1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:04,780 Please have your Bible opened at the passage that has just been read for us. 2 00:00:04,780 –> 00:00:11,600 Hebrews 11 is a marvelous exposition of faith. 3 00:00:11,600 –> 00:00:20,580 It begins with a definition and then it gives us examples or models of men and women who exercised faith. 4 00:00:20,580 –> 00:00:25,580 God willing we’re going to look at ten of them together in the coming weeks and learn 5 00:00:25,580 –> 00:00:31,480 from them what it means for us to live by faith today. 6 00:00:31,480 –> 00:00:39,040 But I want to begin by giving four aims for this series as we launch out on it together. 7 00:00:39,040 –> 00:00:47,820 First, that we will all better grasp what faith is, and what faith does. 8 00:00:48,220 –> 00:00:50,919 Clearly this is of great importance to any Christian 9 00:00:50,919 –> 00:00:56,200 because the Christian life is from beginning to end a journey of faith. 10 00:00:56,200 –> 00:01:00,840 The Apostle Paul tells us in 2nd Corinthians that we walk by faith, 11 00:01:00,840 –> 00:01:05,620 in Romans that we stand by faith, in Galatians that we live by faith, 12 00:01:05,620 –> 00:01:09,099 and in Ephesians that we are saved by faith. 13 00:01:09,099 –> 00:01:12,839 So think about it, if we are to walk, stand, live, and be saved 14 00:01:13,379 –> 00:01:18,839 by faith, we need to know what faith is and what faith does. 15 00:01:18,839 –> 00:01:21,599 So that’s the first aim of this series, that we will better 16 00:01:21,599 –> 00:01:24,879 grasp what faith is and what faith does. 17 00:01:24,879 –> 00:01:31,139 Second, that if you have not yet come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, 18 00:01:31,139 –> 00:01:34,919 my open prayer for you in this series is that faith will be formed 19 00:01:34,919 –> 00:01:37,379 in your soul. 20 00:01:37,379 –> 00:01:39,940 Faith the Bible says comes from hearing and hearing 21 00:01:40,139 –> 00:01:42,900 comes from the word of Christ. 22 00:01:42,900 –> 00:01:46,120 So I’ve planned this series with the hope and with the prayer 23 00:01:46,120 –> 00:01:51,339 that God will use his word to form faith in your soul 24 00:01:51,339 –> 00:01:55,900 from this very passage of the Bible, that this will be his means 25 00:01:55,900 –> 00:02:01,580 to form faith in your soul today and in these coming weeks. 26 00:02:01,580 –> 00:02:07,220 Thirdly, for all of us that in this series, our faith will grow. 27 00:02:07,220 –> 00:02:11,100 You remember on one occasion the disciple said to Jesus, 28 00:02:11,119 –> 00:02:16,820 Lord, increase our faith and I really hope that you will join me 29 00:02:16,820 –> 00:02:21,500 in making that your prayer for these next weeks as we focus 30 00:02:21,500 –> 00:02:27,539 on this part of the word of God, Lord, increase our faith. 31 00:02:28,220 –> 00:02:33,759 Paul wrote two letters to believers in a town called Thessalonica. 32 00:02:33,759 –> 00:02:37,279 And the first he says we give, thanks to God for your faith. 33 00:02:38,039 –> 00:02:41,440 And then he refers to the faith with which they received the 34 00:02:41,440 –> 00:02:45,380 gospel of Christ believed in the Lord, Jesus Christ, and turned 35 00:02:45,380 –> 00:02:46,820 to serve the living God. 36 00:02:47,600 –> 00:02:52,419 But in the second letter sometime later, obviously, he 37 00:02:52,419 –> 00:02:55,919 begins by saying, we ought always to give thanks to God 38 00:02:55,919 –> 00:03:00,160 for you because your faith is growing abundantly. 39 00:03:01,119 –> 00:03:05,520 So not only had they with faith received the gospel and trusted 40 00:03:05,520 –> 00:03:08,020 the Lord, Jesus Christ, down the line. 41 00:03:08,020 –> 00:03:10,520 Their faith was growing and it was growing abundantly. 42 00:03:10,520 –> 00:03:11,600 Now, that’s what we want. 43 00:03:11,619 –> 00:03:12,059 Isn’t it. 44 00:03:13,059 –> 00:03:15,639 We want not simply to have faith. 45 00:03:15,639 –> 00:03:21,119 We want faith to be growing and for it to be growing abundantly. 46 00:03:21,699 –> 00:03:24,940 When Jesus said to the disciples, or yi, of little 47 00:03:24,940 –> 00:03:29,880 faith while he was not exactly giving them a compliment, faith 48 00:03:30,100 –> 00:03:33,440 is of course like a small seed, but it is a living seed. 49 00:03:33,679 –> 00:03:36,679 And the point is that that, which is living will grow. 50 00:03:38,300 –> 00:03:43,880 As your faith grows, here’s what’s going to happen as your faith grows, 51 00:03:43,880 –> 00:03:45,419 you’re going to treasure the Lord. 52 00:03:45,419 –> 00:03:52,259 Jesus Christ more you’re going to find that eternal things are more real to 53 00:03:52,259 –> 00:03:57,279 you, you’re going to find that your own work with God is more steady and more 54 00:03:57,339 –> 00:03:58,199 consistent. 55 00:03:58,440 –> 00:03:59,460 And it as a result, 56 00:03:59,460 –> 00:04:03,300 you have greater strength and stamina and peace and joy. 57 00:04:04,899 –> 00:04:07,860 So that we grasp what faith is, that if you’re not yet a believer, 58 00:04:07,860 –> 00:04:11,899 faith will be formed in your soul and that our faith will grow. 59 00:04:11,899 –> 00:04:14,320 And then here’s the forth aim for this series, 60 00:04:14,880 –> 00:04:18,059 that we will find strength to endure. 61 00:04:19,579 –> 00:04:19,739 Now, 62 00:04:19,739 –> 00:04:24,739 the whole book of Hebrews that we’re looking at here in chapter 11 was 63 00:04:24,739 –> 00:04:29,500 first written to Jewish believers who were facing difficult days. 64 00:04:30,019 –> 00:04:32,839 If you look back at chapter 10 and verse 32, 65 00:04:33,100 –> 00:04:37,859 you will see that they had endured a hard struggle with sufferings. 66 00:04:38,260 –> 00:04:39,299 Verse 33, 67 00:04:39,579 –> 00:04:44,579 they had been publicly exposed to reproach and to affliction and verse 34. 