WEBVTT 00:00:09.960 --> 00:00:16.000 When we think about Hebrews chapter 11 and all 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:22.059 the amazing historical, biblical figures that 00:00:22.059 --> 00:00:26.359 are contained in it, and we think about the great 00:00:26.359 --> 00:00:31.239 acts of faith that they carried out that glorified 00:00:31.239 --> 00:00:35.820 God, many times we come to Hebrews 11 and we 00:00:35.820 --> 00:00:40.479 think about these single or... distinct acts 00:00:40.479 --> 00:00:45.619 of obedience and faith. And that's not wrong. 00:00:46.219 --> 00:00:50.179 We ought to think about it in that way. But we 00:00:50.179 --> 00:00:52.679 also have to understand that as we come to Hebrews 00:00:52.679 --> 00:00:57.259 chapter 11, the author is presenting us with 00:00:57.259 --> 00:01:04.319 a worldview to see reality, to see the world 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:09.340 that God has created. And I believe that verse 00:01:09.340 --> 00:01:16.180 3, which says, By faith we understand the worlds 00:01:16.180 --> 00:01:19.760 were prepared by the word of God, so that what 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:23.579 is seen was not made out of things which are 00:01:23.579 --> 00:01:32.060 visible. Is the author's final push for a Christian 00:01:32.060 --> 00:01:39.189 worldview regarding life? Regarding faith, regarding 00:01:39.189 --> 00:01:46.510 God, regarding all of reality as we know it. 00:01:46.650 --> 00:01:51.230 Today we're going to consider this by thinking 00:01:51.230 --> 00:01:55.390 and considering about the instrument of true 00:01:55.390 --> 00:02:00.730 understanding, faith. The text says, now faith, 00:02:00.769 --> 00:02:07.959 by faith, we understand. So we find that faith 00:02:07.959 --> 00:02:12.860 informs our understanding. Faith informs our 00:02:12.860 --> 00:02:17.919 reason, our thinking. But we're also going to 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:22.979 consider the cosmic content of what is understood. 00:02:24.680 --> 00:02:31.560 Creation. The world as we know it. By faith we 00:02:31.560 --> 00:02:35.939 understand that the worlds were prepared. by 00:02:35.939 --> 00:02:39.120 the Word of God. And we'll consider the unseen 00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:45.900 power behind creation, the powerful and mighty, 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:50.620 the sovereign and authoritative Word of the living 00:02:50.620 --> 00:02:54.699 God. And lastly, we will consider a conclusion 00:02:54.699 --> 00:03:01.199 that those with faith must come to, must arrive 00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:09.900 at. The text says, so that what is seen was not 00:03:09.900 --> 00:03:14.199 made out of things which are visible. This is 00:03:14.199 --> 00:03:18.120 the author making an inference. This is the author 00:03:18.120 --> 00:03:22.120 bringing about a conclusion about what he has 00:03:22.120 --> 00:03:26.419 previously said. This will be the culmination 00:03:26.419 --> 00:03:29.879 of the author's argumentation regarding faith 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:34.569 and regarding... the Christian worldview. So 00:03:34.569 --> 00:03:39.210 the first, the instrument of true understanding 00:03:39.210 --> 00:03:48.389 for the believer. By faith, we understand. Think 00:03:48.389 --> 00:03:52.909 about those words, brothers and sisters. For 00:03:52.909 --> 00:03:58.009 the author of Hebrews, faith is foundational 00:03:58.009 --> 00:04:06.639 to reasoning. Faith is foundational for comprehension. 00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:13.319 Faith is foundational for perception regarding 00:04:13.319 --> 00:04:18.540 life and the world and all that God has made. 00:04:18.899 --> 00:04:23.079 Faith is the starting point, and faith is that 00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:29.399 which informs our understanding. You see, the 00:04:29.399 --> 00:04:35.060 human intellect, The human mind and reasoning 00:04:35.060 --> 00:04:41.060 has limits to it, brothers and sisters. At least 00:04:41.060 --> 00:04:48.959 I know my reasoning has limits to it. I am a 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:55.360 finite, created being. I can only understand 00:04:55.360 --> 00:05:01.889 so much. I cannot fully grasp. Certain realities 00:05:01.889 --> 00:05:05.769 concerning God and redemption and the work of 00:05:05.769 --> 00:05:10.709 Christ. Some things are beyond my logical scope 00:05:10.709 --> 00:05:14.110 of understanding and grasping certain things. 00:05:14.649 --> 00:05:18.370 That's just the nature of it. Human reason has 00:05:18.370 --> 00:05:25.850 limitations. It has restraints set upon it. But 00:05:25.850 --> 00:05:30.339 what we find in this text. is that Christianity 00:05:30.339 --> 00:05:35.519 is not opposed to the use of reason. It just 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:40.199 presupposes and necessitates that reason be grounded 00:05:40.199 --> 00:05:45.779 and rooted and anchored in what? Faith and revelation. 00:05:46.980 --> 00:05:55.180 Trust in what God has said. Christianity is certainly 00:05:55.180 --> 00:06:00.540 not opposed to the use of the mind. It may be 00:06:00.540 --> 00:06:05.600 thought that is the case at times. I'm sure we've 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:09.300 all heard statements such as this. Well, I don't 00:06:09.300 --> 00:06:11.680 understand it. I don't get it. I don't grasp 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:13.699 it. I don't even know what it says, but I believe 00:06:13.699 --> 00:06:18.319 it. That's not what the text is talking about. 