The Church of Eleven22 - Wk 4: Pastor Léonce Crump

Episode Date: November 14, 2021

Well, thank you all so much for that lovely welcome. I really appreciate it. It's been a few years since I have been here. And it may just be in my mind, but for those of you who were here the last time I was here, I think I was being punished for lifting up Pastor Jobie's pulpit, which was apparently unliftable. But, you know, God gives his gifts. as he pleases. And so, but we're good now.

We're reconciled. No issues any longer. And I'm just so grateful to spend this time with you and share my heart with you and excited. I'm a little emotional right now. I promise my energy will go up. There's something about that last song that just wrecked me. And I think in particular, because as we honored our veterans this morning, I want to do

the same. I want to honor you from a personal place. My father, all of my uncles, many of my aunts and cousins, and my late younger brother, my younger brother Christopher, who went to be with the Lord after a three-year battle with cancer just over a month ago. They all served this nation bravely and beautifully. And amen. So I think, you know, when we were singing that song all my life, you have been faithful.

I just, I saw my little brother. face and the last memory that we have together, he actually put his dog tags around my neck and told me he loved me. And it just hit me like a ton of bricks this morning. So to our veterans, thank you for your service. Thank you for creating the context in which we can enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy and that I can preach the gospel and you can receive it. And so thank you for everything that you do. Also, I want to say a good hey to our 1122 online and to all of our campuses.

I'm so glad to be with you as well. Today, we are going to be in Hebrews chapter 11. And so, as Pastor Bow said, if you've got a Bible, pull it out, if you've got something to write with, you're going to want to write some of this down. I think it's going to be helpful. I think it's going to bless your life.

It is certainly blessed mine as I prayed through this text. And here's a question that I want to put in front of you. as you turn there. And just something to consider. Is there something in your heart? Have you ever had a longing in your heart that you were so desperate to see God fulfill? And at times you wondered if he was ever going to come through. You wondered if he was ever going to answer.

You wondered if he was actually listening. Well, that's what we're going to explore today through the life of one of our ancient predecessors, Sarah, who longed to be a mother, and her longing went unmet for decades. And she felt that God would never, ever, ever fulfill her desire, that he wasn't going to meet her in her moment. And I imagine that many of us can identify. And so hopefully today, Hebrews 11 will offer to us both hope for the moment and perseverance for the future. Can I get a good amen on that?

So we're going to look through much of Hebrews 11. and we're going to anchor our time in verse 11. Hear the word of the Lord with me. By faith, Sarah herself, though barren, received power to conceive even when she was too old. Somebody circled that word even, because she considered him faithful who had promised. Hear it again in the New Living Translation. It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren, and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. Why don't you turn to somebody

today and say, God is a promise keeping God. Go ahead. Just turn to a couple people say, God is a promise keeping God. All right, you've had your black church moment for the year. Let's pray. Father, thank you for the Word of God. Thank you for the Spirit of God. Thank you for the power of God. Thank you for your love and your mercy and your kindness. Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you that none of us. are here incidentally today, that you have something to do in and through us, and you will accomplish it. And so I pray now that you get me out of the way, hide me behind your hand so that I am not

a distraction or deterrent to what it is that you are trying to do in the lives of your people in this moment, Lord, God, speak with clarity so that no matter where we are in our journey with Jesus or toward Jesus or away from Jesus, that we will have. have an encounter today with the living God. We ask all of these things in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Ghost and the redeemed of the Lord said together. Amen and amen. There have been no shortage of miracles in the life of Renovation Church where my wife and I pastor since we founded that community. And I mean no shortage of miracles. Miracles that are not as dramatic like when God made a way for us to purchase.

this is our first building, even though we were not financially qualified. Somebody ought to shout right there, God will qualify you when you don't have the money in the bank. And he did, and we gave him a good return on investment. And so that was a miracle. Miracles that were more dramatic, like diseases being healed, literal diseases being healed, that doctors said they could do nothing about. And even in our own life, my little boy who just turned six on Thursday, he was born. dead, didn't breathe for seven and a half minute, but the living God said he was going to live

and brought him back to life. And so we have seen no shortage of miracles in our community. But few have moved me as much personally than seeing three of my sisters who my wife and I love dearly give birth to children that they were told they would never have. In fact, a couple of those sisters were on our staff. And every single month when their time came, their time of the month, it was a time of mourning and tears and prayer because we were commiserating in their pain for this thing that they wanted so desperately. But they were told that it wasn't going to happen and it kept not happening.

