Growing by faith.
Notes
Transcript
Summary: This theme emphasizes the importance of being steadfast and loyal to Christ in all circumstances of life.
Application: This message encourages individuals to remain committed to their faith despite challenges, helping them to find strength and resilience in their walk with Christ.
Teaching: Faithfulness involves trust and dedication to God, urging believers to reflect on their commitment and the impact of their actions on their relationship with God and others.
How this passage could point to Christ: Faithfulness is exemplified in Christ's unwavering obedience to the Father, showing that true loyalty leads us to a deeper relationship with God and others.
Big Idea: Being faithful to Christ transforms our lives, allowing us to experience His grace and purpose in every situation we face.
Recommended Study: As you prepare, consider looking into the different aspects of biblical faithfulness, specifically in Hebrews 11, which highlights various faithful individuals. You may also want to explore the concept of faithfulness in covenant theology through Logos to understand its implications for both Old and New Testament believers.
Over the past several weeks in our “What It Means to Be a Christian” series, we have been exploring what the Christian life truly ought to look like—not just in name, but in practice.
We have seen that being a follower of Christ means abiding in Christ, standing firm in the truth, growing through the process of sanctification.
But today we come to a virtue that undergirds them all: faithfulness.
Faithfulness is the steady, unwavering trust that holds on to God when life feels uncertain,
when prayers go unanswered, and when following Christ costs us something.
It is the quiet strength that keeps going when others give up—
the daily choice to trust that God’s promises are true even when our circumstances suggest otherwise.
The truth is, anyone can be faithful when life is easy.
But what defines a Christian is faithfulness in every season—
in joy and in sorrow, in plenty and in want, in clarity and in confusion.
Hebrews chapter 11 gives us a panoramic view of that kind of faith.
It is often called the “Hall of Faith,” but it is more than a list of heroes—
it is a story of ordinary men and women who trusted an extraordinary God.
Their faithfulness was not perfect, but it was persistent.
They stumbled, doubted, and waited for promises they never saw fulfilled in their lifetime.
Yet they trusted—and through their faith, the world was changed.
And the same God who carried Abraham, Moses, Rahab, and countless others through their trials is the God who walks with us today.
He is calling us to live faithfully—not just for a moment, but through every season of life.
As your pastor, my heart in this series has been to see us grow—
not just in knowledge of who Christ is, but in the kind of faith that actually shapes how we live.
My prayer is that we would be a people who remain faithful when life is uncertain,
who pass on a legacy of faith to the next generation, and who live with eyes fixed on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.
So today, as we open Hebrews 11, we will see four movements of faithfulness:
Trusting through trials.
Transforming through generations.
Triumphing through leadership.
Thriving through challenges.
Each of these reveals not only how faithfulness is lived out—
but how Christ Himself is the ultimate example of steadfast trust and obedience to the Father.
Because at the heart of the Christian life is not our ability to be perfect—it is our willingness to be faithful.
1. Trusting Through Trials
1. Trusting Through Trials
Hebrews 11:1-11
Hebrews begins with a definition of faith.
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Faith is more than intellectual agreement; it is active trust in God’s promises, even when we cannot see how they will be fulfilled.
This chapter helps us to see that faithfulness is rooted in this trust:
trusting God’s word leads to obedience, perseverance, and steadfastness.
The writer of Hebrews provides examples of this in the people he describes.
The first listed is Abel.
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain. (Read Genesis 4).
Both were good sacrifices to bring.
The key differences between Cain and Abel’s sacrifices were primarily in their heart attitudes and the quality of their offerings.
Critically, Abel brought the first offspring of his flock, while Cain simply brought some of his harvest.
Abel offered his sacrifice in faith, with an eye to God’s will and glory, and in dependence on the promise of a Redeemer.
In contrast, Cain offered his sacrifice merely out of social obligation or to save face, not in genuine faith
Abel (v.4) – Abel’s offering was accepted by God because it was made in faith.
He trusted God’s standard and acted accordingly.
Abel’s faith manifested in obedient worship, even though he could not see the immediate reward.
Enoch (v.5–6) – Enoch “walked with God” and was taken to heaven without seeing death.
