Hebrews chapter 10, and we've
been looking at this couple of verses here in Hebrews 10. We're talking about a great cloud
of witnesses that God has inspired Paul to write about. As we read
over in verse 1 of chapter 12, wherefore seeing we also have
encompassed about surrounded, hedged in with so great a cloud
of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin which doth
so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that
is set before us." And this cloud of witnesses are these very ones
that we are reading about back here in chapter 11. And we've
been reading a little bit about Abraham. Now you know we've already
spoken about Abel. We've already spoken about Enoch,
and we already spoke about Noah. Then we came to Abraham in verse
8. By faith, when he, Abraham, was
called to go out into a place which he should after receive
for an inheritance, Obeyed and that's what we talked about by
faith Abraham was called that was our first message their second
one was Abraham obeyed and he went out not knowing whether
he went By faith it says in verse 9. He sojourned in the land of
promise as in a stranger as in a strange country dwelling in
tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob the heirs with him of the same
promise and then we come to this 10th verse and And it says, for
he looked. He looked forward. Now remember,
look back at verse 1. What does 1 and 2 tell us there?
Hebrews 11 verses 1 to 3. Now faith is the substance of
things hoped for. This is what this is talking
about here in verse 10. For he looked. He looked to something
forward. He perceived something that he
could not see right now, but it was in the time, in the future,
time before him. He hoped for, it's the substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, for by it
the elders obtained a good report. And then it goes on through faith,
we understand that the world were framed by the word of God
so that things which are seen were not made of things which
do appear. And that just basically tells
us there that again, we're looking at something that's not right
in front of our face. That's what faith is. We believe
what God has said and what He's promised. Abraham was promised
a land. And he knew that that land would
come to his seed one way or another if he didn't see it in front
of his face. And that's what Ten is talking
about here. He looked for a city which has foundations. Now if I was going to title this
morning's study, that's what I would title it. A city that
has foundations. Whose builder, And Maker is God. Oh, I know some of you look for
that city with great passion in your heart, don't you? Oh,
I wish I could just leave this world right now behind. The greatest
thing that I perceive is that there's a day coming when there'll
be no more sin in me at all. The battle that our Lord has
won over this flesh will be before my eyes." Abraham couldn't see
that city, but he looked forward to a time where there would be
the city where he would be in that city. And I'm telling you
right now, he's in that city. That city built without hands,
that's in heaven. And it has foundations. That's
our subject this morning. Foundations. He looked for a
city which hath foundations. Faith. the expectation of eternity. We expect eternal life because
our Lord has promised it. How has He promised it? What
do we read over in John 3, verse 16? That the world of religious
folks like to use so much in proving their form of thinking
that God loves the whole world. What does it say over there?
Let's just read that real quick if you don't mind. For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever,
whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. We expect that, don't we? We have a right to expect it.
We come to the throne of grace with boldness. Not any boldness
in us. We know there's nothing in this
flesh that's worthy of that. But we come expecting it in the
boldness of our Savior. boldness in Him, believing Him,
believing His Word, trusting it's sure, trusting it's true.
Faith lives in expectation of eternity, looking for that which
God has promised. The life of faith is a life of
hope, the hope of glory. Abraham sojourned. He sojourned
here on this world, but he lived for eternity. He looked for a
city which had foundations, whose builder and maker is God. That
keeps things in perspective, doesn't it? We're not talking
about a city that men can build. You know, we talk about the heavenly
Jerusalem. What is that? That's the Lord
Jesus. Wherever the Lord Jesus is, He's
in heavenly Jerusalem. A city that's built without hands.
John Trapp wrote this. He said, Heaven, half foundations.
Earth, half none. The earth is just hanging in
space. There's nothing holding it there. There's no foundations
to it. God can move that anywhere He
wants to. The earth is hanged upon nothing. As Job speaketh,
hence things are said to be on earth, but in heaven. Did you ever notice that? I was
reading that statement by John and I was thinking to myself,
you know, that's true. Everywhere I read, that I can
think of that I've read about speaking of earth. It's on earth.
