Waiting in the Unknown // Judah Smith

we are in a a second week of what we call the six week journey if again you are new or a guest or friend or just kind of popping in and haven't been in a while we're doing six weeks of a study on one portion of Scripture and we've got hundreds of groups frankly all over the world now that are leaning in around Hebrews chapter 11 and we're talking on the subject of faith trusting God and the title is when we believe so this is week two and we're go to chapter 11 in the book of Hebrews and I am really excited as we look at this ancient figure and character named Abraham anybody heard the song growing up maybe we have the right kind of church because I think like eight of you know that song so this is good this is really a good sign you know we like what in the world is going on father Abraham had many sons here we go alright Hebrews chapter 11 verse eight are you ready it says actually it's jump back to chapter 10 verse 39 for context it says we are not those who shrink back and are destroyed but those who have faith and preserve their souls that'll give us a little bit of context keeping in mind that the reason the writer of Hebrews writes this he's writing the first century Jews who have accepted Jesus as their Messiah and now all hell has broken loose in their life there is pressure there's persecution there is assassinations there is the shutting down of entire businesses their economy has changed because all first century Jews the recipients of this letter these Hebrews their lives have been turned upside down because they have accepted Jesus as God as you can imagine naturally speaking they're starting to consider is it worth it is it worth it to follow Jesus maybe we should unrested unclaimed Jesus and go back to simply trying to live out the rules and demands and the standards of the first five books of the Bible known as the Torah they are in a very emotional state and the goal of this entire letter is to convince these first century Jews to continue to follow Jesus to persuade them again so we jump now to verse 8 of Hebrews chapter 11 it says now Abraham obeyed when he was called out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance and he he obeyed and he went out not knowing where he was going he went out not knowing where he was going verse nine by faith he went to live in the land of promise as in a foreign land living in tents with Isaac and Jacob airs of him with him of the same promise free was looking forward to the city that has foundations whose designer and builder is God by faith his wife Sara herself received power to conceive even when she was past the age since she considered herself considered him God faithful who had promised therefore from one man in him Abraham as good as dead what an encouraging statement as good as dead were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the as innumerable grains of sand by the seashore jumping down out of verse seventeen a little more about Abraham by faith Abraham when he was tested offered up Isaac and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son of whom it was said through Isaac shall your offspring be named he considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead from which figuratively speaking he did receive him back now up and at this point that is a lot of dense content and language we're gonna make sense of that tonight and bring some clarity and hopefully some understanding in terms of how this ancient figure Abraham in these first century Jews teach us today in 2019 what it looks like and what it means to live a life of faith will you join me in prayer god we thank you for the moments that we share we recognize that if this moment considering your story sinking into your story only only translates in this moment it really is pointless we ask that you would take these moments show yourself to be so real so gracious so amazing and may these moments affect our everyday lives we thank you for your grace but I pray somehow the Superbowl will end in such a calamitous tie that that it just no one will win and it will just be crazy but if someone has to win let it be somebody from LA in Jesus name Amen lesser of two evils I text a text a lot text is probably my favorite form of communication I'm not saying that's healthy I'm not saying that's a good thing but I text a lot I'm definitely the person I need to be focused to take a phone call I'm not good I have friends who are really good at taking phone calls wherever they are like I I really struggle with being on the phone and then talking to someone and being it like it just it is very difficult for me so I end up usually I'm the guy who texts and then you try to call me cuz clearly I'm engaged cuz I'm texting and I don't pick up because I'm like shopping because I'm not a good multitasker so I'm not great at like I don't want to pick if you know if I'm at a game where I'm hanging out somewhere you know there's loud noises and I can't hear it so anyways the point is I like I like texting and the other day I received a pithy text from a friend a convicting text from a friend I prefer just fun texts but he challenged me with this text and it really stuck with me it was about three days ago he said these words he says never