Sunday Sermon

Wow! It's like a heat wave out here this morning! I haven't had to put on as many layers to take Rocky outside. Which is good because he gets impatient waiting for me!

Here's yesterday's question and answer:
Sat, Jan. 17 Fill in the blank: “The kingdom of heaven is like a ________ hidden in a field . . . . Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for __________. . . . Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a ____ that was let down into the lake. . . .” (Matt 13)
Matthew 13:44-47 44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. 47 "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.
And here's today's question of the day:
Sun, Jan. 18: Psalm 9:2 “I will be glad and rejoice in You”. . .
Name 10 things that you thank God for.

And, in lieu of a reflection, here is today's sermon for those of you who don't get to hear it live this morning!

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Please pray with me: Gracious God, Still our minds and quiet our worries; open our ears and hearts so that we might truly hear your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING Genesis 22:1-14
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."

6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" 8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

INTRODUCTION
I counted it up the other day and discovered that I have gone to school for 22 of my almost 30 years of life. And in those 22 years of high school and college and seminary, I’ve taken A LOT of tests. I’ve taken pop quizzes I didn’t know were coming, math tests that I DID know were coming (and that I never did very well on), a driving test (which I passed the first time, unlike some of my siblings), the SATs (took those twice, I think), and ordination exams which was one of the last steps in becoming a minister.

And of all those kinds of tests, pop quizzes were the worst. There’s nothing worse than going to class, knowing that you didn’t do the homework from the night before, and hearing the teacher say, “OK, put your books and papers away. We’re having a pop quiz.” Even if you DID the homework from the night before, the same sudden panic still hits you when you hear the phrase “pop quiz.”

Ugh. My heart still beats a little faster just thinking about them. I would guess I’m not the only one who feels this way about pop quizzes. The problem with pop quizzes is that you never know when they’re coming so you never know when to be prepared. Now, I think the teachers among us would say that’s why we ALWAYS have to be prepared for a pop quiz.

And don’t think that just because you’re not in school, you don’t have to worry about pop quizzes. Just ask Abraham. God surprised him with the mother of all—or rather, the FATHER of all—pop quizzes!

MOVE #1
God surprises Abraham with a pop quiz. Abraham didn’t know it was coming. It was a real pop quiz—he didn’t see it coming.

Verse one of our reading this morning says, “Some time later God tested Abraham.” God tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac—the son that he and Sarah had waited for almost 100 years. . . the son who was a part of God’s promise to make their descendents as numerous as the stars in the sky.

This test from God must have been like a sucker punch to Abraham’s gut, don’t you think? It was unexpected and it was shocking, especially in light of how the Old Testament tells us that God hates child sacrifice, something that pagans practiced.

How could the God who had favored Abraham and Sarah throughout all their lives suddenly now demand such a sacrifice? How could God possibly demand the murder of a life, especially a life so clearly given by God’s own hand? It blows the mind to think about it!

There’s no way Abraham could have anticipated this command—it’s not just a request or suggestion, it’s an outright command from God Almighty. Verse 2 says, “Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

This testing is something Abraham never could have anticipated. And it turns out that this pop quiz is a matter of life and death.

MOVE #2
This was a test Abraham never saw coming, but we know he somehow managed to pass the test with flying colors. He did exactly what God told him to—going so far even to bind Isaac and put him on the altar and to pick up the knife. He did each and every thing God told him to do—and at the very last minute possible, God intervened and saved Isaac, saying , “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son” (v12).

How did he do it? How did he know what the right thing to do was? How could Abraham, who had waited his whole, long life to be a father, have risked the life of his one and only son?

Abraham didn’t refuse. He didn’t argue with God. He didn’t try to bargain him down to some lesser test. These are all things he did with God successfully in the past. But he didn’t try to persuade God to change his mind this time.

The text doesn’t say what went through his head. It doesn’t reveal what must have been going through his head during the three day journey to the mountain in Moriah. It doesn’t even give a hint as to what Abraham was thinking when Isaac, his only son, says, “Father, the fire and wood are here but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” The text is silent.

But Abraham passed the test because he had faith; he trusted and obeyed. He looked at the track record he had with God, he thought of all the stories that had been handed down of God’s love and protection, and he trusted and obeyed that God would remain true to his character and provide a substitute for Isaac. Abraham was faithful.

MOVE #3
God did not give Abraham this pop quiz in order to watch him fail. God tested Abraham in order to increase his faith. The test is for his benefit, to strengthen his trust and his obedience.

