The Tests of God

I don't like them. I never have. As a matter of fact, when I was a student, I had two recurring

nightmares. The first one is naked in a high school hallway. I don't know why you dream that.

I studied dreams as a minor in psychology. I never figured out what that was about,

but that has nothing to do with the sermon, but I had to be honest. I got two nightmares.

Anyway, the second was that at the end of a semester, don't make that come back to haunt me,

but anyway, at the end of a semester, I have an exam and I haven't been to class. It's a class I

signed up for and I never went to the class, and now I don't know what to do. So I don't like tests.

I sure don't like pop quizzes and are tests that you're not expecting. And today,

we look at one of the biggest tests, probably in all of history, but we sure look at the biggest

test in Abraham's life. And it's not in a classroom. It's at a place of worship. Now, in Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

11, they have a list of those who lived by faith. It's a wonderful example of how to live by faith and

what they did in their lives that stood out to live by faith. It is what's often called the hall of fame

of faith. And Abraham is one of the, he's in the foyer of the hall of fame of faith. And you don't get

there without going through some trials in your life, some tests in your life. And this is probably

the climax of his life. He has withstood his toughest test of faith in our passage today.

And it's pretty crucial for us too, because we learn a lot, I believe, from this passage about one of

the most difficult subjects of our faith. And that is the tests of God. They're often unexpected.

They're often misunderstood. They can be very frustrating. However, they're always for a purpose.

And they're always timely. For instance, this could not have taken place at any other time in Abraham's

life. And God had been preparing him, at least indirectly so, for a hundred years, literally,

for this test. Yet, even with that, the demanded sacrifice is admittedly hard to grasp. Now listen,

this is a familiar story to many. But if it is not to you, brace yourself. Okay? Genesis chapter 22,

Genesis 22 · chapter mention

beginning in verse 1, it says this, after these things, God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham,

and he said, here am I. He said, take your son, your only son 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 I shall tell you.

So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and

his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to a place of which God had

told him. On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said

to his young men, stay here with the donkey. I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again

to you. And 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 they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father,

Abraham, my father, my father. And he said, here am I, my son. He said, behold the fire and the wood,

but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, God will provide for himself

the lamb for a burnt offering, my son. So they went, both of them, together. When they came to the place

of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac,

his son, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the

knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham,

Abraham. And he said, here I am. And he said, do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him.

For I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.

And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his

horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

So Abraham called the name of that place the Lord will provide. As it is said to this day,

on the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided. Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, I pray today

that more than the historic details of Abraham and Isaac's life, as important as they may be,

that we'll instead see the relation of this story to our own lives.

God, I speak to folks today, some of which are going through tests. Some of them have been through tests

and some of them will go into tests. But God, I pray today that you'll give us guidance.

Guidance for what has happened to us. Guidance for what is happening to us. Guidance, oh God,

for what will happen to us. And help us, Lord, to trust you more after learning the truths of your word.

In Jesus' precious name. Amen. What an event. Why was Abraham asked to do this? Now, don't let the end

result take away from the difficulty of the story because when you suffer difficulty from a test of God

and you're in the middle of it, you feel the weight of it. So I want you to feel the weight

of what Abraham dealt with. This was a three-day walk with Abraham and Isaac. And there was some

pondering going on on that walk. Isaac's wondering, how is this all going to work out? And Abraham's

going, how is this all going to work out? Now, I could tell you about pagan rituals of that day

that would make something like this rather common. It was a familiar concept for pagans of that day

to make those kinds of sacrifices. Those rituals that made the society more susceptible

to understand the story than we do today. But I can't soften the request.

And any way you soften it, the demanded sacrifice, it's difficult to grasp.

But the lesson from it is invaluable. Anyone that God is going to use, he's going to test.

It relates to every one of us because God wants to use you. And in order to make you ready for that,

he has to test you. I don't pretend to say that every test is the same. I don't believe you ought

to ever tell anybody, I know exactly what you're going through. Because you don't. You may have lost

the same kind of relational loved one as they did, but those relationships were different. You don't know

exactly those circumstances. You may have had a relative that got into trouble like yours has got

into trouble. And so you understand that somewhat, but all those circumstances are different.

You may be going through a health crisis right now or a relational crisis right now

or a personal and mental crisis right now. And the reality is when somebody tells you,

I know exactly which. No, they don't. No, they don't. Maybe they've suffered through the same

kind of test that you've went through, the medical test and all those things, trying to find a

diagnosis. Maybe they've dealt with that. Maybe they've had similar confusions than you have.

