By Faith: People of Whom the World Was Not Worthy
First B Jackson
2020-01-05

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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Good morning, everybody. How are you?

Good morning.

You're here. That's good. There are few others that are here that are in the vestibule out there. We're going sing em in. If you would, stand and join us.

I'm glad you're here this morning. I'm glad to be here this morning. It's good to see you. We're going to start off with love lifted me. How about that?

Good lord. Happy New Year.

Faithful loving service to to him belong lifted me lifted me when nothing else could help love lifted me love lifted me when nothing else could help lifted souls in danger look above Jesus completely saves He will lift you by his love out of the angry waves. He's the master of the sea, billows his will obey. He, your savior, wants to be be saved today. Love lifted me. Love lifted me.

Amen. How about Christ the solid rock I stand? Hymn number five twenty six. I walked through the door this morning. The first line of the song was on the screen.

I thought, that serves as a benediction or as a blessing. Look at this. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. Amen. Let's sing it.

I is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness I dare not trust my sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all of the ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand. When darkness seems to fail his face, I rest in his unchanging grace. In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil. On Christ the solid rock I stand, on Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand all other ground is sinking sand

is sinking sand Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I have a few announcements. Dan, you can make your way up but you might want to grab Scott's mic on the way. We've got Monday nights.

Monday nights is back. That's a whole lot of back up there and not a whole lot of backpack, isn't it? Monday nights is back. Meal music and a message in the fellowship hall on Monday nights. Happening 06:00.

Carl is starting off a new study of a new book which is the book of Proverbs. How about wisdom literature for a while? I think that's really really good. So, he's starting off with the first part of Proverbs. It'll happen at the same time tomorrow evening, 06:00, 05:45 was what we say for Awana.

Get here early and get in this room. This is where it begins. We pour scripture. Our volunteers, I should say, are pouring scripture into the minds of the kids to reach the heart of this next generation. Dan is one of the commanders at Awana too but he's gonna get up to announce something for next week, if you are a middle school or high school young man for the guys, it's eighth through twelfth grade study is beginning.

Tim Dalton is gonna lead a study. Why Jesus? Why Jesus is the the thinking and he said, when he heard the sermon a few weeks ago where Jesus really is that awesome, he said, that's what the question we're gonna seek to answer. Jesus really is that awesome. So, why is that true?

And he's gonna do that. We've got a men's snowmobile retreat that's coming up. You can step up if you want to. January 24, twenty fifth, twenty sixth, that's coming fast. Old Faithful Christian Ranch, Island Park, Idaho and it's an event but Dan's gonna talk about something that's not actually an event.

I moved here eighteen years ago and the first men's gathering that I went to was this snowmobile retreat.

It was on that snowmobile.

And it was on that snowmobile.

That might be me, actually.

But it's been going on for a long time, and it's a really neat event. So if you've got you know, if it it doesn't have to be snowmobiling. There's lots of other things to do. There's a snow cat that'll bring men in if they don't want a snowmobile in, but it's a big facility. There's room for a lot of people.

It's a good way to go a little bit deeper with some men that you don't know beyond the Sunday morning handshake. So I'd encourage you to to look into it at least. We have a few more weeks till it comes, but Kyle Knutson is organizing it. I'm kinda giving that announcement for him. But there are there are sign up sheets in the foyer with registration.

It's fairly inexpensive, open for, you know, young boys up to whatever age. So anyway, also for men, sorry to, be man heavy this morning, ladies. That wasn't by on purpose, but this Wednesday, many

of

you know that we have a men's ministry that's a a Jackson Hole community men's ministry that meets here on Wednesday mornings at 06:00. And this week, we're gonna start a ten week, Fight Club four fourteen is what it's called. It's for men by men to reach men. And we did it last year and it was very successful and the men that did it will testify that they got a lot out of it. And it's based on Nehemiah four fourteen where Nehemiah gives a a strong exhortation to the men to stand up and look around and fight for your wives and your kids and your community and your church and and to be active and engaged in that.

And scripture is full of examples comparing the Christian life to to war and us being soldiers and to athletic achievement and us being athletes. And athletes don't go to the Olympics without training and soldiers don't go to battle without training and it's all done in the context of a team and in a group. And so that's what this is. It's ten weeks of challenges, physical challenges, intellectual challenges, social challenges, and spiritual challenges. And the hope is at the end of the ten weeks, you'll develop habits and daily routines that draw you closer to Jesus and make you a better Christian as a man.

