1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:04,360 Well, church, today we're going to pause on our series and 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:08,039 revelation, and I want to just share with you something that 3 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:11,360 I've been meditating on, and I want to talk to you today about 4 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:17,200 faith, trusting God, what that looks like. 5 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:24,480 And it's common that when this topic is addressed, there is one 6 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,880 very common passage that is referenced in the New Testament, 7 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:33,120 arguably the most famous when it comes to this subject of faith, 8 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,440 Hebrews Chapter 11. And you can turn there if you'd 9 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:40,440 like. Hebrews 11 is quite amazing 10 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,120 because when it comes to faith, it grants us a very concise 11 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:50,000 definition of it, but it also gives us an extensive catalog of 12 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,600 what faith looks like. It spends way more time 13 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,280 demonstrating it than defining it. 14 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:01,160 And one of the ways that it does this is that the Holy Spirit 15 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:06,760 grants us notable figures from redemptive history that manifest 16 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:11,120 what trusting in God should look like, and they do so within 17 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:13,320 their unique contexts and circumstances. 18 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:17,440 But if you pay even more careful attention, you'll see that out 19 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:22,160 of this list of people, there are 16 of them who are 20 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:29,440 explicitly named. And out of the 16, eight of 21 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:34,080 them, exactly half of the total number are found in the book of 22 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:39,800 Genesis alone. Seven men, one woman. 23 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:43,360 Now we don't have the time to discuss all the potential 24 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:49,040 reasons for that, but one subtle motive, I believe, of the author 25 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:52,560 of Hebrews is again, he is dealing with these Jewish 26 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:56,520 Christians who are overcome by the temptation of returning to 27 00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:00,240 the law as their basis of relating rightly to God. 28 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:04,000 They want to embrace again the Levitical system, and he is 29 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,800 pleading with them eloquently and theologically why that would 30 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,760 be a grave mistake. And so one of the things that he 31 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:17,920 does even in Hebrews 11 is that he shows them how even from the 32 00:02:17,920 --> 00:02:22,280 beginning, what God was looking for all along is simple, ongoing 33 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:26,440 trust in him. And he does this masterfully, 34 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:30,080 even with this list of names, because again, eight of them are 35 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:33,280 found in Genesis. And Genesis clearly predates 36 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:34,880 what the establishment of the law. 37 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:41,840 And so he even plucks from individuals from before the 38 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,200 floodlight. How much how much far back can 39 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:46,760 you go to show? Do you see it? 40 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:52,400 Do you realize it what God was searching for what God is asking 41 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:57,480 of his creation, those who are crowned in his image is faith. 42 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,000 And and that's just one of the things that make the book of 43 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:04,920 Hebrews an absolute masterpiece. But that's not the main point of 44 00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:06,680 this passage. Just one of them, I believe, 45 00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:12,800 like a diamond. The author takes faith and he 46 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:15,480 elevates it before the eyes of his readers, and he wants to 47 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,880 show them the different facets of it that make it genuine. 48 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:24,560 And one of the ingredients, one of the elements that showcases 49 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:30,600 the faith that truly pleases God is that it is a faith that 50 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:34,840 endures. It's ongoing, it's constant. 51 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:41,280 And he illustrates this by reminding them of Abraham. 52 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:46,680 And so let's read now from verse 8 down to verse 10. 53 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:51,880 I want you to see what the Holy Spirit says about this man. 54 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:59,320 By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place 55 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,280 that he was to receive as an inheritance. 56 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:05,480 And he went out not knowing where he was going. 57 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:10,480 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign 58 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:15,160 land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the 59 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:19,399 same promise. For he was looking to the city 60 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:25,120 that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 61 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:32,040 Let's pray together, Lord. Just reading these verses 62 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:40,760 excites our souls, but as we attempt to explain them, oh 63 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:44,480 Lord, move us in a deep way, change us. 64 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,560 We pray that every thought would infuse greater grace to our 65 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:53,280 faith and that we would align ourselves to true faith, and in 66 00:04:53,280 --> 00:04:56,600 this case, a faith that endures, that you may be pleased with 67 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:58,880 what you see in here in our lives. 68 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:03,400 We ask these things by the help of your Holy Spirit and for the 69 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,160 glory of the name of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, whom we 70 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:08,920 put our faith in. Amen and Amen. 71 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:14,440 I want to ask you something. Is this the only time that 72 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,680 Abraham is presented to us in the New Testament as a prototype 73 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,600 of faith? Answer no. 74 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:28,280 Paul and James are noted for using Abraham in their letters 75 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:33,120 to communicate to their readers of what faith looks like. 76 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:38,040 But interestingly, both Paul and James reference the same Hebrew 77 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:42,560 verse, the same Old Testament reference to make their main 78 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:44,560 point. It's in Genesis 15, verse 6, and 79 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,480 you don't have to turn there. It's easy to memorize really, 80 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,720 that Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as 81 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:55,880 righteousness. Now we would think, as the 82 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:59,000 author of Hebrew now Hebrews reintroduces Abraham to us, that 83 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:00,880 he would do the same. He would fall in the same 84 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,560 direction as as what we find in the letters of Paul and James. 85 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:06,360 But he doesn't. To our surprise, he doesn't 86 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:11,080 reference Genesis 15-6 at all, and there is a reason for that. 87 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,760 And the main 1 is this, that both Paul and James as they, 88 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:18,240 yes, reference that verse, which is a very strong and compelling 89 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:21,000 verse. They're doing so because they 90 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:25,120 are trying to make an argument and illustrate points around 91 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:30,160 justification by faith, that we are made righteous before God 92 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,880 because of our simple trust and what he has said about himself, 93 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:37,960 what he said about his Son, and what that faith, that justifying 94 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:43,200 faith, actually should do in US. The author of Hebrews, however, 95 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,080 is not talking about justification by faith. 96 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:49,240 You can draw principles of justification by faith from 97 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:52,000 these verses, but that's not the main point. 