Christian faith presumes love-born sacrifice – Gen. 22:1-9

 

This week’s passage is one of the most frequently told stories in all of ancient literature.  It is riveting, having made some readers furious and others wonder in great awe.  There is truly so much I want to say, that it feels as if we’ll only be scratching the surface this Sunday.  So, we’ll try and focus in on the passage’s main theme, sacrifice.  We’ll narrow in on how Christian faith presumes love-born sacrifice.

While God’s request of Abraham might seem awful and terribly wicked, we need to realize that God was testing Abraham.  God never intended to let Abraham sacrifice his son.  Isaac would not be harmed.  Yet, God asked Abraham to make this incredible sacrifice all the same.  Abraham was asked to forsake his son, his only son Isaac; the one whom he loved.  As difficult as God’s request was, Abraham was obedient to the request and passed the test.  I wonder, how you or I would do if we were put in the same position?  How much are you willing to sacrifice for God?  Why, or why not?  These are important questions we, as Christians, must ask and find answers to.  God does and will test you, and allow trials to come your way.  Will you be ready?

Join as we hear from God’s Word and worship together in the body of Christ this Sunday at 10:30!  Sunday school begins at 9:15.  Bring your friends and family.  Everyone is welcome!

Growing in the Same Direction Over Time – Genesis 21:22-34

Integrity is more than displaying good morals. It’s about being what you truly are. From a Christian perspective, it’s about acting in accordance with what you claim to believe. Only Jesus was able to pull it off perfectly. You and I, if we are Christians, are works in process. God is sanctifying us over time. You can see the same thing happening to Abraham, as you reflect on what we’ve learned of him since he entered the scene in Genesis 11. Abraham had faith, but was still growing in faithfulness. He had messed up big time, but even through those mess-ups he was being changed. Over time it becomes increasingly evident to us, that Abraham is growing.

Christian faithfulness is like that. Christian faithfulness is recognized by the direction of your life. You may not notice it day to day, but over time you will. Others may even be more likely to notice growth (that’s why the gift of encouragement is so important within the body of Christ). If a person is growing, you should be able to point to various markers of increased Christian faithfulness in that person’s life.

This Sunday, we’re going to look at a couple markers of that faithfulness, in the life of Abraham, and directly apply them to our own lives. As we go through this passage, I hope you’ll be encouraged to take stock of your own integrity and consider how your Christian walk can continue to grow.

Join as we hear from God’s Word and worship together in the body of Christ this Sunday at 10:30! Sunday school begins at 9:15. Bring your friends and family. Everyone is welcome!

I wonder if you’ve heard this story of

I wonder if you’ve heard this story of Thomas Cramer’s final moments on earth. http://ow.ly/BARK8

“Slave or Free?” – Genesis 21:1-21 – This Sunday

Can you imagine a first baby shower for a 90 year old mom?  Me neither!  But that’s the scene of this week’s passage in the book of Genesis, with the long awaited birth of Abraham and Sarah’s son, Isaac.  It has been over 25 years now since God promised Abraham an heir to their covenant and all the blessings it entails.  The promise would not have been fulfilled without an heir.  Yet, despite their best efforts, Abraham and Sarah had not been able to bring forth the promised heir on their own.  It took the Spirit of God to bring forth that which was humanly impossible.  It is, as you can see in the passage, a scene of much rejoicing!

Why does all this matter to us?  Because through the promise to Abraham, God will bring a Messiah to free the children of Abraham from their sin, from God’s eternal judgment and bring those children into eternal communion.  All the people of the world are enslaved unless they obtain freedom through the promise.

In one sense, the tension is now relieved with the birth of Isaac, but in another sense, the Apostle Paul reveals in a commentary on our passage in the book of Galatians, that your struggle with bondage may not be over at all!  Many who think they are free, are really still enslaved, even those Jews born in the flesh, coming from the ancestral line of Abraham may still be enslaved.  How can that be?  What about you?  Come hear what God’s word has to say this Sunday.

“Growing Failure” – Genesis 20:1-18

Things in front of the church office were noticeably different, first thing in the morning this week.  The traffic was once again backing up at the Elm Street intersection and everyone out there seemed in a real hurry.  It became evident that people were shifting out of summer and back into “normal” mode.  Sometimes our faith, or maybe our faithfulness, slumps during summer, when the pressure and demands on us are low.  But then, of course, things get so busy after Labor Day that it’s also easy to get lax when it comes to our devotion to the Christian faith.  No one does it intentionally, but before you know it, you’re relying on yourself a whole lot more than God.  You end up overestimating your ability and underestimating His.

Abraham found himself in a very similar place in our passage for this Sunday.  Abraham was a huge success and a great man of faith, but he began to trust way to much in Abraham and far too little in God.  If you’re honest, you can probably relate.  Whenever you think less of God than you should, you, inevitably, think more of yourself than you should.  At times like this, God often finds a way to get your attention, while providing an opportunity to grow you in your faith.  We’ll look at a couple of ways this happens on Sunday and consider how you and I can think a whole lot more of God and a whole lot less of ourselves.

Come join as we hear from God’s Word and worship together in the body of Christ this Sunday at 10:30!  Don’t forget to come early for breakfast (8 AM) and Sunday school (9:15 AM).