So, it doesn't have to be on Wednesday mornings. There's gonna be groups that meet at other times, but this Wednesday morning will be the kickoff where you can learn more information, and and partake. You said that that's

an informational meeting Wednesday morning. Yeah. And then kinda the ten weeks officially kicks off at midnight on Thursday morning, right?

Yep. Midnight Thursday morning.

Thank you, Dan. If there are other announcements that we need to be announcing, please let us know. I know there are a lot of Bible studies that have gotten going that are happening in over here, this side, in this valley, over in Teton Valley, Idaho too. There's a lot of stuff that's going on. If you want for us to announce it, please let us know and we will but other than that, everything we know about should be printed in your bulletin and if it's not, let us know and we'll print it in that too.

How are you? Are y'all okay? Yes, okay. Do you have a strength to get up and greet one If you would, it's the shaky shake hand time. You can get up and do that.

To calmer mercy there was great and grace was free pardon there was multiplied to me there my burden soul found liberty Amen.

Oh, I like this song. Freely, freely. That's how we receive. It's not by anything that you've done. It's by what you believe.

It's by what God has done and we receive freely, freely and that's the way we ought to give. Amen.

God forgave my sin I've been born again in Jesus name and in Jesus name name I come to you to share his love as he told me to he said freely freely you have received freely freely give go in my name and because you others will know that I live all power is given in Jesus name to share his power as he told me to he said freely freely you have received really freely give go in my name and because others will know I live

Yep. Y'all can have a seat. I'm gonna invite the frontline team to come forward Would y'all pray with me? Lord, I I I feel the burden from the morning, lord, has been lifted by being with your people and God, I thank you that you've given us one another. I thank you that you have given what you've given us freely, freely and that's the way you tell us to give.

I pray that whether that's the resources of love and compassion and empathy and and help. Lord, or whether that is the the actual financial resources you've given us or of time. Whatever lord. I pray that we would put our all into the kingdom's advance. I pray that we put our all into the body of Christ that we would unify, come together with all believers of all times that put their trust in you and we would, lord, be the continuing body of Christ that carries your word and your hope and your peace and your comfort and your joy forward to the very ends of the earth.

Lord, would you do your will in your way this morning through what happens right here, through your word, and through the interaction of the saints. In Jesus name, would you do your will in your way through the obedient saints gathered here this morning. God, show us your way and give us the strength and the spirit to walk in it. We ask your blessing, amen. Thank you, Judy.

A beautiful song. This morning, I'm working through, well, as we do, we're plotting through scripture but this morning, we're gonna start Hebrews eleven thirty two. We finished with 31 last week. That's no surprise to any of you who come to church here. That's what we do is just go forward in scripture but I'm gonna run through part of this today because I think that's what the writer of Hebrews did.

I think that's what the writer of Hebrews was doing. We've had a pretty good list of very specific examples but then we get a bunch of em all at once. Then, we get after that some general examples and then it goes on to an exhortation. I'm running towards the exhortation, okay? And I wanna put in between the list that this author gives in the exhortation.

I wanna put one of our own list together, okay? Before we do that, hopefully, it'll it'll land. We'll see how it goes. Hebrews 32 through twelve three is what we're gonna study together this morning. If we look back, the Hebrews 11 list of the heroes of the faith.

This is often known as the hall of faith or the heroes. I'd say heroes and heroines of the faith because it's both men and women but if we look at these lists, we get specific examples and the refrain is by faith, by faith, by faith, by faith. Faith is the evidence or the substance or the it is the proof or the guarantee of things hoped for but things not yet seen and by faith, Abel gave up the first things of his flock and that's a good example. It says, he gave a better sacrifice than his brother. We don't know anymore about the situation but we do know the outcome and that's what this list gives.

It gives the person who acted by faith and how they demonstrated that faith and so the act of faith and then the outcome and in the very first example, second generation of humanity period, Abel, gave of the firstlings of his flock by faith and for that was murdered. That's hard. That's a hard and abrupt consequence, abrupt consequence to an act of faith but next, we see Enoch. Enoch walked with God. Oh, that it could be said of us.

Ray walked with God. That's wonderful and he was taken up and he was no more for God took him. We don't know much more about it than that but that's what it says. So, his outcome was he was taken up. Noah, by faith, prepared an ark.