98 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:56,120 He wants to look at a different component of sincere faith. 99 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:01,280 And here with Abraham, he wants to show that true faith is 100 00:07:01,280 --> 00:07:06,800 something that perseveres in the face of conflict and challenges 101 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:10,680 that that that faith might cause in your life. 102 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:15,400 And so he comes to Abraham. And by teaching about Abraham, 103 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:18,640 he's essentially telling these Jewish believers who are 104 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:23,320 experiencing immense persecution, crushing social 105 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:26,120 pressure for their faith in Jesus of Nazareth as their 106 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:31,000 Messiah. Did you ever consider you Jewish 107 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:34,680 believers, of what one of your heroes in the faith had to 108 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:38,160 endure for his trust in God? Do you think it was easy for him 109 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:42,520 to go on believing? Do you understand what the 110 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:48,040 Father of your nation endured? The Father of our faith in many 111 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:55,200 respects had to undergo in his faith not just what he endured, 112 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:57,040 but more than that, how He endured it. 113 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:03,680 You see, led by the Spirit, the author wants to inspire these 114 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:07,120 readers, these Christians, and one of the ways that he's going 115 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:11,240 to do it is by reflecting on the testimonies of one of their 116 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,920 greatest heroes in their history, Abraham. 117 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:19,360 And we're going to benefit from it as well because this 118 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:21,640 afternoon we're going to consider 3 outcomes of true 119 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:27,920 faith, 3 realities of true faith and what it will produce in US. 120 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:30,200 And here's what it should do for US. 121 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,600 Number one, it will help us discern if we possess it. 122 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,440 Do I actually have the kind of faith in God that the Bible 123 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:40,440 speaks about? Well, Abraham's going to show 124 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:44,680 us. And if we do have it, then like 125 00:08:44,680 --> 00:08:48,880 the Hebrew Christians who are receiving this letter, hopefully 126 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:52,040 it will strengthen us to remain steadfast as Abraham was. 127 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:55,840 And so the first thing that stands out from the first verse 128 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:59,600 that we read in Hebrews 11 here in verse 8 is that faith obeys 129 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:01,640 without knowing the full results. 130 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,560 Look again with me verse 8. When we talk about living by 131 00:09:06,560 --> 00:09:09,800 faith, Abraham shows us that it is fundamentally built upon a 132 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:14,200 positive response to God's will. Look at the 1st 4 words again in 133 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:16,320 verse 8. By faith Abraham obeyed. 134 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:21,000 Faith and obedience are not the same thing. 135 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:27,880 But as you know, true faith will produce tangible obedience and 136 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:33,000 that's what's shown here to say that one, for example, trust in 137 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:35,960 the character and the expertise of their their doctor. 138 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,080 But every time he prescribes a medicine, you refuse it. 139 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:45,000 Well, your trust in who that doctor is is put into question, 140 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:48,240 is it not? And like manner for us to say, I 141 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:50,440 trust this God? But whenever he gives you 142 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:53,360 something to do, when he gives you a clear command or call and 143 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:56,400 you resist it or you hesitate to believe in it, your faith 144 00:09:56,400 --> 00:10:01,680 equally is called into question. And so faith right here, right 145 00:10:01,680 --> 00:10:05,080 away with Abraham is, is shown. It's proven through obedience 146 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:07,160 ultimately. But that's not the main 147 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:10,160 emphasis. He wants to show the extent of 148 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:14,280 Abraham's obedience. He did obey, but to what point? 149 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:15,840 Look again at the last part of verse 8. 150 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:19,560 And he went out not knowing where he was going. 151 00:10:19,560 --> 00:10:26,040 Oh, that's spectacular. He obeyed, yes, but he obeyed 152 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:30,000 into the unknown. He walked into the dark. 153 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:35,200 He walked into uncertainty. And that's what the Holy Spirit 154 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:40,200 wants to under score. So you have to remember that 155 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,200 Abraham was called when he was in Mesopotamia. 156 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:45,120 And according to the book of Joshua, this might shock you, 157 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:52,440 but Abraham was an idolater. Abraham at one point, for most 158 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:56,440 of his young life, worshipped false gods. 159 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,440 And there's a point in his life where God appeared to him in 160 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:05,480 Mesopotamia, commanded him something, and granted him a 161 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:10,440 promise if he were to trust in this God, the true God. 162 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:14,040 And that's elaborated more in Genesis chapter 12, where we see 163 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:17,760 that God calls Abraham to leave his country, to leave his 164 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:20,840 kindred, to leave his father's house, and to go into the land 165 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:23,520 that he would show him. And more than that, he would 166 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:27,560 make him into a great nation. Now, those instructions for 167 00:11:27,560 --> 00:11:31,760 Abraham are unique, but they do present a pattern that is 168 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:35,600 familiar throughout the Bible. This pattern that when God does 169 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:41,280 command us, he often attaches a promise with it, a reward in 170 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:43,320 this life, a reward in the life to come. 171 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:46,800 But the Holy Spirit also now instructs us and perhaps reminds 172 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:50,440 us that there is another pattern that we often miss with 173 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:53,040 Abraham's example. Yes, God, when He commands you 174 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:58,040 something, He will often remind you of a promise with it, but 175 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:01,320 also that when He commands you, the Lord does not give us exact 176 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:03,680 details of what your obedience will lead to. 177 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:10,600 True faith does not need a comprehensive map for the future 178 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,920 in order to trustingly obey what God asks of you and I today. 179 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:19,200 So let's great straight to the application in this. 180 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:23,960 If you're sitting here today and you find yourself hesitating to 181 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:28,920 obey God from a clear command that he has given you and 182 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:32,080 convicted you about because you feel like you have the right to 183 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:39,400 demand an explanation of the aftermath of your obedience or 184 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:44,440 all the possible scenarios of your yes and your no, I say this 185 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:46,240 in love. That is not true faith. 186 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:55,720 That's not true faith to say, Lord, I'm only willing to go 187 00:12:55,720 --> 00:13:00,360 ahead if you tell me exactly what will happen when I do. 188 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:04,320 That's something foreign to Hebrews Chapter 11. 189 00:13:06,680 --> 00:13:09,120 So if there is a believer listening to this and maybe 190 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:12,040 you're pursuing a relationship that God has convicted you about 191 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:15,400 because that person is unequally yoked, they don't know Christ, 192 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:19,240 they don't love Christ, and God has been pricking your heart 193 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:21,960 about that, yet you find yourself at a standstill because 194 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:25,120 you fear, well, if I end this relationship, how or when will 195 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:27,360 God bring me a believing spouse? That's not faith. 