Sermon Synopsis 10.27.24

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III 

Genesis 22:1-14 
Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 Then 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.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And 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.” 6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. 9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” 12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” 13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

       I.               INTRODUCTION

1. Whenever God elevates us, it usually follows a season of testing. Many see our glory and not our story.
2. Lots of people see successful people and want to be them, but they don’t know the story behind the success. They don’t know all they had to go through to get where they are.
3. If you are experiencing a test, it is time to appreciate where God is about to take you.
4. We need to learn to manage our mountains. We are about to experience the Elevation Exam.
5. God called Abraham from the land where he was living. He told him to go to a place He would show him. God made a lot of promises to Abraham. One of those was that he would make his name great.
6. 3 faiths came out of Abraham’s bloodline. They were Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
7. God promised to give Abraham a son in his old age. His wife Sarah laughed because of their old age.  
8. Abraham would have a promise on his life. When God gives us a promise, we have to trust that God is going to do what He says he is going to do.
9. The errors and flaws of our past do not disqualify the promise God has placed on our future.
10. Sarah got impatient on waiting for a son, so she told Abraham to go and have a child with her handmaiden. You would think that Abraham would have been hesitant about this, but he wasn’t. He went on in and laid with the handmaiden, Hagar.
11. Hagar was the Egyptian handmaiden. Ishmael was the son that was the result of her and Abraham getting together.
12. Sarah eventually put Hagar out.
13. Issac was eventually born when Abraham was 99yrs old. This was the son that God promised Abraham. 10 chapters later, God told Abraham to offer his only son Issac up as a sacrifice on the mountain.
14. Abraham willingly offers up his son on Mt Moriah. How do you manage a mountain, when it is so challenging?

   II.               READY TO PROVE YOUR FAITH

• You faith must be active in all seasons. In this season, you must realize that God did this, not the devil.
• We must be willing to trust God on all levels.
• Our testing is not for our right now. Instead it is for our not yet.

A.    When God Tests Us, It Is Always About Where He’s Taking Us

1. The Sovereignty of God is always in motion in our lives. This is why we can’t lean to our own understanding.
2. Know that it won’t make since right now, but it will later.  

B.  Your Faith Is Revealed In The Test

1. In school there are different kinds of test you can take.  They are:
   1. Diagnostic Test – Used to reveal where your strengths and weaknesses are.
   1. Performance Based– Evaluate how a student can apply what they’ve learned. God may give you a performance test, where he wants you to apply and test your faith. Example: When the disciples couldn’t cast the demon out of the demon possessed boy, they asked Jesus why. The question is, can your faith be portable?
   1. Oral Test – This is how you express what you know. Sometimes God will test us to see what we will say.
   1. Standardized Test – These are test that help us get to the next level. That’s what this test is about. Sometimes the most difficult test is to set you up for where God is taking you.
2. Some of us have “faith until” kind of faith. It is important to give God glory throughout the entire process.
3. Abraham had already passed some small test in the past. An example of this was when God told him to leave his county and Abraham left even before God revealed where he wanted Abraham to go.
4. Now the next test is the mountain. At the foot of the mountain, Abraham asks the rest of his people to stay behind while he and his son goes to worship.

III.               RELEASE CERTAIN PEOPLE AT THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAIN

• This is about how you manage your mountain. The people that were with Abraham, had always been by Abrahams side and he asked them to stay this time.

A.    Everybody Can’t Handle Certain Heights

1. To reach new levels, you have to have a greater level of faith. Abraham asked them to stay. Some people don’t have the capacity to go where God is taking you.
2. Everyone doesn’t have the ability to handle the levels you are going to.

B.    Let Your Faith Prophesy Your Future

1. Abraham said let me and my son go to worship, and we will back to you. Abraham knew by faith that he and his son was coming back.
2. You have to speak those things though they be not as though they were. i.e “I don’t know how I’m going to pay for it, but I know it will be paid”. Let your faith speak to your situation!      

IV.               RESPOND WITH PROPER FOLLOW-THROUGH

• Abraham has made a promise and now he has to follow* through with it.
• Issac carried the wood for the sacrifice. On the way up, his son realized that there was no sacrifice.

A.    Trust Him When You Can’t Trace Him

1. Have you ever been to a place where God changed the rules on you? You have to get to a point where you trust God’s record. Are you willing to trust God when you don’t have all the answers?

B.    Be Willing To Give God What You Love The Most

1. This is where it gets quiet. God wants your Issac. Are you willing to give up what you love the most?
2. 5 reasons we don’t give God what we love the most?
   1. We choose Convenience over Commitment.
   1. We choose Fear of Loss over Hope of Abundance.
   1. We choose Selfishness over Generosity.
   1. We choose Distraction over Focus.
   1. We choose Temporary Satisfaction over Eternal Fulfillment.
3. Can you give God the thing that you love the most? Abraham puts his son on the altar. He is about to kill his only son.

  V.               REJOICE IN THE PROVISION OF THE FATHER

• Abraham was preparing to go through with sacrificing his son. At the last minute, God stopped him.  
• Since Abraham was willing to go through with sacrificing his son, God knew that Abraham feared him, so God had an angel put a lamb in the bush.
• While you a trusting God and doing what you can, God will do what you can’t. While Abraham was on one side of the mountain doing what God asked him to do, not knowing how its going to work out, there is an angel on the other side of the mountain, bringing the lamb for the sacrifice.

A.    God’s Got Angels That Prevent Things From Happening

• Have you ever got to a point where everything you have is out there?

B.    He’s A God Who Will Show Up Just On Time 

1. Has God ever showed up just in time for you? Has He ever showed up Between the diagnoses and death or between the layoff and the bill being due? God will show up!
2. 2 things to remember:
   1. It will bless you for the rest of your life. He will not give it at this level, because you wouldn’t appreciate it. God will hold your blessing until you get to the place you are supposed to be, at the time you are supposed to be there.
      1. After you’ve climbed for a while, you can truly appreciate the next level blessing.
   1. God held the blessing until Abraham got there. It doesn’t matter how long it takes; God will hold your blessing until you get there!
3. Finally, check out the similarities
   1. Abraham’s son carried the wood up the mountain, knowing that he was about to be sacrificed. Jesus caried a wooden cross up Calvary Hill, knowing he was about to be sacrificed.
   1. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son. God was also willing to sacrifice his only son.
4. Remember, this is an Elevation Exam and all the test you are going through and about to go through, Is to prepare you for your elevation!!