The Faith of our Forerunners

Introduction

I’m doing pre-marital with several young couples here at CVC and it’s an interesting process because while we do our best as pastors to prepare these young couples, we don’t know what is going to happen in their lives and in their marriages. It is quite the exercise in faith.

You have to believe that the other person will keep the vows—the promises that they make. When you stand there, you believe something about the current reality and something about the future.

You believe that in the moment, that person is telling the truth out of a pure heart.

Sometimes, sadly, this is not the case.

But we have faith that in that moment, something is true about the person you’re planning to marry/.

2. You believe something about the future.

We make promises to one another that are future promises - promises about how we’ll respond when the other is healthy and when they’re sick, when things are going well financially, and when things are difficult. And so on and so forth.

This is a small, yet important example of how faith works. Marriage vows and the faith necessary to make them, should point us to a deeper, more eternal faith, namely, faith God and his promises.

All human relationships - whether marriages or friendships or families - have struggles that sometimes cause us to want to give up and walk away. What is often helpful is when someone who has been in that situation before that guide you, help you, and encourage you. And this is exactly what is about to happen in Hebrews chapter 11.

Transition

The recipients of Hebrews are in a spot where they’re considering walking away from Christianity and Hebrews is intended to cheer them in to endure in their newfound faith.

The author of Hebrews has beautifully and very effectively argued for how Jesus is better in every sense than the old covenant. Now he takes another tack - using example after example from the OT to show them that continuing on with their faith in Jesus is not opposed to their Judaism, but is actually in-line with the faith of the patriarchs.

So, let’s begin by reading our text - starting in the final verse of chapter 10.

READ 10:39-11:16

I started with the end of the chapter 10 because we learn exactly what it is that is needed to preserve our souls - to persevere to the end—to ensure that we don’t get tagged out after rounding third, namely - faith.

Now, we probably recall that “faith” wasn’t Pastor Rick’s main point last week. He actually led us to 5 ways that Hebrews calls us to endure.

Draw near

Hold fast

Come together

Think back

press on

But this is not faith in our own self-effort being enough to cause us to persevere in the faith. Rather, it is faith in that God keeps his promises even when we don’t!

Even when we miss the mark. Even when we are faithless and foolish. So, faith is the link here, between chapters 10 and 11. And the author begins by

Defining Faith (vv. 1-3)

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.

This surely is not a full definition of faith. The author uses this partial definition for his purposes in encouraging endurance as they consider walking away from Jesus alone as the source of their salvation. Essentially, the message is that faith is not wishful thinking. We’re not talking about some sort of general faith - general, easy believism. Rather, the definition of faith HERE is tied to the whole of Hebrews.

First, it is the confidence is God’s promises

assurance of things hoped for (future)

And this is expounded up on verse 2.

THIS confidence in the promises of God is what brought their ancestors home to glory to receive their “well done” from God.

Faith is a confidence that God so loved the world that he sent his only son so that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life.

Faith is assurance that If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved

Faith is believe that Jesus is telling the truth when he says, “In my Father’s house are many rooms... I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Faith knows that, “that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Faith trusts that there will be a moment when Jesus “will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things will have passed away.

But faith is not only directed at the future, but at the present…

First, it is the confidence is God’s promises

assurance of things hoped for (future)

Second, faith is the lens by which we see reality

the conviction of things not seen

This is expounded upon in verse 3.

It is the confidence that God is the uncaused-cause behind everything. He is the creator of everything that we see - he is the creator of the reality that we see AND the sustainer in ways that we often cannot see.

Faith knows that even when we’re walking through some of the deepest deeps of life, God’s grace is sufficient for you, for his power is made perfect in weakness.

It is faith that can say, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

It is faith that hears the Great Commission from Jesus - to go into all the world and make disciples and steps out courageously because Jesus follows his charge with “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Faith drives us to endure because we know that Jesus is on the throne, and that his kingdom is advancing, and that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. He wins and all of our slogging along in the paths of righteousness—all of our often difficult walking on the narrow road that leads to life will be worth it!

And then over the next many verses the author gives example after example after example of people who had this kind of faith - faith in God that believed there was something more than meets the eyes in their immediate reality and that there are promises of God to lay hold of for the future.

Displaying Faith (vv. 4-13)

…that pleases God.

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.

Perhaps you’ve heard the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis chapter 4.

Genesis 4:1–5 ESV

1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.

