Sermon: See To It
Scripture: Genesis 22
Ice Breaker: Share what gets you most excited about Meta's new building!
REVIEW:
This week we looked at the story of Abraham and Isaac. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his one and only son, who was also the only hope for the promise of Abraham becoming a great nation.
The idea of sacrifice seems to fly directly in the face of our ideas about how to find satisfaction in this life. We tend to have an, "I'll SEE TO IT" mentality. In other words, I'll make sure to provide everything my life needs. Since we see ourselves as the hope for our happiness, we tend to self-protect, horde resources, and become selfish with our things. The Christian life is a life of sacrifice, which is incompatible with a SEE TO IT worldview.
What are some areas where you have had a SEE TO IT mentality?
How has this worked out for you in the past?
God comes and asks Abraham for the ultimate sacrifice. Sacrificing his son would mean Abraham lost all control in SEEING TO his future lineage. This is why Abraham is known as the father of the faith - he trusted God with the craziest request.
On the way up the mountain, Isaac asked his father where the lamb was for sacrifice and he replied, "God himself will provide the lamb..." The word Provide is our key word JIREH. The root definition for Jireh is TO SEE. Abraham's answer to Isaac's very legitimate question was basically, "The Lord see our need." That reality was enough for Abraham to make the hardest journey of his life.
They made it to the top of the mountain and Abraham laid Isaac on the alter, lifted his knife above his head, and began to go through with the sacrifice when the angel of the Lord stopped him mid swing! Abraham had proven his faith and God had proven his faithfulness. Isaac's life was spared and God provided a ram as the substitute offering.
This was a foreshadowing of what Jesus did for us. We all deserve death and eternal separation from God; however, Jesus came as the sacrificial Lamb of God who substituted His life for our own.
Abraham named the mountain they were on JEHOVAH - JIREH, The Lord Will Provide. Of course, we know that JIREH literally means TO SEE. on the way up the mountain Abraham had faith that God saw them, after the sacrifice he knew that: God Doesn't Just SEE It
God Will SEE TO IT!
APPLY:
At the end of the message, we shared how God has provided MetaChurch with the purchase of a beautiful new space! It has been such a difficult couple of years but God Sees us AND He will always SEE TO IT that His will is done!
HERE IS YOUR APPLICATION QUESTION FOR THE WEEK:
What is ONE AREA in your life where you have a "SEE TO IT" attitude and WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO to offer it up to God?
What is it that you are trying to control? What worldly things are you putting your hope in? What worries are keeping you up at night? What do you think you couldn't live without?
These are the things that we need to lay on the altar and trust that God Sees It and GOD WILL SEE TO IT!
PRAY:
Spend time in prayer thanking Jehovah Jireh - the God who sees us and provides all that we need. Thank him for how he is moving in our church and in our lives. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the things you need to sacrifice in your own life.
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