Voice of the Nazarene 4-26-26

Voice of the Nazarene 4-26-26

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Coming to you from North Central Ohio, we share with you the Voice of the Nazarene, a week-by-week venture into the Word of God sponsored by the Bucyrus, Ohio Church of the Nazarene. We join our pastor, Reverend Ray Lasau, and the Voice of the Nazarene.

SPEAKER_01 0:17

I've had a thought percolating in my mind this week. We had a lot of district responsibilities this weekend, and so I'd begun a little early. And I I'm hoping that you have a good scriptural background knowledge of the passages I'd like to share with you this morning. If you don't, I hope the Holy Spirit kind of brings our thoughts together. Welcome you by live stream. And uh it's so good to be in God's house with you today. Genesis chapter 22. The first couple verses. It came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham. And said unto him, Abraham, and he said, Behold, here I am. 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 on one of the mountains, which I shall tell thee of. I want to share with you a parallel. In a sense, it's a prefiguration. It's just one example out of out of many. After Jesus had resurrected, he was on this earth for about 40 days, moving around among people. And he was on a road called uh the road, uh the Emmaus Road, and he encountered two of his disciples so discouraged. I hope you're not that discouraged this morning. But as he came along beside him, he shared this in Luke 24, verse 27, beginning at Moses and all of the prophets, he expounded unto them all the scriptures, the things concerning himself. What does that mean, Pastor? Beginning with Moses. Well, I hope you know that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch. And uh he goes from the very beginning, beginning with Moses and his writings, right on down through the Old Testament, pointing out all the great scriptures that portrayed himself. He started in Genesis and he pointed out scriptures concerning that's about me, he said. And he got into Exodus and he said, That's about me. And he got over in Leviticus and said, That's about me. And I want you to know that Christ is spotlighted throughout all of the Old Testament, it's all about him anyway. And uh, here's what I want to do today. I want you to see from the Old Testament is this out of all the examples, I want to give to you a prefiguration. I want you to see the parallel between Isaac and Jesus. Jesus didn't just explode on the scene, He'd give examples all the way through that he was coming, and this is one of the great parallels. Isaac and Jesus, and it had to do with the cross. We need to preach the cross. Galatians 6, 14 said, But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, the cross. Charles Spurgeon said, if you're a preacher, read your text and beeline it for the cross. And today I want to join with your attention in Genesis 22. It's the story of Abraham offering up his son Isaac. And I believe it's a typology of God Himself offering up his own beloved son, Jesus Christ, for the sins of the world. And I want you to see something, and what I want you to see first of all is the vital birth. Notice the parallel all the way through today, the parallel, the vital birth. The birth of Jesus was miraculous, it really was. There in Isaiah chapter 7, verse 14. Behold a virgin. If you're not clear on the virgin birth, you'll never be clear on the new birth. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. And I want you to know that Mary was a virgin. God was the Father. Because of that, Jesus Christ was 100% God as well as 100% man. He never sinned. That's why in 2 Corinthians 5 21, he said, For he that made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. And ladies and gentlemen, because he was perfect, he could die for our sins, my sins and your sins. And his birth was miraculous. Now, I'm not telling you this morning that Abraham's birth was a virgin birth. But I want you to know it was a miracle birth. Let me explain. Abraham was a hundred years old. Have you called your doctor yet? And uh Sarah was 90 years old. And let me tell you something. In that day there was no medicine. Medicine said it couldn't happen. Science said it couldn't happen. The ACLU said it couldn't happen. But God looked over the balcony rails of heaven and he said, It's going to happen. You say, Pastor, what happened? Well, let me tell you what happened. You suddenly have Abraham and Sarah, and they're sitting in those rocking chairs down at the cracker barrel. And they've got wet diapers hanging over the rail, drying in the sun, and they're the first couple that paid a pediatrician out of their social security check. He's a hundred, she's ninety. Now I did hear about a guy here a while back in the nursing home, and he said to a lady in the home, said, Can you guess my age? Hey, if you don't want to know, don't ask. She said, I think I can. He said, try to guess my age. She said, Take your shirt off. He liked that and he did. Said, guess my no. He said, take your t-shirt off now, and he did. She said, Flex your chest. And he tried. He was 