Latest / Mount Eaton Church / Christ the True and Better - Hebrews 10:32 - 11:40 - Christ Our True Faith

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Christ the True and Better - Hebrews 10:32 - 11:40 - Christ Our True Faith · Mount Eaton Church

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  Good morning, family.
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  I'm going to finish up chapter 10, going through all of chapter 11.
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  This will be different than what you've ever heard a faith message to be.
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  Yes.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you so much.
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  She got me.
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  So before we do that, we have a congregational reading.
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  So let us read together.
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  We believe of saving faith.
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  This faith is different in degrees, weak or strong, may be often and many ways attacked,
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  abused, weakened, but gets the victory, growing many to full assurance through Christ, who
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  is both the author and finisher of our faith, Westminster Confession.
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  So what is saving faith?
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  What is faith?
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  Have we ever really thought about that?
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  I'm sure you've heard many messages on faith as being sure what you hope for in the evidence
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  and what you don't see.
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  Faith is being able to move mountains.
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  Faith is little and faith is great and faith is all those things.
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  But I want to share with you that faith is even more than that.
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  It's one thing to say that you have faith.
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  Many people have made a profession of faith, yet live faithless lives.
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  So how can you be a person of faith and yet live as if you have none?
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  We're going to answer this question because real true biblical faith is a lot more evident
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  in believers and clearly not seen in unbelievers.
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  So before we get into that part, I want to build something here and this is the issue
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  of confidence because what we'll learn in chapter 11 verse 1 is that faith is the assurance
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  of things hoped for and the conviction or the confidence of things not seen.
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  And so one of the things I think that the writer does so masterfully in Hebrews is he
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  builds us up to this point where he says those who claim to be believers yet willingly and
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  deliberately continue to sin, they are not believers.
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  And so he leaves us as believers with some very important things we need to understand
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  and that is where we're at now.
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  So verse 32 of chapter 10 is where we're going to start.
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  First principle, when you live in confidence, hold fast, not neglecting one another in love
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  and walk in obedience and holiness with our King, you will joyfully give everything to
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  and for him even your life in death and suffering.
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  In other words, if Christ is your confidence and you are fully convinced that he is and
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  you hold fast to the gospel, you don't neglect one another, you walk in obedience, you are
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  willing to give everything to the point of death.
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  In 1 Peter 1, 6 through 7 says it this way, in this you rejoice though now for a little
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  while if necessary you have been grieved by various trials so that the tested genuineness
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  of your faith more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire may be
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  found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
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  Now when we read this we come to understand some very important things in Hebrews 10,
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  32 through 34.
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  But recall the former days when after you were enlightened, in other words remember
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  the day that you came to Christ, how you were imbued, permeated with the saving knowledge
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  of Jesus that the saving knowledge of Christ would pour out of you.
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  Do you remember those days?
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  You endured a hard struggle with sufferings as a result of understanding that saving grace.
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  That's the point.
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  Are you willing to endure struggles and sufferings because of the saving knowledge that permeates
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  through your life?
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  Your life is saturated with Christ.
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  And as a result of understanding that my life is permeated with the saving knowledge of
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  God and that I have endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes those sufferings
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  being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction.
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  How many of you guys can truly say that I am willing to suffer for the cause of Christ?
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  Put myself out there.
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  I am willing to go through the affliction for the cause of Christ.
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  Do we love affliction?
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  Do we look at affliction and reproach as a badge of honor because we carry the name?
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  And sometimes being partners with those who are also treated that way.
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  That would you leave your house seeing that your neighbor who is a believer is being persecuted,
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  mistreated, afflicted, that you would go out and get on your knees with them and so be
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  treated the same way?
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  Got quiet.
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  Even the kids are quiet.
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  Like, that's a true statement, right?
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  So for you had compassion on those in prison and you joyfully accepted the plundering of
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  your property, would you be happy for someone to pull you out of your house, take your house
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  and your things and say you are no longer welcome here?
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  And then beat you in public.
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  See, they joyfully accepted the plundering of their property.
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  Their property was not only taken from them but destroyed.
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  Would you be happy with someone destroying your house?
