CONFIDENCE OF STEWARDSHIP, Hebrews 11:1 - 6

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

Heb 11:2  For by it the elders obtained a good report. 

Heb 11:3  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. 

Heb 11:4  By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. 

Heb 11:5  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

The goal of this message on Confidence of Stewardship from the series Living In Financial Victory is to learn five biblical aspects about faith and how each will help you confidently steward the resources God has entrusted into your care.

INTRODUCTION: This thing called faith comes off of our lips so easily and yet it seems empty of reality. Yes we’ll say in a moment we have faith but it doesn’t seem to do very much. My concern for some of us is that we will develop spiritual Alzheimers. Remember that Alzheimers is when you forget. It is when you don’t know who you are and so you find everything to be a question mark. If you, who name the name of Jesus Christ, develop spiritual Alzheimers by forgetting who you are in Christ, then you will lose the ability to enjoy your spiritual life. Some People are addicted to defeat. They don’t know what it feels like to not be defeated. And they would be miserable if they weren’t. In fact, if you solved all their problems, they would still find something wrong.

Now I understand this thing called faith has been abused. Some offer that faith precipitates magical events. Some let poisonous snakes bite them in the name of faith. Some foam at the mouth in the name of faith and expect some supernatural introduction in the history of God. But I am equally aware there are many Believers who are not getting all that God has for them because they don’t have faith.* Their confidence in God is so paper-thin they get what they expect and that is not much. You can hear it in their prayers for the Lord to bless them. Their prayers are vague and general so that in case God doesn’t come through, they haven’t missed anything. I’m going to take a step of faith and deal with this issue of what I call the confidence of stewardship. This is faith as it relates to all of life. Then I will apply it to this issue of stewardship. In doing so, I want to share with you five things about confidence of stewardship.

POINT: 1. THE PRINCIPLE OF FAITH

• Please God Through Your Faith

• Be assured of things hoped for and convicted of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1)

Verse one is not so much a definition of what faith is, as it is a description of what faith does.

• Without faith, it’s impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6)

• God will not open any windows for people who don’t believe Him

• We are to have faith that grabs hold of our hopes and desires and believe God can bring them into reality

• Often we don’t see the substance God offers in the invisible realm due to our lack of faith (Matthew 13:58)And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. 

• Commit to a way of life characterized by faith, The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17) THE PRINCIPLE OF FAITH

2. THE POWER OF FAITH

• Place your faith in God (Mark 11:22) Have faith in God. 

In verse two of our text the faith of the elders was so strong in God that they received a good report.

• Don’t have faith in faith

• Find your power in the person of God and not in the amount of your faith you have.

• The bigger God gets, the more your faith grows THE POWER OF FAITH

3. STEWARDSHIP BY FAITH

Heb 11:3  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. *

• Steward your money in faith and expect to receive spiritual riches (Luke 16:11 )NIV

So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 

• Money is not true riches; “true riches” are spiritual riches

• God will not trust you with spiritual riches if you are not faithful in managing your money STEWARDSHIP BY FAITH

4. LIVE YOUR FAITH

• Live by faith characterized by action

Jas 2:20.... that faith without works is dead? 

Heb 11:4  By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. 

Heb 11:5  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Abel represents the righteous man referred to in Hebrews 10:38, whose acceptance before God was based on a superior sacrifice. Like Abel, the readers found acceptance before God on the basis of the better sacrifice of the New Covenant. Their unbelieving brethren, like Cain, found no such divine acceotance. Even death does not extinguish the testimony of a man like Abel.

11:5–6. Enoch, on the other hand, reflected the kind of life that pleases God since he walked with God by faith (as we should walk by faith also).

Zane C. Hodges, “Hebrews,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 807.

• True faith produces action — not a discussion Mark 2:1 - 11(Jesus Heals a Paralytic)

• Trust that God will carry out your desires that align with his will for you

• Validate your faith by giving 10 percent as a minimum of what God requires as a tithe

• Let your belief in God control what you do in the present

• What you believe will control how you act in the natural realm

• What you believe about God will control how you act regarding what He says in the Bible LIVE YOUR FAITH

5. PERSEVERE IN FAITH

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

The way to please God is by continued confidence that He exists and … rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

• Don’t let circumstances detour you (Ecclesiastes 11:4) NIV Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. 

• Don’t let circumstances stop you from trusting God

• Don’t let doubt detour you (Mark 9:20)

• When doubt is holding you back, drag doubt to Jesus

• Don’t let people stop you (Luke 18:35)

• When people discourage you, reach out to Jesus to help you with your needs

• Don’t let fear stop you 2 Timothy 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

• Don’t let your emotion stop you (Psalm 126:5) They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 

• While you’re crying and while you’re planting, God will change those tears into joy PERSEVERE IN FAITH

SERMON ILLUSTRATIONS: PRINCIPLE OF FAITH: In the tv show Star Trek, they could move people around because there was this piece of equipment called the transporter that would change the molecular structure of the thing that had to be moved. It rearranged it and configured it so that it could leave one zone and be delivered to another zone. But you had to be under the transporter. Faith is the transporter.

1. THE PRINCIPLE OF FAITH

2. THE POWER OF FAITH

3. STEWARDSHIP BY FAITH

4. LIVE YOUR FAITH

5. PERSEVERE IN FAITH

Midweek Study Lesson Questions 3/1/2023

Sunday February 26, 2023

CONFIDENCE OF STEWARDSHIP, Hebrews 11:1 – 6

Zoom Meeting ID: 427 104 7781 Passcode: 1yFfx5

1– What was the goal of Sunday’s sermon?

The goal of this message on Confidence of Stewardship from the series Living In Financial Victory is to learn five biblical aspects about faith and how each will help you confidently steward the resources God has entrusted into your care.

2- What is spiritual Alzeimers?

Forgetting who you are in Christ,

3- What were the five main points from Sunday’s sermon? Explain each.

1. THE PRINCIPLE OF FAITH

2. THE POWER OF FAITH

3. STEWARDSHIP BY FAITH

4. LIVE YOUR FAITH

5. PERSEVERE IN FAITH

4- Explain Romans 1:17.

The righteousness of God. In this verse the expression means, the whole benefit of God through Christ for the salvation of a sinner. Here it means, He shall obtain the favour of God, and continue therein by believing. Habakkuk 2:4

5- What does true faith produce?

Action based on that faith.

6- LIFE APPLICATION QUESTION: In what way or ways has this series on Living in Financial Victory helped you?