Abraham & Sarah

you see turn your Bibles Hebrews chap 11 Hebrews chapter 11 we're going to continue our series titled broken as we look at these Heroes of God's faith and yet how their lives were broken and God could still use broken people and God can heal broken people as well now up to this point the people we've looked at uh uh Abel and then Enoch and Noah uh we've had one verse about each one of them and later on we'll actually have a section where we only have their name they doesn't say anything about them but in this for this person uh it has the longest uh or one of the longest passages about them and that's Abraham and if you look at Hebrews chap 11 and beginning with verse number 8 it says by

faith Abraham when he was called to go out unto a place which we he should after receive for inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whether he went by faith he soldier in the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in a tabernacle with Isaac and Jacob The Heirs with him of the same promise for he looked for a city which had foundations whose Builder and maker is God through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the stars of the sky in multitude and as the sand which is by the Sea sure

innumerable let's bow for prayer together father we praise we open up your word and look at Abraham may we be encouraged and challenged by his life Lord we're encouraged to know that even though he struggled with his faith that you still call him a man of faith and that encourages us Lord we're also challenged in that there's many things that he faced that we face as well in our lives and can we learn from that and help us to to not make the same mistakes in those cases and we ask that you just guide us now in Jesus name amen so we're looking at Abraham and Sarah his wife I think most people are familiar with their story and and how God called them out of her and to the promis land and and

how that he promised them a son and that son didn't come and didn't come and didn't come and didn't come until they were over 100 years old and well past the time of having children and and uh and then later on of course God used Abraham to build a great nation and and so as we look at that there's a couple things that the Bible points out here that Abraham's faith that I believe we can learn from and the first one is that we can learn that life is a marathon Journey life is a marathon Journey uh I I ran cross country in high school uh but I don't like running I I ran it because it was an easy sport to let her in I was not a big guy to play football and I was not skilled enough to play tall

enough to play basketball or skilled enough to play baseball and so I went for wrestling and cross country and so I ran in high school but uh since then I've I've not really kept up that running and I I've never run in a marathon but they're they're a long race it's a long way to go and and and Abraham's life is a marathon Journey if you look again at verses 8-10 it says by faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whether he went by faith he sojourned the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob The Heirs with him of the promise for he look for a city

which ha foundations whose Builder and maker is God if if you have ever looked at in your a lot of your Bibles you have maps in the back and I think it's good sometimes look at the map to see where somebody is going and what they're doing and kind of get relation of things and so uh they're going to put a map up here of of Abraham's Journey you can see that he started down here in ER and then he worked his way up to Heron and then back down into the promised land then he went into Egypt for a while and then back into the promised land again and you can see that was a long hard journey now you might think well why didn't you take the shortest route to the promised land and that's because it's

across desert and it's not a very hospitable route and so most people would take that other route to go up and around because it was a an easier route to take but at the same time it was a very difficult route uh this is back in a day when there there was no mass transportation there were no freeways when I was four years old my dad decided that we're going to move from Connecticut to California and this was back before all the freeways and and all the highways that we have today in fact we we traveled most of that time on what's called Route 66 anybody ever heard of that Route 66 and uh we traveled that just a two-lane road and and not real welldeveloped and everything and it was a long

hard journey even in that day with a car and a station wagon but it was still a long hard journey and so uh God called Abraham on a long hard journey and here's the interesting thing is God says Abraham I want you to go but I'm not going to tell you where I want you to go but I'm not going to tell you where uh put a marker in Hebrews 11 and turn over to the book of Acts chapter 7 Acts chapter 7 is where uh Stephen before he was martyred uh preached to the the Jews and in there he referred to Abraham and in Acts 7 veres 2 and 3 it says he said men Brethren and fathers hearken uh the the the god of Glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in cheron and

said unto him get thee out of thy country and then and from thy Kindred and come into a land which I shall show thee and so God told Abraham I want you to go on this journey but I'm not going to tell you where you're going to I I'll I'll show you that when you get there and you look at that and and you realize that you know life is you've heard the saying before life is a journey not a destination life is a journey not a destination and it is a journey of Faith go over to the Book of James right after Hebrews the Book of James 4 and look at verses 13-1 17 James 4: 13-17 a lot of us would read what God told Abraham to do he said Abraham I want you by faith to leave your City to leave your

