Righteousness Matters
Genesis 18:16-33
May 4, 2014

Well as you know we are studying through the book of Genesis.
It is the gospel according to Moses.

Moses is leading the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land,
And a vital part of their education
Is a true understanding of the gospel of God.

No one is ever saved apart from the gospel.
Paul says, “It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”

And so it was imperative to Moses the great preacher
To give his people an accurate understanding of the gospel.

Moses is telling that gospel through specific characters.
And in certain individuals Moses has chosen to reveal the gospel message.

• Adam showed us the devastating effects of sin.
• Abel showed us the importance of true worship.
• Enoch showed us the value of walking with God.
• Noah showed us the destructive reality of judgment.
• And now Abraham is showing us the truth of God’s salvation.

Abraham was a man chosen by God.
• He was a man who greatly enjoyed the grace of God.
• He was a man who was justified by faith in God.
• And he was a man whom God used as an example of what He wanted from His children.

And so now through Abraham we are learning about
What the life of faith looks like.

And this morning we learn about God’s desire for righteousness.

If you’ve had the opportunity to defend your faith very often
You know that one of the biggest critiques of those who believe that we are saved by grace is that we are accused of preaching license.

When we come out and say, “I believe we are saved by grace alone through faith alone”

Or when we come out and say, “I believe that believes in the Lord are totally secure in their salvation”

Almost instantly someone who is enslaved to legalism will attack and say, “They just believe you can get saved and then live however you want.”

They accuse us of giving people a “get out of hell free” card
And equipping people with a license to sin.

Now in fairness, there are those who preach such a truth.
In fact Jude warned against them.

Jude 3-4 “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

There were people who in fact did sneak into the church
And preach that grace meant you could live however you wanted.

Peter saw them too:
2 Peter 2:1 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.”

There are people who deny the Lord
That is to say they deny “the lordship” or authority of Christ

They see Jesus as a Savior who can keep you out of hell,
But not as the sovereign Lord that you should obey.

And through this distortion they do in fact turn grace into a license to sin.

They are false teachers
They are false apostles
They are apostates
They heretics of the highest order

But because of them, those of us who have such an affinity for grace,
Are often lumped into that same category.

BUT THAT IS NOT WHO WE ARE.
We believe what the Bible teaches,
Which is that man is saved by grace through faith,
And that grace comes with the expectation of holiness.

Paul defended this reality the strongest in Romans 6
TURN TO: ROMANS 6

Now if you will notice that chapter 5 ends with a summation statement:
(5:20-21) “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Paul has just reminded that the purpose of the Law was never salvation.
The purpose of the Law was condemnation.
The Law came in to expose sin in your life.

And once sin was exposed, grace came in to bring salvation.
It reaffirms the truth that our salvation is by grace, not of works.

But there are those who loved the Law
So they accuse Paul of preaching license.

(6:1) “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?”

The question was simple.
• If grace increases with our sin, then why not sin all the more?
• Why not just multiply sin so that grace will increase in our life?

But Paul’s answer is emphatic

(6:2) “May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”

And when you continue in the chapter you can see Paul’s argument.
• We died to sin.
• When we came to Christ we repented of sin.
• We recognized sin as the enemy.
• We came to Christ to be freed from sin.

Why would we now be looking for a reason to go back to it?

(READ VS. 3-7)

That is Paul’s point.
In Christ we were finally freed from sin,
There is no way we would ever go back to it.

And if you look further down in the chapter
You come to the application portion.

(READ VS. 12-14)

If you had any confusion as to whether grace is a license to sin, Paul pretty much squashed it right there.

You are under grace
Grace is greater than sin
Where sin increases, grace increases
BUT GRACE IS NOT A LICENSE TO SIN

While God does give a great grace, He still expects righteousness
And it is important that neither Abraham,
Nor those who follow him fall into this trap.

And to make sure that Abraham understands the importance
Not only of imputed righteousness, but also practical righteousness, God has a vivid reminder.

That reminder is none other than Sodom and Gomorrah.
No story in Scripture more accurately depicts
What God thinks of unrighteousness.

This story was so extreme that the name Sodom and Gomorrah became synonymous with destruction and the supernatural wrath of God.
This judgment would be the judgment by which all others are compared.

We know that God will not destroy the world by water again.
It is now being reserved for fire.
The Judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah
Became a foretaste of that judgment.

And the primary purpose of this judgment was a warning to God’s people.
Moses didn’t include this story as a warning to a wicked world (though it surely is) Moses included this story as a warning to the Israelites.

This story was to teach God’s people of
The importance of righteousness and the danger of sin.
When we were lost, we certainly learned the necessity of righteousness.
We know what Paul said in Romans 1

Romans 1:16-18 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”

And we learned about the importance of God’s imputed righteousness.
That when we place our faith in Christ, His righteousness is imputed to us.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

But the thing you and I and all of God’s people must understand is
That if God desired righteousness from you when you are lost, Then certainly He desires righteousness once you are saved

And that will become clear even as we begin this story this morning.

Here we do not yet have the destruction of Sodom,
But merely God’s decision to tell Abraham that it is coming.

And in these verses the true purpose of the story is made clear.

And that purpose is so that Abraham will unequivocally know that
RIGHTEOUSNESS MATTERS.

Let me show you that this morning.
3 things you need to know about righteousness.

Righteousness is:
#1 EXPECTED OF SAINTS
Genesis 18:16-19

These four verses really explain to you with little doubt
Why this story is recorded in Scripture.

Sodom and Gomorrah wasn’t destroyed for Abraham’s sake.
They were destroyed because of their sin.
But the story is preserved for the sake of Abraham and his descendants.

This event was recorded for a teaching lesson to Abraham.

(17-19) “The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? “For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.”

That really makes the purpose clear doesn’t it?

God wants Abraham to know about what He is about to do
And why He is about to do it.

Because above all else God wants the importance of righteousness
To be etched deep in Abraham’s mind.

WHY?
“so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice,”

• Certainly God would want Abraham to tell his children about grace
• Certainly God would want Abraham to tell his children about faith

But here it is revealed that God wants Abraham
To tell his children about righteousness.

And why is righteousness so important?
“so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.”

Now that is interesting.
• God has already made the promise to Abraham…
• God has said the promise is yours…
• We’ve already seen God protecting that promise…

And then we get this statement that sounds very conditional.

God has made the promise, but here it sounds like
If Abraham’s descendants fail to keep the way of the Lord,
Then God won’t fulfill the promise.

So that begs the question:
DOES SIN THWART THE PROMISES OF GOD?
Does the sin of God’s people cause Him to renege on His promises?

That is a fair question.
(Incidentally, those who hold that you can lose your salvation unequivocally believe this)

Will God revoke all that He has promised if God’s people sin?

Paul dealt with this issue.
Romans 3:3-4 “What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.”

Speaking of Israel’s sin in temporarily rejecting Christ:
Romans 11:11 “I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.”

Romans 11:25-29 “For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery — so that you will not be wise in your own estimation — that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” “THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

So does the sin of God’s people cause God to revoke the promises?
(that is what it looks like here in Genesis)

And the answer is “NO” but it does delay them.

What happened to Moses’ congregation when the sinned and failed to enter the Promised Land? Did God revoke the promise?
No, but it was delayed for 40 years.
What happened when the children of Israel practiced idolatry in the Promised Land? Did God ban them from it forever?
No, but they were removed for 70 years.

What happened when the Jews rejected Jesus? Did He ban them forever?
No, but the promise of their restoration was delayed.

