WEBVTT 00:00:01.520 --> 00:00:06.959 I can't help but think what a strange thing it is that we're doing. 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:09.759 I mean, it's it's really kind of odd. 00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:25.280 I don't know that I've really thought about it a whole lot, but this morning I was just struck with the fact that we all come here from very, very different places in very different lives, different situations, different chapters. 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:29.280 We have people who are celebrating new births. 00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:33.280 We have people who are mourning the loss of a loved one. 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:43.600 We gather together and we're singing songs, and one of them I'm very unfamiliar with, but I would just describe it almost like an Irish dirge. 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:48.640 It was just very heartfelt and kind of melancholy. 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:58.719 But a few moments before we were singing songs and we were clapping as a young man talked about giving his life to Jesus. 00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:09.760 And then we gather here and we find common ground and celebrating God as Father. 00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:18.000 I mentioned before at Mother's Day, and I'm mindful of this, that at other holidays, it's not the same experience for everyone. 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:23.200 For me, today is a really, really good day. 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:24.959 I mean, it is a great day. 00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:27.200 I mean, Lane just got baptized. 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:30.719 What an awesome young man and the decision that he's made. 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:32.480 I mean, it's Father's Day. 00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:33.760 I have three kids. 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:37.280 Two of them uh don't live uh in the house anymore. 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:38.640 They're they're far off. 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:44.879 Uh, and I'm all my kids that have texted me or visited with me, and man, it's like what a great day. 00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:47.920 And and I just I love my father. 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:52.159 I have an amazing father uh and a great relationship with him. 00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:59.920 We get to talk every week, and uh, and because it's Father's Day, I don't know if this is the best part, but it's a really good part of Father's Day. 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:06.319 We have a tradition is that I get to pick where we're gonna eat today, and I'm really excited about that. 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:08.879 I mean, no Tico Casa. 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:11.520 I mean, I just I can't I can't wait. 00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:32.960 It's it's really exciting, but then I also know that for some of you, you woke up this morning, and the remembrance of Father's Day brings about grief or sadness or maybe wounds that you've experienced. 00:02:33.520 --> 00:02:40.159 And yet we're all here today, not not to enter into worship, right? 00:02:40.319 --> 00:02:50.479 We've we've come together to continue our worship for a God and Father who is good, regardless of what season that you've entered into. 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:54.240 And that's where we are in Genesis chapter 22. 00:02:54.319 --> 00:03:04.879 It's a really difficult text, and as we think about the emotions and what God has called, commanded Abraham to do, it's a little, it's a little bit overwhelming. 00:03:05.360 --> 00:03:07.599 How how do we deal with this? 00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:09.680 You see this picture here. 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:16.159 When we started a couple weeks ago, I shared several different depictions of what this scene might have looked like. 00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:20.240 And if you're unfamiliar with the story, it's kind of crazy. 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:23.599 You look at this and somebody says, describe what's going on. 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:29.520 Well, well, we have this young man who, man, he looks like he's in big trouble. 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:34.719 Uh, he's tied up, and there's the bad guy with the knife, right? 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:48.879 And and here comes this angel flying down from heaven to stop the bad guy from killing the little kid, and that's the story that you might imagine, but but it's a completely different story altogether. 00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:50.479 Or is it? 00:03:50.960 --> 00:04:04.879 Because the same place that sent down the angel to stop the sacrifice was the same heaven that sent down the command to sacrifice him in the first place. 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:11.120 And so what are we left to do with Genesis chapter 22? 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:26.160 Well, what we did look at is that Abraham was willing to call what he was about to do worship. 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:30.160 We kind of unpacked this a little bit last week. 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:54.800 We assume that worship is something that starts with an announcement or some uh prayer, and then we have some singing, and then we we read a little from the Bible, and then you're forced to listen to a really old guy blather on for 30 minutes about whatever topic he thinks is important for today? 00:04:55.759 --> 00:05:04.160 That must be worship, but then of course it always ends because we have the closing prayer and the closing song. 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:10.399 But what if, what if Abraham, what if this guy's not all bad and what if he's right? 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:15.600 What if worship is something that we do every day? 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:27.199 Sometimes we think worship is this mountaintop experience, but what if the mountain that you're on involves an altar? 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:38.879 It involves an altar and a pile of sticks and your only son and a call to sacrifice? 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:43.360 When does it stop becoming worship? 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:47.920 Does worship end when we walk out the door? 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:53.600 Does worship cease when we're out in the parking lot? 00:05:54.879 --> 00:06:04.959 I want us to be reminded that we worship God every single day, or at least we ought to. 