But when you look at things that speak about heaven, it's in heaven. There's a foundation there. The
church's one foundation is what? Jesus Christ our Lord. And that
includes our heavenly house that was built with our hands. The
very same house that Abraham believed God was there. And he lived for that. Do you
know we live for God right now, you and I? I know. I know. We sin and we're full of it from
the toes to the top of our heads. Oh, there's so many things we
can point to ourselves and say, that can't be because God couldn't
love somebody like me. But He does. He loves me despite
me. He loves His people despite them. Our heaven. Our heavenly home,
that we walk through this valley of the shadow of death until
the day the Lord takes us out of, is on the foundations of
Jesus Christ our Lord. The spies who went in to spy
out the land with Joshua and Caleb, they saw nothing but giants
in the land. They were terrified by what they
saw. Did you know Abraham saw the same giants? They were there
when Abraham walked the earth. Joshua and Caleb came after Abraham. When they went into the land
and they saw giants in the land that God had promised them, they
were scared. Abraham, he's just wandering
around, living in tents, packing up his camping stove and heading
to the next place wherever the God would lead him. Those men
were terrified by what they saw, but Abraham looked not on the
giants, but at the promise of God, and he fully expected God
to fulfill his promise in spite of those giants. He believed
God. He saw the same thing that John
saw. He saw the new Jerusalem. He
walked with it ever before his face, ever before his eyes in
faith. We see by faith, not by sight. He saw the city that hath foundations,
whose builder and maker was God. When God the Holy Spirit tells
us that Abraham looked for a city, He does not mean for us to understand
that Abraham was searching for a certain city in the land, but
that he was expecting it. He fully expected to enter into
that land and possess it of the heavenly Jerusalem as a rightful
heir to it. That's what God promised him.
This is not a matter of presumption, but a matter of faith. You see,
Abraham really did believe God. The question is, do we? I do. I can't wait to get to that city
of God. I can't wait to shuck off this
old dead body that does nothing but sin and stand in the presence
of my Savior face to face. We could have sung that psalm
for our opening hymn. That would have been just as
good, wouldn't it? Has God not promised eternal life? Have we
not read His promise in His Word of eternal life and heavenly
glory to every sinner who trusts on Him? Indeed, He sure has. I just read it for you over there
in John 3, verses 14-16. Does the Lord God not declare
that every sinner washed in Christ's blood and robed in His righteousness
is worthy to enter into and take possession of the inheritance
of the saints in heaven? Look over at Colossians chapter
1 verse 12. Let's see if He does. Does He
promise that? I believe so. Colossians chapter
1. We're talking about the promises
of God. Look at verse 12 of chapter 1
of Colossians. Giving thanks unto the Father
which hath made us meet. Yes, Paul and Mary, despite what
you think of yourself, you are fit to be in heaven. That's what
it's telling you there. That's the promise. Mike, you
too. You folks online, Tim Burnett,
all of you folks. You're fit because of what God
has done, folks. This is the promise to you and
I. We're fit. We're worthy. Not in anything
in the flesh again. It's in our Savior, the Lord
Jesus. But it says there, giving thanks unto the Father which
hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints
in light. That's our heavenly promise right
there. We've got lots to be happy for here on this earth. It's
going to be over soon. It could be over this afternoon
for some of us. Could be. I could walk out that
door. I could have a heart attack standing
right here. The Lord could take me home right now. That would
be fine with me. I know it would be a lot for
Kathy. If the Lord took her right now, I'd be in tears crying.
If the Lord took any one of you, I'd be in tears crying. But that's
not going to be any problem for you, is it? No, not at all. I
guarantee you Bill's not crying right where he is right now.
He's happy as can be in the presence of his Savior, the Lord Jesus.
That was the city that Bill walked through this world looking to,
just as Abraham, just as you and I, looking for that city
of foundations. Now, let's talk about that for
the moments that we have left here, the city of foundations.
What are the foundations of that city? We are told that the foundations
of the city have inscribed upon them the names of the twelve
apostles of the Lamb. I want to show you that. Go over
to Revelation chapter 21. In verse 14, now we're talking
about the foundations of this city. Remember? The city that
we're looking for. The city that is made of God,
not by hand, but of God. These foundations on what the
apostles preached. The twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Look at verse 14. And the wall of the city had
twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles
of the Lamb. What did the apostles do? They
did the same thing THE apostle did, and that was they preached
Christ. They brought out Christ in the
Scriptures. That's what all of God's preachers
do. That's what all of God's people
do. We bring out Christ in the Scriptures, the Creator of everything
that is. He's Sovereign God over everything,
especially me. Those are words that you could
say to anybody, huh? Especially me. He's not just
Creator of everything and Sovereign God of everything. He loves a
people. And His love for those people
caused Him to be manifest in the flesh? And by manifesting
Himself in the flesh, He was able to die? Well, why would
He die? Because somebody has to die. We've got sin in the
world. Folks, if Christ did not die for you, you will die instead.
