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Amen all right so keep your place there in Hebrews chapter 11 Hebrews chapter 11 of course a Great chapter on faith a great chapter talking a lot about faith And you know what comes from faith in the examples of you know the fathers in the Old Testament Of their faith and also Sarah, there's there's a woman in there as well Hebrews chapter 11 pretty much destroys you know this idea that you know If you do the right things in your life And you have faith and you go to church And you give money this church and all this that just your life is just gonna go great You know I guess this is what a lot of people a lot of big churches will preach this you know They'll preach the prosperity gospel and all you have to do is just come here and do everything I say and just listen to me and God's just gonna make you successful He's gonna just you know you're gonna find your purpose and your business will grow and all this kind of stuff Hebrews chapter 11 pretty much destroys You know the prosperity gospel you know it's not untrue that you know you'll receive blessings in your life But what I want to do tonight is I want to look at Hebrews chapter 11 And I want to talk about tonight the blessings that you may not see The blessings that you may not See our verse of the week is Hebrews chapter 11 in verse number 13 Where the Bible says these all died in faith not having received the promises But having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and embrace them and confess that they were strangers and pilgrims on The earth so talking about you know these men and women in the Old Testament That you know they died in faith And they didn't receive those things that they had faith in that they had you know those promises were not necessarily made They were made to them, but they didn't receive the fulfillment of that promise, okay So let's just go through Hebrews chapter 11 and look at some things and see how we can apply that to us Tonight and see what that means for us you say well You're gonna. You're gonna. Give me a sermon tonight, and how I'm not gonna be blessed in my life. Yes That's what I'm gonna do okay, and I'm gonna show you though the what what's better What's better than things that you can receive in this life because look God always has something better? Okay, God's not gonna say the prosperity gospel is too simple It's too simple. It's it's not God's better than that you know he can give you more than that Okay, so let's look down at Hebrews chapter 11 in verse number one and hopefully you know I can get this across to you tonight And it may sound confusing right now But hopefully we can look into this in depth and you'll see what I'm talking about Hebrews chapter 11 Let's look at faith first of all Verse number one now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen For by at the elders obtained a good report through faith We understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God So that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear Hebrews chapter 11 verse 3 is one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible And I'm not going to preach on it tonight but I I had to take that whole section out because I just started writing a sermon on that verse and When I was when I was doing that I loved that verse. There's a lot there. I'll preach a sermon on just that verse Sometime soon okay, but look look at the first part of Hebrews chapter 3 and Where the Bible says through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God God spoke the world into existence we already know this we looked at this a couple weeks ago Things which are seen were made by the Word of God they were framed we believe that by faith We were not there to see it happen right well, you're looking at you're like maybe you were no I wasn't okay I was not there to see it happen, but it's not look. It's not blind faith Okay, we weren't there to see it happen. It's things not seen, but there is evidence There is evidence in verse number three. You know it says they were framed by the Word of God We don't we have the Word of God Don't we have the Word of God so the world was framed by the Word of God which we have in our hands Right we have the Word of God the Bible's never been proven wrong on anything from science to Physics to you know medicine the Bible's never been proven wrong ever it's as a matter of fact It's modern technology and man's understanding of things that is constantly trying to catch up to the Bible And I've gone through many examples of that all right, but it's faith all the same okay We weren't there to see you know the world created It's it's things not seen faith is things not seen something we can hope for that's faith Okay Faith is not just your salvation. You know, but it's for our life on this earth as well Okay, because there's more for us look There's more for you than just your blessings on this earth that God will give you all right there are blessings that you and me and we May not see and we may not personally realize on this earth And that's what Hebrews 11 talks a lot about so what let's look at first Let's look at some men in Hebrews chapter 11 and women who had faith in things that they did not receive Okay The title of the sermon tonight is the blessings that you may not see the blessings that you may not see But I'll explain to you tonight on how even though you won't receive those blessings There's something better There's something better for you look down at Hebrews 11 in verse number four. Let's start with Abel the first example by faith Abel offered so we know that faith is things hoped for things not seen right so when it says Abel had faith These were things that he had hoped for that He didn't see by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain By which he obtained witness that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts and by and by it He being dead yet speak it. So what does that mean? That means that Abel brought the right sacrifice he brought, you know a blood sacrifice a sacrifice to God that God wanted and Cain