By Faith: Men of Whom the World Was Not Worthy

January 5, 2020 · Hebrews

Series · Hebrews · Week 47 of 69

Scripture referenced 11 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

Ephesians 1:19-20 Read aloud before worship: the incredible greatness of God's power for believers, the same power that raised Christ and seated him at God's right hand

19 and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might
20 which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,

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Hebrews 11:32-12:3

The main passage for the sermon, covering the hall of faith heroes and the call to run with endurance fixing eyes on Jesus

32 What more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets;

33 who, through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, grew mighty in war, and caused foreign armies to flee.

35 Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

36 Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, moreover by bonds and imprisonment.

37 They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated

38 (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and the holes of the earth.

39 These all, having had testimony given to them through their faith, didn’t receive the promise,

40 God having provided some better thing concerning us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

1 Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,

2 looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 For consider him who has endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, that you don’t grow weary, fainting in your souls.

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Hebrews 4:14

Cited as the basis for the Fight Club men's ministry name, Nehemiah encouraging men to fight for their families

14 Having then a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold tightly to our confession.

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Nehemiah 4:14

The actual passage Fight Club is named after, where Nehemiah encourages men to fight for wives, children, and brothers

14 I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”

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Judges 6-7

Listed as the scripture covering Gideon

6:1 The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight: and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

6:2 The hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made themselves the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

6:3 So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east came up against them.

6:4 They encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza. They left no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep, ox, or donkey.

6:5 For they came up with their livestock and their tents. They came in as locusts for multitude. Both they and their camels were without number; and they came into the land to destroy it.

6:6 Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried to Yahweh.

6:7 When the children of Israel cried to Yahweh because of Midian,

6:8 Yahweh sent a prophet to the children of Israel; and he said to them, “Yahweh says, the God of Israel, ‘I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you out of the house of bondage.

6:9 I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land.

6:10 I said to you, “I am Yahweh your God. You shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But you have not listened to my voice.’”

6:11 Yahweh’s angel came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites.

6:12 Yahweh’s angel appeared to him, and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of valor!”

6:13 Gideon said to him, “Oh, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, ‘Didn’t Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?’ But now Yahweh has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”

6:14 Yahweh looked at him, and said, “Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Haven’t I sent you?”

6:15 He said to him, “O Lord, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

6:16 Yahweh said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”

6:17 He said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk with me.

6:18 Please don’t go away, until I come to you, and bring out my present, and lay it before you.” He said, “I will wait until you come back.”

6:19 Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal. He put the meat in a basket and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.

6:20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” He did so.

6:21 Then Yahweh’s angel stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire went up out of the rock, and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. Then Yahweh’s angel departed out of his sight.

6:22 Gideon saw that he was Yahweh’s angel; and Gideon said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh! Because I have seen Yahweh’s angel face to face!”

6:23 Yahweh said to him, “Peace be to you! Don’t be afraid. You shall not die.”

6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh, and called it “Yahweh is Peace.” To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

6:25 That same night, Yahweh said to him, “Take your father’s bull, even the second bull seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it.

6:26 Then build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this stronghold, in an orderly way, and take the second bull, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.”

6:27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Yahweh had spoken to him. Because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city, he could not do it by day, but he did it by night.

6:28 When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bull was offered on the altar that was built.

6:29 They said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” When they inquired and asked, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.”

6:30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has broken down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the Asherah that was by it.”

6:31 Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has broken down his altar!”

6:32 Therefore on that day he named him Jerub-Baal, saying, “Let Baal contend against him, because he has broken down his altar.”

6:33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.

6:34 But Yahweh’s Spirit came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered together to follow him.

6:35 He sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; and they also were gathered together to follow him. He sent messengers to Asher, and to Zebulun, and to Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.

6:36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken,

6:37 behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then shall I know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken.”

6:38 It was so; for he rose up early on the next day, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung…

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Judges 4-5

Listed as the scripture covering Barak

4:1 The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, when Ehud was dead.

4:2 Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

4:3 The children of Israel cried to Yahweh, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and he mightily oppressed the children of Israel for twenty years.

4:4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, judged Israel at that time.

4:5 She lived under Deborah’s palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

4:6 She sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh Naphtali, and said to him, “Hasn’t Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded, ‘Go and lead the way to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?

4:7 I will draw to you, to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into your hand.’”

4:8 Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”

4:9 She said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the journey that you take won’t be for your honor; for Yahweh will sell Sisera into a woman’s hand.” Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

4:10 Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh; and ten thousand men followed him; and Deborah went up with him.

4:11 Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the children of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh.

4:12 They told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to Mount Tabor.

4:13 Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles, to the river Kishon.

4:14 Deborah said to Barak, “Go; for this is the day in which Yahweh has delivered Sisera into your hand. Hasn’t Yahweh gone out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

4:15 Yahweh confused Sisera, all his chariots, and all his army, with the edge of the sword before Barak. Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled away on his feet.

4:16 But Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth of the Gentiles; and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword. There was not a man left.

4:17 However Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

4:18 Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; don’t be afraid.” He came in to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.

4:19 He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty.” She opened a bottle of milk, and gave him a drink, and covered him.

4:20 He said to her, “Stand in the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there any man here?’ you shall say, ‘No.’”

4:21 Then Jael Heber’s wife took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and struck the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he fainted and died.

4:22 Behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek.” He came to her; and behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent peg was in his temples.

4:23 So God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel on that day.

4:24 The hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

5:1 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,

5:2 “Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, Yahweh!

5:3 “Hear, you kings! Give ear, you princes! I, even I, will sing to Yahweh. I will sing praise to Yahweh, the God of Israel.

5:4 “Yahweh, when you went out of Seir, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the sky also dropped. Yes, the clouds dropped water.

