Hebrews 11:8-19 — Don McClure

Abraham's Faithful Obedience and Sarah's Faith

By faith Abraham when he was called to go out unto a place which he should receive for an inheritance He obeyed and he went out not knowing whether he went by faith. He sojourned in the land of promise as In a strange country dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob the heirs with him of the same promise.

For he looked for a city that hath the foundations whose builder and makers God 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 even of one even as him as good as dead.

So many as the stars of the sky and multitude as the sand by which the seashore innumerable all these died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off and were Persuaded of them and they embraced them and they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth for they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country and Truly if they have been mindful of that country from which they had come out They might have had opportunity or to have returned but now they desire a better country.

That is a heavenly where for God is not ashamed to be called their God for he has prepared for them a city. By faith Abraham when he was Tried offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.

Of whom it is said in Isaac shall thy seed be called accounting that God was also Able to raise him up even from the dead from whence he received him in a figure father. We thank you again for this wonderful chapter on faith and Lord.

I thank you these things that you taught Lord each of these wonderful patriarchs of the Old Testament Saints. Just as real and just as human is every one of us the struggles that they had in their own life.

But Lord to bring them into a full rich faith and trust and deep abiding relationship with you Lord. We thank you. That's what you long for and we ask that you would be teaching us bringing us each one of us Through that same journey into a deep abiding rest in you Jesus.

We thank you for it in your wonderful name. We pray amen. Well here now as we continue on in this wonderful chapter Hebrews Hall of Fame Hall of Faith that is called by difference. It's such a dynamic and a wonderful chapter so practical and to me so powerful for us in our walk in our life of faith.

Faith as Complete Dependence on God

That we all are on Ourself as you may recall last week. We looked at just some of the fundamental aspects of faith and that faith is something there. The Romans tells us that whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

God wants us to bring us bring us into a place where our whole life is one there. It's completely ultimately dependent in a wonderful trust and a dependence upon God. You recall perhaps back in verse 6 for it tells us there that for without faith It is impossible to please him.

For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him. God wants to bring every one of us into that dimension to where we love seeking him waiting upon him trusting in him relying upon him for absolutely everything and Doing it, of course by faith.

Now as we also looked at perhaps if you remember last week God has dealt the Bible says to every man a measure of faith. Everybody is actually practicing faith all the time. There's not a person in the world that isn't living by faith.

We all do all the time. It's just essentially what is it that we're putting our faith in? I mean every time you get in a car you're practicing faith to a degree every time you mail a letter every time.

You know you make a deposit in the bank. You're you're believing well that hard-earned money is going to place that you believe it's gonna go to the right account you do it in a sense by faith and You take a new job you ride in an airplane.

We're all Taking these steps of faith. Constantly and putting our life into somebody else's hands or our resources or something of ourself into somebody else. Everybody's constantly operating in a dimension of faith.

The Muslim may take his faith and put it in the Quran or in Muhammad the idolater. He finds himself he puts his faith in his graven images. The materialist puts it in his own wealth the philosopher in his own ideas.

The humanist puts it in himself, you know in a sense I will do it. The religionist kind of does it in his own works. But the Christian puts his faith simply in the finished work of Jesus Christ. And as it tells us in Acts 4 12, this is there is no salvation in any other.

Well, there is none other name given under heaven whereby which men must be saved. It's a we look there and realize as a Christian I have chosen to put my faith in Christ in his finished work and that his sacrifice on the cross Forgives cleanse in my life ensures me of heaven with him forever and ever and so we all live in faith.

It's just what we put it in because as we also you recall last week faith is no greater than the object in which you put it and The weaker the object the more faith you need. But the greater our realization of who God is in his word the less faith that essentially we really need to do it.

Surrender, Walking with God, and Serving His Kingdom

Last week we looked as well. If you'll recall on some of the processes of faith were able showed us the first and initial thing of me. Coming in offering surrendering my life worshiping God by faith through the blood offering and sacrifice of Christ.

We saw with Enoch there of learning the next thing God wants to see is not just simply I come to him through the right Offering and sacrifice but now lie as Enoch showed us he walked with God and he was not for God took him.

