WEBVTT 00:00:06.549 --> 00:00:07.129 Hello everyone. 00:00:07.129 --> 00:00:08.172 This is Pastor Damein. 00:00:08.172 --> 00:00:11.135 You're listening to Sermon Audio from New City, Orlando. 00:00:11.135 --> 00:00:15.710 At New City, we believe all of us need all of Jesus for all of life. 00:00:15.710 --> 00:00:19.704 For more resources, visit our website at newcityorlandocom. 00:00:19.704 --> 00:00:20.625 Thanks for listening. 00:00:20.625 --> 00:00:22.187 Good morning. 00:00:23.489 --> 00:00:26.974 Please join me, God of mercy. 00:00:26.974 --> 00:00:31.939 The covenant promises in your eternal word do not change. 00:00:31.939 --> 00:00:42.767 Holy Spirit, enable us to respond to your gracious promises with faithful and obedient hearts Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 00:00:42.767 --> 00:00:43.570 Amen. 00:00:43.570 --> 00:00:49.101 Our scripture today comes from Hebrews 11, 1 through 3, 32 to the 40. 00:00:50.423 --> 00:01:01.067 Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, for by it the people of old received their commendation. 00:01:01.968 --> 00:01:10.787 By faith, we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. 00:01:12.510 --> 00:01:43.724 And what more shall I say For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah and David and Samuel and the prophets who, through faith, conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of a weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 00:01:43.724 --> 00:01:47.453 Women received back their dead by resurrection. 00:01:47.453 --> 00:01:54.849 Some were tortured, refusing to accept release so that they might rise again to a better life. 00:01:54.849 --> 00:02:00.707 Others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment. 00:02:00.707 --> 00:02:06.147 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. 00:02:06.147 --> 00:02:20.473 They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated, of whom the world was not worthy, wandering about in deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. 00:02:20.473 --> 00:02:33.693 And all these, though, come in through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us that, apart from us, they should not be made perfect. 00:02:33.693 --> 00:02:35.842 This is God's word. 00:02:36.625 --> 00:02:39.132 Thanks be to God, you may be seated. 00:02:39.132 --> 00:02:53.219 General Charles Gordon was a legendary British commander in the 19th century. 00:02:53.219 --> 00:03:01.189 Winston Churchill described him like this said he is a man careless alike of the frowns of men or the smiles of women, of life or comfort, wealth or fame. 00:03:01.189 --> 00:03:04.048 How was he so free from the fear of man? 00:03:04.048 --> 00:03:17.751 Well, there's this story actually Once he was on a peacemaking mission and General Gordon was held prisoner by the King of Abyssinia and the King said to him like this do you know, gordon, that I could kill you on the spot if I liked? 00:03:17.751 --> 00:03:21.185 To which Gordon replied I'm perfectly well aware of it. 00:03:21.185 --> 00:03:22.949 Your majesty, do so at once. 00:03:22.949 --> 00:03:25.433 If it is your royal pleasure, I am ready. 00:03:25.433 --> 00:03:28.448 The king said wait, ready to be killed? 00:03:28.448 --> 00:03:30.907 He said certainly, I'm always ready to die. 00:03:30.907 --> 00:03:33.867 Then my power has no terrors for you. 00:03:33.867 --> 00:03:36.748 Gordon replied none whatsoever. 00:03:36.748 --> 00:03:43.050 And the king left the room amazed how did he have freedom from the fear of death? 00:03:44.860 --> 00:03:54.729 After Gordon's death during the siege of Khartoum, his friend John Bonar wrote about him and said this what always struck me was the way in which Gordon's oneness with God ruled all his actions. 00:03:54.729 --> 00:03:55.912 I love that language. 00:03:55.912 --> 00:04:00.727 Gordon's oneness with God ruled all his actions and his mode of seeing things. 00:04:00.727 --> 00:04:06.468 I never knew one who seemed so much to endure as seeing him who is invisible. 