Participants:
Series Code: HC
Program Code: HC210013S
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00:02 >> In Jill's is pleased to bring you something better. from the Book of Hebrews.
00:17 >> Hello? Happy Sabbath and welcome back to 3. A B N's virtual home coming fall camp 00:25 meeting 2021 where the theme is something better. And I hope that you have been blessed by 00:32 the messages that you seen here presented. And you know what? I hope that you're not only 00:37 taking this knowledge but you're applying it to your everyday life. I'm looking for 00:40 ways to apply what I'm hearing and learning to my life as well. And the speaker for the 00:47 hours going to be pastor James Rafferty. He is 3ABN, director of disciple ship. James 00:55 Rafferty is an ordained pastor evangelist and author of several books. He has been in 01:01 full time gospel ministry for 37 years with a special focus on Daniel and revelation and I 01:10 can attest to that. I have spent 112 episodes with them on salvation and symbols and signs 01:16 and he definitely has a special focus in Daniel in revelation. God has opened doors for James 01:21 to share the everlasting gospel and America Africa Asia, Europe South America and the South 01:31 Pacific. He has been married to his wife received for 32 years. They make their home in 01:38 central California and are blessed with 2 adult children. His sermon will be entitled 01:45 faith factor. But just before he blesses us with the spoken word. We will be blessed in 01:52 song by Tim Parton. And he'll be singing I will cherish the cross. 01:58 ♪ ♪ >> I remember that day mercy 02:11 saved me. >> And laying I knelt down in They're at the cross love for 02:21 gay. Be exchanging mice and for his grace. >> I will never forget the 3rd. 02:31 >> And he lifted and the he >> So precious to me the place of my pardon. I was 3 D. 02:47 >> I'm a child of God. >> That's >> why I cherish that for all. 02:55 ♪ >> My Heart will always be >> found in the crawl. 03:22 >> don't choose to be Lee, but >> It's the power of will >> That's 03:46 >> why I share is that for all. And there's the cross until ♪ 04:03 and exchange it. of God. >> that's why I cherish. 04:31 ♪ ♪ >> I will cherish the cross so 04:45 precious to me the place of my part and I was redeemed by love that. 04:49 Powerful song just reminds me when I first accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. 04:54 Continual dependence. We have on Christ from day one. Forward. He is the author and 05:02 he is the We'll be talking about that in our last meeting, the 7th right now. We're going 05:10 to be looking at Hebrews Chapter 11. The title of this meeting today right now is 05:18 faith factor. The faith of Jesus. We began with an emphasis on the languages of 05:23 love. God's love languages. And we looked at them in the Book of Hebrews because it's a 05:30 relational book and then we looked at how God communicates through those languages to us. 05:35 So that we would actually be able to communicate those languages through those things 05:41 just to others. We noted that God's gift of love is his first love language and he was 05:45 chapter one and then we want to hear is chapter 2 and we looked at physical touch and we talked 05:51 about how Jesus Christ has can netted himself with the human race for all eternity. So the 2 05:56 love languages that we focused on here is one in 2 are gods gift and physical touch 2 of 06:03 the. 5. But then we discovered 2 more making 7 altogether in 06:07 the Book of Hebrews some just reviewing a little bit for us because. We want to connect 06:13 the Book of Hebrews with the Book of revelation. You know, in the Book of revelation were 06:17 told about the everlasting gospel and the everlasting gospel has to go to all the 06:21 world because the everlasting gospel is what brings Babylon down and that alone is a code 06:27 word for confusion. Spiritual Confucian confusion about God confusion, about how got sates 06:32 confusion about how God feels about us and the only thing that can bring that spiritual 06:36 confusion. Doubt is the Gospel and the Gospel is in essence, a revelation of the love of God 06:43 reveal to us on Calvary. And so he bruises also talking about God's love. But it's 06:50 using love languages revelation focuses on God's love symbolically. He was focuses on 06:54 it. Relational Lee, we talked last night about heart transplant or and how that got 07:02 left toward us comes in to sausage changes. ASA transforms us. So that out of us, his love 07:10 can flow out to others. We end up loving God with all our heart mind soul and loving our 07:17 neighbor as ourselves. So in revelation, the everlasting gospel is preached and it 07:21 produces of people. To keep the commandments of God and that's the love of God in us 07:25 and the love of God flowing out of us to other. So it's the same basic principle in Hebrews 07:31 and in revelation. Indeed, the Book of revelation is like a summation of the entire Bible 07:36 revelation speaks about this mostly in symbolic or theological terms. The Book 07:41 of Hebrews speaks about this in. Relational terms. And that's 07:47 not new to the Bible. You know, back in the day Abraham was called a friend of God. A RAM 07:55 was the father of faith, right. He was called a friend of God and God called him out of or 07:58 out of the land of the county and out about the law. >> And when he came out of 08:02 Babylon were told in Genesis, 26 1st 5 Abraham kept God's laws and statutes and his 08:11 commandments and is not a judgment. So we see here this relational experience going all 08:14 the way back to the very beginning of God's call. >> To his people. The Old 08:22 Testament like the Book of Hebrews talks about the Gospel in this relational language 08:27 rather than the strictly theological or even symbolic language of a lot of the books 08:34 of the Bible and the Book of revelation. So this relation ul focus of how God relates 08:39 to Austin the languages of love has been our emphasis. So far and we're going to continue to 08:44 focus on this. But this time we're going to focus on it in the Book of Hebrews chapter 08:51 11. So again, the title of our messages. Fey factor and we could actually parallel that to 08:57 revelation chapter 14 verse 12 where it says here are those that keep the commandments of 09:01 God and have faith of Jesus faith factor is the faith of Jesus. Let's praise. We get 09:08 started. And ask God to be with us father in heaven which want to thank you again for this 09:13 opportunity to study this beautiful scene of something better. In the book at keepers. 