00:06:21.300 --> 00:06:26.620 The text recognizes in the Bible promotes the 00:06:26.620 --> 00:06:32.850 use of the mind. Christianity and faith in general 00:06:32.850 --> 00:06:37.129 has an essential part of it as knowledge and 00:06:37.129 --> 00:06:41.730 comprehension. So it requires the use of the 00:06:41.730 --> 00:06:46.069 mind, the Christian to think and to reason and 00:06:46.069 --> 00:06:49.149 to use logic and to understand and to comprehend 00:06:49.149 --> 00:06:52.550 certain realities. And that can be very difficult 00:06:52.550 --> 00:06:56.350 at times, can't it, brothers and sisters? Sometimes 00:06:56.350 --> 00:06:59.339 you're sitting in front of your Bible. your open 00:06:59.339 --> 00:07:02.060 Bible, and you're thinking, Lord, help me understand 00:07:02.060 --> 00:07:08.240 what this is saying. Help me grasp, Lord, what 00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:10.819 this is. Help me to comprehend it. Help me to 00:07:10.819 --> 00:07:14.720 perceive the truth. We're reasoning. We're thinking. 00:07:15.980 --> 00:07:21.939 But our reasoning can only go so far. It can 00:07:21.939 --> 00:07:25.980 only do so much if we are to see the world rightly. 00:07:27.879 --> 00:07:32.439 If we are to have an appropriate worldview of 00:07:32.439 --> 00:07:37.040 the world that God has made, it necessitates 00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:43.079 and requires that a person possess faith that 00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:50.740 trusts in God's revealed Word. We think about 00:07:50.740 --> 00:07:57.019 many of the movements in the 18th and 19th century. 00:07:57.769 --> 00:08:00.550 they would have been considered liberal or progressive, 00:08:00.810 --> 00:08:06.189 rationalistic Christianity. We find a lot of 00:08:06.189 --> 00:08:09.250 it associated with what has been termed higher 00:08:09.250 --> 00:08:14.009 criticism movements. And what they would do is, 00:08:14.149 --> 00:08:17.709 a lot of these figures, they would say, I love 00:08:17.709 --> 00:08:23.350 the teachings of the Lord Jesus. I love the moral 00:08:23.350 --> 00:08:26.839 example, the moral goodness. The moral purity. 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:32.059 I love the example that the Lord Jesus sets. 00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:35.720 So they would accept the Lord Jesus and his teachings, 00:08:35.879 --> 00:08:40.620 but they would reject all the supernatural and 00:08:40.620 --> 00:08:45.200 miraculous associated with him and his ministry. 00:08:46.899 --> 00:08:51.820 Now, when we think about that, what is informing 00:08:51.820 --> 00:08:58.899 what? Faith, trusting in revelation, informing 00:08:58.899 --> 00:09:03.799 our reasoning and understanding in that scenario. 00:09:04.340 --> 00:09:11.120 Or is our reasoning, our intellect, informing 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:16.639 our faith and revelation? Which is being brought 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:23.419 into submission? A man's reasoning is bringing 00:09:23.419 --> 00:09:28.559 faith. in divine revelation, and even God in 00:09:28.559 --> 00:09:34.960 a sense, underneath his reasoning. This is what 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:38.120 we find in so many of those movements. And this 00:09:38.120 --> 00:09:42.080 is why we look at so many historic Christian 00:09:42.080 --> 00:09:46.659 institutions that started out so strong in the 00:09:46.659 --> 00:09:50.620 faith, yet they have become temples to moralistic 00:09:50.620 --> 00:09:59.100 humanisms. Why? Because human reasoning is exalted 00:09:59.100 --> 00:10:02.879 and revelation and faith is diminished and brought 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:08.940 down low. One wins out. We may say, well, what's 00:10:08.940 --> 00:10:12.820 that got to do with me? What's that got to do 00:10:12.820 --> 00:10:16.679 with my life? How do you talking about these 00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:19.820 institutions, these Christian institutions and 00:10:19.820 --> 00:10:24.000 these historic movements have anything to do 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:26.080 with me and my life? Because if you are here 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:29.059 today and you are an unbeliever in Jesus Christ, 00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:35.039 you are doing the very thing that they did. If 00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:39.799 you are sitting in a pew, in a chair today, and 00:10:39.799 --> 00:10:43.200 you are sitting yourself up as judge over God 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:46.139 and His Word, and you are requiring evidence 00:10:46.139 --> 00:10:51.399 and proof that this is true, what are you doing? 00:10:53.769 --> 00:10:57.649 You are exalting yourself and your reason and 00:10:57.649 --> 00:11:00.169 your intellect and you are diminishing and you 00:11:00.169 --> 00:11:04.230 are squashing faith and Christ and revelation. 