THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT
PROGRAM AIR DATE: 5-6-18
LESSON TITLE: “WE HAVE BECOME PARTAKERS OF INHERITANCE”
WELCOME
TODAY WE ARE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, THE BIBLE. THIS BOOK IS GOD'S LIVING WORD. IN ITS PAGES, WE ARE TOLD “FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD.” IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF BOOKS THAT WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MAN'S QUESTIONS AND NEEDS. THIS MORNING, YOUR AREA CHURCHES OF CHRIST WELCOME YOU TO A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THAT PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY AS WE PRESENT THE LIVING WORD. NOW HERE IS YOUR HOST, RAY SULLINS.
WHAT A PRIVILEGE WE HAVE THIS MORNING TO JOIN TOGETHER IN THE STUDY OF GOD’S LIVING WORD. WE ARE HAPPY YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO BE WITH US TODAY AND ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TOGETHER TO GLORIFY OUR CREATOR. MAY WE EACH DO OUR PART TO MAKE THIS TIME ACCEPTABLE IN HIS SIGHT AND ACCORDING TO HIS WILL. NOW, LET’S APPROACH OUR FATHER’S THRONE IN PRAYER.
PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS DAY, FOR EVERY DAY OF LIFE. FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR EVERY PHYSICAL BLESSING FOR WE KNOW THEY ONLY COME FROM YOU. BUT FATHER, WE ALSO THANK YOU FOR ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS FOR YOU HAVE GIVEN US EVERYTHING WE NEED WHICH PERTAINS TO LIFE AND GODLINESS THAT WE MIGHT KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE US TO DO AND LIVE ACCORDINGLY EACH AND EVERY DAY. WE ULTIMATELY THANK YOU ALSO FATHER FOR THE GREAT GIFT OF JESUS FOR WE KNOW THAT IS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE SAVED AND TO HAVE LIFE FOREVERMORE ETERNAL WITH YOU IN HEAVEN. AND FATHER, WE ASK THIS DAY THAT WE MIGHT DO THOSE THINGS AGAIN THAT SHOW FORTH HOW MUCH WE LOVE YOU AS WE OBEY YOUR COMMANDS. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.
IT’S NOW TIME TO START OUR PRAISE THROUGH SONG. TODAY WE WILL BE REMINDED OF THE JOURNEY THAT IS BEFORE US AS WE HEAD TOWARD THE PROMISES OF GOD AT THE END OF LIFE. SO, WON’T YOU JOIN IN THE FIRST HYMN OF THE MORNING, AS WE TOGETHER SING, “THE LAST MILE OF THE WAY!”
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
WHEN YOU CONSIDER ALL THAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US IT IS REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE. HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO COMPREHEND SUCH A MAGNIFICENT AND WONDROUS GOD, DOING SO MUCH FOR SUCH SMALL AND INSIGNIFICANT PEOPLE. ALL OF THIS IS FURTHER COMPOUNDED IN THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOT REALLY WORTHY OF ANYTHING, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER HOW OFTEN WE DO THAT WHICH IS CONTRARY TO HIS WILL. HOWEVER, DESPITE ALL OF THESE FACTS, GOD DOES LOVE US AND HAS DONE SO MUCH FOR US. EVEN TODAY, WE ARE ALL BEING BLESSED BEYOND UNDERSTANDING, BUT A GOD WHO NOT ONLY GIVES US ALL, BUT WHO ALSO CREATED US ALL.
WHEN I THINK ABOUT ALL GOD HAS DONE AND IS DOING FOR US, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STANDS OUT FOREMOST IN MY MIND IS THAT FACT THAT HE GAVE HIS OWN SON TO DIE ON THE CROSS FOR ME. AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE CALLED OUT OF DARKNESS AND INTO THE LIGHT. AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE CALLED A CHILD OF GOD. DID YOU HEAR WHAT I JUST SAID, “WHY DID HE DO IT?”
AGAIN THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE, FOR YOU AND ME! JESUS PUT IT BEST IN JOHN 3:16, WHEN HE SAID, “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.” NOW AS WE THINK OF ALL GOD HAS DONE AND WHY HE IS SO WORTHY OF OUR HONOR AND PRAISE, LET ME ASK ANOTHER QUESTION, “WHAT WAS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRIST SHEDDING HIS BLOOD FOR US?”
