God Is My Provider ( Altar Of Surrender ) Jabin Chavez City Light Church

Summary

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: City Light Church Las Vegas | Jabin Chavez
Episode: God Is My Provider (Altar Of Surrender)
Host: Jabin Chavez
Date: August 24, 2025

This episode centers on the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, highlighting themes of surrender, obedience, faith, and God's role as provider. Pastor Jabin Chavez illuminates the difference between a life lived with clenched fists ("mine") and one of open-handed surrender ("yours"), diving deep into what keeps people from experiencing the fullness of God's blessing. Through personal stories, practical examples, and spiritual insight, he encourages listeners to identify the one area of their life they’re holding back from God and to trust Him as their provider.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context of Genesis 22 and The Nature of God’s Test

• Pastor Jabin opens by explaining the story's context, noting God never intended to have Abraham kill Isaac. Instead, God spoke in a way Abraham could relate to, given the time's cultural norms (child sacrifice was common, but later explicitly forbidden in the Mosaic Law).
• “It was never about child sacrifice. And really, the story of Abraham and Isaac is a picture, a prophetic preview of when... Jesus would lay down his life for all of us so that we could live.” (01:57)

2. Temptation vs. Testing

• “The devil tempts you to destroy you. God tests you to build you. And wisdom is discerning the difference.” (03:43)
• Bring both temptation and tests to God, allowing Him to use them for your good and His glory.

3. Obedience and Provision

• Abraham's obedience—getting up early, taking Isaac and making preparations—demonstrates trust.
• “Obedience is so underrated... Just keep showing up to the place God’s called you to go, because that’s where your provision will be.” (05:42)
• Provision from God often resides at “the place” of our obedience.

4. Mine vs. Yours: Childishness and Maturity in Faith

• Jabin humorously describes toddlers' favorite word, "mine," contrasting it with how maturity is marked by a willingness to share—especially with God.
• “I’ve never met a little three-year-old that goes, ‘Yours.’... And you know you’re maturing in your walk with God when you’re not saying mine so much, but you’re starting to say yours.” (08:15)
• True spiritual freedom and abundance come through surrender, not control.

5. What Needs Surrendering?

• The “Isaac” concept: It's not about giving God everything at once, but starting with the one area you are still holding back.
• “Is there something you need to surrender to God... that if you surrendered that part of your life to God, it would create a domino effect of blessing in your life?” (12:01)
• It’s the thing “you love the most” that God asks you to make available, whether it’s a blessing, an addiction, a relationship, or even an answered prayer.

6. Surrender is About Availability, Not Loss

• “God never wanted Isaac. God wanted Abraham. But God knew He didn’t really have Abraham’s heart until Abraham was open-handed about his son.” (15:30)
• Blessing flows from living with open hands; what we withhold from God becomes a ceiling to our growth.

7. Personal Stories of Generosity & Breaking Smallness

• Jabin shares about his own upbringing in a trailer park, explaining that generosity and honor were cultivated not from abundance but from intentionally giving his way out of “smallness.”
• “Everything that I don’t surrender to God becomes a god. And it’s a terrible god.” (22:50)
• Stories of giving to other churches demonstrate how generosity is both sowing and an act of worship rather than a transactional “give to get.”

8. Worship and Obedience Go Hand-in-Hand

• “Obedience to God is about worship, not rules and regulations.” (29:35)
• Abraham’s journey teaches that true worship is expressed through surrendered obedience.

9. The High Place & Looking Up

• Abraham “looked up” to see the mountain—the place of the test and the blessing.
• “If you look to the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at God, you’ll be at rest.” (Corrie Ten Boom quote, 31:15)
• Egypt is described as “down” and always trouble, while the “mountain” is up—the place of faith and provision.

