20-0119a Transcript

The scripture readings were not recorded.

Preacher: Steve Cain

(0:00) It’s good to see you all, and I appreciate very much your presence. (0:04) Let’s go to our Heavenly Father in prayer. (0:09) Most gracious Heavenly Father, we come to you thanking you so much for (0:12) watching over us throughout the night, providing us with a safe (0:16) day and to arise to this day so that we can come together as brothers and (0:20) sisters and united in Christ to come and (0:24) worship you, and we know that you have adopted us as (0:28) your children, and that you have credited us with Jesus' (0:32) righteousness, and that because of that we are able to come before (0:36) you and before your throne and make our presence known and to (0:40) beseech you with the things that concern us.

We know that they concern you too, (0:45) and we know that you divinely work in our lives and providentially work in (0:48) our lives in such ways that is so wondrous we sometimes (0:54) are not able to recognize it, and (0:56) because of that sometimes we do not acknowledge it (1:00) and to give credit to whom credit is due. (1:04) We pray that you will receive our worship this day (1:08) as a pleasing-smelling savor to you, that Jesus (1:12) is able to present this worship to you and (1:16) present us before you, for it is through Jesus, (1:20) your sacrifice, that you have worked out for us to be able to make it (1:24) possible for us to be here and to worship you (1:27) and to present our thoughts and our prayers to you. This is a (1:32) prophet in Jesus' name.

Amen. (1:39) What do you believe about God? (1:44) Do you believe that He is? And if so, (1:48) how much influence do you believe that He has in your life? (1:53) Does He deal with your life every day? (1:56) Does He help you out in the many ways of this (2:00) life, or do you have to ferret it out yourself and that (2:03) by your own strength and by your own wisdom and through your own efforts that (2:08) you accomplish what you accomplish in life? (2:12) Are you aware of the fact that God is with you (2:15) providentially in various ways and in (2:20) sundry ways and that He desires for you to (2:23) believe Him and that He does intervene in your (2:27) life? I’d like to think in terms of the fact that (2:32) this is the type of faith that you’re going to have to have in order to be pleasing (2:35) to God. You have to be willing to acknowledge (2:40) Him in all your ways, which was just read in your (2:43) Presence and Problems, the third chapter.

We’ll look at that just a little bit (2:47) more in depth, too, as we do. But it requires (2:51) faith. Can you imagine the faith that Abraham had when (2:55) he was approached by God and it was the first time he had ever been approached by (3:00) God? I assume it was.

And God is making an (3:03) offer to him, a proposition that if you will follow me I will (3:08) show you a land and I will make of you a great nation and I will bless the world (3:12) through your seed. And knowing full well that he and his wife still have not (3:16) had children and that faith goes on (3:19) and on and on and that he goes into all the various (3:23) other areas of the country and there he (3:28) comes up against kings and comes up against individuals (3:32) who he’s fearful of, that he’s afraid that they’re going to kill (3:35) him in order to get to his wife. What would that be like (3:39) to be able to deal with that? It’s like going down (3:44) some strange street, Pearl Street (3:47) in Lorain or down some of the other streets that are notorious (3:51) for vandalism and all kinds of things (3:55) and you’re going down there all by yourself or with your wife and you (3:59) don’t like the looks of these individuals.

And Abraham says to (4:03) his wife Sarah, listen, I don’t like the looks of these (4:07) people here. It looks like they would be willing (4:11) to kill me to get to you. You’re such a beautiful woman.

Pass yourself (4:15) off as my wife. Now do you suppose God was pleased with (4:19) that proposition that Abraham felt like he had to (4:23) do that in order to seek his safety out? (4:27) And many times we perhaps get into a situation (4:31) where we feel that we have to resort to our own trickery (4:35) and so on in order to be able to get out of a situation (4:39) when in reality it was God who got Abraham out of that (4:43) situation and it helped realize that this man (4:47) that he thought was evil and would kill him to get to him (4:51) really wasn’t. He was a God-fearing individual and God went to him (4:55) in a dream and says, you touched that woman and you’re as good as dead.

(4:59) But he passed him off, her off as my sister. (5:03) Oh my, how much faith do we have to have to believe that God is with (5:07) us in every walk of our lives? (5:11) We need to believe that. We need to come to (5:14) a conclusion of that.

And that’s what chapter 11 is pointing out to us. (5:18) What kind of faith is pleasing to God? (5:23) And chapter 11 of Hebrews points out to us (5:26) what kind of faith we must have in order to be (5:29) pleasing to God. Now notice what he says here.