But the reality is we're all individual. I mean, listen, no temptation exceeds you except what is common

to man. There's a commonality among us. But when it comes to the difficulties of our life, we don't know

exactly what anybody is suffering for that. So each situation is different, even when they look the

same. And when we bring into a test or a dilemma, what we bring into that is different for every

person. You can emphasize or empathize or you can sympathize with them, but don't ever pretend to know

you understand completely what they're going through because you don't.

And by the way, if you don't know what to say, don't say anything. Okay. I have heard more

preachers fill up an empty spot with words because you could tell you didn't know what they said, what

they had to say. Your presence makes a difference when somebody's going through a dilemma. I promise you.

All of God's tests are not the same. There's some common characteristics, and I want to focus

on the common characteristics of those tests because they're found here in this account.

But they're all different.

Let me give you the commonalities. The tests of God are unexpected.

I doubt when a test comes you ever understand the timing of it.

But never does it come out of the blue.

God knew it was coming

for him, and he placed it

in his infinite timing

where it needed to be for the circumstances.

And Genesis 22 verse 1

Genesis 22:1

begins by saying, after these things.

That's what the ESV that I use, the English Standard Version,

that's how it describes it. It says, after these things.

To me, that's a poor translation.

They got it wrong.

Because in the Hebrew, it says,

in the fullness of time.

This is more than just another chronological event.

This is in God's timing.

It's a divine appointment.

And when Abraham's life was ready for God's test,

God allowed it.

It's like when Christ said,

the hour is at hand.

It's like in Luke 9 31

when he says,

he set his face towards Jerusalem.

It was time

to endure

the last week of Christ

at that point.

And when Jesus knew

there with the disciples,

the time was up.

He said, the hour is at hand.

God's time has come.

In the same kind of way,

when Abraham had experienced enough,

when he had grown enough faith,

he didn't understand it,

but when he had grown enough faith,

God had a test.

God understood exactly

where he would be,

and God has a time for everything.

Ecclesiastes 3 lists many.

I'll give you an example

in the very beginning of it.

It says, Ecclesiastes 3 verse 1

Ecclesiastes 3:1

says,

there is an appointed time

for everything,

and there is a time

for every event under heaven.

Therefore, the time had come

for Abraham.

Although we may never understand it,

God has a time

for everything that we experience,

and his timing is always right.

Does it always seem right?

No, it does not seem right.

And that's the problem.

We don't look forward to the test.

I've never liked the test,

nor the timing of them.

God's tests are unexpected.

What we see is limited,

and what he allows is unexpected,

but God sees it all the time.

Therefore, you can rest in his judgment

and know that what happens to us

is in his time.

Has the rug been ripped out from under you?

I promise you,

God's still on the throne,

and it's in his timing.

The other thing is this.

I wish I could sugarcoat this,

but I can't.

The tests of God are difficult.

They're difficult.

Now, I want you to understand,

a test of God is not a temptation.

God does not tempt.

James 1, verse 13 through 15 says,

James 1:13–15

Let no one,

when he is tempted,

say,

I am being tempted by God.

For God cannot be tempted with evil.

For God cannot be tempted with evil,

and he himself tempts no one.

But each person is tempted

when he is lured

and enticed

by his own desire.

Then desire,

when it is conceived,

gives birth to sin,

and sin,

when it is fully grown,

brings forth death.

Tempting is what we walk into.

Ushered along by the evil one,

God does not do that.

If you wonder,

there are two differences

between a test of God

and a temptation.

One is,

we lead ourselves into temptation.

God don't lead us into temptation.

We lead ourselves in that.

That scripture tells us that.

When we are caught up

and lured

and enticed

by our own desires,

God leads us into a test.

Second thing is,

tempting involves evil.

Testing is different.

I want you to notice in verse 2,

it says,

Your only son

whom you love.

Now,

if you've been following along

and tracking us

for these last few weeks,

you know that's not his only son.

He's got another son

with Hagar,

his maidservant.

When his wife

could not have a child,

they took alternative means,

which was

not what God had in store,

and Ishmael was born.

God doesn't mission to Ishmael.

Ishmael is

his first son,

but God speaks

as if he does not exist

because Isaac

was the son

of promise.

