Tell Me What to Do, God

Tell Me What to Do, God

Scripture References

Primary text

• Genesis 22

Other references

• Genesis 12
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17
• Romans 8:14
• Luke 6:46
• Psalm 13
• Hebrews 11
• Isaiah 58:9
• Jeremiah 29:11

Overview

Every one of us wants to get life’s decisions right and fears getting them wrong. Abraham’s story in Genesis 22 shows what happens when a person pred-decides to obey God before knowing the assignment. His repeated answer, “hineni—here I am,” models total availability. The message walks through how God still guides His people today—sometimes clearly, sometimes quietly, sometimes in silence—and why we can trust Him even when His commands feel costly. Ultimately, the ram on Abraham’s mountain points to Jesus, the substitute God provided for us.

Main Points

“Would somebody please just tell me what to do?” – our shared frustration

• Pastor’s 17-year-old daughter Olivia faces adult decisions and repeatedly pleads for direction.
• All of us long for a personal guide who will lay out clothes, schedule, emails, and dinner.
• We want to do right, fear doing wrong, and often don’t know which is which—especially when God’s will is added to the mix.

Hineni: availability before instruction

“God, here I am—my answer is yes; now what’s the question?”

• In Genesis 22 Abraham answers God with hineni (appears 17× in the Old Testament).
• Not a location check-in but a heart posture: “I’m totally ready to serve.”
• Your greatest ability is your availability; obedience draws you toward God, disobedience drives you away.

The test on Moriah—Abraham pred-decides to obey

• Story: God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the promised son. Early next morning Abraham loads the donkey, walks three days, builds the altar, and lifts the knife before God stops him.
• A test “squeezes” a life to reveal what is inside.
• Abraham passed because the decision to obey was settled long before the command arrived.

How God speaks today

1. Directs clearly through Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
   • Love God, love neighbor, forgive enemies—when the Bible is explicit, obey.
2. Guides quietly by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14).
   • A still, small voice in prayer, worship impressions, counsel in life group.
   • Litmus test: does it align with what God has already said?
3. Grows us silently.
   • Long stretches with no new word shape Christlike character more than they deliver information.
   • Psalm 13 voices the honest “How long, O Lord?” yet still trusts.

• Story: Invitation to plant Life.Church Wichita—no rainbow sign, no mugs, just faithful next steps. “Wherever we are, we will love God and serve His people.”

Wrestling with a troubling passage

• Pastor reread Genesis 22 fifty times; the command to sacrifice a son is disturbing.
• Retelling with fresh emotion highlights the three-day journey, Isaac’s question, Abraham’s anguish, and God’s last-second intervention.
• Hebrews 11 celebrates Abraham’s faith; the narrative also shows God’s faith in Abraham—He chose a man He could trust.

What the mountaintop reveals about God

• God will not ask us to do what He is unwilling to do Himself.
• Illustration: Pastor’s brother Chris, an infantry officer, always entered houses second—the most dangerous spot. “I won’t ask my people to do something I won’t do.”
• On another hill God strapped wood to His own Son’s back; no substitute stopped the knife because Jesus was the substitute for us.
• Isaiah 58:9 shows the God who also says hineni—He is fully available to His people.

Our call: daily, predetermined obedience

• Begin every day with hineni.
• Trust God’s character even when you can’t trace His plan.
• Decide now so the choice is settled before the next test arrives.

Key Truths

• Availability to God is a greater asset than any personal talent.
• Obedience moves you toward God; disobedience moves you away.
• God’s guidance comes clearly, quietly, or silently, but it always aligns with His word.
• God proved His trustworthiness by giving His own Son—He never asks more of us than He has done Himself.
• Transformation, not mere information, is God’s end goal in every decision.

Response

• Begin each morning praying, “Here I am; my answer is yes.”
• Act immediately on any directive that is already clear in Scripture.
• Test quiet promptings against the Bible before moving.
• Embrace silent seasons as opportunities for God to form Christlike character.
• Remember Jesus’ sacrifice whenever obedience feels costly.

Closing

The God who asks for obedience has already demonstrated ultimate obedience on our behalf. Because He is good, merciful, and fully present, we can trust Him with every unknown. The pastor invited believers to commit to seven straight mornings of starting the day with hineni, and offered non-believers the chance to follow Jesus, the true substitute.

“God, here I am—my answer is yes; now what’s the question?”

Prayer

The congregation prayed aloud, thanking God for Jesus’ death and resurrection, asking for forgiveness, and committing to follow Him with wholehearted obedience.

Resources

• Think Ahead by Craig Groeschel