The Ultimate Original Hero - Hebrews 11:3

The things that God has accomplished in the past should give you confidence regarding what he's doing today.

God's word was sufficient to equip the universe sustain life word is sufficient disdain you can trust him by faith.

For what happens thousands of years ago, you can trust him by faith. For what happened yesterday, today and what might happen in your life.

Tomorrow God existed. God's always existed, but the very first act in our universe. The act that began everything for us was God speaking. Jesus Christ was able to speak the universe into existence. He spoke in whatever he said happened the exact same power that spoke the universe into existence is sustaining your life today because of that you can trust him completely. This is wisdom for the heart.

The Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey today. Stephen returns to his series from Hebrews 11, where will see that the ultimate original hero of the Bible is God. I have read and have found it to be true that every world you in fact every human heart intuitively longs to answer six basic questions. Is there really a God where I come from, what determines right or wrong.

Why do I sometimes feel badly about things I do. Where do I fit in the flow of history and what will happen to me after I die. Now you turn on the Discovery Channel or the animal channel or read an issue of the National Geographic or just about any science book or any other biological material and and you discover the answer to those six questions based on those or that worldview is there is no creator God. You are the result of millions of years of evolution.

You determine what's right or wrong for yourself and those bad feelings that you have about yourself are culturally imposed upon you, and you need to get over them is one evolutionist wrote that I would add entirely consistently with his worldview quote. There is no reason to assume that existing moral codes reflect some higher truths apprehended via divine inspiration.

Instead morality is merely an idea that evolved in the human mind is a tool for increasing reproductive success. Whatever gets our genes into the next generation is morally right because only conclude both men and women are biologically programmed them to be unfaithful to their spouses lifelong monogamous devotion just isn't natural. There's a guy you want your daughter to marry right correctly. If you take your cues from the majority view and from the animal kingdom you could come to that conclusion. What about the fifth question. Where do we fit into the flow of history, the answer is you don't you don't fit into the flow of history other than as an invader of the planet which you are. By the way, do you know that of the human race happens to be interfering with the peace and harmony of nature were adjustably the highest evolved animal were really interrupting what ought to be happening when we are disturbing the peace.

The planet would be better off if we just disappear. Finally, of course, the sixth question and their answer. After you die.

That's all there is.

Now you need to understand, of course, that all these answers flow down from the first question is there really a God who created me because if he did then he would have a purpose for me.

He would have a standard of morality.

For me, he would have a place in history. For me, and he would have a future after death for me. The truth is your view of origins determines your sense of destiny.

Never mind that all the evidence that we have from so many scientific disciplines which are glorious to read about in the study that then revealed the complex city does not develop from simplicity. In fact, things do not evolve upward. They devolve downward. Mutations we can deal that one Nobel laureate in Harvard professor admitted the challenge to the Western belief in evolution and the origin of life and he responded is responding to this obvious challenge.

Everyone's aware of now that so many factors had to exist at the same time for life to exist. He writes this one has only to contemplate the magnitude of this to admit that the spontaneous generation of a living organism is impossible, but then he adds yet here we are the result of spontaneous generation. No wonder Luther wrote in his little book.

I just don't have enough faith to be an evolutionist. The design and complexity of even the simplest life forms are really staggering, even evolutionist, are now using phrases like directed Chan life force. Here's one biochemical predestination.

That's for reformed evolutionist. I guess by the way, Darwin wrote this personal admission later in life is tragic.

He wrote a letter to a friend and he said in the letter, which will make it into the public arena.

I grieve to say that I cannot honestly go as far as you do about design. I'm conscious that I am in an utterly hopeless model.

I cannot think that the world as we see it is the result of chance yet I cannot look at each separate thing is the result of design.

Again I say I am, and shall ever remain in a hopeless model. Beloved Darwin frankly needed hero to help her out of the model.

Unfortunately, he chose to give heroic status to chance plus time that when you study the culture of his own life.

You discover and it hit me in additional research this week and invented to be true that he lived in London during the greatest days of spiritual development in that city pastors were packing our churches like Joseph Parker and Charles Spurgeon teaching the Bible. DL Moody had come over to England and and vast revivals occurred all at the same time.

The Darwin is defending his theory. The majority of people would reject the biblical explanation as he did, even while the creator was being expounded so many pulpits and by so many people's really is a new problem… By 1880, there were more than 80 theories of origins threat history theories origins have existed in an attempt to deny God, and still answer those six questions.

Who am I know where I come from, why do you feel bad sometimes about what I did is there any place for me in the flow of history will happen to me after I die before I get there how I decide what's right and wrong and and in our world would say, will we are just so much smarter now. We were so much more sophisticated.