To “walk with God” meant that Enoch pleased God, and because Enoch sought to be pleasing to God, God was well pleased to be in fellowship with him.
His life demonstrates that daily, consistent trust—walking with God—leads to eternal impact.
Noah (v.7) – Noah built the ark in response to God’s warning of coming judgment.
Having never seen or experienced rain, he faithfully built the Ark under the Lord’s instruction.
Noah’s faith required him to act long before the flood arrived, against public opinion and common sense.
Abraham and Sarah (v.8–11) – Abraham obeyed God’s call to leave home; Sarah conceived a child despite her age.
They believed in God’s promise when reality seemed impossible.
Their trust produced actions that shaped the covenantal plan of God.
But it wasn’t easy to trust.
Remember, how did Sarah respond when she heard she would bear a son?
She laughed!
Faithfulness begins with trusting God, not our circumstances.
The faithful in Hebrews 11 did not wait until life was easy to act—they trusted God in uncertainty.
Trust produces action: faith is never passive; it manifests in obedience, perseverance, and dedication.
Life is full of seasons of uncertainty—job loss, illness, relationship struggles, or spiritual dryness.
Faithfulness is demonstrated when we trust God and act faithfully even when we cannot see the outcome.
Faithfulness is not about ignoring the difficulty—it is about choosing to trust God even when your heart aches or your future feels uncertain.
Faithfulness often shows up in the small, ordinary choices you make.
Showing kindness when someone frustrates you, praying when you feel numb, obeying God’s Word when no one is watching—these are the quiet ways your trust in God becomes real.
Like Noah building the ark or Abraham stepping into the unknown, God asks us to act in faith even when we cannot see the whole picture.
Your obedience, your trust today, matters—sometimes in ways you cannot yet see.
You do not have to muster this trust alone.
Christ, who never failed, invites you to lean on Him.
When you feel weak, exhausted, or uncertain, He is holding you, guiding your steps, and giving you the courage to remain faithful.
What is a situation in your life today where God is asking you to trust Him?
How could taking one small step in obedience today demonstrate your faithfulness?
In what ways can your trust in God impact someone else around you?
Maybe your trial is not a storm or a move across the country—maybe it is something quieter.
Maybe it is holding on to faith when your prayers have not been answered.
Maybe it is showing up to worship when your heart feels numb.
Maybe it is staying kind when someone else has wronged you.
Faithfulness is not glamorous—it is often hidden. But that is where God does His deepest work.
Do not mistake silence for absence.
Do not confuse delay for denial.
The God who called Abraham out of Ur is the same God calling you to trust Him today.
And just like those heroes of faith, you will find that God always keeps His promises—maybe not immediately, but always perfectly.
Trust through trials strengthens our personal walk, but faithfulness is not just for ourselves—it has the power to influence generations.
Next, we see how trusting God faithfully leads to a legacy of transformation.
2. Transforming Through Generations
2. Transforming Through Generations
Hebrews 11:12-22
It is because of faith that
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.
Abraham obeyed God’s call to leave his homeland, traveling to a place he did not know.
He trusted God’s promises that he would become a father of many, even when he and Sarah were advanced in age.
You and I are here today as a result of Abraham’s faith!
Many faithful individuals, including Abraham and Sarah, never saw the full fulfillment of God’s promises in their lifetimes.
Which is why we read.
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.
They trusted God’s Word and acted in obedience even though the promises seemed distant or impossible.
They lived as sojourners and exiles, showing their trust was in God’s eternal plan, not immediate reward.
Abraham was tested when God asked him to offer Isaac, the promised son.
Abraham obeyed God even in the most difficult command, believing that God could fulfill His promises despite appearances.
Faithfulness often involves stepping into the unknown, risking loss, and acting obediently because God’s character and promises are trustworthy.
This faithfulness continued through generations.
Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, trusting God’s covenantal plan.
Jacob blessed Joseph’s sons, showing faith that God’s promises would extend beyond his lifetime.
Joseph, despite betrayal and imprisonment, trusted God’s plan to save his family and fulfill God’s purposes.
God’s covenantal plan often unfolds across generations; faithful trust today can shape outcomes we may never see.
Like Abraham, Sarah, and the faithful who “saw the promises from afar,” you may be in a season of waiting—longing for God to act.