10. Provision at the Altar of Surrender

• “Abraham brought the wood and the fire; God brought the ram.” (35:10)
• You do what you can, but God does what only He can. True provision is experienced when you are willing to “climb” and surrender.
• Jabin emphasizes you’ll never regret what you put in God’s hands; the altar is where you meet Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Who Provides).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The abundant life is only experienced when I’m surrendered. The abundant life is only experienced when I give, not when I take.” (10:50)
• “Your greatest ability is your availability. I am only blessed when my hands are open.” (20:45)
• “Everything that I don’t surrender to God becomes a god. And it’s a terrible god. Sex is a terrible god. Money’s a terrible god. That anger is a terrible god.” (22:50)
• “There’s a miracle on the mountain. There’s provision on the mountain. There’s a God story on the mountain.” (34:02)
• “You do what you can do, but then God does what only He can do.” (35:10)
• “You never give and not receive. You never sow and not reap. You never obey and not be blessed.” (38:17)
• “If you look to the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at God, you’ll be at rest.” (31:15)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:00–04:00: Introduction, Genesis 22 context, difference between tests and temptations
• 04:30–08:15: Abraham’s story, principle of obedience, “mine” vs. “yours” mindset
• 10:50–13:30: Surrender and identifying “Isaacs” in your life
• 13:30–20:00: The true nature of God’s request; surrendering what’s most precious
• 20:00–24:30: Generosity, giving stories, breaking the spirit of smallness
• 29:00–31:13: Worship, obedience, “looking up”
• 31:15–34:00: Upward living (mountain vs. Egypt), story of spiritual direction
• 35:10–38:17: God’s provision on the altar, meeting Jehovah Jireh
• 41:00–44:00: Worship and declaration of God’s sufficiency
• 44:48–47:21: Invitation and prayer of salvation, response from congregation

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Conclusion & Application

Pastor Jabin ends with a call to surrender, inviting listeners to identify the "one thing" God is asking for—and to trust Him as the provider, meeting Him at the altar of surrender. The path to abundant life, he stresses, is found not in clinging tightly to our blessings and burdens, but in open-handed, faith-filled worship, which is where we meet God as Jehovah Jireh.

"Maybe I can make it. You can." (47:40)

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For Listeners

This episode is both a spiritual challenge and encouragement, blending biblical teaching, humor, and personal testimony. It is directly relevant for anyone wrestling with surrender, control, or trusting God with what matters most.

Transcript

[A]

Genesis22, if you're a church person, it's a very familiar story. And if you're not, I want to give you just a little bit of context before we get into it. It's a story about Abraham and his son Isaac, and how God tested Abraham in his faith by asking him to sacrifice his son. Now, a few things that you need to understand. God never wanted Isaac. God was never going to kill Isaac. God actually, in his Word, in the Word, when the Levitical law begins in Exodus, tells, forbids the people of child sacrifice. But God was using language that Abraham could understand, and that's why God used this to test him. But you know, when you, when you read the scripture, that that was very normal in that time. You know, if you kind of want to put yourself in the Bible in The Old Testament, five, 6,000 years ago, watch the movie Apocalypto, right? And you're like, oh, my God, these people were crazy, right? Well, that's how it was back then. So actually, when God creates this unbelievable nation called Israel thousands of years ago and gives them all These laws, these 613 laws, it was actually incredible because it was really the first kind of civilized nation of that time. And so, you know, if you've ever read through Exodus and Leviticus and thought, why did God need to say that? You know, you're reading it, it's like, don't have sex with a cow. You're