0:01
Alright. I think we are we are on. Good morning, everybody. The purple one today. Yep.
0:08
It's good to see you all. And that video that you just saw, Brianna, could you just raise up a hand real quick? That was Brianna's experience in Thailand for DTS. So do yourself a favor today. Ask her about a highlight from it because you'll be glad you did.
0:25
Would you stand up? We're gonna sing together. God rest ye merry gentlemen. Alright. Let's sing.
0:42
God rest you.
0:44
God rest you, merry gentlemen, let nothing you despair. Remember Christ our Savior was born tidings of comfort and joy. From God our heavenly father, this blessed angel came and And now to the Lord sing praise. And now to those sing praises all you within this place. And with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace this holy
2:32
seat. I have a few announcements but actually, the announcements, I don't Yeah, great one to know. That's the announcement that's up there this time. Y'all have a paper bulletin or if you didn't grab one on the way in, you can grab one on your way out. It'll tell you just about everything else that's going on and it's very very busy right now.
2:51
We've got all kinds of stuff going on. Jackson Hole Men's Alliance is on Wednesday mornings at 06:00 right here at First B. I think they're meeting in the Fellowship Hall. Build day for Habitat for Humanity is happening before we come back together next week. So, December 7, that's next Saturday.
3:08
If you want to sign up, you can do that through the church website. I see that there is a women's study in Teton Valley, Idaho, which is good. Wednesday night, Wednesday mornings, 9AM to 10:45. So it's the Minor Prophets led by Denise Anderson. We've got Homemade for the Holidays is coming up.
3:27
Tribe is doing that event. They do it every other year or so. That's going to be really good and it's December 5. So, that's this week also. If you just look in there, you'll see lots of stuff.
3:36
You all see us a little packet of all the scripture for today. Don't let that scare you. It'll be alright. There's all kinds of stuff going on, but it's right there. That's why we keep on printing these things.
3:46
It's so you can know and remember, help fill out your schedule. I don't think there's anything I gotta go on. Can I
3:52
add one? Well, Awana is still on.
3:54
Awana is on.
3:55
And at the same time, Awana is meal music and message down the hall at six, and will be in the book of Micah for a couple of weeks. So know that you're invited. Felix and Guadalupe are are cooking tomorrow. The door is open for you tomorrow.
4:09
Can you say the book of Michael? Micah. Micah. Okay. Just making sure.
4:13
Yeah. Come on up, Steve, please.
4:17
Good morning, every woah. Good morning, everybody. Sorry about that. I'm Steve Landis, the moderator here, and I just wanna give you a quick state of the union report for first b, and and we just wanna say praise the Lord. We're grateful to the Lord.
4:35
He has far exceeded our expectations this year in many ways. In some other ways, he's frustrated us as the BOT. There are some projects we did not get completed that we wanted to this year, but they're in God's hands, and we're gonna just push them into 2020 and, try and, try again in 2020. So I wanna thank you as a congregation for your generous support to this church and this community. Our goal is to, reach this community and reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
5:06
I do wanna draw your attention to the insert that Ray talked about here, which, has his four pages of Hebrews on it. If you look at the very back, it's time for me to remind you that it is the Christmas season already. And so if you we it's our it's our tradition to give our pastors and the staff a Christmas love gift, and we'd like to have those in by the fifteenth. So that's all on the very back page of that insert. All the information you need there, and if anybody wants to, or has questions, feel free to contact me.
5:42
We also just a couple of things to look forward to in the next couple of weeks. The BOT, the elders, finance committee have all been working hard to put together a budget for 2,020. We'll be publicizing that on the December 15, and we've also got some officers that are coming up, and we would appreciate your prayers as we head into our congregational meeting, which I believe is slated for January 15 at this point. Is that correct,
6:09
or is it twelfth? It's a think it's a twelfth.
6:10
It's a Sunday, the twelfth. So we'll just ask for your prayers as we move into our budgeting and congregational meeting season. So pray for God's direction and God's unity. And I just want to say thank you again.
