Faith: Trusting What We Cannot See (Hebrews 11:1–22)

Introduction

We’re continuing our series in Hebrews. Today, we’ll be in Hebrews 11:1-22. I was listening to the new song from Phil Wickham this week, “Homesick for Heaven,” and it speaks to what we’ll discuss today in Hebrews 11. There is a longing in our souls to be with the Lord. There is a deep awareness that this world is not our true home.

Being homesick is a longing to return home. It’s this sense that you’re away from the place where you truly belong.

Traveling is always an interesting thing. You see places where you’ve never been. In North Carolina and Alabama, there are these stretches of forest that are pretty to see. Atlanta was an interesting southern city. But after a while, I want to see the palm trees of San Diego. It’s nice to land back in the San Diego airport and feel like I’m home.

But sometimes, as we get caught up in the busyness of life, we forget that all of this is temporary. We start living life as if this world is all there is. Hebrews 11 will teach us, through the examples of others, how to live our lives not just for today but with our eyes fixed on God’s future promises for us in Jesus.

What does it look like to live by faith when you can’t see everything that God has promised? We’ll see that today in Hebrews 11:1-22.

Scripture Reading

Hebrews 11:1–22 CSB

1 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. 2 For by this our ancestors were approved. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. 4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith. 5 By faith Enoch was taken away, and so he did not experience death. He was not to be found because God took him away. For before he was taken away, he was approved as one who pleased God. 6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. 8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and set out for a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he stayed as a foreigner in the land of promise, living in tents as did Isaac and Jacob, coheirs of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the one who had promised was faithful. 12 Therefore, from one man—in fact, from one as good as dead—came offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and as innumerable as the grains of sand along the seashore. 13 These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. 14 Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. 16 But they now desire a better place—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son, 18 the one to whom it had been said, Your offspring will be traced through Isaac. 19 He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead; therefore, he received him back, figuratively speaking. 20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. 21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, as he was nearing the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions concerning his bones.

Pray

Hebrews 11 is what’s called the Hall of Faith. We’ll cover the first 22 verses today and the rest next Sunday. Hebrews 11:1-22 could be called the Hall of Faith in Genesis, as all the people mentioned in these verses are from the book of Genesis.

He lists these individuals as examples of faith. Leading up to this, in Hebrews 10:19-39, he describes the kind of faith Christians should have, and in Hebrews 11, he provides examples of what faith looks like. He lists Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph as examples of faith for us to follow.

These examples tell us that the stories in the Old Testament are not random. They serve as examples for us to learn from, showing us how to live our lives by faith. When you are reading the story of Abraham, for instance, it is an example for you to learn what it means to live by faith.

In Hebrews 11:1-2, we’ll see the essence and commendation of faith.

In Hebrews 11:3-12, we’ll see historical examples of faith.

In Hebrews 11:13-22, we’ll see the longing for a heavenly homeland and passing faith to the next generation.

Ultimately, what we’re going to see is that faith lives in the present by trusting what God has promised for the future. When you live by faith, you live as someone who sees beyond today.

The first lesson about faith that we see today is that,

I. Faith Trusts What God Has Said Even When You Can’t See It

Hebrews 11:1-7

This first point goes against what the world describes as materialism. Materialism is the philosophical belief that physical matter is the only reality that exists. Unless you can see, touch, and feel something, it’s not real. According to materialism, everything, all reality, is a product of material interactions.

But materialism doesn’t explain everything. It can’t explain love, morality, beauty, or even your thought life. Some of the most important things about your life are unseen.

Think about the love you have for your spouse, your children, or your family. You can’t put that love in a jar to see it. You can’t weigh it on a scale, but you know that it’s a real part of your existence.

Faith in God is like that. You can’t hold faith in your hands, but it’s a real part of your life that shapes how you live. Faith anchors your life to God’s promises. The first point it makes in Hebrews 11:1-2 is that,

A. Faith is confident in God's unseen reality

Hebrews 11:1 says,

Hebrews 11:1 CSB

1 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.

The writer of Hebrews is not giving us a dictionary definition of faith. Instead, he's describing for us how faith operates.

Faith is the way that we connect with our spiritual life so that we live with confidence in what we do not see. Faith grounds us with an inward compass pointing us toward God's promises in Jesus Christ.

