Will You Surrender All?

Well, good evening everyone and welcome.

As it's already been said, my name is Alster.

I have the privilege of being on staff here

and the privilege of opening Genesis 22 for us this evening.

But as we start, let me ask us a question.

Have you ever been on a long journey,

which is both easy and difficult?

Well, nearly five years ago when my wife and I got married,

on our honeymoon, we went on what we thought would be a quick hike.

Now, this was in Austria.

No hike is quick in Austria.

And after six hours of ups and downs,

of smooth wooden floors, paths surrounded by beautiful trees,

and of steep, steep, rocky paths where you would lose your footing,

we managed to make it all the way to the top

of a 2,023 meters above sea level mountain.

It was a pretty difficult hike,

especially for an unfit person like I was and am.

But finally, we reached the top.

And it all was worth it.

The journey, regardless of how difficult it was,

was totally worth the amazing view that we saw.

And as we come to this final installment of the series of the life of Abraham,

I think we can probably agree that it's been a pretty difficult journey.

We have seen ups and downs.

It's almost as if Abraham's life is a steep mountain climb.

He's gone on a steep and difficult path.

But on a hike along the way, there was little breaks and gaps in the trees.

And from those gaps, you can see, you could see amazing views like this one.

And the same has happened with Abraham.

As he's been journeying through this difficult path of life,

he's seen little glimpses of hope.

He's seen amazing promises of God.

As he went through the difficulty of waiting 25 years for the birth of his son Isaac.

As he walked away from his father's house and left the life that he knew behind him

because God had told him to.

We've seen him rejoice and live obediently.

And we've seen him downcast and live in disobedience.

But one of the constants throughout this whole narrative of the life of Abraham has been God.

And the big truth that runs throughout this whole story is that God is faithful.

Time and time again, we have seen the faithfulness of God.

The God who created the world with his words.

The God who sustains the very universe that we live in.

The God who knows everyone who has ever lived and will ever live.

Decided to reveal himself to this man, Abraham.

Was God faithful?

Absolutely.

He certainly was.

And since Genesis 12, Abraham has obeyed.

He's disobeyed.

He's been a man of faith and a man of failings.

Even last week, we saw how he fell into the same old sin and lied about the identity of his wife to save his own skin.

Genesis 12, we see the amazing promises of God.

And they've come up again and again in these chapters.

Abraham is to be the father of a great nation.

But one problem stood in the way.

Sarah was barren.

And then last week in Genesis 21, we saw God work a miracle.

And Sarah gave birth to Isaac.

And then we turn to Genesis 22.

And we see Abraham going through the ultimate test.

And the question that I think runs through this passage in Genesis 22 and the whole of Abraham's life really is this question.

Abraham, will you surrender?

Abraham, will you listen to the will of God?

Will you act on God's revealed will?

Will you surrender all and follow God?

So that's the question I want us to have in the back of our minds this evening as we travel through this passage, which is difficult, but which is wonderful.

In Genesis 22, we see God telling Abraham to do something difficult.

And as I've been thinking about this this week, I wondered how I would respond if I was asked to surrender all in his situation.

And I'll be honest.

And in his particular situation, I think I'd struggle.

In fact, I know I'd struggle.

But thankfully, God gives his amazing grace and accepts even a fallen heart like mine.

So not only does this passage encourage us to think about this question in light of Abraham's life, but I want us to think about it for ourselves as well.

Will we surrender all?

Will you surrender all to God?

So let's dive into Genesis 22 and we'll see three things.

A difficult request from God, a devout response of Abraham and a definitive reward from God.

So the first thing we see is a difficult request from God in verses one and two, a difficult request from God.

Now, right at the outset of this passage, you'll see in verse one that we have an insight that Abraham didn't have.

We're told that God was testing Abraham.

Abraham had no idea that what God is about to tell him is a test.

This test will prove whether or not Abraham's faith in God is genuine.

Now, it is important to know that God is not enticing Abraham to sin.

But instead, he is giving him the opportunity to prove his allegiance to God.

