Encountering God's Promise, Part 2

Space between what is going and it's really going to do it is a time when getting you ready for the promise. Dr. Tony Evans talked about why God doesn't make that process instantaneous. You have a part to play and how long it lasts. This is the alternative Dr. Tony other author, speaker, senior pastor of Oak Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, president of the urban alternative is easy to lose heart, waiting for God to come through your situation much more impossible by the minute.

So today Dr. Evans has some encouragement will help you hang on during hard times. Let's join him. Genesis 22 we have one of the most recalled in history repeated over and over again in the New Testament, although it happened in the Old Testament that is Abraham offering up Isaac.

Let me read the first two verses of Genesis 22 now it came about after these things that God Abraham and said to Abraham now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac go to the land of Mariah and offer him there was a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you when God wants to give you an encounter with him.

It will typically involve a test I got did you say amen in church, say, praise the Lord, you know that you are in the building don't care but he's not banking on that he will give you a text. I'll explain this task is unique because it involved a series of contradictions, a contradiction is when God says one thing and appears to be doing another 20 exact opposite over here. I don't know if you have that yet but when God says that we're any significant say, well, what's the contradiction number one there was a theological contradiction. Seek God a promise way back in Genesis chapter 12 that he was going to make a great nation of Abraham, and it would come through the son of Sarah whose name was Isaac got it made a promise, but here in Genesis chapter 22.

God tells them to kill promise.

Isaac is a teenager. He married what you said. I think the problems would come up building a sleeve that would become a great nation to become a great nation. If you telling me to kill the very promise that you said it would come through a theological contradiction to offer your son on the altar as a burnt offering means to kill them and that but if you said now shalt not kill you, God.

Genesis chapter 9 verse six said if any man kills another man, he shall Batman be killed for man is created in the image of God. You say that, what have you that over here asking me to kill him that some contradiction involved in the 10th is not only a theological contradiction is not only a biblical contradiction. It's an emotional contradiction because it says sacrifice your son, your only son, whom you love verse three says Abraham rose up early in the morning, saddled his donkey took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son and he split the wood for the burnt offering and he arose and went to the place which God told Brittany got up early is because such competence in God that even if it didn't make sense. And even if he killed the son God would give them about the great he says in verse eight God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son Isaac asking Mark that I feel if IRC would've seen stuff to make the file but seemingly every other time we went to church. We had we had a lamb says son only God can fix this. I can explain what's going happen. I don't know how God's going to do it. I don't have an exclamation. All I can tell you is God's will have to provide this God's going to have to provide this because when God put you in a contradiction you can explain how it's going work out what this they come to the place in verse nine, which God told Abraham built an altar there. Arrange the wood down to son Isaac on top of the wood.

Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife the slaves that you can you imagine what he's thinking of you is the make sense get rid of. The one thing I love most in my life will of the Lord. Verse 11 Jesus in the Old Testament called him from heaven, and said Abraham watching when God called him twice and he said here I am second time. He said that I'm here I'm submitted to you. Do not stretch out your hand against the lad and do nothing to him.

For now, I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me. The problem is those three words. Now I know, will guide you in opposition you knew before I got up what was going happen the day. How come you only know when this now. We now know you know the beginning from BN. What was so special about God knows everything actual God knows everything potential, but he does not know everything experiential I put another way, God has not experienced everything he knows. He knows everything but everything he knows he's not necessarily experience. For example, if you ask God what does it feel like to commit a sin couldn't tell you what it feels like to commit a sin never committed a sin.

So the only way to discover what it's like to have.

Sin was to bear sin because he never had any of his own so we experience sin, although he knows all about sin. He knows what it is he knows where it came from.

