Evidences of faith (Quality: Average)

[0:00] Now let's turn again then to the Paul's Epistle for Hebrews chapter 11 and the 7th verse. Paul's Epistle for Hebrews chapter 11 verse 7 By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

[0:42] When we read of cases like Noah and other great men Moses where the Lord gave them great and wonderful totems and proofs of his personal being we too may feel that unless we have similar great evidences we know nothing of this God and how Satan so often brings the very scriptures and these portions to our mind to confuse us and especially those who are seeking their way toward the Lord to overthrow their faith and to say well of course if you knew anything to anything in faith you too would be able to do things so much easier than you do at present one said in similar words could I love the Lord if they those that never heard his name couldn't possibly feel the same as what they do and I believe often

[2:14] Satan tempts us one of the proofs of being one of the Lord's people is this the tempter because if God has given us to a living faith well then we'd be tempted by Satan to believe he hasn't it's the sort of thing if we believe that we have faith and it's never put to the test there'll be times in our experience when Satan will come to us and say where is now thy God but now let us remember this that Noah although he was a favoured man although he was given every direction with regard to the building of the ark that it took time before it was completed and if we are the Lord people there'll be those things which will gradually be formed together sealed by the promises of God held together thy precious faith and it will take a lifetime experience before that faith is complete even the large nail that was driven into the ark that large little piece of pitch that was put on the ark surrounding him was like faith just as much as the very beginning you see it had to be perfect it had to be completely finished and so often we are inclined to come to a conclusion with regard to our faith before it's finished we don't want to go by the results before we come to a conclusion on it but how necessary it is to have faith neither as a way it must proceed according to your faith be it and to you now you see faith

[4:38] Noah was warned of God of things not seen as yet which happens this morning for regard to the second coming of the Lord but who knows the Lord may delay much longer what about our lives how we may say well of course there's plenty of time to think about death and eternity how many are suddenly after eternity without warning how often we hear one another whether known or unknown where they've been suddenly taken out of this life without any warning we know that the Lord can repair a person in a matter of seconds the Lord's time is different to our time but I hope we can care for these things now not only then we read in this chapter of the faith of Noah we also read of the faith of

[5:53] Raab we may think well of course this is rather unusual but is it it shows a contrast in faith but the faith of Raab was exactly the same faith as that of Noah faith it's exactly the same that you and I possess if the Lord has given it to us now it's no good to rely upon something which we've been told something we believe unless it's been proved it's no good someone telling us something we believe it unless we have the proof of it now there's nothing more important than our souls it's sad when we see those who make a profession of religion so taken up for this present life seen after all the enjoyment of it and more or less making a mockery of their religion a mockery before the world the love or the mockery before God have we ever been brought face to face before this

[7:22] God has he ever appeared to us as a living reality have we any doubts within our mind as to the person of God have we any doubts with regard to his power have we any doubts with regard to his word and the truth of his word the Lord says prove me now look how his ancient people proved him we touched this morning upon Isaac have you thought ever realised the difference between Ishmael and Isaac Ishmael was of the flesh Abraham's flesh but there was no doubt that he got to

[8:22] Ishmael but when Abraham was past age Sarah was past age when there was that impossibility naturally speaking Sarah herself brought forth Isaac so we see the son of the flesh Ishmael and we see the son of the spirit Isaac the son of promise and if we are rightly taught we should know something of these two we should have Ishmael and we should have Isaac our religion will not be all Isaac and it won't be all Ishmael there'll be that within our heart which will go off to the things of time which is the fruit of the flesh and then every third those things which will seek after the fruit of the spirit and we find right the way through the scriptures from

[9:29] Cain and Abel right through to Revelation where the work of grace the lost people and the kingdom of Satan are separated now God's word is a separating word and it will separate us if we are called by grace from looking to our flesh looking to our good works looking to everything apart from that which is brought forth by the spirit by the promise of God and God promises this I will give them a new heart not the old one patched up but I will give them a new heart now Noah then was a man who was born of the flesh but

[10:30] God implanted faithfully his heart and God spoke to him you may say well now I've never had the Lord speak to me for the Lord speaks to his people in various ways speaking is only a means of communicating it doesn't matter how God communicates with us he is a sovereign in this but he speaks to his people in various ways it may be through the death of world the Lord will speak he puts a concern that in our heart it may be the Lord will speak to us as we read his word as Nathan spake to David thou art the man and the arrow of conviction comes within our heart but whatever it is whenever the

