August 19, 2007 Hebrews 11:8-10, 13-16

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Faith is a complex thing and yet a simple thing. It is simple in it's focus - solely looking at the life, death, and resurrection of Christ and the promises of holiness and salvation that come through Him. It is complex in it's response. Whereas it led Noah to build a boat to float on water, it led Moses to raise his staff and part water, it led Peter to walk on water, and Jesus to turn water into wine. It led Joshua to walk around a city seven times and slaughter it's inhabitants, whereas it led other Israelites to slaughter lambs and smear the blood over their doorposts. In different people and circumstances it leads to different responses and reactions. Chapter 11 of Hebrews is a literal walk through the Hall of Faith - the Heroes of faith - example after example in the Old Testament of God's people of faith. In explaining what faith "does" it gives all kinds of different scenarios and examples.

Today's focus is on the most prominent example of them all - the father of faith - Abraham - and the example that he brings. As we look at this text and see this example of faith, we naturally are led to ask the question, "How can I follow in Abraham's footsteps?" The answer is NOT to simply follow Abraham's actions and ask, "what would Abraham do?" Why not? The Lord has not called us to leave Ur of the Chaldeans. He has nor promised us the land of Israel. GOD had his own role for Abraham - one that is different than His role for us. Again, faith works differently in different people. Instead, as we look at his example we will examine the "why" of his faith. What motivated him to do what he did? That is the key to looking at faith.

The Faith of Abraham is a Sight to See

I. When looking at the "what" we are amazed at what we see

In Matthew 7:16-18 Jesus said, "By their fruit you will recognize them. . . . Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. . . . By their fruit you will recognize them." Since we are not given the spiritual eyes that can read a man's heart, Jesus calls on us to judge the tree by it's fruit. We are limited to tell a man by his words and actions. Before we emulate anyone or even have the desire to do so, we need to be impressed by what we see them doing. Abraham is meant to be impressive to us. Even though we are not called by God to follow his "what" - it is still impressive to see just exactly what God called Abraham to do. The fruit is impressive indeed. It will impress even the most novice in the faith.

So let's look at what Abraham did. He was called on by God to leave Ur of the Chaldeans and head to what he was told was the "Promised Land." Scriptures do not tell us what Ur of the Chaldeans was like and there is some debate as to where Ur of the Chaldeans was. I don't imagine that it was a bad place to live. Abram's forefathers seemed to have grown up there and build up a little equity for themselves. It isn't beyond reason that they had built some nice homes and had plenty of land to call their own. Yet God called him to leave his friends and extended family behind to a place that he was told was the "land I will show you". That's all that the Scriptures say. The "flowing milk and honey" aspect of the land was not mentioned until years later in the first chapter of Exodus. Initially all Abram may have known about his land of promise is that it could have been nothing more than Solomon's 20 towns of Cabul that he gave to Hiram. (1 Kings 9) Yet Abraham obeyed and went. At the age of 75 he left from Haran and headed to the promised land of Canaan which ended up being a journey of at least 500 miles on foot or the back of a camel or donkey.

This is not all. When he got there he found the land infested with Canaanites. Come to find out he would not own one foot of land throughout his entire lifetime. Stephen said in Acts 7:5, "He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child." Abraham had to spend the remainder of his years in a tent without any land to call his own! Think about that. Imagine what it is like to go camping. You might enjoy the change of scenery for a day or two - or even for a week. But imagine spending the rest of your life in a tent - having to move your animals from place to place for miles and miles to continually find green pastureland. What kind of a kitchen did Sarah have in that tent? Do you think that Abram had his own private bathroom to go to? His own hot tub? His own air conditioned and shingled camel skin tent with an inflatable bed made out of sheepskin? Hardly! For the rest of his life he and Sarah were bound to live under the heat of the sun and the cold of the night. Sarah had to give birth out in the open plains of Canaan without an air conditioned room, doctors, or sterilized utensils to aid in her delivery. Even with Abraham's eventual army and cattle, this was no easy lifestyle that they were called to. Yet Abraham and Sarah did exactly as the LORD told them to do - even though they really didn't know what they were headed into.

This is what faith does. It goes where the LORD calls it to go. It doesn't matter how much work it will take. It doesn't care whether the LORD's calling involves air conditioning or whether it is a comfortable living. Paul didn't ask whether the desert of Damascus had running water or a retirement plan. Samuel didn't ask whether his life under the prophet Eli would carry dental insurance. Jesus did not take his call to be Savior of the world only if He would have a palace to live in on the outskirts of Bethlehem. He didn't look at the manger and say, "I'm not being born in that thing!" He knew what His call involved - suffering, death and hell, and He went.

