Bible Text: Gene\u00adsis 22 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | When Abra\u00adham has to sacri\u00adfice his long-awai\u00adted and bel\u00adoved son Isaac, his trust in God is sever\u00adely tes\u00adted. Abra\u00adham pas\u00adses this test becau\u00adse he trusts that God is good and has ways in store that he does not yet know about. Today, God is no lon\u00adger loo\u00adking for mate\u00adri\u00adal sacri\u00adfices, but for our undi\u00advi\u00added hearts. Abra\u00adham was in awe of God. This is the con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon to be obe\u00addient even when it seems to be to one\u2019s dis\u00adad\u00advan\u00adta\u00adge. The con\u00adse\u00adquence of this is the bles\u00adsing of God.<\/p>\n
Abra\u00adham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born. A full 25 years have pas\u00adsed sin\u00adce he was pro\u00admi\u00adsed this son by God. How exci\u00adting and joyful that must have been! Sure\u00adly the\u00adre was a bir\u00adth\u00adday par\u00adty in Abraham\u2019s huge reti\u00adnue. At last the pro\u00admi\u00adse comes true! \tAbraham\u2019s trust in God was so unshakeable that he pla\u00adced his bel\u00adoved son on the altar when God spo\u00adke to him. What things would you put on the altar, and what things would you not put on the altar? Bible Text: Gene\u00adsis 22 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | When Abra\u00adham is asked to sacri\u00adfice his long-awai\u00adted and bel\u00adoved son Isaac, his trust in God is sever\u00adely tes\u00adted. Abra\u00adham pas\u00adses this test becau\u00adse he trusts that God is good and has ways in store that he has yet to\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[63],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-wie-du-und-ich","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-2938","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"hentry","10":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nTrust put to the test
\n\u00abSome time later, God put Abra\u00adham to the test. \u00abAbra\u00adham!\u00bb, God cal\u00adled out. \u00abHere I am,\u00bb Abra\u00adham repli\u00aded. \u00abTake your only son Isaac, whom you love so much, and go with him to the land of Moriah. The\u00adre I will show you a moun\u00adtain on which you are to offer Isaac as a burnt offe\u00adring for me.\u00bb \u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 22:1\u20132 NL<\/span>).
\nHow can a loving God demand that Abra\u00adham sacri\u00adfice his favou\u00adri\u00adte son? How can Abra\u00adham be wil\u00adling to obey this cruel com\u00admand? Abraham\u2019s trust in God is put to the test. The test for Abra\u00adham is whe\u00adther God remains num\u00adber one in his life even after the joyful event. God can test our faith. In Abraham\u2019s time, human sacri\u00adfices were com\u00admon in the nati\u00adons sur\u00adroun\u00adding him. The first\u00adborn belon\u00adged to the respec\u00adti\u00adve dei\u00adty. This was a way to make the gods fri\u00adend\u00adly. So the test for Abra\u00adham was not pri\u00adma\u00adri\u00adly to sacri\u00adfice his son, but to give up the long-awai\u00adted pro\u00admi\u00adse. When trust is put to the test, you must know that God is good! What fol\u00adlows is not a long dis\u00adcus\u00adsion, but: \u00abThe next mor\u00adning Abra\u00adham got up ear\u00adly. He sadd\u00adled his don\u00adkey and took his son Isaac and two of his ser\u00advants with him. Then he split wood for the burnt offe\u00adring and set out for the place God had named for him\u00bb (v.3 NL<\/span>). Abra\u00adham is well on his way to pas\u00adsing the test. How would you have behaved?
