(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

right so there in Hebrews chapter 11 the first thing I want to point out tonight is that we have a calling on our lives to be strangers and to be pilgrims as Christians a lot of things we got to fulfill a lot of things we have to do a lot of roles that we have to play but one of them is that of a stranger and that of a pilgrim and you're there in Hebrews chapter 11 but I'll read to you real quick from 1st Peter chapter 2 where Peter wrote and said dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from filthy fleshly lusts which war against the soul so when Peter was addressing them he beseeched them that they would abstain from these sins and he beseeched them as strangers and as pilgrims and that's how we need to see ourselves tonight we need to look at our lives as Christians and understand that we've been called to be pilgrims in this world and you see it there again in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 13 where Paul writes these 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 so all these great saints of old that we just read about that did all these great things through faith they also did these things with the understanding that the promises were far off that they were seeking a land a city to come they were not looking to settle in on earth and thinking that this is all that they have to look forward to they were able to look forward and because of that they were able to confess they said they proclaimed especially to us when we read their stories and read how they lived their lives and read what type of people they were what manner of men they were that is their confession and that confession that they make is that they were strangers that confession is that they were pilgrims on the earth they were just passing through they weren't looking to settle down that's us tonight that's what we are we are pilgrims as Christians whether we like that or not that's a fact we're just gonna pass through this world and right on into the next and I want to preach to us tonight about the expectations of a pilgrim the expectations of a pilgrim see because that is our calling there are certain expectations that have been placed upon us there is just a certain frame of mind that we ought to have there's a way that we ought to look at life there's a way we ought to approach life of course I'm not gonna be able to cover all that you know that would literally take a lifetime right to address all the issues of life but the Bible does address them and really I just want to deal tonight with the fact that we need to make sure that this is our mentality that we are considering ourselves strangers that we are considering ourselves pilgrims that we're not getting too comfortable with things in this world and understand that there is a calling upon our life and because of that there is an expectation if you're gonna be a pilgrim you just there's there's certain things that just come with the territory and we're gonna look at the example of Abraham I think he's a great example of that but just as an introduction here we have to understand first of all that our spiritual pilgrimage cannot be inhibited by the sin by sin and flesh well it can be rather it shouldn't be we should not allow our sin and the flesh to prevent us from living our lives as pilgrims you see there in Hebrews chapter 12 you want to flip over there keep something Hebrews chapter 11 I'm gonna you know I try not to let the too much of the behind the scenes what goes on and do a sermon come out but it's just so I can kind of forewarn you I have a color coding system that I use to tell them to turn here and bookmark this and that doesn't do me any good when the printer comes out black and white so I'm gonna try and keep you where you should stay in Hebrews 11 all night I know that much and I'll try to make sense of the rest of it but if you could just keep up with me we'll get through this tonight and I believe we'll get a blessing out of it but it says in Hebrews chapter 12 wherefore seeing we also are compassed about by so great a cloud of witnesses now who is that everybody we just read about Hebrews 11 that's our great cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and a sin which we do so eat which does so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and finish of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross so he's saying here look we need to lay aside the weights and the sins that beset us that are gonna prevent us from running the race from getting to the finish line and finishing well it's a type of pilgrimage and we can't allow the sin and our flesh to get in the way and if we're gonna be pilgrims in this world we have to understand that we need to look past the present and this is very important and I think that's what made everything possible for Abraham that's why he was able to do all the things that he did is because he looked beyond the present says in Hebrews 11 verse 13 these 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 why is it that these people like Abraham and others that were so willing to take upon you know the the the role of a stranger the role of the pilgrim why is it that they were so ready to embrace them as it says there it's because they saw these things afar off they understood what was to come and they died in faith what they did is they look past the present and that's what we need to do tonight that's the expectation of a pilgrim and we have to understand tonight that our spiritual pilgrimage requires sacrifices to be made there's going to be sacrifices that we have to make if we're going to embrace that role as a stranger if we're going to embrace that role as a pilgrim and say that's me I'm going to live up to this calling then there's going to be sacrifices that we have to make it's just it's just the nature of the beast it just comes with the territory it says in verse 8 there Hebrews 11 by faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for inheritance obeyed he'd never been there before he didn't know where he was going he just went he obeyed