This is an opportunity for Abraham to show God the lengths that his obedience will take him.

And to show whether or not he has true confidence in God.

God calls Abraham.

And the first words you hear from Abraham's mouth are a declaration that he is ready to listen.

He is ready to act on the words that God is going to say to him.

Do you see that in verse one?

Here I am.

Lord, use me.

I am ready to obey you.

And then in verse two, we have the request.

But this isn't really a request.

It's actually more of a command.

God is telling Abraham what he is going to do.

Just like in Genesis 12, where God told Abraham to leave his father's house.

Read verse two with me.

Then God said, take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the region of Moriah.

Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.

Can you imagine how Abraham is feeling with every single word that God says in that verse?

With every single word, it's as if a dagger is being pushed into his heart further and further.

Can you imagine his pain?

His confusion?

How can God tell Abraham to sacrifice Isaac?

This is the child that he's been waiting for for 25 years since God promised him a son.

This is the God, this is the son, sorry, through whom the promises of Genesis 12 will all come true.

And now you want me to sacrifice him?

Why?

Why God?

Isn't that what you'd expect Abraham to say?

And even worse, not only will Isaac or would Isaac be taken away from him,

but Abraham is told that it is his hand that will take his own son's life.

Abraham wouldn't be handing his son over to another person,

but it is his knife that will take his son's life.

What a painful and confusing request.

God is telling Abraham to go to an unknown location

to do something that is unthinkable for every single parent in this world.

And the big question as we look at this command from God is,

why?

Why would God ask such a thing?

And the answer that this passage would encourage us to conclude

is that this command was given so that Abraham could prove his faith to God.

Now God knew Abraham had faith,

and we've seen that as we've looked through his life on Sunday evenings.

But now Abraham's faith is to be backed up by his actions.

Abraham's actions will prove that his faith is real.

He isn't to have this attitude of let's let go and let God know.

Abraham is to have an attitude of let's trust God and get going.

Now this request from God to Abraham is unique to him and to his particular situation.

God is not giving us, thankfully, the same command as he gives Abraham in this passage.

But let me ask us a question.

Something I struggled with this week.

What are we holding back from God?

Whether you've been a Christian for years, for months or for days,

what are you holding back from God?

As I was preparing this week, I thought to myself,

can I really stand before God and say, here I am?

Or am I more likely to say, God, I'm here, but look at all this nice stuff you can have.

Take that, but please don't touch this bit.

That's mine.

I've heard someone describe it as when you become a Christian,

you invite God to move into your life and you treat it like a house.

You give him the grand tour.

God, look at all these amazing, marvelous things you can have.

You can have this room and this room.

But when God asks about that little door at the back of the house

that you've kept locked and hasn't seen the light of day for years,

no, God, you don't really want that bit, do you?

I need that bit.

I'm not ready to give it up.

That's still mine.

Is that how we treat God?

Or will you surrender all?

Are we willing to surrender our actions to God,

to let his will for our lives guide us and take us where he wants us to go?

We cannot be called Christians and not act upon our faith.

We cannot let go and let God.

We are to trust God and get going.

We have to act.

We have to act.

Will we surrender all?

You become stronger only when you become weaker.

When you surrender your will to God, you discover the resources to do exactly what God has asked you to do.

God always has and always will look for men and women who say to him,

God, I trust you so much.

God, I trust you so much.

I'm all in.

I want your way to be my way.

I am willing to live by faith.

And God is so gracious to us that even when we are stubborn, he is patient.

But we are called to surrender all to God.

Will you surrender all?

The next thing that we see in this passage is a devout response of Abraham.

Verses 3 to 12, a devout response of Abraham.

How would you expect Abraham to respond to this command?

This confusing and this painful command?

Put yourself in his shoes for a moment.

Feel his pain and his confusion as God tells him to sacrifice his own son.

How does he respond?

Look at verse 3.

Early the next morning, Abraham got up and loaded his donkey.

What?

If you were to sit down with Abraham and ask him about this whole thing,

he might say, yes, I was confused.

I was afraid as every single parent would be.

So why, Abraham?