(5:34) Faith is being assured of what we hope for and certain of what we (5:38) do not see. Can that be explained any more simply? (5:42) I wrestled with that, wrestled with that all my life. But the (5:46) reality is, it’s simply put.

(5:50) You believe in God. And you believe that He does divinely intervene (5:54) and providentially work in your life. You believe that.

(5:58) Faith is now being sure of what we hope for and certain of what (6:02) we do not see. What is it that we hope for? Life eternally (6:06) with God in heaven. We look forward to that day that (6:10) we will be with Him eternally.

And that we will be in (6:14) heaven with all the fellow saints. (6:18) Brothers and sisters that have gone on before us. That’s our hope.

(6:22) Our hope is that we anticipate being with God. (6:26) Do we believe that He can deliver? Absolutely. He can (6:30) deliver.

Do we believe that Jesus can deliver? Absolutely. (6:34) We believe that Jesus can deliver. Or don’t you? But you see (6:39) that faith is. You’ve got to. This is what is pleasing in (6:43) the sight of God. Notice one.

Faith is being sure of what (6:47) we hope for and certain of what we do not see. I am just (6:51) as absolutely certain that I’m going to be with God eternally in heaven. And I hope (6:55) you are too.

Because John points out to us in 1 John (7:00) the 5th chapter that (7:04) we believe these things. I (7:06) write these things so that you can know that you have eternal life. (7:10) 1 John 5. And so he’s pointing (7:14) these things out to us.

If we follow what we read and if we (7:17) follow up on the things that we know, we have that hope. (7:22) Nobody can take it away from us. It’s eternal.

Faith (7:26) is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (7:30) And this is what the ancients were commended for. (7:34) And so he’s pointing out to us.

And he’s giving us (7:37) example after example of what kind of faith (7:41) they had and how God was so pleased (7:46) with them that he credited them with righteousness. (7:51) And we know that God credits us with righteousness because we believe that He is saving us (7:55) through Jesus Christ. And that we can come to Him through Jesus.

(7:59) And that Jesus is our High Priest. We’ll talk about that (8:02) at another time in another lesson. But we know, and I’m giving you a thumbnail (8:07) sketch of what you already know.

So I’m just reassuring you (8:10) that I know what you know. Okay? So what we know (8:16) is that this is what He is saying for us. (8:20) And He’s giving us one right after another of (8:24) examples of the type of faith that God credited (8:28) people with.

And how we can emulate them. (8:33) So this is what the ancients were commended for. By faith (8:36) we understand that the universe was formed out of God’s (8:40) command so that what is seen is not made out of what is visible.

(8:45) In other words, you’ve got to believe the Genesis (8:48) account of how the world was created. You’ve got to believe. In the beginning (8:54) God created the heavens and the earth.

And you have to believe (8:58) the rest of it. He’s saying that right there. Paul (9:02) says, you’ve got to believe the Genesis account of (9:06) the creation of the world.

You want to be pleasing to God? Don’t get (9:10) carried off into all the other things. We looked (9:14) at all the other things and showed the (9:18) fallacies of those things. And I was really grateful (9:22) for that class.

It was a class that I thought that we needed. (9:26) And Scott followed up on it. And he did a super job on that.

(9:30) So we understand that the universe was formed (9:34) at God’s command so that what is seen is not made out of (9:38) what was invisible. And then he goes on and he talks about (9:42) individuals. By faith Abel offered (9:45) God a better sacrifice.

(9:51) What about Cain? Obviously he didn’t. (9:55) But Abel took God at his word, didn’t he? (9:59) He says, I want a sacrifice. And this is the type of sacrifice I want.

(10:03) I won’t deal with anything other than that sacrifice. (10:07) Cain thought he could get away with something else. But Abel believed (10:11) him.

And he provided the sacrifice that God wanted him to (10:15) sacrifice. And because of that he listened. (10:21) He heard.

And he believed that God was serious. (10:25) This is what I want. And Abel (10:29) followed up on it.

And so Abel offered God a (10:33) better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was (10:37) commended as a righteous man when God spoke (10:41) well of his offerings. And by faith (10:44) he still speaks even though he is dead.

(10:49) Notice now the next one which I like to use often. (10:52) Number five, verse five. By faith (10:56) Enoch was taken from this life so that he did not (11:00) experience death.

