Pleasing God Through Faith pt.1 Heb 11:5-6

Introduction: The Value of Faith Heb 11:5-6

The Hebrew author shows the value of faith in three ways:

Value of the object of our faith (Jesus) - Heb 1:2

The negative consequences of a lack of faith - Heb 3:17-19

The positive examples of those that benefited from God through faith - Heb 11

Faith Is Our Main Instrument

All the major occurrences that we read of in this chapter were accomplished through faith in God. A faith that led to obedience to God in every way.

[Heb 11:1] Faith knows that something is real and works even though it hasn’t seen what’s doing the work. E.g. this is illustrated when I visit the gas station. Sometimes I do not even come outside the car, there’s a meter that shows there is gas in the car, when press the accelerator the car goes.

This is what is needed to please God!

Enoch Is Our Main Example

There are two results of Enoch’s faith:

“He was taken up so that he would not see death (Heb 11:5)” (quoted from Gen 5:24). The verb here means to change places

“he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God (Heb 11:5)”. The fact that Genesis provides is that he “walked” with God. This shows:

There was consciousness of God’s presence (Gen 5:24)

Willingness to progress in his relationship with God (Gen 5:22)

Enoch’s Walk Pleased God Because He walked by Faith

What did this walk look like?

Amount of Time = Devotion. 300 years is a long time to maintain a walk (Gen 5:22)

The can apply to us today. We can please God when we exercise our faith with the amount time we devote to Him.

We need to be prepared to go the distance with Jesus, The brethren he wrote to stopped their walk.

Heb 2:1-3

Hebrews 2:1–3 NASB95

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,

Heb 3:12

Hebrews 3:12 NASB95

Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.

Quality of Time = Intimacy It pleased God, it put God’s mind at ease

We can please God when we exercise our faith in meaningful ways

Drawing close to him Heb 4:16 (“come in and surrender”)

Hebrews 4:16 NASB95

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Use of Time = Service Enoch prophesied of a judgement from God Jd 13-15

Jude 13–15 NASB95

wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever. It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

How Enoch used his time pleased God

The brethren had to apply this

God did not forget their work Heb 6:10

Continue doing and encouraging good work Heb 10:24

Is My Faith Pleasing God?