Faith that Makes Heroes

English Standard Version Chapter 11

32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Introduction

The story of 300

Long ago in history there was small band of soldiers, 300 to be exact, which took courage and went up against a vast army – far, far superior in numbers to their own. This force was cruel and sought to subjugate the 300 and their families into slaves. Many others had already fallen victim to their cruelty. Full subjugation seemed imminent. But these 300 warriors stood strong. They refused to back down. They took great courage and rallied behind their heroic leader who led them into the history books that we might tell their story one day. It is a story that reminds us that heroes are real. Those of you who know your history perhaps know of whom I speak…or perhaps not. I speak not of 300 who made their way into the history books because they died fighting for their freedom, but of 300 who made their way into the history books because they lived fighting for their freedom. The small band of 300 soldiers I speak of didn’t end the battle defeated but victorious. They were outnumbered perhaps 500 to 1, and yet they conquered the enemy. 120,000 enemy soldiers died in the initial assault, and the remaining soldiers were either captured or killed.

These 300 soldiers were indeed heroes. But the reason we tell their story isn’t because their efforts were so valiant. We don’t tell their story because they were to be feared for their skill with the sword or the spear. The fact is, we don’t know if these men even had swords beyond a few. Their story isn’t about the strength and exploits of these men, but about the strength and exploit of their God. These 300 men went into battle armed only with torches and trumpets against an army of nearly 150,000 men. Torches and trumpets. These men were the soldiers who fought alongside Gideon during the time of the judges of Israel. The Midianites and other nations had come against the tribes of Israel after they had entered the promised land and subdued them. Things were so bad that when their crops were ready to be harvested, these foreign occupiers would come against them and the Israelites were forced to flee into caves and mountain dens. The numbers of the invaders were so vast, the writer of Judges likens them to locusts – beyond count – that would lay waste the land. It was in the midst of this hardship that Israel cries out for deliverance and God calls upon Gideon. The call comes like this, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” But Gideon doesn’t seem very mighty. In fact, he’s afraid and responds, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest…, and I am the least in my father’s house.” Even after the Lord assures Gideon that He will be with him, Gideon pleads for a sign just to be sure of God’s words.

Once Gideon is convinced it was really God, he rallies the people together and 32,000 soldiers show up. 32,000 against 145,000 isn’t a very fair fight. Nonetheless, God says that they are too strong. He wants to leave no doubt in the minds and hearts of Israel that it will be the Lord’s strength that delivers. All who were afraid were told to go home. 22,000 of them leave. Still, the 10,000 that remain are too many according to the Lord. The odds aren’t great enough. So another test is applied and this time only 300 remain. So 300 men are to go up against an army too great to count. We tell their story not because of the power of men, but because of the power of God. And yet, it is through the faith of these men that the Lord saves.

Nero’s persecution

Let me tell you about some more heroes, for things didn’t always work out so well. In July of 64AD a great fire broke out in Rome and burned much of the city. The emperor Nero, who delayed his return to the city during the fire, was blamed for it. The historian Tacitus explains how he sought someone else to blame for the fire and settled on the Christians. Things did not turn out well for the church in Rome. According to Tacitus’ own account,

As a consequence, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Chrestians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but, even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. In accordance, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not as much of the crime of firing the city as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired. (Tacitus, Annals XV.44)

This was far from being the only time in church history that Christians suffered and died because of their faith. But rather than Christianity fading away because of it, the church grew. The 2nd century writer Tertullian famously observed, “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”

The forty martyrs on ice

In the early part of the 4th Century there was a man named Basil that was the bishop of Caesarea. In one of his sermons he spoke about a group of forty soldiers that refused to bow before the gods at the order of emperor Licinius. The governor offered them promotion if they did so. They refused. This angered the governor and so he had them flogged. Their skin was torn and exposed and they were thrown in the prison to await further decisions. After a time they were brought out and ordered to strip and be confined to a frozen lake until they decided to bow before the gods. According to Basil, hot baths were eventually ordered to align the edge of the pond as a means of enticing the men. Eventually, one soldier cracked and came to the bath. But the heat was too much of a shock on his body and he died. However, the soldier that helped him into the tub was so moved by the faith of the remaining 39 that he stripped off his clothes, confessed Christ and joined them. The next day, those that had died in the night and those barely holding on were cast into the flames and died. We tell their story not because they accomplished great things by faith, but because they were able to withstand such suffering by faith.

