Slaying The Promise - [Hebrews 11:17-22]

Bethlehem Bible Church

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January 26, 2020

00:01: I don't know about you, but I love to read biographies, Christian biographies, especially.
00:08: I don't know if you've ever asked the question of why do you like to read them? I mean, we love to read about maybe
00:13: Mary Slessor and how she rescued 51 sets of twins in Calabar. Maybe you wanna read about David Livingstone or all kinds of great missionaries.
00:22: Well, I mainly like to read biographies for two reasons. One, I think to myself, these people are weak.
00:32: These people are frail. These people are sinful, and yet God used them.
00:39: And this is the same God who could use someone like me. It motivates me. It gives me encouragement that God can use sinful people for his glory.
00:47: And it also motivates me because I think these men and women were hard workers. They walked by faith.
00:54: They were diligent. They were holy people. And Lord, I would like to be holy as well. It's possible.
01:00: And so today, if you take your Bibles and turn to Hebrews 11, we're gonna look at a biography, and it's gonna be of Abraham and his slain of the son,
01:10: Isaac. And I hope it'll do two things for you. I hope you'll say to yourself, this motivates me that God is in control.
01:15: He's faithful. He can be trusted. And also, I'd like to be a man like Abraham who walked by faith.
01:22: I'd like to be a woman of faith and say, do you know what? I'll trust in you, Lord, no matter what.
01:28: When it comes to preaching, I have a lot of purposes. The main purpose is to exalt a triune God, to speak well of him, to tell you things about him that are true, about his character, about his person, what he does, how he does things.
01:41: And I think as you hear preaching like that, then you, the congregation, will be encouraged. So I wanna honor the
01:47: Lord, but I also wanna encourage you. I want you to hear sermons and think to yourself, like in 1
01:52: Samuel 30, that David strengthened himself in the God of Israel. I want you to grow and be strong in the
01:59: Lord. I love Psalm 43. It says, to God, my exceeding joy. I want you to look at the high priest in Hebrews and say, do you know,
02:09: I have lots of joys in my life. And I have a spouse and I have children and grandchildren and friends and taste buds, but my exceeding joy is
02:17: God. Who could take his place? No one. I want you to see when we proclaim the
02:22: Lord Jesus in this passage, that like Psalm 63, you might say, my soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness.
02:31: A good, healthy meal to extol the Lord Jesus. Well, in the book of Hebrews, as you know, it's a book that does that very thing.
02:40: I want my sermons to be Christ -centered because I see the Lord Jesus' command.
02:46: And I also see this example in the book of Hebrews, where this is a Christ -centered sermon.
02:52: You say, well, I don't ever preach, so what about me? When you're teaching your children, by the way, this is the template, right?
02:59: There's nothing wrong with telling children to obey and to shake their hand firmly, to look people in the eye, to do all these other things.
03:06: There's nothing wrong with that at all. But if you only teach your children manners at the dinner table, dear parents, you're forgetting the template.
03:15: You're forgetting the privilege that you have to tell them about the Lord Jesus. And this book here just talks about him in all fashion, in every fashion.
03:26: Luke, my son, is in Wisconsin this weekend teaching at a youth camp, a junior high camp. And it's interesting, his friend who's leading the camp is the pastor for the junior high students.
03:39: And I just thought this was just so great. It doesn't really fit in my sermon, but I'm just gonna tell you now anyway, because it's so good.
03:46: Every time that this youth pastor, my son's friend, says something about law, all the kids in junior high shout out, do.
03:59: And every time this youth pastor says the word gospel, all the kids shout out, done.
04:07: So if I say law or gospel today, kids, you can do it during one sermon, but that's it.
04:13: This ain't no junior high camp. But what you'll see in this book is you're gonna see gospel, gospel, gospel, gospel, the first 10 chapters, a theological underpinning of it's all been done.
04:27: And then we'll get to the do. Of course, we can't just look at Jesus and trust in him and admire him and say, well, we'll live how we want.
04:34: But we look at him so that it'll determine how we do our, how we behave.
04:40: In other words, what motivates a Christian? And I think it's looking at the Lord Jesus is the greatest motivator.
04:47: It's not fear, it's not guilt, it's gratitude. And so this book here, the book of Hebrews, it's just great because while Matthew, Mark, Luke and John talk about Jesus's life on earth, this book specifically talks about Jesus's work in heaven now as intercessor, as the risen savior, as the substitute for all sinners.
