Thoughts about Hell

I have finished my sermon series on the letter of Hebrews and I am contemplating about what to preach next. Over the past few years I have occasionally heard the sentiment, "I can't remember the last time I heard a sermon on hell?" or a variation of it. This got me thinking and contemplating a short series on this much obviously neglected and much maligned topic. I just finished reading the book, "Is Hell For Real Or Does Everyone Go To Heaven?" and in it the publisher, Paul E. Engle, writes, "To speak of hell is precarious.  But not to speak of hell is more precarious." I am realizing it is rather precarious to think about and speak about hell. In our perceived intellectual sophistication and our perceived moral goodness and tolerance, it is hard to think and speak about hell.  This difficultly does not only arise because of public opinion about the topic, but because of the frightening reality it teaches. To think that people I come across everyday are on their way to hell. To think that unsaved family members are going to hell. However, I think Engle is right in saying that it is more precarious not to speak about it because you take away hell, there is no need for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Ultimately then, Christ died for nothing. Engles continues, "We owe it to fellow sinners to tell them the unabridged story of [God's] love and forgiveness.  That way they too to can better understand their desperate need for forgiveness and experience the joy found only in knowing Christ." That also is my goal as I seek to preach on the topic of hell. And as our church is reminded of the desperate need for forgiveness and the joy of knowing Christ, I hope we will be motivated to kill sin in our lives and tell the lost about the good news of Jesus Christ, who was sent to save us from our sin and from hell.

God's Loving Discipline

GOD'S LOVING DISCIPLINE

August 31, 2014 - Hebrews 12:3-13

INTRODUCTION

A question we might have from time to time is "why does God allow his people to suffer or experience hardship? Is that a question you think about?  Have you ever wondered about this? I know it is Labour Day weekend and you want an easier sermon to listen to. You might not want to think about such a heavy question. But that is that question that is being answered here in these verses...important question. 

You may have been watching the news and you hear and see all that ISIS has been gaining more and more territory in Iraq. And how they have been deliberately and brutally persecuting Christians. It is horrific!Have you ever stopped to think and wonder, why?  Why is God allowing these things this his people? Maybe we could process and perhaps understand why this might happen to non-Christians. But to the bride of Christ?  We sometimes have a hard time this. It may not be because we are so terribly persecuted. It may be because we are not. We have a hard time because we know really nothing about persecution because our lives are virtually free of this. We might face opposition when we try to live our faith publicly...but nothing like in many parts of the world today. So why is this happening to them and not to us?  Why are we so blessed with freedom to the point where we think it is normal and other Christians are being persecuted. Is this really part of the Christian life? Some people and some Christian groups even go as far as to say that they don't have enough faith or that God is judging them for sin or something, being to fanatical. We might struggle with this.

Take the street evangelists as an example. They freely stood up and preach on the street corner and they are mocked, heckled, yelled at, cursed, sometimes threatened. I believe they were being persecuted. But time and time again when the police were called they very professional and they had absolute freedom to preach and witness. They were never really in any real danger. I asked them what was the strongest reaction against them and their methods. One of the men was head-butted as he was trying to protect their stuff. But that is all the physical rebuke that they had in the 13 weeks. They were never in any real danger. What freedom!!!  What opportunity!!!

This should motive and embolden us. But the Christians in Iraq today and in Rome in the first century did not have this kind of freedom. If they would preach in first century Rome like the street preachers did here in Canada, they would be fighting for their lives. They were in real danger for their lives, lost their jobs, ostracized by family and friends, lost their homes, etc. There were no laws protecting their rights. They were seen as a cult, a sect. They had no religious protection. But they probably still had the same question as we sometimes have but more personal. "Why is this happening to me and my family?  Why are people in the church going through terrible persecution?  Why are we hated so much? I thought God was sovereign. I thought Christ is king. The temptation was to just keep quiet, to be Sunday Christians, to compartmentalize their faith and ultimately to compromise their faith. Pressure was getting to them. They were discouraged.

What the author is trying to do here is give a little perspective on the hardship they are facing or perhaps would face if they lived radically for Jesus Christ. Perspective is important. It's like two shoe sales men trying to sell shoes in Africa. One reports back, "Prospect are slim, no one wears shoes". The other reports back, "What a great opportunity. Prospect for sales are great, no one has shoes." Perspective is so important…

What is being taught?  Why are we suffering and what are they to do in face of suffering and hardship? I just want to warn you this is not an easy sermon. This isn't a feel good section in Hebrews and therefore this isn't a feel good message this morning. If you are hear visiting this morning, its not going to be easy…

Piper - "The book of Hebrews is a very mature and sober book when it comes to the pain and stress of Christian living and the endurance that it takes to run the race and fight the fight and finish well. It's not a book that people (especially teenagers and strong young adults) gravitate toward - unless they have suffered and struggle for some explanation of how that relates to God. In other words, the more easy and pain-free your life has been, the less you will cherish the kind of spirituality taught in this book. And the more you have suffered, the more you will cling to the precious teachings of this book - if you are willing to believe them. It is a massive statement about the gracious sovereignty of God over the evil that befalls his people. And the big IF is: will you believe this? Will you accept the mystery of God's providence in the pain of your life, and be trained by it (as verse 11 says) for the sake of good and peace and holiness and righteousness and life? 

