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Redeeming Grace 237.
Rejoice, ye Saints, rejoice and praise the one they are.
Immigrating.
We have before some of the martyrs in the last meeting. I thought perhaps in this chapter it would give us some reasons of why one would go on and see how they walk by faith.
Chapter 11.
Now say is the substance of things hoped for the the evidence of things not seen, for by it the elders obtained a good report through faith. We understand that the world were framed by by the word of God, so that things which are seen are not made of things which do appear by faith.
Able offer unto God a more excellent sacrifice than King.
By which he obtained witness that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts.
And by it he being dead, yet speaker by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death, and was not found, because God had translated him. For before his translation he had his testimony that he pleased God, but without faith it is impossible to please him.
For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. My faith, Noah, being warned of God, of things not seen as yet moved with fear, prepare an ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
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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 whether he went 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 had foundations whose builder and maker is God. 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 therefore spring their even of one.
And him as good as dead. So many as the stars of the sky in multitude.
And at the sand, which is by the seashore innumerable.
These all died in faith, 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. 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. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He had prepared for them a city by faith, Abraham, when he was tried.
Offer of Isaac, and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten Son, of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
I can't think that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was a dying blessed for the sons of Joseph and worshiped leaning on the top of his staff.
By faith Joseph when he died may mention of the departing of the children of Israel, and gave commandment concerning his bones. By faith Moses when he was born was hit three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child, and they were not afraid of the King's commandment. By faith Moses when he was come to years.
Refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter.
Choosing rather just software affliction with the people of God, and to enjoy the pleasures of sin. Four Seasons it seemed the reproach of Christ's greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. For he has respect unto the recompense of the reward by faith He forsake Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as sin as seeing him.
Who is invisible through faith? He kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, lest he that destroyed the first born should touch them.
By faith they pass through the Red Sea, as by Drew Island, which the Egyptians saying to do were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven days. By faith the holy Rehab perished. Not with them that believed, not when she had received the spies with peace. And what shall I more say?
But the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barrack, and of Samson, and of Jason, David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stop the mouths of lions, quench the violence of fire, escape the edge of the sword.
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Out of weakness were made strong.
Waxed a valiant invite, turned to flight the armies of the aliens women received the dead rays to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they may obtain a better resurrection.
And others had trial of cruel markings and scourgings. Yeah, moreover upon and imprisonment.
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, where tempted were slain with the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in desert, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all having obtained a good report.
Through faith received not the promise, God having provided some better things for us.
That they without us should not be made perfect.
To find a Hall of Fame for this or that in Chicago, they have the broadcast Hall of Fame. And I know there's probably somewhere a baseball Hall of Fame and a football Hall of Fame. And uh, there's a various music halls of fame and so on with these places where they celebrate the lives of people who have, as far as the world is concerned, excelled in some area.
This is God's Hall of Fame.
It's going to outlast them all.
Every Hall of Fame on this earth is going to crumble, be forgotten.
But this is.
Recorded for eternity.
So we have characters here who?
In many ways didn't live exemplary lives. That is, in many ways overall they did. That's why they're here. But you can find failures in every life.
But they were distinguished.
By their faith and are distinguished for their faith. Faith honors God. It was the first problem in this world in the Garden of Eden. Man did not honor God by believing and acting responsibly according to what God had said. And so faith is this the opposite of that faith taking God of His word is He re He regards as a supreme honor.
So the question facing each of us this afternoon is.
How seriously do we take God's Word?
What does it mean to us? You know, there's no expe expression. Uh, beauty is as beauty does.
And faith is as faith does.
How seriously?
To what extent do we base our lives on what God has said?
John chapter 3 there was a real nice definition of faith.
Uh, we often turn to when we, when we read this chapter in Hebrews and it goes along, John, right with what you were saying.
Uh, John chapter 3 and verse 33.
It says, uh, he that has received his testimony has set to his seal that God is true.
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Faith always has to be based upon something.
And the, the validity of what it's based on, uh, will umm, be a test, as it were, as to, umm, the, the, the sureness of that faith. And our faith is based upon who God is and what he has said. So he that receiveth his testimony has set to his seal that God is true.