make a decision based on emotion never never you know I mean never make a decision based on emotion what I wish the text said was most of the time don't make a decision based on emotion because I'm gonna lie to you I love I need to be real careful here but this is this is honest Wednesday did you know this was honest Wednesday this is this is the worldwide day of honesty today make sure his that a thing I don't know we could make one we wanted to but this is honest Wednesday I love making decisions based on emotion I do someone told me today they said the difference between men and women is this that's what they told me they said men as they get older they grow more in love with their opinions mister and women as they get older grow more in love with their feelings and form an opinion is the ultimate truth for women feelings are the ultimate truth and I looked at my friend I said Chelsea and I are the exact opposite i I have fallen in love with my I am 40 and I am so in love with my feelings I have to say I love my emotions in Chelsea and I sometimes you know very rarely we have fights in our marriage it's usually because of her opinions but when I feel something it has to be real do you know what I'm talking about like if I feel it it's real I don't care if the facts say different I don't care if Chelsea says different I am the head of this hall she's not here tonight you get it ha ha but I love feelings and my friend sends me this text man and he's like never and I'm like I'm trying right but I love like I loved spontaneity that's another term for making a decision based on emotion right it's just like let's just do it let's do another red eye you hate them but it'll be great right it's it's I love making decisions based on emotions and maybe you do too now why is that relevant because tonight we are picking up an ancient letter that was written to a people group who frankly are starting to make decisions based on emotion you can imagine I would like to kind of defend them I'd like to kind of walk over into their corner and say can you blame them I mean all hell has broken loose upon the lives of these first century Jewish believers who loved Jesus have been they believed in him it is real they believe it's factual it's not just feelings but they also have feelings for Jesus and how many know God gave us feelings and God gave us emotions and we're supposed to emotionally engage with God but suddenly when all hell breaks loose in your life and every circumstance seems to be contrary to what you leave this group Jewish believers frankly feel like making a decision based on emotion but macroon says never make a decision based on emotion easier said than done there's a reason the writer of this letter does not write to the Hebrews and simply text them and say never make a decision based on emotion in other words expand on that easier said our family members and friends and co-workers are dying because they claim Jesus we are considering deciding to get out of the line of fire we're gonna go back and the writer of Hebrews essentially says all right if you want to go back in Hebrews chapter 11 I'm gonna take you back let's go back you say you want to go back to relating to God based on rules rules you can't keep therefore you're far from God you want to go back to that life of religion tradition custom trusting yourself trying to improve yourself self help try harder work better think nicer thoughts be kind open doors for old ladies walk children across the crosswalks let's all be better you want to go back to that approach then let's go all the way back to the most famous historical Hebrew people let's go back and let's look at the greatest heroes amongst all the Jews let's go all the way back and so we talked last week as the writer of Hebrews says let's talk about the first two humans born Cain and Abel let's talk about Enoch and then there's Noah we don't have time to go over Noah feel bad for no we're just skipping over Noah God built a great boat but we're not even going there we have no time for Noah but we're gonna focus on Abraham Abraham receives the majority he receives the most mentions in Hebrews chapter 11 in an effort again to persuade again to prove again to these emotional first century Jews there's nothing back there you keep following Jesus why is Abraham mentioned the most one of the reasons I believe Abraham is mentioned the most is because Abraham has a relationship with God that has nothing to do with the law nothing in fact more than three hundred years before Moses or charlton heston okay we got a couple of six-year-olds but Charlton Heston receives the Ten Commandments okay Abraham establishes a relationship with God three hundred years before the law is ever given now remember these first century Jews receiving this letter are considering going back to try to live out the Ten Commandments given to Moses so this is very strategic the writer of Hebrews says let's go hundreds of years before the law you say you want to live by and let's talk about one of your heroes Abraham who had a relationship with God that was before the law and will soon discover Abraham had a relationship with God based on faith faith and that is exactly what the writer of Hebrews is trying to convince these first