It is through faith that God makes heroes in life and in death. And it is this hero that makes known the greatness of God.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us of such heroes as he calls us to this same kind of faith, and to help us understand the inequities that accompany it. The writer mentions one group of heroes that, according to verse 34, “escaped the edge of the sword” and then another group of heroes that, according to verse 37, “died by the sword.” But in both cases the hero does so by faith fueled by hope. We’re going to examine these heroes this morning by looking at the hero’s life, the hero’s death, and the hero’s hope so that we might have the same kind of faith.

I. Hero’s life (33-35a)

The expectation that God can do great things

In the first few verses the writer draws our attention to heroic deeds – men and women that saw the Lord do extraordinary things through them, things clearly beyond their natural abilities; things that they could never have done left to their own wits and talents.

These people believed that God could do great things through them, and so they became heroes in their living.

The hero’s resume

The heroes listed in our text have quite a resume. We find it in verses 33-35. They’ve

conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight, even received back their dead by resurrection.

The list includes all kinds of activities. Some are active – conquered kingdoms; while some are passive – received back their dead by resurrection. What might this list look like today?

A hero is someone who trusts God at work, earnestly seeking the welfare of his clients and employer, trusting that God can do great things to advance His kingdom through his integrity. A hero is someone who trusts God in his marriage, loving his wife with such sincerity and passion that others are inspired to do the same. A hero is someone who trusts God with his children, dedicating himself to raising them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord with such patience and perseverance that his children are able to contend powerfully for the gospel in the public square. A hero is someone who trusts God with relationships by forgiving others so powerfully that friendships are forged with one-time enemies. A hero is someone who trusts God to live everyday for the sake of the Kingdom of God, knowing that God can do greater things through his faith than he could ever do on his own.

The hero’s qualifications

But lest you give me some excuse for not seeing yourself in this list, let’s talk about the hero’s qualifications. The resume includes women as well as men – even young people. In fact, it is often those most unlikely to be heroes that become heroic, so that God’s power might be unquestionably on display. The hero is often the least or the weakest or the youngest. God’s heroics shine greater through the weakness of those who trust him. This means that your expectations shouldn’t be based on your own inherent abilities, which is our tendency. “I have a criminal record, so I can’t possibly get a job. I’ve failed my wife in the past, so I can’t possibly love her as I’m called to do. I’ve lost my temper with my children too many times, so how can I be the parent God calls me to be? I’ve lost too many jobs, so how can I possibly hope to find success?”

Don’t let your weaknesses be your excuse for not answering God’s call.

It is your weakness that brings out God’s strength to give you success for the kingdom of God.

II. Hero’s death (35b-38)

The realization that God will do great things

And yet, it is sometimes our suffering rather than our success that expands the kingdom of God. This seems contrary to us. We want to believe that our faithful obedience will bring us good things. We want to believe that if we will love people as God calls us to that people will love us in return and our relationships will be blessed. We want to believe that if we work hard and with integrity that our bosses will reward us with promotion. We want to believe that if we give our hearts completely to our spouses that they will give us theirs in return. We want to believe that if we give up our overtime opportunities, our poker night, our free time to invest in our children’s futures that they will love and respect us in return. We want to believe that if we will just be faithful in our obedience to God that we will experience our best life now. But that is not always the case. History does not always tell us of blessing and reward for faithful living. If often tells us instead of suffering and even death.

A hero’s resolve

Let’s read again verses 35-38.

Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

We find that many of God’s faithful found suffering rather than success, and yet, according to the writer of Hebrews, they also were heroes. What shines forth is not their resume of successes, but their resolve in the face of suffering. What might this look like today?

A hero is someone who trusts God at work, earnestly seeking the welfare of his clients and employer even when it means making less money or losing a bid. A hero is someone who trusts God in his marriage, loving his wife with sincerity and passion even when she doesn’t love him in return. A hero is someone who trusts God with his children, dedicating himself to raising them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord with patience and perseverance, even while they resent him for it. A hero is someone who trusts God with relationships by forgiving others, even when his reputation seems irreparable. A hero is someone who trusts God to live everyday for the sake of the Kingdom of God, even when it means giving up his own prosperity.