and he went out not knowing whether he went by faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country said I'm not from here this isn't where I where I grew up this isn't the place of my nativity but that's where I'll go if that's where God wants me why because I'm a pilgrim I'm just passing through dwelling in tabernacles that's a tent folks you know we complain sometimes don't we we got it so hard the AC goes out a drain backs up you know an appliance quits Abraham spent his whole life in a tent in a land he didn't even know he had to learn the lay of the land so he he dealt in tabernacles and with the it says there verse 9 by faith he sojourned a land of promises in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles of Isaac and Jacob the heirs with him of the same promise for he looked for a city there that is again that looking past the present that seeing things afar if he looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God that sounds like a good place to put up residence and that's where we're headed you say what's the end of this pilgrimage where are we gonna where where are we gonna stop and not be strangers anymore where are we gonna finally put down our roots in the New Jerusalem in a city whose builder and maker is God so I want to look tonight at the expectations of a pilgrim and I want to look at the life of Abraham just briefly just a few things out of his life and examine it and try to make application to our own selves tonight that we also are pilgrims and as I said before one of the main things a pilgrim has to understand is that sacrifices are going to have to be made you think about the pilgrims that you know came over on the Mayflower you think about the pilgrims that went out and settled the West and all of that and so on and so forth I'm sure that wasn't comfortable sitting in a boat for three or four however many months it was it's been a while since I read about it or however many months it took in a back of some buckboard wagon bouncing around behind some smelly animal and who knows what gonna chase you down and try to kill you I mean it was uncomfortable right but they were pilgrims they had somewhere they had to be and they did it for worldly things and we're gonna we are pursuing a heavenly pilgrimage we're on our way to the New Jerusalem and we shouldn't let it surprise us if things might get a little uncomfortable there's expectations put on a pilgrim number one pilgrims have to forsake places they have to forsake familiar places go over to Genesis chapter 11 again keep something in Hebrews 11 I think we're coming back that's what that gray block and later my note says Hebrews chapter 11 you're going to Genesis chapter 11 the expectations of a pilgrim one thing that's expected of a pilgrim is that they're going to forsake familiar places says in verse 27 now these are the generations of Tyra Tyra begat Abram Nahor and Haran and Haran begat Lot and Haran died before his father Tyra in the land of his nativity in Ur of the Chaldees so we could see this is the origin of Abram before he became what's called Abraham he was a Chaldean he grew up in the Ur of the Chaldees and Abram and Nahor took them wives in the name of Abram's wife was Sarai the name of Nahor's wife Milcah the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah but Sarai was barren she had no child and Tyra took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran his son's son and Sarai his daughter-in-law his son's Abraham's wife and they went forth from the Ur of the Chaldees to go into the land of Canaan and they came into Haran and dwelt there and the days of Tyra were 205 years and Tyra died in Haran now of course you got to understand the backstory here is that as we're gonna see here in a minute that the Lord had already told Abram to go and Tyra said well I'll go with you and we'll bring my nephew Lot we'll bring your wives and we'll all go together the first thing I want to point out is that if we're gonna be pilgrims we have to forsake familiar places you just might have to relocate to be on the will of God you might have to relocate to be in the will of God that's the truth I mean I know that's the truth for my family maybe I'm preaching us tonight because I've been thinking about these things so much how many you know we're moving down here and I we've been talking and I'm thinking back to how many times I've moved just to be in a good church you know I never God never came to me and said Corbin Corbin going to the Promised Land because this ain't the Promised Land just kidding I love Arizona you didn't tell me to go the Pacific Northwest I'm just kidding that's it that's a debate right but I did have to move I had to pack up the family I'm driving down here today she's got everything in the back of our Dodge Caravan my whole world's in that van all my earthly possessions are still sitting a house and boxes waiting to get moved and I just think about the first time we moved we moved out here eight years ago and similar situation except we're all in a Toyota Camry and everything I had was in the trunk and that's all I had no we'd shipped a few boxes ahead of us but we basically had clothes we didn't have furniture you didn't have anything but we wanted to be in the will of God I'm not saying that to lift myself up or think be hyper spiritual I just wanted to be in the will of God that's all and I know plenty of people and I've met plenty people over the years that have done the exact same thing that I said you know it's more important to me to be in a good church and if that means I have to cross a state or several states if I have to go thousands of miles that's what I'm gonna do I'm gonna obey I'm gonna be a pilgrim I'm gonna leave familiar places I'm gonna forsake it I'm gonna leave it all behind to be in the will of God and if you're gonna be a pilgrim tonight it just might be that you have to do that now fortunately for all you got a good church you got a great church you know you don't have to do that but you know things change what if you decide to relocate and look you know there's plenty of good churches people