Sermon Central
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I Surrender All? Part 2
Contributed by Richard Goble on Mar 19, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: When we talk about surrendering to God we think of those who give Him one tenth of their income, or who become foreign missionaries. This account of Abraham reveals that God desires every believer to surrender everything - even their very life.
I SURRENDER ALL? PART 2
God desires absolute surrender from every believer.
Introduction
What do you trust in?
1. Money? What if you became the victim of identity theft and you found your bank accounts emptied and your credit destroyed?
2. Career? What if your company suddenly went bankrupt or downsized?
3. Health? What if your health failed and you were no longer able to work?
4. Intelligence? What if Alzheimer’s disease were to cease your mental capabilities, rendering you incapable of even remembering your own name?
5. Family and friends? What if your family and friends forsook you?
I believe that at least once in the life of every genuine believer God will bring us to the place where our very survival may rely upon our ability to let go, trusting in nothing and no one other than God to see us through.
9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.
I. ABSOLUTE SURRENDER RESTS IN GREAT FAITH.
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.
Note: It had been three days since God had instructed Abraham to make the supreme sacrifice, to offer his own son as a sacrifice to God. Abraham had three long days to agonize over the matter. For three days – days that had passed far too quickly – Abraham had taken weary step after weary step, with a heart so heavy that he must have felt as though it would burst. Now, father and son had reached the fatal place.
SOURCE: The Preacher’s Outline And Sermon Bible: Genesis II. Leadership Ministries Worldwide. Chattanooga, TN. p. 136.
18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Illustration: Who’s There?
A tourist came too close to the edge of the Grand Canyon, lost his footing and plunged over the side, clawing and scratching to save himself. After he went out of sight and just before he fell into space, he encountered a scrubby bush which he desperately grabbed with both hands. Filled with terror, he called out toward heaven, "Is there anyone up there?"
A calm, powerful voice came out of the sky, "Yes, there is."
The tourist pleaded, "Can you help me? Can you help me?"
The calm voice replied, "Yes, I probably can. What is your problem?"
"I fell over the cliff and am dangling in space holding to a bush that is about to let go. Please help me."
The voice from above said, "I’ll try. Do you believe?"
"Yes, yes, I believe."’
"Do you have faith?"
"Yes, yes. I have strong faith."
