We will now read God's holy law from Exodus chapter 20, verses 1 through 17. Exodus 20, and God spoke all these words saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them. For I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day. Wherefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbors." In response to God's holy law, let's sing together number 35, verses 5 and 6. The Lord is God, and I am the Lord. My journey's end, till every day, I am the hope of the day. Scripture reading this morning is from Hebrews chapter 11 verse 32 and we're going to read through chapter 12 verse 11. Hebrews chapter 11 beginning at verse This is the Word of God. And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah, of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourging, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sawn asunder. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise God having provided some better thing for us, that they, without us, should not be made perfect. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin, and ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou wert rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourges every son whom he receiveth. If you endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. For what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us, after their own pleasure, but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Thus far, the reading of God's holy word. Let us now together call on the name of the Lord in prayer. O Almighty God, Gracious Heavenly Father, In the morning of this beautiful Lord's Day, we have the privilege to be together here in this place of worship, the place where we meet with the one, only true God of heaven and of earth. Lord, we know that there are many idols in this world, the idols of the heathens, which are made out of silver or gold or wood or stone. We know that they are vanity and a lie, the work of men's hands. and that those who make them are like them, and so is everyone who trusts in them. But thou, O Lord, art the God of gods, the Lord of lords, the King of kings. Thou art not like the idols. A memorial is to all generations. All the idols of this world shall wax old like a garment. But thou, Lord, art the same yesterday, today, and forever. Thy years have no end. Thou art our God. Thou art our Creator. Thou teachest us more than the beasts of the earth. Thou dost make us wiser than the fowls of the heaven. Therefore, Lord, not only is our privilege so great, but also our responsibility. but we do with the blessings that thou givest to us as human beings, and not only as human beings, but as people who have the great privilege of being under the preaching of thy holy word. Lord, thou would be justly angry with us until thou had condemned us for all the sins that we have committed against thee, even after receiving grace. And so we pray this morning, Lord, take away all iniquity. Receive us graciously. Heal the backslidings of Thy people. Love us freely. Let Thy anger be turned away from us. For in Thee, O Lord, the fatherless findeth mercy. We entreat Thy favor, O God, with our whole hearts. Be merciful unto us according to Thy word. For in Thy favor is life. May Thy lovingkindness is better than life itself. And Lord, as Thou hast given in this place the lamp of the Holy Gospel. We pray that Thou would preserve that lamp, that Thou hast ordained for Thine anointed, so that the generations to come may know Thee, even the children which shall yet be born, that they may set their hope in God and keep Thy commandments. Lord, how richly blessed we are that we may be here. Thou hast spared us moment by moment in the week that is now past. And now, Lord, we come And we need a rich measure of thy Holy Spirit in preaching and in hearing, so that we may worship thee in spirit and in truth. We pray, Lord, for families that have come together here this morning, fathers and mothers together with their children. And, Lord, we pray for thy blessing on every family here, that thou would richly bless the parents as they bring up their children according to the holy word of God. looking for the blessing of her faithful covenant-keeping God. They may love the Lord and walk according to thy ways, seeking to glorify the Lord, seeking to do what is pleasing unto thee. Be with the teenagers, the young adults of the congregation. Lord, guide them, lead them with thy word and with thy Holy Spirit. Grant that they may stand firm on that solid foundation of the holy word of God. Pray for families who are going through difficult times. Lord, the details are perfectly known unto thee, and we pray that thou would supply and make willing for all to walk in the ways of the Lord according to thy precious word. Be with those who are in special cares and special needs. We pray for Mrs. Boss as she is moved to a new place in Coaldale. Lord, will thou bless her and strengthen her in this difficult time. as she will be looking to the Lord. Lord, strengthen and uphold her and give her thy blessing and thy peace in her new place. We pray for Mr. Van Esvelt who is under medical care. Lord, strengthen and uphold this older brother too. Grant that all that is being done for him may receive Thy blessing, and Lord, let Thou give always submission to Thy ways. With Karen and Selene Vanderhart, as they will be going on a mission trip, Lord, keep them safe, bless the work they will do there, and grant that it all may serve to give glory and honor to Thy great name. and to the glory of King Jesus, bring them safely home again at the end of their time. We pray for Candidate Van Brugge as he has received calls from Brantford and from Abbotsford FRC. Lord, guide and lead him in the