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180 We are but strangers here. Heaven is our home. Earth is a desert drear. Heaven is our home.
Dangers and sorrows stand round us on every hand. Heaven is our Fatherland. Heaven is our home. Hymn #180.
We are.
Hebrews 11, verse 8.
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.
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.
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 sprang 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.
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.
Declared 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 in heavenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city.
00:05:07
By faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered up 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 accounting, 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 both the sons of Joseph, and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel, and gave commandment concerning his bones. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid 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 Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect under the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.
Through faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the first born should touch them.
By faith they passed through the Red Sea, as by dry land, which the Egyptians are saying to do, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven days. By faith they harlot Rahab perished not within that believed, not when she had received the spies with peace.
Then what shall I more say, For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, of Barrick, of Samson, of David also and Samuel, and of the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought, righteousness obtained, promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quench the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, wax valiant and fight and turn, turn to flight the armies of the aliens.
Women received their dead, raised to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection, and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yet moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
And Diesel, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise. God, having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
One of the things that characterizes faith and shows that a person has faith is obedience to the Word of God. And so we find here that as Abraham is introduced to us, and as was mentioned yesterday, he's the father of faith, we find that immediately it speaks of his obedience. Abraham received a word from God to rise up and to leave her, the Chaldeans.
And what did he do? He obeyed. And we see that a number of times, don't we, in Abraham's life.
Later on, when the Word came to take his son, his only son whom he loved, and to offer him up in one of the mountain places where God would show him, what did he do? He rose up early in the morning. There was immediate obedience. He when he obeyed. In the beginning he went out not knowing whether he went. When it was a question of Isaac. He didn't know where the place was that God was going to show him. And in a sense, he really didn't know the end of the re of the story except that he knew.
That, I think, would be the air. And if he had to slay his son, then God would raise him from the dead and so on. But there was immediate obedience. And so that's why in the book of James, when it speaks of faith and operation, practical faith, and it speaks of Abraham, it tells us there that he was justified by faith. That is, it was his obedience, it was what he did that showed that there was real faith. And it's beautiful to see that in one another, isn't it? You see a person, a brother or sister in Christ.
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They say, oh, I know that brother, that sister has faith. I've seen the math in obedience to the word of Word of God. And so this is what is going to give evidence in our life that there is real faith. How do I know a person has faith? I see their desire to please the Lord and to act in obedience to His Word.
It's called the obedience of faith because if you are really, truly convinced that God knows more than you do and better than you do, you're willing to obey him. If you don't obey, you are basically saying I, I think I know a little bit better.
That's really what it comes down to.
We tend to think that God spoke to me. I would certainly obey.
But God sometimes speaks through others, and so in Ephesians 6 it says, children obey your parents.
And that's an expression of faith.
Children's.
Are you faithful children? Do you obey your parents?
And we're told to obey the authority.
And obedience to the authority where we can do it in submission to God as well. That is an expression of faith.
We take our circumstances, including the authorities that God puts over us, as from Him.
And I, I like the way it says here. It doesn't say that Abraham did anything special. We we think of an acts of faith as being something outstanding or spectacular. It just says he obeyed.
Now he was used to packing up and traveling. That was the the people of those days were nomadic.
He did it as a course of, uh, a, a, a natural expression of his life, but it was in obedience. And I just like to back up just to, uh, one verse and mention something else that, uh, has a, a connotation that maybe not be appreciated. And it says of Noah says moves with fear.
There's nothing wrong with fear.
Fearless place is a very healthy thing.
When I'm driving down the road, I fear to cross the yellow line with a double yellow line. Uh, I I'm not keen on driving the wrong way on the opposite side.
Uh, fear in this place is very healthy. The world says, well, we shouldn't, you shouldn't drive people, uh, to the Lord in fear. But it says Noah was moved by fear.
Because it says he is born of God and fear in his place is healthy, and that being moved by fear can also be an expression of faith.
Reward at the end of it wasn't there.
You were saying, John, that the people were nomadic in those days, and that is true, but when Abraham, or Abram as he was before, was in her of the Caldes, he may not have been. It was a fairly advanced city for its day, and probably had a number of conveniences that were not so readily available if you were living in a tent, but Abraham knew.
That God would reward him. And I would just suggest, as we mentioned yesterday, that inasmuch as there are 7 specific things connected with Abraham and his family that are done by faith, God has picked out certain examples of faith which in a general way have a view to giving up present advantage.