family and to go on a journey and and when and I'll tell you when you get there that you've arrived and a lot of us looking say well I don't know if I could have the faith to do that to go on a journey I don't even know where I'm going I don't know where I'm going to end up but you know what all of us are on that kind of Journey because none of us know when we start our life we don't know where we're going to end our life I would not have thought back when I was a teenager or a young man that I'd be in Hawaii today I would have never even imagined that I would not have thought that I'd be married to my wife Diane I had even met her yet I I would not have thought that I would be a pastor at

that point you know there's a lot of things that I did didn't know about the end of my journey but by faith I began that journey and God is calling all of us to do exactly what he called Abraham to do he said listen just get started on your journey and trust me to bring you where you need to go if you look at James chapter 4 beginning verse number 13 it says go now go too now ye that say today or tomorrow we'll go in such a city and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas you know what not what shall be on tomorrow for what is your life it is even a vapor that appear for a little time then vanishes away for that you ought to say if the Lord will we shall live and do this

or that that but now you rejoice in your boastings all such rejoicing is evil therefore to him that know to do good and doeth it not to him it is sin every one of us in this room that is of any age at all will can stand up and give a testimony that uh you're in a place maybe where you didn't expect to be when you were younger uh you're in a place today where God has brought you that you never thought you were going to go to and that's the way the Lord works and and we can make plans and I think making plans is good everybody uh just about everybody has plans when they're a young person this is what I want to do in my career this is what I want to do about family and all the rest these things

and we've got plans and there's nothing wrong in fact God encourages us to plan for the future God encourages us to prepare for the future but at the same time he said but you need to trust me for where you're going to end up you need to trust me by faith to take you to where you need to be you see God knew where he was going to take Abraham and God knows where he wants to take you in your life as well in Jeremiah 29: 11-13 it says for I know the thoughts that I think towards you sayith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end then shall you call upon me and you should go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you and you shall seek me and find me when you

shall search me with all your heart and the challenge of Abraham in Hebrews chapter 11 is that God is calling every one of us no matter what point you're at in your life when God called Abraham he wasn't a teenager he wasn't a young man he was 75 years old and God said I've got a plan for your life and I want you to start out in this journey and trust me to get you where you need to be and so no matter what your age today no matter where you're at in life today you need to realize that God has a plan for your life God has a purpose for your life and and we should make plans and we should uh look ahead and try to prepare for the future but at the same time we need to trust the Lord day by day

and walk by faith as we trust him to take us to where he wants us to be faith is trusting God with all of your tomorrows faith is trusting God with all of your tomorrows in Matthew 6: 33 and 34 it says but seeking verse the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you take therefore no thought for tomorrow for the maral shall take thought for the things of itself sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof I I think we spend too much time worrying about tomorrow that never happens and and not of time just worrying about where I am today if I'm in the right place today then God can take me to the right place tomorrow and I just need to take it one step at

time I need to follow the lord I need to take a step of faith in Romans 4: 12 talking about Abraham it says in the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only but listen now it says but who also walk in the steps of that Faith of Our Father Abraham which he being yet uncircumcised we need to walk in the steps of the Faith of Our Father Abraham we need to learn to walk in faith that means taking it one step at a time so we've got to start by taking the right steps turn over to your Bibles to Psalms chap 37 Psalms 37 and look at verses 3-5 Psalms 37 and veres 3-5 Psalms 37:3 says trust in the Lord and do good so shall thou dwell in the land and verily Thou shalt be fed

