Heroes of Faith
Hebrews Chapter Eleven
Scripture Reading 11:1-7
1. Our author finished chapter ten with the admonition not to “draw back unto perdition”.
2. In this chapter we see our author encouraging his readers to push on to the “saving of the soul”.
Divine Spectacle
During an interview with Mr. Lincoln long after he had been inaugurated President, a friend asked him if he loved Jesus. The President buried his face in his handkerchief and wept and sobbed. He then said amid his tears, "When I left home to take the chair of the State I was not then a Christian. When my son died-the severest trial of my life-I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg, and looked upon the graves of our dead who had fallen in the defense of their country, I then and there committed myself to Christ. I do love Jesus. The spectacle of that crucified One which is before my eyes is more than sublime-it is Divine."
A gentleman having an appointment to meet President Lincoln at five o’clock in the morning went a quarter of an hour before the time appointed. While waiting for the appointed time he heard in the next room a voice as if in grave conversation, and asked an attendant standing by, "Who is talking in the next room? "It is the President, sir," replied the attendant. "Is anybody with him?" the gentleman inquired. "No; he is reading the Bible." "Is that his habit so early in the morning?" "Yes, sir, he spends every morning from four o’clock to five in reading the Scriptures and praying."
I. Faith Before the Flood (1-7)
a. A Explanation of Faith (1-3)
i. “Faith Is” (1)
1. “substance of things hoped for”
a. A better translation for substance (KJV) or assurance (NASV) would be “title deed.”
b. “things hoped for” is something the Hebrew writer has spoken much about.
(Heb 3:6) But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
(Heb 6:11) And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
(Heb 7:19) For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
2. “evidence of things not seen”
a. I think if we view heaven as a “title deed”, then faith is the guarantee.
b. Calvinist use this text to prove the doctrine of election by emphasizing the word “evidence”, and is therefore since God give the elect faith, it is proof of their salvation.
ii. “Good Report” (2)
1. Men, who have been faithful, have been approved by God.
2. Faith is not a gift given to us by God, but rather is something we work at.
(Rom 10:17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
(2Ti 2:15) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
(Joh 6:28) Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
(Joh 6:29) Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
iii. “Through Faith We Understand” (3)
1. We God says that he created the world we can believe him through faith.
2. Even the elements of the world listen to God.
(Psa 33:6) By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
b. Abel’s Faith Compared to Cain’ lack of Faith (4)
i. “More Excellent Sacrifice”
ii. “He Was Righteous”
iii. “He Being Dead Yet Speacketh”
c. Enoch’s Faith (5-6)
i. “Translated” (5)
ii. “Was Not Found” (5)
1. His friends must have looked for him just like Elijah’s friends did in 2 Kings 2:17.
(2Ki 2:17) And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.
iii. “Pleased God” (5-6)
1. In the LXX Genesis 5:34 is translated “well pleasing to God” instead of “walked with God.”
2. Those who please God, can walk with him by faith.
d. Noah’s Faith (7)
i. “to the saving of his house”
1. This ought to be the greatest goal of any Christian parent.
2. Happy is the man who saves souls, and how much happier is the man who saves his own family
ii. “condemned the world”
1. Our faith should stand out in stark contrast to the disbelief of our neighbors and should theirfore convict them of their guilt.
iii. “became heir of the righteousness”
What Is Faithfulness?
A shepherd once came to the city of Edinburgh from the country. He had his small obedient dog with him. While there, the man died and was buried. That little dog lay upon its master’s grave-not for a day, a week, or a month, but for 12 years. Every day at one o’clock a gun was fired in the castle of Edinburgh. When the gun was fired the dog would run to the local baker who gave it food and water. Then back to the grave it would go. This continued till the dog died 12 years later. That was faithfulness!
A man threw a goose, which had been run over and crushed by a car, into an oil drum. For seven years the gander, that goose’s mate, never went more than ten feet away from that oil drum. That was faithfulness!
George Mueller prayed for 52 years for a certain man to come to Christ. A pastor visited an elderly man 21 times before being admitted, but then he befriended the man and led him to Christ. That was faithfulness!
A Welsh postman had the British Empire Medal conferred upon him by Queen Elizabeth; he had not missed a day’s service in 43 years. Paul Dhrlick, the chemist, performed 605 unsuccessful experiments; the 606th was a success! Thomas Edison made 18,000 experiments before he perfected the arc light. After experiencing 50 failures on another project he said, "I have found 50 ways it cannot be done!" That was faithfulness!