like, excuse me, hello. It's in your Bible. Rated R. Old Testament. Five first books of the Bible are rated R. And so you're like, what? Well, it's because the culture was so wild back then. So God is actually creating this nation and this system that was so radically different. So I just want to make that clear, that it was never about child sacrifice. And really, the story of Abraham and Isaac is a picture, a prophetic preview of when the Lord, when Jesus would lay down his life for all of us so that we could live. And so just want to make that clear. This is Genesis 22. Everybody say, my heart's open. All right, one more time. Everybody say, my heart's open. Speak to me, Lord, in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Genesis 22. Sometime later, God tested Abraham's faith. Notice, tested Abraham's faith. Never forget this. The devil tempts you to destroy you. God tests you to build you. And wisdom is discerning the difference. Am I in a temptation or am I in a test? Either way, bring your temptation or your test to God and let him use it for your good. And for his glory, Abraham, he said, take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love so much. Go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains. I will show you. So the next morning, Abraham got up early, saddled his donkey, took his two servants with him, along with his son. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day of the journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. Stay here with the donkey, Abraham told the servants. The boy and I will travel a little further. Now notice this. Abraham already knows the nature of God. So look what he says. We will worship there and we will come right back. He already knows that God, this, this, this is not simply a sacrifice. This is a miracle in the making. God is about to do something awesome in my life. So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac's shoulders while he himself carried the fire. And as the two of them walked up together, Isaac turned to Abraham, said, father, we have the fire, we have the wood. Where is the sheep for the burnt offering? God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son. They both walked on together. When they arrived at the place, God told him to go. Man, it's such a. Such a life principle that there's a place for you that God has assigned for you. That, that obedience is so underrated and obedience has become so difficult to understand. But it's actually very simple. Just keep showing up to the place God's called you to go, because that's where your provision will be. Abraham built an altar, arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son Isaac and laid him on the altar. Abraham picked up the knife to sacrifice his son. But at that moment, the angel of the Lord called from heaven, Abraham, Abraham, don't lay a hand on the boy. Do not hurt him in any way. For now. I know you truly fear God. You've not withheld from me even your son, your only son. Then Abraham looked up, saw a ram caught in the horns in the thicket. He took the ram, sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place place of his son. Abraham named that place Yahweh Yaira or Jehovah Jireh, which means the Lord will provide. To this day, people still use that name as a proverb. On the mountain of the Lord, it will be provided. Can you say amen to God's word? Today I want to preach from this subject. God is my provider. God is my provider. Just let Somebody know that around you. Find a neighbor that you've ignored this whole service. Find someone you haven't talked to yet. Apologize and then, and then tell them, come on, tell somebody. God is my provider. Come on, let them know. God. God is my provider. Use me, Lord. Now to speak this word in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. There is a word that all of our toddlers have mastered. They love this word. They use it more than mama. They use it more than dad. Dad. They use it more than hungry. They have learned the art of this word. And the word is mine. Mine. And they don't say it like. They don't say it's sweet. They say it like my Mexican grandmother. Mine. They get a growl back.