The question that is often raised is - why did God consider Abel and his sacrifice acceptable and not Cains?

Some have presumed that it was because Abel brought an animal sacrifice, but Cain brought produce.

Some have thought that this is a message on tithing because the author makes clear that Abel brought the firstborn of his flock and there is no mention if Cain brought the best or not.

I would proposed you that neither of those are acceptable answers—especially as we consider this story in light of Hebrews. Here’s a helpful excerpt from the study notes of the ESV study bible.

“At no point does the Bible suggest that offerings work automatically, as if the worshiper’s faith and contrition did not matter; and Cain’s fundamentally bad heart can be seen in his resentment toward his brother and in his uncooperative answers to God in the rest of the passage. Several NT texts derive legitimate inferences from this narrative, namely, that Cain demonstrated an evil heart by his evil deeds, while Abel demonstrated a pious heart by his righteous deeds (1 John 3:12); and that Abel offered his sacrifice by faith and was commended as righteous for that reason (Heb. 11:4).”

Abel has faith that his heart is more important than his offering alone. His reality is colored by a confidence that the main issue at hand is not meat or veggies, but a heart that loves God and takes him a his word.

The second example of a faith that pleases God is Enoch - a man whom we know very little about.

Hebrews 11:5–6 ESV

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. 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.

Enoch only gets a few verses in the entire Bible. We know from Genesis and Hebrews that Enoch pleased God and that God took him directly to heaven instead of him dying a natural death. The most we learn about Enoch outside of that is actually found in the short book of Jude. Here is what Jude says:

Jude 14–15 ESV

It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

Enoch had faith in something out there in the future, namely, that God is a just God and will execute judgement on those who opposed him. So, that faith in the future, colored Enoch’s reality such that he lived his life by faith to please 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.

We’re not talking about vague, aimless faith. This faith is IN the one true God as he has revealed himself, and in the fact that he rewards - we actually have something to live for not only now, but forever.

Question to Consider:

Is my daily life marked by a desire to please God because I believe that he rewards those who seek him?

The author of Hebrews shares these examples so that you might be encouraged to press on - to believe that if they did it, you can too.

Displaying Faith (vv. 4-13)

…that pleases God. (vv. 4-6)

…that fears God. (v. 7)

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.

Notice, again, that faith here includes a lens to the current reality and a gaze towards the future.

God tells Noah something about the future—that he was going to destroy everything by flood. Believing this, Noah’s actions change. He changes the course of his life even when it seemed foolish to those around him.

And Hebrews tells us that the reason was “reverent fear”. We can’t dig fully into explaining the fear of God, but we need to touch on it.

Noah was not responding to God out of panic or terror.

BUT, he did have faith that God had to power to do what he said he would do, and he took it seriously and responded appropriately.

There had never been a flood like this before. There had never been an ark like this before. For decades, Noah was the guy out there, hammering away, warning people that judgment was coming.

And what happened? The people around him mocked him, dismissed him, ignored him.

But Noah didn’t live by physical sight. He had a conviction of things not seen. More was happening than met the eye.

He lived by faith.

He trusted that when God makes a promise, he’s going to keep it, His word is true—even if the world laughs.

Jesus says something similar in Matthew 24:37-39

Matthew 24:37–39 ESV

37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Faith means that we stand in reverent fear of God almighty, not the culture around us!

We live in a world that increasingly sees biblical faith as foolish. If you believe what God says about gender, sexuality, marriage, truth, eternity, and salvation—you are going to face opposition.

Faithfulness to Christ will not always make you popular.

But like Noah, we are called to live lives that display faith in fear of the Lord.

What Does It Mean to Fear the Lord? Fear and Love

The living God is infinitely perfect and overwhelmingly beautiful in every way. And so we do not love him aright if our love is not a trembling, overwhelmed, and fearful love. In a sense, then, the trembling “fear of God” is a way of speaking about the intensity of our love for God.

The right fear of God, then, is not the flip side to our love for God. Nor is it one side of our reaction to God. It is not that we love God for his graciousness and fear him for his majesty. That would be a lopsided fear of God. We also love him in his holiness and tremble at the marvelousness of his mercy. True fear of God is true love for God defined.

