Hebrews Chapter 12 (part 1)

Hebrews Chapter 12: 1-13

vs. 1-4: RUN THE RACE

- “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

- footnote- “This “huge crowd of witnesses” is composed of the people described in chapter 11. Their faithfulness is a constant encouragement to us. We do not struggle alone, and we are not the first to struggle with the problems we face. Others have run the race and won, and their witness stirs us to run and win also. What an inspiring heritage we have!”

- I heard a sermon once (whether the evangelist's own idea, or the Greek, I can't remember...) about the picture of this verse. So imagine the Olympics. You are preparing to run a race. You stand on your marks surrounded by thousands of onlookers. The coliseum is full to capacity... and then some. In the crowd sits men and women... who lived out their lives in this faith already. There are the disciples and Paul. Cornelius. Nicodemus. Your grandmother. Maybe an ancestor from 7 generations ago. Wesley. Martin Luther. Some died for this faith. Some just lived out a life of faith and hardly ever saw adversity. But they all finished their race.

- And now... they sit and cheer you on for your race. They know what it is to run this race. They too were athletes. They too trained, and were tried.

- Now here you are. Ready to run your own race. It's not a sprint. It's not a short race. It's a distance run. One that requires pacing, and strength, and patience. And a WHOLE lot of faith.

- But in order to run the race well... we have to strip off anything that holds us back.

- Have you ever watched the Olympic races? No matter if it's a short race or a long one... the runners wear the bare minimum. Their shoes are extra light, their clothes are just enough to cover them... and still made of very light material and very tight to the body. There's nothing to cause a barrier in the wind as they run. Some of them even wear head coverings so that their hair won't slow them down in the wind current.

- We have to strip off anything that slows us down... namely... sin. Anything in our lives that distracts us from running the race... we have to get rid of it...

- In I Corinthians 9:24-27 says: “Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplines in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”

- So many times in this race... we find ourselves becoming apathetic. Or we get distracted by things on the sidelines. Or somebody throws something in front of us on the track to make us stumble...

- If we discipline ourselves in our training... yes we may sometimes fail... but if we press forward and stay focused on the goal of gaining/winning the ultimate prize, then our steps will have purpose, direction, and meaning. We will not be shadowboxing... and we will not be disqualified. In the Greek Olympics, the winner was given a crown made of grapevines which was already starting to wither, but everyone who finishes this race is a winner. There are no 1^st and 2^nd place winners. Everyone who finishes receives a crown of eternal life which will never wither and no one can take it away!

- Discipline is hard. It means walking away from things we may strongly desire... It means avoiding “fun” distractions. It means choosing friends and associates carefully.

- Jeremiah 12:5-6 also speaks about running a race... “If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan? Even your brothers, members of your own family, have turned against you. They plot and raise complaints against you. Do not trust them no matter how pleasantly they speak.”

- In other words... if you can't even deal with men... how are you going to deal with spiritual warfare? If you can't take the words of men, or the actions of men... and learn to run the race anyway... not to let it effect your focus on the goal... then how are you going to deal with it when Satan comes and bombards you with all that you've done wrong? If you fall on easy ground... what will happen when hard things come? If you can't stand when there's no adversity... how will you stand when conflict comes... and sometimes... it comes from those closest to you...

- Even your brother... “do not trust them no matter how pleasantly they speak...” man... that's HARD! That's a rough statement... I mean... they're family! They're supposed to love you, help you, build you up! Not... scheme against you waiting for you to fall!

- So how do we stay focused? How do we run the race without fail?

- “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people, then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.”

- Christ came as a man. Oh sure... He was God in flesh... but that doesn't mean His pain was dulled any... He perhaps felt it more keenly even... because He knew what was at stake if He gave up... He knew what would happen if He decided to quit... He literally had the weight of the world on His shoulders...

- If we look to Christ's example... maybe it doesn't make things any easier in the moment... but it does help to think that someone else has been there... done that... and the reward was great... even if the cost was just as great...

- Philippians 3:12-4:1

- I Peter 2:21-25

- Ephesians 4:17-6:20

vs. 5-13: ENCOURAGEMENT THROUGH DISCIPLINE?

- “And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as His children? He said, “My child, don't make light of the Lord's discipline, and don't give up when He corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.”

- Oh boy... So... God disciplines us to encourage us? That sounds... backwards...

