Faithful to Jesus – Part 1

Graham Watts introducing today's living in the light.

Hebrews 11 is all about faith and faith is not an option in the Christian life is not what some people having some people don't absolutely vital necessity.

You and I can't live a life pleasing to God without support in the mail and were glad you joined us today for living in the light with Bible teacher and Graham launched a series of messages from Hebrews chapter 11 in her message faithfulness to Jesus and helps us understand true biblical faith faith that we hope for its what we honor and it's a hope we can be certain here now is an going to be in Hebrews 11 suck you want to turn to Hebrews 11 and think of leaving a legacy in an ungodly world. I think of a relay race in Hebrews 11. Reminds me of a relay race and my children were growing up, my husband was an athlete and connected to your aversive North Carolina. He would take them over for track meet one of our favorite events was there for about 100 consists of four runners. As you may be familiar with in the they staggered along the track and each runner has about 100 m to run in the first runner is standing there and he's gripping the baton in Assam and the gun goes off. He runs as fast as he can down his lane. He comes in the second runner is already in motion. He passes the baton to the second runner. The second monograph that he runs as fast as he can in his lane any passes at the third runner is already in motion so on until the rice is completed the race as one not only by the one who runs the fastest but by the team that passes that baton the smoothest, because if you boggle the baton or you drop at them precious seconds are lost or you could be disqualified member are men's Olympic relay team won the bronze medal and they were out celebrating when then the metal was revoked because apparently they had passed the baton the passing zone and I didn't even know there was a passing zone. I thought you just handed it off, but you have to hand it off within a certain set of a box like cut out on the track and I thought in the Christian life. The baton represents the truth that leads to faith in God and one generation passes the truth that leads to faith in God to the next generation by grasping a path of the next generation, the next generation.

And I think it's easiest to pass within the passing zone on that single be disqualified if it's outside, but the passing zone to me is when you have the opportunity and the best opportunity is within our homes isn't that our own children and our grandchildren that time is past due. Or perhaps you have children or grandchildren somebody else's children or somebody else. Somebody in this next generation and we want to pass that baton of truth that leads to faith in Jesus to the next generation and the way we leave a legacy, a godly legacy and ungodly will not be fired up about Jesus.

So he maintained a vibrancy in our relationship with him, but also through being faithful to Jesus and Hebrews 11 is all about faith and faith is not an option in the Christian life. That's not what some people having some people don't absolutely vital necessity in first John 56 says that you never have victory to overcome that ungodly world if you don't have faith. Jesus said in Matthew 929 that you won't get answers to prayer.

If you don't have faith because he said, be it unto you, according to your face and then Hebrews 11 six says without faith it is impossible to please God. You and I can't live a life pleasing to God without faith it is important to nail it down you not so Hebrews opens and defines space and I'm going to try to explain it to use. Or perhaps you, because we think of faith and it's hard to define. Sort of. Mr.: it's out there and it's you know, go to church you call yourself a Christian, you read your Bible, you believe in God and see you have faith in this person's faith is like somebody else's favorite that's not what were talking about. Okay don't want to try to describe biblical faith to you in the chapter opens in Hebrews 11 now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. And faith is certain of hope and if I say I'm hoping something. Usually it's a hope.

So you hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. Well, it might you now, but I'm hoping it doesn't.

But if I say I hope I'm going home next week I'm going home next week. I just haven't gone yet so biblical hope is not a hope so biblical hope is being absolutely certain of what we don't see we haven't received it yet is not ours yet but we know it's going to be and is a certain date. So were certain of hope and I'm going to try to do this just generally speaking look back on this last year all the things I've gone through and I sure hope that it will turn out good for me and actually I'm certain that it will cause. Romans 828 says all things work together for good to those who love God called according to his purpose.

But it comes to the gospel. We share the gospel. I sure hope when I share the gospel. It makes a difference and I know it well. I'm certain of it because there's power in the gospel according to Romans 116 and I hope Jesus is coming back and I'm certain he's coming backwards. He said he would.

John 14 three and coming back to receive you to myself, and I hope is a place in heaven for me if were living like strangers and aliens hope that I'm going home to a place that will be mine. Rob along and I'm certain that I will because Jesus I'm going to prepare a place for you said you see biblical hope is that your certain of what God is said you put your face down in God's word so we can take the promises for Israel. In Psalm 105 versus 8 to 11, God says once again I can sow hope that Israel keeps her land with all the peace deal and the Palestinians that I hope she keeps her land. I'm certain she will because he said in Psalm 105 again. I've given this land to you and your descendents forever. I just put your faith in God's word is like a anchor, your faith is anchored in God's word. Think of a family legacy when were trying to leave him a godly legacy for the next generation ends in my family. Some of the promises of claimed our thinking hope that God will keep his own children and my grandchildren.

