In Waiting
True faith requires trusting in God's plan and timing, even when human plans fail and it seems impossible.
K.P. Yohannan emphasizes the importance of waiting on God's timing, using Abraham's journey as a key example. Despite God's promise of a son, Abraham and Sarah grew impatient and attempted to fulfill God's plan through their own means, resulting in the birth of Ishmael. However, God clarified that His covenant would be established through Isaac, the son born of faith and divine promise. The sermon illustrates that true faith often emerges when human efforts fail, and it is only by surrendering to God's way that His purposes are fulfilled. Ultimately, the message encourages believers to trust in God's timing rather than relying on their own understanding.
Text
Abraham didn't walk by faith to obtain the promised son until it became clear that walking by sight with his own plans guiding him just wouldn't accomplish the purposes of God. God had promised Abraham and Sarah a son, and they had waited a long time for the fulfillment of that promise. As time went by, it seemed nothing was ever going to happen, and both of them grew impatient. This inspired Sarah to think of a plan: Abraham could lay with Hagar the maidservant and receive the promised son that way. In Genesis 16:2 we read that Abraham "heeded the voice of Sarai," listening to the voice of his wife rather than the voice of God. He lay with Hagar and, sure enough, she bore the son Ishmael. But this was a plan of the flesh to bring about the plan of God--and that will never work.
Later on in Genesis 17:18-19 it says, "And Abraham said to God, 'Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!' Then God said: 'No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.' " God basically said to Abraham, "Yes, you got yourself a son, but no, I cannot bless a product of the flesh. Live by faith and let Me do it My way."
Until Abraham didn't know how to get a child, he didn't need faith. He walked by sight first, obtaining Ishmael, but he was not the son God had promised. Only when it was completely impossible--when both he and Sarah were too old and when their schemes to get a child their own way had failed--did Abraham have the faith to let God do it His way.
Sermon Outline
- Walking by Sight vs. Walking by Faith
- The Problem with Human Plans
- The Importance of Faith
- Faith is necessary when human plans fail
- God's way is always better than human plans
Key Quotes
“God basically said to Abraham, 'Yes, you got yourself a son, but no, I cannot bless a product of the flesh. Live by faith and let Me do it My way.'” — K.P. Yohannan
“Until Abraham didn't know how to get a child, he didn't need faith. He walked by sight first, obtaining Ishmael, but he was not the son God had promised.” — K.P. Yohannan
Application Points
- We must trust in God's plan and timing, even when it seems impossible or when our human plans fail.
- Faith is necessary when human plans fail, and it allows us to trust in God's plan and timing.
- God's way is always better than human plans, and we must learn to trust in His sovereignty.