How To Keep Your Faith To The End

[0:00] Thank you for choosing to listen to today's message by Reverend Dr. David Entry. We know you will be blessed as you seek and serve God. We believe that this message will stir up a desire for more of God even as you listen.

[0:13] Be blessed. Hallelujah. We thank God for today. God has been good to us. God has been merciful. God has been faithful and is kind.

[0:24] The God who has brought us this far will certainly take us that far. Fear not. Only believe. Having this confidence that he who has begun a good work in you shall perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ.

[0:37] Philippians chapter 1 verse 6. How we have a confidence in God. So he said, therefore cast not away your confidence which has a great recompense. I'll mention that in the teaching anyway.

[0:49] Therefore cast not away your confidence which has a great recompense of reward. That's King James in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 35.

[0:59] Therefore cast not away your confidence. Don't cast away your confidence. For 1 John chapter 5 verse 14 said, this is the confidence we have in him. That when we pray according to his will, he hears us.

[1:12] And if he hears us, then we know that we have the petition that we have asked of him. God will hear you and have your confidence. Let your confidence be in God. Don't take your eye off God.

[1:23] Keep your eye on God. Come on. Just keep your eye and God will help you in Jesus name. According to Matthew chapter 10 verse 22. It says that, And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.

[1:38] But he that endures to the end shall be saved. Ye shall be hated by all men for my name's sake. But he that endures to the end shall be saved.

[1:51] So what does that mean? In Ecclesiastes chapter 7 verse 8, it talks about how the end of a matter. Okay. It talks about the end of a matter.

[2:02] The end of a thing is better than the beginning thereof. So at the end, how you end your life, how you finish is more important than how you start.

[2:15] How you finish is more important than how you start. Ecclesiastes chapter 7 verse 8 says, Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.

[2:27] So that's what Jesus said. He who endures to the end, the same shall be saved. You shall be persecuted. And then he said, You shall be hated.

[2:38] He's actually hated. You shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. So Christians being in the minority is not new and is not going to be ever end.

[2:50] It's always going to increase as long as the whole world lies under the sway of the evil one. 1 John chapter 5 verse 19. So as long as the whole world lies under the sway, under the influence, under the control of the evil one, let me say this, we Christians, Christianity, and particularly our message, shall be hated by all men.

[3:14] That's what Jesus said. What is you if all men speak well of you? Luke 6, 26. What is you if all men speak well of you? So we shall be hated by all men.

[3:24] As long as we remain faithful to the message of the cross, faithful to the message of God or the gospel of God, we shall be, He said, You shall be hated of all men.

[3:37] I think in John chapter, I think it's John chapter 14 or chapter 17, where it talks, Jesus told the disciples that it can't be chapter 17.

[3:48] So it's chapter 14 or chapter 15. He spoke about how men will hate you for my sake. If they hated me, then they will, let me just read it. I just, Bible say, All those who live godly shall suffer persecution.

[4:04] All those who live godly shall, that's 2 Timothy chapter 3. But in John chapter 15 verse 18, it said, If the world hates you, watch this, If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you.

[4:23] It hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world will love its own. But because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hated you, hates you.

[4:39] The world will hate you. Because you are not of the world, the world will hate you. Christians are hotspots for hatred. by leaders, by politicians, by musicians, or by stars.

[4:56] People will hate you. Are you trying to say there are no stars in all those places? Even people who are supposed to be stars, who are Christians, end up being marginalized and hated. Why?

[5:06] Because it is the order of the day. Jesus said, men will hate you. But in spite of the hatred and the difficulties, they want to put you through. He says that he that shall endure to the end, shall be saved.

[5:19] So, the end is what justifies, the journey, the end. As we pursue, the end is what justifies the kind of reward we receive.

[5:30] Now, Paul posted this way, as I get into the main message now. Paul posted this way in 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 7. He said, I have fought a good fight.

[5:40] Oh my, hallelujah. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course.

[5:52] And I have kept the faith. As I told you a few weeks ago, about how the Christian life is a race. And the Christian life is called a way. It's a race to run.

[6:04] That's for, therefore, let us run with patience. Let us run with patience. Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1. Let us run with patience. Let us run with perseverance.

[6:16] Verse 2, looking unto Jesus. So, the Christian life is a journey. It's a race to be run. It's very important, but watch this. And because of that, he says that we have to finish it.

[6:27] Paul posted this way, I think in Acts chapter 20 verse 24. He said, none of these things move me. Either 21, 24, 20, 24. None of these things move me.

[6:38] That I might finish my course. Yeah, Acts 20, 24, I think so. 23, 24. All things, Holy Spirit's indicating the afflictions and bonds with me in Jerusalem. I said, none of these move me.

[6:51] Neither do I count my life dear to myself. Why? That I might finish my course. Finish my course with joy. Finish with joy. But here, he says that, 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 7 says that, I have fought a good fight.

[7:11] I've finished my course and watch this. You can't finish if you don't keep the faith. You can't fight a good fight if you don't keep the faith. That's why he said in 1 Timothy 6, to fight the good fight of faith.

[7:27] The fight is actually a fight of faith. And so, you cannot fight a good fight if you don't keep the faith. Stay in faith. That's why in Titus 3, he said, contending for the faith.

[7:40] You have to fight for the faith. Stay in faith. Stay in faith. There's a fight to fight. Not a fight to be recognized. Shouldn't be a fight to be seen. Shouldn't be a fight to look important.