Why is faith "the proof of what is not seen"? Proof is something that goes beyond wishful thinking. Wishful thinking is, "I wish I was a millionaire." The proof of being a millionaire is a million dollars in my bank account.

Faith is "the proof of what is not seen" because the reality of the Holy Spirit's work in our life by faith comes out in the way we live. Wishful thinking is, "I wish I lived like a Christian." The proof of Christian faith is the outcome of a life lived in the power of the Holy Spirit, trusting God through obedience, perseverance, and sacrifice.

The proof of a life lived out in faith is what the rest of Hebrews 11 points toward.

The proof is often after the fact. Jesus resurrects, and the stone is rolled away. The evidence of the resurrection is the empty tomb, which is what happened after the resurrection. In the same way, proof of a life lived by faith is after the fact of the outcome of that life.

He will tell us that,

B. Faith shaped the lives of God’s people in the past

He starts with three people in Hebrews 11:4-7 as examples of God’s people living by faith. He mentions Abel, Enoch, and Noah.

Each of these lives reveals something essential about faith.

1. What does Abel’s life teach us about faith?

The story of Abel is in Genesis 4. Abel shows that faith offers God our best, even when others around us don’t.

Interestingly, the first faith example in Scripture is a martyr (Abel is killed by his brother Cain, Genesis 4:8). The example of Abel’s faith shows us that faith does not guarantee an easy life. Sometimes, faith leads to suffering, and yet it is still worth it because it is pleasing to God.

The outcome of a life lived by faith isn’t always safety, but it is a life of obedience and trust, even when the cost to follow the Lord is high.

2. What does Enoch’s life teach us about faith?

Enoch shows us that faith is a life that walks closely with God. The story of Enoch is in Genesis 5:18-24.

Enoch was the son of Jared and great-grandfather of Noah. He lived 365 years, and Genesis 5:22 says, “Enoch walked with God 300 years.”

In Genesis 5:24,

Genesis 5:24 CSB

24 Enoch walked with God; then he was not there because God took him.

Faith is not just about specific moments in your life where you express trust in God. Faith is a steady, consistent, long walk in the same direction. Faith is daily fellowship with the Lord, trusting him every day.

3. What does Noah’s life teach us about faith?

Then there’s Noah. The story of Noah is Genesis 6-9. Noah teaches us that faith listens to God’s warnings, even when they don’t make sense at the moment. It’s likely that Noah had never seen rain and lived in an area where one wouldn’t build a massive boat like an ark.

Genesis 7:5 says,

Genesis 7:5 CSB

5 And Noah did everything that the Lord commanded him.

Noah is an example of trusting God in a world of disbelief. He teaches us that God’s Word is better than what our eyes see around us because God’s Word will come to pass, and his promises are true.

What do we learn from Abel, Enoch, and Noah? Three things:

Faith offers God our best, even when the cost is high.

Faith is a steady, consistent, close walk with God over a lifetime.

Faith obeys God and heeds his warnings even when our culture does not.

One of my favorite pieces of tech in the house is my noise-canceling headphones. When I need to concentrate, it blocks out the noise around me. I can listen carefully to the sound of the music coming through, hearing the music the way it was recorded, without all of the noise around me.

Faith is like putting on those noise-canceling headphones. The world may shout their opinions at you, but faith tunes your ears to focus on God and his promises. Even when things don’t make sense at the moment, we trust the sound of his voice because he is faithful.

A second thing we learn about faith in Hebrews 11,

II. Faith Journey’s Forward, Trusting in God’s Better Future

Hebrews 11:8-16

Living by faith shapes every aspect of your life. When you live by faith, you see the world differently. While you live in the present moment, faith says your present moment is not where you’ll eventually be. You are moving toward a future destination, and by faith, your future destination is where you belong because God is bringing you there.

That’s what we see in the life of Abraham.

A. Abraham obeyed God without knowing where he was going

We see this in Hebrews 11:8,

Hebrews 11:8 CSB

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and set out for a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, even though he did not know where he was going.

1. What does Abraham’s life teach us about faith?

Abraham’s life shows us that faith obeys God even when the details aren’t all laid out. When God calls you to something, he doesn’t always spell out every detail. It’s usually just the next step of faith.

