The God Who Provides
Sermon Notes
[Genesis 22:1-2] Some time later, God tested Abraham's faith. "Abraham!" God called. "Yes," he replied. "Here I am." [2] "Take your son, your only son--yes, Isaac, whom you love so much--and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.
God doesn't ask for the THING that's EASY to give.
[Genesis 22:3-4] The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. [4] On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. [5] "Stay here with the donkey," Abraham told the servants. "The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back."
God doesn't always EXPLAIN what He is doing
[Hebrews 11:19] Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.
God ALWAYS keeps His PROMISES.
[Genesis 22:6] So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac's shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together,
[John 19:17] Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, [Golgotha]).
The mountain of TESTING is always moving toward the mountain of REDEMPTION.
[Genesis 22:7] Isaac turned to Abraham and said, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "We have the fire and the wood," the boy said, "but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?"
[Genesis 22:8 ESV] Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together.
Faith does not require knowing HOW; it requires trusting WHO.
[Genesis 22:9-10] When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. [10] And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice.
Faith is forged in the SILENCE before God intervenes.
[Genesis 22:11-12] At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Yes," Abraham replied. "Here I am!" [12] "Don't lay a hand on the boy!" the angel said. "Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son."
[Romans 8:32 NLT] Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?
[Genesis 22:13-14] Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. [14] Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means "the LORD will provide"). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."
God tests to REVEAL, not to DESTROY.
[John 1:29] The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Discussion Questions
Icebreaker: What's something you had to wait a long time for?
Read Joshua 14:10-12 & discuss what stands out.
Share about time you received what you prayed for?
Tell about a time you had to trust God for something.
What do you need to trust God with this week?
Is there anything this group can pray for?