In order to have future gain, and that is really, if we could say it this way, what Christianity is all about and the efforts of Satan are to bring in to Christianity those principles of Judaism that would say, well, you have to have it now. And what is down here is supremely important. But the fact is God was showing those dear Hebrew believers.
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That Justice Abraham and his family had given up a present advantage in order to look down the road to that which was before them. So they too, instead of looking for a visible Kingdom, instead of looking for present gain, were to look ahead to the future.
And we might mention in connection, and it bears on what our brother Nick was saying in the last meeting.
Much of Christendom and we are part of Christendom. Let's never forget that. Let's not look out there Christendom and say that's separate. No, we are part of it. But much of Christendom today has embraced so-called reconstructionism or covenant theology, which basically says that we are to get involved in straightening out this world and in making it ready for God's Kingdom.
That is not what we have here, do we? No, we have Abraham standing apart from this world and his family and rather going through it as strangers and pilgrims and yet looking ahead to that which was theirs in the future. And as we have been saying, because of their faith, they obeyed.
And you never give up present advantage unless you have something an eye to the future.
Unless you have something better in the future. So the illustration has been sometimes used of a young person. They go off to college or university and they live in a very small apartment or they room with someone. They don't go out with their friends when they'd like to socialize. They pinch pennies. They stay in to study. Why do they do that? Well, they have an eye to the future. The young person says, when I get my degree, then I'll get a job, good job or a better job.
And things will be will be different, but if they lose sight of that, they're not going to give up present advantage.
Air Canada has a frequent flyer program called Aeroplan and their slogan is live for the moment and not the spirit of the age. Now I realize that's just a slogan to get you to fly a lot and to build up points and get air miles and so on, but I really believe it sums up the spirit of the age to live for the moment, to live for present advantage. But that's not the way these ones that we have listed here in these next verses live. They all had, as we have had before us, an eye to the future.
And why did Abraham give up the advantages of ur the Chaldees? He looked for a better city.
He looked for a city which has foundations whose better make builder and maker is God. He had something before him, and this is what caused the patriarchs to give up present advantage, to live, to wander us and sojourn as strangers and pilgrims because they had something. It wasn't tangible, but it was real. And so we look on, brethren, if we lose sight of what is ahead for us.
If we lose sight of Christ and glory, we're not going to press toward the mark. You think of the apostle Paul.
Who gave up present advantage? More than Paul. Paul had it all. Paul was brought up in a very noble family, no doubt wealthy in today's language. He was had attended the best university, what we might say Harvard or Cambridge or Oxford. He had perhaps what we'd refer to today as a PhD. He had popularity, he had political success, he had fame. Why did he give it all up?
Oh, he had Christ and glory before him. He had the prize before him.
Brethren, if we could just get one glimpse of what is ahead, 1 inkling of what is a head in the Christ and glory, and what is ahead when Christ comes back to set up his Kingdom, why would we want things down here now? Or why would we, as Bill has said, why would we want to be building for the Kingdom now without the king? Brethren, it's the it's a vision of what is ahead.
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Turns it. We could quote it, but turn to a verse that we often quote in the book of Proverbs.
And I think sums up what we're saying. Proverbs 29, I believe it is.
Yes, Proverbs 29.
And verse 18.
Where there is no vision, the people perish, or I believe Mr. Darby's translation is the people cast off restraint. You know, if we don't have vision of what's ahead, we are going to live for the moment and we're not going to exhibit in our Christian pathway the character of strangers and pilgrims, those who don't belong and are just passing through. So we need to have vision, and what is the vision that we have need to have?
Christ and glory before us, that better country.
That glory that is going to eclipse in a coming day? Everything else.
Act 7. The God of glory appeared unto our Father Abraham, when he was yet in Mesopotamia.
I have wondered. There doesn't seem to be anything in the Old Testament record of Abraham seeing a city, but I've wondered when God appeared to him as it mentions whether he saw a city. But here it distinctly says he looked for a city. Chad Foundations, whose builder and maker was God.
Abraham was a wealthy man. He had 318 servants. Anybody here has a company with 318 employees? I I doubt it. But here's a man that had 318 servants and yet he never lived in more than a tent. Why? He was looking forward to something better. And brethren, it is true.
When I think of the difference between earthly glory and there will be earthly glory in the millennial day, wonderful to read in Isaiah another prophets of the tremendous glory that's going to fill the earth during the millennial day. But brethren, what is more heavenly glory or earthly glory heavenly far supersedes.
