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Bro. Otis Fisher
Or next week we're in chapter Hebrews chapter 11 this week or next
week I Want you to come with the answer to the question.
What is the sin that so easily besets us
now since you have turned to Hebrews 11.
Go to 1st John 2 2.
We had something in class Friday night that I just cannot pass up.
1st John 2 2.
David.
I had just asked a given assignment for next week.
What is the sin that so easily besets us?
Come with your answer in 1st John 2 2 and
He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but
also for the sins of the whole world.
Now I want you to notice.
John does not say that if anyone repents He has an advocate
or if anyone confesses his sins He has an advocate.
Neither does he say that if anyone goes through a ceremony to get rid of his sins?
He has an advocate.
What does it say?
Joy,
no.
That that's true, but when does he go.
What's the key.
When is it David when we sin.
Not when we repent.
Not anything except when we sin.
Then that's right, but he doesn't.
He is the advocate when we sin.
We have an advocate with the father before we've ever repented of the cruel and brutal
words that we said.
Before we have repented he is the advocate for that sin.
And We we haven't done anything, but think about it
the moment we did the wrong act.
The moment we thought about doing the wrong act.
He was there as an advocate for us.
Yes.
That's right.
Except Satan doesn't go before the father.
He goes before the Lord.
There's a difference.
Sin cannot be in the presence of the father.
The mercy seat which represents Christ.
Was on top of the ark between God and
man.
All right.
Since you've got that now come to Hebrews 1 1
11 1.
Excuse me.
All I could see was ones down here.
Yes,
I hope not because Levin's all I've got
is that what the rest of you thought.
Be where are we?
Why didn't somebody tell me?
Well.
Regardless of where we are.
This is where we are now.
Chapter 11 will get 10 next week.
I thought I had taught it, but I go over them so much I get confused.
Chapter 11 Of the book of Hebrews.
Now don't try to find me in 10.
I won't be there now.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of
things not seen.
Well, that's quite a mouthful.
Hebrews 12 2.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.
Who for the joy that was set before him.
Endured the cross.
Despising the shame.
And is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
That's out of chapter 12.
Chapter 11 says faith is the substance.
Substance is the basis for determination of realities.
Substance is the basis.
For determination of realities faith is the
same thing.
Now a reality.
The pew is here in front of me.
That's reality.
The substance of the pew is How I
determine The reality of it.
As you and I well know it's the will of God that overshadows all of this.
There are many illustrations of and applications of faith, but only one
definition the definition of faith the substance of
things hoped for the evidence of things seen.
Faith is not the dressing added to the salad of good works.
It's not like that at all.
Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the
invisible as seen.
I'm still working on it.
Faith enables the believer to treat the future
as present and the invisible as seen.
How many of you visualize Jesus Christ here with us?
I dare say if we all drew a picture of him or took a picture.
If that were possible.
They'd all be different, but it would be Jesus Christ as he appears to me.
Evidence moves by faith.
Faith is a present experience of realities which are future in time.
Faith is the present experience of.
Of realities which are future in time.
Faith has it right now.
What is the present time we talk about it?
We discuss it.
What is it?
What is the very present time?
David
Burge, what's the present time David didn't know?
Bill
well, let's get Greg's thoughts on it.
Anyone else want to try.
It's that time that lies between the past and future.
Non -existent yet it exists.
Sub.
What does sub mean?
Burge
sub just the word sub.
They'll give us the answer.
All right to stand under.
That which exists by itself.
That which receives modification and not a self mode.
Now evidence, we all know what evidence is.
Greg, what is it?
The means by which a fact is made known.
Faith is that which changes into that which we expect
with an assurance That it will happen.
Faith is that
which changes into that which we expect.
With an assurance that it will happen.
Faith is the means by which the fact of the thing expected is made known to us
to.
For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Elders.
David who are the elders?
The Saints of the Old Testament.
They received a good report with God.
Noah build an ark and He did it by faith.
He'd never seen an ark.
There never been an ark there never been a Building like he was building.
But he had faith in God that it was going to be needed.
Well, was it some kind of a dream that he had?
We don't know.
God spoke to him.
God gave him an abundance of evidence because Noah walked with God for years.
The problem with many of us today is That when a crisis comes
we ought to be able to rest in the Lord.
We can't.
Why is it that we can't
because what all right.
It's Because we're in the flesh most of the time.
We have not made it a practice to rest in the Lord in good times.
How can you expect to do something when you haven't done it before.
I know the group I'm speaking to this doesn't hold.
But to those listening by tape it does.
The problem with many of us today is that when a crisis comes to us We ought to be able to rest in the God
and lay hold of him.
We are not able to do so because we haven't been doing it all along.
There's such a new experience for us.
That is a very difficult thing to do.
I Hope that's not true of any of us.
However If you learn to trust God when the sun's shining You'll be
able to when it isn't the shining of the Sun meaning good times.
