RECAP: This Life in Christ Is Blessed—But (in itself) Incomplete

1 Corinthians 15:19    “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

2 Corinthians 4:17    “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

• We are reminded that while we enjoy the riches of Christ now—peace, forgiveness, grace, purpose—it is still not the whole picture.
• Even suffering in this life, when viewed through the lens of eternity, is momentary and producing something far greater.   Our hope is not just for today—it is anchored in the eternity that awaits.

"Better Things to Come"

Text: Hebrews 11:39–40
"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect."

We would think that the natural reading would be that they “obtained a good report” And “received the promise”.  But that is not what is communicated.  They “did not receive the promise”; we are left asking why?

• This is a surprising statement.
  • Noah was saved.
  • Abraham received Isaac.
  • Moses delivered Israel.
  • Rahab was spared.
  • David, Gideon, Samuel, and others saw great victories.
• Yet the Holy Spirit says they did not receive the promise.
  • Why? Because the ultimate promise was not just temporal salvation, but eternal perfection and glorification—something they would receive together with us.   God has “provided some better thing for us”—namely, the full realization of His redemptive plan in Christ, ultimately at His Second Coming.

The greatest fulfillment of God’s promise is not in this life, but in what’s coming when Jesus returns. 

Romans 8:18–25
“The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us… We are saved by hope.”

“Salvation is not the end of the road; it is only the beginning."  (Tozer)

“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”   C.S. Lewis

Paul makes it clear: even we, who have the Spirit now, are still waiting for the redemption of our bodies.  If we’re still waiting, so were they.  Their faith was real, their salvation was genuine—but the fullness of the promise is future.

Even the “Better” We Know Now Is Still “Partial”

1 Corinthians 13:12
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face.”

Philippians 1:21–24
"To depart and be with Christ… is far better."

 “I am still in the land of the dying; I shall be in the land of the living soon.”  (John Newton)

In many ways, Christians have a far better life here and now than non-Christians.  But as revealed in 1 Cor 15, life here on Earth can be rightly referred to as miserable if there was no resurrection.  Paul reveals a truth in Philippians 1 regarding the immediate state of those who pass from this life into the next: “Better”.

And yet… as "better" as the afterlife is for believers, it is not as good as what is coming.  In essence, the OT saints were blessed to live in hope of Jesus’ coming.  But in contrast the NT saints are even more blessed to live in the light and reality of His coming and to live in hope of His second coming.  But in further contrast, we are all looking forward to the even greater Glory and reality that will be revealed to us in Jesus at His second coming. 

We’re not looking only to be “with Christ” in spirit; we are looking to be with Him in glory, resurrected, and glorified, body and soul.  Not just a spiritual home, but a glorious return, a resurrected body, and a new heaven and new earth.

 

The Fullness Will Come at His Appearing

1 John 3:1–2      "We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."

2 Timothy 4:6–8   "There is laid up for me a crown… which the Lord shall give me at that day… to all them also that love His appearing."

1 Corinthians 2:9     "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard… the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."

• We don’t even have the mental capacity to grasp the glory that is coming.  We will be transformed to be like Jesus—made in His image and no more sin, sorrow, or death.
• A crown awaits, not just for Paul, but for all who long for His return.
• That’s the “better thing” Hebrews 11:40 points toward—something even the faithful of old were looking forward to, and something we should eagerly anticipate.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  (52)  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

 

 

 

Don’t settle for what’s now—live for what’s coming.

• Thank God for every spiritual blessing we have in Christ today—forgiveness, adoption, purpose, peace.
• But remember: the best is still ahead.
• All the saints—old and new—are waiting together for the day when Jesus returns and we are made perfect in Him.

Keep pressing on, and let hope fuel your endurance.

Live not just in gratitude for what God has done, but in expectation for what He is about to do.