Faith does not stop with us—it flows through us.
Faithfulness is choosing to trust Him today, even if the fulfillment seems distant.
Your obedience and trust are not just for you.
When we live by faith, we are not just shaping our own story; we are shaping the generations that come after us.
The way you honor God in your home, workplace, or community influences future generations and may set them on a path toward Christ.
Faithfulness happens in ordinary life—praying faithfully, serving without recognition, obeying God in small decisions.
These daily acts of trust become the invisible foundation for future impact.
The steadfastness of Abraham’s lineage encourages us to remain loyal to Christ, even when life feels uncertain or challenging.
God’s promises are true, and our faithfulness is part of His plan.
How can you better model trust for your family, coworkers, or church community—your faithfulness is a teaching tool for others.
You may never see the full fruit of your faith in this lifetime.
You may pray for a child, a spouse, or a friend for years before you see any change.
You may pour yourself into ministry or service and feel unseen.
But every act of obedience—every quiet prayer, every word of encouragement, every step of trust—is planting seeds that can outlive you.
Faithfulness transforms generations not because we are impressive, but because God is faithful through us.
Faith shapes future generations, but faithfulness also equips believers to lead others courageously.
The trust that influences family and community prepares us to triumph in leadership through God’s guidance and example.
3. Triumphing Through Leadership
3. Triumphing Through Leadership
Hebrews 11:23-31
Faith not only transforms generations—it produces courageous leaders.
Leadership in the kingdom of God is never about charisma, position, or strength. It is about trusting God enough to obey Him when others will not.
In verse 23 we come to Moses.
Moses was born into a time of oppression, yet God prepared him to deliver His people.
Verse 24 tells us that Moses chose to identify with the Israelites rather than enjoy the fleeting privileges of Pharaoh’s household.
He trusted God’s promises above comfort, prestige, or safety.
His leadership was not built on personal strength but on faith in God’s covenant and obedience to His call.
Moses faced criticism, danger, and resistance, yet he stood firm because his eyes were fixed on God’s promises (v.27–28).
It was through his leadership that the people crossed the Red sea on dry land.
Verses 30 and 31 go on to show other other faithful actions.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
By faith, Rahab did not perish because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
These are examples of trust in God that inspired obedience in others, demonstrating that God’s power works through bold and faithful action.
You may not think of yourself as a leader, but someone is watching your faith.
Every parent, teacher, coworker, friend, and believer has influence.
The question is: What kind of faith are you leading with?
Faithful leadership means saying,
“I will obey God even if no one else does.”
It means choosing integrity over approval, truth over convenience, and obedience over comfort.
Moses’ faith inspired a nation.
Rahab’s faith saved her family.
Your faith could change someone’s eternity.
Do not underestimate the ripple effect of your trust in God.
Your courage to pray when others are afraid, to forgive when others hold grudges, or to speak truth when others stay silent—
those small acts of faith are what God uses to lead others to Him.
When you feel the weight of leadership or influence—whether in your home, at school, or your workplace—remember this:
Faithful leaders do not carry the burden alone.
The same God who sustained Moses through Pharaoh, Joshua through Jericho, and Rahab through danger is the God who will sustain you.
Where in your daily life is God calling you to lead by faith rather than position or comfort?
How might your courage and trust in Christ inspire someone around you?
What small act of faith can you do today that might ripple beyond your own life?
Faithful leadership encourages others, but faithfulness is also tested in personal endurance through trials and adversity.
In the final section we see how the faithful thrive through challenges, relying on Christ’s strength to persist even when the outcome is uncertain.
4. Thriving Through Challenges
4. Thriving Through Challenges
Hebrews 11:32-40
Faith is not just for peaceful seasons or answered prayers—it is forged in fire.
The final section of Hebrews 11 reminds us that faithfulness does not always lead to earthly triumphs, but it always leads to eternal victory.
This final section of text names Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets.
Each faced overwhelming odds, personal weakness, or formidable enemies.
These people acted courageously, obeying God despite fear, opposition, or danger.
These saints did not thrive because they were fearless—they thrived because they trusted the One who was with them in every battle.
