Sermon Tone Analysis

The Author Said at the End of Chapter 10…

That His Hebrew Christians Audience Shouldn’t Be Timid…

And Give Up Their Confidence and Confession in Jesus

They Should Be Bold and Faithful

And Chapter 11 is the Author Giving Them Examples of Their Faithful Ancestors

He Begins with a Definition of Faith that Tells Us:

Our Hopes are the Things We’ve Been Promised By God…

But that We Don’t Yet See/Experience

Faith is Trusting God to the Extent that We are Confident…

That We Will One Day See/Experience Those Things

This Theme of Being Confident in the Invisible Promises of God Runs Throughout the Entire Chapter

Hebrews 11:1–7 (NIV)

1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did.

By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.

And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”

For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.

By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

Hebrews 11:4 (NASB95)

By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

Abel’s Faith Still Speaks Today

It Still Teaches a Wonderful Lesson

Those Who Act in Faith Toward God Will Be Considered Righteous By God

And the Righteous are Those Who Await the Resurrection

Why was Abel’s Offering Accepted By God and Cain’s Wasn’t?

Abel Offered the Best of His Flock and Cain Offered the Fruit of His Garden?

Abel Offered His Offering By Faith and Cain Didn’t?

We Aren’t Given Much Explanation, But it Doesn’t Matter Anyway

We Know Abel Trusted God and Acted Accordingly

And Because of that, He was Justified By God

Justification has Always Been Attained Through Faith

Hebrews 11:5 (NASB95)

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.

Because of Enoch’s Faith, He Never Experienced Death as Everyone Else Did

In the List of Descendants of Adam in Genesis…

Everyone’s Story Ends with “And He Died”

Everyone Except Enoch

Because He Lived a Life of Faith, He was Pleasing to God, and God Took Him

Hebrews 11:6 (NASB95)

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Enoch Had Faith and Therefore Pleased God

Without Such Faith, it’s Impossible to Please Him

The Author Gives Us 2 Areas Where Our Faith Must Lie

We Must Believe/Have Faith that God Exists

Though We Can’t See Him, We are Confident that He Exists

We Must Believe/Have Faith that He is the Rewarder of Those Who Seek Him (Seek to Live for Him)

Though we Can’t See the Rewards He has Planned for Us…

We are Confident that He Will Keep His Promises

Hebrews 11:7 (NASB95)

By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Because of Noah’s Faith, He Believed in Something He’d Never Seen

God Warned Him that a Flood was Coming that Would Destroy the World

He had Never Seen Such a Thing, But He Believed it Because He Trusted God

That Trust Led Him to Build the Ark that Would Lead to the Salvation of His Family

His Faithful Obedience in Building the Ark “Condemned the World”

The Very Act of Faithful Obedience Condemns Those Who Refuse to Faithfully Obey

Noah Inherited Righteousness Through Faith in God

Again, Justification/Righteousness Has Always Come Through Faith

We are in the Same Position as Noah

We Have Also Been Warned of a Coming Destruction

We are Expected to Believe it Though We Haven’t Yet Seen it

We are Expected to Obey God’s Instructions on How to Survive this Destruction

We are Expected to Condemn the World By Choosing to Live in Open Faithfulness

And We are the Inheritors of Righteousness if We Continue in Faithfulness

2 Peter 3:3–14 (NLT)

Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires.

They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again?

From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”

They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water.

Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood.

And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire.

They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.

But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think.

No, he is being patient for your sake.

He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.

Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along.

On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.

But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.

Just as Noah had Faith in Something He’d Never Seen…

We are to Have Faith in Jesus’ Return and Destruction of the Wicked

And We are to Live Holy and Godly Lives of Faith

Noah was Likely Judged By the World for Building a Giant Ark

Because His Ark was a Symbol of Their Condemnation

We are Judged By the World for Living Lives of Holiness and Godliness

Because Our Holiness and Godliness Condemns the World

But, Just as Noah Became the Heir of Righteousness Through His Faith…

We Will Inherit Righteousness Through Our Faith as Well

The Author Now Spends His Time Looking at the Father of the Faithful

Hebrews 11:8 (NASB95)

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Abraham had No Idea Where He was Going…

But He Trusted God, and He Went