How to Live by Faith

How to Live by Faith
Hebrews 11:6-16
February 5-6, 2022

Today, I'd like you to open the Hebrews chapter 11. We'll just take a very short break from our regular study. I really want us to look at Hebrews 11 for the importance and significance of what it says about walking in faith is so important in the times in which we now live. The title of our message is How to Live by Faith. Let's pray. Lord, we come now with our hearts open to You, to Your Word, because we know that You use it in our lives. You send it with purpose. You anoint it by Your Spirit. You stir us up by it.

You draw us to Yourself and show us the way to walk. God, we open our heart to receive from You now? In Jesus' name, amen. Many sports have what is called a hall of fame. These are the greats, the best of the best, who have accomplished great feats of courage or endurance or determination or sheer grit who have stood out above the others in the isles of sports history. Baseball, for example, you will recognize Babe Ruth or Dizzy Dean or Lou Gehrig, greats of baseball, but there are others who've accomplished wonderful, amazing things you've probably never heard of.

For example, Hans Kammerlander. Probably never heard of Hans, but he, as recorded, the fastest ascent of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. 29,000 feet, which he scaled in 16 hours and 45 minutes all without extra oxygen. You're supposed to go, "Whoa."

Congregation: Whoa.

Exactly. Then there's Diana Nyad who swam 112 miles from Havana, Cuba to Key West Florida and did so at the age of 62 years old.

Congregation: Whoa.

I know. Exactly. Then there's Dennis Kipruto Kimetto. You've probably not heard of Dennis Kipruto Kimetto, but he is the world record holder for running the fastest marathon, 26.2 miles in just over two hours. That's 13 miles an hour for 26 miles. That is running a mile in four and a half minutes for 26 miles straight.

Congregation: Wow.

That's what I'm talking about. In the Bible, there's also a hall of fame. We call it the hall of faith. Hebrews 11 is that place where the heroes of faith who accomplished great feats, but the significance of what they accomplished was eternal in nature. See, there were men and women who influenced the world and accomplished great things because of their faith, because they trusted God and God, therefore, did great things. In other words, they didn't just believe, their faith became the driving force of their life.

They relied on God in what they accomplished. Now, they were ordinary people like you and me, not perfect for sure. In fact, some of their failures are epic, but they believed God and made all the in their lives and in the world around them. See, it's interesting that while each of these were common ordinary sinners, there is no mention of their sin or of their failures in this chapter. It's like God gave them a second opportunity, a second chance, and what He celebrates, what He highlights is the victory of their faith.

Now, that's so encouraging because there, we can relate to our story. Hebrews 10:17 says, "Their sins and lawless deeds, I will remember no more." That is such an encouraging word because your story isn't over yet either. God is still writing your story and if you have sins or failures, it's not done. The story's not over. God can rebuild. God can use you to do great things and what He will celebrate is the victory of your faith when you stand up, when you arise in Him, and when you move forward because of your faith.

I. These are the Days of Noah

See, people who are strong in faith arise, they get up, they move, they're men because of their faith. They are people who move upon they impact the world around them. See, instead of being drawn by the world, by the people around them, they are strong in their faith. They lead by example, they lead by influence. They make a difference in the world around them. It's a great lesson. These heroes of faith inspire us. Let's read it. We're in Hebrews 11, we'll begin reading in verse 6 and just read 10 verses.

I begin by reading perhaps one of the most famous verses having to do with faith in the entire Bible, Hebrews 11:6, "Without faith, it is impossible to please Him." Which is to say, it is impossible. Without faith, you can't please Him. "for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Then he begins to speak of these heroes of faith. He's mentioned some already, but now he begins to speak verse 7 of Noah.

"By faith, Noah being warned by God about things not yet seen," which is to say, being warned about yet to come in the future, "in reverence or in respect of God prepared an Ark for the salvation of his household, by which God condemned the world and became an heir or an inheritor of the righteousness, which is according to faith." Now there is a deep verse and tremendous implications for us. We are also inheritors of righteousness. Then it mentions Abraham verse 8, "By faith, Abraham, when he was called obeyed."

By faith. "By going out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance." We know it today is the nation of Israel, "and he went out not knowing where he was going." He walked by faith. "By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise in a foreign land, dwelling, in tents with Isaac, his son, and Jacob, his grandson, fellow heirs of the same promise." Now, this is a key verse, very interesting. "For he was looking for that city, which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God." Not an earthly city, but a heavenly one.