05:06: It starts off in chapter one and just basically says, Jesus is better, he's better than prophets.
05:11: Prophets were great, but Jesus is the son. He's actually better than angels. And it was demonstrated in chapter one from the
05:18: Old Testament that he's better than angels. And how could someone be better than an angel when he takes human nature, wouldn't he be weaker?
05:26: No, he could then suffer along with us and then be our representative. Well, what about Moses? Isn't he great?
05:32: Well, of course he's great, but he was a builder. No, he was just the building. The builder is the
05:38: Lord Jesus. What about Aaron? Wasn't he great? Wasn't the high priestly work of Aaron great?
05:44: Well, he certainly was great, but Jesus has a better covenant. He has a better sanctuary and a better sacrifice.
05:51: You don't have to keep slaying things over and over and over. It's a permanent sacrifice.
05:56: And when I think about Jesus's sacrifice confirmed by the resurrection, I think of these words, enough, ample, appropriate, plenty, satisfactory, and abundant.
06:08: If you look back even one chapter to chapter 10, kind of to summarize what the whole first 10 gospel done chapters are all about, it says in chapter 10, verse five, consequently, when
06:21: Christ came into the world, he said, sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me.
06:29: In burnt offerings and sin offerings, you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, behold, this is the son to the father.
06:36: I have come to do your will, oh God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.
06:42: While we were commanded to obey law, Jesus obeys for us.
06:47: And that includes his life of perfect obedience to the father, including the death on the cross.
06:53: And then he says in verse 37, do you see in chapter 10? Yet for a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay, but my righteous one shall live by faith.
07:01: And if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. So the Lord is gonna come back.
07:07: He's promised to come back. We're looking forward to that. And these writers, and for all of us here as well, life isn't always peaches and cream.
07:15: It always isn't the best. And so how do we live in a difficult situation now? We walk by faith in this high priest.
07:22: And so we saw last week, chapter 11, verses 13 through 16.
07:28: Let me just reread verses 13 through 16, as the writer is putting us in this faith chapter by faith in the
07:35: Messiah, how do people respond? Verse 13, these all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
07:49: For people who speak thus make it clear they're seeking a homeland. If they'd been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had an opportunity to return.
07:58: But remember how it ended in a bang last week? Verse 16, but as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one.
08:07: Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
08:14: Here, you can hear Paul say something similar. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth.
08:22: Instead of having the focus on the tribulations and trials that are on the earth, he's saying you've got to think with a heavenly perspective.
08:29: It reminds me of Jesus when he said, do not lay up for yourself treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, whether neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.
08:45: So funny, I don't know what to do with myself up here. Do I touch over here? Do I grab this? I mean, my normal machinations are all crazy, but I will not drink water today,
08:55: I guarantee you. There's no way I'm doing it ever again. Remember last week, just that truth that it just was so heartwarming for Christians to hear?
09:08: What's the text say? God is not ashamed to be called their God. I mean, that's a figure of speech called a lie to tease.
09:15: What it's doing is saying something in the negative, but really is trying to affirm something positively.
09:21: In other words, the negative side is he's not ashamed to be your God. Positively, he's not ashamed.
09:27: He takes delight in being your God. He's pleased to be your
09:32: God. How often have you heard this in the Old Testament? The God of Jacob.
09:40: And we heard a little bit today, the shoes on the other foot with Jacob, he got deceived. But the God of Jacob, how about when
09:47: God calls himself, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. That's that exact same thing here.
09:54: He's not ashamed to be called the God of Abraham. And he'd always didn't walk by faith. He sinned often, not ashamed.
10:02: Not ashamed Jesus chapter two to call us brothers. He's not embarrassed.
10:08: One writer said, Jesus will not blush when he calls you brother or sister. That is great grace.
10:15: That's amazing grace. I regularly say to myself, I should be more holy. I should be more sanctified.
10:21: I should be more patient and more loving, more evangelistic. I should overcome complaining. Shouldn't I be more mature by now?
10:28: Shouldn't I be less anxious now? Shouldn't I be more gentle with people by now?
10:35: If you look in your mirror long enough, you're gonna see what you see. But God is not ashamed to look at sinful people who have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb and to say, do you know what?
10:45: You're my child. Here you will never hear these words Christian, no matter what you've done.