Or will you kick against this chapter and demand in the season of suffering that God give a greater account of himself than he does in this chapter?

Those are the possible reactions to what is being taught here…that is the question…will you believe what is being taught here are grow or will you rebel?

I. Endure as Jesus did (3-4)

Look at what he tells them to do. He doesn't tell them to take some time off, to take a break, to go on a much deserved vacation where it is safer. He doesn't tell them to keep quiet. He does not give them a way out in suffering or facing pressure or experiencing hardship or pain or weary, getting mocked or disowned or evicted. He tells them to look at Jesus, why?  Because he suffered far worse and he still endured.

Consider how much Jesus suffered. Think about the hostility. We read about that last week - dying on the cross. Think about Jesus. Why we are to consider him and his suffering? So that they do not lose heart…this tells us that they were very weary…tired…emotionally drained. The weight of persecution and hardship was taking its tole…

Notice where does the suffering come from? Sinners and sin. And losing heart is a great spiritual danger for Christians in this state especially if you have an unclear view of the sovereignty of God and why God allow these things to happen.  These Christians were weary, tired,  at the end of their rope. He doesn't give them some pop psychology or some prosperity gospel tidbit. He tells them to consider Jesus…notice verse 4…talk about an encouraging verse!!!

Jesus resisted to the point of shedding his blood, you guys haven't yet, so cheer up and don't grow weary and fainthearted…

Things are not as bad as they could be. Things may get worse. But in whatever kind of suffering or pain or persecution or pressure consider Jesus. This is how Christians endure and this is what he has been teaching them all through this book. He has been trying to show them Jesus is better, Jesus is better than comfort and safety, Jesus is worth it. Just look at how the book begins...its all about Jesus. He wants them to get Jesus right. Remember Stephen in Acts 7:54-60. That is hard for us to think about, isn't it?

Notice the second thing he wants them to do. This is where it gets tuff.

II. Remember the truth of Scripture (5-6)

He wants them to remember Scripture. Notice what the author does.  He connects Proverbs 3 and what is taught there to their experience of hardship in order to give them a bit of perspective. He does this because they were beginning to doubt God's love for them and it was causing them to lose heart.

What does this scripture teach us...this is hard to comprehend, hard to take

1. The Lord disciplines his people through persecution and hardship

The author uses the illustration from Prov. 3. of a father disciplining his son to give them perspective on their situation and he gives perspective by tell them who really is behind all the persecution and hardship. It is The Lord God himself! God is allowing all this hardship to happen in the lives of Christians. God is sovereign over all of this. It isn't the case where God can't do anything because really Satan in control and that is the reason Christians suffer. It's all from the hand of God.

The word discipline is interesting because when we hear it, we think mostly in negative terms - in terms of punishment and it can have that meaning. But the word has a wide range of meaning. The meaning ranges from teaching and training to the ideal of corporal punishment. So God uses persecution and hardship to train and something punish or rebuke his children. Persecution and hardship and suffering is not always because of sin in the life of a Christian. It can be. But I think most often God wants to work something out in your life. He is training you to become more like Christ. The reason you are not more like Christ is because of sin. But God is not necessarily always punishing you, but teaching you...

This is so foreign to us, isn't it?  This is because so often we buy into the secular notion that pain and suffering is useless, it is to be avoided at all cost. They have no account for it. They do not know why it exists. In the secular view of life, suffering is only an interruption to individual happiness and comfort. But suffering always wins. It cannot be eradicated. But secularists do no know what to do with it and the result is deep despair.

But Scripture teaches that God is in control and is loving teaching us and will see us through this life.What could God be possible teaching us in pain and suffering?

C. S. Lewis - "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain."

What is he shouting? Depend on me, trust me, look to me.

John Newton, remember him? He was an 18th century English slave trader turned Christian and abolished the slave trade, he wrote Amazing Grace, he had a similar experience. One author describes Newton as having the feeling he wanted something better in his spiritual life.  He cried out for a deeper knowledge of God. He expected some wonderful vision of Him rending the heavens and coming down to shower blessings into his life. But instead of this Newton had an experience in which for months God seemed to have abandoned him to Satan. He was tempted and tried beyond his comprehension. Yet at last he did come to understand and saw that this experience was an answer to his prayer. God had allowed him to go down into the depths to teach him to depend on him entirely and he got a deeper knowledge of God.