He could not be found because (11:04) God had taken him away. (11:08) For, and why did he take him away? Because, for (11:12) before he was taken he was commended as one who (11:16) pleased God. And without faith (11:20) it is impossible to please God because (11:24) anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and (11:28) that he rewards those who earnestly seek (11:32) him.

That’s the criteria. That’s (11:38) the criteria. Why did he bless Enoch? (11:41) We don’t know exactly what it was that Enoch did to (11:46) get this recommendation or commendation from God (11:50) that he pleased him, but we know that he listened to him.

(11:54) He had to have. He had to have heard (11:57) God and he had to know what God wanted from a life. (12:02) From his life.

He had to know these things. (12:06) Notice one more time. By faith Enoch was taken from this life (12:10) so that he did not experience death.

He could not be found because (12:14) God had taken him away. Well, why did God take him away? He was (12:18) commended as one who pleased God. (12:21) There’s nothing said about what Enoch did or how he lived his life, but it (12:26) was one in such a way that he believed God and he (12:30) thought God was serious and this is what God really wanted him to do.

And (12:33) God was pleased with him. And because (12:38) he was pleased with him, he commended, he took (12:42) him away. And so, why? And here’s the (12:45) criteria that Enoch followed.

And this is the (12:49) criteria that we see that is (12:53) what he wants us to do as far as faith is concerned. Without (12:57) faith, it is impossible to please God because (13:01) anyone who comes to him must believe (13:05) that he exists and that he rewards (13:09) those who earnestly seek him. Criteria? (13:14) Believe that he is.

Believe (13:18) that he exists. That (13:21) he created the world. That in him (13:26) we have our being and we live.

(13:30) And that’s where Paul comes in when he’s talking to the (13:35) Athenians in Acts the 17th chapter. (13:38) Take a look at Acts the 17th chapter as we see (13:42) don’t lose Hebrews because we will probably come back to that. (13:47) But I like, oh I love Paul’s (13:50) conversation in Athens.

I refer to this often. (13:54) So if you’ve ever been in my audience (13:57) any time at all, you will have heard this. (14:04) Right? Verse (14:06) 16 and following.

Well let’s go down (14:11) to verse 24. We know about Paul (14:13) having, being in Athens waiting for his entourage (14:17) to come. And he’s walking around and he sees all these statues (14:23) given to the various gods that anybody (14:25) could imagine that they created or whatever.

The gods (14:29) of the heavens, the gods of the seas, the gods of this and the gods of that. (14:34) And then he comes upon this statue, the unknown (14:37) god. And so while he’s been teaching (14:41) and waiting for them, people have picked up on the fact that he is giving out (14:45) a gospel that they’ve never heard before.

(14:50) And they want him to come and present his gospel to them. (14:54) And so he has agreed to come and present this gospel. (14:58) And so he picks up with them (15:01) in, let’s pick up with verse 22 instead.

(15:05) Then Paul stood up in the meetings of the (15:09) Areopagus and said, Men of Athens, I see that in (15:13) every way you are very religious or superstitious if you’re (15:17) King James Version. I like superstition. (15:21) For as I have walked around and looked carefully at your objects of (15:25) worship, I even found an altar with the inscription to an (15:29) unknown god.

Now what you worship (15:33) as something unknown, I am going to proclaim to (15:37) you the God who made the world and (15:43) everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live (15:47) in temples built by hands. So he’s telling us about God already. (15:53) He created the world.

(15:55) And he does not need to be in this room here (15:59) per se with an altar or an inscription or anything (16:03) like that. He doesn’t have to live here. He doesn’t live in those things.

(16:08) He lives in you and me. He lives in the world. (16:12) And so he wants them to know that he (16:15) does not live in temples built by hands and he is not served (16:19) by human hands as if he needed anything because he himself (16:23) gives all men life and breath and everything else.

(16:28) So God is the creator of the human being. (16:32) That comes with Genesis creation, doesn’t it? (16:38) Not only did he create the heavens and the earth (16:40) but he created the human beings and he (16:45) gave us breath and he gives all men (16:48) life and breath and everything else in it. You are God’s (16:53) creation.

You are God. From one man (16:56) he made every nation of men that they should inhabit (17:00) the whole earth, the whole nation of (17:04) hey, that’s Philippines, that’s China, that’s Africa. (17:11) He created all the beings.

So from one (17:15) man he made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole (17:19) earth and he determined the time set for them and the (17:23) exact places where they should live. Do you believe that? (17:29) I hope you do because that is God. (17:34) What is he telling you and me? (17:37) We exist because God wants (17:41) us to exist and you and I are here (17:45) this day because God wants you to be here this day.

