Hebrews chapter 11, verse 23.
By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they
! saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith, Moses,
when he was grown up, refused to be called the sons of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated
with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of
Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith, he left
Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he enjoyed as seeing him who is invisible.
By faith, he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn
might not touch them. By faith, the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians,
when they attempted to do the same, they were drowned. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down
after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith, Rahab, the prostitute, did not perish with
those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. And what more shall I
say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David, Samuel, and the prophets,
who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty
in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured,
refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and
flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed
with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated,
of whom the world was not worthy, wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had
provided something better for us, that apart from us, they should not be made perfect.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight
and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him,
who endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Good morning, everyone. My name is Martin.
What an encouragement it has been already this morning, as brothers and sisters have been baptized
amongst us. I would like to add my welcome to those who are visiting, especially those who have come
supporting a loved one who is here. Great to see you. And let's pray as we come to God's word.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the testimony in this chapter to the
faith of many who have gone before. And we thank you this morning for the testimonies amongst us
of the faith of those who have been baptized. Lord, we thank you that you are a faithful God,
that faith in you, trust in you is never wasted, that it is always answered by your faithfulness
and your promises. And we pray that as we spend time meditating on your word this morning, that you would
grow each one of us in faith in you. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Well, eight brothers and sisters have stood up amongst us today and received water baptism.
Baptism is above all a picture of what God does for us by his son, through his son and by his spirit.
God washes us. God forgives us. God in Christ nailed our sins to the cross, crucifying the old man.
God raises us up with Christ into new life. Baptism pictures what God does for us.
But baptism is also an expression of faith, faith on the part of the one who is baptized,
faith that God has indeed done all the things that baptism symbolizes.
Washed and forgiven and put sin to death and raised us up.
Lola, Bella, Liz, Chez, Carol, Caitlin, Zach and Colin have stood up amongst us and declared
their faith in God our Saviour, Father, Son and Spirit.
The Bible passage we're considering today is all about faith.
We're looking at the second half of Hebrews chapter 11.
If you are visiting us today, maybe in support of a loved one, you've landed in the middle of a series
or towards the end of a series from the book of Hebrews and indeed in the second of two talks on Hebrews chapter 11.
We saw in the first half of chapter 11 last week that faith is trusting the promises of God.
Faith trusts God for things we do not yet have and things we do not yet see.
We also saw in the first half of Hebrews 11 that faith recognizes that not even death is an obstacle to the promises of God.
That's why the Bible can say in Hebrews 11 verse 13 that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all died in faith,
not having received the things promised.
It's why again it can say at the end of the chapter in the passage we just heard read in verse 39,
Now of an even greater procession of believers, Old Testament believers, verse 39,
And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised.
Now let me ask you a question.
Are Christians, Christian believers, are we in the same situation?
That is, do we who believe in Jesus die in faith when we die,
not having received the things that are promised?
Do we who believe in Jesus live our whole lives by faith,
not receiving what God has promised?
Are those words also true of us?
Well, the answer has to be no and yes.
Doesn't it?
No and yes.
No.
Much of what they were promised, much of what they only had in shadow, we have in reality.
They had the sacrificial system, Old Testament believers.
We have the cross.
They had the descendants of Aaron as priests.
We have Jesus.
They had the temple.
We have access to heaven itself.
Already our sins are forgiven.
Already we're included in God's family.
Already we receive God's spirit.
Hebrews 11 verse 40 says,
The reason the ancients died in faith, not having received what was promised,
was, verse 40, because God had provided something better for us.
That apart from us, they should not be made perfect.
It was for our sake.
Promises that weren't yet fulfilled for believers before Christ,
have now been fulfilled for us who believe in Christ.
No, our situation is not like theirs.
And yet, yes, our situation is like theirs.
The answer is also yes.
Our faith is the same.
Hebrews 9 verse 28,
We eagerly wait for Jesus to appear a second time to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Hebrews 13 verse 14,
Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
Yes, we have more than Old Testament believers did,
but we still await the final fulfillment of God's promises to us.
It can be said of every Christian who dies.
He too died in faith, not having received the things that are promised.