68 00:04:46,040 –> 00:04:46,880 That for some of them, 69 00:04:46,880 –> 00:04:49,820 at least their property had been plundered. 70 00:04:50,640 –> 00:04:55,640 These are significant trials and the strain of all of this was beginning to 71 00:04:56,100 –> 00:04:59,920 tell on them. And so in chapter 10 in verse 36, 72 00:04:59,940 –> 00:05:04,940 the writer to Hebrews says you have need of endurance. 73 00:05:07,399 –> 00:05:10,339 I don’t know about you, but when I read these words in verse 36, 74 00:05:10,359 –> 00:05:14,299 you have need of endurance. I say, yeah, that’s right. That’s what I need. 75 00:05:14,679 –> 00:05:16,579 We need endurance, 76 00:05:16,579 –> 00:05:21,579 that speaks directly to us today. And here’s the question you have need of 77 00:05:22,239 –> 00:05:24,880 endurance, how are you going to get it? 78 00:05:25,459 –> 00:05:30,440 How are you going to get what it takes to continue pressing on in the face of 79 00:05:30,440 –> 00:05:32,579 unrelenting pressure in your life? 80 00:05:33,540 –> 00:05:38,140 And the answer begins in chapter 10 verse 38, where we read, 81 00:05:38,299 –> 00:05:41,899 my righteous one shall live by faith. 82 00:05:42,440 –> 00:05:47,540 That’s where endurance comes from, and from then the writer then launches 83 00:05:47,540 –> 00:05:53,420 into this marvelous exposition of what faith is and what faith does. 84 00:05:54,260 –> 00:06:00,799 So Hebrews in chapter 11 was written to strengthen believers in the face of 85 00:06:00,799 –> 00:06:02,380 unrelenting pressure. 86 00:06:02,859 –> 00:06:07,100 And therefore it is a chapter of the Bible that speaks to us in a particularly 87 00:06:07,100 –> 00:06:09,200 relevant and direct way. 88 00:06:09,679 –> 00:06:15,399 Today, in this chapter there are two questions, one, what is faith? 89 00:06:15,399 –> 00:06:17,899 And second, what does faith do? 90 00:06:18,420 –> 00:06:22,760 The opening verse deals with what faith is and that’s what we’re looking at today, 91 00:06:23,000 –> 00:06:26,679 and then the rest of the chapter deals with what faith does. 92 00:06:27,380 –> 00:06:31,799 So let’s launch in to the opening verse that gives us the definition. 93 00:06:32,200 –> 00:06:33,959 Hebrews 11 in verse one. 94 00:06:34,399 –> 00:06:37,519 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, 95 00:06:38,019 –> 00:06:42,000 the conviction of things not seen. 96 00:06:43,260 –> 00:06:48,619 I want you to notice straight away that faith is an assurance 97 00:06:49,619 –> 00:06:51,059 and a conviction, 98 00:06:52,100 –> 00:06:53,760 these are the words that are used. 99 00:06:54,100 –> 00:06:59,260 You see it there, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, 100 00:06:59,459 –> 00:07:02,660 the conviction of things not seen. 101 00:07:04,000 –> 00:07:07,320 In other words, faith is not a vague belief, 102 00:07:08,720 –> 00:07:13,640 faith is a firm persuasion in the heart and in the mind. 103 00:07:13,940 –> 00:07:18,839 It’s a steady confidence, it is a joyful anticipation. 104 00:07:20,079 –> 00:07:24,760 The word that’s translated assurance here in chapter 11 verse 1 is also used 105 00:07:24,760 –> 00:07:26,920 in Hebrews chapter three and verse 14, 106 00:07:26,940 –> 00:07:31,200 and there it is translated with the word confidence. 107 00:07:32,119 –> 00:07:35,000 So here is the world of faith. 108 00:07:36,440 –> 00:07:41,399 Assurance, conviction, confidence. 109 00:07:43,359 –> 00:07:46,179 Now, someone at this point may say right at the beginning, 110 00:07:46,179 –> 00:07:49,899 oh, well, if that’s the case, I don’t think I have any faith at all. 111 00:07:50,920 –> 00:07:57,519 Because my believing is mixed up with many questions and many doubts. 112 00:07:57,600 –> 00:08:04,480 Confidence and I want you to understand today that indeed faith is mixed with many doubts. 113 00:08:05,040 –> 00:08:09,339 But faith is that in the mixture which believes. 114 00:08:11,019 –> 00:08:16,459 It is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 115 00:08:18,299 –> 00:08:20,299 Think of this by way of illustration. 116 00:08:21,920 –> 00:08:26,679 Sugar is sweet, salt is sharp. 117 00:08:28,040 –> 00:08:35,039 Now if sugar accidentally gets mixed with the salt its taste is very strange indeed. 118 00:08:36,260 –> 00:08:41,619 But whatever sweetness there is in the mixture comes from the sugar. 119 00:08:42,559 –> 00:08:46,400 And whatever sharpness there is in the mixture comes from the salt. 120 00:08:47,640 –> 00:08:52,099 Now in the same way your faith may indeed be mixed up with many 121 00:08:52,239 –> 00:08:56,580 questions that you cannot answer, and many things that you do not understand. 122 00:08:56,940 –> 00:09:00,200 And doubt is that in the mixture which questions. 123 00:09:00,340 –> 00:09:03,419 Faith is that in the mixture which believes. 124 00:09:04,780 –> 00:09:07,380 A man came to Jesus on one occasion and he said 125 00:09:08,299 –> 00:09:12,520 I believe, help my unbelief. 126 00:09:13,640 –> 00:09:17,320 Now you see he was describing the mixture of what he found in himself. 127 00:09:17,659 –> 00:09:21,979 There was a believing in him that was faith and he wanted more of it. 128 00:09:22,719 –> 00:09:24,880 There was also an 129 00:09:24,880 –> 00:09:30,679 unbelief in him all mixed up with it and that he wanted less of. 130 00:09:31,739 –> 00:09:34,739 But to use a different illustration the Puritan writer 131 00:09:35,539 –> 00:09:38,539 Richard Sibbes used the analogy of smoke and fire 132 00:09:39,580 –> 00:09:44,700 to illustrate the mixture of faith and doubt that is in us all. 133 00:09:45,539 –> 00:09:47,200 Think about this. 134 00:09:47,500 –> 00:09:51,859 When Peter says to Jesus, you are the Christ, the son of the 135 00:09:51,859 –> 00:09:55,359 Living God, that’s the fire of faith right there. 