10:52: If you're a Christian, you're in union with Christ, you'll never hear from God. That's enough,
10:57: I've had it with you. You are so unadopted. That's enough, I can't love you anymore.
11:04: My grace is great, but your sins have exhausted my grace. I simply can't be merciful to you any longer.
11:11: I never knew you. Can you imagine those words will never be heard from God to a
11:18: Christian. What a great savior. Jesus will bring those sons to glory. He's so great that the father says, you know what?
11:25: Based on what you've done, son, I'm not ashamed to be called their God. I love that.
11:32: Fix your affections on things above. Well, now we move to this next biography, if you will, verses 17 through 19.
11:39: Our passage today is an example of faith in the Messiah, who we know as Jesus.
11:46: Shorthand by faith, let's read verses 17, 18 and 19 and dissect it a little bit.
11:52: By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son of whom it was said through Isaac, shall your offspring be named.
12:05: He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead from which figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
12:15: Now, if you think of the Old Testament, there are some Mount Everest in the
12:21: Old Testament that people just need to know and they need to know well. Maybe it's Passover. You think, if I understand
12:27: Passover, I get the New Testament. Jesus is our Passover lamb. If I understand the Exodus, I get it when it comes to Jesus' great
12:35: Exodus. When it comes to Genesis 22 and this account, you've got to get it so you can understand the
12:42: New Testament. So here's what we're gonna do this morning. We're gonna go to Genesis 22, work through the passage, come back and look at Hebrews 11 and I think it will mean more to you then.
12:52: In other words, these recipients, the Hebrews, they knew this story well. I think we know the story pretty well, but it doesn't hurt to go back and look at Genesis 22.
13:02: To me, the most dramatic chapter maybe in all the Bible, short of our Lord Jesus' time at Golgotha.
13:08: Genesis 22 and then we're gonna work through that and then we'll have some practical questions at the very end.
13:17: I want you to know this passage like every one of these Jews knew the passage so you could understand what it was like to live by faith in the midst of every trial because there are tests in life and there are tests.
13:32: This is the latter. Some have called Genesis 22 the Old Testament's greatest scene.
13:39: It's the first time you'll see the word test in the Bible. It's the first time you'll see the word love in the Bible. And I think as we go through this, you're gonna say to yourself, this reminds me of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, a book about a father's love for a son.
13:54: You're gonna see faint echoes of a father and a son in Genesis 22. They're gonna point to the ultimate father loving the son.
14:03: This is going to be really what true faith is, what true faith does. It responds with loving obedience.
14:11: This is Psalm, this is rather Proverbs 23. My son, give me your heart. And that's exactly what's gonna happen.
14:19: Childlike faith. Matthew 10 says, anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.
14:26: Anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And boy, are we gonna see it in this passage.
14:34: I think if you read this for the first time, you probably are gonna get caught up into it emotionally.
14:41: It is full of emotion. Some people say they can't read it without tears.
14:49: The passage picks up in verse one of 22. After these things, we don't know exactly when, but there was enough time for mutual love, that's for certain.
14:59: Enough time for father -son bonding, that's for certain. God tested Abraham. So we know right away what's coming in the chapter.
15:07: And said to him, Abraham. And he said, here I am.
15:15: Abraham has not heard from the Lord for some time. Abraham recognizes the voice of God and he is ready to respond with faithful obedience.
15:24: We know God's purpose right up front. The writer tells us he was going to test Abraham. You might say to yourself,
15:31: I don't know if it's good for God to test people. I don't know if it's right for God to test people. And of course we would have to get those things out of our mind immediately because whatever the
15:40: Lord does, it is good. And you cannot say, James one, God is tempting me for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone, but he does test people.
15:52: And here's the test, the ultimate test. He said, take your son, your only son,
16:02: Isaac, whom you love and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which
16:10: I shall tell you. I mean, out of nowhere, he's just walking and then
16:16: God shows up and talks to him and says, here's your severe trial. As young blood said, it probably went like this.
16:23: Take your son, which one Lord? After all, I have two, Ishmael and Isaac, your only son.
16:28: Could you be more specific? The one whom you love. I love both sons, Isaac.
16:35: Thank you, Lord. Now I know exactly who you mean and what shall I do after I go and get him? Is there something that will further your will and purpose in his life?
16:43: Go to the land of Moriah. Oh, a vacation for us? Offer him there as a burnt offering.
