• VBS is just around the corner, and our theme verse this year is Heb. 12:1-2.
• Last Sunday night we began looking at the reason for 12:1-2. The basis for the "therefore".
• Heb 11 gives us the all-stars of faith. If there were an all-star baseball game of OT personalities these people would make up the roster.
• We've already looked at the heroes from Creation to the Flood. We can put together their playbook, the qualities that made them great men and women of faith - because that is our goal, to be great men and women of faith. And as we come into VBS we want to ensure we are giving these children a model of faith to follow.
• As I stated last Sunday night - if you want to be great at something you don't just sit around waiting for it to happen, you study the people who are great - and follow them. As Paul urged the Corinthians in 1 Cor 4:16, "be imitators of me!"
• So what are the qualities of faith? What do we need to imitate?
• Let me review the heroes up to the Flood: through Abel we see that we are to give 100% to the team - give our all, a better sacrifice! Through Enoch we see we need to "walk" with our Lord! That means daily we need to be surrendered to Christ - Everything you do impacts your relationship with God, either for the better or for the worse - God isn't just here, so walk with Him. Through Noah, we see we are to trust our coach! Noah, spent a lot of years building a boat without a drop of rain, why? He knew God would hold true to His Word.
• So let's look at the heroes from Abraham to Egypt.
• Read text Heb. 11:8-22.

As Heroes of Faith We Must Be Obedient (8-10; 17-19)

• Abraham shows us the importance of this quality
• To what extent are you willing to obey God? The answer to that question will show you the answer to how faithful you are.
• Many people are completely petrified to leave their comfort zone to serve God! We can't be that way.
• God called me to South Carolina from Oklahoma - and I was more than willing and it has been the greatest thing to serve God this way!
• I'm not saying God is going to call you to a foreign land like he did with Abraham, like He did with me, but God may be calling you to walk across the room and witness to that person, He may be calling you to volunteer your time where you may not feel completely comfortable, He may be calling you to faithfully give your money to a ministry to further His Kingdom.
• But the fact remains - we must be obedient to whatever God is calling us to do or to be!

As Heroes of Faith We Must Believe In God's Faithfulness (11-12)

• It goes without saying that as people of faith we must be faithful, but this is a different aspect.
• Do you believe in and trust that God is faithfull to all that He has promised you? The answer to this question will point to your level of faithfulness.
• Sarah was past child-bearing age, but she somehow found the power to believe what God had said - she was counted as a hero of faith, because she knew God was faithful.
• Do you know what all God has promised you? It's all in this book, too numerous to go into detail today, but these promises are accurate, and complete, do you believe them? Do you believe that God will deliver you, will be your salvation, will be your stronghold, your fortress? Let me promise you this - God is much more faithful then you and I could ever be - trust Him to be so!

As Heroes of Faith We Must Be Vocal (20-22)

• What is it about a sports team that gives them a clear advantage? It's the home team being as vocal as they can.
• The same holds true for the Kingdom of God - the more vocal you are the stronger the team becomes.
• Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph are all three mentioned because of what they said - they were vocal in two ways:
• They spoke of blessing - This translates to carrying on the promises of God - when you spoke of a blessing you were telling someone what God was going to do in their lives. You were placing a promise of God's provision and protection and guidance upon someone.
• I think the best way to look at this today is 1 Thess. 5:11, "therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing."
• They spoke of things to come - forthtelling (diff. in foretelling and forthtelling). The Bible promises that God will return and that He is the only way of salvation.
• This is what we mean when we say we need to be vocal in forthtelling - it's what Joseph did when he spoke of the exodus.
• Do you know Christ? Are you a person of faith? I can tell you the future - not in some mystical palm reading way, but by the Word of God - He will return, You will answer for your decisions in life, and only Christ can pay the price for your sins.
• Are you vocal in exhorting your brothers and sisters? Are you vocal in sharing your faith? That's what heroes of faith do.