[11:33] Lord speaks faith is realised within the heart to believe to believe that his God is speaking to us sometimes we may be going along quite prosperously and we see the world around us quite happy our pathway is quite easy there's no need to faith there but the Lord in his wisdom brings something most unexpected something we're not looking for and I don't suppose for a moment that Noah realised what the Lord was weighing his purpose was concerning him but how the Lord spoke to him he didn't speak to those that were lost and therefore it's a solemn thing if we've never heard the boys speaking to us if we've never been condemned it we've never been warned because of the way which we're going if our hearts are so hard that we turned our back and shut our ears to the warnings in

[12:48] God's word that Noah took heed to what God said and nothing would deter him from carrying that out which God has so clearly told him to do and there are those things which God lays within the hearts of men and women even in providence and when we come to examine the way in which Noah built the ark surely it was providence there was a way of preserving life but the wisdom of God was working continuously through the time of creation on behalf of fallen man and here we see the way of salvation typically not saving natural lives but saving the soul which is far more important than saving our lives what can man give in exchange for his soul by faith

[14:02] Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet I wonder how many men around us if we were to stop and ask them if they realised they had an ever dying soul whether they would believe it some might and then if we were to ask what effect these things had upon them do you realise that you have an ever dying soul do you realise that God's word is truth is coming again and is God preparing you as he warned you in such a way that from your very heart there is that plea from time to time to bear me gracious God to stand before thy face thy spirit must the word before for it is all of grace to have some clear knowledge that God is our

[15:12] God is indeed the greatest blessing you and I can ever have upon this earth it's all very well to sing sovereign moon of the sky ever gracious ever wise have we ever known what it is to sing in mountains when we be surrounded by death when the Lord has spoken within our dark like death around the sky till he bids I cannot die not a single shaft of head till the God love sees him and as the Lord by faith realizes reveals the gospel to each people people you see we read in that chapter those chapters in Genesis that he repented the Lord he made man well that word repent doesn't mean the same as we would perhaps understand it what it means is this that God changed the course of events whenever we read of

[16:28] God repenting in scripture it means that he changed the course of events which he already planned in eternity to do to change those courses do you know what it is for God to change the heart renew the will and turn your feet to Zion still bless the soul of your world because God is preparing an ark for you that ark is already prepared but how it's preparing you to enter into it now the way of the gospel is this and so do you lose sight of me this man receiveth sinners and eateth them now our nature is that we are tempted to believe that God would never look upon sinners well that's the very pledge he came upon this earth

[17:32] Noah was a sinner the same as you and I we said this morning all the human race are equal with regard to sinners the only difference is this that some are saved by free and sovereign grace but some are not is it concerned to us as to whether we are saved and what evidence have we had we the proof that God has spoken to us and warned us so that we have been brought to seek salvation and then have we the proof within our heart that this God is our God because in the great and awful day when the Lord will come to judge the quick of the dead we should want proof it will be no good saying that day Lord Lord we've cast devils out in thy name we've done this we've done the other in thy name we want the proof and the proof is this to come with the

[18:45] Lord and say Lord I read in thy word that the gospel was for sinners such as me I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance now if the Lord has warned us that we have that repentance within our heart not a repentance because we have been found out but a repenting a change of course a seeking after the things of God have we ever received any encouragement any enjoyment from God's word have we been brought to a place where we can see that we love the Lord because of those things which he's revealed to us and because of that hope that we have in his mercy have we been brought to realise that the

[19:56] Lord has spoken to us through his word and we know it was the Lord because the effect it had upon us we can be in a crowd a large gathering and we can hear a voice and out of the multitude of voices that may be around us that particular voice we know is someone that we love maybe someone that we haven't seen for a lot more but we know the voice and immediately our attention is drawn to that voice now how much more so spiritually my sheep hear my voice Noah was one of the sheep of Christ's fault and when the Lord speaks to his people they know it beyond all doubt they have faith to believe it they believe they are sinners and they believe there is only one who is able to save them it's crazy when one is brought under conviction of sin and when the Lord warns them how the gospel is not revealed to them but like the building of the ark it is a gradual process and how that soul under conviction of sin is condemned by the

[21:27] Lord realizing that the Lord of God must be fulfilled in its entirety as they are brought to realize that they have broken the Lord of God and then for the scriptures and gospel to be opened up the Lord our righteousness the Lord he not only came upon this earth to suffer for the sins of the church of God but he came to walk upon this earth in our place and in our state never once can we point to Lord Jesus and say that he made a mistake as he walked upon the earth never did he sin never did he do any evil now to be in the ark in Noah in Noah's time was a place of safety although the rain the delliums came upon the earth although death surrounded that ark all that were within were saved and so it is virtually all those who are in Christ are still there is safety in

