The Testing of Your Faith | Part 2

What is the great proof of your true faith in God. Listen to Adrian Rogers is not primarily believing God in spite of evidence is obeying God in spite of the consequences not knowing why no one really owns is the great proof of our trust in our faith when we know that we know that we know we have word from God will pass it past the judgment bar of our understanding. We just simply obey and to love finding featuring insightful lessons and messages from Pastor Adrian Rogers throughout life will experience two kinds of tests those that cause us to stumble and those that cause us to stand in part one of today's message we learn that the devil will tempt us to do evil. While God tests us to do good and make our faith strong and pure.

But God may ask us to do something that surprises us and our response will reveal her true faith in Hebrews chapter 11 were reminded of when Abraham's faith was tested. If you have your Bible turn there now was Adrian Rogers shares the profound conclusion of the testing of your faith and understand what the writer of Hebrews is talking about here in Chapter 11 go back to the Old Testament, so let's just put a bookmark in Hebrews 11 and go back to Genesis 22. Let's get the story. Let's find out what happened here when the Bible says that God put Abraham to the test.

I want to read 14 verses in a row. So just open your Bible. I look along with me and hang on Genesis 22 one 314 and it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham not remember God not try to get Abraham to sin, but to stand. The Bible says God attempted no man with evil meet again to be tempted. God is testing Abraham and Sarah Van Abraham and he said, behold, here I am, and he God said now my son, thine only son Isaac about lobbyists.

By the way, this is the first time the word love is found in the Bible right here and get me into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell them LaserJet that is an store never before demanded human sacrifice, and now he is commanded Abraham to take this on a promise to love son and put him to death.

Now God is going to test your faith by asking you to do something that may surprise is the question that I will ask you that I've had to wrestle with before I preached this message. Are you able to give your blessings back to God. Not are you willing to give up your sins, for God, you dig in your blessings back to God. That's what Abraham was asked to do, I will lay three questions on your heart today and see if your faith can pass the test question number one. Can I trust God with the possessions he has given to me. Can I trust God with the possessions he has given to me now back to Hebrews chapter 11 in verse 17 by faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. Now the test was over a gift that God had given to him why the test being that Abraham is coming to love Isaac more than he is. Loving God. Be that he is coming to love the gift more than the giver.

God will never take second place in your life. Anything, or to anyone. Now many of us like to have God in our lives, but how many of us save God I love you supremely see where very careful that blessings don't become curses. A significant verse margin Malachi chapter 2 in verse two but if you will not hear and if he will not lay the heart to give glory under my name. Listen to give glory to my name. Set the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you not listen to this next phrase and I will curse your blessings.

Did you hear that I went to Harris last sentence. Blessings can become a curse God goes on to say, yeah, I have cursed him already because you do not lay at the heart you not listen that I was not wrong for Abraham to love Isaac. I love my children with all of my heart the matter fact no one can truly love his son until he loves God as he all God is not asking Abraham to your love Isaac. He knew he loved Isaac what God knows knows Abraham B you love me more than you love, Isaac the test of faith is not primarily between love and hate, but between two love those things we love dearly, and that which we must love supremely master question is anything God has given you that you would not willingly get back to him if he ask you for it. Now listen liquor anything God has given you. You can trust them with anything God has not given to you. You only as I make sense anything God has given to you. You can trust him anything.

God has not given to you.

You don't be. Yes, I gave you Isaac now take him up to the mountain and sacrifice him to me talk about the testing of your faith. Second question will ask can I trust God with the purpose he has for me. We talk about possessions is given to us about the purpose he asked Boris again. Hebrews chapter 11 verses 17 through 18.

By faith Abraham, when he was dried, offered up Isaac.

That's the possessions and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called mayors the plan here is the purpose God given Abraham a purpose and a grandson okay I'm tracking along. I know it's going to happen. I would have a son and his sons you have sons and sons and I'm going to have a great ascendancy people of faith and I got says put it today. It makes sense that did not make sense.

Faith is not primarily believing God in spite of the evidence, it is obeying God in spite of the consequences and spine of the consequences, not knowing why no one obedience is the great proof of our trust in our faith when we know that we know that we know we have word from God. We don't pass it past the judgment bar of our understanding.

We just simply obey only one alternative to obedience what is disobedience. We are to obey God to let me tell you what kind of obedience. It must be it must be informed obedience don't go out there now and just make some sort of sacrifice to show got amateur loving you made a horrible mistake.

Be in tune with God.

Listen to God.

Abraham heard God speaking. Many Christians are endeavoring to do things for God. The God doesn't want and God is not promised to bless any endeavor he is not commanded. We must hear God in order to obey God. It must be informed obedience number two it must be intentional obedience, you say well I'm not informed master question, are you listening to God for duty. Real obedience is not mere absence from doing wrong.

It is actively seeking the will of God for your life. Ignorance of God's will is not an excuse.

If you have obedience informed intentional and immediate bill back in Genesis chapter 2 verse 23, God gave the command and the Bible says, and in the morning, he rose up, there's no way there's no delay as soon as possible. He got on the road to exactly what God told him to do. Be quick my soul to answer him be jubilant my feet. Procrastination.

Procrastination is a form of disobedience as God told you to say something. If something, do something and you're waiting. Real obedience is immediate obedience. Ours is not to reason why ours is not to make reply hours is to do what I sometimes a test will come and if you don't obey out right away. You may get into serious trouble when I was in college I passed a little church on a big Sunday morning we may have 40 present on big Sunday morning and I love those people they love me when I graduated from seminary. I was offered the pastor of a couple small churches in Florida. I got the letter out of the PO Box. The same day one on top of the other. Both of them said Mr. Rogers. We feel it should be our pastor.