196 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:33,080 That's not faith. Or if you have developed this 197 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,080 habit now in your business dealings to do some shady things 198 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:40,160 with money because it's a steady flow of income and your 199 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:42,200 justification is, well, I'm providing for myself and I'm 200 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,280 providing for my family. And if I stop this stream, what 201 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:47,720 will happen to my finances? That's not faith. 202 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:50,920 You know what's wrong, you know what's in God's been telling you 203 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:54,480 about it, and in your mind you can't get yourself to make the 204 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:56,800 right choice because you just don't know what will happen if 205 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,320 you do. It can even come down to simple 206 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:03,440 things like baptism, a clear command in the scripture for 207 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:08,000 every professing Christian. And yet, oh, how many people who 208 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:12,480 first find it within themselves to inquire of all their family 209 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:14,480 members and all their loved ones to see if they will agree. 210 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:17,600 Let me just test the waters, no pun intended, before I actually 211 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:20,680 get in the water. Will they approve of my 212 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:22,080 decision? That's not faith. 213 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:27,800 That's not faith. Faith is not I will do this 214 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:30,000 because this is what it will necessarily produce. 215 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:33,800 Faith is I know the one who asked this of me and he deserves 216 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:36,600 my obedience no matter what it leads to. 217 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,080 That's faith, and this is a question we have to ask 218 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:42,280 ourselves. Then what led Abraham to do 219 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:45,000 this? I mean, you were in a distant 220 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:48,880 land with Pagan gods and other people who worship different 221 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:51,240 deities, and all of a sudden now you're willing to go into a 222 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:55,480 different land with no plan for your future, Just this general 223 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:57,280 kind of idea. I'll make you into a great 224 00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:01,120 nation. I'll tell you how Stephen tells 225 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:04,400 us how when Stephen speaks about Abraham in Acts Chapter 7. 226 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:06,920 Go there with you, with me in your Bibles and notice what 227 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:10,120 Stephen says at the introduction of this sermon when he is 228 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:12,200 confronted by the religious leaders of his time. 229 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:16,360 I mean the sermon was so good he was killed for it. 230 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:27,240 Acts 7. Look at verse 2 with me and 231 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:31,920 Stephen said, Brothers and fathers, hear me. 232 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:37,240 The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in 233 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:41,600 Mesopotamia before he lived in Haran and said to him, go out 234 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:44,560 from your land and from your kindred and go into the land 235 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:48,640 that I will show you. This must have been shocking to 236 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:51,840 his audience. The God of glory. 237 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:54,040 You're talking me, you're telling me that God's glory 238 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:56,440 appeared somewhere apart from Israel. 239 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:01,200 You're telling me that God's glory manifested in a different 240 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:03,920 place apart from the the temple in Jerusalem? 241 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:05,600 Oh, this must have been sobering. 242 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:07,280 Yeah. God's glory is not confined to a 243 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:10,440 nation. It's not something you Jewish 244 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:13,480 people can contain, though. Yes, there is an element of 245 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:15,000 God's glory being introduced to you. 246 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:18,240 Oh, I want to show you that God's glory went somewhere else 247 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:22,000 and it appeared to a certain man who is our father. 248 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,640 Now, we don't know exactly how God appeared to Abraham, but all 249 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:28,640 I know from this verse is that it was glorious. 250 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:32,400 It was glorious. There was something about God's 251 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:34,520 glory. I'm sure it was a it was an 252 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:37,280 element of his beauty, of His Holiness, of His Majesty, and 253 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,440 maybe it was his compassion. Whatever it was, there was an 254 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:45,120 element of God's glory that compelled Abraham to move out in 255 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:46,600 faith. And I argue that's what you and 256 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:49,880 I need. If we find ourselves hesitant to 257 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:52,760 trust God because we don't know all the details on the other 258 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:57,360 side of that faith, you need to know God more. 259 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:01,840 I need to know God more. I need, I need to so understand 260 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:06,079 who He is, His heart, his mind, His ways, his consistency, so 261 00:17:06,079 --> 00:17:09,839 that when he does ask me of anything, I can trustingly walk 262 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:13,319 ahead. I don't need a blueprint. 263 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:17,319 I don't need what my five year future plan is going to be. 264 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:21,000 If you give me the word, if I see it in here, I will go 265 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:25,200 because I know you. I've caught enough glimpses of 266 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:28,400 your glory. I'm absolutely persuaded that 267 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:33,960 you are trustworthy, and you are so amazing that if this is 268 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:36,360 what's going to please you, then I'll give it to you and I'm 269 00:17:36,360 --> 00:17:38,240 going to believe that you'll take care of everything else. 270 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:41,360 That's faith. Faith obeys when it doesn't know 271 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:46,600 the full results of that obedience #1 number two, true 272 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:47,720 faith. If you want to deserve. 273 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:50,880 Do I have Abraham's faith? Do I have Hebrews 11 faith? 274 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:53,920 Well, ask yourself this. Does your faith make you a 275 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:58,400 Pilgrim in this world? True faith will cause you to 276 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:04,120 live more and more detached from this life, and here's how that's 277 00:18:04,120 --> 00:18:06,640 communicated in Hebrews 11. Look again at verse 9. 278 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:13,600 By faith he went to live in the land of promise as in a foreign 279 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:18,440 land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the 280 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:23,680 same promise, living in tents. That's what the Holy Spirit 281 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:26,920 wants to tell us about Abraham's story, at least at this point. 282 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:33,480 He lived not in a home, not in a castle, but in a tent regularly 283 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:37,000 throughout his life. How does that help us? 284 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:40,800 Well, again, by faith, he lived in tents. 285 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:44,120 And one way to understand this is that even though God promised 286 00:18:44,120 --> 00:18:48,720 Abraham a land, even though God promised them a people, Abraham 287 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:51,600 didn't treat it as his final home. 288 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:57,600 He had a different perspective. Living in a tent means means he 289 00:18:57,600 --> 00:18:59,720 was a nomad, he was a sojourner, he was a traveler. 290 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:04,280 The opposite of of living in a tent is being a settler, that 291 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:07,600 you plant your roots in one place, that you own property. 