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John Chapman

An Effectual Call & Its Evidence

Hebrews 11:8-16
John Chapman August, 21 2025 Video & Audio
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In John Chapman's sermon titled "An Effectual Call & Its Evidence," the central theological topic focuses on the nature of God's effectual call, particularly as illustrated through the lives of Abraham and Sarah in Hebrews 11:8-16. Chapman argues that this divine calling is not only an invitation but an effective means through which God transforms the lives of those he calls, emphasizing that true faith inevitably leads to obedience. He references Romans 10:20 and explores examples from Genesis to demonstrate that God's call and revelation precede human seeking, affirming Reformed doctrines such as total depravity and irresistible grace. The practical significance of this message underscores that believers live by faith, continually seeking a heavenly homeland instead of being attached to worldly comforts, illustrating the essence of the Christian pilgrimage.

Key Quotes

“They believed and obeyed. They believed and they obeyed.”

“If God saved you, He was interested in you LONG before you were interested in Him.”

“You cannot be born from above and be the same! You can't do it.”

“When we embrace the gospel, we're embracing God. It's His gospel.”

What does the Bible say about effectual calling?

Effectual calling is God's sovereign initiative that brings sinners to faith in Christ, as seen in Abraham's response to God's call.

In Scripture, particularly in Hebrews 11, we see examples of faith, notably how Abraham responded to God's effectual call. The call is not based on any merit of the individual but is entirely by grace. As stated in Romans 10:20, God found us when we were not seeking Him, indicating His initiative in salvation. The effective call transforms individuals, enabling them to believe and obey God, as demonstrated in Abraham's faith journey. Notably, those who are effectually called respond to God's voice and cannot help but believe due to the Spirit's work.

Hebrews 11:8-16, Romans 10:20

How do we know God's promises are true?

God's promises are true because He is faithful to His Word, which can be fully trusted.

In the sermon, it is emphasized that the faith of believers is rooted in trusting God's promises. Hebrews 11 illustrates that individuals like Abraham and Sarah judged God to be faithful to His Word. They believed in the promises made by God, even when circumstances seemed impossible. The key is that God’s faithfulness is not contingent upon our understanding or situation; He remains true to His character. Scripture assures us that we can take God at His Word, shown in various passages such as John 6:37, where Christ promises never to cast out those who come to Him. This underscores the reliability of God's character and His covenant with His people.

Hebrews 11:11, John 6:37

Why is faith important for Christians?

Faith is essential because it is through faith that believers receive God's promises and live out their calling.

Faith plays a critical role in the life of a Christian, as illustrated in Hebrews 11, which showcases a hall of faith. The just shall live by faith, and this principle connects believers to God, enabling them to experience His promises. In Romans 4:3, it is declared that Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. This not only affirms the necessity of faith for justification but also empowers Christians to navigate their earthly pilgrimage with the assurance that their ultimate inheritance is secure in heaven. Faith also compels believers to live in a manner that reflects their hope and assurance in God, as true faith produces fruits of obedience and submission.

Hebrews 11:8-16, Romans 4:3

What does it mean to be a pilgrim in this life?

Being a pilgrim means recognizing that this world is not our home and that our true citizenship is in heaven.

In Hebrews 11, the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Sarah exemplify what it means to be a pilgrim. They lived as strangers in a foreign land, looking forward to a city built by God. This understanding encourages Christians today to view their lives within the framework of eternity, knowing that their true inheritance awaits them in heaven. As pilgrims, believers are called to detach themselves from worldly attachments and seek those things which are above, as emphasized in Colossians 3:1-2. This perspective not only brings comfort during trials but instills hope and purpose in living out one's faith amidst a transient existence.

Hebrews 11:13-16, Colossians 3:1-2

How is saving faith manifested in a believer's life?

Saving faith is shown through both belief in the Gospel and a life that embraces and confesses Christ.

True saving faith is not just intellectual assent; it is a vibrant relationship with Christ that transforms how one lives. In Hebrews 11, we see that faith encompasses believing God's promises and actively embracing them. This is manifested in obedience to God's call and in living a life that reflects His character. For instance, Abraham's faith was evident not just in his belief but also in his actions when he left his home to follow God's command. Additionally, believers are to openly confess their faith through both speech and conduct, reflecting their identity as children of God. This holistic faith recognizes that salvation results in a radical change of heart and behavior, demonstrated in love for God and others.

