Hebrews that we read from a moment
ago, chapter 10. After exhorting believers to
continue in the faith, that is to keep believing, in the last
part of chapter 10, the writer gives a definition of faith in
verse 1 of chapter 11. And as we said in the reading,
every example he gives illustrates, enforces what he said in verse
1. Because all these things mentioned were yet unseen by these pilgrims
and strangers as they're referred to. They truly believed and their
faith to them, that faith, was to them the substance. the substance
of those things that they hoped for and looked for, yet at the
time, at the time, those things were unseen, unfulfilled, but
yet they were not unreal. They were not unreal. They, like
you and I, believe by God's grace every word, every promise shall
be fulfilled. One day, one day, By His grace
and power, according to His promise, all of His sheep, without one
being lost, will be gathered together with Him in glory, and
so shall we ever be with the Lord. We've not experienced that
yet. We know it's true. We live by
faith. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians
4, looking not at the things which are seen, but at the things
which are unseen. How do you do that? How does
someone look at that which is unseen? By faith. By faith. It's the substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. And one example among the many
given us in Hebrews chapter 11 is that of Abraham, Abraham who's
called the father of the faithful. I want you to turn back before
we come back to our text here in Hebrews 11, turn back to Romans,
Romans chapter 4, and look what we're told here about Abraham
and about all those that believe God as Abraham believed God.
4 of Romans, verse 3. For what saith the scripture,
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness? Verse 12. and the father of circumcision,
to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the
steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet
uncircumcised. For the promise that he should
be heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through
the law, but through the righteousness of faith. The same faith every
child of God possesses. Look down at verse 16 of Romans
4. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace to the intent
the promise might be sure to all the seed, all God's children. The promise is sure upon the
same foundation, not our faith, but the object of our faith,
Jesus Christ. Not to that only which is of
the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who
is the father of us all. Verse 23. Now it was not written
for his sake alone, that is Abraham's, that it was imputed to him, but
for us also, to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him
that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. Now look again
with me back in Hebrews chapter 11. This is our text, verse 13. concerning
all those mentioned prior to this. And certainly it applies
to all those mentioned after this and to every child of God. These all died in faith. These all died in faith. You remember last Friday before
last, right there, Don's first message, his first message Friday
night. Will you die tonight? was the
title, will you die tonight? And many people will. They'll
die before the night arrives. Many went out to meet God last
night. The title of my message is this,
let me die like these. Let me die like these. These
all died in faith. It really doesn't matter. It
really doesn't matter, not in light of eternity, not with that
giving us the perspective otherwise we can't have, but in light of
eternity, in light of the fact, not the fairy tale, but in light
of the fact that every one of you and I possess an immortal
soul. We're going to live forever somewhere. somewhere, this life is not all. This life is not the end. How
foolish people talk when someone dies, an unbeliever, and they
say, well, his suffering's over. No, it's not. No, it's not. Not if we believe the word of
God. But with that in mind, the certainty
of our immortal souls, the certainty of eternity. I know our little
brains, especially this one, can't get a hold of that, can't
grasp that, but we believe it. By God's grace, we believe it.
And in light of eternity, it doesn't really matter when I
die. That's not important. It's really
not important. It doesn't really matter from
what I die. what disease or illness or whatever,
what means, God may be pleased to take me out. And it's not
very important, not important at all, as to where I die, whether
it's at home, in the hospital, in that car, or here preaching. That would be good. That would
be good, to die while preaching God's Word. I can't think of
a better way to go. But none of those things are
really important. What is important is this, to
die in faith, to die like these, to die believing, to die believing
God. That's what it says in verse
21 concerning Jacob in Hebrews 11. Oh, Jacob, what a conniver. What a conniver. What a supplanter. Oh, but when he died, I mean,
study his life up and down, believing mixed with unbelief. Oh, but
when he died, it was his finest hour. By faith, Jacob, when he
was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph and worshipped, worshipped,
believing his God. He left this world believing
God, leaning up on the top of his staff. As Balaam said in
Numbers chapter 23, he said this, let me die the death of the righteous
and let my last end be like his. That's what matters most. That's
what's most important. Let me die like these, because
these, we're told, all died in faith, considering those few
words as our text. I'd like for us to think about
these three things. A believer's calling, a believer's
confession, that's included, and his conclusion, his final
confirmation, if you will. First, a believer's calling.
