In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of having a working faith that is developed through the challenges and trials of life. He uses the example of Abraham, who had to learn to walk by faith and obedience to God's commands. The preacher highlights the consequences of disobedience and the accumulation of unnecessary burdens in Abraham's life. He also discusses the concept of a talking faith, where people claim to have faith but do not demonstrate it through their actions. The sermon references the book of Genesis and the book of James to support these teachings.

We are in our main section of proving faith active and necessary in James 2, 14 to 26, and last night we were at the first example against a talking faith, and we saw there that it's possible for people to run around saying they have faith, but it's invalid if it's not demonstrated in what they are, and yet a man can prove that what he is in action, if in the case of those that were early believers in God with no scriptures, they could prove that they had a living faith in a living God, although they had no vocabulary with which to express that faith in terms of evangelical language that we think today is the criterion for spirituality. Now in your outline put e, e, the second example against a talking faith, the second example against a talking faith, chapter 2 verse 19, thou believest that there is one God, thou doest well. The demons also believe and tremble. Such behavior is in equality with demons. Now that's really something that's hard to swallow, that people that run around saying they have faith and think that that in itself is the criterion for being spiritual, they better be careful, because the demons will say that much. Being able to speak truth isn't necessarily a proof that you are the real thing. After all, if you go through the Gospels, you'll find that the first personages ever to acknowledge the divinity of Jesus Christ on the earth were the demon-possessed people. You look at it in the Gospels, again and again, whenever Jesus approached any crowd and there was a demon-possessed person in that, the demon would cry out, what have we to do with thee, thou son of the most high God, and that was a divine attribute and name that's only used about three times in the whole of the scripture. A very special high holy name attributed to Jesus Christ and it was used by demons. And even when Peter thought that he had gained a feather in his cap because he was able to say that thou art the Christ, the son of the living God, the next piece of advice he got was from Jesus was not to tell anybody about it. Don't tell us so. Whom say ye that I am? Some say that thou art Elijah, some Jeremiah, or one of the prophets, and Jesus said, but who say you as an individual that I am? And Peter said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. And Jesus said, blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood is not revealed unto thee. Just before you get too proud, the acknowledgement of truth and the reception of it isn't something that you can pat yourself on the back for, God's given it to you. But that's no criterion for thinking that you've changed. And he told his disciples to tell nobody what Peter said. It was only a matter of a short period after when he was turning and saying to Peter, get thee behind me, Satan, for thou savourest not the things that be of God. Oh yeah, you can talk at Peter, and all you're doing is putting yourself on the same level as demons. And if you've never known it before, get it straight in your hearts, the most evangelicals of evangelicals are Satan and his demons and evil angels. They believe every word of that book. That's why they tremble. Maybe we would, if we started believing it. Maybe we would develop a little bit of a fear of God that wouldn't do Christians any harm. If we began to believe every word that was written, the devil believes every word that's written. He knows his time is short. And the great thing about the satanic kingdom is that it occupies itself day and night, making people disbelieve what they believe to be true. Look what the first demon cried out in the synagogue at Capernaum when Jesus went in there and everybody took their seats, normal places, Sabbath by Sabbath, everybody knew their seat. And Jesus came in and the minute he began to talk truth, one of the stalwarts of the faith leapt to his feet and showed that he'd been demon possessed, sitting in their company all these years. What are we to do with thee, thou son of the most high God? Art thou come to destroy us? And that phrase there used by the demon and as a spokesman for the demonic kingdom was actually saying, are you coming to annihilate us ahead of time? Have you come too early? We didn't expect you this soon. We know our end. We know that it's utter annihilation and separation from the almighty God. Art thou come to destroy us now, annihilate us ahead of time? We thought it was yet to come. And they were trembling. There was terror. Can we think to be able to come out with the right statements means we're Christian. Even demons can't be fooled by fake Christians. Just look at Acts 16. And it came to pass as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. The same followed Paul and us and cried saying, these men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. This is a demon speaking through a woman. 1616. Even the demon through this woman was able to say, these men are the servants of the most high God and they've come to bring you the message of salvation. Look over a bit. Acts 19, verse 13. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exhausted, took upon them to call over them, which had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus saying, we adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus, I know Paul, I know who are you pretty smart for the demonic kingdom. And the man in whom the evil spirit was licked on them and overcame them and prevailed against them so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded. There was a tremendous fight and one demon possessed man who knew that there was a bunch of fakes trying to represent Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul and throw them out of their dwelling place within a demon possessed man just wreaked havoc. And all of these fellows in that one room and they fled from the house wounded and naked. Jesus, I know. Paul, I know. Who are you? Demons. We know that thou art the servants of the most high God and come to deliver the message of salvation. I know Jesus. I know Paul. And I'm heading for annihilation. And so the very fact you can use speech and terminology that's evangelical, beware, they can tell the difference between a true and a false Christian. I know of one missionary who'd merely been sent because it was the done thing in his day for the Scottish Presbyterian folks that were really religious to the hilt, but not necessarily again to dedicate a son to the ministry. And it was his lot, whether he was converted or not, was of no consequence. And he ended up a missionary in China and he decided one day to exorcise a demon out of a man. And the demon left the man and jumped right into the missionary. And that's where he lived because even the demon could tell you ain't no person indwelt by the Holy Spirit. And I'm not getting thrown out of here and be left a bodiless spirit anymore. I know just one little vacated spirit right handy at hand. It will do. Thank you very much. But just left from the one man into the missionary. Religious preaching mission work, but not born again of the Spirit of God, a fake. And so you have to be careful. It's interesting if you read Isabel Kuhn's Nests Above the Abyss, that when they saw this mountain cliff edge village somewhere in upper Mongolia, they decided to get up there and reach those people with Jesus Christ. And they prayed for nearly two to three years before they finally got up there. And when they got into this village, they started to talk to these pagans about Jesus. And they said, oh, we know Jesus. We know all about Jesus. And they were staggered. They said, have you had missionaries here before? No, we've never had missionaries here. You're the first. Then how did you know about Jesus? Well, about two years ago or three years ago, from the very hour they started praying. Our witch doctor started to tell us about one that lived long ago called Jesus, who came to this world to die for us. And that unless we acknowledge him as our king and bring plenty food and clothes and do exactly what the witch doctor tells us, he'll come back and steal our wives and children from us. And you found that the demonic kingdom had intermingled truth and lies in a web that had just made the work of the missionaries, when they got in there, almost impossible to start to untangle the corruption that was mixed with the name of Jesus that they were going to present as some tremendously holy person. And who was doing the preaching for three years about Jesus? The witch doctor? The medicine man? Oh yes, demons know about God. Have you thought it wonderful to be able to talk evangelically? There's nothing to pat yourself on the back for. And there's no foundation for faith just to know that you know the right words. You've got to be certain that what you're saying is what you are. And that it's evident in your experience. It's not enough to talk. In your outline put F. The conclusion, verse 20. The conclusion. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Such behavior is developed by vanity and pride. Wilt thou know, O vain man, a man of vanity and pride, faith ought to be in humility and thankfulness. Humility and thankfulness. And that word vain. Vain man. You can link that back to the vanity of vanities in the Ecclesiastes. And that vanity of vanities, its root meaning of the word is like bubble. Froth bubble, soap bubble. That's a good description of vanity. A person who's got all the words is just like a soap bubble. Big, fat, colorful, looks tremendous, but you stick a pin in it and all that's left is the wet mark where it used to be. And some Christians are a bit like that. Take away their language. Put them out there as great men of faith. And the minute somebody bumps up against them, it's gone. I've got problems. I've got troubles. I thought to come to Christ was going to be wonderful. Everybody would be perfect and there would be no problems and God would be on my side always. And that there would be just a smooth trip through the earth. And now I've been bumped up against, I've collapsed and my words in themselves aren't sufficient to hold up my faith. Maybe God isn't as strong as he said he is. Rubbish. God is as strong as he said he is. The problem isn't with God, it's with us. We think that a foundation is words. The words have got to be real. And any faith that a man claims to have that's void of action in what he says, he believes, is just empty. Empty. And of course there's a tremendous element of pride in there that you're thoroughbred evangelical and know the truth. Put G in your outline. The first example for a balanced faith. The first example for a balanced faith. Verses 21 and 23. I'm at 22 at the moment. Verses 21 and 23. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou? And the scripture, verse 23, was fulfilled which said Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God. Abraham. Every time you say that word to people, especially within the church, you sort of see the aspiration of hope lifting their chest as they say oh I wish I could be like Abraham. I mean just think what that man did. Went and up a mountain and offered his son as a sacrifice in absolute trust in God that God would raise him from the dead and he was the first man ever to even think of a resurrection and he had no precedent. Enoch didn't die. He worked with God. There was never in the history of the world such a thing as a resurrection and yet he conceived the idea that if I plunge the knife in my son's heart God will raise him from the dead. I don't know how he'll do but he's got to because all the promises are in him and we sit and think of that great offering and we say to ourselves oh that I could be like that. Yes but try to remember that that was the climax in Abraham's life that brought him to a valid faith. That wasn't perpetrated at the beginning of his walk with God. As a matter of fact I've worked it out from scripture. It took him 64 years to get there. So have faith little one. Be patient. It took him 64 years and I'll tell you this we'll just take a look at a few scriptures but that man was like a yo-yo for 64 years. He was as weak as you are and I am this morning and the one thing you've got to learn is that you're not going to be able to leave this lecture hall and go to your bedroom and get down in your knees and say father give me a working faith and expect a climax to take place whereby you shall walk out of your bedroom from there on in throughout the whole of your life on the earth and be a man of God a woman of God with an active faith. You're not going to get it. This kind of faith the working faith the balanced faith is a process that you learn by the hard tuition of living. You learn to walk by faith. You don't get it as a gift. You learn it. Now look in Genesis chapter 12 verse 1. Now the Lord had said unto Abram get thee out of thy country. Notice to whom he said this to one godless Chaldean man. One man that lived in Ur of the Chaldeans. Abram and God had said unto Abram get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land that I will show thee and I will make of thee a great nation and I will bless thee and make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing and I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that cursed thee and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken unto him and Lot went with him and Abraham was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. From where? Haran. Yes but I thought you just said Abraham lived in Ur of the Chaldeans. Yes he did. Notice how it says in the first verse there now the Lord had said past tense. He had said at some previous occasion to Abraham back in Ur of the Chaldeans get up and get out leave your family your father's house everything and just come with me. Now look in the previous chapter verse 27. Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah begat Abram Nahor and Haran and Haran begat Lot and Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity in Ur of the Chaldeans and Abraham and Nahor took them wives the name of Abram's wife was Sarai and the name of Nahor's wife Milcah the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah but Sarai was barren she had no child and Terah took Abraham his son and Lot the son of Haran his son's son Sarai his daughter-in-law his son Abram's wife and they went with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan and they came to Haran and stayed there and the days of Terah were 205 years and Terah died in Haran. God said to Abram you I have a message for you as an individual get up and get out and go into the land of Canaan with me and Abram decided not to leave his father's house and his kindred he took the lot with him he just took them with him and they told everybody in Ur of the Chaldeans they were going to a land that God prepared for them what a great testimony and so they left the district went over the hill and daddy wouldn't go any further he dug his heels in you and your idea of God we had to clear out of Ur you were so enthusiastic and he amended God's will took the family with him and that was no help look in Acts chapter 7 and we're going back to Genesis don't lose the place there Acts 7 in Stephen's apology verse 1 then said the high priest are these things so and Stephen said men and brethren and fathers hearken the God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Haran before he dwelt in Haran and he said unto him get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and come into the land which I shall show thee then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran and from thence when his father was dead he removed him into this land wherein ye now dwell yes Abraham's first blockage to the exercise of a practical faith was his own family his dad and it's not new it's amazing the fathers that will do anything to keep their sons from being in full-time service give them the earth to keep them at home and not let them go it's an old thing and it's still being perpetrated today and yet he could run around telling people God spoke to me you know I know God God spoke to me revealed his will to me I know the will of God for my life had he ever done it no why because he gets stuck for 10 long years he gets stuck because he preferred to obey men rather than God and so God very graciously comes to him that second time and says to him get going and so Abraham verse 4 