God warned him and he listened. He prepared an ark and the salvation of his household came about because of his faith. Faith, as James says, without works is dead but it's not because of what he did, it's because of what he believed that he did what he did. Abraham, by faith, when he was called obeyed, what a beautiful statement. When called, obeyed.

God gave orders and he took off on his assignment. Abraham by faith when he was called obeyed and he became the father of an innumerable number. Sarah by faith considered God faithful who promised and she miraculously conceived a son in her old age. Now, there are three that come up right here and this is the most common outcome. In fact, all of em, Enoch being the possible exception.

They died, right? These people died. These are heroes of the faith that have gone on. So, Isaac blessed his son's future. That's the specific example the writer of Hebrews gives and he died And Jacob blessed his grandsons and that's the specific example that the writer gives and he died.

Joseph, there's lots of stuff we could mention but what he mentioned was, this is what I want you to do when God finally brings us out of Egypt. I want you to take my bones with you. He had given orders for his funeral as it were, right? So, Joseph gave plans for what to do with his remains and he died. Next, Moses's parents acted in faith by faith.

Moses's parents hid him against the pharaoh's edict. It was an unjust rule and law and they recognized that he was a goodly child and so they went against civil disobedience and they hid Moses and Moses lived because of that. That was the outcome for that one. Moses then was able to act in faith because he was still here because his parents had hidden him that these things build upon one another. Moses left Egypt and he endured and he kept the Passover specifically and he led God's people faithfully.

Faithfully all the way through. He did not get to go into the promised land. The next folks did encirclers of Jericho. We skip in this list. We skip that whole wilderness wandering time but if you're wondering about that, wondering about the wandering, you can look back to Hebrews two and three.

The main refrain there is from Psalms is the, today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts like they did in the rebellion but if you hear the voice of God today, listen and obey. When he calls, obey. Okay. So, then, circulars of Jericho, please forgive me. I put carried pictures up there.

That's Gideon. That is not Jericho. That's not that's not Joshua but they walked around the city once a day for six days and on the seventh day, they walked around seven times and they shouted and the walls came tumbling down. That was God's way for those in circles of Jericho and Joshua to see that. That was their act that demonstrated their faith.

They believed God and Rahab, Rahab reacted in faith to fear. She lived and she was accepted into the people of God. So, this is 13 specific examples of that and that's what we've done for the past few weeks. Now, the writer of Hebrews, after giving those 13 very specific examples is and what more shall I say? I've made the case.

You get it, right? What more shall I say? For time would fail me if I begun to talk about Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah and David and Samuel and the prophets. Time would fail. I don't have time to go into all this.

Y'all know him, no? Right? He's speaking to a first century Jewish background audience that knew who all of these people were. His argument that is actually the next slide I've got up there. These are the names of those folks and rather than the act that demonstrated faith, let's go to the scripture that demonstrates their faith and you can read it on your own time but Gideon was in Judges six and seven.

Barak was in Judges four and five. Why they're out of order? I don't know. So far, everything has gone in order in this list of 13. Then, Samson, Judges thirteen and fourteen and it's out of order with Judges eleven and twelve for Jephthah.

David, oh my goodness, there's so much biblical information about David. Nine twenty eight verses mentioned his name in 28 different Bible books. First and second Samuel and first Chronicles are primarily about David and then Psalms, a lot of em were written by him. Psalms and Psalms. David wrote a bunch of em.

It's about every human condition from lament and sadness all the way up through extreme joy and often it's both in the same Psalm. Samuel was mentioned in first and second Samuel and then at the end of that list, it's more general but they knew who they were. I can tell you who they were, the prophets that are mentioned as a specific example. Where are they? It's in the prophets.

We've got the law, history, and the prophets. If you want to know exactly, several em, couple em have mentioned already. Joshua was considered to be a prophet and Samuel was considered to be a prophet but Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Hosea and Joel and Amos and Obadiah and Jonah and Micah and Nahum, sorry. Habakkuk, Zechariah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. All of those were the prophets and they knew those were.

The scripture that's given, if you wanna go back, you can read about all these folks but they they knew it. They were steeped in it. We're not as much steeped in it today but the argument from that list by the writer of Hebrews is this, what's more shall I say time and family of Gideon, Brock, Samson, Jeff, the David, Samuel, and the prophets and who by faith, it gets back to the point. By faith, they did what? Conquered kingdoms, performed active righteousness, obtained promises, some promises, earthly promises.