You probably won't be called on by God to go to Canaan or the wooden cross. Yet faith emulates Abraham in different ways. When God calls a man to feed and care for his wife, the man of faith does not decide whether to do this based on whether his wife is a nag or not. When God calls a wife to serve her husband, she doesn't base her service on whether her husband appreciates her or not. Christian spouses do not chicken out of a marriage when the other half gains fifty pounds and turns into a grump. Faith concerns itself with only one thing, "what does the LORD want me to do." It doesn't care about whether it is uncomfortable or not. In faith, believers cling to those crosses and live with them. Like Abraham, faithful Christians go wherever the LORD tells it to go. They change diapers that need changed. They out the cat litter, make the bed, paint the walls, go to worship - doing whatever they are asked to do in the realm and place he or she is put. People of faith are only concerned about doing what the LORD calls on them to do as a father, mother, son, daughter, worker or employer.

If you are a person of strong faith, you will do these things without complaint. If you have the faith of Abraham you will not ask for the details or need extra incentive. You will do what God calls on you to do without dragging your heels or complaining about how old or tired you are. But when your faith does not match up to Abraham's you will complain and find every excuse as to why you can't play with your children, why you just can't be nice to your wife, why you just can't serve your husband. You will talk about how mean your parents are, how demanding your spouse is, how unthankful and difficult it is to do what you are being asked to do at work. You will walk around with a sullen look on your face and talk to your friends about what a rough life you have and how oppressed you are. Abraham seemed to have gone to the Promised Land before knowing anything about it. He lived there even after he found out he personally would not own it. He did not return home, even though he could have. Are you that kind of person - one who is doing selfless and sacrificial actions of faith - one who is sticking to the calling you have in life and not backing out - even after it isn't turning out like you thought it would? Abraham is to be your role model - your example to which you say, "I want to be like him."

Yet I would venture to bet that your sinful nature would rather just give up at this point and simply use the excuse, "I'm just a sinner. I can't do as well as Abraham. I'll just have to do the best I can. God will just have to accept me the way that I am." That's not good enough for God. He wants you to be perfect - not just to try hard. These examples of faith are meant to motivate us to repent of our sins - not live with them and accept them. They are meant to get us on our knees and beg for forgiveness - so that we throw our sins on the cross as quickly as possible, recognizing how we need God's forgiveness. They are meant to make us cling to Christ and His cross alone - finding our righteousness in Him and our holiness in Him. Then, after we come away from that cross, with a renewed and thankful smile, this process then leads us to say, "what crosses can I live with and work through in my life? How can I be a better Christian - a stronger Christians - like Abraham - willing to do whatever He calls on me to do?"

II. When looking at the what, we can see the why

The natural response to such disappointment during self reflection is to say, "How can I prove myself? How can I be better and act more like Abraham?" The answer of so many people has been to emulate Abraham - to ask, "what would Abraham do?" Some think that selling their possessions and living in a tent is the answer - after all - it's just what Abraham did. Others have abandoned their own families and joined monasteries or gone into seclusion to try and emulate their favorite examples. This is their way of answering Jesus' call to "sell their possessions and give to the poor." Again, this is NOT the answer. Nor is the answer to simply start make seven steps that will help you do what you know YOU are called to do. Instead - we need to go deeper - look at what really motivated Abraham to do what he did. We need to look at the WHY. This is the key motivator to faith - it is what faith stems from. What motivated Abraham? What did Moses say? For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

The city with foundations. Later on the writer refers to it as the "heavenly Jerusalem." It is talking of heaven, where there are thousands upon thousands of angels gathered in joyful assembly. Other Scriptures describe it as being face to face with the LORD along with thousands and thousands of other saints - singing praises to the living LORD in resurrected bodies without blemish or spot or tear. This is the city - with foundations. Think about what Abraham had to live in - a tent that was fastened down with pegs - one that could be blown away by the wind. This city would have foundations. Ezekiel pictures it with huge walls and doors - an immense and impregnable fortress. Revelation 21 calls it a city of pure gold, as clear as glass. Verses 22-27 go on to say,

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

This is what Abraham was looking forward to - Jerusalem the Golden, with milk and honey blest. Imagine as he lived under the hot summer sun under the shade of his tent, how Abraham must have dreamt about how great it would be to live in the future confines of heaven - without the sun beating on him by day or the cold of night. With his eyes on the heavenly goal, it motivated him to move to Canaan and stay there, even though it involved living in a tent. Abraham even gladly admitted this. When he went to buy a burial plot for Sarah he said in Genesis 23:4 "I am an alien and a stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead."

But the question begs itself. How did Abraham even know he was going to heaven - the Heavenly City of Jerusalem? Was it because he made those sacrifices and moved to Canaan? No. Then what did moving to Canaan have to do with the big picture? The land of Canaan was important because it was to provide the unique place for God to raise the future offspring of Abraham under the promise of the covenant.

Genesis 12:2-3 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

The LORD had made a covenant with Abraham that through his offspring God would make sinful humans reconciled to Himself. GOD promised that through the Jews His future King would be born - who would pay the price of sin. Canaan was importantly linked to this promises, for it was in this land that God's people could safely practice their unique sacrifices together - which all pointed forward to the sacrifice of the Christ to come. It was in this land that parents could raise their children - that the descendants of Abraham and Isaac could eagerly be taught to await for this Child to be born through one of their virgins in the land of Bethlehem - one who would - as Isaiah said - be stricken, smitten and afflicted for the sins of the world. It was in this land that the Savior would be born and be raised under the law, and then crucified under the damnation of the law. It was in this land that this future Savior would provide the Heavenly Jerusalem for Abraham and all of the world. In light of this promise, Abraham was motivated to move to Canaan - even though he never personally would possess it. This was WHY Abraham did what he did - because through faith in the coming Savior God had promised better things to come.

