The Victory of Faith (Hebrews 11:32-40 Jeff Kliewer)

Over a hundred million believers, and in India, same thing. South Korea, now very much a

Christian country. How can there be such progress and such power demonstrated in the name of Christ, and yet such suffering allowed by God?

In Philippians 129, it says, It is appointed to you not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.

Suffering is part of the Christian life. The church should expect to experience overpowering victories in the world.

But even where it appears that we are being defeated, enduring faith is the victory.

Even those who go out for the sake of the name, and lose their life on the mission field.

As their faith endures, that is the victory. That is the victory.

In Hebrews 11, verses 32 to 40, we see not just the power of the gospel, the triumph of faith, but also the suffering that often comes to believers.

Turn with me to Hebrews 11, 32 to 40. As we dive into Hebrews 11, you will notice at the end of the chapter in verse 40, that the author directs all of this material to us.

He says, God has provided something better for us, that apart from us, those in Hebrews chapter 11 should not be made perfect.

The goal of Hebrews 11 is for the building up of faith.

To build up our faith. In fact, if you look back at the beginning of Hebrews 11, verse 3, we are the first ones to appear.

By faith, we understand that the universe was created by the word of God. So that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

So kind of like in caps to Hebrews chapter 11, we appear in verse 3 and then we appear in verse 40 and everything that's sandwiched in between is for our instruction.

It's meant to build up our faith. So we have the example of Abel and Enoch and Noah and Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Jacob, and then

Moses, the people, and Rahab as we looked at last week. But look now at verse 32.

We'll read it first of all, that all of these examples of faith are to build up our faith, that we would have triumphs of faith.

But not only triumphs, a faith that endures through suffering. Verse 32 to 40.

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight, women received back their dead by resurrection.

Some were tortured, refusing to accept release so that they might rise again to a better life.

Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword, they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted and mistreated, of whom the world was not worthy, wandering about in deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth.

And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us, they should not be made perfect.

As we were reading through that, did you notice that I paused at a particular point?

Halfway through verse 35, look at the midpoint of verse 35, after it says, women received back their dead by resurrection,

I took a long pause. And that is to demonstrate a change that happens in the text.

In the first part, you have lives in danger, but there's conquering, and there's triumph, and there's healing, resurrection, there's great victory, and overpowering of the enemy.

But then something changes. Did you see the change? Halfway through verse 35, some were tortured.

And then from that point on, you see not a triumphant victory, but suffering, intense suffering.

And I don't understand how a prosperity theologian, one who believes in word -faith theology, that you should always have health and wealth if you're just faithful.

And any reason, the only reason that you could be suffering is that you're not faithful.

You don't have enough faith, and that's why you're suffering the way you are. I don't understand how somebody could teach that doctrine and read this text.

Because something drastic happens halfway through verse 35, doesn't it? And we're gonna get to that.

The point from that point on is that faith itself is the victory. That if you have

Christ, you have everything. And this is a beautiful teaching, but let's begin with the first part.

The first point, verses 32 through 35a, is that faith delivers overpowering victories.

Amen? Through faith, we see amazing things happen.

Let's begin in verse 32. And what more shall I say? He's been giving example after example of powerful answers to prayer of faith of men and women who trusted

God and God delivered them. Time would fail me, he says.

There are so many examples in the Hebrew Bible, the 39 books of the Old Testament, of faith and God delivering

His people and giving just overpowering victories. Time would fail to list them all.

But he can't help himself, so he has to share just a couple examples here. He says, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets.

Now that first four, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, are from the book of Judges.

You have four Judges, and then you have an example of the kings of Israel. David being the prototype and the first faithful king of the

United Kingdom, north and south. And you have Samuel representing the first and then the prophets who come from Isaiah all the way through Malachi.

So this, then, is an example of everything from where we left off, which was the

Torah and the book of Joshua we saw with Rahab, all the way through the end of the Old Testament, just summed up in a verse.

So let's think of the examples that he gives of faith. Who's the first one in our list? Gideon.

Gideon. What can we learn from Gideon? In Judges 6, verse 2, it came at a time when the

Israelites were running for their lives. They were hiding because the Midianites kept raiding them.

And whenever they would bring in the grain and sift the wheat, here come the Midianites to take all their food.

Got to the point in chapter 6, verse 2 of Judges that they build dens and caves to hide themselves.

