FBCPS
Sermons, teachings, and podcasts from First Baptist Church in Powder Springs, Georgia.
FBCPS
How to Raise the Next Generation for Jesus | Genesis 22
Have you ever considered the profound influence your faith has on your parenting? In a heartfelt discussion, we navigate the biblical narrative of Abraham and Isaac, extracting contemporary lessons on trust, sacrifice, and the pivotal role of scripture in our families. I'll guide you through my top five passages for parenting in faith, offering insights into how these verses can shape the way we raise our children amidst the challenges of the modern world. This episode is an invitation to bring your family closer to God's word, allowing it to deeply impact the way you nurture, guide, and love.
Finally, we round off our journey with an exploration of surrender to God's will, even when it tests our understanding and expectations. It's a candid look at the beauty of blessings, the courage it takes to trust in His greater plan, and the promise of salvation and eternal life. Whether you're a steadfast member of our church community or someone just beginning to explore their spiritual path, this episode serves as a heartfelt prayer for all seeking comfort and direction in their faith. Together, let's embrace the blessings that await when we place our trust in the Almighty.
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Hey, man, aren't you glad you came to church this morning. Put your hands together. We believe in a God of miracles. We believe in a God who has shown us in Scripture, throughout all salvation history, what he has done, what he can do. And it's not just to leave all of those things in the past, it's so that he can show you what he wants to do in your present, what he wants to do in your future. And here's why, because he loves you, he loves you, he brought you here today, because he loves you and he's got a word for you. He brought you here today because he desires you to worship Him, because that's when you find your worth in Him, is when you worship Him. Can I get an amen? And God wants to do a miracle in your life, as, even as we talked about last week, as we talk about every Sunday, that God's favor is upon you through Jesus. He wants to bless you and he has His best for you in mind. Let's put our hands together one more time for all that God is doing in our church, in our lives, in our community and in our world. You can have a seat right now First Baptist Church, powder Springs.
Speaker 1:We just want to thank you for coming this morning. Thank you for being a part of this movement, of what God is doing here in our community, and we just believe. We believe that God has incredible things in store. We believe that, as good as it is today, the best is still yet to come. Can I get an amen that God still is? He desires to do all the more tomorrow, and so we believe that God has a purpose for you coming here in this moment this morning to hear this word, because he wants to work in your life in a very specific way. Out of His purpose, if you're a first-time guest, we just want to say thank you for coming. If you're a first-time guest here in this room, if you're a first-time guest watching us for your first time online, can we put our hands together for all of our first-time guests this morning? We are so thankful, and of all the places you could be, that you came here today. We believe that God led you here. We believe that God led you online. We believe that God has a purpose for this. There's a next-step card in your seat back or you can click the QR code online the link, if you will, and we would just love to know that if it is your first time because we just get excited when the Lord brings us in first-time guest, as he does every single Sunday you can grab that next-step card in front of you and you'll be able to fill it out during the service. We have a free gift just for you over here at our next-step station right after the service that we would love to give all of our first-time guests.
Speaker 1:That next-step card is also for all of us, because Jesus is working in all of our lives, speaking in all of our lives to take our next steps in Him. We believe those next steps for every Christian is to worship Him, is to group together, to be in groups about Him, to serve in ministry, but also to live on mission for Him. So if you need any information, if we can help you out in whatever is next-step that Jesus is calling you to make, you can indicate it on the card. And, as always on the back of the card, the large box at the bottom, you can write down your greatest prayer need for the week, because it is our joy as your staff to go to Jesus on your behalf and to pray for your greatest prayer need this week and you can turn those into the ushers as they're about to pass by, or put those in any of our black offering or next-step card boxes at all of our exits. You can do that, usher. So I'm going to go ahead and call you forward right now, if you would.
Speaker 1:As the ushers are coming forward, I want to ask Adam Sears if he will join me on stage. Today we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of our Upwards Basketball program. Put your hands together right now, as we are so thankful. We are 25 years of Upward. Now we have a. As Adam is coming up to join me on stage. We also have a very special guest in our crowd and our audience that I want to recognize. They can just stand up where they are.
Speaker 1:Where is Steve Whipple? Steve, would you please stand up right now? Steve actually got used to him to start our Upward program. Would you put your hands together, as he was very instrumental in getting it started here 25 years ago. He did the first season. He reaves to the next 21 seasons, from what I understand, and Buddy is at home right now. Buddy, if you're watching, we love you, we appreciate you. Thank you so much for your investment and Adam Sears God has used him for our last three seasons. We're just so thankful for all that God has done.