Everyone in Hebrews 11 That we're gonna read about had decided that God's testimony was worth believing and that what God said was true, and so they based their actions upon who God is.
And that's the basis for faith. Faith puts confidence in what is sure.
I like the example in Romans 4 of Abraham two along with what's been said if we read a few verses there in Romans 4 about Abraham.
Verse 16 It says therefore it is of faith, that it might be of grace.
To the end, the promise might be sure to all the seed.
Not As to that only which is of the law, but that which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, I have made thee father of many nations before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Who against hope? This is Abraham believed in hope.
That he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead.
When he was about 100 years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. He staggered naughty at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.
And being fully persuaded that which he had promised, he was able also to perform. It's a beautiful example here of Abraham and his faith and the explanation of it. He believed what God had said, and he said it to seal as God is true. And in testing it was tried, but he believed God rather than circumstances, and God honored that.
And so, as it's been said, it glorifies God.
When we believe him.
Harveys translation uh it says God who quickeneth the dead. That means he gives life to the dead. That's.
Amazing in itself, but that's what God does. God gives life to the dead, and if you're a believer here, you're a living miracle.
God gives life to the dead and calls those things which be not. In other words, there are things that don't appear in reality, the reality we know.
As.
Darby's translation doesn't say if or though. It just simply says as being God calls the things that be, not as being God has.
An alternate reality that we're not aware of.
And God's faith is seeing things God's way, seeing things as God sees them. We can't see things the way God sees them by nature.
Only as God reveals them to us. God sees everything and he reveals a little bit of what he sees to us. And when we accept that vision, that's.
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That seeing things God's way.
When? When we accept that revelation from God.
Chapter begins in explaining to us what faith truly is, because without understanding the first verse, the rest of the examples are not really that important, is it? So we have to truly know what faith is that is thought of By telling us that faith is a substance of the things pulled forward or things that you hope for, you wanted to be able to substantiate that.
And evidence of things. And I believe that you are being used to crazy conviction of things not seen. So if you look at proofs first.
And that's what we call scientific. You need screws. Well, that's not faith. Faith is things that we don't see, but yet we believe.
Faith faith is a very important part of our Christian life. We find that it is by grace we are saying to faith and then we know that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So we see all these connections together and.
Above all, we can gain more faith, and we find that even the little measure of faith that we have is given from above, isn't it?
I struggled with this first for years, trying to understand that faith is the substance of things hoped for.
Or the conviction of things hoped for. And then I had a little interesting experience. I was working with a fellow named Brian.
Young fella and graduated from high school and came to work where I was working and had Bible truth publishers and as as soon as he saved up enough money he bought himself a nice motorcycle.
And he rode that motorcycle to to work for a year, and all of a sudden it disappeared.
And I said, Brian.
What happened to your motorcycle? And he said, well, you see, I wanna get married and I want a honeymoon.
What happened? He had met this girl named Laura out in New Jersey. That's where they live now. And he had a hope. Notice what the first says here. Faith is the substance of things hoped for.
So he had this hope.
And Laura made a promise.
That made that hope real to Brian. It substantiated that hope. It made it something he could work with.
That's when when Laura said I will, that hope became real. So Brian and he sold his motorcycle.
And when the hope?
That God has set me for us.
Becomes real. It changes our lives.
And the Football Hall of Fame or the Hockey Hall of Fame, whatever it might be, that's the reward, doesn't go beyond that. They may have some trophies in their cabinet, but.
Their Hall of Fame is it and here in Chapter 11 verse two it says for by it the elders obtained a good report.
All these people listed here, their faith wasn't just to receive a good report. There's something better, better for them.
Moses, he esteemed the riches of Christ greater riches, the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.
For he had He had respect unto the recompense of reward. There's reward coming for them in verse 35.
They didn't want to receive deliverance because that they might obtain a better resurrection. There's a there's a better thing for them. Maybe they haven't received it yet, but there's a they, they that hope LED them all the way through their life and it kept them. And even in death, they still have that assurance that there's going to be a better resurrection. They're going to be made perfect.
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So that's why we can sing before we get there.