Why did you obey this command?

And he might look you square in the eye and say,

because I have confidence in my God.

I know the God who called me from my father's home

and sent me to a land promised to me.

I know that God continues to bless me despite my shortcomings.

I obeyed because I know that the promises of God will not be thwarted.

I obeyed because I know the one who commanded me.

I know my God, Abraham might say.

As I was reading this passage, I was stuck by the time frame of it all.

It happens very, very quickly.

It doesn't happen quickly, sorry.

God didn't command Abraham to sacrifice Isaac there and then in the moment.

But Abraham is to travel to a specific place three days journey away.

And you see that in verse four.

That means that Abraham would have time to think, time to doubt.

Even as he sat and he chopped the wood,

thinking all the time that the twigs he held in his hand,

in a few days his son would be lying on them.

As he takes one step after the other towards this place that God has shown him,

every step is closer to the moment where he will have to kill his son.

But in verse five,

you see a hint of Abraham's confidence that God will come through.

Abraham said to his servants,

Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there.

We will worship.

And then we will come back to you.

We will worship.

And we will come back to you.

These are not empty words.

Nor are they the hopeful words of a distraught father.

These are the words of a man who is confident in God.

That God will fulfill his covenant promises through Isaac as he said he would.

Hebrews 11 verses 17 to 19 shed some light on Abraham's thinking here.

Hebrews 11:17–19

And the words are on the screen.

By faith, Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.

He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,

even though God had said to him,

It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.

This is the important part.

Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead.

Abraham was so confident in God

that even if he did have to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering,

that God would keep his covenant promises

and raise Isaac from the dead and return Isaac to him.

And you see his confidence.

We will go and worship, Abraham says to his servants,

but both of us will return to you.

And Abraham is walking with Isaac

in full expectation that he's going to have to kill his son.

And look at the painful details in verse 6.

Isaac carries the wood

and Abraham carries the blade and the fire.

Isaac is carrying the wood that he will be lying on in just a few verses.

He carries a heavy burden.

And Abraham carries the two smaller things,

fire and the knife.

But even though these are small items,

I can imagine they felt as lead in his hands.

Abraham and Isaac both have a heavy burden to bear,

but they are going together.

As they walk, Isaac is innocently obeying his earthly father.

And Abraham, with every step,

more and more agony,

yet confident in his God,

is obeying his heavenly father.

Imagine the heaviness over that conversation

as they walked towards the mountain.

Abraham probably wasn't in much of a talking mood.

And Isaac, possibly starting to get a little bit suspicious,

asked, Dad, where's the lamb?

And again, you see Abraham's confidence.

God will provide the lamb.

Now, we don't know whether the lamb Abraham is referring to

is an actual lamb,

or if he's thinking about his son.

Abraham might not even know at this point.

But it is his confidence that is important.

It is firmly grounded in the faithful covenant-keeping God

that he serves.

Ask any author what the key to building a good story is.

And they will tell you

that you have to have a captivating plot.

You have to have a twist that nobody saw coming,

and a disaster which could eliminate

one of the main characters.

That is the plot line that runs through

roughly 90% of the action movies and series

that you see on TV today.

But this plot line did not originate

from Netflix or HBO or Amazon Prime,

but from the creator of this world.

As God is directing the writer of Genesis

to write down this story,

you can see the tension building, can't you?

With every little detail it builds.

This is the part of the movie

where the dramatic music kicks in.

You see Abraham building the altar.

The camera focuses in on Isaac,

and in the background you see Abraham

laying the wood on the altar.

Abraham lays down his son,

and he reaches for the knife.

And at this point the music is so loud,

and you're hiding behind your pillow.

But notice the details that the author doesn't say.

There is no mention of an objection from Isaac.

I mean, he has his own two feet.

He walked to the mountain.

Why hasn't he done a runner?

Because he is being obedient.

Isn't that amazing?

This obedience must have come from a trust in his father,

the one who he has seen live obediently before God.

His obedience must come from a confidence

that Isaac has in God.

Abraham probably told Isaac the promises

that God had given him as Isaac was growing up.