Learning to walk with God with Noah. We saw and how the Lord wants to teach us with our life to how to serve him how to work for the things of the kingdom to put our values and eternal things as Noah did.

Abraham's Faith Wanderings Begin

Well today we want to look at Abraham and Essentially what I have called not simply face worship or face walk or face work but face Wanderings in watching Abraham now through many events in covering his life really from beginning to end.

Almost from the time that were introduced to him at any rate and Looking here at these verses on Abraham and what does he have to teach us and to me? It's as I said the face wanderings. Sometimes we're going through life and we feel like we're just wandering.

Where in the world am I going? I'm sure Abraham felt that way many many times. What is it that is really going on? But when you step back and you look at his life, you realize though what may be times seem to be very confusing wanderings.

It was a very orderly process that God was putting him through. The first aspect of it or that I want to look at is in verse 8 Where it says by faith Abraham when he was called to go out in the place in which he should receive after for an inheritance.

He obeyed and he went out not knowing whether he went. I think the very first aspect that happens when you and I when we truly begin to operate in faith. When I come there and say, okay Lord Christ has died for me.

And I want to walk with you and I want to work for you. And I want my life to be one that is truly walking and following and wandering through life with you. The very first thing is that it tells us about Abraham is that he went out by faith.

That is he went out the Bible says one of the things first thing about faith is he went out not knowing where he was going. And that's really fair where faith actually really simply begins. It begins when you're stepping out on a journey and that you don't know where the journey is leading you.

You have no idea, you know where it really goes if you don't know the destination if you were to leave here today and You were to you know, the Lord says here. I want us to go someplace great. Let's go and you know, you jump in the car and the Lord says here you drive.

I'll sit over here and let's go and you well you'd say all right and off you'd go. But where are we going? Oh, I'll tell you as we go. Well by the time you got to the end of the parking lot, you'd have to say well, do we go right or left?

You know on the street, let's go left down left. We go you get to the you know. The next intersection, you know down at Irvine Center and drive and you got another decision right or left? Let's go left.

How far we'll go down the 405. Okay. Now every intersection virtually you come to now north or south on the 405. Let's go north, you know. And okay, we're going north how far we'll just keep driving. I'll tell you whenever you watch other roads turn keep going get on the 55.

Okay, you go on the 55 55 north or south again every time you're having to communicate you're having to ask. You're having to seek new direction at every intersection. Then you get a little while. It'll go north on five now and then here go 57 or whatever, you know and you did north or south or whatever it is each time and then if but if he did.

He said let's go to the Anaheim Stadium when you're sitting here. You could have put him in your trunk. You know and not have to talk again till you got to Anaheim Stadium and then unlock the trunk and say well look at that.

You're still there. Now. What do you want to do? You know, there'd be absolutely no need to develop much of anything. But you hear Abraham what God was really doing with him is he's taking him in this journey where it's first of all Faith is a journey with God.

It's not a geographic journey. Although it is we're always coming and going we're taking jobs. Changing careers buying homes. Coming and going here and there and all sorts of changes that can appear to be.

Where's this road lead? Where's this road? Don't worry about it. It has no interest at all as far as God's concerned as much as what God is wanting to do is where we learn his Voice we learn fellowship with him.

We learn communion with him the ultimate, you know process here that is going on. Is that God wants to build friendship and he wants to build fellowship. He wants to build communion not just somebody that got from one place to another.

But rather than that that somebody in the process of getting from one place to another. Has grown in this wonderful abiding sense of communion and a fellowship and friendship. I believe so often, you know with the Lord the 80s.

There are all these destinations that he's going to take us but more important to him is the relationship in the destination. It's just like, you know marriage ought to be when I met Jean and I realized I want to be with her.

I just call her up and I just try to figure out, you know, hey, you want to go somewhere and she didn't say well. Where you know, that's sort of a thing if it's really a good thing I might go with you, you know or something determine if she would be with me based upon the destination.