136 00:09:56,900 –> 00:09:58,900 But in the very next breath, what does he say? 137 00:09:59,000 –> 00:10:01,059 He says, in effect, now, Jesus, you shall never go 138 00:10:01,059 –> 00:10:01,780 to the cross. 139 00:10:01,979 –> 00:10:04,340 Well, that’s the smoke of unbelief right there. 140 00:10:04,460 –> 00:10:06,659 They’re all mixed up in him together. 141 00:10:07,900 –> 00:10:12,460 Now, your faith is like the fire and your doubt and your 142 00:10:12,460 –> 00:10:14,780 many unanswered questions are like the smoke. 143 00:10:15,020 –> 00:10:18,719 They are always mixed together in some degree. 144 00:10:19,619 –> 00:10:26,479 Calvin says, unbelief is in all men, always mixed with faith, 145 00:10:27,260 –> 00:10:29,280 there’s always smoke mixed in the fire. 146 00:10:30,380 –> 00:10:33,700 And you may find yourself discouraged by all the smoke. 147 00:10:34,400 –> 00:10:35,919 And here’s what should encourage you. 148 00:10:36,140 –> 00:10:39,559 There is no smoke without fire. 149 00:10:40,659 –> 00:10:44,119 And faith is that, which believes, it is the assurance 150 00:10:44,179 –> 00:10:45,520 of things hoped for. 151 00:10:45,900 –> 00:10:50,219 It is the conviction of things not seen. 152 00:10:50,900 –> 00:10:54,900 That’s the first observation that faith is an assurance and 153 00:10:55,260 –> 00:10:59,239 a conviction clearly stated in Hebrews 11 in verse one. 154 00:10:59,260 –> 00:11:07,080 Second, faith relates to things that are hoped for and things 155 00:11:07,080 –> 00:11:09,000 that are not seen. 156 00:11:10,700 –> 00:11:14,039 Now things that are hoped for are things that we do not yet 157 00:11:14,039 –> 00:11:14,880 possess. 158 00:11:15,640 –> 00:11:19,380 In fact, there are things that do not yet even exist. 159 00:11:20,239 –> 00:11:25,619 Let me give you three examples, first redeemed bodies. 160 00:11:26,419 –> 00:11:32,880 No believer has a redeemed body yet, but one day every believer 161 00:11:32,880 –> 00:11:34,559 will have a redeemed body. 162 00:11:34,559 –> 00:11:35,479 That is our hope. 163 00:11:35,520 –> 00:11:40,059 Paul says we eagerly wait for this, the redemption of our 164 00:11:40,059 –> 00:11:40,859 bodies. 165 00:11:41,780 –> 00:11:44,380 Second example, a spotless church. 166 00:11:45,340 –> 00:11:49,280 There is no spotless church on the planet right now. 167 00:11:50,320 –> 00:11:54,599 We are gathering sinners in the process of being redeemed. 168 00:11:54,619 –> 00:11:58,299 Holiness is begun in us, but it’s a long way from complete 169 00:11:58,299 –> 00:12:03,260 even in the best of us, but one day Christ will present the 170 00:12:03,260 –> 00:12:07,080 church to himself and when we see him, we will be like him. 171 00:12:07,200 –> 00:12:10,059 On that day the church will be without spot, without wrinkle, 172 00:12:10,119 –> 00:12:13,940 without any other Blemish and we will be so glad that we are part of it. 173 00:12:15,520 –> 00:12:18,340 Third, a perfect world. 174 00:12:19,799 –> 00:12:21,200 We do not yet possess that. 175 00:12:21,200 –> 00:12:23,659 Such a world does not yet exist. 176 00:12:24,500 –> 00:12:28,659 Our world is far from perfect and until Christ comes to reign, it always 177 00:12:28,659 –> 00:12:34,039 will be, but God has said that he will create new heavens and a new 178 00:12:34,039 –> 00:12:37,539 earth and that they will be the home of righteousness. 179 00:12:37,539 –> 00:12:42,039 So here are three examples of things that we do not yet possess things 180 00:12:42,039 –> 00:12:44,340 that do not yet even exist. 181 00:12:45,340 –> 00:12:51,020 And the question is, how can we then have confidence assurance of things 182 00:12:51,039 –> 00:12:54,080 that are so far from what we experienced, things that we do not 183 00:12:54,080 –> 00:12:56,059 possess, things that do not yet exist. 184 00:12:56,159 –> 00:13:01,039 How can we be sure that we will one day enjoy redeemed bodies as spotless 185 00:13:01,039 –> 00:13:05,760 church and a perfect world, and the answer is that these are the things 186 00:13:06,239 –> 00:13:13,080 that God has promised and faith trusts what God has promised. 187 00:13:13,320 –> 00:13:17,460 It believes what God has said. 188 00:13:17,520 –> 00:13:18,880 He will do. 189 00:13:22,299 –> 00:13:28,299 I think about it, commands are to be obeyed. 190 00:13:28,299 –> 00:13:29,359 What do you do with a command? 191 00:13:29,359 –> 00:13:30,140 You obey it. 192 00:13:31,419 –> 00:13:34,679 Promises are what is to be believed. 193 00:13:35,539 –> 00:13:36,640 What you do with a promise? 194 00:13:36,640 –> 00:13:38,179 You believe it. 195 00:13:39,219 –> 00:13:41,700 If a father says to his daughter, 196 00:13:41,700 –> 00:13:44,179 do your home work, 197 00:13:44,179 –> 00:13:46,140 that is a command to be obeyed. 198 00:13:47,539 –> 00:13:51,320 But if he then says to her and when you are finished, 199 00:13:51,320 –> 00:13:53,900 I will take you out for ice cream. 200 00:13:53,900 –> 00:13:56,739 Now that is a promise and that’s to be believed 201 00:13:56,739 –> 00:13:58,760 and in believing the promise 202 00:13:58,760 –> 00:14:00,500 that the daughter is to be encouraged 203 00:14:00,500 –> 00:14:01,619 and doing her homework, 204 00:14:01,619 –> 00:14:02,599 She’s to anticipate. 205 00:14:02,599 –> 00:14:05,099 She’s still joy looking forward to the ice cream 206 00:14:05,099 –> 00:14:06,260 because it’s been promised 207 00:14:06,260 –> 00:14:09,520 and a promise given is to be believed. 208 00:14:09,520 –> 00:14:12,020 You obey commands, you believe promises 209 00:14:12,020 –> 00:14:16,820 and faith trusts what God has promised. 210 00:14:17,719 –> 00:14:22,719 And that is why it is the assurance of things hoped for. 211 00:14:24,080 –> 00:14:26,840 I wonder, you ever thought about this. 212 00:14:26,840 –> 00:14:28,820 When did faith begin? 