of Genesis 12 departed but look at the sad thing and Lot went with him verse 5 and Abraham took Sarai his wife Lot his brother's son and all their substance that they had gathered and the souls they had gotten in Haran and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan and into the land of Canaan they came have you seen what happened in the years in the wasted years of disobedience of walking in a practical faith in obedience to what God demanded they accumulated a load of rubbish it's amazing what you accumulate in your disobedience he had gathered all sorts of stuff a closer tie with Lot and his family and the stuff accumulated over 10 years and Lot became his biggest hindrance in the land of and it was his own fault it's no use looking up and saying God you've let me down you gave me a promise and now look at all the problems I've got this fell a lot it was his own fault and so often when we say we have faith and we know underneath that our lives are not working our faith isn't working and we've got problems you examine the problems that are your biggest nuisance and you'll discover this you accumulated these problems in a place of disobedience and then you have to live with them you have to learn to put up with them then and they have to go with you through life we'll see that even when we come to dealing with the minds of Christians everything you build in has got to go with you and you can't get rid of it and don't blame God he never put the thoughts in that annoy you he never built up your fantasy world you did that yourself and what you build in disobedience both in experiences words feelings emotions sensations they'll stick with you right through the rest of your life and don't blame God you put them in God never put them in and so you find that this man isn't quite as big a man of faith as you thought he was right from the very start when God started to deal with him he disobeyed and he had to learn after 10 years to pick up and get going ah but yes surely he's learned his lesson now surely he's learned that that's fine all is well oh look at Genesis 12 verse 6 and Abram passed through the land unto the place of Siham unto the plain of Moriah and the Canaanite was then in the land and the Lord appeared unto Abram and said unto thy seed will I give this land and there builded he an altar unto the Lord who appeared unto him hallelujah praise God we've built the altar amazing what faith we have we believe the word of God and he removed from thence unto a mountain in the east of Bethel and he pitched his tent having Bethel in the west and Hai on the east and there he builded an altar unto the Lord and called upon the name of his Lord he's fellowship hallelujah I'm saved I'm converted God's on my side and Abram journeyed going on still to the south and there was a famine in the land oh God trouble he told me to come here and I came and I've told everybody how wonderful you are and I've gone on swapping altars up all over the place to my great God who provides everything according to his riches gives abundantly above all that we ask a thing of it among you there's problems and I thought there wasn't going to be problems in this relationship so what did he do and Abraham went down into Egypt yeah Hai tailed it right back into the world left the place of blessing instead of saying look God you take the consequences for this lack of food you said come and at last I'm here I wasted 10 years in here and he said get here I'm here now there's a problem I don't care how big how fat how thin the problem is I'm here you take the consequences of a drop dead through malnutrition in this spot you take the consequences you said be here I'm here but he didn't his faith it was great words building up altars praising God calling on the name of his Lord in front of his family and servants it just went to the wind as soon as trouble came and he Hai tailed it into Egypt not only did he go into Egypt he started lying his hat off there about his wife had the idea everybody fancied her he was 75 she was 65 she must have been some girl everybody fancied her and he had to run around convincing his wife you see that's always the thing when you disobey you always pull other people into your disobedience you ever notice that it wouldn't be so bad if Christians would just be rotten but it's when they spread it it's when Christians not only insist on disobeying God but they pull other people into the disobedience and you find that Abraham turned around and said to his wife start telling people that you're my sister because if they know that we're married and they want you they'll kill me you can see who he was looking after can't you number one God's little precious so you got to do what you can to protect yourself you got to do your part in making sure that you stay alive and then give God the credit rubbish utter rubbish what a waste of time look at Genesis 15 after these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision saying fear not Abram I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward I haven't changed you have but I haven't and Abram said Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go childish and the steward of this house is this Eleazar of Damascus and Abram said behold to me thou hast given no seed and lo one born in my house is my heir and behold the word of the Lord came unto him saying this Eleazar of Damascus shall not be thine heir but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowel shall be thine heir and he brought him forth abroad and he said look now toward heaven and tell the stars if thou be able to number them and he said unto him so shall