WELL, PAUL SUMS IT UP WELL IN ACTS 20:28, THERE IT SAYS, “THEREFORE TAKE HEED TO YOURSELVES AND TO ALL THE FLOCK, AMONG WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS MADE YOU OVERSEERS, TO SHEPHERD THE CHURCH OF GOD WHICH HE PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD.” HERE WE HAVE CLARIFIED FOR US THAT THE BLOOD OF CHRIST PURCHASED THE CHURCH! SO LET ME ASK YOU, “JUST HOW IMPORTANT IS THE CHURCH OF OUR LORD?”
TODAY WE WILL BE CONTINUING OUR SERIES OF STUDY ENTITLED, “WE HAVE BECOME PARTAKERS…!” THIS MORNING, OUR SPECIFIC LESSON WILL DEAL WITH THE “INHERITANCE!” SO STAY WITH US AND, IN A FEW MINUTES, I WILL RETURN WITH THIS STUDY FROM GOD’S WORD. NOW IT’S TIME TO JOIN IN OUR SECOND SONG OF THE DAY. THE NAME OF THE HYMN, “MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS.”
LESSON
RAYS SULLINS
WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'VE CONTINUED WITH US NOW TODAY AND WE'D LIKE TO BEGIN OUR THOUGHTS THIS MORNING IN ACTS CHAPTER 26. YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THERE WHERE PAUL IS ACTUALLY DEALING WITH KING AGRIPPA AND AS HE DEALS WITH THE KING HE'S RECOUNTING HIS CONVERSION AND TRYING TO TELL AGRIPPA WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM AND WHY HE BEGAN TO FOLLOW THE VERY THING THAT HE HAD BEEN SO ADAMANTLY AGAINST. IF YOU WILL NOTICE WITH ME THERE IN THAT TEXT AFTER HE MENTIONS HE SAW THE BRIGHT LIGHT THERE, VERSE 13 AND VERSE 14, THAT THE VOICE CALLED UNTO HIM, “SAUL, SAUL.” BUT THEN LATER I WANT TO NOTICE WHAT HE ACTUALLY SAYS WITHIN THE COMMAND THAT JESUS GIVES HIM AS GOD SPEAKING TO SAUL AT THAT TIME, WHO LATER IS PAUL, AND WHAT IT IS THAT HE DECLARES AS FAR AS WHAT HE WANTS HIM TO DO. LOOK DOWN WITH ME TO VERSE 17 OF ACTS 26. IT SAYS, “I WILL DELIVER YOU FROM THE JEWISH PEOPLE, AS WELL AS FROM THE GENTILES, TO WHOM I SEND YOU, TO OPEN THEIR EYES, IN ORDER TO TURN THEM FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT, AND FROM THE POWER OF SATAN TO GOD, THAT THEY MAY RECEIVE FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND AN INHERITANCE AMONG THOSE WHO ARE SANCTIFIED BY FAITH IN ME.”
AS WE THINK ABOUT THE GREAT CONVERSION HERE OF SAUL, WHO LATER BECOMES PAUL, AND THE GREAT COMMISSION, OR THE CHARGE THAT JESUS GIVES HIM, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL ONE. HE SAYS I WILL PROTECT YOU ALTHOUGH I SEND YOU BEFORE THE JEWS WHO WERE GOING TO CONSIDER YOU AS HAVING LEFT JUDAISM AND REALLY HAVING FORSAKEN JUDAISM AND THEY'RE GOING TO HATE YOU AND MANY OF THE GENTILES WHO ARE PAGANS WHO ALSO ARE NOT GOING TO REALLY BE TOO INTERESTED IN A NEW RELIGION. HE SAYS I'M GOING TO PROTECT YOU AS I SEND YOU OUT TO PREACH TO THEM THE THINGS PERTAINING TO GOD AND HOW TO GET AWAY FROM SATAN AND THOSE THINGS THAT WOULD CAUSE THEM TO LOSE THEIR SOULS ETERNALLY. BUT THEN NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS, THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE WHAT? WELL, THE GREAT MESSAGE OF JOHN THE IMMERSER OF JESUS, “REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND.” REPENT. WHY? THERE IS SIN IN YOUR LIFE AND YOU MUST GET OUT OF SIN. AND CERTAINLY, AS PAUL NOW WOULD BE PROCLAIMING, BECAUSE THE KINGDOM HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND YOU ARE NOW A PART OF THOSE WHO RECEIVE THE PROMISES OF GOD. BUT SPECIFICALLY THOSE PROMISES ARE MENTIONED HERE AS THE INHERITANCES. SO NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS. THAT YOU MAY RECEIVE FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND AN INHERITANCE AMONG THOSE WHO ARE SANCTIFIED.
