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[0:00] But let's read together in Hebrews chapter 11. In my Bible it's page 1211. I don't know what page it is in your Bible, you'll just have to find out. But it's near the end. And we've been reading in the book of Hebrews, you should be familiar with it by now.

[0:17] Last week we looked at the first part of chapter 11, and we're going to pick up the story at verse 8 and read to the end of the chapter. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called by going out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance.

[0:37] And he went out not knowing where he was going, that is in earthly terms. But by faith he went to live in a land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.

[0:54] For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. By faith, now this verse is translated differently.

[1:07] If you've got an NIV, I think it's a more helpful translation here than our ESV. Let me read it that way. By faith Abraham received power to conceive, even when Sarah also was past the age.

[1:20] Since he considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man and him as good as dead, notice the word, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven.

[1:33] And as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. These all died in faith, not having received the things promised. But having seen them and greeted them.

[1:46] Seen them and saluted them from afar. And having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

[1:58] If they'd been thinking of that land from which they'd gone out, they would have had the opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire, they are longing for a better country.

[2:12] That is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God. For he has prepared for them a city.

[2:22] By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. And he who had received the promise was in the act of offering up his only son.

[2:34] Of whom it is said, through Isaac shall your offspring be named. He considered that God was able, powerful, even to raise him from the dead.

[2:46] From which, figuratively speaking, in a foreshadowing way, he did receive him back. And by faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.

[2:58] By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph. Bowing in worship over the head of his staff. By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites.

[3:12] And gave directions concerning his bones. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents. Because they saw that the child was beautiful.

[3:23] And they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God.

[3:36] Than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth. Than the treasures of Egypt. For he was looking to the reward.

[3:52] By faith he left Egypt not being afraid of the anger of the king. For he endured. And seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover.

[4:04] And sprinkled the blood. So that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land. But the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they'd been encircled for seven days.

[4:19] By faith Rahab the prostitute, the Canaanite woman, did not perish with those who were disobedient. Because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. And what more shall I say?

[4:31] For time would fail me. It's always the preacher's problem. Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David, Samuel and the prophets. Who through faith conquered kingdoms.

[4:43] Enforced justice. Obtained promises. Stopped them as of lions. Quenched the power of fire. Escaped the edge of the sword. Were made strong out of weakness. Became mighty in war.

[4:54] Put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. But some were tortured.

[5:05] Refusing to accept release. So that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging. And even chains and imprisonment.

[5:18] They were stoned. They were sawn in two. They were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats. Those destitute, afflicted, mistreated. Of whom this world was not worthy.

[5:30] Wandering about in deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these. Though commended through their faith. Did not receive what was promised.

[5:43] Since God had provided something better for us. That apart from us. They. Should not be made.

[5:54] Perfect. Find. Fulfillment. Of all that promised by God. Let's. End our reading there. May God. Bless to us. His word.

[6:04] Well let's look at. Hebrews chapter 11 then. Together. And a passage that tells us that.

[6:15] That earthly endurance. Is anchored in eternity. Now Christians today. Just like the Christians of the first century. Who first read.

[6:26] Hebrews. Christians today like them. Live under pressure. And so church leaders. Just like the writer. Who is writing here. And they share a great concern.

[6:38] Lest believers should slip back. And fall away from faith. And according to Hebrews. There is a great danger of that. If we should stop paying attention.

[6:50] To what we've heard. If we should drift from the gospel. Into disobedience. And ultimately into denial of the Lord altogether. And we mustn't be naive.

[7:02] Because all the things that he mentions. In the verses surrounding Hebrews chapter 11 here. The end of chapter 10. Speaks about the shame that we face. From society around.

[7:13] Sometimes suffering that that brings. The first couple of verses of chapter 12. Mention the sins that so easily entangle us. These are very real things.

[7:23] For us as for them. You know that. So do I. How many of us. Even just in this past week. Have not found ourselves at times. Shrinking back. From speaking for Jesus.

[7:36] For standing for Jesus. In some situation. And that can easily begin to become a pattern. And if that pattern is not checked. He says. It can become a well trodden path.

[7:47] Look at chapter 10 verse 38. That's a pattern he says. That is not what the Lord wants from us.

