By Faith- Conclusion

 release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered By Faith- Conclusion mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They Ryan Quicke went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. Welcome And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive Good morning EBC! what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. At EBC we are one church with two congregations, Let’s pray Bobin St. and Open Door. We want to be a people who worship God, who follow Jesus, who serve one another and who tell others of the Good News about Word who Jesus is and what He has done for us with His Here is our working definition of faith for this series: perfect life and substitutionary death. v Faith is to be so convinced that Jesus is God, We are continuing our series in Hebrews, and so as to live with trusting obedience. finishing chapter 11 today which has focused on the phrase- “By faith”. Let’s investigate this conclusion on the topic of faith. Let’s read our passage. By faith & through faith Have you got the point??? And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Passage Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets Hebrews 11:32-40 [ESV] And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Faith shown in victory Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who who through faith: through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained • conquered kingdoms, promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, • enforced justice, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, • obtained promises, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received • stopped the mouths of lions, back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept • quenched the power of fire, What’s the big, overarching lesson of faith? • escaped the edge of the sword, What can we learn from the faith of those who have • were made strong out of weakness, • became mighty in war, gone before? • put foreign armies to flight. • Women received back their dead by resurrection. What is the author’s point in this long list of names in Faith shown in suffering chapter 11? Well they are two fold: • Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. They trusted in Jesus by faith • Others suffered mocking and flogging, All these people accomplished what they did, suffered • and even chains and imprisonment. what they suffered, was victorious in what they were Faith shown in death victorious, died and even lived how they did- because • They were stoned, of faith in a God who would fulfil his promise. • they were sawn in two, • they were killed with the sword. That promise; the promise of Genesis 3:15 of one Faith shown in life-style who would come from Eve and crush the serpent, the • They went about in skins of sheep and goats, • destitute, promise to Abraham for a promised land that would • afflicted, bless all the nations of the world, the promise to • mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy— David for one to rule in his lineage forever, and the • wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and promise spoken by Isaiah for a suffering servant to caves of the earth. take away the sins of humanity- that promise is Faith in the promise fulfilled in Jesus. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. All these people trusted in the founder and perfecter of our faith, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith, The OT and the NT do not present two different Gods, or two different types of faith/salvation. They are unified by Jesus Christ the NT fulfilment of the faith of • Come under a better ruler than Satan, Sin & the OT saints for God to fulfil his promise. death • Have a greater sacrifice than Abel You want a faith like these people, says our author- • Have a better relationship with God than Enoch follow Jesus. • Have a better salvation than Noah • A greater patriarch than Abraham • A greater reason for joy than Sarah They point to Jesus by faith • A better blessing than Jacob stole from Isaac Secondly, Hebrews point throughout this chapter is • A better blessing hope & promise land than that each person on the list, and each person we have Joseph to little time to mention, point to Jesus. • A greater deliverer than Moses • A greater law than the one given to Moses Their lives are lived to Him, and for Him and An even more inclusive faith community than ultimately set up the system, lineage and prophecies • Rahab experienced. that God steps into through incarnation. Jesus is greater and Jesus is better, because Jesus was God had one plan throughout the whole Bible: to send who all these people’s faith pointed to. His Son Jesus to restore a rebellious humanity and redeem a broken world. These people’s story and these people’s faith connects with our story and has insight for our faith It is not a number of failed plans but instead a unified today. plan from creation to cross to establish Jesus as the fulfilment of all God’s promises. Their faith // our faith Here is where the rubber hits the road for us I think. In Jesus we: Long for a better Garden, the New Jerusalem • We are called to a faith that is the same, more & better. 1. Same 2. More Through faith in Jesus we will live with the same And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, trusting obedience as these people and have some of that apart from us they should not be made perfect. the same/similar experiences: • Faith shown in victories These OT saints achieved what they achieved in the o conquered kingdoms, conviction that God would fulfil His promises. We are o enforced justice, o obtained promises, called to faith in a God who has fulfilled His promise o stopped the mouths of lions, in Jesus. o quenched the power of fire, o escaped the edge of the sword, o were made strong out of weakness, We are called to more. o became mighty in war, o put foreign armies to flight. We are called to, by faith see: o Women received back their dead by resurrection. • Faith shown in suffering • Blind see, lame walk, sick healed o Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that • Sinners saved, addictions broken, wounds they might rise again to a better life. healed o Others suffered mocking and flogging, o and even chains and imprisonment. • His kingdom come • Faith shown in death o They were stoned, o they were sawn in two, 3. Better o they were killed with the sword. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive • Faith shown in lifestyle what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, o They went about in skins of sheep and goats, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. o destitute, o afflicted, Not only do we have a faith that will have the same o mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy— o wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens sorts of experiences, even have greater or more and caves of the earth. expressions- but we have a faith that is better for Christ has come. Have you benefitted from hearing about any of these people’s faith? Then rejoice! For the founder and perfector of our faith has come! Their faith is perfected in our faith the author here says. In other words; what those people saw at a distance, what Jesus has done, and what we experience of Jesus’ finished work at the cross is the fulfilment of all of these OT saints hopes. You have a calling to enter into a better faith. Let’s pray