Hebrews 11:8-13, John 14:15

Sermon Transcript

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Hebrews chapter 11 the title
of the message an effectual call and its evidence an effectual
call and its evidence now keep in mind the scripture back in
chapter 10 verses 38 and 39 look back at those verses NOW THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH,
BUT IF ANY MAN DRAW BACK, MY SOUL SHALL HAVE NO PLEASURE IN
HIM. Evidently, some are wanting to draw back. But we are not
of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the
saving of the soul. And then we have all these examples
of faith. You know, I could title every
message here in Hebrews 11, Examples of Faith, Part 1, Part 2, Part
3, and so forth. But I m going to give the title
to this one, An Infectual Call and its Evidence. You see, these
examples are given to us to encourage us on our journey home, and that
is exactly what s happening. We are on our journey home. We are pilgrims here. We're pilgrims,
that's all we are. We have no certainty here, but
our certainty is in heaven. And I'm glad it is. I wouldn't
want to live on this earth forever and ever the way it is. It's
so evil, so ungodly. Look in verse 8, here we see
the effectual call of Abraham. By faith, Abraham, when he was
called to go out into a place which he should after receive
for an inheritance, obeyed, and he went out, not knowing whether
he went. One of the striking things about
all these people mentioned in this chapter is this, THEY BELIEVED
and OBEYED. THEY BELIEVED and THEY OBEYED.
Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, MOVED
WITH FEAR, the same as Abraham obeyed, he went out. Noah was
moved with fear and he built the ark. He believed God, he
believed God. They believed God and they obeyed
God. I thought about this as I was
reading down through this, Abraham, and I thought about my own experience.
Abraham was not looking for God when God called him. He wasn't
seeking the Lord when God called him, no more than I was. I wasn't expecting to, I wasn't
looking for God, I was looking for a good meal when I went I
was looking for a good meal. Well, I ended up getting the
gospel when I heard it on television. I wasn t looking for God. Abraham
wasn t looking for God when God called him. He was content with
his idolatry, and I m sure life was good. I m sure it was. But here s what happened in Romans
10.20 I was found of them that sought me not, I was made manifest
unto them that asked not AFTER me. WHO KNOWS BUT WHEN SOMEONE
WILL COME INTO THIS ROOM, NOT LOOKING FOR GOD, SOMEONE INVITED
THEM, OR THEY CAME WITH A FAMILY MEMBER, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN
HERE THEY SIT AND THEY HEAR THE GOSPEL AND THEY HAVE AN INTEREST
IN CHRIST. I WAS FOUND OF THEM THAT SOUGHT
ME NOT. I WAS MADE MANIFEST UNTO THEM
THAT ASKED NOT AFTER ME. THEY WASN'T INTERESTED IN ME,
BUT GOD WAS INTERESTED IN THEM. If God saved you, He was interested
in you LONG before you were interested in Him. Even before the creation
of the world, He was interested in you. So much so, He made a
covenant with His Son concerning you. That's amazing to me. The more
I think of that as I get older, the more precious that is to
me, the more precious. Abraham, listen, Abraham was
called EFFECTUALLY. He was called out of darkness
into God s marvelous LIGHT. He was called from idolatry to
the LIVING GOD. He was called from many gods
to ONE GOD. He found out that all these other
gods didn t even exist. HE WAS CALLED BY GRACE. THERE
WAS NOTHING ABOUT ABRAHAM THAT WAS ANY BETTER THAN THE REST
OF THAT CROWD IN UR OF THE CHALDEES. NOT A THING. THE DIFFERENCE WAS
IN GOD. YOU'RE MINE. YOU'RE MINE. GOD MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. PAUL
SAID, WHO MAKETH THEE TO DIFFER? WHO MAKETH THEE TO DIFFER? God called him by grace and God
called him to believe. I told you last week, faith is
a gift of God and it's the work of the Holy Spirit. And when
God calls a sinner, reveals Himself to that sinner, that sinner cannot
help but believe. Every one of you who believe
in Him, you believe because you can't help it. When God makes
Himself known to you, you can't help but believe Him. That's
the work of God, and that's the gift of God. And with this call
came the revelation of God. And after this call, and after
God revealed Himself to Abraham, and Abraham believed God, Abraham
was never the same from then on. If you ever meet God, I'm