But one day, the God of faithfulness for them in that moment came through. not only did every one of those sisters have one child, they each got two, because God is a God a double portion. That's free today. And the reason it moved me so deeply is because there's something special. There's something unique about seeing a long-held prayer, a long-held desire, a long-held passion finally come to fruition, particularly in the lives of people you love. And even if you're not a follower of Jesus, I would wager to say that there's something in your life, something in your heart, something in your mind, that you are longing to see happen. You wonder if it'll ever come through.

In fact, we could say it this way, that we all have something for which we long, that we believe is impossible to be fulfilled. we all have something for which we have a desire that we do not believe can never come to fruition and even if we ourselves do not believe it is impossible to be fulfilled somebody will poke their nose in and remind us that it probably can't happen that's where you got to get a sanctified mind your bitterness in Jesus name why don't you go ahead and practice that mind your business in Jesus name you don't get a to tell me my story. This is where the gift of faith, the necessity of faith, becomes so paramount

in our lives. And not faith in faith. Don't miss that. Faith in God. Faith in his character, in his movability, in his immutability, in his power, in its kindness, in his mercy, in his presence. And you see, though it was in no way, perfected then, and still is not now. In each of those sisters' cases whose longings were finally fulfilled, there was one common denominator, a deep, rich, abiding, hope in God. Don't miss this, whether he fulfilled their longing or not. And yet, it is a very rich, abiding, hope in God. Don't miss this, whether he fulfilled their longing or not. And yet, it is that same faith that is the very substance of longings fulfilled. Faith is the foundation of impossible longings fulfilled. It is the base upon which fulfillment

is ultimately built. Now, of course, faith is more than that? Is it not? Yes, it's more than that. In fact, Hebrews 111 says that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hear that, hear that, hear that. Hear it again. It is the assurance of things that I hope will happen. It is a residing and abiding conviction. You know what that word means. It is a conviction in things that I haven't even laid my eyes on yet. That's what faith is. That's the very definition of it. And if it's tied to it, to God's character. Watch this. Your hope will never be put to shame.

Amen? What does that mean? That means that you can be sure of the things for which you hope. That means that you can be convicted and convinced of seeing the impossible. You see, faith is that great gift that leads to eternal life. And faith is a living life in light of the reality of God. Faith, Hebrews 11, 6 says, is necessary to please God. Faith is living life dependent on the fact that those things which God has promised

and for which we hope are not fantasy. They are real. And a person of faith cannot only depend on God and his promises, but they can also begin to experience God's power in the present while they wait for his promises in the future. Now, though faith is more than the foundation of impossible longings fulfilled, guess what, it is certainly not less. And what you will find when you peruse the entire chapter of Hebrews 11, which you will do,

because you are good, godly people, what you will find is a smattering of stories of people who had to show indomitable faith in the face of incredible odds while they waited for impossible things to come to fruition in their life. And what we're going to focus today is on the story of Abraham and Sarah, our ancient ancestors and God who have a fascinating story of faith. And here's what we're going to do. You don't need to turn there, but I'm going to tell you their story from Genesis so that you will see Hebrews 11 with all.

all of the color that you need to see it with. And if you want to go back and read Genesis 12 through about 20 later on, I think you would be benefited by it. But as the story goes, at 99 years old, 99 years old, if you 99, raise your hand, you're lying in church. 89, 79. Y'all don't have no old people in this church? What does your wisdom come from? 99 years old.

99 years old. God comes to a man named Abram and tells him, walk closely with me, and I will make you numerous on the earth. That's Genesis 17, meaning I will give you many descendants. Say the number again, 99. I'm going to give you many. What?

I don't think everything that does that even works anymore. 99. I'm going to give you many descendants. Now, if you read the backstory, as you just heard me say, I didn't say Abraham. I said Abram. Why? Because God gave Abram a name change. Why is that important?