[7:58] Brings him no pleasure. And verse 39. If we fall into that pathway. That leads only one way. It leads he says to disaster. Shrinking back. Is the path of destruction.

[8:11] That's not what any Christian leader wants of any person in the church. And that's why Hebrews was written. For those first century Christians.

[8:22] Yes. But preserved by the Holy Spirit in our Bibles. For all of us. For all Christians today. And the whole letter he tells us in chapter 13. Is a word of exhortation.

[8:34] It's a call to real faith. Which is enduring faith. Faith that doesn't shrink back. But faith that presses on in perseverance.

[8:46] For eternal preservation. And that's our calling. That is who we are. He says. In chapter 10 verse 39. Not those. Who shrink back and are destroyed.

[8:56] But those who have faith. And who persevere. And preserve. Our souls. And of course the exhortation to faith. Is based upon our wonderful encouragement.

[9:07] That we have. A great high priest. Who lives forever. Interceding for us. In the face of all suffering. And all shame. And all sin. And he is able.

[9:18] We're told. Remember. To save to the uttermost. Those who draw near. To God. Through him. But we have to keep on. Drawing near.

[9:29] Not neglecting. Such a great salvation. But encouraging one another. Day after day. As we saw last time. Not neglecting. Meeting together. But encouraging one another.

[9:40] All the more. As the day of the Lord approaches. That's the faith. That endures. That's the faith. That perseveres. And preserves. Life.

[9:51] For eternity. And that's the faith. That Hebrews. And indeed. Every Christian leader. That they want to encourage. And must encourage. In people. Look back.

[10:01] With me. To chapter 6. Verses 11 and 12. These words. Come at the end. Of the warning passage. In chapter 6. That brackets. With chapter 10. The central section.

[10:12] Of the encouragements. In Hebrews. Look at. Chapter 6. Verse 11. What is the deep desire. That he has. For all his readers. That each.

[10:22] One of you. He says. Show the same. Earnestness. To have the full. Assurance of hope. Until the end. You see. Real faith. To the very end. And notice verse 12.

[10:34] Not sluggish. Remember. When we looked at that. That's the word. That's picked up. From chapter 5. Verse 11. That's translated there. Dull. Of hearing. Not sluggish. In hearing God's word. But imitators.

[10:46] Of those. Who through faith. And patience. Patient endurance. Inherit. The promises. And he goes on there. In verse 13. To speak about Abraham. To whom.

[10:57] God spoke. His word of promise. And Abraham. Verse 15. Having waited patiently. That is. Having stood firm. Holding on to God's word. Till the very end. He obtained.

[11:08] The promise. He wasn't dull of hearing. He went on. Hearing God's word. And that's what enabled him to live. All his life. Perceiving the reality.

[11:19] Of the as yet unseen world. To come. And possessing relationship. With the unseen. God above. All the days of his life. Just like Abel. And Enoch.

[11:30] And Noah. That we looked at last time. And Abraham. You see. Was not unique. That's the point. He is joined by these men. But he is joined by a great cloud.

[11:41] Of witnesses. Whose faith. We also today. Are called to imitate. And whose lives of faith. Will encourage us. In running our race today. With just the same kind of faith.

[11:53] And patient endurance. That's why Hebrews 11. Is here in our Bibles. It's a direct. Amplication. Of the Old Testament. To the New Testament.

[12:03] By the writer. Because remember. As Paul says. In Romans chapter 4. 15 verse 4. Everything that was. Written in these former days. Was written for our instruction. That through endurance.

[12:16] And the encouragement. Of the scriptures. We might have hope. Well that's what Hebrews 11. Is here. To do for us. We can endure. And indeed. We shall endure.

[12:27] If we imitate. Their faith. Which was a faith. That was not sluggish. Not dull. In hearing God's word. But held fast. To God's word. Right to the very end.

[12:39] And you remember. Last time. We looked at chapter. Chapter 11. Verse 3. Listening to God's word. His voice. Alone. Is what can give us. Understanding about this world.

[12:51] In the light. Of God's eternal world. It was by enduring. Patient trust. In the word. Of God's revelation. That enabled. All of these saints of old.

[13:02] Like Abraham. Like Moses. Who dominate chapter 11. But all the rest. Also. That enabled them. To live with the reality. Of this world. Because. Their eyes were opened.

