Hebrews 11: Cracking the Code. Unveiling the Secrets of the unlikely Heroes of Faith.

[0:00] Good morning again. We're going to go to the word of God. Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11. the classic chapter about faith. Hebrews 11. Some call it the hall of faith.

[0:13] ! With the heroes of the faith. And what faith is all about. We see it demonstrated here in the lives of God's men and women who have lived it. And we too can live by faith. So let's hear all about faith. God helping us. One of the courses that people generally do in a Bible school is Bible survey. We've got New Testament survey, Old Testament survey. You could say there's an Old Testament survey here of some of the outstanding men and women of God of the old covenant days. And we see how faith operated in them. By faith is the recurring theme. Faith. What is it?

[0:58] The last verse of Hebrews 10 tells us that those who are the believing can know the saving of their soul. This is key. We see that there. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. The salvation for the soul is by faith. And we'll see that demonstrated as we go through the next chapter, Hebrews 11 together. Really, there's only two categories of people, the believing and the unbelieving. You're one or the other. You can't be halfway in between. The fundamental question for any of us is this. Is our soul saved? You that believe, it says that you can know the saving of the soul. And salvation is by faith. So what is faith? It's important to understand it. And the writer of Hebrews defines faith in Hebrews 11 verse 1. You could consider it somewhat of a definition. It says, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. It's telling us here that there's a substance. There's a sure conviction. This is substantial. There's a certainty about it. A guarantee is the sense of it. This assurance. And it says that faith sees things that are out of sight. It sees the invisible. Think of that your natural sight is constrained for the time. But by faith we can see things that are unseen. It sees the invisible. It's just we can't see them yet. One day. Amen. We will see them. And faith gives us that extra sense of vision that we can see the unseen realities. And as a believer we have this hope, we have this assurance by faith that we can know beyond the natural senses. And it's like faith is a spiritual sixth sense that enables the believer to see into an unseen world, to see the unseen hand. And yet it's in the realm of our experience. We can know it. You think really the eye takes hold upon the light waves that pulsate through space and make real to a person the things that he sees.

[3:29] The ear picks up the sound waves and translates them into hearing. But there's a whole spectrum of waves out there, isn't there? Beyond the range of the senses. There's waves all around us. The infrared or whatever, there's different spectrums, isn't there, that are beyond our natural sight to see. We cannot see them. There's a whole load of sound waves that are outside of the scope of our hearing. For some of us, our hearing is a bit more constrained. For some of us, our hearing is so big, but there's a whole lot of sounds out there that are outside of our realm of picking up. And we cannot see them or hear them.

[4:05] There's things we've never experienced, things of taste, of smell or feeling, but they're real nonetheless. And it's the same spiritually so, that the stuff that we can't pick it up. And with the aid of modern instruments, we can pick up more. But there's such that is beyond the realm of human dimension, that spiritual dimension. And that's what it's talking about here. There's some things that are yet not seen, but there's evidence still. And someone has said, there are things we cannot see.

[4:37] When you think about it, there's things behind my back. I can't see them now, but they're still there, right? There's things far away, out of my reach of my vision, but they're still there, still real.

[4:50] And all the things that are in the dark, we cannot see, but they're still real. And it's the same spiritually so. Faith sees those things that are out of sight. Faith is to the spiritual realm what the five senses are to the natural realm. There's just an extra dimension. We haven't quite realised that yet.

[5:10] And this is what Hebrews 11 tells us about these witnesses, this testimony of people who put their trust in God, the God of hope. There's a hope there. And this is a certainty of hope. It's an assured hope.

[5:24] And it says of these ones that they've obtained a good report. Verse 2, faith is all about a relationship with God. It's an assurance of conviction. And there's a testimony here, this sense of good report. It's got the sense of their bearing witness. Hebrews 12 talks about that great cloud of witnesses that we're surrounded by. It's the same word, this word report or witness. There's many that bear testimony to the truth of faith. And there's many witnesses who testify to us the reality of all these things. So we're going to go to that as we unpack Hebrews 11 a little. And the very word of God bears witness too, of itself. The word of God is one of the testifiers of these things. It says, verse 3, through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. It's by faith we know the maker of everything, the maker of earth, of heaven, of the starry sky, of the very cells of our body, every one of them.

[6:27] He's made us, our human frame. And by faith we understand that, that really there's only two explanations of the origin of the universe. One is total speculation, the other is by full revelation.

