I. Abraham lived according to God's promise even though he didn’t know WHERE! Heb. 11:8-10

Text: Living by Faith

Heb. 11:8-19

Intro: There was a tightrope walker, who did incredible aerial feats. All over Paris, he would do tightrope acts at tremendously scary heights. Then he had succeeding acts; he would do it blindfolded, then he would go across the tightrope, blindfolded, pushing a wheelbarrow. An American promoter read about this in the papers and wrote a letter to the tightrope walker, saying, “Tightrope, I don’t believe you can do it, but I’m willing to make you an offer. For a very substantial sum of money, besides all your transportation fees, I would like to challenge you to do your act over Niagara Falls.”

Now, Tightrope wrote back, “Sir, although I’ve never been to America and seen the Falls, I’d love to come.”

Well, after a lot of promotion and setting the whole thing up, many people came to see the event. Tightrope was to start on the Canadian side and come to the American side. Drums roll, and he comes across the rope which is suspended over the treacherous part of the falls—blindfolded!! And he makes it across easily. The crowds go wild, and he comes to the promoter and says, “Well, Mr. Promoter, now do you believe I can do it?”

“Well of course I do. I mean, I just saw you do it.”

“No,” said Tightrope, “do you really believe I can do it?”

“Well of course I do, you just did it.”

“No, no, no,” said Tightrope, “do you believe I can do it?”

“Yes,” said Mr. Promoter, “I believe you can do it.”

“Good,” said Tightrope, “then you get in the wheelbarrow.”

Getting in the wheelbarrow, that what faith is isn't it? Taking God at His word then stepping out trusting that He will deliver! Faith is not stepping out on the unknown but on the unseen! God is the known and the results are the unseen.

How did I describe faith last week? Faith is stepping out onto the unseen and landing on solid rock. The World would tell you that seeing is believing but the Bible teaches believing is seeing!

Faith enables us to experience the unseen as though they have already taken place. In fact if I had to define faith that is what I would say. Faith is activily living according to the promises of God as though they have already taken place.

THIS IS THE EXAMPLE OF ABRAHAM the patriarch of faith.

Orientate Scripture: Hebrews 10:38

CPS: Be of faith and live your life according to the promises of God as though they have already taken place.

I. Abraham lived according to God's promise even though he didn’t know WHERE! Heb. 11:8-10

Abraham heard God’s call to live his home and left in search of the promised land even though he didn't know where he was going. But, he had God’s promise.

A. His call

1. it was a call of salvation

From pagan worship to true worship

Ill. Rabbinic Tradition teaches that Abraham’s father , Terah was a maker and seller of pagan idols. According to that tradition Abraham, to whom God revealed Himself as the only true God.took an axe and smashed all the Idols but the largest one. He then put the axe in the hand of the reaming Idol. When his father asked what had happened, Abraham said “the large idol slayed all the others.” Terah said “that is impossible because that idol was not living, but only clay.” Abraham asked Him, “why then do you worship that which is not living, but is only clay?”

2. it was call to leave

B. His obedience

1. His sojourning

The important thing is not what we live in but what we look for

2. His searching

Abraham took God for His word and left even though He didn't know where he was going but he trusted God to fulfill what he was promised. A land and deliverance.

II. Abraham and Sarah lived according to God's promise even though they didn't know HOW! Heb. 11:11-12

God promised the elderly and barren couple a son who would populate a nation so vast that it could not be numbered and the couple trusted God even though they did not know how it could possibly happen.

A. The Promise (Gen 15:5, 22:17, 32:12)

ILL: Stars in Africa/ Sand on the beaches of the world

B. The Problem

C. The Predicament

D. The Promise Kept

1.Trough Issac

2.Through Jesus

III. Abraham lived according to God's promise even though he didn't know WHEN! Heb. 11:13-16

Abraham lived 100 years in the promised land never receiving the land of promise yet lived as though he did.

A. The Life of faith

1. He Saw It (but never owned it… only a burial plot)

2. Burn the Bridge

B. The Better Country

1. Not wordly (desire)

2. Prepared by the hands of God. John 14:3

IV. Abraham lived according to God's promise even though he didn't know WHY! Heb. 11:17-19

Abraham trust God so that at his testing he offered his only begotten son and by faith understood that even if he sacrificed his son God would bring him back to life in order to fulfill his promise of making Abraham a great nation;

A. The offering

1. Abraham’s

2. Issac’s

B. The resurrection

1. The Ram

2. The Christ