telling you, if you ever meet God, if we ever meet God, we'll
never be the same. You can't meet God and be the
same. YOU CANNOT BE BORN FROM ABOVE AND BE THE SAME! You can't
do it. God does make a radical difference.
There's a new nature that's born of God that's created in righteousness
and true holiness. There's a nature that loves God
that was not there before. There's a nature there that believes
God that was not there before. That's of God, and that's a radical
change. And only God makes that change.
We don't make it. It's not our cooperative effort.
It's God saving a sinner and giving that sinner what he or
she needs. And Abraham, as I said, he was
not the same and his life was one of faith from then on. As
I read to you, the just shall live by faith. That's exactly
how everyone in here that believes, this is how you live out your
life, by faith, by faith. Everything that comes along in
your life, you know that it's of God. YOU KNOW THAT YOUR HEAVENLY
FATHER HAS APPOINTED EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE. AND HOW DO YOU
KNOW THAT? BY FAITH. AND WHAT'S FAITH? BELIEVING GOD. YOU KNOW IT BECAUSE
YOU BELIEVE GOD. YOU BELIEVE HIS WORD. YOU TAKE
GOD AT HIS WORD IS WHAT YOU DO. AND THAT'S WHAT ABRAHAM DID.
AND THAT'S WHAT SARA DID. AND I'LL GET TO THAT IN A MINUTE
BUT I'M GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF. But it says, when he was called
to go out into a place which he should after receive for an
inheritance, obeyed, and went out, not knowing whether he went. The Lord didn't say, Abraham,
this is where you're going, this is what I'm gonna do, you're
gonna go over to this. No, he just left, and God guided him. The Lord guided him. Abraham
left his old life behind and he followed God. That's what
he did. He left that old life behind,
his old friends. Listen, I have no friends but
you. I can honestly say this. I have
no friends but those who believe God. There's nobody in this world
that rings my phone. They don't. Of course, I didn't
grow up here. you're my friends, you're my
friends, you're my family, you are my family. So Abraham left his old life
behind, his old friends behind, and he followed God. You remember
when the Lord called Peter and his brother Andrew and they were
fishing? When the Lord called them and
said, Come follow me, you know what they did? It says over in
Matthew chapter 4, They left their nets and they followed
Him. Every you read when he calls
it his disciples and James and John they were in the boat with
Zebedee their father when he said come follow me what they
do Jump out of the boat and left their father in the boat land.
It was immediate. It wasn't well Remember that
man that said Lord. I'm gonna let me go home and
bury my father and I'll come and I'm gonna follow you I'm
paraphrasing He said let the dead bury the dead you come follow
me We don't put Christ off when he says, follow me, follow him. And if he says that in power,
you're gonna follow him. You're gonna follow the Lord
Jesus Christ. Following the Lord Jesus Christ
is not optional. When he calls, now when he calls
in power, it's not an option. You're gonna follow, you're gonna
come. MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE and they follow Me. A stranger
they don't follow, they won't follow. They follow Me when they
hear My voice. When He gives you ears to hear,
you will follow Him. You won't follow a false gospel,
you won't follow a false preacher, you'll follow the gospel, you'll
follow God's man until the Lord takes you home. MY SHEEP HEAR
MY VOICE, AND THEY FOLLOW ME. And God speaks through His Word,
His Spirit, and His Preacher, His Pastor, that He sends. Here is submission, listen, here
is submission to the will of God's call. GOING WITHOUT KNOWING
WHERE YOU'RE GOING. That's submission. It's like,
no, tell me where we're going. Tell me where, no. God said to
Abraham, GO. leave your father's house leave
all this and go and he did he did that's submission to the
will of god and then we see the life of abraham as he journeys
verse 9 by faith he sojourned in the land of promise AS IN
A STRANGE COUNTRY, DWELLING IN TABERNACLES WITH ISAAC AND JACOB,
THE HEIRS WITH HIM HAVE THE SAME PROMISE. ABRAHAM'S LIFE WAS ONE
OF FAITH, IT WAS MARKED WITH FAITH. AT NO TIME WAS HE SAVED
BY HIS WORKS, AT NO TIME DID HE GO IN THE ENERGY OF THE FLESH."
Well, I'm thinking about Hagar, I want to say that. You know,