[13:13] To the reward. Of the unseen God above. And. To the resurrection. That God promised. In the unseen world. Yet to come. The faith that endures.

[13:26] Is a faith. That is anchored. In eternity. Because our salvation. Is an eternal salvation. It's not. An earthly one. In this age.

[13:37] That's so important. Because. What so often. Passes for Christianity. In the world today. Is entirely. Taken up. With this life. And with this age.

[13:48] And with this earth. And that means. That we're so easily. Pulled back. By the siren voices. Of this passing world. Which comes to us. Not just from the world around. But.

[13:58] Very often. Alas. From the professing church also. Which is far more concerned. With now. Than with eternity. To come. No. Says Hebrews. The only way.

[14:10] Not to drift back. Is to keep pressing. Onwards. To the promise. Only that kind of faith. Will endure. Through this life. Earthly endurance.

[14:21] For every Christian. Means that their faith. Must be. Anchored. In eternity. In the world above. And in the world to come. That's what Hebrews 11. Teachers are so.

[14:32] Clearly. And we're to be. Imitators. Of those who have gone before us. Whose faith. And patient endurance. Held firm. Right till. The very end. Let's look then.

[14:43] At this. Chapter. The rest of it together. And see. How it shows us. That the way. To earthly endurance. Is anchored. In. Eternity. Living for the resurrection.

[14:53] In the world to come. Living for the reward. Of God above. That's the only way. That we'll be able to live. With reality. In this world. Round about us. And to face.

[15:04] Both the triumphs. But also the trials of faith. That will be ours. Right till the very end. Look at verses 8 to 22 first. Where we're told about Abraham. And Abraham's immediate family.

[15:15] Now these verses show us. That the faith that endures. Means living for the resurrection. In the world to come. We're told that Abraham lived. Seeing. And saluting.

[15:27] The promise of God. Knowing. That he had a future with him. In an unseen. World. As yet to come. Key verses.

[15:37] In the. In the accounts. Of both Abraham and Moses here. Tell us what they saw. What they saw. By faith. What the vision. Was. That they kept before them. All their lives.

[15:49] And that's what the writer. Emphasizes. In verse 13. About Abraham. And his progeny. We're told that they saw. The things that God promised. They. They greeted them.

[16:00] They saluted them. From afar. And they acknowledged. That they were strangers. And exiles. On earth. They were people. Who were living. For a resurrection.

[16:12] Still to come. If you've got any doubt about that. Read on to verse 14. People who speak this way. Make it clear. That they are seeking. A home. A homeland. Which is not.

[16:23] Not. The home. The place they came out from. But verse 16. Look. A better country. A heavenly one. Where God himself. Has prepared.

[16:35] For them. A city. That is pretty clear. They were living. For resurrection. In. An eternal world. To come. They were living for it. And they were longing for it.

[16:45] That's what the word desire. There means. In verse 16. Longing. For the world to come. And that's what the call of God. meant for Abraham. Right from the very start. Verse 8 says.

[16:56] By faith. Abraham obeyed. By going out. To a place. That he was to receive. As his. Inheritance. Abraham's faith. Meant obedience.

[17:06] To God's voice. It was the obedience of faith. Not the. The disobedience. Of unbelief. And he was called. Out. Out.

[17:17] From his. Earthly city. As Stephen puts it. In Acts chapter 7. Out. From his land. And his kindred. From his home. A costly call.

[17:29] To leave all that behind. To leave. Behind. The security. Of his kith. And kin. Of his language. Of his people. Of his world. Of this world's ways. But he obeyed.

[17:40] He did that. For. Look at verse 10. He saw. He was looking forward. To a city. That has foundations. Whose designer. And builder. Is God.

[17:54] Not of this world. He knew. That he was called. To an eternal life. In an eternal world. Right from the very start. And by the way. The book of Hebrews. Here shows us.

[18:05] All through chapter 11. The same pattern. That we saw last time. In the people it speaks about. The commencement of faith. The continuation. And a climax. And a great. Trial of faith. Just as we saw.

[18:15] In Enoch. Abel. And Enoch. And Moses. Last time. We see that in Abraham's life. We see it in Moses life. Abraham's faith began. With God's call. In verse 8. It continued.