I'm certain that he will because Isaiah 4916 says I have inscribed you on the palms of your hands, your walls, your family, your home are continually before me. He was always watching over my children and my grandchildren so you just put your face down in God's word and I was thinking this past week.

As I look towards this weekend. I was somewhat apprehensive, just wondering if I could make it through this weekend and get my mind to work nobody to work, and in all that and on. And God gave me a promise from Psalm 103 verse 20 and he promised me that I would be mighty in strength in order to perform his word, and so I was certain I would make it through this weekend. I just put my faith in his word. You see life that's faithful to Jesus is a faith anchored like you put your faith in its anchored in the word of God.

Your certain of hope so. I don't know what you're hoping for and not a hope so, but can you put your faith in God's word so that it's a certainty. He keeps his word, he keeps the promises. Okay, how far back it was it he gave it to you but he keeps his word, and we put our faith in our hope is certain because it's anchored in God's word. Hebrews 619 says we have this hope is an anchor for this old firm and secure it enters into that sanctuary behind the veil is centered in Jesus and in his word, so it spaces anchored were certain of hope were certain of honor says in verse two. This is what the ancients were commended for verse four it says they're all commended verse five. They're all commended verse 39 there all commended all of these people.

In Hebrews 11. They live by faith in God's word. So when God's word was contradicted by their circumstances. They did make any difference. They believed what God said more than what somebody else said they cared more about what God said the opinions of everybody else and they live the faith anchored like they were absolutely certain of honor that they would be commanded that they would have God's approval. They would have God's blessing.

They would have God's pleasure. Are you tempted sometimes to go after the world's honor in the world's acclaim and awards and and they can make some of them look very attractive and for time you serve rotting hobbit compared to what God has prepared for those that love him. What the world has to offer is so temporary and so tawdry. I think when we get to heaven will be ashamed we ever strove for something that the world offer is when God had something so much grander and greater and were certain of honor. I love in second Timothy Paul at the end of his life. He is in prison and needs to remember this wonderful passage we says I'm already being poured out like a drink offering, the time is come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on that day you see is absolutely certain of honor. He knows he's going to be rewarded and he says not only me but also those who love his appearing. Are you certain of honor that succumbed Jesus said in Revelation 22 behold on coming soon and my reward is with me and we don't talk too much about rewards is almost like it's not spiritual to think that you're working for a reward. And I don't know what the rewards going to be no. I can guess, and I feel like if we been faithful to him down here and to whom much is given much is required, and those who are faithful to little will receive more and maybe if we served them here. He's going to give us more responsibility.

There and I don't think were going to be proud of ourselves that I have more responsibility you have, you know it's not gonna be like that. But when we see Jesus and we want to do something for him. After all he's done for us if he gives us a large responsibility, something that we can do effectively for him in eternity that homework that I can tell you the reward that I would if I could have what I wanted you know asking for what I would like to have out with love to see his face when he sees my children and I want to see his face when he sees my grandchildren and I want to see the smile. The pleasure on his face when he greets us, so if it's nothing more than his pleasure in my life and in those the lives of those I love and then that would be enough. That's a reward. Remember when daddy would go away.

That mother did make much of a deal of it, you know would come home from school and for his daddy will he's gone again and mother never complained and she never showed any bitterness or never saw her tears of that but when daddy came home does his big celebration would go down to the train station in Black Mountain would greet him as he got off and she would hug us and would go up on the wall dive into his bag. She always brought us something home and it could be the wings of the pallet gave them you know her little stuffed animal from the airport, but he always had something with them. And when Jesus uses my reward is with me I have something to give you and Corinthians gives a very solemn picture of the award ceremony when he says that's our life's work is going to pass through the fire of God's holiness and if you've lived according to what you want to do you know he didn't obey his word because you never made the time to read it you can you know what he said for that day and did things your way and according to your will. You got what you wanted.

Your life is like wood hay and stubble passes through the fire of God's holiness and is burned up and all you have the show's ashes, but if you live your life in obedience to his work is every day.

Every morning you get up and ask yourself what does it say what does it mean what is mean to me and you live it out. In response, and you surrender your life to his will and you want what he wants you do things his way than your life is like goals silver and precious stones. It passes through that five is holiness in the Bible says that your rewarded with the crown and wouldn't be something to make it to heaven afterward gone through that judgment season. He hands us a crown for the way we lived our lives down here we just take the crown and laid at his feet have something to give him for all that he's done for us.

