Hebrews (Quality: Good, Quiet)

[0:00] Amen. I would prayerfully direct your thoughts to the chapter that we read this evening, the 11th chapter in Hebrews, and two words that are found at the beginning of verse 8.

[0:42] Hebrews chapter 11, verse 8, and the first two words there, by faith. Now many of the verses in this same chapter begin also with these two words, by faith, and you might say, well why have you chosen the 8th verse as your text?

[1:09] I'll tell you of a note in my own Bible with a word that is found towards the end of this 8th verse, underlined and a date by it, and the question, what Lord?

[1:31] And it is this, obey it. An occasion when the Lord laid that with a power upon myself.

[1:44] I did not know then, and I do not know now, what the purpose, what the outcome, what the meaning, what the Lord would have me to do.

[2:01] But it is so laid upon my spirit, and this was some time ago, regarding this word, obedience, obey it, that I believe I can say that by faith I have watched, and am still watching, to know what his gracious will and purpose is.

[2:30] Now there's one thing I know that I will need, faith to be given to me, that when this is made plain, to walk according to his will and purpose.

[2:48] And so it is in the path of obedience with a child of God, that the only way they can walk is by faith.

[2:58] faith and faith the Lord graciously pours out from himself into souls.

[3:10] However you may feel, whatever your feelings are in this, you might say, where is my faith? I feel to be as those that always walk by sight.

[3:29] I want everything to be so plain, everything to be laid out in order. I want to see that there is something ahead of me, that I know that that is the step that I must take.

[3:47] but there are those times, my friends, when we have to take a step by faith, not knowing what the end will be. I tell you one thing, what do we have in this chapter that we read and what do we have throughout the word of God in the lives of the Lord's people as they are enabled by the grace of God to walk by faith?

[4:10] a perfect outcome of what the Lord had spoken. It may not be according to our thoughts.

[4:21] It may not even be according to our fleshly natural desires. Oh, do you know what this is? For your flesh to strive against what the Lord has spoken.

[4:35] to say, Lord, I cannot. This is not the path for me. And perhaps even in this to say, Lord, I will not.

[4:48] And yet, the Lord graciously lays his hands upon his people. He makes plain the path, opens the way, the doors are opened, and there, oh, step by step, he leads them on.

[5:06] And perhaps I should say in this way, don't try to rush it. That's another thing that's within us by nature.

[5:19] If there's something that we want to do, well, not all of us, I know, but quite often it is in this way. There's something ahead. We want to see the end of it.

[5:31] We want to see it completed. in a moment, shall we say. Those very wise words that Naomi spoke to her, Ruth, sit still, my daughter.

[5:49] Sit still. Can we just turn to them to S.C. what? I believe here she was given wisdom to give this advice.

[6:03] Then said she, sit still, my daughter, until they know how the matter will fall, for the man will not be in rest until he have finished the thing this day.

[6:18] what the Lord has purposed, what the Lord has spoken, he will surely perform.

[6:30] so then, let us watch, let us wait, let us seek to know and to do his will by faith.

[6:49] Now, what is the path of faith? It is the path of prayer.

[7:03] Two things here that you may say I greatly lack in. I greatly lack in faith and sometimes I feel that there is no prayer within.

[7:19] the path then of faith is a path of prayer. Oh, it will be tried, it will be greatly tried in this, but there is one thing that you will know that the Lord is with you.

[7:44] By faith Abraham and oh, he walked very close to his God. And it is those that walk by faith, they walk with their eyes upon their Lord.

[8:01] heart. All these things are not in us by nature. They cannot be found in us by nature.

[8:13] But when the Lord has begun that gracious work in souls, then there is this desire that all things that they might do are done by faith.

[8:23] what also did we read? That those that come unto the Lord, that it is through faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

[8:39] For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

[8:50] Now we can think of many examples through the word of God. As we have set before us a few of them in this 11th chapter of Hebrews, of those that walked by faith, not having received the promise, but all they viewed it.

[9:12] Now what did we say just now? A perfect outcome to what the Lord has spoken what the Lord has purposed, although we cannot see it at the time.

[9:26] And this is where the trial of faith comes in. How is it? You believe that the Lord has opened the door in a particular way.

[9:38] He's led you into this pathway and suddenly everything comes to a halt. It seems as if even the Lord is against us. He seems to have shut up every way and you say, Lord, if I have to walk in this pathway in faith, why has they seemingly turned against me?

[10:06] Those in the word of God, those through the ages, those perhaps that you know and love and even in your own case. Oh, it's not so strange, is it?

[10:18] No, it's that the Lord might show unto you that he will work and who shall let it. Let us emphasize once again, be still, sit still.