09:18 Thank you for each of the presentations. Thank you for the light and the truth that 09:24 Shelley has brought forth to us. Thank you for each of the musicians and the blessing and 09:28 power and influence of music that reminds us in song of the plan of salvation and the 09:35 sacred work that you've been doing in our lives and hearts and father don't. Stop that 09:41 work now, we've been sitting in a number of meetings today. And we've been taking in the 09:45 messages. But we want more. We don't want to be satisfied. We need we have a great need, 09:50 especially in the world in which we live in. We have a great need for ourselves and 09:53 for others. So please send your holy spirit to guide and direct us right now to speak through 09:58 me in spite of myself and please help us to your Sept of an open all of those that are 10:02 here. All of our listeners to your words for we ask it in Jesus name a man. 10:10 While we are so thankful that you have joined us for this homecoming. 10:15 A camp meeting here. The fall camp mean 3ABN. It is a blessing. 2 fellowship 10:20 together. There's just a small number of us here in person. But I know there's many more of 10:25 us out there viewing. And I'm just thankful that you've chosen to give got this time a 10:29 member. This is not my time with you. This is God's time with you and we'll be right in 10:35 to God's word in studying this faith fact. You know, God loves us. The Bible says that God 10:41 loves us faithfully, which actually causes us to see ourselves and others through 10:47 the eyes of faith. It is God's faith toward us that actually causes us to have faith in the 10:53 first place. He is the author of our faith. You know, we've turned from God and yet he's 11:00 continued to pursue relationship with us in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve 11:03 were hiding from God that he was pursuing them. This relationship pursuit by God has 11:09 been with every person on planet Earth and it isn't evidence of God's faithfulness 11:14 toward us even though we've been unfaithful to him. The Bible says that God draws 11:20 everyone sees that I-5 be lifted up from the Earth will draw all men on to me. John 11:26 chapter, 12 verse 32. The Bible says that the Christ ransom all in first, Timothy 11:31 chapter 4. The Bible says that Jesus Christ died fall. We read that in Hebrews chapter 2 and 11:38 verse 9. The Bible says in acts 17 that God gives life to all the Bible says in John, one 11:43 verse 9 that God gives light to all the Bible says in Titus chapter to the gods grace 11:51 disappeared and all men. We know in John, 3.16 that God loves the world loves God loves 11:56 all mankind and we know, of course, that God gives every man a measure of faith. That's 12:03 what we have. We have a measure of faith and that's Romans chapter 12 and verse 3. So the 12:12 faith of Jesus is not just human faith. It's not just faith in Christ. The faith of 12:17 Jesus, the faith of Jesus this talked about in revelation chapter for 12 or 14 years. 12:21 12. >> Is also perhaps we should say it could primarily be 12:26 Christ's faith manifested toward humanity because crisis said far more faithful. God 12:32 has been far more faithful. The faith of Jesus has been far more faithful toward us. 12:35 Then our response to him has been. As we see throughout all of the scriptures. Have 12:41 you ever believed in someone when no one else did. Have you ever believed. In yourself when 12:50 it seemed like there was nothing to believe in. They've had those experiences. 12:57 I remember when I was a young man, I was. Again by myself at 16 years of 13:02 age. I was working in a hospital part time. In fact, Danny and I have something in 13:08 common. We both were orderlies. He was making $0.80 an hour. When I became an orderly or 13:12 nursing Tech. I was making $3 and $0.21 an hour. >> So men always gone up or, 13:18 you know, this is though, that tells you how many years were part of the way I was working 13:23 in this Hospital and I failed to come into work now. The reason I feel the coming to 13:28 work was because of my party lifestyle. I woke up too late and I just didn't make it into 13:32 work and that's an automatic fire. You don't. You have to show up. You get your stuff. 13:38 You leave us. You know, so I came into work to go to my locker to get my stuff and the 13:43 supervisor her that I was on the premises in the hospital and she came to me and she said 13:48 the boss wants to talk to Scott wants to talk to you. And the name has not changed to protect 13:53 anyone there. His name was Scott and I said why? I said I know. I'm fine. I know. I just 13:57 need to leave. And she said, you just need to go talk to Scott. So I went in to talk 14:01 to Scott long story short. Scott told me that I wasn't fired. He said I still have 14:08 my job. Now. This was so unusual. I had given up on myself. But this man exercised 14:15 faith in me. And I'll tell you what, I was never late for work and I never missed another day 14:19 of working in because the faith and the confidence, the belief that he placed in me motivated 14:25 me to do a better job and never failed again. I remember my car broke down 14:30 one day it was pouring down rain and I walk to work to make sure it's there on time. 14:35 And this is what the Bible tells us about got in first Corinthians chapter 13 the 14:41 launch after it says that that love God love bears. All things believes all things hopes, all 14:46 things endures. All things. >> Faith. Hope and love continue. God sees hope where 14:53 we see 9 God believes in us. We can hardly believe it ourselves. God is loft. 15:02 That's the Bible. Now. Your thoughts, your feelings, maybe even other 15:04 people society at large. They're going to tell you different things. 15:08 >> But we need to be directed by the word of God. We need to follow the word of God and we 15:15 need to look at God's love as something that is active God's love is a verb. It's not just 15:24 principle that sits by itself alone. It actually impacts us in a powerful way. We need to 15:33 also understand that faith and belief are pretty much synonymous. You know, if you if 15:38 you study this this war faith and belief, you're going to find that. 15:42 It's used a lot in the word of gotten honestly. In fact, I don't if you knew this, but 15:45 the Book of John, the gospel of John never uses the word faith. Not one time. Instead, 15:56 it uses the word belief. That's the only word that's used in the Gospel of John. 16:00 The the only time faith is even mention in the in the Gospel of John is when Jesus says to 16:04 Thomas put your finger and into my side, etcetera be not faithless, but believing. 