[7:51] Christian sister, Christian brother. Shouldn't be a fight to look so important for people to know you are also there. No. It should be a fight of faith. A fight to keep the faith.

[8:02] So, that's what I'm talking about. How to keep the faith to the end. How to keep the faith. Keeping the faith to the end. How do you do that?

[8:12] How do we keep the faith to the end? It's important. Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11. Thank you, Holy Spirit.

[8:25] How to keep the faith. How to keep your faith to the end. How to keep your faith to the end. Hebrews chapter 5, chapter 11, verse.

[8:39] Can you allow me to indulge myself a little bit in scripture? By faith. By faith. Verse 8. By faith. Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should have to receive for an inheritance, inheritance, obeyed.

[8:56] And he went out not knowing where he was, where he went. Or whither he went. Verse 9. By faith, he sojourned in the land of promise. As in a strange country, dwelling in the tabernacle, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.

[9:17] For he looked for a city which had foundation, whose builder and maker is, whose builder and maker is God. Through faith, Sarah himself also received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised.

[9:37] Therefore sprang they even of one, and him as good as dead. So many as the stars, as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sun which is by the sea shore innumerable.

[9:55] So, I need to, let me, let me repeat it. This is a very interesting point. Therefore, because Sarah received strength to conceive, therefore, because of that, therefore, it, because of, therefore sprang they even of one, out of one man, that one Isaac guy, that one promised child, Isaac is the child of promise, that one promised child, who Abraham couldn't have had, and Sarah couldn't have had.

[10:24] So, Isaac is a miracle child, who Sarah couldn't have had, and Abraham couldn't have had. Why? Because Abraham was 99 years old, and his body was dead.

[10:35] So, his body could not perform for a child to be born. Ishmael, at the time Ishmael was born, Abraham was full, fully operational. His body was healthy, and his body could work.

[10:48] But, at the time Isaac was, before Isaac was born, when God promised him again, and he believed, the second, first one, believed that he would be the father, but the second one, it was a quantity for right, the second one, the second believing was, after his body was dead, he believed, Romans chapter 4, verse 19, he believed, that he might become the father of many nations.

[11:12] He believed, okay, so, he didn't, he considered not his body, that was dead, and, for he was 99 years old, and this womb of Sarah was dead. Watch this. So, womb dead, body dead.

[11:23] Womb dead, Abraham's body dead. The body that was supposed to, help, allow, or impregnate Sarah was dead, and Sarah, the womb that was going to carry the seed, was dead.

[11:35] So, how did it happen? A seed, which was God's word, which Abraham believed, the word Abraham believed, became the seed, and the seed, for safe passage, brought life into his body, in order to pass, and as soon as the seed hit the womb of Sarah, it brought life to the womb of Sarah.

[11:57] So, Abraham couldn't claim ownership of Isaac, neither could Sarah claim ownership. That is why God asked Abraham, sacrifice Isaac for me, because you can't claim ownership of him.

[12:09] Isaac is not a child you could have had, outside of me. So, to prove that Abraham, you believe it, come and sacrifice, even though, according to Hebrews chapter 7, chapter 11, verse 17, God's promise was tied to Isaac.

[12:25] Okay? God's promise to Abraham, the promise of being the heir of the world, the promise of being the father of many nations, was connected to Isaac, because in Isaac shall thy seed be, in Isaac.

[12:43] So, the promise was connected to Isaac. However, God said, sacrifice Isaac for me, because if you couldn't have produced Isaac, if you couldn't have brought Isaac to life, what makes you think that you can protect and keep him for the promise?

[13:04] So, give me Isaac, even though I said, in Isaac shall die. Hebrews chapter 11 now. Let me go ahead of myself. Verse 17. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 17 says that, by faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promise, offered up his only begotten son.

[13:24] Why? What was the big deal? Of whom, because it is of this child, verse 18, of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called. So, the promise of Abraham having the seed, the seed to dominate the earth, was connected to Isaac, said in Isaac.

[13:42] However, he was willing to sacrifice Isaac, because he has now come to a place where he concludes, that God doesn't need anything in place, to fulfill his purpose.

[13:54] Oh, oh, all God needs is somebody who will receive his word. The rest, by faith, we understand that the world were framed by the word of God.

[14:04] Once the word comes, it has the ability to pull anything, bring into being, bring into life, anything that must be in place for the word to be fulfilled.

[14:15] Hallelujah. Praise God. Praise God. So, the point here is that, God promised Abraham, that in Isaac, your seed be blessed.

[14:28] And then, well, it is so, out of one man, as good as dead, verse 12 again, Hebrews chapter 11, verse 12, easy to remember, Hebrews 11, 12, 11, 12. Therefore, sprung there even of one, and him as good as dead, because Isaac was as good as dead, because he really didn't, it was non-existent.

[14:48] But God's word brought him into life. And when God's word brought him into life, even his word was demanding him again, just because for Abraham's sake, he was tested. As I told you in the previous teaching, that when your faith is, when genuine faith is tested, it grows stronger.

[15:04] So, as of, as good as dead, therefore sprung there even of one, everything sprung from one, of one, as, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the skies in multitude, many sprung out from the one that is good as dead.

[15:29] That's why you don't have to worry about, what you don't have, because God is able to use whatever is at hand to fulfill his purpose. Well, let's go on to the next verse.

