 Good morning, everyone. Welcome to this session where we learn about Hebrews chapter 11. We were somewhere midway and today we will try and complete that and proceed from there. We'll get started but before that let's have a word of prayer. So I just want to request someone to pray for today's class that we may receive good understanding of the word of God and also that there will be no hindrances. So could somebody go ahead and pray please? Shall I pray, ma'am? Yes, yes, please. Heavenly and gracious Father God Almighty, we come to Your presence with thanksgiving in our heart for a new morning, for a bright, beautiful day, Father, that has come into our lives by Your grace. And as we are in Your presence, Father, meditating on Your Word, learning Your Word, Lord Father, enrich us, Father. Bless, ma'am, with the words that you need to speak over our lives, Father. Bless all the students who are on the receiving end that we would receive it in its fullness, Father, and that we will be enriched in it, Father. And the Word is going to guide us, help us to do the work that You have called us to do, Father. And Lord, as we are learning about this beautiful passage in Hebrews 11, Father made, it teaches, talk to us, Father, and build us up in the most holy faith, Father. Because by faith we shall do what You have called us to do, Father. And as we surrender everything into Your hands, the technology, the connection, and Lord, everything be in Your perfect control. We give You glory, honor, and praise for answering our prayer. And in Jesus' name we ask and pray, amen. Amen, amen. Thank you, Amin. So we were looking at the lives of men and women in Scripture. And we saw how they did what they did by faith. So we saw the example of people like Abraham, Sarah, you know, Abel, even though there was only one work of faith which is enlisted, God wanted to bring that back, you know, as an account for us to consider and learn from. And we will continue in, you know, learning about these people. So we were somewhere near, I think, was 16, somewhere there it is where we stopped, 20, 21. Okay, thank you. So we've done 21. We do 22 now, where we learn about Joseph, that by faith Joseph, when he was dying, we had mentioned of the departure of the children of Israel and gave instructions concerning his bones. So, you know, Joseph, we do understand that he was in Egypt at the time, but the prophetic word which was given to Abraham and his descendants was that they would occupy the promised land. And so, you know, Joseph knew that that was not the destination for him or his descendants, I mean, Egypt. And so he knew that the journey would move on, move forward, and he really wanted his bones to be buried in the land that God would give them. So by faith, there's an instruction that he gave his children, and that is commendable that one continues to believe in the promise. Even when they are passing on knowing that, okay, in my lifetime, I haven't seen it, but it's coming. And I want my children to ensure that when they are in that land, they would take my bones and they would bury there. So there's faith because he hasn't seen the future. And yet he believes that God is true to the word of his promise. Similarly, talking about Moses, it is said that when he was born, he did it three months by his parents because they saw he was a beautiful child and they were not afraid of the King's command. So at a time when there was danger and the parents of Moses perceived that danger, they still looked to God for favor. I mean, it's incredible because their son, like everybody else's son would have been killed. But thank God for the faith that these parents had that they trusted God and they did the most likely thing to just securely put him in a basket and cause him to float. And that we know that it was an act of faith, but God comes into the picture that we take a step of faith. We know how the Pharaoh's daughter noticed him and he was raised up as a child of, as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. So as we continue verse 24, that's what we see here by faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. So again, it took faith for his parents to ensure his safety. But when he grew up, having every privilege of the palace, sorry about that disconnection there. I got locked out of the class, but let's resume what we were talking about. So we were talking about Moses, his parents and how they had faith in God. And verse 25 talks about the faith of Moses that he did not choose to identify with the privileges of the palace, but instead he chose to identify with who he was as a Jew. And he decided to do what God wanted him to do and that's what verse 5 and 26 say. So we're just going to read out those verses as choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for he looked to the reward. So ultimately in the journey of these men and women of God, they seem to be focusing on the call of God on their lives, on the eternal rewards. And that is the transition that all of them make in their earthly journey. And their minds are moved away from the temporal things to what is eternal. So we see that Moses, his reward was not so much all the glory that existed for him as the son of Cairo's daughter, but he wanted what God was going to give as a reward for him and his people together. And that takes faith. It takes faith to fulfill the call of God. It takes faith to journey into the call of God. It takes faith to let go of the so-called comforts which may be outside of our call right now. But thank God, Moses had the courage and he also had the faith to do what God wanted him to do. So verses 27 and 28 again, talking about Moses, it says, By faith he pursued Egypt, not very clear earth of the king, for he endured as seeing him who was invisible. By faith he kept the Passover at the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the first God should touch them. Okay, so just going on about the faith of Moses and all the events that took place. So I'm not going to go into each of them. It's quite self-explanatory. Verse 29, by faith now talks about the children of Israel and says, They passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians attempting to do so well drowned. So this also is interesting. We saw that the children of Israel, they passed through the Red Sea. It's not like the Egyptians did something different. They did the very same thing to pass through the Red Sea. But what was the differentiating factor? Why is it that the Israelites could pass through but the Egyptians couldn't? You know, one, a point that God is trying to make in this passage is faith. Miracles happen when we believe. The Red Sea parted because the children of Israel believed that God could do this. But the Egyptians, they tried to accomplish the same feat. They just couldn't do it because the missing ingredient was faith and God is showing that to us. And he's saying when we have faith, we can walk in miracles. We can even pass through those rough patches, rough seasons in our lives and overcome them. So faith is very important. And let's not forget the context of Hebrews 11. It continues to be a word to a discouraged community of Jewish believers. And God does not want them to let go of their faith even when the going has gotten rough for them. So verses 30 through 31. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. Now there's no logical explanation to some of these miracles, some of these conquests. How could a mighty fortress come crashing down with people walking around it for seven days? Now, scientists can try and explain it in a certain way, architects can try and explain it in a certain way. But whatever we do, the underlying reason as far as the Bible is concerned, we are told that it's about faith. Faith made the mighty fortress cave in. And even today, as we go against the oppression of the enemy, as we trust God for deliverances, how is it going to happen? By faith, the walls of Jericho will come down. By faith, it says about Rahab that she did not perish with those who did not believe that she had received the spice with. So one woman who is from a different community, not even the community of God, so to speak, she experienced the protection of God. The protection of God was upon his children. We saw that in the Passover, the way God safeguarded his own people and the others went through perilous times. But how is it that a woman of a different community could experience the protection of God? So even the protection of God was upon someone because of faith. And we know the entire story where Rahab put forth a red rope or a little bit. But in essence, it's like a shadow of Rahab actually making use of the blood of Jesus. Even though she did not understand the meaning of that red rope or a lipid that she was putting out, that was actually her hiding in the blood of Jesus which protected her. And so people who have walked by faith have experienced the protective hand of the Lord of their lives. Now we will talk about many other people who have walked by faith and experienced victories, verse 32. And what more shall I say for the time would fail me to tell off, he says, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jetta, also David and Samuel and the prophets, what do they all do? Who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weaknesses were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to fight the armies of the aliens. Women received their death, raised to life again. So many mighty works have been accomplished because of faith that people carry. If you know the story of Gideon who boldly destroyed pagan idols during his time, he went against the Midianite army and saw victory. We know about Barak and his dramatic victory over the Cadenites, Samson who defeated the Philistines, Jetta who defeated the Avanites, David, a man of remarkable faith and so many victories of David that we can talk about. So put together there are many, many mighty children of God such as you can add more names because it says subdued nations. Under subdued nations we can talk about kings such as Asa, Joseph, Hezekiah, Josiah, so there are so many people who actually made things happen for the kingdom of God. But what was the determining factor? It was faith. Because of faith it says they subdued kingdoms, they worked out righteousness, they obtained promises. They even stopped them out of lions. Remember Daniel that he was able to survive in the death of hungry lions, quenched the violence of fire. Even the fire could not forget about scotching but they did not even touch them. Nothing really happened to them. And it was only because of the faith that they carried in God, escaped the edge of the sword like David in his battle with Goliath. Hello Pastor, it's frozen. We can't hear you anymore. Yes, sorry about that. Say thank you. Yeah, all right. Back now just pick up from where we stopped. So we were talking about all the wonderful things that have happened because of people who put their faith in the Lord. Continuing on from part of verse 35 all the way to verse 38. It says others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scotches, yes and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sown in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wanted about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute, afflicted, tormented. Of whom the world was not worthy. They wanted in deserts and mountains in dense and caves of the earth. So, very interesting. We are moving from a list of very obvious victories. Yes, subdomination, working righteousness, stopping the mouth of lions and surviving the fire. So all of that sounds, you know, triumphant to us. But here is another list, which doesn't sound very promising. Or doesn't sound like the people who have gone through this have truly conquered for God. Because it says they've gone through torture. They've gone through mockings, scotchings, they were in chains, they were imprisoned. They were stoned, sown in two. It just doesn't sound that reassuring or strengthening at all. But I want to remind us that yes, there are people who've gone through very, very difficult phases in their lives and even if we look at the end of their lives, even people like Isaiah, it is said, according to reliable tradition, it is said that he was also sown and killed. So, it's a tough end that people who have trusted in God have faced. But here's the reality that we must settle in our hearts. See, it's more about walking with faith that blesses God's heart. And yes, if we come through victorious, even better. But for whatever reason, we have a finite mind, we are mortal beings that we don't understand everything. Why isn't that some people like Abel, even Abel, why isn't that he died? Why didn't we