century Jews to continuing is relate to God by faith not by your works so I'll try what I'm going to try an attempt to do tonight is to show you the four things the four primary things that I believe the writer of Hebrews is trying to make abundantly clear to these emotional persecuted Hebrew people number one he says this he says hey by faith now remember we define faith last week faith in its essence is persuaded or persuasion or to be convinced to be a person of faith it means you have been persuaded and let's remind ourselves who does the persuading God you can't you can't persuade yourself you can't conjure up faith in your own heart for if you could make saving faith in your own heart you could save yourself so what is faith faith is divine persuasion so the Bible says by divine persuasion Abraham obeyed God when God said get up get out I'm gonna show you another land now watch this it says by divine persuasion Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he was he was to receive his inheritance and when he went out he went out not knowing where he was going he went out not knowing where he was going know if you are first century Jewish believer and everybody's getting killed and bad stuffs happening and your local shop on the local Main Street just got boycotted nobody will do business with you everybody laughs some points when you walk down the street and you starting to wonder at any moment if you're gonna get jumped by religious zealots who say that you have abandoned the the true faith what are you starting to wonder well I'll say this you're starting to go what in the world is going on can you imagine how many scared little Huddle's these first century Jews must have had and it had to go something like this what is going on what are we gonna do where's God so this is what we get for following Jesus now this is a great start we're 19 minutes into the sermon and you brought friends tonight and already the preacher is saying sometimes when you decide to follow Jesus things get so bad in your life man god bless download the app you know like like bro I told my friend they'd feel better at the end maybe they won't start I start getting negative you know life sucks but yeah I think I think a lot of the recipients of this letter like where are we going with this what's the plan can you imagine being one of the self-appointed or maybe your huddled little scared group was like come on bill you seem to know a lot what's the plan bill feels like I don't know my shop got shut down too my kid got beat up at school will tell us the plan bill I don't know the plan where are we going to heaven probably pretty soon it seems hey that that that joke kind of swelled I don't know if you saw that it was funny and then it was like even funnier it was great that means a lot it kind of took a while to get back to that section to be honest but that's okay the last shall be first but um so I think I think this is what we this is what we assume on God we assume in fact some of you are like you know what I don't know about God but I'm kind of interested and one of the reasons you're interested is you're starting to get the sense that if I kind of open up to this concept of God this divine being this designer creator architect of my soul maybe then everything will make sense everything will make sense but wait a minute we are starting a six week journey on the subject of faith trust reliance which means we're not implicit in the concept of faith is that we don't understand it all but we're persuaded if you ever run into a pastor that has an answer to every cosmic question run screaming the other direction any pastor who should be a pastor needs to have several counseling coffee get-togethers where he or she says something like this you got me there I don't know because if you know we know everything we got all the answers well we don't need God we understand it all I don't need faith if I can explain it all so much of our existence is predicated upon extraordinary trust I'm sitting on this chair right now because I just trust some manufacturer I just trust can you imagine if it broke right now man that'd be amazing it really I would totally be like oh there's a god pop about but um look what the writers do and he's like kind of lost guys kind of feel out of sorts wondering what the plan is yeah Abraham went through the same thing he did yeah you know the guy you guys all sing about and you're all like uh Abraham is amazing yeah he he he signed up for a trip and he didn't know the destination but he just was convinced the companion he had would figure it out I'll explain it like this because a lot of people like Oh blind faith I get it I get a preacher you talking about blind faith no no no I'm talking about like I had two knee surgeries okay it's back when I was playing ball I used to be able to dunk it's a long story huh things have changed but so I had two surgeries on this knee at a bone graft it was pretty bad and what could have been you know uh but it's like Judah they're fit nothing would have been actually it's a great story I met with a knee specialist they did x-rays I never forget doctor comes out he's one of the best at what he did walked out he's like here's an x-ray of your knee he could have told me it was