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Faith

Faith

Hebrews 11

Emmanuel Christian Church

10.19.25

INTRODUCTION: “And without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God…” If you are hoping for heaven, a statement like that ought to get your attention! FAITH- if it’s that important: what is it, how do I get it, and what do I do with it? Good, practical questions! Hebrews chapter 11 gives us the answers! Over my career, I’ve preached more sermons on this one chapter than any other in the entire Bible. In those sermons, I’ve zoomed in on the details, so this time I thought I might try to give the BIG picture on what this “faith chapter” of the Bible has to say. Before we get to that “big picture”, let’s hear the whole picture as I read from God’s Word. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. Hebrews 11:3 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.Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. Hebrews 11:5By 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. Hebrews 11:7 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 comes by faith. Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Hebrews 11:11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age — and Sarah herself was barren — was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. Hebrews 11:13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country — a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. Hebrews 11:20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. Hebrews 11:21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. Hebrews 11:22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones. Hebrews 11:23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. Hebrews 11:24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. Hebrews 11:29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. Hebrews 11:31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. Hebrews 11:32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37 They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated — 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. Hebrews 11:39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. PROPOSITION: Why did I just take the time to read for you that ENTIRE chapter? For this simple reason: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” Romans 10:17 That’s faith’s starting point: God’s Word. That’s why for my entire career in ministry I have always sought to make it the center of every message and lesson. Having heard all of chapter 11, I want to leave you with three words that I hope help you remember the BIG picture of this important chapter. Here’s the first… Faith is what you THINK.

  • …about what you cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
  • Western culture believes nothing it cannot see (or touch, taste, smell or hear). If we can’t perceive it with our five senses- it might as well not exist!
  • The Biblical view of the world says that there is more to reality than what our five senses can report to our 3 pound human brain. There IS a spirit realm. In that realm is where we find God. John 4:24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
  • Faith is what you think about how we got here. Hebrews 11:3 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.
  • We have spent considerable time on this subject here at Emmanuel. Why? Because if you can’t believe what the Bible says in its first two chapters, how can you believe anything else in the 1,187 that follow?
  • Believing in a literal six day Creation by the omnipotent God is NOT inconsistent with logic, reason and physical evidence.
  • Can you believe in Biblical Creation and Evolution at the same time? NO! Not at least without giving up on logic, reason and the physical evidence.
  • This subject is NOT one to be quickly dispatched. It takes time and effort to do it justice. If you never have, let me suggest answersingenesis.org.
  • Faith is what you think about what God THINKS. Hebrews 11:6 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.
  • God thinks your faith is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.
  • God thinks your conviction of His existence is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.
  • God thinks that your confidence in His promises is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.
  • God thinks that your passionate pursuit of Him is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. Faith is what you DO.
  • The largest part of Hebrews chapter 11 is given over to what people of faith chose to DO.
  • It’s ironic that for many people today, they have reduced faith to nothing more than a set of beliefs that merely reside in one’s mind! That’s not only in direct contradiction to the examples found in this chapter, but it is in opposition to the CLEAR statement of God’s Word: James 2:24 You see that a person is justified by what he DOES and not by faith alone.
  • There are lots of names and events in the center of Hebrews chapter 11. We could spend weeks looking at each of the names, places and events listed- but again I want to give you the BIG picture.
  • Two main groups of people stand out: The Patriarchs, and People of the Law.
  • The Patriarchs were those fathers through whom God chose to deal with the whole human race. The list includes names from Adam to Moses whose faith did remarkable things that changed the course of all human history:
  • Able was the first to demonstrate real faith.
  • Enoch was a faithful follower of God.
  • Noah saved the human race.
  • Abraham, Issac and Jacob made covenant with God and received the first promise of the Savior.
  • Moses led God’s people out of slavery and gave birth to the nation of Israel!
  • The people of the Law, the Jews- are the second group we see.
  • Among those mentioned were prophets, priests, kings and even a prostitute!
  • None of them were perfect, but all of them passionately pursued God, faced incredible challenges, suffered greatly and accomplished the impossible through their living, active faith.
  • The Patriarchs and the all the other people of God are the ones who make up what Hebrews 12:1 calls the “Great Cloud Of Witnesses”.
  • They are NOT the dead of the past, they are the living, “departed” people of God who have already run their race of faith, who occupy the spectator stands of heaven, watching now… as we run ours! Faith has a FOCUS
  • That focus becomes clear when we hear this fascinating statement about those Old Testament spectators before whose eyes we run our race: Hebrews 11:39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
  • From the beginning, right up to this very moment, the only way anyone has ever been able to approach God is through FAITH. HOWEVER, the focus of faith has changed down through the ages.
  • In the beginning, God called Adam and Eve to place their faith in His one simple command- “Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for the day you do- will be the day you die. Well, we all know how that turned out!
  • Then came the Patriarchs. God called them to have faith in His Promises.
  • With Moses, God called His people to faithfully keep His Law.
  • But, in these last days of human history, God has called all men everywhere to faith in Jesus. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 CONCLUSION: Faith is what you THINK- make absolutely sure that what YOU think lines up with what God thinks! Faith is what you DO- make absolutely sure that what you do is centered in the will of God. Faith has only one FOCUS- make absolutely sure it is Jesus.