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:16.399 You young guys and ladies, I want you to know that worship happens in the hallways, in the classroom, uh, on the soccer pitch. 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:17.920 Wait, we're from Texas. 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:21.279 I've been watching way too much football on TV. 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:28.319 Um, it can happen anywhere you go, and it ought to happen everywhere that we go. 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:52.800 Just like Abraham, we can go and worship God even when it's really tough, even when there's no songs to be sung, even when there's no victories to celebrate, God calls us to worship him in really every single imaginable instance. 00:06:53.120 --> 00:06:56.800 We can honor and worship and glorify him. 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:08.000 As we looked in uh on the next slide, Genesis 22, verse 5, Abraham said to his servant, stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:12.720 We will worship and we will come back. 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:25.839 Even on his worst day, in the midst of the most difficult, gut-wrenching decision, Abraham declares that what he was doing was worship. 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:35.120 And so this morning, I hope you didn't come in here ready to begin worship or enter into worship. 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:41.519 Instead, we want to be reminded that we are actually just continuing our worship. 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:49.759 But I have to be honest, I really like worship on Sundays because now I'm not alone. 00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:59.279 I get to join other people as we think about, sing to, and pray to a God and Father who is good. 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:02.160 But we can't stop in verse 5. 00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:06.720 I don't want us to get to the end of the story, but I do want us to read on a little bit more. 00:08:06.800 --> 00:08:11.519 And so let's pick up in verse 6 of Genesis chapter 22. 00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:22.959 It says, Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the nile. 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:42.240 As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father, he said, Father, yes, my son Abraham replied, The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:53.120 And now Abraham is left to decide what actually he's going to share with his son. 00:08:54.240 --> 00:09:01.519 And Abraham answered, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. 00:09:01.919 --> 00:09:06.320 And the two of them went on together. 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:14.159 When they reached the place, God had told them about Abraham, built an altar there, and arranged the wood on it. 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:24.080 He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:30.879 Then he reached out his hand and took the knot to slay his son. 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:40.320 Don't keep reading. 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:43.039 Don't clean it up. 00:09:43.279 --> 00:09:45.279 Don't say, oh, oh, but wait. 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:53.279 I want us to sit here in this moment and imagine once again exactly what is going on. 00:09:55.279 --> 00:10:06.399 As we looked at last week, God called Abraham not only to sacrifice his son, but he said, I want you to go to this particular place. 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:14.080 And it was that three-day journey in which they traveled, and I just can't imagine what that situation would have been like. 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:21.440 How Isaac might have been excited, thinking that they were going on a special trip. 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:31.840 And Abraham knowing deep down inside that this was going to be the most difficult thing that he's ever done. 00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:36.000 They finally make it to this point. 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:47.519 And he tells the servant to stay there, and he says, we're gonna go up and we're going to worship. 00:10:49.679 --> 00:11:03.919 At some point, at some point, Isaac has to realize that this is not going as he thought it would. 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:12.240 What did it mean when his dad said God will provide? 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:18.320 Is there a fight? 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:22.080 Was Isaac scrolling? 00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:30.320 Was Isaac pleading with his dad? 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:33.840 Do we have to do this? 00:11:34.559 --> 00:11:36.960 Is there any other way to do it? 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:39.840 Can't we find another way? 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:44.480 Why do I have to be the sacrifice dad? 00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:47.279 Does mom know about this? 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:50.399 Why are you doing this? 00:11:52.960 --> 00:11:55.360 What was Isaac complied? 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:03.919 Did he quietly sit there as his dad wept? 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:08.720 As he tightened the rope around his son. 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:15.200 I don't know how old Isaac would have been. 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:21.600 We do know how old Abraham was when he was born, and he's a pretty old fellow. 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:26.000 He's over a hundred years old. 00:12:27.759 --> 00:12:35.120 And he had to bend over and take up his side and he had tied up to place him. 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:43.919 What was Abraham thinking during that time? 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:52.159 But I have another question I want to ask. 00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:55.919 We make a really big deal about Abraham. 00:12:56.080 --> 00:12:57.759 And rightfully so. 00:12:58.320 --> 00:13:02.000 We have a really good device song about Father Abraham. 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:06.240 But he doesn't have many sons at this point. 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:10.639 He has this one, which he's been asked to sacrifice. 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:13.039 But I want to ask you this. 00:13:14.559 --> 00:13:19.600 Have you ever thought about what Isaac was thinking about this whole story? 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:26.080 What did Isaac think about the situation? 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:31.759 What did Isaac think about his dad? 00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:38.000 Who would sacrifice his only sex? 