Turn with me if you would to
Hebrews 11 again. Hebrews 11, let's read verses
13 to 16 again. These all died in faith. not having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and
embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and
pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things
declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they
had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, They
might have had opportunity to have returned, but now they desire
a better country that is in heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed
to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city. I want to begin this message
with an illustration. Have you ever taken a trip? anywhere. Have you ever gone
anywhere? There's a trip that our family
likes to take. We've been doing it for quite
a while now. We like to go down to the Florida Panhandle to the
beach. That's our favorite vacation.
We love going to the beach. Whenever we go, there are a number
of routes that I could take to get us there. But the one that
I like to take is I go to Knoxville, and then I go to Chattanooga,
and then I go to Birmingham, and then I go to Montgomery,
and then I'm going down to the coast. Whenever I go, When we
take that trip, I tell people that we're going to Florida, somewhere in the Destin area,
wherever we go. That's what I tell people, we're
going to Florida. I don't bother telling people
that we're going to Knoxville. Where are you going? Well, we're
going to Knoxville. And then we're going to Chattanooga. And
then we're going to Birmingham, and then we're going to Montgomery,
and then we're going to Florida. I don't bother telling people
that. And the reason is because all we're doing is passing through. That's all we're doing. Now we go there. We do actually
go to those places. All right, see if you can read
between the lines on this sentence. In order to get to our destination,
we must go through those places. We must. In order to get to our
destination, we must go to those places. But with each one of
them, all we're doing is passing through. That's it, just passing
through. We do have to stop every now
and then. We stop in one of those cities, one of those towns, and
we get gas in that town. We'll stop at a station in that
town that has gas in that town, and we will get some gas from
that town to keep on going. Sometimes we'll stop to get something
to eat, go into a restaurant that's there, food that was in
that town before we came to it and we'll get some of it and
keep on going. It's necessary that we use the
roads of those towns. We need to. In the course of
our journey, we are physically acquainted with those towns. We have dealings with the people
in those places. You'll stop and interact with
the people of those places. While we're there, we are subject
to and we must abide by the laws of those places, especially once
you get off the interstate and you go through those towns, it'll
say 45 miles an hour, 55 miles an hour, 35, 25, 45. Every time
it changes, you have to change with it. Must abide by all the
laws of those places. There have been times that we've
even gotten a room, a hotel room and spent the night used one
of their beds in one of those cities and slept in those places. Even so we're still just passing
through. I mean, we've slept there. But even so, we're still just
passing through. We have a destination in mind. We are looking to an end goal
the whole time. The whole time. So far, not one
time have I ever come to Montgomery, Alabama and asked Hen and the
girls, y'all just want to stay here for the week? We don't need
to go on down to Florida. Why don't you stay right here? Not one time. I'm sure Montgomery's
a fine city. I don't mean any disrespect to
Montgomery, Alabama, but it's just not our destination. It's
not our destination. We've got white sand and green
water on the brain. Coming home after it's over,
coming home so far, I've never crossed into Tennessee and said,
well, you know, we live in Tennessee. Chattanooga's far enough. Just
put it in park right here. Not one time I've ever done that.
I'm sure Chattanooga is a fine city. It's just not our home.
We're not stopping until we get to Kingsport. Here's the point with the illustration.
We have real dealings with these places. They touch and they affect
certain moments and times of our lives. But with each one
of them, If it's not our destination, and if it's not our home, all
we're doing is passing through. That's all we're doing. If it's
not our destination, and if it's not our home, we're just passing
through. Even though it may be the destination
of others, it's not mine. And even though it may be the
home of others, it's not mine. So there's no point in me getting
all torn up over the city politics of Chattanooga, whatever city
council has just done and whatever they, there's no point in me
getting all torn up over the politics of what's going on in
Chattanooga. And there's no point in me getting
all torn up over the economy in Montgomery, Alabama, what
the house values are doing and all that kind of good stuff.
It's not my destination. and it's not my home. It's just
not my destination and it's not my home. For a believer, for
a child of God, this earth, this world that we live on and live
in, this is not our destination and this is not our home. This
is not, we say that all the time, but we don't get a hold of it. We say that all the time, but
then we treat this place like it's our destination and it's
our home, but it's not, not for a believer, not for a believer. In the life that we live here,
we have real dealings with this world. Very real dealings. The people of this world. The
things of this world, they touch us, they affect us. Our life in the world is very
acquainted with the world. And in order to reach our destination,
we must go through life in this world. We have to, if we're gonna
reach our destination, we must. We have no choice to use the
resources of this world. Along the way, we're going to
be sustained through the things and the means of this world.
We even have to borrow a bed to sleep here. But even so, this
is not our destination and it's not our home. Turn with me, if
you would, to John 17. John 17 verse 1, it says, These
words spake Jesus and lifted up His eyes to heaven and said,
Father, the hour has come. Glorify Thy Son that Thy Son
also may glorify Thee. As Thou hast given Him power
over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many
as Thou hast given Him. That's who God's people are.