5:5 The mountains quaked Yahweh’s presence, even Sinai at the presence of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

5:6 “In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. The travelers walked through byways.

5:7 The rulers ceased in Israel. They ceased until I, Deborah, arose; Until I arose a mother in Israel.

5:8 They chose new gods. Then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

5:9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless Yahweh!

5:10 “Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way.

5:11 Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there they will rehearse Yahweh’s righteous acts, the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. “Then Yahweh’s people went down to the gates.

5:12 ‘Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam.’

5:13 “Then a remnant of the nobles and the people came down. Yahweh came down for me against the mighty.

5:14 Those whose root is in Amalek came out of Ephraim, after you, Benjamin, among your peoples. Governors come down out of Machir. Those who handle the marshal’s staff came out of Zebulun.

5:15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah. As was Issachar, so was Barak. They rushed into the valley at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben, there were great resolves of heart.

5:16 Why did you sit among the sheepfolds? To hear the whistling for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben, there were great searchings of heart.

5:17 Gilead lived beyond the Jordan. Why did Dan remain in ships?…

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Judges 13-14

Listed as the scripture covering Samson

13:1 The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight; and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

13:2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and childless.

13:3 Yahweh’s angel appeared to the woman, and said to her, “See now, you are barren and childless; but you shall conceive, and bear a son.

13:4 Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing:

13:5 for, behold, you shall conceive, and give birth to a son. No razor shall come on his head; for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. He shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

13:6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his face was like the face of the angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he was from, neither did he tell me his name;

13:7 but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink. Don’t eat any unclean thing; for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”

13:8 Then Manoah entreated Yahweh, and said, “Oh, Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us, and teach us what we should do to the child who shall be born.”

13:9 God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field, but Manoah, her husband, wasn’t with her.

13:10 The woman hurried and ran, and told her husband, and said to him, “Behold, the man who came to me that day has appeared to me,”

13:11 Manoah arose, and followed his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?” He said, “I am.”

13:12 Manoah said, “Now let your words happen. What shall the child’s way of life and mission be?”

13:13 Yahweh’s angel said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her beware.

13:14 She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. Let her observe all that I commanded her.”

13:15 Manoah said to Yahweh’s angel, “Please stay with us, that we may make a young goat ready for you.”

13:16 Yahweh’s angel said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I won’t eat your bread. If you will prepare a burnt offering, you must offer it to Yahweh.” For Manoah didn’t know that he was Yahweh’s angel.

13:17 Manoah said to Yahweh’s angel, “What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?”

13:18 Yahweh’s angel said to him, “Why do you ask about my name, since it is incomprehensible?”

13:19 So Manoah took the young goat with the meal offering, and offered it on the rock to Yahweh. Then the angel did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched.

13:20 For when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, Yahweh’s angel ascended in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife watched; and they fell on their faces to the ground.

13:21 But Yahweh’s angel didn’t appear to Manoah or to his wife any more. Then Manoah knew that he was Yahweh’s angel.

13:22 Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God.”

13:23 But his wife said to him, “If Yahweh were pleased to kill us, he wouldn’t have received a burnt offering and a meal offering at our hand, and he wouldn’t have shown us all these things, nor would he have told us such things as these at this time.”

13:24 The woman bore a son, and named him Samson. The child grew, and Yahweh blessed him.

13:25 Yahweh’s Spirit began to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

14:1 Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.

14:2 He came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. Now therefore get her for me as my wife.”

14:3 Then his father and his mother said to him, “Isn’t there a woman among your brothers’ daughters, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?” Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well.”

14:4 But his father and his mother didn’t know that it was of Yahweh; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.

14:5 Then went Samson down with his father and his mother to Timnah, and came to the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion roared against him.

14:6 Yahweh’s Spirit came mightily on him, and he tore him as he would have torn a young goat; and he had nothing in his hand, but he didn’t tell his father or his mother what he had done.

14:7 He went down, and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well.

14:8 After a while he returned to take her; and he went over to see the carcass of the lion; and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.

14:9 He took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went. He came to his father and mother, and gave to them, and they ate, but he didn’t tell them that he had taken the honey out of the lion’s body.

14:10 His father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men used to do so.

14:11 When they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.

14:12 Samson said to them, “Let me tell you a riddle now. If you can declare it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing;

14:13 but if you can’t declare it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.” They said to him, “Tell us your riddle, that we may hear it.”

14:14 He said to them, “Out of the eater came out food. Out of the strong came out sweetness.” They couldn’t in three days declare the riddle.

14:15 On the seventh day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father’s house with…

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Judges 11-12

Listed as the scripture covering Jephthah

11:1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead became the father of Jephthah.

11:2 Gilead’s wife bore him sons. When his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You will not inherit in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.”

11:3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers, and lived in the land of Tob. Outlaws joined up with Jephthah, and they went out with him.

11:4 After a while, the children of Ammon made war against Israel.

11:5 When the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah out of the land of Tob.

11:6 They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.”

11:7 Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Didn’t you hate me, and drive me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?”

11:8 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Therefore we have turned again to you now, that you may go with us, and fight with the children of Ammon. You will be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

11:9 Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and Yahweh delivers them before me, will I be your head?”

11:10 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Yahweh will be witness between us. Surely we will do what you say.”

11:11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them. Jephthah spoke all his words before Yahweh in Mizpah.

11:12 Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, “What have you to do with me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?”

11:13 The king of the children of Ammon answered to the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel took away my land, when he came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore restore that territory again peaceably.”

11:14 Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon;

11:15 and he said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: Israel didn’t take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon,

11:16 but when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh;

11:17 then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let me pass through your land;’ but the king of Edom didn’t listen. In the same way, he sent to the king of Moab; but he would not: and Israel stayed in Kadesh.

11:18 Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon; but they didn’t come within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.

11:19 Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land to my place.’