6:25
Thank you, Steve. We, it's the first Sunday of Advent. It looks like the Kaufman's are going to come forward. Are you ready? We are ready.
6:34
Okay. Come on forward.
6:40
Yay. First Sunday
6:41
of Advent. This
6:43
is so exciting. Today is the first Sunday in Advent. We light the first candle, the candle of hope. Amen. We have hope because of the faithful promises of God.
6:55
He sent his son and we receive our savior, a savior born to redeem the world from sin and death.
7:05
May the God of hope fill you all with joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with the hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans fifteen thirteen tells us.
7:33
Amen. Y'all can stand up if you would and greet one another and we'll bring you back together with a peppy little song. Hey, Jeff. How
7:53
are you,
7:53
bud? That's great. Yeah. Just put it on the the stand.
10:05
Far as the curse is found. And he rules the world. Let's sing that. And he rules the world with
10:53
Let me pray. God, we are grateful for another day that you've given us. Thank you for the breath in our lungs that we can use to to praise you and for these songs that sing truths about you. That truly you rule the world with grace and truth. And thank you God.
11:09
You are the source of joy and of hope. We give you our praise this morning. Amen.
11:44
See no years, sir. No heart you could fully know. How glorious, how beautiful you are. On my love, beautiful on my door, beautiful on my soul, sing. Let's sing that again.
13:08
Beautiful one night, your door. Beautiful one wonderful,
13:23
your
13:31
wonderful, because nothing on earth has as beautiful as you. Let's sing that again. You've opened. Opened my eyes to wonders in me. You've captured my heart with this love.
13:51
Nothing on earth as is beautiful as you. Beautiful one night, oh, soul, mercy.
14:36
Let me share our verse. Psalm 36, how precious is your unfailing love, oh God. All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. So that all the world
17:58
Amen. Y'all can have a seat. Would you pray with me though? God, I thank you for this morning. Thank you for this Advent season where we do look forward expectantly lord Sunday of hope.
18:09
That absolute certainty which is coming. Lord, we haven't seen what it looks like this year yet but it's coming. It celebrates the advent of Christ. Where all the world in expectation was looking forward. God, I thank you for this time of year to remind us how you are birthed into this world, Jesus, and you walked perfect life, completely yielded and submitted to the spirit in order that you might have a perfect record to exchange for our imperfect ones, lord.
18:41
I thank you that you are our great high priest as Hebrews points out over and over and over. God, would you accept these offerings? Lord, to further the gospel, to advance the kingdom. Lord, would you use the willingness of your servants here, your obedient ones here, lord, to contact people who do not yet know you, lord. I pray that we would carry it forth.
19:10
I know we have a home right now. Brianna and Eugene and there are others lord that have been out on mission for you specifically sent out commissioned by this church and I pray lord that as they come back that that we would be a refreshment to them and that they would refresh us by telling us lord the stories of what you're doing out there on the front lines In Jesus name, lord, we pray that your gospel would go forward for your glory, your kingdom advance and lord, ultimately, it's for our good too In Jesus name, lord, would you use what we place in these plates and our lives, lord, to do your will, in your way, in Jesus name, amen.
20:13
Creation groans for a world in darkness. Frozen lights on, bodies breaking. It stayed for throng. And he shall reign forevermore, forevermore. He shall reign forevermore, forevermore.
20:43
Unto a lost child is born, the king of kings and lord of lords, and he shall reign forevermore, forevermore. I will give to him my heart and he shall. He shall reign forevermore, forevermore. And he shall reign Messiah, and he shall reign forevermore, forevermore. And he shall reign forevermore, forevermore.
22:22
Unto us a child who's born, the king of kings, the Lord of loans. And he shall reign forevermore, forevermore. And he shall reign forevermore, forevermore.
23:00
Amen. So, without the announcements being in place, there is children's church downstairs. It's starting right now. There's also a junior high and senior high school girls study that's going on down there too. So, if you're a part of those crowds, you can head on out.