During the Korean War a man buried himself in the muck and mud of a pig sty (except for his nose and mouth so he could breathe) for eight days and nights rather than betray his buddies and surrender to the enemy. That was faithfulness!
Are you not glad that Jesus was faithful in dying for us and that He now lives and is faithful to care for us? God grant us grace to be faithful!
II. Faith in the Patriarchal Age (8-22)
a. Abraham’s Faith (8-19)
i. “obeyed” (8)
ii. “By faith he sojourned” (9-16)
1. Abraham never was at home here in this world.
iii. “By faith Abraham, when he was tried” (17-19)
1. Consider the figure of Christ and his work of redemption clearly seen in the sacrifice of Isaac.
b. Isaac’s Faith (20)
i. “By faith Isaac blessed”
1. If we are faithful we will be a blessing to others.
ii. “concerning things to come”
1. We will bless others because of the message we bring.
c. Jacob’s Faith (21)
i. “By faith Jacob, when he was a dying…..worshipped”
1. Jacob was faithful until death.
(Rev 2:10) Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
ii. “leaning upon the top of his staff”
d. Joseph’s Faith (22)
i. “gave commandment concerning his bones”
1. Joseph looked to the fulfillment of the promise of God.
2. Hundreds of years after Moses carried out Josephs wishes (Ex. 13:19).
III. Faith in the Mosaic Age (23-40)
a. Moses’ Faith (23-28)
i. Faith of Moses (23-24)
ii. Self Sacrifice of Moses (25-27)
iii. “he kept the passover” (28)
b. Israel’s Faith (29-31)
i. Crossed the Red Sea (29)
ii. Walls of Jericho (30)
iii. Rehab’s Faith (31)
c. Saint’s Faith (32-40)
i. “And what shall I more say?” (32)
ii. “Who through faith subdued” (33)
iii. “Of whom the world was not worthy” (38)
Fruitless Faucets
When Lawrence of Arabia was in Paris after World War I with some of his Arab friends, he showed them the sights of the city: the Arch of Triumph, the Louvre, Napoleon’s tomb, the Champs Elysees, but none of these things impressed them. The thing that really interested them the most was the faucet in the bathtub of the hotel room. They spent much time in turning it on and off. They found it amazing that one could turn a handle and get all the water he wanted.
Later, when they were ready to leave Paris and return to the East, Lawrence found them in the bathroom with wrenches trying to disconnect the faucet. "You see," they said, "it is very dry in Arabia. What we need are faucets. If we have them, we will have all the water we want." Lawrence had to explain that the effectiveness of the faucets did not lie in themselves but in the immense reservoirs of water to which they were attached, and he had to point out that behind this lay the rain and snowfalls of the Alps.
What a tremendous application to our Christian lives. Like the faucet by itself, so as individual Christians by ourselves, without Christ we are useless (Joh_15:5), "...apart from me you can do nothing." The lives of many Christians are as dry as the Arabian desert. They have their faucets, but there is no connection to the Living Water. May we trust God by faith so that our lives may be abundantly fruitful. Don’t be a fruitless faucet.
Conclusion:
1. Let us live by faith.
2. The author of Hebrews is now going to continue to encourage this primitive Christians to remain faithful.
The Rich Employer
Peter Eldersveld tells of a rich Christian who had a large company of employees, and many of them owed him money. He was constantly trying to teach them something about Christianity, and one day he hit upon a plan. He posted a notice for his employees to see that said, "All those who will come to my office between eleven and twelve o’clock on Thursday morning to present an honest statement of their debts will have them canceled at once." The debtors read the notice with a great deal of skepticism, and on Thursday morning, although they gathered in the street in front of his office, not one of them went to the door. Instead they gossiped and complained about their employer, and ridiculed the notice he had posted. They said it didn’t make sense.
But finally, at 11:45, one man jumped forward, dashed up the steps into the office, and presented his statement. "Why are you here?" the rich man asked him. "Because you promised to cancel the debts of all those who would come as you instructed," the other replied. "And do you believe the promise?" "Yes, I do." "Why do you believe it?" persisted the employer. "Because, although it was too much for me to understand, I know that you are a good man who would not deceive anyone." The rich man took the bill and marked it "Paid in full," at which time the poor man, overcome, cried out, "I knew it! I told them so! They said it couldn’t be true, and now I’m going out to show them." "Wait," said his benefactor, "it’s not quite twelve o’clock. The others are not entitled to any special proof of my sincerity." When the clock struck twelve, the forgiven debtor ran out waving his receipt in the face of his fellows. With a mad rush they made for the door, but it was too late. The door was locked.
