请我们还是看真言二十九章十八集上一半 This turn to Proverbs twenty-nine and
the first half of verse eighteen 没有异象,民就放了死
Where there is no vision, the people cast
off restraint 请我们再看西伯来书第十一章 And this turn to Hebrews
chapter eleven 我们从十七节念到十九节
And we'll begin reading from verse seventeen to
verse nineteen 亚伯拉罕因着信被撕裂的时候就把以杀献上
这便是那欢喜临寿应许的将自己独生的儿子献上 By faith Abraham when he was tested
offered up Isaac And he who had received
the promises offered up his only begotten son
问道这儿子曾有话说从以杀生的就要成为你的后裔 Of whom it was said in Isaac
your seed shall be called 他以为神还能叫人从死里复活 他也仿佛从死中得着他的儿子
Concluding that God was able to raise him
up even from the dead From which he
also received him in a figurative sense 请我们一座祷告
Let's have a word of prayer 如果当我们来到你面前的时候
我们心里满了感谢
祝你爱我们到这样的地步
你为我们流血舍身 You give your life
to us to shed your blood for us
我们永远不能忘记你的爱 We can never forget such love 因为你的爱一直在我们里面
And we pray that your love will continue
to constrain us 叫我们的心永远向着你 That our hearts are
always turned toward you 不论我们的环境如何 No matter how
our surroundings may be 叫我们的心向着你 Our hearts will
turn toward you 我们感谢张美丽在这些日子你看顾了我们 We thank you in
these days you are mindful of us 如果当我们在最后一次聚集在一起的时候
As we meet in your presence this very
last time 我们举起我们的心来仰望你 We turn our hearts and
we look up to you 愿你的荣耀充满在这里 We long
for your glory to fill this meeting place
愿你的荣耀把一切都驱散 We pray that your glory will remove
all that is not of you 愿你的荣耀完全得走我们 And
in your glory you gain us totally for
yourself 叫你在我们身上能得到荣耀 That you may glorify in our
bodies 因为万有都是出于你 Because all is from you 经过你
All through you 也都归给 And all must be
unto you 奉主耶稣 感谢主给我们这一次
能蒙恩聚集在一起 We thank God that this conference we
can gather by his grace 我们的题目是 异象 敬拜和示奉
The theme of this conference is vision, worship
and service 我们用亚伯拉罕 做我们交通的背景
我们用亚伯拉罕 做我们交通的背景
因为异象不是抽象的东西 严格地说来
没有什么比异象更实际
虽然异象是属天的 虽然异象是属天的
但是它却在地上实行出来 但是它却在地上实行出来
至于弟兄姊妹 至于弟兄姊妹 我们要看见说在我们苏灵的生活里面
我们要看见说在我们苏灵的生活里面 几乎可以说异象是必须的
几乎可以说异象是必须的 如果没有异象的话 如果没有异象的话
我们就没有苏灵生活的开始 我们就没有苏灵生活的开始 如果不是异象的话
如果不是异象的话 我们没有办法能继续往前走
我们没有办法能继续往前走 所以亲爱的弟兄姊妹 所以亲爱的弟兄姊妹
我们必须要有异象 我们必须要有异象 异象实在是非常简单的
异象实在是非常简单的 虽然它包含非常多 虽然它包含非常多
可以说它是包罗万有的 可以说它是包罗万有的 但是实在是非常简单
但是实在是非常简单 当神把他自己其实显现给我们的时候
当神把他自己其实显现给我们的时候 我们就看见了异象 我们就看见了异象
异象就是神自己
异象就是神的荣耀
异象就是神的荣耀 异象就是神向我们打开
异象就是神向我们打开 异象就是神把他的旨意向我们提示
异象就是神向我们提示 异象告诉我们说 异象告诉我们说 神要在我们身上做什么事
异象告诉我们 异象告诉我们 异象是给我们看见
什么是神所能满意的 所以弟兄姊妹
在我们一生的道路上 是异象在那里带领我们
直到异象变成我们的天职
那我们的生活就活在异象的里面
直到这个异象就在我们身上变成我们的见证
异象是教我们离开一切不是属于神的东西
异象是把我们完完全全带到神自己里面去
异象教我们脱离这个地
教我们进入天
教我们脱离一切
所思所认所肉体的东西 He delivers from what is earthly, what
is of the flesh, what is of this
world.
