Faith Seeks the Promise: The Faith of the Patriarchs Pt. 1
Notes
Transcript
Welcome/Prayer
Have you ever been tempted to ask God for a sign?
A work, a miracle, something that God can give or show you in order to motivate you to holy living?
Something to reassure you, that what you are doing or what God is calling you to do… is worth it… that the sacrifice is worth the reward...
Whatever you might ask for...
It won’t be enough, if His Word, as we have it, is not enough, then no sign given will be enough
Remember what Jesus said in Mt 12.39
39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
And the sign of Jonah, that Jesus mentions is referring to His resurrection...
But even that… won’t be enough, if His Word is not enough...
Think of Lk 16:31, Abraham speaking to the rich man who desires that Lazarus (different Lazarus from John 11) be raised from the dead to warn the rich man’s brothers…
31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”
As we continue through the Hall of Faith in chapter 11 of Hebrews this morning
Our passage, 11.8-16, will give us examples from the patriarchs that show us lives that were lived by faith.. lives that were motivated not by signs, but by the Word of God and the promises of which it contains...
Last week we had examples from some antediluvians, that is from those who lived before the flood
And this week, we move forward in time to Abraham, Sarah, and his son and grandson, Isaac and Jacob...
Today is actually part 1 of the patriarchs, as the author in v. 17-22 again pulls examples of faith from them, though focusing in on different situations.
This morning the examples show us people who were called to great things and to leave a lot behind… and even though they never received the things they were promised before they died, even in their death they were faithful...
So, as we look to these examples, please note, that their faithfulness was not rooted in seeking out signs, but rooted in the Word of God, for if God speaks, whatever He says is enough...
We’ll begin by reading v. 8-12, which provides for the examples… though they involve 4 people, it actually centers on two key events...
Then after becoming familiar with the specific examples we’ll read v. 13-16 and consider the motivation and the strength of the patriarchs that allowed them to live and die in faith...
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
In v. 8-10 we read of Abraham’s calling which we find in Gen 12.1-4, let’s read it to understand the event the author is referencing
1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
Now, we mustn’t think that when Yahweh spoke to Abraham, that Abraham had no idea who Yahweh was...
When we look at the lifespan of Shem, for example, and when Abraham was born, their lives completely overlap...
In fact, Shem outlives Abraham… by roughly 35 years
And as such, both Isaac and Jacob were alive while Shem lived…
So, it’s very likely, that Abraham and Shem knew each other, seeing how they were related…
Therefore, it’s very unlikely that Abraham had never heard of God before then…
But it’s not just Shem who was alive during Abraham’s life… but Noah
Noah lived until Abraham was in 60s/early 70s...
So, when God speaks to Abraham, and tells him to leave the land of his fathers...
Abraham might be recalling the stories of the flood that were told to him by Noah and Shem… and thought to himself… “I better listen”
But God didn’t give this command without a promise...
The command was so that Abraham could receive a promise… in v. 8, of our passage… the author focus on the on the land, the place that Abraham was to receive
The author states that Abraham left his homeland of 75 years… for a strange unknown land...
Not knowing what awaited him… not knowing what kind of land it would be
Abraham, trusted God when the promise given by God was unseen, and not fully known… the very definition of faith given at the start of Hebrews 11
And by that faith, Abraham lived in the land of promise, as a foreigner, as a sojourner, and so did his son Isaac and his son Jacob...
Despite having been given a promise by God to inherit the land… they never did in their life time…
They lived in temporary residences… tents… they never established a permanent presence
And why did Abraham leave his homeland for a strange land? A foreign and unknown land, in order to live as a foreigner?
v. 10 - Because he was looking forward to the city that has foundations… a city that has God, that has Yahweh as its designer and builder...
For again, faith seeks what is to be, not what is… Abraham was looking to the future...
The author then moves on to a different event… he first focused on the call of Abraham to inherit a land for himself, and his sons… and now, he focuses on a different aspect of Abraham’s calling
In v.11-12, the author speaks to the birth of Isaac, and how God was able to make Abraham a father of many by Abraham’s faith
To help us understand this, let us go back to the source material found in Genesis, and there are three places I want us to read.. the first is Gen 17.15-19
15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.
Then Gen 18:9-15 where God visits Abraham another time and reminds him of Isaac’s coming birth..
9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” 10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
And we read of the birth itself in Gen 21:1-3
1 The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac.
Now, before we go on, let’s address something… the author in v. 11 says that it was by faith Sarah conceived...
Well, in Gen 18 we read of Sarah laughing and actually not believing God… so what’s going on?
