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Book: Hebrews
 Print ( PC Only )
"HAVE FAITH IN GOD"
Intro: Death, a time of questioning.
I. HOW APPROPRIATE AT TIME OF GRIEF IN DEATH.
A. Sometimes a danger of questioning God's providence.
1. Especially if one is young.
2. Or dies unexpectedly.
3. The lump of clay questions the Master potter.
B. Many times we are in question of our own future.
1. More apt if departed one is provider.
a. How will we meet expenses?
b. What will we do for a livelihood.
2. If deported one is companion.
a. What will I do in long, lonely hours.
b. To whom can I turn for comfort. Have faith in God.
Never leave or forsake. A friend closer than a brother.
C. We question the welfare of our loved one.
1. Have faith in God.
a. "In my Father's house, many mansions."
b. We know when this earthly body has served its usefulness
and is put aside, we have a new body in heaven created
by the hand of God for us wherein we shall live eternally.
c. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and
their shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain, for the former
things are passed away."
So when we question about them we must be content to commit them into the love of God who
said, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, and we
shall have faith in God for their keeping."
If we could see beyond today as God can see it, all our tears were wiped away the darkness
flee, or present grief's we would not fret, each sorrow we would soon forget, for many joys
are waiting yet for you and me. So for our own futures we shall have faith in God, until that
day when in His love plan we, are once again united we those we loved in that kingdom where
there shall be no more death.
All our questions shall be resolved by our faith in God.
THE WILL OF GOD
I. PEACE LIES IN ACCEPTANCE OF GOD'S WILL.
A. No in.
1. Forgetting (bury the past).
2. Crowding it out.
3. Withdrawing in quietness.
4. Submission (martyr complex).
B. God sends tragedies.
1. "The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away."
C. No man in wholly the Lord's until he is wholly consecrated and the only way to
know this is through tribulation.
1. Rejoicing in God's will though it be tribulation.
a. No natural.
b. Natural man cannot do it.
2. Trials should be welcomed as a test.
D. If you are not yielded to God's will, you are governed by your own will.
II. SUBMISSION AND SUFFERING CONTRARY TO FLESH.
A. We desire own comfort more than anything else.
1. We want to have our own way.
B. Suffering always crosses us where self is alive.
C. Christ , though sinless and innocent , suffered in God's will. The purpose of
redemption is to restore man to God's will.
"HAVE FAITH IN GOD"
Intro: Death, time of questions. Three rather basic questions always arise.
I. WHY DID IT HAVE TO HAPPEN?
A. More so if person young and in good health.
B. Here we find lump of clay asking Master potter "Why hast thou made me thus?"
C. The mysteries of life and death beyond our grasp.
D. God has said, "All things work together for good."
So we must have faith in God knowing that He is working out His perfect plan though we have an
imperfect understanding of it.
II. WHAT ABOUT THEIR WELFARE?
A. This we know a little more about though knowledge still imperfect.
1. "In my Father's house many mansions."
2. "We know when this earthly body has served its usefulness, and is put
aside we have a new body eternal in the heavens, created by God for us.
3. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no
more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more
pain, for the former things are passed away.
B. In our questions, we must be content to commit them into the love of God who said,
"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."
C. We must have faith in God for their keeping.
III. WHAT ABOUT OUR OWN FUTURE?
A. Our lives bound to be affected in 1,OOO ways.
1. May be questions of finances.
2. Most certainly questions of our time.
a. What about lonely hours?
b. What about the decisions that must be made?
B. Remember God has said, "He would never leave us or forsake us." "He was a friend
that sticketh closer than a brother."
C Today the outlook seems dark, but if we could see beyond today as God does see, if all our
tears were wiped away our sorrows flee, or'e present grief's we would not fret each sorrow
we would soon forget for many joys are waiting yet for you and me. So for our own futures
we will have faith in God, until that day when in His love plan we are once again united
with those we love in the kingdom where there shall be no more death.
So we find that all of our questions are resolved in the encouragement by Christ to have faith
in God.
I. OUR FAMILY IS POORER.
Inspiration.
Love.
Thoughtfulness.
Kindness.
Understanding.
II. THE CHURCH IS POORER.
Example.
Prayer.
Faithfulness.
III. THE WORLD IS POORER.
Light in darkness.
Strife and hatred - we need love.
Smile.
IV. HEAVEN IS RICHER TODAY.
A. One of the brightest jewels has taken her place in God's kingdom.
B. The love that so radiated here is now radiating there.
C. The sweet smile that blessed here is now blessing there.
D. The tongue that had sung God's praises here is now singing praises there.
E. She who so loved her Lord here is now with Him there.
"THAT'S A WORTHLESS KID"
WHAT ARE YOU WORTH?