an x-ray of my shoulder my hand my ankle my toes I wouldn't know the difference I wouldn't I was like cool he's like can you see this I'm like yeah he's like that's where the problem is like totally it's weird you said that Chelsea I knew that was where the problem was is that right here he's like no that sexy over here yeah yep I knew that it's good it's good he's like so you need surgery yeah I could feel that it's good it's gonna be long recovery we have to bone graft bone graft are you sure I'm positive it's what I do all right where do I sign up this is gonna be great end of my illustrious career you say well due to that you you talk to this that's not that's not blind faith why did I don't know how he's gonna do it I couldn't read the x-rays but I was convinced this is what he does this is what he does ladies and gentlemen we tell you what God does God guides people God leads people you know that scripture it's like a big old intersection he says man plans his way but God says that's a cute plan come on here we go over here and the Lord directs his steps God has been directing people for thousands of years God is more than a specialist he is the end from the beginning and everything in between he has every one of your days numbered he has the hairs on your head numbered he knows more about you than you could ever possibly imagine and so excuse me if I don't mind mentioning or should I say suggesting that you go ahead and move when he says let's go and if you ask where and he says nothing do not let that sway you at all I said open me up doc fix the knee that's what you do I I don't even remember the name of what my knee had a problem people ask me all the time I was like it was an MCL combo ACL whole thing was broken but like none of those are true I didn't care I just put my left leg in the hands of a specialist cuz he knows what he's doing we can't do that with God God I'm not gonna move here until you tell me exactly what's gonna happen here God doesn't do that and you know what's crazy we always think that a relationship of God is about a destination we got to remind ourselves he is the destination that's why God won't tell you sometimes what's going on your life and what exactly the plan is because the plan is him and the destination is him and the point is that you and him are walking together and and being together and and that that that is that is that is the plan it's the plan it's just be together in in in in Anaheim or or Athens or Atlanta or Nashville we're like God called me to Nashville it's never been about Nashville it's been about walking with him just going with him and that's why it's actually cool to be like where you going I don't know exactly but I'm going with him I'm in his hands and that's a secure place to be since when did we have to understand to start moving if you find in yourself right now and in extraordinary circumstances and challenging circumstances see divine persuasion tells us I am persuaded in my companion I don't know all about the directions I don't even need to know the directions I'm just persuaded that whoever is driving my life his name is Jesus He is God and wherever he drives gonna be fine with me as long as I'm with him so I don't need to understand it all see contrary to what your brain tells you a very how should I say secure place to be it's like I don't really know what's happening next I'm with the Lord it's all good how the interview go terrible they said no way it's all good oh so you've lost your mind no no just rolling with God it's gonna work out I trust him I'm gonna keep putting in resumes it's all good I'm not gonna overthink it Oh what about the will of God God's will is for me to be with God that is the zenith of God's will that is the definition of eternity in heaven to be with him it is not chick-fil-a Burger King Burger King McDonald's which one should I work at God show me a sign if you like chick-fil-a put in your resume and whatever you do just go with God so so faith works like I don't oh yeah i don't know i don't understand that i we wait say we started this part of church home in jason kennedy's living room six think it might be almost seven years ago I was not starting a community I was helping a friend with a couple of other friends who wanted to hear about the story of Jesus it was a one-time meeting and I was gonna go back to where they where Birkenstocks and billionaires drive Honda's yeah that's where I was gonna go right like and I don't want the smog I definitely don't need LAX right I am fine with that with the rain it produces fantastic music more like in the early 90s but it was not the plan I had no plan I was just doing a favor for a friend and then he said well we got some more people that what would you do I got no plan I'm just rolling with God just having fun enjoying every day how many know it's only today all we have is today with God today I can't live yesterday I can't live tomorrow all I have is today I'm just gonna trust God today some of you are so in your head you're so over thing and you got yourself so worked up in a frenzy you're a lot like these emotional first century Jews talking about what's the play God I do you know the plan and my dad you say God's plan works like this every once in a while you're