213 00:14:29,739 –> 00:14:32,080 Well, let me suggest this answer to you. 214 00:14:32,099 –> 00:14:36,380 Faith began when God gave the first promise. 215 00:14:36,380 –> 00:14:37,500 Here’s why I say that. 216 00:14:37,500 –> 00:14:39,700 When Adam and Eve were in the garden 217 00:14:39,700 –> 00:14:43,580 God appeared to them in visible form. 218 00:14:45,359 –> 00:14:48,700 He walked with them in the garden in the cool of the day. 219 00:14:48,700 –> 00:14:50,859 So they didn’t walk with God by faith. 220 00:14:50,859 –> 00:14:54,479 They walked with God by sight, as one day we will. 221 00:14:55,780 –> 00:14:57,380 So when did faith begin? 222 00:14:57,380 –> 00:15:00,619 Well, faith began when God gave the very first promise. 223 00:15:00,619 –> 00:15:02,599 Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, 224 00:15:02,599 –> 00:15:05,320 but God promised that a savior would come. 225 00:15:05,320 –> 00:15:07,099 An offspring of the woman 226 00:15:07,099 –> 00:15:09,780 would crush the head of the serpent. 227 00:15:09,780 –> 00:15:11,820 That was the promise of God 228 00:15:11,820 –> 00:15:13,659 and that’s where faith began. 229 00:15:13,659 –> 00:15:18,500 That’s how Adam and Eve found hope in a fallen world. 230 00:15:19,700 –> 00:15:21,219 They believed the promise. 231 00:15:22,140 –> 00:15:22,979 It’s what faith does, 232 00:15:22,979 –> 00:15:26,179 it is the assurance of things hoped for. 233 00:15:26,179 –> 00:15:30,580 Faith trusts in what God has promised. 234 00:15:30,659 –> 00:15:33,559 That’s why it is confident 235 00:15:33,559 –> 00:15:36,479 because of what God has said. 236 00:15:38,340 –> 00:15:39,900 And then notice that faith relates 237 00:15:39,900 –> 00:15:41,479 not only to things hoped for, 238 00:15:41,479 –> 00:15:44,119 but also to things that are not seen. 239 00:15:45,239 –> 00:15:47,739 Now the things that are hoped for don’t yet exist, 240 00:15:47,739 –> 00:15:49,280 we don’t possess them. 241 00:15:49,280 –> 00:15:51,159 Redeemed bodies, spotless churches, 242 00:15:51,159 –> 00:15:54,159 perfect world, none of these are yet in existence. 243 00:15:55,099 –> 00:15:58,460 But the things that are not seen are different. 244 00:15:58,460 –> 00:16:02,080 They are present realities. 245 00:16:02,080 –> 00:16:06,340 The things not seen are things that are already in place, 246 00:16:06,340 –> 00:16:10,159 except that they are not in the visible world. 247 00:16:11,580 –> 00:16:14,400 Let me give you again, three examples. 248 00:16:14,400 –> 00:16:19,059 Right now, Jesus Christ is exalted 249 00:16:19,059 –> 00:16:22,239 at the right hand of the father. 250 00:16:22,239 –> 00:16:23,840 That’s a present reality. 251 00:16:24,780 –> 00:16:27,760 It’s not something that we hope one day will happen. 252 00:16:27,780 –> 00:16:28,859 He’s there now. 253 00:16:28,859 –> 00:16:31,840 We don’t see it because heaven is beyond our view. 254 00:16:31,840 –> 00:16:33,940 But, right now, the Lord Jesus Christ 255 00:16:33,940 –> 00:16:35,419 is at the right hand of the father 256 00:16:35,419 –> 00:16:38,539 and he’s seated there for me and for you. 257 00:16:38,539 –> 00:16:43,200 Second example, all who are in Christ Jesus 258 00:16:43,200 –> 00:16:47,320 are forgiven, loved, and destined for glory. 259 00:16:48,780 –> 00:16:50,700 These are present realities. 260 00:16:51,539 –> 00:16:53,979 We don’t see them because the work of the Holy Spirit 261 00:16:53,979 –> 00:16:55,260 is hidden from our view. 262 00:16:55,260 –> 00:16:57,539 But, right now, if you are in Christ, 263 00:16:57,539 –> 00:17:01,219 you are forgiven, you are loved, 264 00:17:02,299 –> 00:17:04,699 and you are destined for a glorious inheritance 265 00:17:04,699 –> 00:17:06,839 that will be kept in heaven for you. 266 00:17:08,020 –> 00:17:12,540 Third example, right now, God is in sovereign control 267 00:17:12,540 –> 00:17:15,199 of everything that happens in your life 268 00:17:15,199 –> 00:17:17,599 and everything that happens in this world. 269 00:17:17,599 –> 00:17:19,319 That’s a present reality. 270 00:17:20,479 –> 00:17:22,140 Now, again, we don’t see this. 271 00:17:22,140 –> 00:17:25,099 It’s hidden from our view because God’s providence 272 00:17:25,099 –> 00:17:26,780 is hidden from our view. 273 00:17:26,780 –> 00:17:29,439 But God works in all things for the good 274 00:17:29,439 –> 00:17:30,579 of those who love Him. 275 00:17:30,579 –> 00:17:32,380 That’s a present reality. 276 00:17:33,420 –> 00:17:35,579 And you say, well, how do we know? 277 00:17:35,579 –> 00:17:38,760 How can we be convinced with regards 278 00:17:38,760 –> 00:17:41,380 to the things that are not seen? 279 00:17:41,380 –> 00:17:43,180 How can we be convinced that we really do 280 00:17:43,180 –> 00:17:44,739 have a living Savior? 281 00:17:44,739 –> 00:17:47,199 That we really are forgiven and loved 282 00:17:47,199 –> 00:17:49,119 and destined for glory in Christ 283 00:17:49,119 –> 00:17:52,459 and the God really is sovereign over all things? 284 00:17:52,459 –> 00:17:55,119 Well, again, the answer is that these are the things 285 00:17:55,180 –> 00:17:57,180 that God has revealed 286 00:17:58,599 –> 00:18:03,119 and faith believes what God has revealed. 287 00:18:05,219 –> 00:18:07,260 And at this point, the writer to Hebrews 288 00:18:07,260 –> 00:18:10,660 gives really the perfect illustration 289 00:18:10,660 –> 00:18:15,660 of believing something that we have not seen. 290 00:18:16,099 –> 00:18:18,819 And that illustration of course is the creation. 291 00:18:18,819 –> 00:18:20,939 No one was around at the creation of the world 292 00:18:20,939 –> 00:18:24,260 to observe or record that particular event. 