Just right.
We walk by faith.
Not by sight most
of us most of the time.
Walk by sight not knowing not even
Aware that we're doing it.
I won't believe that unless you show me it
was made possible.
Because they use the faith of God to guide their lives.
So we must do the same.
Noah worked by faith.
He built the ark by faith.
Three.
Though through faith we understand that the world were framed by the Word of God.
So the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
What what's that mean Greg?
Absolutely.
Do you believe that all things were made by our Lord Jesus Christ?
Yes, well, can you prove it?
Turn to Colossians 1 16.
Greg and I'd want you to read 16 17 18 and 19 and
20 Colossians 1 starting with 16
through 20.
Right
rather amazing set of verses.
He is before all things.
What does the word before me
parents
and by him all things consist.
Verge, what does that mean?
All right when you see the word consist think of the word glue.
We get our word glue from the same word.
It is by Jesus Christ that everything is glued together.
Now Bill, what is it?
That's glued together.
What is everything?
All right, it's the atoms.
We call it an atom.
We've gone smaller than that, but the atom.
It's glued together.
What is it that is gluing it together.
Greg well.
It's a force.
We don't know what electricity is we think we do we know how to use it.
We know a few rules that apply to it, but we don't know what it is.
It's the electricity it's the power of God that holds everything together
if He lets slip one little thing one place.
What would happen?
It would come unglued and nothing can come unglued by itself.
It would affect others.
Can you prove that the Bible is true.
This is a book we study all of our life.
How do we know it's true David?
But to a believer only.
Why can you prove it to a believer?
Only by God can we ever believe it?
They may believe it mechanically.
But not spiritually,
that's right, and it will forever be new to you.
You'll live many years after I'm gone, but the book is always new.
It never changes.
One truth that I see right now Will be there forever.
It's circumstances that change and cause me to look for something different.
How do you know you have a head you've never seen it.
You've received you have seen the reflection only.
Well if you're cross -eyed.
Yeah.
Long nose and cross -eyed you can see it.
Yeah, you know, it's something you don't know.
It's a nose.
I know you.
I Know you have a head because I can see yours.
The Word whirls here is plural and It's not
cosmos.
As it usually is it's a heat a heat.
Yonah he on.
It means an age.
So How does it read?
Through faith we understand that the ages were framed by the Word of God
for.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.
By which he obtained witness that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts and
by it being dead yet speaketh.
We refer to Abel many many times.
They're still in lots of people's mind.
The confusion about he and Cain.
That why didn't God accept Cain's?
Sacrifice.
Both boys were instructed how to offer sacrifice.
Both boys were instructed in the art of offering a blood sacrifice.
Cain didn't think is necessary.
Abel did.
We have the plural use here of gifts.
Meaning more than one gift.
That's not a misprint.
It's telling us something so Abel Bringing more than one gift.
He brought the fruit of his hands and the blood sacrifice.
Awful.
Also, we concentrate upon the fact that he brought blood.
Well, that's all right.
But we have to remember he brought of the hands also
we bring of our hands.
But we bring blood also.
Who is that or what is that Greg?
We offer to God the fruit of our hands where there's tithe, talent, whatever.
But we also bring a blood offering to God.
That's Jesus Christ.
One time the blood offering to Christ to to the Heavenly Father.
Both of these boys had knowledge to bring the blood offering.
Abel's offering pointed to Jesus the Christ.
Now he had to do that by faith.
Did he not.
Absolutely,
that's
right by
faith.
Enoch Was translated that he should not see death and was not
found.
Because God had translated him for before his translation.
He had this testimony that he pleased God he
pleased God.
The second instance is Enoch concerning whom our Apostle affirms that he was
translated.
What's translated mean?
Dennis all right that he was translated and that he was
translated by faith.
If he had not had faith that would not happen translated from one
condition to another from grace to glory.
From earth to heaven.
He was gathered by God both in body and soul to himself.
God gathered Enoch his body his soul.
The clothes he was wearing everything.
He just took him.
That's right and in a way of eminent grace and favor free from
death.
He didn't have to go through death.
Hereby God gave the world a convincing testimony.
That the body is capable of eternal life and happiness.
Such as would live after God.
Hereafter must study and seek to please God by walking with him.
Here would we come to where Enoch
is?
We must walk as Enoch did.
There is no hope of Living with God in heaven if we do not please him here on
earth.
If you ever think about it.
That's my whole purpose the only reason that I am Doing what I'm
doing is to please God.
I had nothing to do with it.
I Must please my heavenly father.
Six but without faith.
It's impossible to please him if I didn't have
I Couldn't hope to please him or he that cometh to God must believe that
he is.
And that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him it is only through faith
I get tired of Some of the big evangelists
one in particular that say there's many ways to God.
This isn't the only way I can't understand the man saying
that when he is taught different.
But without faith, it's impossible to please him without confidence in God.
