The Faith Walk

Announcer: Today, with Jonathan Evans.

Jonathan Evans: What would it look like if the believers in the church weren't just sitting in a church but were ready to move on the call of God? What would it look like if the believers in the church really believed that God would provide?

We didn't just raise our hands, we raised our life up to the call of God. Because of that fundamental belief.

Now, let me show you what happened next.

Announcer: You're listening to The Faith Walk with Jonathan Evans. In a moment, Jonathan will continue today's message. But first, to thank you for your support of this ministry, Jonathan has two gifts for you. The first is the audio series that you're currently hearing called All Eyes on Jesus, helping you refocus on the one who changes everything.

The second part of this gift is a book by Dr. Tony Evans called The Power of Jesus' Names. Discover how the names of Jesus reveal his character, his purpose, and his power in your life today. How could knowing him more deeply transform your faith?

I'll tell you more about these later in today's program, or you can call right now at 1-800-800-3222 or visit tonyevans.org to learn more. Now, let's get started with Jonathan's message.

Jonathan Evans: Now we know that father sacrifices many things. I know too. We make sacrifices, sacrifices of time and peace, working out in the world. We want to make the sacrifice to provide. We want to make the emotional sacrifice.

A lot of times we may be the last one to be checked on emotionally because we want to make sure everybody else is okay first. Physical sacrifices. If that alarm goes off at 3:00 AM, you better not tap your wife and say, "Go check." That ain't going to work.

You have to be willing to go out there and sacrifice even yourself because you're the husband, the father. You're the one in that position. There are all types of different sacrifices that fathers are called to make.

Now I know God is not a God of confusion, but this sacrifice we're talking about in the Bible in Genesis 22, that's confusing. That's not a sacrifice that any parent, any father is looking to make.

When he tells Abraham to sacrifice his own son, that's not one of them sacrifices we want to be a part of. That's a difficult call that God would put on Abraham to make a sacrifice like that. This sacrifice, this call of God on Abraham's life, is actually a contradiction.

It's a contradictory call on his life. How are you going to ask me to puncture your own promises? It doesn't make sense that this is a promise from God given to Abraham. Genesis 12, Genesis 15, God makes a promise to Abraham that he would have a child, a son from his own body, and that he would make a great nation of him.

This was the promise of God on Abraham's life and God tells Abraham to sacrifice it. That's a contradiction. It's not just a contradiction because it's the promise of God. It's a contradiction because of the provision of God. That God provided this son miraculously. So he made a way out of no way to provide a son from Sarah who was 90 years old and barren.

So you made you made a way out of no way for me to have this provision and now you want me to sacrifice it? That don't make any sense. So it's a contradiction in the promises of God, the provision of God. It's a contradiction in the providence of God, that God works out the details for the good of his people.

That he's working it out. It's a contradiction to that. How are we going to get to this great nation you were talking about when you're asking me to sacrifice the vehicle through which that's going to happen? So it's a contradiction in several ways. It's a theological biblical contradiction because of the sanctity of life, that he would call Abraham to sacrifice his own son.

Even before the law, in Exodus 20, the written law, there was a moral law. That's why when Cain killed Abel, God went after Cain. Because even prior to the written law, there was still a moral law. If you want to know whether God exists or not, one of the arguments is morality. How do you know what's good and evil and where did that even come from?

That there is a moral law that exists, and because we're made in the image of God, we recognize, "Thou shall not kill." And so here Abraham is getting this contradictory word from God. Not only is it contradictory, but it's also crushing.

That Abraham would not only have to sacrifice his son, but he's sacrificing his son that he waited 25 years for God to provide. It says that he was 75 in Genesis 12:4 when the promise came to him. In Genesis 21:5, it says that he was 100 years old when Isaac was born.

So my math is right, that's 25 years. 25 years of waiting on God to do what he says he's going to do, and then he takes it from you. This doesn't make any sense. Why would God ask Abraham to participate in a crushing contradiction?