way wherein he must go as he deals with these callings. With the senior members of this church, Lord, strengthen and uphold them. With widows and widowers, with lonely people, Be with older single people, bless them all in their situation, and grant that they may be a blessing to the congregation. Be with all those who are having tests or treatments for various ailments. Lord, strengthen and uphold and add Thy blessing to what is being done. We pray for mothers who are expecting babies, that Thou would protect the unborn child in the womb, make all things well, also and especially when it comes time for children to be born. Pray for those who have been disappointed in this area, those who desire to have children or more children and are unable. O Lord God, remember them too and grant them yet that blessing from above in ways that Thou art able to do beyond our expectations also. As couples who are preparing for marriage, we pray that Thou would guide them and lead them with Thy holy word, and that their future married life may be a reflection of the marriage of Christ and His bride. Lord, as we now turn to Thy holy word, it is our desire that Thou would give us a rich outpouring of Thy Holy Spirit this morning. Glorify Thyself, glorify Thy Son, and grant that we as sinners may be irresistibly drawn into thy marvelous light, out of our darkness. Bless us, we pray. Keep us from sinning. Forgive our many sins. In Jesus' name, Amen. The text this morning is Hebrews chapter 11, verses 32 through 40. And in response to God's word, we will sing afterwards number Hebrews 11 is known as the faith chapter. It begins with those words that we know faith is the substance, or we could say faith is the confidence of things hoped for, the evidence or the certainty of things not seen. And in Hebrews 11, Paul uses many examples from Old Testament saints. He speaks of Abel, and of Enoch, and of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Sarah, and Joseph, and Moses. And all these people have one thing in common, actually more than one thing in common, but in Hebrews 11 they have one thing in common. Everything that is listed here that they did, they did by faith. By faith. And sometimes these People are called the heroes of faith. And that's really not a very good title for them. Because, children, do you know what all these people were? They were sinners. Sinners like me. And like you. And when it says they did what they did by faith, that faith they received as a gift from God. a free gift from God Himself. Now we might ask, where did that faith come from then in the Old Testament? If you do a word search on faith, you'll find that the word faith is only used two times in the Old Testament, and more than 200 times in the New Testament. So we might say, well, that means there's not very much faith in the Old Testament, and lots of faith in the New Testament. But that's not really so. Where did those Old Testament people get that faith? Often times when you have questions about the Old Testament, you need to turn to the New Testament to find the answer. And here we do that. In Ephesians 2 verse 8, it tells us, For by grace are you saved through faith, And that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. You see, when I say faith is a gift from God, I base that on scripture. Ephesians 2 verse 8. Faith is the gift of God. Something that God freely gives to sinful people whom He saves. Saved by grace, through faith, not of yourselves. God's gift to sinners. And that is encouraging. Because all of us are sinners. And all of us need this gift. And now, if you just think about that for a moment. What a gospel that is! Faith is not something that I have to give to myself. Faith is not something that I get by working really hard and trying really hard to believe things. Faith is not the result of hard work or of great efforts. Faith is a free gift from a faithful, covenant-keeping God. But the question then is, how does God give that gift to people. How does he do that? How does it get from God to you? We live in a day and an age where you can order anything online and have it delivered the next day if you like. You think, children, that that's how Faith could come to us, we just go to our computer, we find the faith website, and we make a few clicks, and we pay a thousand dollars, and the next thing you know, there comes faith. That's not how it works. In Romans 10, beginning at verse 13, there's a long list of questions. It begins with this statement, For whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And we could respond to a statement like that and say, yes, that's true, but people don't call on someone in whom they don't believe. If you're in trouble, you don't call on somebody in whom you don't believe. And Paul has that same idea. He says, how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And we could respond to that and say, yes, that's true. But people can't believe in somebody of whom they have not heard. We need to hear about this person. Paul asked that same question. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? We say, yes, that's true. But in order for us to hear, somebody has to tell us. Somebody has to tell us about this great person in whom we can believe. And Paul has that same question. How shall they hear without a preacher? And we could respond to that and say, yes, but people don't just make themselves preachers. They don't just wake up one morning and decide, well, I'm going to be a preacher and begin preaching. Maybe some people do, but that's not the normal way. And Paul anticipates that too, and he says, how shall they preach unless they are sent? In this case, sent by God. And in Romans 10 verse 17, you have the answer to that question, how do I get faith? So that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. So children, if you want to know how does faith get from God to you, it comes through hearing with your ears. Hearing the Word of God. And you hear that Word of God through a preacher. Like your pastor. Every Lord's Day. Preaching the Word of God in this place that makes this place the workshop of the Holy Spirit. Faith comes through hearing and hearing by the Word of God. So faith is a gift of God. given by grace. And God is the same God now as He was in the Old Testament. So that means in the Old Testament, faith came the same way as in the New Testament. They received their faith by hearing the Word of God. God Himself preached it to them. Or He would send His angel, or one of the prophets. So those Old Testament saints, they heard the Word of God, They believed the Word of God, they trusted the God of the Word, and they ordered their lives accordingly. So, we must always be very careful when we speak of faith and living by faith. Always remember that faith works with God's Word, God's revelation to us. And your warrant for faith in anything can only be Scripture. If God doesn't proclaim it, if God doesn't promise it, your faith is vain. Because faith always relies on God's words. Faith clings to God's promises. And the only way to be sure that what you are clinging to and what you are believing is a promise from God is to know that it is written in your Bible. Years ago, there was a young Christian man who loved a young Christian lady. And he said to his mom, he said, Mom, I really believe she's going to be my bride someday. I love her and she loves me. I'm going to ask her to marry me. I have faith that she is my future bride. I've prayed about it, I've committed it to the Lord, I'm confident and sure that the Lord has given her to me to marry her. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? Now is that faith, what that young man is doing? Is he living by faith? And how could he be so sure of this? Is he living by faith or is he just expressing his desires and his longings? Did he have a promise from God that this particular young lady would be his wife one day? No, he did not. He could not point to a single place in scripture and say to the Lord, Lord, here you promised me that she would marry me one day. In fact, what if I told you that she died shortly after they were engaged, and they never had a wedding day, and that later he got married to a different godly woman. See, remember, faith is always grounded in the Word of God. What that young man should have said, and he saw that very clearly later on, what he should have said to the Lord and to everyone else, Lord, I love this girl. And I know she loves me too. And I long and I desire to marry her. But I also know, Lord, that this may not be Thy will for us. So, Lord, show us continually the way of the Lord for us. Make it plain. Make it clear for us. Thy will be done in our lives. Lord, I have no scripture promise that she will be my bride, but make it clear for us, Lord. And the Lord did that in a very striking way. So a believer in his right place orders his life according to God's will. God's will as it is revealed in the scriptures. and he works with the promises, and he watches and sees how it is all working out in God's providence too. And God's providence and God's revealed will will never contradict. In the early 1980s, many of you will remember this, many Canadians were perplexed and stunned financially. Interest rates were over 20%. Many people Many Christian people lost their homes. The bank repossessed them. And some said, the Lord promised us that we would have this home. And now we've lost our jobs and the bank repossessed our home. How do we make sense out of this? Well, you see, the Lord promises no one that they would have an earthly home here indefinitely. And that particular home They couldn't go to the home promise of Scripture. God's will was that they had their homes given to them for a time, and then God took it back, because He knew that would be much better for them. So let's be very careful when we talk about living by faith, because often that's not what we mean at all. Often we're simply saying, I'm just telling you what I desire and what I long for, but not what God has promised in His Word. We come to our text, Hebrews 11, verse 32 and following, and I want to look at this under the theme of the faith of the Old Testament saints. And I want to ask us three questions. And if, at the end of the service, children and teenagers, if you can answer these three questions, it means you've been listening well and you actually understood what was being said. The faith of the Old Testament saints. The first question is, what did faith enable them to do? And secondly, what did faith enable them to suffer? And the third question is, what did faith give and not give them? What did faith enable the Old Testament saints to do? Paul has spent 31 verses of this chapter on faith and its witnesses. And he realizes that if he continues on this subject matter, he's going to run out of space and out of time. He also realizes he's made his point now with those people who are reading this letter for the first time, those Hebrew believers, and with us. He's saying, look at the Old Testament saints' faith, and see what your God did for them, and now look at your own situation, and live by that same faith as the Old Testament saints. I've given you many examples, and they say, what more shall I say? We do that too sometimes, don't we? We say, what more can I say? I've made my point, it's time to move on to other matters, and that's what Paul is going to do. The point is, the