For true faith
and this is the test
of true faith.
What is it, when things get hard
and there's an opportunity to go back,
what is it that prevents somebody from doing that?
What stops you from doing that?
What does true faith do at that point?
And listen,
the fact is
you can lay it down right here,
there is a discontent with true faith.
You know what leads me to say that?
Is this word,
in 11:16,
"they desire..."
They have a desire.
Faith is driven by a desire.
And the inverse of that is faith is driven by a discontent.
You have a desire for that; you're discontent with that.
Right?
And you know what's interesting?
In verse 16 it says, "a better country" in all of our translations
but you know in the original there is no country there.
They just supply it.
I mean unquestionably that's what he's talking about.
But in the original it's just this,"They desire better."
You see that's the desire of faith.
Faith believes
that what it is past the finished line is better.
That's true faith.
Because it really believes it's better.
You can say it's better,
but if you don't continue running the race
you don't show that you really believe it!
When you're running along
and you look over there and you see
the folks sitting around and meandering at the shops,
and you're running in the marathon,
and you're thinking, "oh that sure would feel good.
Cool drink in hand. Not running. Not out here.
Not in this blazing sun.
Not working like I'm working.
I'm hitting the wall.
My body's shutting down.
My knees are weak and I feel like I'm going to fall.
And oh it's shady over there,
and it's nice over there."
You know what keeps you going?
You know that there's a Glory at finishing that finish line.
That those people aren't going to have.
And you start looking over there,
and you recognize that in comparison,
with this eternal weight of Glory that's at the end,
what they've got...
if you can see it,
if you can put your glasses on,
and see
Ah! There really over there chewing on pig husk.
That's all it is.
And to the Christian that's what it is.
We look around at the world
and it tries to entice us.
It's this great big Vanity Fair.
And it's saying, "buy, buy, buy."
But the Christian is running along in this race and saying,
"I don't want to buy what you have to sell,
because I know it doesn't really satisfy.
My heart is yearning and desiring a better country!"
Now listen.
It's not just a better country because it's another country.
It's not just a better country because God built it.
It's a better country brother,
because it's Immanuel's land!
It's where Christ is!
If you read about the City of God in Revelation,
what is it that's so glorious about it?
God is there!
God is in their midst!
God is the light, the lamp is the Lamb!
It's that!
Their throne is there!
That's where the abiding place,
the abiding place of God is with men!
That's why they want to get there.
That's why they want this City.
Brethren!
When Andy says, "Onward."
What does that mean?
It means,
"Brother, we're headed to the Temple to look into the face of Christ!"
That's what it means.
That's where we're going.
And we can look over at the martini sippers over here
and we say, "I don't want that!"
"I want the face of Christ, it's better!
I desire that!"
And it drives us forward.
And that's what true faith is!
It looks at that and it says,
"I see a Christ in the pages of this Book,
and I want Him!
I want His Glory, I want to see Him
and I'm not going to be satisfied until I have that.
I've tasted of this world
and I've caught a glimpse of that City
and a glimpse of the Christ of that City.
And just a glimpse,
just causes this to pale."