Hebrews 11:8-16

[0:00] In the book of Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 11, pretty familiar chapter 13, if you're a bible reader, if you're a bible reader, if you're a bible reader, if you're a bible reader, if you're a bible reader, if you're a bible reader, if you're a bible reader, if you're a bible reader, if you're a bible reader, if you're a bible reader, if you're a bible reader, if you're a bible reader, if you're a bible reader, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're a bible, if you're patriarchs and people in the scriptures are mentioned in this.

[0:35] And of course, it's talking about their faith. Hebrews 11 is where we find the term that we hear quoted so often that faith cometh, or not faith cometh by hearing.

[0:49] That's in Romans 10, ain't it? But faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. However, in Romans 10, it does say that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

[1:04] And that applies just as much to saved people as it does to lost people. But Hebrews 11 is also where we find that without faith, it is impossible to please God.

[1:16] So we have to have faith in order to please God, to please the creator of the universe. But in Hebrews 11 and the first several verses, we find references to Abel, and we find a reference to Enoch and their faith, and how Abel gave the offering that was pleasing to God.

[1:41] His was a better sacrifice according to the scripture. That's not according to my interpretation of the scripture. That's what the scripture actually says. That Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain did.

[1:55] And there's a lot of people who would argue that, but folks, that's the word of God. If you want to argue that, argue with God about it. You know, that's just, that's what the Bible says. And people have an issue with that.

[2:07] But Enoch, if we should know the account of Enoch, Enoch, the Bible says that he walked with God and was not, because God took him. And talks about the faith of Enoch.

[2:19] And talks about his faith is why that happened. His faith in God. Well, what faith did they have? What faith did Abel have? What faith did Enoch have? Folks, really and truly, it boils down to the same faith that you and I have.

[2:35] If you're sitting here and you're born again today, we have faith in what God has said. We have faith in the word of God and the things that God has promised. And that's kind of what we're going to be preaching about this morning out of the book of Hebrews in chapter 11.

[2:53] After we see these examples that the writer to the Hebrews gives, and the examples of their faith. And I say the writer to the Hebrews, because no one knows for certain who wrote the book of Hebrews.

[3:08] It does not tell us. The Bible doesn't tell us the letter itself. It does not tell us. So if your Bible happens to have a header that says the letter to the Hebrews from the Apostle Paul, no one knows that for certain.

[3:22] Could it have been Paul? Absolutely. Could it have been Peter? Absolutely. Could it have been any number of people? Absolutely. But we don't know for sure. But we do know that there was a writer to the Hebrews.

[3:33] He wrote to the Jewish people. And there's two main themes, if you'd like to call it that, in the book of Hebrews. Two main purposes, I guess you could say, in the book of Hebrews.

[3:44] One is to show the priesthood of Jesus Christ, which the book of Hebrews does a wonderful job of doing that. But it's also written as a letter of warning to the Jews, to the Hebrew people.

[3:56] Hence its title. Because these Hebrews, they had accepted Jesus Christ. They had heard the gospel. They had repented of their ways.

[4:07] They had received salvation. But they were in danger of falling back into religion. They were in danger of falling back into a set of rules and regulations.

[4:20] Falling back into the law and trying to follow the law in order to please God. Folks, the only way to please God, as I said in the book of Hebrews in chapter 11, this same chapter, is by having faith.

[4:32] Without faith, it is impossible to please God. We can't do it by following a set of rules. We can't do it by not murdering.

[4:43] We can't do it by not lying, by not stealing. You can turn to Exodus 20 and read the Ten Commandments. That is not how we please God. The Bible says, He is pleased for all of sin and come short of the glory of God.

[4:55] So it's impossible for us to please God. So how is God pleased? He is pleased with the finished work of His Son, Jesus Christ, on Calvary's cross. And that's the only thing that He is pleased with.

[5:08] So when we have faith in that finished work of Jesus Christ, God is not so much pleased with us as He is with His Son. And if we stand in Christ and Christ is in us, and we stand before God in that state, we will be fine and we will be safe.

[5:25] And God will be well pleased because He is well pleased with His Son. Is that not what was said? What God said Himself at the baptism of John when He dips Jesus down in the water.