16:56: Side note, when people say God talks to them and really it sounds a lot like them, this is not his conscience talking to him.
17:03: This is not his burning in the bosom talking to him. This is, I think, God externally talking to Abraham.
17:10: He knew it was God and he had to obey. And what did he say? Take, go and sacrifice.
17:16: Those were the three commands. Now, just in chapter 21, had we not heard?
17:22: Chapter 21 had talked about Isaac. In Isaac, your seed shall be blessed.
17:30: Isaac's gonna have to be the one. He's the young man of promise. And by the way, the
17:36: Hebrew here in Genesis 22, Isaac could have been around 15 to 25.
17:42: I think Josephus said he was something like 30. He wasn't some little tiny five -year -old.
17:49: This is the test. Your only son, verse two. Only son, verse 12. Only son, verse 16.
17:57: Go to this region of Moriah. And of course we know that would be eventually Jerusalem.
18:03: And over time, thousands upon thousands upon 10 ,000s of sacrificial animals were offered to God there.
18:09: And here it says, sacrifice him there as a burnt offering. What was a burnt offering? It meant complete surrender.
18:16: I'm offering everything to God. I'm burning it all up for God. Now, there were people who offered their children to false gods.
18:29: And God had said, do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your
18:35: God. I am the Lord. So people say, was it right for God to do this? Is it right for God to do this?
18:43: Of course, God does whatever is right. Could it be that Abraham needed to be willing to sacrifice
18:52: Isaac? If the pagans could sacrifice to their heathen gods, could he not sacrifice?
19:00: And of course, God did not ask Abraham what he himself was not willing to do on Mount Calvary hundreds of years later.
19:08: This is how God showed his love among us. First John four, he sent his only son into the world that we might live through him.
19:18: Spurgeon said, these three commands, take, go, and sacrifice, are like knives cutting on Abraham's soul.
19:25: I mean, I don't know about you, but the first thing I'd be thinking about, what am I gonna go home and tell Kim? Right, that's what
19:30: I'd be thinking. What do you mean, God told you to go slay the promised son? Yet Abraham resigned to do his will.
19:38: By faith, he's in this faith chapter. The only son, the mediator has to come through Isaac.
19:47: By the way, if you're a believer, if God has Abraham kill Isaac and Isaac is not raised from the dead, nobody here goes to heaven.
19:54: It's not just the son that's on trial here, not just the father on trial, but your salvation is at trial.
20:02: And it'd be one thing if he said, you know what, he's gonna die in an accident. He's gonna die and you'll grieve, but something else will happen.
20:12: And it'd be another thing if he said, do it right now, but the suspense is killing me. Three days to make his mind go over and over and over for the resolve, will
20:21: I obey God or won't I? Every syllable, it seems like God is forcing the issue.
20:30: Verse three, some people say, well, Abraham just as obedient, he got up right away in the morning to go obey, but most think he probably didn't sleep at all.
20:38: Verse three, Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, took two of his young men with him and his son,
20:45: Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
20:52: I mean, the details. I wonder what
21:00: Abraham did when he was walking there. 50 miles probably. Abraham interceded with God for Sodom.
21:07: I'm sure he was interceding for the sake of his son under the Lord. On the third day,
21:17: Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. It had to be a heartbreaking trip.
21:25: Maybe God would change his mind. Maybe something else would happen. Then Abraham said to his young men, stay here, insightful, stay here with the donkey.
21:34: I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you. He's gonna return.
21:42: Some people think, oh, he's just trying to deceive the servants because they wouldn't let him go along with this, go through with this. Some think he's just kind of propping up courage.
21:50: I don't think that at all. Here's Abraham's logic. Isaac, son of promise, true?
21:55: God says, he commands me to slay my son, true?
22:02: What's the only conclusion? Through Isaac, I have to kill him. Something's gotta happen.
22:07: By the way, how many resurrections were in the Bible before Genesis 22? Dozens? Zero.
22:16: He says, Isaac is gonna be the promised son and there's gonna be numerous stars and descendants, descendants is numerous to stars, and I have to slay him.
22:25: So what happens? Verse six. Talk more about this when we're back in Hebrews. Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son
22:32: Isaac. He's big enough to hold the wood. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife so they both of them went together.
22:43: He could have subdued his father. He was big enough. He was strong enough. Isaac said to his father, and here is the dagger of all daggers.