We must start there. When we talk about faith, we
must begin with God's calling. Otherwise, no one could believe. God calls us to life. God calls
us who are by nature spiritually dead. All through the scriptures, that's
how we are described. Dead in trespasses and sins. Now, can a dead man do anything?
Can a dead man do anything? All my life I heard, take the
first step. I'm dead in sin, John. How am
I going to take the first step to God? How am I going to repent? And I can't be saved without
repentance. How can I believe? I cannot be
saved without believing, but how can I believe it's not in
me? I don't have that ability. Therefore,
God comes to us and gives us life, the very life of Christ. We're born again. And you're
not born again by walking from one place in the church to the
front of the church. You're not born again by making
a decision. You're not born again by anything
you do. It's a miraculous work of God's
Holy Spirit. He breathes on us. He says, live,
and we live. And then and then only do we
believe. We don't believe and then born
again. No, no, no. We're born again
in order to believe. He grants us life and faith in
Christ. These, verse 13. Oh, notice that
distinction, these. That's different from the rest
of the world. These died in faith. Look back
at verse 39 of chapter 10. It's here that Paul makes that
distinction. But we are not of them. We're not of them. Who? They draw back unto perdition. Them who made a profession of
faith. Them who started to follow Christ. But then they turned
back. They turned back. Look, if you
will, in chapter 3 here in Hebrews. Look what the apostle says here.
In chapter 3, verse 6. Christ, but Christ is a son over
his own house, whose house are we, if. There's an if there. There's an if there. If we hold
fast to confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Firm unto the end. Look down
in the same chapter at verse 12. Take heed, brethren. lest there be in any of you an
evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. It's not
enough to profess. It's not enough to make a start.
We must endure. We must continue to believe.
We must live by faith. We must die in faith. Verse 13,
but exhort one another daily while it is called the day lest
any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For
we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our
confidence steadfast partway, halfway, most of the way. No,
steadfast unto the end. There are multitudes And please
believe me, I take no delight in making this statement. There
are multitudes that are resting their immortal soul on a decision
they made years ago that hasn't affected their life whatsoever. Not in the least. Not in the
least. But that's where they spend eternity
on. That's what they're trusting.
They look back to a decision, and it never changed their life.
That wasn't fake. The preacher told the story.
And in the emotion of the moment, they went forward. But they had
no love for God, Christ, His gospel, His people, His fellowship,
but ask Him if they're saved, and they'll guarantee you they
are. No, no. That's not the faith of Scripture.
That is not the faith of God's Word. Read it. Read it with me. I hope you are, and see if it's
not so. Joe read it to begin our service. Those people in John 6 that had
experienced their feeding, our Lord's miracle of feeding them,
and followed him across the sea, they professed to be his disciples. They said, we believe, we believe. What they believed was, he fed
us and now we're hungry again and we want to get our belly
filled again. That's the only reason they followed
him. And when they found him, the Lord said, you've not really
come to me. Isn't that what he said? You've not really come
to me. You moved your feet. but you've never come to me with
your heart." No man can do that unless the Father draws him. Unless the Father gives him life
and faith, no man can come to me in a saving way. And when
they heard that, what did they do, Louie? They did an about-face. We've had enough of that. We
don't have to listen to that. We don't have to put up with
that. And they walked away. The majority, the multitude,
And Christ was left alone with 12 disciples, and one of them
was a traitor. And he said, you want to join
them? You want to join the crowd? You want to walk the broad way
with them? And you remember what Peter said?
You can't do it. Is that your testimony, child
of God? Oh, if you're a believer, I know
it is. And if Peter's words, if Peter's confession is your
confession, lift your heart up to God and thank him that he
gave you this precious gift of faith. Otherwise, you'd be following
the crowd. That's exactly right. Oh, but
if you can say with Peter, Brother Peter, let me get there. Let me get in your shoes, Peter.