00:04:06.468 --> 00:04:07.760 That's how. 00:04:07.760 --> 00:04:12.860 That's how he did it and that's a direct quote, actually, from Hebrews 11, 27, our text. 00:04:12.860 --> 00:04:19.541 This morning and last week we saw that the object of our faith is far more important than the strength of our faith. 00:04:19.541 --> 00:04:23.773 But this week I want to see that the strength of our faith does matter. 00:04:23.773 --> 00:04:31.387 I quoted DL Moody last week saying that a little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul. 00:04:31.387 --> 00:04:32.851 So how do we do that? 00:04:32.851 --> 00:04:34.146 How do we get heaven in our soul? 00:04:34.146 --> 00:04:35.759 How do we strengthen our faith? 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:43.184 That's the question I'm really asking, and I've got one point which is the answer, which is that faith feeds on the knowledge of God. 00:04:43.184 --> 00:04:44.165 Faith that faith feeds on the knowledge of God. 00:04:44.165 --> 00:04:46.447 Faith feeds on the knowledge of God If you walk away with one thing. 00:04:46.447 --> 00:04:47.769 That's what I want you to have. 00:04:47.769 --> 00:04:49.250 Faith feeds on the knowledge of God. 00:04:49.269 --> 00:04:52.894 If you have a Bible or a device, go ahead and open to Hebrews 11. 00:04:52.894 --> 00:04:54.375 You have the worship guide. 00:04:54.375 --> 00:04:59.970 It's here as well, but I'm gonna go back a little bit into the text so we can look at the whole scope of this chapter. 00:04:59.970 --> 00:05:07.146 In Hebrews 11, verse 32, it says this and what more shall I say? 00:05:07.146 --> 00:05:08.286 I'm gonna pause there. 00:05:09.148 --> 00:05:11.490 Hebrews was likely a sermon that was written down. 00:05:11.490 --> 00:05:12.451 That's what I think it was. 00:05:12.451 --> 00:05:15.774 And so this is a preacher and he's like, hey, what more shall I say? 00:05:15.774 --> 00:05:18.516 And he's about to go on and recap everything he's been saying. 00:05:18.516 --> 00:05:30.372 But up to this point the author has spent verses three through 31 proving his point that faith is this conviction, this insurance of the things hoped for and the conviction of things not yet seen. 00:05:30.372 --> 00:05:44.391 So he spent the whole chapter trying to prove that, to show that, and in order to do that, he shows it from the lives of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Rahab, and how they were all commended for this faith. 00:05:51.079 --> 00:05:57.367 Faith shows up in this chapter 24 times in the Greek text, and so faith is clearly this significant piece, and I want to just kind of backtrack a little bit in the passage and do a flyover of this, what's been called the hall of faith. 00:05:57.367 --> 00:05:59.572 Look with me at verse 11. 00:05:59.572 --> 00:06:01.584 I'm sorry, hebrews 11, verse eight. 00:06:01.584 --> 00:06:13.630 It says this by faith, abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance and he went out not knowing where he was going. 00:06:13.630 --> 00:06:16.588 You see, faith requires risk. 00:06:16.588 --> 00:06:20.170 Abraham left everything behind at the call of God. 00:06:20.170 --> 00:06:21.725 That's what happens in this text here. 00:06:21.725 --> 00:06:28.725 And so listen, if you want adventure, faith will invite you to live on the redemptive edge. 00:06:28.725 --> 00:06:31.942 If what you're after is excitement and adventure in life, live by faith, you'll get it. 00:06:31.942 --> 00:06:32.725 I promise you that. 00:06:33.887 --> 00:06:43.141 Andy Crouch says that what happens is that people have to risk a lot to be successful in business, but once they get successful, they're tempted to de-risk. 00:06:43.141 --> 00:06:44.862 But once they get successful, they're tempted to de-risk. 00:06:44.862 --> 00:06:47.805 And he actually says that that makes sense. 00:06:47.805 --> 00:06:52.927 But really, if you wanna sacrificially bless others, you actually have to re-risk. 00:06:52.927 --> 00:06:56.307 You've gotta sign up again to risk in a new way. 00:06:56.307 --> 00:06:57.088 Why would you do that? 00:06:57.088 --> 00:06:59.910 Why would anybody re-risk? 00:06:59.910 --> 00:07:04.882 Because by faith we know that God brings creative restoration through sacrifice. 