22:53: It could be translated, father dearest, daddy. My special father, he said, here
23:03: I am, my son. Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?
23:12: Calvin said, quote, God produces here a new instrument of torture by which he may more and more torment the breast of Abraham already pierced him with so many wounds.
23:21: And it is not to be doubted that God designed both framed the tongue of Isaac to this tender appellation and directed it to this question in order that nothing might be wanting to the extreme severity of Abraham's grief.
23:34: Yet the holy man sustains even this attack with invincible courage. And it is so far from being disturbed in his purpose course that he shows himself to be entirely devoted to God.
23:46: End quote. I don't think he said anything to his son early on because I don't think he wanted his son to be afraid and worried.
23:56: Verse eight, Abraham said, God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering. So they both of them went together.
24:04: God will provide. What a great statement. What a great gospel. Law or gospel? God will provide.
24:11: This is gospel. He's going to do the work. Where's the lamb? God will provide. Verse nine, then they came to the place in which
24:19: God had told him. Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound
24:24: Isaac, his son, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. What don't we hear?
24:32: Goodbye. I love you. It'll only hurt for a minute. The farewells.
24:41: He binds Isaac. Verse 10, then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
24:51: I mean, just the language. But the angel of the
25:01: Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham, urgency. Here I am.
25:10: Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear
25:15: God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me. Can you imagine what
25:22: Abraham would have thought? Friends, the deed was done in his heart. He was as good as dead.
25:29: In his heart, Abraham said, I'm going to do it and slay his son. And he was intercepted by the angel of the
25:35: Lord. There was no question in God's mind. There was no question in Abraham's mind that he was going to kill the son.
25:41: Probably no question in Isaac's mind. You say, well, what does it mean now I know?
25:47: Did God learn anything? This is just language of accommodation. How can we understand the infinite God and how he does things?
25:53: We understand this though. Now I know, we see the test. Verse 13, Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the thicket of his horns by his thorns.
26:04: Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering. Substitutionary language, instead of his son.
26:14: So Abraham called the name of that place. I don't know, what would you have called that place?
26:21: Hallelujah Mountain or something, I don't know. Ralph's Run, no. Something so much better, the
26:28: Lord will provide. Gospel, it's done. As it is said to this day, on the
26:33: Mount of the Lord, it shall be provided. You ever watch
26:40: R .C. Sproul preach? I wish I could do it justice when he goes through this passage. Sometime pull it up on YouTube, Genesis 22 and R .C.
26:49: with his great dramatic flair begins to talk about this passage. And then he said it was hundreds of years later where another father took another son on Mount Moriah for an offering.
27:00: And this time when the knife went up, nobody hollered stop. You could see it, it's all right there.
27:08: A great picture, a great type. We see the father's love for a son of the seed of the only son.
27:16: Verse 15, and the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven. And he said, by myself I have sworn, this is
27:24: Hebrew six language, declares the Lord because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son.
27:29: I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore and your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies.
27:43: And in your offspring, shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because you have obeyed my voice.
27:51: And then you get a breath before he continues and goes to the next chapter. So why don't you turn back to Hebrews chapter 11 because that scene in Genesis 22 is something that all these recipients of this letter
28:03: Hebrews would know intimately. And so now knowing what we know, let's go back here for the little summary because it proves to be enlightening.
28:12: Hebrews chapter 11, Abraham by faith. We had the little interlude from verses 13, 14, 15 and 16.
28:21: And now we catch back up in by faith in the Messiah. By faith, verse 17 of Hebrews 11, when he was tested, began arguing with God.
28:34: By faith, when he was tested, he began bargaining, arguing, equivocating as some say.
28:41: No, when he was tested, he offered up Isaac. By the way, you're gonna see the word offered again in verse 17.
28:48: And he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son. Boy, this is fascinating.
28:54: You know how sometimes when you hear a pastor talk about Greek things, he's trying to act cool.
29:00: I'm not trying to act cool here. The word tested is a present. When you look at verse 17, when he was tested, from the moment when
29:08: God said you take him to go offer to the time three days later, when he actually put the knife up, that was a test.
29:16: Of course it was. It's an extreme test. And he offered and he was in the act of offering.
29:25: Well, how do we explain that? Well, because he didn't actually kill him with the knife. He was going to do it in his mind.
29:33: But from God's perspective, from Abraham's perspective, it was done. He was offered.
