And you know, you never know
when the Lord's gonna bring another pestilence into the world. Could be there's a country that's
about ready to raise up its ugly head, but I don't want to get
into any politics, but I will say this. Whatever he has in
store for you and I, this afternoon and on, it's for our good. We were talking about this when
we gathered together, a couple of us men, for breakfast. We
were doing our best to keep politics out of everything, I think. We
did pretty good for the most part. But it kept leading us
back around to this, that the Lord is in control and whatever
he's got for us is good. And I brought this up before
here in the pulpit. But imagine, you know, the time
between when Israel, when Jacob's sons came down into Egypt because
they had no food up in the land of Canaan. When they came down
into Egypt, between that time and the time the Lord led them
across the Red Sea and separated the ocean for them, the sea for
them, that was a lot of time. There's 400 years there. And
in 400 years time, they had gone from a land of plenty to a land
of bondage, hadn't they? There were people during that
time just as there are people right here today. Little groups
here and there. Do you imagine how sad they must
have thought to themselves, look what's happening to our people?
Little did they know that God had something great that was
gonna happen. It took a little while, took
a little while for the Lord to lead it to that position, but
it was something that was gonna be great. What was it? It was
a picture of our Savior delivering his people from the bondage of
sin. What a picture. What a gracious picture. And
folks, we look at things like that in the Old Testament, and
that's exactly what we see. We see these things as truth,
as how they happen. Our Lord says everything was
for our good, right? Well, if you didn't know that,
you could read that same story that I just told you about, and
you could think to yourself, how sad. Why would God lead those
people off into the bondage? Well, he didn't lead them there.
They went there in their own natural self. They were hungry.
What did they end up getting? They ended up getting the things
of the world. That's exactly what that is.
And we believe it. We believe it without sight,
don't we? We weren't there, but we believe that it really happened,
don't we? When the Lord separated the waters on the earth, do you
believe that that really happened? Or is that just a story? No,
God's people believe it really happened. When a flood came upon
all the earth, I loved flying in an airplane and looking out
across the plains of Colorado and New Mexico. You can just
see where the water receded down and it kept coming down onto
this plateau and onto that plateau, and eventually it works its way
down into this crack in the world called the Grand Canyon, and
it works its way out to the ocean. It's really actually pretty cool
to see when you know that the flood was true. We've looked
a lot at this verse. We've looked for the last two
Sundays in a row at this verse in Hebrews chapter 11, verse
1, where it says, now faith is the substance, that's the assurance
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. And that's
what we were just talking about. It's the evidence. We believe.
We believe God's Word. We believe that Jesus Christ
is God in the flesh. We believe that what He did was
perfect in every way. He purged us from our sins. We believe that, even though
we weren't there to see it actually happen. We believe the world
was flooded because it's in His Word, the Word of Truth. We believe
that this Word is the inspired Word of God because of Him, because
of the faith that He has given us. even though we weren't there
to see it actually done. We still believe it. That's what
that's telling us there. It's telling us it's the hope
for things. That's not the right verse. It's telling us that it's
the things hoped for, the evidence, the proof, the sign of things
not seen. Then we read in verse two and
three, for by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith
we understand that the world were framed by the Word of God,
so that things which are seen were not made of things which
do appear. Now the first thing we can understand
that we read out here is regeneration, forgiveness, and sanctification.
In Hebrews chapter 10, if you'll recall, you want to turn back
to chapter 10 for a moment there, you'll see in verses 15 and 18
where we read Wherefore, the Holy Ghost also is a witness
to us. Well, what's the Holy Ghost a
witness to us for? For after that he had said before,
this is the covenant, this is the promise. And we read these
things. Now remember, faith is the evidence
of things not seen. We weren't there when that covenant
was made. For after that he had said before, this is the covenant
that I will make with them after those days, sayeth the Lord,
I will put my laws into their hearts. Was the law in our hearts
before the Lord called us out of darkness? Oh, we believed
in good and evil, didn't we? That's not the law. The law is
love God with all your heart and all your mind and all your
soul. And love thy neighbor as thyself. That's the law. Everything else, all the other
stuff that God has promised to do Instructions that God has
given that we break every day, that all falls exactly under
that. Love fulfilleth the law, folks. That's scriptural. That's God's
Word telling us that. So we see here, we see here in
our verses, this is the covenant that I will make with them in
those days. It says, Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts,
and in their minds will I write them, and their sins and iniquities
will I remember no more." Do you not stand on that promise?
Folks, if we can't stand on that promise, we've got nothing to
stand on. I can't do anything about my iniquities. I'm full
of them. Even me thinking about my iniquities
is full of iniquities. You know what I mean by that?
