Living And Dying In Faith - Hebrews 11:13-16

we will be reading verses 13 through 16. Verses

13 through 16 of Hebrews chapter 11. All these

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

died in faith, without receiving the promises,

but having seen them and having welcomed them

from a distance, and having confessed that they

were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those

who say such things make it clear that they are

seeking a country of their own. And indeed, if

they had been thinking of that country from which

they went out, they would have had opportunity

to return. But as it is, they desire a better

country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore,

God is not ashamed to be called their God. For

he has prepared a city for them. Let's go to

the Lord in prayer. Father, we come to you this

Lord's Day. Lord, we ask that you would be in

our midst. Father, as your word is proclaimed,

we ask that your spirit would work effectively

in our hearts and in our minds. Lord, we ask

that your spirit... would convict us of sin in

our lives and drive us to Jesus Christ. Father,

we ask that your Spirit would renew our hearts

and our minds afresh. Lord, we ask that your

Spirit would sanctify us and grow us in grace.

Lord, we ask that your Spirit would save sinners

today. Bless the ministry of your Word, Lord.

We ask these things in Christ's name. Amen. You

may be seated. Many supposed evangelicals attend

church for various reasons. We could think of

many reasons that those who would call themselves

evangelicals attend a Bible preaching, a supposed

Bible preaching church or a church of their choice.

whatever it might be, wherever it might be. But

oftentimes the reality is that many supposed

evangelicals attend the church that they attend

because they want to hear what they want to hear

when the word is proclaimed. They want sweet

morsels for their own souls that encourage, that

help them to think well of themselves, that give

them steps to improve their life, that make them

better people, better members of the community

in various different things. They go to the church

they go to because they want to hear what they

want to hear. But brothers and sisters, we don't

come to church to hear what we want to hear.

We come to church to hear truth. To hear the

truth of God's Word. The truth. proclaimed to

our hearts and our souls and our minds so that

the truth can help us face the difficult and

hard realities of life. So that we would not

merely be improved or better people, but that

we would be transformed by the power of the Holy

Spirit working through the truth in our lives.

The reality is that all of us face difficult

situations in our lives. All of us have struggles

and hardships in our situations, whatever they

might be. Every single person in here is wrestling

through something. And all of us will face one

great enemy. At the end of each of our lives.

Every single person. There still remains one

enemy. Though conquered. He stands in our way.

And he must be stared down. And passed through.

That great reality of death. Every single person.

Whether or not the Lord Jesus returns in our

lifetime. Or whether he comes in another hundred

or two hundred or three hundred or a thousand

years. Likely every single person that is living

on the face of the planet today will die. With

the exception of Christ's return. We have an

enemy to face. Yes, he's been conquered, but

brothers and sisters, you personally must face

the reality of death. It's really incredible

that this universal reality that is so prevalent,

without exception, is not talked about all that

often. The world tries to avoid it. The world

tries to extend it. or deal with it, or deny

it. But the Christian recognizes, because the

Word of God tells us, that we will die. And it's

important for the Christian to die well. Some

people die, but they don't die well. Other people

die, and they die well as a testimony unto the

Lord and where their hearts are already dwelling

and resting at. Every single one of us must face

this reality. The saints of old, that Hebrews

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11 speaks of, all lived by faith and

died by faith with the exception of... Enoch,

I know. It was a faith that they all had to deal

with. We're going to consider three things today.

The first being the universal characteristics

of faith in those who live and die well. We'll

see this in verse 13. Then we're going to consider

that which by faith Their hearts were set upon

which enabled them to die well. So what their

hearts were resting on that gave them or enabled

them to live and die well. And lastly, we will

speak about the inheritance those who live and

die by faith receive. And we see this in verse

16. Beginning with the universal characteristics,

A faith in those who live and die well. We read

this in verse 13. All these died in faith. Without

receiving the promises. But having seen them

and having welcomed them from a distance. And

having confessed that they were strangers and

exiles on the earth. Up to this point in Hebrews

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11. We've been hearing this term a lot,

by faith, by faith, by faith, speaking of the

individuals who lived by faith in their lives

personally. We've seen it of all the characters

we've studied up to this point so far. But notice

in verse 13, the author is no longer speaking

of individuals. The author is speaking about

all of them now as a group. He says, all these

died in faith. So he's speaking with regards

to the group as a whole. So now he's not turning

to personal acts of faith, personal expressions

or exercises of faith in the life of the saints,

but now he's talking about common characteristics

and universal traits. that accompany true faith,

that is operative and effective in the life of

saints. I believe that he's speaking, really,

about what faith looks like in the life of the

saints, and that which is generally true of faith

in this life in a... fallen world. But he's also

talking about how faith interacts with this life.

How faith, the person with faith interacts with

this fallen world in which they live. How the

person of faith lives and relates to this mortal

temporary life. So what are the characteristics

or these traits? Well the first is It's a faith

that perseveres. It's a persevering faith. All

of these died in faith. It's a faith that perseveres

unto the end. It's a faith that endures all the

way to the deathbed. Those who live by faith

die in faith. But it's also a faith that perseveres

through death or in. It's a persevering, enduring

faith that presses on. These individuals did

not forsake their confession in the Messiah because

of the pressure. These individuals did not recant

with regards to who Jesus Christ is and the work

that he's done. They did not leave Christianity

and return to the system of Judaism and animal

sacrifice and the worship in the synagogues.

They pressed on in their faith. They continued.

They persevered. So we find that it's a persevering

faith. That's always going to be the case. God

-given faith that is operative and effective

in God's people always perseveres unto death

and always perseveres through death. But it's

also a faith that is content not receiving the

fulfillment of God's promises in this life. Notice

what the author says. Without receiving the promises,

but having seen them and having welcomed them

from a distance. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah,

they did not receive the fullness and the full

realization of the promise that God had made

to them. Do you remember in Abraham's life? What

did he own of the land? How much of the land

did he own physically? A grave. so that he and

his family could die there. That was it. Yes,

God had given him the land, but he did not physically

and naturally possess the land within his lifetime.

The promise was not fulfilled in his life, in

Isaac's life, or in Jacob's life. His faith was

content not receiving the fullness of the promises.

It didn't have to be fulfilled in his lifetime.

He knew that God would be faithful to his word

and that God would fulfill those promises in

due time. It's a faith also that perceives realities

beyond this mortal life. This faith... that is

God -given, that is operative and effective in

God's people, has eyesight that sees beyond this

age, that sees beyond this world, that even sees

beyond the grave, having seen them and having

welcomed them from a distance. meaning there

was still more for God to accomplish and do before

those promises would come to full and final realization

and fruition in their life and in the world.

We read similarly to this in John 8, verse 56.

John 8:56

Where the Lord Jesus speaks of this. He's speaking

to the Jews. And we'll start in verse 53. And

we read this. Surely you are not greater than

our father Abraham who died. The prophets died

too. Whom do you make yourself out to be? Jesus

answered. If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing.

It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you

say he is our God. And you have not come to know

him, but I know him. And if I say that I do not

know him, I will be a liar like you. But I do

know him and keep his word. And listen to what

the Lord Jesus says. Your father Abraham rejoiced

to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. What

is the Lord Jesus talking about? How is it that

Abraham rejoiced to see Jesus' day? How did he

see and perceive Jesus' day? The time when the

gospel would come to fruition, when the Messiah

would come. He saw with the eyes of faith, brothers

and sisters. He rejoiced because he trusted that

God would in fact bring those things about. He

saw with faith. He saw the Messiah through the

promises that God had made. But he saw them at

a distance. Faith perceives. That which is beyond

this mortal life, brothers and sisters. It has

to. If we can't see beyond this life, beyond

what our natural sight can perceive, then brothers

and sisters, what hope do we have? If we cannot

see and know the realities which the Word of

God puts forward, which have to do with things

beyond this age, beyond our lives, beyond that

which we can physically touch and physically

and naturally see, then brothers and sisters,

we have to throw the Bible out. Faith perceives

that which the eye cannot see, that which the

hand cannot touch, and that which is even beyond

our own lifetime, brothers and sisters. But we

also see that this faith frees the believer from

a sinful entanglement with this mortal life.

When I say entanglement, what I mean by that

is this. Faith works in a person in such a way

that it brings conflict. with our affections

and our desires when they are placed and set

on things of this world in unhealthy and sinful

ways. Faith frees the believer from these things.

Abraham openly confessed that he was a sojourner,

a pilgrim. That he was an exile, brothers and

sisters. He was a stranger in the land that God

had promised to him. We could read Psalm, we

could read Genesis chapter 23, 4, where he literally

Genesis 23 · chapter mention

says, I am a sojourner. Isn't this why the author

of Hebrews says, and having confessed, That they

were strangers and exiles on earth? Meaning,

the earth, that age, that world, their lives,

that was not their lasting, permanent home. There

was more that they were perceiving by faith.

