Hebrews

[0:00] Let us turn to Paul's epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 11, reading verses 7 and 8.

[0:18] Paul's epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 11, verses 7 and 8. By faith Noah, being warned of God, of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his house.

[0:45] By the which he condemned the world, became heir of the righteousness, which is by faith. By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place, which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed.

[1:05] And he went out, not knowing whither he went. The word of God is very wonderful, even in a natural way.

[1:23] As we consider the Old Testament and the New, there is a sweet and a most blessed harmony.

[1:34] As we find the Gospel in the New Testament. We find it also in the Old. We find the same truths in the Old as we do in the New.

[1:51] And those truths, which have been recorded so many years, have never altered, because truth cannot alter.

[2:01] And as we look upon the days of Noah, and we look upon the present day, how we find the present day is so similar to that of the days of Noah.

[2:22] The awful condition that man had fallen into as he multiplied upon the face of the earth.

[2:34] And the more that man gains, the more profit that he is able to accumulate, apart from grace, the more he will impart in the ways of God.

[2:50] Now Noah was no different by nature to anyone else upon the face of the earth. But God had a favor toward him.

[3:03] God warned him. And when God speaks, there is always a power attending his word. We may often read the word, but God doesn't always speak to us through his word.

[3:22] But when God does speak, personally to a soul, it will be with power. And there will be a response to that power.

[3:34] For instance, there were some fishermen going about their daily calling. And a stranger came up to them and said, follow me.

[3:53] And immediately, they left their nets and they followed him. Is that the sort of thing that any man would do?

[4:05] To leave his livelihood, to leave all that he had, all near and dear to him in the tides of nature, and to follow one who was a stranger? No.

[4:16] This was no ordinary man. This was the Son of God in human form. And that same power attended his word when upon earth in human form.

[4:32] That same power attends the word of God today. Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet.

[4:49] But, it was by faith he was able to receive it and believe it. How he was able to disregard those around him.

[5:03] We can imagine the ridicule that he had to suffer as he prepared an ark. How probably crowds gathered round but how God gave the instructions and not only the instructions but also the provisions and the will to work.

[5:29] And whatever ridicule, whatever took place around him, although Satan with all his hellish rage doubtless would encamp against Noah yet nothing deterred him from preparing that ark which God had bid him do.

[5:58] He warned, he was warned of God of things not seen as yet. how this is very striking with regard to those around us today.

[6:16] How many even in our gatherings have been warned of God who have known what it is to be warned of those things which are not seen with the naked eye, which are not seen with the natural mind and that is the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, something we don't hear very much about and yet how everything appears to be pointing to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ upon this earth.

[7:00] And yet men you see are carrying on as they did in the time of Noah. They're going about this earth enjoying themselves, becoming more sinful, trusting in their own strength, marrying, taking in marriage, just as they were up to the time of Noah until the flood came.

[7:27] But Noah, he sees something by faith. he's been warned of that day that was coming, that day when the flood would come upon the earth and apart from those whom God in his mercy and sovereignty saw fit preserve, the rest would be swallowed up in the floods.

[7:54] Could we imagine them in this little village going up onto the downs as the water deepened, as the floods increased, how you could see them moving out of the villages up onto the hills, but Noah had no need for that.

[8:17] And whatever they did, how the waters came and eventually swallowed them up, and how that last, that dreadful and blessed day of the Lord will come upon the earth in like manner.

[8:36] have we been warned of God? Has God spoken to us and warned us with regards of those things which as yet are not seen, of things not seen as yet?

[8:56] But he was moved, he was moved by the word of God and the fear which God had shown him, and how that godly fear prevented him from not doing what God commanded him.

[9:18] Well to God there was more of this godly fear within our hearts, that we might go about those things which God has shown us, of those things which must come upon the earth.

[9:33] that we might be moved with that same fear of Noah, that we might seek shelter. Now then, you see in the Old Testament there were those types, there were those shadows, there were those sacrifices things, and you see how we, this chapter opens now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, and yet Noah did see it.

[10:11] He could see the truth of the word of God, he could see the truth of those things which God had told him, and this caused him to move according to the direction which God showed him in the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom.

[10:32] And how Noah proved that the fear of the Lord was wisdom. How we lack wisdom, don't we?

[10:45] And yet now God's word tells us if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God. How seldom do we ask for wisdom as we come to the throne of grace?