walking with God and the fog lifts and you're like yes ha ha thank you God I'm gonna be Paul that I can be in God's army like you to relax in the fog lifts and you're like yes God and then like right when you get a glimpse the fog settles in you look knock God Oh God Satan where are you I know you're the great fogger yeah because I'm convinced God wants us to we're so obsessed fog listeria ass my castle my king gob and will rule there and then the fog citizen like God what you do to lift the fog again he's like I just thought maybe it could be me and you yeah it is we already IR I accepted you in 82 I just I need you to make me a business owner come on God lift the and he's like I just thought maybe it could be me and you alright what you want to do you want don't talk about my business plan in it crazy like if you came from eternity into time and space to meet with creatures who are obsessed with time and space hey God so what's the plan right in here I know the rest but who cares what are you gonna do for me in this span let's talk about that no wonder gods like okay what's that you want a truck alright fine okay that's so great me and you could talk in the truck God it'll be so great alright I can fly but we could do the truck too sometimes it's hard for us to remember that the point of all of this is to prepare us for this which is all about all about him never like I'm gonna I'll only got like 10 more minutes but you you ever um you ever stopped and thank God for what he didn't do for you you know that's crazy I think God sometimes doesn't give us what we want right in here because this will be even a bigger deal to us and so it's like I'm not gonna give that what is it profit a man to gain this whole world but in the process lose his soul so you gotta understand faith oftentimes is walking in the fog and that's where just let the fog just engulf you and just just be like Jesus is so cool just mean you just walk in right that's like we're getting a small group in a six-week journey join a group for goodness sake give it a try and sit around with some people get online and talk and just be like I don't understand at all and then he let somebody else go me neither I've tried different stuff and things aren't working out that's why this whole letter was written things were more than not working out they were working against them and the writer of Hebrews goes you know Abraham he he walked in a fog too like you guys oh great he did not know where he was going did somebody tell you if you walked with God you would always know where you were going that's not true it goes on it goes on it gets better kind of just kidding not really by divine persuasion he lived in a land of promise as in a foreign land I won't go into this too much but I think the second thing the writer of Hebrews trying to tell these first century Jews who are emotional and persecuted and wanting to go back wanting to go back wanting to go back ten commandments rules regulations customs traditions trusting myself doing on my own I don't want to just trust Jesus and follow Jesus it's getting hearts getting difficult I think he's also saying you you need to lean into the already not yet of God I'm explaining this this is this is a real theological concept already not yet already not yet welcome to a life of faith already not yet you ever read the Bible the earth is the Lord's and the food is there off and you're like yeah for sure but we got some jacked up places in this world is that God's too in other words this is God's possession God designed it God made it and it was perfect until free will screwed it up and sin and selfishness and now this earth grows with the desire to be restored and be redeemed but in the meantime not yet has the earth been restored but already the work has been done and Jesus has given his life you know the Bible says every knee will bow and every tongue will confess at the second coming of the great king and we will all declare living and those who did live will rise again and we will declare there is one god and he is holy and he is true and he is creator but not yet it's already been done yeah the Bible says from the foundations of the earth the lamb was slain already but for thousands of years not yet until Jesus came listen listen to what Abraham is a picture of this God said I'm gonna show you this place just roll with me they get there and he's like this is yours ha ha Abraham's like he tells us boys Isaac and Jacob this is ours they're like like we this is our possession he's like yeah now set up some tents so like that let's buy houses like now we don't have no money to buy houses but this is ours dad but why are we out on the outskirts living in tents because we're not welcoming there were foreigners but you said this was ours yeah yeah God told me this is ours isn't it great I don't really understand dad oh is this our promise it's already happened God said we have it in the night again Jacob were like well then let's go take it he's like nah we can't like do dad but it's ours and they're like that you're not making a lot of sense since we've been kind of just roaming around a little bit you talking crazy it's already not yet and boy it sends people for tailspin Jesus says on the cross it is finished it's