00:07:04.882 --> 00:07:09.420 You see, in this situation, abraham was about 75 years old. 00:07:09.420 --> 00:07:12.059 He's about to sail off into his sunset years. 00:07:12.059 --> 00:07:25.624 He's probably going to retire and get a place on the coast of the Gulf of America and as he's doing that, rather than de-risk, he risks everything at the call of God, everything at the call of God, everything. 00:07:25.624 --> 00:07:30.199 At the call of God, he went out not knowing where he was going and he became the father of faith. 00:07:31.581 --> 00:07:32.363 The text goes on. 00:07:32.363 --> 00:07:39.211 I'm sorry, paul the apostle, in another passage in Romans 4, he talks about Abraham and this is what he says about him. 00:07:39.211 --> 00:07:43.742 He says no unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God. 00:07:43.742 --> 00:07:46.456 To which I reply, paul, have you read about Ishmael? 00:07:46.456 --> 00:07:49.774 You know that guy Hagar Seems like there was some wavering here. 00:07:49.774 --> 00:07:51.019 We'll get to that in a moment. 00:07:51.670 --> 00:08:02.000 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:04.877 You see, faith feeds on the knowledge of God. 00:08:04.877 --> 00:08:07.192 So how do we grow strong in our faith? 00:08:07.192 --> 00:08:08.898 According to this passage, we give glory to God. 00:08:08.898 --> 00:08:09.560 That's how we do it. 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:12.334 Now I want to break that down a little bit. 00:08:13.757 --> 00:08:20.038 If faith feeds on the knowledge of God, praise and thanks, acknowledge God for who he is and what he's done. 00:08:20.038 --> 00:08:22.389 That's what I think this is so. 00:08:22.389 --> 00:08:23.896 Said differently to acknowledge something is to show one's knowledge of it. 00:08:23.896 --> 00:08:24.579 That's what I think this is so. 00:08:24.579 --> 00:08:26.646 Said differently to acknowledge something is to show one's knowledge of it. 00:08:26.646 --> 00:08:32.254 That's what that means, and I wanna just submit to you that we believe little because we praise little. 00:08:32.254 --> 00:08:36.619 Our trust is low because our thanks is low. 00:08:36.619 --> 00:08:51.563 But what Abraham's life shows us is that as we receive the knowledge of God who he is and what he does and as we respond to that knowledge by giving praise to God for who he is and thanks to God for what he does, faith grows, it's strengthened. 00:08:51.563 --> 00:08:55.738 That's what just happened here in the first half of this worship service. 00:08:55.738 --> 00:08:59.214 I love sitting in the front because I can hear you all. 00:08:59.214 --> 00:09:00.277 I can hear your voices. 00:09:00.277 --> 00:09:03.293 This is the voice, this is the sound of those who love you. 00:09:03.293 --> 00:09:05.318 Right, and I can hear that. 00:09:05.318 --> 00:09:07.615 And faith grows, it strengthens that way. 00:09:07.615 --> 00:09:17.082 And so as we give glory to God, fully convinced that he's able to do what he said he can do, our faith is strengthened, it grows in that regard. 00:09:17.971 --> 00:09:19.278 But it's not always a success story. 00:09:19.278 --> 00:09:19.961 Look at Hebrews 11, 13. 00:09:19.961 --> 00:09:21.529 It says this Look at Hebrews 11, 13. 00:09:21.529 --> 00:09:30.876 It says this these all now this is referring to Abraham, sarah, isaac, jacob these all died in faith. 00:09:30.876 --> 00:09:35.019 Not having received the things promised, these all died. 00:09:35.019 --> 00:09:36.761 Is this a tragedy? 00:09:36.761 --> 00:09:48.379 No, but it is biblical realism, and that matters, because, no matter how good your life gets, you will not receive the full benefits of your faith here and now. 00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:57.152 There was a book that was on the New York Times bestselling list for a couple years, called your Best Life Now, and here's the thing if you have your best life now, that implies you're going to hell. 00:09:57.152 --> 00:10:05.118 That's a big deal, okay, and so what that means, though, is that, if you belong to Jesus, the best is yet to come. 00:10:05.118 --> 00:10:12.457 You haven't fully realized all that God has in store for you yet, and that's how they act In verse 13,. 