can go find another good you could find another good church in this town I'm sure of it you could go find another church in another state but here's the thing if you're gonna relocate and go somewhere you know jobs take people places circumstances you know whatever you know for some other reason we need to move we better make sure that we put church on the top of that list job come you know that the the company comes and says hey we got an opportunity in this town it's a real desirable location if you want to go there we'll pay you will pay your way there we'll help you move we'll get you over there before we do that before we take that raise in that relocation we better ask ourselves is there a good church in that town maybe they're gonna raise my family under the preaching the Word of God because if not I don't care you can't put a price on that it's not worth it I wouldn't go we may have to relocate to be in the will of God or maybe we just have to stay put to be in the will of God but we have to allow God to determine where we're gonna be and that's what we see with uh with Abram here right he has a calling of God upon his life to go out of his strange familiar land into a strange land that he didn't even know anything about and he went you know Jesus tells us the same thing he turned to his disciples in Matthew 16 and said if any man come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me there's a denial of self there and we'll see here in a little bit later it can get pretty extreme you know there's there's a there can be some serious sacrifices that we have to be willing to make and again we think about relocating out you know having to move somewhere it pales in comparison to the Saints of old when you think about it I mean think about what Abraham's doing he's in it he's got a tent there's no u-haul behind him he's not gonna be put up in a hotel for a few days and you know he didn't even have a particular place he was gonna go we'll just walk through that land that's what God's plan was I'm just gonna have you walk through the land the land of promise so you can see what I'm gonna give to somebody else well you're not gonna get it your seeds gonna get it but you can go ahead take a nice long look at it just walk through it Abraham oh I got to move to another state I got to move 30 minutes closer to the church oh I don't know if I could do that Abraham that great cloud of witnesses just looking down going don't tell him that don't get up there you're gonna walk up to Abraham I moved 2,000 miles to be in faith forward Baptist Church he'd laugh at me say so what buddy but that's part of being a pilgrim isn't it that's part of the expectation of a pilgrim we should be able to just uproot and go where we need to go to be in the will of God and if we think it's tough well let's just think about Abraham and what he did the Bible says I'll just read you from Hebrews if you want to flip over there in verse 8 it says by faith Abraham when he was called to go out to a place which he should after he see for inheritance obeyed and went out not knowing whether he went dwelling in tabernacles it says so you see first of all pilgrims need to be prepared to forsake places not only that pilgrims need to be ready to forsake people and this one's a little bit harder isn't it some places are easy to forsake right someplace it's easy to just say see ya leave that place in the rearview mirror I love northern Michigan it was pretty but there's nothing else much going on there and you can only look at the sights for so long you know you see enough sunsets it's okay there's other things to life gotta earn a living and when the economy stinks you know it's easy to leave places like that in the dust leaving places you know maybe it's just the nostalgia you know pulling out of the driveway for the last time you know all the things we think about when we move and leave a place behind however forsaking people is a little bit harder isn't it but then again maybe not some people are also easier than others but you know by and large I think that it is difficult for people to do and I think that was the case with Abraham it says in Genesis chapter 12 if you want to go there in Genesis chapter 12 and verse 1 it says now the Lord had said unto Abram get thee out of thy country so this is following chapter 11 obviously where we just read that that he left with Tyra his father and Lot his cousin and his wife and their wives and now in Hebrews 12 it's referring us back after the death of Tyra right and Tara's died his dad has died and now it's telling us what happened why Tara took Abraham in them because he wanted to go with them but the Lord had he didn't tell him now he had already told him Abram get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house so was Abraham obeying God when he went to leave and Tara said well I'll go with you in fact I'll lead the charge and when Lot came alongside was he really obeying God no it wasn't because God had specifically said away from my kindred and away from my father's house and then we read about the fact in the previous chapter that Tara was with him in Hanan and that's where he died so he failed in this area and you know I'm not saying that to you know cast shade on Abram or anything like that I think this is just you know show this what's so great about the Bible it's relatable right we can relate to Abram in this area maybe we need to leave some familial some some familiar people behind maybe to forsake some people in our lives it's not always easy to do I think Abram struggled with that right he did not fully obey until what until his father died God had to take him out of the picture and it shows us that Abraham you know that that's a close familial relationship isn't it you know it's not making out it doesn't we don't or anything what Tara is a bad guy or something like that you know he's he's Abraham said yeah come along dad why not and sometimes it's hard to sever those relationships isn't it but that's what a pilgrim has to be ready to do now look I'm not saying if you haven't done that you need to go do that right not