All Things

We have been in Hebrews chapter 11 for quite a bit of time, and today we are on the second last sermon in that chapter. We have gone through all of the specifically named heroes of the faith and we are now transitioning two way sort of summary of everybody else.

As I was preparing for this message I came upon a story that a pastor had told about a woman that he went to visit in the hospital. It seems some well-meaning person dropped off a book about faith healing and scrolled in the flyleaf with the words if you have faith you will be healed. The woman was just staring at the book crying.

I believe that it can be very dangerous and very harmful for us to make statements as to what God will do if we have faith. In many charismatic churches, often ones that called them selves word of faith churches, they believe that their faith is some sort of divine lever. That's somehow based on the measure of faith God is obligated to fulfill the desires of man and if those desires are not fulfilled then that is evidence of a lack of faith.

Philippians chapter 4 verse 13 is often cited:

Philippians 4:13 KJV 1900

13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Well that is true, I believe the hardest part of this verse to understand is the words “all things” — But we will get back to that later in the message.

For now please turn your bibles over to Hebrews 11:32-38 where we will get our text this morning.

Hebrews 11:32–38 KJV 1900

32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

We have a couple of more messages left where we will start off with the context given to us at the start of chapter. — Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews 11:1 KJV 1900

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

And we will remember again Gareth Lee Cockerill’s commentary on this verse:

Faith is living as if the things hoped for are real.

Look at how many faithful men and women we have seen in this list, and here the assumption of countless others who had lived as if the things hoped for are real. And they accomplished much to the Glory of God.

Our message this morning is entitled All Things

Let’s Pray

Time Would Fail

Verse 32 opens up this portion of Hebrews chapter 11 in a way that is very reminiscent of how we find the gospel of John concluding in John 21:25 where of Jesus, John wrote:

John 21:25 KJV 1900

25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

Something similar is said of the faithful believers but of course it's a much scaled down statement. With Christ it's all the books in the world could not contain all of the things that he had done however with the faithful the book of Hebrews couldn't contain all of the things that the faithful have been able to accomplish by faith.

Hebrews 11:32 (KJV 1900)

32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell ...

And the question really is, what we read here: “do I even need to say more?” — What more shall I say. — Is it that the testimony of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Noah and Rahab, etc etc isn't enough. OK, if you need more proof then there is more than is even contained within scripture, Examples were men and women of faith acted upon that faith to the Glory of God.

I mean look at what all was accomplished:

kingdoms were subdued,

righteousness was wrought,

promises were obtained,

the mouthes of lions were shut,

fires were quenched,

swords were escaped,

the weak were made to be strong fighters

Armies were turned away,

and the dead was raised.

Others

There is a word in verse 35 that splits this passage right down the middle. It is the word others.

So we have this list of saints and all of the great deeds that they had done. It is a list that we would like to be a part of. We're talking about raising from the dead and shutting the mouths of lions this is a list of great victory. At least from a human perspective. I didn't hear inverse 35 comes this word. — Others — And the list changes.

Hebrews 11:35–38 (KJV 1900)

... others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

And you can say oh I'm not signing up for that second last time signing up for the first list. I am in it for the promises, I am minutes to subdue kingdoms in the turn away armies. — Not this tortured business, certainly not being sawed in half.

And it all comes back to Philippians 4:13

Philippians 4:13 KJV 1900

13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

You know the context to this verse right? vv11 & 12

Philippians 4:11–12 KJV 1900

11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

What policy saying is that he can live in a state where he doesn't have anything or a state where he is greatly blessed with the goods of the world. Paul is saying he is content and being hungry or being full.

And let me tell you it is no great feat to learn how to survive in a state where everything is provided you and you are constantly full. — Listen, a couple of weeks ago my wife and I took a much needed vacation to an all inclusive resort — It wasn’t very difficult having everything provided for us! — What Paul is saying though is this: I've figured out how to live life with all of my needs met — and when he says that he can do all things through Christ what he is saying is that even when things seem bleak. Even when he is needy to the point of hunger he knows that he can get through it because Christ is his strength.

The word others doesn't really divide this passage. It certainly changes the tone. But all of these Greek heroes of the faith did great works for God they did them to the glory of God and all of these people that suffered they did so for the glory of God.

Getting on the List

I have in my home library a number of books that recount the lives of the faithful men and women who came between the closing of the New Testament and today. I have books that discuss men like Charles Spurgeon & Adoniram Judson, I have a book that was given to me about missionaries Joe and Elaine Hawkins and their work in the Amazon — The Amazon, not Amazon — They weren’t just sharing the gospel with they guy that drops off the packages that the ordered online! Goodness, I have a 2 volume set that seems to list just about every Baptist church and the life of the pastors of that church up until about 1929 when it was published!

He's faithful men and women are the continuation of the list that the author of Hebrews didn't have time or the lifespan to continue. Those who for centuries have done great things to the glory of God.

What I can't help but wonder is how would we be looked at through the lens of history. If someone went through Foxes book of Martyrs and read of John Huss who was burned alive for his faith. Or Nathaniel Wodniansky who was hanged because he wouldn’t renounce his faith. Or George Scherter who was wrote a confession of faith and was beheaded and then burned alive. — we can see the great sacrifices he's great men and women of faith and if the historian came to my name what would it say. Jason, made it to Sunday school on time every week.

We love the idea of being on that first list. That list of people who were able to do great things for God. But I think we need to be reminded of is that we don't get on that first list unless we have a heart that is willing to be on the second list.

Daniel didn't make it onto this list for the shedding of the lions mouth in any other way that he was first willing to be obedient to God up to the point where he was thrown into the Lions den. He was prepared to be mauled and eaten by a ferocious animal because he had faith in God.

Shadrack Meshack and Abednego — They weren’t spared the fire without having first having been faithful unto the furnace

Inspiration (Optional)

I think it is somewhat common for everyone to have at least a slight dillusion of grandeur.

We think, if God ever asks me to do something big then by all means. I will be faithful then. A preacher once gave this some perspective when he said this:

"To give my life for Christ appears glorious," he said. "To pour myself out for others. . . to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom -- I'll do it. I'm ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory. "We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking $l,000 bill and laying it on the table-- 'Here's my life, Lord. I'm giving it all.' But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $l,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the neighbor kid's troubles instead of saying, 'Get lost.' Go to a committee meeting. Give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home. Usually giving our life to Christ isn't glorious. It's done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at at time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it's harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul."

Invitation

If everyone would bow your heads and close your eyes for a moment, I'd like you to consider this question. What are you willing to give? Because if you're not willing to give $.25 here making it to church and $.25 there giving ties and offerings and $.25 somewhere else volunteering to serve did the reality is you're probably not willing Play down your life for God and you're never going to see anything great accomplished in your lifetime for the glory of God.

This morning I invite you to make some change. Fill your pocket up with quarters and spend your faithfulness. I don't know your heart I know that we can all be a little stingy from time to time.

I hope that you don't think like so many that being a Christian is about what we can get out of God. I hope you understand that it is our purpose, our reason for existence to worship and honor God in all that we do. If you know there's some aspects in your life where you are not wholeheartedly the servant of God, because you are just emptying your pockets of quarters for Him, but I asked where you were this morning you make a decision today begins a new period that you are going to live a life of faithfulness that speaks to the truth that you believe that the things promises of God or true.

Let’s Pray