Speaker 1:Let me ask, if you were here this morning, if you were part of our first five seasons is that 1999 to 2004-ish, 23 to 2004? Would you stand up if you were a player, if you were a coach, if you served in any way? Stand up right now. If you're part of our first five seasons of Upward. We're so thankful. Man praise the Lord for you. Thank you If you have been a part. Thank you so much If you've been a part of our last, let's say up until 2019. Is that cool? Up until 2019. If you have had any part in Upward you've played, you've coached, you've came, you've watched, you've served anything any part in Upward since 2019 and before, stand up, stand up right now. If that's you 2019 to before. Give them a big round of applause man praise the Lord, I love it. And if you have had a part in Upward, let's just say over the past five years or maybe you're here this morning and you're wearing your Upward uniform this morning would you stand up if you've been a part of Upward the past five years?
Speaker 1:We're so thankful for all of our coaches, all of our players, all of our cheerleaders, all of our parents, everyone, all of the people that are in control of all of that, and we're just so thankful for all that the Lord has done. We have a video, but I want to wait. Can I show the video? I want to show it to you at the program. Can I do that? I want to wait and show that at the program, if we can.
Speaker 1:But I just want to say thank you, because here's what we believe. We don't want to just be a church in the community, we want to be a church for the community. We want our community to know that we love our community deeply and we want our community to know that they can always have a church. Well, they will come, that they will be loved, that they will be led to Jesus and they will be shown how to live a better way, not our way, but his way, which is a better way for his glory. If you believe that, put your hands together, because we believe that this morning God is so good.
Speaker 1:Adam, thank you so much for your service. Man, thank you for the way you serve the Lord Jesus, and I want to thank everyone for the way that you give. What a generous church you are. God is providing so much ministry through you that we're getting to reach our community. We're getting to reach the next generation. Just last Sunday, in our choir and orchestra service, we saw a jump in attendance by 50 people just last Sunday. The way that that service is growing is awesome and they tell me, from what I understand, that over the past five or six months that this service has doubled. Aren't you thankful for all that God is doing? Man? God is so good. He's moving in so many powerful ways. So I just want to say thank you for the way that you give, because every penny that you give goes in some way, shape or form to reaching this community and the nations.
Speaker 1:For Jesus, let me pray and then we will give of our tithes and our offerings and then we'll watch our Family Matters video. Heavenly Father, we love you. God, you're so good and, father, we just want to go ahead and say ahead of time thank you for what you're going to do today, god. We say it out of faith, we say it because we believe it, because you're a good God. You're a good, good Father In God. I pray in Jesus' name, lord, that you would use your word this morning to change lives this morning, to change our community, to change our world. This morning, in God, I pray that every penny that is given God, I pray that you would use it to reach people with your good news, with your son in God, that we may see the fruit here of all that you want to do in our life and in our church. God, we love you and I pray that you would bless every giver in Jesus' name, and all God's people said amen. Watch this Family Matters video.
Speaker 2:It's a rare condition, it's day and age To read any good news on the newspaper page Love and tradition of a grand design. Some people say it's even harder to find. Well, there must be some magic clue inside these gentle walls, cause all I see is a tower of dreams, with real love bursting out of every seam. As the days go by, we're gonna fill our house with happiness and the moon may cry. We're sputtering the blues with tenderness as the days go by. There's room for you, room for me, gentle hearts, and I'm zoonerty as the days go by, it's the bigger love of the family.
Speaker 1:Aren't you thankful for our church staff? Put your hands together for our church staff. We are like family around here. Michelle and I are so thankful for you. We're so thankful that Powder Springs is our home, that First Baptist Powder Springs is our church family.
Speaker 1:Last week I told you just about some things going on in our church family. God had been doing some miracles, such as Alan Martin, our chairman of Deacons, that he went into shoulder surgery back in November and his recovery was going great. Then he gets an infection inside of his shoulder and the doctor said we would have to repeat the surgery again, setting back 90 days of all of his recovery. He leaves the doctor's appointment where they had located the infection and all of that. From that moment, literally God healed the infection. His bandage was healed. He goes home for an entire week. The bandage stays dry. He did get to call this doctor last Sunday and say, hey, it's still dry. The doctor canceled the second surgery. We're just so thankful for all the miracles that God is doing.
