SERIES: “DISCOVER VISION: SEEING WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO SEE”
TEXT: HEBREWS 11:1-12
TITLE: “SEEING THROUGH THE LENS OF FAITH”
OPEN: A. A long time ago, I heard a preacher tell a story about two fools and a flashlight:
It seems that two fellows who were not-too-bright were walking home after a trip to another
town. It started getting dark and one fellow asked, “What are we going to do? If it gets too dark,
we won’t be able to find the footbridge that crosses the river and we won’t be able to get home.”
The other fellow replies, “Don’t worry. We’ll figure out something when we get there.”
They finally make it to the river and not only is it dark, it’s also overcast. There’s no moon
visible. They can’t see very far in front of them. One of the fellows remember that he has a rope in
his traveling bag but they can’t figure out how to use the rope to get across. The other fellow then
remembers that he packed a flashlight.
The first fellow gets real excited. He’s got an idea. He says, “I’ll tie the rope to the flashlight.
Then I’m going to shine it across the river. You walk across on the beam of light carrying the rope.
When you get to the other side, you pull the flashlight across and I’ll walk across.”
The second fellow is shaking his head, “No.” He says, “Uh, uh! No way! I know what’s gonna
happen – I’ll get halfway across and you’ll turn off the flashlight.”
B. To the world, faith is foolishness
1. It’s really no different than those two fellows in the flashlight story
--It’d be nice if it worked but good luck in the real life
2. The world sees faith as wishful thinking
C. The Bible teaches something different
1. Hab. 2:4b – “…the righteous will live by his faith.”
2. Prov. 3:5-6 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
3. 2 Cor. 5:7 – “We live by faith, not by sight.”
D. Two weeks ago, we started a new series: “Discover Vision: Seeing What God Wants You to See”
1. The first message was “Eyes Wide Open”
--an introductory message on vision with an overview of what I understand God’s vision to be
for this congregation
a. We learned that as we walk in this world, sometimes we are spiritually blind
--We miss what God wants us to see
b. Helen Keller: “The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no
vision.”
2. Today’s message is “Seeing Through the Lens of Faith”
a. What we see can be distorted if we do not wear corrective lenses
--Susie Campbell from Vanceburg, KY sent this in to Readers Digest:
My face in the mirror isn’t wrinkled or drawn.
My furniture’s dusted, the cobwebs are gone.
My garden is lovely, and so is my lawn.
Don’t think I’ll ever put my glasses back on.
b. Even with some professional help, we’re not always sure we’re seeing what we should see
A certain fellow had lived a long life but it was drawing to a close. As his family
surrounded his deathbed, he asked to see his optometrist. They asked, “You’re optometrist?
Why in the world do you want to see your optometrist?” The old fellow quietly said,
“Please, just get him for me.”
The family wanted to keep him calm and comfortable during his final hours so they sent
for his optometrist. When the eye doctor arrived, he quietly entered the man’s bedroom,
walked to the bed and took his patient’s hand. He looked at his patient and said, “It hurts
me to see you like this. What can I do for you?”
The old fellow opened his eyes and imploringly said, “Doc, before I go, there’s one thing
I have to know. Which one was clearer – A or B?”
c. As Christians, our only clear vision is when we see through the lens of faith
E. Jesus spoke about two kinds of faith
1. Little faith
a. Mt. 8, there’s a huge storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus is asleep and the disciples are scared to
death. They scream and yell like little girls until Jesus wakes up and stops the storm.
b. Mt. 8:26 – “‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds
and the waves and it was completely calm.”
2. Great faith
a. Earlier, in Mt. 8, there’s a Roman centurion who asks Jesus to come and heal his deathly ill
servant. The centurion acknowledges that he knows where Jesus’ authority comes from and
that if Jesus wishes, that his servant will be healed.
b. Mt. 8:10 – “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”
E. Heb. 11:1-12 – “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
This is what the ancients were commended for. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and
builder is God. 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.
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.”