Shut the mouths of lions, quench the power of fire, escape the edge of the sword, from meekness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. And you can see some of those things that, well, that matches up with Gideon or that matches up with Barak. It's not though it's more general than specific this time. He gave specifics and then, we're going to see and I think I could list these as as outcome with one possible exception. So, these folks did this.

They performed acts of righteousness which demonstrated their faith. It was by faith that they did them. That's the statement. It's by faith they did these things but I think we could list that one as an act because it's performed acts of righteousness but the outcome is that they conquered kingdoms and they obtained promises. When people listen and obey God in general in the Old Testament, it went well for them.

Not always. They obtained some earthly promises. They shut the mouths of lions. That could go, well, I think that one goes with, well, it could go with Samson, it go with David, it goes with Daniel. Daniel's not on the list so far.

Quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword. You're you're probably thinking of some old testament examples right now. From meekness, they were made strong. They became mighty in war. They put foreign armies to flight.

That one to me most readily matches up with something that's not even in the normal New Testament, New Testament Canon as we see it. That one to me seems to be a story of Judith and Holofernes, not in the list but it was in that Septuagint Bible that the writer of Hebrews was using. These specific examples are followed thereafter with some more general ones. Women, it says, women, it doesn't say, the widow of Zarephath or the widow of this but it says, women receive back their dead by the resurrection. We've got a couple of stories of that with Elijah and Elisha Could be specific but it also is kinda general.

Women receive back their dead by resurrection and others or Torah actually could be Martha and Mary receiving back Lazarus from Hebrew writer's perspective. Women receive back their dead by resurrection. Others though were tortured. They were tortured not accepting their release where they could have relented and been let go. They stayed in prison because it's better to die for the cause of believing in God and believing God than it is to be set free in an earthly sense but deny him.

Women back their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured not accepting their release so that they might obtain a better resurrection. Y'all know in the New Testament in Greek at least the word for witness is marturion. Martyr. One who's willing to die for their faith as a witness.

So, women receive back their dead by resurrection and also others, others experience mockings and scourging. Now, this is getting more general, right? It's not specific but they probably knew some folks who had experienced mockings and scourgings and chains and imprisonment and if y'all read the missionary letters of the people that we support here, y'all know some too. The specific examples give way to these more general women, others, others, and they mockings and scourgings just also chains and imprisonments and then this last one is tough. They, they, and that's general but it's it's these specific folks and others.

They, they were stoned. Can you think of any examples of folks who had been stoned? There are. When Jesus stood outside of Jerusalem and he wanted to gather em all under his wings like chicks, this thought was in his mind. Oh Jerusalem, you who stoned the prophets and cast out and mocked those who came to you to deliver my word.

He wanted to bring him in but he knew it wouldn't happen and that caused him to cry and grieve bitterly. They were stoned. They were sown into. Every time I've talked to Carl, almost every time I talk to Carl over the last few weeks, this is something that's been hanging in his mind because we feel like, oh, this is kind of a tough life on this side when you're trying and you're walking through grief with someone you think, oh, this is excruciating and difficult and then, it happens upon us that they were sown into Isaiah, the prophet by tradition. It's not in the biblical narrative but Isaiah the prophet was sown into.

They were tempted and they were put to death with the sword and they were they went about in sheep's skins and in goat skins and being destitute for their property and land have been taken away. Actually, that's an example that the author of Hebrews gives of these people that he's writing to that they had formerly given away their property with the joy that they were looking forward to because it was being taken from them anyway. They were being destitute and afflicted. They were ill treated. This list was close to their heart.

Men of whom the world was not worthy. People of whom really, the men is added. It's an italics in the NASB. It means it's added to make, it makes sense. So, people of whom this world was not worthy.

By faith, They went about wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all of these. Now, the white slide means we've covered this before. We covered a few weeks back. I did verses one and two and verses thirty nine and forty as kind of two pieces of bread on outside of a sandwich.

There's a lot of meat between. We've been going through this meat for the last four weeks but this outside slice of bread here is and all of these, everything that's happened in between these two slices, faith is evidence of things hoped for, things not yet seen and by faith, all these people did these things and all of these having gained approval through their faith. It's by faith that you're saved, not by works. So that no one can boast. It is by their faith and by the grace of God.

All all of these having gained approval through their faith. They did not receive what was promised. At least in an earthly sense. They did not receive the promise. They did obtain some promises and the text has already said that but what they were looking forward to, that great communion with God almighty through the provision he would make.