every relationship has to be severed but we see in Abraham's that instance and sometimes they do sometimes that is something that has to happen and not only that he parts company with lot in Genesis chapter 13 we know the story in verse 14 and Lord said unto Abraham after that lot was separated from him lift up now thine eyes and look from the place where out thou northward and southward and eastward for all the land which thou sees to thee will I give it so when did God come back and make that promise to him after a lot was gone dad had to go very close familial bond and then lot had to go that last tie to an old life had to go it's easier to forsake places probably than people and I think that's what we see with Abram I don't know what Irv the Chaldees was like but it seemed like Abraham didn't have any problem going but he had a hard time leaving those people behind and brought them with them you say well why would I ever have to sever ties with people or at the very least maybe limit our interaction with them right because we have no common ground with the unsafe we really don't I mean I know we have ground as far as the the things of this life but that's really it and that's all the common ground you ever gonna have with an unsafe person I mean we can go talk to them about our jobs and what's going on the news and everything else that goes on in the world we have that I understand that but go talk to an unsafe guy and tell me you know I'm a pilgrim I'm a stranger in this world they're gonna look at you kind of like okay I mean you come in here and tell us that though you come up to me and say I'm a pilgrim I'm say amen brother me too I get that we get that we understand what the Bible says they unsaved they don't get that we have really no I guess I should say spiritual common ground with them the Bible says and if you want to go over to 1st Peter chapter 4 against keep something in Genesis we're gonna come back to chapter 12 but go over to 1st Peter chapter 4 it says in 2nd Corinthians 6 be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers doesn't say you know stay away from them at all costs it just says don't be yoked with them we don't want to be sharing yokes with the unbeliever for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness that's how far the the believer is from the unbeliever as far as light is from darkness there's no common ground there or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel look at 1st Peter chapter 4 says in verse 1 for as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm yourselves likewise with the same mind for that he that hath suffered in the flesh hath seeth from sin that he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God and look the unsaved sometimes keep something there they have their lusts look at the language there he says that he should know live the rest of his time to the lusts of men not the lust of himself now I believe you could apply it that way certainly but he's saying the lust of men what other people want from you what other people expect from you what the unsaved are gonna say well why don't you do this and why can't you do this and you need to be here for this and so on and so forth and sometimes we just have to draw a line and say I'm sorry I can't do that I can't cross that line because of what the Word of God says and they'll scratch their head and they'll wonder and they'll make their comments but that's just the way it is and it's a lot easier isn't it to just keep our mouth shut just go along right along with it isn't it because it's a lot harder to forsake people than it is to forsake places but that is the expectation of a pilgrim that's what lot or excuse me Abram had to learn the hard way that if you want God's promise and God's blessing and God's provision he had to take some people out didn't he had to get some people out of the way some old familiar bonds he says that he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lust of men but to the will of God the will of God takes priority and that's where are we that's where we draw the line we might have to sever relationships when that person wants us to do some put them and what they want for us above the will of God and we can't let that happen it says in verse 3 for the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of Gentiles look you've already had enough of that you've already had enough of that the past the time past of your our life have may suffice us to have wrought the will of Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousness lust excess of wines reveling spank winnings and abominable idolatries he's saying look you you folks did all that you did all that you what do you want to waste another minute of your life on these things for it's sufficient but what's the reaction of the people that we don't run with anymore what's the reaction that people would say well I'm sorry I don't go to that bar anymore I don't I don't participate in that anymore I'm sorry I'm a Christian now I'm saved I'm a pilgrim I can't go with you to that place I can't participate in that activity are they kind and understanding oh well I get that that makes sense no they say can you tone it out a little bit what's the big deal well first four that's what it says we're in they think it's strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot they say what do you mean Christian what do you mean you don't do that anymore come on I know the old you that's what they want and look the call of a pilgrim is that we cannot spend the time of this our life in this flesh to the will of men but to the will of God I'm sorry I can't I've got a calling on my life they think it's strange but it's interesting here and it ends there in verse four speaking evil of you right I remember I first got saved and ran into the old friends oh too holy now huh that's what they'd say and I remember someone it was actually that guy's mom it was a bit of an influence on me when I first got saved and she said you know he said that about you and you know what I told him I said well he is too holy for you I didn't say she said it