But God doesn’t just give pop quizzes to Abraham; think about the testing Job had to go through and how his faith was increased. Think about Jesus being tempted—or tested—by the Devil in the desert. And God’s pop quizzes aren’t just a thing of the past.

God tests us to determine the depth and integrity of our commitment to him. God tests us to see how strong our faith is, to figure out how deep our devotion is. In order to pass a test from God, we simply need to trust and obey. We fail God’s test when we turn our backs on him in times of trouble, when we insist on relying on ourselves instead of on him. We fail God’s test when we refuse to make him the ultimate Lord of our lives.

I asked this question about Bible Study this week and I’ll ask it again this morning: where is God testing you today? What is God calling you to do? I’m sure it’s something crazy and uncomfortable. How can you trust and obey during this test?

It’s probably a situation that’s not pleasant and it’s not easy. It’s a test that is not meant to make you give up; it is a test meant to build up your faith, to show you that with God’s help you can do all sorts of things you never thought possible. It’s a test of trust and obedience, a test for you to persevere doing what GOD wants you to do and NOT doing what YOU want to do.

CONCLUSION
People fail God’s tests all the time. People are untrusting and disobedient when God springs a pop quiz on them. Even Abraham could have failed God’s test. He could have said no to God from the very beginning.

But he didn’t. He passed the pop quiz. Abraham obeyed God’s command, trusting that God would keep his promise. And his faith was increased and his obedience was rewarded by God.

God’s pop quizzes teach us that God always provides. He always gives us a ram caught in the thickets to get us out of a difficult situation. God always provides. The testing is what helps us build up our faith so that we really can believe that. Let not your hearts be troubled: God will always provide for you; all we have to do is trust that God provides and obey his commands.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Like Father, Like Son

Good morning!

Here's yesterday's question and answer:
Mon, Jan. 12 Where did Jesus find Matthew? (Matt 9)
Matthew 9:9 9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

And today's question of the day:
Tues, Jan. 13 What physical ailment of Isaac started this whole mess between Jacob and Esau? (Gen 27)


And here's today's reflection:
Like Father, Like Son
In Gen 26, Isaac and Rebekah make the same mistake that Abraham and Sarah did: lying to the king about their status as a married couple. I think it's interesting that they repeat his parents' sin. Did Abraham and Sarah not mention the trouble they got in when they lied? But what's even more interesting is that Isaac seems to be rewarded (blessed, even!) because of the lie! Abimelech the king warns other from hurting Isaac and Rebekah and they go on to live a blessed life (v12-13).

Because of Isaac's wealth and prosperity, Abimelech is intimidated so he asks them to move away. They return to Abraham's lands and reopen the wells the Philistines has filled up. Isaac is visited by God in a dream who reassures him that all the promises He made his father, God also makes to the son. Though Abraham and Isaac are both sinful and flawed men, they always return to God. And just as God watched over Abraham, so too He will watch over Isaac. Like father, like son!

There's one other piece to this story that caught my interest, a tidbit I'm not sure I noticed before. In v 26, Abimlelech, his personal adviser, and the commander of his forces went all the way out into the land to meet with Isaac, who is instantly on the defense. But it turns out that Abimelech and company recognize that Isaac has found favor with God and therefore wields great power as a result. They come to make a "sworn agreement" with them by swearing one of the INFAMOUS oaths. (If you dare, check out yesterday's post for more info on oaths!!)

This little story makes me think about whether people know that we are people of faith just by interacting with us. We are God's sons and daughters, just like Abraham and Isaac and Jesus Christ. But do we live in the confidence that God has chosen us--adopted us--into his family? Is our faith obvious when people look at us? Do we wear our faith proudly while at work or the grocery store?

I would hope that someone with just a seedling kind of faith (still uncertain and testing the waters) would look at someone whose faith was like a mighty oak and decide there might be something to it. What do you think your non-church going friends, family, and neighbors think about when they look at you?

Something to ponder as you go through your day!
Allison

TMI

Happy Monday! At least, it's happy for me because I got a little bonus sleep this morning (for no apparent reason!). It was delicious and, I think, the best way to start the week! And the Steelers mauling the Chargers doesn't hurt, either!! Enough gloating, Allison, get down to business.


Here's yesterday's question of the day:
Sun, Jan. 11: Have you ever felt the way the psalmist feels in Psalm 6? Why? How did God respond? (There’s no right or wrong answer for this one. Just be honest with yourself. )

And here's today's question of the day:
Mon, Jan. 12 Where did Jesus find Matthew? (Matt 9)


And here's today's reflection:
TMI
Genesis 24:2-4 2 Abraham said to the chief servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh. 3 I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 4 but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac."

