What it means to have faith.
Hebrews 11: 6. 01/02/05
I am glad we are in an army that never has to retreat. We are always on the move forward in faith. Because of what Jesus has done on the cross of Calvary and our faith in Him, we are not the victim but the Victor. In the end, we are the winners. And that is the topic and subject of our message this morning.
There are two handles by which you can group the unknown future. You can grasp it by the handle of fear and say what is going to happen now? I have done that but then think God for the voice to my heart that gives us the second handle and that is grasp it by the handle of faith and know that God is in control and commit it all to him.
What you have in this chapter is God’s Hall of faith. There you have ordinary men and women down through the years of time gives us an example of what faith means and what it means to have faith.
There is something important here to grasp the meaning of what it means to have faith. No. 1, you must believe that God does exist. No. 2, that you believe that God is carrying and loving and he rewards those who seek him.
Now our text tells us that it is impossible to please God apart from faith. Many times in the word of God we read Jesus said according to your faith, be it done unto you. He didn’t say according to your fame or your fortune but according to your faith.
So this morning, we want to look at some aspects of faith. We began by asking the ultimate question, what is faith? Now I want to try answering that question by saying first of all FAITH IS BELIEVING WHEN I DO NOT SEE IT.
Our culture says seeing is believing and no doubt we have quoted that phrase more than once. But God says believing is seeing. Faith is believing God for the future in advance. Faith is believing it even before we receive it. Without this kind of faith it is impossible to please God.
In 1960, John F. Kennedy stood before the nation and challenged our nation to place a man on the moon. This was before we had the technology to do it. He had a vision of what would happen before it came to pass. Spiritually speaking, faith is to visualize what God is going to do even before it comes to pass. It will always be impossible until someone believes God for it.
Years ago the faith of one or more is the reason we are in this building this morning. One mentioned I just believe God would have us to build here for the people of our community. Of course there was going to be those doubters saying we don’t have the money nor the people for that type of building. So, the people of faith believed that God could finance his building. Now we all are reaping where we did not sow because of the faith of a few. And God brought it to pass.
Faith is believing God even when I cannot see it. Also FAITH IS OBEYING EVEN WHEN I DON’T UNDERSTAND IT.
Look at what it reads in verse 8. It was faith that made Abraham obey God when God told him go away from his kindred and family to to a land I will show you. Faith is obeying even when we don’t understand.
We all know the story. God said Abraham, I want you to leave. Abraham was 75 years of age. This was an age most people trying to stay in an environment of security. Abraham was ready to hang it up when God said take it down and move. Abraham said, where am I going? God said I’ll show you along the way. Abraham obeyed even though it did not make sense.
I want to tell you something else about faith and that is FAITH IS GIVING WHEN I DON’T HAVE IT. Look at verse 4.
Cain and Able were brothers and they both were to bring offerings to God. Abel brought of the best he had to offer God. He put God first.
I can remember when Ann and I started tithing as a family. I had never heard of tithing until after I was saved. If you have never started tithing led me tell you, you are missing out on a part of worship. Let me give you a scripture that Jesus ask one of his disciples. Jesus looked at Peter and ask, “lovest thou me more than these?” Now what are the these? Do you love the Lord more than you love money? Faith is giving.
Also FAITH IS PERSISTING WHEN I DON’T FEEL LIKE IT. Look at verse 27.
This is another familiar story. We all know the story of Moses. God told Moses I want you to go back to Egypt and tell the Pharaoh to let my people go so that they can worship me. Oh, by the way Moses, I am going to harden the heart of Pharaoh and he will not listen to you. But Moses, you persist and don’t give up. Even when you don’t feel like it at times, you keep on persisting and you will be the Victor.
You don’t grow to maturity acting on your feelings but you grow to maturity acting on your commitment to the Lord.
FAITH IS THANKING GOD BEFORE I RECEIVE IT. Look at verse 30.
Do you remember the story? They got into the Promised Land the first thing they faced was Jericho. It was the best army and protected city in the ancient world. God said here is your battle plan. March around the wall everyday one time for six successive days and then on the 7th day, march around the wall seven times. And then God said, shout and cry that the Lord has given us the city. And the walls will come falling down. So that marched around those walls like God said. They were obeying God. Once a day everyday for six days, they were obeying God. And God was teaching them a lesson. God was teaching them to confess the victory before the victory came.
FAITH IS TRUSTING GOD EVEN IF I DON’T GET IT. Looked at verses 35 -- 40. It talks about the unnamed heroes of faith who was persecuted, who were killed, who were thrown to the lions. And then it says an amazing thing in verses 39 and 40; it says they were all commended for their faith yet none of them received what they had been promised. God had planned something better. Faith is trusting God even if I don’t get it.
So faith it is believing when I don’t see it, obeying when I don’t understand it, giving when I don’t have it, persisting when I don’t feel like it, praising even before I receive it, and trusting if I don’t get it. And it all begins with a personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and savior.