00:10:12.457 --> 00:10:15.619 It says they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 00:10:15.619 --> 00:10:23.558 Listen, when you become a Christian, when you become a believer in Jesus and you put your faith in him, you become a stranger and an exile on earth. 00:10:23.558 --> 00:10:25.916 The world doesn't know you anymore. 00:10:25.916 --> 00:10:31.857 It doesn't think like you, act like you value the things that you value anymore, so you become a stranger and an exile here. 00:10:31.857 --> 00:10:39.860 This is why, listen, faith often feels like homesickness, like you know. 00:10:39.860 --> 00:10:42.256 You're doing it right if you feel homesick from time to time. 00:10:43.230 --> 00:10:55.721 This is the way CS Lewis said it the settled happiness and security which we all desire, god withholds from us, by the very nature of the world, but joy and pleasure and merriment he has scattered abroad. 00:10:55.721 --> 00:11:03.783 You see, the security we crave would teach our hearts to rest in this world and it would pose an obstacle to our return to God. 00:11:03.783 --> 00:11:10.839 Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant ends, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home. 00:11:10.839 --> 00:11:21.457 Verse 14 says for people who speak thus, like CS Lewis just spoke, people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 00:11:21.457 --> 00:11:27.076 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, then they would have opportunity to return. 00:11:27.076 --> 00:11:29.590 But as it is, they desire a better country. 00:11:29.590 --> 00:11:30.855 That is a heavenly one. 00:11:30.855 --> 00:11:36.041 You see, many of us here desire a better country. 00:11:36.041 --> 00:11:37.750 Don't you Like? 00:11:37.750 --> 00:11:42.340 In your peak moments, you're aware of how fleeting that moment really is? 00:11:42.340 --> 00:11:44.657 Don't you desire a better country? 00:11:44.657 --> 00:11:47.005 In your valley moments, you're aware of how fleeting that moment really is? 00:11:47.005 --> 00:11:47.422 Don't you desire a better country In your valley moments? 00:11:47.422 --> 00:11:49.605 You're aware of how painful those moments really are? 00:11:49.605 --> 00:11:51.537 Don't you desire a better country? 00:11:52.791 --> 00:11:53.976 This is what it says in verse 16. 00:11:53.976 --> 00:11:55.918 Therefore, god is not ashamed. 00:11:55.918 --> 00:12:00.457 He's not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. 00:12:00.457 --> 00:12:04.535 You see, faith feels like homesickness, but it's also a coming home. 00:12:04.535 --> 00:12:07.634 Faith feels like homesickness, but it's also a coming home. 00:12:07.634 --> 00:12:11.671 Faith feels like homesickness, but it's a faith that feeds on the knowledge that God is not ashamed to be called our God. 00:12:11.671 --> 00:12:18.095 Another way to say that is is that faith is coming home to a father who loves you even when he's not impressed with you. 00:12:18.095 --> 00:12:20.360 That's what faith feels like. 00:12:20.360 --> 00:12:24.793 It's this coming home, and home is this place where we don't deserve it or earn it. 00:12:24.793 --> 00:12:26.934 It's just a place of safety and joy. 00:12:26.934 --> 00:12:30.518 It's a place where, while faith is a risk, it's also a refuge. 00:12:30.518 --> 00:12:32.500 It's coming into a safe harbor. 00:12:32.500 --> 00:12:35.841 It's experiencing the rest that we all deeply desire. 00:12:35.841 --> 00:12:37.283 That's what faith is. 00:12:37.283 --> 00:12:46.803 Faith is a coming home because it seeks a homeland, a place where we'll finally be at rest. 00:12:47.650 --> 00:12:49.250 The text says that faith desires a better country that is a heavenly one. 00:12:49.250 --> 00:12:58.421 Now here, listen, there's an accusation that flies around this topic, and it's usually something like this you are so heavenly minded that you're of no earthly good. 00:12:58.421 --> 00:13:03.057 You know, it's a fine saying, but the only problem with it is reality. 00:13:03.057 --> 00:13:05.496 This is the way CS Lewis puts it. 00:13:05.496 --> 00:13:13.519 If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:20.682 All who left their mark on earth did so precisely because their minds were occupied with heaven. 