And so you find Midian, he's actually hiding in a winepress, beating out the wheat because he's afraid of the

Midianite raiders. And God appears to this man who's hiding and says, this mighty warrior and commissions him to go and deliver the people of God.

Now it had to begin with the purifying of the people of God. And so the altar to Baal that Israelites had lifted up on a hill needed to be cut down.

Gideon goes up and cuts down Baal's altar. That's why they call him

Jerubbael because he fought against Baal and the people wanted to kill him and yet Gideon's dad stood up for him and said let

Baal contend for himself. Jerubbael, let Baal contend. So nobody laid a hand on Gideon.

Instead, he rose up as a mighty man and the Bible tells us in that sixth chapter of Judges he was clothed from God, from the

Spirit of God with power from on high. The Spirit of God clothed him. Lord God, I pray that you would clothe me with power from on high to preach your word.

When Gideon was clothed with power from on high, he went out to war.

Here's the problem. He had 32 ,000 men behind him and God said, if you go take this victory with 32 ,000 men, you may think that the strength came from yourself.

You might take the glory for this and he wanted all the glory for himself.

God delights in his own glory and so he said to the 32 ,000 men, if any of you are scared, if any of you are anxious, please go home and 22 ,000 men departed.

Gideon was left with 10 ,000 and God said, now I'll sift the troops.

Send everybody down to the river and tell them to drink. The men not knowing what was happening, they went down to the river and they began to drink.

Some just put their face right in the river and drank. Others took water in their hands and began to lap like a dog while they looked up and God said, anybody who drank with your head in the river, go home.

Trouble is that was 9 ,700 men and Gideon was left with 300 men to face the

Midianite hordes. In the middle of the night, they lit torches, broke some pots and by the power of God, the enemy was put to flight.

They chased them. Now the Israelites came in behind and joined the chase and absolutely destroyed an enemy that had overpowered them according to Judges 6, 1 and 2.

They had been overpowered for years. When God chose to rise up and raise up a deliverer, he crushed the enemy with 300 men and he chose

Gideon from the tribe of Manasseh, a least of the tribes from a small and insignificant family and Gideon himself, the least of his family in order to show that the power comes from God and not from us.

For it is not by might nor by power but by my spirit says the Lord of hosts.

Gideon teaches us that God does anything he wants under the heaven and on the earth.

God's power is unlimited and his power united with faith because Gideon had to go out in faith, taking

God at his word, believing the promises. He went out in faith and conquered kingdoms.

The Midianites were conquered by the power of God through faith. The next example is

Samson. Samson had all kinds of trouble. We could speak at length about him.

You know his story. And yet not with a sword but with the jawbone of a donkey he crushed the

Philistines. And then because of his own sin, entangled with Delilah, his hair was cut, he was taken into the temple of Dagon and paraded around like an animal.

But God being merciful, using Samson for a great victory and a deliverance of his people, caused

Samson to put his arms on the pillars of the temple of Dagon and he pressed with all his might and by the power of God, no earthly human power but supernatural strength that came from God, the temple of Dagon fell and crushed the enemies who had gathered to witness the humiliation of Samson.

God works in mysterious ways but the Philistines were routed through the faith of Samson who prayed to the

Lord, give me strength this one last time. And God answered.

Jephthah is an interesting case. He ends badly by the way, with a really ridiculous evil vow that he takes.

But this man early on was rejected by his family. Can you imagine if your brothers told you to get out, you're not wanted.

And the reason for that is he was the son of a prostitute. Whereas all the other brothers were born to their mother, he was born from his father's sin.

And as they grew up, they cast him out. And God chose that castaway, that illegitimate child, to clothe with power from on high.

And clothing him, he came back to lead Israel and the Ammonite people who had been conquering and overrunning

Israel, were put to flight by the sword of Jephthah. I accidentally skipped

Barak there, did you notice that? He also believed in God and trust the promises.

For a while he leaned a little too heavily on Deborah. And Deborah said, if you keep going this way, you're not going to get any glory.

And so God decided to kill the enemy with the tent peg of a woman named Jael instead of at the sword of Barak.

But because he had faith enough to go into war, trusting God for the deliverance against the

Canaanites, they won a mighty victory. All these stories have something in common. The people of Israel are being oppressed by an enemy, but God overpowers that enemy and gives them a mighty triumph.