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  See, I think in America we would have a serious problem with that.
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  Because we don't live for the city to come.
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  We don't really live for our future home.
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  We are not looking forward to what we will have.
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  We are looking forward to what we have now.
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  And if I can make it a little bit better, a little bit more comfortable, do I have the
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  right stuff?
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  And so they joyfully accepted the plundering of her property.
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  Why?
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  Because you knew that yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.
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  That's one thing I want you to understand is one day when you are gone, your house will
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  be gone too.
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  Everything on this planet will burn.
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  Nothing will be left.
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  You are not building for a future.
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  You are building for the kingdom.
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  That is now and to come.
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  Now if anyone throws away their confidence, does not hold fast to their hope, neglects
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  the brotherhood in love, and walks in disobedience and unholiness, they will receive what was
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  always intended for them, destruction.
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  God has no pleasure in them.
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  So there is a distinction between those who believe and hold on tightly to the reality
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  of their convictions, of their confidence in Christ, than those who say they believe
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  but yet forfeit and walk away thinking they are still in because they said a prayer.
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  First Peter 1,7, so that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold, that
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  perishes though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and
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  honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
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  Can you say that when Christ comes and that he has been revealed that you will beyond
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  the shadow of a doubt hear from him, well done my good and faithful servant.
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  Hebrews 10, 35-39.
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  Therefore do not throw away, apabalo, throw off, cast off a garment.
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  This word throw away means to take Jesus off and toss him away.
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  See for the believer that is an impossibility.
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  But for those who claim that they are religious and know Christ, it is easy because when they
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  go under the trial and under the test, they are willing to quickly get rid of it.
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  Jesus says if you deny me before men I will deny you before my father which is in heaven.
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  So what the writer is saying here to us is don't be quick, therefore do not throw away,
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  do not cast off the garment of Christ.
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  Why?
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  Because your confidence which has a great reward is him.
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  That's what it means.
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  Do not throw away your confidence which has a great reward.
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  What is your great reward?
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  Him.
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  What do you get from him?
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  A place.
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  What is the place called?
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  The city.
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  What is in that city?
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  Your home.
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  Verse 37, verse 36.
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  For you have need of endurance.
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  We have to hold on to our confidence because we must learn to endure.
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  That's one of the problems with the church in America today.
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  It doesn't know how to endure.
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  She does not know how to stand under the pressure.
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  She wants to be told how amazing she is.
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  They find preachers that tell them you know what, God loves you.
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  He does.
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  But God also wants you to be conformed to the image of his son which requires that he
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  disciplines you and discipline is not pleasurable.
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  Next chapter, chapter 12.
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  We'll learn that.
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  So look what it says, continue to read.
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  And you have need of endurance so that when you have done the will of God, when you have
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  done the will of God, when you have obeyed, you may receive what is promised.
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  What is promised?
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  The kingdom.
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  What is promised?
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  Him.
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  What is promised?
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  No more crying anymore.
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  What is promised?
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  No more disease.
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  What is promised?
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  Where he is, you will be.
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  He is the promised.
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  Now verse 37, because we live in this earth, yet a little while, only for a little while,
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  and the coming one will come and will not delay.
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  Why?
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  But my righteous one shall live by faith.
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  You must live by faith.
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  What is faith?
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  I'll answer that in a minute.
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  You the righteous one shall live by faith.
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  And if he shrinks back, hu pastule means to be timid, to cower, to shrink, or to hesitating
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  to avow what they believe.
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  Are you willing to hesitate what you believe, what you claim that you believe?
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  Are you timid?
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  Do you cower?
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  Do you shrink?
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  What does it mean to do that?
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  I think many people, when the pressure is on, shrink real fast.
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  Now here we go.
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  So and if he shrinks back, my soul who has no pleasure in him, if the person shrinks
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  back, my soul has no pleasure in him, the Lord says.
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  My righteous shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I'm not pleased with him at
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  all.
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  Isn't that incredible?
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  What's it mean to have no pleasure?
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  But we are not of those who shrink, are you?
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  We are not destroyed, are you?
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  But of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
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  That through the power of faith, the gift of faith, we are preserved by the power of
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  God for all eternity.