Delight thyself also in the Lord and He Shall give thee desires of thine heart commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass you see it starts by faith saying God I trust you with my future I trust you with my destination I trust you with your plan for my life and I'm going to trust you to take me where I need to be and then skip down if you would to Psalms 37: 23 and 24 it says the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand you see God wants to take you on this journey by faith and if you will just trust him if you will trust him with your

tomorrows if you'll trust him with your future if you'll trust him and just say Lord I'm going to begin this journey and I'm going to take each step as led by you and I'm going to trust you that when I take that next step then I'm going to be ready to take the next step and the next step and the next step and just take it one step at a time and following the Lord Abraham did not know what was going to happen to him on his journey and some places on the journey like in Heron he ended up staying there for 5 years because his father was sick standing in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He he shall direct thy path and and so we can do our planning and we can do our our our job and try to prepare

for the future and and trying to make the best decisions we can but in the end by faith we need to trust the Lord that he has a plan and he has a purpose in our lives and that he knows what that final destination is and what we need to do is just say Lord I'm going to take this one step at a time I'm going to trust in you and and I trust you'll direct my path but when you find that it gives you such a peace because you have that promise we need to claim God's promises go to the Book of Genesis chapter 13 Genesis chapter 13 is where we read a part of the story of Abraham in Genesis 13 and I want you to look at verses 13-1 17 Genesis 13: 13-17 it says but the men of Sodom were Wicked and and

sinners before the Lord exceedingly and the the Lord said unto Abraham and after that lot was separated from him lift up now thine eyes and look up from the place where thou art northward and Southward and Eastward and Westward for all the land which thou seest to thee will I give it and to thy seed forever and I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth so that a man can number the dust of the earth then shall thy seed also be numbered arise walk through the land in the length of it and the breadth of it for I will give it unto thee you see God wants to you to claim his promises sometimes we hit situations where we say what's going on I'm sure for Abraham when lot chose to leave and to

and and to take off and and and go to Sodom and Gomorrah I'm sure that was a very difficult very challenging time for him and he's wonder God what are you doing I I brought L lot with me from ER and I I took him on his whole journey and now he's just leaving me and he's taken off to go into this wicked City and and and and I'm sure he was struggling at that point and God said listen lot uh Abraham you need to remember my promises and I promis you this land look North look South look East look West look all around you in fact uh go out on a journey just walk this land because everywhere you walk I'm going to give that to you now you understand that he didn't really get to see that happen it

wasn't in his lifetime it was in the Next Generation the generation after that in fact a few Generations down the road before they actually got to claim that promise but God had a plan and God had a purpose and we need to realize that we can claim God's promises and and we need to go back to the scripture say God you promised me this you promise that you'll supply all my needs you promise that you'll never leave me nor forsake me you promise and go on and claim the promises of God in our lives we're on a faith journey and just like Abraham God says I want you to start out in this life and I want you to go on a journey and and I I can't tell you where you're going to end up but I know and if

you'll just take it one step at a time and follow me you'll get to that place I want you to be now on this journey the one thing you do need to make sure of is that your final destination is right go back to Hebrews chapter 11 if you would Hebrews chapter 11 and look at verse number 10 Hebrews chap 11 verse number 10 for he look for a city which ha foundations whose Builder and maker is God look at verse 13 these all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them a far off and were persuaded of them embrace them and confess that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth for they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country and truly if they've been

mindful of that country from which they came out they might have had opportunity to return but now they desire a better country that is a Heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he he had prepared for them a City your final destination is a better country it is a better place and that is heaven and and I hope you know where your final destination is you see you're going to get to a final destination it's either going to be heaven or it's going to be hell the Bible says in Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 27 and is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment and when you die you're either going to go to heaven or you're going to go to hell and you need to

make sure your final destination is heaven you need to make sure that you know that's where your journey is ultimately going to end only one that can decide your final destination is God you see God knew where Abraham was going to end up in the promised land and God is the only one that can tell you whether you're going to end up in heaven or not the Bible says in Revelation 20 and verse number 12 and I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were open another book was open which is The Book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works one day everybody's going to stand before God and those books are going

to be open and you need to make sure that you are ready on that day you see you better check out the book you better check out the book because one of the books that's going to be open on that day is this book right here in John chapter 5 and verse number 39 the Bible says search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life and they are they which testify of me and so you better make sure you know according to this book that you're saved that you have eternal life in 1 John 5 and: 12 and 13 it says he that hath the son hath life he that hath not the Son of God hath not life these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God that you may know that

you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the son of God you see one thing you can know is you can know that your final destination is heaven you can know that you have have eternal life you can know if you died today that you go to heaven you can know when you come to the end of the Journey of this life that you'll go to be with the Lord for eternity make sure you know that according to this book right here is your name written in the book of life that's another book that's going to be open in Revelation 20 and: 15 and whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast in the Lake of Fire you better make sure your name is written in the Book of Life we had a a