Now, the folks back in the first century had to look forward to Christ, to Messiah, to the one, the anointed one who could pay the penalty for their sin. The blood of bulls and goats was never able to do it but the blood of Christ is and we're gonna celebrate communion here this morning and the salvation available in Christ and in Christ alone but this, they did not receive what was promised in the fullest sense. Because God had provided something better. God had provided for an eternal communion with him. And it's not just something better for them, it's something better for us.

Something better for us. So, that apart from us, they would not be made perfect. They were working on it and God was transforming and through their humble submission, they would do well. Christ came and lived that perfect life and he died a perfect death and he offered that. He got together with his disciples and he did this communion.

He did this Lord's supper. Jesus's Lord's supper. We have four chapters in John thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen where Jesus was preparing his disciples for his earthly end. He was showing them and teaching them how things would be after he was gone and then he promised. He says, it's good for you that I go away because if I didn't go away, I wouldn't send the spirit but the spirit will be here.

It's a different experience. New Testament Christianity is a different experience but it's tied and unified with that Old Testament experience. Because God has provided something better for us so that apart from us, they would not be made perfect. So, that's the sandwich I was talking about. By faith, we're unified with all believers of all times.

The writer of Hebrews has tied them to their forebears and tied us to those forebears but I wanna bring it forward. You can go to a black slide I think there. Those specific examples, yeah, that we have in front of us are good but we didn't know those people like we'd know people, right? So, I came here full time, June 2012 and since then, full time, I think I've done 50 or maybe 51 funerals. I have another one this week some of those y'all know and you know very well and as I look out, I'm I'm I'm seeing people and thinking of people that you have lost but if we start looking back and we look at those who are walking in faith and they did what they did by faith.

03/25/2017, my best friend, the guy that I grew up with that was four months older than me that was my really close cousin and friend and I loved him dearly. 03/25/2017, he felt like, I don't feel so good, went inside the house, said out loud to his wife, I don't feel so good and then fell over dead. Chad, Douglas, Rex Road. My close, close friend and the closest person that I have that I've ever lost and that happened, you know, five years after I had been doing funerals here for y'all and a lot of y'all have lost people in that time. That were people of faith.

Chad did what he did by faith and I'm I wanna tie that to it. So, Bud Searles. Bud used to come to this service. He used to sit right there. Bud and Margaret, faithful, faithful people.

Now, Chad was not a pastor. Chad was a jack of all trades, master of none. Brilliant with his hands, brilliant guy, and would do anything for anybody. Good man. He did what he did by faith.

He loved his family, by faith. Served as a minister. He said in the time that he served in Worland, I think it's twenty three years. He had done over 300 funerals, close to 400 funerals. And when you do that, you do all types.

You do types where you can say by faith, this person did what they did or sometimes you're doing funerals for people that you didn't know at all. I get a call from the hospital fairly regularly where they say, could you come and pray with this family with their relative that's in ICU and then two days later, I'm doing a funeral. But by faith, after he had had a full career serving in national parks and all over doing other stuff by faith. He stepped into the pastorate and faithfully executed that. By faith, he walked it out by faith.

Mark Upton. Did, you know, damage mitigation after after household emergencies that happen, household stuff happen. He would go in with his company and fix things. That's what he did. By faith, he died fighting a bear, protecting someone else's life.

An elder in this church, for those of you who are visiting, I know this is a little odd. By faith, Mark protected that other life and loved his family very, very, very well. By faith, his witness goes forward still like it says about Abel but 09/14/2018, Grace McDaniel. Grace McDaniel is my grandmother and she died January third last year. So, it's been almost exactly a year.

Tomorrow will be a year since I preached her funeral. She lived a life by faith. From the time she was a little girl, she she acted out her faith and after marrying and having kids, she taught Sunday school sixty something years. She taught Sunday school. Yeah.

By faith. Help him lord. I remember sitting on the porch in the swing. She'd seen an ambulance coming off the mountain over there. You can see it for about three miles and that was come through town.

She'd say, help em lord. Help em. I don't know who they are but I know that they're not in a good shape right now. Help em lord. I've told y'all before I do that when I see U Haul trucks.

I got it from her though. I don't know who they are and I don't know where they're headed but they ain't happy. Laura Simpson. Laura Simpson, what a life of faith. Just this year in September, Wes, oh, Wes.