You see, when God changes a person's name and gives him or her a new name, right? this down, it is to establish a new identity. It's as important. God changed Abrams' name, formerly meaning high father, to Abraham, meaning father of a multitude, because his new identity was connected to God's fulfilled promise. God also instructed Abraham that his wife's name would change. Her name was Sarai, meaning my princess. And God, God, changed her name to Sarah, meaning mother of nations, Genesis 17, 15 through 16. Again, the changing of their names was directly related to the fulfillment of God's promise. Why?

Because often a fulfilled promise requires a new identity. In other words, I know you're not hearing it yet, but it's about to hit your square between the eyes. In other words, you are not always who you need to be to walk in the promise that you want to see fulfilled. Sometimes God has to take you through a process to make you the person that can actually walk in the promise. I'm preaching better than y'all talking today. Sometimes an unanswered prayer is actually the mercy of God.

Because if he gave you the thing that you want, which is for a future season in your present season, it might crush you. sometimes the thing for which we are longing, we are not ready. And so God has to take us through a step of new identity. In fact, in the case of Abram and Saria, if you get into the story, you'll see that. This is all my lovely and beautiful, imperfect people in the house. Do you know that God only uses messed up folks? Did you know that? If you didn't know that when you came in, now you know, and it was worth the trip.

God only use his messed up folks. That's a fact. Moses, Moses was called the greatest man of God to ever walk to earth besides Jesus. He was also a murderer. A dude had charges. Noah got delivered from a flood, and his response was not praised. It was to get tow up. You want me to translate?

He got drunk. Abraham tried to push his wife into trafficking twice. And the only thing that kept her from being taken advantage of by the man that took her from her husband was that God came to him in the middle of the night and was like, say, bro, don't touch her. He was like, oh, is that you, God? He was like, yeah, it's me. Oh, I don't want no smoke with you. So I'm going to kindly return her to her husband.

Where is your husband? I could go down the line. New Testament is my favorite. Jesus gets jammed up. Peter's first response is to pull out his gun. Like, come on, man. Oh, it was a knife. I know it was a knife.

They did not have guns. But it was still a felony. And so God grabs people in the prime of their foolishness, gives them promises that they can't possibly sustain, and then puts them on a palli. That's a transformation. Oh, that's good right there. So, let's say it again.

Abram, high father. But in order, Genesis 22, 18, for the nations to be blessed through him, he needed a new name. He needed a new identity. He needed new faith. He needed new faith to see those promises fulfilled. God promised Abraham and with him Sarah that they would have descendants that were as numerous as the stars. Genesis 264, and yet, at the moment that God said, what would be numerous as a stars, they could not produce one child. They didn't have the ability to do it once, let alone many times.

In fact, Genesis 1130 tells us that Sarah had been barren her whole life. Now, again, put yourself in that headspace. It wasn't that she couldn't have children just because she was old. She was never able to have children. So year after year, decade after decade, nine decades, decades, one desire, no answer. Until one day, God shows up to speak with her husband. How could God promise an elderly couple who could not even

have children in their youth, that at 99 and 90, it would be father and mother to a multitude. Well, Sarah certainly asked the same question. She had the same ruminations more than just asking the question. She questioned God. She questioned his character. She questioned his word. and as she listened in on Abraham's conversation with the Lord, Genesis 1810,

as God declared that within one year, Sarah would have a son. By 91, you're going to be a mama. Genesis 1812 says she laughed to herself. Can we be kind to Sarah in this moment? Because we're looking backwards at what God, already did. But can you put yourself in that moment? You're 90 years old. Not 20, not 30, not 40, not 50. 90. Your husband's 99. Cradle robin joker. And you hear God say, in one year,

I'm going to have a baby. You would be indignant. You would be incensed. I would be. I would be. What are you talking about? What are you talking about? Listen, it takes me 12 steps to get out of the bed in the morning at 40. Between wrestling and football, the only thing that's holding me together is my wife's prayers. And leave. And you're going to tell me at 90, I'll have a baby in a year? Of course she laughed. And this was not a laugh of amusement. This was a laugh of mocking. This was a laugh of derision. This was a laugh of disbelief.

