Genesis 12:1-9
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.
Genesis 11:30
Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive.
Genesis 21:1-5
Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.
Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
Genesis 22:1-3
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love – Isaac – and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
Genesis 22:6-8
Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
Genesis 22:11-14
But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
Genesis 22:15-18
The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
We were greeted and welcomed by a number of people and as we looked at the mission display table someone stepped up to explain the material. There was a special focus on mission and foreign flags were paraded in by people in native dress, with the national ensign carried by a man in military fatigues.
The great wooden cross I noticed at our last visit was still there and we were given a pocket cross in the narthex.
There is a healthy age mix to the enthusiastic congregation, and a passionate pastor. One of the opening songs was “Awesome God,” a favorite I hadn’t heard in some time. I particularly liked the horn that seemed to echo the words.
During the announcements the pastor mentioned “See You at the Pole,” where school youth meet and pray for the country’s leaders. They were offering a get-together at the church where people could gather and pray for the teachers. I thought it a great plan, and it brought bittersweet memories.
My late son’s junior year we had a call from the principal: “Your son is standing out at the flagpole by himself and we don’t know why.” Senior year, different school, same phone call. Our son was never ashamed of Jesus Christ, and we were always proud of him for his conviction.
The sermon was part of a series, “Let the Ruins Come to Life,” and dealt with Abraham living his faith.
I thought the message was developed well, guiding us to know God’s leading and trust His timing, even when we have unfulfilled dreams. The trials He leads us through strengthen our faith.
We worshiped here a year ago Father’s Day, but Bob was busy with little ones who were with us, so we returned so he could hear the pastor preach.
This well kept facility sits on top of a hill, providing a beautiful view in almost any direction.
We were warmly greeted and treated with hospitality from the time we stepped inside.
Our attention was immediately caught by the missions display which boasted tons of information about all the missionaries this church supports.
The building is well cared for, and although there is some directional signage, it became evident as we looked around that visitors could benefit from additional indicators.
Announcements were made before beginning worship, including that this Wednesday is “See You at the Pole” Day. This day is a special reminder to us of our late son because it was on that day when he was a junior in high school that he was the only one who went to pray at the flagpole at his school. Somehow the administrators missed hearing about this event, so they called me at home to ask why our son was sitting alone outside at the flagpole, refusing to come inside. This church is holding their own event concurrently called “See You at the Altar” where members join in the sanctuary for prayer at the same time students are praying at the flagpole of their school. What an inspired plan!
The music was exceptional: the voices sounded incredible together as they led the fervent singing.
The message was part of a series, “Let the Ruins Come to Life” and was called “Restoring Broken Dreams.” I was glad this pastor was as good a preacher as I remembered.
He used the story of Abraham and Sarah and God’s gift of Isaac to speak to the topic of broken dreams, the scars that result when they are cut from our lives, and how God can and does heal the brokenness, pain, loss, and lack of trust that result from these struggles. He outlined five Scripture-based steps:
1 – Know God’s Destiny. If your dream is not bigger than you, it’s not God’s destiny for you; God-given dreams are for God’s glory.
2 – Trust God’s Process. It can hurt us, challenge us, and expose us, but He uses it to prepare us for what He has purposed for our lives; when God speaks, trust Him. Know that the Enemy knows, too, and that God leads us through the desert times.
3 – Follow God’s Design. When you follow God’s design and things start looking up, keep looking up; even when it seems like God is taking away all He has given, don’t let emotions lead; trust Him.
4 – Believe God Provides. Trust Him through the waiting period; our dreams rest in our surrender to God, and obedience unlocks God’s provision.
5 – See God Restore Dreams. At this point a couple from the congregation, along with their 5-week-old daughter, joined the pastor and gave their testimony about their path to becoming parents of this baby. Their witness to God’s perfect timing and His faithfulness in the midst of the difficult path they walked left few dry eyes.
I will keep my notes from this message as reminders of exactly those points. I am so grateful to have heard this message today.
Father, we pray that You open the hearts of this congregation to the dreams You have for them, that they will trust and obey, stepping out in faith. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment