Sermon: Faith-Filled Looking Ahead

Let's take a moment. Let's pray. Before we read uh, God's Word together this morning,

our Father, we come before you this morning thankful for the worship that we have already enjoyed and we pray now as we turn to your word that you would as our sovereign, as our king, as our Father, that you would speak to us, we would find in very corners and recesses of our being. That you are searching us to our depths and that you are ministering to each of us as we have need this morning. Truly only you can do that

and only by the power of your spirit. And so we pray your spirit would stir and move and have his way in this room, in this preacher in each of us as we sit and stand here this morning. Christ holy name we pray, amen. This morning we're looking at Hebrews chapter 11 verses 20 through 22. This is the holy er, sufficient word of God by faith. Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Au by faith. Jacob when dying blessed each of his, the sons

of Joseph bowing in worship over the head of his staff by faith. Joseph at the end of his life made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. Though the grass withers and the flower fades, the word of God is forever. Thanks be to God. Amen. In we are continuing our way through uh, the book of Hebrews and this morning as we continue our way through this book, we're in chapter 11 of this great book,

what was often called the Hall of Fame of Faith chapter 11, and we've spent a lot of time, the author has at this point in this chapter, we've done it for the last number of weeks where he is focused on the life of Abraham. Abraham, rightfully so because Abraham is the father of the faith. He's a great example of faith other than the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, the Jews still today and at this time would often call Abraham their father.

Father Abraham, some of you grew up singing that Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had Father Abraham. And then as the New Testament says, I am one of them and so are you. Let's give praise to the Lord. Now of you feel your arms starting to twitch and you want to go like this. Uh, rightfully so. We are all children of Abraham that are so by faith. What he does then the writer of Hebrews is now he moves from Abraham

to the next three key figures in the book of Gen Genesis, Isaac and Jacob and Joseph. Why these three? Because Joseph is a great example of faith and of faithfulness as we go through the book, but Isaac and Jacob, because they are the line through which God's covenant promises will continue to be fulfilled in the world. You have Abraham, you have Isaac, you have Jacob, and on we go into history. And so he is walking us through that.

So let's refresh our minds a little bit as we think about this covenant and as we think about what the author of Hebrews is doing based upon the book of Genesis, you'll remember that God entered into a covenant with Abraham. In Genesis 12, God speaks to Abraham. He calls him from the ear of the Aldis and he tells him to go forth and as we saw a couple of weeks ago, he walked by faith and he set out by faith. And in Genesis 15,

we have God enter into a covenant with Abraham. A covenant as o Palmer Robertson wrote decades ago, very heftily, he defined a covenant as a bond in blood. Sovereignly administered a bond in blood, sovereignly administered it's a bond and is it's a bond between at least two different parties, a bond that has stipulations attached to it. There are promises or blessings attached to it if the covenant is fulfilled and there are curses that are attached

to it if the covenant is broken. But it's not just a bond but it is as Robertson said, it is a bond and blood. The verb that is often used in the Old Testament that is attached to the word covenant is actually the word cut. And we see that in Genesis chapter 15, that God enters into a covenant with Abraham and the text literally says that he cut a covenant with Abraham and then it's typified and it showed by the very fact of what God does,

that God has Abraham take these animals and separate these animals and create a path between these two halves of the animals. And then you'll remember that God has Abraham go to sleep and we have a theophany there in Genesis chapter 15 where there is a visible manifestation of God where he takes the form of a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch and he passes between these slain, halved animals and by doing so, God is promising that he would keep this covenant

and all its promises or he himself, the God of the entire universe would die.

He entered into covenant with Abraham, a bond in blood, sovereignly administered sovereignly, administered. God governs it and this means that it is secured by God. A God who cannot lie but has put a double guard upon it. God will not and cannot do away with this covenant. The covenant will be fulfilled.

JT Rhos in what I think is today the best little introduction to covenant theology. His little book Covenants made simple. He presents the covenant I think in a memorable way. He says that God gives promise and people and presence. He gives promise and people and presence. He gives the promise to Abraham of of blessing the nations of the earth through him that Abraham, through his line, through Isaac, through Jacob, through

that line, all the nations of the earth would be blessed promise. He also though says people that is that Abraham and the multitude of his descendants that Abraham would be his man and his descendants would be his people. God's people promise people and then presence. God says that he will be with him and that he will be with his people. He gives the promise of of himself.