23:19
Hey, there. How are you, Hayden? So, last week, we had a very full meal. If you weren't here last week, whoo. We did a review of the entire book of Hebrews, all of the first 10 chapters and closed off the last seven verses and preach through those.
23:37
So, in full chapters kind of summarized and it's a very very full, you know, to do 10 chapters of Hebrews. This is one of the heaviest books in the New Testament. This week, this is the way that it ends. The last few verses are this, for you have need of endurance. So, it's a call to endurance to persevere.
23:59
For those first century Christians not to turn back to the old covenant, first century Judaism that they knew For us, it's not turning back to whatever the world view you came out of into Christ. It's don't turn away from Christ You have need of endurance to persevere. You have need of endurance so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. It's talking about that rest that Hebrews has mentioned a few times before. It's not temporal but eternal.
24:29
You may receive what was promised. There's an Old Testament quote here signified by this change in font. For yet in a very little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay but my righteous one shall live by faith. This is something that's an Old Testament concept picked up in the New Testament multiple times. Paul uses it.
24:50
James uses it. Peter uses it. It's it comes up quite a bit but my righteous one shall live by faith and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure and I'm closing verse of chapter 10 is this, but we are not of those who shrink back to destruction. We're not going to give in. We're not going to give up.
25:09
We're not going back to that which we knew. We're going to that land that God will show us. We are not of those who shrink back to destruction but we are of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul and that is the jumping off place for chapter 11 which most of you know if you have been, I remember when I was in like the, I don't know, second or third grade, miss Zany Bennett was the Sunday school teacher, Zany Bennett and Zany said, what's your favorite Bible verse? And I thought, should we have a favorite? I don't know what my favorite Bible verse is.
25:44
She goes, well, for some people, it's John three sixteen and I thought, okay, that's a good one. I'm in the second grade. I guess that is a good one. I had never thought to, you know, differentiate or put favorites and then she said, some people, it's Hebrews 11. That was the next thing she said.
25:57
It stuck in my mind because I thought, I better read that. I don't know what that one is He rose, he rose of the faith. I think it's better to say he rose and heroines of the faith that has men and women represented Jews and Gentiles represented. It's got a lot of different representatives in there. We have faith to the preserving of the soul and then, I wanted to mention this does come from Habakkuk.
26:21
This is the book of Habakkuk. For the vision is yet for the appointed time. What is coming will come. It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail though it tarries wait for it. Though it tarries wait for it For it will certainly will not delay.
26:39
Behold, as for the proud one his soul is not right with him and actually James says and it says several different times the same concept is picked up. God opposes the proud but he gives grace to the humble. The proud one, his soul is not right within him but the righteous one will live by his faith and it is a humble faith. It's a deep conviction Actually, let me just let Hebrews define it when we get there. Hebrews 11 is where we're going to be today It's a very full meal.
27:11
It's 40 verses and I'm not gonna do all of those today, but let's approach it like a sandwich. Okay? Today, I've been using lettuce a few weeks ago and there's a lot of meat in here, but I'm just gonna go with the the the bread today. So, the outside pieces of this big sandwich, alright? There's bread on both sides of it and it really is our bread and butter.
27:34
It's about faith. It's about faith. It comes down to faith. Hebrews one and two and then thirty nine and forty are both about faith and they hold all this together. The whole chapter is about faith.
27:46
The heroes are the hall of faith. They ruins of the faith but what holds us together is knighted by a common faith in God. Now, for them, it did have to look a little bit different. They were real fuzzy on the details of exactly how Messiah would come. Some of them had preconceived ideas and some of them had built up over the four hundred and something years in the inter testamental silence.
28:13
This part where God has been silent. There were people that had invented. This is the way that this is going to happen. Exactly way and people started following after those guesses rather than it actually said. The writer of Hebrews is saying, pay more attention to what you already have heard.
28:30
Pay more attention to what you've already read so that you don't drift from it. Don't drift on a flight of fancy. Don't drift on an idea of a maybe. It looks like it could be this but rather find your faith and your security in God. What holds us together?