I was struck with what was read this morning about Hannah, how she prayed and she was sorrowful and grieved. She had no son as soon as she got the re the word from the prophet or Eli the priest rather.
She was no more sad.
That was faith, wasn't it? She believed what had been said. She had the evidence of things not seen. The word of the priest said the Lord give it to you and and it changed her. That's fake.
If we wait till we get it, it's sight.
I believe it is a simple story. I remember reading when I was a young man of Hudson Taylor and they were on a journey and and all of a sudden he stopped and said let's thank the Lord for the food.
And so he thanked the Lord for the food. And he said, well, brother said, what, you don't have any food yet? And he said to him, if I remember the story, he said, yeah, but I the Lord is going to provide food. And when he does, you'll have to stop to thank the Lord. But I can start eating.
There's two ways to respond to the Word of God.
There's faith, believing and the blessing that follows. And there's unbelief.
Umm, I think the the ex the example of of that was in the Garden of Eden when God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good, uh, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and they acted in unbelief and umm, what a tremendous curse. What think of the results of the unbelief res the response to the word of God.
And the unbelief that that they expressed and the results of that that followed, it was the umm.
The, the, the, the, uh, destruction, you might say of, of the human race, umm, but you know, God has now offered blessing through his son, the Lord Jesus on the cross, but he makes the, the, that blessing dependent on faith, doesn't he? If, if man wants to respond.
To the the message of the gospel and unbelief, the result is going to be eternal destruction, but if.
That offer of salvation is received by faith, then it ends up in eternal life. And So what tremendous, umm, consequences can come? And we can bring that down to a very practical level in our lives, can't we? When, when God promises us things through his Word?
We can respond in one of two ways. We can respond in unbelief and lose a tremendous amount of blessing in our lives, or we can respond in faith. Every time we respond in faith, we're bringing glory to God. We're actually saying yes, God is and he we're going to we're going to get as we go on in this chapter. He's a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. So those who want to re react.
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To the promises and to the Word of God, by believing him are going to receive a tremendous benefit. History of man proves that if we were so slow to learn.
That God is worthy of being thrust in his word is worthy of believing He's worthy of faith. Putting our full confidence we we have so many examples throughout the history of man, either of the blessing that comes by believing God and exercising faith or responding to what God says in unbelief.
Every time God speaks, we have to make that decision which way we're going to respond.
This is that you mentioned.
Two of the first is we know that the 1St man on this earth, they went on, they are not on this list, neither is the first man born into this world that will retain themselves. He's gone on this list didn't have the chance to be. So we see that they didn't. Faith was not they didn't have the faith required.
Abel is the first one mentioned there. So we see that in the following verses there were three men.
That walked in the face of it, we find in this chapter that if you find different types and different things in connection to faith and here let's go back to verse 3 before we go too far. 2 and that's that's for us. Do we believe what the world tells us It says through faith we understand the world we frame by the word of God. Do we go by what science tells us?
Or do we go by what the word of God tells us and then we find out that science actually back up with the word of God says it's creation is the word of God. Creation is from God. Let's let's turn to John chapter one. Perhaps when we read it now we see a slightly different perspective. We often read that and say the Lord Jesus is the Son of God. But think about that in creation standpoint, how this world came into being.
John chapter one, it says in the beginning was the Word. Well, how does this world get framed by the word of God, isn't it? But in the very beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. There's no argument about that. That's what faith is. There's no justification to see how true or how bad it is, is what God.
Faith is what God said it, I believe it and thus should send it. It should be from the word of God. That's why we can read after verse three and John one that all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made. How can the world all form of chaos to nothing? There is a creator isn't it? And not only that, that is back to us as men again in him.
Was life.
And the light was the light of man. Oh, it's not just creation. There is life in there. So this whole world is frame using the word of God. In fact, let me even take a step further. When we have trouble and difficulties, I would say after this, because our faith, we need to believe that God will look after all things. And it's difficult, isn't it, when we waiver. So we find here that the word of God.
Through this book, give us examples of in verse four to verse seven, we find the example of three men who who walk in faith. Did they have books to read to prove it? Did they have someone else to convince them? No, they walk with God in faith. And we'll see different characteristics in this, in this book, which I just mentioned it briefly, we'll find, uh, in Abraham. What about the patience he has of faith?