- However... this is the point... If you are a parent, it is your job to teach your child how to live life as an adult. Teaching them how to discipline themselves as well as teaching them lessons through discipline. If a child is not disciplined, they do not understand right and wrong. They do not see other people as important... because they become extremely selfish. They do not understand the need to behave according to moral, ethic, or social codes of conduct.

- So I'm an elementary teacher... I complain about this ALL the time...

- It feels like every year, the incoming kindergarten class is worse than the last year. The kids are so out of hand. They think they can get away with murder. We spend more time just trying to keep them sort of under control, that they don't get the amount of instruction that they should.

- This week, we were coming up on break, and I literally... just about every class this week, I had to stop class because a kid was screaming at me... either because they didn't want to do something, or because I took away something they were playing with, or because they didn't like something I was doing... and I mean... screaming. Not just... “hey why do we have to do this...” I mean sitting in the floor SCREAMING and crying and beating their heads off the wall...

- Why? Weeeeeeeeeell... mainly because their parents let them get away with screaming and yelling and throwing fits to get their way... partly because it was time for break and they were excited about the snow that was starting to come down and didn't really want to focus on class. And partly because... well... they don't really see much wrong with that kind of behavior. It's a means to an end... and they don't care if they disrupt class or hurt somebody's feelings... they're concerned with how THEY are feeling right at that moment.

- If God does not discipline us... we won't be following Him...

- Pastor has been making the statement the last week or so that you can claim the name of Christ... and not be a disciple of Christ. You can call yourself a Christian all you want... but until you live out the life... well... you're not a Christian.

- Without discipline... we can't follow Christ. So God in His mercy and grace, disciplines us so as not to lose us.

- Without discipline... we will go to our graves sinners... and we will NOT make it into heaven. We won't finish the race... and we will not gain the prize.

- So since God calls us His children, and because He loves us so much... He disciplines us...

- “As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn't discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn't we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God's discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in His holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” (When I was about 4 or 5 years old, my dad sat me on his lap and was hugging me and he asked me if I knew how much he loved me? I hugged him back and said yes. He then asked me how I knew he loved me and my answer shocked him. I told him it was because he whipped my butt! Today I see that was right on. Because he didn't want me to grow up throwing fits, doing all the wrong things, or being mean, he punished me. Did he have to punish me often? No. Mom always says she never had a problem with my brother or I after we tuned 2 years old. Maybe once or twice we had a fight, but if you are consistent and diligent to set limits and punish when those limits are exceeded, kids learn quickly and become obedient and well adjusted. If you are inconsistent with your punishment and only discipline in anger, then the child will always try you and you will always be pushed to act in anger not love). Did my dad really love me because he whipped my butt? My dad would hold me and tell me how much he loved me and how it would hurt him more than it hurt me and I knew when I looked in his eyes that he was telling the truth. Maybe we just need to look into God's eyes when we are punished.

- You know... as I look at my students... I have to wonder what they'll be like when they grow up... If they stay on the same path... and they never accept any kind of discipline...

- They will never hold down a job. They will never like having a boss. They will never be able to live in a marriage relationship without fighting all the time. They'll probably end up divorced. Because they will fight and argue all the time... their anger issues will become worse. They will probably get in trouble a lot for fighting. They may turn to drugs or alcohol... because someone tells them they can't... or because they want to FEEL something other than just the mundane... They may end up in prison. They may not finish school... because they won't see a need for it... or desire to excel in anything because they think the world owes THEM something... and therefore they will expect that we hand feed them everything for the remainder of their lives...

- The difference between the kids with discipline at home... and those without... is as clear as a kindergarten coloring page...

- I did a turkey coloring page this week for thanksgiving... we learned a turkey dance and then we talked about what colors turkeys were and how they should color them.

- Some of the kids did very well. They stayed in the lines, they took their time, they followed directions about color schemes... and they turned out with very nice turkeys.

- Other kids... *sigh* Had pink and purple and green turkeys... we even had a few rainbow turkeys... they scribbled every which way... they drew their own little additions to the turkey. They put shoes on him or they drew in something for him to hold with his... “hands”.

- I'd walk around and remind them about colors or remind them to color in all the white places and make sure they stayed in the lines... and they'd look up at me like... “so? Why do I need to do that?” And then go right on with whatever it was they were doing...