2. The Lord disciplines his people because he loves them

What is the first thing we doubt when we are experiencing pain?  That God loves us, right? Their experiences were enough to make them want to doubt God's love. God's motive is love. The author wanted them to remember this. Just like a father disciplines his children out of love, so God disciplines his people because he loves them. God knows what is best for us, we don't always. He wants whats best, but we are so dull and hard of hearing. John Piper puts it this way, "God reigns over the hazards of circumstances and over health of our bodies and over the hostilities of our adversaries and he designs all of life ultimately as a loving father's discipline." 

3. We must rejoice in our sufferings

i) Do not regard lightly

ii) Do not lose heart

iii) Do not let adversity drive you to despair 

Because God is working in your life through hardship and pain...and most of all, God loves you.

• James 1:2-4; 1 Pe. 3:14; 4:14

III. Realize Discipline is part of being a Christian (7-11)

1. Proves legitimacy (7-8) - Gives assurance

2. Proper response (9)

3. Purifying benefit (10-11)

Piper - "God is not an ER doctor who only repairs our hurts; he is a master surgeon who plans out hurts in order that he might do us greater good...what hostile sinners mean for harm, God means for good...What they will as hurtful, God wills as helpful. What they plan as destruction, God plans as salvation. What they design as a deterrent to faith, God designs as discipline for faith.

Scheler - "In light of the cross, suffering becomes "purification, not punishment,"

• Genesis 50:20

IV. Fight hard to Finish the Race (12-13) 

Two commands here...kind of a rally cry...

1.  Brace up your drooping hands and weakened knees

Despondency 

• Isaiah 35:3-8

2. Make straight paths for your feet

• Proverbs 4:6

Run For Your Life

Run for your Life

Hebrews 12:1-2

INTRODUCTION 

As we have been working our way through the book of Hebrews for about a year now, an underlying theme that has subtly come out is that the Christian life is often difficult. I hope it is not a surprise to you this morning to find out that the Christian life is difficult. I know this is often contrary to the message in popular Christian circles today, where the message is all positive and cheery and problem free. But I am sure that most of you have figured this out already that the more you want to live for Jesus the more challenging it becomes. The more radical you are in your discipleship and witness the more temptations you will face...the persecution you will have to endure...more conflicts you will have to resolve...

I am not trying to depress you here this morning, but this is how the bible often describes the Christian life. You might be wondering, I would I want to be a Christian then? Because being a Christian is the best life we can have on earth, better than we deserve. It saves you from and eternity in hell, but it is often difficult. The author of Hebrews tries to encourage and inspire Christians to whom he is writing to and to us there this morning by using the metaphor of a race, of a marathon. And the thesis that he is trying to establish is simply.

Thesis - Run for your life because the Christian life is a marathon.  

What this means is that it is not just some sprint. The word means to hold out till the end. It means all you have got. It takes exertion, it takes effort, it is difficult and challenging. Notice that this race is set out for us...it is this way by design. You don't have to think that you are crazy to think that the Christian life is tuff. And that is what the 2nd generation Christians in Rome are finding out. Let me remind you of the circumstances these Christians found themselves in the first century:

1) Pressure and persecution from outside of the church.

What was the pressure?  

• deny the importance of Christ 
• privatize their faith in Christ 
• compromise their moral standards 

Isn't this the pressure we face day in and day out?

What was the persecution?

• public ridicule
• plundering of property

2) Problems from within the church.

• Forgetting to meet, not encouraging each other. Some were face more problems than others...

3) Perplexities in their hearts and minds.

• Is Christ better?

They were taught that Christ was and is the king of the universe, that he was in control. But from their vantage point, Caesar had all the power and might.  They could not see the bigger picture. They had tunnel vision. And in all of this pressure, persecution, problems, perplexity they were discouraged...

One commentator describes it this way...(Guthrie)

"Discouragement.  What believer through the ages, at one time or another, has not felt its numbing grip pulling him or her toward the mire of self-pity and despair? Life, and thus the Christian life, is fraught with trials that suck the emotional winds from our sails. When discouragement comes -- the kind of discouragement that screams questions at the faith -- we need encouragement and perspective; we need the community of faith; we need help to stay the course of commitment.  Hebrews was written to offer such help."

In their discouragement they were becoming complacent and were beginning to compromise. So the whole book of Hebrews is to encourage Christians to persevere, to endure in all the sufferings and challenges they are facing. And here in chapter 12 we come to the climax of this section, the climax of chapter 11...they endured...now you are to endure. How can we endure? What is he telling them here?