And this faith, this faith that is undaunted, even in the face of death,
this faith is the faith that wins the victory.
This faith is the faith that overcomes the world.
In the second half of Hebrews 11, this is what I want us to see this morning,
we see four reasons that faith overcomes the world.
First, faith overcomes the world because it doesn't fear the world's power.
That's what we see in the example of Moses in verses 23 to verse 27.
Faith overcomes the world because it's unafraid.
Look at verse 23.
By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents
because they saw that the child was beautiful
and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
You may well be familiar with what this is describing here in brief.
That Pharaoh had commanded that all the baby boys born to the Hebrews,
who were at that time enslaved to the Egyptians,
all the baby boys born to the Hebrews would be killed at birth.
But rather than give him up to be killed,
Moses' parents hid their child for three months.
And then they put Moses in a basket among the reeds by the river,
watched over by his older sister,
where he was discovered by Pharaoh's daughter,
who then protected and adopted the boy and raised him as her own.
Moses' parents defied the decree of Pharaoh at considerable risk,
no doubt, to themselves.
They were unafraid.
We see it in the actions of Moses himself.
Verse 27.
By faith, Moses left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king,
for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.
Moses defied as an adult.
He defied and confronted Pharaoh.
He repeatedly called for the Israelites to be set free
so that they could serve the Lord.
He didn't fear the king.
He didn't fear the power of Egypt.
He didn't fear the power of the world because he did fear God.
He endured as seeing him who is invisible.
Brothers, sisters, we don't need to fear worldly powers.
We don't need to fear the power of the world.
Now, Christians, let me point out,
Christians are always for governments and authorities
in that we respect government,
we respect authorities as instituted by God.
We pray for human authorities.
We pray for governments.
We submit to them.
We desire that governments rule justly.
We seek to live at peace with all people.
But we don't need to fear governments.
We don't need to fear prime ministers and presidents and kings.
We don't need to fear armies and missiles and bombs.
We don't need to fear multinational corporations.
We don't need to fear bosses and managers and CEOs.
We know the one who rules all things.
We know the one who judges all people.
We know where history is heading.
We don't need to fear.
We know the one who rules all things.
We don't need to be on the right side of history.
For we're on the right side of eternity.
That means believers, Christian believers,
make the best protesters, the best whistleblowers
and the best campaigners for justice.
Because we can challenge and resist corrupt authority
because we have no fear.
We can say with Peter and the apostles,
we must obey God rather than men.
We've seen that in this past week,
for those who have been watching the news,
although it's scarcely been reported in the news.
10,000 people who rallied outside New South Wales Parliament
to protest a corrupt bill,
a corrupt bill that turns nurses and midwives
into abortionists.
Thankfully, parts of the bill were struck down
in the upper house.
But the central part
that allows midwives and nurses
who should protect life
instead to take life,
that central part is passed unchanged.
It'll go before the lower house on Tuesday.
We still need to pray.
There's still time to contact an MP,
your local MP.
You know, more and more we face a world
in which human power is lifted up in defiance of God.
But faith overcomes the world because it's unafraid.
Secondly, faith overcomes the world because it's patient.
Faith does not covet the world's riches.
Look at verse 24 to 26.
By faith, Moses, when he was grown up,
refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God
than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth
than the treasures of Egypt,
for he was looking to the reward.
See, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
He rejected the treasures of Egypt and the fleeting pleasures of sin.
Moses turned his back on all the wealth and prestige
and status and comfort which the ruling Egyptian dynasty had to offer.
He was looking to be called the promise of God.
The promise of God.
Faith enables you to live free of the passion
which controls the lives of most people in our world.
The pursuit of pleasure and comfort and wealth and ease.
I mean, we heard this in Colin's testimony just earlier, didn't we?
This is what people live for.
The treasures of Egypt.
People live as if this life is all there is.
As if every desire must be satisfied now.
As if the only good things we'll ever enjoy
are whatever good things we're able to grasp onto now.
But we who believe see beyond Egypt.
We see beyond the present age.
We look to the heavenly city that is to come.
So we don't need to live for everything now.