And this will change us into the likeness
of God's beloved Son.
So we see in the whole life of
Abraham When God first revealed to him
that very moment, he began his life of
faith.
Before God reveals himself to him, he was
living in darkness, he was roping in the
darkness.
But when God's glory appeared to him, that
vision, that glory drew Abraham to God himself.
And that vision enables him to leave his
country, his relatives.
All that he has achieved, he left and
he went on where God wants him to
be.
Though God intends to bring him into Canaan,
and to give Canaan to him and to
his descendants.
But strictly speaking, the focal point of what
we are sharing, is God wanting him to
enter all that is of God himself.
And to possess all that God intends to
give to him.
Praise God!
Abraham, by faith, he left his country, his
relatives.
Just like us today.
Today is because God's glory did appear to
us.
God's glory is now seen in the face
of his beloved son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
When we see God's son, his glory attracts
us.
And so that we can leave sin and
we arise and follow him.
And that begins our spiritual life of faith.
The life of faith is walking in the
good of that vision.
No faith, if there is no faith, there
is no way to walk the way of
the vision.
Because faith is to see that which is
not visible.
Faith will not permit us to see our
surroundings and not even see ourselves.
It will not allow us to go with
our feelings.
And so we place ourselves in the hand
of the God who is invisible.
Because in faith we see him who is
invisible.
The way of faith is never easy.
To convert that vision into our living is
never easy.
So Abraham, in his long years of life,
from the age of 75 until he offered
up Isaac.
There is a long period of time.
In that period of time, God led Abraham
by grace.
He was weak.
And apart from God, he had many other
things.
And God used all kinds of situations.
In that long period of time, God was
leading him.
There he walked the way of the cross.
Brothers and sisters, today in our life it
is the same just as Abraham was.
If God has already given us his vision,
he himself will do a work in our
lives until that vision enters into the depths
of our being.
And also to bring us into that vision
fully, completely.
But in the process, there are many crises
we go through.
Because in our lives we carry many baggages.
They are not suitable for this vision that
we are to go forward.
And those things, God will one day allow
us to leave them one at a time
behind us.
Only the cross can convert vision into our
vocation.
We know in Abraham's life how
God deals with Abraham step by step to
remove from him his flesh and his compromises
with the world.
Because of the weakness of his flesh, he
negotiated with his parents.
So his father took the initiative of taking
Abraham and his wife-in-law and left
the Oral Chaldeans.
But because Tara possessed no vision, and he
did it because he loved his son Abraham,
and so they settled in Herod.
He did not walk the way that God
intended for him to walk.
But thank God!
And God continued to work His grace into
Abraham's life.
And so God removed Tara from them.
And so it will allow Abraham to follow,
to do the will of God.
But Lot was still holding on there.
And also Lot now raised up circumstances and
also removed Lot from his life.
More than that, we noticed at that moment
his faith was very weak.
And so when there was famine, he went
to Egypt.
Because he went to Egypt, in God's mercy,
God rescued him from Egypt.
But we can see the seed of sin
is already planted there.
Because Abraham was
already living in that pilgrimage in the land
for about ten years.
The Scriptures say, because of faith, he lived
in a promised land as though he was
a foreigner.
But for ten years, his wife was not
able to bear him a child.
And so Sarah, out of good intention, wanted
to help Abraham out.
And for Sarah, her move was indeed a
great sacrifice.
Because of her love for Abraham, she suggested
and she was willing to give Hagar to
Abraham as his wife.
And we know Hagar came from Egypt.
It was the fruit of a fleshly weakness.
But we see, it is what flesh tries
to help God out.
But God will not allow this.
So brothers and sisters, from the moment that
Hagar bear Ishmael, at that moment Abraham was
86 years old, until he was 99, for
a period of thirteen years, God did not
speak to Abraham.
We see that God did not appear to
Abraham.