16:12 Matthew, Mark and Luke emphasize the word faith instead of belief. But Johns. 16:16 the size is the word belief that he uses that word believe more times than the word faith 16:21 is used in all the other 3 Gospels combined together. So John was really into this 16:27 war. Believe it. I think it's powerful because I have faith in you. I believe in you. 16:33 I know you can do this. That's what God is saying to us. That was that's what God is 16:39 communicated to us. Before we get into he was Chapter 11. We're really going to see this 16:41 explode out. We want to look. At Romans chapter 3. This is what we find a definition, if 16:50 you will, of the faith of God with the faith of Jesus so that we can understand in the 16:54 context of revelation chapter 14 verse 12 Romans chapter 3 beginning with verse 3. Here's 17:00 what's S. For what if some did not believe. Shell there and belief make the faith of God 17:08 without effect. So there's the phrase, the faith of got. This is not our faith. This 17:13 is God's faith is the faith of God and Paul's asking the question, if people don't 17:18 believe in, got it. People turn away from God if they reject God, if they reject him as 17:21 their savings. They were jet. God's love. Does that an belief that they have that lack of 17:27 belief that could be. Does that make the faith of God without effect. And you know his answer 17:32 to that is God for bid. It. Yes. Let God be true. And that every man, the ally as it is 17:40 written the Dow mice be justified in 9 Sainz and my dust over calm when thou art 17:48 That's powerful language. We got one. Paul says God forbid he wants us to take 17:51 notice something that's really powerful. So. But then he goes on to say that 17:56 God can overcome what he is judge, what is God going to be judged for I thought we were 17:59 the ones who are going to be out why we got be judged. Well, guys going to be judged 18:04 primarily for what he's being judged for right now. Believing. That fall and sinful 18:10 human beings who hurt and hate. Will respond is love and allow the Holy spirit to change them. 18:20 The Levy that human beings can be transformed by a heart transplant. That's what that's 18:24 what God is on trial for. He. He's on trial for believing in us for having faith in us 18:30 for holding out for us which by the way, the side effects of that is evil and pain and 18:38 suffering. And sorrow. And death. God is holding out for got his long suffering to us 18:45 with not willing that any would perish. It was long suffering of got what's all that made 18:49 him. Paul. It was a long suffering of got toward the thief on the cross 18:54 that made him that promised him paradise. It was a long suffering I've 19:01 got one man NASA that caused him to be converted in safed. God. 19:10 It's holding out for us. And because of that, we see evil in pain and suffering 19:14 because of that. We see God on trial. If you will. God is being judged of 19:20 God is a God of love why is he allowing all this pain families allowing it because you don't 19:23 believe in God and he's holding out for you. Every time a center like me 19:30 except Jesus Christ as their savior. God's faith and belief toward 19:38 us is vindicated. Every time a center except Christ as savior. All of having 19:47 rejoices. They throw a party. That's what Jesus says. They hope the particles come home. 19:53 Let's have a party cook up the roads to get the fact that a calf. And even if some do not 19:59 believe does that make God's faithfulness God's belief in us. God forbid process. God 20:06 forbid it. It doesn't make it without effect. God's faith in us. 20:13 >> Holds fast. It holds true. He was Chapter 11 and just look there. It's a powerful book. 20:18 It picks up the Saints. Same theme faith. But it's really interesting because he was 20:22 Chapter 11. Is speaking about our faith. What we don't realize sometimes 20:28 we read here is Chapter 11 is our faith is actually response of God's faith toward us and 20:35 God's faith toward us in Hebrews Chapter 11 is the power that is actually carrying gots 20:41 people through all of the experiences that are described here are going to see that are 20:43 hopefully really powerfully as we read the scriptures. The first first we want to read 20:48 is Hebrews Chapter 11 in verse. One says now faith is the substance of things hoped for 20:53 and the evidence of things not seen hole. All right. There you see a kind of a 20:59 confirmation here. God is exercise in faith war humanity even though he sees 21:02 how we can. We are. How an right us. We are for 21 years. Got exercise faith toward me. 21:10 And I know that he saved my life. Several times he sent people to speak to me sent 21:16 people to so season, the my life and in my heart and then a 21 years of age. Those seeds 21:23 were waters that faith paid off. And I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior. 21:27 Praise God. And Jesus is telling us is using the Bible is telling us 21:31 here that faith by definition. Is the evidence the substance of things hoped for the 21:38 evidence of things. Not not saying then he goes on to describe the face experience 21:43 of God's people. And by the way, I want to just emphasize here. We're still on the theme 21:45 of biblical and our languages of love. This is going to be the language. Called words of 21:55 affirmation, words of affirmation that's probably my weakest language. My wife will 21:57 will tell you that. I'm I'm a perfectionist by nature. I try to get out of my system. 22:03 But I just oh, it's so hard so I can come home in the House is all clean. But one thing is and 22:06 on and I'll point out that one thing that isn't done. I'm making myself very 22:12 vulnerable here before you all that. I just want you to know. I'm working on this words of 22:18 affirmation. We have stressed wrong love languages and we have week left family just and 22:22 this is my week Loveland which and I want to make it my stronger love language because 22:27 I believe that God speaks to all of the language equal through all of the language 22:32 is equally. And I I know he wants us to do the same thing so I can naturally be in acts 22:36 of service mode and do things for people et cetera, et cetera. But sometimes it's I 22:40 have to put forth an effort to affirm. To lift up to encourage people. 