David versus Goliath. Samuel offering sacrifices on a hill, and by that the people of Israel conquer the enemies.

And the prophets, verse 32. In all of these examples we see the triumph of faith.

You see God answer the humble prayers of insignificant people and use them to rise up and conquer in his name.

You see the triumph of faith. So there are 10 examples in verses 33 through 35, the early part of 35, which show what happens when a person has faith.

Through faith you conquer kingdoms. You enforce justice.

Obtain promises. Stop the mouths of lions. Picture Daniel thrown in the lion's den.

And an angel comes to rescue and hold those lion's mouths closed to protect him through the night.

Also, Samson, who was mentioned earlier, he ripped a lion apart and the bees made honey in the carcass, which led to his little riddle.

David killed a lion when it came against the sheep.

Verse 34, quenched the power of fire. Undoubtedly a reference to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

And Daniel thrown into the fiery furnace. And yet by the overpowering triumph of faith they trusted in God and one like a son of the gods joined them in that fire.

Preincarnate vision of Christ. And from that even their clothes were untouched by the flame.

Makes me wonder what can man do to us? What weapon formed against us can prosper?

What have we fear if God is able to keep a flame from touching or even singeing a hair of one of his children?

This is the all -powerful God. Nothing that comes against us is apart, is away from his purpose.

He can speak a word and your servant is healed. It says as we go on they escaped the edge of the sword.

They were made strong out of weakness. Remember it was weak Gideon who was called the mighty warrior.

It was the outcast Jephthah who was chosen to conquer. It was little David who wasn't even significant among his 11 brothers.

Among the 11. Was it 11 or 8? Maybe getting confused with Israel. Among all of his siblings he wasn't even regarded as a possible choice.

And yet God chose them to show his strength through weakness. They became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

Look at verse 35. Women receive back their dead by resurrection.

When Elijah was going to starve to death, he found a place of comfort in the widow of Zarephath's home.

And the oil never ran dry, did it? But one day her son fell ill and died.

And she lamented, Elijah why have you come to me? That my son would die? Is this your plan?

And so Elijah went in and laid upon that son three times and by the power of God, the triumph of faith, as he prayed and believed, the son was resurrected from the dead.

And Elisha had a similar experience with the Shunammite's son. After he departed, that boy is out in the field and all of a sudden he says, my head, my head.

What's wrong with the boy? He falls down and dies. Heat stroke.

He was dead. They brought him back to the house.

And Elisha stretches out on this child and by the power of God, the dead is resurrected.

What does that tell us at a time like this? The God who gave as a token the resurrection of the son of the widow of Zarephath and the

Shunammite's son. Each of these examples pointed to the resurrection of the dead.

Our Savior, Jesus Christ, having bled and died, buried in a tomb, on the third day resurrected from the dead, conquering death.

Oh death, where is your sting? He rose from the dead and as the first fruits of those of us who believe in him, we will be resurrected from the dead.

Here's the good news of this first part of Hebrews 11, 32 through 40.

The good news is that faith triumphs over everything. Even death itself cannot hold us.

It has no sting and it's nothing for us to fear. Continue on with me from verse 35, the second part, through 38.

Some were tortured. That's a drastic change from what we've been reading.

The victories of faith, but now you're telling me some were tortured, refusing to accept release so that they might rise again to a better life.

I picture Micaiah in the Old Testament. He would prophesy to Ahab.

All the other prophets told Ahab everything Ahab wanted to hear, but Micaiah would tell the truth and Ahab said,

I hate that guy. He never prophesies anything good about me. As a result of that, the other prophets came and slapped him in the face and as the king

Ahab went off to war, Micaiah was thrown in jail suffering. But see,

Micaiah would rather suffer in this life for the reward that was his in the future.

It says some were tortured, refusing to accept release. He could have been released like all the others if he had just lied like all the others so that they might rise again to a better life.

Verse 36, others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment.

Jeremiah, after prophesying, was thrown into a prison and began to sink down into the mud till he was neck deep in the mud.

Treated that way for what? For preaching God's word, the truth. Not for any kind of compromise, not for a lack of faith.

It says in verse 37, they were stoned. To what does that refer?