90 years old. She said, You're 90 years old. He said, How did you know? He said, She said, You told me yesterday. Now it was a miracle birth in this passage. That's what I really want to say to you. It was a marvelous thing. Now, both of these births were prophesied. Both of these babies, their names were given to them before they were ever born. And here's what's interesting: God said, Sarah, you're going to have a baby, and the Bible said she laughed. She was 90. And literally one day Abraham looked over at her and he said, Your stockings are wrinkled. She said, You better get glasses. I don't even have stockings on. Now, I don't think that's in the Bible. But what I am saying is she was 90 years old. And God said, You're going to have a baby. And she said these words, I'm too old. And do you know what God said in Genesis 18, verse 14? He said, Is there anything too hard for the Lord? Can I just say in your life, in your little simple life, that you're so caught up in the drudgery of life you almost forget that God is alive and wants to be involved? Is there anything too hard for the Lord? Not a bit. But there was another girl, and she was 14, and an angel came to her and said, You're going to have a baby. And she said, Oh no, no, I've never even known a man. And besides, I'm too young. Sarah said, I'm too old. She said, I'm too young. And do you remember the answer that came back? Luke 1:37, with God, God said, Nothing shall be impossible. Nothing's too hard for the Lord, Sarah. And Mary, nothing shall be impossible. So I see a vital birth here, but there's something else. I want you to see a virtuous life. And let me explain. God said, Abraham, take your son Isaac, and you're to offer him up. And if you read the scripture, you'll notice in Genesis 22, verse 6, the wood was placed on Isaac's back. And he had to carry that wood up the mountain. Now, why? Well, the old guy, and I don't want to say the old man, that wouldn't sound good, but Abraham's 130 some years of age when he had that. He was a hundred when he had the boy. And the scholars, theologians believe that Isaac was 30 years of age at this point. Now I'm not in agreement with that, but who am I? I'm me. I have a right to my opinion, just like some of you do. And I believe he was actually 33 years of age. Now, if the old guy's 133 years of age and he's got a son that's 33, you're not going to make him do anything he doesn't want to do. So he willingly, voluntarily submitted to carrying the wood up the hill and lying down on that altar. Let me tell you something. Jesus Christ had one purpose, and that was 100% to submit to the will of the Father. Look at what the Bible says. For I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And Philippians 2.8, and being found in Phasion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto the death of the cross. Pastor, did the Romans kill Jesus? Did the Pharisees kill Jesus? Did the Jews kill Jesus? Can I give you a clarity right now? Nobody killed Jesus. You need to read the scripture again. I mean, he willingly laid down his life just like Isaac laid down on that altar, accepting and submitting to the will of the Father. Did you know, according to Matthew chapter 26, verse 53, that Jesus could have called 12 legions of angels? They were available. I mean, he didn't have to die on that cross, he willingly did it. You say, well, expound on that. Well, a legion is 6,000. So if he had 12 legions, that meant he had more than 72,000 angels right there at his fingertips, right at his disposal. And he could have called on them, but he didn't. They'd have showed up and showed off and annihilated the whole crowd. But he didn't call the angels. Why? Because he came for a purpose. He came to die on a cross for your sin and for my sin. There's no deliverance for humanity when Adam fell, except for Jesus Christ. All other offerings, all other sacrifices were insufficient. But Jesus came. And he saw humanity, he saw me, and he saw you. And he had to get to that cross, and he had to get the wood of that cross on his back and head up the hill. And he had to willingly lie down on that altar, the altar of the cross, and allow the spikes to be driven through his body. He knew he had a debt to pay, not his debt, your debt, my debt. It's called the sin debt. Now I look at the story and I see this vital birth. I see this virtuous life, but I see also a vicarious death. I'm reading here out of the sixth verse of that 22nd chapter, and I want you to see it. Take thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there upon one of the mountains, which I shall show you or tell you of. Now I read that verse this week, and I didn't even see the verse. All I saw was John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Abraham, I want you to go up to that Mount Moriah. I want you to offer your son. It's believed that Mount Moriah was the exact same place where God reached down and scooped up some dust and made Adam. It's believed by all the theologians that I've read after that God on that very same spot put the dust together and began to formulate and make man in his own image right there from that same spot. Can I prove it? No, it's believed though. But here's what I do know on Mount Moriah was where Abraham took his son Isaac and was willing to offer him up as a sacrifice to God. You say, Pastor, whatever became of that mountain? Great question. Well, there was a guy by the name of King David, and he purchased Mount Moriah. He literally bought this same location, and why did he buy it? Well, the Bible tells you in 2 Chronicles 3:1 that this land was purchased so that Solomon's temple could be built right here on the same spot. Let me read it to you. Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in Mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father. So Solomon's temple is built there. What happened to Solomon's temple? Well, they would offer up sacrifices, a lamb, and they would offer up their sacrifices, sacrificial lambs for the sins of the people. And now Solomon's temple becomes Herod's temple. And over time, according to Leviticus 1 and some other areas, Herod began to add on to that temple and begin to build northward. And as he built northward, we understand that at the north end of the temple, they offered up the blood of the sacrifices. So if you go to the temple mount and you go to the north end of the temple, it's where Golgotha is located. Preacher, what are you saying? I'm saying that's exactly where Abraham was offering up his son Isaac, and it's where God offered up Jesus Christ, his son, the Lamb of Glory, for the sins of the world. You've got to see something. Here in Genesis 22, verse 3, the Bible says that Abraham rose up and took two men with him. And when Jesus died on the cross, according to Luke 23, 33, he was crucified between two thieves. And he carried it up toward Calvary. You see the vital birth? You see the parallel? Virtuous life, a vicarious death, but look at the victorious resurrection. Let me explain. In the heart of the fathers, both of their sons were dead before they were ever dead. I'm hoping you're catching on to what I'm saying and understand a little bit of it. In the heart of God and the heart of Abraham, both boys were dead before it actually happened. What are you saying, Pastor? I'm saying that the cross was already pre-planned before the foundation of the world. Fact of the matter, Revelation chapter 13, verse 8 says, the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Jesus was already dead as far as God was concerned, he would die for the sins of the world. Now you get into Genesis chapter 22, verse 2, and again God said, Take thy son Isaac, you love him, get to the land of Moriah, offer him there. And let me explain. When God said that Abraham, your sons to die, as far as Abraham was concerned, okay, he's already dead. Now my parents, maybe oughtn't to tell this, my parents are different than parents today. They were very patriotic. They loved the red, white, and blues. We done something wrong. They laid on the stripes and we saw the stars. They were patriotic. And we acted up someplace. Mom or dad would say, We'll deal with you as soon as we get home. Man, I wished it had been Bangladesh. We'd still be on the journey. I died a thousand deaths, just trying to get home. And I would think if I'd cry a little bit, maybe I could soften the heart of mom and dad. It didn't happen. I mean, it was as good as done. I was gonna get it when I got home. And when it came to Abraham and it came to God, and the son, your son's going to die, as far as Abraham was concerned, Isaac was dead from that point that God said it. And Abraham, verse 3, rose up early in the morning, saddled his ass, took two of the young men with him, Isaac's son, claimed the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up and went into the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day, talking about a victorious resurrection. Then on the third day, in his heart, the boy was already dead for three days because God said it. He's already dead. My mind's already made up. But then on the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes, saw the place before off, and Abraham said to the young men, Abide you here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder and worship and do what? Come again to you. But wait. I thought God said you're to kill him. What does it mean? We'll read just a little farther. It's the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 19. Abraham, accounting that God was able to raise Isaac up even from the dead from which also he received him in a figure. Abraham believed God, if you say he's to die, he'll die. But I know that you'll raise him up on the third day, without any question. I'm gonna bring him back. We're gonna meet down here at the bottom of the mountain on the third day. Let me tell you something. Jesus got buried after being crucified. And they put him in a borrowed tomb and hell had a party. They thought it's all over. We'll never hear again about Jesus, the Son of God. Day one passed, day two passed, but on the third day, the stone was rolled away. That big problem those ladies faced of a dead master and a and a Roman seal and a 2,000-pound stone had an angel setting on their problem. And