even Sarah at one time got a little impatient and God allowed him
to do it. He allowed this to happen with
Abraham because we had the example of it given over in Galatians
of the two sons and what an example we have out of that, of the gospel. But Abraham's life was one of
faith. It was a life of self-denial. He left EVERYTHING behind. everything
he that loves mother father sister brother more than me is not worthy
of me he that loves his life will lose it he that loses his
life for my sake will find it he left everything behind you
can only let this world go if the lord jesus christ is real
to you if he's real to you you can let these things go but if
he's really not real to you you will hang on to these things
things of this life this world BUT WHEN CHRIST BECOMES ALL AND
IN ALL TO YOU, NOTHING ELSE REALLY MATTERS. NOTHING ELSE REALLY
MATTERS. And then Abraham lived in the
land of promise as an alien. He lived in Canaan as a stranger. As a stranger. Dwelling in tents. He didn't stop to build a house,
he dwelled in a tent because he's not going to stay there.
He's not going to stay there. And here's the reason why he
dwelt in tents. In verse 10, For he looked for
a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Abraham's faith looked up. It looked up. It was not earthbound. It was
heavenbound. It was heavenbound. He looked
for a city whose builder was God. He didn't look for a city
that some man built or men built. We've got a lot of those cities
on this earth, don't we? But where there's one city in
heaven that God's built, God built it. God did that. He looked for a city whose builder
is God. It was more revealed to Abraham
than we realize. Abraham, the Lord said, saw my
day and he was glad. And Abraham's heart is evident
by this statement that he looked for a city which hath foundation,
whose builder and maker is God. His heart was set on things above. Listen, Colossians 3, 1 and 2,
and this gives you the heart and faith of Abraham. IF YE THEN
BE RISEN WITH CHRIST, SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE, that's
what Abraham was doing. SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE,
WHERE CHRIST SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, SEEK THOSE THINGS
WHERE CHRIST IS. SET YOUR AFFECTION, WHATEVER
HAS YOUR AFFECTION HAS YOU, IT HAS YOU. SET YOUR AFFECTION ON THINGS
ABOVE, NOT ON THINGS ON THE EARTH. God is going to burn this up.
God said He is going to burn it up. Is He going to burn it
up? He is going to burn it up. If your house doesn't eventually
fall down, He is going to burn it down. That's how much interest
I would have in a house. I know we have to have a place
to live, I know that, and God gives us very comfortable places
to live, but that's all it is. That's all it is. It's either
going to fall down or be burned down. God's going to burn all
this up someday. I wouldn't put too much stock
in it. Abraham trusted in what was not seen or yet realized,
and for this reason, God promised it. God promised it. You know the
scripture says Abraham believed God and it was counted to him
for righteousness. It doesn't say that Abraham believed
in God or there was a God or there is a God, he believed God. He that cometh to God must believe
that he is, that he is who he says he is and Abraham believed
him, Abraham believed him. And then we switch for a minute
here over to Sarah, Sarah's faith here in verse 11. THROUGH FAITH
ALSO Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was deliverer
of the child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful
who had promised. It's interesting that Sarah's
faith is mentioned here. You remember when she heard about
it, what did she do? She laughed. She laughed. When God said this to Abraham
in Genesis 17, you know what Abraham did? He laughed. He laughed. Our faith in this life is never
perfected. We have way too many doubts and
fears, I know that. How many times did the Lord say
to His disciples, Oh, you have little faith. Why are you so
fearful? Why are we so fearful? We don't have a reason to be.
Aren't you glad salvation's all of grace? Oh, I'm so glad salvation's
all of grace. But the faith, listen, the faith
that is of God will overcome unbelief. Because Sarah received
strength through faith. She received strength to conceive. And she was about 90 years old
when this happened. THOUGH SHE WAS BARREN AND OLD,
SHE BELIEVED GOD AND RECEIVED STRENGTH TO CONCEIVE. You know