righteous by faith shall live." For each of those witnesses, he's used that same phrase, by faith. And his idea is not to give endless examples, but for a final time, to stress at the end of the chapter, it was by faith they did what they did. So what was it that faith enabled the Old Testament saints to do? He says, time would fail to tell me of Gideon, and Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah, of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets. He gives three groups of two witnesses taken from the times of the judges and the kings. Remember, earlier in the chapter, he's already gone right from the time before the flood when he spoke about Abel and Enoch. And then after the flood, the time of the patriarchs, Abel, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He's spoken of the time the people of Israel were in Egypt and their journey through the wilderness with Moses. And now he's come to the time of the conquest of Canaan, the times of the judges and the kings. Children, you remember Gideon. He was the man with that sheepskin, that fleece. He has the sign from God, whether this was all from God. And if you don't remember, then ask your mom or dad to read it to you today. Gideon and Barak, here they're together as two men who by faith did great things with very little strength. God using them for his own honor. And he mentioned Samson. You remember Samson? The strong man. And he mentioned Jephthah. Men of very different characters. In many things in their lives they are not to be commended as men of faith. And yet God used them mightily in His kingdom. You see, in this list of people there are so many diversities. In people of faith, whom the Lord chooses to use, He mentions David, Israel's foremost king, and Samuel, who anointed him. David, the man after God's own heart. Two names here to present the time of the kings, and the next time span in Israel's history he calls the prophets. It was during the time of many sinful kings and ungodly priests and Levites, but only the prophets were diligent in honoring the Lord God. Paul mentions each of these witnesses by name, but he doesn't specify what they each individually did, because he knows that the Hebrew believers who are reading this epistle know this history, and they can fill it in. They can think right away of things that David did by faith, or what Gideon did by faith, and so on. The main point he's making is they did what they did by faith. And then he follows up with a long list of deeds that were performed by faith without giving any names to these deeds. And those deeds of faith have various characteristics. Some are one-time historical facts. Others are repeated occurrences. Some of these are mentioned in general as being done by all the saints in the Old Testament. And Paul is showing us What a great variety of things faith enables us to do. Not by naming the names of people, but by focusing on various deeds. If you think about it, you could match many of those deeds with many names in the Old Testament. We'll do that in a moment. The main thought is expressed in the opening words of verse 33, who through faith, there it is again, All along it's been by faith, here he says through faith, but it means the same, by means of faith. So the Hebrew people will understand these needs of faith are not limited to just one person or certain people or certain places or times, but by faith all things are possible also for them. And yet they will see that not every Old Testament saint did all of these things. Every deed performed by faith was the result of God's work of grace in them. We always need to keep that in mind. Whatever great exploits they could perform, whatever deep things they suffered, it was always through faith, always through that gift of God by God's grace. So he gives ten examples of what faith enabled Old Testament saints to do. Verse 33, who through faith subdued kingdoms. Right away those Hebrew readers of this letter would begin to think, who is that now? Maybe you're thinking already too, maybe you're thinking of Joshua. He subdued the kingdoms in Canaan. Who through faith worked Righteousness. All the saints in the Old Testament worked righteousness in a wicked society, who through faith obtained promises. Think of Abraham and the promise he had of a son. And that promise was fulfilled in Isaac and ultimately in the Lord Jesus, who through faith stopped the mouths of lions. Right away the children are thinking, We've got to be talking about Daniel in the lion's den, who through faith quenched the violence of fire. There we have Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Who through faith escaped the edge of the sword. And maybe you think about Rahab the harlot, who escaped the edge of the sword through faith when Jericho was destroyed. Who through faith watched violent valiant in fight. Think of David against Goliath, who through faith turned to flight the armies of the aliens. And the Hebrew people would think of someone like King Asa, who at one time with his army was outnumbered three to one, and who prayed to the Lord God and said, Lord God, nothing is too difficult for thee. And he defeated the army. turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women, verse 35, women who through faith received their dead raised to life again. We can think right away of two examples of that happening. That is from the book of Kings, the widow of Zarephath in the days of Elijah and Shunammite woman and the days of Elisha. Both of them received their dead sons raised to life again and it says it was through faith. They believed the word of God that was brought to them by the servants of God. And notice that the women's faith is mentioned here. Not