[10:38] This is not carelessness, this is not presumption, this is not saying, well, if the Lord will work, if the Lord will perform, he will bring it to pass.

[10:50] Whatever I say or do, it will have no effect. I will sit back, I will take my ease, I will let the course of things take their natural path.

[11:05] Now a child of God, oh, how they will have to pray over these things, how they will have to wrestle with the Lord regarding this, and say, Lord, this promise, this word, this that thou hast spoken, if it is not of thee, if I am deceived in it, undeceive me.

[11:27] Oh, the Lord has laid it upon your spirit and your desire is that he might go before you in it, that he might make the way plain, that he might bring it to pass. And so those then that walk by faith, oh, how they had to watch, and watch the hand of the Lord in everything, in everything.

[11:48] Now, faith is a path of prayer. They are joined together.

[12:01] It is the walk of faith to be in prayer. Well, let us consider then.

[12:15] What did the Lord say to Abraham? By faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac.

[12:28] What did the Lord say to Abraham? Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest. Before we continue, what did the Lord promise?

[12:39] What had the Lord spoken? That he should have a son. That in his seed, all nations of the earth should be blessed.

[12:50] He was an old man. Sarah was old. Beyond, past the age of bearing. Impossible that they should have children, that they should have a son.

[13:04] Yet by faith, they believed that the Lord would bring it to pass. If you've been exercised about a particular matter, you've had something upon your spirit, and you've known what it is to pray over it, to lay it before the Lord.

[13:26] And then, when it seems as if it's utterly impossible, and perhaps you have given up or even thought of it, the Lord says to you, I will do this for you.

[13:39] I will bring it to pass. And now, you know what real prayer is. Oh, you know what real wrestling is at the throne of grace. You know what it is now to plead his promise.

[13:52] When it is impossible with man, you say, Lord, I must leave it all in thy kind and gracious hands, that thou would perform and bring it to pass.

[14:04] So that was the case then of Abraham and Sarah. They desired a son, we might say, for many, many years in their life.

[14:14] And now it was impossible. And the Lord said, they shall have a son, a multitude. As the sand upon the seashore, the stars in the heaven and the sky, so shall thy seed be.

[14:32] And through thy seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed. The promise of the Lord Jesus Christ there. The promise that Abraham had and Sarah.

[14:45] Well, in the process of time, according to the time of life, they had their son, their Isaac. and the Lord said, after a time, take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest.

[15:07] And there is a special love and a special bond there. As there must be in those things that the Lord has given to his people, there is a special bond.

[15:19] Oh, if you know what it is for the Lord to give you a child, for this child I prayed, you have had travail and exercise over a soul. It's been something that the Lord has laid upon your spirit and it's been known only between you and the Lord.

[15:41] This is something that has been in your soul and you've watched the Lord's hand and you've rejoiced when you've seen the child that you have travailed over the child of God, been brought into the path of obedience, shall we say, or been brought into the house of God, been brought to declare openly that they are indeed one of his disciples, one of the Lord's people, one who seeks to follow him in whatever way it might be.

[16:16] And you can say for this child I prayed. Oh, it's something very special to you. And for the truth's sake, you love that child and you watch over that child with jealousy because it is a gift from the Lord himself.

[16:39] We're speaking in a spiritual way here. And then, what did the Lord say to Abraham, take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, get thee into the land of Moriah, offer him there for a burnt offering, burnt sacrifice upon the mind that I shall tell thee of.

[17:06] And Abraham rose up and went. I tell you, not one of us here could do such a thing as Abraham did, without faith and without prayer.

[17:33] Through grace, not one of us could contemplate such a thing. And in whatever way the Lord might lead us in a like path, we will have no strength, we will have no willingness, no desire so to walk in this path unless the Lord gives grace, faith, and prayer.

[18:06] Abraham then rose up and went. And on the third day he lifted up his eyes and saw the place that the Lord had spoken of.

[18:21] How did he feel in that journey? As every step took him closer to the time when he must lift up his hand.

[18:35] Oh, can we even begin to understand what his thoughts were? But every step, was it not a step of prayer? I say to you that it will be whatever the Lord has spoken unto you.

[18:51] It may be only a small thing. that it matters not. There are those that are called to walk in a particular path that we know that we could not walk through, as it was with Abraham.

[19:04] None of us might be called to walk in such a path as he was, and not in this particular way. But we might be called to walk in a certain path. It may be a small thing, but it matters not.

[19:18] What the Lord has spoken, that he will perform and will lead and bring us through. And then he left the young men and took his son, laid the wood upon him, took the knife and the fire in his hand, and they went up together.

