Participants:
Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP220011S
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00:01 The just shall live by faith.
00:03 Something tells me we're going to be hearing a lot of that 00:05 this week on 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:07 We're making our way 00:08 through the study of the Book of Hebrews. 00:10 And this week lesson number 11, 00:12 we're going to be talking about 00:13 "Jesus, The Author and Perfecter of Our Faith." 00:18 That is, He is the perfecter of our faith. 00:20 We can't make ourselves perfect, right? 00:22 Only Jesus can. 00:23 In this case, we want to remind you 00:25 how you can get a copy of this study 00:27 because it's never too late to study with us 00:29 and to follow along. 00:30 You need to go to 3abnsabbathschoolpanel.com 00:34 Again, 3abnsabbathschoolpanel.com 00:38 and you can access a free copy of the study online 00:41 or as always, we like to encourage you 00:43 to find your local Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:45 and you know, ask for a free copy 00:47 and study with the brethren. 00:48 That always helps. 00:49 But don't go anywhere, 00:51 we're going to come back in just a moment, 00:52 and we're going to make our way 00:53 through this exciting study 00:55 in the Book of Hebrews. 01:26 Hello, friends, welcome back to 3ABN Sabbath School Panel, 01:29 we are in week number 11. 01:31 Wow! 01:33 It's going by quickly, 01:34 but we have been enjoying the study greatly 01:36 because it points to Jesus. 01:38 Any study about Jesus is a good study, right? 01:40 A great study, a fantastic study, 01:43 as our Brother Larry would say, fantastic. 01:46 But, my friends, it's a blessing 01:47 to have you back each and every week joining us, 01:49 you're 3ABN family 01:51 and we certainly appreciate your love, 01:52 your prayers, and support for the ministry, 01:54 as we're continuing through our study 01:56 in the Book of Hebrews. 01:58 We're on lesson number 11, which is entitled Jesus, 02:01 Author and Perfecter of Our Faith. 02:04 We're going to be indeed talking 02:06 a lot about that this week. 02:07 I want to read our memory text 02:09 and then I'm going to introduce our panel, 02:11 and we're going to pray and get right into this study. 02:13 I love to read our memory texts because to me, 02:15 I know we all have our favorite text 02:17 in the Book of Hebrews. 02:18 But to me, Hebrews 12:2 is no doubt probably for me 02:23 the theme text of the entire book. 02:25 Hebrews 12:2, 02:26 which has been quoted many times, 02:28 "Looking unto Jesus, the author, 02:30 and finisher of our faith, 02:31 who for the joy that was set before Him, 02:34 endured the cross, despising the shame, 02:37 and has sat down at the right hand 02:39 of the throne of God." 02:41 What a powerful text, a powerful truth. 02:43 To my left we have Miss Shelley Quinn, 02:44 how are you? 02:46 I'm doing very well. 02:47 I get to talk about Abraham today 02:49 and how he looked unto Jesus. 02:52 Amen. Amen. 02:53 And, of course, Brother James Rafferty, 02:55 always a blessing to have you. 02:56 Good to be here. 02:57 I'm talking about Moses today believing in the unseen. 03:01 Oh, nice. 03:02 And, of course, my brother in Christ, 03:05 Brother Jason Bradley, 03:06 always a blessing to have you. 03:07 It's a blessing to be here. 03:09 I'm really excited about this lesson 03:10 where I'll be talking about by faith Rahab and rest. 03:13 All right, nice. Praise the Lord. 03:16 And last but certainly not least, Miss Jill Morikone. 03:19 Always a blessing to have you as well. 03:20 Thank you, Pastor Ryan. 03:21 I'm excited because I get to talk about Jesus, 03:23 the author and perfecter of our faith. 03:24 Oh, nice. 03:26 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. 03:27 Well, before we get right into our study, 03:29 as always, we want to invite the Holy Spirit 03:30 to lead all of us, 03:32 us and you in our study. 03:34 So if you would, Jill, have a prayer for us. 03:36 Holy Father, we just come before You 03:38 in the name of Jesus, 03:39 grateful for the gift of Jesus 03:41 and the gift of Your Word and the Holy Spirit, 03:43 and that we can come boldly 03:45 before Your throne of grace. 03:46 We do that just now eagerly anticipating 03:50 what You are going to do in and through this hour together. 03:54 And we thank You in Jesus' name. 03:56 Amen. Amen. 03:58 Praise the Lord. 03:59 Sabbath afternoon's lesson brings out that Hebrews 11 04:03 and 12 are probably the most loved chapters of the book. 04:07 They describe the Christian life as a race 04:09 in which all participate, 04:12 and in which all who stay faithful 04:15 will receive the reward. 04:16 I don't know about you, 04:18 but I'm waiting for that reward. 04:19 Looking forward to it. 04:20 They also describe the drama of redemption 04:22 as a race in which people of faith from the past, 04:25 preserved despite sufferings, 04:27 but have not yet received the reward. 04:31 That's because the story ends with us as well, not just them. 04:36 We are the concluding act with drama. 04:40 The drama culminates with our entering and running 04:43 the last part of the race, 04:45 and with Jesus seated at the goal line, 04:47 at the right hand of God, I like that, 04:49 at the goal line or the right hand of God. 04:51 He provides inspiration, 04:53 as well as the ultimate example of how the race is run. 04:57 He is the ultimate witness that the reward is true, 05:00 and that He is the forerunner who opens the way for us. 05:05 Hebrews 11 explains that faith is confidence 05:08 in God's promises, 05:10 even if we cannot yet see them ourselves. 05:16 This lesson will explore what faith is 05:19 and how it is obtained through the examples of the past, 05:22 but especially and essentially, 05:25 through the example of Jesus, 05:27 the founder and perfecter of our faith. 05:29 And so, Sunday's lesson opens up, 05:31 it's entitled The Righteous Will Live By Faith. 05:36 And it's gonna start us off right here 05:37 in Hebrews 10:35-39, 05:40 if we want to turn there in our Bibles. 05:42 Again Hebrews 10:35-39, 05:46 and notice what the Bible says. 05:48 It says, "Therefore do not cast away your confidence, 05:52 which has great reward. 05:54 For you have need of endurance, 05:56 so that after you have done the will of God, 06:00 you may receive the promise: 06:02 'For yet a little while, 06:04 and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. 06:08 Now the just shall live by faith, 06:10 but if anyone draws back, 06:12 My soul has no pleasure in him. 06:15 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, 06:19 but of those who believe to the saving of the soul." 06:23 My friends, don't draw back, 06:25 but keep pressing forward with endurance 06:27 in the faith of Christ, 06:29 which is what this entire lesson 06:30 is all about. 06:32 Endurance is a characteristic of God's end-time people. 06:36 Without it, we cannot be able to receive 06:39 the promises in that book. 06:41 We're hanging on to the promises of God's Word, 06:42 where would we be without them? 06:44 And so we can't receive the promises 06:45 that God has given us 06:47 if we do not keep fighting forward 06:48 with endurance. 