Isaac was the son

that Abraham

had been waiting on.

And I want you

to get the weight of this.

Isaac is the one

that all of God's promises

were based on.

Everything we know,

even the childhood song

we sing,

Father Abraham

had many sons

and many sons of him.

It all came back

to Isaac.

The nation of Israel

would come through

that bloodline.

All of Abraham's future,

his heritage,

his legacy,

were held

in the life

of Isaac.

Isaac,

he looked

to the birth

of his son

for decades,

yet he was

a hundred years old

before his boy

was born.

And now God

speaks

of Isaac.

And when God

spoke of Isaac,

he spoke of

Abraham's

everything.

It's tough.

It is the things

that we love

that God

will often

ask us

to put

on the altar

of sacrifice.

Now I want you

to hear me.

That don't mean

he's going to take it.

Whether he takes it

or not,

we walk away

with it

in its proper place.

It's his.

By the way,

it was his

to start with.

But it has

to register

with us.

It's his.

Whatever it is.

When you put

what you love

on the altar

of sacrifice,

whether God

takes it

or not,

it's his.

And that

is the proper

perspective

that we are

to have

about our stuff.

About what's

ours.

Remember,

God does not

give us tests

to see where

we are.

He knows

that.

He gives

us tests

so that

we can see

where we are.

Tests are tough.

They're tough.

Third thing

is this.

The test

of God

demand

obedience.

There are

two signs

of Abraham's

sure obedience

here.

First is

how he

obeyed.

I want you

to notice

he went

when God

told him

to.

Verse 3

says,

so Abraham,

let me give you

the context.

take your

son,

your only

son 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

I shall

tell you.

That's

verse 2

of Genesis

22.

Verse 3

begins,

so Abraham

rose early.

He didn't

even wait

until mid

morning.

He got

up.

He got

up and

got after

it.

I think

that's

significant.

It does

not speak

of a

struggle

with going

when God

told him

to go.

Did the

Bible leave

that struggle

out?

I don't

believe it

did because

the Bible

speaks of

his struggle

watching Sodom

burn and

the difficulty

of that.

He did

struggle there

but he does

not struggle

here.

He just

went because

he knew he

could trust

God.

And I'm

telling you

folks,

just trust

God.

Go with

the Lord

and trust

him.

As you

pray,

you can

question.

As you

go,

you can

pray.

And as

you pray,

you can

question.

Whatever,

but move

in the

direction of

obedience for

God.

He went to

the place

where God

had told

him.

And by

the way,

when he

started,

God hadn't

yet told

him where

exactly he

was supposed

to go.

He learned

along the

journey.

I'm a

planner.

I can

ruin a

vacation.

Okay?

A couple

of years

ago,

right,

when things

were coming

out of

COVID,

but yet

people were

wanting you

to travel

and all

that stuff,

I watched

a movie

about South

Dakota and

that area,

and I

wanted to

go.

And I

wanted to

hit it

before

everybody

else

hit it.

And so

as soon

as school

was over,

I booked

us a

trip where

we would

see all

of the

Northwest

in about

four days.

I was

a test

to see

if my

family would

stay together

through the

trip.

We'd be

scattered

throughout

the West.

I think

we was

going to

book about

400 miles

a day.

Look.

Look.

But

Millie was

graduating

from the

eighth grade,

and I

found out

late in

the process

that there

was an

eighth grade

graduation.

So much

to my

chagrin,

because nobody

wanted to

go but me

anyway.

I told

Millie,

I said,

listen,

your gift

for getting

out of

the eighth

grade is

to get

out of

middle

school and

go to

high school.

And that's

it.

We ought

to be

in the

West.

But I

went

begrudgingly

and I

canceled

all my

plans.

I love

to plan.

I love

to plan

it out

and know

what the

deal is.

But the

reality is

you can't

plan out

the test

of God.

You got

to trust

him.

You got

to move

and trust

him along

the way.

Not only

did he go

when God

told him

to go,

but he

went where

God told

him to

go.

He went

to the

place where

God had

told him.

It was

not easy.

It was

three days

away.

It was

not a

long

journey.

But I'm

telling you

with what

was going

on,

it was

a long

journey.

Can you

imagine the

pondering on

that trip?

Scripture

also tells

us why

he obeyed.

Verse 12

says,

God said,

do not lay

your hand

on the

boy or

do anything

to him.

