HoHum:
A writer from perhaps the third century AD described Christians in these words: They live in their own homelands, but as foreigners. They share in everything as citizens, but endure everything as aliens. Every foreign country is their homeland, but every homeland is a strange country to them. They spend their time on the earth, but their citizenship is really in heaven
WBTU:
“This is a Christian nation” is a quote that is found in many of the writings of the Founding Fathers and the writings and decisions of many statesmen and judges in the United States throughout our history. Until 1963 it was understood that this was a Christian nation.
President Obama said recently , “We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation.” While this statement grates on many Christian’s nerves (including my own) he is simply stating the realities that we are facing. How did this happen? Prior to 1963, the U.S.A. was a God-honoring country. Our children prayed to God in public schools. Then in 1963, public prayer and Bible reading were outlawed in the schools by the Supreme Court. At that point we began to teach secular humanism because we could no longer teach the Christian faith. Abraham Lincoln said, “"The philosophy of the classroom in one generation will be the philosophy of the government in the next." I dare say that it goes beyond just the government and into every area of life. I am not denying that there are many Christian public school teachers who are doing their best to bring their faith to the classroom but in my cases they are too handicapped to make a big difference as in past generations. Christian parents who have children in public schools also need to battle against this ungodly trend in the teachings and examples brought before them. The prevailing tide is secular. Our attempts to make the schools "religion free" has had poor results: drops in test scores and rises in immoral, criminal, and violent behavior.
Our parents and grandparents never worried about whether we would grow up Christian. The church was the only show in town. [And] Church, home and state formed a national team that worked together to instill “Christian values.” This is not so today.
All sorts of Christians are waking up and realizing that this is no longer “a Christian nation”. This news may be a shock to some of us, but a quick look at primetime TV is enough to demonstrate the point. In many ways we have awakened to find ourselves behind cultural enemy lines. We are in a foreign land to the Christian faith. This realization means that we must order and live our lives differently.
In our Scriptures this morning, the writer of Hebrews is telling the Jewish Christians to remember the heroes of the faith. They wanted to turn away from Christ and go back to Judaism because it would be much easier. If they gave up on Christ they would be accepted by their society. Hebrews 10:32-34 tells us some of the conditions at that time for Christians.
In Hebrews 11:8-21 the writer is encouraging them to remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and how they lived. The King James says in vs. 13 that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. The dictionary definition of a pilgrim is “a person regarded as journeying to a future life.”
In our history we have the pilgrims who founded the colony of Plymouth in New England in 1620. We will refer to them briefly during this talk. We also need to adopt their attitudes.
Thesis: The writer gives us 4 qualities that these had in overcoming all in which they encountered
For instances:
Confidence (Vs. 13 KJV: These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them)
There “Confidence” came from, not turning from God, but trusting in him! Despite their Suffering! Despite their Hardships! A person of Faith has this Confidence! I have Confidence that no matter how bad times may get, they are going to get better! Listen, they may; Take the Ten-Commandments from our Court Houses, but it’s going to get better! Take Under-God out of our Pledge of Allegiance, but it’s going to get better! Rip these pages out my bible, but it’s going to get better! Stop us from preaching, but it’s going to get better! Although it often becomes worse before hand, it will get better for the Christian!
A person of faith has this quiet confidence that God will take care of them, even though dreams are shattered and plans lay collapsed at their feet and they feel trampled by life. They may not see the fulfillment of all their dreams, but nevertheless they persist in the faith and die in the faith with a kind of quiet confidence.
the Pilgrims of Plymouth, in December 1620, had a mere fifty-three adult males. Yet the remarkable fact is that within fifteen years New England had taken over as the leading colony in North America. Her population had unparalleled growth, some 10,000 had settled there by 1634 and 18,000 by 1643. From her small beginnings and comparative isolation New England thus grew to pre-eminence. In the 140 years from the mid 1630's to the War of Independence no part of North America contributed so much to the emergence of the nation. Without New England the history of the United States would have followed a very different pattern. This being so, we may well enquire what gave New England so distinctive and influential a part in the development of the American nation, and beyond all doubt the answer is — the Christian Faith.
1 Corinthians 15:58: my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Witness (Vs. 13 KJV: confessed that they were strangers & pilgrims on earth)
These heroes were in conflict with the cultures around them. Their values and priorities were not the same as the other nations among whom they lived. They didn’t get too comfortable with this life.
Acts 1:8: my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
The pilgrims in America had a concern for the building of a society in which God and his Word were honored. Not that they did it perfectly but they knew that governments can only stand firm if they are based upon morality, and that morality in turn must find its sure basis in God and in submission to His Word.
The pilgrims did not believe that their colonies advanced because they were stronger, wiser or more righteous than others. With the recognition of their imperfection and sin, and with faith and much prayer, they sought to acknowledge God and his Kingdom. The blessing which followed was all of God’s doing. Looking back, Governor William Bradford of Plymouth could declare: 'Of small beginnings great things have been produced by His hand . . . and as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone to many, yea, in some sort to our whole nation. Let the glorious name of Jehovah have all the praise!'
The Journey (Vs. 14: People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own)
The pilgrims were definitely looking for a place of their own. Above all, the pilgrims wanted to be free. They disagreed with the religious teachings of the Church of England. In fact, the Pilgrims were members of a group of people called Separatists. These people had different beliefs than the rest of the English people. Because of persecution, the Pilgrims were forced to leave England. They chose to go to Holland and for 12 years, they found a home there. But the Pilgrims were also poor. Many of them were forced to work difficult jobs all day long, for little money. They had found religious peace in Holland, but they were making barely enough money to survive. What to do? They finally decided to sail to North America.
This is good for them but what about the Hebrew Christians here and for us today. Should we also set out and try to form our own country or community? Maybe go under the ocean or to the moon. I don’t think so.
The journey definitely didn’t end for the pilgrims when they reached the New World. Many hardships awaited them. Indians, illness, lack of food, homesickness, hard work, etc.
In our life, the journey of faith begins at baptism and ends at death. People of faith realize that they’re on a journey, that this world is simply one phase of this journey that extends into heaven. This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through my treasures are laid...
Assurance (Vs. 16: God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.)
The sufferings of these pilgrims has been a theme often repeated and yet it remains an amazing story. Within three months of the landing in December 1620 only about fifty of the original hundred survived. Their graves had to be unmarked and grassed over to prevent the Indians discovering how weak the survivors were numerically. Most died from illness, others went more tragically. Together through several years this little band faced danger, toil and famine. 'I have seen men stagger', says Winslow, 'by reason of faintness for want of food'. And yet in the midst of it all there was no spirit of murmuring and discontent.
How? Because God was not ashamed to be called their God, prepared a city for them. Strangers and aliens often experience hardship, social isolation, and economic deprivation. But God makes us a promise. No matter how bad things get, He will always be proud of us and gladly provide for us and give us a city with all the amenities and conveniences.
Another pilgrim said, “Our hearts were taken off from Old England, and set upon heaven. The discourse not only of the aged, but of the youth also, was not, how shall we go back to England, but how shall we go to heaven.”
Plan of salvation.
Dori on Finding Nemo: And-and I look at you, and I... and I'm home. Find Jesus find home.
Revelation 21:1- 4