[B]

Mine.

[A]

It comes from deep in their spirit where that demon has possessed them. Mine. Their eyes roll behind it could be anything. You got, you grab your car keys. Mine. What? Grab their remote to the tv.

[B]

Mine. Mine.

[A]

Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. I've never met a little three year old that goes, Yours. I've never been offered a bottle by a three year old bottle of milk. Amen. Praise the Lord. I've never seen a kid eating their Cheez Its and go, yours. Pastor. No. One day I was eating lunch with my buddy and he had to bring his son with him. He's like 3 years old. And we were having sushi and he saw the wasabi on the table and that little boy was convinced it was green ice cream. And finally my friend goes, can I do what I know you want to do to my son and I?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

So he, because he kept arguing with him, it's not ice cream, it's not ice. So he finally, he grabbed a chopstick. He just put a little bit at the end of the chopstick. He said, all right, try the ice cream. See what you think. And he ate that. And then he took it.

[B]

Mine.

[A]

No, he didn't. He. And we don't expect anything different because children are immature. But you know that your child is maturing when they begin to share. And you know you're maturing in your walk with God when you're not saying mine so much, but you're starting to say yours. Yours is the kingdom. Yours is the glory. Yours is the breath. Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I wonder where you're at with God today. Have you. Have you started sharing with God or is it still mine? The more surrendered I am to God, the more free I am. Which will sound counterintuitive the more I actually live within the boundaries that God has placed around me, the safer I am even within our home. When I'm in my home and the doors are locked and the shades are pulled and the alarm is set, I'm safe, I'm safer and I can actually be free within the home, knowing I have set up boundaries, the locks on my door, the alarm system that I set does not keep me small, it keeps me safe. And whenever I live within the boundaries, I can be free. And whenever we live a surrendered life to God, we can actually be free. God doesn't want to control you. God wants relationship with you. The abundant life then is only experienced when I'm surrendered. The abundant life is only experienced when I give, not when I take, when I start saying yours in this whole series. Forgive me if you're new to the series or new to our church, but we've been talking a lot about this over the last few weeks and all of our sermons are free on all the podcast channels and on YouTube and all that if you want to catch up. But we've been talking a lot about this open handed life, which at first feels so out of control, but really you're just placing your life in the hands of a God who is so much stronger and greater than you. It's so much safer to live in submission. So here's the big question. I want you to wrestle with it. I want you to be thinking about it over these next few hours that we have together in my sermon. Just gonna keep you till, just till 4pm no, but honestly, over these next 30 minutes, I want you to think about this. Is there something you need to surrender to God that you know now? Here's the big key that you know that if you surrendered that to God, if you surrendered that part of your life to God, it would create a domino effect of blessing in your life. I'm not asking you to write down 15 things you need to improve on in your life. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the one that you've kept mine from God. You know, I love all the viral videos on TikTok and Instagram where you know, someone's trying to get the phone of their boyfriend or their husband or their girlfriend or whatever. Hey, can I see your phone? Why? What's that between you and God? What is that thing when God goes, can I see that way? What's that? Is it an attitude? Is it an addiction? Is it a stronghold? Is it a fear? Is it a. What is that thing? Because it's that thing that I'm. It's that thing you love. It's that Isaac that you love the most. That you've let God into other areas of your life, but you haven't let him into that area. But it's not until you let him into that area that really the your whole heart is now exposed to Him. And now he can do a really deep work in your life. It's not until we go there. It's not until you say yes to that. It's the root thing. But if you would give God that thing, your entire life would shift. Let's talk about this thing. Abraham had to learn. I've had to learn. We have to learn. And here's the first thing about surrender that's so important. It's never about Isaac. God never wanted Isaac. God wanted Abraham. But God knew he didn't really have Abraham's heart until Abraham was open handed about his son. Let's look at verse two real quick because this is a trip. If you've read the Bible at all, this is a trip. Give me your son. Your only son, whom you love. Yes, Isaac. Wait a minute. He had another son. Hello, Ishmael. Here's the trip. If God would have said, Abraham, give me one of your kids. All you parents acting like you don't have a favorite. Abraham would have said, oh yes Lord. Amen. Praise God. Yeah. Hey Ish, let's go on a camping trip. Come on, dawg. We go on a walk tomorrow. Because Ishmael was born in the flesh. Ishmael was born in scandal. Ishmael was not the son of the promise. It was Isaac that Abraham had believing God for, for 100. So God knew. I'm talking about that thing, Abraham. I'm talking about the thing that is most precious to you. And by the way, God never wanted Isaac. And God was never going