Sarah may have not started well, but nothing in Genesis tells us she remained that way…
Consider Abraham, who probably disbelieved, or denied trust in God’s promise by his actions when he was willing to sleep with Hagar in order for Ishmael to be born in Genesis 16..
And Abraham laughed too, when God first told him about Isaac’s birth in Genesis 17...
I mean, it is rather ridiculous for people their age to have children… can you imagine, pending divine providence, how painful a birth would be at that age?
So, though Abraham had his moments of doubt, and yet was found faithful, it’s reasonable to think Sarah was faithful too, even though we read of a moment of doubt...
Therefore, since Sarah apparently came around to trust God, trusting that He is faithful to fulfill His promises, she conceived and gave birth
And as such, as the author states in v. 12, through one man, Abraham, good as dead… meaning by his age, producing offspring should not have been a possibility, but by God’s will, a man good as dead, gave birth to a son, and thus gave birth to an innumerable amount of descendants…
The language used here by the author is closely related to Gen 22.17 (don’t read) - words given after Abraham offered Isaac up… (which we’ll get to next week)
17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,
All of this happened… the leaving of his homeland, and the birth of a child late in his life, because of faith...
Now, let’s read the rest of our passage, v. 13-16, and understand the motivation behind it all
13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
After speaking of Abraham’s, Sarah’s, Isaac’s, and Jacob’s faith… the author says they all died… and they did so in faith..
And they died in the midst of a situation that the world would not see as reasonable...
After all, Abraham left his homeland, his family behind, for a strange land, to live there as a foreigner...
And his sons, Isaac, and Jacob… lived not in the land of their father.. but the land of others… in tents…
And they died there… never receiving, never seeing the promise of God being fulfilled...
Yet, in their deaths… they weren’t bitter, upset, or angry with God
Even in their deaths, they kept their faith… their conviction of things unseen… their hope for what was promised...
For they saw the things promised from afar… that is… even in death they knew God would be faithful to one day bring about the promises to their completion and fulfillment
It is by how they lived, that makes their faith evident…
For as the author states in v. 14, for people who speak this way, who act this, make it clear they are seeking a homeland...
A homeland that does not belong to this world… hence why in .v 13, the author states they acknowledged they were strangers and exiles on the earth...
Their homeland is not of this earth… yes, Abraham, by worldly standards and wisdom had a homeland… that he left behind… but being called by God and being a man faith, he no longer lived for it...
He lived for the promised homeland… for the city that has God as its builder...
For as the author says in v. 15, if Abraham, or his sons, or Sarah, had been thinking otherwise, if they had been dwelling on earthly things, they would have returned… they would have had opportunity to do so...
But we know from the Genesis accounts that when opportunity presented itself, they didn’t take it...
In Gen 24.6, (don’t read) Abraham specifically forbids Isaac to go back when he’s seeking a wife for Isaac
6 Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there.
Jacob could have remained with Laban...
But, as the author states in v. 16 - they desired a better country… a heavenly one...
Again, we see the author emphasizing what is heavenly to be better… superior… and greater… than what is earthly
This mindset of desiring a better country, the heavenly one, the eternal… is not merely one way to be motivated to faithful living...
It is the way to be motivated… to gaze upon and strive ahead for awaits us… is to desire this heavenly country, this Celestial City built by God...
Just as Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress continually considers his destination in order to endure all that he encounters...
We too, must be continually thinking, desiring, seeking the promise of God of inheriting the promised land and the better Jerusalem.. that is the New Jerusalem...
For with the city and land we get our Lord and Savior… For He gives it to us, and we will not receive one without the other...
Since the patriarchs had such faith, as seen by their lives… God is not ashamed to be called their God… this goes back to the end of chapter 10..
God takes pleasure in the patriarchs for they did not shrink back from faith… their entire lives were ordered by faith as they sought out the promise of God...
Therefore, there is a city prepared for them by God…
What is this city? The New Jerusalem… and the land and country is the new earth.... we read about them in Rev 21:1-4
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
But God hasn’t prepared a city only for the patriarchs… He has prepared one for all the faithful… all who order their lives accordingly by faith, as they seek the promise of God...
This is our holy motivation to holy living… and it’s more than motivation… it is our strength given by God…
A strength that fuels a life of sacrifice… a life that endures all things for the sake of God...
For just as the lives of the patriarchs were marked by obedience and sacrifice, so it must be for us today who have faith in Christ...
We who have the resurrection… we who have the Spirit… if they were able to do so much, with so little...
Then we today, who have so much… what can we not do?
Then why are we not doing it?
For you to claim to have faith in Christ, is to order your life after Him...