[19:49] Oh, they went together. Their lives were bound up in it. It was coming to the time.

[20:03] As far as Abraham was concerned, he did not know the outcome. Oh, there was the promise that the Lord had given to him, everything to be brought to nothing.

[20:19] could he see any solution? Could he understand in any way what would happen in this? No. It must have been beyond his understanding, his comprehension in this.

[20:37] Oh, but the Lord, he gave him faith. faith. Was it not in this way as he went up, the mount of God, as we would say, step by step, Lord, help me, Lord, undertake for me, Lord, appear for me.

[21:03] If you've known a little of what this is in your life, oh, you said that you had no prayer, you said that you had no faith, prayer gave you strength to put one foot in front of the other.

[21:24] Prayer came forth out of trembling faith. And then, what did Isaac say to Abraham?

[21:36] Father, Father, here is the fire, here is the wood, but where is the lamp? What did Abraham say?

[21:52] God will provide. There's a two-fold meaning in this. It is so very precious to me. God will provide.

[22:07] And then God will provide himself. Oh, we have a type of Christ there.

[22:20] There was this provision that was made. It had to come to the very last moment. The altar was made, the wood laid in order, Isaac bound, and laid upon the wood.

[22:33] Abraham took the knife in his hand and raised it in the voice from heaven, which cried out, Abraham, Abraham. Do you know the Lord speaks oft times to his people, shall we say in a double way, twice, without any doubt, blessing?

[23:02] Here we have the evidence given unto Abraham, the token that we're trying to speak of this morning, that the Lord was with him, Abraham, Abraham.

[23:19] You know what it is for the Lord to add a blessing to a blessing? God is to make that he will perform.

[23:32] Not only has he performed it, but there's been something added to it that shows to you that this is indeed from the Lord himself.

[23:43] I do trust that you know a little of what I mean here. As an illustration, let's turn aside for a moment and think of the case of Gideon.

[23:56] What did he desire of the Lord that he might have the proof positive that he had been sent of God to lead his people against their enemies?

[24:10] What was it that he desired? Well, there were the two tokens, the fleece to be wet and the fleece to be dry. But I've often thought of this.

[24:23] When the fleece was wet, what did Gideon desire? Just that it might be wet and dry upon the ground, the dew that was to fall upon the fleece.

[24:37] Now, when Gideon took up the fleece, he felt it was wet. But was that sufficient to him?

[24:50] No. He must clasp it in his hands and wring it together. And what do we read? The bowl full of water that he wringed out of it.

[25:04] See, by faith, not only did he take up the fleece. But there was that bowlful, there was that abundance of the evidence of the token that the Lord had given to him, that the Lord would be with him.

[25:27] And still he wanted a token. You may. You may. Oh, it's such a step of faith that lies ahead of you. Oh, you feel that you just cannot.

[25:40] And you want this double token from the Lord. Well, plead for it. But be careful. Do not use it as an excuse. Never use it as an excuse.

[25:54] I remember, in my own case, seeking for a token, the Lord gave it. Another token, the Lord gave it. And then, as those that with one consent began to make excuse, I sought for another token.

[26:11] Now, what did the Lord say to me? For my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Do you know what I've had to prove since then?

[26:26] My weakness in the things of God, God, that his strength might abide. The flesh, oh, it strives against it.

[26:40] The flesh would not have it to be so. But I often say to the Lord, thou hast spoken in this way, that thou will take the foolish things of the world.

[26:53] I said, Lord, there cannot be one more foolish than I in the things of God. God, so be careful then.

[27:05] Be very careful that you do not make and take these things as an excuse. But do not be afraid.

[27:16] It is not presumption to desire. There might be a true token, a further token, an evidence of what the Lord has spoken he will bring to pass.

[27:29] but this must be walked in in faith. Abraham then said to his son, God will provide, God will provide himself.

[27:51] And there was the provision for when the voice came out of heaven, now I know that thou fearest me. Now I know that thou hast obeyed my voice.

[28:04] Now I know that it is proven unto thee, Abraham, this faith is path of faith and of prayer that thou has walked in these three days.

[28:15] it is. It's my work, it's the Lord's work in your soul, Abraham.

[28:27] Now I know that thou hast been faithful and when he, the Lord said, lay not thine hand upon the land. And he turned and looked and there was a ram called by his horns in a thicket.

[28:44] and there it was offered up instead in the place of Isaac. For a few moments then, let us consider the Lord Jesus Christ.

[29:03] Oh, what an example there we have of one who walked in obedience to his father. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.

[29:18] Father, if it be possible, may this cup pass from me. He knew what lie ahead of him there in the garden as he was in the agony, the agony of his holy soul.

