When God Interrupts Your Life

Hebrews 11:7-19

Noah, Abraham, and Sarah

Hebrews 11:7-12

Faith and Spiritual Citizenship

Hebrews 11:13-16

Trust in God

Hebrews 11:17-19

Noah, Abraham, and Sarah: Hebrews 11:7-12 (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. 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.

1. Why were they willing to walk away from their comfortable life?

They were willing to walk away from their comfortable life because they experienced an extraordinary encounter with the living God that left them convinced they had to follow Him.

2. How was their faith tested?

Noah: Commanded to build an ark, receive and care for the creatures, and weather the flood.

Abraham: Commanded to leave his homeland and travel to the promised land, remain in this land as a foreigner, and wait for the time when Sarah would conceive.

Sarah: Commanded to trust that God would allow her to have a child in her old age.

How did these tests help them grow in faith?

Noah: Noah grew spiritually through patient waiting and deep connection with God, despite living in a profoundly corrupt world. For centuries, his heart grew softer as his spiritual sensitivity sharpened. Amidst the clamor and corruption around him, he remained supple and attuned to God, being fully present to Him and serving Him when directed.

Abraham: Abraham’s spiritual growth was a gradual and complex journey marked by continuous learning and transformation. He had to grow psychologically and spiritually, gradually developing holiness, learning to trust and love God, and becoming more open to people from different cultures and backgrounds.

Sarah: Sarah’s growth is multifaceted and demonstrated through her ability to navigate life’s challenges with resilience and adaptability. Her faith grew throughout her life, as she experienced numerous sacrifices, hardships, and disappointments without complaint. She showed remarkable flexibility by adjusting to changing situations and supporting her husband Abraham’s divine calling.

The Lesson

The key lesson is that we should focus on the spiritual while navigating the physical, understanding that God is the architect of both eternal and earthly opportunities. These journeys demonstrate that our imperfect efforts to be faithful are always accompanied by God’s faithfulness, and even when we might stray, we can trust His grace to guide us back to His will. The story is further illuminated by Sarah’s experience, where despite initial disbelief, she eventually had faith in God’s promise, showing that God often doesn’t complete His work until we are spiritually prepared. Ultimately, faith is not a fixed pattern but a dynamic journey that can lead individuals to different acts of obedience and trust.

Faith and Spiritual Citizenship: 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.

3. How was Abraham able to give up a comfortable life to follow God?

Abraham was able to give up a comfortable life to follow God through a profound journey of faith, despite coming from a pagan background. Through this journey, he developed three key motivations:

A pilgrim mindset: The patriarchs saw themselves as “foreigners and temporary residents on the earth.” This mindset is still a part of our belief today. We believe that God’s promises are tied to us recognizing we “are not of the world”, we don’t really fit in here, and we’re just passing through.

Anticipation of heaven: Faith involves a whole-hearted trust that God will do what he says. The patriarchs saw that answer from a distance and lived with eternity in view. For us, faith helps us not get caught up in the pleasures or struggles of this life, but to look forward to eternity in heaven.

Refusal to return: Every hero in Hebrews 11 had a chance to return to their old way of life. In Abraham’s case, his life was better in his homeland; at least from a worldly perspective. However, Abraham’s heart was captivated by God’s call.

4. Which of the three motivations resonates with you? Why?

A pilgrim mindset

Anticipation of heaven

Refusal to return

5. What about God has captured your attention in a way that you no longer think about where you came from?

Discussion

The Lesson

The lesson of Hebrews 11:13-16 centers on the nature of faith and spiritual citizenship. Faith enables believers to stake everything on God’s promised future, even when they do not live to see the fulfillment of those promises. The patriarchs willingly gave up their homeland to live as displaced sojourners on earth. They recognized the temporary nature of this world and understood that believers are ultimately citizens of Heaven, and therefore should not become attached to this world.

Trust in God: Hebrews 11:17-19 (ESV)

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

6. How would you describe the kind of faith that compelled Abraham to obey God in offering Isaac?

Abraham may have asked:

Why are you doing this to us?

What possible good can come from this, God?

Key point

Abraham’s faith in offering Isaac was a profound demonstration of total trust and obedience to God. His faith was characterized by an unwavering confidence in God’s goodness and wisdom. Abraham believed that even if Isaac died, God was capable of raising him from the dead. He never wavered in his trust, knowing that God has never done anything wrong and could not be cruel.

7. In your own words, why can we trust God with all we have?

Our Heavenly Father has repeatedly proven that He can be trusted with what we commit to Him.

His power is inexhaustible, His love never ceases, His kindness never changes, His faithfulness remains pure, His wisdom is never perplexed, and His goodness is perfect.

Even when we don’t understand His ways, we can trust that He knows what is best. God demonstrated His ultimate trustworthiness by giving us Jesus, and since He provided the greatest possible gift, we can be confident He will not withhold other things of value, even if we may not experience all blessings in this life.

Ultimately, God knows what’s best for us, and trusting in His wisdom can eliminate daily worries. When we feel tired, confused, or powerless, we can find comfort in knowing that God is in control

8. How does your life demonstrate a faith similar to Abraham’s?

Discussion

The Lesson

The key lesson is Abraham’s profound trust in God - he believed that if God wanted to, He could even raise the dead. The passage illustrates how trials can either build or destroy one’s faith, with Abraham’s unwavering trust in God being the ultimate demonstration of faith. Ultimately, God intervened, and Abraham received Isaac back alive, symbolically experiencing a kind of resurrection. The lesson is about complete surrender to God’s will and trusting in His promises, even when the circumstances seem impossible or contradictory.