He knows what it does, but he got know how it feels to do it because he never did it only has admissions about the information missions about the experience of the data. When God wanted to know what it was like to be human. He became a man. Hebrews for so that he could simplify with our infirmities so he could feel it. He wanted to fail what it feels like to be lonely never been lonely. He wanted to feel what it feels like to be misused and abused and rejected them and go through things humans go through so in order to fill it likely he became one of us because it is nature you feel everything else. So guess why God put you in a trial that doesn't make sense because he wants to feel your love to hear discussions about he wants to feel it, and what makes him feel it when you choose him over something you already love me because you're not withheld your son, only one you will you from me when you have to choose between me and him you chose me and now I know now I feel it when God wants to give you an encounter with him. It will involve a contradiction that involves a choice. It's different strokes for different folks, but it may be choosing the thing you treasure the butt as bad as that seems.

God is opening up the door for an encounter with the living God. Abraham raised up and God looked verse 13 behold, there was a ram caught in the thicket that is required is ramming history of RAM is caught in the thicket is front wheel is try to get out the thicket. He does not see the solution until the obedience occurs a lot about looking for a ram when we haven't finished the obedience of God is keeping a ram quiet. The solution was already there.

It just wasn't revealed until after God so boss could be done amazing seeing the ram because we are delaying fulfilling the obedience. Some over there but we didn't complete it and complete the text we started the test, maybe, but we didn't complete it and as a result solution like it. Abraham called the name of the place. Verse 14 the Lord will provide is one of the big names of God Jehovah Gyro furniture Sonia that's Jehovah's gyrate is said to this day in the mount of the Lord. It will be provided, then the angel of the Lord called Abraham a second time.

That's a big principal and scriptural God wants to confirm something he doesn't a second or third time for 60 and said myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son.

I will greatly bless you I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the saying which is on the seashore and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.

God made a promise to Abraham way back in Genesis chapter 12 same promise but diet until Genesis 22 passenger reading today between Genesis 12 and Genesis 22 when he swears by something he said dozens of years. It took him 25 years of the attorneys will have Isaac and Isaac as a teenager now, so we've got a set of gone by when nothing's happened about the problem that those who feel like God and said something in you. Yes ago and nothing is happening that is because you must stand between God's promise and God's will is space space between what he said he's going to do and when he's actually going to do it is a time when he is getting the promise ready for you and is getting you ready for the promise between Genesis 12 and Genesis 22 made a bunch of mistakes so God was not to give the promise because he was not ready to handle it properly. So is space between God and God's all is his preparation and you have a part to play and how long it lasts.

Dr. Evans will tell us more about the significant difference between a promise and an oath comes back in a moment to continue this message from his life-changing series, divine encounters, and I wanted to be sure to let you know that Tony is released the perfect companion book to what we been hearing about today is called kingdom encounters and it explores how you can have the same kind of one-on-one experiences with God that we read about in the lives of people like Moses, Daniel Abraham and others.

We want to help you learn how to set your faith on fire and keep it burning. So were making available both the book and digital and CD copies of all eight full-length messages from the divine encounter series, including material we won't have time to share on the radio is or thank you gift when you make a contribution to help us keep Tony's teaching coming your way on the station, take advantage of this special double offer before time runs out by visiting Tony Evans.org or call our 24-hour resource Center at 1-800-800-3222 were team members are standing by to help you. That's 1-800-800-3222 will get back to our teaching time right after this. The thing about serving an incident God is that no matter how much you know there's always more to learn so brand-new the Scripture or an experienced ministry professional. There's something for you Tony Evans training online courses covering core concepts working at your own pace and schedule dig deep and historical context of the book uncover the key teaching and learning how to apply them in situations there's lots of exclusive content from Dr. Evans to keep you interested and motivated an online form where you can ask questions and answers can collaborate with other students.

The more you learn, the more you want to try Tony Evans training and discover any time anywhere. Chapter 6 is what we read in verse 13 God made sense he could swear by no greater peace by himself God's. And I swear say I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you just read that and so having what patiently waited, he obtained the promise. Swear by one greater than themselves and with them and given as confirmation is a.m. of every dispute in the same way God desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable mass of his purpose, interposed with an old, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is possible for God to live with with taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope that it said before us worthless. He says make promises tickles in order to confirm the promise when you go to court your lawyer.

Prior to going there may take a deposition. That deposition is to be a assessment of your understanding of the issue, but when you got a call and they say on the Bible, do you promise to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God that's gone now to a whole different level.