Earthly glory, and that's one thing. Brother Bill, you mentioned covenant theology. One of the things that it teaches is that God blesses with material things, brethren, material things we have, and God gives them to us and they're to be used for him. But they are not, properly speaking, our blessings. Our blessings are spiritual and they're in heavenly places in Christ.
God, if he gives us material things, they are only means to be used for a few short years in view of that day when we're gonna have to leave it all behind. Our blessings are spiritual and they're heavenly. We're called to heavenly glory. And oh brethren, like you say, Jim, if we could only glance it, we would be ruined. As for anything down here.
We wouldn't be interested.
Please don't distract me with that stuff, we would say. And I still remember Brother Lundeen speaking about being pilgrims. He says a Pilgrim is somebody with simple living habits. Oh, brother. And I covet that for myself. I'm a good pack rat. I can't believe how much stuff I get and keep.
When we're gonna leave it all behind at a moment's notice?
Let's live for the other side. Let's live for that city that Abraham looked for.
This builder and maker was God. It's interesting in verse 10 it speaks of the city. He speaks of it again in verse 16, but he also, it also speaks in verse 14 of a country. They speak a country. We know in another portion it is a heavenly country.
We are called to heaven, brethren. We are not called to anything right down here.
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And that's the subtlety of this covenant theology that it teaches.
That we are to be great down here for God.
God may give you many things, that's a big responsibility, but it is not, properly speaking, our blessing. I like to think of it as mercies the Lord gives us for a few short years. You can lose it. You can't lose your heavenly blessing. And to live in view of that side is really what we're talking about here.
In a country some miles from here, very poor country. Going to visit a sister in Christ one morning, and as we approached her home, she wasn't a home like any of us have. She was sweeping out her little house in her little stoop in front, and she was singing so that I suppose half the village could hear her. I have Christ what want time more?
You know that really does something to you.
So let's understand this. She didn't have anything of this world's goods. And I we don't want to sit here and condemn those who have much of this world's goods. We're thankful for those who you have used and do use the means that God has given them for the further of the gospel and the Lord's work. But those are not the things that count. You know, there are those who have not only given up or never had this world's goods.
For Christ. But there are those who have and still are laying down even their lives for their testimony.
And you say, how could they do it? But let's turn to Acts Chapter 7 and see how Stephen could give up everything and even face martyrdom.
In his day, just let me read here because it goes along with what we're saying. I'll read verse 54, Acts 7 to get the context. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and gnashed on him with their teeth. Now notice this. But he being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw, notice this, the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God and said, behold, I see heavens open. The Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. You say, how could Stephen face?
That stoning, Awful death stoning. Oh, he looked up into heaven.
He saw something better, he saw something out of this world, he saw the glory of God. He saw the Lord Jesus standing there to welcome him home. Tell you a little story again, I've told it before, but it touched my heart in this regard. John Wesley was the man who traversed up and down England and in other parts of the world to get out the gospel, gave up the comforts of home and so on, faced harsh weather and.
Travel in those days wasn't what it was in our day. Didn't get on a nice airplane or have a nice vehicle to get from one place to the other. But the story's told that one time John Wesley was going past one of the great Manor houses in England, and the gardener and groundskeeper of that house was working out around the gate. And John Wesley stopped his carriage and talked to got in conversation with the groundskeeper.
And as it turned out, the owners of the home were not in residence, and when the groundskeeper saw that John Wesley was interested in the grounds, he offered to give him a little tour of the house and grounds, which he did.
And when they came back to the gate, John Wesley said to this groundskeeper, he said, I too have a liking for these things.
But there is another world. There is another world. And that's what really we're saying, isn't it? And that's what we learn with this portion. With Abraham. There was another world ur the Chaldees was a great city, all the conveniences that the day could offer and more. But Abraham saw there was another world. There was another country, a better country. There was another city. And with that in view, he could act by faith in obedience. And do you think?
Brethren, he'll ever be disappointed. We're going to talk to Abraham another day. Say, Abraham, you're sorry you gave up earth, the Chaldees for all those difficulties you had. You had problems with your nephew. You thought you were gonna have to offer your son Isaac. You had problems with your wife. You had problems with this and that and the other thing. And your descendants, through Ishmael, became the constant enemies of people. Was it worth it? Oh, he'll say it was worth it and more. And, brethren, isn't that the way we're gonna view it in a coming day?
00:30:14
Is the path of faith really worth it? You know it's better to go over a rough Rd. in good company with a better object in view than to settle down here and have present advantage. You know the the devil showed the Lord the kingdoms of this world. What in a moment of time? Is that what we're living for a moment of time? Or are we living for that which is eternal?