It was something there were oftentimes. We'd go. Hey, let's go for a ride. He'd say where we just go for a ride because it was our ways. We want to be together, you know and in sort of a thing and well here we well here.

We're driving out right here. You want to stop you want to go you want to get something to eat? You want to because the thing is is you want to be together? You want to learn each other's voice you want to build a friendship?

You want to build a sense of love and communion with one another when we forget that that's what it is. Whether it's in a marriage or it's in anything else so often we easily get destination, you know oriented.

We just simply well, where are we gonna go? You know next thing, you know, so often you get married have a few kids and everything's just destination. It's just. You get the kids there I'll do this you do that and boom you're off doing everything and say I know I remember you.

I just don't remember what you much about you. So I'm in in having to go back and realize wait a minute. Why did we start this journey in the first place? And here God was taking Abraham and with him what seemed to be mysterious would seem to be confusing.

Where are we going? And what are we doing? Here is God would lead him and down they'd get down to Canaan as they no longer. It's no sooner got there than the Bible tells us. God literally led Abraham into a famine in the land and into a trial and here they're going down and he goes in obedience.

Obey, not knowing whether he went and here God wanting him to be able to turn say, okay. I'm here. Looks like a dead end. What do I do? Instead He'd listened to his own voice went down to Egypt. But here is then he got in trouble in Egypt and then he begins crying out building an altar to God.

How do I get right? I blew it and God said yes you did. But what it was you didn't listen my voice you didn't seek me you went to your own will you listen to your own way of solving things and. So often God just allows us many times to be going not knowing where we're going.

Where am I going in this Christian life? What's it all about? What's it all happening? What's the next step? But when I'm looking there and realizing wait a minute God, I'm in a journey with you. I want to learn your voice.

I want to learn fellowship and communion with you and we realize they're ultimately that God is not just simply a means to an end. He is also the end to which he is the means. That's the ultimate thing but he wants there to say I'm the means not just the end.

Not just the ultimate destination. Take this job buy this home. Marry this person, you know do this do that. But no He wants to bring us in to say did that the end is not this or that or whatever else the end is.

Ultimately the Lord and he just starts teaching us. So often we go out not knowing where we're going. We need him, but then not only is faith going out where you don't know where you're going. It tells us in verse 15.

It says. And truly if they had been mindful of the country from which they had come out. They might have had opportunity to have returned. Here is something there. It's one thing not only with is faith something where you're learning to go out in faith.

Staying Out in Faith Through Trials

But you're learning to stay out in faith in the midst of some of the difficulties of the trials, you know. There's always an excitement and going out in faith. You ever noticed in life that anytime there's some new adventure happening some new part of the journey, you know what I mean?

There's the thrill of a new car the new job new home. It's all we're venturing out and there's this new excitement. You know there the day that you know that you know, you you get a new boat. You know or something or whatever it is whoopee.

And then after you've got that boat a little while you realize what am I doing with this boat? You know or something else this this thing is sinking me with it, you know or something else. But but so often in life or what I look at this house.

That was so exciting when I drove down the street and honey. There it is. And then you walk in buy it shut the door and the door falls off and you say oh. You know, it's one thing to go out in faith. It's another thing to stay out in faith.

After the initial excitement of the adventure kind of is worn off and some of the trials and some of the struggles. Again when Abraham finds himself getting down there in the Canaan and there's a genuine famine in the land.

Something he'd never experienced in the world. Abraham and Sarah an extremely wealthy couple over 300 servants I mean unbelievable wealth they lived in Ur of Chaldeas the most advanced progressive modern city in the world at the time.

Here this couple that by where they were at in life when they began to venture out in faith. They no doubt had absolutely everything Ur of Chaldeas ever dreamed of having no doubt Abraham. He was a you know a member of the finest country club in Ur of Chaldeas.

You know everything it had to offer there and he had probably the sleekest Bunch of donkeys you ever saw, you know or something and she had you know everything that you know down at her women's club and all the you know the.

Everything that every shop had in town and she had rings in her fingers and bells on her toes and bones in her nose. You know, she probably had it all that you could possibly had of comforts into pleasures.

