1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire an d the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" 8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.  

I heard today is the Sunday for Fathers. Don't miss understand and say like that why do you say the Sunday for fathers? There must be only the Sunday for the Lord." Yes, of course there must be the Sunday for the Lord only. But don't be serious. The Sunday for fathers means that as we worship the Lord we should listen carefully to what the Lord tells us about our fathers. It's the real meaning of the fathers' Sunday. Further more we should know that God, our heavenly Father sent us our fathers as his representatives in this world. That's the reason why we should respect our fathers and obey to them. You already know about ten Commandments. It's consisted of two parts. First four statements tell us about God. And second six tell us about men. Do you know what is the first statement of second part? Yes, it's about our parents. As you open the book of Exodus 20:12... it says like this... "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you,,, So today on this fathers' Sunday... I will tell you the wonderful story happened in Abraham's family. Through this story we may learn how we love and respect and obey to our fathers.

As you know Isaac was born when Abraham, his father was 100 years old and Sara his mother was 90 years old. It was too old for them to give birth to their only son Isaac. It might be really impossible for them to give birth. But by God's grace Isaac was born. When Abraham was 99 God appeared to and said to him God's promise about the son of Abraham and Genesis 17:19 says about that....

Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.”  

And one year after Sara, his wife gave birth to Isaac. You imagine! Until 99 years old there was no child and at 100 years old they had a son! What a precious and invaluable son he is! Yes, Isaac was the only son like that to Abraham.

Any way Isaac grew up to 17 years old and the Lord again appeared to Abraham. The Lord commanded him to sacrifice his only son Isaac as burnt offering. It would be surprising sound to Abraham, but Abraham obeyed to God. But the real big problem would be Isaac. How could Abraham take Isaac, his son of 17 years old to the mountain of Moriah? And how could Abraham tie Isaac to sacrifice him as burnt offering? And how could Abraham put Isaac's body on the alter? 17 years' age is the enough age to overcome the old man of 117 year's old. Isaac might be more strong than his father. And at the moment of death he could be more strong. But Isaac did not do anything against Abraham's decision. So Abraham could prepare all things to sacrifice his only son as burnt offering. According to the book of Hebrew 11:17-19 Abraham could sure that even he killed his son... God would return life to his son again. Let us open the Bible and read together.....

"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18. even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 19. Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death."  

According to the Bible, Abraham believed the resurrection. He had the belief of the resurrection. But Isaac was different. I don't know weather Isaac had the same belief as Abraham's or not. But I think Isaac was too young to have that kind of belief. He only obeyed to his father to the death. He obeyed to his father because he loved his father. He obeyed to his father because he respected his father. And he obeyed to his father because he was his own father. Because Abraham was his own father.... Isaac obeyed to Abraham. There could be no other reason.

If we were Isaac.... we could say like that..... my father must be crazy or demential... How could a father kill his son? It cannot be happened. I will escape from my father.... We can say like that. But... not only Isaac didn't do anything like these things but also Isaac put his body to his father as he likes to do. Because he was his own father.

Ladies and gentlemen, why should we honour and obey to our parents? Because God sent us our parents to represent God himself. In the heaven God... and in the land our parents are existed. So God commanded us to honour and respect, obey to our parents. And apostle Paul said through Epesians 6:1-3 that...  

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 Honor your father and mother--which is the first commandment with a promise-- 3 that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. 

I want to emphasize the words "the first commandment with a promise". The first commandment with a promise... What does it mean? If God command us to do something, then we must do without hesitation. In doing what the Lord commanded us there can not be any reason or any condition. But only for the one thing God commanded with a promise. We can change The word promise with condition. So if we obey to God.... then God will bless us as he promised.

Comparing with other Bible characters Isaac was very normal person. But God blessed him so much. As we read Genes 26:12-14 we may know how much Isaac was blessed by God. Again Let us open the Bible and read together. ....

12. Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. 13 The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. 14 He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.

Why did God blessed Isaac like that? Because he obeyed to God and his father. We also could be blessed by God if we honor and obey our parents as Isaac did. It's because God's promise is valid for all persons whoever do what God command us to do. Let us pray together. 

[Pray]

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this Sunday. Today we gather together to worship You. This time we lift up your name high and glorify you. And again we thank you for sending us our good fathers. Especially today is the Sunday for our fathers. Lord.. forgive us for not obeying to our parents. As Isaac was blessed by honoring and obeying to his father... let us be blessed by honoring and obeying to our fathers. Again we thank you for all things you have done for us. Give us strength and wisdom so we may live along to your will. All these things we pray in Jesus' name. A-men.