The Foundation of His Promises
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Text: Hebrews 11:8-19
When the Eastern nations used to trade across the desert in the olden times, in Abraham’s days for instance, there were stations built, wells sunk, and provisions stored at convenient halting places, so that the caravans might pause and take in fresh provisions. The caravans reached their journey’s end because the long way was broken up by a series of resting places.
Now, the promises are resting places for us between here and heaven. There is a long line of them at well-ordered intervals, and as we journey through this desert world we will be constantly coming, first to one, and then another, and then another, and another, and so we shall find fresh provision stored up, that we may not fail. The manna will fall daily until we come to Canaan. The promises of God are so numerous that we are sure we shall be “anointed with fresh oil
In the text before us, we find a man and woman that are mentioned here because of their faith. We are told that they have exemplified their faith and they are held up because of the acts that the have performed. But in all of these accounts What they did is not as important as by what power or motivation it was done. It is “BY FAITH”.
This is important because he is holding Abraham and Sarah up demonstrating the actions and decisions that they lived not as a pattern for us to follow but rather as an motivation to live our lives by Faith.
Abraham was called and went. (8)
Don’t let that go by unnoticed. In one moment faith moved Abraham from a rock worshipping pagan to a follower of Yahweh. If this sounds familiar consider the salvation that is offered to you and me. In one moment I went from an ignorant, unholy, worshipper of self to a follower of Jesus Christ. This is done by the same function of FAITH.
Abraham lived without fitting in. (9)
In a spirit of the churches sanctification. Let me point out to you that Abraham sojourned. He lived in the Canaan land but he never became a part of the people that lived there.
He never married into their families.
He never made partnerships
He never took their leaderships or made them his leader.
He lived in the same land but God was always his leader.
Sara determined that God could make his promises come to pass. (11)
That is interesting isn’t it. When did she do that? When she was giving her handmaid to Abram to produce a child. A sin which will multiplied in her own grandson’s life.
Was it when she laughed at God and then got called out, and then denied it only to get called out again. Awkward…
It is so hard to believe that Sarah could have exercised her faith that there are scholars who wish to change the way the verse is read and written to make it say that she benefited from Abrahams faith.
Abraham kept God more important than the blessings if God. (17)
He was tested by God to sacrifice his own son. The very son that he waited all these years for. Then God asked for the sacrifice.
We find from this passage that how you and I interact with this one word
The account of Abraham puts the student of faith on one central word. - PROMISE. How you and I interact with this one word will determine whether or not we are people of faith.
CIT: When I trust the promises of God I can rely on the Purpose of God.
Exposite:
condition of the faithless
Mistical Markets
In the US alone, the ‘mystical services market’ (think: astrology and crystals) is estimated to be worth $2.1 billion, and the online astrology market itself is valued at $200 million. With figures like that, to say that ‘astrology is having a moment’, is putting it lightly.
According to a recent report by Fullscreen, mystical-driven culture is actually on the rise among 18-34-year-olds. Gen Zers tend to check their astrological reports regularly, plus:
43% would make a big life decision based on a horoscope/tarot card reading
Over a quarter said, “horoscopes and astrology influence my purchasing decisions”
1 out of 3 agree, “In this time of instability in the world, I turn to astrology to make sense of things”
In an age of customized skincare, makeup, and fashion, Gen Z is all about personalization. Even if they don’t plan their days or make big decisions by the stars, this generation embraces it nonetheless. Gen Zer Madison explains why she turns to astrology: “It’s nice to believe that your personality is deeper and more meaningful than it appears at first glance.”
LEVERAGE THESE DEFINING GEN Z TRAITS. DOWNLOAD OUR GEN Z MARKETING PLAYBOOK.
Websites like cafeastrology and countless astrology apps...make it easy for the Z user to learn about their sun signs and natal charts in one place, simply by plugging in their exact time and place of birth.
Brands are betting on the stars
Brands are betting on the stars
Given Gen Z’s interest in these mystical means of guidance, brands have started tailoring their marketing messages around astrology. Here are a few examples:
Earlier this year, Spotify collaborated with astrologer Chani Nicholas and rolled out 12 playlists, each featuring a set of songs based on the signs of the zodiac.