As though God was not mindful of him.
These thirteen years are the most painful years
for Abraham.
Brothers and sisters, one who had once seen
God himself, one who had heard God spoke
to him before, who had lived a life
before, up to a point, God's face was
not seen by him anymore.
He could not hear God's voice.
And he was still living in tents.
And he was still not giving up his
faith.
And he still believed, he promised he would
surely fulfill it.
But as though between him and God there
was no longer that intimacy of fellowship.
Brothers and sisters, God had already done much
work in Abraham's life.
But as though the work has not been
completed.
We know, in our Christian spiritual life, as
though at the very beginning, sin is a
big issue.
And thankful to his shed blood, he has
dealt with all our sins, our past sins.
And we assume that from that moment onward,
we can never sin again.
As far as God's salvation is concerned, it
is indeed true.
Because our Lord not only bore our sin,
he also took our old man and crucified
with him.
And so the man, that old man, is
now already crucified.
He is dead to sin.
And from that moment we can live unto
God.
But brothers and sisters, although God's salvation is
now fully completed, but we have not entered
into the fullness, the full provision of that
redemption.
And so to a new believer who is
living Lord Jesus, the biggest issue that he
faces may be this sin issue.
And oftentimes we have been enlightened within.
And we know what is pleasing to him.
Because the Holy Spirit already resides in our
hearts.
And he will teach us in all things.
Not only big things, and even small things.
And even though we think about small things,
we see that the Holy Spirit is speaking
to us within us.
The Holy Spirit is working within us.
He is a man of the Lord.
He knows what is pleasing to God.
What is not pleasing to him.
But where lies the problem?
Just like Romans 7.
I know what I ought to do.
But I have no power or strength to
do it.
I knew what I don't want to do.
And from within I know I don't want
to do those things.
But somehow I do them.
Oh, I am rich that I am.
And who can deliver me from this dead
body?
And so with us Christians at the first
period of our spiritual life, the most important
issue to us is the issue of sin.
Until we are being brought to a point,
and we give up, we are completely disappointed
with ourselves.
Just like Paul put it.
Thank God.
Through the Lord Jesus Christ.
And he opened our understanding.
And allowed us to see the Lord's cross.
The cross not only nailed our sin to
that cross.
And the cross also nailed the one who
sinned, the sinner, to that cross.
And so that we can be delivered from
the power, the dominion of sin.
And then we will be able to obey
God's will.
But now we see, apart from sin, we
encounter another problem.
That problem is the world.
As though we have been delivered from the
problem of sin.
But we discover the world is still within
us.
Just like the Israelites.
Even though they were out of Egypt.
But Egypt remained in their heart.
And so we enter into some trial.
And they began to think about what they
had back in Egypt.
Right sisters?
In our Christian life.
Unconsciously, when we came out of the world,
we brought much of the world out with
us.
As far as God is concerned, he already
delivered us out of the world.
Outwardly, there seems to be a separation.
But we do not know that the world
has entered into us.
And so we see God gradually delivering the
world out of us.
This is also the work of the cross.
Because the cross stands between the world and
us.
The cross stands between us and the world.
Just like in Galatians 4.
As far as the world to me, I
am dead.
As far as I am with the world,
I am dead.
Thank God.
Right sisters?
Apart from sin, apart from the world.
And there is our self, the all-self.
This flesh, this self-life is still within
us.
Right sisters?
Who is our greatest enemy?
Our greatest enemy is not the world.
Our greatest enemy is not even sin.
Our greatest enemy is our self.
So Martin Luther put it this way.
I am not afraid of all the bishops.
But I am afraid of the pope living
within me.
He was afraid of his own self.
This self, this flesh is indeed our greatest
enemy.
So in Abraham's life, in his life he
delivered him from sin.
He separated him from sin, from the world.
And he refused what was offered by the
king of Sodom.
So he was willing to continue to live
in a tent.
To live in a tent, to be a
pilgrim.
Because he was looking for a heavenly home.
But brothers and sisters, we can see that
the work of God on him is the
longest and the most strenuous to deal with
his flesh.