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  Now what is this faith that he's talking about?
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  Here's my clarification of this definition.
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  I want you to hear this.
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  Faith, the gift of God, is to know with firm trust and full assurance in God's word by
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  which we are fully convinced without wavering.
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  That's faith.
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  It's to know what God says is true, to trust him, and to live in action.
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  Because if I'm convinced without wavering, I do.
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  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing.
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  What?
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  Faith.
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  So here we go.
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  You guys ready for this?
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  It's gonna hurt.
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  I like doing stuff like this.
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  You guys know?
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  Faith.
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  Do dead things talk?
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  No.
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  Do dead things breathe?
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  Do dead things have faith?
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  Then how come we have a bunch of walking dead people who don't know Christ that are dead
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  in their trespasses and sins for the wages of sin is death, but yet they say they have
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  faith?
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  Because it's my faith.
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  That's my faith, and I put my faith in Jesus.
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  You're dead.
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  What faith are you putting in?
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  You have no faith to give.
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  What faith is that?
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  This is not like a window goes up and it stays up because you believe it's gonna stay.
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  This is a faith that's beyond you.
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  This is a supernatural faith.
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  This is a faith given by God.
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  Dead people, dead things don't have faith.
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  So how do we receive faith?
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  Faith comes by hearing and hearing that of the word of Christ.
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  So the faith that you have to have to know that God will do what he says he's gonna do
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  comes from him and that comes through the preaching of the gospel.
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  There is no other way to receive the gift of faith.
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  And then when the faith has been deposited in you from the power of the Holy Spirit,
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  the Holy Spirit regenerates you, renews you, and in response to that gift, you confess
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  that he is Lord.
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  You cannot confess without being made alive because dead people don't talk.
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  Now this gift of faith is not a result of works so that no one may boast.
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  I can't say it's my faith, it's really God's faith.
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  I use this analogy a lot.
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  If you ever watch Frosty the Snowman, he is dead until he receives the power of the hat
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  by which the first response of being alive is, happy birthday.
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  I'm alive.
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  The first response to a believer who has been made alive is, Jesus is Lord.
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  I'm alive.
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  If you ever watch Frosty the Snowman, I believe it's a Christian cartoon.
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  Just saying.
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  The problem is he keeps losing his salvation which means he's an Arminianist.
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  See if he was a Calvinist, he'd never lose his hat.
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  Just saying.
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  Just trying to be funny.
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  All right.
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  Here it is.
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  All right.
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  Now let's go, verse two.
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  So verse one, now faith is the assurance, the firm trust of hope.
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  See that?
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  Faith is the assurance or the firm trust of things hoped for.
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  No.
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  I like it better this way.
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  It's not just the things, it's who my hope is in.
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  Faith is the assurance of my hope, Christ.
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  For the end, the conviction of things not seen or the conviction of unseen things.
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  Now what's interesting about this word conviction is it's literally just conviction.
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  What am I convicted of?
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  I'm convicted that God is.
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  And here's the clarification.
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  The writer clarifies this.
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  In understanding faith, he gives a very clear declaration of what faith is.
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  For by faith, by it, the people of old received their commendation.
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  What did they receive?
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  What was promised?
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  Did they see it?
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  They did not.
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  They died.
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  But they still knew, convicted, absolutely knew, and were assured that they would receive
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  what was promised.
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  And by faith, verse three, we understand that the universe was created by the word of God.
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  So that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
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  Now I want you to get this.
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  I love talking Genesis and creationism, which you guys know.
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  I've talked a lot about this over my several years here.
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  So one of the things I want you to see when you see Genesis, Genesis is not just God creating.
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  Like he speaks in woohoo.
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  Like Genesis is a masterful piece of art.
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  So when God speaks, he speaks the things that you cannot see, which become the things that
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  you see.
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  How do you know?
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  Can you see hydrogen?
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  Can you see oxygen?
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  Do you know that's what he did after day one?
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  He separated the waters from the waters.
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  And he brought together the waters and created the earth.
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  And out of the earth, he creates land.
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  Isn't that interesting?
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  Things you don't see, he creates the visible.
