Faith That Endures

Everyday all of us display faith in various ways.

give examples

Is that kind of faith truly biblical faith?

Is there a difference between a truly biblical faith and a general belief in something?

Should faith make a difference in your day to day operations…

A nationwide poll was taken in the United States on religious questions. When asked whether they believed in God, 95 percent of those polled answered “yes.”

When asked whether religion in any way affected their politics and their business, 54 percent said “no.”

They had a belief, but they did not have a directing faith.

Do you really have faith if it doesn’t change you at every level?

Hebrews 11 is perhaps one of the best known chapters in all of Hebrews, maybe even the entire Bible.

It is known as the Hall of Faith…a long journal of people from the OT who walked by faith.

How does it fit in the overall context of Hebrews?

Remember the theme of Hebrews is the superiority of Jesus over everything.

Remember the historical background...

He uses this chapter to show others who went before them, who also experienced the hardships associated with faith, to rely absolutely on him, never turning or shrinking back.

If the object of our faith is God and His promises then we will place our life in Jesus’ hands and endure to the end!

The amount of faith you possess doesn’t matter…it is the object of your faith that makes the difference.

Back to one of our original questions…Is there a difference between biblical faith and simply believing…the answer is yes...

Biblical faith is an enduring faith that makes a difference in how you live at every level.

Main Point: Enduring Faith Trusts God Regardless of Circumstances or Outcome.

By the use of the conjunction “now” the writer connects this text with Hebrews 10:38-39.

Hebrews 10:38–39 “But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Perseverance is the demonstration of faith.

What we will see in this chapter is faith in action.

These were real people, with real struggles who possessed a real faith that motivated them to action regardless of their circumstances and without knowledge of the outcome.

They were not “super saints”

They simply possessed a heart that desired to please God and they took specific steps to do just that.

They all chose to live by faith…but before he lists out all those who had lived by faith before them, the writer puts faith into its proper perspective.

Faith Defined (1-3)

Faith Trusts God’s Character (1)

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Assurance = word literally means “something that stands under”...

Faith is the very foundation of things hoped for because it gives us the assurance that those things will become reality.

It is important to identify the object of faith is not faith itself…our faith is never greater than the object in which it placed...

Enduring faith is placed in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and the promises that (in Him) God has given His people for this life and the life to come.

Faith, by itself, is meaningless.

It is also important to note that faith is not a feeling…it is not optimism or bootstrap positive thinking…it is not brainless...

It is a firm confidence in the promises of God that trusts God is good all the time.

When we begin to shrink back is when we begin to doubt the goodness of God.

Faith assures us of our future hope

The idea here is that we can look at the future as if it is already occurring...in the present.

The hope we talk about is not a wishful hope…it is an expectant hope.

We need to come face to face with our present problems and gain the perspective on life and eternity that faith yields.

A biblical faith will sure us up against despair, disillusionment and dejection.

Faith provides us with a biblical realism that enables us to view our present difficulties in light of the future.

Faith convinces us of the reality of the invisible.

Our eyesight produces a conviction about objects in the physical world.

Faith produces the same convictions for the invisible order…in other words, faith tells us there is something far greater at work than what our eyes are able to see.

Indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit

Existence of holy angels that minister…

Reality of Satan roaming around seeking to devour...

Present attitudes and practices of our culture are evidence that we are engaged in spiritual warfare...

Our union with Christ unites us together in that spiritual war…our faith is in the same God…we share in the struggles, we share in the victories...

That faithfully gathering together for worship and mutual encouragement is a place of refuge and avenue for renewal to us all…

A person with faith lets these unseen realities from God provide a living, effective power for daily life.

The person without any clear faith often accepts things simply as they are.

If money comes his way, then it is obviously his to enjoy, regardless of how that money came to him (say cheating)

If he is confronted with an opportunity for sensual pleasure, he will take it, regardless of its immediate effects or ultimate consequences.

He does not necessarily sit down to consider whether it damages him or hurts others;

that is not his concern.

But the man or woman of faith possesses the conviction of things not seen.

Such people look beyond the situation as it can be perceived by natural vision or enjoyed by the physical appetites.

They do not look simply at their circumstances; they discern the activity of the invisible God (11:27) in their present situation and are able to endure.

What all this means is that however difficult our life turns this side of heaven, those who live by faith trust God to bring about exactly what He said He would do.

Faith Wins God’s Approval (2)

Hebrews 11:2 “For by it the men of old gained approval.”

Men of old = elders = specifically referring to people of faith in the OT history.