To deal with Abraham, the severest dealing with
him is himself.
It is dealing with the self-light in
him.
Do not think that this self is all
that evil.
As though this self-light is all corrupted.
And so it is so easy to recognize
it.
It is true that this self is full
of corruption.
And how selfish, how self-centered we are.
And how we love ourselves.
And how we always think it is about
ourselves.
But brothers and sisters, it is true.
It is true that our self-light is
full of sin.
Right.
But in this flesh there is the good
part of it.
And the flesh, even in the flesh, there
is such thing as loving God.
You remember Peter?
And Peter said to the Lord, he said,
all what depart from you, I will remain
true to you.
And I am even willing to die for
you.
And because of his good intention, the so
-called good part of man, and also the
flesh, its humility, gentleness, and also his humility,
but we also see as long as a
man, even how he is called, is the
good, or the good intention, and God's side
is all just like filthy rag.
So we see, in Abraham's whole life, the
Lord's dealing with him in the good part
of his flesh is more severe than all
the other parts.
And so when he accepted Sarah's good suggestion,
and he took Hagar as his wife, and
from that he obtained Ishmael.
But, because of that, God was silent for
13 years.
So my brothers and sisters, God's
intention is to convert our vision into our
heavenly vocation.
The object of his dealing with us is
the good that is in the flesh.
We can never take what is good naturally
to take the place of that which is
spiritual.
Good intention can never substitute the will of
God.
Scripture tells us we those who have obtained
mercy and we are to do good in
God's sight.
But this good in the Scripture there is
a definition for what is good.
What is good in the Scripture is not
what human beings consider as good.
In the world, in this realm, many things
we say is good.
So we don't commit sin.
And we come to serve God.
And we come to do what they call
the sacred work.
And it must be good.
But my brothers and sisters, you remember the
Lord said, you can call me Lord.
And in my name he cast out demons.
And demons were driven out.
And in my name he preached.
And people were helped.
But the Lord said, I didn't know you.
You, this evil one, depart from me.
Why?
Because you failed to do my will.
So my brothers and sisters, in our following
of the Lord, in this area his dealing
will be most severe.
Our natural good.
Naturally we are very gentle.
Then God will deal severely with you in
that one issue.
And he will bring us to a point
our natural gentleness comes to an end.
As though we think we are self-righteous.
And God will raise up our circumstances.
And bring our good will, good righteousness to
the end of ourselves.
And if we are naturally, we have that
humility.
God will raise up our circumstances.
And as you bring us to a point
that we can never humble ourselves the way
we humble ourselves.
Originally we are to be a wise person.
We think we have the ability.
Not only we have ability in the world.
In a spiritual, in a sort of psychic
thing we also have our own ability.
And God will raise up our circumstances.
He will bring us.
And everything, there is no way out at
all for us.
Brothers and sisters, if God is dealing us
in this way, it is because he loves
us.
The silence of God.
That we often think if God is silent
to us, as though his heart changed.
He does not love us anymore.
So he will not mind for us.
Brothers and sisters, when he speaks to us,
he loves us.
If he is silent to us, he still
loves us.
He deals with us with his silence.
To bring us to an end of ourselves.
So in his 13 years, and we can
say these are the most painful years in
his life.
But praise God, even though it is this
way, and he still lived in tents, and
he still had light on the altar.
But in his feeling, in his experience, everything
seems to be contrary.
As though he missed the presence of God.
And his prayer only hit the ceiling.
But praise God, God's grace was still on
him, upon him.
And did not allow him to go back
to Egypt.
And did not allow him to go back
to where he came from, the old Chaldeans.
And did not allow him to build his
own house within the promised land.
And he still lived a life of faith.
Even though there was no faith in him,
remaining in him.
And God was still leading him.
Brothers and sisters, I am not so sure
if the Lord let us this way.
Just like Jacob.
Jacob had a heart to our God.
He longed for God's blessing.
And he was willing to sacrifice something that
is earthly.
If he can gain that birthright, if he
can gain the blessing of the birthright, he
was willing to make all sacrifices.
For brothers and sisters, God knew what was
in his heart.
So God was dealing with him.
