Go with me, if you would, back
to Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11. This particular verse is precious. It is so insightful. It's so
comforting. It is so encouraging. It gives
us so much hope. I believe this verse of scripture
gives so much hope. Verse 13, Hebrews 11 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. Every person that is mentioned
here in Hebrews 11, every single person that has been mentioned
up to this point, every one of them died in faith. Every one of them. They died
in faith. Verse 4 says Abel. Cain killed him. Isn't that right? Cain killed him. But do you know
how he died? In faith. He died in faith. Cain killed him because he brought
a lamb before God. Isn't that why Cain killed him?
That's the reason King was angry. He was mad. Because Abel believed
God and he went to the flock. And he pulled out a yearling. A lamb of the first year and
he set it aside. And he inspected that land to
make sure it was absolutely perfect. The best of the flock. And then
he killed that lamb, drained its blood, and brought it before
God as an atonement for sin. And Cain killed him for that.
He literally died because he believed God. He died in faith. Verse 5 says, Enoch. Enoch, he
was translated that he should not see death, but the second
That he was translated every moment up until that particular
second that he was translated. You know how he spent every moment
of his life up to that? In faith. He spent his life walking
with God. Isn't that what it says about
him? Enoch walked with God. He walked
with God. He believed God. He waited on
God. Verse 7 says, Noah. Noah lived
out the days that God gave him and then he died. Noah saw the amazing wonder of
all those animals coming together. That's amazing. They all came
together. They all were in peace. They all were in perfect peace
with each other. He physically saw God's judgment
on this earth. Could you imagine what that man
experienced? Could you imagine experiencing
what that man experienced? We live in what I consider to
be a relatively large town. It's a relatively well-populated
town. We live in a populated country. We live in a populated world.
Could you imagine if all of the sudden there were only eight
people in it? I mean, not mentioning the world,
just this town. What if there were only eight
people in this town? Everywhere you went, it's just
deserted, empty. You left this place every place
you went. You went to another country.
Nobody in the other country. No countries. It'd be eerie,
wouldn't it? It'd be fearful. Even though Noah saw these amazing
wonders, these great wonders in the earth. You know how he
died? That man died in faith. Looking to Christ. Trusting Christ. Hoping. Waiting. Verse 8 says, Abraham, God spoke to him and told him
directly, you're my friend. He told him directly, you're
my friend. But do you know how he lived
out all the rest of his days, all the way up to his last day?
In faith. In faith, just like us. This
is where I'm going with this. Just like us. just like us. Abraham saw God, saw the day
of Jesus Christ. And he lived out his life just
like us. Verse 9 says, Isaac and Jacob. God changed Jacob's name to Israel. He said, you're a prince with
me. That's what Israel means, a prince with God. He said, I'm
going to choose your family to be my people. The children of
Israel, right? I'm going to choose your grandchildren
and great grandchildren, your seed to be my people. But God allowed his son to be
sold into bondage. Joseph. All right, now let me
back up. God changed this man's name to
Israel. God said, I've chosen you. You
are my people. All right. You're a prince with
me. You are a prince with me. I've
chosen your seed, the children of Israel. And then God let that
man believe for years and years and years that his son was dead.
