Welcome to week 2 of This is only a test. I don’t know about you, but when I was in school I never really got worked up about tests. I know some of you did. But tests never really bothered me much. But what we started talking about last week is that every day, whether we realize it or not, you and I are being tested by God. And that freaks me out a bit because it’s a big deal. And I don’t want to fail that test. And I don’t want you to fail that test.
Last week we talked about the most foundational test that God gives us. The trust test: Do I trust God enough to take him at his word. Even when it goes against what I think I should do, do I trust God enough to take him at his word? Many of you made commitments that will enable you to pass the trust test.
Well, today I want to follow up on the trust test by talking about a test that all of us face on a regular basis.
This test goes all the way back to Abram in Genesis 12. And what we’re going to see in Genesis 12 is God giving Abram a test that opens the door for God to do something incredible in Abram’s life.
1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.
I love this. God basically says to Abram, “I want you to start out in that direction, and keep walking, and when we get there I’ll tell you that you’re there.” Can you imagine? Start walking and I’ll tell you when you’re there.
And then in verse two he says, 2 “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
Now think about this, Abram is 75 years old. At this point in his life he is childless. His wife Sarah is way past the childbearing years. How in the world is God going to make them into a great nation? He doesn’t even have a kid.
Nothing about what God is saying to Abram in these two verses adds up. It made no sense whatsoever. God didn’t tell Abram where he was going. God didn’t tell Abram when he was going to fulfill this promise to bless him. God just said, “start walking and I’m going to bless you.” So how does Abram respond? It is one of the most shocking steps of faith in the entire Bible. Verse 4.
So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.
Wow. He just left. He trusted God enough to obey him, even with so much uncertainty and so much ambiguity and so much fuzziness about where he was going and how God was going to accomplish what he said he was going to accomplish.
Which leaves me wondering: How in the world was Abram able to trust God like he trusted God?
I think it goes back to verse 2: “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
What we see in verse two is that God gives Abram an incentive. God said, “I will bless you. I will reward you. If you follow me, I will bless and reward you.”
This is huge. I think if we’re honest, when we think about all of the commands that God gives us throughout the Bible most of the time we focus only on the command at we forget about the promise, the reward and the blessing that comes from obeying that command. But there is always either a promise, reward or blessing.
Basically God says that there will be a reward and benefit for doing things his way. God promises Abram that he will make him into a great nation. He says he will bless him.
I don’t know if you realize it or not, but there are incentives, or rewards for following Jesus. We don’t really think about that a lot, but it’s true. God wants to reward and bless us for following him.
But here’s the tricky part. God had promised to bless Abram, but when he started walking Abram had not received any of the blessing or reward yet. Abram trusted God enough to obey him before he received the blessing.
And this is one of the most common tests that we face on a daily basis. I call it the Bless Test: Do I trust God enough to obey him before he blesses me?
In all honesty, I think that many of us are missing out on the blessings of God because we’re failing this test. I think many of us have mediocre experiences with Christianity because we’re failing this test.
The reason why we’re missing out is because rather than responding the way Abram did, we respond backwards. What we do on a regular basis is give God a test, and it goes like this:
God, if you will _________. I will ________.
Have you ever prayed that prayer? God if you will just get me out of this, rescue me from this, keep so-and-so from finding out about this, then I promise I’ll never…. God if you get me out of this financial mess then I promise I won’t get into debt again. God if you give me a spouse I promise I won’t struggle with lust again. God, if you increase my income, then I’ll begin to tithe.
Basically we say, “God, if you will bless me then I’ll start obeying you.”
What we need to understand is that God doesn’t work that way. God doesn’t play that game. God doesn’t let us manipulate him into action.
What we don’t realize is that God is giving us the same test: If you will _______. I will ________. There are just different fill-ins.
God says, If you will obey me. I will bless you.
The question is: Do I trust God enough to obey him before the blessing comes.
This is a pattern that we see over and over again in Abram’s life. We see it over and over again throughout the Bible. God says, “If you obey me. I will bless you.” This is the pattern of how God tests us.
God’s blessing is contingent upon our obedience. Some of you are wondering why you’re not experiencing more blessing from God. Let me ask you: Are you being obedient to God? Are you doing what God is calling you to do? Are you obeying the commands that you know about from the Bible? God says, “If you obey. I will bless you.” Let me show you a few places where he says this.
Look at Deuteronomy 28
1 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:
3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
7 The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
8 The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
9 The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways.
Matthew 6:14-15 – For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. If you forgive, God will forgive.
Joshua 1:7-8 – Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Malachi 3:10-12 – Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty. If you tithe, God will bless.
By the way: Some of you took the Giving Guarantee. I’m so excited because 13 individuals or families said, “I’m going to trust God with my finances enough to do what he says and tithe. I’m not sure how it’s going to work out, but I’m trusting God.” Can I tell you, I can’t wait to see how God is going to bless your obedience. Some of you need to join these people and obey his command so that he can bless you. You can fill out the Giving Guarantee card today.
2 Chronicles 7:14 – If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Matthew 4:19 – “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
I believe many of us are missing out on the blessings of God because we’re refusing to do what it is that he’s telling us to do.
So, what is God telling you to do?
What are those areas in your life where you’ve given God the test instead of trusting him enough to do what he says?
If you want God to bless you, then you need to obey him.
We have some who are being obedient to God by going public with their faith through baptism today.