It was theirs and then one day this wealthy, you know. Comfortable, you know people who had everything to avoid every trial that you could ever imagine. They step out in faith and they live as strangers and pilgrims for the rest of their lives in tents.

And as they're living in these tents, you know this wonderful Journey, I mean a lot of wealthy people probably like to say hey, let's try camping, you know and for a day. You know or something but after about two or three days the camping trip kind of turns.

You know on them there when the Coleman stove runs out of propane, you know or something and they hey call a propane truck ship It in well, they don't do it here, you know, or what do you mean? They don't buy a truck, you know or something.

No trucks around and all of a sudden your whole world begins to change in some trials begin to set in. And it tells us here that he if he had been mindful of the country from which he came he had opportunity to return.

God said to Abraham and I said anytime you guys want to serve Calde's back you can go back. You've got opportunity. It's still there all the club memberships all the activities the estate all the comforts all the pleasures.

You don't have to you know, walk around in this dust bowl, you know breathing, you know Sand, you know and like you are you can live like Kings again. But the thing here that is happening within them with all that they had something with Abraham and Sarah obviously was missing in her of Calde's.

They looked at all that her of Calde's could offer them and all that they could find and they found that there was something. That nothing there could fill a relationship with God. There was something wonderfully mysterious that was going on within them the dream of knowing God of walking with God of Experiencing God it had come through this process while they went out in faith and even in the midst of the trials into the struggles.

Sometimes being rebuked by God disciplined by God something that a lot of wealthy people can avoid very easily. But they're having God deal with them and and rebuke them and tell you won't live like this.

You won't act like that. You won't behave like this. I'll always have before you not now not my child in there, but still to say I Want you. I still want you no matter what it is. No matter what it is I've got to learn no matter what it is.

You want to put me through there there was something with all the difficulties or all the challenges they still look there. They could line them up against all of their former pleasures and comforts and and treasures that they had known and they realize.

Though I can have it back at any time I wouldn't trade the trials that I have in the desert with God. Then all of the pleasures and treasures of Earl of Chaldeas without him there was something happening here where God is literally taking you know this this couple and Wanting to take them into a wonderful place with him in their heavenly place an eternal place to teach him.

They're this fleeting passing world. What's the difference with it? Anyway, and is that they're looking at this. They're realizing that they're choosing him. They went out in faith. And they began they knew what it was to stay out in faith.

Psalm 65 for said blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causes to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of thy house. Even of thy holy temple when somebody realizes caught to have you.

Or as David said a day in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. God you could give me just to be able to be in your house opening the door, you know to the place.

I'd rather be there than to have anything anywhere else. But Abraham and Sarah they were not only there as God was teaching them what it was to go out in faith. And then to stay out in faith when things are tough in the marriage tough, you know.

And the battles around them tough. They had the things that they went through with their nephew lot and with their servants and all the career and adjustments that they were constantly having to make and the servants and the problems between Lot servants and theirs and a lot of things going on but yet in the midst of it There was somebody that they went out in faith and they stayed out in faith.

Still choosing it and then the wonderful thing is they also in the process learned that then Through this that God could virtually do anything by faith. Verse 11 says through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and She was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised.

Sarah's Faith and God's Power to Fulfill His Promise

There's something there in these wonderful wanderings that God has in our life where we go out in faith and then we learn there to stay out in faith in the Trials in the home the trials in the family the trials, you know of learning what it is to truly love.

And to grow and to become strong and to become you know Dependent more and more upon God here in these these wanderings that they're having. They ended up one of the things one, you know, but here is a couple that virtually could have anything.

Anything money could buy. But what had happened to them is they'd actually come to a place that they wanted things money couldn't buy. They began to want something with God money couldn't buy it some things with one another that money couldn't buy.

They also looked there at all that they could have and they wanted here a child and she's barren and all these years 4050 60 years together no child. And there those God would come and say I'll give you one and here they found themselves.

They're wanting in a sense what only God could give faith. Does that to you? Faith has this way of time that maybe as you start out you just got in the car. You just took a ride. There was just something exciting about the thought of who God was.