[11:01] Are we any different to the majority of men today? They have so much wisdom of their own that they don't need the wisdom of God. But oh to have the wisdom of God, the wisdom which Noah had to be moved with fear of the words of God.

[11:26] By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his house. Now one thing we should make clear here is this, that he made this ark, he prepared it according to the command and the direction of God.

[11:52] There are many today who are preparing themselves an ark according to their own wisdom, not according to what God has instructed them in his word.

[12:04] They look to themselves, they look to their own righteousness, they look to their own ability to fulfil the law. they think themselves better than others.

[12:19] And it seems that they are building an ark, a place of safety, but not according to the word of God. Now once we depart from the word of God, we are on very dangerous ground, whoever we may be, and whatever beliefs we may hold.

[12:42] unless we can lay those beliefs alongside the word of God, and we give chapter and verse for those beliefs, we are on very dangerous ground.

[12:59] Now you see, first of all, there was the word of God spoke. God, you and I will never be moved with fear, until God speaks, until God commands.

[13:15] And when that quickening power enters within our heart, we should be moved with fear. We should believe the danger that we are in, and there will be no question about it, it will be a solemn reality to us.

[13:32] Just as if we had the very substance of it. Just as if it was already upon us. And this is the way in which Noah built the ark.

[13:44] Just as if that flood was upon him. There was no time to waste, no time to tell those around, what was happening.

[13:58] His very work was a type of preaching. The very things which he did was an evidence of his belief in God, and those things which were coming upon the face of the earth.

[14:12] His conversation, the way in which he prepared this ark, and every nail that went into that ark, was an action of faith.

[14:23] this was some clear evidence to those around. And he preached righteousness. By faith Abraham, by faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark, the saving of his house.

[14:46] Just before the service, we were looking at that portion, although my house, be not so with God, yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant.

[14:59] Now had there been no flood, how Noah would have been ridiculed? How they would have risen up against him?

[15:11] What he would have had to have suffered? But Noah knew there was going to be a flood. He was in no doubt about this. And he was working under the direct word of God.

[15:27] Are you in no doubt with regard to eternity and the solemn reality of it? Have we been warned of God? And have we been given instructions, the same as Noah, with regard to the preparation of a place of safety?

[15:51] This preparation is not of human power. It is according to the express direction of the Holy Spirit speaking to the heart.

[16:10] Now you see, Noah was given the absolute dimensions, the way in which the ark should be built, and how he had to follow that in every detail.

[16:23] If he hadn't, it would never have withstood the flood. Everything had to be done in accordance with the way in which God commanded.

[16:37] Here we have a time in the ark of the Lord Jesus. us. Our only safety is in Christ.

[16:50] No other way. And unless we are led by that same power of almighty God, unless we are directed by that same God, unless we move with fear in the same way in which Noah did, when these things come upon the earth, whatever we may have believed, whatever we may have trusted in, will not stand that awful day.

[17:24] It's solemn, but it's true. What a blessed thing it is to be warned of God. All the warnings from the pulpit, all the warnings of the Lord's servants, as they endeavour to build the ark, will have no effect whatever.

[17:47] And when that day comes, it will be too late. Doubtless there were those who wished that they had taken notice of Noah, that they believed him.

[18:01] Others were clinging perhaps to the outside of it, as the waters came upon the earth. But where was the safety? It wasn't on the outside, it was inside.

[18:13] We read, the Lord shut him in. And there's something very wonderful, something very blessed in that. Because if the Lord shuts his people in, no one can shut them out.

[18:28] There may be those who are shut out of churches, who are shut out of this, and shut out of the other by men. But if the Lord shuts his people in, they can not, a single man, not a single person, can shut them out.

[18:46] There's something sweet, there's something blessed in a realization of this, when one perhaps is walking through a time of trial, a time of distress.

[18:59] But are we shut in? have we true safety? So that when that day comes, that we shall be able to shelter safely in the Lord Jesus by faith, a belief in these things.

[19:26] faith is a precious gift. It's part of the way of salvation. It's one of those things, one of those all things, that work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

[19:47] Now, we cannot love God, regardless of who we are, until God first of all speaks. What must Noah have felt as the first few drops of rain came upon the earth, as he saw his heart complete, and then as the rain increased, and as he was told by God to enter him, how his faith was rewarded.