The biblical theme of the fear of God helps us to see the sort of love toward God that is fitting. It shows us that God does not want passionless performance or a vague preference for him. To encounter the living God truly means that we cannot contain ourselves. He is not a truth to be known unaffectedly, or a good to be received listlessly. Seen clearly, the dazzling beauty and splendor of God must cause our hearts to quake.

Question to Consider:

Do I respond in reverent fear to God’s Word or am I more afraid of what people will say?

The author of Hebrews shares these examples so that you might be encouraged to press on - to believe that if Noah did it, you can too.

Displaying Faith (vv. 4-13)

…that pleases God. (vv. 4-6)

…that fears God. (v. 7)

…that obey’s God (vv. 8-12)

Hebrews 11:8–12 ESV

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

There is a difference in the responses of Noah and Abraham - though they both lead to the same place.

The author focuses on Noah’s reverence, respect, and willingness to take divine warnings seriously.

Abraham also obeyed, but the word choice focuses on immediate movement - active response.

God calls Abraham to leave everything familiar—his home, his land, his security—to go to a place he had never seen before. And Abraham obeys.

Think about how crazy this sounds. Abraham wasn’t given a roadmap. God didn’t hand him a detailed plan with all the stops along the way. No address to put into his GPS. Just a call: "Go."

And what does Abraham do? He obeys. He doesn’t delay. He doesn’t demand more details.

This is one of the most defining aspects of faith—it follows God even when it doesn’t have all the answers.

Some of us want faith that works the opposite way. We say, “God, show me the whole plan first, and then I’ll obey.” But that’s not how faith works. God often calls us to look at the all of the examples of him being a promise-keeper and to change the way that the view today and act today because we can trust that he hold tomorrow.

Notice in verse 9 - Abraham lived in that land, but in tents - not a permanent dwelling - as in a foreign land

Why? Verse 10 tells us: "For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God."

Abraham wasn’t just looking for a land—he was looking for something bigger. Something eternal. He knew this world wasn’t his final home and he was trusting the promise of God for an eternal dwelling.

I wonder if we live with that kind of perspective. Do we cling too tightly to the things of this world? Do we forget that we are strangers and exiles here (1 Peter 2:11)? Abraham’s faith reminds us that we are living for something greater than what we can see.

And then there’s Sarah. Now, we know from Genesis that Sarah wasn’t always a model of perfect faith—at first, she laughed at the idea of having a child in her old age. But over time, God strengthened her faith.

Hebrews 11:11 ESV

11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.

Sarah’s story reminds us of something critical: Faith is not about how strong we are—it’s about how faithful God is.

Abraham and Sarah were way past the age of having children. Abraham was “as good as dead,” verse 12 says. And yet, from their barrenness, God brought life. From one man, a whole nation was born—just as God promised.

Do you believe that God is faithful, even when things seem impossible?

Because here’s the truth: If God can bring a nation out of a 100-year-old man and a barren woman, then He can handle whatever you’re facing.

Some of you may be wrestling with something God is calling you to do right now. Maybe He’s calling you to step out in a new way—to have a hard conversation, to serve in a place you don’t feel equipped, to trust Him in an area where you’re scared.

Question to Consider:

Will you obey before you have all the answers?

The author of Hebrews shares these examples so that you might be encouraged to press on - to believe that if Abraham and Sarah - through all of their failures and faults - kept the faith, you can too.

Displaying Faith (vv. 4-12)

Desiring A Better Country (vv. 13-16)

Hebrews 11:13–16 ESV

13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

We’ve seen clearly that faith isn’t just about disconnected belief—it’s about how we live today because of our trust in God’s promises for tomorrow.

Faith isn’t just about securing a better life now; it’s about believing that the best is yet to come. These men and women weren’t living for comfort, success, or security in this life. They understood that their ultimate home wasn’t here. They saw beyond the temporary, beyond their present struggles, beyond their fears and doubts—and they lived accordingly.

If we really believed that God’s kingdom is eternal, how would that change the way we handle suffering and loss?

If we truly trusted in the rewards of heaven, how would that shape the way we use our time, money, and resources?

If we were fully convinced that Jesus is enough, how would that transform the way we face temptation, endure trials, and share our faith?

Hebrews 11:16 ends with a stunning promise: "God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city." That’s what faith does—it moves us to live differently because we know that God is faithful. We don’t live for applause now. We don’t live for security now. We live in faith, knowing that God is preparing something better.

So, what about you? Are you living like this world is your home, or are you living like someone who is seeking a better country?