- Did they follow directions? no... Did they have patience in the work? no... Did they learn anything from the activity? Apparently not... If I asked them after we get back about the color of a turkey... there's probably going to be some of them that yell out “pink!” Because it's their favorite color... and they can't see past the fact that they like everything to be that color...

- When God moves in to discipline in our lives... it's not a bad thing... it's not because He's mean... He's just trying to teach you something. If He lets us color outside the lines and scribble all the time or doesn't make us learn which colors go where... we'll never be able to sit down and make a masterpiece. It will always look like child's play. And our lives... will never mature past kindergarten. We'll stagnate and die spiritually... and what do we have to show for it? Pink turkeys...

- “So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.”

- So despite feeling like God's picking on you... or feeling like life is just too hard right now... or feeling like you're just getting beat up... take a new grip. Take a deep breath, stand up, mark out the path... and move forward.

- You know... when we're working in the garden in the summer... there's a lot of times when we're out hoeing in the potato patch... that I just get SO TIRED! (I hate hoeing potatoes...) It seems like the row goes on for FOREVER! There's never an end to it! My back aches, my hands are raw, my feet are sore... and we're only halfway done... (we plant A LOT of potatoes... by the way...)

- So usually... about the time I feel like I'm just ready to go sit down and never get up again... I'll mark out a point to stop. “okay... I'll work until I get to that triangular rock there... or that fence post... and then I'll take a water break.” And sometimes, I just keep doing that without taking a break. “Okay well... you made it this far... go a little farther and then go in...” And before you know it... the row's done... and we move on to the next one.

- So take a new grip on things. The race isn't over. It's not time to sit down and take a nap... It's not time to give up. It's time to mark out the path, look at the long-term goals, and move forward. Cause if you don't move forward... you're just going to sit in the sun and bake your brain... lol You're never gonna make it to a water break... and you'll die in your apathy...

- You are not lame. You are not weak. Because you are living in Christ. And in Christ... no such thing exists. “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me...” It's not your strength... it's HIS. So take His strength, accept His help, and move forward in the race... so that you too... can one day say “As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge will give me on the day of His return...” and He will say... “Well done, my good and faithful servant...”

- II Timothy 4:6-8

- Matthew 25:21

- Lamentations 3

- Revelation 3:15-22

Hebrews Chapter 11 (part 4)

Hebrews Chapter 11:30-40

vs. 30: JERICHO

- “It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.”

- We've been going through the book of Joshua in Sunday School lately. So just a quick thought on Jericho...

- The Israelites have seen God work. They just watched the Jordan River dry up so they could walk across on dry ground in the middle of flood season. They just walked into enemy territory... at the very time that the enemy least expected them to be able to come across...

- Then God says “okay so here's what you do... you're going get the priests together... they're going to lead you to Jericho. But you're not going to do anything... you're just going to march around the city once... staying absolutely silent... and then you're going to come back to camp.

- WHAT!? But God! We can take these guys! Just open the gate for us! If God is for us, then who can be against us right?

- I mean seriously... can you imagine being Israel? Or even Joshua? I mean this man was a leader. A warrior. And God says... nah... I don't want you to lead into battle... I just want you to go march around the city once.

- Somebody in Sunday School asked the question, “Did Joshua tell the people the whole plan? Or did he get up every morning and go... okay people... we're marching around the city one more time...”

- If I were an Israelite... and Joshua didn't tell us the plan... and every morning we got up and he said, okay let's go march some more... I think by the time the 7^th day came... I'd have been ready to throw in the towel...

- But even if he had told them the whole plan... can you imagine? They're still marching around for 6 days not saying a word... and going home without REALLY accomplishing much... Other than maybe playing some major mind games with the enemy...

- I Corinthians 1:18-31

- But think of the kind of faith it must have taken, for a group of people, who were told they were going to go in and conquer the enemy... to have to sit tight... not even SAY anything to the enemy. Didn't get to hurl insults or anything... and to march... without battle action... for 6 solid days with no change in routine.

- When that 7^th day came... I wonder what kind of energy there was among the people. Knowing it was going to be a little different. Knowing that TODAY... God said He would act on the faithfulness of His people.

- Side note... I didn't realize this... in all the times that I read the story of Joshua, it just never clicked... They marched around for 7 days. And on the 7^th day... instead of resting on the sabbath... they marched around 7 times and then went up to do battle with the enemy.

