Heb. 11:31-40 Something Better for YOU!!

Intro: Calvin Hunt Story Fresh – Faith Jim Cymbala

Tonight we are finishing up our study on Heb Ch.11 – When we started this several weeks ago – God’s Hall of Faith

A)These are witnesses – their lives Testify to us that this Life of Faith & Holiness can be lived – Race can be won

B) But their lives also testify to us of God’s faithfulness in the lives of His people .

1) Because a close examination of each of these Hero’s of the faith shows they all had major lapses of faith

C) They all had times where their faith faltered / where the flesh kicked in /

1) In everyone of them there is something that is found to be reprehensible

D) But their lives teach us that although faith might be imperfect & incomplete it does not cease to be approved by God

1) Their lives testify that God is able & willing to work thru any vessel.

I started tonight by sharing w/ you the Story of Calvin Hunt – because the first person we look at – is another Calvin hunt – Rahab

A)Rahab teaches us that God uses people w/ sinful back grounds

B) Maybe you are a new Christian and you come from a very sinful & sordid past – You think – God couldn’t ever use me

1) Yes He does use sinners - / but you don’t know what I have done / don’t know what I have seen / where I’ve been / - NO WAY

C) Listen God took Rahab & not only saved her – but he put her into the hall of faith –

( No Jeremiah, Ezekiel , Isaiah, Elisha are not mentioned but Rahab is)

But God didn’t stop there this woman w/ the sordid past ends up being the Great Great great – Grandma of David – Line of Christ

A)Jesus family tree – Prostitute right in the middle

B)Her life also teaches us that God is able to weed thru our Motives – Honors that which is Motivated by faith

C) 1 Cor.3 Rewards Gold silver precious stones – wood hay or stubble

1) Either or situation – really a little of both – He burns away the wood

D) V.32 – The writer says time would fail me to tell of all of these,

1) Stories are EXAMPLES NOT EXCEPTIONS

After Rahab – he mentions Gideon / thru which we learn that God can bring Victory out of extraordinary odds 450 to 1

" Faith can operate in the life of any person who will dare to listen to God's Word & surrender to God's Will! " Wiesrbe

A)Gideon did that – dared to listen to God’s call & surrendered to God’s will – Saw God do great things –

B) Are you up against some extraordinary odds right now ? Believe that God is w/ you / God is for you – Trust Him

C) After Gideon he mentions Barak / Barak was the guy Judg. 4 who wouldn’t to go to battle w/out Deborah

1) He teaches us that God is gracious even when our faith is less than perfect –

D) Interesting He is mentioned here & Deborah isn’t

After Barak – is Samson / Samson is a surprise entry

A)Easy to look at the guys life as this big failure – man who was careless w/ his gift- wasted it / & was disobedient to the Lord –

B) But Samson teaches us that our God is the God of the 2^nd Chance / that God can still work thru us after sin & failure

C)After Samson is JEPHTHAH - interesting Character Jud.11

1) A man by the name of Gilead had a relationship w/ a Prostitute in which she became Pregnant – Jephthah was the result

D) So JEPHTHAH Was an illegitimate Child – which in that society was the Ultimate stigma

1) As He Jephthah grew he was rejected & Chased out of town by Gilead’s Legitimate sons

E) Until they were being attacked by the Ammonites – suddenly they wanted Jephthah to lead them – He did – GREAT VICTORY

Jephthah rises off the pages of Scripture & teaches us that w/ God’s help a man can rise above His birth & environment to make an impact for God

After Jephthah – He mentions David – who is an encouragement to those who are Young to take on the Giants in life

A)And to trust God to protect you from the Saul’s who come against you

B) David also teaches us that there is life after failure / that I can still be a man after God’s own heart even after I have sinned greatly

1) That God’s Grace & mercy are greater than my sin !!!!

C) Samuel is added to this list of warriors, though he was not a warrior. But he fought a battle equal to any that soldiers face.

1) His great foes were idolatry and immorality.

He had to stand up in the middle of a polluted society and fearlessly speak God’s truth.

A)His severest opponents were not the Philistines, the Amorites, or Ammonites-but his own people. / His own Friend s

B) His life is a testimony of how God’s can give us the grace to be a lone voice in the mist of Rebellion.

C) And the prophets – He could go on & on – Elijah / Jeremiah / Isaiah

1) No time

V.33,34 Moves to mention a list of Heroic deeds done in faith

³³who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, ³⁴quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. ³⁵Women received their dead raised to life again.

SO thru faith these men & women V 33, 34 Accomplished a great deal for the Lord thorough Faith!