00:11:06.909 --> 00:11:13.429 Unbelievers do the very same thing. The unbeliever's 00:11:13.429 --> 00:11:19.330 problem is not information and evidence. The 00:11:19.330 --> 00:11:21.570 unbeliever's problem is that they will not humble 00:11:21.570 --> 00:11:24.230 themselves under the mighty hand of God and trust 00:11:24.230 --> 00:11:27.490 in Jesus Christ. They will not come to the end 00:11:27.490 --> 00:11:30.210 of their own intellect and the starting of faith. 00:11:33.330 --> 00:11:38.210 You must recognize that you are a finite, feeble, 00:11:38.350 --> 00:11:44.669 sinful man or woman and say, Lord, I see what 00:11:44.669 --> 00:11:49.129 your word says. Lord, help me to believe it. 00:11:49.690 --> 00:11:53.409 Help me to trust it regardless of whether or 00:11:53.409 --> 00:11:56.629 not it fully makes sense in my own mind with 00:11:56.629 --> 00:12:01.409 my own finite logic and reasoning. Come to the 00:12:01.409 --> 00:12:08.350 end of yourself and submit yourself to God. Turn 00:12:08.350 --> 00:12:11.269 from your sins and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ 00:12:11.269 --> 00:12:17.730 who suffered and died on behalf of sinners. The 00:12:17.730 --> 00:12:20.950 instrument of true understanding for the believer 00:12:20.950 --> 00:12:32.470 is faith. Now, what is it that faith understands 00:12:32.470 --> 00:12:39.909 or aids our understanding in? What is the content 00:12:39.909 --> 00:12:45.450 of what is understood in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 00:12:45.450 --> 00:12:50.169 3? Well, listen to the words. By faith we understand 00:12:50.169 --> 00:12:55.789 that the worlds were prepared by the word of 00:12:55.789 --> 00:13:03.289 God. So, I said this is the cosmic content that 00:13:03.289 --> 00:13:10.230 is understood. Why? Because the author says that 00:13:10.230 --> 00:13:16.200 by faith a person can understand the origin and 00:13:16.200 --> 00:13:23.799 the ordering of the universe, of the ages, of 00:13:23.799 --> 00:13:29.279 all creation. This word for worlds is actually 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:33.080 the Greek word for ages. It carries the idea 00:13:33.080 --> 00:13:40.000 of being all -inclusive regarding all of creation. 00:13:40.259 --> 00:13:45.460 Every area, every aspect, every part. and in 00:13:45.460 --> 00:13:52.799 an ordering and purposeful manner. So if we understand 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:57.740 that the world is made by God, created by God, 00:13:57.779 --> 00:14:01.919 in an orderly fashion, then obviously the world 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:06.200 in creation is going to proceed forth in an orderly 00:14:06.200 --> 00:14:13.059 fashion, with purpose. This is a claim that the 00:14:13.059 --> 00:14:18.980 believer... can understand the origins and the 00:14:18.980 --> 00:14:24.360 ordering of everything that you can see and touch 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:29.019 and feel, everything that is a part of the visible 00:14:29.019 --> 00:14:38.200 world that God has created. This is a claim about 00:14:38.200 --> 00:14:44.279 how a person can know. The origins of the world. 00:14:45.940 --> 00:14:51.419 Where we came from. Where the world came from. 00:14:51.460 --> 00:14:56.059 How the world started. Why their structure and 00:14:56.059 --> 00:15:00.440 purpose and meaning in this world. This is a 00:15:00.440 --> 00:15:05.840 claim about how a person can know these things. 00:15:11.879 --> 00:15:18.399 How is that? Because of faith. Because faith 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:25.679 informs our understanding. Obviously, this speaks 00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:33.080 of the basis of a biblical worldview. How is 00:15:33.080 --> 00:15:36.600 it that we can appropriately view the world around 00:15:36.600 --> 00:15:41.659 us according to this text? By faith informing 00:15:41.659 --> 00:15:45.600 our understanding and faith that rests and trusts 00:15:45.600 --> 00:15:51.440 and looks to divine revelations. By trusting 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:58.340 in the word that God has spoken to us. That is 00:15:58.340 --> 00:16:01.759 the foundation and the basis for a Christian 00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:11.149 worldview. Only a Christian. can see the world 00:16:11.149 --> 00:16:16.490 as it really is. There's a lot of conservative 00:16:16.490 --> 00:16:25.049 commentators. There's a lot of conservative commentators 00:16:25.049 --> 00:16:28.750 that say a lot of things about the world, about 00:16:28.750 --> 00:16:31.809 the nature of society and culture and the world. 00:16:31.889 --> 00:16:35.629 But, brothers and sisters, if someone is not 00:16:35.629 --> 00:16:40.779 a believer, then their foundations are all off. 00:16:43.159 --> 00:16:49.899 They are not steady. They are wobbly. Because 00:16:49.899 --> 00:16:53.139 the pillars of their very being are not set in 00:16:53.139 --> 00:16:59.500 place. We have to be very cautious about who 00:16:59.500 --> 00:17:03.399 we listen to. About what we fill our minds with. 00:17:04.839 --> 00:17:09.900 Because according to the Bible, a person that 00:17:09.900 --> 00:17:12.960 does not know Jesus Christ and a person that 00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:16.160 does not have true, saving, legitimate faith 00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:20.200 that works in their life, that person will look 00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:23.480 at the world in a skewed and perverted fashion. 