"Time is short. Eternity is long. It is only reasonable that this short life be lived in the light of eternity." “Our best days are not behind us. They are always ahead. The future is bright with the promise of Christ’s return.”  (Spurgeon)

Love Hurts   Mother’s Day Sermon

Text: “A woman when she is in travail has sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.” – John 16:21

1. The First Cry of Pain: Eve’s Curse (Genesis 3:16)

Let us begin where pain began—at the foot of Eden’s closed gate. There, the voice of the Lord thundered the sentence of sin: “Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in sorrow you shall bring forth children.”

This is not just the origin of labor pain—it is the origin of all sorrow that mothers carry. God linked motherhood with suffering. And yet, the curse is laced with grace: Eve, though fallen, would be the mother of all living.

Childbirth became the proving ground of both love and pain. Pain so intense it became a measuring rod for all others— ask any nurse or patient: "On a scale of zero to ten..." Ten is not the battlefield or broken bones— it is childbirth. Humanity itself acknowledges that "love hurts" but this admission is also found in the Bible. 

Psalms 48:6  Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor.

Isaiah 13:8  They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.

Isaiah 26:17  Like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of you, O LORD;

Jeremiah 4:31  For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, “Woe is me! I am fainting...”  Jer_6:24, Jer_13:21, Jer_22:23, Jer_49:24; Mic_4:9-10;

 

So painful and traumatic is this miracle of life that it even has the potential to slay the mother:

Genesis 35:18  And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.

1Sa 4:20  And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. (21)  And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!”

 II. The Sword in the Soul:

Now let us look towards Bethlehem.  What a wonderful honor to conceive, carry, birth, nurture and raise Jesus the Savior of the World.  Only in our imaginations can we try to grasp the blessing of caring for the Son of God.  But again, only in our worst nightmares can we perceive the immense pain experienced in watching that incredible Son be crucified.   

Luke 2:18-19  And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.  (19)  But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Luke 2:34-35  And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed  (35)  (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Mary cared for the Savior of the world, but from the cradle, she was warned of the cross.   We see her at Cana, urging His first miracle. We see her amongst the bustle of his earthly ministry, seeking Him. But it is at the foot of the cross, where the prophecy peaks in pain. There she would stand—watching her child be crucified. Jesus told her “woman, behold your son.”  Whether Jesus spoke of John or of Himself, clearly Mary’s heart was breaking.   She bore Him into the world in pain; now she watched Him leave the world in agony.

“Mary did not understand it all—but she stood. She stayed at the cross. She remained in the pain.”  — Charles Spurgeon-

No mother should have to watch her child die, “agreed”, but many have.  Thankfully, this is the minority of cases and a general exception to the way life goes.  But unexpected and unwelcome as it is, unfortunately some women have this added pain in childbirth. 

“To be a mother is to suffer; to travail in the dark stretch marks of the soul. To be a mother is to hope, to love fiercely, and sometimes, to lose.” — Ann Voskamp

Luke 2:48-52  The sword was piercing upon her soul even before the cross as Jesus submitted to the will of His Heavenly Father.  We feel we have taught our children well when they listen to our will…but ultimately we have no greater joy than to see them commit to the will of their Heavenly Father.

Here is love’s full price: not just labor pains, but sharing in the pains of life.  Mary felt a sword pierce her soul—the place where the deepest maternal love should beat in every mother’s heart.

 

III. Mothers and the Sympathy of God

There is something mysterious about a mother’s heart. Fathers may fight, provide, and protect. But mothers—they feel.

A child’s fever, a teenager’s heartbreak, a prodigal’s rebellion—a mother’s heart seems to bleed easier than a father’s.    It is no coincidence that God often likens His own compassion to that of a mother: “As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you.” (Isaiah 66:13)

 IV. The Paradox: Joy and Pain

Is it not strange? The image of a mother and her child, arguably one of the purest earthly forms of love, is also a pinnacle of earthly pain.  A child is both the crown and the crucible of a woman’s life.  Here, we see the paradox: love hurts, but it is still worth it to love.  Nurses and doctors do all they can to lessen the pain of childbirth, but society cannot lessen the cost of love.  As we learned in “Grief Share,” we grieve because we love.   But better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.   In fact the barren womb is never satisfied (Prov 30). 