to take Isaac. But it was God saying, but is Isaac available? Is the thing you love most available? It was a test of Abraham's trust and faith. Can you invite the Holy Spirit into the things you love the most? Or the things you've told yourself you need? It's that thing. Anytime God asks you for anything, it's never about the thing he's asking for. It's about what God's doing in you. This whole story is not about Isaac. It's about Abraham. That person you need to forgive. It's not about them. It's about you. That addiction that you need to let go of. It's not about that thing. It's about what God's trying to do in you. It's about the thought. For some of you, it's the fear of letting that thing go. Because you. Now let me talk about addiction real quick because I have compassion for addiction. Because you now live your life with it for so long that it feels like it's a part of your life. So it isn't just the physical connection you have to the high at the table or to the high of the drug or to the, or to, or to the peace that you get when you drink or to the rush you get at the strip club. It's not just about that. It's about the emotional attachment you've made that this is now a part of your life and that's what God wants. But it's not that God even cares about that as much. It's that he knows you. That thing that you're holding onto is actually limiting you. It's not like God looks at you and goes, man, I'd love you so much more if you didn't smoke. You think God's tripping over that? No. God knows what it's doing to you. God doesn't want any substance to rule over you. God doesn't want any secret to rule over you. It might feel like it's comforting you, but it's actually destroying you. So it's never about the thing, bro. It's about the thing God wants to do in you to prepare you for the future he has for you. Oh, can somebody give me an amen at the 11 o' clock service? The greatest blessing is when even the answers to your prayers are surrendered to God. So here's what I know about my life. I'm not really blessed till I can give it away. If I can't give it away, I'm not blessed. Again, it's not that God's always going to take it. He just wants to know it's available. I place it on the altar and if God wants it, he can have it. But if he doesn't want it, I can keep it. It's not about that. It's about releasing control. It's about not holding on tightly to things. Your greatest ability is your availability. Your greatest ability is just living with open hands. I am only blessed when my hands are open. I'm not blessed by what I have. I'm blessed by what I give. And every area of my life that is unsurrendered to God, cursed. Are you still glad you came to church? Are we second guessing this? Like, man, I should have went to Central. It sucks had to break the ice there. It's getting too tight. What do I mean by curse? I mean, you don't have the wind of God on it. You don't have the hand of God on it. When I talk about curse, God doesn't curse people. But when God lifts his hand, then you have to do it on your own. And every area of my life that I will not give to God, whether it's blessing or addiction, whether it's good or evil, whether it's something that everyone would see as good or it's a secret that I'm hiding from God, it's something that I'm not allowing now God's strength and power to invade that area and actually do something in my life. I'll let you clap. I'm going to let somebody clap with you. But it's only when I've surrendered it to God that God can trust me with more. See, many times we create our own ceiling in an area of our life because we have refused to allow God into that area of our life. So then we become the source. Last week I was in LA doing a podcast with my friend Chad Beach. We love him so much. He's preached here. And Chad said, you know, in our world of preachers, everyone thinks of you, Jabin, as a guy with major generosity and major honor. High honor, high generosity. He's like, where did you learn that? And I don't know what he thought I was gonna say, but what I didn't say was, well, I learned it from this preacher. I read this book. Or no, I said, I come from such smallness. You're looking at a trailer park, kid. I don't know if you know that. I'm not trailer park trash. I'm a trailer park prince. But I'm trailer park. You can look it up. Belen, New Mexico, Michigan Avenue. Better wear a bulletproof vest. If you look it up on your apps, you might get shot. I'm from the hood, and though I come from the trailer park and I'm not ashamed of that, I couldn't let that get in me. So how did I become generous? I had to give myself out of smallness. How did I become honorable? Because I wanted honor so much. So instead of demanding honor, I gave it away. Instead of trying to get rich, I gave it away. And now people think of me as blessed and honorable, whatever, whoever they are who think of me that way. And a lot of people don't. A lot of people have other opinions of me. Just go on our Google reviews. The point is Somebody write a good Google review for me. Just help me. Okay? My point is, Jamin's a good guy. You're nice. Thanks, thanks. My point is, I actually had to give my way out of smallness. I had to get out of the thought of, like, this thing is such a big deal, as if this thing is bigger than God. See, everything that I don't surrender to God becomes a God. And it's a terrible God. Sex is a terrible God. Money's a terrible God. That anger is a terrible God. That unforgiveness is a terrible God. That addiction is a terrible God. There's someone so much greater and more awesome and who can actually take care of you. His name is God Almighty. So I refuse to be limited by what I saw. Friday night I was