Worshipping Him Through an Impossible Act of Obedience

Scripture: Genesis 22:1-19

Hebrews 11:17-19

Genesis 22:2 NKJV ²Then He said, “Take now 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.”

Hebrews 11:17-19 NKJV ¹⁷By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, ¹⁸of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,”^{ 19}concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

Introduction

Often things God requires of us seem unreasonable. But simple obedience to a request that seems impossible and unreasonable is the doorway to greater promise.

I. Lessons from the scripture text

Genesis 22:2 NKJV ²Then He said, “Take now 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.”

1. Abraham didn’t complain, whine or question

2. He acted immediately on God’s instructions

3. He made his obedience an act of worship

⁵And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the ^lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

4. He trusted God to deal with the impossible

5. He held nothing back

II. Principles derived from the scripture lesson

Genesis 22:2 NKJV ³And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

1. I don’t have to understand to obey

2. My obedience gives God opportunity to display His greatness

3. My obedience displays a right heart attitude

4. My obedience acknowledges His supremacy

5. My obedience opens the door to divine blessing

III. Implementation of the lesson

Genesis 22:15-18 NKJV ¹⁵Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, ¹⁶and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—¹⁷blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. ¹⁸In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

1. Take the time to listen to His voice

2. Release His past promises to Him to fulfill

3. Ask Him to increase your faith

4. Follow His instructions to the letter

5. Be prepared to sacrifice the promise

6. Trust Him to fulfill His word