Sadly, our world now adds pain to pain, darkness to travail. In the name of freedom, we snuff out life in the womb. We terminate pain by terminating the child. O what a bitter balm! The sword that pierced Mary’s soul—now wielded by our own hands against our own babies.

So perhaps we are seeing this prophesy fulfilled:    Isaiah 49:15  “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.

 V.  Pain Will Not Prevail Pain may come first—but it is not the last word.

Jesus said: “A woman when she is in travail has sorrow... but as soon as she is delivered... she remembers no more the anguish.”  (John 16:21).

So it is in the Gospel. Christ died, yes—but now He lives. Mary wept, yes—but joy came in the morning. And though mothers suffer, they also rejoice—in the first cry, the first step, the first “I love you.”

“Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (2 Cor. 4:17)

Love hurts, but love also wins.

In Christ, we know that beauty and joy will beat out the pain, not only in childbirth—but in all of life.

“Motherhood is a partnership with God. It is not a mere biological function. It is a spiritual calling, and its pains—both of labor and of life—are part of redemptive history.”
— Elisabeth Elliot

 

Hebrews 11:32-38

To this point we have seen faith exercised through the Patriarchs, through Moses and through Rehab.  The writer now concludes this faith chapter with a quick list of heroes.  The list seems, at least in part, chronological just as the rest of the chapter has been, considering first the period of Judges, then Kings, the prophets and perhaps even addresses faith in” the silent years” (400 BC to 0 AD).

As we make our way quickly through these identified and unidentified heroes of faith, consider what first comes to your mind about each of them and how that might factor into them being included in Hebrews (my 1^st thoughts in parenthesis).   (also noteworthy that V. 32 chronological with pairs reversed).

Gideon:  (Judges 6-8) (fought valiantly against impossible odds; but also required multiple signs)

Good: He believed God would grant them victory despite the odds.   

Bad:  He required multiple signs: not just the wet/dry fleece, but also a request for a sign in 6:17 proving it was God speaking to him, and the additional sign of overhearing a Midianite man’s dream.

He made an Ephod that became an idol (8:27).

His family was wrecked with multiple wives and murderous sons.    

Barak:  (Judges 4-5)  (afraid to go without Deborah)

Good:  He fought against Sisera’s Army.   

Bad:  It is great that he wants to work with Deborah, but it also appears that he is rebuked (V.9).

Samson: (Judges 13-16) (superhuman strength and a womanizer)

Good: Empowered by the Holy Spirit to physically defeat the enemies of God’s people through super-human strength.

His final act was one of faith, submission and sacrifice.

Bad: He appeared to lack self-control in his relationships: Ladies entrapped him and led to his final demise (his Achilles tendon).  His anger/revenge led him to kill and destroy (kinda good/bad), occasioning Philistine defeat.  But, worst of all, his lack of self-control led him to break his Nazirite covenant with God (he touched dead things, drank wine and cut his hair).

Jephthah: (Judges 11-12) (He made a foolish vow)

Good:  He overcame adversity in his family. 

He led Israel to defeat the Ammonites.

Bad:  His vow did not seem to take his family’s needs into proper perspective.  “Foolish vow”.

David:   (1 Samuel 16-1 Kings 2 / Psalms)  (Killed Goliath but also killed Uriah)

Good:  A man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:14).

He had simple faith that slayed giants and conquered kingdoms.

He was a sweet psalmist in Israel and wrote much of the Psalms.

He desired a place for God to dwell in their midst.  (2 Sam 7)

Bad:  He had too many wives (one is enough).

He committed adultery with Bathsheba and then murdered Uriah her husband.

He did not rule his family well.  1^st Amnon then Absalom were not handled as they should have been.

In the end, he mismanaged the kingdom (Joab and Adonijah).

Samuel: (1 Samuel 1-25) (Last of the Judges and first(ish) of the official prophets)

Good:  Faithful prophet and judge from childhood (1 Samuel 3).