28:49
We're by faith, we're unified. Now, Hebrews defines faith straight off the bat in chapter 11 like this. Now, faith pistis Faith is the assurance things hoped for the convict, the conviction of things not seen and I could say not yet seen. Because in the Bible, every time that it mentions hope, it is hope. It's an absolute certainty that has not yet come to pass and so, faith is the assurance or some translations say the evidence of things that are hoped for.
29:26
Things that will come to pass, they just haven't happened yet. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for. You can look at it also as the guarantee, warranty, down payment. Faith is the guarantee of what is coming to pass. Hope is not the same way that we I mentioned this every time we hit hope in the Bible.
29:49
Hope is not. I hope it'll happen but I don't really know. It could go either way. Hope is grounded in the truth that God is in control and this will come to pass because he has said, it's coming. Though it tarries, wait for it, right?
30:04
Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen for by it, the men of old gained approval and by it, it means now faith. By faith, the men of old gained approval and actually the word there for men or men of old is presbuteroi which means the ancients, the ancients and that didn't come up and that worries me a little bit like we'll see how this goes. Maybe it's towards the end. Now, I'm going to I'm going to read through this but I'm not going to preach through this. Will you stick with me for 36 verses, okay?
30:39
I want you to see how many times it says by faith too and I've highlighted them for you but I'm just going to read it. I'm going to go over this yellow section, the by faith middle part of this sandwich. I'm going over that next week. That's where we're headed next week but if you go from faith is assurance, things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, for by faith, the men of old or men and women of old, the ancients gained approval by faith. We understand and that's all of us, not just us but them too in the pre earthly Messiah times.
31:13
By faith, we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God. So that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. God made out of nothing. By faith, Abel, that's starting mighty early, right? This is way early by faith.
31:30
Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous. By faith and it showed that he was righteous. Was he perfect? No. Through which he obtained testimony that he was righteous.
31:48
God testifying about his gifts and through faith. I could've highlight that too by faith. Though he is dead, that's Abel. He still speaks by faith. Enoch, Enoch was taken up with God so that he would not see death and he was not found because God took him up for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up, he was pleasing to God and without faith, it's impossible to please God.
32:16
For he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he's a rewarder of those who seek him. By faith, Noah, being warned by God about the things not yet seen. In reverence, prepared an ark for the salvation of his household by which he condemned the world and he became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. It's all about faith. By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed.
32:49
Remember when God said, leave the land that you know and go to a place that I'll show you. He didn't know the way but by faith when he was called, he obeyed and going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance and he went out not knowing where he was going. By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise. As in a foreign land dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of that same promise for he was looking for the city which has foundations whose architect and is God by faith. Abraham went out.
33:24
By faith, even Sarah herself received ability conceived even beyond the proper time of life. She since she considered him God faithful who had promised. What do you remember about Sarah by the way? She laughed. That's what everybody says the whole time and she laughed.
33:43
That's what we remember. What did Abraham do when God told him that he was going to do that? It's a chapter before. So, that's 18. 17, what did Abraham do?
33:52
He laughed He left. He he fell on his face laughing. It says, he doubled over in laughter. We don't remember it about Abraham but we remembered about Sarah. That's just funny to me Maybe that'll come up again next week.
34:05
Probably will. By faith, even Sarah herself received ability to conceive even beyond the proper time of life since. She considered him faithful who had promised and that's what she did. Sarah is listed in this heroes or heroines of the faith because she considered him faithful who had promised. There's a this is hard to explain, but it's it's worthwhile.
34:29
So Pistis is either subjectively our faith or objectively it's the faithfulness of God. It it means both things. It matters where you place your faith. Now, in this hall of faith, it does not mention Christ over and over and over again like you might think a New Testament book should but it's talking about these ancients and they're trusting in God. They don't know exactly the way that he is making but they're leaving this thing that they knew and they're going in faith by faith.
35:01
They're doing the things that he directs them to do whether it's leaving the land of your father and going or building a boat. We'll get to that. By faith, even Sarah herself received ability to conceive even beyond the proper time of life. Miraculous. She considered him faithful who had promised.