Allowed his son Well, God can't be with him. No, no, no. God
said, you're a prince with me. I choose you. And then God let
his son be sold into bondage. He allowed him for years to believe
his son was dead. He allowed that man to go through
a famine of bread. Everything was running out. What
do you think? You think Joseph got a little,
or Jacob got a little worried? The bread is running out. The
rain is not falling. The crops are drying up. He had to send his youngest son,
Benjamin, for proof that his other sons weren't spies. We
know the story of they all went to Joseph to get corn, and Joseph
made it so that he had to go get their youngest son, and Joseph
didn't want him to go. He'd already lost, or Jacob didn't
want him to go. He'd already lost Joseph. He
had to send his youngest son, hoping he'd get him back. He ended up having to move at
the end of his life to a completely different country, Egypt. All
of his family entered into bondage. Started all that bondage. You
know how Jacob left this world? He left it in faith. He left it in faith. His life revolved around faith. He lived this life and left this
life begging God, pleading to God, hoping in God, waiting on
God. Verse 11 says, Sarah, Hebrews
11 verse 11, Bless that poor woman's heart. Abraham kept telling everybody
she was his sister. Isn't that right? He kept on
doing it. Kept telling everybody that she
was his sister and to protect him, she had to go along with
it. These kings, these men, these
different men, she had to Spend time with them. She had to go
to dinner with them. She had to pretend like she liked
them. God protected her. They never
disrespected her. But can you imagine how scary
that'd be for a woman? Really? And she's looking to
Abraham and bless her heart. He keeps saying, you just tell
him you're my sister and you go with them. And that way I'll
be safe. She didn't at that moment in
time know how everything was going to play out. She was hoping
she would be protected. God told her directly, God told
her directly, you're going to have a son. He told Abraham,
he promised Abraham a seed as the stars in the sky and the
sand of the sea in multitude. He told them, you're going to
have children and children's children and children's children's
children. You know that every single time
she felt something funny in her body. Every single time she felt nauseous. Every single time her body felt
a little strange, she thought, I wonder if I'm pregnant. That
went on for 25 years. That's a long time. Sarah lived
out all of her days and ended up leaving this world in faith. We read about these people and
we think of them as being strong, strong pillars of faith. And God says they were. But do
you know what faith is? Faith is hoping, begging, trusting,
pleading, waiting, looking, crying, needing God. That's what faith
is. The same thing can be said about
every single believer. We can go right on through Moses.
He received a direct commission from God to deliver all those
plagues. He led God's people out of the
bondage they were in for four hundred and thirty years. Moses
parted with that staff, he parted the Red Sea. That'd be amazing. He spent 40 years in the wilderness
trying to get those people into the promised land. That's where
he wanted to go, the promised land. At the moment that he died
on top of Mount Pisgah, we know the story. The Lord took Moses
up on top of Mount Pisgah and He said, you're not going to
go into that promised land. He said, I'm going to show it to
you. But at the moment that he died on top of Mount Pisgah,
none of them had entered in yet. He went through all that. He
went to Pharaoh. All those times. Went through
all those plagues. Went through all those great
wonders. Went around and around in the wilderness. The manna,
the rock, all those things. And he never saw one child enter
the promised land. He never saw one of them enter
in. He died in faith. He died in faith. These were the last words of
David, very last words of David. He said, although my house be
not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things ensure, for this is all my salvation
and all my desire. And normally, whenever I'm quoting
that, that's where I like to stop, but that's not where he
stopped. although he make it not to grow. That's what he said. He said,
this is my hope, even though I haven't seen it come to pass
yet. I have the promise of his word. That's what David said.
He made a covenant with me. He said, it's ordered in all
things, ensure, and even though I haven't seen the fulfillment
yet, and even though it's not so with my house, this is all
my hope, and this is all my desire. David died in faith. He died in faith. The apostles
saw the Lord. They watched him leave this earth,
and ascend back up to glory. Two men from heaven standing
in white apparel promised them that they would see Him return
in like manner as they saw Him go up. Isn't that what the two
men said? They all died not yet seeing
that. Will they see it? Absolutely. It just hasn't happened yet.
When the Trump resounds, all the dead in Christ are going
to rise. Those apostles are going to rise.
They're going to stand back on this earth again. Paul, James,
John, Bartholomew, Thomas are going to stand back on the earth
again. And they're going to see what heaven promised them. They're
going to see Him descend just like they watched Him ascend. But it hasn't happened yet. And
they left this earth in faith. They left under a promise that
they had not physically attained yet. As a matter of fact, all
of the apostles died a horrible death. John was exiled to Patmos. But all of the apostles died
a horrible death because they preached everywhere that He was
coming back as the God that He is. That's why it said Peter
was crucified upside down. They were beheaded. They were
all those things because they adamantly went around preaching.
He is coming back as the God he is, just like he ascended
up to his throne. He's coming back to receive his
people to himself. The martyrs who were burned at
the stake. Copying this scripture over.