00:13:20.682 --> 00:13:27.553 It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. 00:13:27.553 --> 00:13:30.760 One Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. 00:13:30.760 --> 00:13:32.792 Aim at earth and you will get neither. 00:13:32.792 --> 00:13:37.961 Wilberforce fought slavery, corrie, ten Boom forgave Nazis. 00:13:37.961 --> 00:13:43.457 Nelson Mandela led post-apartheid South Africa beyond vengeance. 00:13:43.457 --> 00:13:46.943 Mlk dreamed of justice rooted in heaven. 00:13:46.943 --> 00:13:50.856 All of them, they aimed at heaven and they brought change to earth. 00:13:50.856 --> 00:13:56.018 So, yes, we are seeking a better country, we desire a new homeland, that's true. 00:13:56.018 --> 00:14:03.658 But that doesn't mean we don't get to work here and now to see our father answer the Lord's prayer on earth as it is in heaven. 00:14:05.052 --> 00:14:06.456 Now to our actual sermon text. 00:14:06.456 --> 00:14:07.634 Look with me at verse 32. 00:14:07.634 --> 00:14:17.400 And what more shall I say for this, for time would fail me to tell of Gideon, barak, samson, jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets. 00:14:17.400 --> 00:14:18.153 Now listen. 00:14:18.153 --> 00:14:25.774 Hebrews 11 is about to do this thing, where the preacher speeds up and goes rapid fire on this kind of tour to faith, and in the process. 00:14:25.774 --> 00:14:31.643 I wanna do a quick sidebar here, Because if you slow down, you'll notice something interesting. 00:14:31.643 --> 00:14:36.774 Just look at the first four men listed here Gideon, barak, samson, jephthah. 00:14:36.793 --> 00:14:47.571 If you read the book of Judges you'll realize those men all have significant flaws and many of them, just straight up, don't believe God at certain points that really matter. 00:14:47.571 --> 00:15:01.518 Like I use the story of Samson when I'm sitting down with like a 20 something year old guy and he's digging the chili of some woman who doesn't believe in Jesus and I'm like, listen, I'll listen to you as you talk about how you're missionary dating or you're gonna flirt to convert or all this stuff. 00:15:01.518 --> 00:15:11.051 But after I patiently listened for a little bit, I turned to Judges 14. 00:15:11.051 --> 00:15:11.974 I'm like, bro, it doesn't end well for you. 00:15:11.974 --> 00:15:13.476 Samson gets his eyes plucked out and like a building falls on him. 00:15:13.476 --> 00:15:13.938 Is that what you want? 00:15:13.938 --> 00:15:16.591 I know she's a honey named Delilah, but it doesn't go well. 00:15:16.591 --> 00:15:20.856 I use Samson as an example of how not to live. 00:15:20.856 --> 00:15:23.500 What is he doing in the hall of faith? 00:15:23.500 --> 00:15:26.104 Like you got to ask that question. 00:15:26.104 --> 00:15:28.052 Sure, all believers sin. 00:15:28.052 --> 00:15:35.153 But these are some significant disqualifying character flaws in this text, in these people's lives. 00:15:35.153 --> 00:15:39.182 But faith feeds on the knowledge that God is a better storyteller. 00:15:40.409 --> 00:15:44.980 There's a psychologist named Dan McAdams who created something called narrative identity theory. 00:15:44.980 --> 00:15:48.212 This is it in a nutshell who you are. 00:15:48.212 --> 00:15:51.836 Your identity is wrapped up in the stories you tell about yourself. 00:15:51.836 --> 00:15:55.238 And listen, there's only two stories really. 00:15:55.238 --> 00:15:55.820 He sums it up. 00:15:55.820 --> 00:15:57.957 He says really only two stories you can tell about yourself. 00:15:57.957 --> 00:16:02.182 He calls them redemption stories and contamination stories. 00:16:02.182 --> 00:16:04.476 He's not a Christian, as far as I know. 00:16:04.476 --> 00:16:07.855 Redemption stories go from bad to good. 00:16:07.855 --> 00:16:13.191 Contamination stories go from good to bad Two stories you can tell about yourself. 00:16:13.191 --> 00:16:17.139 That defines who you are, maybe more than anything else, is that story. 