Now, all throughout the Scriptures, This pilgrim

sojourner language is applied to believers throughout

time, not just to Abraham. In many ways, he is

a type of future believer where he is representing

our pilgrimage. And then we are pilgrims and

we are exiles in this world. We see this all

throughout the New Testament and all throughout

the Psalms, brothers and sisters. Doesn't Paul

say that we are absent from home in 2 Corinthians?

That we would prefer to be present with the Lord

and absent from the body to be at home with the

Lord? We are sojourners, brothers and sisters,

because ultimately, Everything is fleeting with

regards to our lives and our situations and our

circumstances in this life. This was the manner

and character of their life and death of faith.

They lived with loose hands regarding the world

around them. Abraham literally. moved around

all the time in tents. Why? Because the land

was not his. He wasn't living for the land of

exile. He was living and he was going to die

in faith because of the promises that God had

made to him. Their lives looked very, very differently

than many modern believers. I dare say that their

lives looked very, very differently than our

lives, brothers and sisters. They were content

not being attached to the things of the world.

They were content not building their kingdoms

in this age. They were content living in tents.

Largely, I would say the majority, a large portion

of believers today, their minds are restricted

to this world. To the things of this life. To

my job. My career. My future. My family. The

government. The politics. The system. The structures.

The world. The culture. The societies. All the

things in this life, in this world. All the while,

our minds never make their way by faith. to heaven,

brothers and sisters, and eternal realities.

We want immediate fulfillment now. We want our

kingdoms present now. If there's not hope for

this world now, I won't believe it. I won't submit

to it. I won't accept it. We build our financial

empires and our financial legacies and our personal

kingdoms in this world. Why? Because of heaven?

Because of eternity? No. Because of this world

and this age and these generations and this day

and this hour. Brothers and sisters, our lives

and our thoughts and our thinking and our hearts.

Are so vastly different. Than our forefathers

and our predecessors. Who were wholeheartedly.

Content. Waiting on eternal realities. How does

a person live in such a way? How is a person

able. To live. Like that. How is a person able

to have manifest faith with these universal traits?

How is the principle of faith in our life able

to wear those clothes that we just considered

in the text? Well, this brings us to the second

thing we have to consider. That which by faith

their hearts were set upon. which enabled them

to live and die by faith. Now, it's helpful to

first clarify what their hearts were not set

upon. Let's look in verse 15. And indeed, if

they had been thinking of that country, from

which they went out, they would have had opportunity

to return. So it seems as though the author of

Hebrews is anticipating an objection. Meaning,

well, weren't they just thinking about their

homeland? Abraham's native land, Ur of the Chaldees?

Isn't that what they're talking about? And the

author says, no. That is not what I'm talking

about. They had plenty of opportunities to return

to their homeland, to his native land, yet he

chose to be a pilgrim in the land of promise,

to never put down roots, and to follow God throughout

that land, moving and moving and moving, journeying

and journeying and journeying, continually throughout

his life. It is not... his homeland. Now notice

that verse 15 is contrasted with verse 16, where

it tells us what their hearts were positively

set upon. We read in verse 16, but as it is,

they desire a better country. So their hearts

were set on this better country, but What does

that tell us about what their hearts were not

set upon? It's not as good as that which their

hearts were set upon. Meaning it's temporal.

It's not lasting. And it's not permanent. Abraham

was not looking for a geographical people. Abraham

was not looking for a nation or a state. He was

not looking for a geographical land. Brothers

and sisters, Abraham was not looking for anything

that he could be loosed of. Anything that could

be taken from him. Abraham was not looking for

anything in this world, in fact. So what was?

Their hearts set upon by faith. Their hearts

were set upon a country of their own, first of

all. We read in verse 14, For those who say such

things make it clear that they are seeking a

country of their own. What does the author mean

by that? Well, was the land of promise Abraham's

own? Was the land that God had promised to him

his? By right? In that day, in that age, in that

culture, in that society? No. It was the natives

of that land. It was not his own. He didn't fully

enjoy it as he could have. It wasn't fully and

completely in his possession. There was more

to come for the promise of God in Abraham's life.

A country of his own where he was not in exile.

A country where he was not the stranger in the

place. He was looking for a country where he...

could not be opposed. He was looking for a country

that was free of heartache. He was looking for

a country that was free of suffering and hardship.

Brothers and sisters, his heart was set upon

something further and much more glorious and

much more grand than physical property. His heart

was set upon heaven. His heart was set upon a

better country additionally. But as it is, they

desire a better country. That is, a heavenly

one. The author decides to do away with all the

questions. Here's what I'm talking about. Here's

what Abraham's heart was set upon. Heaven. Brothers

and sisters. Eternity. That which does not change.

That which is permanent, safe, and secure. That

which a person cannot be displaced from. That

which cannot be taken from the saints. Abraham's

heart was set on that which is beyond the grave.

And notice how it says that his heart relates

to these realities. It gives us three ways that

Abraham relates to this country of his own, this

better country. Notice that it says in verse

13, And indeed, if he had been thinking of that

country, thinking or remembering, with regards

to that country. His mind was set on heaven,

brothers and sisters. But also, notice in verse

16, but as it is, they desire. Their hearts are

longing for this country. Their hearts are beating

for that which is eternal. Their hearts are earnestly

desiring that which only God can give. But it's

not just their minds and their hearts. Look in

verse 14. For those who say such things make

it clear that they are seeking a country of their

own. Their mind, their heart, and their will.

What does that tell us? Their whole beings. Their

whole persons. were oriented towards what, brothers

and sisters? Eternity. Heaven. A heavenly country

which God had promised them. Every fiber in them

was headed for heaven. That's what they longed

for. That's what they wanted. That's what they

pursued. That's what they thought of. How different.

Are we today? What our hearts are set upon greatly

influence how we live by faith and how we die

by faith. How is it that they were able to live

by faith in the way they did? And how is it that

they were able to die in faith the way that they

did? Because their hearts had otherworldly affections,

brothers and sisters. Their hearts were bound

by faith to realities beyond this world. That's

how they were able to live as they did. And that

is how they were able to die as they did. What

our hearts are set upon in this life greatly

influence how we live by faith. If my heart is

set strongly upon my vehicle, and my heart's

affections absolutely love, with an undying love,

That little old Toyota Tacoma. Nothing can happen

to that Toyota Tacoma. If something happens to

that Toyota Tacoma, it is my prize. It is the

apple of my eye. It is all that I care about.

It's all I think about. It's all my heart longs

for. It's all I work towards. My blessed Toyota

Tacoma. What happens? When my Toyota Tacoma shuts

down. What happens when that Toyota Tacoma goes

bye -bye? Kyle crumbles. My faith is ruined.

I'm in despair. I have misery and heartache in

my soul and my heart. Why? Because my heart's

affections are resting. on a created object that

was never intended to fulfill that in my life.

That's a fun story. But brothers and sisters,

the reality is it's not too far off from the

reality of many people's hearts today. If your

heart's affections are resting in this world,

will you not be anxious, fearful, worried and

distressed at the thought of that being removed

and taken away? Will you not be threatened in

your soul when that object is threatened? You

will. But if your heart's affections are resting

squarely, On the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the

eternal realities which He has promised us and

He has given to us because of His Gospel work

and His life, His death and His resurrection

and the realities which are to come. Brothers

and sisters, there's nothing that can be taken

away from you that will crush you. Your affections

are outside of the world. How were Paul and Silas

able to sing and pray with hymns and to rejoice

when they were thrown in prison? Because it revealed

the fact that their affections were resting elsewhere

in the Lord Jesus Christ. Will this not influence

and impact not just how we live by faith, but

also how we die? If we go throughout life loving

this mortal life, loving the things of this world,

if our heart's affections rest in this world

for 60, 70, 80 years, and then at the moment

of our death, will we not be fearful to leave

it behind? The manner of our death, brothers

and sisters, is not unrelated to the manner by

which we live by faith either. What our heart's

affections are on matter greatly for how we live

and die as believers in Jesus Christ. Is Christ

The burning desire of your heart now. Is He the

overwhelmingly significant longing of your life?

Is He reigning supreme in your heart? Is He all

-consuming now? Are your affections on Him now?

Don't wait until the end of your life to try

and change that. Don't wait until the moment

of your death to place your affections on Christ

and to train your affections to look to Him over

and over and over. Brothers and sisters, is Christ

the aim and goal of your heart, your mind, and

your will in all of your life? Do you think about

eternity in heaven? Do you think about that which

God has promised to you in the age to come? Now,

this text doesn't stop with Abraham's desire,

his longing, and his thinking of heaven. This

text continues in verse 16. With these words.

Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their

God. For he has prepared a city for them. What

is the inheritance. For those who live. And die

by faith. Now notice a few things about verse

16. Everything in verses 13, 14, 15, and the

first half of verse 16 have to do with Abraham,

his desires, his longings, his perspective, his

pursuit of the promises, God, eternity, and heaven.