Plainly, she found it foolish that anyone, even the living God, would suggest that a woman of her age could have children. Listen, by this point, she'd gone through menopause. She says it herself, I'm old. So is my husband. He's real old. Can I still enjoy intimate pleasure? this old man, my favorite. This is in the Bible. That's why you need to read your Bible. She says, I'm worn out, and he worn out too. We just like that truck sitting in the front yard of my

grandpa's house. It ain't going to move. And I don't know why he keeps it. That's a true story. My grandfather had a truck sitting in the front yard his house for 30 years. I'm like, you're ever doing it? One day, son, that day never came. Old, worn out. Turns out, though, that God was aware of Sarah's laughter. And he knew the thoughts and the words that she wrestled through this. He spoke to Abraham. And all of a sudden, Sarah is exposed. If you can imagine that for just one moment that Sarah is exposed.

Imagine what it would feel like to be in that moment and know that the person talking to your husband knows what you're thinking. And then God asks outright, why did Sarah laugh saying, can I really have a baby when I'm old? This, of course, was a rhetorical question. I'm going to give you a game for free. When God starts asking you rhetorical questions, it's not good. It's not good.

Why is she laughing? God's statement of Sarah's secret question is rebuked to her lack of faith. And while her laugh of disbelief might be considered normal, right? It's normal, giving her circumstances, it prompted one of the premier promises from God in Scripture, Genesis 1814, is there anything too hard for the Lord? Is there anything impossible for the God of the universe? Is there anything impossible for the one who measures the span of the oceans in his hand? Is there anything impossible?

For the God who spoke creation into being? Is there anything impossible for the baby in the manger who hung up? the star that led the wise men to the manger to find the baby? Is there anything impossible? Well, the answer is quite simple. No. No, nothing is too hard for God. Nothing is beyond the scope of the living God.

Nothing is beyond the reach of the God we serve. Nothing is impossible for He who holds the universe in his hands. I'm just a little bit excited. Pastor Jovi told you, I'm a loud man with big quads. I did not want to disappoint. And so what does God say to her? When the time is right, this is my translation. When the time is right, you're fend to get pregnant.

That's what I'm fend to do. What's Sarah's response? She didn't hear nothing God said. I didn't laugh. Sis, he just told you your inner thoughts and your response is I didn't laugh. She lies. And in doing so, she calls God a lie. And I'm going to be real with you.

Every time I read that passage, I get triggered. That's what the kids say. I'm triggered. Because all I can imagine is my mom looking at me several times over my life and saying, boy, you calling me a lie? And I'm like, mm-mm-mm. You're a purveyor of absolute truth at all times just short of the living God himself. That's how you don't get beat.

Sarah contradicts herself in God. She knew she laughed. She knew she laughed. She knew God knew she laughed. She knew God knew. She knew God knew. God knew she laughed. She knew.

Why would she do that? See, when you read your Bible, you got to remember, these are people with problems. Not stories on a page. And then the Bible comes alive. And you're like, man, I can really relate to this thing. Because I'm a people with problems. And if you're not a people with problems, you're in the wrong place. because the church is made up of people with problems trying to find a perfect Jesus.

Listen to that alliteration. So you ask yourself the question, why would she do that? Here's why. Because when confronted with unbelief, we often lie to God and ourselves. It's incredible. It's incredible. Listen, I'll go first. I'll do it.

There. Y'all going to leave me out here all alone? See, you're lying right now. That's Holy Spirit going to deal with you later. I do it. I think some of the dumbest things in the whole world. Well, if I say it out loud, God might know. Really, but?

Well, I don't want to pray that. So then God will hear. Hey, can I tell you secret? Come here. He knows. He's not surprised. It's not cut off guard. In fact, one of my wife's mentors said something that profoundly affected me years ago.

He said, God would rather an honest complaint than a false praise. Because he already knows. He knows, Sarah. You was in the tent laughing. He knows. But whenever we're faced with our unbelief, we often double down, which only delays us meeting our moment of healing. Oh, please don't miss that. Instead, why can we just bring it to God with honesty so he can actually do the work that he came to do?

But God is faithful. And so faithful that he actually ensures that Sarah never forgets her faulty faith in his promise. In fact, if you go back and look at it, you know this, that Sarah's son's name was Isaac. You know what Isaac means? It means son of laughter. That's how God will do you.