292 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:11,640 But for him to live in tents means something very 293 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:15,960 significant. This was a man showing us that 294 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:18,240 he traveled lightly in this world. 295 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:23,160 He understood that there was promises pertaining to this 296 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:26,960 world, but he didn't live as though this was his home. 297 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:30,800 And so he chose to live in tents. 298 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:35,800 And this must have been a very helpful reminder for the Hebrews 299 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:37,240 who were reading this. You know why? 300 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:42,880 Because the same author and the the chapter before commends them 301 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:44,480 for how they started in their faith. 302 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:47,760 They were so strong and they paid a very high price for 303 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:50,960 trusting in Jesus as their Messiah, and He reminds them of 304 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:54,280 that as they're becoming weary. Look at Hebrews 10 for a moment. 305 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:58,320 Look at verse 34 of Hebrews 10. It says here, for you had 306 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:02,440 compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the 307 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:07,160 plundering of your property. Joyfully accepted the plundering 308 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,720 of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better 309 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:14,920 possession and an abiding one. Imagine that. 310 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,440 The cost of following Christ in this context with these 311 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:21,280 believers is that people knocked on the door, the authorities and 312 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:24,360 saying, oh, you've abandoned the Jewish faith. 313 00:20:24,360 --> 00:20:26,640 You've abandoned the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 314 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:32,200 We're taking this away from you. And now they come to Hebrews 11 315 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:35,040 and the author reminds them, do you know that Abraham lived in 316 00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:39,640 tents. He wasn't too attached to his 317 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:46,640 property either. I'm sure that bless some, but 318 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:49,240 there's even more to say about why Abraham lived in tents and 319 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:53,240 why that's significant. That made him a sojourner, That 320 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:55,720 made him an exile. So you have to understand that 321 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,320 even his living situation communicated something to the 322 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:02,040 neighbors and Canaan. Abraham didn't walk into an 323 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:04,560 empty real estate. There were people living in the 324 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:07,600 land at the time. He had neighbors and they didn't 325 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:10,800 believe in the true God, but in their understanding of watching 326 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:14,920 Abraham's life, they knew, OK, he's just traveling by. 327 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:19,800 And that was a reflection of his spiritual condition that he was 328 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:24,560 just traveling by. He was not making his home here. 329 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:28,560 When you watch them, you realize he's living for someone and he's 330 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:30,320 living for something beyond this life. 331 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:33,720 He's living as though his treasure is not in this world. 332 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:40,040 And now that observation is brought from Genesis here in the 333 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:42,800 New Testament, and it's projected on the believers. 334 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:44,480 This is what true faith looks like. 335 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:48,600 And we find this theme throughout the New Testament, do 336 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:50,000 we not? Do you remember what Peter said 337 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:54,000 in First Peter 211 when he says, beloved, I urge you as 338 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:58,480 sojourners, I urge you as sojourners and exiles, when's 339 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:00,000 the last time you talked to a Christian like that? 340 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:02,400 I don't remember the last time somebody looked at me and said, 341 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:07,840 hey, exile. Hey, Sojourner, beloved, I urge 342 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:11,880 you as sojourners, as exiles, to abstain from the passions of the 343 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:15,400 flesh which war against your soul. 344 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:17,520 Do you see it? Do you see the connection 345 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:21,120 between being a sojourner and that being a means of 346 00:22:21,120 --> 00:22:23,560 consecration and separation and purification? 347 00:22:25,360 --> 00:22:29,240 It's no different with Abraham. He's living in a tent and that 348 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:32,400 radiates this truth that he was not a part of this world. 349 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:36,520 He was separate. And I want to, I want to really 350 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:39,360 reinforce this point. It's going to take us to Genesis 351 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:42,000 and it's going to take a careful eye to see something. 352 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:44,200 Let's go to Genesis. I want you to see just how 353 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:47,280 significant it is for Abraham to be living in tents and what that 354 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:51,360 says about his faith. There's a pattern in Abraham's 355 00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:54,080 life. It's found in Genesis 12, verse 356 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:55,320 8. Let's start there. 357 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:09,960 Genesis 12 verse 8 reads From there he moved to the Hill 358 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:15,200 Country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent with Bethel 359 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:18,920 on the West and AI on the east. And there he built an altar to 360 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,520 the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. 361 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:25,320 Now go to chapter 13. Look at verse 3. 362 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:31,280 And he journeyed on from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the 363 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:35,040 place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel 364 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:39,080 and AI, to the place where he had made an altar at the 1st. 365 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:42,000 And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord. 366 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:44,000 One more place. Genesis 13. 367 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:50,960 Look at verse 18. So Abram moved his tent, and 368 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:56,040 came, and settled by the oaks of memory, which are at Hebron, and 369 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:59,280 there he built an altar to the Lord. 370 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:04,920 So pause for a moment, what have we gathered so far about Abraham 371 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:10,320 living in tents #1 it showcases that true faith will cause us as 372 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:16,800 Christians to live light in this life and to also be distinct 373 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:19,520 from the customs and the convictions of those around us. 374 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:22,920 And if we don't have those two things, we don't have the faith 375 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:27,440 that pleases God. But did you see a pattern here 376 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:30,640 with with Abram, later known as Abraham? 377 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:33,960 Every verse that we read of the early movements of this man in 378 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:39,560 this new land is that he would pitch his tent and then he would 379 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:44,040 build an altar. Now, I'm sure the altar is very, 380 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:46,520 very direct in its symbolism. It speaks of worship. 381 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:48,920 Here's what we take from this number one. 382 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:53,680 Wherever Abraham went, he worshipped, no matter where, his 383 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:57,720 faith, even faith of the unknown, never diminished his 384 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:00,240 adoration of God, his love for God. 385 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:04,480 So wherever he would pitch his tent, he would also build an 386 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:08,120 altar showing us that even as you go on trusting God and don't 387 00:25:08,120 --> 00:25:10,440 know the next step, one thing should be certain about you and 388 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:11,800 me. We should be worshiping. 