Yeah, absolutely. I can't even think about my iniquities
as iniquities as they are. We can go on all day like that,
couldn't we? He says, I will remember no more. Now, where the remission of these
is, there is no more offering for sin. This is what we're reading
here in Hebrews 10, that the Spirit of God gave us words of
warning and encouragement. and instruction about true persevering
faith, faith that continues to the end, the faith by which chosen,
redeemed sinners are united to Christ. This is the faith we're
talking about, the faith that you and I have with our Christ,
the one that brings us and knits us together with our Lord. It's
a faith which does not draw back under perdition, but perseveres. and continues to the salvation
of our souls. In this 11th chapter, the writer,
inspired of the Holy Spirit, speaks to the nature of faith,
the works of faith, and the response of faith to the Word of God.
Then, the chapter concludes by giving us numerous examples of
Old Testament states that believe God. And we'll get to those in
our future lessons. We may be spending some time
here, as a matter of fact, in Hebrews chapter 11. But in 11
verse 1, again, we read these words, faith is the substance
of things hoped for. Well, what are things that we
hope for? What is it we hope for, Pauly? Do we not hope for
deliverance? Do we not hope for this deliverance?
Well, you can't see that, but by reading it in God's Word,
we believe it, don't we? You see what I'm talking about?
If you just picked up a message two weeks ago when we began this
chapter 11, and then you skipped last week's and came to this
week's, you would have missed a whole bunch of important things
on this thing that we call faith. This belief, how do we measure
whether we're saved or not? We went to court last week. Remember we went to court and
we said, well, what does our faith point us to? It points
us to Christ. It doesn't point us to this.
It points us to Him. Our Lord's Word is very clear.
It is the evidence of things hoped for. Well, what are some
of the other things that we hope for? How about eternal glory?
Do you not hope in eternal glory, Kathy? Do you not have a hope
that you'll be spending eternal life in heaven with our Master? Of course you do. Why? Because
God's given her the faith to believe His Word. This is what
faith is, folks. We don't measure our faith by
how strong it is. Folks, my faith is weak all the
time. I've never had strong faith. Never. But it's a faith in the
one who's stronger than everything else. You see what I'm saying?
See where our strength lies? It doesn't lie within us. We
have no confidence in what we have in this flesh. That means
we have no confidence in our faith. But we do have confidence
in the one who gives us that faith. How about everlasting
fellowship with God? How many times have we all agreed
on this point here? I don't know what heaven's like,
but as long as Christ's there, I don't care. Doesn't matter. If Christ is there, it's going
to be perfect. It's going to be more than I
can imagine. What is heaven like? Christ. That's what heaven is
like. That's what our hope is. And
we have it a spot next to him for eternity. Faith is the ground,
the foundation, the support of our hope. We have a reasonable,
well-grounded hope of these things of eternal salvation and all
that it includes because we believe God. We simply believe God. Our Lord asked the man who was
seeking to be healed, the Lord asked him, he says, do you believe
this? Do you? Do you believe that I am able?
His way of saying to the man, do you believe that not only
am I able, that I'm willing to? Yes, Lord, I believe. Lord, I
believe. Help thou my unbelief, but Lord,
I believe. We believe God, and because we
have confidence in His word, Faith gives us the possession
of these things beforehand. Faith gives us the reality of
them, the first fruits of them. Hold your spot here in Hebrews
11. Go back to Romans chapter 8 for
just a moment. Romans chapter 8. Now I know
you think we're going to read our familiar verses that we read
all the time, but no, I'm actually going to read the verses right
before that. I want to begin at verse 23. Romans chapter 8
verse 23. We're talking about faith. being
the things, faith in the things that we are hoping for. Verse
23, and not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits
of the Spirit, even we ourselves, grown within ourselves, waiting. You can put that word hope right
in there with it. Hoping, waiting, patiently for
our adoption, for the adoption to with the redemption of the
body. Verse 24, for we are saved by what? Hope. This is the faith that we have.
We have a hope. For what a man seeth, why doth
he yet hope for? But if we hope for what we see
not, then we do with patience wait for it. Isn't that good
words? We with patience. I know we don't
see the results of our eternal life in heaven. But that's only
because we can't imagine the beauty and the glory of it being
in the presence of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. These things
are certain. And they are as certain and as
sure as the very throne of God. It is our faith in Christ that
gives us confidence concerning them. Look over at Romans chapter
4 while you're still there in the book of Romans. Romans chapter
4. Look at 4 verses 17. As it is
written, made thee a father of many nations
before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the
dead and calleth those things which be not as they are, as
though they were, who against hope believed in the hope that
he might become the father of many nations." We're talking
about the promised Abraham. We're talking about the promised
Abraham over here in Romans 4, verse 17-25. who against hope
believed in the 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." Remember what the
story is, Abraham's 100 years old, and the Lord promised him
a son, and he's thinking to himself, now my wife's 100 years old,
Sarah, she can't have no children. past the age of 45. And here
we are. When he was about 100 years old
and neither yet deadness of Sarah's womb, he staggered not at the
promise of God through unbelief. Why were those Jews destroyed
out in the desert? Remember what it was? They staggered
in unbelief. They had no belief in who God
is. and what he's done, and where
he is now. With Paul, all who trust Christ
have reason to be of good cheer, because we can honestly say,
I believe God that it shall be even as it was told me. That's what Paul said. He said,