Wes Flanagan. What an evangelist. What a man who carried the evangel with him. Carried it forward. Love, love, love, love, love Jesus and sought to serve him daily and then his mind began to go and eventually his body gave way and he did not receive all of the promises, right?

On this side, he didn't receive all the he's received them now. He's received them now. Yes and I could say that about all of these on this list and this list like the one in Hebrews is not exhaustive. It's representative of others. That's the point and we're getting to the point actually.

Wes Flanagan died this year, 10/04/2019. And then, some of y'all might not have even heard of Kurt Ripley passed on Wednesday, this week. A sudden, aortic dissection. It was just sudden, painful, and quick. So, that from late 03:00 sometime and he was gone at 06:00.

So, we don't know exactly when that is coming but it's coming. Kurt Ripley, by faith, repaired vacuum cleaners. By faith, by faith, led people to Jesus who needed a vacuum cleaner, right? By faith, he did what he did by faith. That's the point.

Loved his wife, Melissa. He loved his girls well, unconditional, agape type love flowed forth from the man. He did our living center service. You know, Russ Wood has done that service. He did that for several years.

Russ and Yvonne, Kurt, and Melissa and the girls did the service at the living center for us for years, for a long time. Florine does it now. I've done it before. I did it for another church for a while while I was out here as a carpenter. That's not an easy crowd, people.

I'm just gonna tell you right now, that's not an easy crowd. Sometimes and music is the easiest way to do it and most of us end up doing mostly music when we're preaching it but every once in a while, you say, okay, turn to such and such in the garden and somebody say, I don't like in the garden. Oh my goodness. I don't get that from the Sunday crowd. This is this is tough.

We we'll we'll note it. Okay. Try to remember that next time. Kurt and Melissa did that for a long long time and Florina's doing that now. Bob helps out with it and it's really, it's a great great time but it's not an easy crowd but he did it.

He did what he did by faith and he did it all the way up to the end. He was actually helping not just he helped other people shovel snow. It wasn't that that caused the heart attack, anything like that but he was always doing always, always, always. He did what he did by faith. That's my point.

My point is we know people who lived out their life by faith and then, we go to, sorry, Blake, would you get me back to twelve one? There you go. Thank you. So, therefore, they had their list and we had that same list. We can look back all Abel, Enoch, Moses, Noah, all of those folks.

We can look back to them but also, I can look back to Chad. You can look back to who you can look back to. That you know they live their life by faith. Look back to that list and then hit this therefore. Therefore, since we have because we do, so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us.

I'm a better man today because of the way Mark helped him with his life. And corporately. Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let's also lay aside every encumbrance and every sin which so easily entangles us. The writer of Hebrews recognize that it's easy to fall into sin. It really is.

I recognize it too. Let's then because we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. Let's lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so angrily and easily entangles us and let us run with endurance. This all of Hebrews is a call to endurance. Not to fade away, not to leave Jesus the way, the truth, and the life.

What we're gonna celebrate right here, the the oneness with God that's available in Christ. Don't walk away from that. Don't be tempted to. Run with endurance the race that set before us. How?

By fixing our eyes on Jesus. Fixing our eyes on Jesus. He really is that awesome. Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author, and the perfecter of our faith. Who?

For the joy that was set before him. Now, the road to Calvary, the Via Dolorosa, the painful way. Doesn't look like joy but it says, for the joy set before him, he endured the Via Doloros. He endured the cross. For the joy set before him, 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 already expressed to us that he's seated at the right hand of the throne of God because his work is finished for one thing and the other is he's interceding for us.

He's praying for us that we would endure. Those who have believed in him and the spirit is actively wooing and drawing because if we lift Jesus, he will draw all to him. The spirit is actively wooing us to Christ and Christ is actively praying for those of us that we would endure and we'd live our lives by faith in such a way so that other people may see that and be drawn to him. For consider him, that's Jesus, who has endured such hostility by sinners against himself and he did. So that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Looking at Jesus's example ultimately but we've got a great cloud of witnesses from those who came before him looking forward to him to those who have come after him, looking back to him. We have a great cloud of witnesses. So, let's lay aside everything else and stick to Jesus. I'm gonna ask the elders present and the frontline team if you would come forward There you go. Judy, would you play something pretty?

Thank you. And now, would you pray with me? God, I pray that we would recognize your sacrifice that we would recognize that you understand. You're tempted in every way that we're tempted and yet without sin but God the father, you lost I know it was by plan. I know it was divine.