Speaker 1:I want to say thank you for praying for my family. As many of you know, if you've heard or if you watch Facebook or if you follow my mom on Facebook, you know more about my family than I do. Just so you know, my dad suffered a stroke last week, about a week ago. So many of you all have reached out, so many of you all have told us that you are praying for him, praying for us. We truly do appreciate it. He is home, he is resting, he is better. It was a posterior stroke and apparently it looks like it was about as mild and as minor as a stroke as you can experience. He's not having any limitations or anything like that. We're just so thankful for a miracle that God has done and my dad. We're super thankful. We're very grateful, as I told my dad. I said, dad, it's my fault, I'm the one preaching on family and that's just.
Speaker 1:Whatever you preach on is how Satan loves to attack, even just in this little family matter series. Our one-year-old son has gotten sick, our four-year-old daughter has gotten sick, my pregnant wife has gotten the stomach virus, and it's my fault because I'm preaching on family and it happens to my family and it's always amazing. Hear me. Where God is blessing, you always see Satan attacking. Where God is blessing, you always see Satan attacking. You need to remember that because you can know for sure that where Satan is attacking in your life, it's because he knows that that's where God is blessing you. Satan often knows where God is blessing you before you know where God is blessing you, and so he likes to try to attack even before we see the blessing in order to get our hearts and our minds off of Jesus.
Speaker 1:That's not even a part of my message this morning. That was for free. Here we go this morning in family matters. I want to talk to you this morning about reaching, raising how to raise the next generation for Jesus, how to raise the next generation for Jesus. In this part of our series. This is about parenting, but it's more than parenting, because not only are parents called to raise the next generation for Jesus, churches are called to raise the next generation for Jesus. Amen, I want all of our parents to know that you're not alone it takes a church and a family to raise a child that churches and parents are called to partner together to raise the next generation.
Speaker 1:The next generation matters to God. The next generation is so important to God. Let me give you some staggering statistics about the next generation. 25% of our national population is 18 years of age or under. The next generation is 25% of our national population. Did you know that, out of teenagers who grow up going to church, that 75% of them, when they graduate high school, they stop going to church? For those who went to church growing up, 75% of them stop going to church once they graduate from high school and only about 35% of them return one day. Listen, it matters how we raise the next generation for Jesus. It matters how we reach the next generation for Jesus. Did you know that there are statistics all over the place, but one place where we can land is about 90% of people who get saved, get saved before the age of 18. 90% of people who get saved before the age of 18. In other words, we're talking about family matters, because family matters to God. The next generation matters to God. It is a parental responsibility, it is the church's responsibility. Parents are called to reach them, churches are called to reach them. Parents are called to raise them.
Speaker 1:Let me show you a passage of Scripture from Psalm 78, some selected verses. Verse one God said my people hear my teaching, listen to the words of my mouth. We will not. And then we say we will not hide them from our descendants. We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power and the wonders that he has done. What do we do? We tell the generation what God has done Verse six so that the next generation would know them, his power, his works, even the children who are yet to be born, and they in turn one day will tell their children about the Lord. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commandments.
Speaker 1:Can I just talk to the next generation real quick. If you're 18 years of age or younger, can I just tell you in here, in my life I get to see all of the different parts of life. I get to see when people are born. I get to see when people are married. I get to see when people are buried. I'm just going to go ahead and tell you right now the people who have the most joy, the people who have the most hope, the people who have the most purpose, the people who have the most peace in life are those who follow Jesus Christ with their very life. Can I get it? Amen? I see it over and over and over again.
Speaker 1:I have seen teenagers who seem like that they are on fire for Jesus in their student ministry. I've seen them what it seems like, that they fall away from Jesus, thinking that the world will make them happier when, absolutely, they get more miserable. I see it happen all the time. Why? Why is God telling us that the next generation is so important? Here's why because God loves the next generation. God knows that the future of our church is the next generation. God knows that the future of our community, the future of our country, the future of our world is the next generation. One sociologist, james Emory White, said let me save you the time, drop everything and focus on the next generation. They even we have books today that tell us how the world is focusing on the next generation, how the world is going after the children, how the world is going after the teenagers. Why? Because the next generation is the future.