thy seed be and he believed in the Lord and the counted it unto him for righteousness Abraham had a moment of belief he took a word that God spoke and said I believe it now is that me spiritual no it isn't because you see there has to be the mundane practical feet on the earth business of getting Sarah pregnant before there is the promised scene you see there is always from the words spoken of what God intends to do in your life there is always the feet on the earth in time on the earth type of practical outworking of the word you believe Abraham believe God I'm going to have a son I've often tried to visualize the scene as he went back into the tent and Sarah is washing the dishes and she looks up and says what do you got that silly grin on your face and he says I have been talking with God oh again you see it's one thing for Abraham to have faith he's got a wife to convince yes what's your God been saying something wonderful dear what was that that you're going to have a baby I'm going to have a look now Abraham we've stood this stuff since we left out of the calvies you and your big God you always come in here blabbing your mouth off about how great your God is look at the mess we got in here in for 10 years and now we've been in Egypt look at what you made me do down there lying my hat off to protect you and yet your God's supposed to be that big with you it's all mouth and no practice and even your God's impractical you want to go back and tell him he's about 40 years too late it's impossible for me to have a kid and I hope to goodness you haven't blabbed this all over the village well as a matter of fact I did mention to one or two what you what oh good grief look we better do something about this to get God out of a mess if you will insist that God makes these great promises we better make it look like it's coming to pass let's build up the facade let's get the hammer and the nails out and the balsa wood and build the set let's do a Hollywood production on it to convince everybody you've yacked to about this promised sun that's coming that it's happened we'll have to help your God out of a mess and this is the reason why so many people do succumb to the facade do succumb to the scenery do succumb in their Christian experience they're putting on the performance of everything God said is true in my life if I eat of Christ I'll never hunger if I drink of Christ I'll never thirst I will have life more abundant and therefore I go around amongst all my Christian friends giving them the impression that life is more abundant and it's all nonsense and we feel we've got to get God out of a mess got to help poor God he's in trouble he's spoken a word too big for him to back up now look Abraham I'll tell you what to do take Hagar now look for goodness sake go in and get her pregnant and when the night comes for the child to be born I'll go in the tent with her and as soon as it's born I'll take the child and we'll come out and we'll tell everybody in the village I had it that's exactly what they did they did their best to make faith workable to keep up with the stupid demands of a God that couldn't back up his own word and they come rushing into the presence of God with Ishmael and said we did it and God said yes I believe you here he is God says I don't want them that's your best for me it's not my word fulfilled through you and in 1975 we sit on the threshold of one of the biggest disasters about to be perpetrated in the Jews in the holy land that stems back to Abraham's best to help God out of a mess every Arab that hijacks a plane today every Arab that sits in an oil well and unprecedented demands for money every Arab that holds the west the east the north the south to ransom you can trace every one of them back to Sarah's and Abraham's best attempt to produce a faith that worked so that God didn't lose his reputation because God had spoken a word too big for God's power to manifest itself and bring to pass it's always the years later that the pain strikes it's always the years later that the disaster hits when you amend God's law you look in the book of Joshua sometime God said to him wipe out all the giants in the land and it says he destroyed 32 nations put the king's necks under his feet and slew them and he destroyed all the giants except says one verse he left one in Gaza and he left one in Gath and he left one in Ashdod just three in the whole of the land we don't have to go all the way with you God after all what's three amongst a nation as strong as we are we can keep control of three they're pretty decent fellas anyway and Joshua died convinced that there was no harm in it where was Samson's eyes put out Gaza where did Goliath raise his ugly head and defy the armies of Israel Gath where did they stick the very ark of God in the temple of Dagon Ashdod and isn't it interesting that in years to come in the areas where somebody amended God's word and said okay you've spoken a word but you're wrong we know better trouble broke out a by-product of man's disobedience to attempt to produce a faith that looks like the real thing and it's not God at work in your life it's you working for God and some of you have joined this circle in society for attempting to produce spiritual people so that you look like your life is fulfilling what God said it would be and it's utter fakery it's not real and God says I don't want him I don't want him in Genesis 17 1 and when Abram was 90 years old and nine God made him wait 10 more years till it was 10 more years impossible for it ever to come to pass and when Abram was 90 years old and nine the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him