22:48 This chapter is dedicated to the love language of words of affirmation. And you're going 22:52 to see why here in just a second. Let's just go through it. We'll just move to verse 22:59 over 7. By faith talking about noa noa being one of God of things that 23:05 were it's not us. My glasses on here. Soon be easier. Be one of got things not seen 23:15 as yet move with fear. Prepared are to the saving his house by which he condemned the world 23:18 and became the heir of righteousness, which is by faith. Noah, you're amazing. 23:25 Look at the M exercising faith, preaching preparing an arc. But you notice doesn't mention 23:30 anything about Noah getting drunk in his tent. It's not in the text. Now. This is not the 23:35 first time we're going to see this omission of the failures. Affirmation of the successes 23:44 and omission of the failures. You know, we're more inclined to be critical of someone just 23:49 makes a misstep. You know, we're just on it. God is giving us a picture of 23:54 how he sees us through the eyes of faith when we put our faith in Jesus Christ. All of our 24:00 fears, all on the steps, all of our sins. Our cast into the depths of the sea. That's what 24:05 we're told. The Mike a chapter 7. Cason the depths of the sea and before dog leaves that 24:11 location, he post up a bunch of no fishing signs. That's what got us. And we know that 24:17 because if he was Chapter 11, let's continue on. By faith. It says in verse 8 Abraham when 24:23 he was called out to go into a place which he should after receive for inheritance obey 24:27 any went out, not knowing where he went. I thank yous are joining the 24:33 land of promise in a strange country dwelling in Tabernacle with Isaac and Jacob airs with 24:38 them of the same promise at Tabernacle is like a tense. This is this is camping. 24:43 This is. >> To do our modern day version of this would be go camping and 24:46 my wife and our family loves to go camp. We've got campaign for you. 24:48 >> Years. >> And we kind we you know, went from a tense and hard 24:58 surface to a tent and air match trust to a little motor home. That was really nice that that 25:04 transition unit graduation too. 2 more comfortable camping situation. As you get older, 25:10 you feel the need for that. I guess all right. Well, Abraham was in a tent. 25:17 He never got a motor home. My wife had, you know, certain requirements for campaign and 25:20 one of the requirements was yes, we can go camping as long as we go into a campground that 25:23 has flush toilets and showers. I don't think Abraham have flush toilets and showers. 25:33 And of course we knew everybody going. We love to camp a cottage Grove Lake was right 25:37 about 15 miles, maybe 35 40 minutes from us and we can always run back to the House 25:42 and get whatever we forgotten. Boy, do we should get some things. We just run back to the 25:46 House. Labor have wasn't running that to the best of sure are to the land of the Cal 25:50 the county to County and he wasn't running back there to get anything. He was done. 25:54 He was gone. He was camping permanently know flush out. >> Toilets. No showers and no 25:59 opportunity to go back. That was it for him. Of course he did send back for 26:06 a wife for his son. Isaac. But no supply us. He was on his own and he wasn't out 26:11 there. You know, my wife and I will go camping maybe for 3 days or 4 days. If we have 5 26:15 days my family's going home without me. But I just sit out there and looking to the fire 26:18 at night and I just love campy. But I went out there for 5 days, 10 days, 20 days a year, 26:26 2 years, 3 the rest of his life. We spent in a tent. This was a Rams faith. That 26:33 doesn't say anything here about how Abraham wide and told the Egyptians. Sarah was his 26:42 sister. It's not in the text. God removes from the life of Abraham all of his failures. 26:52 And God is going to be the same thing for us. Got sees us through the eyes of faith and 26:59 Jesus Christ covers are failures. Got believes in us and he speaks in to us these 27:08 words of affirmation. Continuing our look at this. This is really amazing. 27:13 He goes on in the next on the next page here and it says I want to move to another another 27:19 person. Because you have so many here. By faith, Jake it when he was 27:26 dying blessed but verse 21 but blast, both of his sons and we're shuttling on top of the 27:31 staff. Does anything about Jacob deceiving is that. Pertaining to the east saw in 27:36 stealing the birthright. Nothing there. In other words, God is omitting 27:45 again, all of the failures that's let's continue on here. It says here by faith. Let's 27:49 go down to Moses, Moses. What he was come of years refused verse 24 to be called 27:54 of the sun. A Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather, to suffer affliction with the 27:58 people of God, then do enjoy the pleasure sun for a season, a season a steaming, the 28:04 reproach of Christ greater riches. >> Then the Treasury needs. 28:06 If we had respect under the recompense of the reward doesn't say anything about 28:10 Moses killing Egyptian bury him in the Senate. Does anything about Moses striking Iraq twice 28:17 and bringing the glory to himself. All of that's gone. Saul scrap. This is how God 28:23 sees us by faith. His faith motivates us to live by faith. When we know that God 28:30 forgives us as Abraham new as Moses, new is Jake up now. As no one knew. 28:37 When we know the God forgives us when he you know, we know that he covers this. We know 28:40 that he puts us into the depths of the sea. It motivates us to live for him. His faith toward 28:47 us motivate sauce to live from. That's why revelation 14 12 says here they to keep the 28:50 commands of God have the faith of Jesus because the faith of Jesus that motivates them to 28:55 keep the commandments of God. It's the faith Jesus has in us that motivates us to live for 29:02 him. And that's why the 2 go together because the 29:05 commandments of God is the law and the faith of Jesus is the Gospel. 29:09 And the law in the Gospel go hand in hand and sometimes we. Put all the emphasis on the 29:18 lawn, all the emphasis what we're supposed to all the emphasis on our obedience. 29:22 >> All you have. This us God doesn't do that. He never does that. Of course, when we do 29:28 that, sometimes. Well, you will react to that and the reaction that will be put all the 29:32 emphasis on grace and all the others on God's love and all the answers on what God does. 29:36 >> And leave out the obedience to God's commandments. >> We're creatures. 