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:44.480 I think about this often. 00:13:51.759 --> 00:13:55.279 His arms are tied, he looks up at his dad. 00:13:56.240 --> 00:14:01.360 His dad is probably sobbing uncontrollably. 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:07.679 Just wondering, is there any way that I can get out of this? 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:13.039 How are you doing this? 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:21.440 I think one of the questions you might have thought is my dad. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:24.960 Maybe he doesn't. 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:32.639 What would lead Abraham to take his only son? 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:37.679 We don't know what's gonna happen. 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:52.320 But I just wonder what Isaac thought about this, not only in the moment, but also the days and weeks and months and years tomorrow. 00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:57.360 Did Abraham and Isaac ever talk about this story again? 00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:02.799 That would be a weird conversation to have at the dinner table, wouldn't it? 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:07.840 Hey Dad, remember that time I've been on that special trip? 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:12.879 You made me carry the wood and you took the fire in the eye? 00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:21.440 Remember the time that you tied me up and put me on your remember when you were about to kill me? 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:23.919 On purpose? 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:27.360 I mean, this is not gonna be really difficult. 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:42.720 What does what does a young boy think about a dad who's willing to kill his son over some god, some religion, some belief that he has in some higher being? 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:49.840 I mean, he he could conclude that my dad just doesn't like me. 00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:54.320 Or maybe. 00:15:55.519 --> 00:16:07.679 Or maybe Isaac understands something down deep inside that bad stuff. 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:47.279 What kind of marker is set out when a boy or a girl looks up and sees their father making sacrifices in their business and in their life for their hobbies, because they see that their dad loves God and will stop at nothing, literally nothing, certainly. 00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:59.679 What Isaac saw was he had a father who trusted God. 00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:08.640 I think he learned that his dad chose his love for God over everyone. 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:16.880 And we learn that God chose his love for everyone over his son. 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:25.920 Now, sometimes churches get in a little bit of a rut when it comes to celebrating holidays. 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:38.480 On Mother's Day, we bring in all the ladies, we have them stand up, we paint a flower on them, and we talk about how them how they're the best women that have ever walked the earth, and that's totally true. 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:43.519 And then we get the Father's Day, and then we basically just kick our dads in the shoe. 00:17:44.480 --> 00:17:46.000 And we give our dads our heart. 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:48.720 No flowers for the dads, right? 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:54.319 No standing ovation, no, this is a sermon just for our fathers. 00:17:54.559 --> 00:18:00.480 No, we just tell them how we're just dumb and terrible and we should we should be more like the moms. 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:03.359 But I want to take a different route. 00:18:03.599 --> 00:18:08.880 And I want to encourage our men and our fathers. 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:20.240 I want to encourage you to be the father that I know that God has called you to be. 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:29.200 I want to encourage you to have the strength to worship God every single day. 00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:40.400 To be willing to bring your family here to worship and to take your family out of here and to worship as you wait. 00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:42.400 I get it. 00:18:42.799 --> 00:18:48.559 I know, and trust me, I know being a father isn't easy. 00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:52.960 I've struggled as a father. 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:57.200 It's not easy raising kids. 00:18:57.599 --> 00:19:04.400 It's a weird thing, like there can be a time in your life where you're convinced that you're a good parent. 00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:23.759 Like you think that you might be a pretty good dad to help out with little lead, you help them with their homework, you make sure there's food on the table, they call you daddy, they give you hugs, they say I love you. 00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:29.279 And then one morning they wake up and they're teenagers. 00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:39.279 And the hugs are gone, and the I love you are long past, and they look at you like you're dumb. 00:19:39.839 --> 00:19:45.599 And you look at them like they're an alien that has invaded your child's mind. 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:51.759 And they do some things that you don't want them to do. 00:19:53.680 --> 00:20:03.759 And you say some things you wish you had said, and sometimes being a father feels like anything. 00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:07.920 And it's rough. 00:20:09.200 --> 00:20:16.559 Guys who are often goal-oriented and we're not always good with communicating our feelings. 00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:22.079 And we don't know how to handle kids who are rebelling. 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:33.519 Kids who look at us, the ones that we held look at us eye to eye and say, you can't tell me how to live my life. 00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:38.640 And we mumble under our breath, you betcha I can. 00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:48.400 And lines are drawn, crossed, and we struggle. 00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:58.160 We struggle with being the fathers that we want to be, the husbands we know we ought to be, and the spiritual leaders that God has called us to be. 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:02.640 But this morning I want to encourage you. 00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:06.240 I want to encourage you not to give up. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:15.279 When your child pushes you away, don't step back, step forward and step up. 