the scripture says, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM THAT BELIEVES. You believe that? You believe
that? You got to believe that first
before you can even take the next step. ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE
TO HIM THAT BELIEVES. God's promises ARE NOT LIMITED
BY OUR WEAKNESS. THEY ARE NOT LIMITED BY OUR WEAKNESS,
NOT EVEN BY THE WEAKNESS OF OUR FAITH. In Philippians 4.13 Paul
said this, I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENETH
ME. I CAN DO ALL THINGS, YOU NAME
IT, PAUL SAYS I CAN DO IT THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENETH ME. HER FAITH WASN'T IN HER OWN STRENGTH
BUT IN GOD'S PROMISE. IT WAS IN GOD'S PROMISE. SHE KNEW THAT HER BODY, AS FAR
AS CHILDBEARING, WAS DEAD. AND SO WAS ABRAHAM. SHE KNEW
THAT. BUT SHE BELIEVED GOD. SHE TOOK
GOD AT HIS WORD AND SHE BELIEVED IT. AND SHE RECEIVED STRENGTH TO
CONCEIVE, THE SCRIPTURE SAYS. I want you to notice something
here that jumped out at me. When God spoke these things,
and even though she laughed and Abraham laughed, they believed.
They believed. God-given faith overcomes unbelief.
But there's no faith without God's Word. God spoke. God gave His Word. She believed
God's Word. FAITH COMES BY HEARING, HEARING
BY THE WORD OF GOD, HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD. She took God
at His Word. Listen, she followed Abraham
as her husband, but followed Christ as her Lord and Savior. Her faith was not because of
her connection to Abraham, but to the Lord Jesus Christ, her
real husband. It was her connection to Him.
to Him. Now here's a very important part
of faith. Here's a very important part. She judged Him faithful
who had promised. She judged Him faithful. God-given
faith judges God to be faithful. If He said it, He'll do it. You just mark it down. It will
happen. God said it, it will happen.
HE'S FAITHFUL TO HIS WORD, THAT'S WHY WE CAN TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD.
THAT ONE SCRIPTURE THAT GAVE ME SO MUCH COMFORT, HE THAT COMES
TO ME, I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT. I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT. I HUNG ON TO THAT OVER IN JOHN,
I BELIEVE IT'S JOHN CHAPTER 6, HE THAT COMETH TO ME, I WILL
IN NO WISE CAST OUT. I SAID LORD YOU SAID YOU WOULD
IN NO WISE CAST OUT, I COME TO YOU, YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T CAST
ANYONE OUT WHO COME TO YOU. God is faithful to His Word,
faithful to His people, faithful to His covenant that He made
with Christ, faithful to His Son. Faithful to His Son, Jesus
Christ. And then we see the POWER of
God over the dead. You know, when you see something
that's dead, you know what? It's over. Well, you can't do
a thing to someone that's dead. You can't do a thing for them.
Can you? You cannot do a thing for someone
that's dead. That is not a hindrance to God.
If it was a hindrance to God, none of us would be saved because
we were all dead in trespasses and sins at one time. But watch here therefore sprang
there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the stars
of the sky in multitude and as the sand which is by the seashore
innumerable innumerable Here's the miracle of life One
man as good as dead his body was as good as dead as far as
producing children He it was dead THIS ONE MAN, BY GOD'S PROMISE,
BECAME THE FATHER OF MANY NATIONS. And this points to the RESURRECTION
POWER, ONLY GOD CAN BRING LIFE OUT OF DEATH, ONLY GOD CAN DO
THAT, WE CAN'T DO THAT. BUT GOD CAN BRING LIFE OUT OF
DEATH. John 12, 24, 24 Verily, verily, I say unto EXCEPT A CORN
OF WHEAT FALLING TO THE GROUND, AND DIE, AND DIE. IT ABIDES ALONE. BUT IF IT DIE, IT BRINGS FORTH
MUCH FRUIT. THAT SEEMS SO PARADOXICAL, SUCH A PARADOX. IT DIES, BUT
IT BRINGS FORTH MUCH FRUIT. WELL, THIS IS NO DIFFERENCE AS
A REFERENCE TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. And I think of Christ
who died on Calvary's tree, buried, rose again, and through His death
and resurrection, HEAVEN HAS A MULTITUDE OF SINNERS SAVED
BY THE GRACE OF GOD BECAUSE OF THAT ONE MAN, JESUS CHRIST, WHO
DIED, HE REALLY DIED. HE TASTED DEATH, MY DEATH, YOUR
DEATH WHO BELIEVE. HE TASTED OUR DEATH, AND HE WAS
BURIED, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, BECAUSE OF HIS DEATH, He rose
from the grave, and when He rose from the grave, my, look at the
fruit of His death. Heaven is multiplied. There's
