Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:1-2,8-16 NIV)
There’s been a lot of attention given to aliens lately. Have you noticed? There are all the usual movies and shows and science fiction books. But lately, there’s been even more. The Pentagon conducted a study of unidentified flying objects seen by military personnel. They investigated 144 reports of strange sightings. Did you hear the results this past June? Are these sightings really aliens from outer space? The Pentagon has decided, “We don’t know.” Whew! Doesn’t that take a load off your mind? We can convincingly say that we still have no idea if aliens exist.
The Bible speaks with way more certainty. Did you know that the Bible talks about aliens? The Bible says that there are people on earth who are from a totally different world. Have you heard about that? Do you know who God says is an alien? You are! Now, I’m not talking about your looks. I’m not saying you look like an alien. But this is a super important concept in the Bible. God says that anyone who believes in Jesus is a foreigner and stranger on earth. Some Bible translations actually say “alien.” You are aliens! You’re not home. You’re not where you belong.
Do you realize that? I bet you’ve felt it. Do you ever feel like you don’t quite fit in? That you’re out of place? Does life just not meet your expectations? Do you think, “There’s got to be something more than this!” Do you find yourself asking, “Why is this happening? Why don’t things go the way they are supposed to? Why is life so hard? Why is life so sad?” Here’s why: Because you’re not at home. You’re a stranger here. Do you realize that?
Abraham did. I hope you’ve figured out that Abraham is a pretty important person in the Bible. Abraham lived about 2000 B.C. So how many years ago was that? 4000 years ago. Out of the blue, God told this guy Abraham to move to a different country—to what’s now Israel—and live there. And God promised Abraham that the Savior of the world—Jesus!—would come from his family. Here’s the amazing thing: Abraham did it. “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” It’s hard to move. Abraham didn’t even know where he was going! I don’t know why he didn’t just look it up on his GPS… But Abraham obeyed God and went.
How? By faith. “By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.” By faith, Abraham lived his whole life as a stranger in a foreign country. It never really felt like home. By faith, Abraham lived his whole life in tents. He never had a permanent house. Instead, he trusted in God’s promises. He trusted in what he couldn’t see. That’s what faith is. “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Even living in a tent, even being a foreigner, to Abraham God’s promises were absolutely certain. By faith.
Because “he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” You’d expect Abraham to move to the promised land of Israel and say, “Now I’m home!” But he didn’t. “He was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Which city is that? Heaven! Abraham was looking forward to heaven. If you think the skyscrapers downtown are great, wait until you see heaven! If you think the Gathering Place is cool, wait until you see heaven! If you think our church is built well, wait until you see heaven! Its “architect and builder is God!” Abraham knew he was a stranger here. Heaven was his home!
And not just Abraham. Sarah his wife too. “By faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.” For decades, Sarah couldn’t have kids. Some of us know that pain. But what did Sarah do? She trusted God. She trusted the One who makes promises. “And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.” If someone were to say to us, “You’re so old, you’re as good as dead,” we’d be offended. Not Abraham and Sarah. “Good as dead?” “Yep, that’s us. It’s all God. All grace!”
Because God is faithful. Our faith rests in the fact that God is faithful. Sarah “considered him faithful who had made the promise.” Lots of people make promises. But there is only one faithful Promise-Maker: God. Because God isn’t just a Promise-Maker. He is the Promise-Keeper. After decades of waiting, Abraham and Sarah finally had a child—Isaac. After centuries, their descendants finally inherited the land of Israel. After 2000 years, Jesus the Savior finally came from their family and lived and died and rose to save the world. Just like God promised. Our Promise-Maker is the Promise-Keeper. That’s why “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Invisible things are absolutely certain with our God.
And that’s not just true for Abraham and Sarah. “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.” God’s people live by faith. Those ancient believers trusted in God, even though they didn’t receive everything God had promised. Why not? Why didn’t they receive everything God promised? Because this world isn’t all there is! God’s greatest promises are waiting in heaven! So by faith, with confidence in what they did not see, they considered themselves foreigners and strangers on earth.