293 00:18:24,280 –> 00:18:25,719 So he says verse three, 294 00:18:25,719 –> 00:18:28,540 by faith we understand that the universe 295 00:18:28,540 –> 00:18:30,400 was created by the word of God 296 00:18:30,400 –> 00:18:32,199 so that what is seen was not made 297 00:18:32,199 –> 00:18:34,520 out of things that are visible. 298 00:18:35,819 –> 00:18:39,660 How do we know how the world was made 299 00:18:39,660 –> 00:18:44,359 when no one was there at the time to observe what happened? 300 00:18:44,359 –> 00:18:47,099 The creation is one of those things by definition 301 00:18:47,099 –> 00:18:49,079 that was not seen. 302 00:18:50,359 –> 00:18:52,660 So how do we know that God created the world? 303 00:18:52,680 –> 00:18:56,099 And the answer is that He revealed it. 304 00:18:57,439 –> 00:19:00,739 God made Himself known to Moses. 305 00:19:02,119 –> 00:19:04,760 God said to Moses in effect, 306 00:19:05,719 –> 00:19:09,599 in the beginning I created the heaven and the earth 307 00:19:10,739 –> 00:19:12,479 and the earth was without form 308 00:19:12,479 –> 00:19:14,680 and it was void and my spirit brooded 309 00:19:14,680 –> 00:19:17,540 over the face of the waters and I spoke 310 00:19:17,540 –> 00:19:19,939 and I said, let there be light 311 00:19:19,939 –> 00:19:22,540 and there was light and I formed the first man 312 00:19:22,560 –> 00:19:25,219 from the dust of the ground. 313 00:19:26,780 –> 00:19:31,780 Now faith believes what God has revealed. 314 00:19:33,219 –> 00:19:36,300 It rests on what God has said. 315 00:19:36,300 –> 00:19:39,660 That is why in Romans chapter 10 in verse 17, 316 00:19:39,660 –> 00:19:41,680 we’re told that faith comes from hearing 317 00:19:41,680 –> 00:19:45,140 and hearing comes from the word of Christ. 318 00:19:45,140 –> 00:19:49,260 Very simply, if God had not spoken, 319 00:19:50,260 –> 00:19:53,260 if God had not made himself known, 320 00:19:53,260 –> 00:19:55,500 faith would be utterly impossible. 321 00:19:56,800 –> 00:19:58,319 If God had not made promises, 322 00:19:58,319 –> 00:20:00,699 if God had not revealed himself, 323 00:20:00,699 –> 00:20:03,459 we could have no assurance of things hoped for, 324 00:20:03,459 –> 00:20:05,920 no conviction of things that are not seen, 325 00:20:05,920 –> 00:20:08,520 all we would have would be vague speculation, 326 00:20:08,520 –> 00:20:10,699 guesswork, hoping for the best, 327 00:20:10,699 –> 00:20:13,599 dreaming, and opinions about what might be. 328 00:20:14,920 –> 00:20:16,319 But here’s the good news, 329 00:20:16,640 –> 00:20:20,280 God has spoken, 330 00:20:21,199 –> 00:20:23,520 he has revealed himself, 331 00:20:23,520 –> 00:20:26,459 he has made great and precious promises, 332 00:20:26,459 –> 00:20:29,859 and that is why faith is possible. 333 00:20:31,079 –> 00:20:34,439 Because faith believes what God has revealed 334 00:20:34,439 –> 00:20:38,680 and trusts what God has promised. 335 00:20:38,680 –> 00:20:42,719 It rests, in other words, on the word of God. 336 00:20:43,680 –> 00:20:48,040 Faith is the assurance of things hoped for. 337 00:20:48,040 –> 00:20:52,699 It is the conviction of things not seen. 338 00:20:54,079 –> 00:20:59,079 Now, from that very important foundation and definition 339 00:21:00,479 –> 00:21:03,839 from which everything else in Hebrews in chapter 11 flows, 340 00:21:03,839 –> 00:21:05,880 I want this morning to make 341 00:21:05,880 –> 00:21:10,060 three very practical applications. 342 00:21:10,459 –> 00:21:11,780 The first is a negative one, 343 00:21:11,780 –> 00:21:16,160 but it is really, really important, and it’s this. 344 00:21:17,060 –> 00:21:21,500 Faith, then, is not a capacity 345 00:21:21,500 –> 00:21:23,260 that some people are born with. 346 00:21:24,180 –> 00:21:29,180 Faith is not a capacity that some people are born with. 347 00:21:31,180 –> 00:21:34,619 Now, we think about this in other spheres of life. 348 00:21:34,619 –> 00:21:37,660 Some people are naturally athletic. 349 00:21:38,540 –> 00:21:41,079 I know that training is very hard work, 350 00:21:41,079 –> 00:21:43,459 and acquiring skills in any particular sport 351 00:21:43,459 –> 00:21:46,060 takes hours and hours and hours of practice, 352 00:21:46,060 –> 00:21:50,459 but some people just have a propensity for this in them, 353 00:21:51,500 –> 00:21:55,979 and others of us, well, not so much. 354 00:21:55,979 –> 00:21:58,500 However hard some of us worked, 355 00:21:58,500 –> 00:22:00,900 we would never be able to compete 356 00:22:00,900 –> 00:22:03,300 with our more athletic peers. 357 00:22:04,260 –> 00:22:08,099 It’s the same in so many other spheres of life, 358 00:22:08,099 –> 00:22:10,760 art, music. 359 00:22:10,760 –> 00:22:13,780 We can all have a goal, 360 00:22:13,780 –> 00:22:15,979 but some people have this in them, 361 00:22:17,060 –> 00:22:19,699 and they work very hard to develop that talent, 362 00:22:19,699 –> 00:22:22,060 but there’s something innate in them 363 00:22:22,060 –> 00:22:25,479 that is a gift that they then cultivate, 364 00:22:25,479 –> 00:22:27,619 and for the rest of us, however hard we worked, 365 00:22:27,619 –> 00:22:29,640 we could never get to the place 366 00:22:29,640 –> 00:22:32,300 where these more gifted folks in this area are, 367 00:22:33,660 –> 00:22:37,380 now, we understand this across many, many areas of life, 368 00:22:38,420 –> 00:22:41,020 so it would be very easy for us to think 369 00:22:41,020 –> 00:22:44,060 that it’s the same when it comes to faith, 370 00:22:44,060 –> 00:22:46,040 and I’ve heard people say this many times 371 00:22:46,040 –> 00:22:48,920 and I expect you have as well, 372 00:22:48,920 –> 00:22:53,920 oh, well, some people have a disposition towards faith, 373 00:22:54,020 –> 00:22:56,180 but not me, I’m not one of them, 374 00:22:56,180 –> 00:22:58,099 I’m just not wired that way. 375 00:22:58,099 –> 00:23:01,380 I don’t think I could ever believe. 