You just start going down. Where are we going? Well, we'll do and as you chat from one direction to another one wandering to another one, you know. Development in your life to another learning to date and then he helps you through it taking a job.

He helps you through it turning at this intersection in a career and he helps you through it and somehow or another through his voice and through his presence and through his directions as you're going.

Wandering out in faith and then you're even staying out in faith. God helped me through this. I've failed. I've blown some things in my life. I'm just blown some things in my marriage. That's okay. Turn here.

Handle it this way. Where are we going? Just trust me and through this somehow another you begin to look over at the one that's with you in the car. And you realize this is not just somebody who knows where he's going and can get me there.

Somehow or another you begin to realize I don't really know who you are. Fully and I don't know what you're up to but whoever you are. I want all of you I can have. Whatever you are and whatever it is you give I want it and that's what I want.

That's what happened to Abraham and Sarah and they found themselves realizing God and God alone could deliver those types of goods. That the quality of life and the things that could happen. Ultimately there was something that even it's a Sarah found when she's old initially.

She laughed initially she even tried another way to solve the problem. We'll look at that in a moment. But through the process of it, even she came to a place where she found strength. By the way, one of the things I want to tell you that's so wonderful about the New Testament.

Tells us about Abraham that he staggered not at the promises of God. Think of this Abraham and Sarah when you would read of them in the New Testament. You just see this wonderful dynamic couple. They went out in faith and they stayed out in faith and they trusted God and all of these things as Hebrews would write about them this wonderful couple how interesting if you would take that, you know the New Testament and then you go back and you look at The Old Testament and you look at a lot of the processes and you would say now wait a minute this guy.

He went down to Egypt. He lied about his wife, you know, he has a daughter son there with Hagar the handmaiden. She does this she laughs at God all of this and wait a minute. The New Testament says they staggered not at the promises of God in the Old Testament you want to look and say.

Something's there's there's a little slip between the cup and the lip here, you know something now these they didn't stagger. They fell flat on their face. But you know the interesting thing the same Holy Spirit who wrote the Old Testament wrote the New Testament and That when we come and we offer our failings our sins our Terrible things that happened in their marriage to God and God takes him and he forgives him and he cleanses them in the New Testament.

When God would write about them He only has the record of that which is honoring the sin is truly blotted out the failings. The staggerings are all gone and how wonderful they're to realize that with you you may think as you're going through this life.

Oh, man, you know. You can maybe look at each other in your marriage and say hmm. You can look at this and say, you know be of all sorts of struggles and you failed here and I feel there and that Happened here and this happened there, but as you continue with the wanderings.

Going through, you know turning around redirecting. Repenting getting back on the right track. Learning there to love him and to trust him and to depend upon him through these processes. One day God will write about you as surely as he did about them.

They staggered not that the promises of God. Your children they say. But then they'll have to learn the same truth themselves as we all do. Learning to trust him learning to rest in him. Also another wonderful aspect it was they not only learned to go out in faith and to stay out in faith and To believe in God's power there even to produce a child by faith.

But they learned as well what it was to offer everything to God by faith. Hebrews 11 17 says by faith Abraham when he was tried he offered up Isaac. And he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son of whom it is said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called here now.

Offering Isaac and Trusting God's Resurrection Power

Imagine this. Here this is some 50 years after the Lord called Abraham after they got in the car together. So it is after they started the wanderings after they went out in faith and learned to stay out in faith.

And then they had come as God had taken Abraham out. Took him there to the promised land took him to Cain said look north south east and west all this have I given unto thee. And I seed after thee look to the stars of the sky in the land of the in the sands of the sea.

So shall thy descendants be thy seed be after thee. Abraham whoever blesses you I'll bless them whoever curses you I'll curse them under your generations all your descendants to follow. And here God just takes him out any promises as they're driving through life as they're wandering through life one promise after another after another.

But interestingly enough all of these promises as even it tells us here then in Isaac. They're all fulfilled. They're all wrapped up in this little child that Sarah had finally come to the place where they trusted and believed God and God gave them.