I think many of us might be thinking, well, I'm not going to get my backpack and sell my house and become a Pilgrim. What we think of as a Pilgrim. And many young people are thinking, well, you know, I'd like to have a wife and a family and a house and a job. So how does all this equate to that? Are those desires wrong? Well, I think it's what we make our life, isn't it? We can do all those things. We're not all called to be John Wesley's. We're not all called to.
To, uh, give up literally all earthly possessions, but we can still do those things living in view of that which is to come and not living for this present world in this present moment. And so it doesn't mean that we have to become what we think mentally in our mind being pilgrims. But you notice it says strangers and pilgrims. And actually, Jim, we have a.
A tape. We used to have a tape. Young people don't know what a tape is, do you? But, umm, and it was a meeting from somewhere. And in there you point out that I put this so many times that we're strange as folks and then pilgrims. So we don't get hold of that. Then we'll never be pilgrims if we don't realize that this world is foreign to us. You know, there's one blessing in the political chaos that is occurring in this nation right now.
And that is people, Christians, some of them are waking up to the fact that maybe we don't have a pot in it after all. I know a woman, a mother of a friend of my son who posts on Facebook quite a bit, and she posted an article that says something to that very effect. Well, maybe as Christians, we don't have any pot in the political system of this nation. Up to that time, I think she has always seen her obligation as to vote and so.
You know one thing about trials, as much as we hate them.
It shows that it, it, it, umm, we, we quickly become to realize that we're in this world like a fish out of water that we don't fit here.
We can have houses, we can have jobs, we can have families. We can do all those things for the Lord with a view to that future blessing that's ahead of us. You know, the man of the world doesn't really have much choice but to live for the moment. But even in that regard, he's often wiser than believers in Luke. He talks about the.
Luke 16, It says the children of this world and this generation wiser than the children of light. You know, the the man of this world is always making investments, trying to get himself richer down the road.
But as Christian.
You know, what investment are we making? Where are we laying up treasure? Is it here or is it in glory? And we can lay up treasure in families and children for glory. That's something that we can take to glory.
Well, you were mentioning there were seven things. Would you mind going over that in Abraham's?
Descendants or is family?
I believe they're all.
They're all what we see here in those verses started by faith, Verse 8 by faith Abraham.
Verse 9. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise.
Verse 11 Through faith. Also Sarah.
And then verse 17 by faith Abraham, that's four.
And then verse 20 by faith Isaac, verse 21 by faith Jacob, verse 22 by faith Joseph.
And to me, there's something that particularly brings it home to our souls. And I just suggest the thought. I don't believe that when Abraham was called out of her of the Caldes and throughout most of his life down here, that he really knew where the reward would be.
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I don't believe that he actually knew for sure that it would be heavenly.
He knew there was a reward down the road. He knew there was a better country. He knew that he would receive the promises in resurrection. But where and how? I don't believe he knew, it says in verse 16. But now they desire a better country that is in heavenly since he has been taken.
In death, I believe he knows now, if we could put it that way, where that future is.
But I don't believe he knew at the beginning.
But you and I know, you and I know God has revealed everything in his purposes and ways to Paul's ministry. So how much more we have than those dear Old Testament believers? We look at Abraham's faith and we honor it, and well we might. And as we have pointed out previously, we are the children of faithful Abraham in the sense that through faith we lay hold of what God is giving us.
But how much more we know we have the word of prophecy, Peter says, made more sure. Why? Because Peter saw on the Mount of Transfiguration where the future was. And God has told us all that, hasn't he? So there's no question Abraham simply believed God and so did the others. And as far as Joseph went, he said, I want those bones carried away to Canaan because that's really where we are.
That's really where we're headed. That's where our home is. But I honestly believe that for Joseph, that's as far as it went.
Now he desires a better country. But you and I know that all already, don't we? So we, if we could say it reverently, we have no excuse. We have no excuse, do we, to fall back into the attractions of the things of this world. And yet we do, and I do, and the tendency is there.
Unless we keep our eyes fixed on that country that is ahead of us, that really gives import to their their stories and their history. Because as you say, they didn't know the end of the story in the way that we do. You know, we go back and we read their stories even in their practical life. We read their stories and we read them with confidence because we know what took place in their lives and how God undertook for them.
And so on, even in a natural way. But it was interesting to me. One time the young man I knew got saved and he'd never read the Bible, but he got saved and we were going through one of the Old Testament stories. And he kept surmising what might happen in the life of this individual as we went through the story. And it made me realize he didn't know the end of the story. I've read those stories and heard them all my life and so.