For now

I know

that you

fear God

seeing you

have not

withheld

your son,

your only

son,

from me.

He feared

God.

Now,

I want you

to understand

there's two

types of

fear,

at least

two types.

There's a

phobia kind

of fear,

an irrational

fear,

the kind

of fear

that I

have for

snakes,

for instance,

okay?

I may run

a fit,

but I ain't

going to

handle a

snake,

I can

tell you

that.

And I've

always had

this sick

fascination

with snakes.

I mean,

that's my

favorite part

of the zoo

to go to,

to watch

and to look

and all that

stuff.

However,

if there

was one

on this

stage,

I wouldn't

be on

this

stage.

When I

was growing

up,

there was

a creek

that went

through our

neighborhood

and there

was a

bush that

hung over

that creek

and one

day I

was down

the creek

and I

saw a

snake in

that bush.

Another

day I

saw another

snake in

that bush.

Some

days I

saw two

snakes in

that bush.

So I

got fascinated

with seeing

them and

scared and

all that

stuff.

One day

I went

down there

and looked

and the

snakes were

green and

so they

matched the

bush.

It was

hard to

see and

I didn't

see any.

So dejected

and somewhat

glad, as

weird as that

is, I

started home

and all of a

sudden I

looked down

and on this

little rock

was a

little snake,

a little

brown snake

sunning,

about that

long.

By the time

I looked at

him, he

had his head

raised up

and his

tongue out

and I

started running.

I lived

about a

quarter of a

mile away

and I ran

all the way

home, worried

that snake

was chasing

me down the

road.

I have an

irrational fear

of it, okay?

That's not the

fear this is

talking about.

The other

kind of fear

is a fear

of respect.

This has

more to do

with the

character of

the one

respected

than it

does the

one doing

the

respecting.

It's not

a fear of

punishment.

It's a

fear of

reverence.

My dad's a

whistler.

He'd work in

the garage and

he had one of

those big

tube radios

where it had

to warm up

when you hit

the button.

And he

played

instrumental

music,

elevator music

out there

and he'd

whistle to

it while he

was out there

working.

But he also

had another

whistle that

was somewhat

legendary and

that was the

come home

whistle.

And when he

wanted his

boys to come

home he'd

walk outside

and he'd

whistle.

And when

dad whistled

it was time

to come home.

one time I

know as

the bird

flies that I

was over a

half a mile

away from

him and I

heard him

whistle.

And the

moment I

heard him

whistle I

commenced

running.

Jumping

creeks,

running through

woods.

I commenced

running because

I wanted to

get home and

beat the

dreaded second

whistle.

I'm just

going to be

honest with

you.

I don't

ever remember

being punished

for not

coming home.

I never

remember being

scolded for

not coming

home.

I don't

ever remember

not coming

home when I

was called.

I just knew

to come.

My dad

expected me.

my father

never asked

much of me.

He never

does.

But when he

has I've

tried to

deliver.

And supper

was ready.

And it was

time to come

home.

And I had a

fear of him.

I didn't fear

what he would

do.

I didn't fear

what he

wouldn't do.

I just knew

what he

wanted.

And I

respected him.

The test

of God

demand

obedience.

And Abraham

heard the

whistle of

God and

he knew

to obey.

the test

of God

also

demand

faith.

They demand

faith.

Abraham knew

whatever God

would ask he

would trust

him.

How?

Because he

walked with

God.

And when you

walk with

folks you know

whether you

can trust

them or not.

You learn

them.

And he had

learned God.

He had lived

with him and

he knew him

and so he

could trust

him.

There are

two sure

signs of

that.

The first

one is seen

in verses

four and

five.

When it

says on

the third

day Abraham

lifted up

his eyes

and saw

the place

from afar

and then

Abraham said

to his

young men

get this

now.

Stay here

with the

donkey.

I and

the boy

will go

over there

and worship

and come

again to

you.

Did you

catch that?

He knew

they would

worship and

he knew

they would

come back.

He

didn't

doubt

God

would

somehow

take

care

of

the

matter

and

Hebrews

Hebrews 11:17–19

chapter

11

verse 17

through 19

gives us

insight into

how he

thought it

would be

handled.

It says

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

he

was said

through

Isaac

shall

your

offspring

be

named.

He

considered

that God

was able

even to

raise him

from the

dead

from which

figuratively

speaking

he did

receive him

back.