35:18
Therefore, there was born even of one man and that man as good as dead at that as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore and indeed, if they had been thinking about and indeed, if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. Now, think about this parallel right here. He's speaking to people who are considering returning to what they've come from. Remember when they led the children out of Egypt, Moses is leading them out of Egypt and they say, why don't you take us back to Egypt? At least when we were there, we had food.
36:00
There's always the opportunity to to to shrink back. There's always the possibility that you might be led astray and indeed, if they have been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return but as it is, they desire a better country. That is a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God for he has prepared a city for them. Who?
36:25
Those who had acted out of faith. It is by faith. The righteous one shall live by faith. Trusting in what God reveals. By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, he offered up Isaac and he who had received the promises were was offering up his only begotten son.
36:41
If you knew that this is the way God is going to fulfill his promise, he gives you Isaac and then he asks you to sacrifice Isaac. It was he to whom it was said and Isaac, your descendant shall be called. He considered that God was able to raise people even from the dead from which he also received him back as a type. So, Isaac was going up that mountain to be sacrificed. Actually, when you go to Israel, they point out that that mountain was right there.
37:13
Calvary, it's right there, Mount. Alright. By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau and even regarding things to come by faith, Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff, stood By faith, Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the Exodus of the sons of Israel and gave orders concerning his bones. He was looking forward to what God had and he was proclaiming it and he was looking forward to it by faith. By faith, Moses, when he was born, he was hidden for three months by his parents.
37:55
Because they saw he was a beautiful child and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill treatment when the people of God with the people of God rather than to enjoy the past and pleasures of sin. You understand that his life, earthly, temporal wise, would have been easier to just stay in that house but he did. He took this on by faith. Considering the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt and it was looking forward to Messiah right there.
38:32
It mentions Christ, the anointed one that would come, God's provision, considering the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. He was looking forward to that reward. By faith, he left Egypt. Not fearing the wrath of the king for he endure as seeing and this is called endurance. Remember that for you have need of endurance.
38:52
So, he's showing all of these different examples. By faith, he left Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king for he endured as seeing him who's unseen by faith. He kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood. It was the way that God had made so that people would be saved. So that he destroyed the firstborn.
39:14
He who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them by faith. They passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land and the Egyptians, when they attempted it were drowned. Why? Because the Egyptians were not doing it in faith They were doing it out of evil and if you think that's a weird distinction. Maybe they didn't get any direction from God on that Well, James of Romans fourteen twenty three says that whatever is not done of faith is sin.
39:45
Whatever is not done out of a deep conviction in God and direction of God. Whatever it is that's not done that way is itself sin. James follows that up and James says, to know to do the right thing and not do it to that person, that's sin By faith, they passed through Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land. The Egyptians when they attempted it were drowned By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down. After they had been encircled for seven days, you remember that story?
40:16
One of the strangest military victories ever. But it was fought by faith. By by faith, Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient after she had welcomed the spies in peace. Remember her, she's not an Israelite She's not a Hebrew child. She is a stranger an outsider a woman in this list I love her and what more shall I say?
40:50
For time will fail me. This is very preacherly of the writer of Hebrews. For what more shall I say? Time will fail me if I tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jeff and David and Samuel and the prophets who by faith and this is a long list of the actions. We've had a pretty long list of the patriarchs and what they did but listen to this one.
41:11
This is by faith and you can say by faith, they conquered kingdoms and by faith, they performed acts of righteousness and by faith, they obtained the promises and by faith, shut the mouths of lions and by faith, quenched the power of fire and by faith, they escaped the edge of the sword and by faith from weakness, they were made strong and by faith, they became mighty in war and by faith, they put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection, by faith. And in their faith, others were tortured, not accepting their relief so that they might obtain a better resurrection. When confronted with difficulty and that's what was happening in this church and that's what's still happening today. Persecution happens, right?
42:11
This is a call to endurance and perseverance in the way, the truth, the life. Stick with Jesus. Not accepting their release so that they might obtain a better resurrection. They would not go against that which they believe even to save their own skin. And others experience mockings and scourgings.