That's who is passing through. All right, those are the ones
who are passing through. All that the father has given
to the son. Verse nine, he said, I pray for
them. I pray not for the world, but
for them, which thou hast given me, for they are thine and all
mine are thine and thine are mine. And I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world,
but these are in the world. and I come to thee. Holy Father,
keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me that
they may be one as we are. While I was with them in the
world, I kept them in thy name. Those that thou gavest me, I
have kept, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition
that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee, And these
things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled
in themselves. I have given them thy word, and
the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world. Now, when I read that again today, I entered into the fact that
this is God speaking. And whatever God says is so. Sometimes we don't see it to
be so, but it is. And this is what he said. Cause
I, I look at myself and say, I'm of the world. I'm fleshly,
flesh, worldly. This is what he says. He said
in verse 14, I've given them thy word and the world hath hated
them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of
the world. They're not of the world. He
said in verse 15, I pray not that thou shouldest take them
out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the
evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth,
thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the
world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for
their sakes I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified
through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone,
but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.
That they all may be one as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee.
that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe
that thou hast sent me. In the glory which thou gavest
me, I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one. I in them, thou in me, that they
may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that
thou hast sent me and has loved them as thou hast loved me. Father,
I will that they also whom thou has given me be with me where
I am. He said, that's my desire. that
they be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which
thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation
of the world. O righteous Father, the world
hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known
that thou hast sent me, and I have declared unto them by name, and
will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me
may be in them, and I in them. This is our Lord's high priestly
prayer. As our high priest interceding
to God on our behalf, this is his high priestly prayer to the
Father for us. Think about how important and
how holy this prayer is. And in this prayer, recorded
here for all eternity, this is what he chose to record For us
to read and behold for all eternity, he said, they are not of this
world. They're not of this world. They're
just passing through. They're just passing through.
Look back at John 13. John 13, 36, it says, Simon Peter
said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him,
Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now, but thou shalt
follow me afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord, why
cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thee.
Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake?
Will you, Peter? Will you? Are you that sure of
yourself? Verse 38, Jesus answered him,
wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, the cock shall not crow till thou hast denied me
thrice. Let not your heart be troubled.
You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are
many mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you,
and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be
also. He said, I came, Peter, to secure
a place for you. That's why I came, to secure
a place for you. And he said, now I go to prepare
a place for you. And he said, in that moment that
you deny me, Peter was so sure they'll all leave you, but not
me, I won't deny you. He said, in that very moment
that you deny me, That very moment that Peter was saying that was
the very moment he was standing before the judgment trial. In that very moment that you
are denying me is I stand there alone in your sin. In that moment that I lay down
my life for you in spite of that arrogance and in spite of that
sin, that's me securing your destination and your home. I'm going to prepare a place
for you. If that was not so, I would have told you. If you
see me go, I'm going to come again. I'm going to receive you
back up to myself. Earthly speaking, worldly speaking,
Kingsport is a place that I call home. This is my home. Some people
refer to the place that they were born as being home. They'll say we're going to go
home for the weekend or something like that. Turn with me over
to Psalm 87. Ever since we studied the book
of Ezra, I've fallen in love with this psalm. Psalm 87, verse
1, it says, His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord
loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. I will make
mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me. Behold
Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia, this man was born there. And
of Zion, it shall be said, this and that man was born in her. And the highest himself shall
establish her. The Lord shall count when he
writeth up the people that this man was born there. As well the
singers, as the players on instruments shall be there, all my springs
are in thee. What he's saying is Zion, that
beautiful city of God, right now is our destination. That's our destination. But once
we get there, we're gonna realize it's also our home. It's our
home. The former things are not going
to be remembered or come to mind. See if you can enter into this.
The former things are not going to be remembered and they're
not going to come into mind. It's going to be said of us.
And this is all that we're going to know it to be. Okay. This
is all we'll know about our being there. We were born there. We're going to say, I don't want
to go anywhere else. This is my destination. And I belong
here. This is my home. If this was
your destination and your home, you wouldn't go anywhere. This
is my destination and this is my home. Now, who exactly does
that apply to? Who exactly is that talking about? Who is that the destination of? Who will it be said this is their
home? That person belongs here. Has
he secured that place for me? Will that city be my city? Everybody
talks about, you know, the city of God, Zion. Everybody talks
about that. Is that going to be my home?
Is that really going to be my home? Who is it that's just passing
through? Go back to our text and we'll
find out. Back in Hebrews 11, here's who they are. This is
how we can know exactly who he's talking about with all this.
Hebrews 11 verse 13 says, these all died in Christ. That's what it says. I think you read that wrong.