29:42 >> Of imbalance. Naturally. That's wise and 30 21 says you will hear a voice behind you 29:49 saying this is the way walking in it. We turn to the left or when you turn to the right and 29:54 sometimes we just go. We just focus on one extreme say that's extreme. That's bad. That's 29:58 wrong. And we don't realize that in order to balance out extreme you you yourself of 30:01 necessity have to become extreme. God doesn't want us to be 30:05 balancing out. Another extreme. God wants us to be balanced. And as we balance, that 30:12 example, which is the example of Jesus Christ will help others to be balanced in 30:19 Christian experience. Then it goes on here and it says and you know. Paul is running out 30:23 of time here is that he's running out of time. So he says here by faith. 30:31 Versed 31 the heart rate. Half parish. Not with them. That believe not. And I think 30:35 the only reason why that word heart is in here. It's not a negative is just remind us of 30:39 who what we have this was who this was. She exercised faith in God and 30:46 it goes on to say. Verse 32 what July more say for time would fail to tell 30:55 of Gideon un beginning. Sort of the Lord for getting in who ended up. Leading his people 31:01 into idolatry. That's not mentioned in the text. Don't mention that. By phase. Getting 31:08 N. Right. And back member back. I'm not going out there that you cope with me. Hi and Sam 31:14 said. And Delilah. I guess that's all we need to say about that right. 31:19 I mean, I didn't even below. Why wasn't even sure that Sampson was saved me. The guy 31:23 basically committed suicide right. I wasn't sure he was safe until I read he was 31:29 Chapter 11. Wow. God is amazing. The faith and the belief he exercises toward us 31:34 that motivates us to live for him is. Phenomenal. And so we kind of summarizes 31:43 it. All right. Here. And basically says if you getting the picture. This is your life. 31:51 And this is my life as seen through the eyes of Jesus. This is what it looks like when 31:56 we enter into the investigative judgment. You know, a lot of scared to death of the 32:01 investigative judgment he Bush after 11 is the investigative judgment. It's a time in our 32:04 lives. Are investigated and if we have faith in Jesus and if we stand with Jesus and if 32:09 he stands, are mediator, all of our failures and sends our blotted out and our life record 32:15 stands just like he was Chapter 11 without one staying for Sen recorded. All of it is gone. 32:24 Prescott that the investigator judgment is the Gospel is good news. That's why the of us to 32:27 golf was this fear got. Glory to him for the hour is judgments. Come and that word 32:34 fear that phrase fear according to someone 47 were Sullivan means to trust or hope in God's 32:40 mercy. The Lord takes pleasure in those that fear him that hoping his mercy. We hope in 32:44 his mercy through the investigative judge will be hoping his grace because to 32:48 his mercy and through his grace. Our sins are blotted out. We stand perfect before 32:53 God and with that revelation to our minds. We live for him were several. So we can't be moved 32:56 and that's what God is wanted for each one of us. So the faith of Jesus. Season office 33:07 as we can be in him. This faith is actually gifted to us to the word of God. 33:12 This is what I see in you. If any man is in crises. A new creation. Things are 33:15 passed away. All things will become the new. That's the faith that's gifted to us in 33:20 Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. Keeps us through this faith. We become recorded in the 33:31 Hebrews Hall of Fame. You know, a lot of people want to be recorded in some Hall of Fame. 33:35 Will we. Every single believer has the opportunity to be recorded in the he was book of 33:39 fate. Here is Hall of Fame. Notice what it says here in versus 38 or 39 40 of papers. 33:48 And these all having obtained a good report through faith. Through the faith of Jesus, 33:54 which is manifested in their response to that faith having their own faith because of his 34:02 faith in them. These all. Received a good report having obtained a good report skews me 34:07 through faith receive, not the promise. God having provided some better thing for. Us that 34:14 they without us should not a perfect or complete God has provided some better thing for 34:22 the final generation. And I can only imagine what that is. Can you imagine living 34:28 a life. Through the gift of God's faith and belief in us that actually 34:33 over comes the beasts. Mark is an inch. His name, all the characteristics of the beast. 34:40 His anger, his deception. Judge Mel accusations his control coercion. We overcome 34:48 all of that. We actually do that by following the land where every go. So we're going 34:52 to look at that more closely in our last meeting. How do we have this faith. 34:59 How do we have this faith. How do we actually experience the gift of faith that God is 35:06 exercising toward us. The belief that God is exercising towards because one thing we've 35:10 got to exercise. That is one thing we've got to believe in us. But is that belief going to 35:15 actually vindicate his character is going to vindicate his government. It's going to 35:19 be able to say even though there's a lot of people that don't believe it doesn't make 35:21 my faith of not affect. >> God forbid it. >> How do we do that? Well, 35:28 he was chapter 12. We move right into that chapter tells us how that works. He was 35:34 chapter 12. It's kind of a summation, if you will, of what we've read in 35:38 Chapter 11, look what look what it says here where 4 C we also welcome pastor rounded was so 35:44 great. A cloud of witnesses. One of these people witnessing to their witnessing to the 35:47 faith of Jesus Christ of witnessing to the belief of God in them. And that witness prue 35:51 is proven to be genuine. It actually it actually. Develops that actually produces 35:57 people who are beating to God, then walk with calm like it did with Abraham Abraham lied. 36:02 And you know, I want to high again and yet God's faith toward him God's belief in him, 36:09 caused him to keep God's commandments in his lot of statutes. To follow him. 36:14 Wherever he's he he let so how do we do this. Well, he was chapter 12 Seymour throughout 36:20 was so great cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight. >> And that's in the dust. 36:26 So easily the saddest and run with patients. The race and 74, as we say. Well with we stopped 36:29 right there. We can say, OK, so based on the experiences of all these other humans. We need 36:34 to overcome our sins and especially that special Sen all the things that went down 36:38 that special said if we look at all their experience. That's what we need to do. No, that's 36:45 not actually it. >> Even we. >> Will make excuses for our 36:51 president. Failures by looking at the lives of others all yet will day. But, you know, member 36:55 Look at what David did. He was a man after God's own heart. The versus not actually telling 37:03 us to look back at these witnesses as a motivation for us to overcome cent. The Bible 37:08 is telling us look back at these witnesses. Who end up recorded without sin 37:14 even though they were centers to look at them. An example of what God can do 37:21 to us if his verse 2, he was just 12 years too. If we look on to Jesus the author and the 37:27 finisher of our faith see, the key is looking at the Jesus not looking into people. 