his faith has become the grand faith-example in history. We see from this that the way to increase faith is to exercise faith. Trust God as you can, and he will give you so much more than you expected—and then you will trust him even more! (Kent Hughes)

  7. Followers of Christ are to expect tests in life: What tests are stretching your faith? • Financial • Health • Relationships James 1:2–4 (NIV) - Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

  8. 2. Abraham’s Ultimate Obedience Abraham has grown and matured into a man of unwavering faith. Abraham demonstrated complete obedience: Genesis 22:3 (NIV) - “Early the next morning… No delays; no procrastination Genesis 22:5 (NIV) “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there… We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

  9. Abraham is so convinced of God’s faithfulness he knows he & Isaac would return to the servants together Hebrews 11:17–19 (NIV) - By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

  10. Isaac carrying the wood: a foreshadow of Jesus himself – the condemned criminal carrying his own cross (John 19:17) Genesis 22:7 (NIV) - “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Another shadow of Jesus before his accusers and then bearing his own cross on the road to his death. Isaiah 53:7 (NIV) - …he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

  11. Abraham’s response of faith: Genesis 22:8 (NIV) - “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. A declaration of trust; an expression of hope; a prophecy that points ahead to Christ. Our faith is proven by our commitment to obedience. The works – the actions – the way we live; the way we treat other people; the way we deal with difficult situations demonstrate that we trust God.

  12. James 2:20-23 (NLT) - How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.

  13. 3. God’s Ultimate Provision When God brings tests into our lives – he always also provides to help us through them The Tester of our faith is also the Provider for our needs. Genesis 22:14 (NIV) - So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” Another name for God: Yahweh Yireh – Jehovah Jireh – “The Lord will Provide” God will provide for your needs through the tests you are going through.

  14. 4. God’s Ultimate Sacrifice God didn’t stop from sacrificing his own Son for you and me. God provided a sacrifice to take our place - to be our substitute so we wouldn’t have to face the death penalty – the result of our sin and separation from God. Why would God be willing to give up his Son for us? Because of HIS LOVE.

  15. John 3:16 (NIV) – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Eternal separation from God is the destiny for those who do not put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Jesus paid for your sin when he gave his life as a sacrifice on the cross. Hebrews 7:27 (NIV) He sacrificed for [our] sins once for all when he offered himself.

  16. When you believe that with your heart and mind and ask God to forgive you for your sin, he extends his grace and forgiveness to you. Romans 10:9 (NIV) That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. The Bible says God saves you! He also gives his Holy Spirit to live in you to help guide and direct your life. The gift is available to anyone – it’s a free gift to all who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

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