or too righteous oh you're too righteous to do to hang out with us anymore well yeah actually so it's not my righteousness the righteousness of Christ it's the calling you put on my life to be different to be separated to not be unequally yoked with the unbeliever I don't have I'm light I don't have any part with darkness you know I believe I'm not an infidel I'm sorry we don't have the spiritual common ground anymore there's nothing there the only common ground we can have is sin so yeah I am more anxious yeah I am on the straight and narrow and you can join me you're more than welcome to come over to my side but I'm not going back there because of the expectations that are put on me as a pilgrim and you know it's not easy when we go through that it does get easier it turns into old hat you can't remember a time when it wasn't that way but look at verse 5 it says they think it's strange verse 4 sorry we're in they think it's strange that you run out to the same X's right speaking of you who now who's the who there who is them the people that speak evil of us the people that say it's really weird that you don't do the things you know you used to do with us why don't you still run to say me that's the who in verse 5 right and what is it about the who in verse 5 that we have to keep mine that they shall give an account to him and that's God that is ready to judge the quick and the dead the quick is alive that's us we are alive in Christ right and the dead those are the unsaved the people that want us to go back to that old life and those old familiar people but we have to understand that they're gonna be judged they're gonna give an account just as much as we are the Bible says and he would go over to Luke 14 have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness there's no fruit in it there's no fruit and running to the same access of right there's no fruit there's no fruit in those things in which we are now ashamed we're saved we don't even want to think about the past and if we haven't developed the past to keep it that way we don't have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness in fact rather we are to reprove them and you know recently this just you know came to mind I was writing this is the fact that you know my my dad we've been gone for 20 years finally comes back stateside he's back up in the Dakotas and I'm glad he is I'm glad he's there and I want to go see him take the family up there and show him his grandkids so on and so forth text me and says hey we're having a Russell reunion first of its kind thinking I'm gonna send you some dates all right send me some dates I'll think of an excuse sure enough he sent the dates you know in July the dates it was three days I'm thinking good night how long do you got to see these people for you know isn't that what Facebook's for I get it and I thought I was like you know it would be nice it'd be nice to go back to where I was born again take the kids up there and have mean all their cousins and all my cousins and their aunts and their uncles that they don't know and people I haven't seen in decades and meet their grandfather and so on and so forth and who do you know he's not doing so well but then I thought they're not Christians we're not gonna get together and sing some hymns this isn't a soul-winning marathon I'm gonna be going to they're all you know I know enough about him no there's a lot of divorce and adultery and all the things that go on in the world and they're just gonna get together and get drunk and you know what the truth is I could probably go up there and I stay sober and put up with it and show my face and talk to people until they're you know too drunk to talk to you I guess I don't know I could do that but then I thought is that really what I want my kids to see they're gonna drag my kids up there and have them I'm getting up preaching you shouldn't drink you shouldn't be drunk and then next thing I know I'm hauling them up there and and I'm being friendly with a bunch of people that are doing the things I tell them not to do well dad's nice to them he's okay with them and they're drunks and must because they're family well hey I'm family so if I get drunk if I grow up and become a drunk dad will still be nice to me I just I don't want to put that in their head you know well why is it so important that we have to you know forsake certain people or limit or sever certain relationships in our life well how about this for the sake of your children for the sake of your children look I have no doubt in my mind I could go up there put a smile on my face and and maybe even have a good time and get to see some people and come back and be just as dry as when I left but I'm not gonna put my kids through that I don't want to put that in their heads for the sake of my kids I'm not gonna do it that's the that's the the expectation of a pilgrim be ready to forsake the familiar place to be in the will of God already be ready forsake familiar people to be in the will of God look at Luke chapter 14 and say you're a little extreme brother Corbin you're a little extreme with this whole separation thing okay well let's just see what Jesus thinks okay it says in verse 26 if any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my disciple I mean there's no there what relationship isn't mentioned here well he didn't mention the postman all right look when you're saying when he's saying kids wife yourself nobody's off limits right and he's not advocating that we go around and hate them right but he's saying that we have to be ready to lose that we have to be ready to put that on the altar and sacrifice even these relationships to if that's what it's going to take to follow Christ now look that's probably never gonna need a case for us but it was a case for a of them wasn't it he had to look at his dad and and and lot and say this is decision and he failed you know that's in the scripture he didn't do it God said get thee away from my father's house and from that kindred that was what was proposed to him and he said I don't know I don't I don't know they know why because he didn't