of course brought, you know, the fruits of his labor and things that were not, you know meet basically and Abel received That and it says it says and by it he being dead yet speaketh So what God gave Abel was he received he wrote his testimony in the Bible is basically what that says Okay, look at verse number five We'll see somebody else. So we see that Abel's testimony because of his faith God wrote his testimony for us is what the Bible says here. Look at Enoch it says by faith Enoch was translated that she should not see death and Was not found because God had translated him for before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God So Enoch didn't receive this blessing until the very time of his departure from this earth Okay, look at verse number seven 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 which he condemned the world By which he condemned the world and became heir of righteousness, which is by faith So Noah's faith by Noah's faith God gave him a vision of things to come and then he blessed the generations of his family by saving them as well But that was not yet realized And so God's judgment was not yet realized and then the Noah himself didn't realize the blessings on his family Okay, look at verse number eight. This is a big one By faith Abraham When he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance He obeyed and he went out not knowing whether he went that means he didn't know where he went by faith He sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob The heirs with him of the same promise for he looked for a city with hath Foundations whose builder and maker is God now, that's a big one This is basically saying that Abraham was promised this land this promised land and he never realized it What Abraham did was he wandered in strange lands? I mean think about it I mean we read through the Bible and it's just a few pages and then Abraham's gone and then we're into somebody else and then Pretty soon they're in the promised land if you're reading through your Bible, but think about it Abraham Who lived and was given the promise never received that promise, you know He'd received some promises But he didn't receive that promise in his lifetime of that promised land that he was going to he was going to get Think about it Abraham to David. We just we just studied this in Matthew chapter 1 14 generations You know, it was like five six hundred years from Abraham to Moses before they stepped into that Promised land so that that promise wasn't fulfilled anywhere near Abraham's life or Isaac's life or Jacob's life Think about it. So he didn't realize it. He did not realize that promise himself, but by faith He he did it. Anyway, he did he went where he was supposed to go Anyway, Hebrews chapter 11 look at verse number 11 here. We see Sarah Through faith also Sarah herself Receives strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age Because she judged him faithful who had promised so she had the Bible says here. It says she had faith That God would deliver this promise In verse number 12 therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead So many as the stars of the sky in multitude and as the sand which is by the seashore Innumerable look did did she receive that promise in her lifetime? was Isaac as This the sand on the seashore himself Was he like the stars of the sky? No, he wasn't that those promises were fulfilled Generations and generations after Sarah so the point I'm trying to make here is that there's many Blessings that these people these people in the Old Testament that the Bible is talking to us here in Hebrews chapter 11 that they were Promised that they did not receive in their life But they still had faith by faith They received those things, but they personally did not receive them. Okay, so you say well, what's the what's the application? Well, the application is this first of all, the prosperity gospel is not true basically because of this You know this chapter in the Bible And many other places in the Bible But this pretty much blows away This idea that just whatever you do in this life for the Lord is it's going to be paid back to you in this Lifetime to you personally. No That's not going if you if you look if you're looking if you're expecting that you're gonna be disappointed So I'm telling you so you're not disappointed there's blessings that are gonna come elsewhere and later, okay, so look Maybe you know some maybe most of the blessings that you that will come from your faith Will not be realized by you Think of it Think of the prophets. I Mean think of the prophets as you read through the Old Testament think of Jeremiah. I Mean the guy's constantly being rejected. I mean did I mean did did anyone listen to him one time? I I don't think anyone even listened to Jeremiah even one time. I mean, they're constantly just being he's just being rejected rejected They're being killed Look at verse number 37 of Hebrews 11 They were stoned they were saunas under you know that most people most Historians think that that was Isaiah That was saunas under and that's who that was talking. I mean, we don't know it's not in the Bible but most Secular historians believe that when it talks about being saunas under it's talking about what happened to the prophet Isaiah. I Mean, that's not a great life. I mean, you know the story of of most of the Apostles and many martyrs throughout history look Many of them didn't receive any blessings in their lifetime Okay, look down at Hebrews chapter 11 and verse number 32. I Mean any of the prophets for that matter It's very hard to find something good having happening to a prophet in the Bible All right Look at verse number 32 and what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gedion and of Barak and Samson of Jephthah of David Also and Samuel and of the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms wrought righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouths of lions Quint quench the violence of fire Escaped the edge of the sword out of weaknesses were out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant and fight turned to flight the armies of the aliens women received their dead race to life again and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection and The others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings. Yay, moreover of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned They were saunas under they were tempted were slain with the sword They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy They wandered in deserts in the mountains and dens and caves of the earth and all these having obtained a good report through faith received Not the promise Look, the Bible says that these that the world was not worthy to have these men It says that that the world did not deserve these men And it and look at all the look at what they got in their life and They received not the promise so they didn't get the blessings in their life. It was all future blessings for many from these men So, how do we apply Hebrews chapter 11 to us is the question What blessings? Might be received by others when we're gone Let's just look down at you know, let's use Abel as an example his testimony. So your testimony That's that's a blessing that people in this world will receive When you're gone your testimony will be a powerful force for those who come after you I Mean your testimony is powerful for the people that are around you now But your testimony is super valuable to those who will come after you Turn to 2nd Timothy chapter 1 Actually turn to 1st Peter chapter 3, I'll just read you 2nd Timothy chapter 1 in verse number 8 The Bible says be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me his prisoner But be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. So your life is a Testimony your life is a testimony to those now and to those who will come after you to those that you're raising Look at 1st Peter chapter 3 in verse number 15 The Bible says this it says but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear your Conversation is a testimony to people when you speak and You speak of the things of God. That's a testimony to people So look you should strive to have a good testimony as in 1st Peter chapter 3. It's a view look It's a view of your heart to other people your testimony It's how people can see your heart For those who come after and you know what that will turn into That'll turn into the second application tonight that will turn into blessings on future generations And that is Abraham in Hebrews chapter 11 think of it Abraham really, you know received none of the promises of that land. None of it Not even a little bit. He wandered in strange places You know if you ever, you know, look if you ever feel out of place in this world, just think of Abraham Just think of how he must have felt as a Bible believing separated Christian You know, there is going there are going to be times where you feel like a stranger And and that is okay. Look that's the importance of church and fellowship Especially in times like this. You probably feel more like a stranger now But in times like this, that's the importance of church and fellowship. You're gonna feel like a stranger to this world But not to us, right? Not to us. It was you know, we will strengthen you we will edify you in times like this, especially Turn back to Hebrews chapter 11 Hebrews chapter 11 Verse 13 or just look at your bulletin These all died in faith not having received the promises We know that but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them They had faith in them see even though they didn't even receive them They had faith in them confet and they confess that they were strangers and pilgrims on this earth. Look they all felt like this They all felt like you feel So you feel like man, I just I'm so different than everybody else I'm so different. My beliefs are so different than the way everybody else is doing everything I don't have the same feelings that everybody else has in certain situations like like this. I Don't have I don't have anywhere near the same feelings that people out there have today But they all felt like this It's not just you it's not just me it's everyone there were strangers and pilgrims on this earth If you feel this way, you're doing it, right? That's what it means It can be look and you can be an incredible blessing on Future generations if you so choose turn to Luke chapter 1 Turn to Luke chapter 1 And look at verse number 50 Luke chapter 1 in verse number 50 the Bible reads and his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation But that's why do you see it? Do you see a clause in there? Does it say that his mercy is just on everyone no matter what it says No, his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation Do you see why Moses and all these these these men were just crying out? Constantly to the children of Israel saying you have to fear the Lord even when I'm gone Even when I'm gone you have to follow these laws Because once you stop fearing the Lord all bets are off That's why Moses said it Joshua said it all they all said it over and over and over So as you read the Bible, you're like man, you just said it two pages ago Why don't they listen but we don't listen either So you see that that is The the catch that to those that those generations that fear the Lord, you know, that will be a great blessing That's what you can pass on. We'll talk about that more in tonight's sermon Number three Your seed. Let's look at Sarah Your seed will bless the world literally the Bible says Your seed through your testimony through your life Can be a blessing to the entire World think of it Think of it Sarah's son Isaac. He wasn't he wasn't the sand of the seashore was he? No He was the first grain of sand He wasn't the stars of the sky. He was the first star But when you think about this whole thing look back at Hebrews 11 Verse 12 or I'll just read it for you. Therefore sprang there even of one talking about Sarah and Him as good as dead so many as the stars of the sky and multitude and as the sand which is by the seashore Innumerable that means you couldn't even count them Couldn't even count them look so