37:32 God can do for us what he's done for Abraham and Moses and Noah. And Jake up and Sampson 37:40 and Gideon and Iraq. Andrei have he can do for us what he did for them. If we're 37:44 looking under Jesus, the author and finisher that's going to be our next meeting. The finish. 37:49 Our last meeting this evening. The finisher of our say. He also are saying how did the 37:53 author our faith gives a measure of faith and belief in us. Good faith toward us. 37:59 That's how we often our faith and that faith grew and us to see if a growth in us and we 38:06 responded to that faith. His faith forced us cause us to be faithful back to him. 38:09 It always starts with dot. It doesn't start with us. For migration was saved. 38:19 chapter 2 verse 8 for a through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of 38:24 God is that talking about race or faith. It's talking about the safe in verse 8 to actually 38:29 talk about the faith. The faith is the gift of God. The graces to, of course, as we read. 38:38 In Romans chapter 12 verse 11 as well as in Hebrews chapter 12. And first to hear. He's the 38:44 author and finisher faith. But we know the grace is a gift to Titus to 11 says that the 38:48 grace of God has appeared in all men teaching them that the 9 and August, they should live 38:51 right just being so willing this present world. He's the author and finisher who for the 39:00 joy. That was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and it set down at the 39:05 right hand of the throne of God for consider yemm. >> That endured such a 39:13 contradiction of says against himself. Let's TV weary and think your minds consider him. 39:21 Consider him. Jesus under. A contradiction of centers against him. So what was the 39:23 common action that hinder well, he's on the cross. He's been leaving in the world. He's 39:31 dying for the world and no one is believing in him. That's such a contradiction. He says 39:40 on the cross. Father forgive them for they know not what they're doing. That's faith. 39:44 That is the exercise. That is the faith of Jesus father forgive You know, we're going 39:49 to need that faith in the end of time. We're going need to get a walk from the coldness 39:52 of others courage from their cowardice. And people are going to convert 39:59 if we can do that, that's God's purpose for us. You know, when we love the world as Christ 40:02 loved the world. Then for us, his mission is accomplished were fitted for haven't because 40:06 we have in our hearts. That's God's goal for us because there are going to be solved in the 40:12 very end of time. They're going to be people who are going to be persecuting us and we're 40:16 going to be people standing by looking on and they're going to be converted by our response or 40:22 lack of it. This is God's purpose. And it was fulfilled ultimately in Jesus Christ who 40:30 endured this contradiction of centers against himself. People who refused to believe 40:35 in him while he was exercising believe in them. People who refuse to have faith in him as 40:39 the Messiah. Why he came to exercise faith toward them. Christ manifest is so much 40:45 faith in those who are crucifying him that he could say father forgive them for. 40:47 They know not what they do. But if we don't accept that gift of faith. We won't be for 40:56 gift. Nothing will change. Will be guilty of Chris, if I'm the son of God. Only the lowly 41:01 thief. With say that day by faith Christ. Not even quest to cite polls were responding. 41:15 She's us. Follow through. He loved us. John 13 1 says on to the end. 41:24 To the very end. This is the faith of Jesus and this is the faith we need to keep according 41:29 to revelation, chapter, 14 verse 12 notice that would keep. You can only keep 41:32 something has been given to you right. God is giving us this fate and he's giving us 41:38 his command. He promised to put his command is in our hearts and our minds. He's going to 41:40 write them. He says keeping. He's promising to give us this measure of faith to be the 41:47 author and finisher of our faith. And he says keep it. And we keep that because God 41:53 has given to us to keep. We don't produce faith. We don't produce the faith of 41:59 Jesus goddess. And we keep this faith. We hold on to this faith. We hold on to 42:04 the faith of Jesus. Even though the devil tries to wrest it from us. And he will. 42:12 He will press upon us. Our sins the animals. So as we try to make us lose hold of the faith 42:16 of Jesus all he doesn't have faith in you. He doesn't believe in you. You're no good. 42:18 You're not waiting to be saved. There's no way that God is going to take you to have a 42:23 look at. You look at your live look at how you live. You know, people are going to help the 42:28 devil out. Church. People are going to help the devil out. The devil is out to destroy the 42:33 faith of Jesus in your life. He wants to take that gift. He wants to rip it from your 42:38 hands and there are a lot of professed church. People are going to try to help him to do 42:43 that. They are the Devil's helpers. They give out their rendition of your lives. 42:47 They tell you as they look at you. How it is with you and God, that's what jumps friends. 42:55 Did you remember. They looked at him. They have the onlookers assessment, a heartless 43:01 assessment because. Humans can't read the heart only got can. 43:08 They step into a job. And when we step in the judge, others. Our judgment is based on the 43:14 outward appearance. What's happening to Remember in 2003. I was diagnosed with cancer. 43:22 Firework answer and it was difficult was hard for me. I mean, my mother called me up 43:25 and said you are 7 day as you follow the health message you have cancer. I drink I smoke. 