Acts 3:17-21 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. “But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.”

Throughout Scripture sin delayed the fulfillment of God’s promises.

IN SHORT – RIGHTEOUSNESS MATTERS.
It is expected of the Saints.

God expects those who are His children to be holy and righteous.

1 Peter 1:13-16 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”

1 Thessalonians 4:3 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification;”

And God expects them to be righteous “so that the Lord may bring upon [them] what He has spoken about [them].”

When Jesus was washing feet in the upper room,
And Peter didn’t really want Jesus to wash his feet, what did Jesus say?

John 13:8 “Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

Peter was clean because he had a bath.
But he still needed practical righteousness to enjoy the blessing

Righteousness matters.

• God expects His children to be holy in their behavior.
• God expects His children to walk in righteousness.
• God expects His children to be just.

And so He purposely shares this story with Abraham
So that he will fully understand that righteousness is not optional.

We don’t claim grace simply so we can live in sin without repercussion.
We understand that it is grace that allows us to live holy.

• If you are a child of God, you do not have a license to sin.
• If you are a child of God, He expects you to “keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice”

After seeing what God will do to Sodom and Gomorrah for their lack of righteousness, that truth will be clear to Abraham.
Righteousness Matters

Righteousness is Expected of Saints
Righteousness is:
#2 EXAMINED BY GOD
Genesis 18:20-21

We talk about the importance of righteousness.
But really, why is righteousness so important?

Namely because righteousness is what God is looking for.

And that is seen in what God was examining Sodom and Gomorrah for.
“The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.”

• It was Sodom’s sin that was angering God
• It was Sodom’s lack of righteousness that was provoking God

WHAT WAS THEIR SIN?
(everyone says homosexuality)
And it is true that homosexuality was a grave sin of Sodom,
And one exhibited even toward the angels of God.

But that wasn’t Sodom’s only sin.
Ezekiel 16:49-50 “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. “Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it.”

According to Ezekiel, Sodom had:
• Arrogance
• Worldliness
• A lack of compassion
• A brashness in sin
• Abominations (homosexuality)

Sin was dripping out of that place and it was crying out to God.
So God was going on a search.

(21) “I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”
What was God going to examine?
Their sin

God was going to Sodom to examine
If their sin was as bad as it had been reported.
And that was what He wanted Abraham to know.

See, Abraham had received grace upon grace,
Now he needed to know the outcome of those who reject it.

Hebrews 10:26-27 “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.”

God is looking for righteousness
And those who don’t have it are destroyed.
RIGHTEOUSNESS MATTERS

It is Expected of Saints It is Examined by God
#3 EXEMPTED FROM JUDGMENT
Genesis 18:23-33

Many people read this section of Scripture
And come away pretty well amazed at the audacity of Abraham.

But I’ve got to be honest, Abraham appears pretty humble to me here.
He’s adamant that he nothing but “dust and ashes”

• Abraham isn’t rebuking God
• Abraham isn’t correcting God
• Abraham isn’t counseling God

Abraham is just trying to get a grip on who God is.

Abraham just wants understanding of
Exactly what God’s standard is in judgment.

And namely the question is this:
Can the sin of the wicked secure the destruction of the righteous?

If there are 50 righteous in Sodom will they die simply because of the sin of the wicked?
• If there are 45?
• If there are 40?
• If there are 30?
• If there are 20?
• If there are 10?

God if only 10 righteous people live in Sodom,
Will the sin of the wicked secure their judgment?
And the answer from God is “NO”
In fact, the opposite is true.

(32) “Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.”

This is a true reality of Scripture.
The presence of the wicked does not bring destruction to the righteous,
But rather the presence of the righteous preserves the life of the wicked.

Let me give you a few more verses.

1 Corinthians 7:12-14 “But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.”

Do you see the point there?
A household that would otherwise be under the wrath of God is in fact sanctified, set apart as holy, simply because of one righteous person there.

Matthew 13:24-30 “Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. “But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. “But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. “The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ “And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ “But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. ‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”‘”

Why are the children of the devil not plucked out and destroyed immediately?

Because that might put the wheat in danger.
And God is not about to risk collateral damage on His children.

If we can sneak peak into the next chapter, notice what the angel says to Lot:
Genesis 19:22 “Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the town was called Zoar.”

God would not even reign judgment on Sodom so long as Lot was there.
The presence of the righteous served as protection even over the wicked.

Now, in a modern sense, that is good news for people like us
Who live in a nation that loves iniquity.

• America today has embraced abortion, the murder of innocent children…
• America today has embraced marijuana the addiction to substances…
• America today has embraced homosexuality, an abomination to God…
• America today has embraced greed, a form of idolatry…
• America today loves lewdness and fornication and sex and pornography and filth and all other types of unholiness…

And many have often speculated, “Why has God withheld His judgment of America for so long?”

And the answer is obvious – because of the presence of the righteous.
It is God’s church in the midst of America that has preserved her life.

The righteous serve as a protection for the wicked.

THE POINT?
RIGHTEOUSNESS MATTERS

• Righteousness is the only preservative our culture has
• Righteousness is our only defense against the judgment of God
• Righteousness is what God is looking for
• Righteousness is what God expects

And God is driving that home to Abraham.
• Abraham, look at what I am doing to those who are wicked…
• Abraham, look at the only thing that will save them…
• Now, Abraham – teach your children!

Now let me take this one step further for you this morning.

We live in a day where the emphasis is
Seemingly always placed on faith.
We hear people talk a lot about the importance of faith today.

And I certainly am not knocking the importance of faith.
Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

Faith matters.

But why is faith so important?
Because if you will remember faith is the only currency God accepts.

And what is it that God trades for faith?
Righteousness

Genesis 15:6 “Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.”
Faith is important – vitally important
BUT DON’T MISS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT

Faith is important because faith is the means
By which we obtain righteousness.

IT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT MATTERS.
You have to have it in order to please God.

• It is what He demands
• It is what He expects
• It is what He searches for
• It is what He protects
• It is what He preserves
• It is what He requires

Faith is the currency, Righteousness is the prize.

And friends, that does not stop after salvation,
In fact that is the point of salvation.

When Abraham believed God, righteousness was imputed to him.
But imputed righteousness is not all that God desires.
God also demands practical righteousness.

God made you holy in His sight, now He demands that you live holy.

So if you have never trusted in Christ, YOU MUST,
For He is the only way to obtain righteousness.

And if you have trusted Christ and obtained righteousness then live in it.
Practice it
Walk in it

Romans 6:12-14 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

And by all means command your children to do the same.

We never turn the grace of God into a license to sin.
Instead we honor the grace of God by turning from sin.

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

137 The Proclamation of Jesus’ Death (Matthew 28 ,16-20)

The Proclamation of Jesus’ Death

Matthew 28:16-20

April 21, 2013

 

Well, this morning we are going to conclude what has been for us

A study that began almost 3 years ago.

We are bringing this wonderful gospel of Matthew to a close.

 

Matthew has been unwavering in his mission to reveal Jesus

As the Messiah of God, the Savior of the world.

 

We have seen everything from

• His earthly lineage,
• To His virgin birth,
• To His spectacular coronation,
• To His triumphal entry,

 

And most recently we have been enjoying a study of the death of Jesus.

 

And we have broken this section on the death of Jesus

Down into 7 sections.

 

The Plot

The Purpose

The Participants

The Picture

The Power

The Predicament

And this morning we get to the final point,

Which is THE PROCLAMATION OF JESUS’ DEATH.