389 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:15,160 I worship you, I trust you, I love you. 390 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:17,000 I don't love you because of my circumstances. 391 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:20,080 I love you for who you are. This is what Abraham is showing 392 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:22,920 us. But oh, do you see a pattern in 393 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:25,080 the verses that we read? Do you see the order? 394 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:30,400 What's the order? The tent was pitched first, or 395 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:34,000 at least mentioned 1st, and then the altar. 396 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:40,000 Virtually every time we see Abraham and his tent, it's found 397 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:45,920 in this exact equation which shows us what you and I can't 398 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:49,000 truly worship unless we are first separate from the world. 399 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:55,280 We have to be tent dwellers before we have altars built for 400 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:57,760 God. And there are some people who 401 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:01,120 don't build tents. They are way, way too connected 402 00:26:01,120 --> 00:26:04,080 to this world, the beliefs of this world, the systems of this 403 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:06,240 world, the pleasures of this world. 404 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:08,720 And they think that they can build a legitimate altar and 405 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:10,640 offer pleasing sacrifice. You can't. 406 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,840 It can only come from the decision of being a sojourner. 407 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:18,600 Only exiles can build true altars to God. 408 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:26,640 And if we're not like Abraham in this sense, then not only are we 409 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:30,440 forfeiting true worship, we might be actually entertaining a 410 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:35,680 faith like Lot. You remember Lot, the nephew of 411 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:37,760 this man Abraham, whom we are observing. 412 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:40,520 You know, Lot had his own tent, right? 413 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:44,400 He did something very different with his tent, however, in 414 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:46,800 comparison to his uncle. Can I show you? 415 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:56,240 Go back to Genesis 13 with me, Genesis 13, and look at verse 416 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:59,640 10. Now Abraham, yes, his faith is 417 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:03,000 praised, but it was an imperfect faith and that should encourage 418 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:06,040 us. So the Lord told him leave the 419 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:09,080 land, but leave your family. And He didn't do that. 420 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:13,520 He brings a lot with him. Did that help Abraham? 421 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:15,920 Did that cause him problems? Cause him a lot of problems? 422 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:17,360 And here's what's happening in this chapter. 423 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:20,640 They become so prosperous that their herdsmen and their 424 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:22,160 managers are now fighting in bickering. 425 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:23,960 So they have to come to this decision. 426 00:27:24,120 --> 00:27:25,520 All right, we got to go our separate ways. 427 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:29,240 And Abraham gives him the right to choose first. 428 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:30,520 Which direction do you want to go? 429 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:35,560 And notice what Lot decides in Genesis 13, verse 10. 430 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:41,000 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was 431 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:45,800 well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord, like the 432 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:49,200 land of Egypt in the direction of Zor. 433 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:54,200 This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. 434 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:55,320 You know what's so interesting here? 435 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:59,680 Before Abraham and Lot have come to this point, Abraham made a 436 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:01,280 foolish decision and going to Egypt. 437 00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:03,080 Remember that? Where he went down to Egypt 438 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:05,640 because there was a famine and he had a lapse of faith, and he 439 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:08,240 takes Lot with him. But then Abraham, he's 440 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:13,240 convicted, he leaves Egypt, he returns to the altar, he returns 441 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:16,240 to his original faith, and he goes on, he moves on. 442 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:19,840 Here's the sad story. Abraham goes to Egypt. 443 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:22,720 He brings his family with them. And what I read here is that 444 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:26,240 though Lot followed Abraham out of Egypt, Egypt didn't leave 445 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:29,960 Lot. And that's a lesson for leaders. 446 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:32,960 Be very careful. Your decisions and mine we may 447 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:35,160 be able to recover from, but not those who are under our 448 00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:37,680 leadership. May God help us. 449 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:41,760 He has Egypt in his heart. He looks ahead and he goes, oh, 450 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:43,760 that looks like Egypt. And even says here that it 451 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:44,840 looked like the garden of the Lord. 452 00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:46,680 That's a warning to us. Sometimes things look like 453 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:48,000 they're from God and they're not. 454 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:53,000 It's like the garden of the Lord, it's like Egypt. 455 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:57,000 And then he goes on to do this. Verse 11 So Lot chose for 456 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:02,720 himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed E Thus they 457 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:06,240 separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of 458 00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:10,840 Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley. 459 00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:12,080 This is the part you want to highlight. 460 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:15,160 And moved his tent as far as Sodom. 461 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:21,760 Now the men of Sodom were wicked great sinners against the Lord. 462 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:25,080 God saw Sodom differently than Lot did. 463 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:27,440 Huh? But it doesn't end there. 464 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:31,040 So he's now pitching his tent in the direction of Sodom. 465 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:34,240 Bad news. It only gets worse, 466 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:37,720 unfortunately. Look at Genesis 14 in this next 467 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:39,600 chapter. There's this interesting account 468 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:42,000 of these kings going to war with one another. 469 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:44,600 One of those kings is the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. 470 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:50,000 Well, we find out that Lot gets himself in trouble and Abraham, 471 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:53,840 his uncle, has to rescue him. But how did he get himself in 472 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:55,040 trouble? How did he get himself in the 473 00:29:55,040 --> 00:30:00,080 middle of this mess? Genesis 1411 tells us, and verse 474 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:02,320 12 as well. So the enemy took all the 475 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:04,600 possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their 476 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:08,640 provisions and went their way. They also took Lot, the son of 477 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:13,520 Abraham's brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his 478 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:19,080 possessions and went their way. Oh, so he went from pitching his 479 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:22,680 tent as far as Sodom to now doing what? 480 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:28,040 Living in Sodom? He moved into the city because 481 00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:32,160 he moved in, he was recognized as one of the citizens of Sodom. 482 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:35,520 So when they were conquered, he too was conquered. 483 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:38,560 It's a very dangerous thing to live in Satan's territory. 