00:17:23.700 --> 00:17:26.940 Why? Because there is no faith that is grounded 00:17:26.940 --> 00:17:31.940 in the Word of God. Revelation is not directing 00:17:31.940 --> 00:17:34.599 and orienting their thoughts and their thinking 00:17:34.599 --> 00:17:38.279 and their perspective, their view of the world 00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:45.480 as God has made it. Now, Christians will be off 00:17:45.480 --> 00:17:49.539 at times as well. Christians can have skewed 00:17:49.539 --> 00:17:54.119 views. Do you know why? Because we read the Bible 00:17:54.119 --> 00:17:58.619 wrong at times. Because we have sin within us. 00:17:59.720 --> 00:18:03.660 Because we don't do due diligence in interpreting 00:18:03.660 --> 00:18:07.339 what the scripture says. Because we willfully 00:18:07.339 --> 00:18:11.839 choose to remain in ignorance. But brothers and 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:17.500 sisters, it is possible for the believer to be 00:18:17.500 --> 00:18:21.720 closer and closer to a more and fully accurate 00:18:21.720 --> 00:18:26.170 view of the world. As they grow in their understanding 00:18:26.170 --> 00:18:29.029 and knowledge of the revelation that God has 00:18:29.029 --> 00:18:33.809 given to them. And as they grow in their experience 00:18:33.809 --> 00:18:39.549 of that truth. As they grow in the grace and 00:18:39.549 --> 00:18:44.390 knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ in their life. 00:18:46.150 --> 00:18:50.309 Only by faith can one rightly view the world 00:18:50.309 --> 00:18:56.319 around them. The absence of faith leads to all 00:18:56.319 --> 00:19:04.900 kinds of amalgamations, wicked ideologies and 00:19:04.900 --> 00:19:11.039 thoughts and perspectives on the world. If a 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:16.480 person is not being informed by faith and revelation, 00:19:16.920 --> 00:19:25.980 they're going to be informed by something. Everybody 00:19:25.980 --> 00:19:32.299 is believing something. Everybody is trusting 00:19:32.299 --> 00:19:37.660 something in their life. So if a person is not 00:19:37.660 --> 00:19:43.339 having their mind and their perspective and their 00:19:43.339 --> 00:19:49.619 view of the world fueled by revelation, then 00:19:49.619 --> 00:19:52.420 brothers and sisters, they are being directed 00:19:52.420 --> 00:19:57.970 and they are being fueled. By something. Some 00:19:57.970 --> 00:20:05.509 concept. Some ideology. Some thought. Something 00:20:05.509 --> 00:20:09.750 is telling them how to view the world around 00:20:09.750 --> 00:20:12.950 them. We don't have to look very far in the culture 00:20:12.950 --> 00:20:17.970 to see the negative realities that come from 00:20:17.970 --> 00:20:20.730 the absence of faith in a person's worldview, 00:20:20.970 --> 00:20:27.400 do we, brothers and sisters? Where does all the 00:20:27.400 --> 00:20:35.660 madness and chaos and immorality and the descent 00:20:35.660 --> 00:20:38.980 into debauchery in the world and the culture 00:20:38.980 --> 00:20:46.220 come from? A person's reason being informed by 00:20:46.220 --> 00:20:48.640 any number of things other than the Word of God. 00:20:50.240 --> 00:20:53.759 Maybe they're trusting and believing in modern 00:20:53.759 --> 00:21:00.329 scientists. How will that go? Maybe they're trusting 00:21:00.329 --> 00:21:05.089 and believing and looking to modern science or 00:21:05.089 --> 00:21:08.890 the academy today, which changes from one day 00:21:08.890 --> 00:21:11.910 to the other. Maybe they're looking to the government 00:21:11.910 --> 00:21:14.289 and their leaders and their officials, brothers 00:21:14.289 --> 00:21:17.349 and sisters. All of these are poor things to 00:21:17.349 --> 00:21:22.529 fill your mind and to lead and guide your understanding 00:21:22.529 --> 00:21:28.119 of the world. They're all fallible guides, brothers 00:21:28.119 --> 00:21:36.240 and sisters. A person must have their mind and 00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:39.099 their worldview and their understanding and their 00:21:39.099 --> 00:21:45.779 perspective formed by divine revelation. That 00:21:45.779 --> 00:21:48.359 is the only way that a person can see the world 00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:55.039 in a biblical capacity. In a biblical capacity. 00:21:56.369 --> 00:22:01.730 It's absolutely essential. Now, this is not so 00:22:01.730 --> 00:22:05.250 with the Christian, is it? The Christian can, 00:22:05.630 --> 00:22:11.730 as we've seen, see the world in a correct fashion. 00:22:12.390 --> 00:22:15.009 This leads us to another thing we have to consider. 00:22:15.930 --> 00:22:22.809 The unseen power behind creation, the Word of 00:22:22.809 --> 00:22:29.109 God. Why can Christians see and understand the 00:22:29.109 --> 00:22:37.650 world as it really is? Because the Christian 00:22:37.650 --> 00:22:40.970 knows that the world doesn't just simply exist. 00:22:43.529 --> 00:22:47.130 The Christian knows that the world is not eternal. 00:22:48.990 --> 00:22:51.789 The Christian knows that the world did not bring 00:22:51.789 --> 00:22:54.839 the world into existence. The Christian knows 00:22:54.839 --> 00:22:57.259 that we are not the start of our own existence. 