Strangers in the Land
Hebrews 11:1-2 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
All of these folks realized that we are all strangers in the Earth.
We weren’t born to live here.
We cannot be satisfied living here.
We cannot stay here.
We are each of us going somewhere else.
I was born in Poughkeepsie, New York.
I have lived in:
New York
California
Illinois
Washington
Florida
Arizona
Idaho
I may yet live in many more…
What’s strange is that you CANNOT SEE where I am going!
But for those who DO know where they are going, they live mindful of where “home” will finally be.
They set aside money and deny themselves some luxuries today to live well later.
They may buy property there NOW (when the prices are lower).
They learn about where they will “retire”: the language, customs, dress, etc…
All Christians are going eventually to live in Heaven.
Knowing this, how do wise Christians prepare for the “years of jubilee”?
1 Peter 2:9-12 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
God is glorified when evildoers repent.
-It is not wonderful when sinners are visited by God (know that God is here to save
them) and yet reject Him.
-It IS wonderful when sinners have seen the joy and the self-sacrificing love of true
Christians. In their visitation, they will embrace the promises of God!
Christians are amazing because even the POOREST Christians can be involved in winning souls to Christ:
Luke 21:1-4 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. (amounts to ½ cent…)
3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
This widow encouraged more people to trust God than ALL the rich were able to! That’s because she showed BY EXAMPLE that the Lord can be trusted to take care of all of our needs.
(Note: God sees the purpose of poverty, suffering, illness, generosity and wealth being
to convince each of us of His love: that we will trust our life to Jesus Christ)
Luke 12:22-27
22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luke 12:28-30
28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
Do you DOUBT:
That Jesus will provide for you?
That your sins are forgiven?
That you will go to Heaven?
That God will answer your prayers?
Luke 12:31-32
31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
God the Father WANTS to give you the Kingdom!
You don’t have to persuade Him with prayers.
You don’t have to bribe Him with sacrifices, good deeds or promises.
You don’t have to “believe” really hard…
Luke 12:33-34
33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luke 16:9-13
9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail (this word means “die”), they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Luke 12:13-21
13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Please notice that this parable is about EACH OF US! We are all rich. The man that built barns and stored up his wealth was not BAD, he was FOOLISH. The wealth was his to do with whatever he wanted.
-Is it a sin to save for tomorrow? No.
-Is it a sin to have plenty to eat, drink and rejoice? No.
-Is it a sin not to worry about tomorrow? No.
These are what WE are told to do in Luke 12:29:
29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
The warning here is to remember that “you can’t take it with you”, but you can send it on ahead.
Your friends will be waiting for you!
Every kind thing will be remembered.
Every tear will be turned to joy.
The “little” things have great value where we are going!
Jesus says:
John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Hebrews 11:1-2 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
All of these folks realized that we are all strangers in the Earth.
We weren’t born to live here.
We cannot be satisfied living here.
We cannot stay here.
We are each of us going somewhere else.
I was born in Poughkeepsie, New York.
I have lived in:
New York
California
Illinois
Washington
Florida
Arizona
Idaho
I may yet live in many more…
What’s strange is that you CANNOT SEE where I am going!
But for those who DO know where they are going, they live mindful of where “home” will finally be.
They set aside money and deny themselves some luxuries today to live well later.
They may buy property there NOW (when the prices are lower).
They learn about where they will “retire”: the language, customs, dress, etc…
All Christians are going eventually to live in Heaven.
Knowing this, how do wise Christians prepare for the “years of jubilee”?
1 Peter 2:9-12 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
God is glorified when evildoers repent.
-It is not wonderful when sinners are visited by God (know that God is here to save
them) and yet reject Him.
-It IS wonderful when sinners have seen the joy and the self-sacrificing love of true
Christians. In their visitation, they will embrace the promises of God!
Christians are amazing because even the POOREST Christians can be involved in winning souls to Christ:
Luke 21:1-4 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. (amounts to ½ cent…)
3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
This widow encouraged more people to trust God than ALL the rich were able to! That’s because she showed BY EXAMPLE that the Lord can be trusted to take care of all of our needs.
(Note: God sees the purpose of poverty, suffering, illness, generosity and wealth being
to convince each of us of His love: that we will trust our life to Jesus Christ)
Luke 12:22-27
22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luke 12:28-30
28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
Do you DOUBT:
That Jesus will provide for you?
That your sins are forgiven?
That you will go to Heaven?
That God will answer your prayers?
Luke 12:31-32
31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
God the Father WANTS to give you the Kingdom!
You don’t have to persuade Him with prayers.
You don’t have to bribe Him with sacrifices, good deeds or promises.
You don’t have to “believe” really hard…
Luke 12:33-34
33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luke 16:9-13
9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail (this word means “die”), they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Luke 12:13-21
13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Please notice that this parable is about EACH OF US! We are all rich. The man that built barns and stored up his wealth was not BAD, he was FOOLISH. The wealth was his to do with whatever he wanted.
-Is it a sin to save for tomorrow? No.
-Is it a sin to have plenty to eat, drink and rejoice? No.
-Is it a sin not to worry about tomorrow? No.
These are what WE are told to do in Luke 12:29:
29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
The warning here is to remember that “you can’t take it with you”, but you can send it on ahead.
Your friends will be waiting for you!
Every kind thing will be remembered.
Every tear will be turned to joy.
The “little” things have great value where we are going!
Jesus says:
John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