11:20 But Sihon didn’t trust Israel to pass through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together, and encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

11:21 Yahweh, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they struck them. So Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

11:22 They possessed all the border of the Amorites, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even to the Jordan.

11:23 So now Yahweh, the God of Israel, has dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and should you possess them?

11:24 Won’t you possess that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whoever Yahweh our God has dispossessed from before us, them will we possess.

11:25 Now are you anything better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them?

11:26 While Israel lived in Heshbon and its towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along by the side of the Arnon, three hundred years; why didn’t you recover them within that time?

11:27 I therefore have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to war against me. May Yahweh the Judge be judge today between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.”

11:28 However the king of the children of Ammon didn’t listen to the words of Jephthah which he sent him.

11:29 Then Yahweh’s Spirit came on Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed over to the children of Ammon.

11:30 Jephthah vowed a vow to Yahweh, and said, “If you will indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,

11:31 then it shall be, that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, it shall be Yahweh’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.”

11:32 So Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them; and Yahweh delivered them into his hand.

11:33 He struck them from Aroer until you come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and to Abelcheramim, with a very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

11:34 Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.

11:35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me; for I have opened my mouth to Yahweh, and I can’t go back.”

11:36 She said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to Yahweh; do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, because Yahweh has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the children of Ammon.”

11:37 She said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me. Leave me alone two months, that I may depart and go down on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my…

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Hebrews 12:1

Therefore since we have so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every encumbrance and sin and run with endurance

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Hebrews 12:2-3

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, author and perfecter of faith, who endured the cross so we will not grow weary and lose heart

2 looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 For consider him who has endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, that you don’t grow weary, fainting in your souls.

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Jude 24-25

Used as the benediction: to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and present you blameless with great joy

24:24 Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,

25:25 to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

Pastor Ray walked through the closing verses of Hebrews 11 and the opening verses of Hebrews 12, pressing toward one point: the same kind of faith that carried the people in that list can carry us. The sermon ended with Communion and a remembrance of church members who died in the past year, Kurt Ripley among them just days before on New Year's Day.

What was said

The sermon picked up at Hebrews 11:32, where the writer stops giving individual portraits and starts sweeping through names quickly: Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. Pastor Ray said he believed the writer was running through these names on purpose, not because they were less important, but because the point was bigger than any one of them. Time would fail to tell it all, and that compression itself is part of the argument.

What those people did by faith produced real outcomes, kingdoms falling, lions' mouths shut, fire quenched, armies routed. But the list does not stop there. It turns, and the outcomes become stonings, sawings in two, wandering in sheepskins, death by the sword. Pastor Ray was direct: this is not a prosperity gospel passage. The people on both sides of that turn were equally people of faith.

The section closes with the observation that all of them, though approved by God through their faith, did not receive the full promise in their lifetimes. Pastor Ray said the writer's point was that God had provided something better, meaning Christ, so that the whole family of God across all generations would be made complete together. The people in Hebrews 11 were looking forward to what we now look back on.

From there Pastor Ray brought the list into the room. He named people from this congregation who had died since he arrived, each one introduced with the same two words the chapter keeps repeating: by faith. Bud Searles, Mark Upton, Grace McDaniel, Laura Simpson, West Flanagan, and Kurt Ripley, who died on New Year's Day just before this service. He described Kurt fixing vacuum cleaners, sharing Jesus, giving away what was his by rights, leading monthly services at a care facility for years. The grief in the room was recent and the names were familiar.

All of that, Pastor Ray said, was preparation for three verses. Hebrews 12:1-3 opens with "therefore," because the cloud of witnesses is the reason for what follows. Surrounded by all of them, the call is to lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that entangles, and to run with endurance the race set before us. The how of that is given immediately: fix your eyes on Jesus.

Jesus is called the author and perfecter of faith, and Pastor Ray stayed on what that means in practice. For the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of God, where Hebrews has already said he intercedes for those who trust him. The final note of the passage, and of the sermon, was the "so that": consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

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Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

The writer of Hebrews lists people like Gideon, Samson, and David who had serious failures alongside their faith. What does it mean to you that God includes flawed people in his 'hall of faith,' and how does that change the way you see yourself?
Pastor Ray pointed out that many of the people in Hebrews 11 acted in faith and still suffered terribly, were imprisoned, or died without receiving the earthly promise. How do you hold that reality together with trusting God when things do not go well for you?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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Find in this transcript

0:01 Good morning, everyone. How are you?

0:04 It's good to see you, everybody. It really is. Hey. Would you stand with me? We'll sing together.

0:10 Good news. If you are feeling burdened this morning, this song is for you. It is for us.

0:44 Gold. And you have to get along on me fair. Just remember in God's word, how he feeds the little birds. Take your burdens, he'll load it. Let's sing, leave it there.

1:00 Leave it there. Leave it there. Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. If you trust and never doubt, he will surely bring your eye. Take your burdens, see the Lord, and leave their plan.

1:20 Or if your body suffers pain and your health can't regain, And our soul is almost sinking in space. Jesus knows the pain you feel. He can't save you. Can't take your burdens If you trust and never doubt, he will surely bring you out. Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

2:01 When your enemies assert and your heart begins to fail, don't forget that God in heaven answers prayer. He will make a way for you. We will guide you safely, friends. Take your burden to the Lord and your God. He will surely bring you out.

2:37 Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. Take your burden

3:06 So, I've got a few announcements this morning. We'll see what they are. It's rain a little backpack. Monday nights at first b is Back.

3:20 We are on tomorrow. Guess what? Felix and Guadalupe are cooking, which is always wonderful. And we get to start a new book. We're gonna be in Proverbs.

3:30 How about some wisdom literature for the New Year?

3:32 That's cool.

3:33 So, 06:00, meal music message, you are invited.