00:22:58.420 --> 00:23:02.299 The Christian looks beyond that. The Christian 00:23:02.299 --> 00:23:05.480 can see beyond that and beyond those surface 00:23:05.480 --> 00:23:13.140 realities. The Christian has faith to see that 00:23:13.140 --> 00:23:18.119 which the eye cannot see. The believer has faith 00:23:18.119 --> 00:23:23.069 to see that which cannot be touched. That which 00:23:23.069 --> 00:23:26.049 is unseen, that which is eternal, that which 00:23:26.049 --> 00:23:30.650 is invisible, that which is lasting and permanent. 00:23:31.329 --> 00:23:37.049 The Christian can see the true origins of the 00:23:37.049 --> 00:23:41.690 world and the true cause of the world being ordered 00:23:41.690 --> 00:23:45.990 and fashioned and structured. And what is that? 00:23:47.529 --> 00:23:53.670 The Word of God. did the world come into being? 00:23:55.170 --> 00:24:00.450 God created it out of nothing. The doctrine or 00:24:00.450 --> 00:24:05.769 the teaching is ex nihilo, out of nothing. God 00:24:05.769 --> 00:24:10.289 created everything. We read in Romans chapter 00:24:10.289 --> 00:24:18.450 4 verses 17 through 18, as it is written, a father 00:24:18.450 --> 00:24:21.910 of many nations have I made you. in the presence 00:24:21.910 --> 00:24:26.509 of him whom he believed, even God, who gives 00:24:26.509 --> 00:24:31.390 life to the dead, and calls into being that which 00:24:31.390 --> 00:24:38.130 does not exist. The Christian doesn't simply 00:24:38.130 --> 00:24:40.349 look at the world and understand the world exists. 00:24:40.509 --> 00:24:42.670 The Christian looks at the world and recognizes 00:24:42.670 --> 00:24:46.069 by faith that the word of God made the world 00:24:46.069 --> 00:24:49.220 out of nothing. That there is a sovereign maker, 00:24:49.339 --> 00:24:51.940 a sovereign creator, who ordered and structured 00:24:51.940 --> 00:24:55.819 and prepared the world for the good of his people 00:24:55.819 --> 00:25:03.019 and the glory of his name. How can you believe 00:25:03.019 --> 00:25:11.039 that everything came from nothing without faith? 00:25:12.220 --> 00:25:16.809 Will your logic and will your reason Get you 00:25:16.809 --> 00:25:23.589 to that point? Nothingness. Then all of creation. 00:25:24.130 --> 00:25:28.069 At some point in time, a person must step into 00:25:28.069 --> 00:25:33.690 the realm of faith in order to understand and 00:25:33.690 --> 00:25:38.470 to answer the most pressing questions in our 00:25:38.470 --> 00:25:43.690 lives. Otherwise, they will look and look and 00:25:43.690 --> 00:25:46.549 look. And never be satisfied with an answer. 00:25:47.809 --> 00:25:52.829 Only in Christ. And only as given in the word 00:25:52.829 --> 00:25:55.650 of God. Can a person really find the answers 00:25:55.650 --> 00:25:58.250 they are looking for. Regarding who they are. 00:25:58.390 --> 00:26:01.210 Where they came from. And what their future is. 00:26:01.769 --> 00:26:06.450 Regarding their fate. What will take place in 00:26:06.450 --> 00:26:08.789 their life. What will come of them. What will 00:26:08.789 --> 00:26:11.150 come of the world. What will become. What will 00:26:11.150 --> 00:26:16.349 come of all men. There's only one place to look. 00:26:17.269 --> 00:26:21.549 You must be in Christ and you must look to the 00:26:21.549 --> 00:26:25.009 Word of God. Then you can have meaning and purpose 00:26:25.009 --> 00:26:30.750 in your life. And then you can have satisfaction 00:26:30.750 --> 00:26:35.069 and peace with the answers that God gives you 00:26:35.069 --> 00:26:43.549 in His Word. Only in Christ. And only from the 00:26:43.549 --> 00:26:47.740 Word. Of the living God. The Christian understands 00:26:47.740 --> 00:26:55.059 the agent. And the cause. Of all things. The 00:26:55.059 --> 00:26:59.940 word of the living God. We read in Psalm chapter 00:26:59.940 --> 00:27:16.680 33. Starting in verse 6. By the word of the Lord, 00:27:16.759 --> 00:27:20.819 the heavens were made. And by the breath of his 00:27:20.819 --> 00:27:25.200 mouth, all their hosts. He gathers the waters 00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:30.380 of the sea together as a heap. He lays up the 00:27:30.380 --> 00:27:33.980 deeps in the storehouses. Let all the earth fear 00:27:33.980 --> 00:27:35.960 the Lord. Let all the inhabitants of the world 00:27:35.960 --> 00:27:40.480 stand in awe of him. For he spoke and it was 00:27:40.480 --> 00:27:46.930 done. He commanded and it stood fast. The Lord's 00:27:46.930 --> 00:27:53.309 sovereign, creative, powerful, authoritative 00:27:53.309 --> 00:27:58.529 word is the source of that which we see and that 00:27:58.529 --> 00:28:05.130 which we feel. That which is unseen brought about 00:28:05.130 --> 00:28:12.710 everything that is visible as the author speaks 00:28:12.710 --> 00:28:19.259 of. That's the spoken word, the creative word 00:28:19.259 --> 00:28:24.500 of God that brought the world and creation into 00:28:24.500 --> 00:28:28.779 existence. But the Bible is also clear. And the 00:28:28.779 --> 00:28:33.119 author of Hebrews surely is alluding to and referencing 00:28:33.119 --> 00:28:37.480 the fact that it's a personal agent that created 00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:43.380 the world. In Hebrews chapter 1, we read this. 00:28:43.819 --> 00:28:51.039 In verses 1 -3. God. After he spoke long ago. 00:28:51.059 --> 00:28:53.960 To the fathers and the prophets. In many portions 00:28:53.960 --> 00:28:59.039 and in many ways. In these last days. He has 00:28:59.039 --> 00:29:03.500 spoken to us. In his son. Whom he appointed heir. 00:29:03.640 --> 00:29:09.759 Of all things. Through whom also. He made. The 00:29:09.759 --> 00:29:15.099 world. We read on. and He is the radiance of 00:29:15.099 --> 00:29:18.839 His glory, and the exact representation of His 00:29:18.839 --> 00:29:22.279 nature, and upholds all things by the word of 00:29:22.279 --> 00:29:29.160 His power. So, it's not just God's authoritative 00:29:29.160 --> 00:29:31.599 declaration that brought the world into existence. 