Elijah's faith or Elisha's faith. though that was in action too, but specifically the women are mentioned here. And that is so also today, the women of the congregation ought never to think that men somehow have greater faith or a different faith than you do. No, before God, all his people are equal. The women's faith, what an encouragement for those Hebrew-believing women to persevere in the faith What an encouragement for the believing women of this congregation, too, to always look to the Word of God and to trust Him and to take Him at His Word. So faith enabled the Old Testament saints to perform great deeds. And sometimes when we read the Old Testament, we read of a story like Abraham, when he had to go in and offer Isaac on the mountain, and we wonder, How would I have done in that situation? I don't think my faith would be that strong, but you know what? It would be. It would be. Because Abraham was not a hero. Abraham was a sinner like you and like me. And at that moment, he received the grace to do what he had to do through faith. Always through faith. Remember, faith is the gift of God. Let's do a second question. What did faith enable the Old Testament saints to suffer? Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. The word for torture there, in Greek, It's a torture with a tympanum. It was an instrument that they used to torture people. They would stretch a person over a wheel till the skin was tight, and then they would beat on that person with sticks and clubs, like beating on a drum. Now, the persons we're speaking of here are Jews that are being persecuted, and they could have avoided that punishment. Had they accepted deliverance? But that would mean that they would have to recant their faith. And so they could not do that. They could not accept deliverance. And so it says they obtained a better resurrection. Had they accepted deliverance there, that would have been like a resurrection from the dead because they were certainly going to die when that torture continued. But no. They received a better resurrection, that is, with Christ, from the grave, on that great resurrection day, to be with Christ forevermore. In the historical records of the Jews, they make mention of one old Jew called Eliezer. And you know that the Jews, according to the ceremonial law, could not eat pork. And they had this Jew Eleazar, and they tried to force him to eat pork, and he refused. And some of his friends said to him, well, why don't you just pretend to eat it? Then you can be delivered. But he refused to recant his faith, and he was killed in that way. Another record shows of a mother and her seven sons who came to the same end for the same reasons. They refused to compromise and they were tortured, they refused deliverance, but they got a better resurrection with Christ in eternity. Others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, that means whippings, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. And they endured it all by faith. From those same Jewish historians, there are many instances of these things that would be well known to those Hebrew believers who first read this letter. Some of them would think right away of Jeremiah the prophet, who was imprisoned in the Old Testament. Some might think of Jesus himself, who was mocked and scourged. And in those days, they were very quick to bring out the scourge and to put it to use. But the main point here is to show from the facts what can be suffered and withstood through the power of faith. Remembering that faith is a gift from God. And He gave to these Old Testament saints. They were stoned. That means they were stoned to death. They died in faith. And perhaps some of them would think right away of a man named Zechariah in 2 Chronicles 24, because fire against Zechariah stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the Lord. Jesus mentions this man in Matthew 23, where he speaks of the blood of righteous Zechariah, the son of Berechias, whom you slew between the temple and the altar. By faith. He died in faith. Some were sawn in sunder. That means they took a big saw and they cut them into pieces. They died in faith. Jewish tradition has it that the prophet Isaiah was sawn in two. They were tempted, yet they endured by faith. Oh, many times these Old Testament saints were tempted to sin by their tormentors, and they could resist only by faith. trusting, depending on the Lord God. They were killed with the sword. They died in faith. Many of the saints then were murdered for being God-fearing. The persecution of the Jews was horrible in the days of Antiochus, 200 years before the Lord Jesus. And again, it's only through faith that they endured. Only through faith did they rest. in God. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins. Remember the prophet Elijah. That's how he came. And later John the Baptist. And they both came dressed in sheepskins and goatskins preaching the judgment of God. Preaching to Israel to return to God and to repent of their sins. Being destitute. That means they were considered inferior. They came short of the world's standards. They were of no importance. They were scorned and insulted because of it. And by faith, they endured it. They were afflicted. They experienced much trouble. They were pressed hard, or as Paul puts it in 2 Corinthians 4, a troubled on every side. Torment. They were tormented. They were caused to suffer great ill treatment. And all of this they were enabled to suffer through faith, the gift of God. And for the Hebrew readers, and for us, the same is true. Only through faith can we persevere. Only through faith. Jesus says, In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world, and believers by faith