The Journey of Faith:Preparing for Our Heavenly Home

Bible Passage: Hebrews 11:13–16

Opening Story: The tent revivial I attended when I was in 6th grade. The lady singing pointed to the sunset that was cresting and compared it to heaven…she said, can’t you wait to get there, and everyone started saying “amen” but I didn’t because I was not ready. I wanted to enjoy this world.

Big Idea: As followers of Christ, we are called to live as exiles in this world, fueled by the hope of the eternal home that awaits us in heaven.

What do we think about this eternal place called heaven when all we know is what we have seen on the earth

“What we love about this life are the things that resonate with the life we were made for. The things we love are not merely the best this life has to offer—they are previews of the greater life to come.” ― Randy Alcorn, Heaven: A Comprehensive Guide to Everything the Bible Says About Our Eternal Home

1. It takes courage to die in faith (vs.13-14)

Faith is not given so that we should escape death

The sick will not always be healed

Death is not a respecter of person’s

Thomas Acquinas stated that it was good for a man to keep his death before him everyday

Augustine Monks would pray with a human skull to remind them that they would return to dust since they came from dust

David died as well as Saul

They received a great deal but not everything, receiving God’s promises often come in episodes

Biblical example, He saw some of his children and their grandchildren, but it didn’t see everything, he had faith and looked to the day of Jesus, but his faith had “long arms” to reach and commit himself to everything.

Faith and Commitment have a relationship, when someone breaks a marital commitment we call them unfaithful. Marriage you make a commitment without knowing all the ends and outs, you can’t know what for “better or worse” is until you walk through it

When we commit to the Lord we don’t get all his promises “downloaded” some have not yet come into being

1 Thessalonians 4:16 ESV

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first”

One one hand many of us have experienced God’s promises often, one the other hand we are still living in an “already, but not yet” state

Just because you haven’t received all the promises doesn’t mean that God is not faithful

Psalm 39:12 ESV

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers.

They longed for permance, but not false permance, they wanted an abundant life, not a false life

There will be all kinds of fakes in this world, that makes it seem like it’s cozy

“story about the snake”

Don’t get too comfortable in this life, you can long and not settle

2. It takes courage to live in faith (vs.15-16)

Why did the writer talk about this with his readers

Judaism was a legal binding religion in Rome, it was fine, Christianity was not

They could go back to the comfort of security

They could go back to the comfort of traditions, morning sacrifice and evening sacrifice

Genesis 24:6 ESV

Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there.

Bunyon as he wrote “Pilgram’s Progress” had Christian quite resolved not to go back to the city of destruction whatever perils he might have to face on his way to the Celestal City”

But, we hang our hope on a God who is bigger than security and traditions, and he is not ashamed of us

Story about Parker “there is my dad”

Where is Jesus in this passage?

John 14:2–3 ESV

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.