preaching in San Antonio, Texas, and at the end of the service, the pastor said, hey, there's a pastor, would love to meet you. Are you okay meeting himself? Of course. Bring him in. So he comes in. Well, he's a pastor from Kerrville. Kerrville is where all the floods were. So I said, man, how are you doing? What's going on? How are you? Okay? And he goes, man, you know, it's really a. A God thing that we were there. We started a church years ago, and it's always just been a couple hundred people. Now, I don't know if you notice about that whole area. It's a town of 20,000 people. It's not big. But he said we kind of became ground zero for the. For the flood. So all the trucks were coming in and all the Convoy of Hope and all the semis were coming in, which, by the way, we gave to big time. So we're all a part of helping people in that area. Not to his church, but to Convoy of Hope, who brought in just millions and millions of pounds of food and water and all that stuff. So anyway, he said because of that, the city is. So many people have learned about us and our church is exploding. And he said on Sunday we had 650 people at church. Now we're talking about a community of 20,000 people. So that's huge. There's no church in our city today that would have those kind of, you know, comparisons. And he goes, so we're just so grateful for what God's doing. And it just came out of me. It just like a burp. It just came at me. I went, we're going to give you $25,000 for your church. And when I said it, he starts crying, his wife starts crying, his Two teenagers, they start crying. So you know what I did? I started crying. And he goes, it's a miracle. I said, Really? 25,000 is a miracle. He said, the storm destroyed our roof of our church, and we need a new roof. And it's $19,000. Now. Watch, watch. I'm like, man, I remember when our problems were $19,000. Those are some good days. So I go, well, praise God. We're going to give you 25. Buy an air conditioner, do something. I don't know. He goes, this is such a. This is an answer to prayer. So we pray. We're so excited. Well, he leaves, and another preacher sitting there, and he says this to me, sam, he goes, how'd you learn how to do that? Where'd you get that from? God's honest truth? I said this. I went, God did not tell me to give that money. But maybe he did. But maybe I'm just getting close enough to God that my first instinct isn't, well, praise God, brother. We're praying for you, brother. My first instinct, God doesn't have to go, Jabin, give him 25, and I don't have to argue anymore. Lord, you know, we really want side LED walls. We really want to build a porch out there for people so they can hang out in the shade. And, you know, we got to do a million dollar parking lot. Lord, you know, we need to start a second location. God, you know this building ain't free, Lord, you know we got a mortgage on the first day every month. You know that mortgage. You know, friends, that mortgage comes every month. Amen. Praise God. Y' all go up in that church, you know this air conditioning isn't free. Amen. Yeah, get all that off of me. Miss me with all of that. I hate that spirit. So I do the opposite. So I said, if I even feel a nudge to give, we give. And I said, there's something in that. And it's gotten me out of small. I'm gonna go a little further because I feel a little resistant. So I'm just gonna push a little further. So another preacher who was there, he called me a few months ago, excited. He goes, we have a miracle on our hands. A family wants to donate a plot of land to us. One acre of land. And they want to write it off. So they only want $48,000. Now it's San Antonio. Acreage is about where we're at, about a million an acre. So he goes, this is a miracle. He said, so we're going to go to the board and we're going to see if they'll say yes. And if we can boards, what are we talking about? Go ask some dumb, dumb if it's okay if we buy this miracle property. I said we're going to give you the money. It's done. Buy the land. It's done. Okay, now what? Now. Thank you for the one. Hallelujah. And all the nervous people. Let me tell you something. No, no, no. It's all right. I'm making you nervous on purpose. I know how to thin a crowd. It's too full in here. I'm trying to. I'm trying to. I'm trying to help somebody because you know what we need? We need land. You know what we need? We need more campuses. You know, we need. We need. We need more parking. So if I could be a part of someone's miracle. We didn't give the money for the. We didn't give the 48,000. We sowed an acre to reap acres so that we can go to St. George and we can go to Pahrump and we can go to Henderson and we go to Summerlin, and we can go to North Vegas. And, man, I hope I'm talking to somebody, but see, there's still a small javen in here. Well, you need 48, man. I'll be praying for you, brother. You know, we got a parking lot to build. No, we gave it. You know, he called me a few weeks after, and he goes, hey, I just got to tell you about the land. So the price changed. I thought he was going to say, like, well, it's 100,000. It's 200,000. Do you want to give more? You know, I go, what? He goes, well, they actually, they wanted to do a bigger write off, so they're actually only charging us 25,000. Watch, watch. Do you want the difference back? I say, you think I'm an idiot? You think I'm going to go in the ground and dig up the seed that God's getting ready to do in this church? I said, keep it. Do something else with it. That seed in the. Oh, man, thank you for that seed in the ground. God's getting ready to do a miracle in the life of this church. Let's go. I'm trying to help you to think. So what's God going to do for us?