06:50 That's why Jesus often reminds 06:51 the seven churches in Revelation, 06:53 you see and hear this with each and every church, 06:54 to him who overcomes, to him who overcomes, 06:57 to him who overcomes, 06:58 well, that communicates a sense of fighting, 07:00 a sense of enduring to the end, 07:02 as Jesus says in Matthew 24. 07:04 Even in Revelation 13:10, notice what it says, 07:07 "If anyone has an ear, let him hear, 07:10 he who leads into captivity shall go into captivity, 07:12 he who kills with the sword 07:13 must be killed with a sword. 07:15 Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." 07:19 You hear a lot of that in the Book of Revelation, 07:20 talking about the patience of the saints, 07:22 right here in our third angel's message, 07:24 which we're hanging on to this truth 07:26 and this hope that we find in Christ Jesus, 07:28 where it says, "Here is the patience of the saints," 07:32 right there in Revelation 14:12, 07:34 "here are those who keep the commandments of God 07:37 and the faith of Jesus." 07:39 And I just want to highlight there, 07:40 there may be someone watching for the first time, 07:42 this program right now, 07:43 and you've never heard this truth. 07:45 But I want to share with you, 07:46 there's a difference between faith in Jesus 07:48 and the faith of Jesus, we want both, right? 07:49 We want to definitely have faith in Jesus 07:52 and put our faith in Christ. 07:54 But Jesus is not looking for just mere 07:57 cheerleaders on the sideline. 07:58 He wants us to be in the game, right? 08:00 He wants us to exercise the very faith 08:03 that Jesus exercised while He was here on earth 08:05 in His Father. 08:06 So we need to be exercising the very faith of Jesus, 08:09 and we need to endure to the end. 08:11 In order to endure, however, 08:13 believers need to hold fast their faith. 08:16 We see that in Hebrews 10. 08:17 It also goes on to say, 08:19 Paul has shown that the desert generation 08:21 was not able to receive the promise 08:23 because they lacked faith. 08:25 Hebrews portrays believers as also at the threshold 08:29 of the fulfillment of the promises 08:30 and need to exercise faith 08:33 if they want to receive the promises. 08:36 We see this in Hebrews 9:28, 08:39 a beautiful message here which says, 08:41 "So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, 08:45 to those who eagerly wait for Him 08:48 will appear a second time apart from sin for salvation." 08:52 Are you eagerly waiting on Him? 08:54 Are you enduring to the end? 08:55 Are you holding fast to your confession 08:57 and holding fast to the faith in Jesus Christ? 08:59 Hebrews 10:25, same message, beautiful message, 09:03 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, 09:06 as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, 09:09 and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." 09:13 We're looking forward. 09:14 We're seeing the Day approaching. 09:15 We see the signs of the times unfolding around us. 09:18 We have heartaches, we have despair, 09:20 we have troubles, we have trials, 09:21 we have challenges, but, my friends, 09:23 are you holding fast to the faith, 09:25 the righteous shall live by faith, 09:27 the just shall live by faith. 09:29 Hebrews 10:35-39. 09:32 Listen to what the Bible says. 09:34 Hebrews 10:35-39, 09:37 "Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, 09:39 which has great reward, for you have need of endurance 09:44 so that after you have done the will of God, 09:46 you may receive the promise for yet a little while 09:49 and He who is coming will come and will not tarry." 09:51 We read this earlier, 09:53 but continue to watch what it says here in verse 38. 09:55 "Now the just shall live by faith, 09:58 but if anyone draws back, 09:59 My soul has no pleasure in him. 10:01 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, 10:03 but of those who believe to the saving of the soul." 10:07 My friends. Do you believe in Christ? 10:10 Have you staked your faith and grounded it 10:12 in the root of Jesus Christ, my friends. 10:14 Stay grounded in the faith. 10:16 Paul introduces his exposition of the faith 10:18 with a quotation from Habakkuk 2:2-4 10:22 or Habakkuk, I guess that's how you would say. 10:24 I've heard it said both ways. 10:28 Habakkuk had asked God, 10:29 why He tolerated the treacherous people 10:31 who oppressed the righteous, 10:33 we see that in Habakkuk 1:12-17, 10:36 the prophet and his people were suffering. 10:39 Thus, they wanted God to act. 10:42 God answered, however, 10:43 that there was an appointed time 10:45 for the fulfillment of His promise, 10:47 and they needed to wait. 10:49 We read this in Habakkuk 2:2-4 10:52 and notice what the Bible says here. 10:53 It says, "The Lord answered me and said, 10:55 'Write the vision and make it plain 10:57 on the tablets, 10:58 that he may run who reads it. 11:00 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, 11:04 but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. 11:08 Though it tarries, wait for it, 11:11 because it will surely come, it will not tarry. 11:15 Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in Him, 11:19 but the just," there it is again, 11:20 "shall live by faith." 11:22 My friends, Jesus is tarrying for a time, 11:25 but He's not going to tarry forever. 11:26 Wait for Him. 11:28 That's the purpose of this text. 11:29 Wait for Him, ground your faith in the root of Jesus Christ. 11:33 Habakkuk and his people lived like us 11:36 between the time of the promise 11:37 and the time of its fulfillment. 11:39 God's message continued in Hebrews, 11:43 He who is coming will come and will not delay. 11:47 The message, of course, refers to Jesus. 11:49 He, of course, is the righteous one, 11:51 the embodiment of the faith 11:52 who pleases God and provides life. 11:55 I just want to take a few moments here just to, 11:57 kind of, in conclusion, 11:58 just offer up some simple truths 12:01 and principles about faith 12:03 because we know the just shall live by faith, 12:05 but many people struggle with that. 12:07 First of all, notice that Ephesians 2:8 12:09 does tell us the beautiful promise 12:11 that for by grace you have been saved through faith. 12:15 We are saved by grace through faith. 12:18 Of course not of our works, lest we should boast, right? 12:21 It's not about works, 12:22 but yet we're judged by our works 12:23 because our works tell the story of our faith. 12:26 Now, also notice that in Revelation 12, 12:28 we read this earlier 12:30 that here's the patience of the saints, 12:31 here are they that keep the commandments of God 12:32 and have the faith of Jesus. 12:34 So the faith that we are saved by 12:36 and since we're saved by grace through this faith, 12:38 it's the faith of Jesus. 12:40 And what was the faith of Jesus? 12:42 Jesus depended solely upon the Word of His Father. 12:46 He depended upon the words of His Father, 12:49 He depended on the will of His Father, not His own. 12:54 It's really what it comes down to. 12:55 Do you have enough faith that you trust 12:57 more in God's Word 12:59 than you trust in your own brain, 13:00 your own thoughts, your own ideas, 13:02 your own beliefs? 