That's why I want to take statements on because now it's a high level of accountability. Six says when you taken hold. You taken before someone greater than yourself so you take the hope in court to the judge because the judge has authority over you in the court and the judge tells you that you make should put you on the Bible to bring God into your testimony so you got a judge over you. At least there is a God, so that now you judge by what you just said and you can yourself on the witness. He says just so it is with men, it is with God is with God says because God has nobody else to appeal to when God takes it all the book's because he wrote the way God takes in all, there is nobody greater than him so when he took over in Genesis 22 swear by myself but I would swear by somebody greater nobody greater nobody greater nobody to supply the state onto swear by nobody greater than himself by himself and what happens when God takes an old related to a promise he plans to bring your way. Even though you will do it don't make sense is totally contradictory as goggle pull this off. He says swear by myself which means I don't need anybody outside of me to make it happen.

In other words, when God is ready to make a promise and there's nothing left for you to do you have to do anything else you want to try anything else.

He just goes sip and then do it his way by himself without informing you first, it means he's taking the issue over by two immutable unchangeable things. It is impossibly lucid for God to lie, because he makes a promise and is a promise keeper not a promise breaker and to because he makes it all the way makes it all. He has the power to pull off whatever was in the promise by himself which meet to understand is all you gotta do is finish the obedience until he is ready to take it over himself.

James chapter 2 verse 2123 James said Abraham offered up Isaac when he offered up Isaac. He perfected his faith, God broke through and God became more real to him so that that he was called a friend of God, not always sing the song. I am afraid to God, but you may not be baby and child that you may not yet be his friend because you're not a friend of God until you have exercised the faith of Abraham.

If you want the experience of Abraham. You have to have the faith of Abraham and the faith of Abraham was to obey when it didn't sense what he did know how the world God was going to witness as a man's faith was perfected close with the concept in Hebrews chapter 11 versus 17 to 19.

It closes with this phrase Abraham offered up Isaac and then it says and he got him back as a type.

Don't miss this since this is Rich it's deep and it matters that's in Hebrews 11, all Hebrews 11 is about what went through in the Old Testament but is written in the New Testament. He said he got Isaac back God told him you sacrifice me as a lamb, and he got them back as a type is something physical in the Old Testament designed to teach us something spiritual in the New Testament. Something happened back then, physically, always physical things, the temple of the tabernacle the sacrifices to point to something that was to come. So a type is something physical to teach you something spiritual so let's get this the reason why I am story is being retold over and over again. If God wants us to use something now based on the principle we learn from what happened what happened was God using a task to bring about his promise, and he says what then is a physical illustration of a spiritual principle that should be happening right now and that is using test and sing them to see God's promises fulfilled in your life even when you can't figure out how in the world. God Dr. Evans will have a word about how that kind of story can be your kind of story first so don't forget to take advantage of that special offer. I told you about earlier you get all eight full-length messages in Tony's current series divine encounters along with a great companion book kingdom encounters they're both yours with our thanks when you make a contribution to help us continue presenting this program every day for special offer runs out soon so be sure to call 1-800-800-3222 today to get the details and make your request. Our resource Center never closes. That's 1-800-800-3222 or visit Tony Evans.org or you can make all the arrangements online. I repeat that website information in a moment right after this special invitation from Dr. Evans. If you've never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior you can do that right now. Simply go to him and acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a Savior and that your transferring your trust in him alone because of his death on the cross and resurrection from the dead and if you will go to him for salvation. He promises to give it to you free of charge just for the asking.

Learn more about what all that means and why it's so important.

Visit Tony Evans.org and follow the link that says Jesus.

Tony has a quick video that explains it all and you find some free follow-up resources there as well. That's Tony Evans.org we say we believe God provides. Dr. Evans knows how easily we can start doubting that when our circumstances take an unexpected turn. So, tomorrow he'll tell us the story of a lady who learned an important lesson about trust during trials I hope will join us for the alternative with Dr. Tony have an alternative is made possible by the generous Confucian of listeners like