In Abraham’s life, God tells him in Genesis 12:1,

Genesis 12:1 CSB

1 The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

To trust God’s plan, Abraham had to leave his land, his relatives, and his father’s house. But God didn’t give him a carefully drawn-out strategic plan with all of the steps he would need to take. Instead, he was moving forward to a land that God would show him later on.

God often leads us that way. He invites us to trust him with the next step.

God might call us to love someone, but he doesn’t show us how they’ll respond.

God might call us to give generously, but he doesn’t show us how the provision will come.

God might call us to serve faithfully but doesn’t show us the fruit of our serving right away.

God might call us to step out in faith but doesn’t show us how it all works out.

Faith follows God even when we don’t know the outcome. Faith trusts that even if I don’t see it, God already does.

Hebrews 11:10 shows us that Abraham’s obedience and hope were connected. It says,

Hebrews 11:10 CSB

10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

When Abraham obeyed God, it was because he was looking forward to the fulfillment of God’s promises. Faith obeys because God is worthy and looks forward to God’s promises because God is faithful. Faith obeys now with your eyes on the future.

Abraham’s wife, Sarah, had her journey of faith. The writer of Hebrews says,

B. Sarah received power because she trusted the promise-giver

It says this in Hebrews 11:11,

Hebrews 11:11 CSB

11 By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the one who had promised was faithful.

1. What does Sarah’s life teach us about faith?

Sarah demonstrates that faith believes in God’s promise even when the situation seems impossible.

Sarah was physically unable to have children. She was far beyond her childbearing years. At one point, she even laughed at the idea (Genesis 18:12). But Sarah’s story didn’t end in doubt. It ended in belief.

Her faith grew not from her ability but from trusting in God’s ability to do what seemed impossible.

That does not mean that faith never experiences doubt. Sarah had moments of doubt in her life. But at some point in her life, Sarah moved from doubt to belief.

Biblical faith isn’t perfect from the start. Instead, it’s trust that takes root even when the struggle is real. Sarah’s ultimate faith was grounded in the fact that “she considered that the one who had promised was faithful.”

Faith ultimately comes down to trusting in the character and trustworthiness of God in the middle of what feels impossible.

But for all of these people in Hebrews 11, from Abel to Sarah, they weren’t living just for what God could do in their lifetime. They were looking forward to God’s greater promise.

C. Faith waits for a better home in heaven

The writer of Hebrews says that there was something in common between the people in Hebrews 11. It says in Hebrews 11:13,

Hebrews 11:13 CSB

13 These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth.

These people all died in faith. Like Enoch, who walked with God and was then no more, these people of God were all faithful to God to the end.

They held on to their trust in God, even though they didn’t see or experience the fulfillment of God’s promises in their lifetime. Faith in God doesn’t require the fulfillment of his promises in this lifetime to remain confident in him.

Some received some of God’s promises to them, such as the birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah, but the fullness of his promises to them, like the countless descendants of the promised land, would not be fulfilled in their lifetime.

But these people of God were able to see with spiritual eyes. They could see the promises of God from a distance. They perceived that God’s promises extended beyond their lifetime. Faith gives clarity to the unseen and the future.

It says that these people of God greeted the promises of God and confessed they were foreigners and temporary residents on earth. When you greet something, you acknowledge the reality of one’s presence, and you welcome it. By faith, we recognize the truth of God’s promises and welcome them.

When you live by faith, you don’t settle for what you see around you on earth. You live with a heavenly mindset. You look forward to God’s promises for you in heaven.

Faith says that this world is not our home. We are heading somewhere better. That’s why it says in Hebrews 11:16,

Hebrews 11:16 CSB

16 But they now desire a better place—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

We live in a beautiful city. Many come here on vacation to experience San Diego. There are not many cities as beautiful as San Diego, but even San Diego has its issues. It’s a lovely city, but not a perfect one.

Even in San Diego, there is brokenness all around us. We see struggles in the lives of people. The people we love grow old. Our bodies grow weak. Even in the best scenario of living today, there is still a longing for something better.

A life of faith is a life that longs for heaven.

We long for heaven, where God is fully present (Rev. 21:3).

We long for heaven, where joy never ends (Ps. 16:11).

We long for heaven, where every tear is wiped away (Rev. 21:4).