I can tell you I don't want to put ashes in his nail scarred palm I want to have a crown the lay down before him, so I'm certain that there be some sort of reward I don't exactly know what it is. Maybe it's just the smile on his face certainly is the fact that heaven is open for me. I'm going home. So heaven is my reward.

He has other things to give us also and by faith were certain of hope and were certain honor. So if you've been faithful here. You can count on the fact that he's noticed and he's kept the books and he'll keep a record and maybe nobody else knows what you've done, but he does and he's going to reward you. And then thirdly, faith is certain of him and in verse three it says by faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible and I just want to lay it out for you okay someone who's faithful to Jesus.

Someone is going to leave a godly legacy and ungodly world does not believe in evolution. There is no place for that I and you know why because God's word says beginning with the first verse of the Bible in the beginning God created everything and if you believe in evolution is the devils lots of counterfeit and if you believe in evolution, you're saying that you were just cosmic accidents and we came from nowhere and were going nowhere and our lives are meaningless and we never going to give an account to anybody for the way we lived our lives in all of that is a lie. So when you come to God by faith. You're certain of him that he is the creator. He's in authority over everything they say they keep discovering more universes than you know whatever whatever he created all and ease in authority over all because by right of ownership. He always sits. He's in authority over everything he created everything everything that was made was made by him and for him and through him and faith is certain of him.

His authority all but also his accessibility cannot just look at verse six says without faith it's impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him. I just have to stop right there. We can come to him, the one who is in authority over everything in the Psalms. I was reading some 104 and he says you are very great. Oh Lord my God you are clothed with splendor and majesty you wrap yourself in light as with a garment you stretch out the heavens like a tent you make the clouds like chariots you rot on the wings of the wind and he is great and awesome and powerful and majestic and we can come to him. He's available.

He's accessible. Anyone who comes to him must believe that he is as he is as is revealed in Scripture and that he rewards those who seek him in the reward known make is not giving you the answer to prayer. When you pray at how you pray at what you brought you know he doesn't give us exactly what we want and ask for and I'm old enough to thank them for that he so much wiser than me, but I think the reward is that we can find him that he's accessible that we can have a personal permanent love relationship with the creator, which is mind blowing his that the one who rules the universe suspends the planets he keeps this earth rotating that created gravity someone fall off when we turn around and on the sun comes up every morning and we can come to him precious. You know, just it just washes all over you that when you come to him by faith, believing that he is as he is as he is revealed himself you're certain of him. He's the creator and he's the one who became your Savior, because he loves you so much you can come to him through the blood of Jesus. Praise God.

So our faith is anchored were certain of hope were certain honor were certain of him in.

What is your faith anchored if it's anchored in what other people say and what your pastor is taught you are Sunday school teacher. What you learned from your mother what you read in the book what our culture is doing what your denomination teaches. I think you might be on shaky ground. Your faith needs to be anchored in the word of God.

That's why it's very important that you read it for yourself and just get it from somebody you don't get it secondhand Eve did that were all in trouble because of it.

So get God's word for yourself firsthand you read the Bible and you ask what it says what it means what it means in my life and you make those takeaways and you live it out in your life so that your faith is anchored in what God is that he's a gentleman. He keeps his word. And Jesus said, not one jot or to the will pass away all will come to pass and the Psalm says that's God's word is eternal. It's fixed in the heaven. Make sure that your faith is anchored in the word of God. Never going to pass on a godly legacy to the next generation were faithful to Jesus with the faith anchored life.