We don't need it.
Isn't that why, at short notice,
as a church,
we were able to raise so much money
to send to Myanmar for disaster relief
just a few weeks ago?
Money you could have spent on your own comforts.
Money that instead you gave up
to ease the suffering of others.
Isn't that why, when they received this money,
our brother and sister in Myanmar
didn't use it for themselves?
But at personal cost and at considerable risk,
they travelled through that conflict-stricken land
to places worst affected by the earthquake
and gladly spent and gave that money
in the service of others,
in all those ways we heard about last week.
Now, I know a young man who won thousands of dollars
playing poker online.
The money he won was all from other online gamblers.
He was smarter at poker than those other players
and so he won the money they lost.
Their money became his.
And he was travelling overseas,
enjoying his winnings,
but he became a Christian
and he gave all that up.
He returned home
and turned to honest
and humble
and, let's face it,
less lucrative work.
Faith doesn't covet the world's riches.
Faith is patient.
We have the promises of God.
We don't need everything now.
Yeah, how freeing that is.
That's what Colin testified too in the end,
how freeing that was for him.
That we don't need everything now.
We don't need to live in restless pursuit
of pleasure and comfort and wealth.
We're free to live quietly and humbly
in pursuit of better things.
Faith.
This is the faith that overcomes the world
because it does not fear the world's power
and it does not covet the world's riches.
Thirdly, faith overcomes the world
because faith accomplishes mighty works.
From verse 28 to 35,
we've got kind of a list of achievements of faith
and the text is continuing to work through
examples of faith from the Old Testament,
kind of chronologically.
And we have this list of things people did
because they believed God's promises.
And so actually these things that people did
were not things they did.
They were things God did.
Faith simply took hold of things
that were promised by God.
So in verse 28,
by faith Moses kept the Passover
and sprinkled the blood
so that the destroyer of the firstborn
might not touch them.
In that final plague on Egypt
when the firstborn was struck down,
by faith Moses and the people of Israel
observed the Passover
and found shelter under the blood
that God provided.
Verse 29,
by faith the people crossed the Red Sea
as if on dry land
but the Egyptians
when they attempted to do the same
were drowned.
The people of Israel trusted the Lord.
He parted the sea
and they escaped unharmed.
Verse 30,
by faith the walls of Jericho,
this is the time of Joshua,
the book of Joshua,
by faith the walls of Jericho fell down
after they'd been encircled
for seven days.
God commanded his people
just to march around Jericho
for seven days
with the ark of the Lord
and with trumpets
and the walls of the city fell
and the people of Israel prevailed.
Verse 31,
by faith Rahab the prostitute
did not perish with those
who were disobedient
because she had given
a friendly welcome to the spies.
She was one of the residents of Jericho
but she believed God
was with the Israelites.
She'd heard of the Lord
and so she welcomed
the Israelite spies
and she was spared
in the destruction of the city.
Verse 32,
what more shall I say
for time would not tell,
time would fail me
to tell of Gideon,
Barak, Samson, Jephthah,
of David and Samuel
and the prophets
who through faith
conquered kingdoms,
enforced justice,
obtained promises,
stopped the mouths of lions,
quenched the power of the fire,
escaped the edge of the sword,
were made strong
out of weakness,
became mighty in war,
put foreign armies to fight,
women received back their dead,
received back their dead
by resurrection.
Well time did not permit
the writer of Hebrews
to elaborate on these
Old Testament examples
and time does not permit us
to do so either.
But the emphasis
of these verses
is on their mighty deeds.
They trusted God,
they trusted God's promises
and so they were empowered
to do the things
that God had raised them up
to do,
to achieve the purposes
for which God had sent them.
Now you may not have
to conquer kingdoms
or fight lions
or rout an army,
but there are things
God has promised us
in Christ.
There are things
which we who believe
in Jesus can do
because it's not we
who do them,
but it's God.
By faith,
you can forgive someone
who's wronged you.
You believe that God
has forgiven your offences,
which are many.
so you can forgive
the wrong someone
has done against you.
I mean,
I'm not just talking
about trivial misdemeanours,
which, you know,
we can just kind of let go.
