The Life of Faith

Hebrews 11: 1-7

Intro:

We established last time that faith is seeing the invisible as though it were visible,

and living that way.

Arthur Pink says it this way “faith is bringing future things near”

Faith is the reality before the reality

It is the firm grasp on unseen fact.

What I would like to show with this sermon is that living a life of faith is deeper than simply living to see and believing to get the things that we want.

The writer of the Hebrews wants us to know more, drive deeper

We usually start and stop at verse one

We accept it as fact as well we should

The problem is that verse continues what was begun in chapter 10:38 11:6

The writer of the Hebrews wants us to know more, drive deeper

Do I have faith? Romans 12:3

“Every man has been a measure of faith”

The description of faith consists of three actions or effects of faith, set

down in three several verses.

1. The first effect is that faith makes things which are not (but only are hoped for), after a sort, to subsist and to be present with the believer: verse

2. The second effect is that faith makes a believer approved of God: verse 2.

3. The third effect is that faith makes a man understand and believe things incredible to sense and reason”

<The one scripture which, perhaps, more than any other unlocks for us the meaning of the “by faith” which is found so frequently in Hebrews 11 is

Romans 10:17. There we read, “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Faith must have a foundation to rest upon, and that foundation must be the Word of Him that cannot lie.

God speaks, and the heart receives and acts upon what He says. True, there are two kinds of “hearing,” just as there are two kinds of “faith.”

There is an outward “hearing,” and there is an inward “hearing”: the one merely informs, the other influences; the one simply instructs the mind, the other moulds the heart and moves the will.

So there is a twofold meaning to the term “The Word of God namely, the Word as written, and the Word as operative, when God speaks in living power to the soul. Hence, there is a twofold “faith”: the one which is merely an intellectual assenting to what God has revealed, and that which is a vital and supernatural principle of action, which (Arthur Pink)

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews seems to want us to have the everyday living reality of a life that expresses faith.

To help us he gives us word pictures from Old Testament history.

I. Faith Works

V2 For by it the men of old gained approval. NASB

This verse connects what is coming with what is before; it connects verse 1 and verse 4

a. Because of the evidence of their faith/ the evidence/ their works

Jas 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?

Jas 2:17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Jas 2:18 But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

b. The work of the elders still speak

He writes as though the elders or rather their works still give testimony or evidence of the power of faith

The idea of the word picture is this, that they are no better or different than us

There is no disconnect, we are related, we all a part of the same family, the family of God

Not only men, but God also gave testimony to their faith

God approved of their works

II Faith Worships

4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

Consider the order

Abel is not mention first because He is born first, but rather he is mentioned first because this is where the life of faith begins, with worship

a. The life of faith seeks excellence in worship

1. He offers the best gift (the first born) better quality

2. It is a sacrifice. (not for food-not permitted to eat meat until after the flood)

A correct rendering of the text shows that he may have brought more than one offering

He brought a sin offering-a victim to be slain -first born

But he also brought a minchah-a gratitude offering-a thank offering

His sin offering was offered before the law revealed sin

3. The life of faith worships

4. By giving self Rom 12:1

Rom 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

5. By giving substance

The life of faith worships in giving to the church

Luke 21 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

The life of faith worships in giving to others

II C0r.8 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5 And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.

II. Faith Walks

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God./[1]/

The case of Abel shows us where the life of faith begins; the example of

Enoch teaches us of what the life of faith consists.

Now just as we had to refer to Genesis 4 to understand Hebrews 11:4, so we have to turn back to Genesis 5 for its light to be thrown upon our present verse

Gen 5:24 “Enoch Walked with God”

a. Walking with God is a process

I To “walk with God” imports a life surrendered to God, a life controlled by God, a life lived for God.

It is a voluntary act- it is a surrender of the will

1. Learn to hear the voice of God

2. Obedience to the voice of God

3. Learn to walk by faith

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a Greek two lepta

[1]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Heb 11:5). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.