[6:43] By faith we accept that the one who was there at the beginning could tell us in the beginning he was there. And he's a witness of it all. He's the one who created everything out of nothing. And his testimony is true. God cannot lie. He's trustworthy and his word is true, very true. Not only could we say thy word is true, we can say thy word is truth. It is the truth. God who said let there be light and there was light is the one who speaks to us through the very pages of the scriptures. And the phrase God said occurs 10 times in Genesis 1.

[7:21] God said it, I believe it. Amen. Truly that settles it. Faith in God is the creator of all. It's foundational to know that God is. He's the creator. In the beginning, God created. And we cannot begin to understand ourself, our life, world history. Unless we accept the early chapters of Genesis, the authority is there. It's stamped with God's authority. I know we often times when we're witnessing, you encounter people that say, oh, it's just words on a page. No, this is God's word. It's the very words of God.

[7:58] We can take it as read. There's no other source document. That's the testimony. That's the witness. And there's no greater witness than the witness of God himself, the God who cannot lie. It's his very nature to be the truth. He created all the heaven, the earth, and he can come to you to know him personally, know him as your savior. And so there's the very witness of the very word of God right from day dot from creation, God spoke and it became, and it's by faith we can know this creator, the one of all creation of the world, the universe of all that is of human history.

[8:36] The unseen hand is still working and we can know him personally, know him. So let's hear from some of these witnesses that we hear about in Hebrews 11, these men and women of God of faith, just like you and me, by faith. And we too can say by faith. Amen. You can say by faith. By faith we can also come as the ones who came in Hebrews 11, we see firstly, Abel, he came and he worshiped. Verse 4, by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous. God testifying of his gifts and by it he being dead yet speaketh. Abel's still talking to us today. He's dead but he's still speaking. Abel offered his best, his very best.

[9:27] He brought a blood sacrifice. And there's a common thread, not only by faith, but we see by the blood. Hebrews 11. By faith Abel offered this blood sacrifice. There had to be blood shedding. And Abel still speaks to us today, the need of the saviour, of the sacrifice, of the substitution. His testimony still rings true. Abel still speaks to us today. And the faith of Abel looks forward to the Lamb of God yet to come. Right there in the early chapters of Genesis, the Lamb slain. The next witness is Enoch. And by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him. For before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God. We don't know much about Enoch. There's not much said of him. But what is said of him is very commendable of him as a man. That he pleased God. That he walked with God. It tells us elsewhere. Enoch's faith was marked by his walking with God. What a testimony that is. That can be your testimony too.

[10:42] That you walk with the saviour. That he walks with you. He walked with God. It talks of his lifestyle. His life lived out in the company of the saviour. He walked with God. It was enabled by God's spirit.

[10:56] How is our walk? We could question that. Our communion with him. Are we headed in the right direction? When we walk with God we will be. Amen. When we walk with God we'll be going in the right direction.

[11:08] And notice it says he pleased God. We read on verse 6. How can we please God? How can we please God? It says verse 6. But without faith it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. It tells us without faith it's impossible to please God. From time to time especially when you're witnessing to folk you see people that are trying to please God by their own works and efforts. But without faith all of that is in vain. There's no point. There's no benefit of works without faith. It has to be faith.

[11:48] Sure faith plus works but faith is the essential. We must to please God we must have faith for without faith it's impossible to please God as much as we may try. We must believe that he is. To believe the existence of God and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Friends if you please God when you think about it if you please God it doesn't really matter who you dis not that you should go about displeasing people but if you're pleasing God what others think is not really of any consequence is it? Pleasing God that is the ultimate objective and displeasing others but if that be so well pleasing God that's what matters that's the ultimate and on the contrary if you displease God it doesn't matter how many people you do please you might be a man pleaser it's a bit of a trap for preachers pastors to be a man pleaser you might please loads and loads of people but if you displease God oh woe unto you woe unto me we must please God amen pleasing God is the imperative and so live your life that you please him make that your objective the ultimate the imperative is faith because without faith you cannot please him so faith is the only way to please God and not just any airy fairy kind of faith but faith in christ isn't it faith saving faith in christ the savior of your soul believe that he is and seek after god faith is the essential and another hero we read on of is noah verse 7 by faith noah being warned of god of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an ark to the saving of his house and became heir of the righteousness which is faith noah heeded the warning now it had not rained before this was things that had not been seen as yet that had had not rained before there'd been no flood before the idea of building an ark what a ridiculous idea ludicrous yet noah believed god by faith noah took action he prepared an ark for the saving of his house and this was again what a test of him as he was there in this desert place with this ark in the middle of nowhere this huge vessel and noah's project it took over 100 years imagine how he would have been mocked they'd have scorned him and made him out to be a quack full reality is that every one of us has got an assignment from god what's your project don't matter about pleasing the crowd but please god with that project that that assignment that he's given you to fulfill of course the ark was also a type wasn't it it had the object of saving and it represents the salvation that can only be found in christ of course the ark was the place of safety of deliverance of security it represents the salvation that we can know in christ as christ is the ark effectively the ark the one who saves is christ and only in him can we have safety and salvation and assurance we hear that in genesis 7 the lord said unto noah come thou and all thy house into the ark for they have i seen righteous before me in this generation notice god beckons noah and to bring his family he says come into god was already in the ark that's an interesting thought isn't it he doesn't say go to the ark he says come into the ark come to me come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden come unto me and drink he says come thou and all thy house into the ark god beckons noah come they were in the