missions trip out to the Philippines this this summer and a couple of our people uh didn't get to go because they didn't have a little book which is called a passport and uh the the the whole passport office is backed up and they're taking a long time to get them and they waited a little to little too long to to apply for it in fact one of them I think got it the day after they were supposed to leave and that's a little too late uh if you don't have that passport you're not getting on that plane you're not going and you know what you need to make sure you have your passport for heaven you need you make sure that your name is written in the book of life you need to make sure that you have

eternal life want don't you go to Romans chapter 4 again if you would Romans chapter 4 also talks about the life of Abraham and it tells us very clearly here that no matter all the good things that Abraham did it's not because he was a good person it's not because of his Works he's going to heaven in Romans 4 ver1 it says what shall we say then that our Father Abraham our father as pertained to the flesh hath found for if Abraham were justified by works he haw of the glory but not before God for what sayith the scriptures Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness if you write in your Bible or mark up your Bible underline that word counted and and then verse four now

to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace but of debt underline that word reckon and then verse five but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justify the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness underline that word count counted again even as David also described the blessedness the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works underline that word impute it and then verse seven saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin underline that word now there's a number of other verses in that same chapter use those same words and later on you can go underline them as

well like in verse number uh verse number n and verse number 22 and so on but here's the thing that word impute or reckon or counted what it means is was applied to your account it's an accounting term and it means that that God took Christ's righteousness when we trust Christ as our savior God takes his righteousness and puts it to our account and he takes our sins and he puts them to his account he pays our debt in full it's not because of our works but because of his righteousness and we need to have the righteousness of Christ imputed into our lives by trusting Christ as our savior and I want to I want you to make sure that you know you may not know where life is going to take you in

this world you may not know where you're going to be 20 30 years from now and it may surprise you but one thing you can be sure of is you can be sure that when you die you're going to go to heaven you can be sure that you have eternal life you can know that your sins are forgiven and you're going to be with God forever in heaven make sure of your final destination on the Journey of this life but not only did Abraham have the faith for the journey I I don't know where I'm going to end up but I'm going to trust the Lord to take me one step at a time in that process but secondly Abraham had to have laughing Faith laughing Faith go back to Hebrews chap 11 and look at verses 11 and 12 says

through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the Stars the skies and multitude as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable Sarah it's just amazing what the Bible says here it says that she rest she um she re through faith she received strength to conceive seed you know what is what is so funny is that it's almost laughable the credit that God gives to Sarah and Abraham now back in Genesis chap chap 18 when God said to Abraham that he was still going to have the child remember God gave Abraham the

CH promise of a child when they were 75 she Sarah had been Barren up to then he said I'm going to give you a child 25 years later they still didn't have a child and God said to Abraham I'm going to give you a child and Sarah apparently was in the back room listening in on the conversation and the Bible says that she laughed within her self you know what that means right you ever done that were you kind of yeah right right that's really going to happen now I'm 100 years old she laughed within herself and God confronted her said Sarah why you laughing she said I didn't laugh she did but you know what's even worse is in Genesis chapter 17 when God again reiterated the promise they still didn't

have a baby God re re promise the Bible says that Abraham fell upon his face and laughed I mean he literally fell down on the floor laughing out loud he lost control he just thought it was so funny that yeah I'm really going to have a child at this age and yet God uses words like this in here through faith through strength and Faith turn over to Romans chapter 4 again turn over to Romans chapter 4 this is what so encourages me that God calls Abraham a man of Faith because if God could call Abraham a man of faith maybe there's hope for me and maybe there's hope for you because it's laughable the the terms that God use to describe Abraham and Sarah are laughable when you know the story look at

look at Romans 4 and look first of all Verse 18 it says who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of many nations according to that which was broken so shall thy seed be you know God uses this phrase again against hope who believeth in Hope um 25 years no baby 100 years old no baby you go back and read Genesis and you read the story of Abraham he was not hoping he given up hope you know it's hard to wait on the Lord isn't it in Psalms 27:14 says wait in the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say in the Lord sometimes when you're a young person and things don't work out exactly as you thought they were going to you begin to lose hope