[5:38] He says, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. He is well pleased with Jesus Christ. He is well pleased with His work. So we have these examples of faith here in Hebrews in chapter 11.

[5:52] We're going to pick up at verse 8 and read several verses here, probably through about verse 16. And then we'll back back up and expound on that for just a little while. So Hebrews chapter 11, beginning with verse 8, says, By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed, and he went out not knowing whither he went.

[6:17] By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.

[6:29] For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child.

[6:42] And when she was, and I'm sorry, when she was, let me start that verse over. I apologize. Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised.

[7:01] Therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead. So many as the stars of the sky in multitude and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable.

[7:13] These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having them afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

[7:25] For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country and truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

[7:39] But now they desire a better country that is in heavenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city.

[7:50] Back to verse 8. By faith Abraham, when he was called out to go into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed. And he went out not knowing whither he went.

[8:04] So it is by faith that Abraham did this. And if you back up to the verses preceding this, it was by faith that Enoch was translated.

[8:15] It was by faith that Abel offered the better sacrifice than Cain. And if you move forward from this passage that we just read here in these Scriptures, it's by faith that Moses did the things that he did.

[8:29] It was by faith that David done the things that he did. It's by faith that all these people did the things that they did regardless of what they were. If it was spiritual and if it was with their thought and their heart being set on heavenly things, it was by faith that they done these things and by faith alone that they done these.

[8:50] Folks, we don't see people that come to God and do things for God, do things for the church, do things to the glory of God without having faith.

[9:04] It's kind of ridiculous to think that people would do that. People say, people say, well, as I said before in Romans 10, it says, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

[9:17] And the Bible says, all I have to do is believe and I can be saved. And there is some truth to that, yes. But the Bible says, Jesus says it Himself in the Gospel of Mark in chapter 1, that it's not only by faith but it is by repentance.

[9:33] The very first words Jesus Christ ever preached was, repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. So repentance is part of this salvation thing.

[9:43] If you truly believe that Jesus Christ is who the Bible says that He is, if you truly believe that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God, if you truly believe all the aspects of Christ including the fact that He will come back as judge one day, this will drive you to repentance.

[10:02] It will drive you to repentance of your sin, repentance of your wickedness, repentance of your rebellion against God, repentance of the darkness that is within your life that was within your life if you have been saved.

[10:16] True faith in Jesus Christ will drive you to repentance. People that don't truly believe that Jesus Christ is coming back as judge, one of these days they will not repent of their ways.

[10:27] They do not repent of their ways. These are the people that say that God is love and I praise God that we find in the book of 1 John that God is indeed love but God is also a God of wrath, He is a God of fury, He is a God of judgment and He is a God of vengeance.

[10:44] The Bible says vengeance is mine saith the Lord I will recompense. So if we don't repent of our ways it's because we don't have true faith and without true faith it is impossible to please God.

[10:58] This man Abraham here in Hebrews 11 and chapter 8 the Bible teaches that he went out because of the promise that God had made him. If you flip over to Genesis and chapter 12 we find where God had made this promise to Abraham He said you need to get out of this land that you're in get out of Ur of the Chaldees you get out of this land you leave your family you leave everything that you know and you go to a land that I am promising to you you go to this land and I will multiply your seed as the sand of the seashore as the stars of the heaven this is the promise that God made unto Abraham but folks what we need to understand is that he was telling Abraham you leave everything behind folks this was the gospel in the Old Testament the gospel call is to leave everything that we know leave everything that we've known all of our lives whether you get saved when you're 10 years old or you get saved when you're 110 years old it doesn't matter all we know up to the point that we get saved is a life of sin is a life of rebellion is a life of hatred for the things of God a life of despising the word of God that's all that we know up to the point that we get saved and Jesus Christ looks down and he says you leave these things behind you leave your dependence upon the world behind leave your comforts of the world behind leave all of these things behind and you follow me hallelujah that's the gospel call the gospel call is to leave everything behind

[12:39] I'm not saying husbands that we should go home and forsake our wives and our children and I'm certainly not saying that wives and mothers should go home and say I'm finished with you I'm done I'm out of here for lack of better terms because I'm following God I'm not saying that in the least but folks that is what God was telling Abraham Abraham took Sarah with him did he not?

