These All Died in Faith

 Temple Baptist Church - 5-28-2023

Hebrews 11:13

 

Introduction:

 

A.  As we look forward to Memorial Day tomorrow, I want us here at Temple Baptist Church to keep upon our minds and hearts the sacrifices that have made the day possible. 

 

B.  I chose to pull a verse out of its context this morning to convey a thought, a practical application, that I have had on my heart all week.  I just want to use this portion of verse 13.

 

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! 

 

C.  Memorial Day is a day that honors our war dead.  I want to honor them today along with all veterans throughout our nation’s history.

 

1.  “All gave some and some gave all” is a quote that we often hear around Memorial Day.  President Ronald Reagan said that these who have died gave up two lives:  the one that they had and the one that they should have had.

 

2.  As far as I can tell (in all wars) app. 1,309,552 men and women have died in defense of our freedom while app. 1,500,000 have been wounded (excluding wounded who did not require hospitalization.  These statistics also do not include POW’s.

 

D.  The Courage Of Our Military To Die And Our People To Sacrifice – “Give me liberty or give me death” has been the motto of every American fighting man in all wars.  I gave some statistics of those who died but could not count the countless millions who have served in all branches of the military.  They lay behind the bodies of their dead brothers while the bullets whizzed past their heads and returned fire.  They still join up; they still fight; and they still die.  Their crosses are around the world from Normandy to the South Pacific to North Africa to Arlington National Cemetery where the Tomb of the Unknowns (also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) are engraved with these words:  “HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD.”  The willingness of our nation to sacrifice – families have sacrificed their sons and daughters; they have sacrificed their moneys and possessions; they have sacrificed their personal desires for the betterment of the nation.

 

E.  “These all died in faith.”  These who died had faith in what they were going to accomplish.  Someone once said words to this effect: If we do not fight our enemies on foreign soil, we will eventually fight them on our soil.

 

1.  They had faith that America was worth fighting and dying for.  Our principles, our wonderful homeland, our heritage, and our posterity.

 

2.  They had faith that the fight was a right fight making it worth fighting and dying for.  A people who will not fight for freedom will not remain free.

 

3.  They had faith that America would remain the “gold standard”, the “utopia” of the world.  The land that they loved.

 

4.  They had faith that, if they died, their death would not be in vain.  That others would take up the weapons of war and stand in the gap and make up the hedge of protection.

 

F.  “Not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them!”  These did not receive the promises, but saw the afar off, knew that they were right, and died for them.

 

1.  Those who died gave up their future for our future.  Young men and women who would never have the privilege to grow old.

 

2.  Those who died gave up their dreams for our dreams.  Young men and women who would never have the opportunity to dream and fulfill their dreams with success.

 

3.  Those who died gave up their opportunity for our opportunity to marry, raise children, and to prosper.  Men and women who would never know the joy of watching their children grow up and dandy their grandchildren on their knees.

 

4.  Those who died gave their all, gave their lives, for what you and I have today that they would never have.  “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. 

 

5.  Never take for granted the blessings of God upon our nation.  Never forget those who died that we might remain free!

 

G.  Hebrews 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.  (Our war dead and veterans witness to us that what we have is worth fighting for.  What we have is worth dying for.  God bless America and God bless our military!)

 

H.  Now, I want to look at what Christ Jesus did.

 

1.  Christ Jesus died for the sinner, not looking at what the sinner was but what the sinner could be.

 

2.  Christ Jesus died seeing the promises that He made afar off.  Almighty Jehovah God in the flesh, Christ Jesus, knows the end of the sinner as well as the beginning.  Christ Jesus promised everlasting life to the believer and eternal life to the saint.

 

a.  Everlasting Life as a beginning, the moment of salvation when the sinner becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus.

 

b.  Eternal Life, without beginning or end, is the very life of God given to those who are “in Christ”.

 

3.  Christ Jesus embraced the cross, despising the shame, and becoming sin for us that we might be made the righteousness in Him.

 

Conclusion: 

 

1.  Never forget the price that our men and women have paid for our freedom.

 

2.  Never forget the price that our Saviour, Christ Jesus, paid for our redemption.