How Isaac would be the first fruit

of these covenant promises.

And Isaac obediently lies on the wood

awaiting his death.

And as the knife is raised in the air,

as this father full of confusion and pain

and confidence is just about to lower the knife

and take his son's life,

as you see this mountain range of tension

which has been building up,

you hear a voice of deliverance.

Abraham.

Abraham.

Here I am, he replied.

The same response of obedience

and willingness to act

according to the will of God.

Tell me what to do, Lord.

I am here waiting your command.

Do not harm the boy.

Now I know that you fear God

because you were willing to give him up.

Abraham's faith is not only being approved by God

in these verses,

but his actions are being applauded by God.

Now I know that you fear God.

This was the ultimate example of faith

and it was counted to him as righteousness.

His faith is backed up by his actions.

Do not harm the boy.

Imagine the relief,

both of Abraham and of Isaac.

We see a devout response of Abraham

and you see his obedience

obedience and confidence in God.

Do we live lives

which ooze

obedience to God

because we are confident

in who he is?

Here we see a man

who was willing to give up

everything that he holds dear,

everything that he loves

for his relationship with God.

Do I care that much

about my relationship with God?

Do we care that much

about our relationship with God?

Are we willing

to surrender all?

what good is it for a man

to gain the whole world

yet forfeit his soul?

Abraham is confident

that his soul is kept

in the hands of the living,

faithful,

covenant-keeping God

because he knows who he is

and he trusts him

and obeys.

What good is it

for a man

to gain the whole world

yet forfeit his soul?

Will you surrender

all to God?

Abraham's response

to God's command

is almost the pinnacle

of confidence in God

and obedience

to his will.

And the final thing

that we see in this passage

is how God responds.

A definitive reward

from God

verses 13 to 24.

A definitive reward

from God.

God sees Abraham's obedience

and he provides

a substitute.

A ram is caught

in a thicket

and Abraham takes it

and sacrifices it.

Notice those words.

Instead of his son.

A substitute is given.

And now both Abraham

and Isaac can worship

God together.

God saw Abraham's faith

and God provided.

In verses 15 to 18

we see a reiteration

of the promises

that God has given Abraham

that would be fulfilled

through his son Isaac.

And in verse 16

we see God swearing

by himself.

This is the only time

in the book of Genesis

that God does this.

Why?

Well, first of all

there is no one greater

than himself

by whom God could swear.

God is swearing

to bless and multiply

Abraham's offspring

Abraham's seed.

His descendants

will be as numerous

as the stars in heaven

and as the sand

on the seashore.

And by swearing

by himself

God is showing

the seriousness

and permanence

of his promise.

He's saying

I'm putting my name

on the line

to show you

how serious I am.

God is faithful

and he will not go back

on his promises.

He will provide

and he has provided.

But look at verse 17

with me.

It says

your descendants

will take possession

of the cities

of their enemies

and through your offspring

all nations on earth

will be blessed.

Or if you have an ESV

in front of you

it will say

and your offspring

shall possess

the gate of his enemies

and your offspring

shall all

and in your offspring

shall all the nations

of earth

be blessed.

Now why am I bringing

this verse

to your attention?

Well because the Hebrew

word that is used

there for their

or his

the highlighted red word

on the screen.

This word can be

both plural

and singular.

The writer of Genesis

wants us to see

that this verse

has a specific thing

to say about Isaac

but that this verse

also refers to

another seed

of Abraham.

In this whole narrative

of Genesis 22

Isaac is a foreshadow

of another seed

of Abraham.

And this is the amazing

thing about the Bible.

We're not just reading

about the life

of Abraham here

but this deals

this promise

deals

with stuff

that's already happened

and stuff that is

to come in the future.

In Genesis 3

Genesis 3:15

verse 15

we see a promise

that Eve's seed

will come and defeat

Satan.

in Genesis 22

17

we see a promise

that Abraham's seed

will triumph

over his enemies.

And in Luke 23

we read

it was about noon

and darkness

came over the whole land

until three

in the afternoon

for the sun

stopped shining

and the curtain

of the temple

was torn in two.