Companies cashing in...
Parcast, Spotify launched ‘Horoscope Today,’
Swarovski sponsored the Sept. 17 episode
New Balance takes their shot at the astrology angle with an email campaign focused on the best sneaker for every sign.
Amtrak has 12 long-distance trip suggestions based on the zodiac.
Refinery 29 did it...for clothes hangers.
Mercury’s in retrograde
cosmetics brand Tarte
https://www.genzinsights.com/gen-z-and-astrology
the foundation on which we stand.
this was not a subjective thing. He had the word of God as much as we do. We provide ourselves comfort by claiming God has spoken. Proverbs described Gods Wisdom as a voice calling out. So you and I have the wisdom of God calling down through the ages.
sadly many of Gods people treat his Bible as preparation to hear Gods voice through feeling, hunches, conversations or revelation. This is prep for Gods word it is Gods word. It’s promises are trustworthy it’s history reliable, it’s corrections timely.
this is the Word of God and it is as solid. Trust it. Trust this book. Many attack it, most doubt it, infinitely more ignore it. but this is our rock of Gibraltar standing over the landscape of time inviting all who wish to hide within its protection.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
I. Faith in Gods promises affects the way you see yourself.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, 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.
The patriarchs were characterized by two objects: a tent and an altar. With the tent they confessed their attitude toward this world; they would not let its attractions blind them to spiritual realities. With the altar they confessed their relationship to the world to come; they were believers! Thus they adopted the attitude that, as far as this world was concerned, they were strangers (away from home) and pilgrims (going home). God had truly weaned their hearts away from the earthly to the heavenly.
This, of course, was the very thing the Spirit of God was seeking to accomplish in the lives of the Hebrews to whom the letter was addressed, so the relevancy of the whole passage is evident
II. Faith in Gods promises changes the way that we count what’s important.
And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Illustration: It was a 99° September day in San Antonio, when a 10-month-old baby girl was accidently locked inside a parked car by her aunt. Frantically the mother and aunt ran around the auto in near hysteria, while a neighbor attempted to unlock the car with a clothes hanger. Soon the infant was turning purple and had foam on her mouth.
It had become a life-or-death situation when Fred Arriola, a wrecker driver, arrived on the scene. He grabbed a hammer and smashed the back window of the car to set her free.
Was he heralded a hero? “The lady was mad at me because I broke the window,” Arriola reported. “I just thought, What’s more important—the baby or the window?”
Most questions of priority are not between something important and something trivial; rather, between the important and the most important
III. Faith in Gods promises changes the way we see this World.
But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
No doubt the earthly Canaan was “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex. 3:8) and a land “beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth” (Ps. 48:2). But even such a land could not be compared with heaven. Once a person gets a vision of heaven, the best of earthly prospects grows dim. The word for “desire” is a word that means “to stretch out the hand” or “to reach after.” The picture is that of a man, with arms outstretched, yearning after his homeland. If the Hebrew readers of this epistle once got the vision of those heavenly realities being offered to them in Christ, they would long and yearn after them. What did an earthly Judaism have to offer in comparison
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
Why is all this being pointed out?
Because there are Jews who were holding on to Christ but they are being tempted to go back under the law. They are drawn ever so slowly away from Christ and toward the Godless of existence of religion.
so the author runs us back to the real reason the Jews had any relationship with God in the first place. And it was a sacrifice on a Hill Called Mariah.
you and I have one access to a relationship with God. It was a sacrifice on a hill called Calvary.
Jesus is that sacrifice
Jesus is the only begotten of His Father
Jesus is the one by whom I am named.
As Abraham looked forward by faith to believe his son would be resurrected so I look backward by Faith to see my Savior resurrected.
And where Abraham received his Son in a figure you and I get the real thing.
How much greater can be our faith because we have a more firm footing on this strong foundation. How much greater we can cling to the promises of Gods Word.
CIT: When I trust the promises of God I can rely on the Purpose of God.