Speaker 1:We believe that God created the next generation in His image. Jesus died for the next generation, for His glory. It is our call, it's our responsibility to reach them and to raise them with the gospel of Jesus Christ, for the glory of God. If you believe that, put your hands together right now, because we believe that God loves the next generation. So how do we do it?
Speaker 1:Well, I was reading through Genesis 22 this week, as I believe this was the next passage in our Family Matter series through the book of Genesis to preach to you. I've actually never heard it preached in this way in terms of reaching and raising the next generation. I thought what a perfect passage to preach on parenting. Then the one where God called a dad to sacrifice his teenage son. Their parent hasn't wanted to sacrifice their teenager, so I just thought this was perfect. And so here we go. Genesis that was. I was kidding teenagers, I was kidding. Here we go. Number one write this down how do we raise the next generation for Jesus? Number one we've got to hear the word of God. We ourselves have to hear the word of God. Everyone say hear. We've got to hear the word of God. Genesis 22.1.
Speaker 1:After these things, god tested Abraham and said to him Abraham. And Abraham said God, here I am. See, god spoke verbally to Abraham and I think sometimes we think to ourselves wouldn't it be nice to hear the verbal word of God? I mean, if God spoke to me verbally, I would listen too. Well, abraham got to hear the verbal word of God with his own ears. We even see, like the apostle Peter.
Speaker 1:The apostle Peter was at Jesus' baptism. He got to hear the verbal word of God. The apostle Peter was at Jesus' transfiguration, on that mount, when Jesus was transfigured into all of his glory, and he got to hear the verbal word of God who said this is my son, in whom I am. Well, please listen to him. And then Peter turns around and he writes 2 Peter, chapter one. And in 2 Peter, chapter one, peter says this I got to hear the very voice of God. But here's what he said. But today we have an even more sure word the prophetic word, the written word of God, which means the reason the word of God, the written word of God, is more important than the verbal word of God, is this because anybody could say at any time what they think that God said to them, but when God wrote down and recorded his words, we have the very word of God. Can I get an amen? So when you read God's word, you hear God's voice. When you read God's word, you hear God's voice.
Speaker 1:Abraham said here I am Verse two. He said God said take your son, your only son, isaac, whom you love. Abraham's gotta be thinking. It's about time, god. I haven't heard from you in about 15 years. It's about what it was.
Speaker 1:Isaac was probably about a teenager during this time. God, where are you been? I haven't heard from you in 15 years. This is my son of promise. You told me I'd be the father of a multitude of nations. It is time to get this show on the road. God, thanks for coming back. Thanks for tuning back in. I'm not sure where you were, but it's great to have you back. And so, god, I get it. I'm about to take my son. All right, god, what do you want me to do with my son that you've promised me? And he said go to the land of Moriah. And the land of Moriah was a mountainous region about 50 miles away.
Speaker 1:Abraham's thinking oh sweet, we're going on vacation. Man, I can't wait to go on vacation. I love the mountains. I love to go to Pigeon Forge. God, can I go to the apple barn? Can I go to the mill? Can I go to Paula Deans? I love eating the food in the mountains, all the country cooking. I love having all the fun. God, thank you. What would you like for me to do with my son in the mountains?
Speaker 1:Well, abraham, I'd like for you to offer him there as a burnt offering, on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you, abraham's gotta be thinking, god, did you take your meds today, like, do we need to send somebody your way? God, are you okay? Because this is obviously my promised son. You wouldn't ask anybody to do this, and why would you ask me to do it? This is my promised son, my only true son, by my wife, sarah and God. You promised that I would have all these nations through him. Why would you call me to not only sacrifice him but God to offer him up as a burnt sacrifice? See, there are some words here in this passage that should raise our spiritual antennas. God said I want you to take your son, your only son, your son whom you love, and I want you to take him on top of a mountain and I want you to sacrifice him.
Speaker 1:See, sometimes we read these Bible stories just like we know everything's gonna turn out okay. But we need to read. Every time we open the Bible and we read a Bible story, we need to read it like it's our first time seeing it and to get into the emotion of it, because when we connect with the emotion of the word of God, then we are able to connect the emotion of our life with what is happening in their life and we see that God is using the same wordage, that he's talking about his own son, god's only son, his son whom he loves, his son that he sacrificed on the top of a mountain. See, this isn't ultimately about Abraham and Isaac. This is ultimately about God and his son, jesus, and you and your children are not ultimately about you and them. Our families are ultimately about God and his son, jesus and the Holy Spirit. Can I get an amen? We need to hear from the word of God. I'm so thankful, to be honest with you, that I came from a family by far from perfect, but they were committed to the word of God.