13:04 That's why Romans 10:17, says, 13:06 "So then faith comes by hearing 13:08 and hearing by the Word of God." 13:12 Our faith builds in God 13:14 when we give time to grow and learn from Him in His Word. 13:19 That's why Jesus said in John 17:17, 13:22 "Sanctify them by thy truth, thy word is truth," my friends. 13:27 The truth shall what? 13:29 Shall make you free. 13:30 That's what Jesus said, it shall set you free, 13:32 it shall make you free. 13:34 We are set free by what Christ has done 13:36 and it's our faith in the promises of God's Word 13:39 and what Christ has done for us, 13:41 that sets us up to be able to inherit the kingdom of God, 13:44 but, my friends, we have to endure, 13:45 we have to finish that's why Galatians 6:9-10 says this, 13:50 it says, "And let us not grow weary 13:52 while doing good, 13:54 for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 13:57 Therefore, as we have the opportunity, 13:58 let us do good to all, 14:00 especially to those 14:01 who are of the household of faith." 14:04 Are you of the household of faith? 14:06 Have you grounded yourself in the rock of Jesus Christ? 14:09 Do you base your faith in your life 14:11 upon the Word of God or do you trust more 14:13 in what's in between this head right here, 14:16 this brain of your own? 14:17 There is a way which seemeth right into a man 14:19 but the end thereof are the ways of death. 14:21 My friends, that's why Matthew 24:13 Jesus says, 14:24 "But he who endures to the end shall be saved." 14:28 Keep pressing forward, keep waiting on Christ. 14:31 He won't tarry for long. 14:33 Thank you for that foundation, Ryan. 14:36 So I have Monday, By Faith Abraham. 14:40 Let's read one of my favorite verses, 14:44 Hebrews 11:1-3, 14:50 and the Bible says, "Now faith is the substance," 14:55 the hypostasis, 14:57 the title deed is what this means in Greek. 15:03 See, faith... 15:04 We can claim God's promises, we have a title deed, 15:09 because the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 1:20, 15:11 "That all of His promises are yes 15:15 and amen in Christ Jesus." 15:17 So if you're in Christ, you've got these promises. 15:21 And then He says in verse 2, "For by faith, 15:25 the elders obtained a good testimony. 15:28 By faith, we understand the worlds were framed 15:32 by the Word of God. 15:34 They were framed by the Word of God, 15:38 so that the things which are seen 15:43 were not made of the things which are visible." 15:47 Only God can speak something into existence, 15:52 only God's Word has the power 15:56 to create something out of nothing. 16:00 And as you referred to Ephesians 2:8 says that 16:04 by faith we are saved by grace through... 16:09 We are saved by grace through faith but it says, 16:12 but not of yourselves. 16:14 See, faith is a gift from God 16:17 and the Bible says each one of us, 16:19 when we come to God, 16:20 we've been given this measure of faith. 16:23 It goes on to say, salvation is God's gift, hallelujah. 16:28 So now let's jump down to verse 6. 16:32 Hebrews 11:6, because this is critical, 16:35 "Without faith, 16:40 it is impossible to please Him, 16:43 for he who comes to God must believe 16:47 that He is and that He is a rewarder 16:52 of those who diligently seek Him." 16:56 See, why is it that without faith, 17:00 I remember reading this and going to the Lord, 17:03 sometimes I don't always feel like 17:06 my faith is what it should be, 17:07 you know, why can't I please You without faith? 17:11 Well, the next day He took me 17:14 to 1 John 5:10-13. 17:18 See, when we don't have faith in the Word of God, 17:23 it's like we are calling Him a liar. 17:27 Wow! 17:28 That's eye-opening. 17:30 Let's look at 1 John 17:32 5:10-13, 17:36 then we'll understand 17:38 why we can't please God without faith. 17:40 "He who believes in the Son of God 17:42 has the witness in himself, 17:44 he who does not believe God 17:48 has made Him a liar." 17:49 Oh! Mercy. Faith is important. 17:53 I mean, if you don't have faith in God, 17:54 you're saying, God, I don't believe You, 17:56 You're a liar. 17:57 "Because he's not believed the testimony 17:59 that God has given up His Son. 18:01 And this is the testimony that God has given us eternal life 18:06 and this life is in His Son. 18:08 He who has the Son has life, 18:11 he who does not have the Son does not have life." 18:15 Sometimes people write and say, 18:17 "How can you say that you know you're saved." 18:20 That's presumptuous. 18:21 I said, "No, as long as I'm in Christ, 18:24 as long as I have Christ, 18:26 I have confidence in my eternal salvation." 18:30 Now if I have to do a test, 18:33 because take heed lest you think you should you stand 18:35 you fall, Paul said, but as long as I know 18:39 that I am depending on Jesus Christ, 18:41 for His righteousness, for Him to work in me 18:44 to will and to do His good pleasure, 18:46 I know that I have assurance of salvation. 18:49 And he goes on in John in verse 13, 1 John 5:13 says, 18:52 "These things I've written to you, 18:54 who believe in the name of the Son of God, 18:57 that you may know," what? 19:00 "That you have eternal life, 19:01 and you may continue to believe in the name 19:06 of the Son of God." 19:08 So without faith, we can't please God 19:10 because we're regarding Him as a liar. 19:12 Now, if we go on in Hebrews Chapter 11, 19:17 this is a great chapter. 19:18 It's the saint's hall of faith if you will. 19:22 It's the Hall of Fame 19:26 but it lists the people who were faithful to God, 19:30 they trusted God, they believed in God, 19:33 and I want to point out they walked in obedience. 19:36 See, trust is the foundation for our faith. 19:40 We've got to believe in God but James says, 19:42 "Faith without actions is stillborn. 19:45 It's dead." 19:46 So it is actions, 19:49 walking in obedience 19:52 is how we really experience faith. 19:55 So this chapter goes on. Abel acted in faith. 19:58 He obeyed God's requirement for sacrifice, 20:01 God accepted his sacrifice 20:03 and credited it to him as righteous. 20:05 It talks about Enoch, how he walked with God, 20:09 he pleased God through his obedience. 20:13 When you walk with God, 20:14 that means you're walking in obedience, 20:16 and he was miraculously taken to heaven without dying. 20:19 He talks about Noah who had never seen rain, 20:22 had never seen the fountains of the deep open up 20:26 and break up. 20:27 So here he works for 120 years building an ark 20:31 according to God's directions 20:33 and he was a preacher of righteousness. 20:36 And let me tell you something, that preacher of righteousness 20:39 ended up becoming the heir of righteousness. 20:43 Abraham left his home in the Ur of the Chaldees, 20:47 not even knowing where he was going. 20:49 He was just following God's directions. 20:52 And then Hebrews 11 goes on to talk about Sarah, 20:55 who is so far beyond childbearing. 20:58 She's 90 years old, 21:00 but she had faith in God's promise. 