Persuing the Unseen Gift

We pass things down from one generation to the next. Pictures, Heirlooms, Journals, things that can never be replaced.

After a loved one passes, too many times, greedy family members have their hearts set on the Material and Financial blessings… Houses, Stocks, bonds, money, land.

But also, after a loved on passes, we can see the value of a skill or a trade that is passed down from one generation to the next. It could be a family business. A love and appreciation for something. Cooking, Baking, rebuilding an engine, building or remodeling a house.

It’s so important for us to pass down to our kids and our grandkids those traditions and skills that benefit us here on earth.

However, faith is something greater that we must pass down from one generation to the next that will make an eternal impact.

The way we look at faith is important.

There are different levels of faith, some people have small faith, some have big faith. Some people have the gift of faith, but Jesus said that mustard seed faith is all that’s required because healthy faith will grow over time. God does not want our faith to stay weak, lazy, anemic but our faith must be stretched.

God wants our faith to be bold, unwavering, Rock solid, and securely rooted in Christ.

That legacy faith blesses our kids and grandkids.

That legacy faith reaches and influences those who are wavering, lost, and are building their life on a shaky foundation.

God wants to use us to encourage and inspire others to live out that Legacy Faith.

For the next few weeks we will be in Hebrews 11. This chapter is known for its Hall of Faith.

Today we will learn about legacy faith and what that blessing looks like for those who carry out that legacy faith.

Hebrews 11:1–7 (ESV)

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. 4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.

5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

PRAY

Making a purchase sight unseen is a huge risk. I highly recommend not making such a risky purchase.

Making an unseen purchase with an unknown person requires a lot of trust. We don’t know what that person might be hiding which would be easy for them to do with an unseen purchase.

Some People are quick to take advantage of our trust… Some people prowl on those who are naive, and not willing to ask the difficult questions.

But we see here that faith is not seeing the end result but yet it still requires our complete trust.

With man, there is great risk in an unseen purchase but with Jesus there’s an even greater risk. But…

The Closer we walk with God, the stronger our Faith will be.

Our proximity will determine our willingness

Hebrews 11:1–3 (ESV)

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

“faith” is explained as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Two words describe faith: “assurance” and “conviction.”

Faith starts with believing in God’s character. He is who HE says HE is…

Faith culminates with believing in God’s promises, that HE will do what HE says HE will do.

When we believe that God will fulfill HIS promises even though we don’t yet see any evidence, we demonstrate true faith.

After Jesus’ resurrection, Thomas said that I won’t believe the evidence. “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Then when Jesus showed up, HE gave Thomas a quick lesson on Faith.

John 20:24–29 (ESV)

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Jesus said we will be blessed if we believe without seeing the evidence.

“The assurance of things hoped for” means the person has complete confidence that God will fulfill his promises.

We often think of the word “hope” in terms of uncertain desire—“I hope it doesn’t rain on Saturday,” “I hope I do well on this test.”

For believers, however, “hope” is a desire based on assurance, and the assurance is based on God’s character.

“The conviction of things not seen” means that the person believes in the reality of something that he or she cannot see, taste, hear, or touch.

The “things not seen” include eternal life, future rewards, heaven... Faith regards these to be as real as what can be perceived with the senses.

Faith means that if God promised something, he will fulfill that promise.

Legacy Faith will always require our very best.

Our Worship is more then just singing a song on a screen. Worship is responding to the living God who is worthy of all that we have.

Hebrews 11:4 (ESV)

4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.

Cain and Abel were Adam and Eve’s first two sons Genesis 4:2–5.

Cain, a farmer, brought an offering to God from the ground.

Abel, a shepherd, brought firstborn sheep. Abel’s sacrifice (an animal substitute) was a better sacrifice because it was acceptable to God, while Cain’s sacrifice was unacceptable.

Cain became so angry that he killed his brother, Abel.

The Bible does not say why God rejected Cain’s sacrifice.

Perhaps Cain’s attitude was improper,

or perhaps his offering was not up to God’s standards.