 

By now we know some UNDENIABLE FACTS about the death of Christ

 

1. We know it was all done according to “the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God.”

That is the only way to describe the fact that Jesus would die exactly at the time of the death of the first Passover Lamb, on the only day when the Jews did not want to kill Him.

 

2. We know that His death was for the purpose of forgiving sinners.

His death was to be a substitutionary death, taking upon Himself the sin of His people.

 

And that of course has been proven in many ways.

Namely we know that Jesus Christ was TOTALLY INNOCENT.

• That was seen in an arrest without a charge
• That was seen in a trial without proper legalities
• That was seen in ignored verdicts of innocent
• That was seen in false witnesses overcome with remorse

 

3. And we know that despite being innocent Jesus bore the full wrath of God.
   • That is why He received the mocking He received.
   • That is why the sky grew dark for three hours
   • That is why He was forsaken of His Father

 

4. And we know that His substitutionary work was successful, namely because He rose from the dead.

 

We have clearly seen all of those truths

As we have studied the death of Jesus.

 

In Jesus, we have a Savior.

• One who bore our sin, took our punishment, and satisfied God’s wrath.
• One who presented to God a successful offering and atoned for our iniquity.
• One who rose from the dead and gave hope that His salvation is genuine.

 

Colossians 1:19-20 “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”

 

Colossians 2:13-14 “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

 

2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

 

We know we have a Savior.

Those truths have been solidified to us.

 

But there is one more point that Matthew must make.

 

In fact, the only reason you know anything about the death and resurrection of Jesus is because Matthew obeyed this last point.

 

Had Matthew failed to practice what He is about to preach, all the glorious realities of Jesus’ substitutionary death would be foreign to you.

 

And that last point is that those who receive His death

Are under obligation to proclaim His death.

 

Paul said:

Romans 1:14-17 “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”

 

Paul knew that He was obliged to share the gospel.

And this morning, my main hope is that everyone in this place

Who has partaken in the salvation of Jesus

Will realize that this is your obligation as well.

 

• Proclaiming the death of Jesus is not for a select few.
• Proclaiming the death of Jesus is no merely for vocational ministers.
• Proclaiming the death of Jesus is the required mandate for every single person who calls themselves a follower of Jesus Christ.

In short, it is impossible to be an obedient Christian

If you do not proclaim His death.

 

John Piper said, “Go, send, or disobey”

 

Charles Spurgeon went so far as to say, “Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.”

 

Every believer is called to proclaim His death.

 

And really, after having seen the brutality that Jesus endured,

Does any of us really have the audacity to sit in our padded pews

And refuse His command?

 

• Do we have to go back and read about His anguish in the garden again so that we can overcome our fears to go and do what we have been called to do?

 

• Do we have to go back and read about His arrest so that we can remember that we must also submit ourselves to God’s plan for our lives?

 

• Do we have to go back to His corrupt trial so that we can remember that we are also are called to give an account before kings and rulers?

 

• Do we have to go back and witness all the mocking He took, so that we can remember that He deserves all the glory would can give Him?

 

• Do we have to go back and relive the agony and pain of being crucified, or being rejected by the Father, so that we can remember that whatever it costs us to share the gospel will be far less than it cost Him to create it?

 

• Do we have to go back and listen again to the testimony of the centurion, or of thewomen, or of Joseph of Arimathea, so that we can remember that the death of Jesus demands public confession and perceivable conviction?
• Do we have to go back and listen to the chief priests and soldiers spreading a story about how the disciples stole Jesus body so that we will realize that someone must tell the true story?

 

You get the idea.

How could any of us have spent the last two months studying the details involving Christ’s death and then have the audacity to sit in our pews and tell Him we won’t go?

 

He did what He was asked, now we must as well.

And that is where Matthew closes his gospel account.

 

It is commonly called “The Great Commission”

It is the command of Jesus for those on earth who claim to follow Him.

 

And this morning, I don’t pretend to show you any fancy word pictures,

Or give you any new deep and intriguing details.

 

I only wish for you to simply see the straightforward command that rests right on the pages of your Bible and then ask you to be who you say you are.

 

There are three things we see in this text.

#1 THE MESSENGERS

Matthew 28:16-17

 

Our story picks up of course with the soldiers and the chief priests

In a tremendous state of panic.

 

• The soldiers are panicking because they lost Jesus.
• The priests are panicking because the One they killed is alive.

 

And presently in our story Jesus and the disciples

Are their way to meet one another.

 

Meeting the disciples was very important to Jesus.

 

Matthew 28:7 “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

 

Matthew 28:10 “Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

 

Jesus wanted to make for sure

That He was able to meet with His disciples.

 

And that is what is about to happen.

(16) “But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.”

I don’t want to dwell on this, but it will do you good at this point

To remember again exactly who these men were.

 

They are “the eleven disciples”.

• Of course it is the twelve, minus Judas who had hanged himself.

 

They have already been identified.

Matthew 10:2-4 “Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.”

 

And might I remind you who and what they were?

 

• Peter, Andrew, James and John were all fishermen.
• Matthew was a despised tax collector
• Simon the Zealot was a terrorist
• “Thaddaeus” was actually named Judas, “Thaddaeus” was a nickname which means “breast baby”

 

• James and John were hot-heads
• Peter was impulsive
• Andrew was mild mannered
• Thomas was a pessimist

 

The point is that these men were about ordinary as they come.

We sort of elevate them in our minds to be like scholarly saints

And the reality is they were much more like the cast of

Duck Dynasty than they were like a seminary faculty.

 

The Pharisees had them rightly pegged.

Acts 4:13 “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”

 

Can anyone else in here identify with those two words?

“uneducated and untrained”?

 

They weren’t special guys, they were ordinary men,

They would have fit right in with us.

 

(17) “When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.”

 

And this verse just further adds to the type of men they were.

 

They were sincere in that they “worshiped”,

But they were also human in that they doubted.

 

I know, everyone assumes that Matthew is talking about Thomas here.

 

But all of them doubted.

Luke 24:8-11 “And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.”

 

NOW, WHY DO I TELL YOU THAT?

Because I want you to know the type of people

Who received this command.

 

Too much emphasis is placed today on the messenger.

• We think if we had big muscles like the power team, then we could be an effective witness…

 

• We think if we had a cool voice like Adrian Rogers, then we could be an effective witness…

 

• We think if we had a famous reputation like Kirk Cameron or Tim Tebow, then we could be and effective witness…

 

That has nothing at all to do with it.

The power is not in the messenger, it is in the message.

 

2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;”

 

1 Corinthians 1:26-28 “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,”

 

The power of evangelism is the cross.

The cross does not need your help.

 

• You don’t have to adorn the cross…
• You don’t have to come up with new trendy ways of explaining it…
• You don’t have to be better at illustrating it…

JUST PROCLAIM IT

 

What Jesus did there is the good news that humanity needs to hear.

“He made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

When Jesus entrusted the message to humanity,

All He required was that they know and believe the cross.

 

Everyone in this room who believes in Jesus is a qualified missionary.

The messengers

#2 THE MASTER

Matthew 28:18

 

This verse is often omitted when the Great Commission is quoted,

But in reality is absolutely essential.

 

This verse provides all that we need in way of a motive.

 

Verse 18 is why we must do verses 19 & 20.

And that is because the Master says so.

 

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

 

Incidentally, “authority” is a word that Matthew is very fond of.

 

Matthew 7:29 “for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”

 

Matthew 9:6 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.”

 

Matthew 9:8 “But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.”

 

And those don’t really even count all the events

In which Jesus displayed His authority.

