December 11, 2005 Sermon: God Will Provide

Scripture:  Genesis 22: 1-14

Sermon delivered by Assistant Pastor Mark Porter

 

Whatever you need God can and will provide.  If you can�t see your way out, God will provide; if sickness is all through your body, God will provide.  God will provide for his own, for those called by his name.  Some of you are sitting there like you don�t know God will provide because if you knew, you would be running up and down these aisles.

 

Abraham knew God would provide.  God had given Abraham a promise that he would bear a child and that he would build a nation too numerous to count.  You know the story of how Abraham at 100 and his wife Sara in her 90�s bore a child.  The Word of God came to Abraham to take his son and offer him as a burnt offering.  When we talk about God will provide, we come to know him as Jehovah-jireh.  When you come into a relationship with God, there is a lesson you have to learn.

 

When God provides he doesn�t always make sense.  It might not make sense to you and me but sometimes God will just bless us and blow our minds.  He will do some extraordinary things in our lives.  We can hear things that seem unbelievable.  Sometimes he will make you do things that make people look at you like you are crazy.  You will ask God why he�s making you do these things. 

 

If you want God to do extraordinary things in your life, you need to:

1)     Have some extra ordinary faith (Hebrew 11:1).  Faith is a confident expectation.  Taking God at his word.  If he said it, it�s going to come to pass.  Act upon his word.  His word will never perish and will never fail.  Some of us can talk the faith talk but cannot walk the faith walk.

2)     In addition to extra faith, it takes obedience.  When God tells us to do something, some of us come up with all sorts of excuses.  The Bible says Abraham rose early the next morning to go sacrifice his son.  Stop trying to hold on to your insecurities.  Just let go and trust God.

3)     Not only do you need extra ordinary faith and obedience, there has to be some separation.  Note in verse 5 Abraham told the lads that came with them to stay there while he and his son went further.  In order for you to go to a new level in your new life with Christ, you have to separate from some people.  You will have to leave some behind.

 

The Bible says Abraham took his son and laid him on the altar and raised his hand to sacrifice his son.  Right before Abraham killed his son, an angel called out to Abraham and told him his faith was strong and to look over there a ram is in the thicket.  Abraham began to call on the Lord.

 

God will provide, he will show up and he will show out.  This sermon I�m preaching today is the same one I preached over 12 years ago when I first entered the ministry.  I preached the Word then that God had given me.  Now I can preach this sermon based on my experience.  Back then I did not have a car, no job, was living with Pastor and my sister and was single.  Look at me now � I have a car, a wife and a son.  He�s provided so much for me.

 

Mount Moriah was in Jerusalem, they say not far from Mount Calvary.  Another sacrifice was made on that mount where a Father scarified his son.  God sent his son to be a sacrifice for you and me.  A perfect sacrifice � his name is Jesus � he sacrificed so that we could have eternal life.