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  The invisible creates the visible.
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  And what's interesting about that reality is that is what God created.
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  He created the very gas of hydrogen, H2O, two oxygen.
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  And he gathers them together and creates water.
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  Water is H2O.
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  And the gathering of together is the oceans.
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  And that's what you see.
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  That's what this means.
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  He speaks it and it happens.
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  So why is this important?
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  Why is this so important, especially?
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  Here's one of the things I want you to see.
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  So we know what faith is.
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  But did you know that the way the writer writes chapter 11 is he writes it from the perspective
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  of several events through history.
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  And he points out people and events that these people lived in to show you faith in action.
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  So here we go.
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  You guys ready?
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  Good.
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  This is going to be fun.
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  So what we see in verses four through seven is faith before the flood.
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  Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.
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  And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering.
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  Why?
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  Because by faith he brings the best of his offering.
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  Not just the best of his offering, but the firstborn.
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  Who is the firstborn?
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  Jesus, firstborn of Mary, the firstborn to break the womb, the only begotten of the Father.
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  And so what do you see in the very sacrifice of Abel is the gospel.
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  That's why God had regard.
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  Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him.
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  Notice again, Abel lives in obedience by giving the best of what he has, the firstborn.
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  Enoch walked with God being obedient and God took him because he lived right.
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  Genesis 524.
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  And then Noah did this.
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  He did all that God had commanded him.
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  Genesis 622.
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  So what do we see in verses four through seven is that true faith is obedience in action.
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  If I really believe and trust God and what he says, I will do it.
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  No questions.
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  Don't need to figure it out.
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  Don't need to worry about what reward I'm going to get now.
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  I see a reward coming, but I'm not doing it for the reward.
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  I'm doing it for Christ.
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  Because that's what matters to me.
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  I love God.
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  I love his word.
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  I love his ways.
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  I love his things.
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  That's what matters to me.
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  That's my drive.
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  And this is what we see.
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  My faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, though or through which
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  he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gift through faith.
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  Though he died, he still speaks.
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  Isn't that interesting?
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  Isn't that interesting?
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  Though he died, his blood still speaks from the ground.
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  Why?
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  Because he preached the gospel in offering of the firstborn of his flock.
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  By faith, Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death and he was not found because
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  God had taken him.
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  Now before he was taken, he was commended as having pleased God.
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  Why?
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  Because he was obedient.
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  See, faith is obedient.
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  Without faith, it is impossible to please him for whoever would draw near to God must
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  believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
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  Why?
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  Because every good father blesses his children when they're obedient.
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  That's the point.
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  Do you see the point?
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  Do you start, you're starting to see what real faith is.
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  Look what it says.
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  Noah, for by faith, Noah being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, 120 years
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  he built an ark and preached the gospel.
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  That's what it says.
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  He preached the good news to the people 120 years as he was building the ark, being made
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  fun of and teased and thought he was crazy.
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  Being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear, constructed an
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  ark for the saving of his household.
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  What's reverent fear?
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  Obedience.
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  By this, he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by
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  faith.
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  You want heaven?
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  It only comes by faith.
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  How do you get faith?
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  It is a gift of the living God.
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  You cannot get in just by your own quote unquote my faith.
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  Faith after the flood.
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  So Abraham went and as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him and Abram was 75 years
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  old when he departed from Haran, Genesis 12, 4.
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  So in Hebrews chapter 11, 8 through 12 says this, by faith Abraham obeyed when he was
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  called to go out to the place that he was to receive as an inheritance and he went out
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  knowing not knowing sorry, not knowing where he was going.
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  How many of you guys would go and follow Jesus but not know where you're going?
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  He did.
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  So by faith he went to live in the land of promise as in a foreign land.
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  See, this was his land but he lived there as if it wasn't.
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  Why?
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  Because it was what was to come for him.
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  Look what it says.
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  Living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise for he was looking
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  forward to the city that has foundations whose designer and builder is God.
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  What city?
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  Not the city of Jerusalem, the city of the New Jerusalem he was looking forward to.
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  Not the buildings that were built on this earth, it's the buildings that are eternal
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  that he was looking forward to.