00:29:31.740 --> 00:29:34.799 Brothers and sisters, it was the Son of God, 00:29:35.000 --> 00:29:37.740 through Him, God made the world that brought 00:29:37.740 --> 00:29:41.519 all things into existence. Faith tells us these 00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:49.390 things. We believe that the Son of God created 00:29:49.390 --> 00:29:54.029 all things. That the Son of God, who is sovereign 00:29:54.029 --> 00:29:57.630 and powerful and mighty and majestic, the only 00:29:57.630 --> 00:30:01.029 begotten Son of God, who would later take on 00:30:01.029 --> 00:30:04.910 flesh and dwell among us and die for the sins 00:30:04.910 --> 00:30:08.930 of His people and raise on the third day. The 00:30:08.930 --> 00:30:12.980 Son of God created all things. How do you understand 00:30:12.980 --> 00:30:19.240 and grasp these realities? By faith. And looking 00:30:19.240 --> 00:30:23.720 to the revelation that God has given to us. We 00:30:23.720 --> 00:30:27.700 understand the creation of the world. Because 00:30:27.700 --> 00:30:32.759 of God's written word. Not just his spoken word 00:30:32.759 --> 00:30:37.359 at creation. Not just the personal word. We might 00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:40.569 say Christ who brought all things. but the written 00:30:40.569 --> 00:30:46.529 word of God that he has given to us. We know 00:30:46.529 --> 00:30:50.769 of these things because God has given us a deposit 00:30:50.769 --> 00:30:55.529 of revelation for us to know these things, to 00:30:55.529 --> 00:30:59.670 trust and to believe that our understanding would 00:30:59.670 --> 00:31:04.529 be informed by believing these realities, by 00:31:04.529 --> 00:31:08.690 believing and trusting these glorious truths. 00:31:10.920 --> 00:31:19.240 Faith always believes God's word. Always. That 00:31:19.240 --> 00:31:22.180 is the essence of faith in Hebrews chapter 11. 00:31:22.759 --> 00:31:28.019 Believing and trusting God's word. What he has 00:31:28.019 --> 00:31:33.579 said. And that means that we have to believe 00:31:33.579 --> 00:31:39.539 his word in every area. In every aspect of our 00:31:39.539 --> 00:31:45.400 lives. If God speaks in this area and he commands 00:31:45.400 --> 00:31:49.759 in this area, then brothers and sisters, I must 00:31:49.759 --> 00:31:53.799 receive and accept and believe what God says 00:31:53.799 --> 00:31:57.619 in this area. And if God says something in this 00:31:57.619 --> 00:32:02.380 area or this aspect of my life, even if it's 00:32:02.380 --> 00:32:06.039 uncomfortable and hard, then I must believe and 00:32:06.039 --> 00:32:11.660 accept and trust. What God says in that area 00:32:11.660 --> 00:32:21.319 of my life. Faith believes the word of God. And 00:32:21.319 --> 00:32:24.740 it's by believing the word of God that the people 00:32:24.740 --> 00:32:32.700 of God are led to obedience in their lives. Think 00:32:32.700 --> 00:32:37.799 about all the examples that are given. Think 00:32:37.799 --> 00:32:43.490 about Abel. What word did Abel believe? God's 00:32:43.490 --> 00:32:47.509 word about sacrifice. Abel believed it. He obeyed. 00:32:47.509 --> 00:32:51.289 He sacrificed as he was taught. Likely as his 00:32:51.289 --> 00:32:54.269 father Adam had taught him to sacrifice. As God 00:32:54.269 --> 00:32:57.529 had taught Adam to sacrifice. He was obedient. 00:32:57.750 --> 00:33:01.630 He believed what God had said. What about Noah? 00:33:02.130 --> 00:33:05.960 What did he believe? He believed God's word regarding 00:33:05.960 --> 00:33:09.579 judgment and salvation to come. Therefore, it 00:33:09.579 --> 00:33:14.240 led him to obedience. What about so many others? 00:33:14.559 --> 00:33:19.000 Abraham. Hope against hope. He believed what 00:33:19.000 --> 00:33:24.640 God said regarding a son, the son of promise. 00:33:25.119 --> 00:33:27.940 Therefore, he believed and he believed and he 00:33:27.940 --> 00:33:33.339 believed. Why? Because God had spoken and this, 00:33:33.740 --> 00:33:38.599 led him and sustained him in obedience and faithfulness 00:33:38.599 --> 00:33:47.579 in his life. If you want to be more obedient 00:33:47.579 --> 00:33:51.240 and more faithful in your life, Christian brother 00:33:51.240 --> 00:33:55.339 or sister, then the starting place is trusting 00:33:55.339 --> 00:33:58.240 in God's word with regards to what he says about 00:33:58.240 --> 00:34:04.240 your life. If you want to have a more godly and 00:34:04.240 --> 00:34:08.719 satisfied marriage, then believe what God says 00:34:08.719 --> 00:34:15.179 about marriage. If you want to be a more godly 00:34:15.179 --> 00:34:18.300 man or a more godly woman, then go to the Word, 00:34:18.460 --> 00:34:21.780 believe what God says about being a man or being 00:34:21.780 --> 00:34:26.880 a woman, and then live that way in faith. We 00:34:26.880 --> 00:34:32.159 must go back and return. To what God has said 00:34:32.159 --> 00:34:41.380 in his word. Time and time and time again. What 00:34:41.380 --> 00:34:46.440 do we believe when we come to worship God? What 00:34:46.440 --> 00:34:48.179 do you believe as you sit under the preaching 00:34:48.179 --> 00:34:52.500 of God's word? Do you come and hear the word 00:34:52.500 --> 00:34:57.199 of God proclaimed? Believing that God will work 00:34:57.199 --> 00:35:01.170 through the word in your life? Do you come on 00:35:01.170 --> 00:35:07.289 Lord's Day worship and sing songs and pray believing 00:35:07.289 --> 00:35:10.349 that you are entering into the presence of a 00:35:10.349 --> 00:35:12.829 holy and a righteous God and that God will actually 00:35:12.829 --> 00:35:17.489 work in your life? Do you come in faith to the 00:35:17.489 --> 00:35:23.170 Word of God in worship? Do you come to faith? 