Taking the Long View - a podcast by Lewis Marsh

How To Live By Faith In a Faithless World

Pt. 4: Taking the Long View, Heb. 11:10

By Louie Marsh, 12-5-2021

 

 

for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Hebrews 11:10 (NASB)

 

“Faith is the will to avoid knowing what is true.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

 

1) I should always be LOOKING FORWARD.

 

For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Hebrews 11:10 (NIV)

 

2) I’m focused on ETERNAL THINGS.

 

Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God. Hebrews 11:10 (MSG)

 

3) I recognize life is only FOUND in God.

 

Abraham was waiting for the city that God had designed and built, the city with permanent foundations. Hebrews 11:10 (GW)

 

• Architect =  technitēs – a craftsman or skilled builder

God is the Architect of the universe – He has a plan all laid out for everything, and a good one for you! You can trust Him with your life – so give your life to Christ!

 

• Builder = artisan, artistic builder

He’s not only a planner, but a builder as well. Most people are only good at one – but God does both perfectly! Trust Him to build your life along perfect lines when you follow Him in faith!

 

SOME RESULTS OF TAKING THE LONG VIEW OF LIFE

 

1) I’m encouraged to view life as ONE JOURNEY to God.

 

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Hebrews 11:39-40 (NIV)

 

The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. 1 Corinthians 12:25-26 (MSG)

 

Many don’t like this – and try to isolate themselves, so that no one can bring them down or stop them from growing. That’s the coward’s way out! The way of courage and faith is to become involved with your brothers and sisters, and accept all the up and downsides that come with such involvement. If you try and live a sterile, ivory tower type Christian life, you will find it is neither truly Christian nor alive in the final analysis.

 

2) I’m fortified against DISCOURAGEMENT.

 

Billy Graham – “The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me.' “

Discouragement is when we lose the desire and motivation for something in life and are filled with hopelessness.  A disappointment is an emotional response to some failed expectation, some desire that we have. Discouragement is what happens when we don't resolve the disappointments in our hearts, which leads to feelings of hopelessness that threaten our relationship with the Lord.

 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

 

3) I’m more willing to PAY THE PRICE to grow spiritually.

 

We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Then he received the highest position in heaven, the one next to the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 (GW)

 

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. Hebrews 12:2 (MSG)

 

4) It puts life in the PROPER PERSPECTIVE.

 

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:3 (NIV)

 

WE must learn to look at things in the long view, not to just think short term, but realize this is an eternal journey we are on, that God isn’t in a hurry to make us like Christ, and that in the long run, everything will make sense even tho it doesn’t now!

 

Keep your mind on things above, not on worldly things. Colossians 3:2 (GW)

 

Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective. Colossians 3:2 (MSG)

 

SOME PROPER PERSPECTIVES ON LIFE:

 

• Life is short – don’t WASTE IT.

 

We need to all we can while we can because we don’t know how long we have! Most of us look back and think – “How much I’ve wasted!” That’s true for most of us – but NOW is the time to use your time, talents and treasure for the Lord!

 

REMEMBER: It’s not how you start the race that counts – IT’S HOW YOU FINISH! Make it your life goal to finish well!

 

On February 1, 2005 the annual race up the 1 576 steps, or about a third of a kilometer Empire State Building was held. New records were set by the women, but coming in last was Chico Scimone, it took him an hour to finish. So what?  Scimone is a 94-year-old Italian musician.

 

Scimone is busy practicing in, Sicily, where he lives, by running up the 140 steps of a parking garage four times a day. Scimone, who also competes regularly in the Mediterranean Supermarathon in Palermo, attributes his feats to a regular life -- up at 6am, followed by a dip in the ocean, a simple breakfast of bread and milk, a long walk, a lunch of cheese and vegetables gathered in his own garden and a beef steak and salad in the evening.

 

• Life is temporary, don’t live in FEAR.

 

Don’t live in fear of what can happen to you – after all the worst thing is death – which for a Christ follower only ushers you into the Lord’s presence. Or as Mr. Spock once said, “I’ve been dead before, it’s over rated.”

 

• Life is preparation for eternity – DON’T FORGET IT.

 

What do here for God and with and to others isn’t just for time, but is preparing us the greatest adventure that you can’t imagine – eternity with God!

 

• Life is a gift – USE IT!

 

We are accountable to God for how we use all His gifts, especially the gift of life!

 

 

 

 

Further episodes of River Church Sermons

Further podcasts by Lewis Marsh

Website of Lewis Marsh