Obtained Promises Faith Series

I think it's important for a believer to have an adequate understanding of the faith life to camp out in Hebrews chapter 11 for a while. Hebrews chapter 11 has been called the great hall of faith for in it are the many heroes of faith and varied instances of faith where faith was exercised for our understanding and for our model. Hebrews chapter 11 starts off with these words, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Thus begins the exploits of these men and women of faith, Abel and Enoch, Noah and Abraham, Jacob and Moses, and these other worthies of whom the world was not worthy. We see the sufferings of the faithful as well as the supernatural in the faithful as seen in verse 33 and following. Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouse alliance, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness, were made strong, waxed valiant in flight, turned to flight, the armies of the aliens, women received their dead, raised to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection, and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourging, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment, they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy.

I will stop there, friends. Our focus today would be on the truth in this text found in the words, obtained promises, and that's the title of my message today, friends, as we are in our faith series. I believe this message is one of the hardest to grasp because of its metaphysical nature, because, in its true sense, faith is metaphysical.

The very definition of metaphysical is a reality beyond what is perceptible to the senses. I'm telling you, friend, that the life of faith will stretch you, bend you, strip you, and flip you upside down because faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, not seen with the physical eye, that is. If you're going to live a life of faith as God intends you to live it, you better be prepared to go out on a limb for God because God will kick out all your props of self-preservation and self-reliance to stretch your faith.

Let me ask you something, friend. When you read the exploits of these men and women of faith in Hebrews chapter 11, can you honestly say that what you are reading describes a cake walk or a country fair? Is it a namby-pamby, self-satisfied religious life that takes no risk for God nor risks one's neck for God? It's quite the opposite. I don't believe Hebrews chapter 11 is talking about self-preservation or self-promotion or self-recognition.

I believe the folks listed there are so skinned and pruned and purged of self that all that's left in their lives is the glory of God and the power of God. Their faith was tried. Their faith was tested.

Every single one of them would not be in there if they didn't have faith. It says these all died in faith. It says by faith Abraham when he was tried.

By faith Noah being warned to God that things not seen as yet moved with fear. Talking about Moses it says by faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Remember the term metaphysical is the reality beyond what is perceptible to the senses.

Moses sensed God at the burning bush and had an experience of faith so that at some future point he could by faith pass through the Red Sea as by dry land. The key verse of Hebrews chapter 11 is verse 6 which states but without faith it is impossible to please him. Now why don't you go chew on that for a while friend and as we go forward to prepare our hearts to examine this magnificent chapter of faith in our Bibles our lesson today is aptly entitled Obtain Promises and we will search the scripture to see what this means.

But first let me give you my definition of Obtain Promises. This means that God has given you a word a promise from the scripture that he intends to make a reality in your life and it may be so beyond your present circumstance and frame of reference that in order for you to accept it you must act on faith just to believe it. King David expresses the same thought in Psalm 27 in verse 13 where he writes I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

David was in a jam things were so bad he didn't think he'd survive unless God stepped in and performed a miracle to deliver him so he exercised his faith by saying unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living I'd be a dead man a dead man. It was his faith friend that sustained him. His faith was what got him through.

I was going through a time in my life that was very stressful I was working 15 hours a day and God was stretching my faith. I would rise at 4 30 every morning to have my daily quiet time with the Lord and it was during one of these early mornings in the month of June of a certain year God gave me a promise out of his word from Isaiah. His word from Isaiah 43 verses 18 and 19 left off the page and was burned into my soul by his spirit.

I didn't understand at the time what the words meant for me but it was crystal clear that God was speaking to me and giving me Isaiah 43 as a promise I would obtain the words of that text read remember ye not the former things neither consider the things of old behold I will do a new thing now it shall spring forth shall you not know it I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert little did I know at the time that God was preparing me for an event in my life that would completely alter it four and four months time from receiving that scripture from God I will go through the terrible tragedy of my wife's suicide the promise of I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert became a reality for me and my teenage daughter as we were suddenly thrust into a dark wilderness by that tragedy through the years God has indeed made a way in the wilderness time and time again for us and his presence through it all has been like rivers in a desert the life of faith is a journey initiated by God orchestrated by God and completed by a sovereign God we are mere participants in the spiritual adventure God delights in our participation he delights in our spiritual growth he wants to continually build faith in us so the world can see Christ in us as a living reality as a testimony to bring him glory obtain promises or a strategic part of that faith journey God will speak to us to initiate our participation in his work then he will grow us through trial and adversity to make us more dependable to him so he can give us more opportunities to serve him when God allows adversity into our lives we must stay on our knees and in our bibles until God gives us a word to get us through a promise we can stand on and exercise faith in it is in the time of receiving the promise from God in the time of obtaining the promise of God that faith is developed in our lives the more we exercise faith the more we'll grow and expand just like a bodybuilder lifts weights to gain muscle he first must tear down the muscle by stretching it before it can grow in size this same principle is involved in a life of faith where God is working through us during times of trial and adversity stretching our faith testing our faith proving our faith building our faith by pruning our faith when we get a word from God that is our anchor where we can place all our hopes and trust in God to do what he has declared he will do that's faith the war faith is waged here in the heat of adversity resting on the promises of God that you have received from him but have not yet obtained and by faith hanging on to those promises until they are seen in your life until they become reality in your life it is here friend where faith is exercised by believing what you yet cannot see but you know you will eventually see as it becomes reality as God has declared it onto you the faith life is the most exciting life in the world