Proverbs 21:27 ESV

27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with evil intent.

God evaluates both our motives and the quality of what we offer him.

Abel’s faith is the first demonstrated in the Old Testament.

Abel’s life was good. He did his work and worship well.

Abel’s life was complete—shorter than most, but God was pleased.

Abel’s life was faithful, for which he is remembered even today.

Legacy Faith requires faithfully pleasing God

Enoch was an example of one who faithful lived for the Lord.

Hebrews 11:5 ESV

5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.

Enoch is the next example of faith (Genesis 5:20–24).

Enoch was a popular figure in Jewish traditions. It was said that he received special revelations about the world to come and was able to mediate between God and human beings because of his pure life.

Enoch was a righteous man and, as a result, he did not experience death.

This passage states that God took him away (literally: God “translated” him).

Enoch was translated from earthly life to heavenly life.

Enoch is one of two Old Testament characters who never died.

God chose to take Enoch without dying because Enoch lived by faith.

He was a righteous man who was commended as one who pleased God.

The Hebrew Old Testament says that Enoch “walked with God,”

but the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament) translated it “pleased God.”

Enoch pleased God because he had faith; that is,

Enoch kept his attention on the unseen things of God.

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Keep in mind that the book of Hebrews was written to a Hebrew Christian audience.

They were big on ritual and traditions and laws and living according to those laws.

But, the emphasis here is that no one (not Abel, Enoch, or anyone else) can please God without faith.

Faith is an absolute requirement.

All the rituals mean nothing without faith.

Those who believe can come to God and discover that he is approachable. God must be sought…

“Pleasing God” has two requirements here:

(1) People must believe that HE exists and then

(2) endeavor to have a personal relationship with HIM.

Legacy Faith is still living countercultural

When I say countercultural I don’t mean living against the flow of the culture but living in a totally different stream as the culture.

Culture doesn’t set our standards for living, Jesus does.

We don’t live to meet the expectations of others, we live to please God.

We tune out the voices of this world to hear God’s still small voice and then obediently walk accordingly.

Hebrews 11:7 ESV

7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

God divinely warned Noah about coming events that the world had never seen—

God warned that it would rain, and it had never rained before.

God also promised to bring the animals to Noah! Genesis 6–9.

Noah believed God, moved with godly fear, and prepared an ark, following God’s construction plans.

Noah’s story involves not one, but two great and tragic floods.

The world in Noah’s day was flooded with evil. The number of those who remembered the God of creation, perfection, and love had dwindled to only one family.

God’s response to the severe situation was a 120-year-long last chance, during that time, Noah built a graphic illustration of the judgment to come.

“reverent fear” refers to Noah’s love and obedience out of reverence and respect for God.

Noah trusted that God would do as he said (bring a flood)

and so he obeyed God’s seemingly outrageous plan (build a ship).

While the ark accomplished the saving of his household, Noah’s faith condemned the world because it illustrated what the people lacked.

Those without faith faced God’s judgments; those with faith were saved.

Noah believed God and was willing to sacrifice his reputation and public standing, the people around him were only interested in pursuing their own selfish lusts. As a result, Noah became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Noah is the first person in the Bible to be called “righteous” (Genesis 6:9). Noah was not perfect, blameless, one who never sinned.

This acknowledges that Noah wholeheartedly loved and obeyed God. For a lifetime, Noah walked step-by-step in faith as a living example to his generation and future generations.

Luke 17:26–27 ESV

26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Noah required no physical evidence of what was coming, he simply trusted God and obeyed.

Obedience means a long-term commitment to God’s will in the face of scorn and ridicule.

Take Away

The Closer we walk with God, the stronger our Faith will be.

Legacy Faith will always require our very best.

Legacy Faith requires faithfully pleasing God.

Legacy Faith is still living countercultural.

It begins with us knowing God and seeking HIM every day.

How close is our walk with the Lord?

How committed are we to trusting HIM even without the evidence ahead of time?

Are we willing to step out in faith at any cost?

Are we willing to live out this legacy faith here on earth no matter what?