484 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:44,360 I've heard of scary stories of people who thought that they can 485 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:48,880 visit the domain of the evil one, thinking that they can 486 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:53,600 remain and come back unscathed. Sometimes you get scars that 487 00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:56,280 you'll never recover from. God will forgive you, yes, but 488 00:30:56,280 --> 00:31:03,120 those scars may remain So he's, he's ransacked, He's taken, and 489 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:05,760 then he's rescued. You would think you learned your 490 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:09,840 lesson, huh? You can't live in Sodom and 491 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:12,440 expect God's blessing. Oh, he doesn't learn his lesson. 492 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:16,560 Go over to Genesis 19. Now look at the first verse. 493 00:31:22,420 --> 00:31:24,740 This is when the Lord had determined enough is enough. 494 00:31:24,980 --> 00:31:26,820 It's time to judge Sodom and Gomorrah. 495 00:31:27,220 --> 00:31:29,700 And he sends two of his angels. He dispatches them to 496 00:31:29,700 --> 00:31:33,440 investigate, but more than that to answer Abraham's and 497 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:34,920 Abraham's intercession for his family. 498 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:36,720 There. Look at Genesis 19 verse one. 499 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:40,160 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening and Lot was sitting 500 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:45,240 in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to 501 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:47,320 meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth. 502 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:52,520 Now be careful, this is more than just a coincidence, A 503 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:55,720 providential thing where you know, Lot happens to be at the 504 00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:57,800 gate at the entrance. And as the angels walked in, 505 00:31:58,320 --> 00:32:01,200 they crossed paths. And the story goes on. 506 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:07,240 No, no, no, no, no, no gates in ancient times, in biblical 507 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:13,000 times, where where laws were determined, where judicial 508 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:17,440 matters were settled, where civil cases were clarified, 509 00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:20,280 where legal transactions were established. 510 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:24,720 And you would have elders at the gate, sitting at the gate 511 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:28,160 overseeing in terms of leadership. 512 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:31,640 So what does that say about Lot? Lot sitting in the gate means he 513 00:32:31,640 --> 00:32:34,440 now becomes the leader or one of the leaders of Sodom. 514 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:38,760 Can you imagine this? He went from pitching his tent 515 00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:41,640 as far as Sodom to dwelling in Sodom to now becoming one of the 516 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:48,080 leaders of Sodom. What a contrast between him and 517 00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:51,880 Abraham. Here's Abraham constantly living 518 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:54,480 in in tents. And when he pitches his tent, he 519 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:55,920 builds an altar. When he comes to new place. 520 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:57,960 Oh, I'm going to, I'm going to elevate something here. 521 00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:00,800 I'm going to erect this thing. I want to worship the Lord. 522 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:06,360 And what's happening to Lot? He's walking further and further 523 00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:09,640 away from the Lord. He's becoming more and more 524 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:15,680 comfortable and established and embedded in a hedonistic flesh 525 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:20,440 satisfying God hating culture. Now here's the thing, if I was 526 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:22,640 just left with the book of Genesis, I would think there is 527 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:26,200 no way that Lot is saved. Then you read Peter and second 528 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:28,560 Peter and what do you find out? That the Bible by the Holy 529 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:32,360 Spirit calls this man righteous. Have you read that? 530 00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:35,400 After I when I came to that passage for the first time, I 531 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:37,720 reread it over and over and over. 532 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:39,920 Is there a different definition of righteous that I'm not aware 533 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:42,040 of? Righteous, yes. 534 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:44,560 Righteous positionally. But Lot is a picture of a 535 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:51,280 worldly Christian who is not consecrated, who's not 536 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:54,200 comfortable living in tents. He's more comfortable living in 537 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:56,960 Sodom. Can I ask you something? 538 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:00,080 Which faith out of the two reflects yours? 539 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:03,800 Are you striving more and more to be like Abraham? 540 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:11,040 That you refuse to be shackled by the sins of this life, by the 541 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:14,400 attractions and the thrills of this life that want to keep you, 542 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:16,199 that want to drag you? And notice? 543 00:34:16,199 --> 00:34:17,719 It's always a slippery slope, isn't it? 544 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:23,760 It's just peeking over from a distance and you get closer and 545 00:34:23,760 --> 00:34:25,880 then you immerse yourself and then you find yourself 546 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:27,400 comfortable in the company of the wicked. 547 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:30,159 Do you find your, do you find your tent? 548 00:34:30,159 --> 00:34:33,679 Do you find your faith becoming stronger in the area of 549 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:36,239 believing God, loving God, looking ahead? 550 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:39,280 Or do you find yourself month after month, year after year, 551 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:45,560 being accustomed and comfortable in this age and those who 552 00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:53,480 represent it? Abraham, as one said, shared the 553 00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:56,920 soil of Canaan, but not the soul of the Canaanites. 554 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:02,040 And that must be true of you and I. 555 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:05,320 You know what's interesting? If you come back to Hebrews 11 556 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:08,040 verse 9, it doesn't just highlight how Abraham lived in 557 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:09,040 tents. Did you notice that? 558 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:13,120 Look again, by faith he went to live in the land of promise as 559 00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:15,920 in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob. 560 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:20,080 We're talking about Abraham here, but the Holy Spirit wants 561 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:23,240 to also inform us that Abraham lived in tents, yes, but with 562 00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:26,400 his son and his grandson. Now, why are we being told about 563 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:29,880 Isaac and Jacob? I think one thing that is 564 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:34,360 obvious is that we're told here that Isaac and Jacob followed in 565 00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:37,520 the steps of Abraham in this regard, that they also were tent 566 00:35:37,520 --> 00:35:41,200 dwellers. But remember, Abraham has the 567 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:43,800 spotlight at this point in Hebrews 11. 568 00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:46,240 So this something, this says something more about Abraham 569 00:35:46,240 --> 00:35:52,320 than it does Isaac and Jacob. What does it say about him what 570 00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:55,080 God said about Abraham in Genesis 18? 571 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:58,720 Go there with me. This is before the Lord with the 572 00:35:58,720 --> 00:36:01,480 2 angels. We're making their way towards 573 00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:07,080 Sodom and Gomorrah. And the Lord asked if He should 574 00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:10,600 reveal what He was planning to do to those cities, to Abraham. 575 00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:14,680 But there's something in there that complements this truth. 576 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:20,920 Look at Genesis 18, verse 17. The Lord said, Shall I hide from 577 00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:24,200 Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely 578 00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:27,440 become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of 579 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:29,200 the earth shall be blessed in him. 580 00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:34,120 Now pay attention to verse 19, for I have chosen him. 581 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:37,720 That's how the ESV renders it. For I have chosen him, that he 582 00:36:37,720 --> 00:36:43,040 may command his children and his household after him to keep the 583 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:47,000 way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so 584 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:50,320 that the Lord may bring it to Abraham what he has promised 585 00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:52,920 him. You see that first part of verse 586 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:57,880 19, the Hebrew word for chosen more accurately means to know. 587 00:36:59,240 --> 00:37:01,360 So there are some translations that may be in the translation 588 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:05,280 that you're holding where the verse actually says, for I not 589 00:37:05,280 --> 00:37:10,720 have chosen and for I know Him, for I know Him that He will 590 00:37:10,720 --> 00:37:13,080 command his children and his household after him. 591 00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:18,120 What a precious thing for God to say about any man or any woman. 