Speaker 1:My mom's dad, my granddad he was a preacher. He's the only pastor that I know in my extended family and he loved to preach and teach the word of God. My daddy, dean, my dad's dad he was a bricklayer and as he got older he became legally blind, legally deaf. And my dad he asked my dad to bring him cassette tapes. He passed long time ago, but he asked my dad to bring him cassette tapes of just the reading of the scriptures and of preaching, and my daddy, dean, would put those cassette tapes in his Walkman and he would press play and he would take the earbuds and he would dig them as deep as he could into his ears and turn the volume up all the way, just so he could hear the word of God. My dad, to this day, as soon as he wakes up, he puts in his earbuds and he listens to the word of God every single morning, just like his dad did. My mom loves to read the word of God.
Speaker 1:It has been such a challenge for my wife and I, for Michelle and I, to get into God's word daily. Hear me, hearing from God in his word is just as much caught as it is taught. We can't make the next generation do it, but we can model it for them. We can't just tell them to do it, but we can show them how to do it with our own lives. Number two not only do we need to hear the word of God, but, number two, we need to obey the word of God. Everyone say obey. Verse three says this.
Speaker 1:So Abraham rose early in the morning. Notice that Abraham didn't say well, let me just wait a few days and let me just make sure that God confirmed his word. Abraham didn't go ahead and look for a second opinion. He didn't go call the police or some crazy guy on the loose telling people to sacrifice their kids. They didn't do that. What did he do? The very next morning he got up, rose early in the morning. He saddled his donkey and he took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac. He cut the wood, abraham, at 115 years old. He cut the wood for the burnt offering. He arose and he went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day, abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to the young men stay here with the donkey. I and the boy are gonna go over there and worship and we are gonna come back again. Abraham said we're gonna go over there and worship. He didn't say I'm gonna go do something stupid that God told me to do. He didn't say I'm gonna go over there or do something ridiculous that God commanded of me. He said I'm gonna go over there and we are going to worship God.
Speaker 1:Did you know that every time that you obey God for his call on your life, you obey him instead of sin. That is your worship to the Lord. Worship is not just when we sing. Worship is not just when we praise. Worship is not just when we get together as a church and we get with the band and we enjoy the music. No, worship is also when we obey the word of God of what he told us to do. James says that we're not just to be hearers of the word, but to be doers of the word. Notice that James didn't say you need to hear the word and you need to agree with the word. If all we do is hear the word and agree with the word, we stop short of God's purpose for the word. God's purpose of the word is to hear it, to believe it and to obey it. And he also said and we are gonna go and we are going to come back again. We that version is saying the Bible is saying we are going to come back again. Listen to me.
Speaker 1:Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 17, explains this. Hebrews 11, verse 17 says by faith, abraham, when he was tested by God, offered up Isaac. He, abraham, who had received the promises, was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said through Isaac shall your offspring be named. Verse 19 is critical. He says this Abraham considered that God was able even to raise Isaac from the dead. In other words, could it be that God put him on a three day journey for Abraham to be hiking and walking and praying and pouring his heart out to God and maybe walking ahead or walking behind and crying puddles to God and saying God, is this true, god? Are you sure? God? This doesn't make any sense. But over the course of three days, it says that he considered that Greek word. Considered means to calculate, to compute, to count. In other words, abraham the entire time is processing. How can this be true? How can this be so? How can this make sense, god? How could you possibly call me and tell me to do this? And the only conclusion that Abraham could come to is that, because God is powerful and God is true and God is just and God is right and God is loving and God is absolute, that the only thing that makes sense is that God has called me to sacrifice him and that God is just gonna raise him from the dead, because God promised him to be this child to bring about these nations. And so if God is calling me to kill him, then God is gonna raise him from the dead, he says in verse six. So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, he laid it on Isaac, his son, and he took in his hand the fire in the knife. So they went both of them together. By the way, abraham, 115 years old, laid the wood on his son, isaac. That is a picture of Jesus carrying his own cross.