(17:49) He determined where you’re going to live. (17:54) Just look around you. All the various nationalities represented (17:58) in this auditorium were all collected here today (18:02) because God wants us to be.

(18:07) He wants us to be. He determined (18:11) the time set for them and the exact (18:14) places where they should live and so that still includes (18:18) Hawaii, China, the Philippines, (18:23) South America. They’re all (18:26) there because God willed them to be there.

(18:33) God did this so that man would seek him and perhaps (18:37) reach out for him and find him though he is not (18:41) far from each one of us. (18:44) For in him we live and move (18:49) and have our being. So there’s the divine intervention, providence (18:53) and preservation of God and if you don’t believe that about God (18:58) you’re not pleasing him.

You’ve got to believe that God does do that. (19:06) Divine intervention, providence and preservation. (19:11) We are where God wants us to be.

Among (19:14) people that God wants us to be among. So it’s (19:22) for him. In him we live and move and have our being (19:26) as some of your own people have said.

We are his (19:30) offspring. Therefore since we are God’s offspring (19:34) we should not think that the divine being is like (19:37) gold and silver or stone. An image made by man’s (19:41) design and skill.

In the past God overlooked such (19:45) ignorance but now he commands all people everywhere to repent (19:49) for he has set a day when he will judge the world (19:53) with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given (19:57) proof of this to all men by raising him from the (20:01) dead. And when they heard about the resurrection of the dead (20:05) some of them sneered but others said we want to hear (20:09) you again on this subject.

At that Paul left (20:13) the council. A few men became followers of Paul (20:17) and believed among them and followers among (20:21) became followers of Paul and believed. Among them (20:25) was Dionysus a member of the Areopagus also a woman (20:29) named Damaris and a number of others.

(20:34) What do we believe about God? (20:37) Does he concern himself about our (20:40) lives? Does he concern ourselves (20:44) about the things that are in this world? Does he want (20:48) us to do these things? I know our time is really (20:52) precious at this point. Take a look one more time at Proverbs the third (20:56) chapter. The Proverbs writer (21:03) is pointing out to us how serious we need (21:07) to take the involvement of God in our lives and how much we need to be (21:11) aware of who God is, aware of what God is and aware that (21:15) we are to be in harmony with God and walking (21:18) in his precepts and his will (21:23) and not our own.

And that we need to be just as much (21:27) aware of those precepts as (21:31) anybody can be and that we need (21:35) to be aware of how much God works in our (21:39) lives. Notice Proverbs 3 and we won’t read it (21:43) all we’ll just go down to the sixth verse. (21:47) My son do not forget my teachings but keep my commands (21:51) in your heart for they will prolong your life many years and (21:55) bring you prosperity.

Let love and faithfulness (21:59) never leave you. Bind them around your neck. Write (22:03) them on the tablet of your heart.

Then you will win favor (22:06) and a good name in the sight of God. (22:12) What kind of life? You can read it (22:15) for yourself one more time. Verse 5 (22:18) Trust in the Lord with all your heart (22:22) and lean not on your own understanding.

In all (22:27) your ways acknowledge him and he will make (22:31) your path straight. How do you acknowledge God? (22:36) Thank you God for the health I have. (22:39) Sounds like a little child saying his prayers.

Thank you (22:42) for mom and dad. Thank you for the job I have. Thank you for (22:51) Thank you, right? (22:55) Thank him in all (22:56) your ways.

Acknowledge him in all your ways. (23:02) Take a look at (23:04) Psalms. Psalms 5 (23:08) and he wants to know.

He asks a question. What (23:13) does God desire? Who can walk in the (23:16) paths of God? I believe it’s (23:28) maybe it’s 15. Let me take a look at 15 and see what it says.

(23:33) Let’s go to 15. (23:35) Five is a good one, but let’s go to 15 because it’s the one I want. (23:41) Psalms 15.

Lord (23:45) who may dwell in your sanctuary? (23:49) Who may live in your holy hill? (23:54) He (23:55) whose walk is blameless and who does what is (24:00) righteous. Does he have to be any clearer? (24:03) Do we know what he’s telling us? Sure we do. He’s telling us we’ve got (24:08) to be God conscious.

We’ve got to know his precepts and his (24:12) honor because this is how we’re going to do it. He whose (24:16) walk is blameless and who does what is right. (24:20) Who speaks the truth from his heart.