00:35:23.309 --> 00:35:25.889 Do you come in faith when you go to the Word 00:35:25.889 --> 00:35:31.480 of God in prayer in your daily life? Because 00:35:31.480 --> 00:35:34.719 it's through believing the word that God brings 00:35:34.719 --> 00:35:40.659 about obedience in our lives. It's vitally important. 00:35:41.260 --> 00:35:48.159 It's not just hearing. It's believing these grand 00:35:48.159 --> 00:35:52.360 and these glorious realities. What conclusion 00:35:52.360 --> 00:35:57.989 must the believer come to? based on everything 00:35:57.989 --> 00:36:03.630 the author has said in verse 3. What is that 00:36:03.630 --> 00:36:08.309 thing which we must infer is to be true or not 00:36:08.309 --> 00:36:11.449 to be true based on what the author has said 00:36:11.449 --> 00:36:22.110 in verse 3? The conclusion is this. The visible 00:36:22.110 --> 00:36:28.420 and that which is seen is... not ultimate in 00:36:28.420 --> 00:36:34.519 the believer's life. That which you can see with 00:36:34.519 --> 00:36:37.199 your eyes and that which you can touch with your 00:36:37.199 --> 00:36:41.739 hands is not the end -all, be -all in the believer's 00:36:41.739 --> 00:36:47.659 life. That is not the most fundamental reality 00:36:47.659 --> 00:36:53.719 that exists for the believer. What is? That which 00:36:53.719 --> 00:36:58.070 is... Unseen. That's why he says in the second 00:36:58.070 --> 00:37:00.969 half of the verse, so that what is seen was not 00:37:00.969 --> 00:37:05.650 made out of things which are visible. He's emphasizing 00:37:05.650 --> 00:37:10.429 the point by negating the opposites. That's what 00:37:10.429 --> 00:37:12.210 he's doing in the Greek and that's what he's 00:37:12.210 --> 00:37:15.969 doing in the English. The preeminent thing is 00:37:15.969 --> 00:37:18.949 not that which is visible. The supreme and preeminent 00:37:18.949 --> 00:37:21.690 thing for believers in their faith is that which 00:37:21.690 --> 00:37:25.349 is unseen and that which is eternal and invisible. 00:37:26.110 --> 00:37:30.289 Remember in verse 1, Now faith is the assurance 00:37:30.289 --> 00:37:33.829 of things hoped for, the conviction of what? 00:37:34.730 --> 00:37:43.250 Things not seen. The promises are unseen. The 00:37:43.250 --> 00:37:45.469 things that God has promised in his word are 00:37:45.469 --> 00:37:50.639 unseen. There are things not touched with the 00:37:50.639 --> 00:37:54.019 hand and seen with the eye. Now, I can prove 00:37:54.019 --> 00:37:58.420 this to you from the text, from what the author 00:37:58.420 --> 00:38:04.500 has said, that the unseen is preeminent and supreme. 00:38:05.260 --> 00:38:10.360 How do we do that? Well, one, we see that that 00:38:10.360 --> 00:38:15.860 which is visible finds its source in that which 00:38:15.860 --> 00:38:20.289 is visible. invisible or unseen. The Word of 00:38:20.289 --> 00:38:25.030 God. The source is greater than the product and 00:38:25.030 --> 00:38:28.289 that which comes about. That's one way we could 00:38:28.289 --> 00:38:35.690 look at it. What is seen is derivative of that 00:38:35.690 --> 00:38:39.809 which is unseen. Or another way we could think 00:38:39.809 --> 00:38:43.590 about it. Everything that is visible and seen 00:38:43.590 --> 00:38:50.789 is contingent On what? That which is unseen and 00:38:50.789 --> 00:38:58.130 eternal. Everything. The unseen governs that 00:38:58.130 --> 00:39:03.550 which is seen. God and the risen Lord Jesus Christ, 00:39:03.869 --> 00:39:09.130 reigning and ruling, governs everything which 00:39:09.130 --> 00:39:22.539 is visible. Not everything is ultimate. There 00:39:22.539 --> 00:39:25.920 are some things which are ultimate, and there 00:39:25.920 --> 00:39:29.900 are other things which are not ultimate. There 00:39:29.900 --> 00:39:33.920 are some things which are more fundamental to 00:39:33.920 --> 00:39:36.880 reality, and there are other things which are 00:39:36.880 --> 00:39:41.940 less fundamental to reality. According to the 00:39:41.940 --> 00:39:48.599 author of Hebrews, what is... That which is unseen. 00:39:49.639 --> 00:39:52.780 According to the author of Hebrews, what is the 00:39:52.780 --> 00:39:58.500 most fundamental part of reality? That which 00:39:58.500 --> 00:40:06.420 is unseen. The eternal. So what are these things 00:40:06.420 --> 00:40:10.980 that are unseen that have the place of preeminence 00:40:10.980 --> 00:40:13.920 in the life of the believer and have to do with 00:40:13.920 --> 00:40:18.099 faith? As the author of Hebrews is defining it. 00:40:18.800 --> 00:40:21.300 Well we could think about the unseen world to 00:40:21.300 --> 00:40:24.320 come. That we've talked about in reference. In 00:40:24.320 --> 00:40:27.159 Hebrews chapter 11. The unseen world to come 00:40:27.159 --> 00:40:33.400 and not this present world. We could think. About 00:40:33.400 --> 00:40:38.059 the heavenly tabernacle. Which Christ consecrated. 