Ultimately this covenant with Abraham brings to fuller light and it brings to sharpness God's eternal covenant of grace in which he promises to redeem his people by grace through his presence in the promise one Christ as he comes into this world, God with us, and it was through this line through Abraham and Isaac and Jacob that this promise one would eventually come and ultimately all of these covenant promises will be fulfilled,

will come through Abraham's son, Isaac and then through Isaac's son Jacob. They are the line. And so the writer is commenting in brief that these were men of faith and then he gives the example of Joseph who was the great man of faith in the generation of the patriarchs besides Abraham. What I want us to do is I want us to see this morning, I want to see three things as we consider these patriarchs from this text. The first point is this is that faith

necessitates hope. Faith necessitates hope because we see this in each of these three patriarchs. The writer begins and he begins by recalling the account of the patriarch Isaac and he's recalling it from Genesis chapter 27. We don't get a lot of information about Isaac and Genesis. The writer doesn't spend a lot of time on his life like he does with Abraham or even Jacob or even Joseph. But what the writer of Hebrews is recalling is

that when Isaac was old and as the writer of Genesis says his eyes grew dimm and he was near death, he called his son Es saw to him and he told Es saw that he wanted him to go out and do a very Michigan like thing and go hunting and kill an animal and then take that animal and prepare that animal into a meal for him so then he could eat that meal. Isaac would then eat that meal. And then he wanted to give Esau a blessing as he said

before he died, he wanted to give him the covenantal blessing. You'll remember though that Rebecca Isaac's wife was listening and Jacob who was the second born was Rebecca's favorite. And so Rebecca having heard this, calls Jacob and tells him to go and to kill one of their sheep. And so Jacob goes and kills one of the sheep and then Rebecca fixes a meal that she knows that her husband Isaac will enjoy. And then she dresses her son in Esau's clothing

and she takes some of the fur or the wool of the sheep and she puts it on his arms and hands and on his neck because Esau was a hairy man and then has Jacob go in to Isaac so that Jacob might receive the blessing instead of esol. Of course this was all in God's providence. This was all according to his will. And so Isaac fooled, he blesses Jacob and when he realized that he had been fooled, he he didn't try to take away that blessing

that he had given to Jacob. No, he said in Genesis 27, verse 33, yes, and he shall be blessed. He confirms it and then he blessed his soul.

The key is this. This is what the writer of Hebrews wants you and I to, to gather from this and to understand from this. The key is this is that Isaac knew by faith, He knew by faith and he believed that the blessing of these two sons would be realized. Faith necessitates hope,

but our faith, it's not some Pollyannish hope. No, what Isaac knew, he knew that God would fulfill his sovereign purposes by his sovereign hand because he had promised it So it would occur.

Jacob evidence is the same kind of faith. This faith of Hebrews chapter 11 verse one, the assurance of things so forth, the conviction of things not seen. Jacob in Genesis chapter 49 gathers all of his sons together while he is on his deathbed and he blesses each of them, Reuben and Simeon and Levi and Judah and Zebulon and Es, Issachar and Dan and Asher and Gadd and Neftali and Joseph and Benjamin. And he blesses each of them, particularly

in fact we're told in verse 28 of Genesis 49, this is what their father said to them as he blessed them blessing each with the blessings suitable to them. And before that, he had called forth Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim and he had blessed them and the key is this with the writer of Hebrews wants you and I to understand as Jacob knew by faith he believed, he believed that the blessings that he gave his sons

and especially Joseph's sons would be realized, faith necessitates hope,

but our faith is not a pollyannish. Hope that's not what it is. He knew that God would fulfill his sovereign purposes by his sovereign hand because he had promised to Do so. Joseph Also exhibited such faith As a writer says in verse 22, by faith Joseph at the end of his life made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. We have this account at the very end of Genesis, the very final days of Joseph.

Joseph has lived 110 years. He is lived a full life. He's lived a hard life. He's lived a fruitful life. The Lord used him mightily to save his people who were destitutes in the land of Canaan and to provide for them in Egypt and he was mightily used to his final breath when he was about to die, he told his brothers, God will visit you and bring you up out of this land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. His faith had hope

and then he made the promise, made them promise that when God delivered them from out of the land of Egypt, when he led them out, that they would carry his bones from Egypt to the promised land and bury his remains there. The key is this, the writer of Hebrews wants us to understand. Jacob knew by faith he believed he believed that God would fulfill his sovereign purposes by his sovereign hand because he had promised faith

necessitates hope.

But our faith is not some Pollyanna chop. He knew that God was a covenant keeping God. His promises are always fulfilled always.

Second, what I want us to see is that faith works today

but looks beyond today. Faith works today but it looks beyond today.

Neither Isaac nor Jacob nor Joseph experienced the promises of God fulfilled. They did not see all the covenant promises realized in their day and yet they were faithful men who believed and were faithful men who worked in their day and they passed on that faith to the generation that followed them. Faith works today but it looks beyond today.

