First Baptist Church
Fairbanks, Alaska
805 Sixth Avenue
(907) 456-4923
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Fairbanks, Alaska 805 Sixth Avenue (907) 456-4923 |
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“Faith Hall of Fame “ (The Intermission) A Study of the Book of Hebrews (Part 10) Hebrews 11 Mark Howdeshell (June 29, 2008) Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Introduction “Take a break………” “Seventh inning stretch……” “Timeout……..” The writer of Hebrews decided that it was time for an intermission from the study of the Heroes of the Faith………or so it seems. The Meat of the Message Hebrews 11:13-16 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country — a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
i. God gave most of us a desire to please others 1. Parents 2. Children 3. Self (don’t take too far!!) 4. Bosses ii. What makes you proud of someone else? 1. Money 2. Power 3. Fame 4. Trustworthiness (their word is their bond) 5. Self-discipline (doing the right thing when no one is looking) 6. Never give up attitude
i. Live by faith until you die 1. Faith is not a fleeting thing! 2. You cannot retire from your faith in Him 3. He has a mission for you until He takes you home ii. Faith on what the future holds…not what you can grab a hold on now! 1. We can only get glimpses of what the future holds for us. 2. What most people call "heaven" is actually an eternal city which the Bible calls the "new Jerusalem" (Revelation 21:2). The eternal city is described like this: a. "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new.'" (Revelation 21:3-5) b. The new Jerusalem will be the eternal home of God's people. Of this place, the Bible says that "nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in [Jesus'] book of life" (Revelation 21:27). c. We are told that all people will undergo a bodily resurrection from the dead, and all will appear before the judgment seat of Christ (Revelation 20:11-13). Though Jesus initially came to the earth as a Savior, He will now sit as Judge. Those whose names are not found written in his book of life will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15). d. The idea that everyone will go to heaven and see their relatives is not a biblical idea at all. Jesus said that only those who believe in Him would find life, because "no one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). In Revelation 7:9 we are told that, in heaven, there will be a multitude of people from every tribe, language, people and nation who will have eternal life because of their faith in Jesus. Those who have rejected God will not be with Him. iii. Aliens and strangers on earth 1. I’ve taught many times that this is because this place is not our home…our home is in the New Jerusalem 2. But…….have we become too complacent with our lives here? Are we too ingrained into the ways of the world? Consider the following article by Michelle Hudgins. I’ll pick it up in the middle…….. So many of us think of people living on the streets as Them. The dirty, the undesirable, the criminal, the dangerous, even the insane. The Outsider. The Other. Someone in no way like ourselves. We have clothes exploding out of our closets and would never dream of wearing the same outfit more than once a week, let alone every day. We have cars and DVD players and iPods and can afford to rush to the store to get the latest technological doodad. In no way could we be mistaken for these people who live on the streets, wear the same clothes every day, and can't even afford food for themselves regularly. We are the homed. But that is not the life that Jesus has called us to. Jesus has called us to be strangers and aliens on earth: never to feel at home on this planet, never to be free of the stigma of "outsider." We are called to simply follow the example of our leader. Jesus himself did not have a home. He did not have a well-paying job in a clean office. He did not collect items that would bind him more tightly to the earth. He had little money, little status, and many adversaries. And he rejoiced. He knew that what mattered was not possessions, not status, not praise. What mattered was loving God and loving people - exactly as they are. Exactly as we are. When God looks at us, he does not see our clothes. He does not see our jobs. He does not hear the praise lavished upon us by the world. He sees our hearts. He does not love a corporate executive any more than he does the drug addict passed out on a street corner. His compassion and grace are offered to both. In Jesus' eyes, we are the homeless. We are the lost, the dirty, the helpless, the pathetic, and the pitiful. We are all homeless on this earth. That is the calling that God has for all of us who have called him "Father." We are not to feel comfortable, not to feel safe, not to feel secure. We are to take risks, to suffer, to give of ourselves to others, and to have faith that God will guide us through even the most dreadful and dark night. At any time, God may call any of us to leave what we know: to leave our homes, our jobs, our families, everyone and everything we love in life. He may call us from prosperity to poverty, from health to sickness, from community to solitude. He does not want us to get too attached to the things of this world, but to hold tightly, and only, to his hand. It takes remarkable faith to thrive on the streets. To be homeless means to live without security, to trust God enough to hand everything over - including where one will sleep and eat every night. The homeless have no ties to this world, and so, cling more tightly to what is certain - the love of God for his children. Sometimes, that faith is all they have. And much like Abraham and his peers in Hebrews 11, they may not live to see their faith fulfilled. And yet they keep on. Who knows? It may turn out that living on the streets may have been a blessing, that it may have reflected God's great faith that this individual could overcome and succeed where others would quail. He may have offered them the glory of following in his footsteps, himself a stranger and an alien on this earth. 3. I know I’m too complacent on this earth……how about you?
iv. Always heading toward the Heavenly goal…the city who’s architect and builder is God 1. We’re looking for a country of our own a. We cannot claim where we are or we are no longer strangers or aliens b. If you are not in your country, you have no rights i. Cannot vote ii. Cannot get state benefits iii. Must pay extra 2. Not thinking of the country we just left a. If you look backwards, you’ll be tempted to return b. Lot’s wife!!! Even though she was warned!!! c. Focus forward, learning the lessons from the past but not dwelling in the past and sacrificing your future 3. Longing for a country of our own-a Heavenly one where there will be no more sin or suffering only praise, worship, and the glory of God!! The Bottom Line Last week I told you about having “all ear” for God, your Master. This week we’ve taken a brief intermission to see exactly how special these Faith Hall of Famers are to God. God says that He’s proud of those who do not get wrapped up in the things of this world but instead are aliens and strangers always longing for time spent with Him. Do not get complacent with this broken down, sinful, stab-you-in-the-back world we live in. Look forward to Heaven, the New Jerusalem, the mansion that Jesus has built for us in glory. Make God proud of you!!!!!!!! Invitation Have you made God proud of you lately? Have you let go of yourself, stepped out of His way, and let Him be the Boss of your life while you look forward to the results? This is what God wants you to do! He’ll be proud of you if you follow Him. This morning, I plead with you to look Heavenward. Look up, not all around. Listen to Him and not the person sitting next to you. I know that there’s someone that God is prompting to make a decision. A decision that God and everyone else will rejoice in. All it takes is for you to swallow your pride and walk down this aisle this morning. Let’s make God PROUD!!! |
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