42:33
Yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned for their faith. They were sawn in two for their faith. They were tempted within their faith. They were tempted.
42:48
They were put to death with the sword. They went about in sheep and goat skins and being destitute and afflicted and ill treated in their faith and all of these list we're back to the white words again that I'm not covering the yellow words this week. It'll be next week but the white words again. All of these people and all of these experience, it it goes all the way back to the second generation of human beings. All of these having gained approval through their faith.
43:21
Did not receive what God had promised. Now, is that a crisis of faith for you right there? Just to consider that they were, they're named as righteous. They're named as faithful. If not anywhere else in the Bible right here in Hebrews, it's named as these folks are righteous but they did not receive what was promised.
43:45
And then verse 40 says, because God had provided something better for us So, that apart from us, they would not be made perfect. So, that is the chapter read out loud. I want to mention two things. I've already mentioned them once but Romans fourteen twenty two and twenty three says this, the faith, the faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Romans 14 is a great place to go if you're in some disputable matter with a brother or sister in Christ and you feel like, well, I'm a vegetarian and they eat meat or I am this political persuasion and they're of that political persuasion.
44:20
If there's a disputable matter that's not a matter that's an essential of the faith. The faiths which you have have is your own conviction before God. Be thoroughly convinced of it in your own mind and act out of that faith. Please do but you worry about yourself, alright? That's what Romans 14 is saying.
44:42
Happy is he who does not condemn himself and what he approves but he who doubts is condemned already If he eats because he's eating is not from faith and whatever is not from faith is sin. That's heavy. For churchy church folks, that's heavy. You gotta think about everything that we do needs to be done out of conviction before God and if it's not, that in itself is sin. So, I know we've got our pet list of all the sins that we hate and different people have different lists but if what you're doing is not done out of conviction and faith then it's not pleasing to God James come now you who say, today or tomorrow, we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, and engage in business and make a profit Yet, you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.
45:36
You're just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say this, if the Lord wills. Now, if the Lord wills, will he show you what he wants you to do day by day, that day? I believe he will. I believe he will.
45:53
Yet, you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You're just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that. If you wake up in the morning and say, lord, I long to do your will today. Show me your way and I will walk in it and then when you lay down at night, you say, God, thank you for showing me your way and I think I missed it right here and right here.
46:18
Would you forgive me that and show me your way? Humbly before God, trusting day by day, he will direct your steps. As it is, though you boast in your arrogance and all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows to do the right thing and does it not to him it is sin. So, I'm going to get back to Hebrews the little bread, our bread and butter right here, faith.
46:42
By faith, we are united and we're united with all believers of all times. What used to bother me in church more than anything else, I think and I would get caught up on thinking about it. What happened to those folks that were faithful before Jesus? Well, nowadays, I shorten this into one sentence. It's like, they have to look forward to him the same way we have to look backwards to him.
47:03
He is the center point for all of human history. All of history, period. It's his story. That's what it is. They looked forward to the provision that God would make and we must look backward to it and in the present, walk in faith.
47:21
Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen for by it, the men of old gained approval, the faith, and I did change it. It's right there. Here it is. The ancients. Presbyteroy, that gained approval.
47:34
The elders, the ancients, the people of times past. Gained approval by their works? No. It's by their faith. In Ephesians two, eight, nine stands right here.
47:46
Fine. It is by grace that you're saved and that through faith, it's the gift of God. It's not of works so that no one can boast, not earlier than Christ, not after Christ. Nobody can boast. It is though by faith.
48:03
Now, all of that comes in between. And then we hit this and all of these, that whole list, all of these folks, having gained approval through their faith. It's by the grace of God. Every time that it happens, it's by the grace of God. All of these having gained approval through their faith.
48:22
There it is. That slice again. They did not receive what was promised. That causes a lump in my throat. It's like, but they will.
48:35
They will. This goes on to say, because and I think, oh, great. Okay, it's going to tell us why exactly why they didn't get what they were looking forward to but instead were saw in half. And it it kind of does. God had provided something better.