3:37 Cool. Awana is happening right here starting off in this room, same time, 05:45 ish, starting 05:45, six, and go until 07:30. It's great. We pour scripture into the minds of the children and reach hearts. It's a good, good, good program for two year olds.

3:56 Puggles is two years old all the way up through fifth grade and then once they graduate out, if they wanna help, there are some sixth and seventh and eighth graders that are helping with Awana now. So, it's really really good for our kids. Sunday school for guys, often right here, I'm advertising a Sunday school for girls that goes on. It the around 09:25, 09:30 when we break for kids church. So, after the song service, next week, there will be a study that's starting up for eighth to twelfth grade guys.

4:26 Tim Dalton will be studying will be leading a study. He's studying now. Why Jesus? And he picked up on the Jesus really is that awesome. He hopes that by the end of this study, people understand better why it is that Jesus really is that awesome.

4:41 He's going to be teaching that to eighth to twelfth grade guys starting next Sunday during the 9AM service. Snowmobile retreat is happening at Old Faithful Christian Ranch up. Hey, Kyle. Come on up, man. You're you're working your way here.

4:57 Go right ahead.

5:00 It is getting to that time where everyone does need to sign up. And for those of you who do not

5:04 know the men's snow, do I need it? I'll hold it for you. You always hold it right here. I feel weird. Yeah.

5:11 That's Jeez. It it doesn't hurt me ever. The snowmobil retreat is coming up on the twenty fourth, twenty fifth, and twenty sixth. It's the one trip we have for the men and father sons of this church to really get away fellowship for three days together. You don't have to snowmobile.

5:29 There's cross country skiing. It's just a great opportunity to come. Really yourself with the other men of this church. Kinda go a little deeper in your faith and also bring people from outside of our church to awesome event. There's flyers on the back table.

5:48 To see me to sign up. And, yeah, all the food. There's Food. You need to bring a sleeping

5:55 bag. The food is good.

5:56 Yeah. The food's great.

5:57 Yeah.

5:57 And it is extremely affordable for what you get $100 for adults, dollars 75 for kids 12 and under. So, any more questions? Find me after church.

6:10 This is the guy. Thank you very much, Kyle. So, that's the snowmobile retreat. Fight Club is our men's ministry that will be kicking off. There's a January 8, that's this coming Wednesday, 6AM.

6:24 That's a kickoff. You want to tell about that? Come on up. Sorry,

6:28 ladies. We don't mean to be excluding you this morning. Kinda heavy on the men's stuff, but many of you know that Wednesday mornings, we have a community wide men's ministry that meets here at 6AM. And what you probably don't know is that this Wednesday, we're gonna start the second round of fight club four fourteen, which is based on Nehemiah four fourteen where he encourages the men to look around and fight for their wives and their children and their brothers and sisters in their homes. And so it's a ten week long challenge.

7:00 We did it last year for the first time, and I believe that every man that was there was impacted powerfully. Are there any guys here? Kyle, I was hoping you'd stay up here so that you could be moral support, but any guys here that did Fight Club last year that wanna just give a quick how it how you felt about it, what it was like? Anybody? I see one.

7:21 There's a guy. Go ahead, Clay. Just quick. Yeah. The Bible is full of examples comparing the Christian life to athletes and soldiers.

8:21 And soldiers don't go into battle without training, and athletes don't go to the Olympics without training. And training is hard, and it's done in the context of a group of other people, of a team, you know, of soldiers around you. And so that's what what we're doing on Wednesday mornings is we're we're going into a ten week training block, and it won't be easy. And there's other guys around us to help. And so if you're if you're looking for a way to go deeper than the Sunday morning handshake with other men in the church, or if you're coming into the New Year fed up with a mediocre walk with Jesus, then this will be a good thing for you, and we encourage you to to join.

8:55 Wednesday morning will be informational, and then officially, it kicks off at midnight, Thursday morning. So join us Wednesday, please. Thank you

9:03 very much. Appreciate it, Ben. Fight club. If there are other announcements that I should be announcing right now, if you'll let us know, we'll put em into the into the swirl here, okay? And let you know about it.

9:15 Is there anything else I've forgotten? If my wife were back there, she would be waving at me. She's probably waving from wherever she is right now. I think there's going be an informational meeting about those of you who know you're going to Africa, those who are knowing you're going in August next year to the Africa. We're going to do a meeting probably next week between services.

9:37 If it's not next week, we'll contact you but if it's not next week, it'll be the following just to kind of prepare for that. I see a few of you looking and saying, okay, that's good. If you would, stand up and greet one another. We'll bring you back together with a song.

10:43 There's a song in my soul.

10:45 There's a song in my soul, and I feel it stirring in me. To you. And there's a joy in my soul. And it rises like a morning. This I know for sure.

11:21 That your grace is enough and your promise never breaking. I give my song to you. All of your all of your goodness And there's a hope. There's a hope in my heart, burning bright in the darkness. This I know for sure.

12:25 And I will look upon your face, forever dwelling in your presence. Symphony singing out holy, a holy. All my days, every single breath I breathe singing out holy, holy. Again, let my life. I let my life be to you a symphony singing out holy, holy.

13:42 All my days, every single breath I breathe, singing out holy. All of your goodness All my songs I'll sing for you. Yes. All my songs I'll for you.

14:36 Let me read from Ephesians this morning. I also pray that you understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe in him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand and in the heavenly realms.

15:08 I can see waters raging at my feet. I can feel the breath of those surrounding me. I can hear. The sound of nations rising up, we will not be overtaken, we will not be overcome. I can't walk down this dark and painful road.

15:42 I can't face every fear of the unknown. Can hear. All God's children singing out, not be overtaken, we will not be overcome. And the same power, let's sing a bit. Lives in us.