I. We have an Encouraging Crowd around us 

The word "therefore" connects chapters 11 and chapter 12 and the first two verses describes the purpose of chapter 11. The exemplars of faith in chapter 11 are meant to urge Christians to be like them in patient ad trusting perseverance in spite of hardship. Naturally we want to think of that these witnesses are like spectators in an amphitheatre cheering us on. That is a great picture and maybe as we read about these examples in chapter 11, we are to picture them as cheering us on and it can be helpful. But the point here is not what they see in us, but what we see in them. They are witnesses to a persevering faith because, as one commentator mentions, because God 'witnessed' to their faith in the bible. They demonstrate the nature and possibility of faith for believers in every generation. There is a great throng of witnesses to the faithfulness of God.

John White - "the writer's point is to bring witnesses before us who will testify that faith is worth it."

That trusting Christ is worth it and this where the battle lies sometimes, isn't it?  All this fight against temptation, all the worrying about what people might think if I witness to them. That is how we are to read chapter 11, the Hall of Faith!!!  Go through chapter 11. They are all witnessing to the fact that God is real, God is sovereign and he is working out his plan and purposes on the earth. There is a terrible place of judgement if you don't believe and live for him. If they, by God's grace, can persevere, we can too.  They finished the race, now its our turn.

These are just a handful of witnesses. These are to be encouraging to us. We are not to look at these and think they are super heroes that have attained a level we can never reach. They are meant to inspire us.

II. We have a Vigorous Routine

The way that the author writes this is rather ambiguous...some see sin as a closer definition of whatever impedes the athlete. The two phrases could be the same thing or we could see them as distinct. But whatever way that we are to read them, they are to be thrown off. Impediments for a runner are loose clothing, improper foot ware, improper technique, improper diet, etc. With regards to running the race of the Christian life there are things we are to throw off...

I read an illustration about the Eight Olympiad of modern times that began on July 5, 1924 and was held in the city of Paris. Over 45 countries were represented, and the stadium swelled to a crowed of 60, 000 spectators. Among the competitors from Great Britain, Eric Liddell, a Scot with wings on his feet, had come under the shadow of controversy. As a Christian, Liddell held the conviction that he should not run on Sunday, which he considered the Sabbath. Months before the Olympic Games Liddell informed Great Britain's Olympic committee that he would not be able to participate in the preliminary heat for the the 100 meter. As the Olympics drew near, the criticism of Liddell's "fanaticism" increased, but he doggedly refused to give in to the pressure. As Harold Abrahams rans the hundred-meter preliminary, Eric Liddell preached to a congregation in the Scots Kirk in another part of Paris. Abrahams went on to win the final in that race and set a record that would stand for fifty-six years. On the following Tuesday, Liddell and Abrahams both qualified for a place in the two hundred - meter final, to be held on the following day. Eric became the first Scot ever to bring home a medal  in that race, winning the bronze.  No one from Great Britain had ever placed higher. Eric went on to compete in the 400 meter race, joining runners from Canada, US, and a fellow Briton named Guy Butler in the final. Just prior to the race Liddell went down the line, shaking his competitor's hands in a ritual he made familiar over time. As the gun Eric bolted into a 3 meter lead...as the race progressed, Fitch, the American, began to close in on the Scot, but Liddell increased his speed. As he crossed the finish line with a five-meter lead, his head cocked back and arms flailing the air, Eric brought home the gold medal. After an explosive roar from the British spectators, a hush finally fell over the crowd as they waited for the official time. The cheers erupted again as it was announced that Eric Liddell had set a new world record of 47.6 seconds. 

Eric Liddell was a sprinter as an Olympian, but the young believer from Scotland, just 22 years of age during the Eight Olympiad, provides a powerful example of one who ran the Christian race with a marathoner's endurance. Based on his commitment to Christ, he "threw off" the opinions of both the general public and the powerful, giving up the opportunity for glory in the 100 meters, a race for which he had trained for years. Liddell endured not only in the months prior to the Olympic Games, but afterward embarked on a career as a missionary to China, where he eventually died in a Chinese prison. His life evidenced a long-term focus on Christ as his reference point.  IN all things he took his cues from The Lord, Jesus, who was his example, sustainer, and guide. Because he had thrown off hindrances to his spiritual race and had chosen a path of perseverance, Liddell had a clear view of Christ and his call. As we consider the example of Eric Liddell, who looked to Christ for how he should run his race of life, we should think about the things that we need to lay aside. Are there things in our lives that cool our hearts to Christ?  

• Laziness in the use of spiritual disciplines…bible reading, prayer, church, serving in church, evangelism, 
• Unhealthy fear of people…
• Selfishness…
• Worldliness…1 John 2:15-17…unhealthy relationship with the world…
• False views of God and of Jesus Christ…go through chapters about Christ…
• Temptation to privatize our faith in Christ…

It is hard to distinguish between impediments and he also says sin. Notice what he says about sin, it easily entangles as some versions put it "clings closely". Why does it easily entangle?  It's attractiveness, instant gratification, its persistence - kind of like the mosquitos in Sask. We were warned earlier about the deceitfulness of sin.