learn to hate them and I don't mean hate he's not talking about hate like spiteful or malicious just saying I love God more and if you're gonna compare my relationship to them to my relationship to God it ought to look more like I hate them and that I love God and people even say things like that when you start to live for Christ and you live separated you have standards like do you hate us what do you mean you want to come to this reunion do you hate us no I just love God but if that's the way it's gonna be perceived then so be it and whosoever did not bear his cross he says in verse 27 may come after me cannot be my disciple look we know we don't have to do these things for salvation but if we want to get beyond just on our way to heaven and be a disciple of Jesus Christ to be a follower of the Lamb this is what's expected these are the expectations of a pilgrim and we have to understand this we have we need to know this going into the Christian life that's why he says it goes on in verse 28 this is all connected for which of you intending to build the tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he has sufficient to finish it lest happily after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it all that behold begin to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish look if you're gonna follow Jesus you better be ready to just go all the way and count the cost and no relationship no place is off limits when it comes to the Lord if he says I want that gone it's gone because I'm following you and I love you more than anybody else otherwise you know that's that's what you know things that I've heard oh oh you're saved huh okay oh we're going to church now I give you a year you'll be back I give you I'll give you a little while you're on some bandwagon this is some kick they're on they'll be back and if we go back and if that's if they're right about that what do they do mock I told you so right that's what they do so we need to count the cost and understand this is the cost of discipleship this is the expectation of those that are going to consider themselves pilgrims in this world look at verse 33 like so likewise whosoever he be of you that forsake if not all that he hath he cannot be my disciple all that he hath nothing is off limits to God and look that doesn't mean God's gonna ask you to forsake all that you have it just means that that ought to be your attitude whatever God wants can have it wherever God wants me that's where I'll be whatever relationship needs to be straightened out that's what I'll do pilgrims forsake familiar places pilgrims are willing to forsake familiar people and pilgrims are willing to forsake possessions Abraham became rich didn't he go to Genesis chapter 12 Genesis chapter 12 where we were verse 14 Genesis chapter 12 verse 14 and it came to pass that when Abram was coming to Egypt and the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair the prince is also a Pharaoh saw her and commended her before Pharaoh and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house and we understand the back story here Abram had told Sarai you know if you know he feared for his life say thou art my sister right and he was lying and you know his worst fears came true as a result in verse 16 the Bible says and he and treated Abram well for her sake and he had sheep and oxen so this is where Abram comes into great wealth right but it doesn't say he started out that way but he did get it he did have wealth didn't he and oxen and asses and men servants and maid servants and she asses and camels so he came into great wealth and we know how the story goes God came comes and rebukes the Pharaoh and sends him away and and Pharaoh rebukes Abram and Sarai and and they send them away and he takes all of his things with them right I should have had you keep something to Luke I'm just gonna read from there okay but look at that you know what that tells me is that when Abram left Ur of the Chaldees he didn't have all these things why else would Pharaoh give him all that I mean if it's this big rich guy he comes rolling into town he's gonna say well you know I'll just take your sister to wife and you know you already got enough he said well let me let me pay you back you know and give you all this stuff it tells me that Abram when he forsook that land he was willing to forsake his possessions as well when the least that he didn't start out with any or maybe he left it all behind I don't know but that is something we ought to be willing to do if God requires it of us requires us to do so I should say looks at Luke 18 verse 21 I'll read to you and he said all these things have I kept for my youth up of course this is the what the rich young ruler right and he says you know what lack I yet I've kept all these these these Commandments for my youth you know what do I got to go to heaven you know the Commandments well I've kept all these Commandments for my youth up the liar verse 22 now when Jesus had heard these things he said and yet thou lackest one thing sell all that thou hast and distribute to the poor and thou shall have treasure in heaven and come follow me the guy said right away sir gladly Oh treasure in heaven that sounds great no he didn't believe that that's why it says and he when he heard this he was very sorrowful for he was very rich he didn't want to part with that stuff treasure in heaven rather have it down here and look I don't know that any of us has some great fortune to part with you know we might not be in that position but we might be put in the position of maybe forsaking what we could have going back again to the fact that sometimes we might be offered hey take this job go to this part of the country we'll give you this much money we might have to say I can't do that because I'll be out of the will of God there's no good church there that can't raise my family there for the Lord so maybe it's not a forsaking a wealth that we already have it might be more realistically for us forsaking a wealth that we might be able to have one day or maybe we're thinking about our future what am I gonna do in my life