Hebrews 11(b) with Hebrews 10

Let's turn to the book of Hebrews again, chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11. He lives forever with his saints to reign.

Hallelujah, Christ arose. Hebrews 11, let's come to verse number 32. And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah and David also and Samuel and of the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

Women received their dead raised to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance. So you have those who were victorious in faith and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance. They were victorious in faithfulness.

They would not give in, that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings. Yea, were stoned, were they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with a sword.

They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented. Notice this, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth.

And these, all having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise, God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. Now chapter 12, verse 28. Wherefore we, receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, shaken is the word, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire.

Now the Lord will bless to us the reading from his word. Any that were not at stout, just to bring you up to speed, we took a look at chapter 11 in Hebrews and the heroes of faith that are found there, and found parallels with the previous chapters in the book of Hebrews. We got as far in stout as chapter 5. Now that pattern will hold good as you move through the heroes of faith in chapter 11 for the next number of chapters.

The section that we have read from chapter 11 will correspond with their parallels with chapter 10. So we've jumped over a number of chapters, and we've jumped over a number of heroes here, and we come to this section that we have read, and it draws a parallel with chapter 10 in the book of Hebrews. We have here a number of heroes mentioned.

He bunches them all together, as it were, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, also Samuel, and the prophets. So many heroes of faith. Many of them were victorious in their day, others suffered terribly, many were martyred, and it is summed up in this little expression in verse 38, of whom the world was not worthy.

They endured in faith, in circumstances that were hostile, circumstances where there was agitation, instability, the shaking of kingdoms, and the saints were not immune from suffering and from persecution. And we read, of whom the world was not worthy. That is, the enemies of faith, they counted these saints, these heroes, not worthy of the world.

But heaven's estimate is the opposite, of whom the world was not worthy. And so their lives came to an end. Their noble example of faith was such.

This world was not worthy of these dear saints being among them. That's a tremendous thing to think about. Now, drawing a parallel then with Hebrews chapter 10, there's no question that in and of ourselves we are not worthy before God.

Our sins are a problem before God. We are sinners by nature, we're sinners by practice. Chapter 10 sets out the inadequacy of those animal sacrifices, which could never take away sin.

But then in verse 10 he brings us in, he says, by the which we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Verse 12, but this man, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. We've been thinking of him this morning.

Here is one that the world considered not worthy to live, and they gave him a cross. That's what the cross was all about. It was a means of death that was most dishonoring to the the person.

It was the worst kind of death imaginable, put on display, lifted up before the lewd gaze of all. The shame, the agony, the torture. The world counted them not worthy.

But notice, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, he sat down on the right hand of God. This world was not worthy of him, and God also has highly exalted him and given him that place of exaltation. And that's the reason why you and I can be brought in and made fit for this sanctuary, and to enjoy communion with God, and come into his presence.

Notice what follows. Verse 19, having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. There is a new and living way opened up for us, verse 20.

You and I may draw near even though we're not worthy of God's presence, but our great high priest has already entered in and he has removed every impediment for us to come near and enjoy communion with him. And that is so important in the life of the believer, enjoying communion with God. You know, it's interesting to see then, after that teaching is given in chapter 10, he will then reflect upon the circumstances of these saints, these Hebrews, in chapter 10.

And he will point out that even though these Hebrews have been persecuted, they have taken joyfully the spoiling of their goods. Here are saints that are suffering. I don't know how I would react if they came into my home and took all our stuff because I was a Christian.

How would you react? They took it joyfully. They took it joyfully. And the reason was this, knowing that in heaven you have an enduring substance, an enduring substance, something that will not easily pass away.

And so as saints today even, we are awaiting his appearing, aren't we? We're looking forward to that day when he will be manifest in his glory and we also shall be associated and manifest with him as well in his glory in that coming day. But you know, meantime, the Word of God would instruct us. I'm still in chapter 10 now.

Verse 22, let us draw near. Let us draw near. Now that is the basis of all our service.

It is drawing near in communion with God. It's drawing near in dependence upon God. Verse 23 follows.

Let us hold fast our profession. Let us hold fast the basis of all patient continuance in a world that is marked by hostility against Christ and his people. The basis of all patient continuance and endurance is communion with God.

Communion with God. It flows right out of let us draw near. Let us hold fast.

Verse 24, there's another. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. So the basis of fellowship together and of mutual care the one for the other, again, is communion with God.

Drawing near. And we are to do that even with one another in view to provoke unto love and to good works. Now verse 25 follows.

In the meantime, while we wait his appearance, what is our occupation? Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is. And so much the more, as you see the day approaching, the day of his manifestation. As you see that day approaching.

And we've been thinking already at the conference of the turmoil and the upheaval in the world. Israel is back in the land, and there are pestilences in the world. There's nothing to say that some of those signs in Matthew 24 preceding the manifestation of Christ can't take place before the rapture.

Israel back on the land is one of them. But for us, we're looking for the rapture first, followed by the bema, the judgment seat of Christ, and then his manifestation in all his glory. And says the writer to the the Hebrews here at the end of chapter 12, he says, wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, an unshakable kingdom, a that's worth living for, brethren and sisters.

There have been those who have died for it already. It's worth dying for. Surely it's worth living for, is it not? And our faithfulness to him now will be reflected then in that unshakable kingdom that we receive.

We receive it now by our action, by our service, by our faithfulness to him. Now we are gathering to ourselves, as it were, our portion in that kingdom that will never end. You know, the things of earth and the material things that we we have to live for, and wages and equipment and all the rest, nice homes and so on, you know, that's all fine and dandy.

But remember, it's destined for the fire. It's not permanent. And our time on earth is not permanent.

But there's an unshakable kingdom that we may receive by living in devotion to God, in devotion to Christ, in faithfulness to him, in obedience to his word, fellowshipping one with another, not giving up on the assembly, forsaking not the assembling of yourselves together as a manner of some is. And so our labor is not in vain in the Lord, brothers and sisters, this morning. That's the point.

And all that we do for him will be told in answering glory now. What the Lord Jesus did for us on the cross is now told in answering glory. We sing about that.

But we together with him, what we go through here on earth, and that remaining faithful to him, as he was faithful to his God and has entered into his glory, our faithfulness to him now also will be reflected in glory then. So let us go in for this, that unshakable kingdom, by being faithful to him and living our lives in devoted service until we see his face. The Lord bless his word to our hearts.