21:02 And then Abraham believed God's promise 21:07 that his descendants would number more 21:10 than the stars in the sky or the sands of the shore. 21:14 And you know what? 21:15 God credited that to him as righteousness. 21:18 And Abraham proved his faith in the most amazing way. 21:22 He was willing to give back to God, 21:25 His only begotten son. 21:27 Now, Isaac wasn't his only son 21:31 but the word only begotten son is a covenant term. 21:36 We know that Isaac had an older brother, right? 21:39 But only Isaac was the son of promise. 21:43 And let's look at Hebrews 11:17-19 21:47 because I want to point something out. 21:48 "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, 21:51 he offered up Isaac, 21:53 and he who received the promises 21:55 offered up his only begotten son." 21:58 That's a unique covenant son of promise. 22:01 And it says, "Of whom it was said, 22:03 'In Isaac your seed shall be called,'" 22:06 and then this is what it says, why he did it, 22:09 "concluding that God 22:11 was able to raise him up, 22:15 even from the dead, 22:18 from which he also received him 22:20 in a figurative sense." 22:23 Now, what does it mean? 22:25 You know, Abraham so believed God's promise. 22:29 He knew that God said Isaac would be the seed 22:33 through which all of these descendants came, 22:36 but I have a personal belief, I'm gonna share it with you, 22:41 you can decide if I'm right, or I'm wrong. 22:43 In John 8:56. 22:46 Jesus said, 22:48 "Your father Abraham saw My day, 22:53 and was glad." 22:55 Abraham knew 22:58 that God was going to give His unique one of a kind, 23:02 son of promise, the only begotten Son, 23:06 the Covenant Son. 23:08 He knew that He was going to be the sacrifice for mankind 23:12 and that He would be resurrected. 23:15 That's what Jesus is saying, 23:17 Abraham, rejoice to see My day and he was glad. 23:20 I believe in Genesis 15, 23:22 when God cut covenant with Abraham, 23:25 remember, Abraham cut all the pieces in half, 23:28 then God put Abraham in deep sleep 23:31 and God alone walked through the pieces 23:34 to confirm the covenant. 23:36 And Abraham was having visions and dreams. 23:39 I believe that's when God showed Abraham, 23:44 the day of our Lord. 23:46 So when he asked Abraham, bring up Isaac, 23:49 He's sitting there, Abraham is saying, 23:51 well, he's the promised son, 23:54 you're going to let your son be sacrificed, 23:56 you're going to resurrect him, 23:58 so I reckon you can resurrect Isaac too. 24:02 See, when we think about Abraham coming to give this, 24:05 some people are like, "Oh, how could he?" 24:08 He knew God would resurrect him. 24:10 You know, when we have fiery trials, 24:15 right now, I'm walking through a fiery trial, 24:18 but it's the crucible of our faith. 24:21 In 1 Peter 1:6-7 says this, 24:25 "In your trials greatly rejoice. 24:27 So now for a little while, 24:28 you've been grieved by various trials, 24:31 that the genuineness of your faith being 24:33 much more precious than golden that perishes, 24:36 though it is tested by the fire, 24:38 may be found to praise honor 24:40 and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 24:42 The just shall walk about faith. 24:46 Amen. Praise the Lord. 24:47 Thank you, Shelley, for that. 24:48 Well, my friends, we're gonna take a short break, 24:50 so don't go anywhere. We'll be right back. 24:57 Ever wish you could watch 24:58 a 3ABN Sabbath School Panel again, 25:00 or share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? 25:04 Well, you can by visiting 3abnsabbathschoolpanel.com 25:09 A clean design makes it easy 25:11 to find the program you're looking for. 25:13 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guide 25:17 so you can follow along. 25:18 Sharing is easy. 25:20 Just click share and choose your favorite social media. 25:23 Share a link, save a life for eternity. 25:27 Hello, friends, welcome back to 3ABN Sabbath School Panel, 25:30 and we're going to pass it to Pastor James Rafferty 25:32 for Tuesday's lesson. 25:33 Okay, thank you. I have Tuesday's lesson. 25:36 My name is James Rafferty, and we are studying Moses, 25:40 Believing in the Unseen. 25:42 And our quarterly is taking us to Hebrews 10:20, 25:47 right where Shelley left off 25:48 with that wonderful exposition on Abraham. 25:52 And the belief that he had that 25:54 the Father could raise his son 25:56 just like He raised His own Son, 25:58 raise Abraham's son, 25:59 just like He raised His own son. 26:01 Hebrews 11:20 picks up here with Isaac, 26:04 the faith of Isaac blessing Jacob 26:06 and Esau concerning things to come. 26:08 Then it says in verse 21, "By faith, 26:11 Jacob when he was dying, 26:12 blessed both the sons of Joseph and worshiped, 26:16 leaning on the top of his staff." 26:18 "By faith, "verse 22, "Joseph, when died, 26:22 made mention of the departing of the children of Israel, 26:25 and gave commandment concerning his bones." 26:27 "By faith," verse 23, "Moses, when he was born, 26:30 was hid three months of his parents, 26:32 because they saw he was a proper child, 26:34 and they were not afraid of the king's commandment." 26:37 Verse 24, "By faith Moses, when he come to years, 26:40 refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 26:43 choosing rather to suffer affliction 26:45 with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures 26:48 of sin for a season." 26:50 And then verse 26, says, 26:53 "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches 26:56 than the treasures in Egypt: 26:58 for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." 27:00 Verse 27, "By faith he forsook Egypt, 27:03 not fearing the wrath of the king: 27:05 for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. 27:08 Through faith he kept the passover, 27:11 and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed 27:14 the firstborn should touch them." 27:17 By faith, by faith, by faith, it's beautiful 27:21 when you think about it, in fact, 27:22 just going all the way back here to verses 20 and 21. 27:26 By faith, we have this blessing 27:29 that Isaac places upon Esau 27:33 and Jacob and we have Jacob when he was dying, 27:38 blessing both the sons of Joseph, 27:40 when he's worshiping on top of his staff. 27:42 You know what that tells me? 27:44 That tells me we're never too old 27:47 to be a blessing to somebody else. 27:50 I mean, these guys are ready to die. 27:52 These guys leaning on the cane. 27:53 I'm not looking forward to the time 27:55 when I'm leaning on a cane or walking 27:57 with a walker, you know, what I'm saying, 27:58 but when that time comes, 28:01 I think I still need to look for the opportunity 28:03 to be a blessing. 28:05 That's what the Bible is telling me. 28:06 By faith, I've got to pass my achy bones, 28:08 I will to pass my dying joints, 28:11 I will to past my demise side, 28:12 I've got to look past all of that stuff 28:14 because they weren't sure what hand was 28:15 what when he's putting those hands down. 28:17 I'll got to look past all of that 28:19 and what that takes is a little bit of humility, 28:20 because as we get older, we forget things, 28:24 we don't speak as well as we used to. 28:25 We don't do as well as we used to. 28:27 These young guys come along, 28:29 like Ryan and Jason and Jill, 28:31 and they just kind of blah-blah, 28:33 and we're like, whoa, whoa, right, Shelley. 