- So not only did the people have to have faith that God would do a work... they also had to have faith that God was really telling them to do this... because otherwise... they were breaking one of the 10 commandments... however... the thing brought up in Sunday School, was that it was a God commandment. God knew what it would take to defeat the enemy. Maybe 6 days wouldn't have done it. And if the people were still following the voice of God... would they have not been in disobedience had they NOT gone up? Which would have been worse...

- I don't believe that God contradicts Himself... In Matthew 12, Jesus was preaching to the Pharisees about their Sabbath practices... He said “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn't you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”

- So if God considered the task at Jericho to be a good thing... and it was an act of cleansing the land... a purification necessity before the people could enter fully into their inherited land...

- but anyway... that's my random thought.

- Joshua 3:1-6:27

- James 1:2-8

vs. 31: RAHAB

- “It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.”

- Rahab took in the spies... apparently knowing who they were... cause apparently the authorities knew who they were... and she lied to the authorities to protect them...

- She then tells the spies... “I know the Lord has given you this land. We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.” (Joshua 2)

- In a polytheistic society... Rahab just confessed that the God of the Israelites was the supreme God of all things... not just “oh your God is a pretty powerful God and we're a little scared of Him...” Nope... “THE SUPREME GOD.”

- Rahab... even in her ignorance and not being part of the Israelites... confessed God as THE God and her faith in His ability to do what He said He would.

- Not because she was afraid... but because of her faith... she and her household were saved... And Rahab went from prostitute... to being included in the greatest lineage of all time... Christ's. The great-grandmother of David. The ancestor of Christ. All because of one act of faith. (granted it was a big one...)

- Rahab's story is much like our own... no matter who you are...

- We all live in a pagan land. We live in a world that exploits its people and its possessions. People give homage to anything and everything. It's hard to find worship of the true God...

- And yet we... have to have faith to step out against our culture, possibly our families, our cities... to join the other side. To leave the side of the world and join the heavenly one...

- Gosh... the rewards are great... but so is the cost...

- Can you imagine Rahab and her family during the final attack of Jericho? The Israelites were supposed to kill everybody... men, women, and children. Nothing was to be left alive... and here sit Rahab and her family... not only afraid for their own lives... I mean what if the spies forgot their promise? But also... these are their neighbors, other family members, people they know and love... dying on their doorstep... Wouldn't it have been natural for them to want to rush out the door and go save them? Or fight back someway?

- We sit in much the same situation... God gave the people of Canaan many years to repent... and they never did...

- When it comes down to the end of our world... nothing will save you but the blood of Christ... the question is... have you accepted that Christ is the Supreme God... or are you still hoping that the walls of the world will fend off the enemy?

- Now is the time to go cry through the streets that salvation is come... that it's time to call upon the name of God...

- Because it will soon be too late... if you walk out and try to save the lost when God's armies are coming... you'll be lost as well... There comes a time when time runs out...

- Remember when the death angel came to Egypt? The Israelites were told to stay in their houses and not go out... So was Rahab and her family... all around them was death... but they were to stay under the blood. Or in Rahab's case... the red cord...

- I Peter 1:13-2:10

- John 5:39-47; 17:1-3

- Colossians 1:15-23

- Romans 3:9-8:39

vs. 32-38: OTHER MEN OF FAITH

- Here the author decides to stop with individualized stories... so I will too. The author mentions other men of faith... Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets. All these men had great things that they were known for... and some of them... are also remembered for great failings... or... imperfections...

- but here... their great acts of faith are recorded...

- “By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death.”

- These were some of the amazingly great things that God did through these men. They were willing tools in the mighty hand of God... and use them He did... because they were willing... and faithful.

- However... not everything in this faith is always peachy... Not always do we come out of daily encounters feeling good...

- “But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.”

- Doesn't sound so glamorous... I mean when you're king... and a great warrior... or a great leader. Or you just killed the giant everybody's been so afraid of... faith is easy... but some of those same great leaders... lived part of their life in prisons... or running from an enemy... David... killed Goliath, was anointed king... and then had to flee for his life away from Saul... had to act like he was crazy... had to hide in the temple...

- Some of the early Christians endured horrible tortures... John was boiled in oil. Many were stoned. When it talks about being sawed in half... they basically stuffed them in a hallow log so they couldn't go anywhere... and then they sawed and the log in half... slowly...

- Not such an easy faith...