Verse 11, "By faith, even Sarah," Abraham's wife, "herself received the ability to conceive even beyond the proper time of life." Yeah, she was 90 years old. You could call that, for sure, beyond the time people have a baby, "but by faith, she considered Him faithful who had promised. Therefore, also, there was born of one man," Abraham," and him as good as dead at that," He was like 100, "as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore."

All these died in faith without receiving the promises, having seen them and welcomed them. In other words, they've tasted of them and then having confessed that they were strangers and exiles in this earth. For those who say such things, make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. Indeed, if they had been thinking of the country from which they had gone out, they could have returned. As it is, they desire something better, a better country. This is very important. That is to say a heavenly one.

Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God. "For He has prepared a city for them." Very important, these verses and how they are to be applied to our lives starting with this understanding. These are the days of Noah. We are living in days the Scripture describes as very similar to, and in fact, it says, these are the days of Noah in a very similar way. In those days of the days of Noah, people were eating and drinking and going about their business and their minds were turned towards evil continually. They were oblivious to these spiritual implications.

Noah, being warned in advance. See, this is so important. The name Noah has a meaning in Hebrew. It means rest. It tells us that his parents gave him that name saying, "This one shall give us rest from our work and the toil of our hands." I think a lot of parents have named their kids with that thought in mind.

Now, interestingly, in the Scriptures, a lot of characters in the Old Testament uncommonly, we can see that there are a picture of Jesus Christ. Noah is not a picture of Jesus Christ. Rather, he's a picture of a believer in Jesus Christ. He's a picture of those who trust in. See, a rest in. His name actually has deep spiritual importance to rest in the work of salvation that God did. No man earns his way to salvation. You rest in the work that God did. See, Noah's Ark is a symbol of Jesus Christ for He is a refuge from the gathering storm that will culminate in the judgment of the world.

He is that Ark which saves and only those who enter the Ark will be saved. I am the way I am the truth. I am the life Jesus said. No man comes to the Father, but by Me. Now notice this also, these are the days of Noah and we must recognize them. This truth similarly applies God warns in advance as he did in Noah's day. By faith, Noah, being warned by God of things not yet seen, of things yet to come in the future. There will be a great outpouring of trouble upon the world. He was warned in advance and I suggest to you that we are living in times very similarly.

That God gives a warning in advance that you would watch for the signs of the times. That there will be great troubles that will be arising on the earth and many with spiritual discernment can sense it even now. There is a great arising of spiritual darkness in the world, but He warns in advance of the condition of things that will be. Notice Matthew 24:12 and 37. Jesus is teaching because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. He's speaking here of a love of God. Lawlessness, unrighteousness, worldliness will increase in the latter days to such a point that many people will turn away from God.

A. God warns in advance

"For," then He says, "the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. Noah was warned by God about things not yet seen. By faith then, he responded to it. There will be a cataclysmic destruction. He warns in events. Now, if the world does not end in a cataclysmic judgment event in your lifetime or mine, the moment that you die is the end of the world for you. The question is, are you ready to enter into eternity? God is speaking of a time yet to come. Every person He warns in advance that everyone will give an account of his life. In fact, He says this in acts 17:30-31.

I love these verses, but they are so powerful. God is now declaring that all people everywhere should repent because He has fixed a day. He's speaking of a time to come. He's fixed a day it's fixed, in which He will judge the world in righteousness, through a man whom he has appointed, that's Jesus Christ. Having furnished proof, having furnished evidence to all men by raising Jesus from the dead. God has made a way of salvation. You're going to have a day. Someday everyone will stand and give an account of his life. We must then give an account of what did we do when God gave this Word.

B. Influence those around you – by faith

I give you this opportunity for salvation. I sent my son. He is the Ark by which when you enter in, you will become an heir and inheritor of righteousness, which is according to faith. Then we see this also in the life of Noah, a man who walked by faith. It's this by faith, influence those around you by faith, be an influencer. In fact, that's become a word today. There are influencers on social media, those people who've got a great following. Sometimes they have millions of followers and they're now called influencers. It's a new hip word. Is hip a word?