28:36 That's right. It's humbling. 28:37 But by faith, we can still be a blessing 28:40 and give a blessing and I'm speaking not so much 28:43 to us as to the audience, 28:44 because I know there are people out there today 28:46 who are listening who are thinking 28:48 what can I do for God? 28:50 There's so much that you can do for God, 28:52 we'd love you to join the 3ABN prayer team 28:54 and be praying for us and for others. 28:57 There are so many times that we can be a blessing 28:59 to others as we look by faith to what God has for us. 29:03 And then it says in verse 23, I love this, 29:07 "He did not fear the king's commandment." 29:11 And again, that's emphasized in verse 27, 29:14 that Moses by faith forsook Egypt, 29:16 not fearing the wrath of the king. 29:18 I think that there's a connection here. 29:20 In verse 23, "Moses was hid three months off his parents, 29:23 because they didn't fear the king's commandment." 29:25 And Moses inherited that lack of fear. 29:28 He inherited that, he got that from his posterity, you know? 29:31 And so when he got older, 29:33 he didn't fear the wrath of the king either. 29:35 And we have a powerful 29:37 and important job as parents, don't we? 29:40 To pass on to our children, the fear of God, 29:44 and not the fear of men. 29:46 And so, parents, I think, are here. 29:48 I mean, all through these verses, 29:49 we see the parental blessing being passed on to posterity, 29:52 the parents blessing their children, 29:54 and part of the blessing that we're to pass on 29:56 is a fear of God, rather than fear of men. 30:00 We're to respect men, we're to respect the king 30:02 and pray for the king but our number one, 30:05 reverence and respect is to be to God in heaven. 30:10 And then there's the need, there's the key, 30:12 there's the center of all of this, 30:14 and that's in verses 24 and 25. 30:16 By faith, Moses, when he was come of years, 30:18 refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 30:23 I liked the way it says that 30:25 because it suggests to me that there was some pressure, 30:29 whether there was some pressure on him. 30:31 It's one thing to say no, 30:32 and it's another thing to say, no, I refuse that. 30:34 I'm refusing that, right? 30:36 It's being urged. 30:38 I don't even think it's being urged 30:40 necessarily by the others by those around him. 30:44 But maybe even by his own nature, 30:45 you know, it's just coming on and like, oh, 30:48 have you ever been in a situation 30:49 where you have been hit so many times by the devil? 30:52 He just, he knows the button to push, 30:54 he knows where to get you 30:56 and you're like, no, I refuse to go there. 30:59 I'm not going there this time, right. 31:01 I'm not going there. 31:03 I don't think it was easy for Moses. 31:05 You know, think about, put yourself in his situation. 31:07 We have to put ourselves in his situation. 31:09 We have to. 31:10 Friends, we are facing Moses' situation 31:13 because in Revelation Chapter 13, 31:16 it talks about a time 31:17 when we are going to be pressed, 31:19 when we're going to be as Matthew 24:9 says 31:22 afflicted or pressured, 31:24 when we're going to face the loss 31:26 of the ability to buy and sell 31:28 because of the king's commandment, right? 31:31 And in that time, we've got to look 31:33 and see what did Moses do in this situation? 31:36 Moses had faith. 31:37 Why did he have this faith? 31:39 Why was he able to refuse the pressure of Pharaoh 31:44 and Pharaoh's court and the riches 31:46 and it says here, 31:48 the pleasure of sin for a season? 31:51 Well, the key in the context of these verses is verse 26. 31:54 "He esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater riches 31:57 than the treasure in Egypt," 31:58 hold on, "for he had respect 32:00 under the recompense of the reward." 32:02 It even says in other translations 32:04 he was looking to. 32:08 I don't know if you remember, friends, 32:09 but Ryan Day said it several times, 32:11 his favorite verse, in the Book of Hebrews 32:15 is Hebrews 12:2, 32:17 "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." 32:20 He was looking to, he was looking ahead. 32:23 "Eyes haven't seen and ear heard 32:25 or even entered into the imagination 32:27 of what God has prepared for us." 32:28 But the next verse says, 32:31 "But God has revealed them to us by His Spirit." 32:35 So God is giving us a glimpse, God is giving us a taste 32:38 of that reward and Moses got this taste, 32:41 he got this glimpse and he looked to it, 32:43 he focused on it, he thought about it. 32:45 And I'm sure he might have thought of the idea 32:48 that's revealed to us in Psalm 16:11 32:51 and compare it with us 32:53 because this tells us 32:54 that he refused the pleasure of sin for a season. 32:58 That's the problem with sin. 33:00 It's kind of like the weather, it's seasonal, you know? 33:04 When I got here, it was 70 degrees. 33:08 Yesterday, it didn't even get up to 30. 33:11 It's seasonal. Pleasure of sin for a season. 33:15 It doesn't last long. 33:16 But in Psalm 16:11, powerful here 33:20 and Moses is thinking about this principle. 33:22 He's thinking, do I want the pleasure of sin 33:24 for a season 33:26 or Psalm 16:11, says, 33:29 thou will show me the path of life 33:31 Moses have been shown the path of life, 33:33 in thy presence is fullness of joy. 33:35 I ought to be in the presence of God. 33:36 At thy right hand, 33:38 there are pleasures forevermore. 33:42 Okay, what do I want? 33:43 Do I want seasonal or do I want Hawaii? 33:47 Which one do I want? 33:49 Do I want it to be warm some of the time 33:51 and cold the rest of the time 33:52 or, you know Alaska 33:54 or do I want just constant continual pleasurable weather? 33:58 Now, of course, I'm using illustrations in the weather, 34:00 but this is what Moses is understanding. 34:03 He's recognizing that 34:05 this world and its treasures are seasonal, 34:07 they come and they go. 34:09 And for Moses, they're long gone. 34:11 We could say that 34:13 Moses would have been a pharaoh, 34:14 he would have lived for that threescore and 10 34:17 and then he would have died, 34:18 and he would have been in a tomb 34:19 probably in a mummy's tomb, 34:21 and perhaps you would have discovered him 34:22 like Tutankhamun and we would have thought, 34:23 wow, look at Moses stuff but where is Moses today? 34:27 Moses is in heaven. 34:29 And I believe that 34:30 he was resurrected for this very specific point 34:34 and that is to help us to realize 34:36 that he made a good choice. 34:38 Moses made a good choice. 34:40 And God says, you know, I'm going to resurrect Moses 34:42 because he made a choice that was amazing 34:45 and this is going to help others to make the same choice. 34:49 The rest of our lesson compares Hebrews 11:24-27, 34:52 with Hebrews 10:32-35. 34:54 It basically says the same thing we've learned 34:57 in Revelation Chapter 13, 34:58 the same thing that Job learned. 