Later on, you read the story of Daniel and the three Hebrew children. We read that story with confidence because we know what happened.
But they didn't have. They only had light for the step that they were taking at the moment.
And if they could act on in faith with the little light that and knowledge that they had, as has been said, how much more we. But I'd like to go back for a moment to what Nick, uh, brought up in connection with this little expression, strangers and pilgrims. It's an expression that appears twice in the New Testament. We have it again in first Peter chapter 2 and verse 11. And as Nick pointed out, it's strangers and pilgrims. And that's the way it is in first Peter as well.
Important when God gives a list of two or more things to realize that God doesn't let things haphazardly like.
I do. I might list two or three things on the list and you say, why did you list them in that order? Well, it's just how they came to mind. No godless things in a proper order and has been said. We will never understand or have the character of pilgrims until we realize we're strangers. Because a stranger is one who doesn't belong. A Pilgrim is one who's passing through. So if I can illustrate it this way, when I cross at the American border.
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The first question they ask me is what is your citizenship? And I say I'm a Canadian.
And the very next question they ask is, how long are you going to stay in the United States? Because as soon as they realize I'm a stranger here, a foreigner, that I don't belong, they were also recognized that I'm only passing through. I'm only going to be here for a little time now. Well, suppose I decide to take out American citizenship and I become an American citizen. Now I cross into the States. I put down the US passport. They're not going to ask me how long I'm staying in the United States.
Because I'm no longer a stranger or a foreigner here. And brethren, we need to realize that our citizenship is in heaven.
We no longer belong to this world. Yes, naturally speaking, we tell the customs authority that we're Canadian citizens or U.S. citizens or whatever we may be. That's in a natural way. And I just encourage you don't get smart with the authorities.
Tell them what your citizenship is as far as this world goes, because you can get in trouble otherwise. But realize too, that we are strangers here in this world. We were singing Heaven is our home.
It's our fatherland as we were singing, and so with that recognition that we are strangers.
We recognize we're just passing through. Suppose I crossed into the United States and they asked me why I'm coming to the United States, and I tell them I'm coming to get involved in the election that's taking place in the United States and to run for office or to lobby for some cause in the United States. Why They say you're not allowed to come into this country and do that. You don't belong here. You're not a citizen. Only citizens can run for political office. Only citizens are allowed to lobby for the causes of the United States, and so on.
They'd immediately recognize that. But, brethren, do we recognize that in connection with our heavenly citizenship as quickly as the authorities recognize that in a natural way? If we did, it would spare us from getting involved in many things.
Truly, they had been mindful of that country from when they came out. They might have had opportunity and returned, you know, as long as we get the idea that it was pretty miserable life back in Abraham's time. And as Bob has already mentioned, he had many servants. He was certainly not a poor man and no one that lived a poor lifestyle. Actually, we know quite a lot about her Chaldeans. We know that it was a thriving city and that was.
And, you know, for what they were used to at every modern convenience and every, umm, entertainment had quite the nightlife. And so The thing is, is if we become occupied with those things, we have a heart and, and nature that craves and seeks those things. And once we come settled down in them, then they become, uh, second nature to us. You know, when I first came to this country, moving from Australia to the United States may not seem like you're moving between.
Countries, the language is almost the same, but it it took me at least two years to feel comfortable here. But the longer I stayed here, the more comfortable I became until now. Someone asked me last summer, do you feel like this is your country? Well, I don't know that I say I feel like this country. There are some things that I'll never get used to. But yes, I feel quite comfortable here. In fact, crossing the border and then coming back, I definitely feel like I'm returning home.
The longer you settle down.
The less sensitive you are to the customs that are foreign to what we are now by nature.
I'd like to read 3 verses together. Uh, in chapter 10, could we read verse 34 please? The latter part, Part B, the last half of verse 34 in chapter 10, knowing in yourselves that you have a you that you have in heaven, a better and an enduring substance. When we started with verse one, we took on that topic of substance.
And I used the word assurance. And here we have knowing in yourselves. And we see that being tied in together now with our original verse that we started the chapter with. Now turn with me please, over to chapter 13.
00:45:00
Chapter 13 and let's look at verse 1313 and 13.
Let us go forth therefore unto Him without, or in other words, outside the camp, bearing His reproach for we, for here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. Now this one here is tied in together with separation, isn't it? And it shows that in a coming day they will be separated from this world, won't we? And so we see separation in that, because it's tied in with verse 13. But we go outside the camp. We did that this morning when we came around the emblems, didn't we? We separated from the world.