[18:27] All through his life. With God. In the land of promise. And then the great climax. Comes in verses 17 to 19. When he. Is faced with staring death. Right in the face. When he's asked to offer up.

[18:37] His only son Isaac. The same in verses. 20 to 22. Where it's the death. Of Isaac. And Jacob. And Joseph. That provides the climactic moment.

[18:47] Of their faith. When they look forward. It's the same pattern with Moses. He begins. With faith. Both around his birth. In the faith of his parents. But also in his decisive choice. To stand with God's people.

[18:59] Continuing in faith. As he left Egypt. To spend those. Years. In the Midian. Midianite desert. And then the great climax. And the judgment. And the salvation. Of the exodus.

[19:10] And the entry. Later into the promised land. Same pattern you see later on. At the end of the chapter. Actually. And all of these. People who are. Who are talked about it. By name. Who sustained their faith. All through their life.

[19:22] And got to the end of their life. Their death. Without yet. Having received. The inheritance. He's repeating it. Again and again. And his repetition.

[19:32] His rhetoric. Is deliberate. He wants us. To get the point. He wants it to be pressed home. Again and again. Real faith. Endures. To the end. Because it's a faith. Looking to the future.

[19:46] Faith. From the beginning. Was living. For that future. Living for the resurrection. It's really important. That we get that clear.

[19:56] That the promise. To Abraham. From the start. Was not a promise. Of an abiding. Earthly home. At all. Very important. To get that clear. Because many Christians.

[20:07] Today. Speak about the present day. Land of Israel. As the holy land. As though. That particular part. Of the earth. That strip in Palestine. Was the place of God's. Promised. Eternal inheritance.

[20:19] For his people. We've seen already. Repeatedly. Haven't they? Chapter three and four. Of Hebrews. That's not so. The writer tells us. That Joshua. Did not bring.

[20:29] God's people. Into their land. A final rest. In Canaan. If he had done. Why would God. Have kept on. Talking all the way through. About a further rest. Still to come. That we have to strive. To enter into. And that's what we see here too.

[20:41] Look at verses nine and ten. Abraham's call. Was to a future. With God. To a permanent home. With lasting foundations. He knew. That was not. On this earth. In the earthly land.

[20:54] That God gave to him. Verse nine. He lived as a foreigner. He lived in tents. So did Isaac. So did Jacob. They were not. Permanent citizens. Of that earthly land.

[21:05] Because. They were looking forward. To the fulfillment. Of the promise of God. In the lasting city. In the true homeland. Verse 14. In the better country. That is the heavenly one.

[21:17] On earth. There was promise. But there was not yet. Fulfillment. And that fulfillment. He knew. Would be something.

[21:27] That God would bring. By faith. As life. From the dead. Through resurrection. That points further. Elaborated. And pressed home. In the two paragraphs.

[21:37] That make up. Verses 11 and 12. And verses 17 to 19. Notice how. All the way through. This passage. There's a very distinct. Emphasis. Right from verses 8.

[21:48] To verse 19. On the two things. That were at the very heart. Of God's promise to Abraham. From the beginning. God promised Abraham. A place. For God's. Inheritance.

[21:59] And he promised God. Abraham a people. As many as the stars of heaven. Who would fill. That promised heavenly country. Forever. Well in verses 8 to 10. And verses 13 to 16.

[22:11] It speaks about the place. The heavenly country. The lasting city of God. In eternity. And verses 11 and 12. And verses 17 to 19. Speak about the people. Abraham's progeny.

[22:23] And what these verses show us. Very importantly. Is that during Abraham's own earthly life. He experienced the power. Of God given life from the dead.

[22:36] And so he knew therefore. That not even death. Could ever threaten God's promise. For his people. Look at verses 11 and 12. In the very birth of Isaac. It was by faith. In God's promise.

[22:47] That Abraham received power. To conceive. Even though he was past age. And Sarah herself was barren. And so verse 12.

[22:57] From one man. And him as good as. Dead. Were born. A multitude. Like the stars of heaven. Do you see. Life from the dead.

[23:09] By the power of God. By the promise of God. Not born. According to the flesh. As Paul puts it in Galatians 4. But according to the spirit of God. Or as he says in Romans.