29:42: And you notice the passage here in Hebrews 11. What's it say? Hebrews 11, verse 17.
29:52: He offered up Isaac and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son.
30:00: You know what that word is? Only begotten, only begotten, the unique, the one of a kind.
30:07: Does it sound like anything to you? Any kind of echo of anything in the New Testament? Of course, the one and only son, the unique son, the only begotten son.
30:17: This is faith, this is real faith. Verse 18, of whom it was said, through Isaac shall your offspring be named.
30:26: Physical descendants, spiritual descendants, everybody here who's a trusted in the Lord. Through Isaac.
30:34: Verse 19, you say, well, because he didn't die. How's that all work? He considered that God was even able to raise him from the dead from which figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
30:47: There's our explanation. Just like we said earlier, here's the logic. By the way, verse 19, he considered it's a math word.
30:56: It's where we get the word logic. Here's what he did. Now, so maybe some of you don't like math.
31:01: Maybe some of you are accountants. I think math people and accountants are basically of the same ilk, but God bless you.
31:08: We need all those kinds of people. Who's an accountant here? Anybody willing to admit it? Who's a math person here?
31:15: Some admit it, some are proud, proud, bow tie proud.
31:27: This is language. He just kept thinking about it. He was calculating. Okay, wait a second.
31:32: A, through Isaac. B, I'm supposed to kill him. What would that mean? Thinking, pondering, reckoning.
31:40: That's the language here. And of course, probably in his mind, he's thinking what
31:45: Jeremiah 32 would say. Nothing is too difficult for God. He's considering, he's thinking, you know what?
31:53: Something has to be done. God has promised, God is faithful, and I'm gonna have to reason this.
32:01: I have to add things up. Legitimize, it's where we get the word in justification language, to credit.
32:08: But it also just means to enter an item on a ledger, so it's not going to be forgotten. I'm gonna have to take into account with facts.
32:16: True or false, Abraham's faith was a blind leap of faith. False, it was calculated.
32:25: He figured all this out. One person said his logic was audacious. God said
32:31: Abraham would have children as numerous as the stars in the sand. Abraham believed God, he had faith in God.
32:36: And God said that through Isaac, the great covenant and blessing would come. Yet God said to kill
32:43: Isaac. So what had to be his conclusion? God was even able to raise from the dead.
32:49: That's the only logical conclusion. You add up the facts, that's what you get. Don't you love it when the text says
32:57: God was able? Maybe that's one of my favorite phrases in all the New Testament, God is able.
33:05: That's Ephesians three, now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever, amen.
33:20: Here, nothing else could happen except the resurrection and Abraham believed it. And the text says in the
33:29: ESV, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. And the reason why it says that, the
33:34: Greek word is where we get the word parable, but really he's just trying to say, you know what? He didn't really kill him with a knife, although he killed him in his heart.
33:43: And so he didn't really receive him back as a true resurrection, so it's figuratively speaking.
33:49: It's an illustration, the CSB translates it. Substitution, figuratively coming back from the dead.
34:01: Well, what can we learn from this? Let me have you answer a couple of practical questions. Number one, why is there so much emphasis in the entire
34:10: Bible, both old and new, on this account in Genesis 22? I found some interesting questions and answers.
34:19: One was because sometimes we make an idol out of things and God's gonna take away our idol. Do you think that's true?
34:26: That Isaac was Abraham's idol and God said, I've got to take that idol away.
34:32: Do you think that's why this is so often in the Bible? I don't think it has anything to do with that. I think this has to do with a great picture of a father's love for a son.
34:41: When you hear things like only son, only begotten son, Genesis 22 is a foreshadow.
34:47: It is a type of the death of the Lord Jesus where the father kills the son for the sake of his people.
34:56: Turn to Romans chapter eight for a moment, please. Romans 8 .32, Romans 8 .32.
35:08: You cannot read Genesis 22 without thinking of the ultimate father and the ultimate son.
35:16: Romans 8 .32, he who did not spare his own son. By the way, that is the exact language from Genesis 22, spare.
35:25: The same Greek word in Romans 8 .32 is used in the Greek version of the Old Testament called the
35:31: Septuagint for Genesis 22, not withheld. He did not spare or withhold his own son.
35:37: We're talking here, the father and the son, members of the Trinity, but gave him up for us all.
35:43: How will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Abraham's most precious possession, the child of promise, he had to slay on the altar.