16:21 The same power that moves mountains, wind speeds. The same power that can conquer agency lives in us, lives in us. It lives in us, lives in us. And we have hope that his promises are true in his strength. There is nothing we can't do.

16:55 Yes, we know. There are greater things in store We will not be overtaking. Be overcast. Let's sing on the same power. The same power that broke Jesus from the grave.

17:17 The same power that commands the dead to wake lives in us, lives in us. The same power that moves mountains, wind speeds. The same power that can calm the rage and sea lives in us. Lives in us. It lives in us, lives in us.

17:49 And greater is he, and greater is he, has lived in me. He's conquered our enemy. And no power of darkness, no weapon prevails. Stand dear fainterly. Let's sing that again.

18:12 Greater is he, greater is he that's living in me. He's conquered our enemy. No power of darkness, no weapon prevails. We stand here in victory. This same power, the same power that brought Jesus from the grave, same power that commands the dead to wake lives in us, lives in us.

18:55 The same power that moves mountains when speeds. The same power that can commemorate and see

19:32 Let's pray on that, shall we? Lord, how true we we sing of it but lord, that that truth, let it sink deep in into our minds, into our hearts this morning that the same power that rose, Jesus from the grave, the same power that commends the dead to wake, that lives in us. We do have hope that your promises are true and in your strength, there's nothing we can't do. So, lord, would you would you give us a a very real sense of your presence and your hope and your peace this morning as we sing to you in faith. In Jesus name, amen.

25:00 Have a seat. I'm gonna invite the frontline team forward. Would you pray with me? God, thank you for all the good things that you have given, lord and this morning, I cannot help about the things that you have given and that you have taken away. I pray lord that we would be living our lives toward you out of faith that we would consider that you are a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and lord that your that your spirit would prevail that that our though our flesh is weak and does fail that your spirit would prevail in our lives.

25:47 Lives. So God, I pray that right now, whatever you lay on the hearts of the people here in this room of all of us, lord, to do I pray that that you give them the strength to do it, to sell it forth, to go forward. And lord, I pray that you would take what is given toward you. What what is given in faith. Lord, I pray that you would do what you do which is multiply and bless and extend your kingdom that you advance your gospel.

26:19 Advance your word. Lord, would you take these tithes and offerings and do your kingdom's work through your obedient servants. We long to do your will, oh Lord. Would you show us your way and we'll walk in it. In Jesus name, amen.

27:43 Let's sing I lean not. Beautiful out of me. I give it on to you, God. Trusting that you make something This mountain with my hands wide open I will climb. This mountain with my hands I will climb.

28:41 This mountain with my hands wide. Wide There's nothing I hold on to. There's nothing I hold on to. There's nothing I hold on to. There's nothing I hold on There's nothing I hold on to.

28:59 To. There's nothing I hold on to. Nothing I hold on to.

30:16 Amen. I think it's time for children's church or Sunday school. If you're a middle school or high school girl and and or a child, next week, there'll be a class for boys too. We're gonna we're gonna move forward in Hebrews this morning. We're up to Hebrews eleven thirty two.

30:53 We're gonna go through twelve three. I'm gonna admit that I'm running through part of this to get to another part of it, okay? Right now, I'll come back. I'm gonna cover it all but I'm gonna run through part of it to get to another part. I I'm running through it because I think that that's what the author of Hebrews is doing and I wanna get to something that's really relevant to where we sit right now.

31:13 So, last couple weeks, I've gone over last few weeks, I've gone over these specific examples that the writer or writers of Hebrews give for examples of heroes of the faith and the refrain in this section is by faith, by faith, by faith, by faith, by faith, able gave the firstlings of his flock and he was murdered. Wow. Not a prosperity gospel message but he gave of the first things of his body. He gave of a better sacrifice than his brother, Cain and for that, Cain got upset and murdered. Terrible.

31:53 Enoch walked with God. That's a good example. By faith, Enoch walked with God and he was taken up so that he was not anymore. God took him up. Noah, by faith, prepared an ark and the salvation of his household came with it.

32:08 By faith, Abraham, when he was called obeyed, oh, that that would be said about each of us, right? By faith, when called, obeyed. He became the father of an innumerable number. They were children of the faith, children of the promise. Sarah considered God faithful.

32:27 He was the one who had promised and she considered him faithful and she miraculously conceived. Isaac, by faith, blessed his son's future and then we see a series. This is the the outcome we see most often in this list as they die. Isaac blessed his son's future and died. Jacob blessed his grandson's futures and died.

32:50 Joseph, tons of stuff we could say about Joseph, what the author of Hebrews mentions is the Exodus. He gave plans. He was forward looking to a time when the Israelites would come out of Egypt and so looking forward to the Exodus, he made some plans for this is what I want you to do with my remains and he died. Specific examples nine to 13, we've come upon. Moses's parents was an example.

33:14 They acted in civil disobedience against an unjust and ungodly edict from pharaoh and the outcome for that was Moses lived and because Moses lived and carried forth, Moses led the people out of Egypt. He had lots of other things that the writer could have mentioned but he led faithfully the people out of Egypt. That was his outcome. Now, he didn't get to go into the promised land. He didn't.

33:40 Joshua and Caleb, those spies that went in said, we can take em. Had to wait for those other 10. To die. This is the most common outcome. They, they, that's kind of general but it's talking about that wilderness generation that has already been mentioned in Hebrews in chapter two and chapter three about their disobedience.

34:04 This says, they were obedient. They acted in faith in this occasion. They walked through the parted Red Sea and they were saved from immediate harm by listening to God. They were saved from immediate harm. The encirclers of Jericho last week, we covered that pictures and trumpets supposed to change that.