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:26.400 Step up as fathers and as husbands and as spiritual leaders of our household. 00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:35.440 We're called to provide for our family, but that goes way beyond a paycheck or a plate of food that lands on a table. 00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:43.359 For our men and for our fathers, I'm asking you, I'm calling you and challenging you. 00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:49.200 Let us be brave and let us be bold and let us be unwavering. 00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:56.160 Let us choose to worship God on good days and even on our bad days. 00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:59.599 May we place our faith above money. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:05.519 And sports and hobby and most of all our pride. 00:22:07.119 --> 00:22:11.519 Let us be an example for this generation and the next. 00:22:11.839 --> 00:22:15.519 We will worship God no matter what the cost. 00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:22.880 I struggle in my life just like every single one of you. 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:28.880 And there's a lot of days that I would not come close to getting the dad and be near a Lord. 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:33.039 But I'm not going to quit. 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:35.680 And I'm not going to stop trying. 00:22:35.920 --> 00:22:39.279 And I want to ask you men to do the same. 00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:45.119 Because I want to be a man who will be a fearless warrior for God. 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:47.759 That's what I want my life to be about. 00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:54.160 And I want to shoulder up with other men who are willing to join me in fighting. 00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:56.960 I want to be the one who fights for my family. 00:22:57.200 --> 00:22:59.279 I want to be the one who fights for God. 00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:02.160 And I want to be one who fights for the loss. 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:07.759 And I need to be surrounded with other people who are willing to do that. 00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:15.359 And I think we have men in this room who are willing to do that. 00:23:15.920 --> 00:23:18.240 Who will join me in the fight. 00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:20.160 It's not going to be easy. 00:23:20.319 --> 00:23:22.079 It's not going to be simple. 00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:25.680 It's not going to be a one-time decision. 00:23:25.759 --> 00:23:27.440 It is every day. 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:29.759 But I want you to think about your kids. 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:32.319 I want you to think about your grandkids. 00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:41.119 And I want you to know the impact that you have had on the lives of your kids and neighbors' kids and nephews. 00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:55.279 I want you to know that we can make a difference in this world because God is calling us to do, and he will not disappoint us. 00:23:56.960 --> 00:23:58.960 I don't know how it happened. 00:23:59.200 --> 00:24:18.160 I don't know how it happened, but somehow we got the idea that Christianity was about singing songs and this little spotless lamb and everybody just being all warm and fuzzy and cute and everything was great, and we talked about love and happiness. 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:24.400 And that's not how Christianity started 2,000 years ago. 00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:34.240 It started with a crazy group of guys who in a garden would pull out a sword and say, we're going to fight for this guy. 00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:39.440 Thomas, we give him a hard time for doubting, but look a few chapters before. 00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:48.799 We're going to die too. 00:24:49.039 --> 00:24:51.200 James and John were crazy. 00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:52.400 They were crazy. 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:53.519 They had no idea. 00:24:53.680 --> 00:24:56.799 They walk out of a town that didn't welcome Jesus. 00:24:57.039 --> 00:24:58.160 You remember what they said? 00:24:58.319 --> 00:25:03.839 Hey, hey, Jesus, should we call down fire and destroy this town? 00:25:04.079 --> 00:25:05.839 Because they didn't welcome Jesus. 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:06.799 They were crazy. 00:25:06.880 --> 00:25:08.079 They didn't know any better. 00:25:08.160 --> 00:25:11.279 But they followed Jesus to the very end. 00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:18.240 There's a lot of reasons why we don't have to believe in Jesus. 00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:21.359 There's not a whole lot of proof, right? 00:25:22.559 --> 00:25:26.400 There's an empty tomb somewhere that we don't know anything about. 00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:28.000 We don't know where it is. 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:31.599 Could this really have happened? 00:25:32.880 --> 00:25:49.359 But I look to the followers of Jesus who after his death wouldn't dare make up a story and then go down to their death lying about it. 00:25:53.519 --> 00:25:57.599 And they believed that Jesus was the Son of God. 00:25:57.759 --> 00:26:09.680 And because of that, these crazy, bumbling guys changed the world with the help of a lot of smarter, faithful women alongside me. 00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:13.839 I want to be counted among those people. 00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:19.039 And guys, I'm calling you to do the same. 00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:22.559 Be mighty warriors for God. 00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:26.079 The battlefield may look like your workplace. 00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:38.640 Go in there fully armed to love and to show patience and kindness and step up when it's politically incorrect to do so. 00:26:40.319 --> 00:26:57.680 And in our homes, our kids need to know what it's like to have a father who loves Jesus recklessly and who will always choose God first. 00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:09.839 It's what Abraham did on the mountain that day with Isaac who loved him. 00:27:12.079 --> 00:27:20.559 And Isaac to follow in the footsteps of his dad and serve a God because he had a father who was example. 00:27:22.559 --> 00:27:26.480 And so for you fathers, I just want to continue to encourage you. 00:27:31.920 --> 00:27:33.839 Choosing Jesus. 00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:50.559 This morning I want to ask you to take up that call, male or female, child or parent. 00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:57.279 Let us be people who are unafraid to worship and serve God, and let's do it this morning as we stand.