Now, in the second half of verse 16, the perspective

completely changes. Now everything is from a

divine perspective. Now everything has to do

with God's response and God's reception of those

who lived and died by faith. Therefore God is

not ashamed to be called their God, for he has

prepared a city for them. This text speaks of

God's approval of those... who live and die by

faith. The book of Hebrews up to this point has

already spoken often of the commendation that

God gives to those with faith. Here we have the

ultimate form of that. We have the patriarchs

who live by faith and died in faith. Entering

into Christ's heavenly kingdom. They receive

the inheritance that God has given, that God

has prepared for them. God approves of them.

He's not ashamed of them. His divine pleasure

is upon them. But He also openly identifies with

those Who live and die by faith. This is one

of the most remarkable things in this chapter

in the book of Hebrews. That God is not ashamed

to be called their God. Why is that? It's because

of their faith, brothers and sisters. It's because

God commends and acknowledges and recognizes

faith. Now, it also speaks of the enduring covenant

relationship between the patriarchs by faith

and God as he relates to them through their faith.

We're going to go ahead and turn to Genesis chapter

Genesis 17 · chapter mention

17. Genesis 17 verse 7, which says this. And

Genesis 17:7

think how similar these words are to what the

author of Hebrews is saying. in chapter 11, verse

16. Starting in verse 6, I will make you exceedingly

fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and

kings will come forth from you. I will establish

my covenant between me and you and your descendants

after you throughout their generations for an

everlasting covenant to be God to you. and to

your descendants after you. Does that sound familiar?

It sounds very similar to what he's saying in

Hebrews chapter 11. Now turn to Exodus chapter

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention Exodus 3 · chapter mention

3. I'm sure that many of you will know what text

I speak of here. In Exodus 3 .6, listen to these

words. He said also, I am the God of your father,

the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the

God of Jacob. Then Moses hid his face, for he

was afraid to look at God. God claims that he

is the God of the patriarchs still. Then we turn

to Matthew chapter 22, and the Lord Jesus explains

Matthew 22 · chapter mention

this text. Matthew 22, 32, starting in verse

29. But Jesus answered and said to them, You

are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures,

nor the power of God. For in the resurrection

they neither marry nor are given in marriage,

but are like angels in heaven. But regarding

the resurrection of the dead, have you not read

what was spoken to you by God? I am the God of

Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of

Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but of

the living. God's covenant faithfulness and covenant

commitments to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah,

all the old covenant saints, brothers and sisters,

his covenantal commitments don't end at the grave.

A person stays in covenantal relationship with

God through the grave, just like the patriarch's

brothers and sisters. God identifies himself

as still being in covenant relationship with

those saints. And God proves it by preparing

a city for them. Heaven, an eternal metropolis

where the saints fellowship with God and... angels,

and men. That which is permanent and has foundations

and is lasting and will never fade away. Prior

to death, as pilgrims, you and I, every true

and genuine believer, will experience some form

of shame, humiliation, hardship, suffering, difficulty.

We will wrestle our way through this life as

believers. There will be deriding as a result

of being faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ and

the Scriptures. There will be derision upon your

life at some point in time. There will be strained

relationships in your life as a result of faith.

There will be counting the cost as a true disciple,

brothers and sisters. Every single person will

have a sense of humiliation in this life, even

if it's just sharing the gospel. You will have

a sense of it. You will have an awareness of

it. There will be a sense of embarrassment to

some degree because you're walking faithfully

with Christ. You will be the oddball in this

world. But brothers and sisters, those with true

saving faith will not be put to shame. Following

the grave, there will be no more humiliation.

Following the grave, brothers and sisters, that

which you have... embraced by faith, and you

have had your heart set upon all your days of

faith, will become realized. There will be eternal

joy, gladness, peace. There will be honor. There

will be glory. There will be power. There will

be blessing abundantly following the grave. That

will be the funeral of your difficulties, and

it will be the resurrection of your joys and

your eternal, never -ending pleasures, brothers

and sisters. Faith will become sight. You will

belong with God in heaven. You will not ever

be ostracized. You will no longer be the stranger.

You will no longer experience that sense of shame.

Brothers and sisters, change is coming for all

those with faith. What your hearts longed for

throughout this life. what your mind has thought

of as aided by the power of the Holy Spirit,

and what you have sought with your energy, your

power, your efficiency, with your efforts, with

your will, what you have pursued in this life

by faith, it will be realized when you go to

be with God at His heavenly throne. God is faithful.

To his people. Yes, our lives will be marked

as pilgrims. Yes, we must have our hearts set

upon that which is otherworldly. And yes, brothers

and sisters, God will receive us into his heavenly

kingdom and we will be counted among the faithful

around. His throne will be received into the

bosom of Abraham. We will fellowship with those

saints of old that we have read about in Hebrews

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11.