34:21 That's Gideon but they walked around the city and they shouted and the walls came and tumbling down and then, Joshua was the leader of those encirclers of Jericho and then Rahab, we talked about, reacted in faith to fear. She lived and was accepted into the people of God even into the lineage of Christ. Now, if we look at this list, we can see something that everybody in this list did wrong, everyone of em because they're human beings and some of em, we got lots of stuff to talk about and actually, this list is even more problematic. This list that I'm going to mention today, if you start paying attention to who is in this list, you look at it and you go, well, the thing that I remember about that guy is this thing and it's not a good thing but ultimately, they were acting in faith. Ultimately, they were acting in faith.

35:09 So, the writer of Hebrews, I think, has given us a lot of very specific examples and now, it's just gonna lump these up in the end here and lumping em up in the end is making a bigger point than if we were to go into everything and so, I'm not gonna go through it. Imma run through it and I think that that's what the writer of Hebrews is doing to get to chapter twelve one through three and what more shall I say? What more shall I say? I've gone on and on now and I've given you lots of good examples. I've been giving you all of this.

35:39 Now, they didn't think of it in chapters. This would have been one sermon for them. I've been preaching since like July, I think on this. What more shall I say? For time would fail me if I tell of Gideon or Barak or Samson or Jephthah or David or Samuel and the prophets.

35:54 Now, those are our specific examples. Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. I think my phone is trying to hook up to that television right there. There's so much smart, smart. There you go.

36:12 Thank you, Blake. Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets are our specific examples. Now, if you want to look up the scripture, this is what I would normally do is go through it with you. Judges six and seven tells about Gideon. Judges four and five tells about Barak.

36:29 Why are they out of order? I don't know. So far, it's been pretty close to chronological order. I'm sure there's some point to it but that's if you wanna look it up, you can read. Samson, Judges thirteen and fourteen.

36:42 There's a whole lot more there than the Sunday school lessons you remember. Jephthah, Judges eleven and twelve. David, all of first Samuel, almost all of second Samuel, first Chronicles, and a whole lot of the Psalms. He's actually mentioned in 28 different Bible books. Out of 66, David is a very prominent feature of the Bible.

37:03 So, David's mentioned but just briefly, just that fast, time would fail if we told all about David. Samuel, as mentioned in first and second Samuel, Chronicles and a few other places, mention him in passing but those two books have a lot to do with them and then the prophets. Now, the prophets who which the scripture that talks about the prophets? Well, the prophets talks about the prophets which would be Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zechariah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. All of those are the prophets, major and minor.

37:38 Joshua and Samuel are usually included in that list but we've already named them specifically. So, this is what we're going to see from that list right there and others. I, when I read of the things that happen, the outcomes, I see not just that list. This is not an exhaustive list of all the people of faith. Obviously, this representative and I'm trying to get to my own representative list this morning too.

38:04 If I can do it. Who by faith, that's the refrain. What more shall I say for time would fail if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, and David, Samuel, and the prophets who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire escaped the edge of the sword and from weakness, they were made strong. They became mighty in war. They put foreign armies to flight.

38:36 So, that's is that the outcome? I I think it's the outcome except for this one right here and that one I think we could put over here and say, the act that demonstrated faith is very general for these specific examples. They performed acts of righteous ness. Most of that was when God directed, they responded. Today, if you hear his voice hearken unto it and do not rebel as they did in the wilderness but do what these people did.

39:01 When called, obey. When called, obey. Do what you do by faith. So, these, Gideon, Brock, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets performed acts of righteousness and they saw kingdoms fall in front of em. Miraculously.

39:16 Gideon did have the pictures, right? That's a weird battle plan too. Obtain promises, some earthly promises they obtained while they were living. Shut the mouths of lions. That one's listing somebody that's outside of this list.

39:32 It's Daniel, we think. Although it could be Samson, could be David. Shutting the mouths of lions. There's more than one way to do that. Quench the power of fire, escape the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

39:48 That one, there are probably several examples. The one for the writer of Hebrews that I think I see the most from that is probably one that's not even in our canonical Bible. The Judith and Holofernes, you know who that is? We'll get into that later someday. It's a great story though.

40:05 Really, really good story. If you got a new revised standard version, you might have it in your Bible. From the specific examples, we're gonna get to some general examples here. Women, actually, I think this one's still specific. Women, there are couple of different places in the Old Testament.

40:24 Elijah, Elisha, and these widows that receive back their dead by resurrection. And others, that's very general. Others were tortured, not accepting their release. What they believed mattered enough that they were willing to die for it. So, women received back their dead by resurrection.

40:42 Others were tortured, not accepting their release so that they might obtain a better resurrection. It is better to go forward by faith and die for that faith than it is to live an earthly life denying God. So, women receiving back to death and others experience mockings and scourgings. Yes, also chains and imprisonment. We've got a list, mockings and scourgings, chains, and imprisonment, and then they, it gets into a long list here that is just horrific.

41:16 This has been ringing in Carl's ears. Every time we've talked for the past six weeks, Carl has said, sawn in two. Sown in two. How horrible is that? It's just gruesome.

41:28 These were people that lived lives of faith. So, it says, they were stoned and we saw they stoned the We see Jesus outside of Jerusalem said, oh Jerusalem, how to gather you up under my wings like chicks? You who stone the prophets, you who ignore the word that is given. Oh, I'd love to gather you in but you won't have it and it made Jesus cry. They were stoned.

41:55 They were sawn into. That that by the way, tradition tells us that Isaiah. Isaiah, the great prophet. Isaiah, for carrying God's message faithfully was sown into. They were tempted.

42:10 They're put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goat skins and being destitute and afflicted. They were ill treated. Again, not a prosperity gospel sermon. That's this is people who acted in faith and performed acts of righteousness that demonstrated their faith.

42:30 Not that it was necessary for them to be righteous. Do that. It was because of their faith that they demonstrated that faith in those acts but this is what they received from it and so this builds 32 to 37. It builds up and then in 38, we see men of whom the world was not worthy. I'm not running as fast as I wanted to through this.