He was very wise.
He is very capable.
And he is always at his way.
He is always on top.
And it took God twenty years and let
him wander away from home.
And for all his life, he never saw
his mother again.
God used all kinds of means in dealing
with him.
But he was so strong.
He thinks he knows all his ways.
He will not accept defeat.
And he is still the old Jacob.
And when he left Lebanon, he was still
the same old Jacob.
More than that.
And he has a big family and he
has much possessions.
But when he returned from his wandering, he
wanted to see his brother.
And he was afraid to see the face
of his brother.
And here comes Jacob.
He tried to scheme something.
He tried to bribe his brother with goods.
More than that.
And he still did not feel that was
safe enough.
And so he divided all his people in
groups.
And so if his brother Esau would capture
that first group, the other can find a
way to escape.
And so he sent all his family to
the other side of the river of Jabot.
But he still felt not secure.
And he still felt uneasy.
And he still remained there.
But thank God.
So a man came and wrestled with him.
All night they wrestled.
And could not overcome him.
Before sunrise.
And that man touched the hip of his
Jacob.
And his joint was broken.
He was weakened and his strength was out.
At that moment, he embraced that man.
He would not let him go.
He said, you must bless me.
He said, unless you bless me, I will
not let you go.
I have nothing now.
I am finished.
I exhausted all my strength.
You must bless me.
At that very moment, brothers and sisters, the
Lord changed his name.
You shall be called Israel.
Same with Abraham.
For thirteen years, God was silent to him.
Thirteen years of agonizing work of Jacob.
God was still sustaining him.
Kept him so that Jacob would not be
powerful.
But until age ninety-nine, and God was
here.
This wrestling took place thirteen years.
At the end of that wrestling, the Abraham
came to an end of himself.
His natural strength, his natural ability, beauty, all
came to an end.
And then God appeared to him.
I am the God Almighty.
I am almighty.
I am all sufficient.
I am all that you need.
I do not need your help.
I take full responsibility.
I have no need of help from anyone.
I am your all and in all.
Walk before me.
Walk perfectly before me.
Brothers and sisters, have God brought us to
such a place yet?
Vision demands to do a complete work in
our lives.
God, if God is not your all and
all, he is not God to you at
all.
If he is not the Lord of all,
he is not Lord at all.
Is he your Lord?
Have you been brought to an end of
yourself?
Is there still something that your natural strength
that still sustains in your whole life?
Something in your life that substitutes God himself?
Our God is a jealous God.
If he is not all, then he is
not all at all.
So God told Abraham, Be blameless before me.
Because I am.
Because who I am, therefore you can be
blameless.
And God changed his name.
You should not be called Abraham.
Exalted father.
And now you should be called Abraham.
The father of nations or father of multitude.
Brothers and sisters.
Humanly speaking.
One who is childless and to be called
exalted father.
The name and reality are just the opposite.
There is a mad man.
There is not a mad man.
You do not have a child.
How can you call yourself an exalted father?
Brothers and sisters.
He was still without child.
But God said, you will be the father
of multitude.
And for the world this is the most
foolish thing.
But faith will see the unseen future reality.
God changed his name to Abraham.
God said, I will make a covenant with
you.
Now there will be a sign of the
covenant.
All the male in your household must circumcise.
What does that mean?
The meaning is if we are to inherit
God's promise, if we are to inherit God's
promise, covenant, there is no room, no place
for the flesh.
Flesh must be removed.
Then you can inherit all God's promises.
Brothers and sisters.
In all God's promises and there are A
and M only in Christ Jesus.
Aside from Christ in the flesh nothing at
all.
Brothers and sisters.
In that very moment we see his vision
gradually becomes his very life.
Becomes his heavenly vocation.
Now that vision enters into his very being.
God himself enters into his life.
God's will now completed completely in him now.
Brothers and sisters.
Same with us today.
Why God used, wasted so much time?
He used all kinds of time, all kinds
of events as though he was really dealing
with us.
Sometimes we say if we do not love
God we seem to have a better life.
When you love God your life seems to
be more complicated.
If you don't love God things seem to
go quite smoothly.
