The Desire of Exiles - Part i (outline)

Title: The Desire of Exiles - Part I

Text: Hebrews 11:4-7

Series: Christ-Centered Endurance

Introduction:

Commendation of Exiles - What are Exiles Like?

Illustration: ML-J: Intellect as a child. Success as a resident. Uniqueness as a preacher among prolific liberal Theology. Exiles simply don’t fit in.

Hebrews 11:13. Exiles simply don’t fit in this world, yet they are commended by God for their faith. These are God-accepted, world-rejected individuals.

What is the key word/phrase for the sermon?

Faith of Exiles

What is the goal of the sermon?

To compel the hearers to embrace the faith of the exiles who have gone before.

Why is this goal necessary?

Because we live in a time when people are often adverse to admitting their own need.

The illusion of Siri and Alexa

Because we live for the pleasure of self rather than the pleasure of the Savior.

Because we often invest in the temporary and neglect the eternal.

What will be here in 1,000 years?

How will you accomplish this goal?

By showing the faith of the pre-flood exiles and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sermon Theme:

Embrace the faith of exiles!

Body:

The Commendation of Exiles

(1) HUMILITY. Exiles don’t fit in because they have a faith that humbly acknowledges their need for atonement - Hebrews 11:4

“4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”

Explanation:

The Excellence of Abel’s sacrifice.

Who they (Cain incl.) were? Genesis 4:3-5.

What they did.

What God commended.

The result of Abel’s sacrifice. Hebrews 11:4.

Abel obtained witness = God commended by accepted

Imagine someone refusing your gift. What does that say about the gift or maybe the giver?

The eternal voice of Abel. Hebrews 11:4.

Is this his blood crying for vengeance? No.

Is this that the sacrifice merited an eternal righteousness? Yes.

Meaning:

What then does all of this mean together?

What made his sacrifice acceptable and garnered his commendation from God? How does faith play into all of this?

Blood sacrifice:

Acknowledges Sin.

Acknowledges need for Substitute

Abel’s acknowledgement reveals a humility that immediately makes him an exile in a sin-infested world. While mankind is willing to admit that they are not perfect...When mankind refuses to see how devastating sin really is...

Abel’s humility acknowledged his need for atonement.

Illustration:

Adam blame-shifting, Eve blame-shifting…etc

Application:

Are you a blame-shifter? Never seeing your own need?

Are you soft on your own sin? Never seeing the high cost of it?

Humility acknowledges one’s own need for atonement. God abases the proud but exalts the humble.

What kind of faith do you have?

People with this kind of faith don’t fit in, in a world that denies personal responsibility.

Embrace the faith of the exiles.

(2) PURPOSE. Exiles don’t fit in because they have a faith that lives life for the absolute pleasure of the Lord - Hebrews 11:5-6

“5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Explanation:

Enoch was translated.

Who was Enoch?

Enoch is the seventh from Adam,

Enoch walked with God

Enoch contrasts Abel. Hebrews 11:5.

God’s path is not the same for everyone though faith is required of all.

Enoch’s testimony was one of pleasure. Hebrews 11:5.

Enoch delighted the Lord.

Enoch’s faith?

Enoch believed in the independent, immutable existence of God. Hebrews 11:6.

Grudem defines it this way, “God does not need us or the rest of creation for anything, yet we and the rest of creation can glorify him and bring him joy.” (p. 160).

Enoch believed that God is a Rewarder

He keeps His promises.

He is unchanging or He is immutable.

Grudem defines God’s unchangeableness as “God is unchanging in his being, perfections, purposes, and promises, yet God does act and feel emotions, and he acts and feels different in response to different situations.” (p. 163).

Meaning:

What then does this mean about Enoch?

Enoch’s faith brought delight to the Lord, but he had a known testimony with God that his life brought absolute pleasure to the Lord. Enoch’s life did not fit into a broken, sin-filled world because “all men did that which was pleasing in their own eyes”, but not Enoch. Enoch’s faith made him an exile in that he had an ultimate purpose -- to please the Lord.

Illustration:

“Take, for instance, self-denial. In many traditional cultures this was generally a virtue: you subdue your own desires for the larger good of your family or nation or class…Yet now in the West the idea of suppressing your own desires for anyone—even family or peers—is often viewed as naive or unenlightened, even cultural heresy.” [Deacons by Matt Smethurst, p. 129]

Application:

What is your purpose in life?

Are you living a self-denying or self-seeking life?

What kind of faith do you have? Is it the faith that makes you an exile in this world?

People with this kind of faith don’t fit in.

Embrace the faith of exiles.

