Unlocking the Future Through Worship
Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.
He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only
son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your
offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could raise the
dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
Following the service last Sunday I read through Hebrews 11 once more.
The verses on the overhead really caught my attention. There were several
thoughts that came to me as possible themes for today: “The conclusion of a
journey of faith.” “The final demonstration of a mature faith.” “The final
release that opens the whole future.” “Faith’s final offering to God.”
Any of these and certainly all of these together communicate the core truth
the writer is presenting. However, what I have chosen as my theme is this:
“Unlocking the Future Through Worship.”
In so many ways this qualifies as one of the most profound events recorded
in the Bible. God directs a father to take his son to the top of a mountain,
build an altar and offer that son up as a burnt offering. In the unfolding
picture we see a father and his son making their way up that mountain- and
in their possession is fire, wood for that fire and a knife to slay the sacrifice.
If ever there was a picture of the cross in the Old Testament this is it. And
Abraham described this whole experience as worship- and that is how we
must view it. When we do the first thing we learn about the true worship of
God is that it can never be divorced from the cross; the presence, the
meaning of the cross in its outworking experientially is always present in
true worship.
The second thing we learn is that worship and faith cannot be separated;
worship is the obedience of faith in relation to the directing word of the
Spirit.
It is vital to understand that what we see here is the fruit of a long journey of
faith. Abraham was seventy five when he started this journey. He was one
hundred when Isaac was born. Most writers agree that Isaac was at least
thirty when this event took place. This means that Abraham’s journey into
this event was at least a fifty five year long journey.
Fifty five years into this journey of faith Abraham was ready to enter into
this culminating event of that journey in which the maturity of his faith was
1
demonstrated. One day sooner than that particular day and he would not
have been ready to respond the way in which he did.
The point is that we are all at different places in this faith journey and we
must not judge ourselves by where others are- nor should we judge others by
where we are. But each of us must judge ourselves by this: are we walking
in the obedience of faith in relation to what the Spirit is speaking to us?
In many respects this was the culminating event of Abraham’s journey of
faith. In the chronology of the record there are only two chapters left in
Abraham’s experience beyond this event. In chapter 23 he buries his wife
Sarah. In chapter 24- a very long chapter of about 67 verses- he deals with
getting a wife for his son Isaac.
The importance of this story to us is that it shows us the final demonstration
of a mature faith- a faith that has come to maturity within the prescribed
process God ordained. And what we discover to be the final demonstration
of that mature faith is- what I am calling- the ultimate act of worship. And
concerning that worship (and this is the heart of the message) it has much
less to do with the past while having everything to do with the future- thus
our theme: “Unlocking the Future Through Worship.”
What we have to realize is that the entire future of everything God promised
to Abraham- every detail, every aspect, every dotting of the “i” and crossing
of the “t” of it- was wrapped up in Isaac. And that is the whole meaning of
these words in the text: “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be
reckoned.” In that sense the issue here was not Isaac; the issue was the
future. In dealing with and in handling Isaac- Abraham is dealing with and
handling the future.
And right there we have touched the core lesson in this ancient story. How
we relate to and handle the future is a pretty accurate indictor of where we
are in the maturity of our own faith- and consequently where we are in terms
of our true (non-religious) worship of God.
The culminating demonstration of the mature faith to which Abraham had
come was this crowning act of true worship which had to do with the future.
And what he did was to lay that future on the altar as an act of faith-based
worship. In that act of worship he was releasing or relinquishing the right
of ownership regarding that future- the right of control regarding that
future- the right of possession regarding that future.
2
This is the final demonstration of mature faith- the ultimate act of faithbased
worship; I cease to dictate to God the giver of the promise when,
where and how His promise must come to me and work out in my future, I
cease to dictate to God the giver of the promise what that promise must look
like in its future expression.
Our conflict is not so much with what God has spoken/promised; our
conflict is with our projections regarding the future outworking of what God
has spoken.
To the extent that we release and relinquish the future back to the God who
made the promise concerning the future- to that extent the future will unlock
and open before us. God will only release to us that measure of the future
we have the maturity to properly handle. And the demonstration of that
maturity is our ability to worship God with and in that future by constantly
offering it up to Him as the sovereign Lord of it all.
I know that many commentators inject- what to me is a great deal of
speculation- regarding Abraham’s struggle with what he was called to do.
As often as I have read this story I have seen none of what those writers
suggest. What I see is that Abraham had come this maturity in faith where
he did not have to understand the command in order to obey the
command. And the reason he did not have to understand the command of
God in order to obey it was because he had come to know the God Who
made the command. And in knowing this God he knew this God could be
fully trusted with all things- even Isaac in whom that whole future was
invested.
That is exactly what this part of the text indicates: Abraham reasoned that
God could raise the dead.
It is interesting how this verse begins; By faith Abraham, when God tested
him…
We need to understand that Biblically there is a world of difference between
‘test’ and ‘tempt’. The difference has to do with two factors. 1) Who is back
of the test, and 2) what is the motivation in the heart of the tester? The Bible
makes it clear that God cannot be tempted with evil- nor does He tempt any
man.