F. So what is faith?
1. How does it affect our vision?
2. What does it have to do with everyday living?
3. Let’s determine those things based on scripture
I. FAITH SHOWS ITSELF IN WHAT WE BELIEVE
A. Faith is defined in vs. 1
1. Faith is our “assurance”
a. It is our “title-deed””
b. It is our foundation for doing what we do
c. In the original language, it literally means “that which stands under”
--Something that gives strong support – like the pylons under a bridge
2. Faith is our certainty
a. We are convinced along certain lines
b. We’ve trusted in certain things
c. The original language is a word that refers to evidence in a court hearing
3. Both of those words are in sharp contrast to wishful thinking
--whether they want to admit it or not, Americans live by faith every day
a. We walk to a light switch, turn it on, and expect the light bulb to emit light
b. We go to the spigot, turn it on, and expect water to come out
c. We get in our automobiles, insert the key, and expect the engine to start
d. There’s a possibility that what we expect won’t happen but we do what we do because we’re
confidently assured that we’re going to get what we expect
4. Faith says, “I’ve seen just enough of God’s faithfulness in one area to trust Him in other areas.”
5. Darryl Dash: “Faith is the confident assurance that God is in control of the future and that he will keep
his promises to me because he has a purpose for me. Faith is building your life on the fact that God is
in control, and that God will fulfill his promises even when you don’t see those promises
materializing.”
6. The KJV is best here
--It refers to faith as being “the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen”
a. Substance
--Faith is the basis for all we hope for
b. Evidence
--It is the means by which we test the validity of all things
B. Faith becomes our calm assurance in the face of an unbelieving world
1. Faith anchors our hope in the creation of the world rather than evolution through blind chance
--that we were designed by a loving and caring Creator and we’re not just an accident of the universe
2. Faith anchors our hope in the future resurrection of the body because Christ was raised from the dead
3. Faith anchors our hope in the providence of God because the Bible tells us that He will supply all of
our need
II. FAITH SHOWS ITSELF IN HOW WE LIVE
A. Since God is in control and since we can trust Him to do what is right and best, will we do what He
wants us to do?
1. When God asks us to witness about Jesus to someone else, will we trust that He has made preparations
already in that person’s heart?
2. When God challenges us to examine our lives, will we trust that He will show us a better way?
3. When God says you’re too comfortable in your relationship with His Son, will we step out of our
comfort zone and grow closer?
4. When God leads us through tests and trials to teach us more about Himself, will we become bitter or
better?
5. When Jesus says, “I will build my church,” do we believe that or do we sit and ring our hands because
we don’t know what to do next?
6. When there’s ministry that needs accomplished, will we step out in faith and spend the money even
when we think we can’t afford it?
7. When something needs to be done, will we say, “I can’t do that?” or respond “I’ll do all that I can?”
8. When the Bible gives clear instruction concerning the purposes of the church, will we be committed to
accomplishing those purposes or will we sit back and say, “It’s too much to ask?”
B. Faith is being obedient even when we don’t understand
--faith always involves a risk
1. Abraham was obedient even when he didn’t know where he was going
a. He was old, comfortable, and settled when God came and said, “I want you to go to a land of
promise”
--Gen. 12:4b – “Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.”
b. Yet, he packed his household and took off on the journey of a lifetime
2. Abraham was obedient even when he didn’t know how it was going to happen
a. If Abraham was too old and too settled to move from a place of comfort to a place of uncertainty,
he was way too old for the next promise from God
b. God had promised to make a great nation out of Abraham – that his descendants would be as
numerous as the stars in the sky
--that’s difficult when you’ve never had a child
1). When Abraham was 99, God came and said, “Now it’s time.”
2). Our scripture this morning says that Abraham was dead in the sense that he could not conceive
children
3). It seemed such a ludicrous idea that his wife Sarah, age 90, laughed
--She was going to use her Social Security check to buy diapers and formula
C. Three important things to remember
1. Faith isn’t always comfortable
2. Faith always involves commitment
3. Faith is a continual process
III. FAITH SHOWS ITSELF IN HOW WE GIVE
A. Abel
a. Heb. 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.”
b. Gen. 4:2b-5a – “Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought
some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of
the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his
offering he did not look with favor.”
B. Abraham
1. Heb. 11:17-19 – “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, even though God had said to him,
‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’ Abraham reasoned that God could raise the
dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.”