[23:21] Chapter 4. Echoing Hebrews here. Despite Abraham's body. Being as good as dead. The God. Who gives life to the dead. And calls into existence. Things that do not exist.

[23:33] Brought forth. Life. By faith. Abraham received power. His own flesh. Was regenerated. To bring forth life from the dead.

[23:46] Descendants. As numerous as the stars. To inherit with him. The heavenly place. That God had promised him. The abiding city of God. Forever. He saw the power of God.

[23:57] At work. In miraculous birth. By the spirit. Through regeneration. Of his own body. To bring. Literally. Life from the dead. And. He saw the same power of God.

[24:10] Would bring forth life. Beyond death. By the spirit. Through resurrection. That's what we're being told. Explicitly. In verses 17 to 19. In the climactic test.

[24:20] Of Abraham's faith. At the start of Abraham's life. His call. His test. Was to give up. All his earthly past. For the guaranteed.

[24:32] Greater prize. Of God's promise. And now. Here. Towards the end of his life. God. Asks him to give up. And lay on the altar. His whole. Earthly future. In giving up Isaac.

[24:43] His only son. Verse 17. Through whom. Verse 18 says. Through whom. His whole posterity. In earthly terms. Was going to depend. But Abraham.

[24:54] Had seen. God's power. Over death. To bring forth. Verse 11. Life. From death. And so he knew. That God also. And it's the same word here.

[25:05] In verse 19. Where it says. God was able. That God had power. To raise him. From the dead. I see. God had promised Abraham. A heavenly country.

[25:16] A lasting city. An eternal city. For his offspring. As numerous. As the stars of heaven. And Abraham. Had seen. And saluted. That promise. From afar. So clearly.

[25:27] He grasped. That his progeny. Were going to be. Children of the resurrection. And so. Even if it was going to. Cost him hugely. Vastly.

[25:39] In earthly terms. Giving up his own son. To earthly death. He knew. That even the death. Of his son. Could not threaten. God's promise. Of eternal life. But must surely.

[25:49] In some way. Play a part. In fulfilling it. Through the power. Of resurrection. A heavenly. Resurrection. People. Brought into their.

[26:02] Glorious future. Through willing. Obedience. The earthly death. Of a precious son. Who had himself. Been miraculously born. By the spirit of God.

[26:13] A very striking pattern. Isn't it? That God reveals to Abraham. You do wonder. If that's what Jesus meant. When he said. Abraham saw. My day.

[26:24] And rejoiced. Especially. When his verse 19. Alludes to here. Figuratively speaking. In a foreshadowing way. Abraham received. He gave back.

[26:34] His son Isaac. Through God himself. Providing a substitute. Sacrifice. In the place of his son. Do you remember the story. In Genesis? Very striking.

[26:46] But what is. Absolutely. Clear. Is that Abraham's faith. Was for the future. Forever. In a city with foundations. Beyond death.

[26:57] And despite death. He was living. For the resurrection. And for a true home. Which was not. In this world. But in the world to come. And that was the faith.

[27:08] He passed on. To Isaac. And Jacob. And Joseph. In verses 20 to 22. Isaac invoked. Future blessings. On his sons. And Jacob. And Joseph as well. Because their death.

[27:19] They knew. Was not the end. Joseph saw the future. Unfolding. He was determined. To be a part. Of God's unfolding kingdom. To its fulfillment. And all of these.

[27:30] Lived on this earth. As foreigners. As strangers. And exiles. We're told. Willing to leave behind. All the comfort. All the security. Of this world.

[27:42] Abraham didn't get any. Earthly substitute. Did he? For what he had to leave behind. In Ur of the Chaldees. Ur of the Chaldees. Was a large city. A wealthy city. A sophisticated city. Go and look at all the artifacts.

[27:53] In the British Museum. In London. From Ur of the Chaldees. You'll be astonished. And he left all of that behind. For the tents. Of a desert land. On this earth. But God promised him.

[28:06] A future. Beyond this earth. In a far greater city. Through the power. Of one who he knew. Could bring life.

[28:16] To the dead. And so he lived. To the very end. For that future. For the resurrection. To come. And although a foreigner. In this world. Nevertheless. He was bountifully.

[28:27] Fruitful for God. Wasn't he? Verse 12. From one man. As good as dead. In our human way of thinking. God raised up. Multitudes. Of spiritual children. That was the whole purpose.