[23:05] Christ we remember visiting an old gentleman who had lost his wife and he was in deep sorrow his family didn't want him they turned him out of his home pushed him into a nursing home and he was in a little room with hardly any comfort more like a prison soul anything else as we went to visit him we never heard him say anything spiritually before but he said this there's safety in Christ you see his loved ones who he looked to perhaps who would look after in his old age they'd failed him his wife who he perhaps looked to as being one who would ever be with him but now had taken he was left on his own the Lord spoke to him through those things to show him there was only one same place as the

[24:12] Lord spoke to you has the Lord shown you that whatever may take place upon this earth when this earth is eventually consumed man is preparing for God's work at this very time as Noah prepared not so I believe that man with all these terrible weapons that he's producing throughout the whole of the world is preparing for the end of all time how would it be with you how would it be with me we never know from time to time when this would take place in ancient times one could have thought it was impossible for the earth to melt with a fervent heat we see today it's not impossible we can see it with our very eyes what has taken place we can see what will take place we know about the way in which God may bring this about but we do know it's possible but how do we know that it is possible apart from those very things that we can see by God's blood how do we stand in that great that solemn day will we be able to say to the

[25:48] Lord Lord we've done this Lord we've done that or shall we be able to say Lord you've done this you spoke to me you warned me it was under influence of your care your loving kindness to warn me that you spoke to me and if the Lord does speak to you you'll know that's far now I knew exactly where the Lord spoke to him Moses knew where the Lord spoke to him that burning bush would ever be in his mind you and I perhaps can go back to a place many years ago where the Lord spoke to us will the Lord be able to say in that great solemn day they never knew us by faith Abraham and by faith Noah being warned of God things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an ark to the saving of his house by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith how was the world condemned because they couldn't believe they were condemned by their unbeliefing they looked upon

[27:16] Noah as being ignorant and foolish one who perhaps whose mind was affected and to the natural mind these things are foolish when we can't consider as we read in this chapter where Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God it was by faith that to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season won't be your choice what would you rather do enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season or choose the afflictions of the people of God those of those of us who are approaching that three four years and ten how we look back upon our lives and when we sat in the pew as a child or a young man it seems no time ago we spend our lives as a tale that is told and the sufferings of the lost people however painful they may be they're very blessed and they're very short

[28:38] I can speak from experience and I'll say to you young friends tonight that my most happy days have been those days when I've been passing through time to great trouble and suffering and pain because the Lord has spoken to me and I can testify to you that if the Lord speaks to you if you're in times of trouble suffering affliction bereavement these are the very times that the Lord you are near these people and speaks to them and when you're brought to see others in similar circumstances they have no time to guard them while the reactions they're condemned and perhaps as you try to speak to them they don't want to hear they're not interested but are you interested in these things as the

[29:55] Lord revealed himself to you as he made himself precious to you although perhaps you can't claim him personally but you can see something in him which is precious to you and you say if only you could find him oh that I knew where I might find him who's got that desire in your heart surely the Lord has already spoken to you he's given you faith and believe in him and given you a desire to find him to know you and then if you walk in those very depths the Lord will hear now when the Lord then spoke to Noah he prepared this ark have you ever thought what he must have felt like when the Lord shut him in and when the rain descended when that ark was littered like the earth dead water when there was death all around him he was safe in that ark have you ever thought of that time when you will eventually have to part with the things of time when you'll have to enter eternity have you any proof this

[31:30] God has spoken to you if so you're a faint soul you say but I can't get what I want if only I knew the Lord was mine we were speaking to an aged woman in much affliction much affliction recently she said if only I could say the Lord is mine as all my heart desires do you know a better place for me can you truthfully say it's all you want to know the Lord is yours well he's yours otherwise he wouldn't have that fervent desire within your heart you say well how do you know the Lord is mine because his word is true and his word says he satisfies the desire of every living soul every living thing and the

[32:35] Lord has put that desire within your heart and if that is your desire well then he's put it there and therefore you have a living soul who seeks after living things he does things and so as Noah was not concerned with those who perhaps ridiculed him those who thought perhaps that he was acting under some influence that they couldn't understand and yet they didn't want to understand he carried on Jesus Christ God's only son bid you undismayed go on whatever may be your pathway whatever may be before you eternity is definite and I will be prepared for it and then when the Lord does appear to his people he shot in the

[33:42] Lord was shut in that ark he came out again but eternity is final as far as you and I are concerned there will be no more going in there will coming out how necessary it is to be right to be shutting with the Lord rather to be shutting with the devil have you realised or thought what it would be to be shutting internally with the wicked some years ago we spent several months surrounded by young God me day and night no escape on it when we were in hospital with them and I felt that it would be hell to me to spend eternity with them we had nothing in common not that I was any different to them my heart was equally as bad but I had no union no communion with them