I. DIFFERENT WAYS OF RECKONING VALUES.
A. Chemist - $.98 broken down to basic elements.
1. Sell one eye for $10,000.
B. Jury - awarded various amounts.
C. Kidnapper -"That kid's worth lOOg's"
D. Statistician - Grammar school $125,000
High school 165,000
College 268,000
E. Japanese students - $14.00.
F. Circumstances can alter values.
1. Derelict of skid row -- good for nothing bum.
2. Let him commit a murder, then try to buy him.
G. I dare say if you owned the world.
1. Gladly give it all to save life.
II. GOD'S EVALUATION OF MAN.
A. Redeemed us not with corruptible things.
1. Precious blood of Christ.
B. God gave most valuable prize of universe for you.
C. God bids you accept His.
III. YOU MUST SELL YOUR SOUL.
I. SUFFICIENCY OF MAN.
A. Able to cope with almost any situation.
1. Extreme cold.
2. Extreme heat.
3. Exploring ocean floor.
B. Have discovered the answers to most of the riddles of life.
1. We have expanded our knowledge until very broad
understanding.
2. We coast along beginning to think we have all the answers, then we are
faced with death, and all of a sudden we realize we know very little.
II. THE INSUFFICIENCY OF MAN.
A. Though we can cope with the problems of existing on the moon we are helpless in
the hour of death.
B. The unanswerable questions begin to come forth in abundance until we are almost
overwhelmed.
1. There is one who has supplied answers.
2. Jesus said in essence to Mary and Martha when they began to question Him
concerning the death of their brother, "Have faith in God."
3. What are we going to do during the coming hours of loneliness? "Have faith
in God," He will;
a. Draw in a much closer knit those friends that remain with you.
1. Amazing how close death can draw you to those you love who
are still living.
b. He with His own love and comfort will bring peace to your heart,
and companionship to your life. He said, "I will never leave you
or forsake you."
4. Why can't they return?
Man is a Spirit. God in love has given to him a body that he might receive, pleasure, joy and
store up rich experiences. But when our bodies by the wear of time, begin to bring more pain
than pleasure, more weakness than strength, than it again is a manifestation of God's love
that He would release our spirits from these corruptible bodies, that they should not suffer
forever in the weaknesses of our bodies.
The truly prudent person will realize that the most certain thing in life is death, and rather
than fear it, as some monster that robs us from the rich experiences of life. Will seek to
understand it through Faith in God and they will discover that it is only a door that leads
into life eternal.
Have faith in God.
I. WATER - Baptism by John.
A. Beginning of ministry.
1. Spirit descended, bore record.
B. By blood.
1. End of public ministry.
a. Still Lord in death.
1. Gnostics.
b. He gave His life.
C. Spirit bears witness of truth.
1. Spirit is truth.
2. Of what does the Spirit bear witness?
a. Christ the Son of God.
b. Christ the Sin bearer.
II. THREE WITNESSES.
A. Water acknowledges sin.
1. Cleansing (need of..
2. Until you realize your position as such, you will not seek salvation.
B. Blood cleanses sin.
1. Sacrifice for sin.
2. Roman 3:25 "Through faith in His blood."
3. I Peter 1:18, 19 "Not redeemed with corruptible..."
C. Spirit conquerors over sin.
1. He gives complete victory.
a. Not by works.
2. Through the Spirit.
HEBREWS 1:1, 2
"GOD HAS SPOKEN"
I. THlS IS A REASONABLE ASSUMPTION.
A. I am here - by chance or creation.
1. It isn't reasonable to assume by chance.
2. There must be a creator.
3. I see in creation a certain order or laws.
a. I thus conclude reason or purpose.
b. There must be a reason why He created me.
4. If there is a reason I must know it clearly or whole purpose is lost.
a. Man could be left to seek for himself, yet so many different
conclusions only lead to confusion.
b. Better that God reveal that purpose to man beginning early in his
history.
5. The Bible purports to be such a book.
II. THE MESSENGERS THROUGH WHOM GOD SPOKE.
A. In different places and in different ways He spoke by the prophets.
1. They spoke of God's plan of salvation through a Savior the Messiah.
2. Over a span of 1500 years one writer after another would pick up the pen
and add details of the same story.
3. Often their message was rejected and they were beaten or tortured, and
killed.
B. God finally came down to personally bear to man His message of love.
1. The creator came to His creation.
a. "He was in the world and the world was made by Him..."
2. Religious leaders were threatened by His message and attempted the
ultimate of folly, to kill God.
a. The three darkest days of man's history.
Ill. SINCE GOD HAS SPOKEN WE HAD BETTER LISTEN. HEBREWS 2:1, "THEREFORE WE OUGHT TO GIVE THE
MORE EARNEST HEED TO THE THINGS WE HAVE HEARD."
A. If the words the messengers spoke was steadfast. If each transgression and
disobedience is to be judged and punished.
1. How are you going to escape if you neglect the great salvation which is
promised by Jesus to those who believe in Him.
2. God said, "the wages of sin is death.", "The soul that sinneth shall..."
a. The word "sin" means to miss the mark.
b. Have you ever missed the mark?
c. If the law says if you miss the mark you must die, how are you
going to escape death if you reject God's only plan of salvation?
3. Salvation was promised by Jesus Christ.
a. "The Son of man has come to seek and to save those who are lost."
b. "For God so loved the world..."
c. "Come unto Me..."
B. "Today if you will hear His voice." (3:7..
1. Harden not your heart. (8..
2. Beware of unbelief. (12..
3. Obey the voice of God and receive the great salvation He lovingly offers to
you. Enter into His rest today, you have nothing to lose and everything to
gain.
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