43:00 Men of whom the world was not worthy. They were set to wandering about in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all of these. Now, we've covered this before we hit this. The white slide means we've covered it before.

43:14 White slide with black writing. I covered this to begin with. We had that first section about faith as the substance of things hoped for, the things not yet seen. And then, it's like the sandwich I called it a couple of times. This is the last piece of the Hebrews 11 sandwich here.

43:37 And all these, having gained approval through their faith. They were right with God. They're right with God because of their faith. Now, all of the things that it said has have demonstrated it was not what made them right. It was just faith in God that made them right with God and then, by his power, they were acting out of that and all of these having gained approval through their faith, they did not receive what was promised.

44:03 The whole promise of God still remained for them. They did not receive what was promised. It does say that some of them obtained some of the promises. There is some in this earthly life. There's something to be said for living a godly and holy life.

44:20 There are a lot of benefits that come from it and you can start an abundant life on this side and that's true but it's not. Always gonna go well for you in earthly standards but it will turn out well for you because the heavenly promise will come to pass and all these haven't gained approval through their faith did not receive what was promised because God had provided something better. God had provided something better. Amen. For us.

44:52 God had provided something better. This writer was right in the first century folks who are considering walking away from Jesus for a religiosity that had only pointed towards him. They didn't need to fade back into this religious stuff. Without Jesus, that made no sense. Because God had provided something better for us so that apart from us, they would not be made perfect.

45:18 It takes the fullness of the whole family of God. All of those throughout all generations who have ever put their faith in God. We're unified with them. What holds us together? And this list, this whole of chapter 11, this whole list is saying that there are a lot of people who have lived this out and you can too.

45:39 You can too. You can too. By the power of God. They're flawed people. Trust me.

45:47 If you haven't read about em, there are some real flaws that we just go, oh my goodness. What holds us together by faith? By faith, we are unified and we're also gonna practice communion, institution that Jesus started this holy ordinance that he set apart and said, do this and do this in remembrance of me. All of those that came before Jesus were looking forward to a Messiah. Looking forward to the provision that God will make.

46:15 All of us who have come after him have to look back to him as our provision that God has made for the cleansing of sin, for the power to walk daily and go forward. We're going to go into that. The specific examples one through eight. There they are. Abel, Enoch, Noah, by faith, Abraham, by faith, Sarah, by faith, Isaac, by faith, Jacob, by faith, Joseph, by faith, Moses's parents, faith, Moses, by faith, they, by faith, those who encircled Jericho under a guy acting by faith, Joshua, by faith, Rahab, by faith, Gideon, by faith, Barak, by faith, Samson, by faith, Jephthah, by faith, David, by faith, Samuel, by faith, the prophets, and if we were to continue this list in this church, for me and it'll be different for each of you because y'all have a different set of folks, right?

47:14 In your mind and generally, there were women, there there were others, there were others, there were they. Can we just go black there? Like, for a second and I'll come back to that slide. It's quick on the draw. For me, being in this position, I have done a lot of funerals.

47:35 Now, I've probably done 50 funerals now. I've done some that y'all know. I've done some that y'all don't know. I get a call from the hospital and go meet a family once and then I do the funeral three days later. Some of them for people who are believers and I know that it was by faith that they lived their life and some of them are not.

47:55 It's a lot easier to do one that I can say by faith. I love the stories that come back around. When I first got here, I personally had never been through the closeness of some of the relationships that y'all have lost since I've been here. My very best friend throughout most of my life was Chad Douglas Retrode and he died suddenly, 03/25/2017 and y'all remember me grieving through that. Bud, Bud Searles, 10/06/2017.

48:31 By faith, he lived his life. Actually, Bud, specifically by faith, he was a pastor. After having had a full career otherwise, he was a pastor and he told me one time when he was in Werdland, he did three fifty funerals. Something along those lines between three and four hundred. Ministered there twenty something years, right?

48:55 Bud Searles, Mark Upton, an elder in this church, a good, good, good friend to many of y'all and to me, 09/14/2018. By faith, I'd say, Mark ran a business by faith. He loved his family by faith. He cared for his neighbors, neighborhood. He came into an elders meeting one time and he had noticed that there were lots of Asian people in Jackson and he said, what are we doing for the Chinese?

49:29 I said, Mark, do you speak Chinese? By faith, he wanted to. He took, I've got a Mandarin dictionary. He took it home with him. Really?

49:42 By faith, he did what he did and that's an amazing thing. And his life was cut short. From our perspective. Grace McDaniel, my grandmother, died 01/03/2019. Started off the year last year.

50:01 She was a person of faith. She faithfully taught Sunday school for sixty something years probably. And lived it in between Sunday Laura Simpson in September of this year. West Flanagan. These are this is representative but not exhaustive.

50:21 I'm looking out and I'm seeing people that didn't, I didn't put on my list but there are lots of people that were not on the list from the writer of Hebrews, right? West Flanagan. West Flanagan. Oh, what an evangelist West was. He was so concerned about people's souls and then towards the end of his life, he lost control of his mind and was not able to remember anything.

50:46 He walked into Alzheimer's every day that he was able by faith, right? He softened He wept when we sang hymns. That's just in October of this past year and some of y'all walked in this morning, you're thinking, what was up with Ray this morning? But Kurt Ripley passed on New Year's Day. Sudden onset, aortic dissection if you were wondering the clinical diagnosis but his heart burst.

51:24 Man, had the biggest heart I've ever seen. By faith. Kurt fixed vacuum cleaners and loved people and shared Jesus with people and gave away a lot of what belonged to him by rights but he laid that down and gave and gave and gave. He was very good and generous and by faith, he loved his wife. By faith, he loved his kids.