Has no slander (24:24) in his tongue. Who does his neighbor no wrong. (24:28) Cast no slur on his fellow man who despises (24:32) a vile man but honors those who fear the (24:36) Lord.

Who keeps his oath even when it hurts. (24:42) Who lends his (24:44) money without usury and does not accept a (24:48) bribe against the innocent. (24:52) He who does these things will never be (24:56) shaken.

I’m sure you’ve heard the conclusion (25:02) of Ecclesiastes. Let’s go to Ecclesiastes (25:05) and that’ll be the conclusion of our lesson too. (25:12) We know what God wants in our lives don’t we? (25:17) Solomon is considered to be (25:19) the writer of Ecclesiastes.

Solomon had (25:23) so much at his disposal he could try everything and anything (25:27) that his mind could imagine. (25:31) He tried all different kinds of walks of life. He tried every type of (25:35) entertainment and various ways of (25:39) excitement in life.

(25:43) And so we pick up with the conclusion starting with verse 9 but the actual (25:47) conclusion that I want is found in verse 13. But let’s take a look (25:51) at the conclusion number 9 and follow it. (25:54) Not only was the teacher wise but also (25:57) he imparted knowledge to the people.

He pondered and searched (26:01) out and set in order many proverbs. (26:06) The teacher searched to find just the right words (26:09) and what he wrote was upright and true. (26:13) The words of the wise are like goads.

Their collected (26:17) sayings like firmly embedded nails. Even (26:21) by some shepherd be warned my son (26:25) of anything in addition to them. Of making (26:29) many books there is no end and much study (26:33) wearies the body.

Now (26:37) all has been heard. Here is the conclusion of the matter. (26:42) I’ve tried everything in life.

I’ve tried everything (26:45) that anybody could hear. But what is the conclusion of the matter? (26:49) Fear God and keep (26:53) his commandments. For this is the whole (26:57) duty of man.

For God will bring (27:01) every deed into judgment including every hidden thing (27:05) whether it is good or evil. (27:12) So how do we keep (27:15) and acknowledge God in every way of our lives? (27:19) Well first of all we’ve got to learn how to (27:22) worship him. (27:26) God is not silent on how to worship him.

(27:29) Has never been silent about how to worship him. Right from the very day (27:34) one he told them how to worship him. (27:38) Abel knew how to worship him.

So did Cain. But Cain didn’t want to. (27:42) The patriarchs knew how to worship God.

God made it known to them (27:46) how to worship God. We know that Abraham (27:50) was approached by Melchizedek who knew how to worship (27:54) God. God made it aware.

He has made it known (27:58) to mankind forever how he (28:02) wants to be worshipped and what is pleasing in his sight. (28:07) And he even set up a worship (28:10) system for the Israelites under the law of Moses. (28:14) He asked them to worship him through that.

(28:19) But he knew he was going to be changing that. He changed it. (28:23) And we’ll talk about how that change was made and under what conditions (28:26) those changes were made.

But God (28:31) these people that worshiped him and were the leaders in the worship (28:34) did not take these positions on their own. (28:38) God ordained them. They didn’t (28:42) just pick it up.

And when it came time for Jesus to (28:46) become the high priest for you and I to represent us before God (28:50) it was not an honor that he just assumed upon himself (28:54) but God ordained him with an oath. You will be (28:58) a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. And you will be (29:02) a priest forever.

Jesus knows how to worship (29:06) and Jesus knows how for us to come to God (29:10) and God wants us to come to him through Jesus. There is no (29:14) other name under heaven whereby man may be saved. God (29:18) wants us to come to him through Jesus.

(29:23) And it is through Jesus that we have the forgiveness of our sins. (29:27) It is through Jesus that we have the (29:31) righteousness accredited to us. (29:34) It is through Jesus then that we become children of God.

(29:39) Adopted by God. Heirs. (29:43) He wants us to come to him through Jesus.

(29:47) He’s not been silent about how (29:49) he wants to be worshipped. (29:53) And if you’re here this day wanting to worship God and you’re outside of Christ (30:01) it’s available to you. (30:04) All you have to do is to respond to Jesus' invitation (30:08) to become a disciple of his, to be baptized (30:11) in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to walk in the newness of life (30:16) and become a member of Jesus' (30:20) church, his house, which is God’s.

(30:24) I’d like to extend to you the opportunity to do so while together we stand and sing (30:28) the psalm of encouragement.