[28:39] Of Abraham's earthly life. To live for the resurrection. And for the world to come. And to raise up offspring. As children of the resurrection. For the world to come. And here's the thing. You see. All of us. Who are Christians.

[28:50] Who through Jesus Christ. Have inherited that same future today. We are the true offspring of Abraham. Paul tells us. We're heirs of the same promise. And we are to imitate the same faith.

[29:02] In our earthly lives. We're not yet at rest. In our eternal home. And we too. Must like Abraham. Wait for that in the future. When Jesus returns.

[29:13] To bring to us. As to him. That glorious fulfillment. Fulfillment. Chapter 13 tells us. We also. Here. Have no enduring city. We're foreigners.

[29:24] We're strangers. We're exiles. On this earth. But we too. Just like Abraham. Are called to be fruitful. On this earth. We're called to give our lives.

[29:35] In this world. Similarly. To be raising up. Spiritual children. Children of the resurrection. To inherit with us. The glory of the world to come. That's our calling. Above all other things.

[29:46] In this world. According to Jesus. And if we share Abraham's faith. You see. We too. Will know that God. Is the God. Who brings life.

[29:56] From the dead. For life. That is beyond the grave. And we'll consider him. Faithful. Who's promised to go with us.

[30:07] All the days of our lives. As we. Make disciples of all nations. As Jesus calls us to. We won't fear. Will we. Spiritual death. Where we see it.

[30:18] All around us. Because we know that God. Is the God. Who brings life. To the dead. Even the deadest. Brings life. Through new birth.

[30:29] Miraculous birth. By his spirit. And we'll understand. Won't we. That that is our chief purpose. In life. In this world. Not yet. To have the rest. And the joys. And the rewards.

[30:39] Of the world to come. With all the promise. That there is for that. But rather. To be living our lives. Here like Abraham. As fruitful foreigners. Living for the resurrection.

[30:51] Seeking to raise up. Spirit born people. To share it with us. Faith that endures. Is faith. That lives. For the resurrection. So it doesn't invest.

[31:04] Heavily now. In this passing world. But invests. Rather now. To bring forth. Children. For the resurrection. For the world to come. And so of course.

[31:16] That means. That the faith. That endures. Is faith. That is always. Living. For the reward. Of God above. And not. For the wealth. And the treasure. Of this world.

[31:28] And that's what verses 23 to 31. Show us in the story of Moses. Moses lived. Seeing and savoring. The presence.

[31:38] Of the invisible God. Knowing that he had fellowship. With him. In the unseen world above. Look at verse 27. He endured. As seeing him. Who is invisible.

[31:49] He looked always to God. And not to man. And he experienced. The power. Of God's constant. Presence in his life. And so he knew.

[32:00] That no danger. Could ever threaten. The unfolding. Progress. Of God's eternal plan. This chapter 13.

[32:11] Verse 6. Puts it. Moses could confidently. Say the Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man. Do to me. Even the king of Egypt. And so he could press on.

[32:22] Playing his. God given part. In his. Lifetime. In God's unfolding purposes. For eternity. And so will you. And so will I.

[32:33] If we imitate his faith. In that way. But it is a costly faith. Look at verse 25. Began for Moses. Didn't it?

[32:44] Exchanging majesty. For mistreatment. Looking to the reward of God. Verse 27. Brought no earthly reward. But brought instead. Reproach.

[32:56] The reproach of Christ. And that is what real faith in Christ. Will bring to you and to me. If we seek him. And if we seek to live for his reward.

[33:07] Not this world's rewards. You'll find yourself sometimes excluded. You'll find yourself shunned. You'll find yourself sneered at.

[33:17] In our culture today. Sometimes worse. Much worse. In many places. Chapter 13. Says to us. Let us go to Jesus.

[33:28] Outside the camp. And bear the reproach. That he endured. Because here. We. Have no lasting city. We seek the city to come.

[33:41] So as Christians. We will not find rest. In this world. We will not find rewards here. Not. If we want the reward. That Moses found. The true wealth of Christ.

[33:52] Which is not of this world. And not if we want the faith. That really does overcome. The fear. Of the powers of this world. You notice that.