Translating this scripture into our language so we could hold
a copy of it. Every single one of them died in faith. The preachers
that the Lord has used mightily in recent years, so many of them,
like Charles Spurgeon, every single one of them, they
died in faith. They all died in the same boat
we're in, in faith. Look at Hebrews 10 verse 38. It says, Now the just shall live
by faith. And Hebrews 11 verse 13 says,
the just shall die in faith. God's people live by faith and
die in faith. And you know what? God's people
are fine with that. Are you okay with that? We're
fine with that. Look with me if you would at
2 Corinthians 5. We were here in the Bible study
this morning. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 7 says, For we walk by faith, not by
sight. Faith is not sight. Faith is not sight. And what
I mean by that is, put the emphasis on is. Faith is not sight. That's what faith is. Faith is
not sight. That's what it is. This flesh
wants to see it first. Oh yes, I will have strong faith
if you'll just show it to me first. This flesh wants to see
it first. But when God's Spirit speaks
to the heart of a sinner, He says to that sinner, Believing
is seeing. If you'll show it to me, I'll
believe it. Believing is seeing. If I can see it, I'll believe
it. Believing is seeing. Believing is seeing. And once
God's Spirit speaks that to the heart of the sinner, He convinces
that sinner. And the sinner says, that's enough
for me. That's enough for me. While this flesh says, I won't
believe it until I see it. God's Spirit says, that's enough
for me. That's all I need. Go back to
our text in Hebrews 11. Verse 13 says, These all died
in faith not having received the promises, but having seen
them afar off and were persuaded of them. In the message this
morning, the Apostle Paul said, we persuade men. We convince by words to believe. Well, every soul that God's Holy
Spirit brings God given faith to cries, I'm convinced. I'm convinced. I believe these
words. I know whom I have believed and
am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed
unto him against that day. We're persuaded of that, aren't
we? I'm convinced that everything he has to say in here is true. I'm convinced. Turn with me over
to Romans 7. Romans 7 verse 14. For we know that the law is spiritual,
but I am carnal, sold under sin. I'm convinced of that. I'm convinced. We believe these words. The law
is spiritual, I'm carnal, and I'm sold under sin. I'm convinced. I'm convinced. If God takes me
right now, I believe my heart can say, I'm convinced. Do you
believe you're a sinner? I'm convinced. I'm convinced. Turn with me over
to 1 John chapter 5. 1 John 5, verse 18 says, We know
that whosoever is born of God sinneth not. Sinneth not. We're persuaded.
Whosoever is born of God, whoever is born of God's doing, whoever
God does a work in, whoever God gave to Christ, born of His Spirit,
born of His blood, born again through His death. Our Lord said,
you must be born again. I must do a work and give life
again. You're dead and you must be given
life again, born again. We're convinced whoever is born
of God sinneth not. The song says, blessed assurance,
blessed assurance. We know blessed assurance. The
Lord Jesus is mine. How do we know that? It's because he came to save
sinners, and there's no doubt in my mind I'm a sinner. Christ came to accomplish a salvation. And there's no doubt in my mind
that He accomplished what He said He came to accomplish. Through the faith that He has
given us, we are persuaded, we're convinced. These all died convinced. Convinced. Did God come to save
you? Well, He came to save sinners,
and I'm a sinner. That song says in him, I'm an
heir of salvation, the purchase of God, born of his spirit, washed
in his blood. This is my story. As I leave this earth, live out
these days and leave this earth, this is my story. This is my
song praising my savior all the day long. We know. If the Lord tarries, we're going
to finish out our course in this world. And we're going to leave
this world not having received the promises. We know that, don't
we? We're expecting that. Not having
received the promises, we are going to die in faith. But God has caused us to know
that verse 20 right here in 1 John 5, and we know that the Son of
God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may
know Him that is true and we are in Him that is true. Even
in His Son, Jesus Christ, this is the true God in eternal life. We're going to leave this world
not having received the promises, but we know the promises are
waiting, don't we? We know this is the true God.