The child and can you imagine the thrill of it? Abraham a hundred years old. Sarah at 90 years old. After they're growing up together after spending, you know 80 years or better maybe together and Here this couple has a child in all of their life is now come in the sense of fullness and meaning and it's beyond comprehension almost.

Here he is Isaac and there's there they have him and then one day Genesis 22 one says it came to pass after these things that God did tend to tempt Abraham and he said unto Abraham and he Said here am I?

Take now that son. That only son Isaac whom thou lovest and offer him as a sacrifice and an offering under me in a place that I will show thee the place thereof. God now comes to Abraham. He says Abraham as they're wandering as the journeys have gone on is now it's all finally come together.

I see what a child is this wonderful. Oh, what's it ever exciting to start off with you and all the trials God? They seem to have been worth it all the blessings. They've been with hope could everything just be so wonderful God.

You're so Beautiful who could be like you? By the way, Abraham I have something else I want to talk to you about what's that? Take now that son. That only son Isaac whom thou lovest. I want you to give him to me what?

Yes, you heard me, right? I want you to offer him to me. I want you to come and to give him up to me. I'd like him in Abraham. Can you imagine his mind spinning? Can you imagine him? Wondering what how do you make heads or tails of this?

What in the world are you supposed to possibly do with this thing? But yet then as Abraham as he goes there and he and he takes a three-day journey there to the base of Mount Moriah and There is he turned tell him takes his servants and he takes his son Isaac and as they go off he turns there to them.

And he says we'll be back and off they go and they're walking up there together to worship. I Abraham had told Isaac we're going to worship God together and Isaac turns to his father and he says father We have the fire and we have the wood, but where's the sacrifice?

Father we all know there's no worship until there's a sacrifice. There's no real worship in there until there's something being offered. Oh Can you imagine how that had to ring within Abraham's mind? I know I Know exactly what you're asking Isaac.

There's a sacrifice God will provide it and There is they get up and there is Abraham prepares the wood and then takes Isaac and he lays him up there ties him there now to turn to God and there is he literally raises his hand with a knife in it and Then the most wonderful and amazing thing Amazing to me that is because you think God in his omniscience knowing absolutely everything.

It seemingly wasn't until Abraham literally raised his hand with a knife in it ready to come down and now God says stop it. It's far enough Abraham stops and looks and God says now I know That you fear me it says in the Old Testament, but the word means that that you reverence with love now I know Abraham I Mean more to you than anything Abraham I promised and promised and promised you the wildest of dreams that anybody in the world could ever have been given the greatest destination ever been offered in The now God as he's driving down the road.

He says to Abraham Abraham. How about Forgetting the destination we were ever having. What do you think about just you and me? Being together Loving each other. Forget the promises. Forget the child forget everything else we've ever been through and Then if you can imagine Abraham Now looking over and having to choose between here the one that's been taking him so excited He took me there and he brought me here and he's done this he's done that.

Oh, is this Sarah? It's what a look at a child and now He says by the way, am I more important to you than any place we've been in anywhere we'd ever go. And to have Abraham now turn and to actually be given one of the greatest honors I believe that there can ever be to some a trial and I suppose to any initially a trial but when somebody realizes the processes of God the Opportunity now to come and to truly offer him something to say God.

This is truly yours and To have there as he walked up that mountain, you know alone talk about a man alone if Abraham ever felt alone. No friend there with him. No help. No reinforcement. Abandoned the seemingly by the whole world and there's only his son as he walks up there now as he had to look over at Isaac all the way up and Realize there, but on one hand God I've told you my whole life.

I trust you I've told you I love you. You know, I think there's a few times in life not many. Where we have the opportunity I believe to tell God we love him. We tell him that all the time, don't we? You know, but it so often it isn't sometimes until we're sitting there in the emergency room in the hospital.

It isn't until there that we're in this this predicament. We're now something is really truly on the line someone we love and there's some trial or something with our career or something in the home. Or something there with some deeply loved one and now they're hanging in the balances.