We can even stand in for a creator God will do what we can do, remind me to scientist what an audience with God in the garden and said look, they said to God, what we we develop so many processes and we believe we can challenge you in creating a human being just like you did. That's okay that would be fine. The scientist reached down and grabbed a handful of dirt to begin a got to none in the know you go get your own dirt that's mine.

Maybe you're thinking what is this have to do with Hebrews 11. I thought we were studying Chapter 11 what we are. Just need to know that the first hero listed is none other than God. He is the ultimate hero of the story, not chance plus time more time billions of years of time know God is the creator of all things.

He is the answer to who we are and where we came from and the moral sense that we have and the guilt we feel in our future. After death, and here's the good news we can all become a demonstration of faith in life. When we build our lives upon the fact that God is the creator of life. So before you ever get into all of these individuals you start with God's no surprise to me that the first person we encounter. This chapter of heroes is our creator, not what you notice first three week left off in our last study and you will circle the phrase if you haven't already.

By faith, it'll appear 17 more time in this chapter, by faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

I love by the way the opening these opening words by faith we take a leap into the dark know what is. He said by faith we understand we see our faith makes sense of what we can see our faith in a creator clarifies crystallizes the issues of origin, morality and purpose in history and future. In other words, here's your way out of the model.

Now you'll notice he didn't write by faith we understand everything that he know by faith we understand.

Basically, the God that everything, whether we understand everything or not.

I faith we understand the original word which refers to perception, one Greek scholar said that this word means to perceive with reflective intelligence know what you look at nature around you and the world around you and and and you perceive that there must've been a creator much like you would look at her watch and study its mechanisms and assume reflectively, intelligently, that it must, there must somewhere be a watchmaker just like we believe in wind we've never seen it. We can only see its effects, which we perceive with intelligence as to the existence of wind that you notice were also told here that by faith we understand that the worlds were prepared wonderful word means to outfit it means to equip God created the earth and the animal kingdom then with the appearance of age. In order for it to function properly effect if you'd be able if you could travel back in time to those first six days of creation and and suppose you arrive just moments after Adam was created, you would notice as you are introduced to him that you are not talking to a little boy, but a fully grown man. In fact, he would be able to talk to him because he was created with the ability to communicate. Already, he wasn't saying… But that he could speak articulately if you concluded however, that it was more than an hour old be wrong. It was created fully mature. That's the way God equipped his creation. Hebrews tells us that God created it fully packed, fully equipped for life. In fact, consider this.

Had God not done it that way. Adam would've had nothing to eat so were told in verse 11 of Genesis chapter 1. The God created trees already mature, already bearing fruit which Adam appreciated and all the animals as well. Again, that you would assume that those trees were years old, but was created that way by the word of God and fully equipped to sustain the lives of animals, and mankind who would eat its fruit without having to wait a year or two or three for to grow up and bear fruit while they starve to death.

Genesis 121 agrees with Hebrews 11 three. The God created a fully equipped fully functioning animal kingdom, including a fully functioning universe which means that the sun and the moon and the stars were created with their lighted properties already affect Earth, it had to benefit the earth or earth would not do what earth should an oak tree was already 30 feet high for shade and protection if you cut that tree down.

You would be able to count an appropriate number of growth rings representing age why because we now know that growth rings of xylem are not only signs of age. But they serve as a part of the trees vascular system essential a tree cannot stand up without it. So take a look at the trees. Take a look at Adam and Eve take a look at the stars, the sun, the moon, the universe are world and you would find it God outfitted it at a moment in time. Are you sure did he not do it over billions of years.

Notice again with Hebrews explains by faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God the Word of God the Word he spoke it into existence in the beginning said with me, God created the heavens and the earth, fully equipped within a week of days to sustain life and the more by the way we learn about our planet.

The more we recognize how many things needed to exist immediately in order to sustain anything when evolution would consider nothing less than amazing coincidences that make the universe fit for life. We believe they came from the word of an omniscient, omnipotent God, from the molecular properties of water to the balance of electrical charges in the proton and the electron.

The entire structure of the physical universe was intricately balanced and designed to support life on earth. So Adam and Eve and all that was on earth could enjoy, would God created does the Bible say in this text that God spoke things into existence, and then evolve. They evolved over billions of years.

Well, he's gonna reemphasize once again looked further in this verse so that what is seen.

Presently was not made out of things which were visible is reinforcing it look God didn't use visible things to create the world and the animal kingdom, and the universe. The only beings he he used existing materials for in creation were Adam and Eve and for purpose.

Adam he created out of dirt, reminding man that his body is going to go back to dusted and can last forever. Eve was created.