Oh, it's because God was testing the priority of Abraham's affection. He put Abraham in a situation, your only son, whom you love. You got one of them, and I'm calling you to sacrifice the promise. I'm calling you to sacrifice even with great provision. I'm calling you to this crushing contradiction in your life.

But the reason why I'm calling you to a crushing contradiction is because I want to see if what I gave you has become more important than the one who gave it to you. God will often call you to crushing contradictions where you are praying for a position and you got it, but then he tells you to go a different direction.

And you're like, "Why would I do that? You gave me this promise, I prayed for it, you provided it in a miraculous way, and now you're calling me away from it?" Yeah, it's a crushing contradiction, isn't it? Because I want to see the priority of your affection.

"Well, you just gave me this windfall of money that I needed and that I prayed for and now you're telling me to give it to somebody else?" Well, I just want to see where your heart is. Because where your heart is, your treasures will be there also. So, so I just want to see where you're at. I want to see where your affections really lie.

"Well, you got that dream person and now I'm telling you to walk away from the person of your dreams." No, I'm not talking about your marriage. "Why would you tell me to do that? I thought that this was perfect and now you're telling me to sacrifice it and go in a different direction?" Yes, it's a crushing contradiction because I want to measure the priority of your affection.

"Wait a minute, my influence is just now growing. I'm just now getting the followers, the residual income is just now starting to come in. And now you're telling me to abstain from social media." "Why would I do that?" That's a crushing contradiction when you've given me the influence. Oh, he just wants to know, where's the priority of your affection?

So often times he will have you move and give you a word that does not make sense because he's trying to see where you really are as a believer. This did not make sense to Abraham. Abraham, as all fathers and parents, mothers, wants to see and be a part of raising their child, pouring into their child, and instilling confidence in your child, celebrating the achievements of your child, protecting and guiding. That's what your desire is.

No father wants to sacrifice their child, unless you live in America, with fathers who are definitely not getting a call from God to do so, will put their children on the altar of their own self-indulgence and irresponsibility. Or it's not just fathers. Mothers will even sacrifice their children on the altar of revenge.

Using their children as leverage and placing them on the altar of their own sins. What got me the most about this story at first was not my focus on Abraham. My focus was on the innocence of Isaac, who's just following his dad, not even knowing that he's the sacrifice.

The innocence of a child. It's so unfortunate that these innocent children are trusting and following crooked parents. Adults who are so selfish that they would use their children as leverage or a ransom just to do something selfish that they want to do.

Poor kids. Two, three, four, five, six, seven years old, eight years old, 10 years old. And they're walking behind their mom and dad thinking that this person has the best intent for my life and that I can give them my life and trust them with their life. And the whole time, they're prepared to bind them up on an altar and sacrifice them on their own sins.

How terrible is that? If you are a parent and you're leveraging your kids in a divorce, you're leveraging your kids in contracts, you're leveraging your kids to try to figure out how to use them to get what you want, stop it.

Shame on us for abusing kids because you're selfish.

Announcer: More of The Faith Walk with Pastor Jonathan Evans, in a moment. When life leaves you feeling spiritually dry, pressured by culture or unsure of your purpose, All Eyes on Jesus will help you refocus on the one who changes everything. Today, with a gift to support the ministry of The Urban Alternative, Jonathan wants to give you a copy of his eight-part audio series, All Eyes on Jesus. What could happen if you fixed your eyes on Jesus in every area of your life? Also included with your gift is a book by Dr. Tony Evans, The Power of Jesus' Names. Discover how the names of Jesus reveal his character, his purpose, and his power in your life today. Both the book, The Power of Jesus' Names, and the eight-part audio series, All Eyes on Jesus, are a gift for you to thank you, to show our appreciation for your continued support. It is listeners like you who make this program possible. Our 24-hour resource request line is open at 1-800-800-3222. Let one of our team members help you. 1-800-800-3222 or get all the details at tonyevans.org. How could knowing him more deeply transform your faith? Now, let's get back to Jonathan with the rest of today's message.