Speaker 1:I love this passage, seeing that Abraham and this is so hard as a parent Abraham loved God more than his own son. I think today we have to be so careful as a church. Today we have to be so careful as parents. Today we have to be so careful as families to put our kids once before God's word when we're called, to put God's word before our kids wants, because we are called to raise them for the glory of God. I'm actually thankful that I grew up in a crazy family. I grew up in a family.
Speaker 1:I remember my Little League Baseball coach coming up to me and he said hey, chip, I need you to be back this Wednesday night. He said we have an award ceremony. You're winning an award for Little League Baseball. You made it on the All Star team. We're gonna announce you, we're gonna recognize you and so we need you to be back here this Wednesday night for our award ceremony. And my face dropped and I said, coach, it's on Wednesday. He said, yeah, it's on Wednesday. Why? I said, coach, we go to church on Wednesdays, it's a priority of my parents.
Speaker 1:I remember every time that we went on vacation as a family, we always went to that church in town. Why? Because my parents prioritized church. Why? Because they prioritized Jesus. I can remember all the way up until I was 18 years old, literally Only ever seen in my life the first quarter and the last quarter of the Super Bowl. Why? Because we do church every Sunday night. So I miss Super Bowl Sunday, every Sunday. And I'm going to be honest with you, man, I hated that. I hated missing my Little League award ceremony. I hated missing all those Super Bowls. I didn't like going to church on Sunday on vacation and some of you all are watching online on your own vacation this morning and I just want to give you a shout out. I'm so proud of you for watching the Word, the worship of God, while you're on vacation and I didn't like it. But today I stand here before you and I tell you how thankful I am because that little league team didn't matter, that Sunday morning on vacation didn't matter, that Super Bowl that I can't even tell you about mattered even close to what matters most that my parent showed me a priority of worshiping Jesus on his day in prioritizing the Church of Jesus Christ. If you believe that, say amen, man.
Speaker 1:It's unbelievable how we are called as families to make sacrifices and to even sacrifice our children's desires so that we can show them the priority of God in their life. We need to make family decisions based on God's words and not our kids' wants. We need to obey God in front of our kids, even when it hurts. We need to make every family matter, a matter of the gospel. We need to tell our kids listen. We're called to obey God's word. We're I'm called to raise you and to help you to love and to worship God. As a family, we're called that we should follow Jesus. So, as a family, how should we follow? Include them in the conversation. How should we follow Jesus in this situation? We need to include our kids. What does God's words say about this situation or life and how should we respond? What would Jesus do in this situation? Because that's how we should live as a family, and it's amazing how the Holy Spirit will use that in your kids and your family. Number three very quickly we need to point the next generation to God. Simply point the next generation to God. Look at verse seven.
Speaker 1:Isaac said to his father Abraham by the way, to my knowledge, this is the only recorded conversation between Abraham and Isaac in scripture. Isaac said my father. Abraham said here I am, my son. Isaac said behold, I see the fire, I see the wood for the sacrifice. But, hey, dad, something's missing. Where's the lamb for the burnt offering? And Abraham said I love this. You know, abraham didn't say well, isaac, I was gonna tell you when we got there, but God told me to kill you. Abraham didn't say Isaac, you're gonna have to trust God on this one. It's not me, it's him. You're just gonna have to lay down and close your eyes. He didn't say that. Here's what he said. Look at me. He said Isaac, god is going to provide the sacrifice.
Speaker 1:Sometimes we don't know how to answer our kids. I think we can be honest and we can tell our kids look, I don't know what's gonna happen next. I don't know how all this is gonna work out. I don't know what we're gonna do, but here's what I know that our family follows Jesus. Our family follows God, and he's a good God and he's a God that's gonna provide for us. And all we need to do is trust him and all we need to do is obey him and all we need to do is worship him. And we just gotta watch what God wants to do in our lives. Just watch. God is going to provide for us, my child. We need to remind our children that God is good to us, that God is going to give us what we need, that God loves us, even when we don't have everything that we want. And we need to point our kids to God. That's what Abraham was doing. He just pointed Isaac to God when he didn't have an answer. We need to point our kids to God even in the hardest times, even when it's the most difficult. The Bible says so. Both of them went together and when they came to the place of which God had told him, abraham built the altar there, laid the wood in order, and Abraham bound Isaac, his son, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.