• Hebrews 3:7-14

• Romans 8:13 - it is a fight…it is a battle every day…

Owen - "Be killing sin or sin will be killing you."

• James 1 - 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Owen - "Be killing sin or sin will be killing you." How can we lay this aside?

III. We have an Inspiring Example

Looking to Jesus! That is what Hebrews is all about…3:1 - consider Jesus. Looking to Jesus means to rely on him, to look to him for support.  And we are to look often to Jesus in your trials.

1. Author of our Faith - 2:10 - has the idea of being a forerunner, originator of true faith. He has opened the way to God and has enabled us to follow him.

2. Perfecter of our Faith - he brings faith to its ultimate goal.

3.  Mediator of our Faith 

It is all about perspective - for the joy set before him, the prize set before him. Hebrews 11 - reward is what motivated them. They saw through the pain and suffering...

He endured the cross - Matthew 26:36ff - he endured.

4.  Preserver of our Faith

Guarantees the utter security of those who have placed their hope in him.

1) We have an encouraging crowd around us

2) We have a vigorous routine

3) We have an inspiring example who persevered and is helping us.

Run for your life the race of the Christian life.

Something Better

Here is the sermon I preached back on July 27, 2014.

SOMETHING BETTER

Hebrews 11:32-40

INTRODUCTION

The past 10 days has been rather rough for Aeroplanes and those flying in them:

• July 17 - Malaysia Airlines plane was downed in Ukraine - 298 dead 

• July 23 - TransAsia Airways plane crashed in Taiwan's Perghu Islands - 48 dead

• July 24 - Air Algerie crashed in Mali - 118 dead 

We see all of this it can be rather depressing and not all that comforting as we are flying to Saskatchewan on Wednesday. Often times we see these tragedies and we wonder, we wonder want's going on and perhaps we wonder why has God allowed these things to happen. imagine some of the families of the victims are wondering this very thing. We not only wonder when we see these tragedies in the news, but in our own lives as well.

• Maybe you are sitting in the doctors office and are receiving a diagnosis that you dread.

• Maybe it's a phone call telling you something has happened that you could never imagine happening.

• Maybe it's challenges at work...or opposition because you are a Christian.

• Or Maybe your life is not turning out the way that you planned it or wanted it to.

Have you been there?

That is what was happening to these Christians in Rome.  They heard the greatest news ever - that God sent his Son, Jesus Christ to die for all who would believe and they trusted in Christ were taught about Christ. But life became very hard. Their neighbours didn't care much for Christ, the Roman government opposed and persecuted Christians, tthey did not want them around. How were they to live?  How are we to live? The result was that some of them were beginning to doubt,  compromise, and even to privatized their faith. 

But the answer the author of Hebrews gives to the Christians in the early church and us here today is that we are to live by faith. We are to faithfully trust God in all things.

• Trust God no matter what.
• Trust that God will work all things out for his glory.
• Trust that one day he will right every wrong.
• Trust that one day we will live again with him in the new heavens and the new earth.
• Trust that God has a far better life in store for those who persevere.
• Trust that Christ's sacrifice was enough and that we are clothed with his righteousness and that they were right with God.
• Trust that Christ was worth losing everything for and way more.

And here in chapter 11, he gives examples of people who persevered - we have looked at Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, people of Israel, Joshua, Rahab. And the author in verse 32, he asked a rhetorical question that gives the impression that the list could go on and on and that a great number of people and examples are crowding the authors mind. There are just too many of them to go through. But I want to point out a few things at the end of this chapter about faith and the life of faith. 

I. Diversity of Faith (32)

Here he lists some people and it is a much more abbreviated than the previous list.  In the names he mentions 4 of them were judges, one king, and one prophet-judge.

How were they diverse?

1. Different personalities - Gideon was timid…David bold, take charge…Samson impulsive.

2. Different social circumstances - Judges there was no king…no united kingdom…David there was.

3. Different spiritual opportunities - Judges was a time of great spiritual decline.

• Judges 21:25 - In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

David lived by faith in a time of spiritual blessing…

4. Different faults - Gideon was frightened - Judges 6:15; Barak was hesitant - Judges 4:8; Samson was flippant - Judges 16:4-20; Jephthah was rash - Judges 11:30-21; David was sensuous - 2 Sam. 11:2-5; Samuel careless - 1 Sam. 8:1-3

God is not a cookie-cutter and he does not want cookie-cutter Christians. But they all were called to persevere in faith. There are no excuses no matter what personalities we have, no matter our social circumstances, no matter what spiritual opportunities there are around us, no matter what faults we have. We are called to endure and live by faithful trust in God and his promises. And all of these people persevered.