00:16:17.801 --> 00:16:29.870 So when we get to some of these people in Hebrews 11, who've done some messed up things like deception and cowardice and sexual sin and murder and polygamy, even unbelief, what do we do with this? 00:16:29.870 --> 00:16:34.077 Well, listen, that's not the story that God tells about their life, nor is it the story he tells about your life. 00:16:34.077 --> 00:16:42.499 There's some lies that you can believe in about your identity, but two of them are this I am nothing more than my worst moment. 00:16:42.499 --> 00:16:44.774 Another one would be I'm nothing better than my. 00:16:44.774 --> 00:16:45.815 I'm nothing more than my worst moment. 00:16:45.815 --> 00:16:46.144 Another one would be I'm nothing better than my. 00:16:46.144 --> 00:16:47.986 I'm nothing worse than my best moment. 00:16:47.986 --> 00:16:55.619 These lies about our identity can be actually upended if we, by faith, let God tell a different story about our life. 00:16:57.029 --> 00:17:04.998 Verse two says it like this by faith, the people of old received their commendation, not condemnation, commendation. 00:17:04.998 --> 00:17:06.792 God speaks well of them. 00:17:06.792 --> 00:17:08.491 Why? 00:17:08.491 --> 00:17:19.268 Because they earned it, because they did enough to offset the scales kind of in their favor, because they finally kind of outweighed their bad with their good. 00:17:19.268 --> 00:17:21.948 No, because they trusted God. 00:17:21.948 --> 00:17:27.788 They trusted God, and faith feeds on the knowledge of a God who can justify the ungodly. 00:17:27.788 --> 00:17:30.307 That's why they're in this story. 00:17:30.307 --> 00:17:36.782 And God justifies the ungodly, not by ignoring sin, but by writing your life into the story of his son. 00:17:36.782 --> 00:17:43.721 You see, jesus's story went from good to bad, so that yours could go from bad to good. 00:17:43.721 --> 00:17:49.594 Jesus's life has enough redemption in it to swallow up the contamination of your life. 00:17:49.594 --> 00:17:52.724 That's why God can speak about these people. 00:17:52.724 --> 00:17:53.926 That's how grace works. 00:17:53.926 --> 00:17:56.692 And then faith just simply lays hold on that grace. 00:17:56.692 --> 00:18:04.089 Matthew Henry said it like this the grace of God fixes upon the undeserving to do great things for them and by them. 00:18:04.089 --> 00:18:10.385 What a difference between God's judgment and man's judgment Sidebar over, believe it or not. 00:18:10.385 --> 00:18:12.449 That was all just a little excursus. 00:18:12.449 --> 00:18:14.267 Look at verse 33 with me. 00:18:14.267 --> 00:18:18.586 Verse 33 says this, and I want you to feel this. 00:18:18.728 --> 00:18:35.441 There's something rhetorical happening in this text who, through faith, conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 00:18:35.441 --> 00:18:42.294 Some were tortured, refusing to accept release so they might rise again to a better life. 00:18:42.294 --> 00:18:47.650 Others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment. 00:18:47.650 --> 00:18:48.392 Do you feel this? 00:18:48.392 --> 00:18:49.303 Do you feel this shift? 00:18:49.303 --> 00:18:52.516 Verse 37 says they were stoned. 00:18:52.516 --> 00:18:53.740 Some of you are like that doesn't sound so bad. 00:18:53.740 --> 00:18:54.584 It's not what you think. 00:18:54.584 --> 00:18:56.289 It means they were stoned. 00:18:56.289 --> 00:18:57.945 They were sawn in two. 00:18:57.945 --> 00:19:00.007 They were killed with the sword. 00:19:00.007 --> 00:19:12.028 They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated, of whom the world was not worthy, wandering about in deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:13.541 Do you see those halves? 00:19:13.541 --> 00:19:14.243 Do you see those halves? 00:19:14.243 --> 00:19:15.326 Do you see what happened there? 00:19:15.326 --> 00:19:17.211 You see the first part of this. 00:19:17.211 --> 00:19:21.869 There's nine verbs of victorious faith where all they do is win. 00:19:21.869 --> 00:19:29.749 But then there's a transition in verse 35 where it says some, and in verse 36 where it says others. 00:19:29.749 --> 00:19:33.268 You see the first half, verses 32 through 34,. 00:19:33.268 --> 00:19:37.730 It's about faith for death to life. 00:19:37.730 --> 00:19:43.368 But the second half verses 34 through 38, is about faith for life to death. 