[15:41] That's verse 13. This is what my key text for the teaching today. These all died in faith, having not received the promise, but having seen them afar off, and were embraced, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers, and pilgrims of this earth, repeat, repeat, repeat.

[16:05] These all died in faith, not having received the promise. So, you see, this is what I was saying last week, that do not use the results, good results, to judge the quality of your faith.

[16:25] Use the, watch this, the quality of every faith, is actually, how strong, is, is, is, built on God's word. So, how strong your faith is built on God's word, is what determines the quality of your faith.

[16:41] And it is, on that premise, that God will give you, a good report. So, God's report he gives you, is not because, everything has turned out to be the way it should be.

[16:53] Because when you read, the Bible says that, verse 39, he says that, Hebrews chapter 11 to 29, these all, having obtained a good report, through faith, receive not the promise. So, the promise that they, stood on, and their faith was built around, or their faith was built on, they actually didn't really live to see it, but guess what, they live to have good reports by God, from God.

[17:17] What's good report? When heaven gives you good reports, everything that needs to be in, in line with your life, for your life to be the way it should be, they start to, fall in pleasant places.

[17:28] So, say, God, you will receive a word, and you believe the word, that God is going to do A, B, C. So, that is the promise, because, every faith, is built around promise.

[17:40] Okay? Every faith. You need a word from God, a promise from God, and that promise, is what becomes the platform, of the faith. The word, and the promise, must be a word from God.

[17:52] So, when you read the Bible very carefully, you find out that Abraham received the promise from God. They received a promise. Look at verse 9. Verse 9 talks about how, Hebrews chapter 11, verse 9. By faith, he sojourned in the land of promise.

[18:04] He was walking in the land of promise, but there was a better promise, a bigger promise. So, he sojourned in the land, sojourned, that means he was a stranger, in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in the tabernacle with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.

[18:20] They had the promise. A promise from God was what they lived by. They lived by the promise. And so, there is, oh, thank you, Holy Spirit. Thank you, Lord.

[18:31] The results we see in Scripture about, or from, the results we see about Abraham's life, the testimonies we see about Abraham's life, was not the ultimate.

[18:43] It was just a reflection of God giving him good reports. When heaven gives you good reports, you will see some great results around you, but it does not mean, it does not necessarily mean that you get the ultimate of what you have always desired, because everything God does, the ultimate is the promise of life in Christ Jesus.

[19:09] So, in 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 1, talks about, according to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus. The promise of God is the promise of life in Christ Jesus.

[19:22] And so, everything God does, is building towards, not just the temporal, but eternal. However, he does not leave himself without a witness, according to Acts chapter 14, verse 17.

[19:35] He does not leave himself without a witness. So, God will always show you signs that he's with you, in the name of Jesus Christ. So, Bible says that, now coming back to the text, verse 13 of Hebrews chapter 11, these, these all died in faith, not having received the promise.

[19:53] So, remember, God's word is built around promise. You see it all, right? So, the faith, faith must be built around promise. Hebrews chapter, I think, Hebrews chapter 6, verse 12.

[20:05] I think it would be nice to go there. Hebrews chapter 6, verse 12, talks about how, that ye not be slothful, but followers of those who, through faith and patience, inherit, inherit the promise.

[20:17] Okay? So, it's about promise. Verse 13, for God, for when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself, saying, surely, blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

[20:31] And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. What is this promise we are talking about? Because we hear that they didn't obtain the promise. There are two types of the promise. There are promise, there's the promise that had to do with the good report on this earth.

[20:45] So, when God gives you good report, certain things will manifest. So, the things he has said, you will see them on earth. But the ultimate of what he has said, it may be, you see, maybe what you are doing, the greatness of what you are doing, the full manifestation of what you are doing, is in your son, is in your daughter, is in your grandchild.

[21:06] The full manifestation, the full manifestation of God's glory, of God's glory, or the thing he has spoken to you, which you are believing. You will see the signs, you will see great things happening, but don't let us live like everything is about now.

[21:22] Everything is not about now. God is the now God, and he is also the God of tomorrow. Praise God. So, when he is speaking to you now, he is talking concerning tomorrow.

[21:34] He told Abraham, I will make thee great, and your descendants great. So, God always speaks, his promise has to do with, with tomorrow, from now. But the thing is that, sometimes the promise of God looks so big, and improbable.

[21:49] It looks impossible. It looks challenging for the mind to accept. So, what happens? God, therefore, Bible says that, so, he must be blessed, so that, so, so that, right, verse 15, Hebrews chapter 6, verse 16, so that after he had patiently, he obtained the promise.

[22:11] For men verily swore by the greater, and an oath of confirmation is to, to them an end of all strife. So, if someone promised, I will do something for you, if he signs, that means he's committed himself.

[22:22] And God can't sign. So, he had to also find a way of letting you know, that he will do this thing. So, he says that, Bible says, we're in God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise, when he promises you, the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, confirmed by an oath.

[22:40] So, he promises and he confirms that, I swear I will do this. So, confirmed by an oath. Verse 18, so that by two immutable things, which is the promise and the oath, in which it is impossible for God to lie concerning his promise, or for God to say, I will do something and won't do it.

[22:55] So, by two immutable things, in which it's impossible for God to lie, we, we, we, we, who have fled for refuge, may le, who have fled for refuge, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon, let me read it, so that we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which hope enters within the veil, and all that.