35:00 All of us are going to have to come to a place 35:02 where the things of this world are insignificant in comparison 35:06 with the things that God has for us, 35:08 and God is the only one that can do that for us. 35:10 Our job is to keep our eyes on Jesus. 35:13 And if there's somewhat of bitterness, 35:15 Hebrews 12:15, 35:17 which is a supplement to Ryan Day's favorite verse 35:20 says, considering Him diligently. 35:26 So Revelation 14:4 says, this way, 35:30 following the Lamb wherever he goes. 35:32 Our only hope is to keep our eyes on Jesus. 35:34 Amen. 35:36 Amen, that's powerful, Pastor Rafferty. 35:38 I do feel like these years are flying by 35:40 so this young age is gonna disappear 35:42 rather quickly. 35:44 Hey, I'm Jason Bradley, and I have Wednesday's lesson. 35:47 And it's entitled By Faith Rahab and the Rest. 35:51 You know, it's interesting how God allows us 35:53 to experience things 35:55 that will be beneficial for His service in the future. 35:58 One of my uncle's used to always say 36:00 that you don't lead where you don't go, 36:02 and you don't teach what you don't know. 36:04 And that's something that stuck with me 36:06 throughout the years. 36:08 As I peruse the powerful story of Rahab, 36:11 God started to share some spiritual gems with me. 36:16 And you may want to write down some of these verses, 36:19 as we journey through the Word of God. 36:22 We'll begin in Numbers 13:1-2, 36:27 "And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, 36:29 'Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, 36:33 which I am giving to the children of Israel, 36:35 from each tribe of their fathers 36:37 you shall send a man, 36:39 every one a leader among them.'" 36:41 Now let's jump down to verses 16 and 17. 36:46 "These are the names of the men 36:48 whom Moses sent to spy out the land. 36:51 And Moses called Hoshea," 36:52 I'm horrible with these names, by the way, 36:54 "Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua. 36:58 Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, 37:01 and said to them, 'Go up this way into the South, 37:04 and go up to the mountains." 37:07 I find it very interesting 37:08 that out of the 12 spies that were sent out, 37:11 only two of them came back faithful, 37:15 they were faithful. 37:16 The two spies that were faithful 37:18 were Joshua and Caleb. 37:20 Now, when we fast forward through Scripture 37:22 to the Book of Joshua, or specifically in Chapter 2, 37:26 we see that Joshua sent two spies, 37:30 the same number of spies 37:32 that were faithful during his spy mission. 37:35 Joshua had proved himself faithful 37:38 during preparation time, 37:39 and God placed him in a position of leadership. 37:43 All throughout Scripture, we see examples 37:45 of God using people 37:47 who have a willing heart for service. 37:50 And as the lesson points out, 37:52 Rahab is probably the most unexpected character, 37:57 whom we find in Hebrews Chapter 11. 38:00 Rahab is one of two women mentioned by name. 38:03 She is the 10th in the list, 38:05 the first being forefathers and patriarchs of Israel, 38:09 and each one was regarded as being righteous. 38:12 When we come to her, 38:13 we find that she is not only a woman 38:16 but a Gentile prostitute. 38:19 That brings us to the next logical question. 38:22 What was Rahab known for? 38:25 Rahab was known 38:26 for her incredible act of faith. 38:29 She stood up for the Lord 38:30 in the most trying of circumstances, 38:33 even though she didn't witness all that God had done. 38:38 She believed what she heard 38:39 about how God protected his children. 38:42 And Joshua 2:8-11, 38:48 "Now before they lay down, 38:50 she came up to them on the roof, 38:52 and said to the men: 38:54 'I know that the Lord has given you the land, 38:57 that the terror of you has fallen on us, 39:00 and that all the inhabitants of the land 39:02 are fainthearted because of you. 39:04 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water 39:07 of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, 39:10 and what you did 39:11 to the two kings of the Amorites 39:13 who were on the other side of the Jordan, 39:15 Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 39:20 And as soon as we heard these things, 39:22 our hearts melted, 39:23 neither did there remain any more courage in anyone 39:27 because of you, for the Lord your God, 39:30 He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.'" 39:35 I want us to look at verse 9 again, 39:40 "And said to the men, 39:41 'I know that the Lord has given you the land, 39:45 that the terror of you has fallen on us, 39:48 and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted 39:51 because of you." 39:53 Did you notice that faith statement? 39:56 Did you notice that? 39:58 Rahab spoke on something that hadn't happened yet 40:01 with confidence that it would come to pass 40:04 because of the one true God 40:07 that's getting spies whom the spies serve. 40:11 Now, in subsequent verses, 40:13 we see Rahab interceding on her family's behalf, 40:17 and making a covenant with God's chosen spies. 40:20 They establish the conditions 40:22 and instructed her of the sign needed for her 40:26 and her family to be saved from destruction. 40:30 Look at Joshua 2:17-19, 40:36 "So the men said to her, we will be blameless, 40:39 of this oath of yours, which you have made us swear 40:43 unless when we come into the land, 40:45 you bind this line of scarlet cord 40:48 and the window through which you lead us down 40:51 and unless you bring your father, 40:53 your mother, your brothers, 40:55 and all your father's household, 40:57 to your own home. 40:59 So it shall be that 41:00 whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, 41:04 his blood shall be on his own head, 41:07 and we will be guiltless 41:09 and whoever is with you in the house, 41:11 his blood shall be on our head 41:14 if a hand is laid on him." 41:17 The scarlet cord or the red cord 41:21 that was hanging out of the window 41:22 as a mark for the preservation of life 41:26 within Rahab's home reminds me of the Passover. 41:30 In Exodus 12:12-13, 41:34 the Lord was speaking to Moses and Aaron and he said, 41:37 "And they shall take some of the blood 41:40 and put it on the two doorposts 41:42 and on the lintel of the houses, 41:44 where they eateth. 41:47 Now the blood shall be a sign 41:49 for you on the houses where you are 41:52 and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, 41:55 and the plague shall not be on you 41:57 to destroy you 41:58 when I strike the land of Egypt." 42:02 Notice the sign of blood used during the Passover 42:06 and the sign of the scarlet or red cord 42:11 that was hanging from Rahab's window. 42:13 Now, in both cases, occupants of those homes 42:17 were sealed and shielded from destruction. 42:22 Hebrews 11:31, says, "By faith, 42:27 the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe 42:32 when she had received the spies with peace." 42:36 Here are a few takeaways 42:38 from this powerful story of faith. 42:41 Number one, Jill, you always have a list. 42:44 So we'll start the list here. 42:46 Number one, if we want to please God, 42:49 we have to have faith. 