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  The true foundations, the foundations that will never be shaken by faith Sarah herself
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  received power to conceive.
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  Even when she was past the age since she considered him faithful who had promised, you remember
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  she was in the tent and she makes a laugh and God says why are you laughing?
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  And she goes I am not laughing.
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  He says no you're laughing.
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  I can't help but think that after that moment Sarah sits down and goes oh my goodness I
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  seen him do all this and I laughed and I told him I didn't.
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  But she by faith had received power from God to conceive and bear a child from Abraham.
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  Power from one man and him as good as dead.
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  Abraham was going to die, he was 100 years old when she got pregnant.
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  From him were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the inerrable
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  grains of sand by the seashore.
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  So I want you to understand that this is not the Jews.
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  All the stars in the heaven were not all the Jews.
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  All the sand was not the Jews.
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  It was all believers.
• 27:15
  All believers.
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  He will be a father of many nations.
• 27:21
  That is the grain of sand and the stars of heaven.
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  Not only is he a father of a nation called Israel but he's the father of us all.
• 27:31
  Friends, faith of pre and post flood is the same faith given to us today.
• 27:39
  Chapter 11 verse 12 through 16.
• 27:42
  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.
• 27:47
  In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your path.
• 27:51
  Have you ever read Proverbs 3 and looked at it from the perspective that this is a true
• 27:57
  faith statement?
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  Or do we just stick it on our wallpaper on our computers or put it on the wall of our
• 28:06
  house as a picture or a print because we trust in the Lord with all of our heart.
• 28:11
  Do we really trust in the Lord with all of our heart?
• 28:13
  Or do we really depend on our own understanding?
• 28:16
  Do you acknowledge him in all your ways and trust that he will straighten your path?
• 28:26
  One of our motto here is to love God, to love his word, love his ways and love his things.
• 28:31
  It's very important that we understand that precept.
• 28:34
  Why?
• 28:35
  Because if we can't love his things we can't love his ways.
• 28:39
  Because if you're being obedient by loving his things you're going to love his ways because
• 28:42
  that's what being obedient is about.
• 28:44
  And you cannot be obedient unless you know his word.
• 28:48
  Unless you know what he's telling you you should do.
• 28:51
  And Jesus says you can't love me if you don't obey me.
• 28:54
  Which means if we love his word then we're loving him.
• 28:58
  Love his stuff, love his ways, love his word, you love him.
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  The greatest commitment, love the Lord your God.
• 29:08
  It's a practical way of learning to love God.
• 29:12
  So this wonderful post and pre and post flood is the, faith pre and post flood is the same
• 29:19
  that we have today.
• 29:21
  12 through 16, these all died in faith not having received the things promised but having
• 29:30
  seen them and greeted them from afar and having acknowledged that they were strangers and
• 29:37
  exiles on the earth.
• 29:38
  They saw what they were to, what was to come.
• 29:42
  What was that?
• 29:43
  Christ crucified.
• 29:46
  They saw what was to come.
• 29:48
  What was that?
• 29:49
  The promised inheritance of eternal life with him.
• 29:53
  They saw what was to come.
• 29:54
  What was that?
• 29:55
  That I will go and prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place for you I will
• 29:59
  come and take you unto myself.
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  We know what he brings to us.
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  And more than all those things they knew what was to come and that was him.
• 30:16
  As King, look what it says, they lived as exiles on the earth.
• 30:21
  Do you live as strangers and exiles on this earth?
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  What are you really leaving behind?
• 30:28
  The house and wealth or Christ and his gospel?
• 30:34
  Verse 14, for people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
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  What homeland?
• 30:42
  Jerusalem?
• 30:43
  Nope.
• 30:44
  The kingdom of God.
• 30:45
  If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out they would have had
• 30:51
  opportunity to return.
• 30:54
  If Abraham said, you know what, I'm going to go back home, he could have easily went
• 31:00
  back home, but they weren't seeking what they had left.
• 31:04
  They were seeking what was to come.
• 31:06
  Now, verse 16, but as it is they desire a better country that is a heavenly one.
• 31:14
  For God is not ashamed to be called their God for he has prepared for them a city.
