Sermon for July 5, 2026, Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Hebrews 11:14-16

“A Better Homeland”

Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, Enfield CT

July 5, 2026

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our text is the Epistle Reading from Hebrews 11:

¹³In faith all these died, without receiving the things promised, but seeing and welcoming them from afar and confessing that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. ¹⁴For those who are speaking such things make clear that they seek a homeland. ¹⁵And if, on the one hand, they were remembering that one from which they had left, they would have had an opportunity to return. ¹⁶But, on the other hand, they now desire a better homeland, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city.

          Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Jacob . . . “In faith all these died, without receiving the things promised, but seeing and welcoming them from afar and confessing that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth.” As the hymnwriter said, “I’m but a stranger here, Heav’n is my home; Earth is a desert drear, Heav’n is my home. Danger and sorrow stand Round me on ev’ry hand; Heav’n is my fatherland, Heav’n is my home” (LSB 748:1).

          The Old Testament patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had God’s promise that they would receive the land Canaan as their home. But for them it remained a “promised” land to the end of their days. Only centuries later did their descendants see the fulfillment of what the Lord had promised them. But to the patriarchs who walked “by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7) the promise was certain because it was God’s promise.

          The inspired author of Hebrews reveals to us that it was more than the land of Canaan that the Old Testament patriarchs were looking forward to. Abraham had a homeland—Ur of the Chaldeans. He later settled in Haran. He could have returned to his fatherland at any time. Isaac and Jacob could have returned to the homeland at any time. But they trusted in God’s promise which included the Promised Land of Canaan, and something far better. Hebrews 11:15-16, “And if, on the one hand, they were remembering that [land] from which they had left, they would have had an opportunity to return. But, on the other hand, they now desire a better homeland, that is, a heavenly one.”

          The writer of Hebrews began chapter 11 saying, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1 ESV). The Old Testament patriarchs were looking forward by faith in God’s promise to a land better than Canaan, a heavenly homeland! And that heavenly home certainly is not seen with one’s eyes. It is a promise received by faith—the assurance of something promised and the conviction of something not yet received. St. Paul has written in Galatians 3, “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ” (Gal. 3:16 ESV).

          Abraham was looking forward to the promise of the Savior, to the promise of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life that this Savior would purchase for all people so that “all the nations of the earth will be blessed.” Abraham believed God’s promise to him, and the Lord credited Abraham with the righteousness that comes through faith in the Savior who, in the fulness of time, would save people from their sins and give them eternal life in the heavenly home that God has prepared for them. “I’m but a stranger here, Heav’n is my home.”

          While we live, as St. Peter calls us, as “sojourners and exiles” in this world (1 Peter 2:11), you and I are blessed to live in the United States of America. For us, she is our earthly homeland. And this year, we are celebrating the 250^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That great document concludes:

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

The colonies declared themselves to be an independent nation. They absolved themselves from “all allegiance to the British Crown” and dissolved all political connections between themselves and Great Britain. That very day the colonies declared themselves to be free and independent states. We are free, the colonists said. Right now. Today. Among the colonies’ new freedoms was the right to wage war, and that is exactly what they had to do. The new, independent nation had to fight for the liberty it had so bravely declared. After the long Revolutionary War, after years of fighting, a treaty was signed in Paris in 1783, and the new nation was free—not only because they had declared themselves free—but truly free in fact.

Two hundred fifty years later, we still live in a free country and we enjoy our liberty. We give thanks for the freedom we have in our nation today, especially for the freedom we have to worship our Triune God in this sanctuary according to the Scriptures and our Lutheran Confessions, not forced to abide by a state religion. As citizens of this nation, we do what we can to help and serve others, making this nation a better country. As citizens of Christ’s kingdom, we live and serve in His name, looking forward to “a better homeland, that is, a heavenly one,” where we will live forever in the presence of our King and Savior.

You see, the promise made to Abraham and the patriarchs of a Savior is also God’s promise to you. We read in Galatians 3, “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith (Gal. 3:7-9 ESV). You are blessed with faith in the promise of a Savior. In Baptism, you have been given this saving faith that trusts that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has lived, died, risen, and ascended to be your Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed you, purchased and won you from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that you may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.

Our Savior, Jesus, has proclaimed Good News to us in His Word. He has died in our place, suffered hell as our substitute, and won our forgiveness and eternal life in a heavenly homeland through the shedding of His precious blood. We have eternal life in body and soul because of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. And we will spend eternity with our Lord and God in a new creation—our heavenly homeland that He will make for us at the Last Day. We read in Revelation 21, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new’ (Rev. 21:1-5 ESV).

In our beloved country of the United States, we live by faith and not by sight. God has blessed the USA with many good gifts, especially the freedom and liberty that we enjoy, that so many have lived and died to defend. As baptized people with faith in Jesus Christ, we do live in two worlds at one and the same time. We live in the visible, physical world, which will one day pass away. And in this world, I do believe the United States of America is the best thing going. I give thanks for our 250 years and pray that our freedoms in this land will continue. But you and I also live in the invisible spiritual world that surrounds us on all sides and will remain forever. And by faith we have access to God’s gracious hidden presence and His heavenly gifts—the forgiveness of sins and the life everlasting that Christ won for us. By faith, we are co-heirs with Abraham of even a better homeland than America, God’s heavenly homeland, a safe home in His heavenly “city.”

Lutheran pastor and hymnwriter Paul Gerhardt summarizes for us in his hymn from about 1666:

A pilgrim and a stranger, I journey here below;

Far distant is my country, The home to which I go.

Here I must toil and travail, Oft weary and opprest;

But there my God shall lead me To everlasting rest.

So I must hasten forward—Thank God, the end will come!

This land of passing shadows Is not my destined home.

The everlasting city, Jerusalem above,

This evermore abideth, The home of light and love.

There I shall dwell forever, No more a parting guest,

With all Thy blood-bought children In everlasting rest,

The pilgrim toils forgotten, The pilgrim conflicts o’er,

All earthly griefs behind me, Eternal joys before. Amen (TLH 586).