376 00:23:03,540 –> 00:23:06,880 Now, if you have ever said that or thought that, 377 00:23:06,880 –> 00:23:08,599 I want to say this to you today, 378 00:23:10,020 –> 00:23:12,939 if faith was something that lies within us, 379 00:23:12,939 –> 00:23:15,000 it would be terribly unfair. 380 00:23:17,099 –> 00:23:20,739 God would have put some people in a position of advantage 381 00:23:21,819 –> 00:23:25,380 in which it was much easier for them to believe, 382 00:23:25,380 –> 00:23:29,839 some would be privileged in a way that put them in a place 383 00:23:29,839 –> 00:23:32,079 where they were much more likely to be saved 384 00:23:32,099 –> 00:23:35,140 and others would barely have a chance. 385 00:23:35,140 –> 00:23:38,300 And I want to say as clearly as I can 386 00:23:38,300 –> 00:23:42,660 that faith is not a capacity 387 00:23:42,660 –> 00:23:44,380 that some people are born with. 388 00:23:46,060 –> 00:23:48,219 Hebrews chapter 11 makes this very clear. 389 00:23:48,219 –> 00:23:52,219 Faith is that which believes what God has revealed 390 00:23:52,219 –> 00:23:53,900 and trust what God has promised. 391 00:23:53,900 –> 00:23:56,140 It’s not a disposition that some people 392 00:23:56,140 –> 00:23:57,859 just happened to have in them. 393 00:23:58,400 –> 00:24:00,599 Faith believes what God has revealed. 394 00:24:00,599 –> 00:24:03,920 Faith trusts what God has promised and here’s the thing. 395 00:24:03,920 –> 00:24:07,420 God has given exactly the same promises 396 00:24:07,420 –> 00:24:10,560 and exactly the same revelation to all people 397 00:24:10,560 –> 00:24:13,859 so no one has an advantage over anyone else 398 00:24:13,859 –> 00:24:15,800 when it comes to this matter of faith. 399 00:24:17,859 –> 00:24:20,479 It is not a capacity that some people are born with. 400 00:24:22,439 –> 00:24:26,900 Second, faith involves personal trust, 401 00:24:27,219 –> 00:24:32,099 personal trust based on compelling evidence. 402 00:24:32,099 –> 00:24:33,859 That is it believes what God has revealed, 403 00:24:33,859 –> 00:24:35,979 it trusts what God has promised 404 00:24:35,979 –> 00:24:38,619 so it involves a personal trust 405 00:24:38,619 –> 00:24:41,680 that is based on compelling evidence. 406 00:24:43,339 –> 00:24:45,579 It’s very important to grasp this. 407 00:24:45,579 –> 00:24:50,579 God does not lean out of heaven, as it were, 408 00:24:51,020 –> 00:24:56,020 with a clenched fist shouting at us, 409 00:24:56,459 –> 00:24:58,599 believe, believe, you gotta believe, 410 00:24:58,599 –> 00:25:00,439 you gotta believe, you gotta believe. 411 00:25:02,640 –> 00:25:04,500 Think about how he deals with us. 412 00:25:04,500 –> 00:25:07,339 When he takes flesh in the Lord Jesus Christ, 413 00:25:07,339 –> 00:25:08,280 what do you find? 414 00:25:09,739 –> 00:25:11,819 Does Jesus come up to some men 415 00:25:11,819 –> 00:25:15,099 standing with their nets beside boats 416 00:25:15,099 –> 00:25:18,780 and say to them, I’m the son of God, 417 00:25:18,780 –> 00:25:19,920 you better believe it. 418 00:25:21,199 –> 00:25:22,260 No, he doesn’t do that. 419 00:25:22,260 –> 00:25:23,099 What does he do? 420 00:25:23,099 –> 00:25:25,380 He forms a relationship with these men 421 00:25:25,380 –> 00:25:28,780 and he says to them, now you come and follow me. 422 00:25:30,380 –> 00:25:35,199 And as they follow him, he makes himself known to them. 423 00:25:36,119 –> 00:25:37,880 They get in a boat with him one day 424 00:25:39,020 –> 00:25:43,260 and there’s a storm that blows up. 425 00:25:43,260 –> 00:25:45,380 They think it’s the last day of their lives 426 00:25:45,380 –> 00:25:49,359 and Jesus speaks to the storm, a word of command, 427 00:25:49,359 –> 00:25:54,300 the lake is stilled and they say now who is this 428 00:25:55,500 –> 00:26:00,180 that even the winds and the waves obey him? 429 00:26:02,640 –> 00:26:07,640 As they hear what he said, and as they watch what he did, 430 00:26:10,020 –> 00:26:13,540 they are compelled by the evidence of what they hear 431 00:26:13,540 –> 00:26:16,000 and what they see to this conclusion, 432 00:26:16,020 –> 00:26:19,099 and Peter says, you are the Christ, 433 00:26:20,380 –> 00:26:23,020 you are the son of the living God. 434 00:26:24,739 –> 00:26:26,199 Now is that the end of the matter? 435 00:26:26,199 –> 00:26:28,020 No, of course it’s not. 436 00:26:28,020 –> 00:26:31,680 Like ours, their faith was mixed up with many doubts 437 00:26:31,680 –> 00:26:34,939 and with many blunders but through it all, 438 00:26:34,939 –> 00:26:37,339 faith believes what Christ has revealed 439 00:26:37,339 –> 00:26:39,140 and trusts what Christ has promised 440 00:26:39,140 –> 00:26:42,979 and it is based on the compelling evidence 441 00:26:43,040 –> 00:26:47,219 of what they heard him say and what they saw him do. 442 00:26:49,739 –> 00:26:51,699 Now at the end of John’s gospel, 443 00:26:51,699 –> 00:26:54,040 and this is very wonderful, 444 00:26:54,040 –> 00:26:56,060 John tells us why his gospel, 445 00:26:56,060 –> 00:26:59,119 indeed all four of the gospels, were written 446 00:26:59,119 –> 00:27:01,079 and he says this, 447 00:27:01,079 –> 00:27:04,579 these are written so that you may believe 448 00:27:05,439 –> 00:27:09,400 that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God 449 00:27:09,400 –> 00:27:14,079 and that by believing you may have life in his name. 450 00:27:14,079 –> 00:27:15,339 You see what he’s saying? 451 00:27:16,939 –> 00:27:21,560 The gospel give you exactly the compelling evidence 452 00:27:21,560 –> 00:27:25,000 that the first disciples saw and heard, 453 00:27:25,000 –> 00:27:29,199 what Jesus did, what Jesus said. 454 00:27:30,760 –> 00:27:33,719 This was the compelling evidence that led them to faith 455 00:27:33,719 –> 00:27:35,160 and it’s here in the gospel, 456 00:27:35,160 –> 00:27:37,060 so that you can look at the same evidence 457 00:27:37,079 –> 00:27:38,719 and come to the same conclusion. 