[29:33] that the wrath of God must fall upon himself. What was the wrath of God?

[29:46] The soul that sinneth, it shall surely die. And there the Lord Jesus Christ, willingly and freely, elected to stand in the room, place, and stead of his dear elect, every beloved child of God.

[30:08] There he said, I will take upon myself their sins and their iniquities, and bear the full force of the Lord.

[30:19] And when he cried out upon the cross, it is finished, there the Lord was perfectly fulfilled. No more sacrifice, no more offering for sin.

[30:39] What a foundation. What a foundation. By faith, by prayer, is given to sinners in distress.

[30:55] Do you know then what it is to walk, as we said, Abraham walked, stamped by step in prayer and in faith, to the minds of God, to go now, day by day through your life, with a little prayer, a little faith, give me Christ, or else I die.

[31:19] faith. Well, we know then the different accounts that are in here. We have, as we said, the different verses that begin by faith.

[31:37] We have others that begin through faith. And right at the beginning we have, now faith is the substance, the essence of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

[31:53] And so, there is this catalogue of those that have walked by faith. By faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.

[32:06] Why? You often wondered about this, the case of Abel and of Cain.

[32:19] Well, it is in this way. One, by faith, sought to please God. The other did it in his flesh and by his own spirit.

[32:38] One sought to do it according to the pride of his own heart. The other did it in all humility before his God.

[32:53] The sacrifices of God are a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Those sacrifices indeed are pleasing unto him.

[33:05] It is not, look what we have done, look what we are, but it is this, God be merciful to me, I say.

[33:17] The Lord Jesus Christ spoke of it in the example, the parable, those two that went up to the temple to pray. The one a Pharisee and the other a Republican.

[33:30] Do you know, there is the Pharisee in every one of us. there is. Even those that put on, I speak this in love to you, those that put on a pretense of religion, a pretense of humility, there are those that can be very proud of their humility, very proud of their faith, very proud of their prayers.

[34:09] I've often said this, and I'm not looking at anybody here, but I've often said this, which is the quiet, humble, meek ones that I can truly sympathise with and walk with.

[34:29] I know what it is for the Lord to keep me low, and I know what it is for the Lord to feel that need to be kept low. Oh, I know pride, I know the pharisaical spirit.

[34:41] Do you know, there's another thing I've often said, if we were living in the time of Christ, we'd have been amongst the first, but for the grace of God, that would have cried out, crucify him, away with him.

[34:53] I mean that. Think on these things. I often have to, as it concerns me. Two men then went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican.

[35:10] The Pharisee prayed thus with himself, I thank God that I'm not as other men are. I fast, I give tithes of all that I possess. prayers.

[35:27] And then the poor publican, he stood afar off, he could not so much as lift up his eyes up unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, and by faith he cried out, God be merciful to me, a sinner.

[35:39] And what did the Lord say? He went to his home justified, not justified himself, but justified through Christ, by faith. in those real cries.

[35:53] Those that were drawn out of that experience in his soul, vital experience, came out of his need, came out of his felt, depravity, fallen nature, sunk and died in sin.

[36:13] Yea, he cried unto God, and he went to his home justified rather than the other. So then, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice.

[36:28] Yea, he pleased God, and that was his desire. And then, the case of Enoch, not much known of him, but the Lord spoke, and the Lord performed.

[36:46] without faith, it is impossible to please him. And then Noah, do you know, there must have been everyone, perhaps including some of his family, who said regarding Noah, thou art mad.

[37:07] But the Lord had spoken. God said, now, before Noah began to build the ark, I believe, I know we're not told of this, but I believe out of the experience of the Lord's people, that the Lord, that Noah pleaded with the Lord, that this would be made plain unto him, that this was the Lord's voice, that it was his word, that it was his will.

[37:39] As it was with the case of Saul of Tarsus, as he journeyed and was struck down upon the road, and he said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

[37:51] Well, it was shown to Saul what he must suffer, for the Lord's sake, the path that he must walk in. Now, what was spoken regarding to him, about him, to one that was sent to him?

[38:06] We have heard of this man, his persecutions, how he has been sent even now, and has come with those letters and those things that he will take those that find of the faith of Christ Jesus to bind them and to cast them into prison.

[38:26] Go thy way. He is a chosen vessel, for behold, he prayed. He prayed. And it has been shown unto him those things that he must suffer.

[38:40] Oh, it was a path of faith and a path of prayer. So, interwoven are they? Well, with Noah then, he would have, I believe, sawned for the token, for the evidence that this was indeed of the Lord.