And one of our brothers read from Song of Solomon that we have over us a banner of love. The father put all things else was shut out. We had his love here this morning. We were separated for one specific thing. And separation is showing here again in the continuing city that is yet to come. We're seeking it, aren't we? We're looking upward and waiting for his return. Now, I would like a little help from my brother in chapter 12.
And verse 22.
But ye are come to Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels.
We as a believer, priest, we don't go to Mount Zion. That was the law. We go, excuse me, Mount Sinai, that was the law. We go to Mount Zion, the gospel.
It starts out, we are come. It's almost like we are already there. Could somebody touch on that and fill me in on it please?
Make a suggestion, brother Bill, as we know, the two mountains here, uh, that which is referred to in verse 18 down to the end of verse 21, and then the one referred to in verse 22 down to the end of verse 24, They are the two mountains, aren't they, of law and grace? And Mount Sinai spoke of the giving of the law.
And of course, every Israelite had a thorough knowledge of what that stood for. But Mount Zion spoke of that which God was doing in grace to Israel. And we don't need to go into it by raising up David as their king. They wanted a natural king who would go out to war and who would be, you might say, one that they could look up to as the other nations did.
And the Lord allowed them to have that in the person of Saul for 40 years. But then God introduces David and he's the one who 1St I believe introduces the name of Mount Zion. And in the sense that he says year come to it I believe.
To me anyway, it simply states the blessed position into which those Jewish believers had already been brought. That is, they weren't in person.
Excuse me in heaven, but they had been brought to a place where they now had heavenly hopes, not an earthly Jerusalem, but a heavenly Jerusalem. And they brought been brought to everything which.
Kind of reaches a crescendo there in verse 24. And to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, that is, they'd been brought into a place where everything depended not on what they could do, but on what God had done.
I don't know that I could carry it any further than that. How would you put it, Brother Bob?
Diane was.
You remember when David sinned at the end of his life in numbering the people, and then God sent to the destroying Angel for a plague for three days in Israel and he came to Jerusalem?
And the Lord said, hold thy hand, And he got David to offer a sacrifice.
In the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. And once that sacrifice was offered, the Lord said to the Angel, put your sword into your sheep. How could that happen? Because sacrifice had been made. And that's the place of sacrifice. That was the place where Abraham offered up Isaac. That was the place where the temple was built and where sacrifice was made.
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And it's not far from there that the Lord Jesus was crucified. We have come to that place. This is where we are in grace.
It says Vegas not come to a mount that might be touched where the sound of the trumpet was heard where the sight was so terrible. These are the things that contrast to faith touched, seen, heard, but ye come unto Mount Zion. We are come there by faith and and then you know it. It fits with what we have in Ephesians chapter 3 where it says of whom the whole family in heaven and earth. His name. One of the great mistakes. The covenant theology is not just to understand.
That God is going to be glorified in both heaven and earth. So there will be a Mount Zion, and then it goes and a heavenly Jerusalem, and it goes on through these very families that are going to be all to the glory of God. But we are come by faith in contrast to Mount Sinai, which stands the law, in contrast to uh, umm, Zion, which would speak of grace.
Uh, the one could be seen and felt and heard. The other we've come to by faith.
Titus was just about to destroy the city of Jerusalem.
That the temple and the rest was going to come to nothing. There wouldn't be a stone left upon a stone.
In spite of Titus's orders. And so for the Spirit of God to bring forth epistle like this to attach the hearts of his redeemed to a heavenly calling.
It's marvelous, really, when you look at I was thinking, where does?
John ate and verse.
56 fit in with our chapter.
Well, I'll read John 8 and verse.
56.
And further, your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day.
Andy sighed and was glad.
Sent her the juice unto him, Thou art not yet 50 years old. And hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
So Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and was glad. Where does that fit in with our chapter?
I suggest verse 13.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises.
But notice there's four things.
Having seen them afar off and he saw that promises are far off, I would guess when he says my day, that it would be the day of the Lord, the day when the Lord will reign supreme.
But it doesn't stop there. In verse 13, they were persuaded of them. You're persuaded. That's more conviction than just.
Merely seeing something.
And then the next is embrace them. When you embrace something that's pretty well your whole being, he embraced it. Abraham did, and then confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. I think that's a interesting succession of verbs. He saw, he was persuaded, he embraced.
Yeah, I didn't hear anything guys in verse 39. Does it Bob?
Having received the witness, in other words, I obtained a good report.