don't you sometimes as a couple maybe you Happ to have a baby you begin to lose hope maybe your career isn't going where you wanted to and you begin to lose hope maybe there's somebody that you want to see get saved and they haven't got saved you begin to lose hope it's hard to wait on the Lord Proverbs 13:12 says hope deferred maketh the heart sick but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life you know it's hard to wait on the Lord but when it comes you forget all about that we had a Navy guy in the church here years ago he was a in in the Navy was a officer and he wanted to get married that was one of his desires of his heart and it just it didn't work out it didn't work out it didn't

work out he was a a good-looking guy he was a very personable guy he was a wellth good Christian man it it just didn't happen and he was in his 40s and he still wasn't married and and it discouraged him because he wanted to get married and he's saying Lord I'm getting older he finally met somebody and they got married when he was 50 years old I went and did his ordination service when he got out of the out of Bible College and went into the ministry and he said to me Pastor he says you know how much I was struggling with waiting on the Lord for a wife but he says now that I have who I have I don't care about that anymore The Hope was deferred but when he got it it was of God and he knew that

by the way he's got five kids now too but anyway Abraham and Sarah the Bible says he hoped and believed in hope that's not the guy I read about and then it goes on in in verse number 19 it says and being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about 100 years old neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb and again that's not true he told God she's 100 years old she's not going to have a baby he he he had a lot of doubts Matthew 26:41 says watch and pray that you enter not into T Temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak you know a lot of times with our faith in the Lord we we we believe in God but we look at our flesh and we say my flesh is

too weak look at Romans chapter 7 look at verses 18 and 19 Paul understood this he said this he says for I know that in my in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for the will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not for the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do he says I struggle with this flesh and it's weak and God says Abraham was strong in the flesh but he wasn't he struggled he struggled with his faith he struggled with his flesh you know what you have to do do folks admit your weakness in Luke 17: 5 the apostles said unto the Lord increase our faith Lord we're too weak we need your help find strength in your weakness

turn over to 2 Corinthians I'm sorry yeah 2 Corinthians chapter 12 2 Corinthians chapter 12 and look at verses 9 through 10 9 and 10 2 Corinthians 12: 9- 10 he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength strength is made perfect in weakness most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities the power of Christ May rest upon me therefore I take pleasures and infirmities and reproaches and Necessities in persecutions distresses for distresses for Christ's sake for when I'm weak then I'm I strong see we have to come to the point where you realize I am weak I have no strength and some of you you're struggling with things in your life and you're wondering where is God in

all of this and and and the problem is you're trying to to hard to do it in your own strength and your own flesh and you're going to fail every time and you need to call Lord I need you to increase my faith and you need to realize that Lord I need your strength in my weaknesses and Abraham finally came tood understand how weak he truly was and praise God God gives him credit for being strong but he was not strong he was weak in verse number 20 back in Romans chapter 4 it says he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God he staggered not did you read the story in Genesis this is a guy that struggled in in James chap 1: 5-6 is if any of

you lack wisdom let him ask of God to give it to all men liberally and it breath not it should be given him but let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that waivers like the wave of the sea driven with a wind and toss do you waver in faith I do God I believe you you but this can't work God I trust you but I don't know how this is going to come about Abraham struggled with this back and forth he he wavered back and forth uh he he really had some problems he was a great man of God don't get me wrong but he realized problems he was a jerk how how many of you ladies are married to a jerk ra no don't don't do please all right but he was a jerk do you know in Genesis 12 they were going to

Egypt he was again he left the promised land and went to Egypt because he didn't trust God to take care of him because there was a famine and he went down to Egypt and when he got there he says to his wife I'm going to tell everybody you're my sister because you're so beautiful that they will kill me in order to take you away from me and so he told everybody that he was sister and and the Pharaoh the king of Egypt he took her to be his wife he thought she was I'm going to take your sister then and Abraham didn't stop him and the only reason nothing happened is because God intervened told phoh if you touch her I'm GNA kill you and Pharaoh got mad at Abraham what are you doing tell me she's