[20:21] how blessed it is to have our faith tried, and rewarded. Now, it doesn't mean to say that you and I have got to go through exactly the same things which Noah went through, but I'm convinced of this, you'll have to go through similar things, and you'll have to have the same faith that Noah had, you'll have to believe the word of God, and you'll have to walk by faith and not by sight, and as you see these things, so the Lord will guide you, although as seen, not seen as yet by others, these things will be a reality to you, and you'll know that there is only one way, as God leads you here a little, there a little, line upon line, precept upon precept, he will bring you at last to Christ, the only way of salvation, the only place of safety, by faith

[21:35] 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, and became heir of the righteousness, which is by faith.

[21:55] We all, at some time or another, have sought after righteousness, have sought after justification, to justify ourselves, to look upon ourselves perhaps as being righteous.

[22:13] now one will be warned by God of the solemn position we're in if we trust in this.

[22:27] first of all, God will strip us of all our own righteousnesses. He may leave us to fall into open sin, bring disgrace upon ourselves.

[22:44] He may, I mean we often hear mentioned about inward sins, but there are many outward sins, which the child of God knows and feels and realises.

[22:57] some perhaps in the eyes of men blacker than others, but sin is sin in any shape and in any form, there is no difference in the eyes of God is sin.

[23:10] No such thing as little sins and big sins, all have sinned, all have come short and therefore all need to be warned and how they need to be warned of God for salvation.

[23:27] All the warnings which we may give will be of little avail. But how this warning was effectual because it was of God and it was by faith.

[23:41] And if you and I are rightly warned of God and this is the only way which we shall obtain salvation, he won't leave us there.

[23:51] he will enable us under his grace, under his direction, under his word, to prepare an ark, to prepare a place of safety.

[24:07] It will be his work, but he will enable us under his grace to seek this safety. And there will be that within our hearts that we will seek after mercy, one of the first things has now laid the base, the foundation for that ark.

[24:32] The foundation is Christ. But the first thing laid upon that foundation is mercy. And how one will seek mercy and forgiveness.

[24:48] Is there one here tonight that has been warned of God? Who perhaps feels and sees clearly this day coming upon the earth, feeling your sin, feeling your wretchedness, your guilt, feeling you unfit and unable to stand before this God?

[25:13] You're a favoured soul. Because only God could warn you of such things but you won't feel favoured until the Lord leads you and shows you the way of salvation.

[25:31] How today is quite common to hear of people who are saved but they've never been lost. You and I can never be saved from something we've never lost.

[25:43] and until a man is brought to feel the value of his soul and the awfulness of losing it you'll never be saved feelingly.

[25:57] We know that in the foreknowledge of God and we believe in predestination but I'm speaking about now the work of the Holy Spirit within the heart and the feelings of that soul and how that soul under the law and under the justice of God they won't complain to God.

[26:21] They won't say that God is unjust because they know that God is just and they can see that God is just in condemning them and yet they seek for mercy.

[26:33] and as they seek for mercy so this ark begins to build. You know in this ark there was a window and how good it is when we're able perhaps to look out of that window and see those things which God has warned us of and also enabled us to do under the influence of his power.

[27:09] And then you see how he was rewarded and how you see the world were condemned but he became heir of the righteousness which is my faith.

[27:22] The righteousness is obtained only through the merits of the Lord Jesus. That's where we've got to look and that's where the Lord will guide us because that is the ark.

[27:36] That is the place of safety. The children of Israel they had an ark go before them in the wilderness and the Lord's people had this ark going before them in this wilderness and as Christ has gone before so there is this following following in his pathway following in that pathway tribulation and sorrow but what safety there was in Christ.

[28:09] When we come to consider what could man do to him? We say it reverently in his humanity Christ was completely safe upon his earth.

[28:24] Satan done his utmost more than he's ever tried you and I as he tried the sinless humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ but he failed.

[28:38] He failed. Why? Because the Lord Jesus Christ was perfect. perfect as any man never walked upon this earth.

[28:52] He was perfection. He was God in the likeness of his dear son but in human form and how man he done all he could he put him to death but this was all in agreement all under the command of God the Father.

[29:20] How he was buried placed in a sepulcher how man in his wisdom thought yes we're now just as men are cremated today to try to overthrow the power of God and as they saw the Lord Jesus placed in that tomb even his sufferings upon the cross even his words as he spoke as that it's finished even as they saw the wonderful work of redemption and grace in the dying thief none of these things moved them because the word wasn't with power to their souls.

[30:07] They could stand and they could see one out of two saved by free and sovereign grace never touched them. All they were thinking about was their own power, their own might and what they were going to do the same as men are today.