[13:05] so God wasn't telling Abraham you leave your wife behind he took Sarah with him on this pilgrimage to the promised land now where Abraham messed up we won't get too deep into it right now but he also took Lot who was his nephew he took Lot along with him God says leave it all behind leave family behind leave everything that you know behind leave the comforts of this world behind behind you got to understand this area that Abraham was in in Mesopotamia folks it was an area that was prosperous it was just bowling over with prosperity there was money there there was goods there there were people there and God is telling him you leave out of all of this and you go to a land that I'm promising you and the Bible says here in Hebrews 11 and verse 8 that he knew not where he was going Abraham had no clue where God was sending him to but folks we have the entirety of Scripture we have the closed canon of Scripture we know where God's taken us to he's taken us to a place that we call glory sometimes he's taken us to a place that's sometimes called Beulah land he's taken us to a place that's called heaven he's taken us to a place where in Revelation 21 and 4 it says there'll be no more dying there there'll be no more suffering there there'll be no more weeping there

[14:33] God will wipe away all tears from their eyes that's the land that we're going to and it's a land that Abraham was also seeking that had foundations and whose builder and maker was God this is the land that God has promised us so we know at least we know where we're going to God looked down upon Abraham and he commanded him to leave everything and everyone that he knew behind and go to this land do you understand what faith that takes do you understand the dangers that would have been before Abraham Abraham would have understood this Abraham knew that it was very dangerous for him to go out there he was there in Mesopotamia with his family family and folks we all know that there is strength in numbers and God was telling him you leave it all behind you put yourself in the way of the marauders you put yourself in the way of thieves you put yourself in the way of murderers you put yourself out there in the desert not knowing where you're going but you trust me and folks we are pilgrims and strangers in this world and we are to trust

[15:46] God just as Abraham trusted God we know what city we're going to we have descriptions of it not very many descriptions but we have descriptions within the pages of scripture of the city that God has taken us to and we know that's a promise that he has made to all those that have repented of their ways and believed on his son Jesus Christ and believed on his gospel believed in the good news that although we were sinners that Christ is the Savior and God will save our souls to everyone who will repent of their ways and everyone that calls upon the name of Jesus Christ they shall be saved and they're promised this city and people look at this and they think on those things and they think that's nothing more than a fairy tale folks I've taught that for 33 years of my life I thought the Bible was a fairy tale I didn't believe it I didn't believe the church I didn't believe the preachers I didn't believe the hymns

[16:46] I didn't believe any of it but God took me out to the woodshed one day and God wore me out and I praise God for that and I've been on my way to that heavenly city ever since ever since and it's by faith that that's made possible and faith is a gift from God is it not?

[17:07] you read that in Ephesians chapter 2 Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus that we are not saved by our works we don't have salvation because of our works he says it is a gift of God it is a gift of God that we have faith it's a gift of God that we have repentance for without God granting those things to us we would have none of it it is all due to God salvation is of God the Bible teaches that salvation is of the Lord and that the Lord is salvation it is completely totally and utterly of Him and I give Him praise that He looked down upon me and has looked down upon every undeserving sinner that has ever walked a planet that has ever repented and believed the gospel He looked down and He said follow Me you go the way that I tell you to go you go the way of Jesus Christ for this is the way of salvation Christ says in John 14 and 6 I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the Father but by me

[18:09] He is the way and He is the only way that has ever been of salvation and you might say well what about Abraham here Abraham never even knew the name Jesus Christ how did he get saved without faith in Jesus Christ Abraham knew what the Word of God was because God spoke directly to Abraham and the Bible says in Genesis 15 and later on in the New Testament Abraham believed God and that was counted to Him for righteousness it has always been by faith it has always been all faith it is believing what the Word of God says it is believing what God has said Himself and God says that everyone that repents and believes the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be saved I believe that I believe what the Word of God says just like Abraham believed what the Word of God said now on to verse 9 on to verse 9 by faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob the heirs with him of the same promise for he looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God he sojourned in the land of promise folks