It was a word when I was growing up it, whatever fashion the word. An influencer is someone who influences. I tell you what, it's an awesome responsibility to be an influencer. Noah was an influencer. He wasn't a follower. He didn't follow the crowd. He didn't follow the direction because the world was going in the wrong direction. The mass of the crowd was going in the wrong direction and he did not follow. Which is interesting because it is the very nature of man to follow, to want to be part of the crowd. It's part of human nature.

I remember when we used to do a lot of traveling to Russia back in the '90s. We had all these events and things we would do, but we'd have breaks where I would try to find some shopping for the kids or trinkets or whatever. You go in these stores and whatever they had these glass displays and you have to just look through them because you have no idea what you might find, all assortment of things. It was very interesting what happened. I'd noticed this, you go through and peruse and if somebody finds something interesting, they'll stand there and look at it through the glass a long time.

As they're standing there looking at it, other people will notice that he's looking. They'll say, "Wonder what he's looking at." Then pretty soon you got three or four people gathered around all looking to see what he was looking at. Then other people in the store say, Look at those people, looking at that." They all come over then pretty soon you got a whole crowd of 10 or 12 all looking to see what that guy was looking at. It's part of the nature of man. I remember when I was a student at Oregon State University and a crisis came into my life.

Many I think can relate to this part of the story. Out of high school, went to college on my own, left my family all friends behind on my own and there is a longing to belong. I made a mistake. I joined a fraternity and I say that's a mistake. Now today they have Christian fraternities and sororities that would've helped me tremendously. I joined this fraternity and it was a mistake because now we're all ignorantly traveling a path of destruction together. Then I became the president of the fraternity.

I'm the influencer, but I'm influencing them and I'm leading this thing and it's all going in the wrong direction. Then one day I couldn't do it anymore. There's a moment, there's a time when your eyes open something you just see it, something happened. I couldn't do this anymore. I remember waking up on a Sunday morning. It's like my soul was so disturbed. We had a big party the night before and one of my friends was so bloom and drunk that he tried to ram his head into the wall. I ended up just holding him until he passed out and I went to bed just so disturbed.

What am I doing? Is this my life? Has my life come to this? I woke up the next morning and I walked out to the front porch. I remember this so distinctly it was a beautiful Sunday morning. I remember my shoes sticking to the floor as I walked through the beer. I stood up there and there was something in my heart that just said, God, I can't do this anymore. I miss you. I miss the life that I had. I went back to my room, found my Bible, which I am ashamed to say, took me a little time, got in my car. I didn't even know where a church was. I just started driving.

I found a church. I pulled in the parking lot and they were already worshiping. I came in, I sat down and I just sat there and I just started crying. Oh, it's so beautiful to be home. It's so beautiful to be back. I went alone that day, but then started inviting others. I'm going to be an influencer. I'm going to be an influencer for something right. Noah lived during a time of wickedness. The thoughts of their minds were always in evil intent. Though he was living in a time, he did not follow the crowd instead he spoke into the crowd.

He spoke into it. He became am an influencer. In fact, it says he became a preacher of righteousness. 2 Peter 2:5, God preserved Noah a preacher of righteousness with seven others, his family. When He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly. He continued, even though they did not listen. Only his family received the Word. Everyone rebuffed him. They rebuffed him. They rejected the idea, but he never stopped. He went on and on and on speaking into it. He spoke into it. Even if they wouldn't listen, he spoke into it because you never know.

I mentioned this Wednesday and it bears repeating. We have a thing that we do here in our church called Welcome Weekend. We're actually going to have one of these events coming up in early April. It's an opportunity for the church to be inviters. You know anyone broken, you know anyone that's hurting, you know anyone who needs an opportunity to respond to the gospel. Be inviters, invite the broken, invite hurting. We're going to have an opportunity for the gospel to be declared. People are going to respond. People are going to come forward.

People are going to make declarations of faith in Jesus Christ to rededicate their lives, and it's always wonderful to see the church doing it. They become inviters and they start sharing with the people around them. Here's the thing I want you to know in advance. There are many people who will rebuff you. There are many people who say, "Well, that's not for me. Thank you very much, not for me." Fine, that's true. Just like in Noah's day there are many people rebuffed, but I'll tell you there are always some who are just waiting for someone to care enough to invite them.

To have an opportunity to do something because there's many people who are at the very same point that I was at, at that fraternity that day I can't do this anymore. Is this my life? Is this what its come to? I can't do this anymore. There's many people like that. They just need to know that someone cares enough to give them an opportunity. You never know, be an influencer. You never know what it might impact, who it might impact. Even if it impacts one person is worth it. Most certainly impact your sphere. Everyone has a sphere of influence.