I believe God. even as it was told me." Next
we see things not seen. It says faith is the evidence
of things not seen. Faith looks not at the things
that are seen, but at the things that are unseen. Turn over to
2 Corinthians chapter 4. We look at things that are unseen.
If we could see them before us, we wouldn't need to believe we
could see for our own self, right? Over in 2 Corinthians chapter
4, we read these words. In verses 17 and 18, for our
light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us
as a far more exceeding and eternal way of glory, while we look not
at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not
seen, for the things which are not seen are temporal, or for
the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which
are not seen are eternal. So we see here that faith looks
not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen.
Things that are not seen are things done in eternity. Things
that were done in the council of the great three and one before
the world began. Three, things that were agreed
upon between the great three and one in the covenant of grace.
and the decrees of the triune God. These are things done in
time. The incarnation of Christ, the
obedience of Christ. We didn't see those things, but
we believe that He did it. And we believe what He did is
sure. We don't see death. None of us truly
see death until we die. before us, but you can't say
you have witnessed death or seen death until you've actually gone
through the door marked death. Is that correct? That's a fact. I like the way you said that.
That's a fact. That's a fact. Things that we don't see is the
resurrection of Christ. You didn't see it, but where's
Christ right now in your heart? Where do you believe He is? on
His throne. Exactly. Why? Because He tells
us so in His Word. In His Word. It speaks to our
heart. Some other things that are unseen. How about the exaltation
of Christ our Mediator? He's sitting on His throne doing
what? We know that He's sitting on His throne working all things
out for the counsel of His own will according for our good.
Is that not correct? Again, because of His Word. These
are all unseen things, but faith in Christ gives our heart proof
and evidence of them. His Word, His Spirit, and His
work of grace in us assure us of all those things. Look over
at Romans chapter 10. Look over at Romans chapter 10,
verse 17. Here's a promise that we can't
see right now, but we know it to be true. Verse 17 we read,
For we being many are one bread. What are we one bread? We're
one in the bread of life. We are one in Christ, in one
body, and we are all partakers of that one bread. Folks, we
are co-heirs. We are joint heirs with Christ. Whatever Christ gets, whatever
He's got, it's ours. If He laid down His own life,
if He gave His only begotten Son, shall He not give us everything
else? Isn't that what we read back
there in Romans chapter 8? And then lastly, we're gonna
talk about, no, two more things. The elders. Look over there back
in our text in Hebrews 11 verse two. For by it, for by that faith,
that very faith that we're talking about, we've been talking about
it for three weeks now, that very faith that we see as our
evidence of believing God, the elders obtained a good report
by that very same faith. That's what we're reading there.
We're called to remember that God's saints of old, they walked
by faith just like we do, remember? What was Abraham doing? He was
walking by faith. We're gonna have a whole list
of people here in the next few weeks to look at this. It describes
it over in chapter one of verse 12, wherefore seeing we also
are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. This is
what Paul is writing the Hebrews to. This is how he describes
it after he went through and listed these ones off of great
faith. These are the elders that this
is talking about in verse two. We're called to remember that
they walk by the same faith we have. The only difference between
their faith and ours is this, that we have way much more to
go on than they did. It's the same faith, they just
didn't have as much to go on. The Old Testament wasn't described. We have the New Testament, which
breaks down and describes the Old Testament, don't we? So that's
the only difference. We actually have a more clear
picture, but it's the same picture. It's still Christ and Him crucified. It's still Him as Lord Almighty. Lord God Almighty. It's the same
faith. These elders were men of faith
who lived in the earliest days of the Old Testament, Abel, Job,
Enoch, and Noah. They were men who were justified
and accepted in Christ through faith, just as you and I are.
Not because of their works, but by faith alone in Christ alone. Paul mentions this because the
Jews tended to elevate the elders too highly. Does that sound like
any of us? The Holy Spirit tells us that
Abel, Enoch, and Noah were all saved by grace through faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ, just as we are. Turn over to John
chapter 8, and I'll show you that. John chapter 8, verse 39. Some unbelieving Jews were arguing
with the Lord, and they said up in verse 33, We be Abraham's
seed, and we're never in bondage to any man. How sayest thou?