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Yeah, I'm sorry, I didn't hear you speak. Yeah, I I would suggest too. It's really, it's really in that same sense, the everlasting gospel, isn't it, that the Lord was going to have the victory in the end. And in that sense, I believe Abraham knew, as Bob was pointing out, that there was a day coming when, despite all the mischief that was going on in the world as the result of sin, that God was going to have the victory in the end.
And he embraced that. And as Bob has said, there's the succession of verbs there that shows what a conviction and a grip it had on his soul.
So we know that Abraham had faith by what he did. And we read the story in the Old Testament and there have been a number of things brought out in this portion that show beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had faith. But then we find out in the next instance in connection with Isaac, he had faith by what he thought. Very interesting, isn't it? Now again we go back to the Old Testament and we read the 22nd chapter of Genesis, and there we again we see he had faith by what he did. He rose up early in the morning.
He saddled his *** he took the young man, he followed the direction of the Lord when they got to the base of the mountain, he left the young men and the ***** and he took the fire in the wood and his son, and so on. So we know he had faith by what he did. But here we tells us he had faith by what he thought. Gives us an insight into what he was thinking, accounting that God was able even to raise him from the dead. This is how he didn't stagger at the promise. You know, I have often wondered.
As Abraham took that knife and that laid the wood on his son, and as they traveled up that mountain together.
I've often wondered, did Abraham have the thought that he was going to have to kill his son?
Perhaps he did, but he knew that even if he had to plunge the knife into the heart of Isaac, God would raise him from the dead. That's how he staggered. Not at the promise. Now that is tremendous faith. Now we realize that God allowed so that there was a substitute for Isaac and Isaac. Abraham didn't have to go that far, of course.
But think of it and brethren, what do we think? You know, we can do many things, but what is our you know it speaks about bringing every thought into captivity under the obedience of Christ. When we read the word of God and God speaks to us through His word, does that affect our thought process?
If it does, then our actions are going to follow. But if I start to question things in my mind.
Well, suppose this and suppose that, and suppose the other thing. I'm not going to act in faith, and I believe that the great work of the enemy is often to get us to doubt in our minds as to what God says and the reality of how it's going to turn out. You know, it's interesting that the first recorded words of Satan in the Word of God are half God said raising, trying to raise the doubt in the mind of Eve. Had God really said that?
And the first recorded words of Satan in the New Testament are Satan's words to the Lord Jesus.
If thou beest the Son of God, trying to raise a doubt in the mind of the Lord Jesus.
Was he really who he? He said? And so we need to be careful, brethren, that we don't allow our minds to wander into doubt and reasoning as to what God says.
Because if we do, we're not going to act in faith. Suppose Abraham as they traveled up that mountain and thought, well, now.
You know, God has said this is the air, and now I'm supposed to kill him. But what about this? And what about that? No, he accounted. He rested wholly in his in his mind. He rested wholly on the word of God. And what a reward there was as a result.
His words to his servants, His Son, his, you know I and the lad will go and worship and come again.
Practical side of this two, and perhaps I can be allowed to comment on it for a moment.
Verse eleven of our chapter.
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We talk a great deal about Abraham's faith, and rightfully so. As we have already mentioned, it's referred to a number of times in the Old and in the New Testaments.
But here it also says through faith, also Sarah. And it goes on to talk about her receiving strength to conceive, seed and so on. God provided a man of faith with a wife who had faith, real faith. Now there were times when Abraham's faith failed him. There were times when Sarah's faith failed her.
But God provided him with a wife who had faith.
Sometimes it's very difficult today.
I see young people sometimes who have a hard time. I've talked to young men who badly wanted to get married and didn't seem to be able to find a wife suitable for them, at least not by their standards anyway.
I have seen young women upset a little bit concerned because.
The clock was ticking and nothing was happening.
And I freely confess it can be difficult.
We see it perhaps even more of a problem in some other countries where it's considered a disgrace to the family if a girl isn't married by a certain age.
And they're going to do something about it whatever way they can.
But how wonderful to see here how God provided.
And we find out that he provided for Isaac too, in a wonderful way.
And Abraham's servant didn't have to.
Scour the whole of Mesopotamia to find the right girl. Did he?
The Lord led him to the right one.
And so I just say that as an encouragement to each one here, especially to young people. Do you have a desire to please the Lord? Do you have a desire to be married and perhaps to have a family? It's a God-given desire and it's a good one. Now, sometimes God doesn't work it out that way and some he calls to live a life for himself without a partner. I would only say this, that a single life.