see him resurrected? Yes, God is commenting his faith, his action of faith. But why wasn't he alive? These are all questions that arise in our minds and we ask questions about others in the Bible. But you see, God has put them in the Hall of Faith and he wants us to know that even at times when we have walked in faith but we have not seen the so-called victory that we were looking for, for whatever reason, there could be thousands of reasons now we don't know or we may never know. But it's enough for us to know that God still comments our faith. We could have tried and failed but if we have stepped out by faith, what does the Bible say? It says, yeah, even if there is a seeming defeat, God still is happy about our walk of faith, our fight of faith, our journey of faith. So in his sight, it's not a failure and that's what he's saying. He's saying at least you journey the faith and it's not at least that I commend you, it's great that you journey the faith. And so the important thing is hold on to faith, keep the faith because God sees it and God comments it even when we are going through a discouraging and a disappointing time in our lives, we have to keep the faith and that's what God is calling us to. So it was 39 and 40, it says and all these having obtained a good testimony through faith. So what did they have? Good testimony through faith. And the scripture itself says, did not receive the promise. So they didn't see the fulfillment of the promise was 40 God having provided something better for us that they should not be made perfect apart from us. So it simply goes to say that there are great things we don't understand and there are reasons why they may not have seen the fulfillment of the promise but we of course can learn from that testimony of faith. So let me just pause here for a moment. We can see if there is anything to talk about, anything to discuss and then we move ahead with chapters 12 and 30. Anything about faith or the testimony of all these people that we heard about or if something impressed you or touched you. Okay, so it's probably being digested so we'll leave it at that right now. We'll move ahead to chapter 12 here. So chapter 12 once again is an invitation to keep running their ways and the passage is a very crucial one, a very important one. Again, we can talk out for hours about the same passage but I'll just try and keep it as succinct as possible. Could somebody read from verses one through five please? 12, Hebrews 12, one through five. Yeah. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses there is also a side every way and so we're going so closely and let us bond with and experience the ways that are set before us we can just resist the thunder and perfecture of our faith prove for the joy that was set before him, enjoy the cross, appreciate him, and say that at the ground front we return to God. Considering we hear from somewhere such hostility against himself so that we may not feel very obtained heartache in your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood and have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses your essence? My son did not regard everybody so this point of view will be very wrongfully improved by him. So there is an invitation to journey with God the way people ahead of this community have done it so that's where the cloud of witnesses is applicable so when he says we are therefore, you see there's a continuation we also since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses which has to do with those who have lived their life in faith and are now in heaven he says lay aside every weight and a sin so we understand that in a race when one is running to be fast it's important to let go of anything that may be heavy when we look at people who competed in the Olympics and who were running for medals they go to the extent of scientifically picking the clothes they wear because they want the least weight they want to cut through the air and just be really they want to be super fast and that's the way we as believers should be because there are things in our journey that can really bog us down and God doesn't want that and so the author is saying just let go of anything that makes you sluggish because it can even be dangerous so he uses the word weight, weight things like discouragement we've already said, disappointment and then he points to sin what is sin? he's talked about unbelief earlier he's talked about the lack of faith earlier the way the children of Israel were and now he's saying let's not be people of unbelief let's not be people who very easily begin to doubt God when things have gotten tougher so he says that sin now in sin we can also consider so many other things disobedience to God wrong lifestyle wrong words so sin is a huge category there but whatever sin is there in our lives what will it do? it will hinder us from accomplishing what God wants us to do it will hinder us from finishing the race so he uses terms like it will ensnare so the Greek word there the Greek word I won't say it but what does it mean? the Greek word means that it's something that will entangle something that is dangerous so it snares us and we must let go so that we are able to finish the race that is set before us run the race which is set before us and the race again that term race there from the Greek language word Aguna is used for conflict or struggle so there are struggles of life and we must press in, press on and be sure to finish the race and it also points to endurance endurance we talked about it in the last class the ability to hold on it's an ability to stay put under pressure and he says you need to run with what? run with endurance run without giving up and when we have patience it will master those temporary feelings of discouragement whatever distraction that we may have wonderful feelings he invites us to work from the example or learn from the example of our Lord Jesus so that's why he says looking back to Jesus you look at the example that he has set for us he's the author, he's the finisher of our faith what did he do? he endured the cross he could have given up but he did not give up he stayed put to finish what God wanted him to do but what was his motivating factor something that we can learn from the attitude of Jesus the present is hard but he was looking at the reward of the future that was the way Jesus sent the of the