But if you love God you will encounter
all kinds of difficulties.
Brothers and sisters.
Because he loves you.
Because he intends to finish his work in
you.
He intends to instead convert that vision into
your life's vocation.
Until our name change.
We are changed persons.
Christ fully formed in us.
Flesh are now cut off.
The sin of the flesh, the good of
the flesh now all removed.
There is nothing of yourself and now he
becomes dear brothers and sisters.
This is God's love.
Praise God.
At the end of Abraham's life at the
very end of his life two things happened
to him.
One is the offering of Isaac.
And the other is sick bride Rebecca for
Isaac.
We call this last period these two events
his victory.
Why?
It means that that vision he saw is
within him making that vocation a reality.
Now that vision would express that glory through
Abraham's life.
The God of glory appeared to him.
Now that glory want to express through Abraham's
life.
That is victory.
The first is offering, sacrifice.
When Abraham reaches his old age we have
no idea how old he was at that
moment.
So we can calculate by that time possibly
he was in his 140's.
Because he gave birth to Isaac at the
age 100's.
And when Isaac married he was at the
age of 14.
And so at that moment Isaac was maybe
in his 30's.
He is not a young child.
But with that to Abraham Isaac he was
still a lad.
But he was already in his 30's.
And Abraham at that moment he is already
130 or so.
So at that moment the scripture said God
want to test Abraham.
We know God never want to tempt or
test anyone.
James 1 and the book of James it
says God never want to tempt anyone.
And he cannot be tempted.
But if one who is tempted is from
Satan.
It arouse the lust within.
And so our lust is activated drawn out.
And it result in sin.
So we can never say God tempts.
God never tempt anyone.
And no one can tempt God either.
If we tempt him that is a big
sin.
Because the Israelites in the wilderness tempted God
for 3 years.
At the end they cannot enter into Canaan.
But God test man.
What is testing?
Before testing comes God work his grace into
you.
He put himself into you.
And he allows circumstances to happen.
And so testing is simply to draw out
what God has already deposited in you and
to bring it forth.
And what is expressed that is glory.
So brothers and sisters why at this moment
God wants to test Abraham.
Because God said I have already done such
a work in your life.
Now I want to draw that work into
you.
I want to draw it out.
To allow the people to see the work
that God has done.
So God become his testimony.
Brothers and sisters.
So God talk to Abraham.
Take your son.
Your only begotten son.
The one you love.
Offering up on that mountain I will tell
you.
Offering up as a sacrifice.
Brothers and sisters.
As though God was challenging him.
Take your son.
That son is your only begotten son.
It is the man of your old age.
It is promised on.
And all the promised God is rested on
this one son.
And the one you love.
You bring him.
A three days journey.
Offering him up as a sacrifice.
If you hear such a word from Lord.
What will be your reaction?
God will not be can not be tempted.
God is not man.
He can not say one thing and then
change to another thing.
He already promised me a son.
He will not take it back.
Because all the promised God center on this
one son.
If I offer him up.
Not only is lost to me.
Also God is your lost.
Because your promises will not be fulfilled.
So because I love you.
I will not allow to or I will
not offer Isaac up to you.
That is human reasoning.
Very reasonable.
At that very moment.
He knew God.
He knew God to such extent.
No question.
The next day he rose up.
He did not negotiate with flesh and blood.
And he took his son.
And two of his servants.
They took the wood.
They took the torch.
And the knife.
And with son they journeyed to Mount Moriah.
God allowed him three days.
If he will return.
He can return.
Brothers and sisters.
But because everyone because of his faith.
Because he knew God to such extent.
He was so completely self to himself.
Selfless to himself.
He said God wanted to test me.
So he was willing to lay down his
all.
And he went toward Mount Moriah.
When he arrived.
He asked his servants at the foot of
the mountain.
So the servant cannot interfere.
He took Isaac up to the mountain.
He put the wood on the back of
Isaac.
And his hand he carried a knife.
He carried a torch.
And when they arrived at the top of
the mountain.
Isaac asked the father.
Wood is here.
The fire is here.
But where is the sacrifice?
