The Church Is Sent to Demonstrate Faith

Intro

What is faith?

Biblical faith is resting, or trusting, in Christ alone for salvation (John 3:16-21). More than being simply a mental agreement of historical facts, genuine faith begins with a recognition and confession of the truth of the gospel (1 John 4:13-16), followed by a receiving of Christ as Lord and Savior of one’s life (John 1:10-13). Biblical faith is not blind faith, for it rests on the historical life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

People show their faith in many things every day.

People believe their cars will operate safely, so they drive. They believe the pharmacist will fill their prescription correctly, so they go get medicine. They believe chefs will prepare their food to the proper temperature, so they eat at restaurants. They believe that planes and bridges and elevators are engineered and built correctly, so they use them. You have faith in the chair you are sitting in right now.

• How can you tell if someone has faith in God?

Hebrews 11 teaches us that when your faith is in God, your life will show it. You will make daily choices that show others around you that your faith in Jesus is real. In this session, we will look at Hebrews 11 and see how people throughout the Bible demonstrated their faith.

Read

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 11

11 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. 2 For by this our ancestors were approved.

Faith is not a subjective feeling or fleeting hope. It is not based on opinion, wishful thinking, or optimism that something will happen according to plan. Rather, it is a confident assurance based on the belief that God always keeps His word. In particular, faith clings to God and His Word for the fulfillment of God’s promises and plans in the days to come.

• What are some things we put our faith in every day?

We put our faith in things all the time. We have faith that our brakes will engage when we touch the pedal, that the harness of the roller coaster will hold us, etc. It is impossible to live without faith. We all have faith—the question is, what is your faith in?

• What does Hebrews 1:2 teach us about the role of faith before the new covenant in the Old Testament?

There is a common misconception that the old covenant was about works and law, while the new covenant is about faith and grace. While we shouldn’t oversimplify the complicated relationship between the covenants, we should be clear that humanity’s approval before God has always depended upon faith. For example, Abraham believed, and it was counted to him as righteousness (Gal. 3:6). As we will see, Hebrews 11 thoroughly demonstrates the importance of faith throughout all generations.

Hebrews 11:2 sets the stage for the list of faith heroes beginning in Hebrews 11:4, and it also shows that faith brings God’s approval. He looks with favor on those who walk in faith; He delights when His people trust Him with full confidence and follow Him accordingly. We will see in the remainder of Hebrews 11 the names and stories of multiple men and women whose lives illustrated this kind of trust. They followed Him each day as they trusted His promises for tomorrow.

Read

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 11

And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received their dead, raised to life again. Other people were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned,, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. 38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

39 All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.

The Author of Hebrews does not limit his examples of faith just to those who seemed to prosper in life. Instead, he unexpectedly and abruptly shifts to illustrate faith that is costly. Some conquered kingdoms, while others were martyred. Some were war heroes, and others died without even giving resistance. We do not determine the earthly outcome of our faithfulness. For some it may be celebratory, while for others it may be sorrowful. Our role is to simply be faithful and leave the results to God.

We can see here that the gospel of Jesus Christ is neither a poverty gospel nor a prosperity gospel. Many Christian Teachers have made claims and promises that do not appear in Scripture, and that leaves people discontent with where they are. The poverty gospel says that if you follow God, you will be poor and die a martyr. The prosperity gospel says that if you follow God, you will be rich and nothing bad will ever happen to you. The true gospel, however, says that whatever happens as we follow God—good or bad—is in His hands. The result may be that we die for his sake, or it may be that we experience great blessing in this life, but either way, God is in control of the outcome of our faith and uses it for His glory and our good. Abel died far too young; Enoch never died, but God had the final word on both of their lives. God truly is the author and finisher of our faith

• What do these examples teach us about the relationship between our faith and our works?

The author of Hebrews gives example after example about how the Old Testament believers lived, and yet he concludes by saying “all these were approved through their faith” (Heb. 11:39). No one has perfect obedience, but God says that true faith will reveal itself through obedience. Faith cannot stay hidden in the heart—it will come out in your life. Yes, you are saved by faith, but that faith is going to reveal itself through obedience.

Read

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 12

12 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We are surrounded by an innumerable amount of people whose lives, and often, deaths, bear witness to the truthfulness of God. But how can their lives “witness” God’s faithfulness to His people if we never look at them, or don’t remember them? We have to be careful students of the Bible and of church history so that we do not lose sight of the heritage of faith that has paved the way for us.

• Who in the Scriptures or in your life has inspired you to trust God and live for Jesus?

The author challenges us to “lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us” (Heb. 12:1). We all have sin in our lives that we need to turn away from so that we can take hold of the freedom Jesus has died to secure for us. However, there may also be obstacles in our lives that are not necessarily sinful, but are “hindrances” that keep us from running the race well.

It could be a hobby, an interest, a relationship, a certain goal, or a career path. It could be many things. There are many good things, but those things may be keeping us from the best thing if we aren’t careful. We can not allow anything to hinder us from living for Christ and His mission.

The greatest motivation of all is not the saints of history, but the Savior Himself. Keep your eyes on the One who endured the cross, but is now seated at the right hand of God. What an example of perseverance and evidence that God will be faithful! Jesus went from shame to glory, and all those who run with faith will be glorified with Him.

The examples of faithful men and women in Scripture are a source of strength and encouragement, but they pale in comparison to the life of Jesus Christ, who endured the cross and its shame with His future glory and joy in mind. Because of Christ’s work, our faith and the hope of all who have believed will be fulfilled when He returns. We have assurance of the reliability of God’s promises.