I'm gonna make money and see how rich I can get that's not gonna help you there's there's no treasure in heaven there and he says we need to be willing to forsake all these things all of these things and some people really struggle with that they have a real hard time with that don't they like this young man here go over to I should have had you go there if you didn't go there go to Luke 18 we're gonna look at this some more the Bible says in Proverbs 23 labor not to be rich cease from thine own wisdom wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not he's saying why why do you want to be labor to be rich when it's not it's gonna rust and go away it's all just gonna be moth eaten and somebody else is gonna inherit it and you're just you can't take it with you wilt thou set thy eyes upon that which is not for riches certainly make themselves wings don't they they fly away as an eagle toward heaven amen to that that's true didn't it get a big old stimulus check whoo I got all these plans for this month where'd it go oh oh that's right I still have bills to pay a little bit here a little bit there it all goes away easy come easy go as I say right now this doesn't sound very good I came here to get edified all you're telling me is I got a might have to be ready just forget everything leave everything behind leave my familiar sound surroundings leave family several relationships be willing to just part with riches not pursue some worldly career so and look there's nothing wrong with with earning wealth I understand that that cannot be the the focal point of our life and we talked about that last Thursday say this is a hard saying I don't know if I am up for all that well consider the return consider the return it says there in Luke 18 verse 28 Peter I mean he's sitting there watching this whole interaction with the rich wrong ruler and this guy's got all this money he's telling hey leave it all give it to the poor you'll have treasures in heaven come follow me he goes away sad Peter's just a fisherman so I don't have any great wealth to leave behind what am I gonna get he said then Peter said lo we have left all and followed me I mean Peter was married Peter left his wife probably had some kids already left his career and just follow Jesus why because Jesus said follow me I said okay didn't think twice about it and now he is watching this it's like a huge but there's a reward involved treasures in heaven look Jesus I know I didn't live some leave some great wealth behind but I had a nice boat those nets were cheap I could be earning a living right now I got people to take care of lo we've left all and followed thee and he said in them verily I saying to you there is no man that hath left house or parents or brethren or wife or children for the kingdoms of God's sake who shall not receive manifold more in this present time and in the world to come life everlasting that's a pretty good return isn't it on your investment when you say well wait a minute I've left some things and I haven't gotten many fold more in this present time what do you mean well if we leave our house and we leave our parents we leave our brethren or wife children leave all these things behind Jesus says that we're gonna receive many fold more manifold more in this present time well I know this is true for my family we left a we left a house and we left family and we left all these things behind I didn't I mean where's where is it for me I'm like beer what are we gonna get we left all you know a lot of people in the room can say that right well I didn't I'm there you know though I don't have a bunch of houses in my name I don't have a lot of people that go by the last name wrestle I haven't I didn't get a bunch of blood relatives but I did get a lot of spiritual relatives and I might not have a bunch of houses but I know there's a lot of people my life right now that if needed would open their house wide open to me in my family and say come on in I'll take you in I mean that's it's I've never sat down accounted it but I'm sure it's in the dozens if not the hundreds of people that would just throw their doors wide open people that I call brother you know every week and look I don't have any brothers physical brothers none right but I got a lot more when I came out here and followed the will of God and said I'll forsake this familiar place I'll forsake this these familiar people I'll forsake you know whatever great fortune I was gonna earn in northern Michigan probably none you know I'm willing to forsake all these things and I got many fold more in this present life and on top of that I've got life everlasting sounds like a pretty good return to me so we got to see and I'm gonna wrap it up here I know I'm going a little long but there are certain expectations placed upon pilgrims tonight and if we're gonna call ourselves pilgrims if we're gonna have that mentality that this world is not our home we're just a passing through that we need to understand that there's some expectations put upon us tonight that we ought to be willing to forsake these things and just count them as dust and leave them in the past and be where God wants us so I don't know I don't know if it's worth it well consider this pilgrims are the ones who inherit the promises go to Hebrews chapter 11 if you have something there still Hebrews chapter 11 we read about Abram it's like yeah that's kind of rough I don't know if I could do that a tabernacle go live in a tent for decades leave everyone behind watch my dad die leave my only person I know that reminds me where I came from a lot I don't know ask Abram if he thinks it's worth it ask him if he thought it was worth it I guarantee you he say it would it was Hebrews 11 verse 32 and what shall I say more for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barak and Samson of Jephthah and of David and Samuel and of the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms wrought righteousness obtained promises stop the mouths of lions quench the violence of fire escape the edge of the sword out of weakness were made strong wax valiant and flight and fight turned