Faith That Moves You

Introduction

A man once trained elephants for a circus. When the elephants were young, he would tie a heavy chain around their leg to a solid post. No matter how hard they pulled, they couldn’t break free.

But as they grew—strong enough to easily snap that chain—the trainer replaced it with nothing more than a small rope.

And strangely… they never tried to escape.

Why? Because they believed they were still stuck.

They had the strength to walk away— but they were still living like they were bound.

And the truth is—there are people sitting in churches every week just like that.

God has already called them out… already given them freedom… but they’re still living tied to their past.

That’s why faith matters—because real faith doesn’t just believe something… it walks away from something.

Faith is trusting God enough to obey Him, follow Him, and surrender to Him—even when I don’t understand.

An alcoholic became a believer, was asked how he could possibly believe all the nonsense in the Bible about miracles. “You don’t believe that Jesus changed the water into wine do you?” “I sure do, because in our house Jesus changed the whiskey into furniture.”

That’s what real faith does—it changes how you live.”

Faith is:

Not blind belief

Not “no evidence”

“Faith is trusting God based on who He is—even when you can’t see what He’s doing

Hebrews 11:8–19 NIV

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—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 God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

James 2:21–23 NIV

21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

“If you want to know what faith really looks like—look at Abraham.”

Point 1: Faith Calls Us to Leave Our Old Life Behind

Hebrews 11:8 “8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”

He left his place

Ur = advanced, wealthy, stable

He originally was from Ur of the Chaldeans, an ancient Sumerian city located in Mesopotamia, which corresponds to modern-day Iraq. This city was a center of culture and commerce during his time.

Comfort, security, culture

Polytheism

Idol worship (possibly family business)

Abraham didn’t just change locations—he changed loyalties.” Ur was a center for Polytheistic worship. Meaning they worshipped many gods. Nanna (sin) was moon God

He left his identity / way of life

Everything familiar

His “normal”

Faith will interrupt what you’ve always known.”

He left his comfort zone

No roadmap

No guarantees

“Faith begins where comfort ends”

So ask yourself

What is God calling you to walk away from?”

What part of your old life are you still holding onto?”

What comfort zone is keeping you from obedience?”

Old Habits

Old Mindset

Sin Patterns

Relationships

Identity (Who I use to be)

POINT 2: FAITH LIVES LIKE THIS WORLD IS NOT HOME

Hebrews 11:9–10 “9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

Hebrews 11:13–16 “13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”

Two symbols:

Tent → temporary life

The faith of the patriarch can be seen in that their lives are “characterized by two objects a tent and an altar. With the tent they confessed their attitude toward this world; they would not let it s attractions blind them to spiritual realities. With the altar they confessed their relationship to the world to come; they were believers! Thus they adopted the attitude that as far as this world was concerned they were strangers (away from home) and pilgrims (going home).” [ John Phillips. Exploring Hebrews. (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1992.) p. 158.]

Altar → worship / priority

Truth: Faith changes what we’re attached to.

1 Peter 2:11 “11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.”

(foreigners, exiles)

Are we building:

Comfort?

Or eternity?

“If someone looked at your life…would they say ‘tent’ or ‘foundation’?”

Transition: “Faith not only changes where you live and how you live—it changes how you wait…”

POINT 3: FAITH WAITS ON GOD’S TIMING

Hebrews 11:11 “11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.”

He had to wait on the promise of Isaac being conceived.

Reality: Decades before Isaac Promise didn’t match timeline

Truth: Faith trusts God’s timing—not just His promises

Key line: “Delay is not denial”

“Some of you are in a waiting season right now…”

Prayer unanswered Promise feels distant

Encourage: God is not late, God is not absent

Transition: “And then comes the hardest test of all…”

POINT 4: FAITH SACRIFICES WHAT IT LOVES MOST

Hebrews 11:17–19 “17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.”

James 2:21–23 “21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.”

Taking risks, means being vulnerable. And that may affect our finances, our friends, our future, our feelings, our occupation, where we live, and a host of other considerations. The human tendency is to want to be safe and secure, to hedge our bets, to insure ourselves against loss. Basically, we fail at faith because we fear to risk.” [Charles Swindoll.

It just wasnt his son it was also the promise

Faith says: “God, even this belongs to You.”

“Real faith is proven by what we’re willing to surrender.”

Corrie Ten Boom once commented that she had learned to hold the things of this world loosely in her hand, because she knew that if she grasp them tightly and then the Lord would have to pry her fingers away and it would hurt.

“What is your Isaac?”

Control?

Comfort?

Relationship?

Security?

“If God asked for it—would you trust Him enough to give it?”

Conclusion

Today we’ve seen what real faith looks like…

Faith leaves what’s behind.

Faith lives differently.

Faith waits.

And faith is willing to surrender.

But this isn’t just Abraham’s story…

This is your moment.

What is God asking you to leave behind?”

What is your comfort zone?”

What part of your past are you still holding onto?”

For some of you… it’s not your past—it’s something you’re holding onto right now.

Something good… something important… something you love…

But if God put His finger on it… you hesitate.

What is your Isaac?

Right where you are…

don’t ignore this moment.

Faith isn’t something you think about later—

it’s something you respond to now.

Give us the courage to leave what You’ve called us to leave… the strength to trust You in the unknown… and the willingness to surrender whatever You ask.

We trust You—not because we see everything clearly… but because You are faithful.

In Jesus’ name… Amen.”