it grew After the first generation it grew more and it grew more and it grew more It's called it's called an exponential growth Right. We've seen a lot of that Lately, but it's called exponential growth children have children have children have children have children I mean look that's a force multiplier if it's done properly You know you say what's a force multiplier? Here's the definition of a force multiplier from the From the dictionary a capability that when added to and employed to a combat force typically Significantly increases the combat potential of that force and thus enhances the probability of success of a successful mission accomplishment Some examples of force multipliers in military history were like machine guns Right where they went from, you know, just regular rifles to you know a Single shot rifle to a semi-automatic rifle to a machine gun that those are force multipliers, right the airplane that would that was a force multiplier like if you had a bunch of guys over here and a bunch of the same-sized guys over Here and they all started fighting but these guys had an airplane done It's not even close right helicopter same thing. Look having that's the thing about church plants Right, that's the thing about church plants I mean you can go out soul winning and you can be like, you know I'm just gonna go soul winning and soul winning and soul winning and we can be a soul winning church and we can grow And grow but you know what a force multiplier would be for our church If you know what church growth is great having more people come in here's gonna be great But you know what a force multiplier is for our church is when we start training up men to go out and start other churches That's when that exponential force multiplication happens All right, that is the power of this generational blessing That's the power your generations your look I'm talking about your Generations that come after you your personal generations can be force multipliers for the world you say why because kids have kids and Then those kids have kids and then you'll have grandkids and great-grandkids And then when you're dead, there'll be more kids and more generations and more generations So if you can kind of figure out a way To make sure that that fear of the Lord Passes to your next generation and the next generation and the next generation You'll have a force multiplier on your hands from your family for the gospel And you say well, how do we do that? Well, the Bible tells you how to do it I mean just listen, right? I mean, we're not up here I'm not up here preaching the Bible and how to raise kids and raise godly kids just to waste time I Mean, this is the type of of you know Look, it's a blessing to you to not have bratty kids to be able to watch your own children serve the Lord in their life That's a blessing that you will receive on this earth you yourself personally, but there's but there's more and there's something better for the world if you do it, right and You teach them to do it right for their children you see you see I mean that's awesome if my kids grow up and You know those few kids that I have they grow up and serve the Lord. That's great. That's a blessing to me But if they grow up and they have a thousand other ancestors that all end up serving the Lord That's a blessing on the world That's better than the blessing that I had you see That's why those blessings that we might not see are better and the God and God tells us that they're gonna be better So look we go out soul-winning. I mean, I love it, right we go out soul-winning and you know This the stupidest craziest situations. We'll find a way to still go soul-winning. It's awesome. We love it, right? We all love it. You could spend hours and hours and hours every week soul-winning But don't forget to raise that next generation, right Because that's the force multiplier, right So you're one man Don't forget look there's plenty of godly men and women That have lost their children and that that has just it just died with them. There's plenty There's plenty in the Bible if you need biblical examples There's plenty that I can think of in this world Godly men of God That were great preachers and great leaders, but for some reason not with their family So don't think it can't be you So don't be this person. That's just you know, uh you know, it's just Soul-winning For me personally. No, there's other you there's there's you have to pay attention and focus on your family Because look it'll be a blessing for you But it'll be a huge blessing for future generations if you do it, right and the Bible tells us how to do it Right, so we have the directions we have the manual, right? So Be well-rounded Be well-rounded folks. There's blessings for the world out there So ultimately we need to realize that anything in this life Folks and you know a lot of you know, this is kind of becoming clear for a lot of people I think this might be one of the benefits of this situation, but any any anything in this life? Really can perish away, right? Especially now we need to not focus so much on the blessings that we will receive in our lives But on the eternal blessings that God, you know can can give to future generations and ultimately folks from You know to the world just from us being here Just from us being here and having that faith To do things according to the Bible I Mean it said by faith these men did these things by faith these men did this by faith Noah build the ark by faith. They you know by faith Abraham went to sacrifice a promise that he did receive Here he's like I got one Got that one. I received that one now God's like sacrifice it. He's like, oh bummer But he did it He did it I mean that's faith So if we have that faith those blessings will be better for future generations That's it that's why there's an unbroken chain of Christians going all the way back to Christ That's why that's why it's not broken Because those men who were getting land and women who are getting no blessings We're living horrible lives and dying horrible deaths. They just they just had faith they just had faith all the