\nOne of my \u00abfavou\u00adri\u00adte child\u00adren\u00bb is the see\u00adtal chi\u00adle. Next sum\u00admer I\u2019m going on sab\u00adba\u00adti\u00adcal. For me, that means let\u00adting go. Many peo\u00adp\u00adle envy me and think that this is just nice for me. I, on the other hand, some\u00adti\u00admes feel scared and anxious to be so far away from that which gives me more mea\u00adning and iden\u00adti\u00adty than I want to admit. So the next sum\u00admer will also be a trust check for me. God wants to be num\u00adber one in our lives. In all the tri\u00adals he puts us through, it\u2019s all about this ques\u00adti\u00adon. Tho\u00adse who have God at the cent\u00adre can let go of their child\u00adren, can endu\u00adre in suf\u00adfe\u00adring, can be gene\u00adrous with their finan\u00adces, don\u2019t need sta\u00adtus sym\u00adbols, etc.
\nIn the gre\u00adat chap\u00adter of Models in Faith, it says about Abra\u00adham: \u00abAbra\u00adham assu\u00admed that God could bring Isaac back to life when he had died. And in a sen\u00adse Abra\u00adham did inde\u00aded get his son back from the dead\u00bb (Hebrews 11:19 NL<\/span>). Abra\u00adham knew that God is grea\u00adter and good. HE<\/span> knows ways and pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties that are com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly unknown to us. Thanks to this trust, he was able to walk the hard path. In the disci\u00adple\u00adship cour\u00adses of YWAM<\/span> the\u00adre is always an evening in which it is a mat\u00adter of lay\u00ading ever\u00ady\u00adthing that is dear to you on the altar and thus expres\u00adsing the wil\u00adling\u00adness to trust God com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly. You have to take a deep breath when you put down your friend\u2019s name, your mobi\u00adle pho\u00adne or your cre\u00addit card. And then it is up to God to give us back \u00abour sons\u00bb from the dead \u2013 now again with the right prio\u00adri\u00adty. I am con\u00advin\u00adced that God tests the trust of all of us. This hap\u00adpens through dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adties, loss and ill\u00adness. The goal is always to bring God back to the cent\u00adre in our lives.
\nIt is also exci\u00adting that Abra\u00adham left his two ser\u00advants at the last base sta\u00adti\u00adon (v.5). The\u00adre are tests in life that we have to pass all by our\u00adsel\u00adves. Com\u00adpa\u00adn\u00adions might pre\u00advent us from deci\u00adding cle\u00adar\u00adly and unam\u00adbi\u00adguous\u00adly for God.
\nA sacri\u00adfice that plea\u00adses God
\nAbra\u00adham binds Isaac on the altar. He takes a swing with the sharp kni\u00adfe. \u00abAt that moment the angel of the Lord cal\u00adled him from hea\u00adven: \u00abAbra\u00adham! Abra\u00adham!\u00bb \u00abYes,\u00bb he ans\u00adwe\u00adred. \u00abI am lis\u00adtening.\u00bb \u00abLet it be,\u00bb said the angel. \u00abDo not harm the child. For now I know that you have rever\u00adence for God. You would even have sacri\u00adfi\u00adced your only son at my com\u00admand.\u00bb Then Abra\u00adham loo\u00adked up and dis\u00adco\u00adver\u00aded a ram with its horns caught in a bush. He fet\u00adched the ram and offe\u00adred it as a burnt offe\u00adring ins\u00adtead of his son\u00bb (vv. 11\u201313 NL<\/span>).
\nThe mes\u00adsa\u00adge of this sto\u00adry is: God does not want human sacri\u00adfice! Throug\u00adhout the Bible we find a deve\u00adlo\u00adp\u00adment in the mat\u00adter of sacri\u00adfices. The pri\u00adme\u00adval human sacri\u00adfices, which we still encoun\u00adter in the sacri\u00adfice of Isaac, are over\u00adco\u00adme step by step by God; they had to give way to ani\u00admal, smo\u00adke and burnt offe\u00adrings, until final\u00adly it says in the Psalm: \u00abYou are not satis\u00adfied with sacri\u00adfices, other\u00adwi\u00adse I would have brought them to you, nor would you accept burnt offe\u00adrings. The sacri\u00adfice that plea\u00adses you is a bro\u00adken spi\u00adrit. A con\u00adtri\u00adte, rep\u00aden\u00adtant heart you, God, will not refu\u00adse\u00bb (Psalm 51:18\u201319 NL<\/span>). Slow\u00adly, the type of fear\u00adful, punish\u00adment-avo\u00adi\u00adding \u00abreli\u00adgi\u00adon\u00bb was repla\u00adced by rep\u00aden\u00adtance into a right relationship.