458 00:27:40,339 –> 00:27:45,199 Faith is not some innate disposition 459 00:27:45,199 –> 00:27:47,140 that’s in some people and not in others, 460 00:27:47,140 –> 00:27:50,140 no, it’s a relationship of trust 461 00:27:50,140 –> 00:27:52,020 that is based on compelling evidence 462 00:27:52,020 –> 00:27:54,420 and that compelling evidence in regards 463 00:27:54,420 –> 00:27:56,699 to what God has said and what God has done, 464 00:27:56,699 –> 00:27:57,939 what God has promised, 465 00:27:57,939 –> 00:27:59,599 that is offered to every one of us. 466 00:27:59,599 –> 00:28:00,880 You can open it, that’s why we have 467 00:28:00,880 –> 00:28:02,739 the bible open in front of us. 468 00:28:02,739 –> 00:28:05,699 That’s how faith is formed. 469 00:28:07,219 –> 00:28:08,359 Come and see. 470 00:28:09,959 –> 00:28:12,300 Look at what He’s said. 471 00:28:12,300 –> 00:28:14,739 Listen to what He promised. 472 00:28:16,140 –> 00:28:18,380 Faith believes what God has revealed 473 00:28:18,380 –> 00:28:21,260 and trusts what God has promised. 474 00:28:23,599 –> 00:28:26,239 Now, maybe there’s someone here today 475 00:28:26,239 –> 00:28:30,439 who says, well, yeah, you don’t understand, pastor. 476 00:28:30,439 –> 00:28:32,099 I don’t trust. 477 00:28:33,420 –> 00:28:35,380 I can’t trust. 478 00:28:37,619 –> 00:28:39,300 But let me ask you this. 479 00:28:40,239 –> 00:28:41,660 Why don’t you trust? 480 00:28:43,520 –> 00:28:48,400 See, your distrust is based on compelling evidence, 481 00:28:49,599 –> 00:28:52,439 the compelling evidence of your own experience, 482 00:28:53,280 –> 00:28:56,300 what other people have said, what other people have done. 483 00:28:56,300 –> 00:28:58,439 You have seen that other people let you down, 484 00:28:58,439 –> 00:29:01,520 and from that compelling and repeated evidence in your life, 485 00:29:01,520 –> 00:29:03,099 you have drawn a conclusion 486 00:29:03,099 –> 00:29:05,140 which is that you will not trust. 487 00:29:06,099 –> 00:29:10,239 Your distrust is based on the compelling evidence 488 00:29:10,239 –> 00:29:12,640 of your own experience. 489 00:29:14,140 –> 00:29:19,140 But can you see today that faith is also based 490 00:29:19,459 –> 00:29:21,540 on compelling evidence, 491 00:29:21,540 –> 00:29:24,500 not the evidence of your experience 492 00:29:25,579 –> 00:29:27,920 but the evidence of Scripture? 493 00:29:29,359 –> 00:29:31,920 And God invites you today 494 00:29:31,920 –> 00:29:34,939 to come out of your broken world 495 00:29:34,939 –> 00:29:37,000 with all of its disappointments 496 00:29:37,000 –> 00:29:40,359 and discover a new and different world. 497 00:29:40,359 –> 00:29:42,459 He invites you to look away 498 00:29:42,459 –> 00:29:44,280 from what other people have done 499 00:29:44,280 –> 00:29:46,239 and what other people have said 500 00:29:46,239 –> 00:29:50,079 and to find hope in what God has said 501 00:29:51,599 –> 00:29:53,660 and in what God has done. 502 00:29:55,079 –> 00:29:57,180 And then in this chapter that we’re going to follow 503 00:29:57,180 –> 00:29:58,339 in the coming weeks, 504 00:29:58,339 –> 00:30:01,439 he also invites us to look at other people 505 00:30:01,439 –> 00:30:04,859 like Abel and Enoch and Noah 506 00:30:04,859 –> 00:30:08,260 and Abraham and Sarah and Isaac 507 00:30:08,260 –> 00:30:12,479 and Jacob and Joseph and Moses and Rahab 508 00:30:12,479 –> 00:30:15,640 and to see that they believed 509 00:30:17,260 –> 00:30:19,079 what God revealed 510 00:30:19,079 –> 00:30:20,439 and they trusted 511 00:30:21,839 –> 00:30:24,079 what God has promised. 512 00:30:25,219 –> 00:30:26,439 And that is remarkable, 513 00:30:26,439 –> 00:30:28,859 because these people also, 514 00:30:28,859 –> 00:30:30,520 when we look at their stories, 515 00:30:30,599 –> 00:30:32,239 we’re gonna see in this series 516 00:30:32,239 –> 00:30:34,579 that they also were broken, 517 00:30:34,579 –> 00:30:36,599 they also were abused, 518 00:30:36,599 –> 00:30:39,199 they also had been let down. 519 00:30:40,180 –> 00:30:41,219 I mean, honestly, 520 00:30:41,219 –> 00:30:45,800 who would you trust if you were Rahab 521 00:30:45,800 –> 00:30:48,459 and had been abused in the way that she was? 522 00:30:49,479 –> 00:30:50,500 Who would you trust 523 00:30:50,500 –> 00:30:53,119 if you had been lied to like Sarah? 524 00:30:54,060 –> 00:30:55,280 Who would you trust 525 00:30:55,280 –> 00:30:58,680 if you had been falsely accused like Joseph? 526 00:30:58,719 –> 00:31:01,959 And yet despite all of their brokenness, 527 00:31:01,959 –> 00:31:04,400 despite all of their experience, 528 00:31:04,400 –> 00:31:06,800 these people believed 529 00:31:06,800 –> 00:31:09,739 and their faith was based on compelling evidence 530 00:31:09,739 –> 00:31:12,300 and the same evidence is available to you 531 00:31:12,300 –> 00:31:13,719 right now in the scriptures. 532 00:31:14,640 –> 00:31:15,959 That’s why there’s hope for you. 533 00:31:15,959 –> 00:31:18,420 There’s more than your broken world. 534 00:31:20,880 –> 00:31:24,260 Faith is not a capacity that some people are born with. 535 00:31:25,199 –> 00:31:27,599 Faith involves a personal trust 536 00:31:27,599 –> 00:31:30,040 that is based on compelling evidence 537 00:31:30,040 –> 00:31:31,459 that is given to you and to me 538 00:31:31,459 –> 00:31:33,380 and to all people in the scripture. 539 00:31:34,699 –> 00:31:36,119 Third and last, 540 00:31:37,040 –> 00:31:41,420 faith will enable you to endure 541 00:31:41,420 –> 00:31:43,500 under unrelenting pressure. 542 00:31:44,380 –> 00:31:46,319 How wonderful this is and how much we need it. 543 00:31:46,319 –> 00:31:49,540 That’s why we’re coming to Hebrews and Chapter 11 544 00:31:49,540 –> 00:31:50,739 in these weeks. 