[15:51] ark then for seven days before the rain fell imagine they might be sitting there seven days what are we doing here twiddling our thumbs we're in this ark there's no rain but seven days god's got a way of testing our patience doesn't he when we do his will sometimes we still got to think am i really in the will of god by faith we can come to him and be saved and and play that waiting game sometimes as we wait for his timing for things then noah and his family and the animals they were on the ark for a little over a year so again a whole long period of sitting in this vessel on the waves but they knew salvation and deliverance it was by faith it was by faith and faith is about trust too we see another witness now of abraham the friend of god we see back to hebrews 11 abraham really demonstrates his trust in god we read the hebrews 11 verse 8 by faith abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whether he went we see he's there in this pagan land and he went out then verse 9 by faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles with isaac and jacob the heirs with him of the same promise for he looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is god here's abraham he leaves his pagan land with all the idols he leaves it all behind him then god calls him to go and live in a tent lives in these tabernacles i don't know whether he had a cozy home where he was from but he went and lived as this wanderer in the desert as a sojourner and god called him to live in tents and he came to the land of canaan it symbolizes god's covenant and faithfulness to his people abraham believed by faith he went by faith he trusted by faith he was looking for a city that has foundations friends are you looking for a city that's got foundations are you such a people like you're looking for a city are you to be looking for that city a city whose builder and maker is god what's it talking about heaven that true promised land yet to come we can be such a people looking for that city and we can know the maker of this world the maker of that city of the world to come are you in search of that city like abraham here's a good quote live today for that great tomorrow we're in the pilgrim land we're like pilgrims we're we're like strangers aliens sojourners in this barren land but we're looking for that city like abraham by faith he believed god's promises and god promised a son to abraham and his wife sarah despite their old age god worked this wonder and gave to them isaac we see verse 11 through faith also sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised through faith sarah by faith as this older woman beyond childbearing age was now become a mother by faith we read on verse 12 therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the stars of the sky in multitude and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable so sarah judged him faithful she said god's faithful and he's promised and i'm going to believe him no matter what surely he is faithful he can be believed he must be believed the one who said verily verily it's interesting our lord said verily over 100 times it's an interesting fact isn't it look and that's a good little study if you take your concordance and have a look at all the

