Monday, April 23, 2018

Our God



Gtcotr/ss042218

What do you do:
·        When the future scares you
·        When others are in danger
·        When you just don’t know what to do

Hebrews 11 NKJV
1 ¶  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2  For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
3  By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
4 ¶  By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.
5  By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6  But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
7  By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
8  By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9  By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;
10  for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Verse 8“By faith Abraham, when he was called, he went out, not knowing where he was going.”

This passage points to the Old Testament story of Abraham as being a glimpse of a New Testament reality. All of the accounts we read in the Bible are meant to be more than history lessons about the Patriarchs of our faith, these testimonies were written, preserved and given to us as a spiritual guide for our lives. This passage is all about you and God today.

Hebrews 11 details the unfolding of the Gospel through the lives of men and women chosen by God to be the forerunners of our faith in God and in His Son, Jesus the Christ. We call it the faith chapter …

Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is our …
1.   Substance of the hope we have in Christ
2.   Evidence of the unseen eternal realm of God
3.   Good testimony we have obtained
4.   Confidence of things we cannot humanly understand

Those things which are impossible with man are possible with God.

Let’s take a look at the first 7 things the writer of Hebrews wants us to know about God and the unfolding Gospel in this chapter on faith.
1.  God is the God of creation v. 3
2.  God is an accepting and a forgiving God v.4
3.  God is a friendly God Who enjoys relationship with us v.5
4.  God is a God who rewards those who seek Him v.6
5.  God is a redemptive God Who saves the righteous from destruction v.7
6.  God is God of the unknown v.8
o   He is God in life
o   He is God in death
o   He is God in sickness
o   He is God in health
o   He is God in prosperity
o   He is God in need
o   He is God in the beginning
o   He is God in the end
o   He is the God of all we know
o   He is the God of all we cannot understand
7.   God is the God of your future vs. 9&10

He is not only the God of the Future, He is the God of my future and He is the God of your future.

·        What do we do when the future scares us?
·        What do we do when others we care about are in danger?
·        What do we do when we just don’t know what to do?

We trust God … He is still God in the unknown …

Close:

Perhaps you are in a place where your faith has been tested. Maybe you have unanswered questions or future uncertainties … what will you do?

·        Who will you marry?
·        Where will you live?
·        What job will you get?
·        When will help arrive?
·        Why are things so hard?

Hebrews 11 contains testimonies of men and women just like you. Ordinary, everyday people who were begin tested by life. These decided to trust God in trying times … even with the unknown.

God created the whole universe and then He created you …

He accepts us and forgives us even when we aren’t perfect …

He wants to have a relationship with you …

He will answer and guide you if you will get serious and seek Him with all your heart.

He is a God Who saves, and He will save you from destruction …

He has your unknown concerns already worked out for your good …

He is the God of your future and your greatest day is yet ahead!