35:59: Would God not give his most precious possession, his elect son in whom he's well -pleased for the sake of sinners?
36:08: You say, well, who really delivered up Jesus? Pilate? Herod? Jews?
36:16: It was the father. What's the text say? He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all.
36:23: He gave him freely out of grace. The word means to bestow out of grace.
36:29: That is amazing. And God does this for his children. Wrong. God did this for his enemies and turned them into children.
36:40: That's amazing. God did not ask Abraham what he was not willing to do. You know the verse, do you not? For God so loved the world that he gave his only son.
36:49: That's that same language of Genesis. And whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
36:54: Why is Genesis 22 everywhere in the Old Testament and new? Answer, because it's a foreshadow of the death of the
37:01: Lord Jesus. You see in Abraham, the father, you see in Isaac, the son, the Lord Jesus.
37:06: He is the sacrifice for sinners. People say, is Isaac a type of Christ? Of course he is.
37:12: Is Abraham a type of the father? Of course he is. Question two, how do you increase faith?
37:20: You ever ask yourself the question, I wish I could have greater faith. I'm not talking about faithfulness. I'd like more of that too.
37:25: But what about faith? If I ask you the question, would you like to have more faith? What's the first thing you should do if you'd like more faith?
37:35: Huh? I can't believe I just said, huh. What? What did you say? Ask, increase our faith.
37:42: What a great way to pray. Lord, thank you for what you've done. Would you increase my faith? Additionally, I think you should study the attributes of God.
37:50: I talked about that last week. The object of your faith, you study and you understand.
37:59: Number three, I've got another question for you. How important is eschatology? Eschatology is the study of last things.
38:06: Study of last things. Most people think study of last things is will this new virus in China kill everybody?
38:12: And how does that fit in the book of Revelation and all these other things? That's not what we're talking about when it comes to eschatology.
38:22: Eschatology is what do you look for? What are you hoping for? That's the question of eschatology.
38:30: I love it when I hear people have a common confession that goes like this.
38:38: We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. That's what this writer in Hebrews was trying to get people to do.
38:47: There's trouble in life, but make sure you don't think terminally on this earth.
38:56: Then my final question is, how is your faith vindicated? How do you know that you really have it?
39:01: And let's just turn to James chapter two and we're gonna have to just end there. We're gonna end quickly. James chapter two.
39:07: How is faith vindicated? James chapter two. This is brought up with Genesis 22 in background.
39:17: James 2, 14 and following. I don't know why
39:23: I'm sweating more seated on a stool than I do when I'm jumping up and down and running around. Hmm?
39:31: Nope, not gonna do it. I'm drinking water in four minutes, but not before this is over.
39:42: You're like, what's the big picture? If I just step back again and think about this whole passage. There are people that are weak, but still trusted in the sovereign savior, the strong one.
39:53: And if they could do it, you can too. You don't have to go back to your old Judaism.
39:59: You don't have to go back to whatever kind of your old religion. God can be trusted no matter what, even if you can't figure it all out and logic it to completion.
40:09: Well, James chapter two. One of the things that people have in life is they have a faith that doesn't save.
40:15: People can say they have a knowledge of God and an ascent of God, but they don't really trust in him. And so Abraham is used to let us see the vindication of faith.
40:27: What good is it, my brothers? James 2, 14. If someone keeps on saying that they have faith.
40:32: I'm a believer, but does not have any works. That faith can't save him is the point.
40:39: If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, go in peace, be warm, be filled without giving them things needed for the body.
40:47: What good is that? In other words, it isn't good faith by itself. If it does not have works is dead.
40:54: That's not saving faith. That's just knowledge. That's just lip service. That's not a trusting. But someone will say you have faith.
41:02: I have works, show me. I mean, how do I know if have somebody has faith? I can't see their invisible heart, their soul, their conscience.
41:10: God can, but for me, I just have to look at externals. Show me your faith apart from works and I'll show you my faith by my works.
41:16: You believe that God's one. Ooh, big deal. You do well. Even the demons believe and farther than you, they're emotional about it.
41:23: They shudder. You don't want to be shown you foolish person. That faith apart from works is useless.
41:31: Now here we come. Was not our father Abraham justified by works when he offered up his son
41:39: Isaac on the altar? How do we get by that? So you're saved by works is what you're telling me.