[34:58] I didn't find any comfort any pleasure in their company would you like to spend eternity with murderers or malvers thieves robbers those wretches that we read about and see spend eternity with them would you choose rather to suffer a fliction with the people of God you see by faith Noah was warned of God that those things were not seen as yet for may we have been able to see the ways of God may that prayer be within our heart Lord make me to know by the end of the measure of my days what it is that I may know how frail I am and then to be brought to realize the mercy and the loving kindness of the

[35:58] Lord who so is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord to be given that faith to believe that the Lord does hear but he does answer prayer now one of the proofs of being the Lord's people is secret prayer people will make a lot of going to a prayer meeting others make prayer little of it I say well of course it's only a prayer meeting others would say well of course I'm not going to the best of prayer meeting but what is prayer we talk a lot about prayer but what is it is one of the most solemn parts of the services of the Lord's house it is where we profess to speak to God personally where we lay before him our needs and those things that we desire from him and yet how seldom do we ask the

[37:13] Lord for those things which are so necessary for eternity how seldom do we come with a feeling heart with a faith within how seldom do we come saying Lord stir up this heart of mine Lord draw my heart from earth away and make it only know thy call speak to my own inmost soul and say I am thy saviour Lord thy all to reflect upon the ways in which the Lord has enticed past faithless to have our hearts go out again but now what do we go secretly not to stand up and be seen as old men but to have secret prayers for the Lord to have to go and shut ourselves away because of our circumstances go to the Lord and say

[38:20] Lord thou know this Lord appear for me Lord help me as the Lord has given you faith to believe that he can help you have you know what it is to go to the Lord to have something of this faith in your heart because they that goes to the Lord in faith believe that he is he might according to his word hear their poor petitions how confirm it is when the Lord hears our prayers and when beyond all doubt we know that there is a God by those things that he has done for us I could give you time to not commit I could give you many things and I feel that perhaps the ministers as they go forth in the name of the Lord should speak a little of their experiences the proof that they had from time to time is it because so many today have no experience because they do not know the things of God by experience they feared the

[39:42] Lord they spake often one to another and they testified of the things which the Lord had done how encouraging it is to the young and the rising generation to hear those who have been longing the way of speaking of those things which the Lord has done now in this chapter there is much with the Lord has done for his people various ways all different cases and therefore there is no set way in which the Lord has got to appear to you but he will appear to you if you are one of his people and he will appear in this way by warning him and then he will build up your way he will be a gradual process as it was the building of the ark until you are ready to enter into that ark of Christ and who knows the way things are going now martyrdom persecution those things could come so rapidly upon this labour land about us and we know what it is to have that faith where God has given you such a reality of his power what he can do where he can leave everything in his hands we can say

[41:18] Lord I commit my cause to thy name now we cannot expect to have reached to thy dying hour neither can we expect to have a God given faith until the Lord sees to bring us into some dispensation into some need of it you see God he doesn't give these precious gifts away unless there's an absolute people but his people have needs the Lord supplies their needs how the psalmist was able to see thou prepare to table before me in the presence of my enemies now you see don't let us judge our religion on the 11th of

[42:18] Hebrews don't let us judge it on the experiences of others let us judge it on God's life as we read his life to come to the Lord and say Lord thou understand the gospel is for such as me Lord thy work is there that all power is given unto thee both in heaven and earth for may that power be manifested on my behalf by faith thou being warned of God things not seen as yet move with fear and prepare it up to the saving of his house by which he condemned the world became now of the righteousness which is by faith I believe that where one is able to walk worthy of the profession they made that others are not condemned they have condemned in their spirit they realize within their heart that they do not possess those things which they see in others what mercy is the

[43:33] Lord uses us so that others may be dead be warned they might seek salvation through the Lord Jesus and then be brought to see that with him there is to be a mess whatever our sins may be to go to him in faith believing that he is able to forgive all our sins and also to take away even the feeling of guilt be brought under condemnation and then to understand as we read in the Romans there is therefore now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus in that eternal heart where alone there is safety by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith there is a complete righteousness in the Lord

[44:45] Jesus and then we are in him for then we should be heirs with him heirs with Noah of that righteousness there is no other righteousness because the Lord demands a complete righteousness and it can only be found in Christ or may we then be led by the Spirit into the things of God in such a way that we may obtain that righteousness and at last we safely land it in that eternal world of bliss we must leave it may the Lord it be blessing amen amen hey hopeinet and have there is the lum so