THIS IS THE WORD THAT WE FOCUS ON TODAY AS WE REALLY GO TO OUR MAIN TEXT IN COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 1 AND IF YOU'LL NOTICE THERE IN VERSE 12 THAT HE SAYS THIS. “GIVING THANKS TO THE FATHER WHO HAS QUALIFIED US TO BE PARTAKERS OF THE INHERITANCE.” NOW THINK ABOUT WHAT IS SAID HERE AND THE SAME GREEK WORD THAT IS USED OF INHERITANCE. IF YOU WERE TO GO BACK INTO THE LEXICONS OR ACTUALLY THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE WHAT YOU WOULD FIND IS THAT THIS WORD INHERITANCE REALLY REFERS TO THE IDEA OF A LOT. SOMEONE'S RECEIVING OF THE LOT. THE PORTION THAT IS THEIRS. YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THE BIBLE SPEAKS SOMETIMES OF THE CASTING OF LOTS OR DOING A CERTAIN THING TO SEE WHAT IT IS THAT SOMEONE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DO IN RELATIONSHIP TO SOMEONE ELSE OR WHAT REWARD SOMEONE MIGHT RECEIVE IN RELATIONSHIP TO SOMEONE OR PORTION. AND BECAUSE OF THAT WE SEE THE IDEA HERE OF A CONCEPT OF THE SHARE OF THE RIGHTFUL SHARE OF AN INDIVIDUAL. AND AS WE THINK ABOUT, IN A RELIGIOUS SENSE, THE FACT THAT SOMEONE WOULD KNOW GOD AND OBEY GOD AND FOLLOW THE WAYS OF GOD, THEY CERTAINLY ARE DESERVING OF WHAT? THE PROMISES, THE REWARD THAT GOD SPEAKS OF. AND SO WHAT IS THAT PROMISE? WHAT IS THAT REWARD? WELL, HERE IT IS REFFERED TO AS THE PORTION OR THEIR LOT, THE LOT THAT IS THE THEIRS IN RELATIONSHIP TO WHAT THEY SHOULD RECEIVE FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE. AND IN A RELATIONSHIP TO WHAT PAUL WAS BEING TOLD HE SAYS, ‘WELL, IF YOU PREACH THAT WORD, THAT SAME WORD THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO RESPOND TO AND PEOPLE ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR OWN SIN AND THEY OBEY GOD TO TURN AWAY FROM SIN, THEY'LL RECEIVE FORGIVENESS OR REMISSION OF SINS AND THEY ALSO WILL RECEIVE AN INHERITANCE RESERVED FOR THE SAINTS.’ WELL, THAT'S THE SAME THING THAT HE SAYS HERE. THEY WOULD RECEIVE WHAT? THE INHERITANCE. AND HE ACTUALLY GOES ON TO SAY THE INHERITANCE OF THE SAINTS IN THE LIGHT. SO THOSE WHO ARE IN THE LIGHT, THOSE WHO FOLLOW AS OF THE LIGHT OF GOD WHO KNOW THAT GOD IS THE LIGHT AND THEY ARE TRYING TO REPRESENT OR FOLLOW THAT CONCEPT THEY THEMSELVES ARE RECIPIENTS OF THE INHERITANCE OF THE SAINTS. SO IF YOU'RE A SAINT, IF YOU'RE A FAITHFUL ONE, IF YOU ARE SOMEBODY WHO IS RIGHTEOUS IN THE SIGHT OF GOD YOU'LL RECEIVE THOSE REWARDS OR THAT SHARE OR THE LOT THAT IS YOURS, THE INHERITANCE, AND THE REASON THE WORD INHERITANCE IS USED HERE BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE CONCEPT OF A CHRISTIAN IS: A CHILD.