way to the end that The blessing just wasn't gonna be for them in their time. That's it. So the blessing is for us as We read about them and they're what their testimony right Look back at Hebrews chapter 11 verse 39 Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 39 And these all having obtained a good report through faith received not the promise look they didn't receive The promise and here it is. I told you that there's something better, but it's not enough that I tell you look at verse number 40 So they didn't receive the promise verse number 40 God having provided Some better thing for us That they without us should not be made perfect. That's why because no matter what we receive in this life I Don't think look I don't think there's first of all, I don't think there's anyone in this room that could claim the life of the prophets Even you know As messed up as things can get and all this kind of stuff I don't think there's anybody in this room who can claim that they hasn't haven't received blessings in their life. I Mean you have you know, these these people have suffered nothing But some of them nothing but pain and rejection and suffering their whole life, you know, you have blessings You know tonight we'll talk about you know, the fine line of how to handle those blessings in your life We'll talk about that tonight But in times where you think man, you know, this is rough You know, this is rough. You know, what's the what's the payoff here? You know, what? What's the what's the benefit of this? You know Christian life that I'm living right now because I mean you have to come to church to be saved I mean do you have to live this separated Christian life to be saved? To go to heaven. No you don't He didn't remember that the prosperity gospel is not a it's just fake I Hope and pray a lot that God blesses the lives of all of you But it is very possible that these blessings that you have in your life look things come and go I'm not that old. I'm kind of old. I'm 42 I've had I've had good financial times and bad financial times in my life Sometimes things are just working and sometimes they're not That's just how it is You just keep doing what you're supposed to do by what by faith So what the blessings you receive may not it they may not be realized by you that's that's the whole point I know I keep saying it over and over again, but I want to just drill that in But what God has for you what God has for us what God has for future generations because of your faith What God has for the world because of your faith that you have now is better Than anything that you could get right now You say well, I just want it now. Well, you're selfish. I Mean God, I mean think about these things think about just the blessings that could come from your faithful life That's that's that's Hebrews chapter 11 right there Your faithful life and you know what? You eventually will realize those blessings because you'll be watching it from eternal life Abraham saw it He saw him going to the Promised Land, you know Abraham knows all the blessings that came from his life He saw that the Messiah came from him. He saw all these things You'll see it. It just won't be in this tiny little Blip of your physical life right here. It'll be somewhere in the eternity of your life And guess what? It's gonna be much better That's why Hebrews 11 is is such a great Chapter it tells you, you know, it explains faith and then it tells you the benefit of it It tells you the power of it it tells you you know this faith that you have now don't just sit there and say well I'm having all this faith and I'm doing all these things and where's all the stuff coming to me? You're setting yourself up for failure. You know that look look that sells books Right that sells books, you know your perfect life now or whatever the stupid book is, right your Wonderful business now or whatever read the Bible six times a day and you're I don't even know but I mean it sells People want to hear it. It tickles the ears Telling people they look, you know, first of all, am I really up here telling you that look you're gonna have you need to Have faith you need to have strong faith and your life is gonna stink. It's gonna be terrible No, that's not really it might be But there's there's something better coming There's something better and that's why you can have that faith because God promises you that if you don't receive it now You'll see it later and it will benefit the world It'll be much better than anything you could have gotten personally now Through your generations and just through you know, the blessings that you can affect on the world. I mean look that's powerful That's exciting. Right? Are you telling me that I you know who I am right? Now can affect the world. Yes I'm telling that you your faith can affect the entire world like the sand of the sea think about it But it depends on how you do things now. It depends on your testimony. It depends on your works Right, it depends on your works Not to get to heaven but how you'll bless the world how you bless those future generations So works do matter in this sense You know, you're that's why you're look that's why also your faith and your works are tied together like that Because as those two, you know as your faith gets stronger You know through your works now, you know, that's how your faith is made perfect That would just project itself out more but you may not see it personally. You'll see it eventually though guaranteed Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer Dear Heavenly Father. We thank you for Hebrews chapter 11. What a great chapter in the Bible. We thank you for All these wonderful promises Lord in the Bible that you've given to us That even though we may not realize these promises now or we understand that you know We just by faith believe these promises Lord We believe that what you say is true and you know We have that hope and that faith of the things that we don't need to see Lord and we just know that your word is true and we thank you that we're able to hold it in our hands We love you in Jesus name we pray Amen You