[23:22] So, God gives a word and backs it with the promise. Now, watch this. According to Romans, Bible talks about how God who promised, Romans chapter 1 verse 2, it says the gospel of, according to the gospel of God, which God promised through the prophets in the scriptures.

[23:38] God has always been a God of promise. He's always promising. And when you go to the scriptures, you have gone to the promise of God. But Galatians chapter 3 verse 14, or verse 13, Christ has become, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Lord, having become a curse on the tree, for a curse for us.

[23:56] For it said, it is written, curse is he who hangs on the tree, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon us, the Gentiles. All right? Verse 14. So, that, yeah, verse 14, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon us, the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

[24:12] So, he, we are connected to whatever is said to Abraham, as long, as soon as we come into faith. In fact, Galatians 3, 29, puts it this way. If you are Christ, then you are heirs according to the promise of Abraham.

[24:29] All right? So, if ye are Christ, then ye are heirs. If you belong to Christ, then the promise that was given to Abraham is also for you. Praise God. This is a powerful one.

[24:40] You need to see it. Oh boy. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. I need to quickly get out of here, get out of this text and move on to something else. But, it's good to hear the word.

[24:52] And if ye are Christ, then ye are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. You see? If ye are Christ, then heirs according, heirs of Abraham. Sorry, then ye are Abraham's seed.

[25:04] If ye are Christ, then ye are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. We are also sharing the promise. Once you belong to Christ, then whatever God said to Abraham, look at this in chapter 4, verse 28.

[25:16] Now, he, he, sorry, Galatians 4, 28. He says that now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. Isaac was a child of promise.

[25:27] We are also the children of promise. Whatever promise God has given to Abraham, we connect to it. Hallelujah. So we can walk in the faith of Abraham and do the deeds of Abraham. According to John chapter 8, verse 39, he said, if you are Abraham's seed, you will do the works of Abraham because if you are Abraham, you will do what Abraham did.

[25:46] But that time he said, you guys are seeking to kill me, which Abraham did not do that. Abraham will not do that. So if you are Abraham's seed, then you do the works of Abraham. Abraham, what are the works of Abraham? Yeah, it's the works of faith. He just walked with God.

[25:57] It was prompt obedience. He was willing to obey God. Whatever God says, he said, yes. He saw the promises of God coming to pass. He saw it coming to pass. So Abraham, we are connected to Abraham.

[26:10] In Romans chapter 9, verse 8, Romans chapter 9, verse 8, I think it would be nice to read that one. Romans chapter 9, verse 8 says that, that is, they which are the children of the flesh, they are not the children of God, but the children of promise are counted as the seed.

[26:33] So children of, who are they? So we as Isaac are the children of promise. So we are counted as the seed. The blessing of Abraham is on us. Those of us in Christ, if you are in Christ, then you are Abraham's seed.

[26:45] Did you see that? If you are in Christ, then you are Abraham's seed. Hallelujah. And Bible talks about, in fact, Bible calls Abraham, him who, Melchizedek took tithe from Abraham in Hebrews chapter 7, verse 6, and blessed him who had the promise.

[27:00] Abraham was identified as the one with the promise. He blessed him who had the promise. And so in Hebrews, Bible talks about how we have better promises. Hebrews chapter 8, verse 6, our covenant, what we, what we have been called into is built on better.

[27:18] Hebrews chapter 8, verse 6, talks about how, but now, he has obtained a more excellent ministry. By how much, by how much also, he is a mediator of a better covenant, which is established upon better promises.

[27:34] The New Testament, kuda, shedaya, the New Testament is established on better promises in the name of Jesus. When you read throughout, you can see, it's particularly in Hebrews, you can see the promises of God.

[27:46] I read Hebrews chapter 6, you see the promise of God, chapter 7, the promise of God, chapter 8, the promise of God, chapter 9, you see the promises of God, chapter 10, it talks about the promises of God, chapter 12, the promise, in fact, it says that faithful, you see who has promised, chapter 10, verse 23, faithful, you see who has promised.

[28:03] God is faithful, who has promised. He's a God of promise. So chapter 11, back to chapter 11, Bible says that, thank you, Jesus. Hmm.

[28:15] So, these all died in faith, having not received a promise. Watch this. And I'm talking, as I told you, I'm talking about how to keep your faith to the end.

[28:26] How come, how, what did they do to die in faith, even though they haven't received a promise? What did they do? How did they die in faith? In other words, they had faith to the end.

[28:37] They died in faith. Some people, I pray that by the time you are dying, you are still in faith. By the time Christ is coming, by the time you are dying, by the time you are leaving the earth, you will still be in strong faith.

[28:51] These all, the people they mentioned, these all died in faith. They all died in faith. Now, what did they do? Five points here, quickly, then I'm done.

[29:01] How do you, what do you do, so you can keep your faith to the end? What do you do to keep, how do you keep your faith to the end? Number one, let's look at how they did it, right from the text.

[29:12] These all died in faith, having not received the promise, but having seen them afar off. So you want to keep your faith to the end, see the promise afar off.

[29:26] What you are seeing, will determine what you will be able to endure. In Hebrews chapter 11, verse 27, seven, Moses forsook Egypt, seeing him who was invisible.

[29:44] Hebrews chapter 12, verse two, looking onto Jesus, the altar and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the same, and therefore he sat at the right hand of the father.

[30:00] So he endured the cross. Why? Because he saw the joy that was set before him. No wonder Paul said, I press on towards the mark of the price of the high call in Philippians chapter 3, verse 12 and 13.