And every sinner of God's grace knows that our death was deserving. And Christ took our death upon
Him. That's what the apostles did. The apostles, the very twelve. This is the foundation of that
city. It's based on who and what we preached about. The One that
we preached about. Who He is, what He's done, and
where He is now. Death couldn't hold Him. He's
on His throne. Did you know He's Lord of everything,
including what's under the earth? All power in heaven and earth
and under the earth has been put in the hands of our Savior,
the Lord Jesus. The foundations of this city
that we're talking about, the very city that you and I look
for, are not the foundations built upon some man, but upon
what the man those men spoke of. That's to say the city of
God, the heavenly Jerusalem, is a city built upon that which
the Twelve Apostles of Christ taught. the gospel of God's free
and sovereign grace in Him, the Lord Jesus. Heaven is a city
built upon the foundation of God's everlasting purpose of
grace in Christ. Look over Ephesians chapter 1. You know the words of Romans
8, 28, we know for all things All things are for the good to
them that love God, to them who are called. We know that. That's
God's everlasting purpose right there, and it goes on through
verse 31 to express that. But over here in Ephesians chapter
1, look at verses 3-14 if you would with me. Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, according as He hath
chosen us in Him, before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him. You see how it's pointing us
here? What is our foundation? It's
God's everlasting purpose. This was purposed by God before
the world, before the foundation of the world, as it just said
there in verse four. Let's go on. In love, verse five, having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. See how
it's the purpose of God? It's according to the good pleasure
of His will. That's our foundation. That's
the foundation of that city. Verse 6, to the praise and the
glory of His grace, whereas He hath made us accepted in the
Beloved. We're accepted in the Beloved according to His purpose. Verse 7, in whom we have redemption
through His blood, The forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of His grace, wherein He hath abounded to us all wisdom and
prudence. Verse 9, having made known unto
us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He
hath purposed in Himself. This is the foundation, folks.
The foundations of this city that we talk about, that we look
for, are the things purposed by Him. Verse 10, that in the
dispensation of the fullness of time, he might gather together
in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and
which are on earth, even in him, in whom also we have obtained
an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. that we should be to the praise
of His glory, who first trusted in Christ, in whom ye also trusted
after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation, in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed
with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance,
until the redemption of the purchased possession under the praise of
His glory. So we see right there, let's
look at one more. One more verse if you would, turn to the right
over to 2 Timothy. Chapter 1, verse 9, who hath
saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our
words, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was
given us in Christ Jesus. Folks, heaven is a city that
is built upon the foundation of God's everlasting purpose.
of grace in His Son, the Lord Jesus. The foundations of the
city is God's everlasting love for His elect. We know we can't
be lost for any reason. We've been saved by the power
of God through His Son. Saved with all that is needed
for salvation in Him. So we see that the foundations
of that city is in His love for His elect, His eternal covenant
of grace, His sovereign election. His absolute predestination,
His unalterable Word, the precious blood of Christ, and His almighty
free grace. In other words, the foundations
of the city are those foundations of grace and truth in Christ
Jesus. Look over at Ephesians 2 if you
would. While you're turning there, let me remind you what we talked
about once before here just recently in Hebrews chapter 3 verse 1. Hebrews chapter 3 verse 1 wherefore
holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling consider the
Apostle the Apostle and high priest in other words he's both
he's an apostle and a high priest of our profession Christ Jesus
consider him look here at verse 20 Ephesians chapter 2 verse
20 and are built and upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. That's our foundation, the chief
cornerstone. Now, let's bring this to a close
here if you would. These foundations start with
a cornerstone, the solid rock. Christ, the Son of the Living
God, as we just read there in Ephesians 2, verse 20, of the
Living God, the rock, the cornerstone. He is like a man which built
a house and did deep, and laid the foundation on a rock. And
when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house,
and could not shake it, for it was founded upon a rock. And that rock, that foundation,
is Jesus Christ our Lord. That's Luke, chapter 6, verse
48. Turn over to Mark, chapter 12. We're going to read a couple
of verses over there, a couple of verses in 1 Peter, and then
we'll bring that to a close. So, Mark, chapter 12. Look at
verse 10. And ye, and have ye not read
this, this scripture? The stone which the builders
rejected is become the head of the corner. Verse 11. This was
the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Turn over to 1 Peter
chapter 2, verse 5. Ye also, as lively stones, remember
we're talking about the foundations, are built upon the spiritual
house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, wherefore also it is contained
in scripture, behold I lay in Zion, A chief cornerstone, this
is our foundation, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him
shall not be confounded unto you, therefore, which believe
he is precious, but unto them which be disobedient, the stone
which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of
the corner. And a stone of stumbling, a rock of offense, even to them
which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they
were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people, that
ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out
of darkness into his marvelous light." Folks, let us ever keep
the city that Abraham was looking for, the city that was before
his face all the time, even though he was in the face of giants,
Even though he was with no home, wandering in tents, wandering
the land, keep this city that we have looking to that have
the foundations of Christ. Don't look at the giants in this
dark land, but set your heart on the things above. Amen.