And if we're in Him, we're going to receive every promise that
He's given in this word. It's just on the other side.
We're convinced of it. Romans 8, 28, you don't need
to turn there, we know what it says. We know. Don't we know this? No matter
how many times we forget it. I'll give you a revelation moment
here. It's a light bulb moment. It is to me every single time.
We know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.
We know that. If God takes us right now, we'll
die knowing that, convinced, persuaded. We read this morning
in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 1, we know that if our earthly house
is dissolved, we have a building of God waiting for us in the
heavens. We know that. I believe that. Don't you? Convinced. Not only are we absolutely persuaded
of these things, we love them. Does this not make your heart
rejoice? We love them. Go with me back to Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11 verse 13 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. That means to draw to one's self. It means to enfold in the arms,
to welcome joyfully. They all embraced them. The promise
of life with Christ. You know the promise of the Word
is You're not of the world. If you're of me, whoever is born
of God is not of the world. You're not going to have the
world. The world is going to hate you. All those kinds of things. But if you are born of God, you
get Jesus Christ. The believer says, that's what
I want. That's what I welcome joyfully. That's what I wrap my arms around. The promise of life with Christ. The promise of redemption in
His blood. The promise of being clothed
in His perfect, spotless, sinless, holy righteousness. That's what
I want. That's what I want. That's what
I want. I believe if the Lord took me
right now, I believe this heart would say, because of the spirit
that He has given, the faith He has given, the work He has
done, it's God who works in us to will and do, for His glory
and honor, I believe because of Him, this heart would say,
that's what I want. Verse 13 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. 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.
True faith in Christ says, if He takes His hand off of me, if He takes His hand off of me,
if He removes the gift of faith that He has given me, I will
go right back to what He pulled me out of. I'm convinced. I know I'm convinced. If he takes
his hand off me, I'll run right back to the pit he pulled me
out of. I know I will. So I don't want
to take my eyes off of him. I don't want to take my eyes
off of him. And if he keeps me, I won't take
my eyes off of him. If I don't take my eyes off of
him, he gets the glory. were kept. Verse 16 says, But
now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly, wherefore
God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He hath prepared
for them a city. This right here is what faith
cries to a sinner. I love this. I believe this with
all my heart. This right here is what faith
cries to a sinner. who has been chosen for mercy,
when that sinner leaves this earth. All right? As that sinner
is leaving this earth. People talk about dying grace.
These all died in faith, right? One woman said one time, I'm
afraid of dying. And she said, I don't believe
I have dying grace. And the man asked her, well,
are you dying? And she said, I don't think so. And he said,
well, you don't need dying, Grace. But when that time comes, these
all died in faith. This right here is what faith
says to a sinner as he leaves this earth. This is what faith
cries to a sinner while he's leaving this earth. God is not
ashamed to be called your God. That's what faith cries to the
heart of the sinner as he crosses over. God is not ashamed to be
called your God. And the reason is because you're
in Christ. That's what faith cries. That's
what can be said about every single child of God. You know,
we can substitute the word Christ for faith. As we read through
this word, I don't think I've found a place yet where you can't
substitute the word Christ for faith. These all died in Christ. These all died in Christ. They
saw the promises in Christ. They were persuaded of them by
Christ. They embraced them. They fell
in love with them because of Christ. They all died in Christ. That is how I want to die. I want to die one way, in Christ. I want to die in faith. If God has put that desire in
us, do I want to die? No. But if I die, I want to die in
Christ. If God has put that desire in us, then He is not going to
be ashamed to be called our God. These all died crying one thing. I want to die in Christ. I want to be in Christ. I want
to be found in Christ. These all died crying one thing. Thank God for Christ. All of heaven, that's what heaven
continually cries. Thank God for Christ. Let's go to our grave saying
that. I mean it. Let's not ever stop saying that.
This is us, this is it, this is us. Let's go to our grave
crying, thank God for Christ. Gotta have Christ. Let's die
in faith, let's die in faith. May the Lord keep us there. Alright,
let's stand together.