It says faith. The object of faith is Christ. The object of faith. I really, I believe I really
got a hold of this. Faith has one object. I mean, we can, we can really
narrow this thing down. There is only one faith. It's the faith of Christ. And
faith only has one object. Meaning it only looks to one
thing. Christ Himself. Faith can be
so confusing to people, but it's this simple. Christ. It is this simple. What's the
answer? Christ. What's the way? Christ. Who did the work? Christ. Who gets the glory? Christ. What is my hope? Christ. Who made the payment? Christ. Who is God satisfied
with? Christ. I just don't know if
God's satisfied with me. Well, that ain't faith. Faith's
not looking to that. Faith only has one object. Who
is God satisfied with? Christ. Who am I complete in? Christ. Who's my security? Christ. What is the only plea
that I have and the only plea that I need to stand before the
throne of God? Christ. Christ. That's faith. It is that simple. That is faith. And every soul
that God gives this faith to, that's a soul that is just passing
through this place. When this issue of what is your
hope and what is your salvation, if any other answer comes up,
well, it's because I was baptized, or I was this, or I was, or I
made my decision, or I, that's not a soul that's passing through.
There's no evidence of that yet. The soul that is passing through
will say Christ. Everything about Christ, His
blood, His work, His glory, Christ, Christ alone, to every soul that
God gives that faith to, that is a soul with a destination
and a hope, if that is truly the plea of a sinner. Verse 13
says, these all died in faith, not having received the promises. They died in Christ. Seeing Christ, God, when God gives this faith,
he will give the ability to look to Christ and he will give an
understanding of what that means. People think they're looking
to Christ by way of looking through themselves. I mean, Christ alone. Christ alone. These all died
with the ability to stop looking to themselves and to look only
to Christ. I'm going to be really quick
about this. Hold your place and go to Luke 2. We're almost done.
I just want you to see this. This is what that looks like,
okay? This dying in true faith. This is what it looks like. This
is what it is to die with the ability to see Christ. And this ability to cast it all
on Christ. Verse 25, Luke 2, 25. It says, and behold, there was
a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And the same man
was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Ghost was upon him." What that means is he had been
given faith. The Holy Ghost was upon him.
Verse 26, "'And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that
he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.'"
He would look on Christ. He would behold Christ. And he
came by the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought
in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law,
then took he him up in his arms and blessed God, and said, Lord,
now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to
thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. which thou
hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten
the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel. He said, I
see all salvation. I can die in peace because I
have seen all salvation in this person. I see this person to be the hope
of earth and joy of heaven. I see my all right here. I see
my life. I see everything I need right
here. Can we say that? Can we say that with same in
Christ is all. If so, then it means we're going
to die in faith. And if we're going to die in
faith, then it means we can relate to Hebrews 11, 13 to 16. Go with
me back over there. We'll close with this verse 13.
It says, 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. Just passing through. That's what they confessed. Just
passing through. For they that say such things
declare plainly that they seek a country. Verse 10 says, Abraham
was looking for a city whose builder and maker is God. That's
the one they're seeking, where he is, where he dwells. Verse
15, and truly, if they had been mindful of that country from
whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have
returned. All of God's people who die in
faith say this, They say, if God leaves me alone, if he does
not keep his hand on me and draw me to himself, I will run right
back into the city of sin that he pulled me out of. But because he has laid his hand
on me, and because he is mercifully drawing me to himself, verse
16 says, 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. He was not ashamed to be called
their brother. And he was not ashamed to be
called their substitute. And because of that, he's not
ashamed to be called their God. And he's prepared for them a
city. And the apostle Paul said, I've seen it. And he said, I
wish I could tell you about it, but I just can't. I just can't. He said, the only thing I can
say is, eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared
for them that love him. And the only thing about that
is, I can't imagine anybody wanting to look around. That's the only
thing I really struggle with in all that. I can't imagine anybody wanting
to take their eyes off of Him. They're going to be so fastened
on Him, really. I think about all these things. I just, I don't, I'm sure they're
wonderful, but He's the prize. He's heaven. He is the city. He is the destination. He is the home. We live in Him. But this place is a real place,
and it's coming. We have real brethren on it right
now. Hard to imagine, hard to enter
into, but we do by faith. We're persuaded of these things.
We embrace them. We confess we'll be there soon. We're just passing through. It's
coming very quickly. We're gonna see him. Most importantly,
we're gonna see him face to face and tell the story saved by grace. The song that will be glory for
me, this is what it says. And I believe this is so. It
says, friends will be there I have loved long ago. I believe that. Joy like a river around me will
flow. I believe that. Yet just a smile
from my Savior I know will through the ages be glory for me. What
that means is I just can't take my eyes off of Him. Can't take
my eyes off of Him. That will be glory, glory for
me. When by His grace I shall look
on His face, that'll be glory. All right, let's all stand together.