• Gideon - Judges 6:12ff; 7:1-25 - it took faith to reduce the army of 32, 000 to 300…and what were they equipped with? Torches in clay Jars and trumpets!!!

• David - 1 Samuel 17:32-49

Whatever situation, whatever circumstances they found themselves in, they acted in faith, trusting God.

II. Heroism by Faith (33-35a)

1. Military victories - judges brought relief from oppression, but there was no enduring peace until David.

2. Deliverance from death - Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abendigo. Sword - David from Saul and Absalom 

3. Weakness turned to strength - Samson, Gideon.

Huges - "Faith in the response of all who are conscious of their own weakness and accordingly look to God for strength."

4.  Powerful in battle - "conflict did not weaken them, but was the occasion on which they became strong - an important idea from dispirited listeners."

5. Resurrection from the dead - Poor widow of Zarephath in Sidon (1 Kings 17:17-24); wealthy Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:18-37).

What these examples are telling us is that by faith we will have victory, we will accomplish God's will, we will not always be defeated. But in case we get a triumphalist:

III. Courage of Faith (35b-38)

He just was talking about how by faith people prevailed in battle, against lions, and through fire. But now he turns to those who experienced temporal suffering, not temporal triumph. But as one author points out, "…their steadfastness was itself a triumph of faith."

1. Tortured 

2. Tormented - mocking, flogging, chains, imprisonment - Jeremiah 37:4-21; 20:1-2

3. Violence - stoned, sawn in two - tradition as it that Isaiah died this way, sword - 2 Chron.24:20

4. Deprivation - rough clothing, destitute, afflicted, mistreated, wandering

Talk about the Christians in Iraq…

IV. Perfection/Unity of Faith (39-40)

1. None of these received the promises...

This is what is truly amazing about the examples that we have been given in this chapter. They persevered despite not having received what was promised.  F. F. Bruce - "They lived and died in prospect of a fulfillment which none of them experienced on earth; yet so real was that fulfillment to them that it gave them power to press upstream, against the current of the environment, and to live on earth as citizens of that commonwealth whose foundations are firmly laid in the unseen and eternal order."

2. God has planed something better for us

Better because the promise has been fulfilled in Christ.  The new covenant has dawned. We are living in such a better time - better plan, a better hope, better promises, better covenant, better sacrifices, better and abiding possession and a better resurrection. We can't be dreaming about the glory days.  We are in the new covenant now. How much more can we persevere!!!

Calvin - "If those on whom the great life of grace had not yet shone showed such surpassing constancy in bearing their ills, what effect out the full glory of the gospel to have on us?"

3. Only Christ can perfect faith 

What does this mean? "They were denied the historical experience of the messanic perfection until Christians could share in it.  In short the, God in his providence deferred the bestowal of the final reward until the advent of Christ and the enactment of the new covenant. That the attested exemplars of faith died without having received the ultimate promise simply indicates God's special graciousness toward those living under the conditions of the new covenant." - Lane

All of the OT pointed to Christ. We live in the era of fulfillment. Yet it is still an era of faith. That is why the OT people can be examples...but our era consist of the already, but not yet. This is what he wants to drive home to these Christians:

Huges - "as in faith we persevere and endure, our inspiration, to a degree far surpassing that of the heroic witnesses of old, is preeminently Jesus himself, who was known to the former believers only by expectation but is known to us in fulfillment.  Our greater privilege is also our greater responsibility."

How much more such we be living fully, radically for Jesus Christ...you think the people in the Hebrews 11 lived radically. They should not be able to come close to our radical living because we have Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit. We have a much greater spiritual responsibility. We should be able to surpass these people as examples.

By Faith Moses - Hebrews 11:23-28

Here is the sermon I preached on July 20, 2014.  Sorry about the big spaces in some areas.

BY FAITH MOSES

INTRO

This past week was the 85 Major League Baseball All Star game.  The All Star Game is where the best players in baseball play and show off their talent. If you want to know anything about the best baseball players in the game, you watch the the All Star Game. They have a home run derby and the Toronto Blue Jays had their home run hitter there.  If you watch any of this on tv, you hear a lot of stats that show the accomplishments of these players. This year they were honouring Derek Jeter.  He is playing in his 20th and final season in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. A five-time World Series champion, Jeter is regarded as a central figure of the Yankees during their success of the late 1990s and early 2000s due to his hitting ability, base running, fielding, and leadership. He is the Yankees' all-time career leader in hits (3,363), games played (2,645), stolen bases (349), and at bats (10,786). His accolades include fourteen All-Star selections, five Gold Glove Awards, five Silver Slugger Awards, two Hank Aaron Awards, and a Roberto Clemente Award. Jeter is the all-time MLB leader in hits by a shortstop, and the 28th player to reach 3,000 hits.  I mentioned accomplishments that none of us really care about.  But, in the baseball world, he and all the players at the All Star Game, are the players that people look up to, the ones kids dream about, the ones they try to imitate.