Because what you're saying, by that same grace of that same
Redeemer, I want to join you in saying, I've got nowhere else
to go. No, I don't want to join the
crowd. I don't want to follow the broad
way. I don't have anywhere else to go. You've got the words of
eternal life and I believe. Oh, bless His name. I believe
He's the Christ, the Son of the living God. Nowhere else to go. Our Lord said in Matthew 24,
when the disciples asked Him concerning His second coming,
and the end of the world and the destruction of Jerusalem.
There were three questions and he gave three answers to each
question. But he said, concerning those
last days in which we've been in since he went back to heaven,
he said, many false prophets shall arise and deceive many,
but he that shall endure unto the end shall be saved. Isn't that what he said? But there's another group here
back in Hebrews chapter 10. Look again at verse 39 and then
we'll go on. But we are not of them who draw
back unto perdition, but... Oh, I'm so glad he speaks of
another group. Not all men are left in perdition. Not all men are left to their
own will. There are some, oh yes, a multitude
that none can number from whom he will not take no for an answer. He just won't do it. He won't
allow us to turn our back. He won't allow us to persist
in sin. He won't allow us to live in
darkness. No, He's going to come to some. He's going to come to
them. And He's going to give them life.
And they're going to believe. They're going to follow their
Redeemer. They're going to do so all of their life. And they're
going to follow Him all the way to glory. I want to die like
them. Don't you? Like these, but of
them. We're not like that other group.
Oh, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Not just today and tomorrow,
but all their days, all the way to glory. Before they died in
faith, they were called to faith. That's a distinguishing mark
of Christ's sheep. It is this. He said, they know
the voice of the great shepherd. My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me. I know my sheep, but he didn't
stop there, did he? And they know me. They know me. It's a mutual acquaintance. They
know me. and I know them, like God's love. We love him because he first
loved us, and we know Christ because he first knows us, but
he revealed himself to us, and we know. Oh, bless God, we know
our glorious Redeemer. Look at this call Abraham received
in verse 8. By faith, Abraham, when he was
called, when he was called, he was living in Ur of the Chaldees
with an adulterous family, living in a land of absolute idolatry. And God told him, God separated
him. Said, Abraham? God revealed himself
to Abraham and said, come out of there. Come away from there. Leave family. Leave. Follow me. And lo and behold,
look what happened. by faith Abraham, verse 8, when
he was called to go out into a place which he should afterward
receive for an inheritance, and he never saw that fulfilled,
not in his life. But he obeyed. Well, isn't that
a marvel? He obeyed. You mean when Christians
hear the voice of their Redeemer, they obey? Oh yes, it's not an
option. It's not an option. They obey
by the grace of God. My sheep hear my voice and they
follow me. They all hear and they all believe. Is your concept of God so small
that you suppose if he wants to get a message through to you,
you won't get it? God has a way, like I told my
daughter the other day, of getting your attention. My sheep will
hear. Abraham heard and he obeyed. God said, Abraham, leave! And
he popped up and left. It's true of all his sheep. They
all hear, they all believe, and they all follow because God gives
them faith. And that's why they believe.
Faith is not inactive. but a living principle of grace
in the heart. That's what we read again and
again in Scripture. The just shall live by faith. It's a principle of grace that
our text tells us that sees and is persuaded, convinced, embraces,
embraces. the promise, and confesses, this
world is not my home, and are thankful that it's so. Yes, faith
is a miracle. In Ephesians 1, you recall that
passage where Paul tells them he prays for them, the believers
there, but then he says that their faith that God has granted
them by his power is the same power The same power that enables
a sinner to believe on Christ is the same power that God put
forth to raise his son from the dead. It's a miracle. It's a miracle. Larry, it sounds
like you're saying, unless God does this, I can't believe you've
got that right. The sooner you realize that,
the better. You cannot believe if left to
yourself. Oh, but God, God, he grants faith
to all of those he chose, to everyone that Christ redeemed. Again, remember what he said
to Simon. Upon his confession of faith
in Christ, blessed art thou, Simon Barjona. because I've done
for you what I've done for everybody." No, no. Simon, flesh and blood
didn't teach you this. This is in Matthew 16. This is
God's Word, not mine. Simon, you believe because of
this. Flesh and blood didn't teach
you this. Faith is not something you can educate yourself into.
