30th January 2023

30th January 2023


Pray (ACts)


Read - Hebrews 11:11-12 (You’ll need to use a KJV or ESV as the 84NIV for some reason it focuses on Abraham)


Message Alan Burke 


Have you done enough today so that the scales are dipped in the right way? You might think that is a strange way to start a devotion but more often than not it is what I am confronted with is that many people are trying to work harder, be better, do more, achieve more and all the while hoping that we will have done enough to pease God. Is your walk with the Lord like you are on a never ending treadmill, of trying to be good, nice, in some way earn God’s love because you think that if He knows you like you know yourself and He’s anything like you’ve little or no chance.  


Well if that is you then the words “By Faith Sarah” should give you comfort, for there are many a think that both she and Abraham got up to that seem to say the least incredulous, unbelievable, impossible, incredible, unthinkable. What ever way you want to put it, with what ever words you can come up with, for from our perspective if this was your ordinary Joe or Jane from Killyleagh Street we’d be tempted to think that neither of them should be listed in Hebrews 11. 


Yet those words of verse 11, “By Faith Sarah”, actually each time it is said throughout Hebrews 11 and of those whom it is said of should give us comfort for all these men and women of faith in Hebrews were more than conquerers through Christ Jesus. For the message of Hebrews 11 isn’t be like those listed there, nor is todays message isn’t be like Sarah, rather the message for all of us is to us is to trust in the promises of God. To trust in Jesus Christ. For they as we are justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone just like Sarah. 


She looked to the one who was promised who would come, we look to the one who has come and will come again. We have the benefit of knowing much more of what God has done and was doing, for Christ has come. For those before he came, the saints of the Old Testament they trusted in the promises of God, of the one that would come. Sarah was saved by the work of Christ and we are saved by the work of Christ. That is wonderful news for if we were looking to tip the scales we haven’t got hope, if we think that what we need to do is try harder, work harder, be better, do more, achieve more, just that little bit extra will some how please God then we will never have assurance. But for those who have faith in Christ then they have a righteousness that is by faith from first to last (Rom 1:17). The wages of our sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 6:23).


Lets not forget what verse 13 goes on to say, 13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For it wasn’t just a son that Sarah was looking forward to, it was the hope of the glorious fulfilment of the promises of God that were first given to Adam and Eve in the Garden. Sarah too was looking to the Christ, for the promises given to Abraham and Sarah were not fulfilled in their entirety in their lives, yet they knew that the promises of God were unshakable and would come to pass and that the Christ would come. 


While in this life we will fail constantly, we will make a mess of things, we will have to live with the consequences, we know that God has prepared a heavenly city for us that is ours in Christ Jesus. We will when this life comes to its end dwell there with our Father without sin, doubt, fear, pain, sorrow, disappointment or what ever else it may be for that is our hope. We have faith which the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, faith in Christ Jesus our Lord (Heb 11:1).


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q63 Which is the fifth commandment?
The fifth commandment is, Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. (Exod. 20:12)
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