A)But we also need to note that some of them went through some very

tough & difficult times. V35-38

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. ³⁶Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. ³⁷They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—³⁸of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

The transition in v35 very important " not all men / women of faith experienced miraculous deliverance!

A) Some were tortured some were even killed!

B) Now We learn an important truth it would be easy for the Lord to

always give us victory over the enemy & deliverance from …….

C) But If He did that our faith would never have to be exercised never stretched / never grow!

"A Christian is like a tea bag not much good until it has gone through hot water."

D) Through the difficulties our faith is stretched & Strengthened

Faith is seen equally in conquering as well as in endurance!

A) It is In the times of suffering when we need to endure; that faith learns dependence!/ & Perseverance

B) Now there are those who teach that if a person has enough faith - never be sick / Never have financial difficulty , or problems

1) In fact if you have enough faith you can actually be very wealthy .

C) You can drive a Cadillac / Bmw / Lexus / Fred Price" Lexus faith."

Cadillac faith / Toyota faith / V.W. faith - Pressure!

D)Now I wonder how many people in those Churches are living w/out necessities / to keep up a front to fit in ?

1) Or how many are living in total condemnation feeling like

they have weak faith / because not wealthy / illness?

E) This Blab it grab it / name it claim it mentality puts incredible pressure on God's people / makes Him to be Cosmic vending machine

1) Grieves the Lord . / Taking Scripture out of context own gain!

SPECIAL NOTE to workers : The Only people Jesus came down on during His earthly ministry were those who laid burdens on the people

Here in Heb 11 : 32-40 We see that some of the greatest men/ women of faith in history suffered!

A) The promise that they were believing in they never received here on earth But they kept the faith! Through suffering & even death

B) It is by faith that we learn what Paul said in Rom.8:18 "For I

Consider the sufferings of this present life are not worthy to

be compared w/ the Glory which shall l be revealed! "

C.) That right there is really the key - separates those faith teachers today from - those listed here in God's hall of Faith!

1.) Faith teachers and those who embrace their doctrine are living for

this world!

D.) Seeking to get all they can in this life! Treasures here wealth here

E) But True faith seeks to live for heaven, store up treasure there!

True Faith - endures hardship here in turn for glory there!

Note V.38 - This world was not worthy of them!

A.) True faith enables us to turn from the approval of the world and seek only the approval of God!

B.) They were not living for the world, to be seen as success in the eyes of the world - but eyes of God

1.) He said - the world was not worthy of them

“when our vision and focus turn from the Lord and who He is to our welfare; that is the death of faith!”

C) True because The minute things turn bad for us - we question, we doubt, our first reaction is to complain

D)Too often we think faith means I am believing God will make everything right for me!

1) True faith is believing that God is right period, true faith is not trusting Him to make it right - but trusting Him period

E) If I don't make that distinction -guess what? When things are good - "Oh, God is so good" - P.T.L.

1.) Things are bad, tough - "God is such a jerk"

Guys their faith in the extraordinary circumstances should strengthen our faith in the ordinary! Common trials of daily life

A.) To see what Paul said Romans 8:37 - "Yet in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!"

B) Catch that: More than conquerors!/ in Times when we will conquer - but even in times when we don't -have to endure! we press on !! How?

1.) Through Him who loves us!

C) That's the key - through Him I live and move and have my being

1.) Through Him - I can do all things - He strengthens me!

His Grace is Sufficient

³⁹And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, ⁴⁰God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

Something better for us!

A.) We have received the promise! They look forward to Christ having not seen him / Shadows, hints!

B)They embraced the promise – we have the real thing!

To them God spoke in the prophets; to us in the Son.

To them was offered the rest of Canaan; to us the rest of God.

Their high priest was a man who died; ours is a Priest forever, in the power of an endless life.

Their sanctuary was on earth, and even that had its veil;

Ours is the true sanctuary, with the veil taken away.

Theirs was the old covenant, in which there was no power to continue;

ours is the new, with the heart made new by the spirit.

Theirs was the blood of bulls and of goats,

Ours is the blood of Jesus.

Theirs was a sanctifying cleanness of the flesh;

Ours is the cleansing of the heart from the evil conscience.

Theirs a worship which made nothing perfect;

in ours we are perfected for evermore.

Their worship was a witness that the way into the Holiest was not yet open;

Ours is the blessed experience that in the new and living way we have living access into the very presence and love of the Father.

God has indeed provided some better thing for us.

A)Their salvation was based on what Christ would do ours on what Christ had done!

B)They embraced the promise & lived by Faith / we need to embrace Him & live by faith !!!!