51:57 By faith, He spread agape love. Some of y'all, most of y'all probably don't know that he led our service over at the Living for years before Florine started doing it. Kurt and Melissa and the girls would go over faithfully our one time a month and he would present and it is a hard crowd. I did that too. It is a tough room.

52:20 He would start up with we're gonna sing in the garden and there was one lady says, I don't like in the garden. Y'all don't usually do that to Carl. But that is a heckling crowd. It is very hard. The musical is the best way to go about it.

52:34 I found that and so Kurt did that by faith. His funeral service will be 11:00 on Tuesday morning. If you want to be here for the family, if you want to be here, it's 11:00 Tuesday morning. I think of others. I think of other, I think of others that we didn't know where they stood with Christ at the time of their funeral.

52:55 We learned later that they had come home to it. They had made a profession of faith as a child but come back right before or near the end and I think, praise God. Praise God for that realization. Now, all of that, we can go forward now to 12. All of that to say, these three verses.

53:16 Therefore, just because of, I wanted to get examples that y'all know about, okay? Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses that are surrounding us, let's also just lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us. The writer of Hebrews knew that. I know that. I know it's easy to fall away.

53:39 I get that. It's an encouragement and to come to Jesus. It's let us lay aside every encumbrance in the sin which so easily entangles us and let us run with endurance, the race that is set before us. Let us keep on going forward. So, how do we do that?

53:58 The text says, fixing our eyes on Jesus. Great time for communion. Fixing our eyes on Jesus. He's the author and the perfecter of our faith. Who for the joy set before him, he knew what's on the other side because he had been there.

54:16 Who for the joy set before him endured the cross. That's a difficult road. He endured the cross, despising the shame, and he has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God and the writer of Hebrews has told us couple times already that he's interceding for us there. His spirit is pleading with those who don't know him to trust him and he is interceding for those who do that they would have endurance to carry on forward. For consider him, that's Jesus, who has endured such hostility by sinners against himself, but so that, I love a good so that.

54:54 You will not grow weary and lose heart. So, I'm on with that, Imma invite the elders to come forward. I'm gonna pray. Florian, would you play something pretty? God, I pray that as our hearts are heavy here this morning that it would bring us to a place where we say, there's nothing I hold on to.

55:15 There's nothing I hold on to. We sang it a few minutes ago. There's nothing that I hold on to. Lord, we're gonna feel like we're climbing a mountain. But I pray Lord that you would say, you can do this.

55:30 I am with you. Low, I'm with you always. Would you comfort our hearts? Would you bring us the peace? Would you allow us to see the joy that is set before us?

55:40 In a way that would allow us to just keep on with endurance. In Jesus name, we celebrate his life that was perfectly well lived but also as far as an earthly life is concerned. It was taken but he laid it down. Voluntarily, but his earthly life had an end. He walked perfectly.

56:07 He was tempted in every way just as we're tempted yet he was without sin. He had a perfect record to offer and lord, he offered it. You take that death and you will put that credit that we all owe to our account if we will trust in you. Lord, for everyone here who has trusted in Christ, this table is open. I pray lord that you would bless each one who receives with divine humility.

56:37 God given humility. I pray that you'd allow us to walk out our lives by faith in a way that matters to those who live around us. I pray that each one in here would worry about yourself. That we would, lord, consider it and have an honest self evaluation before God. In Jesus name, lord, I pray that you bless this little cracker, this representation of the body of Christ.

57:04 Amen. On the same night that Jesus was betrayed, he took bread after supper and after he'd given thanks, he blessed it and said, take, this is my body which is given for you. Take this and eat and do it in remembrance of me. God, thank you for giving us the gospels. I thank you for giving us the story of Jesus's life in a way that's simple and easy to understand for the newcomer and it is so profound that it can be studied for the rest of our lives by those who have put their faith in you.

1:01:17 Thank you, lord for the word, Jesus, and for the word of God, the Bible. Thank you. Lord, for doing what you've done. God, I pray that you'd bless this little plastic cup of grape juice as a representation of the blood that Jesus shed. On behalf of all of those who who would put their trust in him by faith would put their trust in him.

1:01:43 Lord, in Jesus name, we pray that you'd bless us. As we distribute it, lord, that everyone who receives would recognize the unity of the body of Christ and that their faith would be strengthened to go forward in the power of the Holy Spirit and for each of those who have not yet trusted in you, I pray pray lord that as they let it pass, they'll consider their way and consider the lives of the people around them. Flawed but forgiven and I pray lord that you would do a work amongst us this morning. In Jesus name, I pray that you'd bless this. Your glory is falling.

1:06:33 Your glory is falling. Your glory is falling over me. It's here. Your glory is here. It's what he was just singing.

1:06:44 Just as he had taken the bread after supper, Jesus took the cup and he told them that this is This is the new covenant in my blood. This is a representation. He said, this is the new covenant in my blood. Take this and drink. Take it in and do it as often as you will in remembrance of me.

1:07:06 Thank you lord for the blood of Jesus that cleanses from our sin. I thank you for this remembrance. I pray that you'd draw us into greater and greater and greater unity as a body. The continuing body of Jesus Christ that we would comfort and console and that we would share what we know to be true by faith in Jesus name. Amen.

1:07:39 The band's not up but we go with the dark solid. Would y'all stand up? Praise God from whom all blessings flow praise him all creatures here below Praise him above ye heavenly host. Praise father, son, and holy ghost. For our benediction today, how about Jude twenty four and twenty five?

1:08:23 And now, to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, blameless with and with great joy. Through Jesus Christ, our lord, may to him be all the glory and the majesty and the dominion and the authority before time and now and forevermore. In Jesus name, amen.

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Cloud Of Witnesses Communion Grief Heroes Of Faith Persevering Faith

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