[19:51] verily's verily verily i say unto you must be born again verily this is truly the one who is the truth says verily to you you can surely believe this amen is the word yeah verily verily amen amen and god cannot lie he's the one who says verily in other words he says truly surely absolutely 100 truly and it says of god he cannot lie in hope of eternal life which god that cannot lie promised before the world began he cannot lie every word of god is true every word hebrews 11 is full of promises this recurring theme of promise hebrews 11 you see it repeated numbers of times there's many references to the promises of god we see 2 peter 1 verse 4 it reads whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature that having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust exceeding great and precious promises sometimes we neglect to get a hold of these promises it's for you the promises of god they're for you another one telling of promise is 1 john 2 25 and this is the promise that he hath promised us even eternal life hebrews 10 23 tells us let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering why for he is faithful that promise the fact is god can be trusted he is trustworthy he cannot lie he can believe it his word many would doubt and build on shifting sands but we have a faith that's solid and strong there's a substance to it it's substantial he is faithful he is faithful that is promised so when god promises he delivers his word can be trusted our part is just to trust his word is what it is our part is to trust what he says of course christ himself is the promised one it tells of our lord in the context of abraham galatians 3 16 christ himself is the promised seed the seed galatians 3 16 now to abraham and his his seed where the promise is made he saith not into seeds as of many but as what of one and to thy seed which is christ so christ is the seed that one and here's the common thread through hebrews 11 2 that christ is the seed that line of christ the lineage of christ and we are part of that promise that trust him it tells us alike to that galatians 3 verse 7 know you therefore that they which are of faith the same are the children of abraham so christ is the seed but we are also part of the seed by faith there's a sense where christ is the fulfillment of abraham's line it tells us that he's the son of abraham and it tells us we're children of abraham by faith so we're part of that propagation that flourishing that christ makes possible of eternal life and it tells us if you be christ then you are abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise so it's telling us there if you belong to christ you're abraham's seed of course there's some national promise there's some promise for israel but there's also the fact that christ is the seed and we as gentiles we are now abraham's seed by faith that's a wonderful inclusion isn't it god's super inclusive with his offer of salvation that we can be included as abraham's seed if you belong to christ by faith and it tells us of abraham he staggered not at the promise of god through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to god so we read on about this company that we are a

[23:57] uh part of we that believe are a part of even though we're thought of as strangers and pilgrims like abraham we're strangers and pilgrims to this world we desire a better country so we'll read on back to hebrews 11 verse 13 and tells us these all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth these heroes of the faith we're reading about in hebrews 11 they hadn't yet seen the promise fulfilled they hadn't yet seen the the ultimate seed christ to be that fulfillment of all the prophecies of all the promises but they were looking ahead believing the promises would come to pass verse 14 for they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country and surely if they had been mindful of that country for once they came out they might have had opportunity to have returned it's telling us of the future country it's talking about that heavenly dimension that heavenly journey that heavenly traveling that we have and it tells us verse 16 but now they desire a better country that is in heavenly wherefore god is not ashamed to be called their god for he hath prepared for them a city of course our lord says in john 14 i go to prepare a place for you think of it there's a city that's being built as it were that picture of this place yet to come he's preparing for us a place of many mansions his father's house and there's promises there of that city yet unseen that is in preparation and there's promises here right through hebrews 11 it tells of abraham's promise but we're included in the promise and there's a city that's a heavenly it's just out of sight and you that are redeemed you will have admission there you already have your residency granted by faith you have your citizenship it's already been granted for you and we're just awaiting the departure date in the sense of it that we can know our journey is already appointed for us god's preparing for you a city amen that believe god has prepared a city for you we read on further of abraham by faith abraham when he was tried offered up isaac and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son of whom it was said that in isaac shall thy seed be called of course we know abraham was promised this son this special son the special promise and yet then he was tested as we'll read shortly it tells us accounting that god was able to raise him up even from the dead from when so so he received him in a figure by faith isaac blessed jacob and esau concerning things to come so abraham was willing as the account records how abraham was willing at god's direction to take his beloved isaac to that mount moriah abraham was willing to offer up his beloved isaac and the word isaac it means laughter he was willing to offer up isaac the laughter and the joy of his life isaac was set apart to be a burnt offering as they walked up the mountain abraham had faith that if god were to will it so that he would even raise up his son from the dead see that there verse 19 abraham had faith even though if he were to slay his son he still had faith that god was able to raise him up it was a test to see if there was anything in abraham's life that he treasured more than god by faith abraham he totally surrendered all of that which was dear to him all that he had all to the lord and god made provision by the substitution of the lamb as isaac asked his father where's the sacrifice abraham said my son god will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering so they weren't