Do you have confidence in God?
Verge.
Absolutely in His fidelity
his truth his wisdom his promises.
Do you have confidence all of you in God?
I hope so and this is as true in
other things As well as religion.
It's impossible for a child To believe his father unless he has
confidence in his father.
It's impossible for a wife to please her husband or the husband to please the wife unless
they have confidence in each other.
Where there is no confidence There's trouble
distrust jealousy.
On either part there's discord and misery.
We cannot be pleased with a professed friend Unless he has such
confidence in us as to believe our declarations
and our promises.
Same things true of God.
He cannot be pleased with the man who has no confidence in him who doubts the truth
of his declarations and promises.
Who does not believe That his ways are right or that he is qualified.
The requirement of faith or confidence in God is not arbitrary.
It is just what?
We require of our children and parents partners and
life and friends as The indispensable condition of our
belonging is pleased With him.
Seven by faith.
Noah Being warned of God of things not seen as yet
moved with fear Prepared an ark to the saving of his house By
the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness Which is by
faith?
The example of his faith Was a rebuke to all others
Who were not moved by it.
The man who gives heed to God by his conduct Condemns those who refuse to heed
him.
We don't need to do it just Operate your life as you should.
Eight by faith.
Abraham dear old Abraham.
When he was called to go out into a place Which he should after
receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whether he went.
You remember the story of Abraham?
How he was called out of the Ur of Chaldees.
Can you imagine Abraham?
His successful businessman.
He has a business.
He has people working for him.
He comes home one day tells his wife God has called me to move.
Well, where are you going?
I don't know.
He said to go west and that's all I know.
God just told me he went.
And he was told a little bit more.
And he went a little further and he was told a little bit more.
See.
God does not reveal everything to us all at once.
For the next instance of the efficient efficiency of faith we have here in the person
Abraham Who obeyed the call and command of God in leaving his own native country
to go?
He knew not whether and to receive an inheritance.
He knew not when.
By faith, he sojourned in the land of promise.
What does sojourn mean?
Great.
All right as a stranger.
In a strange country dwelling in tabernacles with Ishmael with
Isaac and Jacob and heirs with him of the same promise.
Remember God gave the same promise to them.
It's remarkable that Abraham did not acquire any right to Canaan except a
burying place.
He didn't stake out his claim and build a house.
He didn't live in a house.
He lived in a tent.
He was looking for a better country, wasn't he?
One not made by hands 10.
For he looketh for a city which hath foundations.
Whose builder and maker is God.
The tabernacle was shown to Moses.
The Tabernacle was built by the hands of men.
But the tabernacle the real tabernacle was built by God.
Do you ever think of God as a builder?
How do you suppose he sawed the boards correctly.
What kind of tape measure did he use?
Square.
He didn't have to or he looked for
a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God.
These words acquaint us with the free reward and gracious benefit Which God gave
Abraham and Sarah as a fruit of the faith namely the blessing of a
numerous.
Posterity there sprang from them and both of them as good as dead
people as old as they were to give life to a
new child.
It had to be by the hand of God 11.
Through faith also Sarah herself received strength To conceive seed and was
delivered of a child when she was past age.
Because she judged him faithful who had promised therefore Sprang there even of
one and him as good as dead.
So many as the stars of the sky and multitude and as the sand which is by the seashore
innumerable.
These all died in faith not having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them
and Confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth.
The tragedy among believers today.
Is that so many act as though they were going to stay here forever?
You can't you can't stay here.
No matter what happens you cannot stay here.
Someone has said.
I Looked for the church and found it in the world.
I looked for the world and found it in the church.
It's gotten to the point where most church members don't recognize that.
I hope we still do.
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
It's not here.
Real believers do not need to have a sign or bumper sticker Advertising that they are believers.
While the unbeliever frets and lives and fear the future the true believer Has peace in
Jesus Christ 15
and truly.
If they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out They might have had
opportunity to have returned the children of Israel.
For the most part wanted to go back soon as they got tough.
They wanted to go back soon as they run out of water.
They wanted to go home.
They were not allowed to.
It was the mixed multitude that stirred them up.
It's still the mixed multitude that stirs us up.
But God did not allow them to return to Egypt.
Why?
Exactly, right.
If they had been allowed to go back then we could lose our salvation.
They had their minds full of their old home.
They wanted to return.
Do you love the things of the world more than you love Jesus?
Is there anything in your life that you would hate to leave.
I've just started this.
Why did you come now?
Peter was asked the same question when they
have anything now this world.
Which you will as lots wife look back longingly and hate to leave it.
We need to stop right here.
We'll take up ten next time.
Then come back to verse 16.
Remember.
I Still want you to ask next answer next week and the next.
What is the sin that so easily besets me.
You'll find the answer in the Bible someplace and You can know what it is the
sin that so easily overcomes anything from
anybody.
Greg dismisses, please.