[34:02] Verse 23. By faith. Moses' parents. Were not afraid. Of the king's edict. Verse 27. By faith. Moses. Was not afraid.

[34:13] Of the king's. Anger. Faith. That overcomes fear. Faith. That does. Faith. That does not fear. What man. Can do to me. That is the faith.

[34:25] That makes you totally detached. From the things of this world. Because. You are firmly. Attached. Firmly anchored. In. The world to come.

[34:36] The world that matters. The world above. And as Christians. We are often fearful. Aren't we? When we think about it.

[34:47] Usually that fear. Is because we are not. Living. Solely. For the reward. Of God above. And for the resurrection. In the world to come. We are living for the wealth.

[34:58] Of this world. That is why we fear. Economic chaos. And stock market collapses. And losing our jobs. And all of these things. We are living for health. And that is why we fear.

[35:10] Greatly. Above all other things. Sickness. And disease. And death. Or we are living for our reputation. And so. We fear. When we might lose it. And so we don't want to stand.

[35:22] For the Lord Jesus. Or we are resentful. Perhaps that we haven't got it. Because we have taken a stand. And so on. Isn't that so? Often it is so. But you see. If we leave.

[35:33] If we live continually. Keeping the gaze. Of him who is invisible. Before our eyes. Then we will find. We don't fear. Man.

[35:44] The things of this world. Nothing that this world can do to us. Nothing that this world can take from us. Because we know. The one who has said. I will never. Leave you or forsake you.

[35:55] I will never leave you or forsake you. And that is a wonderfully. Liberating way to live. To care only for his reward. Only for his esteem. Only for his assessment.

[36:07] Of our lives. And therefore to live. With this truly resilient faith. All through your life. And all through the particular ministry. Of service. In God's kingdom.

[36:18] That he gives to you. By faith. Moses. Endured. Just think what Moses endured. Those exiled years. And Midian.

[36:29] Away on his own. The dramatic years. Of the plagues. And the Passover. And the Exodus itself. Not to mention. The 40 years. Of grumbling Israelites. All through the wilderness.

[36:40] That's passed over. In this chapter. The climax. Of seeing the people. Go into. Into the land. After him. And so on. And look at verse 30.

[36:52] What a legacy. Of spiritual advance. Moses left behind him. By his faith. Those that he influenced. Like Joshua. And all the. Things that flowed from that.

[37:03] The wonderful triumph. Of the. Of the entry into the land. The wonderful overspill. Of faith. And of salvation. To people like. The pagan prostitute. Rahab. And many others like her. All because Moses lived.

[37:16] Not. For the wealth. And the welcome of this world. Which by his background. Was his by rights. His for the taking. But instead. For the reward of Christ. Which never comes without.

[37:29] The reproach of Christ. That's the way you see. To fearless. Resilient faith. But it's very costly. In this world's terms. I mean.

[37:39] That's something that some of us. Here need to hear. Very particularly today. Maybe you long. For that resilience. In your faith. It makes you unafraid. And maybe you do really.

[37:50] Above all other things. Maybe you crave. For the reward of God above. And that's what God wants. From every one of us. That's what the Lord Jesus calls us to. But it begins.

[38:03] Doesn't it? With a refusal. By faith. Moses refused. Majesty. And chose. Mistreatment with God's people. And it will.

[38:15] Always bring reproach. The reproach of Christ. From a world that hates Christ. That will hate you. If you demote. The praise. And the prizes of this world.

[38:26] And you promote. The praise and the rewards. That only Jesus can bring. This world will not. Tolerate that kind of thing. But that's the faith. That will endure. Daniel chapter 11.

[38:38] Has a great verse. It says. As many in the last days. Will be seduced. By this world's flattery. But the people. Who do know their God. Will be strong. And do exploits.

[38:50] Living for the resurrection. Living for the world to come. And living for the reward. Of God above. That is the faith. That endures. And that's the faith. That every one of us. Is called to imitate.

[39:04] And that's the true faith. That will enable us. Like all the saints. Who have gone before us. All this great cloud of witnesses. To live now. With the reality. Of the world. Around about us. That's what verses 32.

[39:15] To the end. Are reminding us of. Reminding us. That our lives. Will be like this. If we truly follow. The way of real faith. These saints. Saw great wonders. Didn't they? As the kingdom advanced.