Make an impact on that sphere, your own children. Speak into their life, speak into them, fight for them. I'll tell you why, this world will eat them up and chew them out. Speak into them, speak into them. Abraham Lincoln once credited his mother with instilling in him his character, his character is famous. My mother instilled that. Paul mentioned Timothy's mother and grandmother by name because of their influence. 2 Timothy 1:5. Paul writes, "I am mindful of the sincere faith within you which first was in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and I'm sure that it is in you as well," because they spoke it.

II. By Faith be Men of Action

They influenced him. Whatever your sphere of influence, God wants you to walk by faith to speak into it. See, so many people they go through their life oblivious but there's so much hurt. There's so much brokenness in this world. He wants to open our eyes to see. People just need to know that you care. Now back to our story in Hebrew 11 we also see this, that by faith be men of action. Men of faith are men and women of action. By faith Noah, taking God at his word, took action, built the Ark.

By faith, Abraham was called to leave the home, the land of his family and to go to a place he'd never seen. By faith he obeyed, he took action. Faith moves in other words, Faith takes action. Faith does things. Faith makes a difference in the way the life has lived. When Abraham was living in that land, God called him to show a place. He trusted God, he took action though he had never seen that land. He simply trusted God. In other words, let's say it this way. Walk by faith and not by sight. Walk by faith, it's a great way to live.

You'll see the way God moves. The way God constructs. God moves in ways you cannot see but God moves. You walk by faith and not by sight. A lot of people want to walk by sight. "Give me a blueprint. Tell me what to do. Tell me how this thing's going to end. Tell me the course. Tell me the whole plan. Give me the agenda. Give me a text message, God. Give me something. Tell me what this thing is going to be." God doesn't work that way. He doesn't tell you in advance how everything's going to work out.

He expects that you walk by faith trusting him every step of the way watching as he constructs. Even the things that you think are against you, God can use for his glory. Let me give you a tremendously important example. Many of you know that the church was born in Jerusalem, Pentecost. As the Holy Spirit was poured out, thousands came to faith in Jesus Christ in one day, and something beautiful happened. Beautiful. The church was born and they enjoyed the communion, the meals together, the fellowship, the worshiping, the praying. It was a beautiful time in Jerusalem.

Then another outpouring and thousands more came. It was a beautiful time in Jerusalem. Then tragedy struck. A great persecution arose against the believers there in Jerusalem. It was a very harsh persecution that scattered the believers, throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, and beyond. Now at first, no doubt that the church responded. This is a tragedy of epic proportions but God used it. For those who were scattered abroad, took with them the gospel wherever they went, began to speak into those cities, into those villages.

It began to move and bring a revival so that the whole world became impacted by the gospel that was set forth. Born out of that persecution. One of those that was scattered abroad was a man named Philip. As he was going from village to village preaching the gospel, an Angel of the Lord spoke to him told him to go out onto a desert road that leads from Gaza to Jerusalem. Didn't tell him what to expect. Didn't tell him what was going to happen. Just go to this desert road. He goes there and who should he run into on this desert road but a court official from Ethiopia who had come to Jerusalem to hear more about this God.

There he obtained a copy of the scrolls of the Old Testament. As he's returning on his way back from Jerusalem, as he's traveling in his chariot, he pauses and he's opening a scroll. I can just imagine he's like, "I just got to read this. I just got to read this. I got to scroll." He is opening the scroll and it just so happens that he's reading from the book of Isaiah. It just so happens that he is reading from chapter 53 of the book of Isaiah. It just so happens that at that very moment when he is reading Isaiah 53 from the book of Isaiah, that Philip should come by on the road.

Philip hearing him reading from Isaiah 53, says to him, "Do you know what you are reading?" The man says, "How can I unless someone explained it to me." Philip explained to him. Do you know what's interesting, there is no better chapter in the entire Old Testament that describes the ministry and work of Jesus Christ than Isaiah 53. There is no better chapter. It is the most detailed explicit clear detailed description of the fulfillment that God would bring of the Messiah through Jesus Christ. There is no better chapter.