- Have you ever read like... “Fox's book of Martyrs”? or... the “Jesus Freaks” books? Those are hard stories... of real lived-out faith... in bad places and circumstances...

- Sometimes I wonder... if it had been me... would I have been able to do it? Would my faith have held up? And then I think... eh... God knows what's coming down the line... He probably prepared them for that... they were ready... and then I think... maybe so... but still... I don't think anybody REALLY knows what they'll do in situations like that until they're actually faced with them...

- I mean... if somebody's in your face threatening your family if you don't recant your faith... it would be hard not to doubt... especially if it's kids...of course... that's my opinion...

- Sometimes being a Christian... means we face hard trials... harder than we ever expected or wanted... Holding to this faith doesn't always bring you fame and accolades... it sometimes brings the harshest of heartaches...

- I Peter 1:3-12; 4:1-19

- John15:18-16:16; 16:31-33

- Daniel 12

vs. 39-40: PERFECTION

- “All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.”

- footnote- “Hebrews 11 has been called faith's hall of fame. No doubt the author surprised his readers by this conclusion: These mighty Jewish heroes did not receive all that God had promised because they died before Christ came. In God's plan, they and the Christian believers (who were also enduring much testing) would be rewarded together. Once again Hebrews shows that Christianity offers a better way than Judaism.”

- Romans 9:1-11:36

- Perfection comes through Christ... so no one before Christ... received perfection... until after Christ came. We all got it at the same time... lol it was a freely offered gift TO ALL from the start...

- I Timothy 3:14-16; 4:6-16

- Luke 2:25-35

- Ephesians 2:1-3:12

- Isaiah 49

Hebrews Chapter 11 (part 3)

Hebrews Chapter 11:17-29

vs. 17-19: STEEP MOUNTAIN

- “It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God's promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.”

- We look at this incident in Abraham's life in a couple different ways... I've heard it said that it was a foreshadowing of Christ's coming and sacrifice. I've heard it said that it was a test for Abraham's faith. I've heard it said that it was a lesson in obedience for Isaac (and Abraham).

- I think... it is all of those things... and probably more... but since this chapter focuses on faith, that's the route I want to go with this one.

- Luke 14:26-35 says: “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, “There's the person who started that building and couldn't afford to finish it!” Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can't, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own. Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away...”

- To enter into a walk with Christ is not a light decision. When we enter into relationship with God... He is asking us to love Him above all others. To “hate everyone else by comparison.” In other words... He comes first. Always. No matter what. God is first.

- Christ compared this to a building project. My church right now, is in the process of fixing up an old furniture store and warehouse so we can move into it in a month. If we walked into this project without looking at the cost of building materials or anything... then about halfway through getting ready to move in... we'd run out of funds to do anything with. Right now... if we ran out of funds at this stage in the renovation... the space would not be that useable... if at all... there's insulation hanging out of the ceiling... there's no ceiling tiles up... we haven't put the final coat of paint on the walls... there's a hard concrete floor that has all the old glue and stuff sticking to it from the old carpet and leftover tile that was on the floor before the carpet was... The water pipes are leaking... I mean... we could use it... but... it wouldn't be the most welcoming atmosphere... and with the insulation and stuff... probably not the best breathing place either...

- A Christian's life is a life of constant renovation. God is constantly working and changing things. He's fixing things in our lives all the time... but if we don't commit to the renovation... well... we'll be a half-finished life... we won't ever live up to our full potential...

- Christ also compared the walk to a king going to battle... This walk is a battle. Everyday. There's a constant warfare going on for the soul's life.

- If we assume that we can handle the enemy. Or assume that God will handle all our spiritual battles without any input from us... then... we will walk onto the battlefield without our armor.

- This walk is not a social thing. It's not hereditary. It doesn't make life easier. It doesn't bring a constant flow of rainbows and butterflies...

- In Sunday School I think... we were talking about the promise being unconditional. God gives us free gifts. There's no condition in His offering the gift. It is only after we accept the gift of promise that it becomes a conditional relationship.

- It's like... a marriage... once you enter into the marriage state... you have agreed to be faithful for life. To stand by one another through sickness and health, for richer or poorer... thick and thin... you'll stay right beside that person til death do you part... It becomes conditional... because you both have to hold up your end of the deal.