42:50 You heard Shelley share this verse earlier, 42:53 Hebrews 11:6, 42:55 "But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, 42:58 for he who comes to God 43:00 must believe that He is 43:02 and that He is a rewarder of those 43:04 who diligently seek him." 43:06 Let's take it one step further and go to James 2:17-18. 43:11 "Thus also faith by itself 43:14 if it does not have works is dead, 43:16 but someone will say you have faith 43:18 and I have works. 43:20 Show me your faith without your work 43:22 and I will show you my faith by my work." 43:25 Number two, your past is irrelevant 43:28 when it comes to your future. 43:30 What matters is the decision that you make today. 43:33 Rahab was a prostitute at one point, 43:36 but she ended up having 43:37 a tremendous amount of faith in God. 43:40 She and her family were spared from destruction 43:44 and she ended up in the faith book Hall of Fame. 43:49 Number three, Rahab opened up her heart to God 43:53 and opened up her home to God's servants. 43:56 Revelation 3:20 says, 43:58 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock," 44:01 this is Jesus speaking. 44:03 "If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, 44:06 I will come into him and dine with him 44:09 and he with Me." 44:11 Rahab made a decision. 44:12 This is point number four, Rahab made a decision 44:15 not to allow her culture to trump her devotion to God. 44:21 So I leave you with this question to ponder, 44:24 do you have enough faith to choose God over culture? 44:30 Think about it. 44:31 Amen. Thank you so much, Jason, 44:34 Pastor James, Shelley, Pastor Ryan. 44:36 I think is one of my favorite sections of Hebrews, 44:39 Hebrews Chapter 11. 44:40 I love that, the hall of faith. 44:42 I have Thursday's lesson, which is Ryan's favorite verse, 44:47 Hebrews 12, I have verses 1-3, 44:51 Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. 44:54 So we were in Hebrews 11. 44:56 Just turn over a chapter 44:57 and let's pick it up with Hebrews 12. 44:59 And what does Hebrews 12 start with? 45:02 Therefore. 45:03 What does that mean? 45:05 What has come before. Faith chapter. 45:08 The faith chapter, the hall of faith, 45:10 because of what has come before 45:12 because of Abel and Enoch and Noah, 45:15 because of Abraham as Shelley talked about 45:17 and Sarah, because of Isaac, and Jacob and Joseph and Moses, 45:22 because of Rahab 45:24 because of Gideon, and Barak, and Samson and Jephthah, 45:26 and David and Samuel and the prophets 45:28 because of that, therefore, we also, 45:32 since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, 45:36 these are those heroes of faith let us. 45:40 We see the shift here from the past, 45:43 the heroes of faith, 45:45 the Saints Hall of Fame to us today, 45:48 what are we supposed to do? 45:50 Let us lay aside every weight 45:54 and the sin which so easily ensnares us, 45:57 or besets us and let us run with endurance, 46:01 the race that is set before us. 46:03 What is the race for? 46:05 We are racing for eternal life. 46:08 The struggle is fierce. 46:10 It's not against other runners, 46:11 the struggle is not against flesh and blood, 46:15 but principalities and powers 46:17 and the rulers of wickedness in these high places. 46:20 The struggle is against self. 46:21 The struggle is against sin, 46:24 the race, it involves pain, 46:25 persecution, shame, it might involve death. 46:29 But what is the reward? 46:31 We studied in Hebrews 3:4, 46:33 the reward is entering God's rest. 46:35 What is the reward? 46:37 We studied Hebrews 5-10, 46:39 the reward is having access behind the veil 46:41 into God's presence. 46:43 What is the reward? 46:44 We see that in Hebrews 11, 46:46 it is the heavenly homeland that is eternal life. 46:52 But it doesn't stop there. 46:53 What's the next verse 2, 46:56 looking unto Jesus. 46:59 Jesus is the climax of the saints' hall of faith. 47:03 Jesus is the climax of the heroes' hall of faith. 47:06 Hebrews Chapter 11. 47:07 Jesus is the pinnacle. 47:09 Do you look at Jesus 47:10 or do you look at your problems? 47:12 Do you look at Jesus or do you look at your pain? 47:16 Do you look at Jesus or do you look at your shame 47:19 or your spouse or your neighbors, 47:22 or your children or your co-workers? 47:25 Do you look at Jesus or do you look at your pastor? 47:28 Do you look at your boss? Do you look at your friend? 47:32 Do you look at Jesus or do you look at yourself? 47:37 Looking unto Jesus, 47:40 Jacob looked unto Jesus from the ground at Bethel. 47:43 He saw his rock. 47:45 Joseph looked unto Jesus as a captive slave. 47:49 He saw his Liberator. 47:52 Daniel looked unto Jesus 47:54 from the depths of the lions' den, 47:57 he saw his protector. 48:00 Samson looked unto Jesus 48:01 from an arena of the Philistines. 48:03 He saw his helper. 48:06 The shepherds, 48:08 they looked unto Jesus from the fields, 48:09 they saw their Savior. 48:12 Simeon looked unto Jesus from the temple 48:15 and saw his Messiah. 48:18 Zacchaeus looked unto Jesus from the treetops, 48:21 he saw his restorer. 48:24 Nicodemus looked unto Jesus from the dark of night 48:28 and saw his recreator. 48:31 Blind Bartimaeus looked unto Jesus 48:33 from the road, and he saw his light. 48:36 The demoniacs they looked unto Jesus 48:38 from their imprisoned minds, 48:41 they saw their deliverer. 48:43 Peter looked unto Jesus from the angry ways 48:46 he saw his rescuer. 48:48 The woman looked unto Jesus 48:49 from where she had been cast in the dirt, 48:53 and she saw the pure one. 48:56 Peter looked unto Jesus from the judgments hall 48:59 and saw his forgiveness. 49:02 Saul looked unto Jesus on the way to Damascus 49:05 and saw the Crucified One. 49:07 And the thief looked unto Jesus hanging on the cross 49:11 and he saw His Redeemer. 49:13 Who do you see, when you look unto Jesus? 49:17 Looking unto Jesus, why do we look under Jesus? 49:21 Number one, we look unto Jesus because it brings us salvation. 49:25 Isaiah 45:22, 49:28 "Look to me and be saved, 49:32 all you ends of the earth, 49:34 for I am God and there is no other." 49:37 We look unto Jesus for salvation, 49:39 and because He is the only true God. 49:43 Why do we look unto Jesus? 49:45 Number two, we look unto Jesus because it changes us. 49:48 2 Corinthians 3:18, 49:51 "But we all with open face beholding as in a glass, 49:55 the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image 49:58 from glory to glory." 49:59 We look unto Jesus, because looking at Jesus, 50:03 it has a way of changing you. 50:05 Number three, why do we look unto Jesus? 50:07 Because when we look unto Jesus, 50:09 we receive mercy. 50:11 Psalm 123:1-2, 50:14 "Unto you," that's unto God, "I lift my eyes, 50:17 O you who dwell in the heavens, 50:20 behold, as the eyes of the servants 50:22 look to the hand of their masters, 50:24 as the eyes of a maid 50:25 look to the hand of her mistress, 50:27 so our eyes look to the Lord our God, 50:31 until He has mercy on us." 50:35 Looking unto Jesus, do you want salvation? 50:38 Look at Jesus. 50:40 Do you want to be changed into the image of Jesus? 50:43 Look at Jesus. 