In fellowship with the Lord is far, far better than a bad marriage.
But at the same time, if the Lord wants you to have a partner, He will provide.
And if he provides, he will provide according to your faith and one with whom you can share in your walk with the Lord. I believe this passage is a real encouragement to us by pointing out that not only Abraham had faith, but also Sarah.
With all thine heart and lean not to thy own understanding. Trust him young people, he knows how you feel. He understands that he was a man here in this world too.
He knew what it meant to be lonely and trust him. He can provide in his own way and time. And I think it is very significant that brother Bill and verse 11 because Sarah, if you look at the Old Testament account when the Lord said to Abraham, Sarah at this time next year will embrace the sun and there it says that she laughed.
And it doesn't look like she had much faith, does it?
And sometimes we form judgments, brethren, by outward appearances, doesn't look like there's any faith in that person. Let's be careful to not do that because God sees when there is real trust in your heart. The same goes for Isaac in verse 20. By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. You look back at the story of how Isaac asked Esau to go out and get some good venison, and then he would bless him.
Doesn't look too much by like faith.
But the time came when.
The whole plot comes to light to Isaac and he realized he's been deceived by Jacob and.
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Uh, Esau says. Don't you have one blessing for me, Father? Just one blessing.
Who is this that came and took the blessing? Yeah. And he shall be blessed. I think that's where Isaac came through in faith, because he knew that God had said that the younger or the elder would serve the younger. So faith is something that sometimes doesn't appear very evident outwardly, but God sees it.
It's chapter we often have a look at of Genesis. There Isaac called Jacob and blessed him. There was no games. Now there's nothing going on like that. He calls him and he says, God Almighty, bless thee and make thee fruitful, multiply thee, that thou mayst be a multitude of people, and give thee the blessing of Abraham to thee and to thy seed with thee. Unequivocal.
It's not now any competition with Esor.
He gives the blessing to Jacob, the blessing of Abraham.
21 Brethren.
I think it's so beautiful too, by faith. Jacob when he was the dying just seems to touch these two, Jacob and Joseph when they were dying.
And that beautiful the way Jacob's life ended. In a certain way, Jacob's life ended far more brightly than Isaac's. Isaac was blind, and he didn't seem to have discernment. Yes, there was faith there. Scripture tells us so. But.
Jacob's life. Where's Jacob at the end of his life? Down in Egypt? What's he doing down there? You know what he's doing? He's blessing Pharaoh, it says in Hebrews. I think it is without controversy. The lesser is blessed of the greater, and morally speaking, Jacob was higher than Pharaoh at that juncture.
Isn't that beautiful, brother?
Mile, that's scoundrel. That's schemer. Is this what God does? When he learned to lean rather than says he was leaning on the top of his staff and that's what has to happen. He had to be broken and he limped all the rest of his life. He had to have that staff, probably because of that, but he had learned to lean.
Oh, what a story it is.
To scheme to get the blessing. I I think it to me what he says to Pharaoh is one of the most touching scenes the life of Jacob Joseph says when you go in father and they Pharaoh asks you what you do for an occupation. Do not tell them you're shepherds. Tell them you keep cattle.
To me, it's so beautiful. Jacob had learned not to get the blessing by scheming. And so he goes in and Pharaoh says what do you do? He says we keep cattle. Pharaoh says the whole land is before you. Not beautiful. He had that wasn't the Jacob you read about earlier who tried to scheme and tell half truths and wasn't exactly upright because he thought it would get the blessing. He'd finally learned to lean on his staff independence and to be completely honest before God and his fellow man. And what a blessing he got as a result of it. Brethren, it took him over 100 years to learn it.
If we could just learn it in the few that God has given us here on earth, how much happier we would be as pilgrims and strangers, strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Wasn't that where he had that struggle with the Lord? That seemed to be the changing point. He wrestled all night. And sometimes, brethren, we wrestle, we wrestle, we wrestle all The Dark Knight. We can't seem to get what we want.
But then the Lord says, let me go.
For the dawn is rising.
And he says I will not let you go unless you bless me. He couldn't struggle anymore, but he could hold on. That's tight.
It's not going to get the blessings brother, and by your struggling you're going to get him by faith.
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Go ahead. You were gonna finish your talk about that.
I just make one little comment at the end that I believe in these four men here, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. We do also get a little encapsulation of the Christian life.
In Abraham you get calling.
In Isaac, I would suggest you get Sonship.
In Jacob you get.
Government or discipline? And in Joseph you get glory.