[39:26] Relentlessly. Kingdoms conquered. Prayers answered. Lions quieted. Miraculous things. Wonderful things. Read the Old Testament. You'll see it all. But.

[39:38] Verse 35. Notice. Also. They saw torture. They saw mocking. They saw floggings. They saw chains. They saw martyrdom. Great wonders.

[39:49] But also. Every one of them. Bore great wounds. For the kingdom of God. That's been the story. Ever since. Paul's word. To the New Testament.

[39:59] Church. Was that through. Many tribulations. We must enter. The kingdom of heaven. That's the reality. That we're all called to today. Isn't it? In these last days.

[40:09] In which we live. The Lord Jesus. Tells us that. Again and again. And again. In this world. You will have tribulation. But. Be of good cheer. Because I have overcome.

[40:21] The world. And Hebrews. Won't let us forget that either. The founder. The perfecter. Of our faith. He tells us. Is now already. Seated at the right hand. Of the majesty on high. That's the most heartening thing.

[40:33] Of all. That's the great message. Look at the last two verses there. 39 and 40. All these saints. Who were commended. In their lives. As having pleased God. Because they lived in faith. Because they endured. To the end.

[40:44] They had less. Than we've been given. God had promised something. Better for us. In these last days. They endured. Living for the resurrection.

[40:54] As Abraham did. Look at verse 35. Says it again. Refusing release. So they would rise. To a better life. And they endured. Look at verse 38.

[41:05] Not caring about this world's reward. This world was not worthy. But living for the reward of God above. Just like Moses. What a wonderful example. And encouragement to us.

[41:17] As they look forward. Grasping God's promise. But you see what he's saying. In these last two verses. We in these last days. Can look back. At the fulfillment.

[41:29] Of all that God had promised. In the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. That assures us. Beyond any doubt at all. Of our resurrection future.

[41:39] With God forever. And we can look up. At our great high priest. Who assures us. Far greater. Of our intimate fellowship with God. Always.

[41:50] At the throne of grace. To find grace. And mercy. And help. In every time of need. Our earthly endurance. Has been anchored. In eternity. By the sure.

[42:02] And steadfast anchor. To our souls. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. And his triumph. And what he says in chapter 6. About that. So that we. Who have fled.

[42:12] To Christ for refuge. Might have a rock solid. Encouragement. To hold fast. To the hope. Before us. That's why he can say. Before he gets into.

[42:23] Listing holy saints. In chapter 11. In that last verse. Of chapter 10. That's why he can say. This is us. We are not those. Who shrink back. And are destroyed. But are those.

[42:35] Who have faith. And preserve their souls. And that's because. We have something. Even better. One writer.

[42:45] Puts it this way. Surely. If all these. Living as they did. In the early light. Of the new dawn. Before the sun had risen. If they waxed mighty in faith.

[42:56] How much more ought we. Upon whom the sun of righteousness. Has risen with healing in his wings. How much more. Ought we. To manifest the grace. And the power of God.

[43:06] In our lives. We who have not only the promise. But the promise of himself. Our Lord Jesus Christ. Indwelling. Our hearts.

[43:17] By faith. Yes. The great saints of old. Persevered to the grave. For they saw. The end of the story. But much more.

[43:28] We'll prevail. With a faith that shall not fail. As we wait. For his coming. In glory. That's the message. Of this chapter for us.

[43:38] One of great challenge. But one of great. Great encouragement. Through our great high priest. Our savior. The Lord Jesus Christ. Well may it.

[43:49] Encourage us. This week. Let's pray. Heavenly Father. We thank and we praise you. That from these earliest times. Your word of promise.

[44:01] Enlightened. And sustained. Those who have gone before us. To endure to the very end. Living. Living. For the resurrection. And living for your reward.

[44:13] So help us Lord. To whom you have given. So much more. And the privilege of living. In these last days. The days of the great fulfillment. Of your finished work for us.

[44:25] In the person of your son. And your final word to us. Delivered. In his gospel. Help us. We pray. To hear. And heed. And so to be.

[44:37] Indeed. Those who do not shrink back. But have faith. And preserve our souls. For we ask it in Jesus name.

[44:47] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Boom. Amen.

[45:14]  Amen.