The list of people mentioned here in Hebrews 11 is like an All Star list for the Christian.  They are the people who are our examples, people we are to imitate, people to be motivated by, especially when it comes to faith - what faith is and what it looks like.  These people were commended by God.  And, according to 10:36-39, the Christians in Rome needed motivation because of the cost they were enduring.

The cost isn't that great for us now, but I think as the years go by, it will be more costly.  But it is costly for Christians in Iraq at this moment.  In fact the lasts of the Christians have left Mosul - NY Times article. The book of Hebrews and chapters 11 is all about perseverance. He gives us examples to help us. Today we are going to look at Moses...what can we learn about faith?

I. Faith Courageously Fears God (23)

Look at what it says...he is not taking about Moses specifically, he is talking about his parents.  The author recounts the story of Moses' birth, which is recorded in Exodus 2.

The author points out two significant things about Moses' parents and his birth: 1) Parents saw that Moses was beautiful.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

• Exodus 2:1-2 - 1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.

• Acts 7:20 -  At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God's sight. 

I am not sure how they could have sensed that.  Babies generally look the same. So how could they tell he was something special.  We don't know.  The Scriptures do not tells how the inside knowledge.  One commentator suggests that there was something about the appearance of the child that suggested God's favour rested on him.  He appearance somehow pointed to the future.  It is as if the parents had a spiritual insight to his significance. All parents think their baby is special and significant, but they saw something more which gave them hope. What they saw gave them courage because the second significant thing about Moses' birth is that.

2) Parents were not afraid of kings edict. Look back in Exodus 2.  They disregarded the kings command to drown the boy in the Nile - 1:22.  They disregarded the kings command at a great risk...they could have been put in jail...they could have been killed themselves. It was a great risk to hide the baby. We don't have any other record of other Hebrew parents doing this but probably were not successful. The greater question becomes, when is it ok to disregard the kings command?  It seems as though that everyone else obeyed the kings command. When it is ok to go against the laws of the land?

• Romans 13:1-7 - it seems pretty clear. According to this, Pharaoh was put there by God.

But Moses' parents are commended by God because they disobeyed the king. So it seems that our submission to authority, to the laws of the land is not something that is absolute...

• Acts 5:17-42 - Are there times when we disobey God because we fear human beings?

Question becomes, "Who are we to fear most?"  According to Hebrews fearing God is more important. Fearing the king who opposes God is not.

• Heb. 4:1 - Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.

• Heb. 10:31 -  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Who do we fear the most?

• Matthew 10:28 - And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

So a person of faith courageously fears God.  Do when it is ok to disobey the king?  When it causes you to clearly disobey God, right !!!  Stop the church from meeting...bow to and idol...illegal to witness.

II. Faith Identifies with God's People instead of the World (24-26)

We see this in the story of Moses when he grew up. We all know how the story of Moses goes...his mother put him in a basket so that Pharaoh's daughter would find him. And she did and she adopted him as her own (Exodus 2:10). By when he grew up, Moses did 2 things by faith:

1) He refused (neg)

i) To be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter...just imagine what his position would bring him, all the wealth, all the privilege, all the pleasure, luxury.  He wouldn't have to work a day in his life.  He would be royalty.  Imagine how hard that would be to give up?

ii) To enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin...think about this refusal. To remain in Egypt would have put him outside of the purposes of God...he would  have been an apostate. Faith sees sin as fleeting...as having a shelf-life...but sin does not tell you that when it is tempting you, now does it? How do you feel after you sin?  You shouldn't feel great about it!!!

2) He chose to be mistreated (pos)

This would go against all what we desire today in our comfort, pain-avoiding, culture. People around him would have thought he was crazy. Do you see this separation?  What is choosing here?  He is choosing holiness over worldliness and pleasure. When did he do this?

• Exodus 2:11-15...he renounced by intervening...

This has huge application for the Christians:

• Choosing to go to church, instead of sleeping in, committing to a local church, membership.

According to Scripture, Why Should Every Christian Join a Church?

Mark Dever - Every Christian should join a church because Scripture requires it. 

Granted, there is no direct command in Scripture that says, “Every Christian must join a local church,” but two factors in Scripture indicate that every Christian should be a member of a local church. 1) Jesus established the church to be a public, earthly institution that would mark out, affirm, and oversee those who profess to believe in him (Matthew 16:18-19, Matthew 18:15-20). Jesus established the church to publicly declare those who belong to him in order to give the world a display of the good news about himself (John 17:21-23; see also Ephesians 3:10. Jesus wants the world to know who belongs to him and who doesn’t. And how is the world to know who belongs to him and who doesn’t? They are to see which people publicly identify themselves with his people in the visible, public institution he established for this very purpose. They’re to look at the members of his church. And if some people claim to be part of the universal church even though they belong to no local church, they reject Jesus’ plan for them and his church. Jesus intends for his people to be marked out as a visible, public group, which means joining together in local churches. 2) Scripture repeatedly commands Christians to submit to their leaders (Hebrews 13:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). The only way to do that is by publicly committing to be members of their flock, and saying in effect, “I commit to listening to your teaching, following your direction, and to submitting to your leadership.” There’s no way to obey the scriptural commands to submit to your leaders if you never actually submit to them by joining a local church.