By exercising this kind of faith, they gained that which matters most, the approval of God.

Approval = does not just refer to temporary material blessings.

Rather, this is the final eschatological approval—an eternal commendation instead of an eternal condemnation.

It is important to remember that these are the only two options: commendation or condemnation.

There is no third alternative.

On the day of judgment, we will either be approved in Christ or we will be condemned without him.

How did the people of old win God’s approval?

How were they included in this story of God’s grace to us in Christ?

The author plainly answers that these men and women received their approval because they exercised faith.

God’s plan of salvation in both the Old and New Testament has always been by grace through faith.

Paul makes this same point in Romans 4:1–13.

Romans 4:13 “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.”

Abraham was counted righteous before God because of his faith (see Gen 15:6).

Hebrews 11 shows that the redeemed from Israel, who lived before the death and resurrection of Christ, were saved because they trusted God to be faithful to his promises.

Their faith was a messianic faith.

They had an assurance that they invested in the promises of God.

They hoped in things yet unseen, in a deliverer that had been promised but had not yet come.

These ‘elders’ received the word of God and in different generations…

The writer will tell us later that in this life, none of them obtained what was promised…

however, they still were pleasing to God because they believed God would fulfill what He said.

That my friends is our greatest goal...

2 Corinthians 5:9 (NASB95)

Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

The man and woman of faith does not set their heart on gaining human approval...that can be dangerous.

Those who live by faith seek at every juncture, to please God and anticipate that in the end God will express that pleasure to us.

Faith Believes God at His Word (3)

Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”

Here the writer appeals to their knowledge of creation.

By observing creation we learn of God’s power.

Faith begins with the acknowledgment that God is the Creator of all things.

That means we acknowledge there is someone higher than us and there is a way we are to relate to Him.

That means His purposes are to be my purposes.

His desires are to be my desires

His way of how to live is to be my way of how to live.

The only way we know that God created the world is by faith…

we were not there when it happened…

all we have is the written word of God…faith believes God at His Word.

If we can accept creation because we read it in the Scripture, should we then not believe that...

2 Peter 1:3 (NASB95)

seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

2 Peter 1:4 (NASB95)

For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

Where do you turn for help?

Faith Demonstrated (4-10)

The rest of Hebrews 11 is a list of God’s people who demonstrated various aspects of a faith that endured.

We’ve chosen to break it down in small chunks so we could evaluate our own faith accordingly.

Abel: Focused Faith (4)

Hebrews 11:4 “By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.”

Genesis 4:3–7 and the rest of the Old Testament do not explain why Abel’s offering was more acceptable than Cain’s.

Hebrews offers this explanation: Abel showed faith.

The fact that God accepted Abel’s sacrifice showed that he had an obedient attitude of mind…he was focused on what God wanted!

Abel brought the firstlings and of the fat [best] ones of his flock.

He put God first and gave Him his best... That was what his faith led him to do.

How often do you put God first in your life and give Him the best of your money, your property, your energy, your thought and your time?

Thinking about your current troublesome situations, how would putting God first in the problem at hand change things for the better?

How would giving God the best in this circumstance solve some aspect of your problem?

A faith that believes that God really wants to be put first and wants the best from His children, makes the difference.

By contrast, Cain held back from God.

Abel’s offering was an unrestrained response to God, complete with lavish worship which pleased God.

John tells us that Cain’s works were evil, while those of Abel were righteous (1 John 3:12).

Even though Cain murdered Abel, the faith of Abel still spoke over the centuries.

We don’t know if Abel knew Cain was going to respond the way he did...

Regardless of what his brother did, Abel chose to give his best to worship God.

Abel’s demonstration of faith allows him to speak a message of encouragement to us today.

Enoch: Pleasing Faith (5-6)

Hebrews 11:5–6 “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

Not much is known about Enoch

Here is what we do know.

First, Enoch’s release from death was due to his faith.

Second, before his translation to heaven he had lived a life pleasing to God.

His entire life was characterized by God as a walk with Him.

In an age of corruption Enoch stood out as a man of righteousness.

Faith in a God he could not see controlled Enoch’s life.

v. 6 — Real fellowship with God cannot exist without faith.

You must have a faith that believes He exists.

The emphasis here is on “He,” the true God.

Genuine faith does not simply believe that God is a divine being who exists.

It is believing that the God of Scripture is the only real and true God who exists.

Anyone wanting to commune with God must have the deep conviction that God is the only real God!

You must believe that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

Those who earnestly seek must believe that God is good and will reward their faith in Him with forgiveness and righteousness, because that is what He has promised to do.