I'm talking about
even deeply painful hurts.
You can let go
of bitterness.
You know,
even if the other person
doesn't
admit what they've done
and apologise
and repent,
even if there's no
actual reconciliation
of relationship,
even if,
as might be the case,
you cannot trust
that person
in the same way again,
you don't need to live
a life of resentment
controlled by the hurts
you've received.
As God
has forgiven you,
you can be gracious
and merciful
and forgiving
and at peace.
You can do
by faith
what you could not
do alone.
By faith,
you can change.
You believe
that God
has given you
his spirit
through whom
he sanctifies you,
purifies you
and makes you holy.
You can let go
of old habits.
You can put sin
to death.
You can grow
in godliness.
You can find freedom
from destructive
addictions.
You do all this
not by your power
but by God's power
because you trust
in him.
You know,
there are amazing
stories I could share
with you
of young men
who have been
set free
from various
addictions
through faith
in Christ.
sometimes the
battle has been
long.
Almost always
it's a battle
fought alongside
other brothers
united in prayer.
It's stories
of lives
transformed,
made whole,
made pure.
There's testimonies
of people in our
own midst
who've been
freed from addiction.
So don't despair
if some lion
or army
is before you.
Take hold
of the promises
of God.
By faith
in God
and his promises
there are battles
we can fight
and victories
we can win
which we would
lose every time
if we fought
on our own.
Faith accomplishes
mighty works.
Fourthly
and finally
faith
endures
terrible
hardships.
In the rest
of verse 35
to 38
the text
moves on
from the
achievements
of faith
to the
endurance
of faith
from things
accomplished
to things
suffered.
Look at
halfway through
verse 35
some
were tortured
refusing to
accept release
so that they
might rise
again to a
better life.
Others
suffered mocking
and flogging
and even
chains and
imprisonment.
They were
stoned.
They were
sawn in two.
They were
killed with
the sword.
They went
about in
skins of
sheep and
goats
destitute
afflicted
mistreated.
of whom
the world
was not
worthy.
Wandering
about in
deserts and
mountains and
in dens
and caves
of the
earth.
This is
the ancient
power of
faith.
Sorry,
this is another
power of
faith.
This is another
power of
faith.
Because God
has promised
us the world
to come,
those who
believe can
endure anything
now.
Among those
who attended
the Billy
Graham
itinerant
evangelist
conference in
Amsterdam in
1983 was
a Maasai
warrior named
Joseph.
Joseph had
heard the
gospel and
accepted Jesus
Christ as his
Lord and
Saviour.
And Joseph
was so
overjoyed with
the good news
that he began
to share the
message with
anyone he
could and
with the
members of
his tribe.
He went
back to his
village and
began telling
everyone in
his village the
good news of
Jesus door to
door, speaking
to any who
would listen.
Joseph was
surprised when
the others in
his village
rejected the
message that
he'd received.
and not only
rejected it, they
became violent.
The men of the
village grabbed
him and held
him down while
women beat
him with
strands of
barbed wire.
Then they
dragged him from
the village and
left him to
die.
Joseph survived
that ordeal and
crawled to a
water hole and
then over several
days passing in
and out of
consciousness, he
gradually, gradually
his strength
revived.
So what did
he do?
He went back to
his village,
shared his
faith with them
once more.
Jesus died for
you so that you
might find
forgiveness and
come to know the
living God.
Once more they
grew angry.
Once more the
men held him
down while the
women beat him.
Once more they
dragged him
outside and
left him to
die.
days later he
awoke bruised
and scarred and
determined to
go back.
The third time
Joseph returned to
his village.
This time they
attacked him on
sight.
As they beat
him he spoke of
Christ.
Before he
passed out the
last thing Joseph
saw were the
women beating
him beginning to
weep.
he woke in
his own bed.
The ones who
were beating
him were now
nursing him
back to
health.
The entire
village had
come to
Christ.
If we know
we're saved,
if we know
God promises
us life,
if we know
we have a
future,
then we can
face suffering
now.
Any
suffering.
Our
suffering is
temporary.
The glory
of heaven
is everlasting.