Bad:  He failed with his children (Joel & Abiah).  (1 Sam 8:3)

Notice that none of these mentioned heroes of faith were perfect, none of them were even close to perfect.  Yet, notice how by faith, they were useful to God.  God used them despite their weaknesses and failures.  Not only that, sometimes God used even their weaknesses to show forth His strength.  We will see this pattern play out in the remaining examples as well.  God’s Victory and His Glory is not dependent upon our own victory and glory (if there were such a thing).  No, God wins and is all glorious, regardless of how things turn out for us.  But amazingly and thankfully, He does not deal with us so.  Instead, He stoops, He waits, He bears our scruples so that we can be with Him and share in His Victory and His Glory. 

 Before we leave these first few, it should be noted that each of these heroes was also a warrior. Further, many of the examples that follow seem situated in conflict.

2 Timothy 2:3-5  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  (4)  No man that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.  (5)  And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

 

Prophets spoke boldly for God in the face of persecution, exile, and death, but at the end of the day were still just fallible sinners/ earthen vessels and often broken inside and out.  Sometimes out of frustration, they said they would speak no more, only to find before long that God’s Word was welling up inside of them and ready to burst.  Sometimes they ran from God like Jonah and found they needed to learn more themselves before they were ready to teach others.   2 Corinthians 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Through faith God’s children have:

Subdued kingdoms:

Worked righteousness:

Obtained promises:

Stopped the mouths of lions:  Daniel

Quenched the violence of fire:  Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

 Escaped the edge of the sword:

Out of weakness were made strong:

Became valiant in battle and turned to flight the armies of the aliens: Jonathan (“God can save”)

Women receive their dead raised to life again: Widow of Zarephath (1 Kgs 17) and Shunammite woman (2 Kgs 4)

These are all examples of Believers who overcame in faith and physical victory followed – “Hallelujah”.  Exciting.  “Sign me up”; even though we know these victories didn’t come easy.

OTHERS though… (V. 35)

Were tortured:

Did not accept deliverance THAT…: they might obtain a better resurrection. 

STILL OTHERS…(V. 36)

Had trials of mocking, scourging, chains and imprisonment…

They were Stoned, sawn in two, tempted, slain with the sword… 

They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented…

They wandered in deserts, mountains, dens and caves…

Who would want to hang out with these people, they were the very dregs of the earth, the scum of the world and the refuse of all things (1 Cor 4:13).  They were an aroma of death unto death. 

John 15:18-19  “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.  (19)  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

2 Corinthians 6:8-10  through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true;  (9)  as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed;  (10)  as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

 

Romans 8:35-39  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  (36)  As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”  (37)  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  (38)  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,  (39)  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We have walked through the lives of these men and women — heroes of the faith, yes — but not because they were sinless or flawless. In fact, their stories are riddled with failure, fear, compromise, and consequences. Yet what set them apart was not perfection, but persevering faith. Faith that stumbled but got up again. Faith that looked weak, but clung to the strength of God.  Through faith that saw something greater—greater than themselves, greater than this world—through faith they saw God.

Some saw a miraculous victory. Others saw nothing but loss. Some escaped the sword; others fell by it. Some stood in palaces; others hid in caves. Yet all of them are counted among the faithful —God’s power is made perfect in weakness. His plan is not hindered by our flaws. His glory is not diminished by our scars. And His love is not withdrawn when the world turns its back on us.

Now it is our turn.  Endure as good soldiers.  Speak boldly.  Stand firmly.  Trust deeply.  Love sincerely. 

Hebrews 11:30-31

What do you think of 1^st when I say “Jericho”.  “the walls came tumbling down”. 

“Jericho” occurs 58 times in the OT and 29 of those are in Joshua and in relation to Chap 6.

But it is also in the NT:  Mat_20:29; Mar_10:46 (Bartimaeus); Luk_10:30 (Samaritan); Luk_18:35; Luk_19:1; and notably Heb_11:30.

 

(Hebrews 11:30)  By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

Jericho was considered impregnable because of its surrounding walls. 

Wall makeup: an 12 ft stone base topped by a 19–26 ft mudbrick superstructure, for about 32 ft of solid masonry—and reaching nearly 46 ft from the outside ground to the crest.