 

• We have Him calming the sea…
• We have Him casting out demons…
• We have Him removing sicknesses…
• Who could forget the story with Jesus and the centurion…

 

Beyond that no less than 48 times we hear the same phrase, “I say…”

 

No modern day prophet would have dare stood on his own authority.

• Over and over in the Old Testament we hear, “Thus saith the Lord”
• And yet Jesus at least 48 times in Matthew’s gospel said, “I say unto you”

 

The key there is authority.

 

Beyond that, He just rose from the dead.

I mean, if His death and resurrection

Hasn’t proven to you that He is Lord of all, then nothing will.

 

Romans 14:9 “For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.”

 

 

 

And here is the implication now to the disciples.

• If creation obeys Him…
• If demons obey Him…
• If angels obey Him…
• If sickness obeys Him….

 

Then certainly His sworn followers obeying Him should be a no-brainer.

 

Colossians 1:17-18 “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”

 

Evangelism at its core is an obedience issue.

We do it, not because we feel like it, but because He told us to do it.

If He has all authority,

Then it really doesn’t matter what the command is.

Whatever He says, you have to do.

 

And here is the command.

 

The Messengers, The Master

#3 THE MISSION

Matthew 28:18-20

 

And of course we must emphasize the word “therefore”.

 

That word is the hinge that tells us why we must do this.

Jesus is the Master, He has all authority.

 

And certainly this command is not new to anyone.

We have heard it over and over.

But this morning let’s make sure we understand it correctly.

 

• Many today think the command is to “go”
• Or that the command is to “baptize”
• Or that the command is to “teach”

 

But every one of those statements is secondary to the primary command.

The primary command is to “make disciples”

 

• Going without making disciples is a vacation.
• Baptizing without making disciples is false religion.
• Teaching without making disciples is merely outward morality.

 

The call is to “make disciples”

 

WHAT IS A DISCIPLE?

 

The simple definition is a learner.

But it is far more than that.

 

John 8:31 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;”

 

There Jesus is distinguishing between a true disciple and a false one.

A true disciple is one who continues in Christ’s word,

Where as a false disciple does not.

 

This is not speaking about those who do and don’t read their Bible daily.

Rather this is speaking of those who do or don’t walk in obedience.

 

It links well to what James said:

James 1:22 “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”

 

Someone who considers themselves a disciple because they hear or read the word, but doesn’t do what they hear, is self-deceived.

 

James says they are deluded.

 

And so we are not going to make hearers.

No, we are trying to produce continual obedience in people’s lives.

 

Let me give you another statement Jesus made about true disciples.

John 15:8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.”

 

So how does a person prove to be a true disciple?

By bearing fruit.

 

We know about fruitless vines.

John 15:2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.”

 

What did we learn during the parable of the soils?

Only the fruitful vine is genuine.

 

And this is what we are trying to produce.

We are trying to produce genuine, consistent, obedient, fruit bearing followers of Jesus.

 

NOW, HOW DO WE DO THAT?

 

• “Go”
• “Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit”
• “Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.”

 

 

In order to make disciples we must go to them.

We are never commanded to try and draw them to us.

 

The church is not a place where we are supposed to attract sinners.

 

Look at the church in the book of Acts, sinners were terrified of it.

Acts 5:12-13 “At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico. But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem.”

 

That story was after Ananias and Saphira died for lying to God.

And the world wanted nothing to do with them.

 

We must go.

 

And with going it is implied that

We are taking the message of the cross with us.

 

Matthew 10:7 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

 

We take the gospel.

 

And then we call them to submit their lives to the gospel.

That is where baptism comes in.

 

Baptism is a symbol of salvation.

It pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and by extension of the sinner.

 

To be baptized is to make a public profession of death to self

And new life in Christ.

 

So we go to them, we give them the gospel,

We call them to submit their lives to it, and we then baptize them.

 

We also teach them.

 

WHAT DO WE TEACH THEM?

The commands of Christ.

 

We teach them what it means to live like a Christian.

 

• What sort of spouse they are to be
• What sort of child they are to be
• What sort of parent they are to be
• What sort of boss they are to be
• What sort of employee they are to be
• What sort of neighbor they are to be
• What sort of citizen they are to be

 

We show them how a Christian lives in the world and tell them to do it.

 

And when that process is completed, we now have a disciple.

• Not just a hearer
• Not just someone who is baptized
• But someone who has submitted to Christ and is committed to obeying Him.

 

THIS IS THE GREAT COMMISSION

That is what Jesus commands, and what His death requires.

 

And then a tremendous promise:

 

“and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

 

The power to preach, the power to evangelize, the power to endure;

It all comes from Christ, and He is with us.

But even more than that, it insinuates that we have authority.

 

Remember what Jesus told Peter after Peter’s confession?

Matthew 16:18-19 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

 

Jesus said it again in chapter 18

After talking about the necessity of church discipline.

 

Matthew 18:17-18 “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

 

WHAT DO THOSE STATEMENTS MEAN?

 

It simply means that whatever we do here

Is really just a manifestation of what has already been done in heaven.

 

Jesus was endowing us with authority.

We deliver heaven’s judgments.

We walk with Christ’s authority.

 

AND THAT IS WHAT JESUS MEANS HERE.

We can tell people to repent to the gospel

Because the Lord of all creation told us we can.

 

THE AUTHORITATIVE ONE IS WITH US

 

I mean think about it.

You could even temporarily take out the specifics of the command.

 

• In verse 18 we have Jesus saying He has all authority.
• In verse 20 we have Jesus saying He will be with us.

 

Verse 19 could really say anything, and we could do it.

 

If He had said,“All authority is mine so go fly, and I will be with you”,

Then would could do it.

 

THE POINT?

• Proclaiming Jesus’ death is not a job for a select few.
• Proclaiming Jesus’ death is not an optional part of Christianity.
• Proclaiming Jesus’ death is not reserved for some who have the knack.

 

Proclaiming Jesus’ death is a command for every single believer. We must do it because our Lord told us to,

And we can do it because He is with us.

 

That is what the cross deserves.

That is what the cross demands.

 

And friends, if Jesus can endure the agonies of hell for you and I,

Certainly we can endure calling of missions for Him.

 

This is why we are here.

And this is what Christ commands.

 

It really doesn’t get any clearer than that.

 

Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Isaac or Ishmael?

Galatians 4:21-5:1

June 15, 2014

 

Again a hectic schedule has caused a bit of a pause

In our study through the book of Galatians.

 

But hopefully you have a handle on the point of the book.

You know we are dealing with the concept of legalism.

 

The Galatians had come to Christ, but were deceived by the Judaizers

Into thinking that in order to be saved they must become Jewish.

And Paul has been violently refuting that.

 

It has been a book of heavy theology.

 

However, last time we discussed this letter

We actually saw a personal appeal from Paul.

 

We listened to Paul’s Plea as to a Brother

(12)“I beg of you brethren, become as I am”

 

We said Paul spoke to them like a recovering alcoholic

Begging his brother not to take that first drink.

 

We listened to Paul’s Observation as to a Friend

(15-16) “Where then is that sense of blessing you had?  For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.  So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?”

 

Paul had seen a change in this group.  Once a people who loved truth and loved Christ,

They had now been deceived and turned on Paul.

 

Paul saw a change, and it wasn’t a good one.

Like any good friend Paul confronted them with it.

 

We listened to Paul’s Warning as to a Sister

(17) “They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them.”

 

The Judaizers had desire for the Galatians, but it wasn’t a pure desire. 

Like any good brother seeking to protect the purity of his sister, Paul sends a warning.