complete already the price has been paid by His stripes you're healed but I'm not healed not yet we get a foretaste of the miraculous supernatural perfect utopia that will come where there will be a new heaven and a new earth but until then not yet not everybody's healed the Bible says all sickness will be eliminated no more disease every tear will be wiped from our eyes there'll be no more weeping there'll be no more crying there will be no discouragement there'll be no more trouble in your mind and in your soul and torment it'll be done away with that's already been paid for that's already been declared it is already been established but not yet and so it's called the life of faith you know what's crazy about all these promises Abraham got do you know he never actually got the land one scholar says this wasn't a metaphor God was like Canaan is yours and Abraham lived in a tent his whole life never got a building didn't even get a proper home in Canaan he lived in a tent like a foreigner but God said it's your city and that's what we got to understand about God God is a generational God and in often times you'll receive a promise from God but God does not see like you see or think like you think God God thinks generationally and you'll find upon reading further in the story of God that what was promised to Abraham his boy Isaac and then his grandson Jake and they started to receive the promise already not yet that's a reality that's not very popular and it might be why you haven't heard a lot of preachers talk about it because it's not exactly the most exciting thing hey ask God for something big and he might give it to your grandkids you hurry but it takes faith to more things in conclusion II it says that that Abraham says going on about Sarah's she she was looking forward or by face Sarah received power to conceive even when she was listening this past age therefore from one man Abraham him as good as dead it says Sarah was past age and Abraham was as good as dead so so so Sarah can't actually have babies anymore she's almost 100 Abraham's ninety-nine and God says I told you I'm gonna give you descendants grandkids and great-grandkids it's gonna be crazy and by this point we see this recorded in Genesis 12 13 14 15 Abraham's like you hadn't given me one son and so then God says now that it's impossible now I'm gonna give you a boy please let me stop right here because the writer of Hebrews is trying to tell these emotional persecuted first century Jews let me tell you how God works when you come to the end of yourself that's when his miraculous power engages when you feel past the age or as good as dead past the age or as good as dead when you come to the end of yourself the most powerful place you can ever find yourself in this lifetime in any season in any age wherever you are living when you finally say God I can't I've passed the age I'm as good as dead when you say I can't God says I can when you realize that you are as good as dead in your trespasses and your sin and your air and your selfishness when you finally recognize the day you were born all you were chubby and cute and everybody loved you and thought you were an angel but the Bible says you were born with the propensity towards selfishness you are a selfish beat all you have glimpses of charity and kindness and we all all celebrate that but if you distilled the human nature down we are removed from God and inherently selfish and when you finally realize that serving yourself and trust in yourself and believe it in yourself and try to pump yourself up get you no further in the overall health of your soul you come to a place called rock-bottom and that's why God's using Abraham as an example Abraham finally God says I'm gonna do it neighbor Hamm says oh you are oh you're gonna do it now you gave me the promise when it was possible but you wait til I'm 99 I'm as good as dead God he's like I know I'm gonna use your life as a picture that that's where I step in god I can't I'm not mad at you I'm just saying our culture has it wrong our culture keeps telling you keep saying you can you can you can now see what the Bible says the Bible says you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you when I can't God says I can and he who knew no sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus look up Romans chapter 4 later verses 17 18 Romans chapter 4 tells us that when it says and it was accounted to him for righteousness if the bible says abraham believed god he said okay in my old age i believe that you can work your promise and it was in that moment god says you have a right relationship with me it was the first time a man received a right relationship with god and it did not come by keeping rules it came by the divine persuasion of god and abram said you got me the writer of Hebrews is saying to first century Jews all of this horrific events which are evil and diabolical will keep you at the end of yourself and it's there you will be reminded you can't you can't you can't you can't see some of you came to church tonight because you're overwhelmed with a feeling that you can't and you have failed to realize you're in one powerful place cuz when you say you can't God goes I know that's truth right there but I can and I will do for you