43:29 I don't have cancer, but you've got cancer. It was heart, but the hardest blows came from 43:37 church members. Some of them were called me up and they would say. 43:42 So. If you've been following the health message. What did you do that? Cause got to allow 43:49 you to get cancer. Now. Ultimately found out that firework answer is it is is. 43:57 Primarily produced by exposure to radiation. And I had a lot of it working hospital living 44:02 in certain areas. And so that was probably how I got the firework answer. 44:06 I finally got the 5 were taken out by thought word was removed through surgery and I've been 44:13 cancer free ever since that surgery took place by remember one man say to me. Don't have 44:17 a thyroid us and not on the virus. So what do you do because, you know, without a 44:22 fight. What you can't let you can't survive without firing your thyroid regulates your 44:27 body said. Well, the day I take a little fire until you know that pill is what. That's why 44:32 candy chocolate. I'm. Diddy some chocolate chip cookies today. I just will 44:36 confess that. I had more than one chocolate chip cookie. I can't really usually do that. 44:44 Because I'm on this medication that regulates my body. And when I eat chocolate just a 44:50 little bit of caffeine just gets going, just gets be. I can't sleep center, but I 44:55 I justified eating chocolate because I have 2 meetings this one a follow money to manage 45:01 him. He's a vanity. I think I can overrule that caffeine before I go to sleep tonight. 45:08 I have this medication. I take every day. I was talking with the brother about this and he 45:10 was saying, well, how you gonna make it through the time of trouble. 45:16 And he said, well, I guess got to perform a miracle, but he said, but I'm not sure since 45:18 your the one that decided to get the fire of cancer and take your fire right now. These are 45:22 the kind of thought one guy said to me, why did you go to the Gaza wreck, run. 45:27 You know, in other words, go to a hospital. Have the surgery. I said, well, the reason why is 45:30 because I did a lot of research and 80% of the people who don't have the fire that when they 45:34 get fired cancer die. And 20% of people only 20% of people. They get the fire were taken 45:42 out. I've got an 8% chance of living. If I get my thought 45:44 were taken out. That's why. I had the surgery. I don't think it's going to the gods 45:50 KRON. The point I'm trying to make ends the devil is going to do everything you can. I 45:56 remember when I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and I started getting these calls and 45:59 this different attitude around me that my mind was spiraling down into darkness. It was just 46:07 dark, dark dark. It was depressing. And I can really relate to the story of Joe. 46:12 I mean, literally and it was a pastor young pastor friend who was in Seattle. We lived in 46:15 Washington state at the time. We're about 7 or 8 hours from Seattle. And he heard about my 46:18 experience. He had been a camp meeting. We've been you know, working out together and became 46:23 friends and he came. He drove all the way over to our place on a Friday evening. We had. 46:31 And 19 service for me. He came all the way from from Seattle could get out of the 7 summits. 46:36 We drove all the way over that day. You know, I can service was part of the 19 service and 46:41 then after 19 service at about 7, 8 o'clock. You have all the way back to Seattle that night 46:43 so he could do his sermon. The next morning. And it touched my heart. God is 46:50 working through that pastor to tell me of his life. And that's what we need when 46:58 people are dealing with cancer. You know, I was felt uncomfortable. You know, I hear 47:00 about people even cancer. Hear about people being with us. When you say and now I go 47:05 back to the experience and and the thing that people want to hear is something like just 47:08 simple stuff. Not details. How do your own just we just want you to know that God loves 47:13 you that we love you and we're praying for you. Just that simple. 47:22 The other thing we need to remember here is that we don't have to accept how others 47:27 define us. We don't have to believe their narrative of our lives. We need to believe God's 47:34 narrative of our lives and we see that in the experience of job. You know, Joe was a 47:37 perfect man. He was faithful to God. He hadn't done anything Wrong. On track with with his 47:46 father doing everything got wanted to do, but that he was involved in this great 47:49 controversy. You know, Satan comes in and Satan starts accusing got a favoritism with 47:56 Joe. The big picture is what we see. Job didn't see it. So we lost 48:01 everything lost. His healthy losses, wealthy bosses. Kids. His wife was struggling. 48:05 He put his arm around and said don't don't speak like a full list. Woman. We get through. 48:10 God has blessed us and we need to also know that we need to get through these these hard 48:13 times when it seems like God is taking everything away from us. And so his friends come in. 48:18 They sit with him for a week in silence. And that's really I mean, I just have to say praise 48:22 God that they did that. But then they started talking. And it wasn't. They were trying 48:30 to hurt job. Sometimes the things we say to people we're not trying to hurt them, but 48:34 sometimes our theological understanding of the Bible is it's just kind of show. We just 48:41 don't understand and Joe's friends were of the mind set because they all went to. 48:47 Seminary together. That if you are wealthy and you have a lot of children and you're doing 48:54 well, God is but if you're poor and you don't have a lot of money. No children. God's 48:58 curse. And you must be something wrong. Your life. You need to repent. You need 49:03 to repent. And so they looked based through their theological classes. They looked at Joe. 49:08 They look at the fact that he lost all his wealth. He lost all his children. He lost his 49:12 health and they said child. Come on, man. You can talk to us. You can talk to us. 49:24 What are you doing? What what how is your really? They stigmatize Joe and they at 49:28 first the kind of beat around the Bush. You know, the kind of was really subtle and careful. 