50:45 Do you need mercy in your life? 50:48 Look unto Jesus. 50:51 But the verse doesn't end there. 50:52 What does it say? 50:54 Looking into Jesus, 50:55 the author and finisher of our faith. 51:00 In Greek, the word author does not strictly mean author, 51:04 it means a person who's the originator 51:06 or a leader of a movement, 51:07 but who continues as the leader. 51:11 I love that. 51:12 He didn't just start the race and go off somewhere else. 51:16 He continues as our leader. 51:18 Why is Jesus the author of our race, of our faith? 51:23 Why is He the founder? 51:24 Why is He the pioneer of our faith? 51:28 Because number one, 51:29 He is the only author of the race. 51:32 Nobody else opened the way for us to be saved, 51:35 all the sacrificial system 51:36 we've been studying all quarter, 51:38 the Levitical sacrificial system was set in place 51:40 looking unto Jesus. 51:42 If Jesus had not come, 51:44 there would be no way for us to be saved. 51:46 He opened the way for us to be saved 51:48 for us to enter the race of salvation 51:51 through His sacrifice. 51:53 If He had not come, 51:55 we'd be running in vain, 51:56 there'd be no purpose even in the race. 51:59 John 1:29, "Behold the Lamb of God 52:02 who takes away the sin of the world." 52:05 Reason number two, 52:06 why Jesus is the author of our faith. 52:09 Not only is He the author of the race, 52:11 reason number two, He's the only one 52:12 who actually ran the race perfectly. 52:15 He's the only one. 52:16 His life was perfect, 52:18 as we've already established through this quarter, 52:20 and His death was the perfect sacrifice. 52:23 Hebrews 10:14, "By one offering, 52:27 He has perfected forever, 52:29 those who are being sanctified." 52:33 Hebrews 9:14. 52:34 We've read this too, 52:35 how much more shall the blood of Christ 52:37 instead of the blood of bulls and goats. 52:39 "How much more shall the blood of Christ 52:42 who through the eternal Spirit 52:43 offered Himself without spot to God, 52:46 cleanse your conscience from dead works 52:48 to serve the living God?" 52:50 And reason number three, He's the author of our faith. 52:53 He is the reason we have faith. 52:55 You see, our faith is actually a response 52:59 to His faithfulness. 53:00 Our faith is a response to Him. 53:02 2 Timothy 2:13 says, 53:05 "If we are faithless He remains faithful." 53:09 He cannot deny himself because He's faithful. 53:12 He draws you and I in repentance, 53:14 He forgives us and cleanses us. 53:16 He redeems us and restores us. 53:18 He transforms us, and remakes us, 53:20 and encourages us to keep running the race. 53:22 But He's not just the author or the beginner of the race. 53:25 He is the finisher. He is the perfecter. 53:28 He is the completer of the race 53:30 because He finished the race. 53:32 You and I have hope 53:33 that we can finish the race too. 53:37 The heroes, the saints' hall of faith, 53:39 Hebrews 11, how does it end? 53:41 They all died not having received the promise 53:44 but receiving it by faith, afar off 53:48 but Jesus finished the race. 53:51 He's seated even right now at the right hand of the Father 53:54 and because He finished, you and I have courage, 53:58 we can have joy to continue the race 54:01 that is set before us. 54:03 How did He do it? 54:05 We do it looking unto Jesus 54:07 who for the joy that was set before Him, 54:11 endured the cross, despising the shame. 54:13 Because of you and I, 54:15 He looked down through the stream of time 54:16 and saw the people who would be saved 54:19 as a result of His sacrifice. 54:22 You and I, looking at Jesus can endure. 54:26 You and I looking at Jesus can continue to run the race, 54:32 and know that we can be saved in His kingdom at last. 54:36 I wanna encourage you today and every day. 54:39 Look unto Jesus for when you do that, 54:42 you will be saved. 54:44 Amen. 54:45 Praise the Lord. All right. 54:46 Well, let's get some final thoughts. 54:48 I'm just thinking again, once again, 54:51 Hebrews 11:19 says 54:55 that when God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, 54:58 Abraham had so much faith in God, 55:01 he knew that Jesus Christ was going to die 55:04 and be resurrected. 55:06 So it just says he concluded 55:08 that God was able to raise him up 55:10 even from the dead. 55:11 That's faith. 55:13 Amen. Amen. 55:14 Yeah, just a thought here that I missed in the quarterly, 55:16 it says the greatness of Moses 55:19 was that he was able to see 55:20 beyond the promises of the king of Egypt, 55:24 and look toward the unseen, namely, 55:26 the promises of God, 55:28 and may his experience be our experience. 55:30 That's good. 55:32 Amen. Amen. 55:33 You know, I just want to point out 55:34 the fact that, you know, with our faith, 55:36 sometimes we pray, and we ask God for something, 55:39 but He's waiting on us to take action, 55:41 and put our feet in the water. 55:43 And so we need to press forward in faith, 55:46 have that faith in God. 55:48 Rahab had so much faith, 55:49 things hadn't even happened yet, 55:51 but she knew that 55:52 it was going to come to fruition 55:54 because of how faithful God is. 55:57 Amen. 55:59 I did not read verse 3, 56:00 because the lack of time so let's read it. 56:02 Hebrew 12:3, 56:04 "For consider Him who endured such hostility 56:07 from sinners against himself, 56:09 lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls." 56:14 This journey, this life that we live in 56:17 is sometimes difficult 56:18 but do not become discouraged. 56:21 Do not be disheartened, do not give up, 56:24 because Jesus is walking right beside you. 56:27 Amen. 56:28 All of these lessons were so great. 56:30 And you know me, I'm a musical person. 56:32 So James, as you're going through 56:34 talking about Moses seeing the unseen, 56:36 the song that came to my mind was that song never part again. 56:39 The last verses... 56:41 Could we but stand where Moses stood 56:46 And view the landscapeo'er 56:50 Not all this world's pretended good 56:55 Could ever charm us more 56:58 And I love the verse. 57:00 We're trav'ling to Immanuel's land 57:04 We soon shall hear the trumpet sound 57:09 And soon we shall 57:12 With Jesus reign 57:15 And never, never part again 57:20 I cannot wait for that, looking unto Jesus, 57:23 the author and finisher of our faith, 57:25 for the joy that was set before Him. 57:27 He endured the cross despising the shame, 57:29 but is now seated 57:30 at the right hand of God, my friends. 57:32 This is what it's all about. 57:34 It's all about Christ. 57:35 It's all about what He has done for us 57:37 if we would just humble ourselves 57:39 and receive that free, beautiful, wonderful, 57:43 life-changing salvation today. 57:46 Let me just close right here and looking at the time, 57:48 and I just saw the clock. 57:50 You want to be with us next week 57:51 because we're talking next week in lesson number 12, 57:55 Receiving an Unshakable Kingdom. 57:58 So don't miss it. 57:59 Get your friends together, get your Bible, your notepads, 58:01 all of that stuff, and meet us back here 58:03 at 3ABN Sabbath School Panel next week. 58:05 God bless. |
Revised 2022-02-03