And we'll find especially Abraham, the Lord bring out different aspects of faith that Abraham had to walk. And then they use example how by faith I believe is mentioned seven times by faith how others walked. And then they talk about individual that gone through warfare as we're exhausted early on in the last meeting, all because of faith.
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I look at this chapter.
I see that there had to be a starting point.
With each and every one of them.
With that thought in mind for a moment.
Look at verse six of our chapter. But without faith, it's impossible to please him.
For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
I never pleased God until I believed and trusted in faith in His Son.
It was impossible to please him before that because I had rejected the gift above all other gifts up to that point.
So the first time that I pleased Him was the day I believed and trusted in the finished work of Christ.
So we have a starting point with each and every one of these people. Let's momentarily look at our starting point together. Second Timothy, Chapter one.
Excuse me?
Second Timothy, chapter one, the latter part of verse 12.
For I know.
Our brother talked about.
The word substance.
For I know.
Whom I have believed, and I am persuaded.
That he is able to.
Keep that which I've committed unto him against that day.
What have I committed unto him?
Keep our fingers there. Turn over to First Peter, chapter 4, verse 19.
First Peter chapter 4, verse 19. Therefore let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
I didn't know much about my salvation when I trusted in Jesus. And then I started reading. I started learning a lot about more things that took place than I realized. I had committed my soul to Him.
As a faithful creator against that day.
Against what day? Oh, there was vows that rang out in heaven.
What did he commit to me? He committed the gospel in safe keeping. He admitted to every one of us in here, didn't he?
There is valves that rang out. You're my child, you're accepted into the beloved, etcetera.
I believed and I am persuaded that he's the only one that's able to keep that which I committed unto him against that day.
Each and every one of these had a starting point.
What was the reward of 11:00 and 6:00?
He's a rewarder of them. Salvation, sure.
But there's a reward in that day.
The completion of my salvation. I was saved back here. I'm currently being saved now. I will be saved that day.
The day that we read in Titus 213 together this morning.
The hope, The blessed hope.
And the glorious appearing of.
Our great Savior, Lord Jesus Christ, he's able to keep that. I know it, I believe it, I'm persuaded. There's a little word in, in uh, Jude, uh, verse one, uh, that we are preserved.
Sometimes substance in Chapter 11 and verse one.
Is changed and translated in other.
Text as assurance.
I am so happy of that assurance that I know and I believe and I am persuaded and then I've committed it to the correct person against that day when I want to receive the completion, the reward of my of my salvation and I see my Savior face to face the perosa PAROIOUISA Greek they are emphasis is not on being snatched and taken away from the scene.
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Their emphasis is upon seeing that blessed Savior face to face, there's my reward. When I with him throughout the endless ages of eternity, that's my reward. There's another word, Aosa. That means departure. The opposite. We're looking forward at the rapture is coming. Perosa. Aosa with departure. When he left, we're gonna have a Oh. So we're gonna depart from the world. Yeah. We're gonna be caught. We're gonna be snatched away in the moment and twinkling open eye. How beautiful that is. Yeah, but put the emphasis over on the other one.
The one that's coming here to Take Me Out of this scene, that I'm never gonna be down here anymore. I'm with him forever in eternity, and there's my reward on that day. Now, I got some substance, don't I? I got assurance right there. His word. His word says so.
I've committed my soul to the correct one.
He's a rewarder.
In verse four, we're introduced in the story of Abel and Cain. If you and I had witnessed.
Abel's sacrifice and Cain's sacrifice.
We probably would've been more attracted to Canes. He offered the fruit of the ground. Abel apparently slaughtered a lamb or a sheep.
It was a bloody sacrifice.
It involved death.
But Abel had God's mind and Cain didn't, and.
We need.
Revelation from God to know his mind in order to act.
In a way that pleases him. It's not it's it's not according to nature. Like I say, nature would have approved a cane sacrifice.
Verse, verse three and it's, uh, speaks about our responsibility to God as a creator. We have to, we have to start out from that. Umm, we're not.
We're not self-sufficient creative beings that have no no one to answer to. We do. And God has a purpose in why he created and and so on. And so we have to start out from that premise.