• 31:24
  Though I live in America and I am American, this is not my country.
• 31:29
  My country is called the kingdom of the living God.
• 31:32
  I have a king.
• 31:34
  And as a sojourner walking through this earth, I will live in responsible and show the love
• 31:41
  of God by being obedient to those masters by which I am placed under and live as a light
• 31:47
  in the country of this temporary dwelling place.
• 31:52
  This is not my home.
• 31:55
  Our home is eternal.
• 31:58
  Be a shining light as you walk through the earth until the Lord takes you.
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  But don't live here as if this is your final resting place.
• 32:09
  You are walking through it.
• 32:11
  You are foreigners.
• 32:13
  That's what it said previously, that knowing that God is not ashamed to be called their
• 32:20
  God for he has prepared a city for them.
• 32:23
  I have a home that is far more grand than I can ever imagine, not because he's made
• 32:34
  it for me, but because he's there.
• 32:39
  He is the beauty of the city.
• 32:41
  Godly men of old, by faith, believed God and obeyed.
• 32:46
  Knowing all these things, how should I live?
• 32:49
  Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day.
• 32:53
  He saw it and was glad.
• 32:55
  John 8, 56.
• 32:59
  Can you imagine?
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  Take your son.
• 33:04
  God says, go, I want you to sacrifice your son, your only son.
• 33:08
  You build an altar, you grab the knife, you are going to kill that boy.
• 33:13
  And he sees the picture of the crucifixion of the son of God and the resurrected Christ.
• 33:20
  That'd be the thing that would draw me to kill him.
• 33:24
  If God commanded me to sacrifice my son, Jesus is enough for that.
• 33:29
  Why?
• 33:30
  Because look at what Abraham does.
• 33:32
  I'm not going to kill you.
• 33:35
  It's okay, you can sleep.
• 33:37
  Don't have to worry, bro.
• 33:39
  His face, mama bear like, yeah.
• 33:45
  I know where that shotgun is, honey.
• 33:49
  By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac and who had received the promises
• 33:57
  was yet in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, through Isaac shall
• 34:04
  your offspring breathe.
• 34:06
  You know why Abraham takes the knife and lifts the knife to kill his son and he was absolutely
• 34:15
  going to do it.
• 34:17
  It's because God said to Abraham, through Isaac, your offspring shall be.
• 34:23
  If I kill Isaac and he does not rise from the dead, no more offspring.
• 34:29
  But God, who I have listened to my entire life and obeyed every time he's asked me to
• 34:37
  do something, I know that this is true.
• 34:41
  I don't see how he's going to provide.
• 34:43
  I don't see the ram that's going to be in the thicket.
• 34:45
  I don't see any of that, but I know one thing.
• 34:49
  If I am going to have offspring through Isaac, he will raise him from the dead.
• 34:53
  Look at verse 19.
• 34:54
  He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which figuratively
• 35:01
  speaking he did receive him back.
• 35:03
  Why?
• 35:04
  Because in the heart of Abraham, he was a dead boy.
• 35:08
  He was going to kill him.
• 35:10
  But God stops him, gives him an offering called a ram, and then he raises Isaac from the dead
• 35:23
  without even Abraham killing him because in the heart of Abraham, he was dead.
• 35:29
  God did.
• 35:30
  By faith, Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.
• 35:35
  And by faith, Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over
• 35:43
  the head of his staff.
• 35:45
  Why?
• 35:46
  Because by faith, Joseph, I want you to see this, the connection of faith, the thread
• 35:51
  of faith from Adam all the way to Joseph.
• 35:56
  See the connection of faith, the thread of faith.
• 35:58
  It's God's faith.
• 36:00
  Look, by faith, Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites
• 36:06
  and gave directions concerning his bones.
• 36:09
  When you leave, take my bones with you.
• 36:14
  Four hundred years later, they take Joseph's bones back home.
• 36:19
  He knew it was not his resting place.
• 36:23
  Though our bones may be buried there, that is not our resting place.
• 36:31
  Faith before the exodus.
• 36:35
  Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman.
• 36:41
  The woman conceived and bore a son.