overcome with Him." Verse 38, "...of whom the world was not worthy." Paul thinks of these people and what they did and what they suffered, and he says, was not worthy of having such people walking on its surface. Or the world, speaking of the people who oppose God and His people. That world, he says, did not deserve such people. And then he gives one final example of what faith enabled saints to suffer. They wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. And they endured it all by faith. They were strangers. Pilgrims on this earth. They were only safe at times in such places. Persecuted people. But in the meantime, you read earlier in the letter to the Hebrews, they were seeking another city. They desired a better country. And in all of this, God was not ashamed to be called their God. Because He had prepared for them a city. They suffered and endured their suffering by faith alone, remembering that faith was God's gift to them. One final question. What did faith give and not give the Old Testament saints? When you've seen what faith enabled the Old Testament saints to do, and to suffer, we should also ask, well, is that all it did? What did it give them? And these all, verse 39, obtained a good report through faith. All the Old Testament saints, here in Hebrews 11, as witnesses of God's grace, Witnesses of what faith is, and how faith works, and what it enables them to do, obtained a good report through faith. And that takes you right back to the beginning of the chapter, in verse 2. For by it, that is, by faith, the elders obtained a good report. These all obtained a good report through faith. How is it possible for sinners to receive a good report from God? School is out now, so we don't want to talk too much about school for the children, but you had a report card at the end of the school year. The teacher gave a report about you to your mom and dad. And it was either a good report or maybe not so good. But how is it possible for sinners to receive a good report from God Himself? Because that's what it's referring to here. They received a good report through faith, it says. And that's what we need to remember. That faith was a gift from God Himself. That faith unites those sinners with the Lord Jesus Christ. And everything good about the Lord Jesus Christ becomes that person's. through faith. And that's the way that a sinner can receive a good report from God. Only in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Through that gift of faith that the Lord gives. So you think about these Old Testament saints. These all obtained a good report through faith. They received witness in the scriptures that God had given them that gift of faith. They could only have done what they did through that gift of faith. And their outward lives gave witness of their internal faith. Through faith alone, they could do and suffer many things for God. And their faith became evident by the fruit of their lives. It showed in how they lived. They believed God. They took Him at His word. They trusted his truth, and they ordered their lives according to the revelation of God himself. Through faith, they received a good report, a commendation from God himself, only because faith is the gift of God. So that's what it gave them, a good report from God. But what did it not give them? These all, having obtained a good report through faith, did not receive the promise. It means they did not receive what was promised to them. God had promised them something, and they had so hoped on that. And all their life long, they hoped in and they believed in that promise from God. And they remained steadfast, even when the fulfillment didn't come. They persevered, even in great trials and great afflictions. They held on to that promise, even unto death, and they did not see its fulfillment. And that promise was, Messiah is coming. And none of these people saw that. None of them saw the fulfillment. We know for sure that's what it's talking about. It becomes clear when you see the closing words of Hebrews 11, verse 40. They received not the promise, God having provided some better thing for us. For us, says Paul. What is that better thing? And who is the us here? And then we say, well, better than what? Well, better than what the Old Testament saints had then. And the us here is Paul and the people to whom he's writing, those first readers of this letter, the Hebrew believers, and us who read that letter today. So all the saints since Paul and all the saints in the future. God having provided something better for us, in order that they, without us, should not be made perfect. This would be better translated like this. So that they, not without us, should be made perfect. So that they, those Old Testament saints, not without us, should be made perfect. When you read it that way, that's the proper way, and there's no contrast between those Old Testament saints and the New Testament saints. They lived by faith and they died in faith. Believers today live by faith and die in faith. It's true. They had the promise of the Messiah, and we in the New Testament have the fulfillment of that promise, at least a partial fulfillment. But they, as well as New Testament believers, are still looking for complete salvation. And that will occur only when the Lord Jesus Christ returns on the clouds of heaven. And only at that time, those Old Testament saints and the New Testament saints will be made perfect. A glorious resurrection of the body and ever be with the Lord Jesus Christ. So as they lived by faith, so dear believers, we live by faith in the promises of God Almighty in the Gospel. And those promises include, think about it for a moment, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit for