Title: I’m Sure
Place: BLCC
Date: 10/15/17
Text: Hebrews 11.1-12, 39
CT: My assurance is based in God’s grace.
[Screen 1]
FAS: With tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, and financial concerns dominating headline news, National Geographic initiated a survey about what Americans' think about a potential "Doomsday scenario. Here are some of the key findings:
• More than 62 percent of Americans think the world will experience a major catastrophe in the next 20 years.
• The four most likely disaster scenarios include (in order) a significant earthquake, a significant hurricane, a terrorist attack, a financial collapse.
• 71 percent envision a major disaster in their lifetime as an "act of God, not man."
• 85 percent said they are not ready for a devastating event; 25 percent claim they've done absolutely nothing to prepare for a major disaster.
• When asked what people would do the night before they thought the world might end, these were the three highest answers—Resolve feuds with loved ones (27 percent), Have sex (24 percent), and Stock up on resources (20 percent).
Meghan Gleason, Nat Geo TV Blogs, "The Results Are In: Is It the End of the World as We Know It? Survey Says!"
With images of Harvey and Irma it is easy to start thinking about what we may be facing in the near future. The National Weather Service has a new warning system. The system alerts people of not only the approaching storm but of the probability of coastal flooding. Half the deaths from hurricanes are related to these storm surges.
The purpose of the warning is to reduce the number of people killed. They hope people will prepare by either evacuating or hunker down. A spokesman said, The numbers-statistics-don’t matter. What matters is, if a hurricane is going to hit you, you’re prepared for it.
Which causes me to wonder. Has heaven been sending us national and global storm warnings? Blood moons. Solar eclipses. Wars and rumors of wars. Earthquakes. Plagues. The falling away of God’s Word from the church.
While no one knows if these are warnings, it seems reasonable to prepare for the worst by checking our spiritual assuredness.
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Read Hebrews 11.1-12, 1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
What can we take from this scripture? It offers us a lot.
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Sure of Hope. We can be sure of our hope. Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance of what we do not see. There is a big difference between “hope–so” and true Biblical hope. The Bible is full of what we hope for. We can count on these things.
Romans 8.28, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Makes me feel pretty good to know God is working for me.
Galatians 6.9, Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. We should not be overcome with weariness for our work for God. We will get the reward at the proper time it says.
John 14.3, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. That sounds like a good deal to me. Jesus is going to prepare a place for us who follow Him.
1 Thessalonians 4.16-17, For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
When the storms of life come upon us we have an anchor to hold us straight.
Romans 15.13, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Change the you to your name and pray this for yourself.
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Sure of Honor. In our text from Hebrew 11 we find the word commend in verses 2,4,5. He calls to duty. He calls us to serve and honor Him in all we do.
Proverbs 3.5-6, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
2 Timothy 4.6-8, For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Revelation 22.12, “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.
What is the danger of insisting on getting what you want? God has a plan for us all. We are not in charge. He is. But the reward of following Jesus is beyond what we could measure.
If Hebrews 11 were written today, would you be included in the faithful ones? What is God commanding you to do today?
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Sure of Him. His Power. Our text from Hebrew 11 lets us know that God created everything from nothing.
Colossians 1.16, For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
There is nothing that is beyond His power.
Isaiah 40.26, Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
God has power to change.
Matthew 8.26-27, He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
If He can control the wind and waves He can control what affects me.
How sure are of God’s power? Sure enough to depend on Him and Him alone? Especially when confronted by someone or something that claims they have all the power.
Sure of Him
His Presence. In our text in Hebrews 11.6 we read, And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
We must believe in Him to gain His reward of eternal life
1 John 5.13-15, I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
God’s presence is always with us. In March of 2009, Dutch artist Johan van der Dong decided God needed a telephone number. So, he got him one. A cell phone number to be exact—to show that God was "available anywhere and anytime."
"In earlier times you would go to a church to say a prayer," Dong said in an interview, "and now [this is an] opportunity to just make a phone call and say your prayer in a modern way."
It seems a lot of people appreciate the opportunity Dong has afforded them with his "divine hotline." Within one week, over 1,000 people left God a message.
On one hand, it's pretty thrilling to know that over 1,000 people want to connect to God. On the other hand, you have to wonder how people will feel once the "connection" is made. You see, when you call the number Dong has set up for God, this is what you hear on the other side of the line:
"This is the voice of God. I am not able to speak to you at the moment, but please leave a message."
That doesn't exactly convey the idea of a God who is "available anywhere and anytime," does it? To make matters worse, Dong plans on keeping the line open for just six months.
When you think about it, Dong has really only managed to connect people to an altogether disconnected God.
Brian Lowery, managing editor, PreachingToday.com; sources: Associated Press, "Dutch leave messages on God phone," www.newsvote.bbc.co.uk (3-7-09), and Reuters, "Leave God a message at his Dutch answering service," www.reuters.com (3-2-09)
We don’t need a phone to connect with God. He is with us all the time. His presence is all around us. Just pray.
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Sure of Heaven. What was the primary motive for Abraham to take off in his life of obedience to God in our text today?
10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Abraham believed there was a promised land for Him. A Heaven.
Is there any uncertainty in what Jesus says in John 14.1-3, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
Jesus is saying He will return. There is no maybe here. He says He will and if you believe in God you believe in Him. He is coming back for us.
John 3.16, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. We all know that one don’t we?
2 Peter 3.13-14, But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
How will you respond to Heaven’s storm warning? Will you cower in fear and hide or will you greet the coming of God into our world.
What we need to check is our basic necessity, which is, Biblical certainty, confidence and surety. What it is really- is faith. The faith that was spoken of for all those found in Hebrews 11. There are about 19.
[Screen 7] Hebrews 11.39, These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, [Screen 8] since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
How sure are you of hope, of honor, of Him and of Heaven? Are you sure enough to face the future without fear because you prepared for the worst?
We have no need to fear if we follow Christ. With Him we are guaranteed a positive outcome no matter what this world throws at us. Won’t you come today and join those who follow Jesus through baptism and know of his forgiveness, grace and real joy.
Bibliography: Graham, Anne, Prepared For the Worst?; Decision Magazine, October 2017
