Hall of Faith
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Give theme of letter: “Jesus is Greater”
Briefly walk through where we have been.
Tonight, we will enter into what is known as the “hall of faith.”
So, grab your Bible and turn with me to Hebrews 11.
Opening question. . . “What is faith?”
FCF: Why is it hard to persevere in our faith when we face trials? Why do we struggle to do this?
The Hebrews were facing this same question. . . and the author was calling them to persevere in their faith.
The author just finished saying in 10:38-39, that the righteous will live by faith and persevere to the end. They will not be like those who shrink back but those who have faith and preserve their lives.
Therefore, he now gives 20 different examples of characters and events from the OT that demonstrate how these people did not shrink back when they faced persecution . . . but instead had faith and demonstrated their faith through their obedience to God. As a result, God commended their faith.
The Hebrews must look to how these OT characters trusted in God and persevered in their faith even when they could not see the result, nor fully receive the promises.
Just as God commended the OT saints by their faith, God will commend and approve the Hebrews by their faith. . . but they must display this faith by continuing to walk in obedience through trusting in Christ (not the OT rituals) for their salvation.
The Hebrews were tempted to go back to Judaism, but all of their “Jewish” heroes were placing their faith in God and looking ahead to “a better land,” and “better promises” that found their fulfilment in Christ. Therefore, how could the Hebrews turn away from Christ when all of their OT heroes were looking ahead to Jesus?
Key Point: As we live as exiles on this earth, we must imitate the persevering faith of the saints that have bone before us as we look to and await the completion of God’s Kingdom in Christ when he comes again.
What is Faith? (v. 1-2)
What is Faith? (v. 1-2)
“Faith”/Faithful: 25 times in 40 verses!
The author describes faith in two ways. . .
1. “ Faith is the assurance of things hoped for. . .”
The Greek word for “assurance” communicates the essential nature or reality of something .
Therefore, faith actualizes and makes what we hope for a reality. Our hopes are realized through faith. If we simply hoped for something without faith, our hope would have no reality.
If our the confession of our hope is in Jesus and Jesus is the anchor of our soul, then this hope is actualized and made a reality by faith.
**Think about using the example of “pixie dust” from Peter Pan.
Wendy believed she could fly, but without the pixie dust, it was just wishful thinking. The Pixie dust made her hope in flying a reality.
2. “Faith is the conviction of things not seen.”
Faith is the proof or evidence for unseen things. . . faith means to be sure about things unseen.
The word “conviction” can be understood as convicting evidence that is used in an argument. — evidence that makes someone fully agree, understand, and realize the truth or validity of something; especially based on argument or discussion.
It is only by faith that we can please God and our faith must not just be a noun, but become an action (believe v. 6) and be seen in our obedience.
Once more, the one who draws near to God must believe God exists and he rewards those who seek him.
Someone who has faith will believe that God will reward them for their obedience even if they never see the blessings and rewards this side of heaven.
So one way we could translate verse 1 is: “Now faith celebrates the objective reality of the blessings for which we hope, the demonstration of events as yet unseen.”
“The People of old were commended for their faith. . .” (v. 2)
Commend/Commendation: means to approve of someone’s testimony as genuine.
God commended (testified to/approved) of their faith. The same idea of being declared righteous by faith I think can be applied here.
Now that we know the definition of faith, lets examine some of its characteristics through the examples of the OT saints that are listed in this chapter. . .
Characteristics of Faith
Characteristics of Faith
1. Faith is demonstrated by action/obedience.
1. Faith is demonstrated by action/obedience.
By faith. . .
Abel offered acceptable sacrifices to God (v. 4)
Noah obeyed God and built an ark to deliver his family (v. 7)
Abraham obeyed God and left his home (v. 8). . . he also offered up his only son Isaac, to whom the promises were given (v. 17).
Genuine faith always produces good works. . .
“Faith, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17).
Do you have this type of faith?
2. Faith acts even when the outcome is uncertain.
2. Faith acts even when the outcome is uncertain.
v. 7: Noah constructed the ark in preparations for a flood before he had ever seen a rain drop fall from the earth.
v. 8: Abraham left his home and everything he knew even though “he did not know where he was going, or where the Lord would take him.”
v. 11: Sarah still considered God to be faithful to his promises to give her a child even though she was past the age of child bearing.
v. 17: Abraham was willing to kill his only son in whom the promises were given and believed, somehow, that God would raise him from the dead because he had faith that God would keep his promises. . . even when he did not know how.
Do we act in obedience only when we know what is going to happen. . . or do we act in obedience believing in God’s word to be true, regardless if we can see the result?
The author says in v. 13-16 that none of these OT saints ever received the completion of the promises they had faith in. . . they did not experience the completion of these promises until their life on earth was done.
Yet, they still persisted in their faith because they knew God would be faithful to reward them and complete his promises one day.
Do you have this type of faith?
3. Faith fears God and not man.
3. Faith fears God and not man.
v. 23: Moses’s parents did not fear the King’s command to offer up their male children but instead feared God and obeyed God.
v. 27: Moses left Egypt, not fearing the anger of the king that was visible because he feared God who was invisible.
v. 29: the Israelites did not fear Pharaoh, but feared God and walked through the Red Sea.
Who we fear and obey demonstrates who we love and worship.
Do you have this type of faith?
4. Faith sees the promises of God as greater than the temporary offers of the world and embraces suffering to gain the eternal reward.
4. Faith sees the promises of God as greater than the temporary offers of the world and embraces suffering to gain the eternal reward.
v. 10: Abraham looked forward to the city that God was preparing for him while he was living as a foreigner in Canaan.
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.
Expand on what Moses refused and what he embraced.
Notice that he considered facing abuse and suffering for Jesus as “greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt.”
Does our faith consider the sufferings we may face greater wealth than all the treasures the world could offer?
The one who has true faith Looks ahead and keeps their eyes on the reward.
v. 35-38. . . so many saints faced torture, flogging, imprisonment, some were sawn in two, killed by the sword, slaughtered like sheep and goats. . . but they willingly endured these things because they were looking ahead to “a better life.”
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
The OT saints looked to what they could not see. . . for they never saw the reward or fulfillment of God’s promises during their earthly life. . . yet for us, we must look back to what has come (Jesus).
All of the promises that were given in the OT to these saints find their fulfillment in Jesus (road to Emmaus. . . also 2 Cor. 1:20: all of God’s promises are Yes and amen in Jesus).
Response
Response
Now, here is the crazy thing. . . all of these OT saints demonstrated great faith and perseverance in the promises of God. . . even though v. 39 says that they never received what was promised.
But v. 40 says that “God has provided something better for us.”
This phrase demonstrates that unlike the OT saints, we have the better and complete covenant, we have the better and complete promises, because unlike the OT saints, we have seen the completion of all these OT promises through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus!
Therefore, if these OT saints had faith and persevered during suffering, how much more, should we, having the completion of the promises, persevere in our faith as we endure sufferings as we live as exiles on this earth??
We also have a greater advantage than the OT saints because we have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. . . we also have God’s laws written on our hearts.
But one similarity we share with these OT saints is that we are still waiting for the final completion of all of God’s promises in God fully establishing his Kingdom here on earth.
This will not take place until Christ returns.
So, we are still waiting in the “already” but “not yet” and must persevere in our faith even though we cannot presently see the outcome.
But, we can have hope to know that just as God eventually fulfilled his promises to the OT saints through Christ’s first coming, God will be faithful in fully completing all his promises for us through Christ’s second coming.
Which means we can make our hope a reality through continuing to trust in God’s promises in Christ. . . knowing that he who promised is faithful.
But, to persevere in this God-pleasing faith that we have observed tonight, we must first have it.
So once more, I will ask you. . . do you have this God-pleasing faith?
That acts in obedience. . . even when the outcome is uncertain?
That fears God and not man?
That embraces suffering knowing that God’s reward is greater?
Like v. 6 says, the only way we can please God is by faith.
This is because God, being holy, demands holiness and perfection from his creatures.
Adam and Eve were originally created with this perfection and had perfect faith in God.
Yet, they chose to doubt God’s word and instead of continuing in their faith in God, they trusted in themselves instead. . . and brought judgment and condemnation on the rest of humanity.
We have all continued in their footsteps, trusting in ourselves instead of God, going our own way instead of God’s and the penalty of death remains on us.
There is no way we can be holy or perfect from the things we do because of our sin. . . and there is no way we can cleanse ourselves of our guilt.
But God in his mercy, sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to be our representative and substitute.
Jesus, being fully God and fully man, lived a perfect sinless life for us. . . he died on the cross and took the penalty of our sin for us. . . and he rose victorious from the grave for us.
The reason why faith is necessary to please God is because it is only through turning from our sin and placing our trust in Jesus that his righteous life and atoning death can be given to us.
When we turn from our sin and place our faith in Jesus, all of our sin is removed from us and we are given his perfect robe of righteousness. . . so when God looks at us, he is pleased because he sees the holy perfection of his Son!
So, if you have yet to repent and trust in Jesus. . . I urge you to do this tonight!
For there is salvation in no one else. . . for there is no name given under heaven by which we must be saved.
The call tonight is first to place your faith in Jesus.
Second, if you have trusted in Christ for your salvation, we must persevere in our faith. . . we must embrace suffering, we must act in obedience, we must fear God and not man. . . knowing that the reward is coming. . . that Christ is coming. . . and when he comes. . . it will all be worth it!
Amen! Let’s Pray. . .