- God will never NOT hold up His end. He is intrinsically faithful. It's His very nature to be that way... So once we enter into the Christian walk with God... it is up to us to maintain the relationship and remain faithful to Him... because He won't leave us unless we walk away from Him and refuse to come back.

- When God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, He was asking him to take a deeper walk with Him. “I have given you this promise... and I promise to uphold my end... but I want all of you...” God doesn't ask us for part of us. He asks for all of us. Our entire allegiance.

- It says that Abraham had faith that God would bring his son back from the dead... and in Genesis, it says that he kept telling Isaac that God would provide the sacrifice...

- I wonder if Abraham believed without doubt... I mean could any father seriously walk up that mountain with full confidence that this was all a test and his son was going to be fine?

- I imagine Abraham walking up the mountain a little slower than usual... wondering if God was really going to make him do this... and wondering if he would be able to go through with it... I think when God said “Abraham! Wait!”... that Abraham broke down and cried in relief...

- And I know we have to take into account that human sacrifice was not uncommon in the pagan religions surrounding Abraham... maybe he started to think that this God was like all the others...

- Did he ever doubt God's promise? God said his descendants would come through Isaac... and then he asked him to kill that same Isaac...

- Sometimes our faith asks a lot of us. Sometimes it seems like so much to bear... But God never asks more of us than we can handle... with Him. I Corinthians 10:13 says that God never allows our temptations to be more than we can handle... and that He will show us a way out so that we can endure...

- but we have to be willing to take that path... and to follow through with whatever God asks of us... no matter how hard...

- Genesis 22:1-19

- James 2:14-26

- Romans 4:13-25

vs. 20-22: WHEN!

- “It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.”

- Isaac hadn't seen the promise fulfilled... they were still living in tents... still foreigners in the land... still were not a nation. But because he had faith.. he passed the promise on to his sons.

- “It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.”

- Jacob... not even being in the promised land at this point... still had faith that eventually God would see the promise through. He didn't say “if you go back to Canaan, then you will inherit...” He said “you WILL inherit.” There was no “if” about it. So even though he too wasn't going to get to see the promise come to fruition... he didn't lose faith in it.

- “It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.”

- Joseph... yet another of the patriarchs that didn't get to see the promise come to be... and yet again... there's that “when”. Not if... WHEN.

- Galatians 3:15-4:7

- II Peter 3:1-16

vs. 23-29: MOSES

- “It was by faith that Moses' parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's command.”

- This doesn't talk about having faith to put the baby in the basket to float him down the Nile... I mean... have you watched the Discovery Channel? Do you know what lives in the Nile!? Good grief! Can you imagine putting a crying baby in a basket to float him down a crocodile infested river? And trust that he was going to be okay? Man...

- But going back to disobeying pharaoh... There's a few places in the New Testament that talk about following the laws of the land... however... this is one of those times, that... I think it was okay to break the law of the land... But can you imagine? If they had been caught at it... they would have probably most definitely been made into an example for the other Israelites... at the very least... they would have been killed outright... if not tortured or beaten severely before being killed. They risked their lives to save their son...

- They were willing to face horrible things... because they knew that God had given them something special. They knew that this boy... this child... was something God-ordained. And so they risked all... having faith that God would indeed do something with their act of faith.

- “It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to share the oppression of god's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.”

- Moses grew up in pharaoh's household. He was raised with everything his heart could desire at his fingertips. But even having all that... Moses knew who he was. He knew his place... Whether the rest of the palace did or not is another story... We know that Moses' mother became his nurse. She must have told him all the old stories. He must have known the whole story...

- He could have chosen to stay in the palace... be in a leadership position in one of the greatest nations of its time...

- But he chose to leave his place of power and prestige... for wandering in the desert as a shepherd... for facing his former family... as the opposition.

- He chose to leave his privileged place and return to his people... as a slave.

- He was looking ahead to the end. He counted the cost...

- He led the people through the first passover... led them out of Egypt... even when they weren't too thrilled about going... But they went... and then they got stuck at the Red Sea.

- The Egyptians are closing in... the Red Sea is before them... where are they to go? There is no hope! They're going to be slaughtered. Can you imagine?

- “It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.”

- Can you imagine the people? I mean... they saw all the plagues... they literally saw God work miracles... faith builder much? And now... God splits the Sea... and lets the people walk across on dry land... if you didn't believe Him before... do you believe Him now? Lol

- My hope is that as we read through these stories about the faith of the patriarchs, that our own faith is strengthened... and that we see pictures of faith that we can model...