00:19:43.368 --> 00:19:53.808 You need faith for both, and so here's the question I ask when I read this text what do I do when I'm not sure which testimony I'm gonna have? 00:19:53.808 --> 00:19:56.291 What do I do when? 00:19:56.291 --> 00:20:03.423 Will I be the one who escapes the sword verse 34, or is killed by the sword verse 37? 00:20:03.423 --> 00:20:05.750 Which story of faith is gonna be recorded on my life? 00:20:05.750 --> 00:20:08.442 How do we handle this? 00:20:08.442 --> 00:20:10.488 You see, faith feeds on the faithfulness of God. 00:20:10.488 --> 00:20:23.109 That's how we handle it, and we get a hint from one of these stories in particular, where it says that faith quenched the power of fire in verse 34. 00:20:23.130 --> 00:20:24.113 And many of you kids know this story. 00:20:24.113 --> 00:20:41.962 This is the story of in Daniel three, where Nebuchadnezzar, the most mighty emperor in the world at the time, demands worship at the point of death and Shadrach, meshach and Abednego who, by the way, were likely teenagers, probably 14 to 17 years old. 00:20:41.962 --> 00:20:42.826 That's actually really important. 00:20:42.826 --> 00:20:44.349 They look at Nebuchadnezzar and they say no, that's it. 00:20:44.349 --> 00:20:53.532 So Nebuchadnezzar orders that the furnace be as hot as his fury and then to have these three teenagers thrown into it, and they don't flinch for a moment. 00:20:53.532 --> 00:20:59.609 In fact, there's this moment where they look at him and they say okay, Nebby, listen, that's not what it says, that's my version of it. 00:20:59.609 --> 00:21:04.242 Okay, nebby, listen, we don't need to defend ourselves to you If you throw us in. 00:21:04.242 --> 00:21:09.864 Our God, we serve, is able to deliver us, and he will deliver us from your hand, oh king. 00:21:09.864 --> 00:21:21.240 Then these next three words but if not, but if not, let it be known to you, o King we still won't serve your gods or worship the image you set up. 00:21:21.240 --> 00:21:27.788 Do you hear that confidence in the faithfulness of God, our God, will deliver us from this fiery furnace. 00:21:27.788 --> 00:21:32.510 But if not, we still have confidence in who he is. 00:21:32.510 --> 00:21:37.221 We're not gonna worship some idol, some man, some emperor. 00:21:37.221 --> 00:21:39.527 There's a clue there for us. 00:21:39.527 --> 00:21:42.922 Don't you want your teenagers to be able to stand up to tyrants like that? 00:21:44.005 --> 00:21:48.076 Student community meets tonight at 6 pm at the New City offices. 00:21:48.076 --> 00:21:54.088 Six-week series called Teens vs Tyrants how to have Punk Rock Faith, something like that. 00:21:54.088 --> 00:21:56.353 None of that's true, but I wish it was. 00:21:56.353 --> 00:22:00.643 They do meet tonight at 6 pm. 00:22:00.643 --> 00:22:03.386 Listen, shadrach, meshach and Abednego were 14 years old. 00:22:03.386 --> 00:22:08.095 They're thrown into the fire, and the fire was so hot that it killed the men who threw them in. 00:22:08.580 --> 00:22:10.528 And suddenly Nebuchadnezzar jumps to his feet. 00:22:10.528 --> 00:22:20.304 He looks and he's astonished at what he sees and he says wait a minute. 00:22:20.304 --> 00:22:21.607 Didn't we throw three young men that are bound up? 00:22:21.607 --> 00:22:22.810 Didn't we throw three men into the fire? 00:22:22.810 --> 00:22:23.291 They say, of course, king. 00:22:23.291 --> 00:22:29.386 He says but I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire, unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods. 00:22:31.652 --> 00:22:35.140 You see, what happened in this moment is they didn't have a specific promise of rescue. 00:22:35.140 --> 00:22:45.892 God didn't promise to deliver them from this fire, but God promised to be God to them, to be faithful to them, to meet them where they are, to be with them in the fire. 00:22:45.892 --> 00:22:50.664 And they had confidence, because faith feeds on the faithfulness of God. 00:22:50.664 --> 00:23:05.405 Verse 38 says says this and all of these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that, apart from us, they should not be made perfect. 