41:45: Is that what you're telling me? I hope that's not what you're getting. Because already in Romans chapter four, it says that Abraham wasn't saved by works because you can't be perfect enough in your works to be saved by works.
41:59: And why send Jesus if you could be saved by your works? But when God does save you and make you born again and make you a new creature in Christ Jesus and gives you saving faith, it shows.
42:12: How did it show with Abraham? He was justified by works. The best way to look at it, exact same word, vindicated.
42:18: How do we see? How do we know? When he offered up his son Isaac on the altar. Dear friends, when
42:25: Abraham went to slay Isaac, and if you were there and you were watching him, would you say, in fact, Abraham believed
42:31: God? How can you see his invisible heart though? You can't, but you could see this, and you could see this.
42:41: We're saved by faith alone, but as the reformer said, that faith won't be what? Alone.
42:47: If you say you've got faith, but you never have any works, you're not a Christian. If you say you have faith and you're thinking that all your works have to be perfect in order to secure your salvation and to maintain it, that's also a wrong thinking.
43:03: But this faith works. Do you see the passage again? He offered up his son on the altar, and then now from our personal perspective, you see that faith, how do you see faith?
43:12: I don't see it, but I see what faith does, was active along with his work, and faith was completed by his works, and the scripture was fulfilled that says, how do you know he was a believer?
43:24: Here's his legal standing before God. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called a friend of God.
43:32: You see, not God sees, but you see the vindication of faith that a person is justified or vindicated by works and not by faith alone.
43:42: Some people say, well, there's only one place in the Bible where it says faith alone, and it says you're not saved by faith alone.
43:48: How would you respond to that? What's the point? The point is everyone here could see that Abraham believed
43:56: God, that he was walking by faith based on what he did. You're not saved by works except Christ works, but when you're saved, guess what you'll do?
44:08: Works, and does God accept you, Christian? Yes, so does
44:14: God accept your less than perfect works? Yes, because he accepts you. So whenever you go to James chapter two, you have to say, you know what?
44:22: This is vindication language, and this is us seeing things. God knew that Abraham believed him.
44:28: How do we know that Abraham believed him? The knife went up and on its way, it started to go down, or maybe it didn't go down, but in his heart, it was done.
44:39: Yes, I talk regularly to you, Christians, and I wanna give you encouragement, and I want you to say, you know what?
44:45: God doesn't look at you and say, you're the biggest loser I've ever met, because he sees you in Christ.
44:52: But I also wanna make sure that there are people that are sitting here today saying, you know what? I just give lip service to God, and I just have this false faith, and I just think, you know what?
45:01: I throw God a bone or two, and I don't really trust him with knowledge, assent, and trust. That's a false faith.
45:09: J. Bernard McGee said the devil had a meeting with his demons to decide how to persuade men that God was not existent.
45:15: Since the demons themselves believed in his existence, they wondered how to do it. One demon suggested they tell people
45:21: Jesus never really existed, and that men should not believe such fiction. Another demon suggested that they persuade men that death ends all, and they need not worry about their life after death.
45:32: Finally, the most intelligent demon suggested that they tell everyone there is a God, his name's
45:37: Jesus, and that believing in him saves, and that you can simply get to heaven by professing faith, and then go on living in sin as you used to.
45:48: Interesting. Faith alone in the object of the Lord Jesus saves, but that faith, dear friends, like in Abraham's life, will never be alone.
45:58: Let's pray. Thank you, Father, for our time in your word. Thankful that your word is powerful. I'm sure
46:05: Abraham loved Isaac, but that's just a faint echo of your love for the
46:11: Son. Thank you for loving us enough to send Jesus. We're thankful that Jesus loved us and became that offering, that burnt offering for us, sacrificially, and we're thankful that the
46:24: Holy Spirit has applied that great love, that great substitutionary act to our lives.
46:30: I pray for this dear church. I pray for the people that are here that just have a false faith that could never be vindicated.
46:37: I pray that you would grant them saving faith, and you would have the blinders go away. And Father, for the
46:44: Christians here, we struggle, we sin. Our works are far from perfect, and we ask forgiveness for that.
46:50: But even that is a vindication, because who talks that way besides Christians?
46:55: So thank you that you're not ashamed to be our Father. You're not ashamed to be Abraham's father, and that we look forward to that great day.
47:02: And so help us to set our minds on things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. In Jesus' name, amen.