- Luke 12:16-21

- I Timothy 6:17-19

- Romans 3:3-4

Hebrews Chapter 11 (part 2)

Hebrews Chapter 11:8-16

vs. 8-10: ABRAHAM

- Abraham's faith was the kind of missionaries... It was a call to go to a foreign, unknown place... to live. Not to visit... but to live. An earthly dwelling that is far from home... and not necessarily the safest of places...

- It was also the kind of faith that we as Christians have to have when we answer the call to be a people separate. Because sometimes that means leaving our families, our home... and walking away from all the things that we know well... in order to follow the call...

- Again... this is not always the safest journey. I mean it's safe with God... but... it's not always a road paved with gold... most of the time... it's a rocky road with many snares and trials along the way...

- As a separation... it means not mingling with the people of the land. We can talk, have friendships... share a meal... but we're not to marry them... and we're not to allow their ways or their gods to become a part of our lives.

- “It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.”

- Do we look at our lives as a temporary living arrangement?

- Abraham didn't build a house... or a city... he stayed in his tent... ever ready to move to the next place if God so chose to move him.

- Instant in season and out... ready to do whatever Gods asks of us, whenever He asks it...

- Remember when God asked Abraham to go to the mountain and sacrifice Isaac? Did he hesitate? Did he sit and cry and ask God why? Did he grumble and complain the whole time? Did he completely ignore God's request?

- No! He went and was willing to give up the thing he held most dear... because God asked it of him.

- Wow. Selfless faith. If only we had that same passion and determination to follow after God... To obey God without question... no matter what...

- Abraham never saw the promise come to fruition. He never saw his descendents outnumber the stars... He and Sarah only had one son... (granted he had other children with the second wife... and of course there was Ishmael... but they by no means numbered the promise...) He never even saw the land become his own. He had to buy a plot of land in order to bury Sarah... He was living in the land that was promised to him... but it wasn't his...

- Abraham was looking at the big picture. He wasn't focusing on the present. He wasn't looking at the way the situations looked right then... He was faithfully looking forward to what God had in store WAY down the road... even if he never got to see it during his lifetime...

- Galatians 3

- James 2:14-26

- Romans 4:1-5:11

- II John 1:5-6

vs. 11-12: SARAH

- “It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and too old. She believed that God would keep His promise. And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.”

- Sarah had faith in the impossible. There were a few times that Abraham was told that they would have a son. The first time, it says that Abraham believed. No doubt. Just believed. But it wasn't instantaneous... from the first time that God told Abraham that they would have a son... it was another 15 or 20 years before Isaac was born... Abraham was 75 when they left Ur. When Abraham was 85... Sarah decided to take matters into her own hands... She said that God had prevented her from having children... so here... go have a child with my servant. So Ishmael was born when Abraham was 86. And then they had to wait another 15 years from then before God finally gave them Isaac.

- And Sarah laughed. When God showed up and said that the next year they would have a child... Sarah laughed. She was 89, and Abraham 99. Can you imagine? But although she laughed at the thought at one point... and even offered her servant girl as a substitute mother... (to... “help” God with His promise... lol) She is still listed as having had faith that God would keep His promise... even after all that... lol

- Our faith doesn't have to be perfect... it just has to be consistent... Will there be times we doubt God? Or look at something He asks of us and say “oh man... I don't know if I can handle that or not...” I mean sure... but even if things sound crazy... if we look at them and say “okay God... if You say so... then I'll follow along... but you're going to have to help my unbelief on this one...” God will honor that.

- Jesus said this in Matthew 17:20-21: “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there.' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

- How much faith we have doesn't matter... what matters is that we have it. We don't accomplish anything on our own strength or power or wisdom... It's all God anyway... If we have just enough faith to believe that God will do what He promises... if we believe that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life... if we are willing to follow and obey... Then it won't matter that our faith feels small... It won't matter that we're not sure what we're getting ourselves into... God will be in control... and THAT'S all that matters...

- Psalm 13; 100; 117; 18

vs. 13-16: HOME

- “All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”

- Paul talked about this same thing in Romans and Corinthians. In Romans 8, he said: “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we as believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children, including the new bodies He has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)”

- This world is not our home. If we are longing for home... then we're not living in it...

