15: Living By Faith (Hebrews 11:1-6)

Have you ever had a time when you wondered if the difficult decision was worth the cost; when the short-term consequence was worth the long-term benefit? People Living by Faith will experience many moments like this. Others will wonder why you swim upstream instead of going with the flow. Why is that? Today we discover the difference between those Living by Faith in God and those who aren’t.

Before we do, let’s....

CATCH THE CONTEXT

Last week we asked the question, Are we “Living Like He’s Returning?” If so,

We would LOVE more graciously.

We would SERVE more purposefully.

And we would OBEY more passionately.

and we concluded with these words from Hebrews 10:37-39

Hebrews 10:37-39 For yet in a very little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him. But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.

And now we open up one of the most colorful chapters full of characters in all the Bible - often called “The Faith Chapter” or “The Faith Hall of Fame”. In its 40 verses it contains the word, “faith” 18 times.

We are to live by this kind of faith - not faith in faith, but a trusting & believing in the God who has promised something we are still waiting for. So that even though we haven’t seen the fulfillment of the promise, we know it is on the horizon, because the ONE who has promised is faithful.

This past week Tonya and I went to make a down payment on a truck for our soon to be 16 year-old Joshua. It isn’t his yet. But it will be. We have promised it to him and he trusts that the ones who made his a promise will be faithful to fulfill what we have said. Because of that, he has been looking forward to that future day with great hope! When I took him to the bus for camp he said, “Dad, you know what I’m looking forward to camp being over…You know why?” NOPE. No clue. Of course, he is LOOKING FORWARD to and BELIEVING the promise he awaits being fulfilled.

That’s what it means to be Living by Faith. That’s the kind of faith that led the ancestors of the Hebrews receiving this letter to trust God through the good times and the bad times. And now the author calls on the testimony of those he later refers to as the “great cloud of witnesses” (Heb 12:1) to give testimony to God’s faithfulness.

Hebrews 11:1–2 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For by this our ancestors were approved.

I appreciate seeing how multiple translations clarify this. The NET makes the author’s intention super clear.

Hebrews 11:1 (NET) Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.

Here the author uses a writing technique of Hebrew poets called “parallelism” - saying the same thing in 2 parallel lines “faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see”.

Trusting something yet UNSEEN doesn’t mean is doesn’t exist.

In truth, we put faith/trust in what we can’t see ALL THE TIME!

We drink water out of a faucet, having faith/trusting that it is safe.

We eat food in a restaurant, with faith/confidence that it is not contaminated.

We get paid with a check or paper money—and we have faith/trust that a cheap fibrous material will actually allow us to buy food and other stuff.

We submit to the surgeon’s knife, and the doctor’s prescription, putting faith/trust in their ability & desire for our good and believing that the outcome will be good.

So too, we are to live in such a way as to put faith/trust in God with the future OUTCOME.

It is by this - faith - that the Hebrew ancestors (grandpa and grandma...and beyond) were approved by God. Good works have never made people right with God. Real deal faith in God is what makes a person approved by God.

And so, the author backs up to the beginning and works his way forward through the Scriptures.

Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

Even with all the technology we have today, does anyone fully understand the process by which God created everything out of nothing? NOPE. The people 2000 years ago didn’t either. But they did understand that God created the universe - matter, space, and energy - from things that are not visible. You might say it this way, “Before then nothing MATTERed…because there was none [matter].”

In our day, many refuse to trust the unseen God by what He has made.

They are like the piano mice who lived all their lives in a large piano. The music of the instrument came to them in their “piano world,” filling all the dark spaces with sound and harmony. At first the mice were impressed by it. They drew comfort and wonder from the thought that there was someone who made the music—though invisible to them—someone beyond them, yet close to them. They loved to think of the Great Player whom they could not see.

Then one day a daring mouse climbed up part of the piano and returned to describe how the music was actually made. Wires were the secret—tightly stretched wires of graduated lengths that trembled and vibrated. The mice must revise all their old beliefs. None but the most conservative could any longer believe in the Unseen Player.

Later another explorer brought more insight into where the music came from. Hammers —great numbers of hammers dancing and leaping on the wires. This was a more complicated theory, but it all proved that they lived in a purely mechanical and mathematical world.

The Unseen Player came to be thought of as a myth, though the pianist continued to play.

However, By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God.

After creating the universe, plants & animals, God created people in His image - we all know about Adam and Eve, but you might not remember what led to the 1st murder in Scripture - where Cain killed his brother, Abel. WHY? The Scripture tells us.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith.

It has been said “dead men tell no tales”, but John MacArthur rightly notes that dead men DO tell tales. In fact, ancient Abel speaks a relevant message loud and clear for modern mankind.

What was his message? Abel trusted that God was worthy of his sincere sacrifice. By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain.

Why was his sacrifice better? Was it because it was animal sacrifice versus farm crops? I don’t think so, since the Scripture doesn’t highlight that. Here’s what it says from Genesis.

Genesis 4:4–5 (NET) But Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock—even the fattest of them. And the LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering, but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased. So Cain became very angry, and his expression was downcast.

This Scripture seems to spotlight that Abel gave God his best - the firstborn & fattest - because he trusted God to continue to provide for him.

