Where Do I Find Help This Coming Year? – A Look At Obedience
INTRO: Four weeks ago I talked about friendship and how it can help our lives. Honestly, which person among us does not want and covet true friendship? I spent time looking at Moses and how the Lord had friendships all through his life to help him along the way.
Three weeks ago I looked at Daniel. Yes, the same Daniel that spent the night in a den of lions--and lived to tell about it. Daniel could be listed as having several godly traits. Of all his traits I spent time on his faithfulness.
Two weeks ago I looked at teamwork and Joshua. Joshua was the Children of Israel’s leader after they lost a great leader named Moses. He was a great military leader, but he was also a team player.
Last week I spent time looking at David and our pursuing God. God’s Word teaches us that David was a man after God’s heart. We need to have a burning desire in our hearts to know more about God and be godly in our daily lives. We do this by pursuing God and godly ways.
Today I want to spend some time looking at obedience. Each week I have been looking at least one character from God’s Word and apply that person to our theme. Today I want o look at two men, father and son, Abram or Abraham and Isaac.
Abram means “High or Exalted Father.”
Abraham means “Father of Nations or Father of a Multitude.”
Isaac means “He Laughs” or “Laughter.”
Quickly a summary of their lives:
Abraham came into the picture around Genesis 12. God talked to him and told him to leave his father’s family and go where He showed him. Now that had to be difficult for him. Sure it could be considered exciting. Sure it might be adventurous, but it was potentially unsafe. One of the great advantages in those days was family help and protection. Families tended to live together and share resources. A large family was less likely to be attacked. They had each other to help with food and clothing, childcare, etc. it was a great comfort for Abram to have his family around close.
God told him he wanted him to go – he did. Abram took his wife and departed. You might think, okay, “I’ve seen this a hundred times.” Well Abram was not a 22 year old kid. He was 75 when he left.
So Abram left. It seems his nephew Lot wanted to get out too and he left when Abram did. Abram was blessed by God and eventually Lot and he had to go their separate ways because their herdsmen could not get along well enough. You remember Lot. He was the one that moved down to Sodom and Gomorrah and lost most of his family to the destruction of those cities. Abram rescued Lot before that when a group of kings and their armies captured him. Abram had grown so prosperous by that time he had 318 trained servants in his group.
Why had God blessed him? Obedience!
Abram was missing something. He had no children. Specifically he had no son. God had promised him one and he had been patient, but he as getting old. Sarah talked him into having a child by her handmaid Hagar. I know that would not work today – in fact it did not really work that well then. Ishmael was eventually forced out of Abram’s
Yet Abraham (as he was called after God changed his name) did not have the son promised to him and Sarah. And he was getting on in years. But God kept his promise and Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah when they were 100 and 91. I know, impossible? Not with God’s touch.
I know many think they cannot be obedient to God in this day and age, but I say with His touch they can.
So everything went great for Abraham – well he did have a trial or test along the way. In fact, God asked him to give his son – yes Isaac – as a sacrifice. I know that is wrong – that would be our answer, but Abraham was OBEDIENT and began the difficult motions of obeying God. But God stayed his had and spared Isaac. God is good. Obedience is good. We need both in our lives.
Okay, let’s get into the message.
They know their children
They teach obedience to God by obeying God
They teach obedience as the right avenue
Their children see that obedience works
Isaac was an obedient child
Isaac was an obedient son
Molded by example
Delivered by prayer
Rescued by His sacrifice (just like children of ungodly parents)
John 3:16 KJV 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John
3:17-21 KJV 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the
world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth
not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.
19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to
the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be
made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Born as a gift for his father (as we are for God)
When I think of Isaac, I think of a…
Genesis
12:1-4 KJV 1Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy
country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I
will show thee:
2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and
make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth
thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went
with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out
of Haran.
Led by God
Lived for God
Genesis
22:1-3 KJV 1And it came to pass after these things, that God did
tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
2And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom
thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a
burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
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.
Held nothing back from God
Because of that God blessed him. He even prophesied that through Abraham’s seed or family God would bless all people. That was through Jesus!
Genesis
24:3-4 KJV 3And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of
heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son
of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
4But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a
wife unto my son Isaac.
Required a promise from his servant for fidelity in his life
God wants our faithful obedience
No room for anything less
Genesis
24:5-8 KJV 5And the
servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me
unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou
camest?
6And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son
thither again.
7The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and
from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me,
saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before
thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.
8And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou
shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither [back there]
again.
Required honest effort from his servant – do you make an honest effort?
As a son Isaac waited in obedience
We see that…
Rebekah chose her own obedience
Have you chosen to obey?
Genesis 24:58 KJV 58And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.
Isaac reaped obedience
Isaac practiced obedience
Exodus
19:5 KJV 5Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and
keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all
people: for all the earth is mine:
Deuteronomy 5:29 KJV 29O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
1 Kings 3:14 KJV 14And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
John 14:23 KJV 23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
James 1:25 KJV 25But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Revelation 22:14 KJV 14Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Gary Marcum – New Beginnings Church – 020109am