[30:25] but how this blessed Lord Jesus rose triumphant over all the sin that he bore all the suffering for sin that he bore rose over death and hell triumphant over the dream.

[30:54] much more safety in him than anything else. And there is righteousness.

[31:06] He came as the law fulfiller. He came to justify the church of God. He came to help poor sinners crying for mercy.

[31:20] Those who have been warned of God. that was his purpose to come and fulfill the law on their behalf. His life was instead of their life.

[31:34] Not only as a substitute for their sufferings but a substitute for their life, their complete life. And a substitute for the payment of all their sins.

[31:46] salvation. The saving of his house, Noah, a type of Christ. The saving of the whole church of God was saved through the Lord Jesus.

[31:59] Now just a quick thought with regard to Abraham. By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed.

[32:15] And he went out not knowing whether he went. Now there's no mention made here with regard to Abraham's sin. What a difference there was between the way in which Noah reacted to the command of God, to the way in which Abraham reacted.

[32:40] He obeyed, he went out, but how it wasn't very long before unbelief set in. That God who had promised him that great inheritance, the moment he took his eyes upon, his eyes off that God, and looked upon his wife, and saw the beauty, the natural beauty in her, how that to his human nature excelled the beauty of Christ, the beauty of God.

[33:16] God, that's not an instance of the depravity of man's heart, after having been given the word of God, the word of promise, a great blessing, by faith being able to hear that, and then to feel the weakness of his wretched heart.

[33:42] God, now, he's a word of comfort, but not a word in which we should hide under. When perhaps God has spoken to us, when we've been led even to trust in a precious Christ, when we have felt safety in him, and when we've believed by faith that we were in that ark, in that covenant of grace, as we've obeyed, perhaps, God, we've gone through the ordinance of his house, passed through the waters of baptism, made an open profession, and then we find we've got a heart like Abraham.

[34:36] There are those things around us which attract, there are those things which draw us away, and the moment we look to those, and take our eyes off the almighty power of God, like Peter upon the water, we begin to sink.

[34:51] So Abraham, he looked upon Sarai, and his natural mind got to work. And so you see, there was this collusion between them to tell lies, and look at the havoc it brought in Pharaoh's house.

[35:13] You wouldn't think, if possible, that one who had had communication with God, blessed promises, would tell lies, would you?

[35:26] And then to act it out, that he was left. Because, and here we need to be very, very cautious, with the Lord's people, or anyone else.

[35:42] We never know, what we may be left to fall into. We never know what temptation may be our awful lot.

[35:56] We know the tempter, in some measure, we talk about the power of God, but here again, unless we know something, of the awful power of the tempter, and the weakness of our flesh, we should never rightly value this God.

[36:16] But how you see Abraham, and we read of other characters as well, who was left to their own sinful hearts, but by faith, the same faith that Noah had, the same faith which the harlot had, it was all a God given faith, and they all in their various ways, in this chapter as recorded, were able to do things by the same faith, the same gift, from the same God, but how we read in other places, at the other side of some of them, and that is not only to be a help to us, but above all to be a warning to us.

[37:07] Because we may have received a promise from the Lord, because we may be walking and obeying the Lord in the way in which he would have us go, that doesn't mean to say we should be careless, that we should not be watchful, that we should leave everything in the Lord's hand and not worry what's happening.

[37:33] Abraham was a man of God, a man of experience, a man that knew God, but he was a man that knew something of his own wretched heart, but by faith when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed, and he went out not knowing whether he went.

[37:56] Now what I want to bring home to you is this, whatever a man's heart may be by nature, when under the influence of faith, he's able to do things which his flesh normally wouldn't do, and he was able to obey the voice of God.

[38:20] God, it doesn't matter what our nature may be, it doesn't matter how sinful we may be, our heart may be full of unbelief, but when the Lord speaks, there will be that power, whether it be the same as Noah, whether it be the same with regard to Abraham, Abraham, or even Rahab, or anyone else that has experienced this faith, it will be exactly the same.

[38:55] Well now we read that these all died in faith. They didn't have faith just for that particular time when the Lord called them for some particular purpose. But that faith which they had, that instance of faith, they had when they came to die.

[39:16] They had dying faith. This may be a comfort to some who may be troubled, because God has given you faith in times past, and you've been able to obey him, and you've followed him, and you've done that which was wrong, right in his sight.