[19:22] Abraham got to that land he got to the land that God had promised but do you know all the way through the scriptural account all the way through the scriptural account God had promised him this land will be your land this land is going to be the land that I'm going to give to your descendants Abraham was made this promise that it would be that God was going to make a nation out of his seed and Abraham the only the only plot of land that Abraham ever owned in the promised land was a cave that he bought to bury his wife that's all he ever owned of it it says that he sojourned in the land in other words he moved from place to place within the land he was truly a pilgrim but he was a pilgrim in the promised land but folks this gives us a wonderful portrait of how we are to live in this present world that we live in we are not to live here like this is our permanent dwelling we are not to live here like we are tied down by the things of this world by the temporal comforts that we have in this world

[20:31] Abraham it says that he dwelt in tabernacles with Isaac and with Jacob meaning that they dwelt in tents they moved from place to place Abraham knew that wherever he went that was not his permanent place but God had promised a permanent place he had promised a permanent city that's why the Bible says he was seeking a city that had foundations folks there's no foundation underneath the tabernacle there's no foundation underneath the tent a tent is made to sit down for just a little while and then move on to the next place but he was looking for a place with foundations and my Bible describes heaven as a place with foundations it's a place that's permanent folks and that's what Abraham was looking for he was looking for permanence he was looking for the land for the city for the country that God had promised him and he died never seeing that he died never seeing his seed multiply quite the way that God had promised but his promise came through regardless

[21:37] God's promises are true they are steadfast you can bank on them you can they are guaranteed if God promises that something will come to pass it will come to pass at the very end of chapter 10 in the book of Hebrews right there in the last couple of verses the Bible says he that shall come will come and will not tarry speaking of course of Jesus Christ speaking of his return for his church folks that is a promise straight from the scriptures and if the scriptures say that Jesus Christ is coming back for his people I promise you it will happen one day after a while and when he comes back for his people he's taking them back to be with him forever and again in John 14 what does he say Jesus himself right there in the first few verses of John 14 says let not your hearts be troubled you believe God believe also in me I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place for you

[22:37] I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also Jesus promises his disciples then that he is going to prepare a place for them that he is going to prepare a place for them and if he's doing that hey he's not going to he's not going to just prepare it and leave it sitting up there for no one to inhabit he says I will come again and receive ye unto myself that where I am there ye may be also we are guaranteed in the scriptures and that promise to those disciples in John 14 is a promise that transfers and fast forwards to us the church of today 2000 years after Jesus Christ spoke those words it applies just as much to us the current believers in Christ as it did to the disciples when Jesus first spake those words verse verse 11 through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed it was through faith that she done what that she received strength in other words she didn't have the strength to do it folks if you're a bible reader at all you should know from the accounts in Genesis you should know that

[24:06] Abraham was about 100 years old when Isaac was born Sarah was about 90 years old when Isaac was born it says through faith she received strength through faith she received power how often do you think honestly how often do you think that Sarah prayed for a son I think it was quite often myself I think she had prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed until finally one day she may have just gave up and quit praying about it but God heard those prayers that she was making God heard those prayers but why was Sarah praying for a son why would she have been praying for a son because there was a promise made to her husband Abraham or Abraham a little bit later on there was a promise made to him and so this son would not just have been for for Sarah's pleasure it wouldn't have just been for her to be a mother per se it was because there was a promise that was made and she wanted to be in line with the promise that was made to her husband

[25:14] Abraham she wanted to be in line with the will of God and it says by faith she received strength to conceive and to bear a child folks this is another beautiful picture of what exactly the gospel of Jesus Christ actually does Sarah being 90 years old her womb was dead there was nothing that there was nothing that any man could have done to have brought life out of something that was dead to have brought a living being a new image bearer of God out of her dead womb but God could look down and God could touch and God could do whatever he will please to make this happen and it's by faith that she received strength to conceive but not only to conceive but to bear a child at 90 years old and folks will look at this and they'll say well folks back then you know they aged longer folks the bible plainly says that she was past her child bearing years and it speaks of Abraham as an old man here in fact in verse 12 therefore spring there even of one and him as good as dead who is the him that is talking about here it's talking about Abraham he was as good as dead in other words he couldn't do anything to help