I am thy almighty God walk not talk walk before me and be thou perfect and I will make my covenant between me and thee and I will multiply thee exceedingly and Abram fell on his face and God talked with him saying and he goes on to reiterate to him the fact that he's going to have a son and God had to do a work in Sarah's life too look at verse 17 of that same chapter then Abram fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart shall a child be born unto him that's a hundred years old and shall Sarah that's 90 years old and nine bear is it possible God you've made it 10 more years impossible could such a thing happen to me that I could be different and you might sit here this morning saying look Strachan okay I've seen the facade but man I've had this facade for 10 years I've had this fakery in my Christian experience because everybody does it in the church back home for so many years you honestly mean to tell me that after all of this time practicing hypocrisy I could step out into reality to have a faith that's void of hypocrisy and actually is a working proposition yes if God is the producer of that life and God did it he changed Sarah's laugh of sarcasm into a laugh of faith when she heard the news she laughed me rubbish we've tried this before we've been through all this before if he thinks I'm hitting the sawdust trail to the front to hit my head off the prayer rail and rededicate myself again he's had it we've been through all that I had one kid come through that door one winter and within 10 minutes of being in the building he came up and he said to me Strachan you've got five months to work on me and I want to tell you straight to your face I have hit the sawdust trail in my church for years every revival week every missionary week I have gone down in all sincerity to the front to rededicate myself to Christ and there's been nothing and I disappointed and horrified the whole church because this year for once I sat still now he says unless I leave this place a new man in Christ with that which is not hypocritical farcical and built up by self-effort I'm chucking God and faith out the window I said well it's a good way to come to the school because if you're that concerned about getting reality you're gonna get it and he did and God can change a laugh of sarcasm could I be different into a laugh of faith and say boy you did it didn't you and she brought forth her son and the promise was fulfilled and there they were a man and a woman with a son and he grew up and you find in Genesis 22 after 64 years from the first conversation with God it came to pass after these things that God did test Abraham he gave him his examination to see if what he said was what he was to see if at last he'd learned the lesson to make sure that if he spoke he was prepared to be what he was saying and he said unto Abram and Abram said behold here I am and he said take now thine 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 that I will tell thee of and Abram rose up early in the morning and saddled his ass and he took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son and cleaved the wood for the burnt offering and rose up and went unto the place of which God had told him then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off and Abram said unto the young men abide ye here with the ass and I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again to you he's spoken he's uttered truth he stepped out on the limb and he said to the servants and to the witnesses and to the people looking at him stay here we're taking this wood for a burnt offering in the sense that a fire and the knife and we're going up that mountain my son and I and he wasn't a little boy like the Sunday school artist painting he was over 20 and he says we're going up there but we we are coming back again we are coming back again that's the statement but it's not your feet in the ground in the practice and Abram took the wood and 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 and Isaac speak unto Abram his father and said my father and he said here I am my son he said behold the fire and the wood but where's the lamb for the burnt offering dad what are we offering and he had to explain to this fella because I'm sure he couldn't have wrestled with him and won him and tied him up and put him on the altar he had to have the cooperation of this fella and Abram said my son God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering so they went both of them together what a story there he is going up the mountain I wonder if he went up he had the attitude of us we've said to people God is Jesus is my Lord his power is in me he gives me a new life I'm a new person everything's going to be wonderful nothing too hard for our savior and as he goes up the mountain he's looking around what's the way out of this but there was nothing so what does faith do faith keeps walking and you got to get to the top of the mountain first Abram I'm not showing you the answer down here and he marches up the top of the mountain and oh God there's no answer and those people back there heard me yakking with my great big mouth about how wonderful you are and we're both coming back and I've said you'll provide yourself an offering and all that's here's my son and and you've told me to offer my son and oh God Abram what do you need an altar oh be practical build the altar I wonder if he took especially long to do it just to let the time spin out a bit maybe in the hope that something would happen but nothing happened God the altar's finished and there's no answer to my problem yes but you got to put the wood on the altar that's