Naboth, Zechariah, Naboth had a vineyard and wicked

Ahab wanted that vineyard. So he devised a plan. It was actually his wife

Jezebel that came up with it. They had some scoundrels. Two guys go up here at a dinner where Naboth was seated and these two scoundrels said, we heard

Naboth curse God and the king and they gave their testimony made up out of thin air and all the men pulled

Naboth out and stoned him to death for doing nothing and Ahab went and seized his vineyard.

When I hear a story like that, it doesn't look like a triumph of faith. It looks like the wicked are prospering.

Although God had said at that time that Ahab's blood would be licked up by dogs in the very place where Naboth was stoned to death.

It says here again, in verse 37, they were stoned. In the days of Joash the king, there was a righteous priest named

Jehoiada and while Jehoiada helped Joash, he was a righteous king but then he began to depart after Jehoiada died and the people of Israel became more and more wicked until finally the son of Jehoiada, Zechariah, stood up and rebuked the king, speaking the word of God as a true prophet does and in response to that faithfulness, that faith that moves mountains, the people rose up and stoned him.

As we see referenced here in verse 37, they were stoned. They were sawn in two as Isaiah prophesied to the king's court, calling out the wicked kings for what they did.

He was trusting God and had faith and taught us all the prophecies of the coming

Messiah and yet what we learn from history is that he was sawn in two and historians say it was with a wooden saw, which would be a form of torture for sure.

They were killed with the sword as Elijah pointed out in 1st Kings 17. Why are you hiding out here?

Elijah said, because they keep killing all the prophets with the sword. Killed with the sword.

They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated of whom the world was not worthy.

Wandering about in deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. Probably a reference there to the judges 6 -2, dens and caves that were dug for them in hiding.

Now the faithful, the prophets of whom the world is not worthy are hiding and running for their lives and some of them losing their lives at the sword or the saw or the stone.

Brothers and sisters, what accounts for this? If you hear me say nothing else this morning, understand this.

Faith itself is the victory. We are prone to look at our circumstances and so many people like Gideon in Judges 6 say, why is this happening to me?

If God is with us, then why do we suffer? And many people have shipwrecked their faith on that question.

But notice that faith itself is the victory. John taught us that in 1

John 5 verse 4. Everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.

What is overcoming? Is it always the triumphant victory that looks like victory?

No, it says, and this is the victory that has overcome the world. Our faith.

See, Hebrews 11 is written for the endurance of faith. In this world, you will have trouble.

All of us will suffer as Christians, but that is to be expected. What matters and what pleases

God is a faith that endures the trial. We in this church have been hit very hard by sickness recently.

And one of our beloved sisters is very ill in an ICU. From that place, she was told by a doctor.

Doctors don't tend to have the best bedside manner, right? That she may not make it.

And she was receiving that bad news. Before they took her into the

ICU, she posted on Facebook. But it was not the lament of a person in fear.

It was not the questioning of God. It was the endurance of faith.

And this brings glory to God. Even in the midst of suffering, to post something like this.

You want to hear what she wrote? After saying that she was declining, she said, face to face with Christ, my

Savior. Face to face, what will it be? When with rapture,

I behold Him, Jesus Christ who died for me. That's faith.

Faith isn't just the victorious moments where we're conquering and we're taking islands in Burma and India and China and we're growing as a church and people are being baptized in the field.

Yes, that is faith. That only happens by faith. And we expect victories of faith.

But the deeper and the maturity of faith is seen in suffering.

Think it not strange, brothers and sisters, when you encounter suffering of various kinds. This is to be expected as we read in Hebrews 11, 35 to 38.

This is what we see. It says in verse, I think we kind of left off at 38, wandering about in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth.

This kind of suffering is to be expected. Which leads us then to verses 39 and 40.

Kind of wraps up the chapter for us. All these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute. They didn't get it? They didn't get to receive what was promised to them?

Look at verse 40. Since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

To understand this verse, a couple of things are necessary. One is the definition of faith.

It is the substance of things hoped for. The assurance of things not seen.

Faith is taking God at His word. Faith is when you stand not on what you're experiencing and the circumstances of your life, but you stand on what

He has promised. It's a future hope. Now, secondly, the

Old Testament saint does not have the full revelation of God. They're running from a wicked oppressor.

Living in a nation that is itself mostly apostate. They are a remnant believing group who are looking to a later time.

And that time is the end of the ages. That time is our church age.