Jonathan Evans: How terrible is that? If you are a parent and you're leveraging your kids in a divorce, you're leveraging your kids in contracts, you're leveraging your kids to try to figure out how to use them to get what you want, stop it.

Shame on us for abusing kids because you're selfish. Isaac shows his innocence in Genesis 22:11. He says, "Hey, Dad, where's the lamb?" He's just following his dad. He's trusting in Abraham. He's following his dad. Your kids are trusting you, and you just going to sacrifice them because you're selfish?

Man, that's a hard pill to swallow, that we would do that. You say, "Well, I got too many kids and too many baby mamas." That's on you. Pray for the Lord's provision. But you keep showing up. "Well, she won't let me." Don't quit, it's a kid.

"Well, I don't I don't I don't like him. He didn't choose me. He chose some other woman." You slept with him, though. And now you have this child. And that ain't got nothing to do with the child. If he's a good father, you send that child in there to be with his daddy.

And you have to just, what I say to my kids, you just got to drink your spit. Because that ain't got nothing to do with the kid, the fact that you don't like your this your baby daddy. If he's a good father, that child needs a father. Stop sacrificing kids.

This call that came to Abraham didn't come to you. I'm sorry, that was in parentheses, but now we're going back to the story. Because I'm reading it and I'm thinking, man, poor Isaac, he don't even know. He's just he's just following his dad. And these kids are just following us straight to death, and we're supposed to be their parents.

Some of you are that kid. This call comes to Abraham, and Abraham shows us how he responds. Now, if this call came to me, I'd be like, "Nah." "Lord, you're going to have to figure out a different test." How does Abraham respond to something like this?

Let me show you what Abraham did. Verse 3 says, "So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey and took two of the young men with him and Isaac his son, and split the wood of the burnt offering and rose and went to the place which God told him." That don't sound weird to you? I mean, hey, sacrifice your only son, your only son whom you love.

Alarm goes off. "Hey, boys, let's go. Isaac, get, saddle up the donkey, split the wood. Let's hit it." Early in the morning? I only wake up early if I'm excited about something. He gets up early with no hezzy, that means hesitation for those of you who don't know. He gets up early in the morning with no hesitation and saddles up the donkey, grabs two boys, gets Isaac, splits the wood and starts heading to the place where God told him.

How is he able to trust God in a crushing contradiction? Where does that level of faith come from where he can move on God's word when there's a great sacrifice that God is calling him to make? Let me tell you. Abraham had a fundamental belief. His fundamental belief was this, my God will provide.

When Isaac asked in Genesis 22:7, "Where is the lamb?" Abraham's response to his son was, "God will provide." He had a fundamental belief that I can move and make sacrifices that God calls me to make, because either way, God will provide for me.

Okay. Therefore, if you're unwilling to make the sacrifice, if you're unwilling to move when God calls you, if you're unwilling to step away from something God told you to step away from, to leave a situation God calls you to leave, to put down something God calls you to put down, you have a fundamental disbelief that God will provide.

The reason why you're not moving is because you're hesitant on what's going to be on the other end of your obedience. And so you have a fundamental disbelief that God is actually going to provide. And so you stop. Psalm 37:5, though, says, "I was young and now I'm old, and I have never seen the righteous forsaken."

Romans 8:32 says, "If God would give his own son, would he not also give you all things freely with him?" That we have to believe that God will provide or you will struggle as a Christian to move when God speaks. He had a fundamental belief. And what would it look like if dads were like, "God has spoken, saddle up the donkey. You two come with me. Isaac, let's go, split the wood. Let's go make a sacrifice." What it look like if women were to saddle up the donkey, split the wood, grab two girls and their daughters and show them what an experience of God is about to look like?