Jesus wasn't in the grave, he was triumphant over death, hell, and the grave on the third day. But wait, there's one other thing I want to touch on before I let you go, and that's the visible return. And here's what's amazing, folks. By the way, I'm just preaching the Bible. Genesis 22, we read all about Isaac. Read it. I want you to go home and read it and get a better understanding. All it talks about is Isaac, this boy Isaac is going to die. And we read about him, but wait, in Genesis 23, he disappears. He's never mentioned, he's gone. He's out of sight, he's not in view, he's not on the scene. Can't find him, he's not mentioned. And Jesus Christ, he's resurrected and he walks around for 40 days, and then he ascends back to heaven, and they can't find him. They couldn't find Isaac either. That's in Genesis 23. But in Genesis 24, he comes back on the scene. Why? Because he comes looking for a bride. And Eliezer the servant, like the Holy Spirit, the unnamed servant, is returning with a bride to meet Isaac. Chapter 24, verse 16. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at evening tide. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, the cambels were coming. And Rebecca, that's the bride. And what did she do? She lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. What does it mean? It means she quickly dismounts. It's going to happen, folk. Because in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 16, watch the saints dismount. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord. You shouldn't spend all of your time looking for an undertaker. You need to start looking for the uppertaker. Quit wasting your time looking for a hole in the ground. You need to start looking for a hole in the sky. I hear everybody looking for the Antichrist, but we're to be looking for Jesus Christ, the risen Christ. Revelation 1:7, behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall well because of him, even so, amen. Every eye. Are you looking for him? Are you listening for the sounds and looking for the sights? He's coming. You can count on it. And it's appointed unto men once to die. If we don't die, look for the great resurrection. But look for Christ. He's coming. I told you last week, and we just kind of hit a little series on it. I didn't mention it as a series, but there's two final judgments. There's the judgment seat of Christ for the Christian. We're seeing. And if you were to die lost, you'll not be at the judgment seat of Christ to receive a crown. But he said in Revelation chapter 20 and verse 11, I saw a great white throne in him that sat on it, from whose face the heaven and the earth fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books. And they were judged according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell gave up the dead which were in it. What does that mean, Pastor? Can I share with you what I believe that means? When you die, your body goes back into the ground. What's it waiting for? It's waiting for judgment days. And so the grave is like a holding place for the body. And it said, and death and hell. Now the soul separated from God goes to hell. The body goes into the ground, the soul goes to hell. Now, if I get arrested before the day is over, can't hardly wait. That's said in humor, not much humor. But they'll take me to the Crawford County jail. It's only a holding place, it's not a permanent place, it's just a holding tank. And I wait there for a court date. And when my court date is set and I'm at a sentencing, I receive a sentence for what I've done on earth in the body, and they'll take me from there to prison. And when it talks about death and hell, we'll be cast into the lake of fire. The grave is nothing more than holding the body, and hell is nothing more but made for the devil. You're an intruder if you're there. It's only a holding place, waiting for the reuniting of body and soul, and they'll be cast into the lake of fire forever. Life sentence. That's an eternal sentence. I'm glad Jesus came. I'm glad he was born of a virgin. I'm glad that he lived a virtuous life. I believe that there will be a victorious resurrection of the dead. But I look for that visible return. Mom and dad looked for him. Didn't come in their lifetime. I'm gonna wait patiently, but I believe he's coming for his church. And all I'm trying to do is to help you to become a part of the church, part of the body of Christ. I've wondered often how many times along the journey that nameless servant representing the Holy Spirit, as he led Rebecca back towards this one that she's telling him all about. She had never met him. Only thing she knew was what she heard, the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, Eliezer, say to her, What's he like? What does he expect of me? All down the journey. I want you to know the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead will also quicken your mortal body at that great moment. Father.

SPEAKER_00 27:33

Thanks for being a part of the Voice of the Nazarene. Visit us every Sunday at 9 a.m. with BNC's Pastor Ray LaSalle. For more information regarding BNC, visit UsirisNazarine.org.