what you cannot do for yourself I did it for Abraham eighteen hundred years before the crucifixion of Jesus Abraham was made right with God by simply accepting the divine persuasion of the creator of the universe so that's what the writer of Hebrews is like hey hey Abraham was not made right with God by the law three hundred years before the law it was by faith continue forward in your face and lastly he says this verse seventeen by faith Abraham when he was tested offered up Isaac who had received the promises and he had received the promises and the act of offering him up his only son whom he said through Isaac shall your offspring be named he considered that God was able to even raise him from the dead the writer of Hebrews basically and here's why and he says remember the resurrection that's the game changer remember the resurrection remember the resurrection he's saying oh you want to go back Jesus rose from the dead and we got eyewitnesses of that that's the bedrock of the faith that is filling this room right now it is the resurrection it is through and eyewitness account has been passed down throughout the corridors of the ages and I'm here today declaring that I have faith in Jesus because I believe in the resurrection I believe in the resurrection I believe in a God who defeated death he'll integrate he says you remember the resurrection now why did he use Abraham and Isaac as an example because as the story goes abraham has a son at a hundred years old his son is growing now his son's probably either a preteen or a teenager and God gives him this ridiculous request he says I want you to take Isaac to a mountain that I will show you and I want you to kill your son for me on an altar and Abraham some kind of man boy had he been persuaded he said all right but the Bible says and the writer of Hebrews says to the first century Jews Abraham only went up that mountain because he knew if God could give me this son at a hundred if I kill him he'll give him back to me now what the writer of Hebrews was trying to tell the first century Jews is you love Abraham you appreciate Abraham but abraham believed in the resurrection eighteen hundred years before it happened Abraham wishes he's living when you're living even though you're dying and being persecuted there ain't nothing back there if you go back far enough you'll recognize it all points forward to where you're living so don't you go back there if you go back there hope you run into Abraham and he just says get back up there so Abraham goes up on this mountain and it gets crazy man he ties up his teenage boy pulls out a knife people like was he gonna do it the only reason the writer of Hebrews says cuz he's like he'll give him back to me if he can give me in the first place do a hundred year old couple he can he'll give him back to me and he lifts up his knife and God says stop stop I don't want your son I'm gonna give you mine don't don't don't do that and he sees a ram in the thicket which is a portrait of Jesus and the crown of thorns that would be on his head and there's a substitute sacrifice as a substitute sacrifice as a substitute sacrifice and and and and and and Abraham and his boy they're hugging and it's like this is crazy and he's the son he says I'm gonna name this mountain I'm gonna name it now the Jews they know this story better than you and me that's why the writer of Hebrews is reminding them because on that mountain father and son celebrate that Abraham doesn't have to give his boy 1800 years later on the same mountain God will give his boy it's this and Abraham says Oh son I'm gonna name this mountain I'm going to name it the Lord shall provide and if you look up the Hebrew there's two meanings it means on this mountain the Lord has provided and he will provide and the Lord has been seen on this mountain and the Lord will be seen on this mountain now if you're a first century Jewish believer trying to hold on for dear life you read that part and the whole story you've been told your entire life starts to play out in front of you and you remind it again that God has provided I can't provide but God's provided and I'd like to ask you a question if faith is divine persuasion have you been to the mountain and have you seen God for he's been seen and he's revealed himself have you seen him have you seen him because it was once and for all a sacrifice that all would seem you said you know I've never been to Israel that's not what I'm saying I'm saying has God moved into your neighborhood to reveal himself can you see him that's all the writer of Hebrews is trying to do he's saying can you still see him you've lost sight of him can you see him the man on the middle cross he was the substitute he's the ram caught in the thicket he is the only one that could provide for our air are wrong in our sin can you see him for the Lord was seen there in Abraham but eighteen hundred years later the Lord would send his son as a substitute and he would be seen he would be hung between two criminals he was not a criminal he was perfect he was sinless and so he could deal with your sin and my sin in fact one of the criminals says you're a liar you are fake but the other criminals said remember me when you come into your kingdom as if there are only two categories