48:57
Okay. In the sky by and by, I get that. Bosom of Abraham. Yeah. There that's what they were hoping for but it says, God had provided something better for us.
49:14
For us. We get to be involved. We don't have to be involved. We get to be involved by faith with this long cloud of witnesses. The first verse of chapter 12 will say, since we're surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, these are people they already looked up to and already respected and we should too for their acts of faith.
49:32
Were they perfect people? Oh, They're all, that list is crazy. The people were not perfect. In fact, some of the folks on the list that looks like they included them just to show. That they were not perfect people.
49:47
Flawed, broken, but they put their faith, the measure of faith that God had given, they put it in God because God provides something for us. The fact that God has tarried and this bothers people sometime and it's a it's something that people use honestly to persecute people of faith Oh, if Jesus is coming back, do all remember the whole Herald Camping incident of May 2011? Do y'all remember this? He forecast the end of the world was happening 05/21/2011. Do y'all remember billboards all over the country?
50:24
There aren't any billboards in Jackson, are they? Really. I was in seminary at that time, and I had been coming out here as a carpenter in the summertime and we got here about May the tenth or twelfth every year and seven, eight, nine. People started asking questions on the job site about that because it was such a interesting topic. The end of time is coming.
50:46
Mayan calendar. Oh my goodness. The Mayan calendar was mixed in with that too. All of these things were end time stuff and people are getting in such a hubbub about it and there were so many people who believed so wrongly Scripture says, no man knows the hour. Don't trust anybody that says they do.
51:06
The fact though that God has tarried shouldn't be something that we allow to bother us. It's actually for our good. It's good for us. The scripture just says, it's good for us. They didn't receive what was promised because it was not yet the proper time.
51:21
The Bible goes into until the fullness of the nations have come in and until every tribe, tongue, and nation is represented and gathering, going to gather around the throne. It's not yet time. It'll all work out in the end for the believer. If it's not working out, it's not the end. The fact that God has tarried is good for us.
51:45
All of these having gained approval through their faith did not receive what God, what was promised because God had provided something better for us so that apart from us, apart from us, they would not be made perfect. Apart from us. Isn't that weird? God is still at work. He has been at work since the creation of the world and he is still at work.
52:09
Christ is seated at the right hand of the father and he's interceding for those who put their faith in him so that we might be empowered to keep on spreading the gospel forward so that we bring more in. We'll get to Jude in a couple couple more books and we'll get to the book of Jude and it says, you'll be snatching them as though snatching them from the fire. This is a book written to believers. It's written to those who will not shrink back. It's warnings that it is possible to be tempted and to fall back but don't do it.
52:46
Don't do it. Endure. Keep going forward. Apart from us, they would not be made perfect. So, it's good for us and it's good for them.
52:55
I don't know why I put that picture in there. Eat more sandwiches. That's funny. By faith, we're united with all believers of all times and we're coming to communion right here. It's not just all believers of all times but it's all stripes of believers at all times.
53:11
Our human finite comprehension is finite and it's flawed and we cannot see the end from the beginning and we don't get it all the way through. We see us through a glass dimly. Now, I want for us to be thoroughly convinced in our minds. I know my theology. I understand why I believe what I believe.
53:32
I think there's some things that I have to hold my hands up and say, I'm not sure about that but thoroughly convinced and open to God showing me the way. All of it based on his word but when we come to the table, this table is open for any of you who put your faith in Christ If you take this, take it by faith If you let it pass let it pass because you don't believe in Jesus Paul says, don't take this unworthily You have to come to this table humbly and say, you know what? I don't trust in my own understanding but I trust and lean on God. All my ways, I acknowledge him and he has made this the way, not this table. This is representative of the way Jesus he's made.
54:22
Jesus lived a perfect life. He's the only one to have done so. He lived a perfect life. And he exchanged that perfect record on behalf of anyone who puts that faith in him and by faith accepts the provision. He has given it freely, freely.