[26:34] Sarah conceive a child but God looked down upon them he said I've made them a promise and it is my due time at this point and Sarah is going to conceive she's going to bring forth a child named Isaac and Isaac is going to bring forth Jacob Jacob will bring forth the 12 tribes of Israel and this will be the great nation that I promised to my man Abraham and all these things have happened and we're still seeing the effects of that are we not is Israel not a nation are there not still Jews in the world have they not multiplied greatly Abraham never saw any of that but he died in faith he died in faith that God would fulfill his promise folks there may be lost people you prayed for for years there may there may be sick people you prayed for for days or for weeks or for months and it is up to God where those sick people get healed granted but don't give up your praying don't give up your praying again

[27:35] Sarah was 90 Abraham was 100 but God came through on his promise for them he came through if he promises that it will happen it will happen therefore spring there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the stars of the sky and multitude and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable therefore this happened therefore God looked down by faith Sarah received strength to conceive a son and therefore spring there spring all these people this nation the Hebrews the Jews the nation of Israel sprang from one that was as good as dead according to the scripture all because of what it wasn't in Sarah's strength that she was able to conceive and it wasn't in Abraham's strength or power that he was able to do anything to help her conceive it was because of the promise that God had made them it was completely utterly and totally of God that this thing happened and continues to happen to this day and folks another another picture of the gospel in all this another picture of the gospel of Jesus

[28:47] Christ there's people being added daily to the family of God we may not see it very much here or in this region or in this church or whatever the case is but there are people all over the globe that are added to the family of God and God God has spread his family worldwide I've said many times I have brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ that wear turbans on their heads people that wear rags for clothing people that don't wear shoes I've got them in this country and that country literally all over the world I've got brothers and sisters in Christ and we have one common ground and that is faith in Jesus Christ and faith in his atoning death faith in the death the burial and the resurrection of our Savior that's the common ground that we have we may not speak the same language we may not have the same skin color we may not have any variety of things in common but we have one thing in common and that is Jesus

[29:48] Christ and that is faith in the word of God they have called out upon the name of God and upon the name of the Lord just as I called out upon the name of the Lord and they were saved just as I was saved that's the common ground that we have there these all died in faith not having not having received the promises but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth these all died in faith who are the all this all would actually go all the way back to Abel who is the first one that is brought up in Hebrews in chapter 11 we could go all the way back that far but in this immediate context that we're reading right now we'd be talking about Abraham Sarah Isaac and Jacob that died in faith but we could go all the way back to Abel but regardless they all died in faith they all died in faith not having received the promises folks does the

[30:54] Bible not teach us that God hears the prayers of his people you can believe that you can not believe it but the Bible teaches it so I choose to believe it God hears the prayers of his people the Bible says in the book of James the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much God hears the prayers of his people we may not see those answers though but keep praying keep praying keep praying that those lost loved ones come to know Christ keep praying that people are healed keep praying that God's gospel goes forth for the gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation if the gospel is not going forth folks nobody's going to get saved according to what I read in the scriptures they cannot be saved without the gospel being going forth because it is the gospel that is the power of God unto salvation and if you're refraining from putting the gospel out what does Paul write to the church at Corinth he says if the gospel be hid it is hid unto them that are lost not unto them that are saved we've already got the gospel it's hidden to them that are lost and why would we hide it what makes us think that we were deserving of the gospel what makes us think that we were deserving of salvation and someone else isn't well they're murderers

[32:15] Spencer they're they're this Spencer they're that Spencer they're adulterers they're fornicators they're drug heads they're pill heads they're prostitutes Jesus told that religious bunch in the gospel that the harlots and the publicans would enter into the kingdom of God before the religious bunch would before the Pharisees would before the chief priests would before the scribes would why because the harlots and the publicans are the ones that believe John's gospel of repentance that he was preaching we don't deserve salvation we don't deserve to be saved you don't deserve it I don't deserve it your children don't deserve it your grandchildren don't deserve it none of us deserve it we are all born into sin we are all shaped in in in in!