I know but you know what it's like to be separated from a loved one. You understand it? God, would you help give us the strength to run with endurance? God, would you help us to fix our eyes on Jesus and right now, we're fixing our eyes on the life that he lived in, the flesh on this Earth, that's earthly time that he was here. We're celebrating that he was able to walk forward, submitted to the spirit, and in humility, and be obedient.

We're asking that we'd be able to do the same. We identify with him. We want to be the continuing body of Christ. Unify us, lord. Let us feel the unity that we have with all believers of all times who've looked to you for their provision and salvation.

We thank you for providing Jesus and for the way that you did that. You know better than we. In Jesus name, would you bless this little cracker? A representation of the body of Christ that was given. Amen.

On the same night that Jesus was betrayed, he took bread after supper and after he'd given thanks and blessed he said, to his disciples that were there with him. He said, this is my body which is given for you. It's broken for you. Take it. As often as you will in remembrance of me.

We thank you lord that you know what it's like to live inside of this mortal core that you emptied yourself and that you walk and we're tempted in all the ways that we are but you're without sin. By your spirit, lord, by gentle, humble submission to the spirit, Jesus walked it out. We're thankful that he did and we're thankful that that same spirit and that same power that raised him from the grave is available to us. That know you, lord, to be able to walk forward in humble submission. In Jesus name and in his blood, this is the next part, lord, of what we do.

It is by his stripes that we're healed. It's by his blood that we are cleansed from our iniquity. So, lord, would you, as we remember this together right now and celebrate that Jesus's blood covers it all. Lord, the Calvary covers it all as we pray right now and as we take this cup and distribute it. Lord, would you bless this little representation of plastic cup full of grape juice, lord.

It is a nod our submission to you, our savior, the one who purchased our freedom by his own blood. In Jesus name, I pray for everyone who receives this, that you would convince us of our own unity in Christ. That you would keep us in humility and that you would fill us with power to be able to walk it out. Like our co heir, Christ. Lord, would you do that for us?

And for those lord who must let this cup pass because this is not what they believe. It's not where they have placed the faith you've given them. Lord, if they let it pass, would you do a work in that heart and draw them? By faith. By the acts of demonstrated demonstrated faith of those in this room who love them.

Would you show em your way through us? In humble submission, we ask you, lord. Amen.

Covers it all my past with its sin and stain and my heart bowed in shame as I called on his name my past with it sin and sting my guilt and despair

In the same way that he taken the bread, he took the cup after supper and he said to his disciples there and it's still saying to us today, this is representative. This is the new covenant in my blood. Take this and drink and do it as often as you will in remembrance of me. Jesus. For the spilled blood of Calvary.

It covers it all in Jesus name. Amen. I have a couple of things. I'd like for you to stand. We're gonna sing one more together but that that painting up there was Alyssa Massey.

There there are a lot of this great cloud of witnesses that have passed but there are a lot of us that are still here and we're doing what we do by faith. Alyssa Massey painted that painting that was just up there. Ain't that cool? She's doing what she's doing by faith. She's actually an art school in California.

So, we have an opportunity here because people come from everywhere. They come here and they're here for a while and then they go somewhere else but what we can do together is amazing. We can come together by faith and then when people go out from here, it's amazing what they get to be doing. I just saw that and thought that's an example of somebody that's alive. And I've got a benediction for us but what were we gonna Can we sing?

That's perfect. My faith looks up to do. Hymn number five thirty nine. Scott, would you come on up? We're gonna sing together.

Thank you, Judy. Y'all sing it to me, please. I don't know this song. Maybe Calvary covers it all would be better. You wanna switch back to that?

Let's do that. Calvary covers it all. Blake's not gonna have that one. Oh, I don't know that song. Let's Let's learn it right now.

Y'all sing this to me. My faith looks up to thee. Blake, you're on it, man. Hymn number, let's, what do we wanna do? Let's sing Calvary Coves It All.

Last verse. Okay.

Jesus took on him there and Calvary covers it all.

Amen. And the benediction this morning is from Jude. Jude twenty four and twenty five say this, now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling. And to make you stand in the presence of his glory, blameless with great joy to the only God, our savior, through Jesus Christ, our lord, our access. Be glory and majesty and dominion and authority before all time now and forevermore.

Amen. Jesus, would you use us this week? Amen.