...to Christ and His Promises" 8/23/20 Hebrews 11:32-40 #26 Jesus > Everything Summer bio series. The end.
I love, love, love, to reminisce nostalgic - to talk about how good and simple those good ole days used to be. If you live long enough, you will have them. The truth is, the further back in time they are, the better they are remembered to be. And of course, we must admit there were plenty of difficulties that actually took place ‘back then’ if we’re honest. But in spite of those difficulties, we often have good feelings attached to the memories, I think mostly because of the relationships involved, even when the bad took place. And when music is attached to certain eras to spur the memory, it helps bring it even more alive.
But perspective is important as always. So putting the past into perspective helps us learn from it with the clarity of reality and hopefully in light of the truths of Scriptures as we’ve come to learn them. So while everything seems to be remembered a little better than it actually was (or even a little worse at times), placing God’s perspective over all of our memories can free us from living in the past, but still learning from it.
I believe this is a lot of what the writer of Hebrews hopes to do by invoking the heroes of the faith in chapter 11. The reality as we have learned through the sermon series was that all of the members mentioned were not all wonderful people, all the time.
But that wasn’t ever the point was it?
They all had faith at one time or another that, for all intents and purposes saved them and sometimes the people around them as well. They believed God. They believed what God said and trusted in what they believed He did.
They trusted God and the more they rightly trusted God, the more fruit He was able to exhibit fruit through them. Some less than others, some a lot more than others.
And the more they rightly trusted God the less conformed to the allurements of the world they were as well. And the more they were even willing to suffer for their faith.
Some big faith goals to have.