Sometimes questions are better left unasked. I asked a question this morning that I wish I hadn't. Are you familiar with the expression "TMI?" It means "too much information," which is where I ended up this morning as I opened a few other books to help me understand what was going on with the oath in Genesis 24! I'll get to that in a minute, but first I thought I'd share with you some of the stuff I read about oaths.

The word "oath" comes from the Hebrew word for seven, the sacred number in Hebrew culture. If you remember from Gen 21, seven lambs are used as witnesses to a covenant. An oath is a statement people use to give assurance that they have (or will) speak the truth. An oath can also be used as a promise that someone will do something. Usually God is invoked in the middle of this oath, kind of a biblical version of "Do you promise to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" The expectation is that if you break your oath, or swear a false oath, it is assumed that punishment is sure to follow. Oaths are meant to be HOLY and to break an oath is to "profane God's name." (Harper-Collins Bible Dictionary, p 770)

So, back to "the wooing of Rebekah" in the land of TIMI in Gen 24. Abraham wants to find a wife for his son Isaac ("she laughs," remember?). But now Abraham is "old and well advanced in years" and is not able to complete the search himself. Instead, he commissions his own most trusted servant to do the searching for him by looking for a woman by a well, a detail not given by God but rather of Abraham's own discernment.

This is a very important mission in Abraham's eyes. So important, in fact, he makes his servant swear an oath and tells him to "put your hand under my thigh." At least that's probably what your Bible says. BUT, according to the New International Bible Commentary, "thigh" is not the most precise translation. A more accurate translation refers not to the thigh but to what the NIB calls a man's "vehicle of life," if you know what I mean.

So that leaves us in the land of TMI with an answer to the innocent question, "Why does the servant put his hand under Abraham's thigh as part of an oath?" And though it is a detail perhaps we could have lived without, I think it does indicate just how important oaths are and how they are not meant to be made lightly. I think those Old Testament folks understood the importance of making and keeping promises a lot better than we do.

Just a little something for you to think about the next time you make a promise!!
Allison

Happy Friday!

Whew! It is chilly this morning! No dilly-dallying for me and Rocky as we went for our (brief!) morning walk. I hope you're bundled up and staying warm! It sounds like more snow is coming tonight, so be careful!


Yesterday's question and answer:
Thurs, Jan. 8: How does Matthew tell us that we are to pray? (Matt 6)
Matthew 6:5-6 5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:7-8 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Matthew 6:9-13 9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'"

And today's question of the day:
Fri, Jan 9: What does Sarah do when, as she eavesdrops, she overhears
God telling Abram that she will give birth to a son? (Gen 18)


And today's Scripture reflection:
Collective Bargaining (Gen 18)
This morning, in Genesis 18, we see Abraham doing a little collective bargaining on behalf of the people of Sodom. Even though THEY don't realize it, Abraham is doing ALL he can to save the both cities.

It all started when the Lord comes to visit Abraham, along with three mysterious strangers, and drops the "baby bomb" on Abraham and Sarah. And perhaps knowing God has great plans for him bolstered Abraham's courage. So when God mentions (rather casually, I think), "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know" (Genesis 18:20-21), Abraham speaks up tentatively at first, then with growing boldness, pleading that surely God will not "sweep away the righteous with the wicked" (Gen 18:23). Abraham bargains God down from 50 righteous to 10.

If you've read Genesis 19, you know the very unpleasant ending of this story. And I'm sure you have a lot of questions about the details of the story. (You can click on the comment box below this post and leave your questions there if you'd like.) But what I want to know is how do feel about Abraham's collective bargaining? God seems to allow Abraham to change his mind--how do you feel about that? Are you relieved? Does it make you a little anxious?

When faced with such an odd story like this, I think the best question to ask is, "Why is this story in the Bible? What does this have to do with the story of God and humans?" I think the answer to that question is that this is a story about sin. It is a story of the obedience of Abraham and the disobedience of humanity in general. If you look at it like this, Abraham seems to foreshadow Jesus Christ, the One who is perfectly faithful. Jesus intercedes on our behalf (more collective bargaining!) with God, taking the punishment for our sin on himself.

May your faith be as bold as Abraham's. May you pursue God with your prayer requests with the same tenacity as Abraham. And may you have a heart as big as Abraham for your neighbors and their welfare.

And may you have a productive day!
Allison