\nGod does not want a mate\u00adri\u00adal sacri\u00adfice, but a bro\u00adken spi\u00adrit, a con\u00adtri\u00adte and rep\u00aden\u00adtant heart. This does not mean an infe\u00adri\u00ador or psy\u00adcho\u00adtic per\u00adson, but a per\u00adson who hum\u00adbly finds his place with God. Else\u00adwhe\u00adre it says: \u00abObey\u00ading him is much bet\u00adter than offe\u00adring a sacri\u00adfice, lis\u00adtening to him is bet\u00adter than the fat of rams\u00bb (1Samuel 15:22 NL<\/span>). God is not loo\u00adking for reli\u00adgi\u00adon, but for a right rela\u00adti\u00adonship. Abra\u00adham ser\u00adves as an exam\u00adp\u00adle for us.
\nA rever\u00adence that wor\u00adships God
\n\u00abFor now I have known that you fear God, sin\u00adce you have not with\u00adheld your son, your only son, from me\u00bb (v.12 Elb). Abra\u00adham feared God. This is the con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon for being obe\u00addient even when it seems to one\u2019s dis\u00adad\u00advan\u00adta\u00adge. John Beve\u00adre, who wro\u00adte a book on fea\u00adring God, says: \u00abYou will ser\u00adve what you fear. If you fear God, you will ser\u00adve Him. If you fear man, you will ser\u00adve man. You have to choo\u00adse.\u00bb We are more on \u00abgood bud\u00addy\u00bb terms with God. We like to empha\u00adsise God\u2019s good\u00adness and mer\u00adcy, but not so much his holi\u00adne\u00adss and jus\u00adti\u00adce. The fear of God is a respon\u00adse to his holi\u00adne\u00adss and jus\u00adti\u00adce and an expres\u00adsi\u00adon of God sit\u00adting on my life thro\u00adne. \u00abThe ama\u00adzing thing about fea\u00adring God is that when, when you fear God, you fear no one and not\u00adhing else. On the other hand, if you do not fear God, you fear ever\u00ady\u00adthing else. Bles\u00adsed is ever\u00adyo\u00adne who fears the Lord\u00bb (Oswald Chambers).
\nPro\u00adverbs 9:10 says: \u00abThe fear of the Lord is the begin\u00adning of wis\u00addom\u00bb (Elb). The\u00adre is no wis\u00addom wit\u00adhout the fear of God. All other truths about life ine\u00advi\u00adta\u00adb\u00adly stand on this foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon. The fear of the Lord means being able to assess: What is rea\u00adli\u00adty? It is the wis\u00addom to know who God is \u2013 and who I am. It is the wis\u00addom to know who is Crea\u00adtor and who is crea\u00adtu\u00adre. The defi\u00adni\u00adti\u00adon of fear of the Lord is kno\u00adwing who you are deal\u00ading with. Whe\u00adre the fear of God is miss\u00ading, one\u2019s ego sits on the thro\u00adne. The focus is on peo\u00adp\u00adle and that they are well. Jesus is in char\u00adge that this is so and I have no pro\u00adblems. The wor\u00adship of the ego is a sign of the times and rea\u00adches deep into Jesus\u00bb church. A low, nice and harm\u00adless image of God is wide\u00adspread. But this sys\u00adtem does not lead to life and suf\u00adfers ship\u00adw\u00adreck at the latest in dif\u00adfi\u00adcult life experiences.