A hero’s qualifications

What kind of people are these heroes? They are not the ones who are naturally stoic, disciplined to ignore pain or beaten down so much that they’ve learned to expect nothing. These are simply people that know that they will rise to a better life. This means that hardship isn’t an excuse to run away and start over. When someone hurts your feelings it means forgiving and standing by them rather than cutting them off to protect yourself from further hurt. When someone robs you of credit at work it means persevering and continuing to give your best to your employer. When a child hates you because you require him to read the Bible with you, it means you patiently bear his hatred as you cultivate this habit. You see,

it is your death to blessings of this age that brings out your hope for the next.

III. Hero’s hope (39-40)

The perseverance from believing that God has done great things

So how do we have this kind of faith? This is where the hero’s hope helps us. But we have to see the context of this hope to understand it. We have to understand the hero’s frailty, the hero’s foundation, and the hero’s future.

The hero’s frailty

These people are heroes not because they are superior people. These were regular people, even people with failures on their resumes. Gideon was reluctant to believe God, asking God for sign after sign after sign (4 times!) to make sure God would really stand behind him when he went against the Midianites. David was the youngest and least of his seven brothers, not even considered a viable candidate by his own father who left him in the field when he called his sons together for Samuel to anoint one as king. The hero’s hope isn’t in his own prowess, but in his God.

The hero’s foundation

And the reason this brings the hero through threats and tragedies is because God himself endured through threat and tragedy. Jesus is our hope and his success wasn’t bound to his time on earth. In fact, what we see is Jesus being rejected by the very people he came to save. He suffered false accusation and condemnation. He was beaten beyond recognition. He was scourged. He was humiliated and hung on a cross for all to see. He didn’t meet with victory in his lifetime. He didn’t meet with prosperity. And yet he endured beyond humiliation, suffering, and even death.

Here’s the secret. These men endured because the thing on which they stood endured.

If your faith in God is predicated on success and happiness, then what happens when something tragic happens? When the thing on which you stand breaks down, so do you.

The hero’s future

A hero of faith stands on the hope that Jesus gives – hope for a future beyond death. Look with me at verse 39-40.

English Standard Version Chapter 11

39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us,

These heroes – even those heroes who won battles and brought justice – did not receive what was promised. You see the thing promised is far greater than we can ever experience in this age. The promised land of the Old Testament was not the answer that God had in mind. It was only a foreshadowing of his land of promise. He promises a new heavens and a new earth, where there is no more sin and no more shame. He promises to dwell with us and to wipe every tear from our eyes. And this is the reason for the apparent inequity we experience in life right now. This is the reason why the faithful heroes don’t experience their best life now. This is the reason why Christians sometimes are called to suffer for their faith rather than succeed by their faith. We do not yet live in this coming promised land. But let’s keep reading,

English Standard Version Chapter 11

that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Here’s an amazing truth. These heroes in the faith that we’ve talked and read about are still waiting to be made perfect. God deemed that we would go into this new promised land together. It is a community rather than an individual activity.

Here’s the thing: this land of promise; this new heavens and new earth; is for those whose faith perseveres. Verse 39 includes an important phrase, “though commended through their faith” that shows us the means of reaching this land of promise. It is through faith. It is by believing that God can accomplish what he has promised – even in the midst of such apparent setbacks and obstacles. It is by believing that the difficulties in this life are not signs of your failures, but the means of growing a saving faith in you. It is your perseverance through trials and tragedies that proves your faith.

Conclusion

In the early part of the 2nd century, there was a man named Ignatius, who was the pastor of the church in Antioch. He lived under the decree that Christianity was illegal. However it was a decree that was only enforced when accusation was brought against a Christian. Ignatius, as a result, found himself on trial for being a Christian. He was sentenced to die in Rome by being thrown to the beasts in the Coliseum. Many Christians along the way between Antioch and Rome visited with him, and some in Rome talked about trying to help him escape. It is his letters in response that help us understand what this persevering faith in Christ looks like.

I fear lest your very love should do me wrong. It is easy for you to accomplish whatever you will, but for me it is difficult to attain unto God unless you let me take my own way.

4. I write to all the churches and charge them all to know that I die willingly for God, if only you do not hinder. I beseech you, do not unreasonably befriend me. Suffer me to become the food of wild beasts, through whom I may attain to God. I am God's grain, and I am ground by the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of Christ. Rather entice the wild beasts to become my tomb… Entreat the Lord for me, that by these instruments I may be found a sacrifice to God… if I suffer, I am Jesus Christ's freedman, and in Him I shall arise free...

It is perseverance that proves our faith. Heroes are made by faith. Faith is proved through suffering. Suffering binds us to Christ.