That can be an application of Moses' example...

• Choose not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers...2 Cor. 6:14 - Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

• Choosing to speak about Christ.

• Choosing to treasure Christ more than sin and wealth.

2 Reasons why he refused to be called son of Pharaoh's and chose to be mistreated with people of God:  

1) He considered the reproach of Christ more valuable.  What this means is that he was driven by a greater wealth than what was found in Egypt.

• Gen. 12:10 - Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.

• Gen. 42:1-2 - 1 When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?"  2 And he said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die."

When there is a famine, they go to Egypt because there is always food and resources in Egypt. Egypt was the wealthiest country at the time.  But there was a greater wealth that he saw, something that was more valuable, and paradoxically, it is described at the reproach of Christ.  What does this mean? The word for Christ can also mean "Anointed". And so it is not that he literally saw Christ and saw the sufferings of Christ himself. In Psalm 89, it says, "50 Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked, and how I bear in my heart the insults of all the many nations, 51 with which your enemies mock, O LORD, with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed."

I think firstly it is referring to the stigma and reproach the people of God faced. It anticipates the suffering of following Christ.So becoming, as one commentator puts it, one of the people of God who were suffering disgrace, Moses joins himself to a type of the future reproach of Christ. But this suffering with God's people, which anticipates the suffering of Christ and those who follow Christ as worth more than the wealth of Egypt.We need a little help with this...

• Phil. 1:29; 3:7-10 - he wants to become so Christ-like that he wants to suffer for Christ

• Acts 5:40-41 - 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.  41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

This is radical thinking, isn't it? There is more worth in identifying with the people of God, there is more worth in living and suffering for Christ, than living in sin and enjoying the pleasures of this world outside of Christ. This is radical thinking?  They did not fear what other people might think.  They were more afraid of what God might think. This is divine economics, we lose now and gain so much more in the future. This is not what the prosperity gospel tells us. This gospel tells us to live for now, to gain now, that our reward is materialism. They want heaven on earth and that's attractive. It instantly gratifies.

But the bible does not promise that. Moses chose to suffer along with God's people and to identify himself as child of God and part of his family. Do people know where you stand?  Who you are? I am not saying that we are to go looking for suffering.  But we are living radically for Christ, if we are living boldly for Christ.

Don't you think you would be opposed more for Christ? We get comfortable in our little cliques, in the Christian or family bubbles that we create. The result is that we do not know anyone who is not a Christian. We have done a good job in insulating ourselves from the world. That is good in one sense.  But it is not Christlike in another sense.  We are called to be a gospel salt and light in our world.  We cannot expect the world to come to our church. We are called to go and make disciples. We are called to be fishers of men and women. The church is not a fishing hole.  We are called to go where the fish are!!! Makes sense doesn't it? I know I need to be way more bold in this...

2. He was looking to the Reward. The reward he was looking for is not on this earth, but it is in heaven.

• Phil 3:17-4:1 - he wants us to have our eyes on the prize.

Piper - "Nothing fits a person to be more useful on earth than to be more ready for heave." Why is that? Boldness, courage brings joy to our lives. That is how Christians can endure persecution...Hebrews 10:32-34

III. Faith Recognizes the One who is Invisible (27)

By faith he left Egypt, he left Egypt twice...

• Exodus 2:14-15

• Exodus 12:51; 14:14-20

His focus was on the one who is invisible.  But when would be have seen this?  Go thru plagues...

What was the result?

1) He made the right choices...

2) Endured hardship...he did not run from it...although he wanted to at times...

3) Persevered...it means to persist...

And that is the summary of living by faith...you make the right choices, by God's grace and the help of the Holy Spirit. Endure hardship with God's help...and you keep at it...you persist, keeping your eyes on heaven.

IV. Faith Follows God's Instructions (28)

• Ex. 12:28 - Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

They went out and did so. It wasn't complicated for them.  They didn't wait for others and didn't make excuses.

• Matthew 28:19-20 - 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

• Ephesians 4-6

• Col. 3-4

Are we doing these things?  Faith takes action. Faith does not allow bitterness, envy, lust, jealously, anger, gossip.  The question is, What is radical about your faith?

If you are here this morning and you know that your faith has been very comfortable because you don't really step out in faith, I want you to be challenged, inspired and motivated by these examples.