an innumerable company of sinners saved by His grace, His blood,
and His righteousness. And now we see the perseverance
of faith here in verse 13. These all died in faith, Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, not having received the promises. They had
the promise of the Messiah, they had the promise of the coming
of Christ, the seed of the woman, they had that promise. God gave
them the promise of the promised land. They died having not received
these promises. These all died in faith, having
not NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISES, BUT HAVING SEEN THEM AFAR OFF.
SEE THAT'S FAITH. YOU SEE THINGS THAT MAY NOT BE
NEAR, BUT YOU SEE THEM AFAR OFF. THERE'S GOING TO BE A NEW EARTH,
YOU SEE THAT? WE CAN SEE THAT AFAR OFF BY FAITH. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN
SEE BY FAITH, SPIRITUALLY. 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." See,
this goes back to verse 1 of Hebrews 11. Now faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
These things were real to them. These promises were real to them. They were real. SAVING FAITH NOT ONLY BELIEVES
THE GOSPEL, BUT IT NOW HERE'S THIS IS IMPORTANT THIS IS IMPORTANT
ALL OF IT'S IMPORTANT BUT SAVING FAITH NOT ONLY BELIEVES
THE GOSPEL YOU BELIEVE THE GOSPEL YOU HEAR YOU HEARD THE GOSPEL
YOU HEAR THE GOSPEL AND YOU BELIEVE THE GOSPEL BUT HERE'S THE DIFFERENCE
YOU ALSO EMBRACE THE GOSPEL YOU EMBRACE IT I am His and He is mine. Jesus Christ is the gospel and
you embrace Him. He's so real to you. He's so
real to you. You embrace Him. You embrace
the doctrines of the gospel because they're of Him. They're of Him. You embrace the Word of God because
it's His Word. You don't just believe it, you
embrace it. You embrace it. You embrace Christ
who is the Gospel, you embrace the promises because they are
of God. God gave them to me. You know,
if you take somebody that you really trust and they give you
a promise, if you really believe them, you embrace that promise like a child. Now, you take a
child, when a parent tells that child they are going to do something
or they're going to give them something, they embrace that
promise. And embracing that promise, they're
embracing their parents, aren't they? So when we embrace the
gospel, we're embracing God. It's His gospel. It's His gospel. And confessed, listen here, and
confessed, that is with their mouth, and listen, and their
life. They didn't just confess it with
their mouth, they also confessed it with their life. Abraham obeyed
and went out. They confessed they were strangers
and pilgrims on the earth. Were they that say such things
declared plainly that they seek a country? Here's a confession
of mouth as an example. You remember when Abraham went
and fought those kings and brought Lot back? You remember the king of Sodom,
he offered Abraham all these riches, spoils and riches, he
offered that to Abraham. Do you remember what Abraham
said? Abraham said he didn't want those
riches. He said, I will not take the riches lest you say, I made
Abraham rich. That's confession of mouth on
who you're relying on. Abraham's confessing, God is
my keeper, God is my provider. You keep it because you're going
to go away and say, I made Abraham rich. You didn't make Abraham
rich. God did. God did. And then here's confession
of life. You see, it's with the mouth,
but it's also with the life. The life has to match the confession
of the mouth. You remember when Lot's herdmen
and Abraham's herdmen were fighting? They were bickering, fighting,
and Abraham said, we'd be brethren, let's not do this. You know what
Abraham said to him? You remember this. Lot, and I'm
going to paraphrase, Lord, just lift up your eyes, look around.
You take, you go, whatever you want, you take it. I'll take
what's left. I'll take what's left. There's confession of mouth and
there's confession of life. Christ is our life. Heaven is
our home. Isn't it? Heaven's our home.
I see that more and more now that I'm getting to be older.
This world is not our home. It's not my home. It's not the
home of any believer. Not the home. It's not our home. We are just traveling through
being conformed to the image of Christ. That's what's going
on. That's what's going on. All the
hardships and the heartaches that God puts us through, He's
conforming us to the image of His Son. He suffered, why should
I not? Am I any better? I'll never suffer
what He suffered. What I suffered is not even worth