- There's a Caedmon's Call song... “This World”. The chorus says:

“This world has nothing for me and this world has everything
All that I could want and nothing that I need”

- All I want... and nothing I need... There's NOTHING on this earth that we need more than we need Christ. Nothing compares to that...

- Paul talked about creation groaning to be released from the curse of Adam... and we, too... waiting eagerly for that day... we are longing for that better day. A better life...

- In II Corinthians, Paul wrote: “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God Himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God Himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee He has given us His Holy Spirit. So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.”

- When I was a little kid, we used to travel and sing all the time. We visited so many churches... I used to just LONG for a weekend to stay home and rest.

- I remember going on vacation somewhere maybe about 10 years ago... I think Myrtle Beach... I HATE the beach... I just can't stand SAND! It gets everywhere! It drives me nuts! Lol It feels like it's constantly in your shoes and clothes and then when you get home... it's in your suitcases and shoes and then you track it all through your house and it's just EVERYWHERE! Ugh... Suffice it to say... I hate sand... 0:)

- But anyway... we spent 3 days or a week or something at the beach... and then started driving home... and I didn't realize how homesick I had gotten in even just those few days... until we started to see the mountains again... I live in West Virginia... and we have gorgeous mountains. They're old mountains... but they are so pretty... And we were driving up through and started to see taller and taller mountains... and I cannot begin to tell you how happy just the sight of a few mountaintops made me... Just to know that we were closer to getting home.

- In my mind... in thinking of heaven... and this earth... earth... is the beach... It's ucky and sticky and messy... (sorry to those of you who like the beach... bear with me... :) The world has this way of getting under your skin. It throws it's filth on you... and it's hard to get it to wash off... it just gets in every part of your life... It grinds its way into any crevice it can find... It burns, it itches, and just plain annoys... Sin just keeps coming...

- Heaven... is the mountains... :) Clear air. Clean grass. Open skies. (did I mention we live in the middle of nowhere? Lol)

- The glimpse or thought of heaven... should make us long to be there. Should make us groan at the thought of staying on this earth longer than necessary.

- When we were at the beach... sure... we had some fun... we made some sandcastles and picked up some seashells and played in the ocean... but most of the time... I just wanted to come home... The novelty of the beach was over in a few hours... a day at most... and it was time to come home...

- Heaven... should not be looked at as a necessity that comes when we die... It's HOME!

- I heard an older person once say “Well, I just wish I didn't have to die to get to heaven... because I just love it here!”

- Well okay... sure... this place can be great... sometimes... but in the long run? I'd MUCH rather be in heaven than plugging away down here...

- However, as we go plugging along... it's important not to get TOO focused on the other side of things... The point is to not get attached to this place... it's just... a bad vacation... it's not permanent...

- But as we live out this life... it is important to stay focused on the task at hand... while keeping heaven in view.

- The people of faith that are listed out in the previous verses of this chapter, died, never seeing the promise come to fruition. They were so far in the beginning of things... they really didn't see much of it at all! I mean... Abel? He was killed before he got to see much of anything really...

- Noah... had to start the world over again! How weird would that have felt? Knowing that your family was the only one's left on the earth? Geesh...

- But through it all... they had faith that God was in control and that there was indeed a plan for the future.

- Do you think Abel complained about dying young? Or did Noah complain about being alone in the world? Or not having someone to talk to other than his sons? Did Enoch, as he was walking with God say, “well God... I'd really like to go with You today... but can I say goodbye to my family? Can I finish the harvest? Can I finish this boat I'm working on?” Did Abraham keep making trips back to Ur because he missed his mommy? Or send messengers back every couple of days to check in and make sure he REALLY wasn't needed? Did he throw in the towel when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac? “No God... I just can't give that up... it's too precious... it's too close to home...”

- A guy in our church used to say that “we have to have a high view of heaven.” Meaning... that heaven... is not just some place to pass off as “oh one day when I die... I'll make it there and have a nice relaxing time...” Heaven is something to be excited about... something to yearn for. Something to desire with all our hearts...

- This world? Needs to be a passing vacation. We're just biding time til we can go home.

- Paul (again...) said in Colossians 1: “He (the Father) has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light. For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”

- Our passports have a new citizenship listed... We do not belong to this earth... we belong to God's Kingdom... not this one...

- Psalm 116; 62

- Isaiah 12

- Proverbs 3:5-8

- Ephesians 2:19-22

- Philippians 3:20-21