Look at what it says in verse 40. God had provided something better for us that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Isaiah foresaw a virgin giving birth. Isaiah foresaw the sufferings of the coming

Messiah in the 53rd chapter. But we standing on this side of the cross see

Christ crucified, buried, risen from the dead, triumphant.

We see Pentecost in the rear view mirror. When the church was clothed with power from on high, when the

Spirit descended on the believers and this small group of believers persecuted and mistreated for 300 years in the

Roman Empire rise up and conquer the Roman Empire through faith. And then persecuted again by the

Pope and the Romanist religion rise up and by faith conquer in the

Protestant Reformation. And then sail across the sea to the new world where savages who sacrificed their children to the fire are overpowered by the progress of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So that the United States of America rises up most people understanding and knowing about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Not from just here but up to Canada and all the way down to Brazil where 37 ,000 missionaries are sent out to the ends of the earth.

You see, what's happening in verse 40 is what's happening now. It is for us to understand that the gospel triumphs through faith.

And we should expect that triumph. That's why there's a hundred million believers in China.

A hundred, yeah, at least a hundred million in the underground churches of China. That's why in Iran they're seeing a revival of Christianity with hundreds of thousands of born again believers.

Often in hiding, but growing. You see, the

Old Testament saint was only looking through a dark glass. And we today, we don't see everything.

There's still things yet future, but we together with them have the perfect. We have both halves of the

Bible. The New Testament revelation of who Christ is and what he's done, and we take that and run.

So, here's the point. If Isaiah, having only a glimpse of the glory of the things to come, could preach faithfully for those 50 years and then be sawn into without forsaking his testimony.

If Jeremiah could sink in the mud after 50 years of faithful preaching and not forsake his testimony.

If Daniel could stand up to the wicked king and choose the lion's den over apostasy.

If Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could take the flame, not knowing for sure that God would rescue him, but even if he doesn't.

If these men having only a glimpse of the coming glory could by faith remain faithful and endure to the end.

How much more we gathered in this room who know that Christ suffered and died and rose from the dead and has, after 2000 years of church history, spread the gospel to the ends of the earth and knowing that he's coming any day now.

How dare we give up? Have faith.

We've seen too much. I've been in ministry for 21 years and I've seen too much to have any doubt at a time like this.

We've suffered much in the inner city. We've buried children from youth group and teen club that we loved.

We've endured many things. We've also seen God send storms, physical storms over our evangelistic festival and then split them down the middle so that hundreds of people would hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and respond in faith.

I've seen God split the storms. I know that the storms must come, but see, the storm itself has a purpose.

Are you going through a storm? Maybe one of your loved ones, all of us, our loved ones, are suffering.

That storm has a purpose. These light, momentary afflictions are achieving for us an eternal weight of glory.

He is doing something in this. There is a blessing that's coming. God moves in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform.

He plants his foot upon the sea and rides upon the storm. Deep and unfathomable riches of never -failing skill.

He treasures up his bright design and works his sovereign will. These clouds you so much dread, they're big with mercy and shall break with blessings on your head.

I love the song God Moves in Mysterious Ways. One of the lines in that says, behind a frowning providence, he hides a smiling face.

The sufferings we're reading about, and don't you love the providence of God that we would just happen to be at the end of Hebrews chapter 11 this week, at this moment in the life of the church?

There is a frowning providence that hides a smiling face. When we see what

God does through this suffering, we'll understand. But in the moment of suffering, it's hard.

God, why is this happening? We don't know. But we know this.

There is an eternal weight of glory being accomplished through the light, temporary suffering that we endure.

We're gonna see it, brothers and sisters. What's it gonna look like? Could it be revival?

All through Mount Laurel, New Jersey? Could it be revival that spreads out throughout the state?

From the Poconos, in Pennsylvania, all the way to the shore? Could this be the start of revival?

I believe it could be. And even if not, we must walk in faith with the expectation that God can do that, and work and strive with that kind of faith.

I expect to see powerful answers to prayer come of this, because that's how

God works. So in closing, faith delivers overpowering victories.

He's done it for thousands of years. Haven't we seen enough evidence that God is with us?

But faith itself is the victory. Even if we die, we win.

What do we have to fear? I love what our youth pastor wrote to our teens and to the parents, so I'm gonna share it with you.

Tim Robinson, I asked him permission to share this, because when I got this email, as one of the parents,

I was so encouraged. This is faith in the midst of a storm.