it. Well, I'll tell you what, what
I suffered, Paul calls it a light affliction. You cannot call what
Jesus Christ suffered a light affliction. He suffered the wrath
of God. But the trials that God will
send our way in comparison to glory are light afflictions. They don't feel light when you're
going through them, they hurt, you cry, you feel the pain. But when it's over, when we really,
really get to see Jesus Christ, God in His glory, we will realize
all these things were really just light afflictions, just
light afflictions. And truly, if they had been mindful
of that country from which they came out, they might have had
opportunity to have returned. If they had been homesick. You
ever been homesick? Boy, when we first moved down
here, I was. When we first moved down here, I just, I was homesick. I was. Vicki was too. We're getting
better. We're getting a lot better. This
has become home. But if they had been homesick,
like Lot's wife, remember? She looked back. She couldn't
let that place go. Oh, if they had been mindful
of that country from whence they came out, they might have had
opportunity to return. That's right. But saving faith, doesn't look
back, it looks to Christ. Paul said, We are not of them
who draw back, we are of them who bleed to the saving of the
soul. And the saving faith looks to Christ. Listen to Paul, Philippians
3, 13-14. Brethren, I count not myself
to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, And this is something
every believer ought to do and must do, FORGETTING THOSE THINGS
WHICH ARE BEHIND, AND REACHING FORTH UNTO THOSE THINGS
WHICH ARE BEFORE. I PRESS TOWARD THE MARK FOR THE
PRIZE OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS. That s the attitude And that's
the AMBITION of a believer. Oh, we have ambition, alright.
It's to know Him. Or that I might know Him and
the power of His resurrection. That is the power of His resurrected
life in me and the fellowship of His sufferings. And this FAITH PRODUCES A BETTER
DESIRE. It produces a better desire.
Verse 16, I'll close. But now they desire a better
COUNTRY! COUNTRY! Heaven is not called
a place, it?s too big to be called a place, it?s like a COUNTRY! But now they desire a better
country that is a HEAVENLY! Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah,
they desired a HEAVENLY COUNTRY! That?s what they were looking
for, that?s what every child of God is looking for! Wherefore
God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He hath prepared
for them a city. God has prepared something for
us, just like He prepared the Garden of Eden for Adam. Adam
didn t prepare anything, He didn t help prepare anything, He didn
t suggest, and the reason why, He didn t even exist. God didn
t create him until everything was complete. JESUS CHRIST COMPLETED SALVATION,
IN HIM YOU ARE COMPLETE. WE PROVIDE NOTHING, AND WE PROVIDE
NOTHING FOR THAT CITY THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR US. HE PREPARED
THAT FOR US. NOW IF GOD PREPARED IT, WHAT
MUST IT BE LIKE IF GOD PREPARED IT? WHOO! THEY HAD THEIR HEARTS
SET on the inheritance that they had in Christ, and they would
not look back, turn back. They were not going to be denied.
It was too real to them. It was too real to them. And
because of that faith and confidence that they had in God, that God
had given them and worked in them, God is not ashamed to be called
their God. God's not ashamed to be called
my God. God's not ashamed to say, that's
my son. That's my son. I know enough
things about myself that he could be ashamed of. But Christ took
my shame at Calvary and put it away. And God said, there's my
son. My daughter, I'm not ashamed. I'm not ashamed to be their God.
If we could ever grasp with these peanut minds of ours, the greatness,
the immenseness of God, that statement would just overwhelm
us. Not ashamed to be called my God. And He's prepared for us an inheritance. And in a little while, IN A LITTLE
WHILE, HERE'S WHAT EVERY BELIEVER'S GONNA HEAR. WELCOME HOME. WELCOME HOME. ENTER IN. ENTER IN. TO A KINGDOM PREPARED
FOR YOU BY YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER.
John Chapman
About John Chapman
John Chapman is pastor of Bethel Baptist Church located at 1972 Bethel Baptist Rd, Spring Lake, NC 28390. Pastor Chapman may be contacted by e-mail at john76chapman@gmail.com or by phone at 606-585-2229.
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