AND SO AS WE THINK ABOUT GOD IS THE KING OF KINGS AND WE THINK ABOUT OF HIM BEING OUR FATHER AND THAT WE ARE A CHILD OF THE FATHER - WHAT HAPPENS THAT THE FATHER DOES FOR THE CHILD? THE FATHER LEAVES AN INHERITANCE FOR THE CHILD. A GIFT, A REWARD, A SHARE OR PORTION OF WHAT HE HAS ACCUMULATED BECAUSE HE LOVES THE CHILD AND HE WANTS THE CHILD TO BENEFIT, USUALLY AFTER DEATH. THAT IS THE IDEA OF AN INHERITANCE. SO AS WE THINK ABOUT THE IDEA THEN OF GOD THE FATHER, WHAT DID HE DO? WELL, HE PROVIDED HIS OWN SON JESUS CHRIST AND JESUS CAME AND DIED ON THE CROSS, SHED HIS BLOOD, A PRICE WAS PAID THAT WE MIGHT WHAT? BECOME SONS OF GOD OR CHILDREN OF GOD AND THEREFORE AS THE SONS AND CHILDREN OF GOD BECAUSE THE PRICE HAS BEEN PAID WE ARE WHAT? RECIPIENTS OF THE REWARD. AND WHAT IS THAT REWARD? THE INHERITANCE OF OUR FATHER. AND THAT SPECIFIC INHERITANCE IS A BEAUTIFUL INHERITANCE! THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT IT BUT EVEN WITHIN THE CONTEXT OR MAIN CONTEXT OF COLOSSIANS 1 HE SAYS THAT WE ARE THOSE WHO ACTUALLY PARTAKE IN. WE SHARE IN THE PORTION OF THE LOT THAT IS OURS. WE SHARE IN THE PORTION OF THE INHERITANCE THAT HAS BEEN SET ASIDE FOR US WHICH YOU AND I WILL KNOW WHAT THAT INHERITANCE IS. IT IS DISTINGUISHED FROM THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND THEREFORE WHAT THAT MEANS TO US AS A PART OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. IT IS REALLY THAT REWARD OF ETERNAL LIFE. THE ULTIMATE PROMISE, THE ULTIMATE GIFT OF HEAVEN THAT WE SOMEDAY WILL HAVE WHEN THIS LIFE IS OVER THAT IS NOT A TEMPORARY GIFT, NOT A TEMPORARY REWARD. BUT IT IS A GIFT THAT IS ETERNAL IN THE SENSE THAT IT WILL NEVER END. WHEN WE GO, AS THE NEW TESTAMENT DESCRIBES, TO BE WITH OUR GOD IN HEAVEN, OUR OWN FATHER, TO RECEIVE THAT REWARD OF A MANSION, OF THE GLORIES, OF THE WONDERS, OF THE BEAUTIES OF HEAVEN.
AND SO THEN NOTICE AGAIN WITHIN THE CONTEXT WHAT IT IS THAT PAUL SAYS TO THE COLOSSIAN CHURCH. HE SAYS HERE THAT CERTAINLY CHRIST BEING PREEMINENT AND IF YOU BACK UP TO ABOUT VERSE 10 HE SAYS AND IF YOU REALLY WANT TO WALK WORTHY OF CHRIST THEN YOU NEED TO DO THE THINGS THAT ARE ACCORDING TO HIS WAY AND BE STRENGTHENED TO FULFILL WHAT HE HAS ASKED. AND IF YOU DO THAT, HE SAYS YOU'RE GOING TO BE PEOPLE WHO ARE THEN QUALIFIED TO PARTAKE IN THE INHERITANCE THAT AWAITS THE FAITHFUL WHICH IS THE PROMISE OF THE THINGS FOR THOSE WHO WILL HAVE LIFE AND LIFE ETERNAL. THE RECIPIENTS OF THE REWARDS OF THE KINGDOM THAT GOD HIMSELF HAS ESTABLISHED.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND I WOULD ASK YOU TO ALSO THINK ABOUT A BIBLE CHARACTER THAT IS VERY FAMILIAR TO US. AND IF YOU WERE TO GO BACK INTO THE OLD TESTAMENT AND YOU WERE TO CONSIDER WITH ME ABRAHAM. WE OFTEN THINK OF ABRAHAM AS THE ONE OF PROMISE. AND ABRAHAM, THERE IN GENESIS CHAPTER 12, WAS GIVEN WHAT WE OFTEN REFER TO AS THE PROMISE OF GOD. WHAT WAS THE PROMISE OF GOD? THAT HE AND HIS DESCENDENTS WOULD INHERIT SOMETHING. IN FACT, DO YOU REMEMBER THERE IN VERSE ONE HE IS CHALLENGED TO GET OUT OF THE COUNTRY THAT HE LIVES FROM AND TO LEAVE HIS FAMILY FROM HIS FATHER'S HOUSE. HE SAYS I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU A LAND AND I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU A GREAT NATION, VERSE TWO, AND I WILL BLESS YOU AND MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT AND YOU SHALL BE A BLESSING. AND THEN HE SAYS IN VERSE THREE, “I WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS YOU, AND I WILL CURSE THOSE WHO CURSE YOU; AND IN YOU ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.” YOU SEE, THERE WAS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A BLESSING AND WE WELL KNOW THAT LATER THAT IS DESCRIBED, NOT ONLY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, BUT FOR INSTANCE IN GALATIANS CHAPTER 3 AS BEING THE SEED WHICH WOULD COME FROM ABRAHAM. THE SEED BEING CHRIST AND THE SACRIFICE WE'VE ALREADY REFERRED TO. BUT THEN HE ALSO DESCRIBES US AS THE SEED IN A PLURAL SENSE. NOT THE SEED AS CHRIST, FOR CHRIST IS THE ONLY ONE WHO IS GOD IN THE FLESH, WHO CAME AND DIED FOR MAN, BUT SEEDS IN THE SENSE THAT WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM AND THEREFORE RECIPIENTS OF GUESS WHAT? THE PROMISE OR THE INHERITANCE.
NOW, I WANT YOU TO HOLD THAT THOUGHT FOR JUST A MOMENT BECAUSE I'D LIKE YOU THINK ABOUT GALATIANS CHAPTER 3 THERE WITH ME FOR A MOMENT BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT IN RELATIONSHIP TO BEING THE SEED OF ABRAHAM, THAT IS JESUS CHRIST, OR THE SEEDS, THE HEIRS OF ABRAHAM. AND IN FACT, IN VERSE 18, NOTICE THAT IT SAYS, “FOR IF THE INHERITANCE IS OF THE LAW, IT IS NO LONGER OF THE PROMISE.” WHAT DO WE HAVE THROUGH ABRAHAM? THE INHERITANCE, THE PROMISE, THE REWARD. WHY? BECAUSE THE PROMISE WAS GIVEN TO HIM AND THEREFORE TO HIS DESCENDENTS! AND WE ARE THE DESCENDENTS! NOT ONLY THAT THROUGH JESUS CHRIST A SACRIFICE WOULD BE MADE, THE SEED. BUT THAT WE ARE THE DESCENDENTS AND THE FACT OR CONCEPT OF THE SEEDS, THE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM. NOW, THAT'S ALSO A BEAUTIFUL CONCEPT IN CONNECTION TO THE IDEA THAT JESUS HAS GIVEN US AN INHERITANCE THROUGH ABRAHAM THAT WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE LIFE FOREVER. IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE TOLD ABOUT BUT YOU CAN GO ON AFTER ABRAHAM AND YOU CAN LOOK AT THE LAW GIVEN TO MOSES. AND WHAT WERE THEY TOLD? WELL, THEY WERE TOLD MANY OF THE SAME THINGS. THEY WERE TOLD ABOUT THE PROMISES OF GOD. AND WHAT WERE THEY WORKING ON AS THEY HEADED TOWARD THE PROMISE LAND? WHAT WERE THEY WAITING FOR? THE INHERITANCE. OF WHAT? THE LAND OF CANAAN, THE LAND THAT FLOWED WITH MILK AND HONEY. YOU SEE, GOD HAS ALWAYS SPOKEN TO HIS PEOPLE ABOUT HOW MUCH HE LOVES THEM AND WHAT HE'S DONE FOR THEM AND THAT HE AS A FATHER HAS LEFT THEM AN INHERITANCE. AND SO ABRAHAM AND HIS DESCENDENTS WERE LOOKING FOR A LAND, A PHYSICAL LAND, THE LAND OF CANAAN. EVENTUALLY, AFTER MOSES, THEY RECEIVED THAT LAND THROUGH JOSHUA AND THE KINGS. AND THEY RECEIVED THE INHERITANCE OF THE LAND OF CANAAN. AND YET WE TODAY ARE TOLD THAT WE HAVE A GREATER INHERITANCE, A GREATER PROMISE, NOT OF A PHYSICAL NATURE OR LAND ON THIS EARTH, BUT AN ETERNAL NATURE; THAT IS HEAVEN WHERE GOD HIMSELF DWELLS. AND SO THEREFORE WHAT ARE WE? RECIPIENTS OF THAT INHERITANCE.