It would be foolish to look for a God who does not exist or for one who—if he did exist—would punish you if you found him.

God will become the rewarder of those who seek (Greek present tense) Him.

The word used here describes an intensive pursuit, a purposeful quest.

The reward spoken of here is God himself…those who walk by faith desiring to please Him, will also delight in Him because they diligently seek Him.

God is not hard to find, but we must seek Him with the right attitude and purpose.

We cant live the way we want to live and expect God to find pleasure in that!

Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.”

In speaking to the Athenians, Paul said in Acts 17:27 “that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;”

God can always be found by those who truly want to find Him.

Noah: Devout Faith (7)

Hebrews 11:7 “By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

Noah (Gen. 6–9) showed his faith in response to a specific warning from God.

He took the warning to heart, built an ark, and saved his family.

Once more, faith rests on God’s Word.

When God said that the flood would come, though nothing like it had ever occurred before, Noah treated God and His word with great respect and believed Him and OBEYED!

Noah’s act of building the ark condemned the scoffing unbelief of his generation and provided visible evidence that Noah believed God.

He stood up against the unbelief and the jeers of those who did not for 120 years!

Noah’s contemporaries must have been merciless in their ridicule of this “foolish” man who was building an ark so far inland.

How did Noah condemn the world?

His godly life condemned them

his obedient work condemned them

and his faithful preaching condemned them

Noah left them without excuse, for they had had the testimony (visual and verbal) before them for a very long time.

Noah was devout.

Noah possessed a godly fear that motivated him to believe and to act as he did.

He was a man of faith, whose faith was more than theoretical; it was practical…in spite of how the people around him treated him, He still took God at His Word and did something.

In building the ark, Noah became an heir of faith righteousness.

Abraham: Venturing Faith (8-10)

Hebrews 11:8–10 “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

Abraham received a call to follow God which he accepted without question.

He left Haran by faith (Gen. 11:31–12:4) and let God supply the road map.

This may not seem all that remarkable to us…so we need to know a little about that world at the time.

The Mesopotamian world could be quite dangerous.

Physical protection was often the result of being closely knit to one’s kin and community.

Travel was particularly hazardous since it separated a person from his place of protection and exposed him to marauders and thieves.

In this light, the fact that Abraham left Haran and traveled to a land that he did not know is indeed a remarkable act of trust in God.

11:9–10. Three facts about Abraham’s faith...

His faith extended to his family.

Isaac and Jacob became linked as heirs with him of the same promise.

This verse indicates that the covenant promises were passed through Abraham to Isaac and Jacob.

These three individuals form the patriarchal foundation of the nation of Israel.

They too were “coheirs [with Abraham] of the same promise.”

He showed a tenacious faith by living as a nomad in a foreign land without rights and privileges.

Even though the Lord promised to make Abraham a great nation and that his descendants would possess the land, Abraham himself lived his entire life as a foreigner in the land of Canaan; he was not a resident.

By faith he beheld something that was coming, but he never saw the fulfillment of those promises of fruitful land and vast descendants.

He did not look primarily for a physical city in the Promised Land but for a spiritual city founded and built by God.

He wanted the architect and builder to be God.

This imagery of a city is striking…as a nomad Abraham lived in tents…the motivation for his faith was the desire for something permanent…a city was built on a permanent foundation.

The secret of Abraham’s patient waiting was that he could see the invisible and move toward it.

Because Abraham knew where he was headed [eternally] he trusted God to get him there and didn’t need to know where he was going to be tomorrow or the next day.

Wherever the earthly route took him, it didn’t matter because he knew that God was mapping out a road to the eternal city.

It was not the land of Palestine that mattered, it was the heavenly country, the city in that homeland of which Palestine, and [eventually] the city of Jerusalem, were but a shadow and type that counted (see vv. 10, 14, 16).

Abraham was faithful in the present because of his confidence in what God would do in the future.

Lesson for Life — Keep Looking Forward and Walk.

What aspect of faith speaks to your heart this morning...

Trusting God’s character

Takes God at His Word

Focused on obedience

Seeks to please God above all else

Moves forward

Every person we will examine in Hebrews 11 demonstrates a faith that constantly looks forward and is moved to action.

None of these people displayed a passive faith that was idle and simply waited for God to act.

People of faith take God at his Word and MOVE FORWARD, REGARDLESS OF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES, NOT NEEDING TO SEE THE OUTCOME!

Biblical faith is anchored, but it moves us to obedience!

Let’s ask for God’s help!