592 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:21,920 I know that He will command his children. 593 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:24,720 I know that He will command his household. 594 00:37:24,720 --> 00:37:27,800 I know that He will do this. I know that He will instruct 595 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:30,400 them. I know that he will lead them. 596 00:37:32,280 --> 00:37:34,080 Does it not speak volumes of Abraham's faith? 597 00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:37,160 It does. Here's what it teaches. 598 00:37:37,720 --> 00:37:41,640 If faith actually makes us pilgrims in this world, it will 599 00:37:41,640 --> 00:37:43,440 also shape the way we live in our homes. 600 00:37:45,160 --> 00:37:46,760 How old was Abraham when he had Isaac? 601 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:48,640 According to the Bible, he was 100. 602 00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:52,720 A hundred years old. That's an old dad, 100. 603 00:37:53,240 --> 00:37:57,720 How old was he when he died? 100 and what, 75? 604 00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:02,280 Abraham was 175 when he died, so how old would that made of? 605 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:04,640 Would that made of Isaac at the point of Abraham's death? 606 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:09,320 75 years old, right. How old was Isaac when he got 607 00:38:09,320 --> 00:38:15,200 married 4040? Did he have children right away? 608 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:17,880 No. In that same chapter of Genesis 609 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:23,520 25, we learned that he was 60 when Jacob and Esau were born. 610 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:28,040 So how old would have Jacob been at the point of Abraham's death? 611 00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:32,880 15 years old. So this this strongly suggests 612 00:38:32,880 --> 00:38:34,080 something. They were all alive at the same 613 00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:38,400 time. And even Jacob was old enough to 614 00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:43,280 hear the stories of Abraham. Even Jacob was old enough to be 615 00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:46,960 instructed by Abraham. Can you imagine it? 616 00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:49,320 Abraham sitting there in his old age and Jacob is sitting on his 617 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:52,240 knee. Let me tell you what it means to 618 00:38:52,240 --> 00:38:54,640 walk by faith. Let me tell you how we got. 619 00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:56,720 Let me tell you why we're living in tents. 620 00:38:58,040 --> 00:39:00,560 And there's Jacob listening. He didn't get it right away. 621 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:03,200 I mean, you read Jacob's live. He, he was a troublemaker to 622 00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:05,880 start with. But all those seeds of faith, 623 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:09,440 they were not in vain, huh? They were not in vain. 624 00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:11,960 So here's what that tells me. This man who was a he was a 625 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:15,920 Pilgrim. He was in exile, but he lived 626 00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:18,360 like it at home. You know what's amazing about 627 00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:20,160 Abraham? Was he wealthy or was he not 628 00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:21,760 wealthy? He wasn't just wealthy. 629 00:39:21,760 --> 00:39:27,120 It says he was very wealthy. But you know what Isaac saw in 630 00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:30,320 his dad? Oh, he's living for something 631 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:34,200 else. He walks with God. 632 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:38,520 Jacob, his grandson, observed that. 633 00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:42,280 That's why Hebrews is telling us is that he lived in tents with 634 00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:44,560 Isaac and Jacob. It was his faith wasn't private, 635 00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:48,960 it wasn't weekly. It was real. 636 00:39:50,480 --> 00:39:52,880 It was real to the Canaanites who said, who's that tent 637 00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:55,240 dweller? He has a lot of, he has a lot of 638 00:39:55,240 --> 00:39:56,720 money, a lot of herd, a lot of cattle. 639 00:39:56,960 --> 00:40:00,600 But why is he living in a tent? Because he's not living like 640 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:05,800 this world is his home. And here Isaac and Jacob in the 641 00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:11,840 tent, that's the real deal. That's the real deal. 642 00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:13,800 They had hiccups in their own faith. 643 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:16,480 And Isaac learned some bad things from his dad, as you 644 00:40:16,480 --> 00:40:21,320 know. But Hebrews praises Abraham for 645 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:23,360 his consistency and his conviction. 646 00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:26,800 He was a Pilgrim in this life and it shaped the way he lived 647 00:40:26,840 --> 00:40:28,920 at home. May God help us do the same. 648 00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:34,320 Yes, may our faith be generational, may be passed 649 00:40:34,320 --> 00:40:35,920 down. May the greatest inheritance 650 00:40:35,920 --> 00:40:38,800 that you leave your children and their children is a walk with 651 00:40:38,800 --> 00:40:41,480 God. Amaze them with God. 652 00:40:42,040 --> 00:40:43,400 Show them the beauty of the Bible. 653 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:44,520 Show them the beauty of a holy life. 654 00:40:44,680 --> 00:40:47,080 Show them how how much of A joy it is to be a part of the local 655 00:40:47,080 --> 00:40:49,960 church. It's a privilege not dragging 656 00:40:49,960 --> 00:40:51,400 your feet. OK, we got to get to church. 657 00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:56,680 We get to go to church, we get to go with God's people and sing 658 00:40:56,680 --> 00:41:00,080 to the living Christ and hear from him. 659 00:41:01,320 --> 00:41:06,480 Abraham, he lived in tents. He didn't live alone with Isaac 660 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:08,760 and Jacob. Which brings us to our final 661 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:10,400 point of what true faith produces. 662 00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:14,960 True faith obeys, even if it doesn't know the results. 663 00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:17,560 True faith makes us pilgrims in this world. 664 00:41:19,520 --> 00:41:22,240 And lastly, true faith will cause you to anticipate the life 665 00:41:22,240 --> 00:41:26,880 to come. Hebrews 11 verse 10 for he was 666 00:41:26,880 --> 00:41:32,440 looking forward to the city that has foundations whose designer 667 00:41:32,440 --> 00:41:36,280 and builder is God. So true faith will not only stir 668 00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:37,720 you to be separate from this world. 669 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:40,400 It will also cause you to yearn for the world to come. 670 00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:43,960 That's how you that's how you can check the pulse of your 671 00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:47,720 faith. Where do things go downhill for 672 00:41:47,720 --> 00:41:49,000 lot. Remember what we read. 673 00:41:49,160 --> 00:41:52,920 He lifted up his eyes and he looked into the horizon of the 674 00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:54,800 Jordan Valley and he saw that it was well watered. 675 00:41:54,960 --> 00:41:56,320 He thought it was like the garden of the Lord. 676 00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:59,360 It was like the land of Egypt. He lifted up his eyes. 677 00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:03,560 It was his perspective, it was his evaluation. 678 00:42:05,520 --> 00:42:08,480 And so while Lot is looking towards Sodom, which led his 679 00:42:08,480 --> 00:42:11,120 heart towards Sodom, where is Abraham looking? 680 00:42:11,120 --> 00:42:16,160 According to verse 10, he's looking to another city, and 681 00:42:16,160 --> 00:42:19,240 this city clearly speaks about a heavenly city. 682 00:42:20,600 --> 00:42:22,000 Who's the designer of it? God. 683 00:42:22,160 --> 00:42:23,360 Oh, what a city that's going to be. 684 00:42:24,080 --> 00:42:28,040 No mistakes, no issues, no problems, no matter what 685 00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:31,720 direction you look. It's gorgeous, it's splendid. 686 00:42:31,720 --> 00:42:33,880 It's a reflection of his nature and his character. 687 00:42:33,920 --> 00:42:35,440 This is where Abraham is looking. 688 00:42:35,920 --> 00:42:38,520 He was looking toward and forward to the city. 689 00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:43,240 And so yes, this man lived in tents, but we learn how he was 690 00:42:43,240 --> 00:42:46,720 able to abide, how he was able to remain, how he's able to 691 00:42:46,720 --> 00:42:50,160 become steadfast living in tents because he was constantly 692 00:42:50,200 --> 00:42:53,360 looking. The eyes of his heart were 693 00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:54,840 yearning. And the word for looking here is 694 00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:58,960 an intense gaze, like you're looking forward to your 695 00:42:58,960 --> 00:43:03,200 anticipating it, not just like, you know, glances every Sunday 696 00:43:03,200 --> 00:43:04,600 when you're reminded that there's an eternity. 697 00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:09,280 No, he lived looking. He lived looking. 