Abraham replied.
God will provide himself a land.
On the mountain.
He erected an altar.
He bound his son.
And put it on top of the altar.
He took his knife.
Then God spoke.
Abraham, Abraham.
Don't do anything.
Now I know your heart to me.
And God prepared a ramp there.
To take the place.
So what does the scripture say?
So when Abraham was prepared ready to offer
up his son Isaac as a sacrifice.
No.
He never thought.
He thought that was the.
He finished.
He come to that place.
He believed that God can raise up Isaac.
Not for himself.
But for God's glory.
So that all God's promise can be fulfilled.
So Romans 4 tells us.
And so the faith that God.
The faith that Abraham had on God is
the God who can raise the dead.
Who can cause things that do not exist
to exist.
At that moment.
God gets his glory.
Blessed this.
At that moment.
How satisfied God was.
God again revealed to him.
Oh God take over.
And God.
Reaffirmed his covenant with him.
But this.
If this is not victory.
What is it?
This is the victory of faith.
At this moment.
God gets his glory.
Brothers and sisters.
The whole purpose of life.
Is for that glory.
God created us.
That is for that glory.
We are not for ourselves.
We are for his will.
We are for his glory.
But what can glorify him?
When he becomes our all in all.
It's when we can be offered up absolutely
all unto him.
That is worship.
That is service.
Because that will bring God his glory.
Brothers and sisters.
The way Abraham.
The way he did.
He expressed.
What really was in God's heart.
This is indeed God's heart.
God so loved us.
He was willing to give his son to
us.
He will not hold back anything away from
us.
He was willing to give his all to
us and his son.
This moment.
God's true heart was revealed.
That's glory.
God led Abraham to such a way that
through Abraham.
God's heart was fully revealed.
More than that.
We also see.
At the very moment.
He prepared a bride for his son.
And also at the end.
He prepared a bride for his son.
It is not the daughters of the Canaanites.
It's from his home country.
To seek a wife for his son.
I'm sure you're very familiar with this story.
In Genesis chapter 24.
It is a very beautiful story.
How Abraham sent his old servant.
And to Pender Abraham.
And how that old servant looked to God.
At the end.
He found the bride.
This young lady.
There was love within her.
This young lady was a very diligent lady.
And finally.
Olson brought her back to Canaan.
At the age of 40 years.
Isaac was 40 years old.
He married Rebecca.
And we see.
His heart was comforted.
Right sisters?
There.
Abraham also.
Through this event.
God's heart was finally unveiled.
God loves us.
God loves his children.
But they are not all suitable for him.
God loves his son.
He said I'll prepare a bride for him.
Just like him.
So that his heart may be comforted.
Right sisters?
That's the church.
This is new Jerusalem.
Heavenly Jerusalem.
This is the city built by God.
Full of God's glory.
Right sisters?
This is what Abraham had accomplished at the
end of his life.
So we can see.
From the moment God appeared to Abraham.
He saw a vision.
Thank God.
He believed.
He moved toward Canada.
In these many many years.
God's grace sustained him.
Operating in him.
Until that vision becomes his very life.
And now that vision from within manifests its
glory.
Isn't this the work God wants to do
with each one of us?
Right sisters?
He loves us.
It's about beyond what we ever think or
imagine.
God wants this vision to become our testimony.
Everything is his work.
We have no idea how we resist him.
How we hinder his work.
But thank God.
But he can never be defeated.
And those who he has predestined.
And he intends to conform them to the
image of his beloved son.
Those he foreknew.
He called.
Those who he called.
He justified them.
And those who he justified.
He glorified them.
Thank God.
God of glory.
We can only prostrate at your feet.
From beginning to the end it's all grace.
We are but only a hindrance to you.
Oftentimes we misunderstood you.
Oftentimes we resisted you.
But you never give us up.
You never give in.
We give you praise.
You will persist to work and work in
our hearts until your heart is fully satisfied.
Lord, you have allowed us to see your
glory.
Do not let go.
Do not allow us to go away from
that glory.
May you work your glory into us.
Until you bring all many sons to glory.
All glory belongs to you.