Richard Nixon was the first president of the United States that decided to open up direct communication with communist China and Mao Seton. Uh, before that American policy had always been to isolate communist China and not enter into direct conversations with Beijing. The issue though was that there was a major issue between Beijing and Washington and it was this is that Mao was very clear that he wanted the United States to make a

clear articulation that Taiwan was part of China. You may remember that in history, when there was the Civil War in World War II and following World War ii that Chiang Kai-shek led the democratic forces, Maung led the communist forces. And when Chiang Kai-shek was defeated, he took his followers members of his army and he crossed the Taiwan Strait over to the land of Formosa, what we call Taiwan today. And he landed there

and from that day forward, it pretty much functioned as an independent state to the great frustration of China. And so when Nixon and Mao met, Mao knew that this had to be settled before they could have any more direct conversation so they could get to other topics. And so he breached the subject at the very first meeting in the very first minutes and he simply said this, he said, we don't want Taiwan to be immediately absorbed into China.

We just want it to happen within the next a hundred years. And now they could go on with the rest of their discussions a hundred years he was willing to wait. He wasn't living another hundred years. In fact, he was so sick while he was meeting with Nixon. He could only meet for 45 minutes at a time with President Nixon. He was dying soon, but his project and his vision was bigger than his own life.

If that was true for a man who was tied to a mirror, earthly passing, fading state, how much more true is that to be of you and I and the outlook of those of us who belong to the heavenly city as the writer of Hebrews just mentioned it as in verse 16, faith works today but it looks beyond today.

We see that in the life of these three men, faith works today, Isaac and Jacob and Joseph, they had faith. They worked in their day, Joseph being the prime example and yet their faith was not shortsighted. It looked beyond today, faith works today but looks beyond today we labor for something more than the immediate. That's what people of faith do in Christ. We're not just concerned about the immediate though not exclusive of the immediate either.

For the years has become more and more apparent to me, have gone through the Christian life that most of ministry life and most of kingdom effort benefits from taking a long view.

We can afford it as Christians much more so than Mao because our God sits sovereignly behind and over all of history

and the son of God came into the world the great fulfillment of all of these covenantal promises that there were many who wanted the immediate consummation of the kingdom. They wanted him to ride in on a stallion into the city of kings, the city of Jerusalem, and they wanted him to dispense with all of the Romans and consummate the kingdom and that very moment at the head of an army, was it wrong?

I don't think so. It's the right motives in it. It was just far too small of a desire.

He did much more and much more would be enjoyed Over time, he triumphed over every foe and is laying every one of his foes as a footstool beneath his feet so that all, all of his people might be brought into the kingdom.

It's much better, it's much fuller.

It's things that none could have foreseen in the moment. We mentioned this last week or the week before, I don't remember, but our day is obsessed with the immediate as Christians, we don't have to get sucked into this frenzy about the immediate. You don't have to get sucked into this cultural obsession with the immediate because we belong to a sovereign who sits enthroned over all of history every day. We serve a sovereign for whom a day is like a thousand years

and a thousand years or like a day as Peter says, we know that what he promised will come to fulfillment in every possible way without exception. And his way what he has ordained, what is happening is always better. Always.

That's faith's outlook. That's what the faith-filled person does.

You don't have to be anxious about the moment, but that doesn't mean that we do nothing in the moment. Instead the moment matters as we labor by faith, but all our security is not tied up with the moment because again, our God stands behind and he stands over all things. Isaac and Jacob and Joseph demonstrated such faith, not perfectly but demonstrated. Faith works today but it looks beyond today. Finally, I want us to see this morning this one last thing along these lines

that faith works today and is this for those who have faith? Old is not dead. Old is not dead.

Isaac and Jacob and Joseph had faith that worked until the end. They were old but they weren't dead. I want you to look at the action in this text. Notice the verbs. Verse 20, Isaac invoked verse 21, Jacob blessed. Verse 22, Joseph made mention verse 22, Joseph gave directions. They are still speaking still blessing, still ministering. Yet when these things are happening, they are all old men, but old is not dead, not it.

Despite what my hairline says, I know I'm not old, I don't say this by experience, but I don't think it's from ignorance, it's from observation. But I think a lot of old saints get to the place where they think I don't have much to give quite sure why I'm here.

Not much more to do.

Old is not dead.

If the Lord still has you here, he has you here with purpose.

You're never to rest with what we have done in faith for the Lord if we're here, he still has purpose for us to do in faith for the Lord. Now in the present

and you can impact now. In fact, you're called to impact now to serve by faith. Now it actually gives you reason for living today. Jesus said the fields are widened to the harvest, but the workers are few. He makes his promises and they will be fulfilled as he sits sovereignly over all of his history and yet he chooses to use you and I to fulfill its promises.

The fields are widened into the harvest, but the workers are few, so get working, be workers.

Now age may mean that you don't do the same labor or spend the same energy or the same amount of time. The labor may change but it's not less labor and maybe less time or less people or less visible, but it's not less.

Its passage is referencing Jacob and Joseph on their deathbeds and the ministry they had upon their deathbeds. It's still bearing fruit today.