Speaker 1:Now, time out, isaac is 15. Abraham's 115. I think we can all agree that Abraham I'm sorry, isaac can take Abraham in this moment. Isaac can take him. Isaac can outrun him. But what did Isaac do? Kids, hear me, what did Isaac do? He laid himself down willingly. Why? Because he trusted his dad. He knew his dad loved him. He trusted his dad and, even as there are times in life when you may not can trust, hear me, right now you're an earthly parent. Even if there are times in life that you may not trust an earthly parent, you can always trust your heavenly father. You can always trust your heavenly father. Isaac laid himself down willingly. First, john, chapter three, verse 16, tells us that Jesus willingly laid down his life. Isaac was mirroring, he was picturing Jesus for us. I mean, what did Abraham and Sarah do to get Isaac to do that? What kind of parenting must they had done in order to get their son to lay down on an altar?
Speaker 1:I wanna give you very quickly just my five favorite parenting passages of scripture. I want you to write these down. You'll see them on the screen. You can just write the reference down. You can look them up later. But these are like guarantees from God that when we do this, that we will get to see the Holy Spirit's work in our family.
Speaker 1:Matthew, chapter 19, verse 14, says this Jesus said let the little children come to me, don't hinder them, for such belongs the kingdom of God. In other words, bring your kids to Jesus, bring your kids to Jesus, take your kids to Jesus. Take your kids to Jesus, whatever it takes. You want more Jesus in your kid. Can I get an amen?
Speaker 1:Deuteronomy six, five through nine says this love the Lord, your God, with all your heart. Parents, grandparents, it starts with us. Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. It's to be on our hearts first and here's what he says and then impress your kids. Impress these on your children.
Speaker 1:Talk about them when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, when you get up. In other words, talk about the things of God all the time. Tie them as symbols on your hands, bind them on your forehands. In other words, while you're working, talk about the Lord. While you're thinking, meditating with your kids, talk about the Lord. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates. In other words, make sure the word of God is in your home. If the world is in your home, then don't be surprised when your kids turn out like the world. But when you put the word of God on your walls, when you put the worship of God on your TV, when you fill your home with the presence of the Holy Spirit, that's how you see God work in your home and make it a home of worship for your children.
Speaker 1:John 1.14 says that Jesus was the only son from the Father. Look at the end of the verse. He was full of grace and full of truth. As parents, as grandparents, as families, as a church, we need to show our kids grace. They're kids, they're gonna mess up, they're gonna get it wrong, they're gonna sin. We've gotta show them grace Well. At the same time, we've gotta lovingly give them the truth. James 1.19 and 20 says let every person I will apply it let every parent be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Hear me, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Your anger is not gonna make your kids more godly. You. Getting all worked up is not gonna make your kids more Christ-like. You getting all huffy and puffy is not gonna make your kids love or obey God all the more. It's gonna be out of your grace, it's gonna be out of your love, it's gonna be out of your kindness.
Speaker 1:Hebrews 12.7 talks about discipline. We need to be disciplining our kids. Disciplining is not getting mad and punishing them. Discipline is teaching them how and why to do the right thing. A bonus verse of six is just 3 John 114. He said I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. In other words, show your kids that your greatest joy for them and over them is when they walk with Jesus. Not when they win the athletic trophy, not when they get the grade, not when they get the academic scholarship. All those are great. Celebrate those times. Those times are awesome. Be their biggest fan, their biggest cheerleader. But your greatest joy is when they live their life for the Lord. If you believe that, say amen. Number four very quickly. These last two are fast, I promise. Number four we need to pass the test from God. Everybody say test, test, verse 10.
Speaker 1:Then Abraham reached out his hand and he took the knife to slaughter his son, but the angel of the Lord called him from heaven. He said Abraham. Abraham, in other words, don't do it. Don't do it. Abraham said yes, god, here am I, I'm gonna do it. And the angel of the Lord said don't lay your hand on the boy. Do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing that you have not withheld your own son, your only son for me. Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked. Behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns, and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place. The Lord will provide, as it is said to this day on the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided.