Which is a life that has been defined, described, and marked by His teachings, by His will...
It’s not a life of your choosing, it’s not a life determined by your feelings or your intuition… but by His Word…
Signs and miracles are not needed… His Word is enough
Faith in Christ isn’t just believing that Christ died for your sin upon the cross, it’s believing in His teachings as well—
You can’t separate the two.
If you believe His teaching, but not in the atoning sacrifice He provides for your sin, you fall short.
If you believe in the atoning sacrifice, but not His teaching, you profane His sacrifice (Heb 10:29)
A life of faith that seeks the kingdom first and above all things is a life known by its piety and obedience...
Consider Simeon in Lk 2.25
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
And Anna later in chapter 2, Lk 2.38
38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Then again, near the end of Luke’s gospel think of Joseph of Arimathea Lk 23.50-51
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God.
This is falls right in step with what Jesus teaches in Matthew 6, v. 33 (Mt 6.33)
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
(softly) And to seek the Kingdom, is to live by faith… so the question is...
What are you seeking?
Retirement?
Roots?
Family?
Legacy?
Inheritance?
Prosperity?
Health?
Security?
Peace?
Seek the kingdom first… and these will be added to you
God has a better retirement...
Better roots, a better family...
A better legacy… a better inheritance
A better prosperity
A better health
A better security
And a better peace...
This mindset is what fuels missions… this mindset is what caused the church to explode in the first and second century...
A willingness of believers to lay the ax to their roots and to sacrifice their earthly identity in order to be faithful so that they may inherit what is promised… so that they may be found with the sheep and not the goats, where in Mt 25.34 Jesus says...
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
And by missions, I don’t mean short term trips where you build a school, a church, or feed some kids for a week, then go on safari for day… I mean, long term missions… a lifetime of dedication… spending 20 years translating the New Testament in a new language...
Or traveling to a foreign land, at the end of the earth… to give yourself to those people for the sake of Christ..
What do you think motivated William Carey to go to India?
What about Adoniram Judson to Myanmar?
Or David Livingstone to go to Africa where even today he is still revered by the people there?
Or what propelled Hudson Taylor to China or even Eric Liddell, the great Scottish Olympian, who gave up athletic and national fame to be a missionary in China where he ends up dying in a Japanese prisoner camp?
Or Amy Carmichael and her efforts in India?
What moves Jim Elliot and Nate Saint, to go to the most violent tribe in Ecuador to be speared to death?
The promises of God… they were seeking the kingdom first...
And they were seeking the kingdom first because Christ first died for them… because God first loved them…
And because of that, they loved others… and we love others best, when we live by faith… when we forgo the conventional wisdom of the world and embrace the wisdom of God… and when we don’t shrink back in fear of man, but stand strong in fear of God...
But we mustn’t think that this faith automatically takes us to the ends of the earth...
All “great”, better word perhaps, faithful missionaries start with the local church...
If you don’t first give yourself to the local church, you won’t/can’t give yourself to the church abroad
The fire to be used by God starts here… The New Testament was written to the local church, for people to serve the local church...
And as the fire grows here, it then spreads elsewhere...
But if you are unwilling to begin here, you will not be useful there… and if you are unwilling to serve here… what faith do you have?
Where is it? As James says in Jas 2.17, (don’t read) a faith without works is dead… meaning useless.. meaning it does not save...
17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Some of you, it’s easy to see...
Some of you, serve faithfully, and give your lives to the church, and by the church, I mean not just serving on Sundays or on our ministry teams...
But you give yourself to the people of the church...
Some of you, have made career changes, some significantly so, just so you can be with the people of Hope Community Church
Others have said no to profitable jobs knowing it would take you away from faithfully serving...
Some of you have changed jobs, not necessarily for the church itself, but as a witness, for not wanting to compromise your conscience and your obedience to His Word....
But others of you… where is it? Where are your deeds? Where are the marks? Where is Christ in your life?
If you’re unwilling to do what is necessary to serve and love the Bride of your, supposed, Lord and Savior… what is it that you are seeking that would cause you to neglect such a great salvation?
Is it fear?
Is it selfishness?
Is it love of sin?
Is it love of others? Don’t let the second great commandment usurp the greatest commandment...
Yes, this is a hard thing… let us not pretend otherwise...
Even Jesus acknowledges this truth - Mk 10:24-27
24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
And since it is God who is working in us, we know we will do it… we know, if we live by faith, we will endure whatever God brings into our lives, or whatever He may calls us to...
But let us be encouraged by the words of Christ, that Jesus spoke to Peter in Mark 10:28-31
28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”