to flight the armies of the aliens women received their dead raised to life again and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection they did all those things just so they could have a better resurrection and others had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings yay moreover in bonds and imprisonment boy we like that first half don't we stop the mouth of lions that'd be cool be cool to have all these things inherit these promises just faith well it comes at a price there's the other side there's the cruel mockings there's the scourgings there's the bonds imprisonment there's verse 37 they were stoned they were sawn asunder they were tempted they were slain with the sword they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute afflicted tormented it doesn't sound like it's worth it what's verse 38 say of whom the world was not worthy that was their attitude you know what I'll go wander out in the deserts and the caves and I'll be persecuted and afflicted because this world isn't worth my time I'm not gonna settle into this they wandered in deserts and the mountains and the dens in the caves of the earth all these having obtained a good report through faith received not the promise but they still didn't receive the promise they went through all that and they didn't get it Abraham went through all that didn't get it God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect they're still gonna get it it's just on hold they would live their whole life went through all those things and they still didn't get it they said then God's like well I'm glad you're here and the promises are yours but we got to wait they got some more people coming pilgrims have some expectations on them don't they they have some expectations on them they should be willing to forsake these things places people possessions and they get to inherit the promises right they get the riches in heaven that's the great thing that they get there is rewarded it comes at a price and we still say I don't know about all that pilgrim don't know if I want to wear that hat I don't need that t-shirt I don't know if I could do that that's kind of a tall order God well just consider one last thing Christ has already done all those things he did all those things and he asked us to follow his example he doesn't say go do that he says come do this because I already done it walk the path that I walked didn't he forsake a home Bible says he made himself of no reputation took upon him the form of a servant was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient of the death even the death of a cross he forsook a home in heaven in the beginning was the word and the word was with God who's the word it's Jesus and where was Jesus in the beginning he was with God that was his home I'm gonna leave northern Michigan I'm not leaving the glory of heaven look I don't care where God anywhere I don't I don't care how good you got it wherever you are right now and wherever God tells you to go how much of a downgrade you might think it is you're never gonna experience a downgrade like that you'll never even come close when the word is leaving heaven and coming to earth he forsook fellowship with the Father oh yeah he forsook a place sure but did he forsake people well he forsook fellowship with the Father to some degree we know what he said on the cross my God my God why hast thou forsaken me he said in John 17 I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work which thou gave us to me to you and now father glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was well yeah he forsook all that but he didn't forsake any riches did he oh yes he did and where he forsook a place where they just paved the streets with gold right for you know our great the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich the Bible says he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich he said in John 14 and my father's house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you so God puts these expectations on a pilgrim but it's not without him having done these things himself and we say Lord it's hard he says I know I did it and I did it to a much greater degree than you are even it's even possible for you to do you know and you say well why why did he do that well that's the best part for us for our sakes he became poor that through his poverty we might be made rich he didn't come down to show off show how spiritual he was he did it to come down here to show us an example and to make us rich for our benefit he did all those things and if we live a life like a pilgrim you know what we're gonna we're gonna probably benefit some other people you know I don't want to I want to be careful how I say I don't want this to be taken the wrong way but what if I didn't have that attitude eight years ago and if I said yeah I could probably find another church that'll do here in northern Michigan we just settle it and after all swear we grew up at least it's not Detroit right no offense anyone from Detroit right would would be some people here maybe that you might know that might not have been benefiting from that that would have lost some benefit look I know if somebody else could come down here and do it but there's not exactly a line forming for a pastorate so if we decide hey I'm gonna live my life as a pilgrim for the sake of other people which is great we need to do that and maybe it's not to be a preacher or whatever that you know we can live a life of program we could profit people preaching the gospel or we could profit our family so on and so forth I understand that if we're gonna do that we say look I'm gonna live my life as a pilgrim I'm gonna do it for other people just understand there's expectations that come with that there's some things that you're gonna have to be willing to just part with not saying that it's gonna happen you know we may never be asked to make any of these sacrifices and certainly not the like to the extremes that Abraham was but when we consider Jesus example and his motive we should at least say I'm willing I will do it if needed let's go ahead and pray