(3) CAREFULNESS. Exiles don’t fit in because they have a faith that shows careful fearfulness in obedience - Hebrews 11:7

“7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

Explanation:

Noah received the word of God

Noah had an enduring faith that “moved with fear”.

means that he moved with careful reverence.

It is not that Noah only revered God and His Word but Noah was careful in his reverence.

Noah prepares the ark which results in several outcomes.

Remember that God is righteous, and only those who have God’s righteousness can survive the wrath of God. Noah received that righteousness by believing in the Lord.

Meaning:

What then is the meaning for us today?

God’s judgment and His word of warning is not to be trifled with as if it is just some casual matter. Noah was carefully reverent --

He obeyed the specifications:

for the ark (450x75x45).

of the timing.

of the animals

of when to enter the ark.

Why such specificity? Is it not because Noah was carefully reverent toward God and His warnings.

In this careful reverence Noah shows a faith what makes him a mere sojourner in a world full of men and women who say they fear God but there is no carefulness that matches the claim.

The Inversion caused by Sin in our Natures:

Sin causes mankind to treat serious matters as trifles and trifles as serious matters. Sin causes mankind to exchange what matters most for what matters least. Sin causes mankind to be careful about temporary matters and to be careless about eternal matters.

Noah is an exile who is Carefully reverent in a Carelessly irreverent world.

Illustration:

When then does the word salvation literally mean?

What does the text abbreviation TTYL mean?

What then does justification mean, and how is it distinct from salvation?

What is the difference between Facebook and Instagram?

What is one scripture that speaks about the will of God?

What is the name of a world famous basketball player?

What does the name Jesus mean?

Who is the President of the United States?

Application:

What do you care about the most?

Do you fear the Lord? Does your carefulness with theology show this?

Do you have faith in the Lord? Does your carefulness about eternal matters show this?

People with this kind of Noahic faith don’t fit it.

Embrace the faith of exiles!

(4) Humility. Purpose. Carefulness. The Exile who calls and commissions our faith. Hebrews 13:12-15

“12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. 15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”

Explanation:

Humility. Purpose. Carefulness.

Where then do we find not only these qualities but also the power to fulfill these qualities as exiles. The answer is threefold:

Abel:

Abel’s faith as an exile was in the Messiah who was to come. Genesis 3:15. And so, the Hebrews writer says that Jesus might sanctify the people with his own blood.

Enoch:

Enoch’s purpose was to bring pleasure to the Lord. How could this example NOT point us ahead to the Son who became the beloved Son?

The Father said of the Son, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”

In addition, the Hebrews author makes clear that Jesus is the One through whom we offer praise to God. Hebrews 13:15.

That is to say that all that is brought to God through Christ is accepted, is commended, is pleasing.

Noah’s carefulness in what he believed and did all point us ahead to the precise details of what Jesus did.

It is not that Jesus’ built a boat, but that Jesus precisely suffered reproach in precise fulfillment of Isaiah 53. Jesus carefully fulfilled all the will of God. See John 17:4.

Meaning:

Jesus is the One who humbly entered into exile on our behalf.

He left the Father to come to earth.

He was forsaken.

Jesus is the one who lived a life full of the purpose to delight His Father, and though he earned life, Jesus received death.

Jesus is the One who carefully, meticulously paid attention to every jot and tittle of the law. See Matthew 5:17.

Illustration:

In football, the eye formation, the fullback opens the way for the tailback…Hebrews 6:19-20.

Application:

See Hebrews 13:20-21.

Now Jesus is no longer in exile, nor are Abel, Enoch, and Noah…etc

So, will you remain in your pride or humbly follow Him?

Will you seek your own pleasure or deny yourself for the pleasure of Christ?

Will you haphazardly treat the Bible, the doctrines, the church, and the ordinances or will you have a faith that manifest carefulness?

What about your families?

Conclusion:

The faith of the exiles is a faith that simply does not fit in, and it is the faith that God commends.

Embrace the faith of exiles.

Christians are exiles in this world who are called to have a faith manifest in humility, in purpose, and in carefulness.

What is your response?

RH Response Questions:

I am ready to believe on Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

I would like prayer about humility, purpose, or carefulness in my faith.

I would like to take the next step of following Jesus in baptism.

Post-Sermon Discussion Questions:

Before this sermon, had you considered Abel’s acknowledgment of his own need for an atoning substitute? Why or why not? Why is humility so important for an individual who is an unbeliever? What role should humility play in a Christian’s life?

What does it mean that Christians are exiles on this earth?

Who were the three pre-flood examples of enduring faith, and what was interesting about their faith — three things discussed in the sermon?

What was Enoch’s purpose for life? What are particular ways in which Christians can live for the same purpose?

How was Noah carefully reverent? How can we exercise careful reverence in our theology and our practice?