Sacrificing My Heart's Desire - a podcast by Lewis Marsh

How To Live By Faith, Pt. 6

Sacrificing My Hearts Desire – Heb. 11:17-19

By Louie Marsh, 12-19-2021

 

Intro.  4 cartoons, Dinos last.

 

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. Genesis 12:1 (NIV)

 

1) Faith demands that I MOVE FORWARD.

 

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Mark 16:15 (NIV)

 

• The journey is: long, hard & not taken

 

2) Living by faith is following what God has ALREADY DONE.

 

“6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6–8, ESV)

 

3) Living by faith forces the critical question upon me -

 

• Which do I love more? the GIFT or the GIVER?

 

“17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.” (Hebrews 11:17–19, ESV)

 

“2He said, “Take 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.”” (Genesis 22:2, ESV)

 

REMEMBER: Issac was God’s gift – a blessing – BUT if God’s gifts become more important than God – we are in trouble!

 

• This is the CRITICAL TEST for all Christ followers.

 

"Simply put, if you're not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can't be my disciple. Luke 14:33 (MSG)

 

“33So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33, ESV)

 

•  It shows me who or what’s really NUMBER ONE in my life.

 

“5Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.”” (Genesis 22:5, ESV)

 

• Am I really serving (worshipping) God or…

 

5) This test also forces me to trust GOD ALONE for the impossible.

 

“8Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. 9When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.” (Genesis 22:8–13, ESV)

 

19He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.” (Hebrews 11:19, ESV)

 

6) Once I surrender God’s gift back to Him, this allows God to USE ME more.

 

“15And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”” (Genesis 22:15–18, ESV)

 

 

 

 

 

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