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

I'm ready for somebody to call me and go, we need a write off. I'm your guy. I'm ready for Steve Wynn to call me and go, I got these 10 acres over here. Somebody, I don't know who, ready to meet a fetida? Give me your land, fratita guy, I hope you hear my heart. This is not give to get. This is sowing and reaping. This is surrender. This is big, not small. This is a way of living that is radically different than the world system of take, take, take. Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine. This is how can we be a blessing? Hallelujah. So it's all about worship. Number 2.1 was way too long. It's all about worship. We will look what he says, Verse 5. We will worship there and we will come right back. Obedience to God is about worship, not rules and regulations, not do's and don'ts. Abraham knew that his obedience, his sacrifices, his altar was worship. God wants our hearts. God wants relationship. And the Bible said in verse four, he looked up to the mountain. He said that's the place. He looked up. Everybody, everybody out loud say, look up. Look up. Look up. Look up. The direction of your faith, the posture of your heart, the focus of your life.

[B]

Up.

[A]

Corrie Ten Boom said, if you look to the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. But if you look at God, you'll be at rest. Look up. I lift my eyes towards the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. I'm looking up, I'm keeping my eyes on Jesus. I'm going to keep worshiping. I'm going to look up and I'm going to worship there. And he said, we will come back. Because man, when you worship, when you look up, when you build your life around the kingdom of God, God gives you a story. Let me just remind you of this too when you read the book of Genesis. If you want to read it. I think it's about 50, 50 chapters. You could read it over this next week. Let me remind you of something about Genesis. You'll read it when you read it. Egypt is always down. They'd go down to Egypt. Abraham went down to Egypt. Isaac went down to Egypt. They would go down to Egypt and always get in trouble. Notice this. Egypt is down, the mountain is up. I just wonder what's the direction of your life right now. I got somebody over here. See, Egypt's easy. Egypt's path of least resistance. Egypt, go in neutral and just roll down. Oh, but there's a high place for you. And it's going to work your legs a little harder and it's going to have a little More resistance. But it's where the blessing of God is. It's where the provision of God is. See, if you never face resistance, you're probably going in the same direction as your enemy. Resistance doesn't discourage me. It lets me know, man, I'm probably taking more ground. I'm going a little higher. God's got something on the other side of this climb. I'm going somewhere, man. I feel like singing Miley Cyrus right now. I'm going up. I got you right there. I said, miley, she said, I feel Jesus right now. I'm not going to either, but it's like, in our head. Not that I listen to Miley Cyrus. I only listen to worship music. But I know a lot of you guys do. My point is, you gotta go up. Cause up is where the story's at. We will come back, y'.

[B]

All.

[A]

I don't know what God's gonna do up on that mountain, but I'm coming back with my son. There's a miracle on the mountain. There's provision on the mountain. There's a God story on the mountain. People from many nations will come and say, come, let us go up to. To the mountain of the Lord. To the house of Jacob's God. There he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths. For the Lord teaching will go out from Zion. His word will go out from Jerusalem. Keep climbing. Don't settle for the path of least resistance. Your future is on the mountain. Your future is on the high ground. I'm going to have the team come. If you're new to church, when the team comes, it's like the Grammy music. It's like they're playing me off the stage. So we're almost done. We're almost done. I want to thank my mom and I want to thank my uncle. Okay, not funny, Jabin. Not funny. Lastly, the altar, the mountain, the surrendered place. It's where you see God's provision. Abraham, watch this. Abraham brought the wood and the fire. God brought the ram. You do what you can do, but then God does what only he can do. Paul said it like this. Some sow, some water. Only God brings the increase. A preacher about that scripture said, you might be able to bring the seed, you might be able to bring the water. But only God can bring the sunshine. Like only God can provide. Only God can put favor on your life. Only the wind of heaven can get at your back and start moving you forward. And I know the economy is a little funky right now in our city, and things are A little slow right now. I need the sun to shine down on me. I need God to bring the increase in my life. I need God to intervene. Let me tell you, it happens on the mountain. You never give and not receive. You never sow and not reap. You never obey and not be blessed. And on the mountain, Abraham meets a name of God that he had not met before and that, sadly, most people will never meet on the mountain. Genesis 22:14. He got to meet Jehovah Jireh. Not just Savior. Not just. I got a little bit of peace. Not just. I got my little Sunday pick me up. I know that God. I just want to tell you something. I know him. I don't know about him. I know him. I've met Jehovah Jireh. But you only meet him on the mountain. You only meet him at the altar. You only meet him in obedience. And if you never meet him, that's okay. You get to go to heaven. And when you go to heaven, you'll meet him and go, dang. There was a whole side of God I never even got to know. But if you had ever climbed that mountain, if you would ever learn to say yours. Oh, you get to meet a God who is more than enough. You get to meet a God of exceedingly, abundantly above. You get to meet a God. Yours. So I want to bring you back to the question I asked you at the beginning of this sermon 30 minutes ago. What's that one thing? That if you gave that to God, everything else would change. And when you give it to God, it's not. Not that God takes it. Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't. It's just you making it available that changes your life. And if I'm talking to you today, would you just kind of put your hands in the air and just give that thanks to God? Give that addiction to God. Give that fear to God. Give that unforgiveness to God. Give that. Give that frustration to God. Give. Give that blessing to God. Just with your hands open. Let. Let him. Let him give and take. Let him exchange. Let him help you. Let him help. He wants to help you. I just feel that so strong in my heart. He wants to help you today. Jesus. Jesus.