That's how he'll do you. Oh, you laughed at me? Your son's name is going to be laughter. How about that? Game blouses, right? Only a select few got that, and I appreciate you. The rest of you expand your cultural horizons. Now, if you can, fast forward your mind back to where we started.

Hebrews 1111 says it was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child. And now those words have all kinds of color, don't they? Even Sarah was able to have a child. Now, for those of you who didn't grow up in church, you may not know this terminology, but scholars and theologians and Bible people, specifically Baptist, they call Hebrews 11 the Hall of Faith. They call it the Hall of Faith. Why?

Because Hebrews 11 is putting forth a bunch of people to whom we are to look and say, wow, look at their faith. That's the kind of faith that I want to have. That's the kind of faith that I want to give toward God. And that's the kind of faith that I want him to give me. Wow, what an example to follow. Wow, these people really believe the Lord against all odds. That's right, baby.

And because of that, you have to ask yourself the question. How in the world? Now that you know the backstory, how is Sarah in the Hall of Faith? How does she get in? You heard the story. You know her testimony. How in the world is it possible that after laughing in God's face that she was making into the Hall of Faith? How can the writer put that to paper in good conscience?

Where there's a small clue, I told you, the circle it at the top. It's that word even. Even. even Sarah who at one point in her journey laughed in God's face, even Sarah, who at one point in her journey, mocked God in his promise, even Sarah, who so resolutely did not believe the word God spoke to her husband that she insisted Abraham sleep with her servant so that he might produce an air. Even Sarah, whose faith was visibly faltering, it would turn out to be the most pivotal point in her life, was able to receive God's promise by faith. How?

Genesis 21, 1 through 2 tells us. Then the Lord came to Sarah as he had said. And the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. She became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham. in his old age, watch this, at the appointed time that God had told them. How was Sarah in the Hall of Faith? Because God came through and it was accounted to Sarah's faith. Don't miss that.

God kept his promise and it was accounted to her faith. God was faithful and it was accounted to Sarah's faith. And there's so much of mind here, but we don't have time. So I just want to show you three glorious truths that surface from that reality. The first is this, that God makes up for our faltering faith with his faithfulness. Oh, yeah, that's worth an amen right there. God makes up for our faltering faith with his faithfulness. That's how Sarah got in, not because she consistently believed, but because God never changed.

Amen. That's how she got in. Because what God did was accounted to her account. That's how she got in. Yes, faith is necessary to please God, but does it say anywhere in the Bible how much faith is necessary to please God? Didn't Jesus say that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains? Well, it would seem that Sarah at least had mustard seed faith. That at the very least she had just enough. that at some point in her winding journey, she believed God to be faithful, and then she didn't. And then she praised him. And then she was angry.

And then she trusted him. And then she backed away. And she showed up and sang with all of her heart. And on Monday, she didn't believe that he loved her. You see, that's what the journey actually looks like. That's what it actually looks like. It's a winding road of ups and downs that progressively get less dramatic. That's why it's called progressive sanctification.

You know, there's actually in Atlanta a church called the perfect church. True story. And every single Sunday for a decade, I've been standing up and saying, hi, I'm Pastor Launce. This is my wife, Brianna. We are a church for imperfect people because I'm a mess. and you're a mess, and we're going to be messy together in Jesus' name. And for all the people who have arrived rather than being on a journey,

well, I send the arrived people to the perfect church. So they can go be arrived together. Because that's what this is. Our walk with God is a journey, not an arrival. And God is not expecting you to have it all right all the time. That's why the song says, all my life. You have been faithful. Not all my life I've had it figured out.