Speaker 1:Like I said, this is not ultimately about Abraham and Isaac. It's ultimately about God, the Father, and that he sacrificed his son, jesus. We can all see now it was never God's intention for Abraham to sacrifice his son. God would have never had Abraham go through with that. God would never call a parent to do that. Why? Because God is the one who did it for us through his son Jesus, and the Bible says that Jesus laid his life down willingly. Had Isaac died, it would not have proven anything except for Abraham's faith. But Jesus dying proves everything by giving us all, giving you faith, giving your children faith. Jesus loves your child so much that Jesus laid down his life for your son. He laid down his life for your daughter If you're 18 and under, jesus laid down his life for you If you're 19 or older. Jesus laid down his life for you. It's the life that God is giving you. It's the life that God has for you. It's the better life.
Speaker 1:And listen in life we go through tests, test or when life gets difficult, when it gets hard, when you don't know how you're gonna do it, when you don't know how you're gonna make it. But hear me pass the test, because one day the test will pass. Pass the test because one day the test will pass. God brings tests in our life to prove, but also to strengthen our faith. When you keep your eyes on Him, your faith in Him, and you obey Him, even when it's hard and it's difficult and you don't know how it's all going to turn out. When you do it and you get through the test, you get a reward. If you don't pass the test, all you will have is regret. Every test is only for a season. Pass the test, because the test will pass.
Speaker 1:And then, lastly, and I'm done, when we do all that, we get to believe the blessings of God. We get to believe the blessings of God. Watch it how God blessed Abraham for his obedience verse 15. And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said by myself, I have sworn, declares the Lord. Because you have done this and have not withheld your Son, your only Son, I will surely bless you. I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, as the sand that is on the seashore, and your offspring shall possess the gates of his enemies. And in your offspring shall all of the nations of the earth be blessed because you have obeyed my voice. Here's what I believe and I'm done. Hear me say this God will put every family to the test. God will put every church to the test.
Speaker 1:You are probably going through a test in life from God, just like we are. But when we obey God through the test, hear me, is when we get to experience the blessings, when we get to enjoy the blessings of God. Do things always turn out the way that we want. Do things always turn out the way that we prayed for? No, do things always turn out the way that God had purposed? Yes, in His ways are always better, because His ways are always best.
Speaker 1:So I want to encourage you right now. Can we just bow our heads and close our eyes, with every head bowed and every eye closed? I just want to encourage you right here, right now, that maybe this morning you just need to tell God for the first time, or you just need to tell Him again God, these are ultimately your kids. Maybe you just need to tell Him, god, my kids are ultimately your kids. Maybe you need to tell Him, god, my grandkids are ultimately yours. God, my family is not mine. My family is ultimately yours, god. It's not what I want, god, it's what you want, god, I give them to you. Thank you for entrusting them to me, and you might just say, god, I pray that you would pour out a blessing on them, god. May they know you, god, may they live for you, god, may they believe in you, god, may they trust you.
Speaker 1:Maybe you're here this morning and you haven't heard the word of the Lord, you haven't obeyed the word of the Lord, you haven't passed the test, you haven't enjoyed the word of God, because you haven't yet given your life to God. And right here, right now, you can give your life to Him, that you can say God, I want you to save me. The Bible says that he will start a relationship with you. The Bible says that he will forgive you of all of your sins. The Bible says that you will go to heaven when you die. The Bible says that he will never leave you, he will never forsake you.
Speaker 1:And right here, right now, you can tell God God, would you save me From your own heart and your own words. Right now, say, god, I need you. You can say, god, I believe in you. You can say, god, I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and God, I ask you to forgive me of all my sin. God, I ask you to, as you forgive me, god, I want to turn away from my sin and I want to live for you. I want to live for Jesus, your son and God, I believe that Jesus rose from the dead, he's alive, he's real and I call on Him to be the Lord of my life. You can tell God that right now. God be the Lord of my life. Jesus be the Lord of my life, and the Bible promises and you will be saved. And you will be saved, and God. We pray these things in Jesus' name and all God's people said amen.
Speaker 1:Can you put your hands together for anybody that gave their life to Jesus this morning, anybody that got saved, got forgiven of their sin, and we believe that God wants to do that. I want to ask you all to stand up right now, during this time, and I just want to encourage you manless worship Jesus. If you want to come down and just pray along this altar, if you want to bring your family, bring your kids and pray for them, whatever it is that you feel like that, you need to respond to the Lord. You respond to the Lord. But we're going to pray right now. In my prayer for you Because I'm going to be praying for this time Is that God blesses you, that God blesses your family and that God blesses our church, that it uses us to reach and to raise the next generation. Let's think right now.