Whatever
trial,
grief,
hardship or
persecution we
face, it
cannot rob us
of eternal
joy.
And so by
faith we
meet it with
patience and
steadfastness
and perseverance.
perseverance.
That's the
victory of
faith.
That's how
faith overcomes
the world.
Faith does
not fear the
world's power.
Faith does
not covet the
world's riches.
Faith
accomplishes
mighty deeds.
Faith endures
terrible
hardships.
I don't
know which
of those
tests is
confronting
your faith
right now.
Whether there
is corrupt
power to be
resisted.
Whether there
are seductions
of the world
to be denied.
Whether some
great work
must be
attempted.
Or whether
some hardship
must be
endured.
But whichever
it is,
God's up to
it.
The
promises of
God are
enough to
prepare you
for it.
The faith
you have
is the
same faith
they had.
The God
you trust
is the
same God
they trusted.
So have
faith.
Above all,
look to
Jesus.
chapter 12
verses 1
and 2.
Therefore
since we
are surrounded
by so
great a
cloud of
witnesses,
let us
also lay
aside every
weight and
sin which
clings so
closely and
let us run
with endurance
the race that
is set before
us, looking
to Jesus,
the founder
and perfecter
of our faith,
who for the
joy that
was set
before him
endured the
cross,
despising the
shame and
is seated at
the right
hand of the
throne of
God.
Jesus is,
verse 2
says,
the founder
of our
faith.
Our faith
begins with
him.
He is our
Lord, he is
our saviour, he
is our master,
he is our
brother.
Jesus is our
perfect high
priest and our
all-sufficient
sacrifice.
He is the
one who has
gone before
us.
He is the
one who
unlocks for
us the
promises of
God.
Faith
begins with
Jesus.
He's also the
perfecter of
our faith.
It's Jesus
himself who
will bring
everything that
God has
promised to
perfect
fulfilment.
He's
coming soon.
He will
not delay
and he
comes to
save all
who are
waiting for
him.
Jesus is
moreover
the supreme
example of
faith.
For the
joy that
was set
before him,
Jesus looked
to the
future,
himself,
as he
contemplated
the cross.
He looked
ahead.
He trusted
the father.
He believed
what was
promised.
For the
joy that
was set
before him,
he endured
the cross,
despising
the shame,
and is
seated at
the right
hand of
the throne
of God.
He is the
supreme
example of
faith.
Jesus did
not fear
the world's
power.
The Jewish
leaders,
the Sanhedrin,
the high
priest,
Herod,
the Roman
emperor,
or his
representative,
Pontius
Pilate,
all gathered
together against
Jesus,
all raging
against
Jesus.
Jesus
didn't fear
them.
Jesus
didn't
covet the
world's
riches.
He was
born in
a manger.
He had
no place
to lay
his head.
Offered
by the
devil,
a shortcut
to all
the kingdoms
and splendour
of the
world,
he refused,
saying,
it's
written,
worship
the
Lord
your
God
and
serve
him
only.
Jesus
didn't
cover
the
world's
riches.
Jesus
endured
terrible
suffering,
falsely
accused,
mistreated,
beaten,
spat on,
stripped
naked,
mocked,
crucified.
Knowing
all of
that lay
ahead,
Jesus
set his
face to
go to
Jerusalem.
He
didn't
just
suffer
that,
he
chose
that,
he
submitted
to
that.
He
didn't
shy
from
death,
he
didn't
save
himself,
he
didn't
come
down
from
the
cross,
he
endured
the
cross,
despising
the
shame.
Jesus
didn't
fear
the
world's
power,
Jesus
didn't
covet
the
world's
riches,
Jesus
endured
terrible
suffering
and
Jesus
accomplished
a
mighty
work
through
his
suffering,
the
salvation
of
all
who
believe
in
him.
Look
to
Jesus,
both an
example of
faith and
the
object
of
our
faith,
the
one in
whom we
trust.
Look
to
Jesus,
run
the
race,
by
faith
overcome
the
world
and
share
in
the
everlasting
joy
of
your
saviour.
To
him
be glory
forever
and
ever.
Amen.