Faith is not something that you come, arrive at by memorizing
so much of God's Word and doing it, no. Faith is God's gift. And that's what he said to Peter.
My Father, my Father's done this for you, Peter. My Father's revealed
this to you. My Father has enabled you by
granting you faith to know who I am. Peter, you're a blessed
man. You possess riches that Herod
or the high priest or no one else possesses except those who
God likewise gives it to. The blessed gift of faith. Oh,
what a wonder. What a wonder. One hymn writer
expressed it like this. Oh, gifts of gifts. Oh, grace
of faith, my God, how can it be that Thou who has discerning
love should give that gift to me? Ah, grace, in two unlikeliest
hearts it is Thy boast to come. The glory of Thy light to find
in darkest spots of home. Thy choice, O God of goodness,
then I lovingly adore, and give me grace to keep Thy grace, and
grace to long for more." My calling reaches in both directions. Picture
me holding a rope in my hand. When God calls a sinner by grace,
that rope reaches all the way back Oh, further than I can see. Oh, but by faith, according to
God's word, my calling is evidence that he loved me before the foundation
of the world. That's exactly right. And then
the other end reaches forward to eternity to come. where I
shall see Him who loved me in glory and gave Himself for me."
It reaches from eternity past to eternity to come. Oh, blessed
are those who are called out of darkness into His marvelous
light. Now, notice secondly what it
says in verse 13 concerning this. Their confession. Their confession. They confessed. that they were
pilgrims, or rather strangers and pilgrims on this earth. Abraham, come out. And Abraham
did a strange thing. He obeyed. I imagine his relations,
except the few that went with him, his neighbors, what are
you doing? Abraham, you're doing what? You're
going where? Who told you to do this? Abraham,
you're crazy. You've lost it. You've been out
in the sun too long. You're going to do what? And
that's exactly how the world looks at God's people. All those
he's called. Believers are strangers in this
world. And a true child of God, I don't
need a religious fellow. People will put up with that.
They don't mind that. No matter how odd it may seem. But a true
child of God is a stranger in this world and strangers to this
world. Now, religion makes people do
some strange things. Not long ago, I saw, I think
it was in India, people went, according to the dictates of
their religion, and bathed in a filthy, polluted river full
of disease and all kinds of things because they believed by doing
so, their sins was washed away. Strange, strange. Religion says,
honk your horn if you know Jesus. That's a real sacrifice. People
honk their horn at me and do more than that. If I pull out
in front of them, they say some very nasty things. That's religion. That's strange. I saw again the
other day, some fella died because he, in the name of religion,
picked up a snake and it bit him and he died. But he said
he had faith in God and he picked up that serpent in order to prove
it. That's religion. Religion makes a grown man, Joe,
you know something about this, wear a dress, doesn't have children,
but wanted you to call him father. Hmm, strange. That's religion. People in the name of religion
dress strange and talk strange and look and act miserable, and
I've known them. The more miserable they appear,
the more spiritual they think they are. No. The strangers and
pilgrims that our text refers to doesn't mean that. It means
this. This is what it means. Our Lord
told his disciples in John 15, before he was arrested, before
he was made sin for them, he said, you're not of the world. You're not of the world. You're in the world, but you're
not of the world. Why? Why? How can that be? How can I be in this world and
not of this world? He gave the reason. You're not
of the world, because I've chosen you out of the world." I chose
you. In his high priestly prayer,
he said, Father, they're not of the world even as I am not
of the world. They're like me. They're like
me. We don't walk the Broadway. Our
back, by the grace of God, just like Abraham, we have turned
our back on this world, its philosophy, its religion, its principles,
everything that it lives for and motivates it. We've turned
our back on it and set our face heavenward. We're pilgrims, we're
strangers, we're going to Zion. This world is just temporary,
like it was for Abraham. He dwelt in tabernacles, that
is, tents. Tents, just a temporary dwelling
place because he was looking for a city, something more permanent,
something more lasting, whose builder and maker was God. Little children, Paul wrote,
if ye then be risen with Christ, set your affection on things
above. where Christ is, where Christ
sitteth at the right hand of God. John said, if any man loved
the world, if he loves this world, if his heart is set on this world,
the love of God is not in him, no matter what he professes.
