Journey through the wall

Genesis 22

Genesis 22:1-19 NIV
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you." Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the lord called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the lord it will be provided." The angel of the lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

Sermon Notes

Emotionally healthy spirituality week 4. The Christian life can be described as a journey with many ups and downs, stops and starts. The stages of faith model. After becoming a Christian we travel along, being discipled, serving and then BAM we hit the wall. This is often because of a crisis (divorce, job loss, shattered dream, expectations of God not met...). Many people get stuck at the wall or turn and run from it. To be emotionally healthy spirit filled people we need to be prepared to journey through the wall. 1. Our focus - God's will not ours. Abraham didn't argue, he surrendered and God did mighty things through him. 2. Our work. Awareness - becoming aware of our brokeness and those things in our life that God is wanting to work in. Forgiveness -accepting and embracing God's forgiveness for us and not continually beating ourselves up. Acceptance - realising that this is who we are. Broken people loved and forgiven by God. We embrace our wounds for what they will teach me the rest of my life. Where are you in the stages of faith, the journey. Are you stuck at the wall? Or have you run from it? Can you like Abraham say “LORD bring me closer to you no matter what the consequences.”

My Copious Notes

Abraham was an amazing man and moves through the wall when asked to sacrifice his only son. Abraham knew that God would do something as He had promised that Abraham would be the father of nations and that would only happen through Isaac.

God's grace can move us through the walls that face us and allow us to accept ourselves and His forgiveness.

May God bless you richly this week.

Richard.