the next job in a walk of faith as you have received Christ Jesus so walk in him always do the next thing in the crisis moment that's possible to do leave me with the consequences to work out the miracle faith obeys it doesn't yak doesn't talk so he puts the wood out but God there's no answer well what's next well I better put Isaac on the altar go ahead faith works he puts his son on the altar gets him all ready lifts out his knife looks around still no answer and God says well so he wets the knife I wonder if he wetted it till it was almost like a razor blade in the hope that something would happen nothing happens so what's next well I've made such a muck of this in the past God you take the consequences and he lifts up the knife and he's about to plunge and God says Abraham now I know you're prepared to do anything I ask you without question and leave me with the consequences and you're not going to dramatize fake or put up a facade or pretend to those servants back there that it happened you're really prepared to go through with it so now I believe you you've got a faith that works now offer that ram that's caught in the thicket now where the how did you get there why weren't you here 10 minutes ago because you didn't need it 10 minutes ago you always get the answer just as you need it how did that ram get there shazam no as Abraham was coming up one side of the mountain with a problem God had the answer coming up the other side the answer is always on the way the only trouble with us is our faith has never operated because we want the answer before we get the top we want the answer before the right moment of crisis where we need the answer look at those of you that are screwed up already not knowing what you're going to do when the school finishes and you've only started this term you don't need the answer before the end of the term and if you screw yourself up wanting to know what you're going to do now you'll miss every lecture and every word that God wants to give you between now and the end of the term faith works faith's practical faith says God you led me to this school and I believe I should be here to learn the word of God blow the consequences of what happens after school let's learn the word of God while I'm in the school and when you get to that day it'll be clear you always get the ram in the thicket just at the minute you need it not before not before because God wants to make sure that what you say I believe Jesus has the answer to my future God holds my future he knows what he wants me to do when I leave school then let's see it in action a confident rest a cessation from the worry about the future and an application to your word of God and your tuition right now to be prepared for whatever that is in the future that's faith faith doesn't have to gallop down the stairs every day to see if there's a letter to find out if you've got a place in the next college now when I did register our ship I could have strangled the applicants you know you used to get girls right in February I haven't heard what if to bring in October you gotta get these things ready for three months before they pack their bag they get piles of socks all over the room and things gathered labels going on all over the place getting ready for the you know what you need is a month on the caponry team we get up and in five minutes pack for a three trip for the three three month trip for the states or something like that in the morning we're leaving because we're never certain we're going till that day comes and we're always so ah a way ahead of us instead of walking in the reality of faith and Abraham believed that there would even be a resurrection something nobody else ever conceived was possible he said God I'm putting you out in the limb and this is faith not where we say God you're poor you've made you're all mouth but no action and we've got to cover up for your lack of action this time at the top of the mountain Abraham said we're changing positions I'm all mouth but you're going to have to be all action and I'm going to do this thing I'm going to plunge the knife in the fella and if you don't raise him from the dead you take the consequences I don't look stupid you do because you said in him shall all the nations of the earth be blessed you take the consequences I am obeying I am doing what I said I'm going back there with him I don't know how you do it God but it's up to you to do it and God did it and at last he walked by faith and he proved that his faith that he claimed to have by speech was what he was in action but it took him 64 years so please try to be a little bit more patient with yourself join the school of obedience join the school of practice join the school of starting if you've never started before to be real and give yourself a chance notice that every time he stumbled God picked him up and set him on his way until he got to the place where he was prepared to trust God and see God at work you'll have to learn that you don't get it in a crisis prayer let's pray father we thank you for your word and we thank you that it's very evident that you've been very good to Abraham we would never have had the patience with him that you had with him and maybe that's why we're so impatient with ourselves and we want to be perfect men and women of God without the knocks without the trials without the bumps without the mountains to climb without the difficulties to surmount we want it too easy teach us today to enroll in the course of obedience that we might begin to walk by a practical faith a void of hypocrisy where we show by what we are and what we say is true for Christ's sake amen