It just so happened that he was reading Isaiah, and it just so happened he was reading Isaiah 53. The very moment that Philip was walking by who was told by the spirit to go onto this desert road. This is the moving of God. This is how God moves by his hand on your life. When you walk by faith, watch for it, see it. This is God moving, watch for it. Then after he explained to him what Isaiah 53 was about, and how it was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the man says to him, "Here is water, what prevents me from being baptized?"

He was baptized into the name of Jesus Christ. He went back to Ethiopia with the gospel. An amazing revival church was born in Ethiopia the greatest revival in the continent of Africa, all because of God moving. Men of faith are men of action. Men and women, but they are also men and women of faith. In other words, they are men and women of action because of their faith. They do what they do out of a desire to honor God in their lives. It's not just what you believe, it's what you do with that belief. Many people can describe what they believe but what do you do with that belief?

A. Walk by faith and not by sight

How does it impact your life? See, we walk by faith and not by sight means that as you walk by faith, your faith tells you how to walk. As you walk by faith, your faith tells you how to walk. In other words, when you walk by faith, it matters how you walk. Walk according to your faith. Walk according to the character of God, it's a beautiful way to live. Let me give you a great verse Colossians 1:9-10, "We have not ceased to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

So that you will walk in a manner that is worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." What an amazing description of walking, according to your faith. I'm asking that you be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom, and that you would walk in a manner, in other words, how you walk, how you live, worthy of the Lord, honoring Him, pleasing Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, increasing in the knowledge of God.

B. Faith looks to the reward

As you walk the course, you're speaking, you're blessing, doing good, edifying, encouraging. As you walk the course, that's who you are. You bless, you edify, you do good. You're always watching. God is always showing you how to bless, how to speak, how to speak a word of life, how to speak a word that edifies, how to do good, how to bless those around you. There's a lot of hurting broken people, and God will show you who they are. Bless them. Edify them, speak into them, because I tell you, there are so many people that go through their whole lives looking to see who's going to bless them.

"I need, I need, I need, who's going to help me with my need." Let God help you with your need. Let God strengthen the inner man within you. Let Him pour His Holy Spirit out and heal the hurts and wounds. He's the one who will rebuild your soul. When He has rebuilt your soul, then you speak life. In the manner in which you walk, walk by doing every good work, pleasing Him in every respect. How you walk matters. Some people believe that the end justifies the means, you've heard this phrase. The end justifies the means.

In other words, long as you're accomplishing something, it doesn't matter how you do it. Not so. This is a journey of walking one step at a time, and each step along the way, walk in a manner that is worthy. Pleasing Him in every respect. You may have a worthy goal, but if you're hurting people along the way, this is not God's way. This is not God's way to walk. Now, you bless people along the way, and how you walk matters. Trust God with the outcome. The object that you're trying to accomplish is good. Well trust God, character matters, how you walk matters.

To quote from the famous Westley from the movie, Princess Bride, I love this quote, "We are men of action, lies do not become us." I love that quote. We are men of action, lies do not become us. That's not how you walk, lies, compromised character, lack of integrity, they do not become a son or daughter of the living God. Amen.

 If you're walking by faith, then you're walking because of your faith, and you should walk inside your way that God's heart and God's character comes through how you walk. Then lastly, we'll close with this, "Faith looks to the reward." There's an interesting and intriguing theme that runs through these Chapters. It's an aspect of faith, or perhaps a part of the reason for faith is looking to the reward that God has in store for those who believe. Let me give you just a summary of some verses that speak to it.

Chapter 10:35, "Do not throw away your confidence which has a great reward." Chapter 11:6 we read, "He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Chapter 11:9-10, "Abraham lived as an alien in the land of promise dwelling in tents, looking for a city whose foundation, architect and builder is God." Not an earthly city, a heavenly one. Chapter 11:13-14, "All these died in faith without receiving the promises, but having seen them in a distance, tasted them, and having confessed that they're strangers, and exiles on this earth.

For those who say such things, make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own." Not of the country from which they came, they could go back there, but something better, something greater. We're all strangers here. We're all exiles on this earth. This earth is not our home. We're just a passing through. We have a home, and those who trust in God have their heart turned toward it. Don't get too comfortable here. This earth is not your home, we're strangers and aliens here. There's nothing here on this earth that will satisfy your soul.

There is built into all of us, a great looking forward aspect to our nature. What is that? There's always a looking forward. When you're young, you'll look forward to getting your driver's license. "Oh, if I could just get my driver's license, then I'll be free. I can drive. The world will open up to me." Then later, always looking forward, "If I could just graduate from high school, I'll be free my parents. Then everything will be great in my life." Then, "If I could just start my career, if I could just get my college done," just always looking forward.