We long for heaven, where death is no more (1 Cor. 15:54).

We long for heaven, where we will see Jesus face-to-face (1 John 3:2).

We long for heaven because our hearts belong to him. The situations we face today are only temporary. This world is not our home. We are journeying to the city God has prepared for us.

Faith looks forward to our heavenly home. But the writer of Hebrews mentions one more thing about faith in Hebrews 11:1-22,

III. Faith Looks Beyond This Life and Passes on the Promise to the Next Generation

What does faith look like toward the end of one’s life? The reality for all of us is that we are one day closer to the end of our lifetime. But as one gets closer to the end, faith doesn’t get weaker. It gets stronger.

Faith looks ahead to heaven, and it actively passes on God’s promises to those coming after us. Faith doesn’t just live well. It dies well. Faith leaves a legacy to others of trusting in God.

We see this in Abraham. The writer of Hebrews says,

A. Abraham trusted God's ability to raise the dead

There was probably no greater test of Abraham's faith than when he offered up Isaac according to God's command.

In Genesis 22, God fulfilled the promise to Abraham of a child through Sarah. Isaac was the promised miracle child of Abraham and Sarah, the son through whom God promised to bless the nations.

Yet, in Genesis 22:1-2, God commands Abraham to take his son Isaac and present him as a burnt offering. Abraham obeyed. He took his son Isaac to a mountain, built an altar, and prepared to sacrifice him. But at the last moment, God intervened and provided the sacrifice, a ram in Isaac's place. This sacrificial substitution was a picture of what God would do on Calvary, offering his one and only Son, Jesus, in our place.

What was Abraham's faith like late in life? It says in Hebrews 11:19 that Abraham,

Hebrews 11:19 CSB

19 He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead; therefore, he received him back, figuratively speaking.

By this point in his life, he had walked with God long enough to know that God was faithful to his promises, and he does the impossible. Sarah could testify to that as well in her life.

What’s interesting is that resurrection hope shaped Abraham’s obedience and faith. As we walk with the Lord, it is that same resurrection hope that can shape our lives as well. Resurrection hope is the legacy that we pass on to others.

Abraham blessed the next generation by passing on his resurrection hope to them. The same was true of the rest of the patriarchs.

B. The patriarchs blessed future generations in faith

What you will see in Hebrews 11:20-22 is a pattern of blessing. It says,

Hebrews 11:20–22 CSB

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. 21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, as he was nearing the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions concerning his bones.

1. What does the way Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph ended their lives teach us about faith?

Each one of these men died looking forward and passing on their confidence in God to the next generation. They weren’t creating a will to pass on their things. They were passing down their legacy of faith to those coming after them.

They didn’t see the fullness of God’s promises in their lifetime, but life taught them that God is bigger than their life and that his promises are true. Passing on God’s promises to the next generation is better than any bank account.

Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. He was looking ahead beyond his life.

Jacob blessed his sons and worshipped God. His body was weak, but his faith was strong.

Joseph, even though he was powerful in Egypt, wanted his bones brought to the promised land because he believed with all of his heart in God’s promises, and he passed that belief on to the next generation.

Faith at the end of our life is not passive. It’s not waiting around for the pearly gates. Yes, we long for heaven, but we also want to prepare the next generation to trust God after we are gone.

You may not be a patriarch, but you can die well in faith, trusting in God’s Word and pointing everyone around you to God’s promises in Jesus Christ. You can leave a legacy that says, “God is faithful, and he will continue to be faithful, even after I am gone. I am going to be with him, and I want to see you with me in glory.”

Conclusion

So what have we learned in Hebrews 11:1-22 about a life of faith?

Faith is not about knowing all of the details right now.

Faith is not about being strong all of the time.

Faith is a life lived in the resurrection hope of the gospel, believing that God is faithful, even when the promises feel far away.

Wherever you are today in your faith journey, the call for us is the same: Live by faith. Die by faith. Pass on the faith.

Faith lives in the present by trusting what God has promised for the future.

Prayer

Last Song

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!

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Sermon Reflection Questions

Who are the examples of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11:1-22?

Why is faith described as 'the proof of what is not seen'?

How does faith enable believers to navigate through difficult times?

How is faith both present-focused and future-oriented?

What does it mean to leave a legacy of faith?