 

We listened to Paul’s Frustration as to a Child

(19-20) “My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you — but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.”

 

Paul literally felt like a woman having to birth the same child twice.

He had such great hopes and plans for them, but they were digressing.

 

They were missing the mark, and like any parent,

Paul wanted more for his spiritual children.
And to that we learned that this letter was not some cold, harsh, uncompassionate beat down of the Galatians.

 

Paul was writing passionately because he cared so much for them

He wanted them to enjoy all Christ intended for them.
He wanted them to avoid the dangerous deceptions of the world.
He wanted them to grow and mature in the faith.
He wanted them to be a blessing to others.

Well, tonight Paul picks back up the ferocious mantle.

·         Having already given personal testimony…

·         Having already explained deep theology…

·         Having already appealed with intense compassion…

 

Tonight Paul drives his point home with unmistakable analogy.

 

Tonight Paul draws a line in the dirt

And basically asks this question of the Galatians.

 

You must either choose to be Isaac or Ishmael, which will it be?

Now fortunately for you all tonight we have actually been studying the story of Isaac and Ishmael on Sunday mornings through our study of Genesis.

 

Go ahead and pull that information up into your mind,

And let’s hear this appeal that Paul has for the Galatians.

 

There are 4 points to the text tonight.

#1 THE CONFRONTATION
Galatians 4:21

 

Paul just walked us through a very heartfelt appeal to the Galatians,

But this verse clearly indicates that the nostalgia is gone

AND PAUL IS BACK TO SWINGING THE BIG STICK.

 

This confrontation comes in the form of a direct rebuke.

 

Paul is rebuking them for two reasons.

1) They want to be under the Law

2) They have no clue what that means

 

Notice what Paul says here:

“Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?”

 

This is actually quite a direct reproach.

You want to be under the Law,

But you have no idea what the message of the Law actually is.

 

It’s a similar rebuke to the ones Jesus frequently gave to the Pharisees:

Matthew 12:3 “But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions,”

Matthew 12:5 “Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent?”

 

Matthew 19:4 “And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE,”

 

And hopefully you are getting the point.

The idea is you have a person here running around elevating the Law,

But in reality they don’t have a clue what it says.

 

Today that would be akin to someone who claims to love the Bible,

But doesn’t read it and doesn’t understand its message.

 

That is what Paul is directing at the Galatians.

 

You want to be under the law (and that is bad enough),

But obviously you have never grasped the point of the law.

 

“do you not listen to the law?”

 

You obviously have not paid attention to the message it is presenting.

For if you had read the Law and listened to its message,

You would not want to be under it.

 

Confrontation

#2 THE ILLUSTRATION
Galatians 4:22-23

 

It is obvious the Galatians had not read all the requirements of the Law,

Or else there is no way they would want to be under it again.

 

However, there is one story in the Law

Paul really wanted them to pay attention to.

 

This is one of those stories he wishes they had learned.

 

(22-23) “For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.”

 

Now you should be very familiar with that story by now,

Thanks to our Sunday morning study.

 

But you remember that Abraham did in fact have “two sons”

 

“one by the bondwoman”– that was Ishmael

“one by the free woman”– that was Isaac

 

 

You remember the story:

God had promised that Abraham would be the father of a multitude and that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand on the seashore.

 

However, there was a major obstacle to that promise.

Abraham was old and his wife was barren

 

Genesis 16:1-3 “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children.  Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife.”

 

Abraham would have a son through Hagar and that son was Ishmael.

 

Of course if you follow the story, God did fulfill His promise to Abraham through Sarah, opening her womb and allowing her to conceive.

 

Genesis 21:1-3 “Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.”

 

Sarah, in her old age, also had a son.  His name was Isaac.

So Abraham had “two sons”

 

And here is the distinction that Paul wanted the Galatians to make.

 

(23) “But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.”

 

Now on the outside it might just look like those are parallel stories,

But they are not.

Those two women, and their sons were as different as night and day.

 

One was “according to the flesh”
The other was “through the promise”

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

 

Well, “according to the flesh” simply means that what happened there was the result of human effort and works.

 

It was simply humans naturally doing what humans can naturally do.

There was nothing miraculous about it.

 

A man and woman come together and a child is conceived.

That was Abraham and Hagar.

However Abraham and Sarah conceived “through the promise”

 

Meaning that nothing about their conception was natural.

 

Look, Sarah had it right.

After God told her she would conceive, she didn’t think it possible.

 

Genesis 18:12 “Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

 

Do you know why Sarah didn’t think it was possible?

BECAUSE IT WASN’T

 

·         Do you remember how old Abraham was when Isaac was conceived? 100

·         Do you remember how old Sarah was? 91

 

Just let that sink in for a second.

100 year old man and a 91 year old woman conceiving a child.

It is just not humanly possible.

 

But, just as Jesus told Peter“with people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”

 

The only reason Sarah conceived a child

Was because God promised she would.

So Abraham had one son by the flesh.

And Abraham had one son by the promise.

 

That is the story that Paul wants the Galatians to think on for a second.

 

And here comes the third point.

 

Confrontation, Illustration

#3 THE EXPLANATION
Galatians 4:24-30

 

Here Paul says “This is allegorically speaking”

 

The translation “allegorically” is a little misleading,

Since an allegory is generally a point made from a story that isn’t true, or from a story that has no obvious point.

 

But that certainly wasn’t the case with the Abraham and Sarah story.

It was true and it had a theological point as we have seen in our study.

This is really more of an analogy.

Paul is going to make a point to the Galatians

Based on the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac.

 

And he is going to make the point by revealing the differences

Between the two women and their two boys.

 

(already seen one is by the flesh and one is by the promise)

1) TWO DIFFERENT COVENANTS (24-28)

That is what Paul says right off the bat.

These women represent “two covenants”

 

“one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar.”

 

You are familiar with “Mount Sinai”,

That was the place where the Law was given to Moses.

 

And Paul is drawing an analogy.

At “Mount Sinai” they received the Law which was bondage.
And that is also a picture of “Hagar”

 

So, when you think “Hagar” think “slaves”

 

And Paul is taking that analogy even farther.

(25) “Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.”

 

So now Paul adds a third person to the slavery camp.
We have Mount Sinai
We have Hagar
And we have “the present Jerusalem”

Paul lumps them all together in the same group – the slave group.

 

Of course Hagar actually was a slave
At Mount Sinai they became slaves the Law
And “the present Jerusalem” rejected Jesus, actually crucifying them causing them to remain in slavery.

 

Remember what Jesus told them?

 

John 8:31-38 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”  Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. “The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. “I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.” 

 

Jesus is the One who makes men free,

But Jerusalem rejected Jesus and chose rather to stay in bondage.

 

They chose the Old Covenant.

The Old Covenant came at Sinai, and it was the Law, and it enslaved men.

 

But you know there was a new covenant.

 

Jeremiah prophesied of it.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

 

Through Jeremiah, God promised that there would be a new covenant.

A covenant that did not depend upon the ability of man,

But a covenant that depended upon the power of God.

 

We know who that first covenant was –

It was Hagar, Sinai, and the present Jerusalem.

 

But there is a second

(26-28) “But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. For it is written, “REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR; FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND.” And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise.”

Here Paul doesn’t talk about the present Jerusalem.
Here he talks about “the Jerusalem above”

WHAT IS THAT?

Hebrews 12:18-24 “For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, “IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED.” And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.”

 

“the Jerusalem above”is heaven – it is the new city

 

And Paul says that as Christians that is the city we are a part of.