Jericho would have been a Goliath of cities and formidable to behold…but like a mere speck of dust to God.  That which is easy for God to do, comes across as a miracle to us.  While God does not reveal exactly how He brought down the walls of Jericho, we believe He did.  One can search for naturalistic answers, but such a one is a fool if they do not first acknowledge the supernatural. 

Dry-Out & Structural Fatigue
Mudbrick walls need moisture to stay cohesive. A sudden drought or excessive heat could dry out the bricks and mortar, making them brittle. Couple that with centuries of weathering, and they might collapse under their own weight.

Foundation Undermining by Water

Jericho rose right above the perennial spring ‘Ain es-Sultan. Continuous seepage, fluctuating spring discharge, or targeted channeling during a siege could erode the stone revetment’s base, causing the mudbrick core to slump.

Seismic Shakedown

Jericho sits right on the Dead Sea Transform Fault, a hotspot for earthquakes. A moderate quake could easily jiggle a mud-brick superstructure off its stone base, sending walls smashing inward.

Resonant Vibes

Ever heard of soldiers marching in step and bringing down a bridge? Structures have a natural frequency; if you hit it just right—be it with synchronized trumpet blasts, chanting, or marching—you can induce resonant oscillations that amplify until collapse.

But we believe…BY FAITH the walls of Jericho fell. 

The Bible is the most comprehensive and accurate history book, but our faith is not rooted in a convincing narrative.  We don’t believe because it makes sense, we just trust the Author.  We trust God to direct us and to protect us.  And… God is still pulling down strongholds.  Bad habits, stinkin thinkin, physical and spiritual weakness, pride and fear…in all these things we overwhelmingly conquire through Him who loves us (Rom 8:37). 

 

The faith of Jesus can move mountains…

2 Corinthians 10:3-5  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  (4)  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  (5)  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

 

 

(Hebrews 11:31)  By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

In Jericho a family was born (Rehab) and also a family died (Achan).   The one acted in faith to save her family while the other dishonorably acted out his distrust in God and so brought destruction to his family. 

 

More importantly than just living to see another day, Rehab positioned herself and her family in line to receive the blessing of God. 

(Ruth 4:21)  And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,

(Matthew 1:5)  And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;      (See also Genesis 28:38)

Joshua 2:18  Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household. 

The same Cord saved the Jew first and the Gentile next. 

 

James 2:25-26  And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?  (26)  For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Rehab displayed living faith; Vibrant faith; Faith that moved her to grope after God, and happily she found Him. 

 

 

Some make the case that Rehab was not a harlot but rather was an inn-keeper (citing linguistic reasons in the Hebrew).  Josephus also make reference to Rehab as an inn-keeper.  She may very well have kept an inn, but it also seems clear from the NT that she was a Harlot (thus mentioned along with her name in both NT references (Heb/James).  The word used is:

G4204 πόρνη pornē por'-nay Feminine; a strumpet; figuratively an idolater: - harlot, whore.

Now while we might think appropriate and tactful to drop such a title as soon as possible, God made sure it was communicated.  Why? 

Perhaps it was not as much a reference to her sin but more a reference to God’s Grace. 

 

Matthew 21:31-32  … Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.  (32)  For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

 

"You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending." C.S. Lewis

 

 John 1:12-13  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,  (13)  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

 

Rahab’s story reminds us that faith is not inherited. It's not about bloodlines, backgrounds, or polished resumes.
It’s about believing God is who He says He is — and acting on it, even when you're terrified, even when your past clings to you like a shadow.

Rahab was known as a harlot — yet she believed, she acted, and she became a mother in the Messianic line.
Achan was born in the camp of the righteous — yet he disbelieved, he disobeyed, and he dragged his family into judgment.

One woman reached out of the wreckage of Jericho and laid hold of the Living God.
One man reached into the wreckage of Jericho’s plunder and laid hold of death.

Rahab teaches us that God is not impressed by where you start — but He is glorified by where you run.  Further, when you run to Him, you don't just survive... you get rewritten into His story.

"You never have to advertise a fire. Everyone comes running when there’s something burning."   Leonard Ravenhill