Cain, on the other hand, didn’t trust God like Abel did - and didn’t bring his best.

So, Cain’s jealousy leads him to kill Abel, his own brother. Yet even in death, Abel “speaks through his faith” (Heb 11:4).

Next comes a Godly man very little is known about. Here’s what is known:

Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken away, and so he did not experience death. He was not to be found because God took him away. For before he was taken away, he was approved as one who pleased God. * Gen 5:21-24

Enoch is 1 of 2 (and Elijah 2 Kings 2:1) mentioned in the Scriptures that NEVER died, but were taken by God to heaven!

Side note: Followers of Jesus who are still living on earth when He returns will experience the same thing (1 Thes. 4:17)!

Further, at that time people were living for several hundred years. In fact, Enoch is the father of Methuselah - the oldest man in Scripture at 969 years - but Enoch was ONLY 365 years old when God took him to heaven - a young adult.

But here’s the other thing mentioned in the New Testament by Jude 14-15: Enoch was known for prophesying - speaking on behalf of God in warning false teachers and their audience. How long did he do this? We don’t know…maybe 300+ years.

And God take Enoch early - but WHY? Enoch pleased God because of his faith. He TRUSTED God and it was obvious throughout his life!

Genesis describes his life by saying that “Enoch walked with God 300 years...” (Gen 5:22)

Wouldn’t that be wonderful to be known as someone who “walked with God” - to be known for loving God, obeying God, and being in fellowship with God!

John MacArthur says it well: “One thing is certain: because of his faithful preaching and faithful living, no one who heard Enoch or lived around him had any excuse for not believing in God.” [John F. MacArthur Jr., Hebrews, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1983), 313–314.]

By faith... he was approved as one who pleased God.

THAT’S how we please God - by TRUSTING HIM!

Hebrews 11:6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.

We please God when we LIVE BY FAITH.

BIG TRUTH: Genuine faith is living like: 1) God exists and 2) God rewards.

Based on THAT definition - do YOU have genuine faith - a faith that pleases God?

What difference does God’s existence make in your daily life? How does God’s Presence impact your actions, words, thoughts, attitudes, & relationships?

OR is it true of you, that you live like God doesn’t exist? I haven’t met tons of PHILOSOPHICAL ATHEISTS, but I’ve met ALOT of PRACTICAL ATHEISTS - people who might not SAY there is no God, but who sure ACT like there is no God.

What difference do God’s rewards make in your daily life? What rewards are you experiencing NOW? (e.g. Love, Joy, Peace, Faith Family) And what about FUTURE REWARDS? They are on the way... Eternal Life, Reunion with others, Knowing our Creator’s pure, powerful Presence…FOREVER! It’s not here yet…but we are 1 day closer to what our GREAT GOD has promised!

So, Joshua awaits IN FAITH, that FUTURE DAY when he gets his truck. THAT DAY is TO-DAY - so when he gets back from camp we will drive HIS TRUCK to pick him up! We are excited to see the reaction of our son - the one who has awaited and trusted that this day was coming.

So too, THE DAY is coming that Jesus promised - THE DAY that what He promised will come to be - The DAY He returns and the faith we have put in the God we have never seen…WILL BE SEEN, the VISIBLE REALITY we have only dreamed of!

And that’s great news for those who follow Jesus, but the ONE who REWARDS is also the ONE who punishes those who aren’t LIVING BY FAITH. And it’s not like God is a Cosmic Cop who sets a speed trap and looks forward to pulling you over…

INSTEAD, our Great God came to live on earth as a man - lived a perfect life and then DIED on the cross for YOUR SINS and MINE!

This week I was in an online conversation with a 20 year old who is living a homosexual lifestyle. He asked these questions, “Can you be gay and be a Christian? Can you be gay and go to heaven?”

I responded with Scripture that pointed out that sin and many others including heterosexual sin, drunkards, liars…etc. who will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God…UNLESS…THEY…WE…YOU turn from your sin and TRUST Jesus. Those who refuse to turn from their sin and follow Jesus WILL NOT inherit the Kingdom (1 Cor 6:9-10; Rev 21:8) .

Sadly, he has bought the lie that 1) He was born that way 2) He can’t change 3) And that his sexual desire IS his IDENTITY.

But THANK GOD that while we are ALL BORN WITH SINFUL DESIRES, he…you…ME…CAN CHANGE with the help of God and His people; We can be FULLY FORGIVEN and we CAN CHANGE because Jesus actually PAID for our sins (1 Cor 6:11)! (And regardless of what you have done…you have not yet - as long as you’re breathing - gone too far for his grace) AND we should recognize that the ONE who made us determines our IDENTITY.

But this young man…and the people you and I talk with…NEED TO KNOW BOTH TRUTHS: 1) that God WILL JUDGE sin, but they need to know that 2) God will also REWARD those who turn from sin and turn to Him!

The day is coming when our sinful desires will be done away with! But until that day, we will trust Him, LIVING BY FAITH…Genuine Faith…

living like: 1) God exists and 2) God rewards those who seek Him.

QUESTION: What are you doing to SEEK God?

Are you opening the Scriptures daily?

Are you talking to God throughout the day?

Are you hanging out with others who are encouraging you to SEEK God or those who encourage you to STIFF-ARM God?

If you have questions, we are here to talk

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