[30:13] I press on towards the mark. So Jesus, that means that there's a mark he's seeing, he's pressing towards it. Jesus Christ saw, Moses forsook Egypt, seeing.

[30:25] So you, you'll be able to run this life, a walk of faith. You can't be able to do that until you see. Now, it is normally believed and it is normally said that people say seeing is believing.

[30:41] Jesus said, blessed is he who has not seen by belief in John chapter 20. Blessed is he who has not seen by belief. So how do you just oppose this? Blessed is he who has not seen by belief and seeing is believing.

[30:53] Seeing is believing. When they talk about just, we walk by faith and not by sight. So Bible said, you don't depend on what you are seeing. Now that sight there, as I thought in the previous teaching, is not talking about the inner eye, but it's talking about the sensory perception.

[31:09] That your senses, your, what you see, what you taste, what you touch, what you hear, what you feel. All right. So these, your sensory perceptions, you cannot walk with God based on your sensory perception.

[31:24] And so see, so he says that we walk by faith and not by sensory perception. That's very important. However, in second Corinthians chapter five, verse 18, it talks about how you should be able to not, while we look not at the things that it says that, first Corinthians chapter five, verse, I'm sorry, chapter four, verse 18, please pardon me.

[31:53] Chapter four, verse 18. Whilst we look not at the things which are seen, watch this, but at the things which are not seen, watch this. He's talking about we looking.

[32:05] What are you supposed to look? Don't walk by sight, yet you have to still look. You have to see. You can't walk without seeing. But if you just walk by the sight of the physical things, you will miss the promise of God.

[32:22] You can't, if you look at the way your body is feeling, you may not be able to stay in faith today. You won't be able to stay in faith today. If you just focus on that, you won't be able to stay in faith to the end.

[32:32] If you focus on the conditions around you, the employment situation, if you focus on the grimness of persecution against Christianity, if you focus on how difficult it is to even build the church and lead the church, if you focus on that, Bible talks about Romans chapter four, verse 19.

[32:55] Abraham did not consider his body that was now dead. I'll come back to Corinthians. Romans chapter four, verse, verse eight is a who against hope, believed in hope that he might become the father of many nations.

[33:13] According to that, which was broken, so shall I see thee being not weak in faith. He considered not his own body, which was not dead. When he was about a hundred years old, neither the deadness of heaven, he didn't consider.

[33:25] Watch verse 20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief. See the promise. He didn't waver at the promise. It's like today, okay, tomorrow I'm sure. No, no, no, no.

[33:36] He said he did not waver. He staggered, I like that, verse 20 of Romans chapter four. He staggered not at the promise of God.

[33:47] Don't stagger at the promise of God. Don't stagger. Keep knowing that, see, when God promises, the problem of human beings is that, most of the time, we consider the nature of the promise more than the character of the promiser.

[34:03] So, if you can focus on the character of the promiser, faithful is he who has promised. He's faithful, who also will do it. Okay. So, faithful is he, or faithful is he who has promised.

[34:16] If you consider, if you put your focus on the character of God, who is promising you, then in spite of how improbable the promise looks, it's not a problem, because God is not a man that he should lie.

[34:31] Neither is he the son of man that he should change his mind, he should repent. Has he said, and shall he not, shall he not come to pass, shall he not make it good, and has he spoken, and shall he not come to pass, something like that.

[34:42] Has he said, and has he spoken, and it will not happen? He said, let God be true. Romans 3, 4, let God be true, and every man a liar. Once God says it, once you know this is what God's word is saying, lock in on it.

[34:57] And then, once you, that's what Abraham did. He staggered not at the promise of God. My brother, don't stagger. Don't stagger. In fact, I think in videography, nowadays, there's something called stabilizer.

[35:08] You can be running and holding a camera, and still the image is not shaking, because even though you are unstable, the camera focus is stable. It's called stabilizer. You need a stabilizer for your, holding on to God's promise, which is your faith.

[35:25] He did not stagger. Don't stagger at the promise of God. Satan will show you so many things to tell you, that this is too happy now. It will happen now. It will happen now. It will happen now.

[35:35] In Titus chapter 1, verse 2, it said, which God promised, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began. God, who cannot lie.

[35:46] And when he explained, as I quoted earlier, Hebrews chapter 6, verse 18, so that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie. Once he promises, he can lie.

[35:56] But the problem is, can we trust him enough, to make his word good? Can we trust him enough, that God will do his word? And so, in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 18, whilst we look not at the things which are seen, Abraham did not look at his body that was dead, his body.

[36:15] He did not consider. In fact, other translations say he considered. It's true he considered, in another sense, he considered, but didn't give regard. So, he looked, but didn't give, because he was seeing a higher reality.

[36:28] We look not at what is seen, but what is not seen. That's what, chapter, 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 18. Whilst we look not at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen.

[36:40] For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. So, we are looking. You have to look. Look. So, one, how do you keep your faith to the end?

[36:51] Number one, you have to see. You have to see what God has said. How do you see? Keep your focus on God's word. And, that's why we have to pray that the spirit of God, will give us, said that, that, Ephesians chapter 3, verse 16, that you'll be spreading with mind by the spirit in your inner mind, verse 17, that the eyes of your understanding, God will grant you the spirit of wisdom and knowledge, wisdom and revelation, the knowledge of him, that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, is your inner eyes.