[39:02] And then, to go by faith, and against the ridicule and everything that people would throw at him. He prepared this ark, a long time in the preparation of it, and in a place that they would have said, Noah, thou art truly bad until the rains come.

[39:24] For there, Noah was safe in the ark with his family, and all that the Lord would say. what a terrible time that must have been. When the waters of the deep were opened, when the rain poured out upon the earth, those sights that had not been seen before, known before, and the water came up, and men fled from the water, and oh, no, there was no place of safety.

[39:52] But, those that walked by faith, and Noah in particular that walked by faith, there was a place of safety. Souls, do you desire this place of safety?

[40:04] It is to be found in Christ, and Christ alone, and it is only to be found by faith and prayer through him, what he hath done. By faith, Abraham, we come now to this eighth verse, by faith.

[40:21] Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed. Now, in the life of Abraham, you will see that this walking by faith, he walked very tenderly in the sight of God.

[40:40] One example I will bring before you. Do you remember the occasion when the land could not support Abraham and Lot, and there was the falling out?

[40:55] It was a very sad thing when, in families or even in churches. There is a falling out one with another. But this occasion when there is the time of separation, what happened?

[41:06] Abraham has said to Lot, if you go one way, I will go the other. Let there be no strife between us. Do you see the spirit, the peaceable spirit, the meek spirit, that dwelt upon Abraham?

[41:23] Abraham, now if you know what it is to have a wrong spirit within you that seems to bubble up, to rise up when you desire that it should be kept out.

[41:35] Oh, do some of you have such an angry, hasty, fiery spirit? And you have to cry unto the Lord that it might be subdued, might be kept out. Abraham here was given this meek spirit and you might say, Lord, oh, give me such a spirit that Abraham had then when he said to Lot, whatever, whichever way thou goest, I will go the opposite way.

[42:09] Now what I am seeking to say is this, Abraham's desire in it, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? He could believe by faith that whichever way he must go that the Lord would be with him in it.

[42:25] He could leave it in the Lord's kind and gracious hands. What happened to Lot? A solemn warning to you here at this time, to myself.

[42:37] Lot pitched his tent towards Sodom. He saw the plain that it was good, and where those cities of the plain were.

[42:49] Oh, he looked on it by the eyes of reasoning, by the eyes of the flesh, not by faith. Abraham, he had to go by faith and the Lord prospered him.

[43:03] What happened to Lot? He pitched his tent towards Sodom. What do we next read of, Lot? He was right in the city. He was right in the place.

[43:15] And so we will find it. And perhaps some of you have found this. But no sooner is there a pitching of the tent towards Sodom than we find ourselves soon in the midst of things that we know that we would rather not be there.

[43:35] He could not deliver himself. not but when the time came that the Lord would destroy the cities of the plain, he sent his angel to bring forth Lot and his family out.

[43:54] Meanwhile, Abraham, what do we find with him? We find this. This spirit of faith and prayer that was given to him that he could draw near to his God and plead with the Lord that if there were even those ten righteous that were found in the city, he did plead.

[44:18] Oh, do you know what it is to plead? To plead for this wicked land? To plead for all that iniquity that doth abide? Do you know what it is to plead with the Lord over all those things that are right?

[44:29] Not that you say, Lord, I am above these things. Oh, you know that if you have been captured, it is the Lord that is captured from this wickedness. By faith, you can plead that the Lord would appear in our nation, would turn the hearts of men right, bring a blessed revival.

[44:52] Well, I say to you, go on, not in thine own strength, but in the strength of the Lord, and go on by faith, whatever the path is that the Lord has called you in.

[45:08] And you'll know, I believe I can say this, you will know what it is, that it will be an increasing path of prayer and of exercise. Well, there are many things that could be spoken regarding this, this subject of faith.

[45:24] But let us remember one thing then as we come to a close this evening, that without faith, it is impossible to please him.

[45:36] Amen. Amen. Our final hymn in this evening's service is number 602 in Gatsby's Selection and the Tunis and Godric 556.

[46:00] Jesus, the author is of true and living faith. This blessed grace he gives and saves our souls from death. By faith in him we live and view the wonders God alone can do.

[46:13] Pym606. . . .

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[48:11] . . . . . . Good Lord, I am a Tower of path Good and rich, and pure And positive in our Food Good должна be with this May be.

[48:35] Thank you.

[49:05] Thank you.

[49:35] Thank you. Thank you.

[50:07] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[50:19] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[50:31] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[51:07] for thy forgiveness upon all that thy pure eyes have seen. And now may the grace of our Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ, with the love of God, the Father, the fellowship and the sweet communion of the Holy Spirit rest and abide with you all now and forever.

[51:30] Amen. Amen.