2. Gen. 22:1-2 – “Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he
replied. Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of
Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." “
3. Gen. 22:6-8 – “Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he
himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said
to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here,"
Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham answered, "God himself will
provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.”
IV. FAITH SHOWS ITSELF IN HOW WE SERVE
A. Enoch
1. Heb. 11:5 – “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.”
2. Gen. 5:24 – “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”
B. Noah
1. Gen. 6
a. Rain never mentioned before in the Bible
b. Whether Noah had seen rain and flooding before, he’d never seen it like this before
c. It took quite awhile to assemble a large enough vessel and gather all the required species of animals
--It wasn’t an easy task – especially for a man 600 years old who was neither an expert in ship-
building or animal husbandry
2. Heb. 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.”
--Noah’s faith accomplished God’s purposes in punishing a wicked sinful world and yet continued a
lineage of people through whom the Savior of all time would come
CLOSE: A. The faith that pleases God
--Heb. 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.”
B. Faith shows itself in:
1. Our worship – Abraham and Abel
2. Our walking – Enoch
3. Our working – Noah
C. We need to be like the disciples who cried, “Lord, increase our faith!” and like the father
of the boy who needed deliverance from demon-possession who cried, “Lord, I believe! Help my
unbelief.”
1. 1 Cor. 2:5 – “Your faith should not stand on men’s wisdom but on the power of God.”
2. Jesus asks in Lk. 18:8 – “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith?”
3. 1 Jn. 5:4b says that our faith is “the victory that overcomes the world.”
D. There’s a great story in 2 Kings 6. The king of Aram (what we know today as Syria) was
giving the king of Israel a difficult time. He sent soldiers into Israel to raid and pillage it. To aid
the king of Israel, Elisha the prophet would warn him about where the attacks would come.
The king of Aram thought he had a traitor. 2 Kings 6:11 tells us that “He summoned his
officers and demanded of them, ‘Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of
Israel?’” Here is the reply in vs. 12 – “ ‘None of us, my lord the king,’ said one of his officers,
‘but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your
bedroom.’”
The king of Aram ordered that his men should find out where Elisha was staying. The Bible
tells us that the report came back to the king that Elisha was staying in the town of Dothan. 2
Kings 6:14 says: When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next
morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. ‘Oh, my lord, what shall we
do? the servant asked. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. Those who are with us are more
than those who are with them.’”
Elisha’s servant could not see what Elisha saw – the hand of the Lord. 2 Kings 6:17 relates
what happened next: “And Elisha prayed, ‘O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the
LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of
fire all around Elisha.”
1. How could Elisha see what his servant couldn’t see?
--He was looking through the lens of faith
2. What are you missing because your vision is skewed by disbelief and distrust?
a. Is there some area of service where you are refusing to serve because you don’t think you
can do it?
b. Is there something that you have that you’re holding back because you looking at things
through earthly glasses instead of spiritual glasses?
--Does it have to do with your time, your talent, your treasure, or your testimony?
c. Is there some decision that God is asking you to make but you just can’t step out in faith and
do what He is asking?
E. Jesus spoke of faith the size of a mustard seed being able to accomplish great things.
1. It’s not the size of the faith, it’s the strength of the faith
2. The strength of our faith is only as good as the source of our faith
--The source of our faith is Jesus Christ and what He can do through us
3. Several years back, the evening news reported on a videographer who jumped from a plane
along with numerous other skydivers and filmed the groups as they fell and opened their
parachutes. On the film shown on the telecast, as the final skydiver opened his chute, the
picture went berserk. The announcer reported that the cameraman had fallen to his death,
having jumped out of the plane without his parachute. It wasn’t until he reached for the absent
ripcord that he realized he was free-falling without a parachute.
Until that point, the jump probably seemed exciting and fun. But tragically, he had acted
with thoughtless haste and deadly foolishness. Nothing could save him because his faith was in
a parachute he never buckled on. Faith in anything but an all-sufficient God can be just as
tragic spiritually. Only with faith in Jesus Christ do we dare step into the dangerous excitement
of life and death.