“People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” This world isn’t all there is. Those believers were longing for a better country. For heaven. God loved that! God loved to see his people long for their home in heaven. God was not ashamed of them. The world didn’t welcome them. But God was not ashamed of them. God loved being called their God. God prepared a city for them in heaven. By faith, Abraham said, “I’m but a stranger here. Heaven is my home!”
Is that what you say? I don’t think so. Because I don’t. To be honest, here’s the question God wants us to think about today: “Are we too comfortable here?” Foreigners? Come on, we are U.S. citizens and proud of it! Living in tents? None of us live in tents. We have nice homes. Strangers on earth? No way. This is our home! Do you see the problem? It’s an incredible blessing to live in the United States. I give thanks to God for the blessing of being born here. But we need to watch out: If we think this country is our home, we’re not really followers of Jesus.
Here’s the sign that our hearts are in the wrong place: Worry. If your treasure is in this world, do you know what you will be? Worried. In fact, the more you have, the more worried you will be. If your hopes are wrapped up in this world—sports, relationships, career—, do you know what you will be? Worried. Because this world will never fulfill your hopes. If you think this country is your real home, do you know what you will be? Worried. Because it sure doesn’t seem to be headed in the right direction. This is our problem. This is our sin! We think we’re home. We’re focused on the wrong place. Every worry betrays the lack of faith in Jesus in our hearts. You’re a stranger here. God’s called us to look forward to a better place, just like Abraham did.
But there was actually someone who made an even bigger move than Abraham did. Do you know whom I’m thinking of? Jesus. Jesus didn’t just move to a different country. He left heaven itself and put up his tent here on earth. Isn’t that amazing? That’s how much Jesus loves you. That’s how much Jesus wanted to rescue you. That’s really the message of this book of Hebrews. It was written to tell us how great Jesus is. “Jesus is better.” That’s the theme. Jesus is better than angels. Jesus is better than Moses. Jesus is better than the high priests. Jesus is better than any sacrifice. Jesus is better than anything and everything, because Jesus by his death on the cross opened up heaven to us. You might be a stranger here, but you aren’t a stranger in God’s house.
Because Jesus has prepared a better place for us. A real home for us. A city with foundations. This is the world of tents. Changes. Uncertainty. Moves. Death. Loss. Heaven is the place with foundations. With permanence. Where you will never have to move or say good-bye again. That’s your home, by faith in Jesus. He tells us, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). By faith. Faith in Jesus is “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Invisible things are absolutely certain through Christ. Jesus leads us to say, “I’m but a stranger here, heaven is my home.”
I’ve learned to appreciate that even more through the opportunities I’ve had to work with immigrants. For nine years in my ministry, I worked a lot with Hispanic immigrants. They were a blessing to me. When we’d study sections like this from the Bible, it resonated so much with them. “I’m not home. This is a strange place. I don’t feel comfortable here.” They got that! And I got to say, “But, there is a place where you will fit in. There is a place where you do belong. There is a place where you won’t just be bouncing from here to there in your tent: Heaven.”
I hope this helps you understand why life in this broken world is so hard. You’re not home yet. On the night before he died, Jesus prayed for you and me. This is what he prayed: “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it” (John 17:14-15). Right now, God calls on us to live in this world. He wants us to let our lights shine. He wants us to boldly share the message of Jesus. But even as we live in this world, we are not of this world. Our treasures are not here. They are in heaven. God calls us to be different. To remember, “I have a better home! I have heaven!”
So the next time the Pentagon studies aliens, you can help them out, “I’m right here!” The next time life disappoints you, you can say, “I’m but a stranger here, heaven is my home.” The next time you don’t fit in, you can say, “I’m but a stranger here, heaven is my home.” When cancer and sickness threaten, you can remember, “I’m but a stranger here, heaven is my home.” When heartbreak and pain leave you longing for more, “I’m but a stranger here, heaven is my home.” When death draws near, “I’m but a stranger here, heaven is my home.” You have a faithful God. So you can say with confidence, with faith: “I’m but a stranger here, heaven is my home.”
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