698 00:43:09,440 --> 00:43:12,840 And here's what's amazing. He's wealthy, however, he 699 00:43:12,840 --> 00:43:14,640 understood that there was something infinitely more 700 00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:18,040 pleasurable, infinitely more lasting, infinitely more perfect 701 00:43:18,040 --> 00:43:19,360 than whatever he had in his possession. 702 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:27,520 He held things with a very loose grip in this world because his 703 00:43:27,520 --> 00:43:30,000 eyes were looking to the world to come. 704 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:32,920 One of the things that you learn about Abraham, by the way, the 705 00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:36,840 more I study them, the more I. The Bible has hundreds of 706 00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:39,760 references to this man. It's it's a call for us to 707 00:43:39,760 --> 00:43:43,280 really dig deep into his story. And here's one of the things 708 00:43:43,280 --> 00:43:47,800 that I discovered recently. He always looked ahead. 709 00:43:49,840 --> 00:43:53,760 He always had a revelation of what's to come, even in ways 710 00:43:53,760 --> 00:43:55,320 that you might not have considered. 711 00:43:56,360 --> 00:44:00,600 Do you remember what Jesus said about Abraham and John 856 when 712 00:44:00,600 --> 00:44:03,360 he's been confronted by the religious leaders about his 713 00:44:03,360 --> 00:44:07,760 identity, his divine identity, He makes this point in John 8 714 00:44:07,760 --> 00:44:10,240 verse 56. Your father Abraham rejoiced 715 00:44:10,240 --> 00:44:14,720 that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad. 716 00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:22,200 We don't have time to look at where, where Abraham had that 717 00:44:22,200 --> 00:44:26,080 revelation, but at some point in his life, God granted this man 718 00:44:26,080 --> 00:44:28,920 insight about the person and work of Jesus Christ. 719 00:44:29,160 --> 00:44:32,880 He perceived it clearly. He saw it, and Jesus affirms 720 00:44:32,880 --> 00:44:35,080 that he saw it. And here's the part that moves 721 00:44:35,080 --> 00:44:41,200 me the most. He saw it and was glad, which 722 00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:45,160 teaches me that knowing certain things about the future and 723 00:44:45,160 --> 00:44:47,360 believing them can impact your joy today. 724 00:44:49,680 --> 00:44:51,960 So he had this perception not just of heaven, but of the 725 00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:55,200 person of Christ. This man had the habit of 726 00:44:55,200 --> 00:45:00,040 looking ahead and it stabilized him in the in the now. 727 00:45:00,640 --> 00:45:02,200 He was able to live in tents. In this way. 728 00:45:04,720 --> 00:45:07,320 Abraham constantly meditated. He constantly dreamed. 729 00:45:07,320 --> 00:45:09,680 He constantly talked about, I'm sure with his son and his 730 00:45:09,680 --> 00:45:13,920 grandson of this city to come. And if we want to imitate this 731 00:45:13,920 --> 00:45:16,000 kind of faith that pleases God, listen very carefully. 732 00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:18,560 I say this with love you and I have to look where He looks and 733 00:45:18,560 --> 00:45:22,560 long for what He longs for. Do you know how I know that? 734 00:45:23,480 --> 00:45:27,520 Go to Hebrews chapter 13. Look at verse 14 with me. 735 00:45:28,320 --> 00:45:32,200 Hebrews 13, verse 14. The same author at the last 736 00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:36,480 chapter of this book gives his final instructions to these 737 00:45:36,480 --> 00:45:38,720 Hebrew Christians and notice what he says to them and to us. 738 00:45:39,160 --> 00:45:44,360 Hebrews 1314 for we have no lasting city, but we seek the 739 00:45:44,360 --> 00:45:47,640 city that is to come, not just Abraham. 740 00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:56,240 We do you. Just a few final reflective 741 00:45:56,240 --> 00:46:02,080 questions for us today. In these 3 verses we looked at 3 742 00:46:02,080 --> 00:46:04,440 components of true faith, what it will produce, what it looks 743 00:46:04,440 --> 00:46:09,520 like. So I want to ask you today, is 744 00:46:09,520 --> 00:46:12,280 there something that God has been pressing you about a clear 745 00:46:12,280 --> 00:46:15,800 command from His word that relates to a situation in your 746 00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:20,120 life that you are trying to silence and suppress because you 747 00:46:20,120 --> 00:46:22,280 have fear? Fear, fear of persecution, fear 748 00:46:22,280 --> 00:46:25,960 of loneliness, fear of provision not being there. 749 00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:32,640 You making any demands on God to know all the answers of your 750 00:46:32,640 --> 00:46:38,600 obedience is not faith. And so if the Lord is calling 751 00:46:38,600 --> 00:46:40,880 you to get up and leave, get up and walk in a different 752 00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:43,600 direction. Oh, I, I charge it today. 753 00:46:43,760 --> 00:46:47,640 Give him true faith, Abraham, like faith and believe him even 754 00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:49,880 though you don't know where you're going necessarily, even 755 00:46:49,880 --> 00:46:51,720 though I don't know where this is going to lead me, but I know 756 00:46:51,720 --> 00:46:53,880 the one who called me. It's there in his word. 757 00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:56,200 I will trust and obey. That's true faith. 758 00:46:59,600 --> 00:47:02,800 Where do you find yourself inching closer and closer 759 00:47:02,800 --> 00:47:05,600 towards Sodom instead of building an altar? 760 00:47:05,720 --> 00:47:09,600 As you go on in this life, is your worship steady and 761 00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:13,080 increasing, or do you find yourself drawn and magnetized 762 00:47:13,080 --> 00:47:14,640 towards the things that grieve God's heart? 763 00:47:14,760 --> 00:47:17,440 Here's one way you know the things that used to bother you. 764 00:47:19,680 --> 00:47:23,720 You listen to it on whatever format, the language that they 765 00:47:23,720 --> 00:47:26,400 use, the scenes that they project. 766 00:47:26,400 --> 00:47:28,000 Nah, At one point you would recoil. 767 00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:29,000 At one point you would look away. 768 00:47:29,240 --> 00:47:31,040 Now you're like, that's it. Just keep watching. 769 00:47:35,400 --> 00:47:38,640 You find your zeal for serving God, living for God, knowing 770 00:47:38,640 --> 00:47:41,080 God, dwindling, Dwingling, and all these other passionate 771 00:47:41,080 --> 00:47:45,000 things that are overtaking what once was so bright and strong. 772 00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:48,360 And they're trivial things. They're carnal things, 773 00:47:48,520 --> 00:47:53,160 borderline sinful things. You might be pitching your tent 774 00:47:53,160 --> 00:47:55,840 closer and closer to Sodom, and if you're not careful, you might 775 00:47:55,840 --> 00:48:04,930 be living there sometime soon. As the years go by, do you find 776 00:48:04,930 --> 00:48:10,690 your heart excited and longing for that city to come? 777 00:48:12,250 --> 00:48:14,490 Or is it becoming more and more dim because of all the other 778 00:48:14,490 --> 00:48:16,090 things that are trying to get in the way and it clips your 779 00:48:16,090 --> 00:48:18,490 vision? Ask God today to strengthen your 780 00:48:18,490 --> 00:48:24,240 perception to live ahead. Abraham saw Christ's day and was 781 00:48:24,240 --> 00:48:26,800 glad there is a day for us to meet Christ. 782 00:48:27,480 --> 00:48:29,520 There is a revelation of Christ yet to come. 783 00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:32,960 And the one who really has this kind of a faith thinks about it 784 00:48:33,560 --> 00:48:36,120 and lives by it and strengthens it. 785 00:48:36,520 --> 00:48:39,920 Use this message today to walk out of here with a stronger 786 00:48:39,920 --> 00:48:43,400 faith for what's promised to you and I because of Christ. 787 00:48:45,640 --> 00:48:49,520 Abraham, a model of enduring faith. 788 00:48:50,640 --> 00:48:52,600 Let us follow him as he followed Christ. 789 00:48:53,280 --> 00:49:17,590 Let's pray. Lord, we stand amazed at how you 790 00:49:17,590 --> 00:49:25,190 can say so much in such a short passage of Scripture in the same 791 00:49:25,190 --> 00:49:28,110 chapter. We know that faith pleases you, 792 00:49:28,590 --> 00:49:32,150 so give us faith so that we could please you. 793 00:49:35,190 --> 00:49:39,960 May you reveal yourself in Your glory in such a manner that it 794 00:49:39,960 --> 00:49:43,440 would burn away all obstacles and hesitations to our faith. 795 00:49:46,280 --> 00:49:49,240 May we not only be tent dwellers, but altar builders 796 00:49:50,560 --> 00:49:51,960 that are. No matter what season of life 797 00:49:51,960 --> 00:50:00,400 we're in, we will build our worship towards You and Lord. 798 00:50:00,400 --> 00:50:03,240 We know that the secret ultimately to Abraham's enduring 799 00:50:03,240 --> 00:50:06,600 faith was looking to the reward ahead, the world to come. 800 00:50:07,800 --> 00:50:11,480 Lord, we pray that eternity would be more real to us than 801 00:50:11,480 --> 00:50:16,480 this life, that the treasures and the promises of that world 802 00:50:16,480 --> 00:50:18,880 to come would be more exciting than anything we inherit in this 803 00:50:18,880 --> 00:50:23,240 world. Only You can help us strengthen 804 00:50:23,240 --> 00:50:26,240 this perception that holds so much promise. 805 00:50:26,800 --> 00:50:30,040 So Lord, today, no matter where we are, we ask for the same 806 00:50:30,040 --> 00:50:31,040 thing. Give us faith. 807 00:50:32,640 --> 00:50:35,840 And like Abraham, as we wait on You, help us trust in You. 808 00:50:36,360 --> 00:50:39,400 Help us worship while we wait. Help every father, every mother 809 00:50:39,400 --> 00:50:43,760 here bring their faith home. Model that faith before their 810 00:50:43,760 --> 00:50:45,520 children. Help them be encouraged that 811 00:50:45,520 --> 00:50:49,880 even Abraham was very imperfect and how he trusted you, and yet 812 00:50:49,880 --> 00:50:52,800 You still honored him because his heart's desire was to do so. 813 00:50:53,480 --> 00:50:56,240 So Lord, we just pray for every parent here that they would not 814 00:50:56,240 --> 00:50:59,880 grow weary, they would not put into question what their faith 815 00:50:59,880 --> 00:51:02,600 can do in their progeny, in their offspring. 816 00:51:05,600 --> 00:51:07,320 Lord, we love you. We thank you for speaking so 817 00:51:07,320 --> 00:51:09,560 clearly to our hearts. Now we speak to you in song and 818 00:51:09,560 --> 00:51:15,720 rejoice for how you love us and how you speak to us and guide us 819 00:51:15,720 --> 00:51:18,640 in our faith. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 820 00:51:19,640 --> 00:51:21,160 I stand together. Let's worship the Lord.