I'm so thankful that he didn't leave me in the world. I'm so thankful because I was
in the world in its darkness, engulfed in it, and so blinded,
didn't even know it, until he came and called me by his grace. Notice verse 14 in Hebrews 11.
For they which say such things, that is, that there are strangers
and pilgrims on this earth, they that say such things declare
plainly that they seek a country. They seek a country. Do you say
such things? Do you see such things by faith? Do you embrace them? Are persuaded
of them? Do you believe? Can you from
your heart sing truthfully as we will the closing hymn, take
this world, take this world, oh, but give me Jesus. I hate
this world. Take it all. Oh, but give me
Jesus and I'll have everything. Thank God this world is not our
home. Someone once said every tree,
every tree in this forest is marked to be destroyed. Abraham
was just passing through, passing through, looking for a better
country. You know what the word there
is for country? Fatherland. Fatherland. It could have been translated
more properly, fatherland. Oh, isn't that a sweet expression? He looked for his fatherland,
where my father is. Father, the fatherland, that's
where my father is. My God and my Redeemer's God. His Father and my Father. The Fatherland. That's where
all the children will be. All those who are of the household
of God. The Fatherland. That's where
the Father's house is. Oh, yes. My elder brother told
me he was going there first. to prepare a place for me in
the Father's house. And he promised that he'd come
back and take me to be with him to my Father's house, to live
with him forever. Do you remember an old hymn?
It went something like this. This world is not my home. I'm
just a passing through. My treasure is laid up somewhere
beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven's
open door and I can't feel at home in this world anymore. You feel like that, don't you,
brother? The longer time goes, the more homesick we become. Just don't feel at home in this
world anymore. Last of all, look at the believer's
conclusion. These all died in faith. Paul, in writing to Corinthians,
said, he that has called you shall confirm you unto the end. He'll keep you. Oh, but he'll
keep you. Oh, but Larry, you don't know
how weak I am. Yes, I do. I can identify with
it, but he'll keep me. You don't know how there is still
in me a heart that's prone to wonder. Yes, I do. Got the same
thing in me. but he'll keep me. It's not my faithfulness, but
he is. It's not my power, but his grace. He'll keep me. He'll keep me. Again, notice
verse 13. It doesn't say that these all
died. No, that's true of all men. In Adam all died. Death reigned,
but it says of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Every believer that leaves this world, they
all died in faith. They all died in faith. They
died, oh, glorious, glorious promise. Glorious reality. Oh, precious gift of God's grace. These all died believing God. You see, faith can't be destroyed. Faith can't be destroyed. Now,
a decision, that'll last until you get out the door. An emotional
moment won't last very long, no. But faith, faith, real God-given
faith, it cannot be destroyed. It cannot be destroyed. Once
a child of God, always a child of God. Once God gives you faith,
he'll never take it away, never. It may be weak. but it'll never
cease to be. Why? Because I prayed for you,
Peter. You're going to deny me, you're
going to curse, you're going to claim you never met me, but
you'll never quit believing because I prayed for you, Peter. And
God hears my prayers. That your faith fail not. Oh, let me die like this. John,
let me die like this. Like that one of old who said,
I know that my redeemer liveth. And in the latter days he will
stand upon this earth and my eyes shall see him for myself,
even though I die. Oh, let me die like that one
who on his deathbed said, my house is not so with God. Not
like I would desire, Can you see that? There David is. He's dying. And what does he
make mention of? Nothing he'd ever done. I was
a shepherd lad, but God made me king. I'm the fellow that
went before Goliath when everybody else was scared to death. I did
this. I wrote so many Psalms. No, no,
no. David, what's your hope? What's
your hope? God has made with me an everlasting
covenant ordered in all things and sure. Let me die like that. Let me die like that old apostle
sitting in that dungeon in Rome knowing that just shortly He