54:43
It has to be accepted freely. There's nothing that you've done to accept it but if you have accepted Christ's blood, then you're welcome at this table. I'm going invite the elders to come forward. And if you would pray with me, I appreciate it. God, I ask your blessing on this little representative of the body of Christ.
55:02
He lived this perfect life and walked tempted in every way just as we're tempted, went through trials and tribulations, and yet he was without sin and God for that reason, his name in his humility, he gave that perfect record and then his name is lifted higher than any other name. Lord, for those of us who right here in this temporal sphere, do bow the knee and invite Christ in for that lord. This table is representative of that transaction that was made on our behalf at the cross. Lord, would you bless this little cracker as we distribute it and I pray lord that if there's anyone who has to let this pass because they don't believe, I pray that you would move them so in this week that by next week, lord, they would see things anew and the faith that you've given them, that little measure of belief that you've given them, they would place that trust in you. I pray, Lord, that for those of us who know you, that we work and that we walk out of conviction before you and lord that it would be pleasing because what we are doing is out of faith and humility and not out of sight and our own human pride.
56:21
In Jesus name, would you bless us? Time, amen. Supper and after he given thanks for it, he said to his disciples there and it was transmitted by them to us He said, this is my body which is given for you. Take this and eat and do it in remembrance of me. Lord Jesus, we thank you for that example of having walked perfect life.
1:00:09
You did so in submission to the spirit, lord and for each of us who has put our faith in you, you say you have given us the gift of your spirit. I pray lord that you attune our ears to hear that still, small voice that directs, illuminates scripture, convinces us of your goodness, convicts us of our own sin, and propels us forward to do the good works you prepared in advance for us to do. I thank you lord for that example and that yielding but I also thank you for your blood, for your sacrifice That was done by faith. It was done by the author and perfecter of our faith. By your blood, by your power, would you show us lord exactly how we should go forward?
1:01:03
Thank you for your sacrifice. I thank you that this is what unifies us all together. It's by a common faith in you, the faithful God. Jesus name, would you bless this cup as we distribute it? In the way that he had taken the bread, he took the cup after supper and he said to his disciples there, this is the new covenant in my blood.
1:04:51
A lot of Hebrews has been talking about the old covenant and I can summarize by saying that. Old covenant is, it's all on you. Jesus said, this is the new covenant in my blood. This says that it's all on him. He bears the penalty for our sin and through his spirit promises to sanctify and lead us as we yield to him.
1:05:19
He said to his disciples there, this is the new covenant in my blood. Take this and drink and do it as often as you will in remembrance of me. Paul says that as often as we do that, we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes again. Now, we're looking forward to it. We started our first Sunday of Advent which is commemorating something that happened long ago but it's also looking forward to that time that is coming and though it tarries, wait for it.
1:05:50
It's coming. For the benediction today, I've got Romans one hundred sixteen and seventeen. I'm not ashamed of the gospel, the gospel, the message of the cross that Christ was sent to make a way for sinners to be saved and sanctified For I'm not ashamed of the gospel for it's the power of God for salvation. Everyone who believes, everyone to the Jew first, literally chronologically, to the Jew first and then also to the Greek and this is the part that I want to hit hard or in it, in what? The gospel.
1:06:22
In the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed how? From faith to faith. If you act out of faith in God, by your faith, you do what it is that you do The righteousness of God is revealed to world that's watching For in it, the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written but the righteous shall live by faith Y'all can stand with me. Sorry I didn't invite the band back up but how about a doxology? Can we just sing Praise God from whom all blessings flow praise him all creatures here below praise him above you heavenly host praise father, son, and holy ghost and one more announcement, the angel tree has begun back there.
1:07:31
These tags are on that tree and if you'd like to pick a tag and bring that back in, do it only if it's by faith, alright? But if you want this, this is a way of acting out your faith. Please grab one of those tags off the tree. Bring it back in to help out a family and if you have purposed in your heart and believe that God is leading you to Africa next year, there are deposits that are due today. Tanya will be receiving those in my office services.
1:07:57
May God bless and keep you and make his face to shine upon you and give you peace so you can share. Amen.