[28:04] both of them together abraham knew that god was going to provide a lamb a substitute in the place of his son ultimately he saw that by faith god blessed abraham and his son isaac was returned to him by faith abraham think of the testimony of this witness of the faith and again of the blood of the bloodline christ the promised seed is right there as of course isaac was part of himself of that bloodline of the seed of the coming savior of the lion of christ and christ the promise scene is seen right through the book right through the whole chapter of hebrews 11 it was another picture of christ the coming christ and then the line continues on through isaac and jacob we read on verse 21 by faith jacob when he was dying blessed both the sons of joseph and worshiped leaning upon the top of his staff by faith joseph when he died made mention of the departing of the children of israel and gave commandment concerning his bones so jacob was another worshiper joseph too he had a good report of course we know of joseph we think of his life the testimony of joseph's life his faith they saw him go through many tests and trials and temptations hardships false accusations yet god's grace was with him through it all joseph by faith and of course joseph was himself a light to christ in saving his people he was like a messiah figure joseph by faith he looked ahead to the entering of the promised land here he was in egypt yet he knew the promise he knew the promise of canaan the promise of the promised land joseph by faith looked ahead to the promise he said i'm not going to make it but make sure my bones go when you go take my bones with you he was asking before his death that his very bones be carried there because he believed god's promise that is the theme here god's promise he believed god by faith he says i'm not going to get to the promised land but i know you're going to get there take my bones with you it's an amazing thought isn't it that he had such faith that he gave that direction for his bones verse 23 by faith moses when he was born was hid three months of his parents because they saw he was a proper child and they were not afraid of the king's commandment so moses parents they saved him as we know the story of the pharaoh's brutal law they placed little moses in the basket in the waters of the nile and then pharaoh's daughter took him for her own and that continues on verse 24 by faith moses when he was come to years refused to be called the sons of pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of god then to enjoy the places of sin for a season think of joseph as he was brought up in the pharaoh's palace everything would have been laid on he would have lived in such luxury and finery and everything you could imagine of egypt's riches were his at his beck and call but choosing rather rather to suffer affliction where the people of god this slave nation in hard bits of bondage carrying hauling stones and suffering under the lash of the egyptians he would rather suffer affliction with the people of god than the pleasures of sin for a season and it reads on esteeming the reproach of christ's greater riches than the treasures in egypt he had respect unto the recompense of the reward he saw that there was a greater reward to be suffering with the people of god a greater reward greater riches to be with christ to stand for christ the christ he believed yet to come than all the treasures of egypt greater reward than all of that moses faced a choice and so do we the reproach of christ or the treasures of egypt are you going

[32:10] to stand with the people of god or are you going to cozy up to the world egypt speaking of the world when you think of it by faith we've got a whole new value system don't we the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace in christ we've got greater riches and all of the world's trinkets and toys and fancies greater riches in christ to know christ even if it be a reproach and this is real for people especially in other lands not so much in our western world but in some countries you've got to lay down your life for christ lay down your life for your faith in him and there's greater riches there greater riches and even if it be that we suffer for our faith greater riches than the traces of egypt and we read how god used moses as a deliverer for his people verse 27 it says he forsook egypt not fearing the wrath of the king for he endured as seeing him who is invisible moses forsook egypt all of the comforts and pleasures and ease he left it behind he forsook it all that egypt represents really for us it represents the world the love of the world we're not under that dominion we don't belong there now our allegiance is to the king of kings and it says moses endured his equality of faith his faith endures it's got an enduring quality says moses he did not fear the wrath of the king moses feared pharaoh so little because he feared god so much he could be he could have been rightfully fearful of the king of the most powerful national leader likely of the world at the time this hugely important dictator of the time to have the wrath of that man but it says moses didn't fear him he feared god amen so should we we can by faith see him who is invisible and want to please him fear him one day faith will give way to sight by faith it's as if we can see into another realm another dimension we see that in 2 corinthians 4 it says while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal friends this hebrews 11 it's got this dimension of egypt the world the unseen the invisible the true king things that are eternal forever by faith we can perceive into that other realm to see what is not visible to the physical eye but in our hearts we know the creator the maker the sustainer our lord our savior here's the one that matters the most and the wrath of the king that's not so big a deal 1 peter 1 it says of christ it says him having not seen you love in whom though now you see him not yet believing you rejoice with joy unspeakable and that's true for you and me hey we haven't seen him but one day we shall see him it says we shall see him and it says in revelation 1 7 every eye is going to see him at his coming again and verse 28 it reads on faith he kept the passover and the sprinkling of blood lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them by faith they passed through the red sea as by dry land which the egyptians are saying to do were drowned by faith moses kept the passover they applied the blood that brought safety and shelter from god's judgment from god's wrath the blood again god brought about a great rescue picture again of salvation through faith through the blood of christ yet to come the promise

