Hebrews 11 8-16

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“Heroes”

Introduction: We all have heroes -- people that we respect and look up to for their part in some remarkable event.  As a child my heroes were Superman and Spiderman.  My children might say that their heroes are the Power Rangers or the Power Puff Girls.  As we grow up we see the world around us differently.  And our heroes change.  There are heroes in all facets of life.  In the field of medicine we might look to Alexander Fleming, a British bacteriologist, who in 1928 noticed that mold was able to destroy bacteria - leading to the discovery of antibiotics.  We might consider the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur for their work in aviation and the first motorized airplane flight at Kitty hawk in 1903 that has led to our walking on the moon and the building of a space station this year.  When we think of heroes, most of us would think about our soldiers, like the ones that stormed Normandy beach in France, bombarded by motors, machinegun fire and snipers.  Relentlessly they fought back the enemy and started the course that would free Europe from tyranny.  There are many types of heroes and there are even heroes of faith.

            In the book of Hebrews the 11th chapter is often titled the heroes of the faith.  It mentions faithful people and their faithful actions.  These people are written about for our benefit.  They encourage us, by faith, to look beyond this temporary home and be sure of God’s faithfulness.  They inspire us to be certain of what we do not see, our heavenly inheritance.  One of the people written about is Abraham.  He is known as the father of the Faith.  Those who believe in the true God are known as the Children of Abraham.  He is one of the Heroes of Faith.      

I.          Abraham - Hero of the Faith

A.        God called and chose Abraham.  The Lord called Abraham to leave his homeland of Ur of the Chaldeans.  Today we call it Iraq.  God said, “leave your country and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you.  Abraham obeyed God and he went the land of Canaan, the land that the Lord promised to give him.  There God established His covenant with Abraham.  The Lord said that He would make Abraham’s descendants to number more than the stars of the sky.  The Lord said to Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you.  I will make your name great and you will be a blessing...and all the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you.”  What a wonderful blessing it was for Abraham and for the world.

            It makes one think -- who was Abraham, that God should make such a pronouncement of blessing to him?  It would seem that he must have been someone special.  He must have done something great for the Lord to treat him so favorably.///  There is no indication that this was the case though.  It would seem that the very opposite was true of Abraham.  What would you say about a man who lies or a man who would put his wife at risk of being taken sexually by another man.  This is exactly what Abraham did to Sarah his wife, not once but twice.  He lied to Pharaoh and then to Abimelech, both who liked Sarah, telling them that she was his sister.  Both times she was taken to be their wife.  God protected her.  Both times Abraham did this it was to save his own skin.  So I guess we could call him a coward too.  What would you think about a man who slept with his wife's maid and then had a child by her.  Abraham was trying to force God’s hand in giving him an heir.  There is no doubt about it.  Abraham was a sinner.  God’s favor towards Abraham was totally by grace.  The blessing that he received was totally undeserved.              

B.        Abraham received God’s promises and blessing, and they were real to him, through faith alone.  This is what sets Abraham apart as an example to encourage us to remain faithful.  God spoke, and Abraham believed.  He believed that God would give him everything that He promised.  But in his life time, few of the of the promises that God had made came to pass.  He lived in tents, wandering as an alien and a stranger in the land that was promised to him.  In the end the only ground he owned was a grave.  The descendants that were supposed to number more than the stars in the sky were only two, Isaac and Ishmael.  And the people of the world remained unblessed.  Still he believed.  Abraham was a hero of faith.     

Abraham's faith was expressed in his obedience to God’s word.  When told to go to a new country he went.  When he was told to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice on an alter, believing that God could resurrect him, he did as he was told.  We are told that he believed in the Lord and His word, and the Lord accounted it to him for righteousness.  We remember him for these remarkable acts of faith. 

C.        Abraham found his righteousness though, by faith, trusting in God and in His promise of the Messiah.  Abraham looked forward by faith to the time when God would sacrifice His own Son on the alter of the cross to save him from his sins.  Through Christ’s death he looked forward to the blessing of all the nations of the earth, through his descendant, in the forgiveness of sins.  He looked forward to the time when his descendants of faithful people would number more than the stars.  Knowing the promise he saw himself as a stranger here on earth.  He knew that he had another home.  Through God’s son, Jesus, God was going to make a heavenly city, a heavenly home.  God was preparing a better country than the one he came from or the one promised to him.  This country would be home for all who believed in the Son of God.  Abraham believed.  Abraham was a hero of faith.    

II.        You - Hero of the Faith

A.        God choose Abraham and God has called and chosen you also.  You may not have come from Ur, but God has called you out of many countries.  You have come from many homelands and many homes.  God called you through His Word and by the Holy Spirit creating faith in your hearts.  He has blessed you in baptism.  He gave you the gift of faith which trusts in Him and embraces Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  He has given you a faith that trusts in His word of forgiveness given completely to you for the sake of His Son’s suffering and death.

B.        God has poured out His grace on you not because of who you are or what you have done..  Like Abraham you did not deserve it.  You are sinners.  But for Jesus sake, and the sake of your faith in Him, God sees you as righteous, just as He saw Abraham.

C.        Like Abraham, your faith has been expressed with action.  I have seen it in your many acts of love.  I have seen your faith as wives have cared for husbands and husbands have cared for their wives.  I have seen it in a fathers love for his daughter and a son’s devotion to his mother (yes Phil, I’m talking about you).  I have seen it in your caring, compassion, and concern you have for each other.  I have seen it in the volunteers and the staff.  I have seen your faith as you come to worship here or listen in your rooms, listening to God’s promises spoken to you.  The Lord has blessed you with many years and many opportunities to share your faith in Jesus with your families, friends and staff here.  The people around you see your persistence in the faith and your unwavering trust in Jesus in the midst of adversity that comes with aging.  You are living examples of faith in action.  People can read about Abraham, but they can touch and see you.  Your lives and faith have touched many people.  God has blessed our world through you.  You, like Abraham, are heroes of faith.  And you are my heroes.  I thank God that He has allowed me to be with you this past year.  Your faithfulness has encouraged me in my faith.  You have all deeply touched and blessed me.  I thank you.             

III.       Looking to Jesus who is the Hero of Faith

            With Abraham, together we look to the author and finisher of our faith.  Jesus.  Jesus who is our true hero of faith.  Abraham looked ahead to the promise of God to be fulfilled.  We look back and see that God indeed fulfills his promises.  When God was ready He sent His son. /// Jesus was born and lived a life of faith that was perfect.  He was completely obedient to His Father, obedient even to death on the cross.  The life of faith He lived he lived for us.  The death He died, He died for us.  In Him and through Him we have are very being.  He wants us to continue to believe, enduring in faith trusting in the unseen promises of God -- the healing of body and soul, freedom from sin and death and finally an eternal home.   

Conclusion:    In our gospel lesson Jesus says, “Have no fear little flock, for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Your hearts of faith are focused on Jesus and your eternal home, the promise land of heaven.  Like Abraham you know that you are aliens and strangers even in this wonderful place.  Even as strangers, as God’s little flock He hasn’t left you to wander alone.  That is why He has given you Chaplain Olson, and your new vicar Robert Armao.  They are shepherds to guide you and fellow pilgrims,// walking in Faith with you to glory and the new Jerusalem - the city of God whose foundation is Jesus Christ. 

I urge you my friends -- Persist in the faith until we meet again in our heavenly homeland, by God‘s grace and through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

                                                                                    The Peace of the Lord be with you.

                                                                                    the peace that passes all understanding keeping your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus.