8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country,dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. 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. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

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A pioneer family that was westward bound found a runaway boy. The boy was hungry...tired...sick and afraid. The family members cleaned that boy up, fed him, nursed him to health and loved him. They reasoned with the boy about the freedom...the hope...the unlimited opportunity of the new territory. And then that family did the most tender act of compassion that could have been done for that lonely boy . . . They said to him, "Come go with us."

That young boy found faith in mankind through that invitation. This newest pioneer found a reason for living. Now,... he did not know his destination, but he trusted...joined...shared labors and dangers with his new family. And eventually he shared with the traveling family...a new home.

That story is much the story of our conversion, isn't it? We run away from godliness only to lose ourselves. We soon get worn out, bruised from sin. Those on their Christian journey surround us with caring love and issue the loving invitation..."Come go with us." And though we did not quite understand what it is all about, ... where it would actually lead...we said, "yes," and we joined on that life-long search and journey in faith. And that faith enables us to take up the quest.

This morning, once again, I would have to pause and to ponder our endless quest for that perfect time...that perfect place...that perfect life...all of which God has promised to those who seek Him in faith as comrades on an endless quest.

Yes, we are comrades...now that's not a bad communist word...it was a good word before the communist stole it. The word "comrade" denotes affectionate attitudes and relationships. We have such a relationship first to Christ. And through that relationship, you and I become comrades with all those who have a similar relationship with our King. Christ teaches us that we are to exemplify our  comradeship to Him by having a comradeship with each other. "These things I command you...that ye love one another," He says.

And that comradeship with one another is possible by keeping our shared goal in sight . . ."Christ in you, the hope of glory." Jesus is our way, our truth, our life. He is the center of our attraction. And like the spokes of a wheel, we are closest to each other at the hub of our faith. It is there...in Christ...our differences resolve...as we all become one and like Christ. Yes, indeed . . . we are comrades.

Folks, we are comrades on a quest. A quest is a search...a search for something lost. It is a search similar to that of the crusaders who sought the holy grail from which Jesus and His disciples drank. Only the most pure, noble and brave could go on that crusaders' quest. Those crusaders made great sacrifice of comforts...fortunes...and yes, even families. The cost was high...until you compared that cost to the goal...finding that symbol of Christianity which just might be found. Our quest springs from having drunk of that special cup. We are inspired...not to seek a physical cup,...but rather of the heavenly home prepared for us by the Christ who held that cup out to us and said, "Drink ye all of it."

To find that promised land, we must join in on the quest of multitudes gone before. We must search and sacrifice as diligently as did the saints who have gone before us. We must search in the same spirit and degree as did Abraham, the first pilgrim of this quest. "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed, and he went out, not knowing whither he went."

Now folks, there are shared responsibilities on this quest. Just as Abraham obeyed in faith, so must we practice an obedient faith. Just as Abraham had to make sacrifices by living in tents in a strange land, so must we life a sacrificial faith. Just as Abraham looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God, so must we have the righteous goal which this world just cannot provide. We must have a working faith such as did Abraham's wife, Sarah. She received strength to conceive in her old age through...her faith. We have to forget excuses. There is a place for every Christian in the increasing of the family of God. We must have an undying faith that remains in action until our quest is rewarded with God's fulfilled promises. The writer of Hebrews noted that and his family of journeymen could have returned to their their homeland anytime they chose. However, they did not. And so must we have a steadfast faith.

The quest begins in the church, but it must not remain within the House of God. At the House of God, one is reconciled to Him. But alas,...there is that Great Commission to the comrades on an endless quest, ..."Go ye into all the world..." If Abraham stayed in Ur, if the apostles did not take up the quest after Christ ascended, if our parents did not continue the quest, you and I would not have that quest today. We must go out into the by-ways and seek others to come and go with us. What it comes down to, then, is that the quest for the city of God is also an endless quest for souls to populate that city.

Finally, we are comrades on a quest that is endless. And it is endless in several ways: First, our quest is endless in that it moves through phases, and we are not yet in the last phase. All we have today is an "I-hope-so" kind of religion. But, as Paul says, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." So we are given the resurrection to show us there is more for us...Paul declares, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept." Folks, there is more to come on this quest we take than we have now...The Christ of the resurrection has shown that this is true.

Another reason that the quest is endless in that sometimes the problems that we face on the quest makes it seem so endless. There are temptations... frustrations... and even failures. But what we know of the goal... and every time we witness to others of what we know makes each step of the journey glow with the radiance of new life for ourselves and for others. Sometimes that quest calls for strength beyond common sense. It requires faith beyond our resources.

But folks, though our quest is endless in this way...it is...not...in...vain. Paul tells us, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." Our quest is always victorious: "Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Each soul we win and nourish marks deliverance from a perishing world and deliverance to an unshakable Kingdom destined for God.

Finally friends, our quest is also endless in that the last of our journey is not ours to take. The last step belongs to Christ...when He delivers up the Kingdom and His comrades...to God. To those of you who have not yet begun the endless quest, I must remind you of something very crucial---like it, or not,...we are all moving out of time and into eternity...to Heaven, or to Hell...to Death, or to Eternal  Life.

Before us all is the impassable mountain of commandments that we have broken time and time again. They block the way to Heaven. But planted squarely before us is the old rugged cross on which the "Seed of Abraham," the "Son of God" blessed the world. There is also the empty tomb to prove God has power to save. There is also the Scripture telling us of love, warning us of the wages of sin, pointing the way around the Law to merciful grace, and echoing Christ's invitation, "I am the way."

Yes, folks, Christ is your way, and His church is the Palestine of God---your recruiting, training and...your proving ground. The only real barriers to either the comradeship or participation in the quest is your unbelief and disobedience. The minute we, as sinners, surrender to God, faith comes by the Holy Spirit to belief. Wisdom leads us to repentance. Courage leads to confession. Desire leads us to baptism. And then comes the capacity to serve and journey on the endless quest. So this is the endless quest of comrades.

"On Jordan's stormy banks I stand,
And cast a wishful eye
To Canaan's fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.
I am bound for the promised land,
I am bound for the promised land!"

Christians are my comrades. The lost sinners of the world are my responsibility and concern."Oh who will come and go with me?" Will you? "I am bound for the promised land."

Daniel Keith Teater, Sr.
Deceased Minister
Christian Churches/Churches of Christ