SO, THEREFORE, WHEN YOU GO OVER TO THE BOOK OF HEBREWS CHAPTER 11, THE GREAT FAITH CHAPTER, GUESS WHAT WORD IS USED IN VERSE EIGHT AFTER IT SAYS THAT ABRAHAM OBEYED WHEN HE WAS CALLED TO GO TO A PLACE WHICH HE WOULD RECEIVE AS AN INHERITANCE. YOU SEE, ABRAHAM WAS LOOKING FOR AN INHERITANCE, ISRAEL WAS LOOKING FOR AN INHERITANCE, THE PROPHETS WERE LOOKING FOR AN INHERITANCE, THE APOSTLES WERE LOOKING FOR AN INHERITANCE, WE ARE LOOKING FOR AN INHERITANCE. THAT REWARD, THAT PROMISE OF HEAVEN. AND WE CAN HAVE IT JUST LIKE VERSES NINE AND 10 TELL US HERE IN HEBREWS 11 THAT HE DWELT IN THIS COUNTRY AND HE WAS DESIROUS OF BEING AN HEIR OF THE PROMISE AS HIS OWN SONS WERE HEIRS OF THE PROMISE. AND THEN IT SAYS THEY WERE WAITING FOR A CITY WHICH HAD FOUNDATIONS WHOSE BUILDER AND MAKER IS GOD ALMIGHTY HIMSELF. WHAT WERE THEY REALLY WAITING FOR? JUST SOME LAND IN CANAAN? JUST CITIES AND POWER AND WEALTH? NO. WHAT THEY REALLY WERE WAITING FOR WAS THAT CITY THAT ALL THE FAITH OF ALL AGES HAVE LOOKED FOR THAT IS THAT CITY THAT IS FROM GOD. THAT INHERITANCE. THAT PLACE THAT HAS BEEN MADE READY FOR US.
ISN'T THAT WHAT PETER TALKS ABOUT THERE IN SECOND PETER CHAPTER 1 AS HE INDICATES THERE IN VERSE 11 THAT AN ENTRANCE WILL BE SUPPLIED FOR US IN WHAT? THE ABUNDANT AND EVERLASTING KINGDOM OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. YOU SEE, WE HAVE A PLACE AWAITING US BECAUSE IT IS OURS! IT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS AS THOSE WHO LOVE GOD AND OBEY HIM. WE ARE THOSE CHILDREN WHO ARE WORTHY TO RECEIVE THE INHERITANCE FROM THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE ITSELF! AND THAT INHERITANCE IS NOT JUST THE IDEA OF HEAVEN AND IT'S PERFECTION BUT ETERNAL LIFE. ARE YOU GOING TO LIVE TODAY AND EVERYDAY IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU'LL NOT ONLY RECEIVE THAT INHERITANCE BUT THAT OTHERS MIGHT KNOW GOD THROUGH YOU AND HAVE THAT SAME PROMISE AS WELL. IN ALL THINGS, TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
CLOSING COMMENTS
RAY LET ME THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US TODAY FOR THE LIVING WORD PROGRAM. I HOPE AND TRUST, THAT TOGETHER WE HAVE ALL BENEFITED FROM THIS SERVICE TO OUR LORD. LET ME ALSO INVITE YOU TO JOIN US EVERY LORD’S DAY MORNING AT 7:30 AS WE GIVE THIS TIME TO OUR CREATOR.
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WE ARE SO BLESSED TO HAVE AN ETERNAL INHERITANCE AWAITING US AS THE FAITHFUL WHEN THIS LIFE IS OVER. THE CHALLENGE IS, CONTINUING TO KNOW GOD AND TO DO HIS WILL, UP TO THE POINT OF DEATH. ARE YOU GIVING YOUR BEST TO GOD ON A DAILY BASIS, SO THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO BE A RECIPIENT OF HIS WONDROUS GRACE?