cross so what is the reward of the future he was looking at the fact that he would be obedient to the Father going up to the cross he believed that you know this is the call of his life to bring redemption for mankind he was happy that people will experience salvation he was also happy that once he is done with what God has called him to do the next step for him is to go up to heaven and sit at the right hand of God so there are a lot of wonderful things on the other side of the cross and that's what he was looking at look how we face an exam we know that the exam is difficult but we are looking at using a certificate to go on and do great things in our career and so that's the way we must endure through the present seasons of life and that's what the author is saying and he is saying look learn from Jesus our faith starts with him the faith as you consider him you know that you must be looking at bigger, better things and in the book of Hebrews he's already explained so much about our Lord Jesus and how he's greater than all the Jewish patriarchs that they were aware of and he's already explained how the traditions that they were used to are nothing from all their other shadows as compared to the fullness that God has already brought through our Lord Jesus Christ so all these wonderful things and he wants them to focus on the good and not get so caught up in the struggles you know the agenda of today so that's his word of encouragement and he also states that you are not yet resisted to bludgeon striving against it so he's saying look there's so much to face when you are walking when you are living for God there's so many things to face but let's not be people who are sort of very weak that the smallest thing that happens it causes us to turn back so that's his word of encouragement now we move on to another very very important section and that is about God chasing us and this also is something that we must understand properly so I want to request someone to please read from verses 5 through 11 furthermore we have had human fathers who corrected us and we paid them respect shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the father of the spirits and live and we have we have we have we have we have we have we have but they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them but he for our prophet that we may be partakers of his holiness now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present but painful nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it amen thank you so here is the concept of chastening it also tells us that God is a God who brings correction when required and the term chasing is used so if we look up that word or rather look up the word chastisement in the Greek here it is something like Bahidia and it means education training nature we must not understand the chasing of God the chastisement of God as punishment as some do but very clearly the author here says yes there are going to be times when God sees that we are not aligned or repeatedly we are misaligning ourselves we will try to correct us but this correction should be understood like the correction of a father that wants to nurture us that wants to train us educate us for a better life so God's chastening is like that and it's actually the goodness of God that he even chooses to correct us because here in this passage we are told that if we are not corrected then the real father as a heart to see that children do better than them and so they want to impart life lessons and that's the place from where correction actually comes and God loves us so much that he will correct us and that is for our good and we are told that we must heal what the Lord is saying we must heal to what the Lord is speaking of course when chastisement comes when correction comes it's never easy but we must see the benefits of being obedient to God because what's it going to do it's going to yield the fruit of peaceable fruit of righteousness it's going to help us become more like Jesus so it will help us be molded into the character, the virtues of Jesus Christ we will become like Jesus in holiness so there are so many wonderful outcomes of yielding to God especially through a time of chastening but we must look at it that way we must not think that God doesn't like me God is so angry with me he wants to he doesn't want a relationship with me we understand it in all these other ways but that's not the point when God corrects us it's because of his heart of love for us and we must receive it and quickly align ourselves to what the Spirit of God is saying let's go ahead versus 12 and 13 that's in connection with what we said so far could somebody read it please versus 12 and 13 therefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight parts for your feet less that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed thank you so we see here that the author is continuing to make a strong call to obedience so what does he say he says yes there are all these possibilities to go away from the faith to give up and so he talked about faith he talked about danglions he also talked about the love of God that the chastening of God is because of his love for us and so now he says come on because of all this you get stronger okay so in saying that he uses terminology such as strengthen your hands or strengthen your feeble knees and he says make a straight path for your feet so that what is lay may not be dislocated but rather be healed so he is saying get ready to be obedient and not neglect the salvation of God so overall verses 12 and 13 are just the author saying get ready to be obedient okay so it's like a pictorial language hands, knees and all that but basically he says get ready be obedient always be ready so readiness to work for the Lord readiness to move for the Lord readiness to live for the Lord and that's the call that he places on them so let's quickly look at okay let's take a break I think it won't be justice to verses 14 through 17 so we'll come back and we will talk about the following verses here and then we will look at chapter 30 hopefully we can move on to the next book of the Bible which is the book of James so thank you everyone for connecting and sorry for some of the interruption that we've had today I hope it has hindered the flow of what we are learning so I think a time's break we shall come back we'll meet at 10 thank you