\n\u00abOn the third day Abra\u00adham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abra\u00adham said to his ser\u00advants: Stay here with the don\u00adkey! But I and the boy will go the\u00adre and wor\u00adship and return to you\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 22:4,5 Elb). This is the first time the word wor\u00adship appears in the Bible. This has deep mea\u00adning and is no coin\u00adci\u00addence. The Hebrew word means to pay homage, to pro\u00adstra\u00adte ones\u00adelf, to bow down, to bow low. For Abra\u00adham, acti\u00adve obe\u00addience to God is wor\u00adship, even when he hims\u00adelf goes through very dif\u00adfi\u00adcult times. Ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly, we always wor\u00adship that which sits on our thro\u00adne of life. Wor\u00adship has to do with the holy God. It is not pri\u00adma\u00adri\u00adly about nice fee\u00adlings or gus\u00adhing. Wor\u00adship is not a pro\u00adgram\u00adme that we reel off on Sun\u00adday mor\u00adning in the church ser\u00advice, but ans\u00adwers the ques\u00adti\u00adon of whe\u00adther we are wil\u00adling to sacri\u00adfice our dea\u00adrest things to God. Inci\u00adden\u00adtal\u00adly, over a thousand years later King Solo\u00admon was to build the temp\u00adle on Mount Moriah (2Chronicles 3:1). On the foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon of the fear of God, a house of wor\u00adship and encoun\u00adter with God is built. \u00abAbra\u00adham cal\u00adled the place \u00abThe Lord sees\u00bb, so even today peo\u00adp\u00adle say, \u00abOn the moun\u00adtain of the Lord, whe\u00adre the Lord makes hims\u00adelf seen\u00bb \u00bb (v.14 NL<\/span>).
\n\u00abI, the Lord, swear by mys\u00adelf: Becau\u00adse you have been obe\u00addient to me and would even have sacri\u00adfi\u00adced your bel\u00adoved son at my com\u00admand, I will bless you rich\u00adly. I will give you many des\u00adcen\u00addants. They shall be num\u00adber\u00adless like the stars in the sky and like the sand on the shore of the sea. They will defeat their enemies\u00bb (v.16\u201317 NL<\/span>). The\u00adre we are again with the the\u00adme of the year: Tho\u00adse who lis\u00adten to God and obey will be bles\u00adsed and a bles\u00adsing. Peo\u00adp\u00adle for whom God is the most important thing in life have signi\u00adfi\u00adcan\u00adce for tho\u00adse around them \u2013 they are salt and light.
\n
\nThe account of Isaac\u2019s sacri\u00adfice is a pro\u00adphe\u00adtic fores\u00adha\u00addowing of the sacri\u00adfice of Gol\u00adgo\u00adtha, sin\u00adce \u00abGod did not even spa\u00adre his own Son, but gave him for us all\u00bb (Romans 8:32 NL<\/span>). So too, Isaac pati\u00adent\u00adly hol\u00adding still and the ram seen by God for sacri\u00adfice ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly point us to the divi\u00adne mys\u00adtery of sub\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adti\u00adon \u2013 the Lamb of God bea\u00adring the sin of the world. This time, thank God, the\u00adre is no voice shou\u00adting \u00abstop\u00bb. Jesus dies and thus makes the way to God for us. He is the bel\u00adoved Son of God and the sacri\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adal Lamb in one per\u00adson. And yes, He rose from the dead. And that means new life for us!
\n
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRea\u00adding the Bible text: Gene\u00adsis 22:1\u201318<\/p>\n
\n\tHow do you find out if God is at the cent\u00adre of our lives?
\n\tThe fear of God is the begin\u00adning of wis\u00addom. Why is this sen\u00adtence (not) true? What is the fear of God?
\n\tFor many of us, God is more of a bud\u00addy. How can rever\u00adence for God increase?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"