The Choice that Faces Man
A Sermon on Hebrews 11:13
Originally preached Jan. 3, 1960
Scripture
13These 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.
Sermon Description
Today, all are confronted with a choice: Will they go with the world or will they go with God? In this sermon on Hebrews 11:13 titled “The Choice that Faces Man,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines people of faith in this passage. He displays that each of them were, first, confronted with this choice, and second, believed God. The world is under the judgment of God. When this is realized, the Christian runs out of the city of destruction as fast as they can. They see the world for what it is. They see themselves for who they are. This person can no longer remain in this old life of sin. They leave the world and go with God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this person runs out of the doomed world by faith, believing the promises of God. For the believer today, this means trusting God with complete assurance that Jesus Christ died on the cross for one’s sin, and that He was raised to give new life. The Christian now despises their former life of sin and wants nothing to do with it. They no longer live for the wicked world, but live for God. This is what it means to become a Christian—to be justified by faith.
Sermon Breakdown
- These men realized they were confronted with a choice between two possibilities.
- They believed God and his word. They believed what God said about himself, the world, and themselves.
- God said the world is passing, evil, and doomed. The men separated themselves from the world.
- God said all people are born in sin and part of the evil world. The men would share in the world's doom if they stayed.
- God gave promises about Jesus Christ and salvation. The men believed and embraced these promises.
- Faith in the promises governed and sustained the men's lives. They were persuaded by and acted on the promises.
- The men confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on earth. They acted differently and separated from the world.
- The men's hopes and affections were set on the heavenly country and city God promised. They did not belong to the world.
- People must choose between the world or God, heaven or hell, the temporal or eternal. Christians choose God and heaven.
- Christians believe God, act on that belief, and confess they are strangers in the world with hope in God's promises.
- Have you heard and believed God's call? Have you been persuaded and embraced it? Have you confessed you are a stranger in the world with hope in God?
- If so, you need not fear the future and can glory in God. Worldly pleasures fade, but God's people have lasting joy.
- Are you one of God's children with your affections set on heaven rather than earth? It is one or the other.
Sermon Q&A
What Does It Mean to Live by Faith According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
What is the main theme of Hebrews 11 according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
The main theme of Hebrews 11 is faith - how a person is justified or saved by faith, and by faith alone. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the whole epistle was written to remind people who were being tempted to return to Judaism that "a man is justified or saved by faith, and that these people who were being tempted to look back at their old Jewish religion with its ordinances and its ceremonies, and to trust that and their attempt to keep the law, that they were jeopardizing their whole position." Hebrews 11 illustrates this truth by examining the lives of Old Testament heroes who lived by faith.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the first characteristic of people who live by faith?
The first characteristic is that they realized they were confronted by a choice between two possibilities. Dr. Lloyd-Jones states, "The first thing that is obviously true about them is this. They were men who realized that they were confronted by a choice, that there were two possibilities facing them, and that they had to take a choice as to which of these two they were going to accept and were going to follow." He gives examples like Abraham who had to choose whether to stay in Ur or follow God's call, Noah who had to decide whether to build the ark, and Moses who had to choose between Egyptian royalty and identifying with God's people.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define faith in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines faith as believing God at His word, even when it seems impossible. He says, "The essence of faith is to believe God." He explains that these heroes of faith believed the "bare word of God" without proof, often when circumstances seemed contrary to what God promised. For example, Abraham believed God's promise of a son when he was 99 years old and his wife was over 90, which seemed utterly impossible: "But God said it was going to happen. And they believed God. They didn't stagger in unbelief. They believed, they acted, they accepted, they believed God."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say the Bible teaches about this world?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the Bible teaches several key truths about this world: 1. It is a passing, transitory world without eternal foundations 2. It is an evil world filled with sin 3. It is a doomed world under God's judgment 4. It cannot be saved or reformed, though individuals can be saved out of it
He emphasizes, "Nothing can save the world from the doom that is coming. But you and I can be saved out of it. That's it. These men are saved out of it. They're taken out. They're separated, every one of them."
How did the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 demonstrate their faith according to the sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the heroes of faith demonstrated their faith in these ways: 1. They saw the truth of God's promises ("having seen them afar off") 2. They were persuaded of the truth of these promises intellectually 3. They embraced and desired what God promised ("they greeted the promises") 4. They acted on what they believed - Abraham left Ur, Noah built the ark, Moses chose to identify with Israel 5. They "confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth" - acknowledging they didn't belong to this world but to God's kingdom 6. They separated themselves from the world and its ways 7. They set their hopes and affections on the heavenly country God promised
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the final outcome for those who live by faith?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that those who live by faith are seeking "a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God" - a heavenly country that is eternal. He says, "God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city." The Christian's ultimate hope is not in this world but in "that country which is to come" - in God, Christ, and "a glory which is indescribable." He describes believers as "strangers and pilgrims" in this world whose real citizenship is in heaven.
What personal question does Dr. Lloyd-Jones ask his listeners to consider?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks his listeners, "Have you heard the call of God? Have you believed it? Have you been persuaded about it? Have you embraced it? Have you given proof of that by confessing that you are but a stranger and a pilgrim in this world?" He emphasizes that this requires a decision: "You've got to face it. It is a decision. You've got to take your choice. If you do nothing, you stay where you are." He asks if they have seen that there are only two possibilities - "God or men. Heaven or hell. This world or the eternal."
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.