3
Temptation to evil always comes from the evil tempter and his motivation is
to bring into evil and to compromise righteousness.
That same Bible makes it equally clear from cover to cover that God deals
with His people by arranging and allowing various tests. The purpose of a
test is not negative in nature. Its purpose is to reveal, expose, demonstrate
and make known to us where we are within the journey.
For instance this final test in the life of Abraham became the means by
which the full maturity of his faith became exposed, revealed, demonstrated
and declared for all time- as an example to believers in all generations.
Now let me bring all of this down to where we are.
Suppose God miraculously dropped a package right now into this setting.
On that package were the words: ‘My promised provision for the building
project I have called you to.’ Suppose we with trembling hands opened that
package and found three million dollars in cash. I think we would witness a
praise service like never before. I think we might even name that package
Isaac- because Isaac means laughter.
Suppose next Sunday we arrive here and the Lord speaks audibly (for it
would require and audible voice) ‘Take now thy package- thine only
package- and build an altar of stone in the middle of the field next door.
Place thy package upon the altar and set it on fire as a burnt offering to
Me.’
What would that test demonstrate regarding the focus of our faith in relation
to God’s promise concerning the future? The question at the heart of it is
this: ‘Is our future in the package or in the God who gave the package?’
If I see the package as being the source of my future then the focus of my
faith shifts away from God the Giver to the gift or provision He has given.
And the revelation of that shift would be an increasing package-centred
worship.
The final demonstration of a mature faith is this profound act of worship in
which I offer up to God in total release and total relinquishment the very
provision He has supernaturally brought into my life- the very provision in
which He has vested the entire future outworking of His promise to me.
And in this final crowning act of faith-based worship the issue is settled- my
future is in God alone.
4
In many respects the most important revelation of God in the life of
Abraham is waiting on top of that mountain. That revelation was expressed
in the name God revealed to Abraham- “Jehovah-Jireh” (the Lord will
provide).
The most important thing for me to know regarding the future is that the
Lord will provide. And it would seem that this revelation only comes to
those who have matured in their faith to that place where they are able to
offer up to God as an act of worship the very instrument in which that future
is to be realised.
And what I believe the Holy Spirit is saying is that only in this reality of faith
based worship will the future progressively be unlocked- and we will find
ourselves walking where we have never walked before. But in walking there
the whole story- the only story- will be God and not the package. The
revelation is not- ‘Isaac will provide’- but- ‘The Lord will provide.’
5
He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only
son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your
offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could raise the
dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
Following the service last Sunday I read through Hebrews 11 once more.
The verses on the overhead really caught my attention. There were several
thoughts that came to me as possible themes for today: “The conclusion of a
journey of faith.” “The final demonstration of a mature faith.” “The final
release that opens the whole future.” “Faith’s final offering to God.”
Any of these and certainly all of these together communicate the core truth
the writer is presenting. However, what I have chosen as my theme is this:
“Unlocking the Future Through Worship.”
In so many ways this qualifies as one of the most profound events recorded
in the Bible. God directs a father to take his son to the top of a mountain,
build an altar and offer that son up as a burnt offering. In the unfolding
picture we see a father and his son making their way up that mountain- and
in their possession is fire, wood for that fire and a knife to slay the sacrifice.
If ever there was a picture of the cross in the Old Testament this is it. And
Abraham described this whole experience as worship- and that is how we
must view it. When we do the first thing we learn about the true worship of
God is that it can never be divorced from the cross; the presence, the
meaning of the cross in its outworking experientially is always present in
true worship.
The second thing we learn is that worship and faith cannot be separated;
worship is the obedience of faith in relation to the directing word of the
Spirit.
It is vital to understand that what we see here is the fruit of a long journey of
faith. Abraham was seventy five when he started this journey. He was one
hundred when Isaac was born. Most writers agree that Isaac was at least
thirty when this event took place. This means that Abraham’s journey into
this event was at least a fifty five year long journey.
Fifty five years into this journey of faith Abraham was ready to enter into
this culminating event of that journey in which the maturity of his faith was
1
demonstrated. One day sooner than that particular day and he would not
have been ready to respond the way in which he did.
The point is that we are all at different places in this faith journey and we
must not judge ourselves by where others are- nor should we judge others by
where we are. But each of us must judge ourselves by this: are we walking
in the obedience of faith in relation to what the Spirit is speaking to us?
In many respects this was the culminating event of Abraham’s journey of
faith. In the chronology of the record there are only two chapters left in
Abraham’s experience beyond this event. In chapter 23 he buries his wife
Sarah. In chapter 24- a very long chapter of about 67 verses- he deals with
getting a wife for his son Isaac.
The importance of this story to us is that it shows us the final demonstration
of a mature faith- a faith that has come to maturity within the prescribed
process God ordained. And what we discover to be the final demonstration
of that mature faith is- what I am calling- the ultimate act of worship. And
concerning that worship (and this is the heart of the message) it has much
less to do with the past while having everything to do with the future- thus
our theme: “Unlocking the Future Through Worship.”