[33:03] sin and come short of the glory of God and for the wages of sin is death but God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord we all deserve death and we not only deserve a death in this world which we live in right now a physical death but folks we deserve the eternal death that goes on forever and forever and forever where we will eternal where people will eternally die in a place called hell hell is a real place the Bible describes it as a place of outer darkness it describes it as a place where there's weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth it describes it as a place as a bottomless pit there are multiple descriptions of hell in the Bible and it's described more and it's talked about more often than heaven ever is in the scripture showing us yet another warning but here it says these all died in faith having not received the promises but they died in faith they died believing the word of God they died believing the promise that God had made unto Abraham they died believing these things and folks we need to die believing the word of God whether we die today whether we die tomorrow or whether we die 40 years from now we need to die believing the promise that Jesus

[34:27] Christ is Lord believing the promise that God has made to everyone that repents and believes the gospel that he will save them and believing that there is a city whose builder and maker is God verse 14 for they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country they that say what things they that say say what things it says here again in verse 13 these all died in faith not having received the promise but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth they believed the promises of God although they didn't see him when Abraham stepped out of the land of Hurd and he went out into the desert not knowing exactly where he was going not knowing the exact path that he would go on exactly how long it might take him to get there not knowing any of those things he was doing as we sing from the hymnal so many times he was standing on the promises of God and he believed these things and he confessed these things he embraced these things why because they were of

[35:41] God and they were from God the Bible says in the book of James in chapter 1 every good and every perfect gift cometh down from the father of lights this was a good and perfect gift that was granted unto Abraham why would he not trust in it and why would he not go gleefully!

[35:58] out into the desert folks God promises to be with us Jesus said lo I am with you always even to the end the book of Hebrews in the very last chapter in the book of Hebrews chapter 13 we find that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever if it was a promise made to Abraham and Jesus was there when Abraham was if it was a promise made to Moses and Jesus was there when Moses was if it was a promise made to Daniel if it was a promise made to Jeremiah to Isaiah if it was a promise made to Moleque if it was a promise made to Haggai if it was a promise made to Habakkuk if it was a promise made to any of these prophets and made to the disciples in Jesus' time here on earth.

[36:39] And Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Why can we not bank on those same promises? Why can we not have faith in that guarantee?

[36:51] They that say such things declare plainly they seek a country. They that confess that they believe God. We are confessing to the world that we are seeking another country.

[37:03] Seeking a better country. That's something that you find throughout the pages of the letter to the Hebrews. It's the word better. You see it used several times over.

[37:14] And that's something else that He was trying to get across to them. There's better things out there. There's better things available. Folks, this is not all that there is. I praise God.

[37:25] I am promised in the Scripture that one of these days I'm going to die. I'm going to be put six feet under. But one day, there's going to be a time when the grave will open up, when Christ will take out a body.

[37:39] But He ain't going to take out this body. And I thank God for that because this body is breaking down. I'll have no need for this eye patch. I'll have no need for this insulin pump. I'll have no need for eyeglasses.

[37:50] I won't have to pop a cup of pills every night before I go to bed. I won't need any of these things because I have a body that is lock and fashion unto the Son of Man who is Jesus Christ.

[38:03] And every one of us have that promise in Scripture. If we have put our faith in Him and we have believed and we have trusted in the Word of God. Verse 15, And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from which they came out, they might have had opportunity to return.

[38:20] If. That's a big if. Here in verse 15. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from which they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

[38:32] Folks, Abraham and Sarah could have turned around and went back to Mesopotamia any time that they wanted to. They could have went back to the creature comforts.

[38:44] They could have went back to where they knew there was food, where they knew there was family, where they knew there was this and they knew there was that. Where there was strength in numbers as we said earlier.

[38:55] They could have turned around and went back to that at any time. But they chose not to. They persevered. They continued on. They pressed forward.

[39:07] Just as Paul writes. He says, I pressed forward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus. They were pressing forward. Why? Not in their own strength. Not in their own power.

[39:18] But because of the promise that God, whom they had faith in, had made. And folks, we can press forward in this thing called life. No matter how far down it gets us.