00:40:38.320 --> 00:40:41.420 By ascending to the Father. And sitting down 00:40:41.420 --> 00:40:45.219 at the right hand. Not. The earthly tabernacle. 00:40:45.380 --> 00:40:48.219 That the Hebrew Christians were being pressured. 00:40:48.320 --> 00:40:51.559 To return back to the system associated. With 00:40:51.559 --> 00:40:55.380 the mosaic tabernacle. That which is unseen. 00:40:56.519 --> 00:41:00.539 We could think about. The unseen new covenant 00:41:00.539 --> 00:41:04.719 realities. In the old covenant. There was so 00:41:04.719 --> 00:41:07.659 much that was so visible. Even the ten commandments. 00:41:08.119 --> 00:41:12.659 But in the new covenant. The law of God is written 00:41:12.659 --> 00:41:17.000 afresh on our hearts. It's not visible. It's 00:41:17.000 --> 00:41:21.539 not seen. The forgiveness of sins, the true knowledge 00:41:21.539 --> 00:41:26.019 and saving faith of God, the new covenant blessings 00:41:26.019 --> 00:41:32.059 and graces are unseen realities. The better possession 00:41:32.059 --> 00:41:37.079 that the believer in Jesus Christ has not their 00:41:37.079 --> 00:41:41.949 earthly possessions. Think about, The relevance 00:41:41.949 --> 00:41:46.570 of this for his readers. They were undergoing 00:41:46.570 --> 00:41:51.429 persecution. They were literally losing their 00:41:51.429 --> 00:41:53.769 homes and property and their possessions and 00:41:53.769 --> 00:41:59.090 some of them their very lives. Why is this important 00:41:59.090 --> 00:42:02.630 for them to understand? Because they have to 00:42:02.630 --> 00:42:05.570 understand what is ultimate and what is not ultimate. 00:42:06.860 --> 00:42:10.199 So that their affections and their desires and 00:42:10.199 --> 00:42:14.599 their lives can consequently be ordered by that 00:42:14.599 --> 00:42:20.780 which is ultimate. That which is unseen. We could 00:42:20.780 --> 00:42:25.059 think about the heavenly homeland and no earthly 00:42:25.059 --> 00:42:29.239 city or nation. We could think about the reward 00:42:29.239 --> 00:42:31.900 and inheritance that is awaiting the believer. 00:42:33.070 --> 00:42:35.730 That is touched on and talked about throughout 00:42:35.730 --> 00:42:38.389 the book of Hebrews. We could think about the 00:42:38.389 --> 00:42:42.329 unshakable kingdom that is coming. The unseen, 00:42:42.550 --> 00:42:44.989 unshakable kingdom. And not an earthly kingdom. 00:42:45.150 --> 00:42:48.210 Which is ultimate according to the author of 00:42:48.210 --> 00:42:52.570 Hebrews. We could think about the once for all 00:42:52.570 --> 00:42:58.690 sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That is unseen. Untouchable. 00:42:59.730 --> 00:43:05.139 Not earthly. sacrifices that men make that the 00:43:05.139 --> 00:43:07.360 Hebrew Christians would have been pressured to 00:43:07.360 --> 00:43:13.099 partake in. And most importantly in these preeminent 00:43:13.099 --> 00:43:17.619 unseen realities is the risen Lord Jesus Christ 00:43:17.619 --> 00:43:21.079 who was our great high priest and mediator of 00:43:21.079 --> 00:43:24.239 redemption and salvation that God has accomplished. 00:43:24.619 --> 00:43:29.239 We cannot see him. We cannot touch Him. We cannot 00:43:29.239 --> 00:43:34.400 lay our hands upon Him. But He is true. He is 00:43:34.400 --> 00:43:41.360 real. He is ultimate. The salvation which He 00:43:41.360 --> 00:43:46.679 has accomplished is the most fundamental and 00:43:46.679 --> 00:43:54.300 ultimate reality for the believer. If I suffer 00:43:54.300 --> 00:43:58.530 and die at the hands of persecutors, Brothers 00:43:58.530 --> 00:44:02.269 and sisters, my body is not the ultimate thing. 00:44:04.210 --> 00:44:09.349 I will die and go to be with the Lord. If you 00:44:09.349 --> 00:44:11.550 get sick and you die of sickness or disease, 00:44:11.889 --> 00:44:14.349 that's not the ultimate thing. That's not the 00:44:14.349 --> 00:44:17.909 most fundamental thing in your life. Do you know 00:44:17.909 --> 00:44:21.190 what it is? The transcendent and eternal salvation 00:44:21.190 --> 00:44:24.449 which Jesus Christ has accomplished for sinners. 00:44:25.730 --> 00:44:30.789 That. is ultimate. You can have any of your possessions 00:44:30.789 --> 00:44:34.929 taken from you, brothers and sisters. You can 00:44:34.929 --> 00:44:37.570 have your car destroyed. You can have your house 00:44:37.570 --> 00:44:40.530 burnt down. And you can be dislocated from your 00:44:40.530 --> 00:44:47.610 home. And that is not ultimate. Do you know what 00:44:47.610 --> 00:44:51.510 it is? Eternal life and resurrection and the 00:44:51.510 --> 00:44:53.909 eternal inheritance that we receive in Christ 00:44:53.909 --> 00:44:59.559 and the age to come. These are ultimate realities 00:44:59.559 --> 00:45:05.539 and these must orient our affections in this 00:45:05.539 --> 00:45:14.539 life. We can endure a great deal. And we ought 00:45:14.539 --> 00:45:18.659 to have a great deal of joy and peace and satisfaction 00:45:18.659 --> 00:45:22.320 and boldness and zeal in our lives as believers 00:45:22.320 --> 00:45:27.739 because these realities are the most fundamental 00:45:27.739 --> 00:45:34.380 realities with regards to faith, not that which 00:45:34.380 --> 00:45:36.699 is seen and visible.