The Life of Faith III

The Life of Faith III

Hebrews 11: 8-10, 17-19

I. Faith Answers the Door

The implication in the original language is this; he answered the call while it was still ringing in his ears

He gives up all in faith upon the invisible God

He loses all to gain all

A. Regardless of Human Circumstances

Leaving the home of his youth

Leaving a familiar God for one unknown

B. Regardless of Human relationships

Leaving family and friends

C. Regardless of Human Limitations

Leaving without a compass, or a guide, or even a roadmap

“He went out, not knowing whither he went.” He leaves his father’s house and his father’s gods.

He breaks with the past, even before the future has been revealed to him.

The thoughts and feelings that had grown up with him from childhood are once

for all put away.

Unlike Noah he has no sheltering ark to receive him.

A homeless wanderer, he pitches his tent today at the well, not knowing where his

invisible guide may bid him stretch the cords on the morrow.

His departure from Ur of the Chaldees was a family migration.

But the writer of this Epistle, like Philo, describes it as the man’s own personal obedience to a Divine call.

Submitting to God’s will, possessed with the inspiration and courage of faith, obeying daily new intimations, he bends his steps this way

II. Faith Invests in the Promise

Abraham purchases a cave for burial in Machpelah

He puts to bed the call of Ur

You have to believe the going back to Ur had crossed his mind

The promise is not yet reality but he lives like it is

It seemed as if God was delaying the promise but he lived being sure of the promise of God

It was a dream deferred

Abraham knew that the dream deferred was not a dream denied but it was Gods way of preparing him for more than he promised

There was no promise of a new city but yet he looked for a city whose foundations would be designed and built by God himself

He by faith looked beyond the earthy and earthly to a spiritual plain

He realized that the object of faith is not tangible or material or even anything physical

There is but one that hath the eternal foundations. It is the holy city

The life of faith influences those connected to us by relationship

Faith Passes the Test

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.

In Abraham we get to see how faith faces failure

He failed with Hagar

He failed in Egypt

But he succeeds at Mt. Moriah

The trial of Abraham was not so much in the conflict of his natural affection with his obedience to God, as in the apparent inconsistency of the revelations of the will of God which were made to him.

Thus the greatness of Abraham’s Faith was shown by the fact that he was ready to sacrifice his only son, though it had been before declared that the fulfillment of the promise

He knew that Gods word could not fail

His obedience by faith led to greater faith