I want to read what he wrote to us. Tim writes, and this is in closing, please continue to pray and fast.

The good news is that the brothers and sisters, who are in bad shape physically, have heard and believed the good news of Jesus Christ.

This puts them in an incomparably better position than someone who is the most healthy person in the world, but does not know

Christ. Some of our brothers and sisters are very strong in the Lord, like one who is still bringing

Him glory in the midst of suffering. I still believe God will raise them up now and restore their health, but even if He were not to,

He is still good and worthy of worship. Amen? Tim goes on to say, it's been a rough few weeks for our church and me as well, but lately the

Lord has been creating many opportunities for me to share the gospel. I am in a season where He has sent me to preach the gospel to multiple people a day.

Some old, some young, some black, some white, some tall, some short. Blessed are we that the gospel is for all people.

COVID is infecting many people, but we as a church cannot let it infect more people than the gospel.

I love that. Do you see the attitude of faith behind that?

Faith wins overpowering victories. And even if we suffer and when we suffer, faith itself is the victory.

We have Christ. We have everything. He who gave you

His own Son, how will He not give you all things? If you have

Christ, your sins are forgiven. If you have Christ, you already have eternal life.

You have His Spirit living in you. You have a promise, which is like an anchor behind the veil, so that by two unchangeable things, not just that He said it, but that He did it with an oath, we who have fled to take hope in Christ might remain steadfast.

The anchor for the soul is Christ. He's behind the veil for us.

He's gone into the Holy of Holies, and He has anchored for us away to that place. Christ is all we need.

If we have Him, we have everything, even if we die. We have

Him. There is nothing to fear, brothers and sisters. We're in good hands, aren't we?

Let's win the victory of faith. That means taking the Gospel like those who were praying under a haystack in a storm, and now the

Gospel has gone to the ends of the earth with 130 ,000 missionaries sent from America on this day.

Do you know that you, brothers and sisters, are missionaries? Let the suffering refine you.

You can go to your friend and share the Gospel with him today. See, God uses these trials to strengthen us, to arm us and equip us, to center our lives on Him so that we're no longer distracted by the things of this world.

The world is not worthy of us, according to Hebrews 11.

And so let's go out and preach the good news. Let's pray. Father, we have heard your word.

We thank you for your providence in bringing us to Hebrews 11 today. We needed this word.

We needed to see the overpowering victories of faith, but also the sufferings that you have ordained for your people to go through for a time.

We see how it's all working together for good to those who love you. Lord, this morning, we are praying for those who are in the hospital.

We thank you that we've heard some good news of improvement. And we thank you,

Lord God, that you can just but speak the word and your servants are healed. This morning we ask,

Lord, let this be the turning point. Speak the word. Stretch forth your hand to heal those who are sick.

Every one of them, Lord. That none would be lost from this congregation. But even more importantly,

Lord, we pray that none would be lost to you eternally. We pray that everybody who's hearing the preaching of this word would turn from sin and believe the good news.

Would trust in the one who rose from the dead and raises the dead. Pray that you would bring faith to the listener.

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul? So, Lord, I pray that you would grant repentance and faith to those who hear this word preached.

We thank you for it. We thank you for Hebrews 11 and what it's done for our faith. We entered the summer,

Lord, desiring to have faith. Our faith strengthened. And here as we exit the summer,

Lord, by your frowning providence, which hides a smiling face, we have gone through the fire.

We pray that we would come out unscathed and strong in faith.

Having glorified your name in the midst of suffering, we thank you for it. We rejoice in our sufferings for the sake of the name that is above every name.

Jesus, who modeled for us what it is to walk in overpowering victory, casting out demons and open blind eyes and just doing anything to overcome the enemy and yet endured the cross, scorning its shame, and then sat down at the right hand of the

Father. We thank you for Jesus as our ultimate example of suffering and we thank you,

Jesus, that you are in control. And so we put our faith in you.

In Jesus' name. Amen. Let's stand and sing. And when before the throne, and when before the throne,

I stand in him complete. Jesus died my soul to save.

My lips shall still repeat. Jesus paid it all.

All to him I owe. Sin has left the crimson stain.

He washed it white as snow. Jesus paid it all. Jesus paid it all to him

I owe. Sin has left the crimson stain.

He washed it white as snow. He washed it white as snow. He washed it white as snow.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

As it is written, for your sake we are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our