would be taken out and beheaded. Timothy, the time of my departure is at
hand. One commentator said, look how
calm Paul is. The time of my departure is at
hand. I'll soon be executed, Timothy. It's at the door. I can hear
the footsteps of the executioner coming. What did Paul do? He looked at death as calmly
and met it as calmly as you would walk up after hearing a knock
at the door. Paul just said, come on in. Come
on in. My departure's at hand and I'm
going to depart to be with Christ which is better. Oh no, he said,
it's far better. It's far better than anything
I'm leaving behind here. These all died in faith. Not
most of them, all of them. They all died, believe me. They
were all kept by the power of God. They all follow the Lamb
home. None perish. All that God begin
the good work of grace in, he completes it. All that begin
this journey, finish it. They begin, as we're told in
chapter 12, by looking unto Jesus, and they'll finish it by looking
at Jesus. Oh, look what awaits us at the
end of the journey. Look who's waiting for us. Look
who's going to welcome us home. These all died in faith. Mr. Spurgeon said this, commenting
upon this verse from Psalm 37, Mark the perfect man and behold
the upright, for the end of that man is peace. Spurgeon said,
with believers it may rain in the morning, and of course he's
referring to their entire life. With believers it may rain in
the morning, thunder at midday, and pour torrents in the afternoon,
but it must clear up before the sun goes down. Don't you like
that? Oh, yes. Many a trial, many a
heartache, many a night of weeping. Oh, but the joy that's going
to come in the morning before the sun goes down, we're going
to enter into that place, that city whose builder and maker
is God that has no need of the sun because the glorious Lamb
is the light thereof. and be with him forever. Turn with me to 2 Peter and we'll
wrap this up. In view of these blessed, blessed
truths, Peter asked the question. It's a question we need to ask
ourselves and to be reminded of. In 2 Peter chapter 3, Look what he writes at verse
10, 2 Peter 3 and 10. But the day of the Lord will
come as a thief into night, into which the heavens shall pass
away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with vermin
heat. The earth also and the works that are therein shall
be burned up. Seeing then that all these things
shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in
all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hastening unto
the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on
fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with
verbent heat? But he doesn't stop there, does
he? Nevertheless. Nevertheless, for these, these
that die in faith, nevertheless we, according to his promise,
look for a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness."
As I read that, preparing this message, I remember reading Pilgrim's progress. You know
there's two parts of that famous allegory. There's part one, where
Christian leaves his home and his wife and children don't go
with him. They don't go with him. And he
makes his journey toward the celestial city and he entered
in, died in faith. But in part two, his wife Christina
and his four children are called out of darkness into light and
they take up their cross and begin to follow the Lamb. They
begin to make their pilgrimage. Christina met many believers
along the way. And as the story winds down after
she has crossed over, Bunyan pictures it as someone bringing
a letter, a post he called it, a summons. telling them, each
of them, individually, one at a time, it's your turn. It's your turn. Let me share
with you just a few sentences. After this it was noised abroad
that Mr. Valiant for truth was taken with
the summons by the same post as the other and had this for
a token that the summons was true, that his picture was broken
at the fountain. When he understood it, he called
for his friends and told them of it, then said, I'm going to
my father's, and though with great difficulty I have come
hither, yet now I do not repent me of all the trouble I have
been to arrive where I am. When the day that he must go
hence was come, many accompanied him to the riverside, into which
as he went he said, death, where is thy sting? And as he went deeper, he said,
O grave, where is thy victory? And so he passed over, and all
the trumpets sounded for him on the other side. What a day that will be. God bless you, Brother Joe.