[39:37] But since then perhaps you've fallen, perhaps then, since then you've realised the weakness of your flesh. But all these, these all died in faith.

[39:54] These all, having obtained a good report, through faith, received not the promise, the promise, the promise, the promise, the promise, you may say, what a disappointment.

[40:09] They went through all these trials, they went through this, they went through the other. Yes, but they all died in faith, but they received not the promise.

[40:19] God, God having provided some better thing for us, there could be nothing better for them because they died in faith.

[40:32] But having not received the promise, God having provided some better thing for us, that they, without us, should not be made perfect. perfect. They are perfect, as seen before God, they are perfect in the eyes of God the Father, but the church of God will not be perfect, in other words, it will not be complete until that large ransom soul, who has known something of true and living faith, however small, however weak that faith may appear, that soul must and shall die in faith.

[41:25] And until that last elect, chosen vessel of mercy, dies in faith, all the rest will not be perfect.

[41:39] How we need much faith to believe that the church of God depends upon our perfection, but it does.

[41:53] If we are the Lord's people, the church of God depends upon our perfection, but not the perfection that we brought about, but the perfection which is by faith in the Lord Jesus.

[42:11] It's a wonderful thought, the perfection that there is in the Lord Jesus. Perfection in everything. And it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.

[42:26] A fullness. That fullness which is a fullness for the whole church of God, a fullness to cover all their sins, to blot them out, a fullness of love, a fullness of faith, can all be found in Christ.

[42:51] Dying faith. We talk about dying grace, but dying faith. Look at it from this point of view.

[43:03] being given faith to die, and then faith dies as it we become, as we enter into the substance of the reality of these things.

[43:18] Faith is something like a scaffold pole which supports and helps the building. But once the building is complete, the scaffolding is taken down, faith is no longer required.

[43:36] Once the child of God takes his last breath, faith dies. These all died in faith, and their faith died.

[43:49] That's figurative, because the gifts of God are like him, eternal. But there will be no need for faith in heaven. But how we need faith here, don't we?

[44:04] Do you need it? Do you feel to need more faith? Do you have to come with the disciples of old and say, Lord, increase our faith? faith in faith?

[44:14] I have to. You know, sometimes I can't believe at all. Sometimes I'm in that state where I can hardly believe there's a God.

[44:27] And sometimes I'm brought into that place where I can hardly believe the truth of the gospel. And yet it's so simple.

[44:40] But all it needs is to the Lord to speak the word thou is only to speak the word. And immediately that faith is as firm and as solid as it was with Noah.

[44:54] The same as it was with Abraham as he took Isaac and laid him upon the altar. That faith which God gives to his people is the same faith.

[45:05] It has the same power. It has the same effect. And now one is able to do those things. By faith which they couldn't possibly do without it.

[45:18] See the necessity of faith and how that faith will lead us to that only place of safety. To have faith in Christ.

[45:29] May we have been able to let all fruitless searches go, which perplex and teases, and be determined not to know, but of bleeding Jesus.

[45:41] Faith in the bleeding lamb. Oh, what a gift is this. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world, became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

[46:03] By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed, and he went out not knowing whither he went.

[46:15] He went by faith, and as the child of God sometimes is called to death, there are those times when he feels he doesn't know where he's going, but he has to leave his soul entirely upon the merits of the Lord Jesus, and he dies in faith.

[46:36] And as Noah was rewarded as the rain came upon the earth, so the child of God who dies in faith, believing in the Lord Jesus, will be rewarded as he appears in the likeness of the Son of God.

[46:57] And that will be a blessed day. We read on the tomb as we came into the chapel, I shall be satisfied when I awake in his likeness.

[47:09] What a reward for faith. Unless our faith is a true and living faith, we should never receive that reward. But if we know true and living faith, then that will be our reward.

[47:25] These all died in faith, or may be our favorite land, to die in faith. And above all, live in faith too. we don't only want to die the death of the righteous, may we be given grace to live the life of the righteous too, so that we may be an heir of righteousness, condemn the world, but as they see us, they may be condemned by our actions and the way in which we walk before our God.

[47:56] How much we have to learn, and how much we feel there is lacking in our walk, and in our conversation. Well, may the Lord then give us grace and faith to honor him more than we do, because we cannot possibly honor him or walk as we should without that faith.

[48:18] We must leave it. May the Lord have his blessing. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[48:28] Amen. Amen. Amen.