Jesus called out

with a loud voice

Father into your hands

I commit my spirit.

and when he said this

he breathed his last.

There we see

the two seeds

of Abraham.

Now think of some

of the comparisons

between the two.

Isaac is obediently

following and trusting

his father.

Jesus

was sent into this world

by his father

and our God.

Isaac

carries the wood

which he will be laid on.

Jesus carried his cross

to death.

Isaac

obediently

awaits

his own death

so that he is

obedient to God's will.

Jesus went

to the cross

surrendering all

to make reconciliation

with God possible.

Isaac

is said

to rule over

his enemies

and at the cross

the son of God

Jesus Christ

defeated

humanity's

worst enemies

sin and death.

But also

notice the differences.

In Isaac's case

a ram

is offered

as a sacrifice

meaning that

he didn't die

but the ram

did

and they worshipped

God.

Well the difference

is that the son

of God

Jesus Christ

himself

was

the substitute.

How?

Well because

the punishment

that he bore

on the cross

was my punishment

to bear.

It was your

punishment

to bear.

As the song

puts it

behold

the man

upon the cross

my sin

upon his shoulders

ashamed

I hear my

mocking voice

call out

among the scoffers.

It was my sin

that held him

there until

it was

accomplished.

His dying

breath

has brought

me life.

I know

that it

is finished.

Jesus

was our

substitute

sent by

God

to take

the punishment

on the cross

to bear

the wrath

of God

to be the

sacrificial

lamb

that took

our place

and Jesus

death is

available for

all those

who would

have faith

in him.

Jesus

is the

perfect

sacrifice

who takes

away the

sins of

the world.

Jesus

is the

fulfillment

of these

covenant

promises.

He is

the one

who is

the blessing

to the

whole

world.

How?

Well because

his sacrifice

is available

to all

people

in all

the world

from every

tribe

every tongue

and every

nation

he calls

people to

repent

to believe

in him

and to

worship him

in perfect

relationship

with God

which is only

made possible

through Jesus

Christ the

lamb that

was slain.

So whether

you've been a

Christian for

years or

you've never

heard this

before I

want to ask

you the same

question as we

draw to a

close this

evening.

Will you

surrender

all?

You might be

asking the

question why

would I

surrender all

to a person

I can't

see?

Why would I

surrender all

to a person

who died

2000 years

ago on a

cross?

Well because

Jesus is now

in heaven.

He is our

strong and

perfect plea.

He is our

great high

priest whose

name is

love.

Whoever lives

and pleads

for us.

Why is

Jesus deserving

of our

worship?

Well because

Jesus is the

sinless

saviour and

he died so

that our

sinful soul

can be

counted free.

And God

looks on

Jesus'

sacrifice and

pardons us

of our

sins.

Why is

Jesus the

true hope

of our

lives?

Which should

give us more

than enough

reason to

surrender all

to him.

Because he

is the

risen lamb.

He is our

perfect spotless

righteousness.

The unchangeable

king of glory.

And as

Christians we

have a certain

hope.

we can

know for

sure that

our hearts

are hidden

with him

on high.

So is

Jesus worth

surrendering all

for?

Abraham cries

out yes.

The Bible

tells us yes.

Church history

is filled with

people who

with their

very last

breath on

earth said

yes.

hearts.

So the

question is

will we

surrender

all?

Let's pray

together.

Heavenly

Father we

come before

you this

evening and

we acknowledge

that the

only reason

we can stand

before you

is because of

your son

Jesus Christ.

who tore

the curtain

who made it

possible for

us to come

before you

and worship

you.

Father we

thank you that

he took

our pain

that he

bore

your wrath

for us.

And Lord in

light of that

we pray that

you would help

us live

obediently

that we

would act

obediently

because we

are confident

in who

you are.

And Lord that

we would

surrender all

to you.

We ask

this knowing

that you

help us

and in

the strong

precious name

of your

son Jesus

Christ.

Amen.

We

serve

our

helps

and

inspire

us

to

cheer

how

our