[37:23] You begin to see things that ordinary people are not seeing, through the word of God, by the influence of the Holy Spirit. So, number one, you have to see what God has said.

[37:34] See it and keep your eye on it. So, how do you keep your faith to the end? Number one, see what God has said. See the promise.

[37:45] See it. So, I read it again, Hebrews chapter 11, verse 13, says that, they all died in faith, not having seen, not having received the promise, but having seen the promise, are far off.

[37:56] Number two, we're persuaded of them. You see it, and be convinced, that even though Isaac is not yet born, I know Isaac is coming. Even though, when I look at my situation, it looks so grim, my marital condition, I just am persuaded, one God has said it.

[38:16] Confidence in God's word, confidence in God's faithfulness, confidence, you have to allow, that's why, you have to keep surrounding yourself, with faith-filled words, faith-filled activities.

[38:30] Some preaching are not worth hearing, because it's just killing your faith. Yes, it's not projecting God's word to you. In fact, let's face facts.

[38:42] What is factual more than God's word? Tell me, what is factual more than God's word? Say that, let's express unbelief. Don't say, let's face facts. By faith, Rahab did not perish, with those who did not believe.

[38:57] Sister, brother, don't join those who are perishing, who are through unbelief. Yeah, for God's will love the word, that he gave you, son of God's desire, that whoever believe, will not perish. Will not perish.

[39:10] So, by faith, Rahab, Hebrews 11, 31, by faith, Rahab, the harlot, did not perish. Harlot should perish. When you look at Harlot, I say Harlot, when you look at Harlot, when you look at Harlot, she should perish.

[39:26] But how come a harlot didn't perish? How come a harlot didn't perish? How come? Because by faith, she didn't perish, with those, who did not believe.

[39:38] So, it's the unbelieving, that is costing you. It is not, it's not the lack of, manifestation of God's will, lack of encouragement. He says, so that you have to be persuaded.

[39:50] Build your confidence. I quoted earlier on Philippians 1, 6. This is the confidence, we have, Philippians 1, 6, that being confident, of this very thing, that he who has begun, a good work, shall perform it, unto the day of Jesus.

[40:04] Hallelujah. He who has begun, if God began it, he shall perform it. Be confident about it. Be resolute about it. Set your face, like a flint. Set your face, like a flint, like a flint, nothing will shake you.

[40:20] Your face is set. Your heart is fixed. Trusting the Lord, in the book of Psalm, in Isaiah, I set my face, like a flint. A flint is a very hard stone.

[40:30] You hit it, it doesn't, whatever metal you use, will bounce back. It bounce back. Set my face, like a flint. God don't give up, because you are not going down.

[40:41] You can't go down, in faith. You can't go down, in belief. You won't go down. You won't go down. Your family will not go down. Your children will not go down. Your business is not going down.

[40:52] Your education is not going to go out, haywire. You are, I'm professing to you now, you are not going down. This year, I'm telling you, 2020, is not the year people thought it's going to be.

[41:04] All righty, look at what we have seen in this lockdown, corona situation. And it doesn't seem to be the end at all. It doesn't seem to be the end. I'm telling you. It doesn't seem to be the end.

[41:15] But they, that know their God, shall be stoned. Fear not. You have a word from God. You have a promise from God. Hold on to it. Hold on tight.

[41:25] Hold on. You know, when you go to the theme park and all those roller coasters are about to go. It's every sit tight, sit well. Hold on. Hold on. Let's go. It's going to be like a roller coaster. But as long as you can hold on tight to God's word, you are not falling off.

[41:37] You are not falling out. You will get to your destination and obtain a good report. Hallelujah. And so, you have to build your confidence in God's word.

[41:49] Abraham was, Bible says that he did not stagger, Hebrews chapter 4, verse 20. Let me read it again. Thank you, Holy Spirit. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief.

[42:02] You see, unbelief is very costly. Unbelief. It's not being smart. It's not being smart. Working in unbelief, not being smart. It's just costly. It's costing you a lot of investment. So long as you are being a Christian is concerned.

[42:18] He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. He was strong in faith. Look at verse 21. And being fully persuaded, God, Abraham, he was so persuaded, no medical report would change his mind.

[42:38] He was so persuaded. No economic climate will change his mind that it won't happen. No, he was so, Bible said that, and being fully persuaded that what God had promised, God was able also to perform.

[42:57] Faithful is he who has promised, who also will do it. What God has promised, God was faithful also. And I think I'm talking to somebody now.

[43:07] I think I'm talking to somebody. What God has promised, Pastor, what God has promised, God is able also. If he promised it, if he ordered it, he'll pay for it.

[43:20] What God has promised. Sister, what God has, you have taken all these steps of obedience and faith, and it looks like nothing has happened. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Don't let your faith die.

[43:31] Die in faith. Keep your faith to the end. Don't let your faith, don't die without faith. Die in faith. If you will be. Even if you even die, die in faith.

[43:49] If you are not going down, but even if you are going to go down, you are better going down in faith. You are better walking in darkness in faith than to walk in the light in unbelief.

[44:05] Life is better when lived by faith. Paul said in 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 12, he said, therefore, I go through all these, I experience all these things, I go through all these, and the point is that he said, nevertheless, I'm not ashamed.

[44:21] Nevertheless, I am not ashamed. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed. For I am persuaded. Abraham was fully persuaded. Paul said, I am persuaded that what I have committed to him, he's able to keep it to the day.