49:31 They kind of just kind of said this is the kind of said that. But mentally they were 49:36 pummeling him. Their theology wouldn't let it go. They couldn't let it go because they 49:42 were convinced that job had some secrets in in his life. And so over and over again, 49:46 they came out and they came out of the can at. One self-righteous attack after 49:51 another under the guise of trying to help him until finally job said to them. 49:57 If you would just be quiet. That would be consolation enough. Yourself that way about 50:03 people sometimes, you know. I hope I don't hear from this person again. If you would just 50:11 be quiet. And these are jobs friends. But you know, all through this experience, Joe 50:20 held on. His faith. In the one who is faithful to him, didn't waver. 50:29 First 25 of Joe chapter 19 for. I know that my redeemer lives that he shall stand at the 50:35 latter day upon the Earth. And that though, my skin after my skin and warms destroy this 50:41 body yet in my flesh ally see God whom I shall see for myself and my eyes shall behold and 50:45 not another though. My rains be consumed. >> Is that powerful? Joe held 50:52 on. He held onto his belief in God. He held onto his faith in God because God had faith 50:59 in him. >> That's what started. There's an animal, a land of 51:05 us. His name is Joe. But this man was perfect. Joe didn't say that job says in chapter 9. 51:10 If I say I'm perfect, my own words will condemn me. God said that Goss says job is my man. 51:16 He's I have faith in him. I thought isn't him. And Satan says, OK, let's see about this. 51:24 And God is saying the same thing about his friend, the church. That's my church. 51:29 I faith in them. I have confidence in them and Satan saying okay. 51:38 Job less lost all of his wealth, all of his money. >> The red, the church. 51:43 >> In the end, the time aren't going to be able to buy or cell. 51:49 >> And then Joe's life was threatened. He was afflicted with sickness to the point of 51:54 death. God's Church in the end of time. Going to have a death decree written against them. 52:02 We're going to go through a similar experience. That job went through. We're going to 52:09 hate it. I think that's what the word job means. But double check 52:14 that look it up for me. In Hebrew. In other words, everything Joe went through 52:21 is a tight pointing forward to what we're going to go through the end of time and the final 52:25 onslaught that we're going to experience. According to jokes life. 52:32 Friends are going to come. The House and friends are going to try to convince us that God 52:37 isn't with us. That was sitting in Scott that all of the calamities of the come upon our 52:41 in our lives and all the things we're expands our our faults just like it was with Joe. 52:48 And what is God calling us to do what they've got called job to do. Your number. 52:57 Joe chapter, 42 first 10 God shows up on the scene and in God's presence. Job is humbled. 53:02 He confesses the struggles. He's been going through the things that he's been saying. 53:06 He repents, we're told. And of course, we're told that that our repentance will deepen 53:11 that. The more we see Jesus a repentance experience will be. And then says in verse, 10. 53:21 That job crate for his friends. You can in certain words in there. His miserable comforter 53:26 worth this physicians just be quiet and that will be my consolation friends. All right. 53:33 You could say his frenemies, Joe pray for his frenemies. And that's what God is calling 53:39 us to do. Probably going to be our highest calling in the end of 53:44 time. To pray for those. Who persecute us. To bless them. And asked God. In their 53:54 lives. And Joe 42% says and the captivity of job was turned. 53:59 When you pray for his enemies. Isn't that amazing? So in some way we need to look 54:06 at this. As God loving us by faith, not because of who we are or what 54:15 we are but because of who and what God is. And because of who God is he 54:23 sees us by faith because he is faithful. And he will never stop being faithful. Believes 54:31 in us even if we don't believe in ourselves got exercises face toward us. And this faith 54:40 leads. To give himself. Through Jesus Christ for arson. And to say when no one is believing 54:47 him. Father forgive them. For. They know not what they do. Jesus. 54:54 Is beating us. He's encouraging us right now. That which is given to us to 55:02 keep his faith, his faith because it's his faith that holes as fast. We need to 55:09 believe what Jesus says about us, not what people say about us and not even what you say 55:15 about yourself. We can't believe that we have to believe. Well, God sets this 55:21 is how Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. God had said to Jesus at the baptism. 55:29 This is my beloved son and who might well policed. And you know who God was speaking to 55:32 what he said that Jesus he was speaking to every son and daughter that he was speaking 55:37 to the whole world. >> Who believe in Christ. This is my beloved son. You my 55:41 beloved dog you might want to and say give them and saying said if you're the son of God 55:43 prove it. If you're the son of God. >> Turn the stones in the Brett 55:48 and Satan comes to us. He says what he really a child of God prove that what you do. 55:55 We need to believe where the child of God with a son and daughter of God because God 56:02 says we are his children. We need to believe that based upon his work. We need to 56:04 believe that we are who got says we are. We knew except his rendition of our lives. 56:10 We need to see ourselves through kids. I standing in his right distance from buy his 56:15 perfect life and his penalty satisfying death. And in so doing, we will live a life 56:22 obedience to him. In fact, one of the reasons why we haven't produced a life of obedience is 56:26 because we do not have the faith of Jesus. We don't have this gospel. To combine with 56:30 our law keeping to motivate us. To law, keeping. I appeal to you today is will you say yes. 56:40 Will you say yes to the faith of Jesus Christ. Will you choose to believe what God 56:45 believes about you today where you choose to see yourself as God sees you. 56:52 When you choose to be forgiven justified in Jesus Christ. Will you accept the gift of 56:57 God's salvation. By faith today. I pray that you will do this. He's one of us would 57:03 do this. I pray in Jesus name. Father in heaven as we close out now. We just want to thank 57:11 you for the faith of Jesus who want to thank you for the love that you've manifested toward 57:16 us. Even in our own belief. And we want to ask. That you would make that faith hours 57:21 and that it would motivate us to live for you. But let each one of us father say Amen to 57:27 this wonderful gift in Jesus. ♪ ♪ 57:41 ♪ ♪ ♪ |
Revised 2021-12-08