We prayed over one knew that one of them had to be wrong about was like them both of them were wrong.

I wrote back and said thank you but no thanks. Little church in Fort Pierce wrote me back. They were running less than 100 and Sunday school. I said no we believe you're God's man I could get out of my heart because frankly, after years of study.

I was hoping for something a little more than hundred and sons, but I said all right outcome. I told my little church there, Waylon Mississippi, I said folks God's call and I must go, and I noticed some of them would want to argue with me about it so I try to be a little poetic. I said a nail pierced hand has pointed to Florida and I must fall. I thought who could argue with a nail pierced hand was the rhetoric I use that morning. Yet I not tell the church in Fort Pierce that I would come, but already have bill. No sooner had I walked out of that pool went home even before lunch. I got a phone call from a man in full committee from the first Baptist Church of one of the biggest if not the biggest city in Florida.

He said we've heard about you.

We want you to come be our past. He told me about the staff and about the budget of about the amenities and I just told that little church that I was going to this other little church I'm telling you, if God had written it from ceiling of that room that I was in in boxcar C could've been no planar Adrian this is a test. Don't play like I said to that man? I have made up my mind that I'm going to lessen such a church, God is call me I cannot talk with you anymore. I don't say that to cut myself on the back but I say to testify to God that when those tests come, you must obey God immediately. If not, you get serious trip sheer strength. I want to say that I had one of the happiest times of my life that precious church. They are informed that God sent me to get must be informed obedience. It must be intentional obedience. It must be immediate obedience and it must be impassioned obedience, not reluctant, not counting, not dragging. We need to serve Jesus Christ of these days in which we live with a burning blazing passionate emotional love for Jesus Christ hello to obey him, not moderately, not carelessly. I'm sure it was a struggle. Abraham, but thank God he passed the test. Now here's the third question. Can I trust him, not only with the possessions in the program that he's given me, but can I trust him with the promises he is made to me.

Hebrews 11 versus 17 through 19th. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. Now that's active to the promise because the promise that in the sun you going to last. Although it was said that in Isaac July, CB called how to do it by God.

Verse 19 is there accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from whence also he received him in the figure Abraham it already learned that God is the God of the impossible goes God to give him a son when he was 100 years of age didn't see them coming out of came out of the maternal warriors will resume dried up.

He knew that God is a God of miracle and his faith was steadfast to believe God. Abraham did not know how God would do. He just simply knew that God would do it and God did. God did not let Abraham sacrifice Isaac, why listen to me it wasn't Isaac that God is that you love me more than you love anything else. What is the heart of the message. Listen here is if you let it let it go. If it is you all you get it back and if not you will be saved from a fate worse than death that is holding on to something that would be an impairment of your spiritual life. Jesus said if you love your life, you lose if you lose it for my sake and the Gospels you find we were children use double saying finders keepers losers weepers here say that God says, keepers, weepers, losers, finders is dry and you will find it. Bible says in Hebrews 11 verse 19 he was accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead. The word here accounting living means considered living means to reckon means to calculate this report, we get our word logistics. From that we get our logic from Abraham is calculated using God you gave me and I can trust you with God. You have a purpose by the trustee with God.

You made a promise that I can own it, you gotta keep your word. You I don't have to understand I don't have to paraded past the judgment bar of my knowledge and God gave him back his son and Abraham: name of that place Jehovah John gall will provide. There was a rambler to take Isaac's place. He was there no sooner nor later than it was needed for God is always on time.

I look at your pastor. Let me ask you this question and I won't tell you got five head as myself this question before I can bridge this message. Is there any good gift that you unwilling to surrender nothing about the bad things about the blessings it may be your finances. It may be your health and maybe your grandchildren. Is there any obedience that you are not willing to perform even though it seems contradictory to what you think is God's way for you.

Is there any promise that you cannot trust God with even when it doesn't make sense.

Remember, we don't live by explanation, we live by promises even like today's sermon I didn't like it all know, one. I want this kind of test with faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted God want you to be strong in faith.

Without faith it is impossible to please God. The Bible says about Abraham, Jesus, that Abraham saw my day was going. He saw the coming Messiah, the Messiah that Abraham trusted is the one I want you to trust today. He's the one who wants to save you today. Here's the one who will save you. I promise on the authority of the word of God, he will forgive sin. He will come in your heart and life with a piece in the presence and the power that is supernatural and when you die when he comes again he will take you home to heaven. If you would like to be saved.

I want to guide you in the spring that you may already be religious.

You may already be Morrow. You may already be a church members at times but you never really seven this matter salvation.

You never really had that absolute assurance that you die this moment you go straight to heaven. It's time to get settled. I want you pray this prayer here, God, I'm a send.

I'm lost.

I need to be say I want to be saved. Jesus you died to save men promise to save me if I would question. I do trust telling that right now. I trust I receive you into my life by faith. Jesus, I believe you're the son of God. I believe you shed your blood on the cross to save me. I believe God raised him from the day and I receive you into my life now is my Lord and Savior.

Forgive my sin cleanse me, save me chase precious friend. Pray that save me orgies addressing the employee. This way thank you for doing it.

I stand on your word. I don't look for Simon Rasco feeling and I will make it public. I will not be ashamed if you only give ministry your name I pray, amen, amen. If you prayed to receive Jesus just now. We would love to celebrate with you and invite you to find God's love page on our website you'll find answers, you may need about your newfound faith. Simply go to LWF.org/radio and click the tab that says find God's love. Welcome to his forever family. We can't wait to hear from you today if you like to order a copy of this message for yourself or to pass on to someone else. Call us to order at 1877 love God mentioned the title the testing of your faith.

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