Then, uh, Johanna speaking about the able and keen and that then the same question comes in and this verse, doesn't it? Umm.
Cain's sacrifice did not deal with this in question.
Abel's dead and blood had been shed.
And that's why God could accept it.
We would like to do not deal with this in question.
But we have to.
Abel was willing to accept God for who he was, and that was that. He was a holy God who demanded a sacrifice or a penalty for sin, and so he was willing to meet God's requirements.
To be brought into God's fellowship, and that was faith.
I suppose that the witness to Abel was the coats of skins that God took to clothe Adam and Eve, and he saw in that that the death of some of a victim in order to clothe them in in in a suitable way before God.
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So that you think that's where his he got his his face from?
Send message on to them, wouldn't you? The father has the responsibility to pass these things on to the children.
And Adam?
There had to be blood in order for him to come back into any sort of communion fellowship with God.
Abel he re. He recognized that by faith he recognized that there had to be the shedding of blood. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins and no forgiveness. And so he recognized he had to shed the blood. And so the blood must be shed for salvation. There must be the acknowledgment.
Of sin.
Able He wanted to worship God, and so he brought his animal to worship God.
To commune with God.
I think it's interesting to notice that in Genesis, I don't believe it mentioned much about Abel other than the sacrifices that we read of. We can speculate to say how Adam should should applaud him, or perhaps he could observe and learn. We don't know that. I think. I like to take it as he's a good example of what they did. He believed. He simply believed, and he did.
And God honored that, that it's interesting.
In in the book of Jude is someone quoted earlier. Let's just turn to that for a moment. It doesn't say able, but it talks about pain and they talk about enough and they give us a little bit different stories that they were Jude. Obviously there's only one chapter in that verse 11. It says woe unto them for they have gone in the way of pain. Well, we know it from here. The way of pain really is a picture of.
That's not faith. Cane wanted to do it this way. Perhaps it was elaborate, Perhaps it was a nice system of things. We don't know. We're not told that. But that's the meaning here, isn't it? They have gone the way of pain. It's not my thought to go further in my chapter, but it's instructive to go read that yourself. So I'd like to take it as a simple thing. Whether you understand or not, he did what he was told.
And then, as you mentioned here, the three men, Able Enoch and Noah.
They walked with God. So we don't know much about Enoch, neither Jewish, we know that he walked with God, but then in the book of Jude they told us a little bit more June 14 and Enoch also the 7th from Adam prophesied of these saying, behold the Lord Thomas with 10,000 things, with 10,000 of his things.
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly needs which they have ungodly committed, and of all their heart speeches, which I mean godly sinners, have spoken against them.
We can learn of this. Until the book of Jude, we knew he walked with God, but here we find that he was a preacher of righteousness. He was preaching the judgment to come. And so that tells us how it leads on. It wasn't just in Noah's day, it was even before that that they were warned of the judgment to come because of the unrighteousness, but yet he walked with God. It was a tough time from the way it sounds, isn't it? Or wasn't it?
But yet he walked with God by faith. Then we find a third man. No one seemed to walk with God. We know no one's story there. He two was a preacher of righteousness for 120 years. That's a long time, isn't it, that he walked with God. It was all by faith. And it's interesting to Noah. Noah speaks of judgment.
In this world, often someone will use the phrase, and we're all from Adam, you know, probably heard of that. Well, really, to be technical, we can all say we're from Noah.
But yet we don't use that phrase through it, we'll use the phrase we're from Adam. Why do we not use the phrase that we're from Noah? I believe this is my theory on it is that Adam speaks of the fallen nature, Adam as a man. Sin failed before God and man today would even accept this and say, yes, oh, I said big deal. That's how corrupt this world has become. But yet when it comes to Noah, Noah.
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Seeks of judgment to come, and this world is not ready to accept the fact that God will execute judgment against this world. So His coming is as it is in the day of Noah.
The thing, particularly the just thinking of the 1St and the 4th verses of 165. The fourth verse says, By faith we see the glory of which thou dost assure us the world despise, or that high prize which thou hast set.
Deforest hymn #165 first and last verses.
Nsnoise.