[39:29] No matter how depressed we might get. No matter how sad we get. No matter how angry we might get. No matter how sick we might get. We can press forward just as Abraham and Sarah did.

[39:40] And I guarantee things were a lot harder on them back in this day than they are on us right now. I guarantee they were.

[39:51] They lived in tents for goodness sake. Do any of you all live in a tent? I don't. Do any of us walk everywhere that we want to go? Or maybe ride a mule wherever we want to go?

[40:04] No. Everybody that's here this morning came in a vehicle. Came in a car. All we got to do is press one pedal to go and press another pedal to stop. They didn't have those luxuries. But they had some of these comforts back in Mesopotamia and not vehicles.

[40:21] But they had some comforts back there and they could have turned around and went back to that at any point. But they persevered because God had made a promise and they took God up on that promise.

[40:32] We can do the same thing. Verse 16 will be done. But now they desire a better country. That is in heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for He hath prepared for them a city.

[40:46] And the main part of this is if we link it to verse 15 that if they had been mindful of that country from which they came out they might have had opportunity to have returned but now they desire a better country that is in heavenly.

[41:01] That's great. That's wonderful. And I appreciate verse 15 and the beginning part of verse 16 here. But the main part of this in verse 16 is that is in heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God.

[41:20] Why? Because they believed Him. In other words God is ashamed of those that don't believe. And it's not a shame like you and I think of shame right now.

[41:32] Like we're ashamed of something that we've done. Or our kids might be ashamed of something they've done. Or grandkids whatever the case is. That's not the shame that we're talking about here. Jesus says in the gospel account He says if you're ashamed of me I'll be ashamed of you before my Father.

[41:51] In other words if you reject me I will reject you before my Father. And that's what we're talking about here. God is not ashamed to be called their God because they believe on Him.

[42:04] And God will not reject them as their God because they believed on Him. You want acceptance with God? You believe God.

[42:16] You want acceptance with God? You trust what God has said in His Word. This is the final word from God folks. Jesus Christ is the final word from God.

[42:28] Again in the book of Hebrews chapter 1 verse 1 God who at sundry times in a diverse manner talked unto us through the prophets talked unto us through dreams but half in these last days spoken to us by His Son Jesus Christ.

[42:43] Jesus is the last word from God. This Bible is what we have of God's revealed will for mankind and I praise God what Peter wrote that it's not his will that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

[42:57] It is be saved absolutely not because there's people out there right now like I used to be that are rejecting the gospel they reject the Bible they reject Christ they reject his atoning sacrifice they reject everything to do with God and if those people die in that rejection they will end up in a place called hell another guarantee straight from the scriptures but God here it says but now they desire a better country not the one that God had sent not Canaan and certainly not that little speck that's on the current map right now that we call Israel my goodness if you take the measurements if you take the dimensions that are given in the Bible of what the promised land is actually going to be it's an area that's a little bit bigger than the size of Texas that's not what they've got right now and God has promised that to his people the Jews will have that one of these days they don't have it right now nor have they had ever since that promise was made but God will come through on that promise now they desire a better country that is and heavenly they desire a heavenly country and that's the only way that we're going to have a country like the

[44:17] Bible described that's the only way we're going to have a new Jerusalem that's the only way that we're ever going to have a place where there is no weeping there is no crying there is no death there is no pain there is no sorrow is through God and through his promises and faith in his promises is our part of that wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God he is not ashamed to be called anyone's God who has put their faith in him for he has prepared for them a city this city is prepared by God and it is prepared for godly people it is prepared for those that have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and it is only prepared for them I think I mentioned the last time that I was here there's too many people that think that Jesus where the Bible says that he is mediating and intercessing on behalf of people he is and I praise God for that but it's only on behalf of saints that he's doing that it's only on behalf of people that have repented and have believed the gospel of Jesus

[45:23] Christ because he says in John 17 his own word was I pray not for the world he's not praying for those that reject him he's praying for those and he is intercessing for those that have accepted him and accepted his sacrifice that is what God is well pleased in and God has prepared a city for all of those that believe and trust on him and trust on the name of Jesus Christ and that is today's message God bless you all I appreciate your attention voy voy