your sister what a jerk what an absolute jerk I mean but you know what Sarah wasn't a whole lot better Sarah came to the point now I understand the desire to have a baby is strong and when you struggle and you can't get pregnant or you have miscarriages it is a it is a terrible thing and it I understand that and I understand that's why a lot of couples will go through inv vitro and all those things with all the shots and everything else and I I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with that as a Christian we just need to trust the Lord but uh we can do our part as well but you know what Sarah did in Genesis chapter 16 she came to Abraham and said here's my m go have sex with her so

you can have a baby for me I mean come on to put your husband in that situation to tell him to have sex with another woman does this sound like people that did not stagger and struggle but you know what that encourages me because I stagger and I struggle and I've been that jerk and I have done things and I'm thankful that God can still work in my life even when I struggle and then back in Romans 4 and ver 20 again it says it was that he was strong in the faith First Corinthians 16134 says watch ye Stand Fast in the faith quit you like men be strong let all your things be done with Charity or love and boy we need to take a strong stand for the Lord but I'm going to tell you folks every time

you try to stand in your own strength you're going to fail 2 Chronicles chapter 16 verse number nine the Bible says for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him God says I'm not looking for strong men I'm looking for men that will let me show how strong I am and you and I need to learn how to let the Lord show his strength in our lives because we can't do it then verse 21 it says that he was fully persuaded no he wasn't is it okay to struggle with doubts Abraham did you go back and read his story he doubted God over and over and over again do you struggle does that make you feel bad yeah but

I'm thankful for a God that understands our weaknesses Matthew 9:24 and straightway the Father the child Cried Out Lord and said with tears Lord I believe help thou my unbelief faith is not I've got all kinds of faith I can really trust God I never doubt anything that's not faith faith is saying Lord I believe help thou my unbelief I believe in you but I don't believe in me I don't believe in my circumstances it's almost laughable what God says about Abraham and Sarah but I'm thankful he does because it gives me hope you know I wonder how often God laughs at us Psalms 59:8 but thou oh Lord shal laugh at them God does have a sense of humor by the way I know that because I look at it you and I

see it for sure I look in the mirror and I see it God has a sense of humor and God laughs and sometimes the best thing to do as a Christian is to laugh with God sometimes my wife will get mad at me say you're laughing at me no I say I'm laughing with you and sometimes we just need to laugh with God you know what the name Isaac means laughter Sarah Saidi laughed at God I'm going to name him Isaac so every time I call his name for lunch I'm going to remember don't laugh at God an inside joke if it weren't so sad it would be funny wouldn't it in James chapter 4: 9- 10 the Bible says be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourn your joy to heaviness humble yourselves in

the sight of the Lord he shall lift you up I think where Abraham had to finally come to the point was as a humble himself say Lord I've not done very well with this thing of Faith I've struggled I've messed up but I'm thankful that you're faithful even when I'm not and just humble yourself and say I don't have control of everything my life and that's why I need to put my faith in God because I don't know where I'm going to end up I don't know what's going to happen and sometimes it's hard for me to believe that God is really in this situation but God I'm going to humble myself sometimes we have to turn our laughter into mourning and humble ourselves the last thing in Hebrews chapter 11 it

says about Abraham's faith that talks about him sacrificing Isaac we don't have a lot of time to go into that but here's the things folks FKS he took Isaac up on the hill and God said sacrifice your son he took the knife and brought it up and before he brought it down God stopped him because he was willing to give his only son to the Lord when he went up on that mountain when Isaac said father I see the wood I see the fire I see the everything else but I don't see the the sacrifice he said God will provide himself a sacrifice he trusted God to provide that and you know what when you read that story there was no hesitation there was no holding back he was ready to give it all to the Lord he

was willing to trust in God and I want to challenge you are you struggling with your faith trust God with your future just come to that point say God I don't know where this is going to end up I don't know you know I've got plans and I've got ideas and I've got things I want but I just don't know where it's going to end up but I'm going to trust you to bring me to the right place in the end and I'm going to trust you on this journey and just take it one step at a time following you because if I'm where you want me to be today I'm ready to be where you want me to be tomorrow Lord I'm going to trust you now make sure you know where your final destination is that you're going to heaven when you die and be encouraged if God could call Abraham a great man of Faith then maybe just maybe there's hope for you and for me so give it all to the Lord