Philippians 3:20 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”

 

Ephesians 2:4-6 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ ( by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”

 

So we have a “Jerusalem above” and Paul says that Jerusalem “is free”

There is no slavery there.

There is no bondage there.

 

 “she is our mother”

 

AND HERE IS THE POINT.

We were not born through works of the flesh, into slavery.

We were born through the power of God into freedom.

 

What did Jesus tell Nicodemus?

John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 

 

We are those who are born of God.

We are those who are born from above.

 

Our birth was not the result of human ability, but of divine power.

 

And the one who benefits from divine power is more blessed

Than the one who seeks to do it all by their own power.

 

That is why Paul quotes Isaiah 54:1

(27) “For it is written, “REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR; FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND.”

 

That passage was originally given to comfort the Babylonian captives,

But here Paul applies it to Sarah who was barren.

 

And the blessing is that the barren woman (Sarah)

Would be filled with shouting

For God was going to do more through her

Than the natural woman could do on her own.

 

That is the point.

God was going to do more for the barren woman

Than the natural woman could do on her own.

 (28) “And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise.”

 

That is to say that we were not born because of something we did,

Or because of our natural ability.

 

We were born only because of God’s great power in our life.

 

John 1:12-13 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even  to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

 

SO HERE IS THE FIRST COMPARISON

Ishmael was a result of works (like the old covenant)
Isaac was a result of God’s power (like the new covenant)

There is the first distinction – they are two different covenants

2) TWO DIFFERENT THEOLOGIES (29)

You remember that story.

 

Genesis 21:8-10 “The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.”

 

Now we don’t know why Ishmael was mocking Isaac.

But Paul definitely saw his mocking as a fitting illustration.

 

See, Ishmael and Isaac were different.

Furthermore they were rivals.

 

Both of them would be competing for the same inheritance,

The same birthright, the same blessing.

 

And it would appear that Ishmael had the inside track since he was the firstborn.

 

So Ishmael is a picture of those who try to obtain the blessing

Through works of the flesh.

 

And Isaac is a picture of those who try to obtain the blessing

Through the promise and power of God’s Spirit.

AND WE SEE THIS TODAY

We have those who are in legalism and those who are of the Spirit.

Both want the inheritance and both go about obtaining it in different ways.

 

And because of the difference in their view point,“he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.”

 

Those who insist upon earning the inheritance

Persecute those who insist upon having it given to them.

 

One thing I know about people who work hard…

The harder you work the less you tolerate laziness.

 

Now if you don’t work,

Other people who don’t work don’t’ seem to bother you so much,

But if you are a hard worker, lazy people will drive you crazy.

Now that is not to say that those who are born of the Spirit are lazy,

But they are definitely not working to earn their salvation.

 

And to someone who is working to earn salvation – it drives them crazy.

And the natural response is persecution.

 

That is what Ishmael did to Isaac

That is what Legalists do to those who are faith today.

 

They have two different viewpoints of life.

Two different covenants, and two different theologies

 

3) TWO DIFFERENT DESTINATIONS (30)

Now this is what matters.

Up until now the verdict can really still be out on the two.

 

I mean because really,

We only care to know which one is going to actually get the prize.

 

If the slave who works hard gets the prize, then that is what we want to be.
If the free man who doesn’t work gets the prize, then that is what we want to be.

 

And Paul is quick to point out that way back in Genesis,

God already settled this argument.

 

(30) “But what does the Scripture say? “CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN.”

 

God settled the argument didn’t He?

God settled who would receive the inheritance.

 

It was the son of the free woman.

You can argue all you want about the importance of works

You can argue the value of working for salvation

You can quote all the Law you want to quote

 

BUT IT DOESN’T CHANGE THE FACT

THAT ONLY THE CHILD OF THE PROMISE

IS GOING TO RECEIVE THE INHERITANCE

 

Those who are slaves will be“cast out”

 

Romans 9:30-33 “What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, “BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”

 

Romans 10:1-4 “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

 

Those who pursue the inheritance by works do not receive it.

Those who pursue it by faith do.

THAT IS PAUL’S EXPLANATION.

If you want to be under the Law, why don’t you try reading the Law first?

 

And when you do, read the story of Isaac and Ishmael

And see which one received the inheritance.

So let me ask you tonight, just as Paul was asking the Galatians.

DO YOU WANT TO BE ISHMAEL OR ISAAC?

 

Do you want to be the slave who works for an inheritance he will never receive?

Or do you want to be a son who receives an inheritance he could never have obtained?

 

Obviously we want to be Isaac.

We want to be children of the promise.
We want to be those who are born by the power of God’s Spirit.
We want to be those who receive grace

 

That is the whole point.

Don’t be Ishmael – be Isaac!

 

And then one final point

The Confrontation, Illustration, Explanation
#4 THE APPLICATION
Galatians 4:31 – 5:1

 

“So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free woman.  It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

What a great statement!

 

Do you know why Christ set you free?

So you would be free.

 

Well if Christ wanted you to be free, why would you run back to slavery?

 

If we were to carry the Isaac and Ishmael illustration out a little further,

It would be like this.

 

God command Abraham to send Ishmael away because he is not an heir,

But instead Isaac steps up and says,

“No, that’s alright you can give it to Ishmael until I earn it.”

 

Foolish foolish foolish!

Paul’s command is simple:

“keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

 

Resist those Judaizers
Resist their circumcision
Resist their temptation and their persecution
Stand firm against them

Be free – stay free – resist slavery.

 

 

Be thankful that you are Isaac.

Born of the Spirit
An Heir of the Promise
A child of pure grace

And don’t ever let anyone talk you in to being Ishmael.

There is literally no future in it.

The Sacrificial Worship of Abraham

Genesis 22:1-19

June 8, 2014

 

Well, as we study through the book of Genesis,

This morning we come to the one of the most familiar stories.

 

When asked to name the major stories of Genesis, many would name creation, the fall, the flood, and then this story.

It is memorable to us because it is in many ways shocking to us.

 

For without a doubt we see a level of faith here

That can tend to blow the mind.

God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac back to him, and Abraham obeys.

 

It is no small sacrifice and indeed it is no small amount of faith.

And after reading a story like this we would rightly say that

Abraham is called “The Father of Faith”

 

And this morning that faith is put on display in such a magnificent way as we see a very fitting step taken by Abraham.

 

And that step is WORSHIP

 

I have told you repeatedly that Abraham’s life is a picture of salvation.

• We saw God’s grace in his life

• We saw Abraham respond with faith

• We saw God grant righteousness to Abraham

• We saw Abraham obey in the covenant through circumcision

• And we’ve seen God pruning and working on Abraham to grow his faith

 

And all of those things are so vitally important to the Christian life.

 

However, one thing has yet to be seen in its finest form

And that is worship.

 

Now, I’m not saying that Abraham has yet to worship…

 

When he finally arrived in Canaan and God told him he was home:

Genesis 12:7 “The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.”

 

When Abraham was rescued out of Egypt, the first place he went to was that altar.

Genesis 13:3-4 “He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.”

 

After Abraham separated from Lot and God reiterated the promise to him:

Genesis 13:18 “Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.”

Later after Abraham rescued Lot with the help of the Lord, Abraham was met by God’s priest and:

Genesis 14:20a “He gave him a tenth of all.”

 

Even last week after Isaac was born and Abraham settled down in the land, Scripture says:

Genesis 21:33 “Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.”

 

So I’m not saying that Abraham has yet to worship.

What I am saying is that, until now,

Moses has not chosen to focus on that aspect of Abraham’s life.

 

Moses has highlighted grace

Moses has highlighted faith

Moses has highlighted justification

Moses has highlighted growth

THIS MORNING MOSES HIGHLIGHTS WORSHIP

 

This chapter is all about worship.

In fact, this chapter contains the first use of the word “worship”.

 

NOW, JUST BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION,

I hope you understand the absolute necessity of worship.

 

It is not exaggeration to say that we were created to worship God.

 

God created man that they might worship Him,

And yet as a result of sin and the fall,

Mankind failed to give God the glory He deserves.

 

Romans 1:21-23 “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.”

 

Failing to worship God is a grievous sin.

We are saved, we are redeemed, that we might worship Him.

 

In fact, you may not realize it,

But worship is where this whole thing is headed.

 

1 Corinthians 15:28 “When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.”

 

After Christ conquers every enemy (the last of which is death)

Everything is then subjected to God “so that God may be all in all”

 

When Revelation gives us a glimpse of heaven,

What is it we continually find the saints of heaven doing? WORSHIPING

Worship is where it is all headed.

 

The point being that if you call yourself a believer,

But your life is void of worship, then you are either not a believer,

Or your life is so off course that you are in need of revival.

 

WORSHIP IS THAT IMPORTANT AND THAT REVEALING.

 

We live in a day when people attribute church attendance as worship.

We live in a day when people attribute singing in church to worship.

And those certainly aren’t bad things.

But do not assume that involvement in religion equals a life of worship.

 

This morning Moses is going to show Israel what true worship looks like.

 

For when Moses wanted to display worship in Abraham’s life,

• He did not highlight the altars Abraham built,

• He did not highlight the tithes Abraham paid,

• He did not highlight the songs Abraham sang.

 

When Moses wanted to put the worship of Abraham on display,

He included this one phenomenal story in which Abraham worshiped God.

 

How did Abraham worship?

He gave the one thing that mattered most to him.

 

Let’s work our way through this story this morning

And see if we can’t discover what worship is, and how we can give it.

 

There are 6 things I want you to see

#1 THE PREPARATION OF THE WORSHIPER

Genesis 22:1a

 

“Now it came about after these things…”

 

I realize that this is a transitional statement, but I can’t think of a single time in Scripture were a transitional statement needed to be analyzed like this one.

 

No doubt when you read in a moment that God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, it causes a great deal of shock to you.

 

I mean, after all:

• Isn’t killing your children wrong?

• Would God actually ask you to commit a sin such as this?

• How could God ask something so costly of Abraham?

• Why would God ask something like this of Abraham?

• Would God ever ask something like this of me?

 

I mean really the story can be quite troubling.

And if you start of the story without these 7 words

Your theology is about to go into a tailspin.

 

You cannot start reading Genesis in this chapter

And understand this story.

 

God did not introduce Himself to Abraham

And immediately ask him to sacrifice his son.

 

This story occurs at least 27 years after God revealed Himself to Abraham.

 

Now what exactly are “these things” that this request occurred “after”?

• Well, God spoke to Abraham and led him out of Ur into Canaan

• God protected Abraham when he left Canaan for Egypt

• God removed Lot reminding Abraham that he would have a son

• God promised Abraham that Sarah would have a son

• Even when Abraham just asked for God to bless Ishmael, God said, “no”

• God gave Abraham that promised son

• God told Abraham to send Ishmael away to make room for Isaac

 

For the past 27 years God has relentlessly driven

This one fact into Abraham’s brain.

 

You will have a son through Sarah named Isaac

And through Isaac I am going to make you the father of a multitude.

 

If God has told him that once, He’s told him that a million times.

God has said it, resaid it, promised it and promised it again.

God has reiterated it over and over and God has refused to let anything mess it up.

 

At every turn God has said, “It’s Isaac, It’s Isaac, It’s Isaac, It’s Isaac”

 

And finally in chapter 21 Abraham said, “Oh, now I get it, it’s Isaac”

And Abraham sent Ishmael away.

 

So now it is time to find out if Abraham really believes that or not.

Were it not for the previous 27 years we would have every reason in the world

To wonder why Abraham would consent to such a request.

 

But God had spent 27 years preparing Abraham for this.

 

God had prepared Abraham for this moment repeatedly.

 

The Preparation of…

#2 THE PROPOSITION TO THE WORSHIPER

Genesis 22:1-2

 

Wow, there it is.

God approaches Abraham and requests that Abraham give Him his son.

 

Now first let me remind you that worship

Is not about you giving God what you want to give Him,

But rather you giving God what He wants from you.

 

Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

Did you notice that “acceptable to God” phrase?

 

In Scripture there are two kinds of worship

Acceptable Worship & Unacceptable Worship

 

Acceptable Worship

Worshiping the true God in the right way.

 

Unacceptable worship

Idolatry – worshiping the wrong God

Hypocrisy – worshiping the true God in the wrong way

 

That is when we come and pretend to worship God,

But do so in a manner that He does not desire.

 

Isaiah 1:11-17 “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies — I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.”

 

Amos 5:21-24 “I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. “Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. “Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. “But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

 

Micah 6:6-8 “With what shall I come to the LORD And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”

 

The point is that Israel’s history was not only littered with idolatry

(worship to the wrong god)

But Israel’s history was also littered with hypocrisy

(false worship to the true God)

 

It matters that when you come to worship God

That you worship Him in the manner which He has prescribed.

You don’t approach Him giving Him what you want,

You approach Him giving Him what He wants.

 

And Moses would drive this in to the minds of the children of Israel.

Have you ever read Leviticus?

 

Have you ever noticed the specific nature of that book?

 

Every feast, every sacrifice, every offering came with specific instructions.

• How you present it

• How you kill it

• How you eat it

• What you do with it

• What you wear when you do it

• VERY SPECIFIC

 

The point is that God is very specific as to what He wanted, and if it is your desire to worship Him, then you give precisely what He desires.

 

Well here, God wants Abraham’s son.

And please notice that God realizes that this is a big request.

 

“Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”

 

God wants what is most important to Abraham.

 

This is always true of God.

• He asked James and John to leave their father…

• He asked the Rich Young Ruler to leave his wealth…

• He asked the woman caught in adultery to leave her sin…

• He asked Paul to leave his reputation…

• He asked Matthew to leave his job…

 

And here he wants Abraham to give the son that he loves.

 

The Preparation of the Worshiper, The Proposition to…

#3 THE PROMPTNESS OF THE WORSHIPER

Genesis 22:3-6

 

This really is quite amazing.

There isn’t one shred of argument coming from Abraham here.

Not only did he go, but he “rose early”.

 

There is no arguing – There is no grumbling – There is no complaining

 

Philippians 2:14 “Do all things without grumbling or disputing;”

 

Abraham was happy to give God what God requested.

It was a three day journey to Moriah, and when God showed Abraham the place where the deed was to be done, you must love Abraham’s statement.

 

(5-6) “Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.”

 

“we will worship and return to you”

 

Abraham knew immediately what this request was all about.

• The God who had called him

• The God who had saved him

• The God who had protected him

• The God who had blessed him

NOW WANTED WORSHIP FROM HIM

And Abraham did not hesitate to give it.

 

IN FACT, THIS TYPE OF WORSHIP WAS ABRAHAM’S DUTY.

Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

 

My version calls this act, “your spiritual service of worship”

If you read that same verse in the King James it says,

“which is your reasonable service”

 

We read God’s request and instantly we think it was over the top.

We tend to think God asked for too much here.

 

DID GOD ASK FOR TOO MUCH?