What we have to realize is that the entire future of everything God promised
to Abraham- every detail, every aspect, every dotting of the “i” and crossing
of the “t” of it- was wrapped up in Isaac. And that is the whole meaning of
these words in the text: “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be
reckoned.” In that sense the issue here was not Isaac; the issue was the
future. In dealing with and in handling Isaac- Abraham is dealing with and
handling the future.
And right there we have touched the core lesson in this ancient story. How
we relate to and handle the future is a pretty accurate indictor of where we
are in the maturity of our own faith- and consequently where we are in terms
of our true (non-religious) worship of God.
The culminating demonstration of the mature faith to which Abraham had
come was this crowning act of true worship which had to do with the future.
And what he did was to lay that future on the altar as an act of faith-based
worship. In that act of worship he was releasing or relinquishing the right
of ownership regarding that future- the right of control regarding that
future- the right of possession regarding that future.
2
This is the final demonstration of mature faith- the ultimate act of faithbased
worship; I cease to dictate to God the giver of the promise when,
where and how His promise must come to me and work out in my future, I
cease to dictate to God the giver of the promise what that promise must look
like in its future expression.
Our conflict is not so much with what God has spoken/promised; our
conflict is with our projections regarding the future outworking of what God
has spoken.
To the extent that we release and relinquish the future back to the God who
made the promise concerning the future- to that extent the future will unlock
and open before us. God will only release to us that measure of the future
we have the maturity to properly handle. And the demonstration of that
maturity is our ability to worship God with and in that future by constantly
offering it up to Him as the sovereign Lord of it all.
I know that many commentators inject- what to me is a great deal of
speculation- regarding Abraham’s struggle with what he was called to do.
As often as I have read this story I have seen none of what those writers
suggest. What I see is that Abraham had come this maturity in faith where
he did not have to understand the command in order to obey the
command. And the reason he did not have to understand the command of
God in order to obey it was because he had come to know the God Who
made the command. And in knowing this God he knew this God could be
fully trusted with all things- even Isaac in whom that whole future was
invested.
That is exactly what this part of the text indicates: Abraham reasoned that
God could raise the dead.
It is interesting how this verse begins; By faith Abraham, when God tested
him…
We need to understand that Biblically there is a world of difference between
‘test’ and ‘tempt’. The difference has to do with two factors. 1) Who is back
of the test, and 2) what is the motivation in the heart of the tester? The Bible
makes it clear that God cannot be tempted with evil- nor does He tempt any
man.
3
Temptation to evil always comes from the evil tempter and his motivation is
to bring into evil and to compromise righteousness.
That same Bible makes it equally clear from cover to cover that God deals
with His people by arranging and allowing various tests. The purpose of a
test is not negative in nature. Its purpose is to reveal, expose, demonstrate
and make known to us where we are within the journey.
For instance this final test in the life of Abraham became the means by
which the full maturity of his faith became exposed, revealed, demonstrated
and declared for all time- as an example to believers in all generations.
Now let me bring all of this down to where we are.
Suppose God miraculously dropped a package right now into this setting.
On that package were the words: ‘My promised provision for the building
project I have called you to.’ Suppose we with trembling hands opened that
package and found three million dollars in cash. I think we would witness a
praise service like never before. I think we might even name that package
Isaac- because Isaac means laughter.
Suppose next Sunday we arrive here and the Lord speaks audibly (for it
would require and audible voice) ‘Take now thy package- thine only
package- and build an altar of stone in the middle of the field next door.
Place thy package upon the altar and set it on fire as a burnt offering to
Me.’
What would that test demonstrate regarding the focus of our faith in relation
to God’s promise concerning the future? The question at the heart of it is
this: ‘Is our future in the package or in the God who gave the package?’
If I see the package as being the source of my future then the focus of my
faith shifts away from God the Giver to the gift or provision He has given.
And the revelation of that shift would be an increasing package-centred
worship.
The final demonstration of a mature faith is this profound act of worship in
which I offer up to God in total release and total relinquishment the very
provision He has supernaturally brought into my life- the very provision in
which He has vested the entire future outworking of His promise to me.
And in this final crowning act of faith-based worship the issue is settled- my
future is in God alone.
4
In many respects the most important revelation of God in the life of
Abraham is waiting on top of that mountain. That revelation was expressed
in the name God revealed to Abraham- “Jehovah-Jireh” (the Lord will
provide).
The most important thing for me to know regarding the future is that the
Lord will provide. And it would seem that this revelation only comes to
those who have matured in their faith to that place where they are able to
offer up to God as an act of worship the very instrument in which that future
is to be realised.
And what I believe the Holy Spirit is saying is that only in this reality of faith
based worship will the future progressively be unlocked- and we will find
ourselves walking where we have never walked before. But in walking there
the whole story- the only story- will be God and not the package. The
revelation is not- ‘Isaac will provide’- but- ‘The Lord will provide.’
5