He gave

up Isaac

and God

gave him

back.

He trusted

that his

willingness to

sacrifice to

God would

lead to

worship and

that is

exactly what

happened and

he knew

God was

at work

before he

ever went

up that

mountain.

He trusted

God with

that because

God will

provide.

I can

promise you

as well

in every

test God

will provide

and when

God provides

it will

change

your

worship.

When you

see God

come through

it will

change

your

worship.

Verse 13

and 14

tell us

that just

as Abraham

had said

God provided

and it was

time to

worship.

Our job

is to

obey.

God's job

is to

provide and

when we

choose not

to obey

we try to

go our

own way

and when

we obey

we don't

go our

own way

we trust

him.

You may

not like

the experience

of a test

but the

benefit of

God's test

outweigh the

agony I

can promise

you and

in that

we are

changed.

Lastly

the test

of God

are

blessed.

Sure

don't feel

like it in

the middle

of it.

I can't

explain to

you how

God will

bless you

through your

trials and

through your

test.

That may

be some of

the most

distinct

differences

that you

will ever

hear in

people's

testimony

when they

talk about

how God

came through

for them.

God is

an individual

God that

gives us

what we

need whether

we know

what it

is or

not.

But let

me tell

you three

ways that

God

blessed

Abraham.

Three blessings

and I'll

close.

Three blessings

that I want

you to see

about Abraham.

One is

he walked

away from

this with

an even

stronger

commitment to

God than

he had

before.

I want you

to notice

something.

God never

wondered how

Abraham would

respond.

God knew it.

Why?

Because he's

omniscient.

He knows

all things.

But now

Abraham would

never question

his own

level of

obedience

again.

He knew

that he

could and

he knew

that he

would trust

God.

Makes a

world of

difference.

Second thing

is this.

What he

had now

was the

Lord's.

He might

be sitting

at his

table but

he's not

his.

He's the

Lord's.

What's

God asking

of you?

Give it

over to

him.

trust him

with it.

You may

get to

keep it

but it'll

never be

yours again

once you

give it to

him.

And it's

our job

to be

stewards

of the

blessings

that God

gives to

us as

long as

he allows

us to

have them.

And one

more blessing

he got.

He knew

he did

what God

asked.

he walked

off that

mountain

knowing that

he did

exactly what

God told

him to

do.

That he

obeyed

God.

And that

makes my

friend a

world of

difference in

your life.

When you've

trusted God,

when you've

obeyed God

and just

let him have

it and

watched him

work in

the midst

of that.

it is my

goal that

I will

stand before

the Lord

one day

and he

will look

at me

and say

well done

my good

and faithful

servant.

You

obeyed.

You

trusted.

Trust

God

in your

test.

He will

not let

you down.

He's

good for

it.

With

every head

bowed and

every eye

closed, I

don't say

any of this

lightly.

Because

I walk

through valleys

with many

of you.

Many of

you I

pray for

daily.

Because I

know the

struggles that

you're going

through.

I know the

difficulties.

I'm also

well aware that

for those that

I know of,

there's that

many more

that I have

no idea

about.

Whatever

it is

that you're

facing today,

give that to

the Lord.

Give that to

the Lord.

It may be

that you've

never really

surrendered your

life to

Christ.

You've been

playing the

game or

hanging pretty

close, but

you've never

surrendered your

life to

Christ.

And the

good news

is, when

you give

love and

surrender your

life to

Christ, he

won't take it

from you, but

it'll be his.

You've never

done that and

would like

guidance in

that you

come today.

As soon as

we stand and

sing, you

come.

Maybe you

have done

that, but

you've never

acknowledged that

publicly.

It's just

something you've

done privately.

And the

first step of

obedience is to

follow him in

baptism.

Or maybe

God's leading

you to be a

part of this

fellowship.

fellowship.

You know

God's drawing

you here.

It's clear to

you.

I just

encourage you to

trust him with

that.

Or there may

be something else

in your life

that you've just

got to give over

to God.

You can do that

where you are.

You can do it at

this altar.

You can do it

with a pastor

praying for you.

But today,

let's trust God.

He's worthy

to be trusted.

Lord Jesus,

lead us right

now.

Have your will

in your way

with every one

of these folks

today, dear God.

Help them to

feel the power

of your presence,

the direction

of your spirit,

and work and

move in our midst

right now,

oh God,

I pray.

In Jesus'

name,

amen.