[B]

Jesus.

[A]

Would you just say his name out loud? Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.

[B]

Jesus.

[A]

Jesus. And then if you're. If you're. If your heart's ready, just say, yours, Yours. Yours. Yours. Shyra, you are enough. You are enough. So I will be content in every circumstance. Shoot. I know. I know.

[B]

You are enough.

[A]

So I will Be content in every circumstance. O Jaira.

[B]

You are enough.

[A]

Just stretch your hands out to heaven and say, jairus.

[B]

You are enough. So I will be in every circumstance. Child.

[A]

I know this. His name is sh.

[B]

You are enough. He'll take care of you. He'll provide for you. You are enough. I will be, I will be content in every circumstance.

[A]

Jehovah.

[B]

You are enough.

[A]

And if he dresses the lilies with beauty and splendor how much more will he clothe? How much more will he clothe when if he watches over every sparrow how much more does he he love you? How much more?

[B]

How much more? How much more? How much more does he love me? How much, how much more will he bl you? How much more will he watch is over every. How much more does he love you? How much more does he love more? How much more does he love you? How much, how much does he love? How much, how much more does he love? How? How much more does he love? How much more does he love you? You are enough.

[A]

Hallelujah. Praise God. Just close your eyes. Bow your heads. It all starts with a simple, childlike belief in Jesus. He can do a lot with a yes, especially if you're here today. Maybe you're watching online. Maybe you're one of our correctional facilities watching right now. We love you so much. You're here right now and you'd say, I need to give my life to Jesus or I need to come back to God. I need to rededicate my life to Christ. Would you pray with me all over this room? Pray with me. There's no special words. It's about the heart. It's not some password to heaven. It's about your heart. Simple invitation. All over this room. Let's pray together. Say, jesus, I believe in you. Believe you died for me on the cross. I believe you rose again on the third day. Forgive me for my sins, the things I've done. And make me a new creation. I give you my life and I receive your life.

[B]

Life.

[A]

Jesus, I say yes to you today. Just with your eyes closed, heads are still bowed, just such a sweet, beautiful presence of God. If that was your prayer, and you would say that was for me, Jabin. I prayed that prayer. You prayed that just for me. I'm giving my life to the Lord today. Or I'm rededicating my life. I'm starting over. I'm getting a fresh start in my faith today. If that's you all over this room, on the count of three. I just want to see your hand from the front to the back, left to the right, all in every section. I promise you won't raise your hand alone. But even if it was just you, I want you to know we did it just. Just for you.

[B]

We.

[A]

We love you so much. That's my prayer. I'm giving my life to Christ, rededicating my life to the Lord. 1, 2, 3. Would you raise your hand? Raise your hand. God bless you. God bless you. Just keep it raised for a moment in correctional facilities. Would you raise your hand online? Would you let us know you're. You're saying yes? Would you put a yes in the chat right now and just say yes? Oh, look, man, just hundreds, literally hundreds saying yes to Jesus. Would you just keep your hand raised for a moment? Our team is just. We just want to resource you with something. But I see all the way up here, you're not alone. All the way up the top, to my right, that lady up there, I see you. God's hands on you. Keep your hand raised. One more moment. That's me. If you didn't raise your hand, would you do it? If you need to. If you need to, would you do it? Wow, there is such a presence of God here. You feel that? Anybody feels. Feel that with me? How many would just testify to that? Man, I feel the presence of the Lord wave at me. If that's maybe new to you. Like, that's like. It's kind of this kind of wild. I know. I feel that for a lot of people. There's a lot of new people. It's like, what is this? It's not heightened. It's heaven. We moved here eight years ago. We started church seven years ago. For this moment. For this moment right here. If you kind of want to cut me and see me bleed, I bleed for this right here. Just this little moment where it's like, for two or three minutes, it's like heaven is real. And it's almost like, what is. Are we here or there? God feels so close. I just want. We did. We. We did. We moved here and we went all in. Excuse the Vegas terminology, but we put every chip on the table for this. Where I hope somebody in this room just for a moment goes, maybe I can make it. You can.