[36:13] of the savior's blood that recurring theme through the book through hebrews 11 by faith then they went over the red sea on dry land god brought further judgment on their enemies salvation blood salvation amen passing over passing through god's judgment on their enemies these themes are true for us today too salvation god's deliverance his power the theme of deliverance it continues on as you read further the deliverance of the people of god with joshua and jericho verse 30 as now the people of god enter the promised land verse 30 by faith the walls of jericho fell down and they were compassed about seven days after they were compassed about seven days then verse 31 by faith the harlot rahab perished not with them that believed not when she had received the spies with peace so the story of joshua's victory over jericho we see the name rahab it's interesting in this occasion you read of it in joshua 6 it says that the people had to keep quiet for seven days imagine that i know some of you uh folk are keeping quiet for seven minutes yes they had to keep quiet for seven days think of that think of that seven days they could not utter a sound tells us that there joshua 6 10 and joshua had commanded the people saying you shall not shout nor make any noise with your voice neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day i bid you shout then shall you shout it's interesting some commentators put this they could not utter a sound why these israelites have been notorious complainers and gripers for 40 years they'd been whinging for 40 years in the wilderness always murmuring in the times of crisis god says keep quiet for seven days i don't want to hear you moaning anymore that's the kind of picture here isn't it and so they had to keep quiet for these seven days god wanted these people to learn that god works apart from all human wisdom and scheming two million people had to keep silent i don't know if they're allowed to whisper or not but uh it would have been pretty hard wouldn't it imagine the psychological impact on their enemies too and the israelites continued to discipline themselves to do what god had commanded them god said he was going to give them the city and god responded to their faith then joshua gave an order and the trumpets blew and the people shouted and the walls came tumbling down it must have been a great relief when they could break their silence and started to shout i'll imagine they shouted really loud don't you think and the walls came tumbling down it says that the walls fell flat and it's interesting when all the walls fell down there was one wall that didn't fall down rahab's part of the wall think of that it's interesting how rahab was spared the scarlet cord the scarlet cord from her window was what saved her wasn't it and of course the scarlet cord we could think of that as the scarlet blood of the lamb of god as the lamb of the passover the blood was applied we see the scarlet the scarlet cord in rahab's window that part of the wall did not fall a great picture of god's salvation again and everyone who was in rahab's house was spared everyone who came under the protection of that emblem of the scarlet cord was safe saved i could imagine she would have said to her relatives to friends come to my house and you'll be saved rahab became an evangelist to that city that all who are in

[40:18] rahab's house was safe the scarlet cord brought salvation protection security and all who believed were safe by placing their faith in what the cord the scarlet cord represented the salvation the saving grace of god the blood of christ of the promised one that cord represented the promises of god to save those who believe in him rahab the harlot yet not that now she stands as one of the great women of faith in the bible god can take the most helpless the most unworthy undoubtedly a sinner grace is for sinners isn't it think of that that rahab now no longer rahab the harlot now rahab the child of god rahab saved redeemed an honored mother then in the line of david again the seed came through such an unworthy vessel yet made clean born again born again effectively by faith the list of heroes of the faith continues on we hear of faith that endures trials we won't labor these much for sake of time but you could read on more and i know last sunday night we heard a great testimony of samson another one unworthy what a flop he was yet god used even samson samson in his dying days in his dying hours we hear of the faith of these and it says verse 32 what shall i more say for the time would fail me to tell of gideon of barack of samson of jeff they of david also and samuel and of the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms wrought righteousness obtained promises stop the mouths of lions you can think of daniel for one promises the promises of god friends the promises of god are for you too they're for us too of course some are specific to a time a place a nation but we see the promises of god they're yay and amen it's christ verily they obtain the promises verse 34 they quench the violence of fire we think of shavrak meshach and abednego we see that they escaped the edge of the sword out of weakness were made strong they waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the armies of the aliens women received their dead raised to life again and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection a picture there of those that remained steadfast despite torture they would not renounce their faith they would rather have suffered torture and testing what a picture of faith verse 36 and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment they were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the sword they gathered about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute afflicted tormented there's no prosperity gospel here they were sawn asunder it's reported that isaiah was one he was sawn in two you know i don't i won't labor the point but you can imagine the picture of that i don't know which way they're cutting but it's an awful thought isn't it yet they were steadfast and of course not to make light of these things but there is real torture still today and these various men and women they were flogged they were chained and and went to their deaths and it says verse 38 of whom the world was not worthy they wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth it says the world was not worthy of them this word worthy it speaks of weight of worth the worth of a life there's value here the world discounts and such but god esteems them as of great value of great worth the worth of a