The world would look different today if they hadn't ministered on their deathbeds. We wouldn't be preaching this sermon this morning if they hadn't ministered on their deathbeds. As long as we are here, we are here with purpose. Old is not dead.

John Piper preached what is probably one of the more famous modern day sermons. That sermon that he preached called the the faculty been called the seashell sermons where he talks about reading this article in reader's dried just about this young couple that decides to retire and just collect seashells on the beach in Florida. Spend the rest of their life doing that and from that book, from that sermon, he wrote a couple of books.

One, don't waste your life the other Don't waste your cancer.

Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, the Lord would say, don't waste your years. Don't waste your last days. Don't even waste your last minutes.

Hold is not dead. You have more to give. That's why you're here.

Not a person of faith in this room that doesn't have more to give. That's why you're here. You exist. Enjoy and glorify God while you're here.

I think uh, more than the vast majority of old saints seem not to realize this. Living in faith means living. Living in faith to the end.

I'm gonna give you four quick examples in this church without mentioning names of older saints who are living in faith. To the end, I could give dozens Older saint number one, as a woman who regularly has younger women over to her home, they drink coffee, they eat cookies and they talk about life. I've never been invited. I haven't experienced it, but I've heard about it and her wisdom gained over the years is being applied

for the benefit of the kingdom. She understands that old is not dead, not for the person of faith. Elder saint number two is a man whom everyone in the church eventually meets. Often people tell me that they were first welcomed by him to the church. They felt seen and known when they returned because they remembered their name. His love matured over the years as being applied for the benefit of the kingdom. He understands old is not dead.

Elder saint number three is a godly man of prayer. He rises early each day to pray. It has been his habit for decades upon decades. Though he has faced many trials in life and is facing many in the present, he keeps a long list of people in this church that he prays for every single day. You have probably been prayed for by him

prays without missing a day. Compassion grown over the years as being applied for the benefit of the kingdom. Old is not dead. Elder saint number four, as a godly man who saw the dark side of church life and aberrant church teaching, he lived it. He imbibed it. He suffered as a result of it. And so now he pursues others that he finds dabbling in the old air he once lived in and he was hurt by it exhausts him,

but he just keeps pressing into others' lives which reminds him of his own sin and his own failings in the the past.

Holiness secured over the years is being applied for the benefit of the kingdom. Old is not dead each different first with a small group of people. The second meeting everyone a third alone upon his knees, a fourth approaching individuals, different amounts of time, different locations, different levels of engagement with people, yet the same work, the same pursuit, the same view of the kingdom and the king and this covenant keeping God

and it keeps them laboring in faith, laboring in faith until the end because that's what you're called to.

How can we not?

We serve underneath thi this covenant keeping God and we've received those blessings. We know by faith that he sent his son to this world. We know by faith that his son suffered on our behalf. We know by faith that his son was crucified upon the cross. We know by faith that he was laid beneath the earth for three days. We know by faith that he was raised from the dead. We know by faith that he ascended to the right hand

of the Father and we know by faith that he reigns on high and we know by faith that we are now clothed in his righteousness. We know by faith that we are forgiven. We know by faith that we are sons of God. We know by faith that we rule and reign with him. Now we know by faith that he shall return. We know by faith that he will raise our bodies from the grave and we know by faith that we shall have peace with him. Everlastingly in that new city,

how can we not live By faith to the end? Live by faith.

Old is not dead. If you're here here to be laboring by faith worthy

When we cross the Jordan, then you rest,

Then you rest.

Good thing come to an end of a year. It's good for a couple of reasons. Lemme just close with this one thing you can do. It's so good. It's like the Lord is populated life with these little times where you and I get to get to do little assessments. We get to look back over this last year and we get to be reminded of all the ways that he sustained us.

No matter what you've been through, you're sitting here today because he sustained you.

It also gives you an eye, the ability to look forward to this next year and go, okay, living by faith, what? What would it look like more for me in this upcoming year? Where is it that my life needs a little more labor, a little more pursuit, a little more?

Where is it that I need to rest more in the grace of Christ?

I need to be more thankful in the things of Christ.

Where is it I need to more be a person of faith overall in Christ and then we pursue it by his grace? Just a good opportunity to start a new year.

Don't miss it. New Year's Eve party. Watch the ball. Come down, spend some time in prayer with the Lord and ask him what he would have of you in this upcoming year and thank him how he sustains you this year. God of promises that fulfills them. Let's pray.

Our Father, we're thankful you are a covenant keeping. God. We're thankful that you the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob are our God. You've given us the gift of faith and you've called us to a life of faith and we find that we are growing in faith, resting in you, a covenant, keeping God and your promises even as we seek to labor for your glory and praise. We pray all of this in the strong name of Christ. Amen.