2006-07-09 Communion Dedication – Baldwin Christian Church 

Genesis 22:1-7 

1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 

This is the moment Isaac realized he was the offering. Ephesians 5:29 reminds us that no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, so this had to be the biggest shock of his life.  The world no longer revolved around Isaac; this was the moment of his humility.  Suddenly, all the things he wanted to do, all his dreams and aspirations, the things of this world he thought were important, it all mattered very little.  All the people who had hurt him or mistreated him in his life, all the frustrations and worries he faced, none of that mattered anymore.  His future was entirely in the hands of the LORD, and now he realized it.  Now he realized that it was LORD that let him live to this day, and it was the LORD to whom he owed his life. 

With Abraham as his dad, Isaac probably grew up thinking the LORD was in charge of their lives, but now he was carrying the wood for the fire where he himself would be the burnt offering.  He could run away, save his flesh, but lose his life, or he could stay as an offering, lose his flesh, but save his life. By faith, Abraham offered his only son in obedience, and by faith, his only son chose to obey and be a sacrifice.  Faith will be seen in the lives of those who crucify their own flesh, and thanks be to God that it’s not a dull and boring life.  The pleasures of this world are temporary, and they never satisfy the soul.  The pleasures of a life lived by placing others above ourselves, of treating everyone fairly, of being content with what we have, and of thanksgiving; those are the lasting and satisfying things of this life. 

Galatians 2:17-21 

17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. 

Galatians 6:14-16 

14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.