545 00:31:52,359 –> 00:31:54,800 This chapter offers what I would describe 546 00:31:54,800 –> 00:31:58,540 as robust encouragement. 547 00:31:58,540 –> 00:32:00,500 It really is robust. 548 00:32:01,479 –> 00:32:04,979 And I find that I need this chapter 549 00:32:04,979 –> 00:32:08,719 especially when I’m feeling sorry for myself. 550 00:32:09,760 –> 00:32:12,599 And I expect that there are times when you need this too. 551 00:32:14,199 –> 00:32:16,339 Remember that these chapters were first written 552 00:32:16,339 –> 00:32:18,140 to Jewish believers who had endured 553 00:32:18,140 –> 00:32:19,959 a really, really rough time 554 00:32:19,959 –> 00:32:23,479 as many of us are enduring tough times today. 555 00:32:23,479 –> 00:32:26,020 So let me just in these last couple of minutes 556 00:32:26,020 –> 00:32:27,560 give you a kind of overview 557 00:32:27,560 –> 00:32:30,160 of the whole of this section of the Bible 558 00:32:30,160 –> 00:32:32,760 from the end of chapter 10 all the way through chapter 11 559 00:32:32,760 –> 00:32:34,420 and all the way through chapter 12 560 00:32:34,420 –> 00:32:36,520 because it’s really one section 561 00:32:36,520 –> 00:32:39,000 that has one central message 562 00:32:39,000 –> 00:32:41,479 and it goes something like this. 563 00:32:41,479 –> 00:32:44,880 These are difficult days for you. 564 00:32:46,160 –> 00:32:47,599 Chapter 10 verse 32, 565 00:32:47,599 –> 00:32:51,339 you’ve come through a lot since you came to faith in Jesus. 566 00:32:52,319 –> 00:32:54,500 Chapter 10 verse 34, 567 00:32:54,500 –> 00:32:57,180 you’ve come through it with great resilience, 568 00:32:58,359 –> 00:33:01,660 but here’s the thing you’re not done yet. 569 00:33:02,599 –> 00:33:05,020 You’ve got a long way still to go 570 00:33:05,020 –> 00:33:07,099 and verse 36 of chapter 10, 571 00:33:07,099 –> 00:33:09,839 what you need is endurance. 572 00:33:09,839 –> 00:33:13,420 The only way you’re going to get endurance is by faith, 573 00:33:14,319 –> 00:33:16,560 my righteous one shall live by faith. 574 00:33:16,560 –> 00:33:19,239 Verse 38 so here’s what you need to grasp, 575 00:33:19,319 –> 00:33:22,520 faith is the assurance of things hoped for, 576 00:33:22,520 –> 00:33:24,979 the conviction of things not seen, 577 00:33:24,979 –> 00:33:27,439 faith believes what God has revealed 578 00:33:27,439 –> 00:33:30,199 and trusts what God has promised. 579 00:33:31,160 –> 00:33:33,800 Now think about what faith has enabled 580 00:33:33,800 –> 00:33:35,180 other people to endure. 581 00:33:36,280 –> 00:33:39,260 I mean, you’ve had your property plundered, 582 00:33:39,260 –> 00:33:41,280 but chapter 11 and verse 38, 583 00:33:41,280 –> 00:33:43,119 there are other people who were reduced 584 00:33:43,119 –> 00:33:46,040 to living in dens and in caves. 585 00:33:46,760 –> 00:33:49,599 You’ve been mocked and laughed at and insulted, 586 00:33:49,599 –> 00:33:51,839 made to feel that you’re outside the mainstream 587 00:33:51,839 –> 00:33:53,479 and all of that, but others, 588 00:33:53,479 –> 00:33:57,680 chapter 11 verse 37, have been sawn in two. 589 00:33:59,699 –> 00:34:03,160 And think about Jesus, and what He had to endure, 590 00:34:03,160 –> 00:34:07,040 chapter 12 and verse 3, He was nailed to a cross. 591 00:34:09,000 –> 00:34:11,919 Now you have endured hard things and you have done well, 592 00:34:11,919 –> 00:34:13,479 but now you’re getting discouraged, 593 00:34:13,479 –> 00:34:15,959 so here’s what you need to remember. 594 00:34:15,959 –> 00:34:18,879 Chapter 12 and verse 4, in your struggle, 595 00:34:18,879 –> 00:34:20,979 you have not yet got to the point 596 00:34:20,979 –> 00:34:23,639 of having to shed your blood, 597 00:34:23,639 –> 00:34:24,979 but other people have 598 00:34:26,199 –> 00:34:28,360 and they have believed what God has revealed 599 00:34:28,360 –> 00:34:30,100 and trusted what God has promised 600 00:34:30,100 –> 00:34:32,199 and by faith, they endured. 601 00:34:33,239 –> 00:34:35,419 So here’s what you have to do. 602 00:34:35,419 –> 00:34:37,500 You must run with endurance the race 603 00:34:37,500 –> 00:34:40,540 that is set before you, chapter 12 and verse 2. 604 00:34:40,540 –> 00:34:43,159 You must keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. 605 00:34:43,159 –> 00:34:45,479 You must remember all that He endured 606 00:34:45,479 –> 00:34:48,520 and think about the glory that now surrounds Him 607 00:34:48,520 –> 00:34:50,040 and one day will surround you. 608 00:34:51,379 –> 00:34:53,679 And so chapter 12 and verse 12, 609 00:34:53,679 –> 00:34:56,719 lift up your drooping hands 610 00:34:56,719 –> 00:34:59,360 and strengthen your weak knees. 611 00:35:01,120 –> 00:35:04,580 Because chapter 12 verse 24 you belong to Jesus 612 00:35:05,560 –> 00:35:08,560 and He is the mediator of a better covenant 613 00:35:09,639 –> 00:35:12,040 and chapter 12 verse 28, 614 00:35:12,040 –> 00:35:13,959 you are receiving a kingdom 615 00:35:14,239 –> 00:35:16,419 that cannot be shaken. 616 00:35:17,260 –> 00:35:18,260 Let’s pray together. 617 00:35:20,379 –> 00:35:24,120 Father, we are so grateful that You have revealed Yourself, 618 00:35:24,120 –> 00:35:27,800 You have spoken, You have made great and precious promises 619 00:35:27,800 –> 00:35:30,500 so that we might have faith. 620 00:35:33,459 –> 00:35:38,360 Grandfather, that in your great kindness, 621 00:35:39,699 –> 00:35:42,800 we may be strengthened in faith 622 00:35:43,179 –> 00:35:45,360 in these difficult days, 623 00:35:46,699 –> 00:35:48,780 as we take in, in a fresh way, 624 00:35:48,780 –> 00:35:51,739 what You have revealed and what You have promised. 625 00:35:53,419 –> 00:35:57,679 Hear our prayers and grant to us endurance 626 00:35:58,739 –> 00:36:01,699 for these things we ask in and through our Savior, 627 00:36:01,699 –> 00:36:05,600 Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.