every believer. Justification, sanctification, glorification. It's all promised. It's all promised to every believer. Promises include the complete salvation of your whole being, body, and soul. Peter writes about that in 1 Peter 1 verse 9, receiving the end or the goal of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Here it's put this way, so that they, not without us, you could say, so that they with us, should be made perfect. Those Old Testament saints and the New Testament saints, all together, shall be made perfect, complete in Christ Jesus. Yes, in a certain sense, we are complete in Him now. In another sense, we are not. One day, dear It shall be so. So let's not make a huge disconnect between Old Testament and New Testament. There isn't. There's no disconnect between Old Testament saints and New Testament saints. Scripture doesn't divide them. Let us not do it either. Today, sinners are saved the same way that those Old Testament saints were saved, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are Abraham's seed, dear child of God, as well as they were, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They persevered, and we will too, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember always, faith is a gift, a free gift, from God himself. So as we come to a close this morning, I have some questions for all of us. And if you answer yes to these questions, it is only because God Almighty, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and the working of the Holy Spirit, has given you freely the gift of faith. And if you must answer no to these questions, I would say, come to Christ today. He says, come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Come to Christ today and receive his free gifts. There are some questions for us to consider. Do you believe the Word of God? You say, what kind of a question is that to ask church people? Of course we believe the Word of God. Of course we believe the Bible. Really? Do you believe the God of the Word? Everything He says? Do you believe the precious Gospel? of Jesus Christ? By that I mean, do you trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your only hope for the salvation of your soul? Is that your only hope? Do you believe the promises of God's Holy Word? Do you believe that God reveals Himself in this Holy Word, especially in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ? The Old Testament saints, they gave evidence of their faith by their life, their lifestyle, their actions and their reactions. Does your life show that? Does your life show that you are connected with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself by faith alone? It will show that if you are living dependently on Him, confidently in Him, living at His throne of grace. Are you taking refuge to the hope set before you in the preaching of the gospel? That hope set before you being none other than Christ Jesus, the Lord? Are you casting all your cares on Him, knowing that He cares for you, as Peter puts it in one of his letters? And going right back to verse 1 of chapter 11, Are you confident of things hoped for? And are you certain of things not seen? By faith? Because God revealed it in His Holy Word. If you answer yes to these things, I say it again, it is because God Almighty through Jesus Christ has given you the blessing, the grace of faith. And if you must answer no, that gift can be yours today. When you come to Christ Jesus and to Him alone, calling out like that man in the back of the temple, Be merciful to me, the sinner. Amen. We sing in response to God's word, number 87. Jehovah from his throne on high looks down with clear and searching eye. All three verses, number 87. so ♪ And blessed heart and mind ♪ ♪ Love and care and love alone and kind ♪ ♪ Love and love and love alone ♪ ♪ Love is the faith of my people ♪ you Let's pray together. O Lord our God, thy word is so precious. Thy word makes clear to us, O Lord, that thy people by faith shall live, a faith that unites and connects us to the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank thee, Lord, for this list of witnesses in Hebrews chapter 11, where we see that it is all by faith, that gift from God, that they did what they did, that they suffered what they suffered. they endured to the end that they died in faith. Lord, bless us, we pray, with that rich, blessed gift of faith. And as Thy disciples said, Lord Jesus, increase our faith. Lord, we acknowledge that, having received faith from Thee, we often waver. We often live so far from our privileges that we have in Christ Jesus, to whom we are united by faith. For we pray for thy people, that they may grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And be with those, Lord, who are still going their own way, going for their own account away from Jesus, strangers to thy grace. O Lord, that this may be the day of Thy sovereign good pleasure, I would reach down mightily and would stop them in their tracks and turn them to Christ Jesus the Lord, the only safe place for sinner souls. Lord, be with us as we leave this place. Keep us safe. Bring us safely back again later on today as we consider the following verses. which speak to us of being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, and running the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and considering Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself. Lord God bless us. Keep us, we pray, because Pastor Mordyke, as he preaches the word today in Jordan, Ontario, bless thy servant there, bless his ministry to thy people there, and bring him safely back again, too, at the appointed time. Take care of us, we pray. Keep us from sinning. Forgive our many sins in Jesus' name.