• 36:43
  And when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months, Exodus 2, 1
• 36:49
  through 2.
• 36:50
  Notice obedience.
• 36:51
  The Levites were required to marry a Levite woman.
• 36:57
  And he does that.
• 36:58
  This particular man marries a Levite woman.
• 37:02
  She then gives birth and she for three months hides the child.
• 37:07
  Why?
• 37:08
  Because he was different.
• 37:11
  Knowing he was different, she hid him.
• 37:15
  She did not see what was coming.
• 37:17
  She did not know the firstborn of all of Egypt was going to die who were Jews.
• 37:22
  She did not know any of that.
• 37:23
  But she knew he was special.
• 37:27
  So by faith, Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents because
• 37:33
  they saw that the child was beautiful.
• 37:36
  And they were not afraid of the king's edict.
• 37:41
  So by faith, Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
• 37:45
  daughter unlike Hollywood who makes you think he was happy.
• 37:51
  He was a Jew and he knew he was a Jew.
• 37:54
  He was not a happy Egyptian.
• 37:56
  Choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures
• 38:02
  of sin.
• 38:03
  Where did we read that?
• 38:04
  Oh, we read that in chapter 10, verse 32 through 34.
• 38:07
  Interesting, right?
• 38:09
  See the connections here.
• 38:11
  This wonderful thread of faith.
• 38:14
  Look what it says in verse 26.
• 38:16
  He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he
• 38:23
  was looking for the reward.
• 38:25
  Are we looking for Christ or are we indulging in the pleasures of this world that will one
• 38:34
  day fall away?
• 38:38
  Verse 27.
• 38:39
  By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing
• 38:45
  him who was invisible.
• 38:47
  He knew that God was greater though he could not see him.
• 38:52
  And by faith, Moses, he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood so the destroyer,
• 38:59
  the Holy Spirit of God of the firstborn might not touch them.
• 39:08
  God gives and takes life.
• 39:11
  So faith after the Exodus.
• 39:15
  And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground and the waters being
• 39:20
  a wall to them on the right and the left.
• 39:23
  Now I don't know about you, but if I'm being chased by the Egyptians and I come to the
• 39:28
  edge of the water and then all of a sudden two walls of water shoot up and the ground
• 39:34
  is dry, I don't know if I'm going to walk through that because the water could decide
• 39:41
  not to stay.
• 39:45
  So by faith, the people, verse 29, crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians
• 39:52
  when they attempted to do the same were drowned.
• 39:55
  I want you to notice this.
• 39:57
  Why weren't the unbelieving Jews drowned?
• 40:00
  It's called the elect.
• 40:02
  God preserves his elect, but the Egyptians were not.
• 40:09
  Isn't that interesting?
• 40:12
  The promise that God gave.
• 40:15
  So by faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been circled for seven days.
• 40:20
  I don't know about you, but that's kind of weird.
• 40:23
  Walk around walls for seven days, blow a trumpet, last day, scream your head off and everything
• 40:29
  falls.
• 40:30
  That's kind of cool, but kind of weird.
• 40:36
  Maybe if the Eagles do that, they might win the Super Bowl.
• 40:42
  So by faith, Rahab, the prostitute, did not perish with those who were disobedient because
• 40:49
  she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
• 40:51
  Why?
• 40:52
  Because Rahab had heard of the God of Israel.
• 40:56
  She knew what he can do.
• 41:01
  It has always been by faith alone.
• 41:05
  For you had compassion on those in prison and you joyfully accepted the plundering of
• 41:10
  your property since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession than an abiding one.
• 41:15
  Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward.
• 41:21
  In closing, verse 32 through 40 says this, and what more shall I say?
• 41:26
  In other words, is there anything else I can say?
• 41:31
  Because if I continue to share about all the men and women who have walked in obedience
• 41:36
  because of faith, I don't have enough time or enough space to write this letter.
• 41:45
  So he gives a little sprinkle.
• 41:47
  He says, for time would fail me to tell you of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah
• 41:56
  and of David and Samuel and the prophets who through faith conquered kingdoms and enforced
• 42:03
  justice and obtained promises and stopped the mouths of lions and quenched the power
• 42:09
  of the fire and escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty
• 42:17
  in war and put foreign armies to flight.