00:23:05.405 --> 00:23:11.166 You see Hebrews 11, it is a hall of faith, but it's also a character reference for God. 00:23:11.166 --> 00:23:19.366 The whole story, the pattern of Hebrews 11, is that God gives a promise, people hold fast to that promise and then God delivers on that promise. 00:23:19.779 --> 00:23:26.667 But sometimes you don't have a promise, like there's no promise that you won't remain single your whole life. 00:23:26.667 --> 00:23:30.670 There's no promise that your kids won't suffer. 00:23:30.670 --> 00:23:35.705 There's no promise that you won't get an unexpected diagnosis this week. 00:23:35.705 --> 00:23:37.550 So what do we do? 00:23:37.550 --> 00:23:41.950 Well, faith has to learn to feed on the faithfulness of God. 00:23:41.950 --> 00:23:45.548 We trust, like verse 40, that God has provided something better for us. 00:23:45.548 --> 00:23:49.807 We, like Sarah, consider him faithful. 00:23:49.868 --> 00:23:51.031 Who promised verse 11. 00:23:51.031 --> 00:23:55.630 Like Abraham, we believe God could even raise the dead verse 19. 00:23:55.630 --> 00:24:00.310 Like Moses, we endure as seeing him who is invisible. 00:24:00.310 --> 00:24:08.156 I had a friend who texted me this week and asked to pray for him because he was going in for a biopsy that was potentially cancerous. 00:24:08.156 --> 00:24:17.894 And after he went in, he texted me and he said my father knows what they're going to find and he is good and trustworthy and is working out a plan about which I am on a need to know basis. 00:24:17.894 --> 00:24:19.856 That's faith. 00:24:19.856 --> 00:24:23.384 That's faith that feeds on the faithfulness of God. 00:24:23.505 --> 00:24:32.290 Even when you don't have a promise for your circumstance, faith looks to God to come through somehow some way, because we know who God is. 00:24:32.290 --> 00:24:37.280 We know this God some way. 00:24:37.280 --> 00:24:38.183 Because we know who God is, we know this God. 00:24:38.183 --> 00:24:40.270 We have an awareness that God hasn't promised safety and security or pleasure and peace. 00:24:40.270 --> 00:24:45.688 But God has promised himself, and when we cannot trace his hand, we can trust his heart. 00:24:45.688 --> 00:24:50.800 And so we believe, even when it hurts like hell. 00:24:51.162 --> 00:24:54.892 Verse 40, god has provided something better for us. 00:24:54.892 --> 00:24:57.183 What is that something better? 00:24:57.183 --> 00:24:59.170 Well, that's something better. 00:24:59.170 --> 00:25:06.190 Throughout the entire book of Hebrews up to this point is Jesus, it's Jesus, and it's everything that's found in Jesus. 00:25:06.190 --> 00:25:11.787 It's his faithful life, it's his victorious resurrection, it's his willing death on our behalf. 00:25:11.787 --> 00:25:13.646 It's his joyful presence for eternity. 00:25:13.646 --> 00:25:34.626 This something better is a sinless, painless existence, forever in the presence of our king, not some disembodied spiritual existence where we float around, but one where we dance and we march and we hug and we embrace and we eat and we drink in the kingdom of God and all of our deepest longings are fulfilled and all of our greatest sorrows are swallowed up. 00:25:34.626 --> 00:25:36.369 What could be better than that? 00:25:36.369 --> 00:25:42.469 And that's what we're in for, and nothing less, because God has provided something better for us. 00:25:43.590 --> 00:25:47.482 Let's pray, jesus, we pause before you. 00:25:47.482 --> 00:25:52.894 Now, here we are, your people, those who have laid hold of you by faith. 00:25:52.894 --> 00:25:55.567 Be the one you've promised to be. 00:25:55.567 --> 00:25:58.203 We trust you, we look to you. 00:25:58.203 --> 00:26:06.403 Holy Spirit, I'm asking that you would grow faith, strengthen faith, create faith, even in some of our hearts. 00:26:06.403 --> 00:26:12.144 Give us eyes to see, not our surroundings or our circumstances, but to see you. 00:26:12.144 --> 00:26:16.053 By faith, we wanna endure as seeing him who is invisible. 00:26:16.053 --> 00:26:16.713 Help us, lord. 00:26:16.713 --> 00:26:18.321 We can't do this on our own. 00:26:18.321 --> 00:26:20.506 It's for your beautiful name we pray amen.