Was it too great a thing for God to ask for the son that He had given?

• Abraham wouldn’t be in this land if it weren’t for God

• Abraham wouldn’t still have Sarah if it weren’t for God

• Abraham wouldn’t have this son if it weren’t for God

 

If you want to know the truth, this request was not too high.

I’m not saying it would be easy, but it is not out of line.

 

Might I remind you that God asks no less from every one of us?

Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”

 

Abraham isn’t the only believer who was ever asked to lose a child.

• I could read you stories about martyrs who watched their children killed

• We could talk to parents who had to surrender their children to live on the mission field

• We could even talk to some who lost their children to accident and God requested that they love Him anyway.

Abraham was not the first, nor the last to receive such a request,

And it is important for you to understand

That God was not out of line in asking for it.

GOD DESERVED THIS.

 

In fact, there is nothing you could give God that He does not deserve.

 

Abraham is here giving God

What God requested and what God deserves.

 

Are you beginning to understand a little bit about worship?

If you think it is nothing more than the songs you sing on Sunday

Or the dollar you put in the plate, you are greatly missing the point.

 

Worship is when you give God what matters most to you.

 

In reality it is when you give God full right to your heart.

You are telling God, “I have no other idols.”

There is nothing in my heart more important than You.

 

It is to say with Asaph:

Psalms 73:25-28 “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.”

 

Asaph said I don’t value anything as much as I value God.

 

And if God wants anything in my life, He can have it.

A parent…A child…A job…A reputation…A city

 

God requested worship of Abraham,

And Abraham is prompt to give it because God certainly deserves it.

 

#4 THE POISE OF THE WORSHIPER

Genesis 22:7-8

 

Here is the “heart string” portion of the story.

 

At this point Isaac catches on that something is wrong.

“My father…Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

 

And you absolutely have to love Abraham’s answer.

 

(8) “Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.”

 

What an awesome answer!

If Abraham had learned anything up to this point,

It was that God is the provider.

 

Where would Abraham be without God?

What would Abraham have without God?

 

27 years of living in tents as an alien in the land of promise

Had no doubt taught Abraham that God can provide.

 

Furthermore Abraham knew that God was not cheap.

At no point in the life of Abraham have we ever seen God

Approaching Abraham to get something from him.

 

When God sent Abraham into Canaan

It wasn’t one of those tricky “time share” seminars.

 

God has been nothing but the giver in this story.

 

Abraham didn’t know what was going to happen, but he had walked with God long enough to know that God had it covered.

 

I like the insight from Hebrews.

Hebrews 11:17-19 “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, “IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED.” He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.”

 

“He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead…”

 

He didn’t know how God would do it, but he knew God would.

God had promised that it was through Isaac and God had never failed yet,

So even if God had to raise Isaac from the dead, Abraham knew He would.

 

And listen, think about worship for a second.

THINK ABOUT ALL THE THINGS GOD COULD ASK YOU TO PRESENT TO HIM.

 

• Is there anything God could ask for that He hasn’t first given you?

• Is there anything God could ask for that He couldn’t give back to you?

• Is there anything God could ask for that He couldn’t compensate?

 

Want some examples?

 

Listen to the disciples as they watched the Rich Young Ruler walk away

Matthew 19:27-29 “Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.”

Remember Hannah?

1 Samuel 1:23-28 “Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only may the LORD confirm His word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh, although the child was young. Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli. She said, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the LORD. “For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him. “So I have also dedicated him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.”

 

1 Samuel 2:21 “The LORD visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the LORD.”

 

Even Job willingly chose to worship God after he lost his children

And we read at the end of the book:

 

Job 42:16-17 “After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. And Job died, an old man and full of days.”

 

We’re not saying that losing things isn’t tough.

But we are saying that there is nothing you can surrender to God

That He can’t give back or reimburse.

 

And in the Bible I read, God always does.

 

Abraham knows that and he isn’t worried.

God is a provider, and he may not know where the lamb will come from,

But he is confident it will come from somewhere.

 

Don’t get stingy when it comes time to worship God.

 

The Preparation, The Proposition, The Promptness, The Poise

#5 THE PROVISION FOR THE WORSHIPER

Genesis 22:9-14

 

God provided just as Abraham expected.

Abraham was about to kill his son, and God sent an angel

To stop Abraham from carrying out the deal.

 

(12) “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.”

 

“for now I know that you fear God”

 

That fear is the reverential awe we often talk about.

It is another term for “worship”

 

After this moment is there any doubt that Abraham loves God?

Is there any doubt that Abraham desires to worship God?

Is there any question as to whether Abraham has idols in his heart?

No, Abraham is indeed a true worshiper.

 

And incidentally you must notice that

God never intended for Abraham to kill Isaac.

 

God didn’t want Isaac, God wanted Abraham.

 

And just as Abraham suspected, God provided the sacrifice.

(13-14) “Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; 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 that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.”

 

The whole time Abraham was climbing that mountain

This ram was going up the other side.

God was providing.

 

And Scripture says “Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide”

 

Do you know what “that place” was? (Mt. Moriah)

 

2 Chronicles 3:1 “Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.”

 

“that place” is where the temple would be built.

“that place” is where Israel would sacrifice.

 

And it was just outside of “that place” where our Lord was crucified.

 

God wasn’t after Isaac, God was after Abraham.

And all God wanted was his heart – God provided everything else.

 

And friends, that is the point of worship.

God doesn’t want your kids, or your land, or your money

(He gave all those things)

 

GOD JUST WANTS YOUR HEART

And He wants to know if you love Him for Him

Or if you just love the things He gives you.

 

And one final point

#6 THE PREFERENCE FOR THE WORSHIPER

Genesis 22:15-19

God is pleased with a man who worships Him.

 

John 4:23-24 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

 

• To worship “in spirit” indicates that you have a desire to do it.

• To worship “in truth” indicates that you do it the way God prescribed.

 

Abraham obviously did both.

 

And here we learn that “such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers”

 

God is pleased with worshipers like that.

 

Have you ever considered David’s life?

With all the mistakes David made in life, why was God so enamored with David?

 

Because David loved to worship God as God required.

 

That is also true for Abraham and as you read these verses

You can feel the delight that God has in him.

 

God can’t seem to bless Abraham enough.

GOD LOVES TO BE WORSHIPED!

 

The irony of the story is that God asked for Abraham’s son

And yet never allowed Abraham to give him.

 

And yet, it was in fact God who did give His only Son,

Whom He loved as an act of love toward us.

 

We think we are being robbed when God asks worship from us,

When the reality is that we will never be able to give more

Than He has already given.

 

Shame on us when hold idols in our hearts.

 

This story proves the great faith and the pure heart of Abraham.

 

In fact, I can confidently say that the depth of your faith

Is directly proportional to the height of your worship.

 

If your worship is shallow, so is your faith

And God deserves more

He deserves all that He might ask for

 

Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

 

Well, this morning we come to the table of the Lord

To remind ourselves again just how much worship God deserves.

 

He asked Abraham for his son,

And yet in the end it was not Abraham,

But God who sacrificed His own Son.

 

It was God who provided

 

• Isaac should have been the sacrifice, but he wasn’t.

• Instead there was a Lamb, wearing thorns, who took Isaac’s place.

 

And the reasons God deserves worship just continue to be revealed.

 

This morning we come to the Lord’s Supper

To remember why God deserves everything you could ever give Him.

 

We come to remember why God deserves your whole heart.

We come to remember why God deserves all your worship.

 

We are going to have a time of preparation, and then we’ll partake.

 

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