• 42:21
  Men and women of faith do those things, not claim something.
• 42:29
  You can claim all day long by faith you're going to get a Benz or buy a $5 million house.
• 42:40
  You know what true faith is?
• 42:42
  Don't give money to them fools.
• 42:45
  Preach the gospel to your neighbor.
• 42:48
  You'll do more for the kingdom of doing that than give them money to an idiot who claims
• 42:52
  that he knows God and preaches a gospel that's contrary to the very gospel that Christ gave
• 42:58
  and then encourages them to live any way they want because it's okay.
• 43:03
  Women received back.
• 43:05
  They're dead by resurrection.
• 43:09
  Some were tortured, refusing to accept release so that they might rise again to a better
• 43:17
  life.
• 43:18
  In other words, when a woman loses her family and they're placed in jail, they're dead and
• 43:24
  some made it out.
• 43:26
  Some had been resurrected and some were resurrected to new life.
• 43:32
  Some were tortured, but they refused to accept release so that they might rise again to a
• 43:39
  better life.
• 43:41
  I'd rather die in prison than lose Jesus.
• 43:45
  That's their idea.
• 43:47
  Others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment.
• 43:53
  They were stoned.
• 43:55
  They were sawn in two.
• 43:58
  They were killed by the sword.
• 44:00
  They went about in skins of sheep and goats and destitute and afflicted and mistreated.
• 44:05
  How would you do?
• 44:06
  What would you do?
• 44:07
  How would you live of whom the world was not worthy?
• 44:12
  Can you imagine if you, being believers, could say beyond a sat of a doubt that the world
• 44:21
  was not worthy of you?
• 44:26
  The world didn't deserve you.
• 44:29
  Those who die for the cause of Christ, those who martyr, those who are before the throne
• 44:34
  of God pleading the Lord, when will you avenge my blood?
• 44:40
  Those are the worthy ones of whom the world was not worthy wandering about in deserts
• 44:44
  and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth.
• 44:48
  Look what it says in verse 39 and 40, such an amazing statement.
• 44:52
  And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised.
• 44:59
  They hadn't received it yet because Christ hadn't come yet.
• 45:03
  Since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us, they should not be
• 45:10
  made perfect.
• 45:11
  I want you to get this.
• 45:12
  There is only one way to be made perfect in Christ.
• 45:19
  And that is to be washed by the water of the word because Christ has washed his bride and
• 45:25
  she has cleansed her and made her spotless.
• 45:29
  That's what this means.
• 45:32
  That the day when the church is removed from the earth, when it's finally over, all the
• 45:39
  church comes, which includes those who had been waiting for the promise.
• 45:45
  It's called the principle of one.
• 45:49
  There is one temple.
• 45:53
  There is one tree.
• 45:56
  There is one people.
• 45:58
  One nation.
• 46:00
  One body.
• 46:03
  We are one in Christ.
• 46:05
  And one day he will engraft back in the cultivated branch when the wild branches are done.
• 46:13
  They will be made perfect with us because we are one church, one amazing thought.
• 46:21
  I pray you enjoy this message.
• 46:23
  Really look at chapter 11 from a different perspective now.
• 46:28
  Although there are upteen ways to be able to present this chapter, I wanted to present
• 46:33
  it in the moments throughout history of how faith was the same from the beginning of time
• 46:40
  to today.
• 46:41
  The same faith that Adam needed to be saved, the gift of God is the same faith that we
• 46:48
  need to be saved, the gift of God through Christ.
• 46:50
  Father, I want to thank you so much for your word.
• 46:53
  Thank you for your faithfulness and thank you for this amazing gift given to us by the
• 46:59
  through the gospel by Christ placed in our heart by which you raise us to new life.
• 47:08
  And we receive an amazing inheritance that we are eagerly awaiting.
• 47:12
  And that is you.
• 47:13
  We praise you and thank you.
• 47:14
  Our great reward.
• 47:15
  Jesus Christ.
• 47:16
  In Jesus name.
• 47:17
  Amen.