Secondly, out of Adam's rib to reveal submission to him in dependence upon him while at the same time partnership with him at his side. The Bible doesn't leave room for God creating some original ammonia swimming in a little warm pond somewhere and then program it to evolve over billions of years in the beginning God created and by the way, that word created our is a verb that that that includes the idea of what they would say the creation is that history creation asked Neela that his creation out of nothing but it also includes that little verb does the idea and I love this. The concept of effortlessness.

I love these.

God created all there is creation is stupendous and complex and vast and incredible, but get this to him. It was easy. It was easy. He's my hero and I know is yours to David Brecht about his Lord when he said by the word of the Lord the heavens were made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. Let the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of who him our hero David is on the right, for he spoke and it was done he commanded and it stood fast. The counsel of the Lord stands forever. The plans of his heart from generation to generation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord some 33 interesting that that would become so closely after the declaration of creationism. How tragic to know that we live in a nation whose God is not the Lord is creative handiwork is politically incorrect to even speak of, much less to believe in. As I've said before, we are watching our world erase the signature of the painter from the mural of his handiwork. One university educator openly advocated that any professor should have the right to fail any student in his class to matter what their grade if they discover the student is a creationist, another educator wrote in the Journal of the National Center for science education. Quote no advocate of such propaganda creationism should be trusted to teach science classes or administer science programs anywhere or under any circumstance. Moreover, if any, are now doing so, they should be dismissed.

Which by the way goes against the original argument were Clarence Darrow, I'm sure you read the history of 1925 in this ACLU lawyer argued creation was on trial, he argued, get this.

This was his original argument that creation should not be the only theory taught in public schools, and he argued, and I quote it is bigotry for public schools to teach only one theory of origin with the ACLU now come along and say that our educational system is bigoted because it only allows evolution. Don't hold your breath with hypocrisy and its expected one of mass in any nation who refuses even the possibility of a creator God. Darwin summarized it.

I think best.

I am in a model course.

What a mess model life becomes. But here's your way out. Here's the way up out of the model. Let God be your ultimate original hero when you do it in a discover not only the answers to the six questions, let me give you three more reassuring principles that follow number one if God's word was sufficient to equip the universe to sustain life's word is sufficient to sustain your life and know you can trust him by faith. For what happened thousands of years ago, you can trust him by faith. For what happened yesterday. What happened today and what might happen in your life. Tomorrow you can trust him. He has packed your car for the journey he has determined for you. You got every bag you need prepared his word is sufficient to sustain your life. Secondly, if God do all the details necessary in creating you. He knows all the details necessary to redeem you. You're familiar with Carl Sagan a popular revolutionist to know passed away when his program on television for years, including books were. He denied the existence of the creator gave divine attributes to the universe's program would begin by saying that because Moss is all that is or ever was or ever will. In a book published near the end of his life, Sagan wrote and I quote, our planet is a lonely spec in the greats cosmic dark in our obscurity in all this vastness. There is no hint that help will come to save us from ourselves in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the word was God and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us ladies and gentlemen help did come a man and it came from the only place he could come from the one who knew all the details in creating us the one who already knew and had already planned before the foundation of the world.

All the details to redeem us. He's my hero and as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, you exist by means of his creative plan. You and everything about you are equipped with a moral compass that reflects his nature. You are freed from the guilt that you feel when you break that moral compass when you come to the cross of his son and and and you find purpose in serving him and acknowledging him and trusting him and you have a huge sure that is beyond imagination prepared by keep in mind that this is more than simply an issue of this agreement. This is why were ambassadors of Jesus Christ begging the world to be reconciled to him that there's more here than simply an issue of this agreement okay you're gonna believe that, believe that no, there's a coming day of judgment where the entire world. Every single person who ever lived, will have a face to face encounter with her creator, whether they deny them or except they will one day encounter him face-to-face. Is it any wonder that the creation is bound up in the gospel. First book in the first chapter of the Bible gives us the description of this world as we know, the last book of the Bible in the last chapter wraps up by giving us a description of the world to come, and that will last forever, how would God communicate this to us. How could he say it in the simplest of terms.

I know he would say like this by faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible without the list of heroes has begun in the first hero on the list appropriately is the ultimate original hero was none other than our creator God. Jesus Christ is the ultimate original hero here on wisdom for the heart. Stephen Davey is in the series from Hebrews 11 called heroes. This chapter is called the heroes hall of faith before looking at some of the Bible characters listed there. The chapter begins by looking at Christ. You really can't have a discussion about faith without beginning with Jesus, the one in whom we've placed our faith.

I hope today's lesson was encouraging to you. We enjoy hearing from you and learning how God uses the ministry of wisdom for the heart to encourage why not take a moment and send us a note address it to wisdom for the heart PO Box 37297, Raleigh, NC 27627. When you write. Let us know how you're enjoying heart-to-heart magazine and please join us again tomorrow for more wisdom for the heart