Then down here in 39, they answered, and said unto him, Abraham is
our father. Jesus said unto them, if ye were
Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. What
were the works of Abraham? He believed God. You realize
it was accounted to Abraham for righteousness because he believed
God. Nothing else, nothing in the
flesh, but because he believed God. Lastly, we read in verse
3 that we understand something. We have an understanding. Look
at verse 3 of our text, back on Hebrews 11. Through faith,
we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God,
so that things which are seen were not made. of things which
do appear. We believe God made the world
exactly how He said He made it. He said, let there be light,
and there was light. Our Lord created all that is,
and we believe it because He has said it in His Word. We are
told that true saving faith is a given understanding in the
things of God. Through faith, we understand
the world we're framed by the Word of God. All who believe
God understand how things were created. The visible creation
was formed from nothing. I laugh and scoff at those who
say the world is billions of years old. I laugh and scoff
at those who say we came from monkeys. I laugh and scoff at
those who say we were just a little somethings. We had to be something.
And then boom, because it exploded. And then something became a fish,
and a fish became a man, and a man became a monkey, and a
monkey became a man. I don't know. Whatever it is,
it's still funny stuff, isn't it? Everyone who believes God
understands how things were created. God said, let it be. And it was. It was formed. Creation was formed
from nothing. It all came into existence by
the command of our Lord. Isn't that what we read in John
chapter 1? In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God. And let me just quote it properly
here, because you know, this flesh that's standing before
you can be so wrong at times, in my memory. In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And here's what I want you to hear. The same was in the beginning
with God and all things. were made by Him, and without
Him was not anything made that was made. If that's not enough
for you, there's another one over at Colossians. I'll read
that one for you real quick here. Colossians chapter 1, verses
16 through 18. For by Him, speaking of Christ,
were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in
earth, visible and invisible, whether it be thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers, all things were created by Him
and for Him, and He is before all things, and by Him all things
consist. As we understand the works of
God in creation, the providence of God in all things, only by
faith in His Word, only by bowing to His Word, so we understand
the works of God in grace." We understand that He made the worlds,
and that's the same understanding of how He has grace to us, how
He is gracious to us, and not giving us what we deserve. It's
the same faith. We believe that He's going to
be gracious to us. We believe that our names were
written in the Book of Life before the world began because we believe
that He made the world. We believe that we're saved from
our sins because He said He saved us from our sins. That's as simple
as that gets. We were talking about that over
in the fellowship hall, weren't we? Some men just make the gospel
too complicated. And I'm not trying to put anybody
down, but sometimes those who study every day, seven days a
week, 24 hours a day, they study too much. Folks, it's as simple as this. We believe God. And we bow to
His Word with an understanding that the works of Him in grace
and in judgment are because we have the mind of Christ. It's
not something we just achieve. You can't just go down to the
store and buy the thoughts, the mind of Christ. It must be given
to you as a gift, and if it is a gift of God, it is that which
we have received by faith in Christ. Listen to 1 Corinthians
2 verses 12 through 16. Now we have received not the
spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that
we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Do you know who he is? Do you
know what he's done? Do you know where he is right
now? Folks, the world doesn't know
these things. I didn't know these things before,
did you? No. My club was to be the first one
to tell you, I worked for my salvation in the old religion.
And that was what I was to do, was to go out and knock on doors
and be precious and be this and be that. We have received not
the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that
we might know the things. which are freely given to us
of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which
man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing
spiritual things with spiritual, but the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God. My son will have nothing
to do with what I tell him about the Word of God. Why? Because
he's still in his natural state. God hasn't done a work in his
heart like he has his father and his mother. I pray that he
will though, don't you? Don't we have loved ones? We
continue to pray, Lord, if it be your will, shine your light
like you did in our hearts with them. I'm going up tomorrow to
go see my daughter. You know what's on my mind? On
how I can tell her she needs Christ. That's the only thing
worth Me telling her, you need Christ just as I did. I love
you. I love you, my daughter. But
you need Christ. Natural man does not receive
the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto
him. Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned. But he that is spiritual judges all things. Yet he himself
is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of
the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of
Christ." That's 1 Corinthians 2, 12 through 16. Folks, do I
doubt at times my faith? Oh, absolutely. Any man who says
he doesn't is a liar. But I'm not basing my salvation
whether God has saved me on whether I doubt my beliefs at times or
not. It always comes back to this.
Who do you believe in? Who is it that you believe in?
Is it the God of this book? Or is it the God that somebody's
preaching about who's trying to do something and can't do
it because he won't let him? I believe this. All of it. Total depravity of man, unconditional
election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance
of the saints. Five things that you will find
in this book all the way through it. Because of Christ our Savior. Amen.