Secondly, with a purpose driven life and all of these characters in this chapter had the same purpose and it was to bring glory to God. To know God and to make him known. And when I was a girl raised across the valley in the Montreat Presbyterian Church. I had to memorize the Westminster shorter catechism and so only question I can remember was what is man's chief end and the answer man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever, and our purpose is to bring God glory doesn't mean to go around here with the shining cloud or a glowing face or just but it means to know him and to make him known in his character as we become like Jesus. We behold an inscription, the Holy Spirit's transforms us from glory to glory to glory is granted and says into one. They were like Jesus but even now maybe our children, our grandchildren or spouse can see Jesus in us his faith and his hope in his love and his patience in his goodness and his kindness and his meekness and his forgiveness and all of these men and women in this chapter lived a purpose driven life to bring glory to got to know him and to make him known. That's what drove them but I see five categories that I want to pull out and a purpose driven life is when it's established in worship and in verse four by faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did by faith. He was commended as a righteous man. When God spoke well of his offerings. By faith he still speaks. Even though he's dead and if you remember the story of Cain and Abel. After Adam and Eve were removed from the garden of Eden and Eve gave birth to Cain her firstborn and Abel was her second born and I don't know the Bible is not clear, but when they were removed from the garden, God killed an animal and he clothed them in this the skin of the animal so blood had to be shared in order for them to be close in God's sight, and in God's presence. So somehow someway there was a sacrificial system that was established in God made it plain and he made it clear by chapter 4 that in order to come to him you had to come to into a blood sacrifice and so able came to God as God's are required and he offered a blood sacrifice, calamity, sacrifice, and God accepted him and God was pleased Cain on the other hand, was a farmer and he thought, you know, I don't want to sacrifice somebody limits on going to give some fruit and vegetables and wheat and the barley and I'm going to sacrifice that God I'm going to give him the best on God and God came to Cain and said it's not that that I want you have to come to a blood sacrifice and Cain didn't want to. He didn't want to do what God said and he rebelled against it. He became bitter and resentful because Abel was sacrificing as God said Abel sacrifices were accepted and canes were rejected and so Cain got more bitter, more angry, more resentful, until finally he was so enraged he took Abel out in the field and he told him and Abel died and I want you to think about it for moment it's almost Old Testament picture of the gospel isn't it for. Abel is sacrificing and coming to God through the blood sacrifice in a new test will be coming to them through Jesus and saying that Jesus is the only way the only way we can be accepted by God is coming to faith in Jesus and then I wonder if there's a cane in your life, a brother or a sibling or a coworker, spouse or parent home boss or somebody in your realm of contacts somebody who deeply resents the fact that you say Jesus is the only one and they become embittered and enraged end pray to God. They don't do what Cain did Abel Butts, but they may cut you off you not leave you out never speak to again start slandering you behind your back cause trouble persecute you lose your job you lose your promotion than the thing about Abel, he did not back off. Even when he knew that Cain was becoming enraged. He still sacrifices God required and that's Rossi and putting the gospel first worshiping God in the way God required and the interesting thing is the next time that Adam and Eve have his name Seth and says must've been impacted by his brother Abel's example because it says in Genesis chapter 4 verse 26 at the time of Seth men began to call on the name of the Lord, and it meant that worship was established and that next generation and Abel's example of not giving you not compromising, not backing off even when he was so offending his brother by his adherence to what God said only way you can come to me is through blood sacrifice and Abel, that's wise.

Blood still speaks. Even though his dead because that's the only way need to go to Stanford and he gave his life for it, but the impact of the legacy he left of the next generation with his little brother. Rest told of that and in his generation, they began to worship God: his name and they had to do it by coming to into a blood sacrifice so as your worship.

Worship has to be established at the cross. First of all, you must come to the cross by faith is nowhere the way you can come to God you must come. Confess your sin until God you're sorry believe Jesus died is God's Lamb, who died on the cross to take away your sin and you believe if there'd been nobody else he would've died for you and you put your hands a face on that lamb and you grasp it in your guild is transferred to him and the Lamb dies in your place in the blood washes over you and in God's eyes, you're forgiven you're made right with him. You can come into his presence. That's the first step of real worship we worship in spirit and in truth. When did you do that, when did you place your faith in Jesus as your own Savior, in your own Lord we worship in church we worship in other ways, but every time I pray so when I get up in the morning and have a devotional, always begin my prayer time with praise and worship just not thanking God for what he's done for me but just praising him for who he is. The other nights I don't know why I don't know what caused it but in the middle of the night. I became so attacked in my mind and I know is the devil not just there were so evil and it was frightening to me because when he plays with your mind it so hard is that to control your thoughts into put thoughts out and put thoughts in AA that I thought what do I do how do I get rid of this and thought just need to praise the Lord. And so what I did not laid in bed and I started going through the ABCs of the names of Jesus you know just saying his name because his name is above all names. There's power in the name of Jesus I can't go through the whole alphabet, but he's the alpha and to be he's the beloved of the father sees the Christ the chosen want these deliver the defender of the week, the Emmanuelle E he's the everlasting father, the fairest of 10,000 GE is God H. He is the hope of the world. He's Tigre and J. He's Jehovah K. He's the King of Kings and Lord of lords, mighty God, Messiah Nazarene, you're just going through the list and I just lay there, just going through the names of Jesus and our thoughts were purified and went to sleep and woke up the next morning and I was worship in your life to help and encourage you in your work for the Lord, we invite you to a engram lots.org. It's a great opportunity to further read, study, lived by and love God's word. You'll find Ann's daily blog.

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