That's number two. Here's number three. What we see from Sarah's remarkable story is that complete faith is not perfected faith. Complete faith is not perfected faith. Complete confidence in God is not perfect confidence in God. In other words, your faith is whole because of the object of the object of God. that faith, not the wholeness of your trust. Amen. That's the truth. It's the object, not our ability to hang tight. Your faith is complete the moment that you place it in God,

but it will not be perfected until we're free from this world. And so in all of this, there's great hope for us, isn't there? That today you can be on a cloud. God is the best. Ain't nobody like him. I love the Lord. And tomorrow morning you can wake up wondering where he is and God won't change. Amen. So what does that leave us? We can be counted righteous. Not because of the measure of our faith, but because of the measure of his faithfulness. Not because we have arrived, but because we refuse to abandon the journey and he refuses to abandon us. Not because our faith is complete, but because they are object of our faith is complete. And for that reason, you can have faith to hope even in the impossible. Well, Sarah's story, it ends excellent storybook fashion. If you go back later and you read Genesis 21, 6 through 7, it tells us this. Now Sarah said, God has brought laughter for me, and everyone who hears will laugh with me. Don't you love that irony? she was laughing at God, now she's laughing with God.

Somebody's going to have that testimony before the end of the week. And she said, who would have ever said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have born him a son in his old age. Who would have ever thought, not even me. And yet here he is. God being God. And here I am holding my son. Family, there are things that you are fighting,

longings that you are fighting to cling to, and you want to throw in the towel. Can I encourage you today, throw in the towel? God is His. And if he said it, as he'll, old saints used to say, he may not come when you want him, but he'll be there. Don't throw in the towel. Have faith to hope. Have faith to hope. Have faith to hope. Even when it seems impossible. Because God is ever faithful. So we're invited to respond now. And there's really two groups of people that

that I need to just have a chat with. And the first are those who are with us, you're not a follower of Jesus. And I have no misconception that everybody in here would be. The great hope of a faithful church is that people who don't know Jesus yet where they would come and be among his people to see his realness.

And there are those of you who are here. And you're trying to figure this thing out. And you're wondering if God can, be trusted if he's real well i want to tell you today that he is and that he loves you and that there's no mountain for you to climb and no hoot for you to jump through only an invitation for you to accept that the faithful god will give you the gift of faith today and so here's what i want to do just for a moment if you guys would indulge me every head bowed and every eye close just for a moment invitation, that if today is the day that you're going to believe Jesus for the first time, for the

first time, and you want him to be Lord of your life, and you want him to give you the gift of faith, and you want him to show you what it means to walk with unshakable hope, will you just, just for one second, slip up your hand. I just want to pray for you. I see that hand. I just want to pray for you. I see that hand. Thank you. I see that hand. So much courage in that. That's the first act of faith. Is there anybody else? Father, I pray for every person here and every person listening who slipped up their hand and who didn't. Because it would be antithetical to the message to make one better than the other.

Father God, I pray that you would give them the gift of faith now. That they would put their trust wholly and completely in you. And know that that hope, that trust will not. never be put to shame. Father, I pray that they experience ever-increasing measures of your grace and your love and your mercy, and that those things that are hidden in their heart, that will bring glory to you and joy to them, that you would fulfill them in due season. Show yourself faithful. We ask all of these things in Jesus' name. There's a second group of folks here too. And you would say that you're a follower of Jesus, and maybe you've been following

in Jesus your whole life. But like me, like my wife, like so many others, your journey is as winding as Sarah's. And sometimes it's just hard to believe God. I'm going to give you something to do this week, and I want you to commit to doing it every morning of this week, just this week, if we can commit to do this together. I want you to pray one of the most powerful prayers in the scriptures. And you think I'm going to say the Lord's prayer. I'm not. It's from a man who sees Jesus and he wants so desperately to trust him. And what does he cry out? Lord, I believe, help my unbelieve.

Can we commit to just every morning this week praying together? Listen, if you're in small groups or discipleship groups or friends or family, you guys hold each other to that. And say this week, the first thing out of my mouth, when I get up in the morning, the first thing I'm going to say is, Lord, I believe. Help my unbelieve. And I want you to apply that to all of the things that you are believing God for that your faith is faltering in. And I promise you what it's going to do to your faith in just a week's time you will be blown away.

Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. Because here's the deal, family. Where the world needs today more than ever, more than ever, is for the people who say they follow God to live like. they believe he is true. That's where transformation comes. And you've already seen so much goodness of God. But I believe God has greater, and it'll be on the other side of our faith in his faithfulness.

Amen? Can we rejoice before the Lord together? I love you guys. Thank you so much.