in this life what will you do with the man on the middle cross what will you do with the substitute sacrifice that has been seen once and for all of humanity will you receive him will you believe in him will you accept His divine persuasion for he spread his arms and he had you in mind and every wrong air you ever committed he paid the penalty he took the shame he took the condemnation he took the judgment he took the guilt so ever he sets free is free in deed I ask you have you seen him have you laid eyes on him have you considered what he's done have you considered that he's even more than a ram caught in the thicket then he was fully God fully man that he made the tree they hung him on have you seen him we're talking about faith we're not talking about following traditions and customs and just memorizing your favorite bible verse we're talking about have you seen the nails in his hands have you seen the blood coming out of his side have you heard him speak up from the cross when he says Father forgive them they don't know what they're doing I'm here tonight because I've been to the mountain and I've seen him he said you know what do you mean a dream a vision no time and time again it's as if I'm persuaded it's as if I can see him I can't see him physically but I can see him in my spirit and I know the man in the middle cross is the desire of Nations and he's everything I wanted in this life I'm persuaded I'm persuaded I'm persuaded I'm persuaded way pass the job I wanted paying my bills okay sure but have you seen him for the Bible says that Abraham named that place the Lord has been seen here and the Lord will be seen here have you seen him tonight I pray that in these moments said God persuades you that you see him for who he is he's wonderful he's extraordinary and he didn't stay on that cross he was there for six hours and he finished the work of redemption and then he rose again to declare his supremacy in his lordship and his kingship and his control over the elements in the universe and all that is evil and wicked that tears away at the soul of human beings everywhere his name is Jesus and the writer of Hebrews is just saying back there there's nothing there for all that points to Jesus but that's the point of it all god I thank you so much I pray tonight that we would see you that we would see you that we would see you I don't know how you do it but you persuade us again and again and again and again and again help us see you help us see you the only way we can even say that we love you it's because you loved us first and you persuaded us that your love was so wild for us it's so passionate for us so unconditional towards us that we finally yielded to your overwhelming persuasion I pray that you God that a great divine persuader would do it again do it again do it again do it again if you here today and you say Judah I'd like to become a follower of Jesus for the Bible says God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life if you'd like to put your faith in Jesus I want to include you in this prayer I want include you in this prayer whatever room you're in from LA to Seattle to around the world via technology if you said you don't want to make a decision to follow Jesus on the count of three just shoot up your hand put it right back down I asked people to respond physically because I believe when you respond on the outside to what's actually happening on the inside it becomes all the more real to you you know who you are on the count of three one two three if that's you would you shoot your hand up all over the auditorium whatever room you're in in Seattle whatever room you find yourself in online right now I just got a belief and right here right now in this instant you're forgiven forever forever the man in the middle cross did it for you his love has been seen and revealed thank you God for your forgiveness thank you God for your forgiveness secondly lord I pray that you would deepen that you would deepen our sense of being persuaded by your sacrifice in your resurrection that no matter what we're facing help us God to even connect with these first century believers and remind ourselves come hell or high water we are persuaded you and you alone other resurrection in the life in Jesus name in Jesus name if you're able and willing would you stand with us and let's muse music as a platform to connect with God come on church hey thank you so much for taking the time to watch this video we really hope it encouraged you and maybe gave you a little something to think about through the day hey if you want to watch more you can subscribe and please watch the most recent video we love you we believe for great things for your life

Channel: Churchome

Views: 72,123

Rating: 4.8699741 out of 5

Keywords: Churchome, Judah, Judah smith, church, message, anxiety, depression, how to, elevation, Steven, Hillsong, oceans, sermon, the city church, church home, Chelsea smith, bobby Houston, td jakes, pastor, pastor preaching, carl lentz, Jesus, conference, guest speaker, sermon jam, worship, Justin Bieber, la Hillsong, Selena, preaching, Judah message, performance, waiting in the unknown, hailey

Id: fUSQBuqrhbA

Length: 54min 12sec (3252 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 07 2019