Their trust in God enabled them to achieve what human strength alone could never accomplish.
Victory was not always immediate or complete in the worldly sense, yet their faith produced eternal results and spiritual triumphs.
Faith does not make life easy, but it makes it possible.
The text goes on to emphasize through examples that Christians triumph through and over suffering and death.
Some were tortured, imprisoned, or faced death rather than abandon God.
Faithfulness thrives in challenges not because we are strong, but because Christ is faithful in us.
Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:13 says,
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.
Every trial becomes an opportunity for the faithfulness of Christ to shine through our weakness.
When we hold on, when we pray through tears, when we refuse to give up—Christ’s power is being perfected in us.
That is how believers thrive: not by avoiding suffering, but by meeting it with unshakable trust in the One who already triumphed.
Hebrews reminds us that these faithful individuals “did not receive what was promised” in their lifetimes.
Yet, God had something better prepared for them and for us.
When the author says that “God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect” (v. 40),
he means that historically these people of old did not experience the coming of Messiah and the new covenant.
When we read this list, we often think, these people are different from us, they are in the Bible after all.
We might think of course they were able to act nobly in relation to the unseen God and in response to a hostile world.
Of course they had faith!
But if this is our perspective we miss the whole point—this life of faith is normal for the people of God.
This is “mere” Christianity, as C. S. Lewis put it.
The author’s whole program is to call struggling, sometimes bumbling Christians to live boldly by faith.
He calls us—with all our habits and hang-ups, warts and worries—to action.
We are called to step out of step with the world, hop up on the stage of history, and take our place in God’s roll call of the faithful.
Of course we are inadequate; but so have been all others who have evidenced the grace of God.
It would not be grace otherwise.
There are seasons when faith feels like a fight you are losing.
When prayers go unanswered.
When sickness lingers.
When your heart breaks over someone who walks away from God.
When you wonder, “Is my faith really making a difference?”
Hebrews 11 tells you it is.
Even if the world does not see it, even if you do not see it, God does.
He remembers every act of trust, every step of obedience, every whisper of hope.
You may not always feel like you are thriving—but when you keep believing, you are.
Because thriving is not about outward success; it is about inward endurance.
It is choosing to say, “I still believe” when life gives you every reason to doubt.
So keep walking.
Keep praying.
Keep trusting.
The same God who walked with each of these people—He is with you, too.
And one day, you will see that your faith was never in vain.
God’s plan is bigger than our individual experience.
Faithfulness is part of a larger tapestry woven through time.
Christ is the culmination: He perfects what was incomplete in the lives of the faithful before Him, fulfilling God’s promises fully.
Our faith today connects us to that story, giving us confidence that our trust in God has eternal significance.
The same Christ who fulfilled the promises for Abraham and Moses is faithful in your life.
You do not rely on your strength, accomplishments, or timing—
He is the “something better” who makes your faith effective and fruitful.
Your faith is part of God’s larger story.
When you trust Him, you join a lineage of faith that spans generations and points to eternity.
Your faith today completes what those before you only glimpsed.
Imagine a relay race spanning generations.
The faithful of the past ran their leg, trusting God without seeing the finish.
Christ is the ultimate finish line, fully accomplishing God’s promises.
Those promises will be fully realized in Christ’s return.
Your life of faith is your baton, carried forward, joining the efforts of countless others in God’s redemptive plan.
Your faith today connects to the faithful who came before and the eternal fulfillment we have in Christ.
You are part of God’s story, and your faithful life matters.
Perhaps you are here today and you are tired—spiritually, emotionally, morally.
Maybe you are are one disappointment away from walking away from faith or drifting into indifference.
This sermon is a plea to stay faithful when it feels easier to quit.
I looked at this list of faithful people in Hebrews 11 and thought, ‘Lord, I’m not sure I belong with them.’
But as I sat with this text, I realized… none of them were superheroes either.
They doubted, they failed, they waited, they wept—and yet they trusted.
And that is what God is asking from us too.
Not perfection.
Just faithfulness.
Let us be a people who live out the legacy of Hebrews 11—
people who trust through trials, transform through generations, triumph through leadership, and thrive through challenges.
And when our race is finished, may it be said of us, “They were faithful to the very end.”