[44:37] Being fully persuaded. For I am persuaded. He said that for Philippians chapter 1 verse 6, he said, confidence, you know, being confident in this very thing.

[44:56] Being confident in this very thing. Being confident. Bible says Abraham was fully persuaded. Paul said, I am persuaded. He said, being confident in this thing. What are you going to say?

[45:06] And look, I said it later. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 5. Casting not away your confidence. Don't cast it away. Because why? He had great recompense of reward.

[45:17] What does that mean? The reward that he comes with is unbelievable great. Hallelujah. So number one, he saw the invisible. They saw, they saw, they died in faith.

[45:32] Sorry. These are having not received, but they have, having not received, but having seen them afar off, they're persuaded of them. Number three, they embrace them.

[45:43] To embrace it means to accept it, to welcome it. Some translation said they waved. They waved at it. Hello. Hello. They actually couldn't. They, can you imagine?

[45:53] They haven't seen the promise, but they embrace it. They are working in the reality of it. Work in the reality of what God has said. Embrace it. Embrace it. Work in it.

[46:05] Don't just lie down and say, oh, I'm dying. I'm dying. I'm dying. I'm dying. Stop saying I'm dying. Just get up. Try and do what you can do. Try. Know that God has hid you and try and take something.

[46:16] Say, Lord is my healer. The Lord is my healer. And because of my time, let me just go to the next part. So point number one, see. You have to see. What are you seeing? So seeing or they saw.

[46:28] So how do you make your faith? How to keep your faith to the end? Number one, you have to see. See the promise. Number two, be persuaded about the promise.

[46:41] Number three, embrace the promise. Number four, confess the promise. They spoke.

[46:52] They confessed it. Confessed. Some translations said they agreed. They agreed with it. They accepted their condition. So confess it. Faith. Bible says Jesus Christ is the high priest of our confession.

[47:03] Confession. In Hebrews chapter 3, verse 1. Consider the high priest of our confession. He's the high priest of. So what you are saying is what he's going to work with.

[47:17] Don't just say anything at all. You can't say anything at all as a believer. No. Believers don't say anything at all. What you say must be a reflection of your faith.

[47:28] He says that with the heart of man believers and with the mouth confession is made unto. Until your confessions agree with your faith, there's no salvation in view.

[47:40] Confession is made unto salvation. So speak out. We call it in charis, as we say it, homologia. Homologia. Same word.

[47:52] Same speaking. Logos. Way. So speak the word. Speak the word. Homologia. Homologia. Confess it. Confess what God is saying. Confess what you believe.

[48:03] Don't change your confession. Don't give up your confession. Confess it. Confess it. Keep confessing it. Keep confessing. He's the high priest of our confession.

[48:14] Hallelujah. Hebrews chapter 4, verse 13. Hebrews chapter 4, verse 13, verse 14. Seeing that we have a great high priest that are far through the heavens.

[48:26] Jesus Christ, let us hold fast our profession. Which is the same as our confession. When we listen to you, we can tell where your heart is and where your faith is. When your faith is in the right direction, your language will be in the right direction.

[48:44] Praise the Lord. May I add this in the light of confession. Your faith can never grow above the level of your confession. I'll say it again.

[48:55] Your faith can never grow above the level of your confession. Quickly. And then the last point here. So number one, you have to see the promise.

[49:06] Number two, you have to be persuaded about the promise. Number three, you have to embrace the promise. Number four, you have to confess the promise. And number five, I took so much time in the other things, so I can't go too much here.

[49:17] Number five, it says that, sorry, Hebrews chapter. Hebrews chapter, oh, there's a lot to have dealt with over here, but I think I will leave it.

[49:29] Number five, confessed that they were, what are you confessing? What are you accepting? They're confessed, I said, it's also accept or agree.

[49:39] That they were strangers and pilgrims on this earth. They were expatriates. Yes, transient on this earth. They were expatriates.

[49:50] They didn't see themselves. So Abraham was dwelling in the land of promise by faith, having not settled because he looked for a city. He looked for something better. He looked for something heavenly.

[50:01] This is so important. I think let me just round up quickly. Look at this. So, verse 14. For they that say such things clearly, so declare clearly that they seek a country.

[50:15] If you are saying that you are a stranger, you are a sojourner, you are a pilgrim, you are a traveler, that means you are going somewhere. How come Abraham, when he got to the land of promise, he never settled there, even though that was the land he traveled into.

[50:31] He never settled there. But it's still there, verse 9. By faith, he sojourned, he sojourned. He was like a, he didn't settle there. Sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in the tabernacle with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.

[50:48] For he looked for a city which had a foundation. So he was looking for a city. He didn't settle there. He looked for a city. He was a sojourner. In Genesis chapter 23, verse 4, Abraham told them, I am a traveler in this your place.

[51:01] Please help me get a place to bury my wife. I'm a traveler. I mean, I'm not settling here. Abraham was a sojourner. I think in Genesis chapter 13, verse 14, he was, Abraham the Hebrew.

[51:12] He's a Hebrew. The Hebrew is someone who is crossing the river, according to Joshua chapter 15, verse 2 and 3. Hebrew means someone who has crossed the river. Joshua chapter 15 says that our fathers who crossed.

[51:23] Abraham, when God called him, he was living on the other side of the Mesopotamia. So to come from the other side of the water, of the flood, of the river, he crossed the river to be where he is.