It is in light of this same promise that we sing songs like, "I'm but a stranger here, heaven is my home." It is in light of this promise that we migrate to church every Sunday and sing these songs and listen to these stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - because we too have the hope of eternal life through faith in Christ. We make offerings to this God - foregoing our personal pleasures and giving God the best and first of our paychecks - sometimes foregoing new cars and luxuries because we know that the life to come will be much better. With our eyes on heaven we have our children baptized to make them part of a hidden Kingdom and take them out of this earthly Kingdom. When we get diagnosed with cancer, we don't panic, because we know that Jesus died for us and we are heading to heaven. When our parents die we rejoice in the midst of sorrow when we think of their souls being in heaven. When our homes start to fall apart and decay, we don't worry about it, because we know that heaven will be an eternal home that can never be broken into or decay. We don't worry about people will remember us or not - because we know that God will remember us - just like He remembered the thief on the cross - in paradise. This is the way we live. We put our complete hope in Jesus - the offspring of Abraham - for our salvation. We trust Him when He says, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." (John 11:25) When we feel guilty over the fact that we aren't as hard working as Abraham, we cross ourselves and remember our baptisms. We take comfort in the promise of Galatians 3 which says, "all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." The promise of Hebrews 10, where we are promised that we are made HOLY through the blood of Christ - assures us that we will be accepted by God when we die.

There are some - even many - within Christianity who claim that this kind of world view makes Christians lazy and selfish. It claims that this kind of doctrine leads Christians to simply sit in church and study their doctrines - doing nothing for the world. It is these same groups who claim that deeds are more important than creeds - and that we need to not talk about sin, salvation and heaven so much - so that we will be more active in our world. Notice however that the heavenly doctrine was at the front and center of Abraham's life. Even though Abraham was on the way to heaven, it didn't make him stay to himself in his own little utopia. Through His calling Abraham to heaven the LORD told him to live among a bunch of heathen in a strange land. Instead of making him a recluse - it called on Abram to get out and live among people, fighting battles and making sacrifices in the midst of them. It made him willing to give up everything he had in pursuit of the promised land where God would fulfill His promises.

The heavenly call - while calling us out of this world - deals with us in this world and puts us in the world. As the good LORD covers us in His holiness at this place through baptism, the Word and the Lord's Supper, He then tells us to GO to the world. He tells us to be good neighbors, hard working employees, and the best parents, students, and children we can be. He calls us dirty sinners the light of the world and the salt of the earth. He promises us He will give us all that we need for life and godliness, and with those promises tells us to be generous and giving to those in our world. Instead of taking us from this world, the heavenly call puts us in the world and tells us that we are the voice and hands of Christ to the world.

Several years ago one of our members decided to buy some land in the country and build a new house. In doing so they bought an RV and lived in it for about nine months while waiting for their house to be built. As they lived in that RV they all had to live in the confines of about a seven by fourteen foot room. It was probably not an easy time for them. As they lived there, they could see the cement being laid as the foundation of their future home. They could see the walls go up. Imagine living in that RV for those months - how they could look across the property and yearn for the day they would have more room to live. In the mean time, instead of clinging to that RV - it made them get out and enjoy nature. Instead of stressing over their cramped living style, they were able to live with it knowing that it was only temporary. It also made them look forward more and more to getting out of their house. They didn't worry about the color of the walls in their RV or the condition of the floors or the type of beds they were living in because they knew it was all temporary.

When we live with our eyes on the heavenly goal, it frees us from being overly concerned about the homes we live in. It keeps us from revolving our lives around the temporary tent of our bodies. It induces us to get out of our selves and experience life - sharing what we've got. It frees us to go where we are called on to go, putting up with garbage and performing difficult duties, because we know there will be a Day when the sweat will stop dripping and the backs will stop hurting. We know there is a Heavenly City to come. This is what motivated Abraham to go to the Promised Land. This is what made him glad to be a stranger.

When you find yourself getting tired and sick of living in this world - feeling like you got the short end of the stick in this "promised land" - look at what Abraham did in Canaan. Through the same faith remind yourself - "I'm just a stranger here." As you say that, look across the fields of heaven and through eyes of faith look at the Risen Christ, with the scars in His hands, sitting at the right hand of God and saying to you, "I'm not ashamed of you. I've clothed you in holiness. You are my child, and through my death and resurrection I've got a special place prepared for you. Life may be difficult now. It may be sweaty. There may not seem like there are any rewards. But just wait until you get here." This is what faith looks at - the Promise of heaven through Christ. This is what motivates us to live - no matter where God calls us to go. Amen.