[44:25] life think of the worth of your life every soul every human soul your life has got worth your life has got value such that the very precious son of god laid down his life for you to be saved the world did not see their worth think of what god counts as of value every human soul is of value of greater value than all the world it's one soul and it's their faith that made all the difference we read on how there's something even yet more something better even something better for us for you and me verse 39 and these all talking about the hebrews 11 heroes these all having obtained a good report through faith received not the promise god having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect so it's saying here all of these obtained a good report they had a good witness a good testimony of their faith they gave glowing witness and testimony as we have seen abel's more excellent and sacrifice the blood of the lamb enoch he had a testimony that he walked with god that he pleased god noah preparing an ark for the saving of his family a picture of salvation in christ abraham taking his pilgrim journey in search of a city god blessed him with the miracle of a son in his old age and the promise of a nation yet then god tested him to offer up his beloved isaac as a picture of the very mountains of jerusalem where he was to take his beloved son and sacrifice him there but god provided himself a lamb as we know on mount calvary it's christ again we see joseph likewise a deliverer of his people by faith as was moses by the blood of the passover lamb rahab the harlot then the saved woman of god by the signal of the precious blood the scarlet cord the shed blood of christ the only means of rescue no one else got saved in jericho you had to be where the scarlet cord was then all the other worthies we've read off including gideon by faith 300 men smashing some pots and victory gideon by faith david for all his failings yet david king david and then his son to come the son of david and we see the martyrs the witnesses even in present times and you read this obviously good books the martyr's mirror fox's book of martyrs we read the stories of the men and women of god and even in modern times there's men and women of god who are being tortured a good report a good report through faith yet there is something more verse 40 says there's some better thing there's something more they received not the promise christ hadn't come yet it was all looking forward at the cross but now we're looking back at the cross the promise wow we've got the full picture now there's something better for us they received not the promise they were looking forward to it in faith but yet not knowing it fully but for us it's better for us better for us because we know what it all means now as much as as still mysteries and some hard to be understood things now we know the savior has come the promise christ is redeeming blood what it all means now these heroes of the faith they did not receive all that god had promised because they died before christ came but for you for me as believers under the new covenant we've got something even better that we know god's plan we've seen the finished work and there's

[48:27] all the more reason why we should be testifying and we should be the modern day witnesses we should be part of hebrews 11 and we'll add a few verses you can be included in hebrews 11 as it were that we can be the heroes of the faith you can be that one by faith god's got an assignment for you we're all part of this greater plan that it's still unfolding this wonderful blessing that we have to be a part of it we've got the full picture now and what it all means by faith we can look back and we can see the plan accomplished in christ at the cross so what can we be such that we'll have a good report through faith that you can have a good report through faith of course it reads on the chapter divisions aren't necessarily set in stone but we can see hebrews 12 really continues the story the better is what we're part of now and we can include ourselves here wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses we've seen the witness of these ones of abel of isaac of abraham of joseph of rahab all these witnesses this testimonies that we've read of these men and women of god see me surrounded by this let us lay aside let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto jesus the author and finisher of our faith before the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of god think of it brother sister by faith let us pray our lord god we know that none of us stand in any greater standing than any other whether we be rahab the harlot or enoch who walked with you pleasing you lord god all of us can claim no merit of our own making no greater credit of our own doing lord we're all unequally unworthy of your magnificent grace lord we praise you that even from abel we see the blood poured out and now behind us we see that it's already happened the great fulfillment of your promise and that we are in christ this seed we are children of god by faith whether jude gentile lord we are made your own children by faith as many as received him lord we pray each one might have that heart to trust you today lord as we see the great unfolding of history we see we're still part of it just now until you come we've got work to do you've given us an assignment help us lord to by faith especially and most importantly to trust you for our salvation to repent lord to have that change of heart of mind lord to have that switching of allegiance to have that trust that entire trust in entirely you and your blood shed for us sin lord the forgiveness of it the grace of god that we should even have any claim to it lord that you by your great gift should give such as we as unworthy as we are such a great salvation lord help us to truly value it lord we we can only praise you lord for the blood the scarlet thread the scarlet cord the passover blood the blood of the lamb lord we thank you for that precious blood that finished work help us lord by faith by faith to walk in it by faith to walk strongly by to endure whatever comes our way by faith to forsake egypt and to count the reproach of christ's greater riches

[52:31] we pray in jesus precious name amen amen