[51:34] And yet he has gotten there and he said, no, I'm still, there's another river to cross. That river is not physical. They looked for a city. Look, look at this. Hallelujah. Bible says that, verse 15 again, Hebrews chapter 11, verse 15.

[51:50] And truly, if they had been mindful of their country from when they had come out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. So after you confess it, keep it in your mind.

[52:04] Okay. Keep in your mind that there's a better day ahead. So have the mindset, a certain mindset. You must have a mindset, a mindset of a better promise.

[52:18] Mindset of a better promise. So it doesn't matter. God can give you the whole of United Kingdom. And still, that is not what will make you compromise on your faith. That's not what will make you compromise on anything.

[52:30] That will actually make you, this is just, I'm passing through. So can you imagine, you have got everything you want, and you don't consider it as an end, because I'm passing through. There is something. There's nothing, there's nothing earthly that will satisfy you.

[52:45] You have made up your mind that I don't care. I will not put my eggs in the earthly basket. I won't. I will not. In Psalm 73, I think verse 24, 25, somewhere there, 20.

[52:57] It said that, who have I in heaven besides you? And there's nothing on earth that I desire beside you. My heart and my strength many times may fail, but God is the strength of my life.

[53:10] Who have I in heaven besides you? And there's nothing that I desire on earth besides you. Your heart must be fixed always.

[53:21] Look, Abraham, Abraham, the blessed man of promise. He was in the promised land, but he said, no, that's not it. That's not, I'm looking for it. He said, whoo-hoo. I'm looking. You are so conscious of eternal things.

[53:34] I always keep bringing this word, subspecies, itensitatives. You are so conscious of eternal things that your steps, your behavior is eternity influence.

[53:45] It's eternity mindedness. So watch this. It says that, it says that, let me read it again. Thank you, Jesus. Yes. If they had been mindful of the country from where they had come, they might have had the opportunity to have returned.

[53:59] But now they desire a better country. They are not homesick from where they are coming, but they desire a better home, a better country. I'm not going back home. I'm not. You are not falling back.

[54:10] You are not going back to your vomit. You are not going back to your former way of living. You are not going back to faithlessness. You are, now that you're on this journey of faith, you are going forward. You are going forward.

[54:20] Your faith is not just for a marriage. Your faith is not just for a child. Your faith is not just for money. Your faith is not just for a job. Your faith is not just for a house. Your faith is not just for healing.

[54:32] There are better things ahead. That's why Jesus said, you follow me because you ate bread. It is supernatural. But you don't have to just live for the supernatural manifestation on earth.

[54:42] You have to live for eternity. You have to foot. Instead, you have to believe in me, the bread that came from above. Because this supernatural miracle you have received, it is good, but it is not ultimate.

[54:54] Until you get connected to Christ and connected, fix your eye on what is above. If you are so just me about this earth, oh, this is what I'm getting. Oh, just here, just here, just here.

[55:05] You will miss God easily. Watch this. For truly, if they had been mindful of the country from where they have come, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

[55:18] But now, they desire a better country. That is a heavily. Hallelujah. That is unheavily. Wherefore, because of this mindset, wherefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

[55:32] God is not ashamed to say, these guys, I'm going to put my backing behind them. Why? Because they were not ashamed to take a stand for heaven. When you are not ashamed, when you are not ashamed to take a stand for heaven, heaven will not back off from taking a stand with you.

[55:49] Don't live just as though everything is just, oh, this religion, religion. Let them call you religious, but be a man of faith. Don't be ashamed to hold your Bible.

[56:00] It's interesting. It's interesting. It's in our generation. It's hard to even see sometimes preachers holding Bible. Because people are ashamed. People are ashamed. People are ashamed. People are ashamed.

[56:11] Go to town. They can't hold Bible. People can't hold Bible publicly. Because they don't want to look religious. Because they don't want to do something.

[56:23] One, none of them, one of them do. One, two, be persuaded about the promise. One, three. And one? One, two. One, three. One, three. Two, three. One, three. Number five, have a mindset.

[56:37] Have a mindset based on the heavenly promise. It will keep you. You will keep your faith to the end. They that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.

[56:49] Jesus said, I fought a good fight. I've kept it. Paul said, I fought a good fight. I've finished my course and I've kept the faith. Jesus said, you will be hated by all men, but he that shall endure to the end.

[57:01] But Ecclesiastes said, the end of a thing is what matters. It's better than the beginning. The end of things is better than the beginning. I pray that God will help us all to keep the faith to the end.

[57:16] In Jesus' name. If you stand for God, heaven will stand for you. If you stand for heaven on this earth and are not ashamed, heaven will also not be ashamed to give their backing on you and pass you, give you a pass.

[57:29] Good report. Good report. Good report. God bless you. I love you so much. Thank you for taking the time to listen. We thank God for using his servant, Reverend Dr. David Entry, to share this awesome word.

[57:42] If this message has blessed you in any way, please spread the word by sharing it and send us an email to amen at caris.org. Remember to stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter for regular updates on what God is doing here at Caris Ministries.

[57:58] Stay blessed. I love you. Thank you.

[58:31] Thank you.

[59:01] Thank you.

[59:31] Thank you.

[60:01] Thank you.

[60:31] Thank you.

[61:01] Thank you.

[61:31] Thank you.

[62:01] Thank you.

[62:31] Thank you.