Then, "If I could just get married it would solve all of my problems."

I few married among us, I see.

Then always longing, "Oh, they want to have a child." If we could just have a child. Then later, if that child could just sleep through the night. There's always a longing, always a looking forward. Then, "Geez, can't wait to retire. If I could just retire." Always looking forward. What is that? In fact, here's an interesting thing, if you don't have something to look forward to, many people find themselves in a crisis. They have nothing to look forward to, their world comes crumbling down. Why? Because there's built into the human soul, a great looking forward.

Why? Because there's a longing in the soul to be satisfied. The soul wants to be satisfied. It's looking, always looking, but I suggest to you that there is nothing in this earth that can satisfy the soul. There's a lot of things in this earth that will satisfy the flesh, or at least try. The flesh is never satisfied, but there's nothing on the earth that can satisfy the longing, and desire of the soul for the soul long for something better. Something greater than this world. The soul is made to be satisfied in God, and God alone.

Let me give you an interesting analogy. In the year 410 AD, something happened that people thought would never happen. Rome, the city was sacked and pillaged brought to its knees, and defeated. Those in that time, in that time were shocked. Unfathomable, the great Rome, how is it even possible? It was called the Eternal City, and it sent such a shock wave that Augustine wrote a book in response to it called, The City of God.

The thesis of the book is you put your hope in the wrong city, that's what. I suggest to you that there is a modern analogy, the sacking and defeat of Rome. Rome being brought to its knees 410 BC has a modern analogy. It would be as if the United States was brought to its knees, unfathomable, impossible. The great America, the greatest nation on the face of the world, the great power, the wealthiest, how is it possible. There is an interesting arising today of a change in the world order. There is an alignment now between Russia and China that I suggest has epic spiritual and prophetic implications.

For the Scripture describes that there will be a vast army that comes from the north of more than a million coming against Israel and they will be defeated. If it were not for the intervening hand of God when God sends his son the Messiah and redeemer of Israel to intervene, but how is it possible that such a vast power could arise? I suggest to you only because that which stands to check and contain it today, which is America and the West is one day brought to its knees. Unfathomable, but we are seeing before our eyes the weakening of this nation. Can we not see it?

Augustine wrote this book and I suggest to you that his thesis has every implication for the times in which we're living. You put your hope in the wrong city. If you put your hope in America, you put your hope in the wrong city. He wrote then of two cities, the earthly city, and the city of God, that's the name of the book, The City of God. The earthly city consists of those who have immersed themselves in the cares and pleasures of this present passing world. They find their greatest treasure is here, it's here on earth that they look to fill the longing of their heart.

Those who are of the city of God have fixed their eyes toward heaven, their greatest treasure is there. They look for that reward. Their future and their hope is fixed on heaven. Settle this matter, for those who have their hearts fixed on heaven know that there's something beyond this world, some great longing is satisfied only in God. They have turned their heart toward home. We have a home. This world is not it. We're strangers and exiles here. We have a home, and we've turned our heart toward home, and now we're walking home.

It's a long walk, but God will walk with you on the way. When you fix your heart, you know the direction in which you are walking. It's a beautiful way to live, not an easy way because the journey in the path is through a wicked and dark world, but I'll walk with you. I will not leave you, I will not forsake you, I will walk with you on the path of this journey. When you get done walking, you will find yourself home in the presence of your Lord. That is where my heart is fixed. I know in whom I have believed and I have turned my heart toward heaven and there is no turning back.

Let's pray. Father, we do thank You and honor You for how beautiful it is to walk by faith, not easy but beautiful, for You walk with us in it. Oh God, move upon us now, help us to settle this matter. Church how many today would say to the Lord, "I know where my hope is found, it's not here, it's not in this world. My hope is found in heaven. I've turned my heart toward home, and that's where I'm walking." Would you say that to the Lord? By just raising your hand, you're just going to declare it.

I just want to say God, "I've settled this. I know where my home is. I've turned my heart toward home and I'm just going to keep on walking. Thank You for walking with me in it. Father, thank you for everyone who stirred of the Lord, who understands that You're speaking life through Your Word, we honor You now in it in Jesus' name and everyone said. Can we give the Lord, praise and glory and honor, Amen.