What would it look like if the believers in the church weren't just sitting in a church but were ready to move on the call of God? What would it look like if the believers in the church really believed that God would provide? We didn't just raise our hands, we raised our life up to the call of God. Because of that fundamental belief.

Now, let me show you what happened next. Abraham got up and he moved. Saddled up the donkey, split the wood. Boys, y'all come with me. Isaac, let's go. Look at what Abraham says. Look at what the word says. Verse 4 says, "On the third day he raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. Abraham said to his young men, the two he brought with him, 'Stay here with the donkey. I and the lad will go over there, and we will worship and return to you.'"

Abraham a beast. Abraham said, "Hey, y'all stay here, we're going to go worship, and we'll be right back." "What you know we don't know, Abraham? What you know?" Abraham had a belief that God would provide, and I know what you're thinking. You're thinking he believed that God would provide a ram in the bush.

That's not what he was thinking at all. Abraham's belief and what God would do was at a whole another level, that you would not believe what he was thinking. I'm going to give you a few clues. Verse 4 starts out by saying, "On the third day." Verse 2 says, "Go sacrifice your only son, your only son whom you love." And then he says, "Don't worry, we're going to go, but we're going to return."

I don't want you to take it from me. Hebrews chapter 11 verse 17 and verse 19. We're going to read what Abraham was thinking when he went up there and said, "We're going to be right back." In Hebrews 11:17 it says, "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who received the promise was offering up his only begotten son." Verse 19 says, "Watch this, he considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received back as a type." What? Abraham said, "We'll be right back because I'm going to kill my only son whom I love, and then I'm going to stand there and watch God raise him from the dead, and we're going to come right back down the hill."

Abraham believed in the resurrection, who he also received back as a type. A type means a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ. This whole story is about the sacrifice of a father that's telling you about the sacrifice of the Father. His only begotten son, his only son. And Abraham is thinking, "We're going to be right back. I'm just going to kill my son and watch him be raised." He's already thinking and foreshadowing the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This means that you have to have a spiritual belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You also have to have a practical belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. A spiritual belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ says, "I believe that he died and was raised on the third day, so that I can place faith in him, and those who place faith in him will live even if they die." You are now a participant in the resurrection, which is why when you get baptized, you die with Christ, you go under the water, and then you are raised with him to the newness of life. It's all about the resurrection. Which means, you're in church, but you don't believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When you die, you're going to be dead.

You cannot be saved and forsake the resurrection. Your life comes through the resurrection. So you have to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ spiritually. If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved, the Bible says. But you also have to have a practical belief in the resurrection, that the same power that raised Jesus up from the grave is the same power that can raise up any situation I have to sacrifice.

Announcer: That was Pastor Jonathan Evans. Before you go today, I want to remind you that we have a couple of gifts for you, an eight-part audio series, All Eyes on Jesus, and a book, The Power of Jesus' Names. How could knowing him more deeply transform your faith? Through Dr. Evans's book, The Power of Jesus' Names, you'll discover how the name of Jesus reveals his character, his purpose, and his power in your life today. We are also including Jonathan Evans's All Eyes on Jesus audio series, helping you refocus on the one who changes everything. Discover how to deepen your faith, stand firm in difficult times, and live with confidence in God's calling. What could happen if you fixed your eyes on Jesus in every area of your life?

Both resources are a gift to you to thank you for your donation to help support the ministry of The Urban Alternative. It's our way of showing appreciation for the continued support of listeners like you who make this program possible. Call 1-800-800-3222 any time or get all the details online at tonyevans.org. Again, that's tonyevans.org or you can call our 24-hour resource request line at 1-800-800-3222 and let one of our team members help you. That's 1-800-800-3222. Thank you for listening to The Faith Walk with Jonathan Evans. The Faith Walk is produced as a part of The Urban Alternative, a ministry of Dr. Tony Evans.