Hebrews #26: an exposition of Hebrews 11:1-3. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 12, 2014.
Intro:
The old man pulled over to the side of the road. Slowly walked to the middle of the bridge. He stared into the water below for several minutes. He took a deep breath as he looked toward the heavens. With a sense of resignation he climbed over the rail and was about to jump when he heard a voice, “Don’t do it!” The old man turn and a young man was running toward him. “Sir, I’ve been watching. You don’t want to do this.” The old man looked back toward the water below, “No, life is just not worth it.” The young man in desperation pled with him, “Take just five minutes and tell me why you think life’s not worth it. Then give me five minutes to tell you why it is. If you still want to jump I won’t stop you.” The old man took five minutes to rehearse the miseries of the world. The young man passionately spoke of the goodness of life. After his five minutes the old man, smiled and held out his hand. The young man took it. Together they jumped off the bridge! Sometimes life stinks. This world is often filled with heartache and sorrow. Sometimes life is just so overwhelming you cannot see the goodness of life. Sometimes the pain is so great you can’t imagine going on. During such struggles you need something greater than a pep-talk. You need something more powerful than a stranger’s assurance things are going to “turn around.” You need assurance born of the word and Spirit of the Living God. You need faith.
Not wishful thinking, sentimental, brainless faith but faith that is born of an experience with the God who is. A faith that is the result of God’s faithfulness, that is the fruit of a genuine encounter with God. The biblical writer is pleading with these Hebrew believers to remain faithful when everything around them says, “Run!” He pleads with them to remember their past experience of grace and to expect that same grace in the future. Hebrews chapter 11 is the great “faith chapter.” The chapter begins with a description of faith and then links that faith with hope and then goes on to show how this hope gave power for all kinds of radical obedience. That is what Hebrews 11:4 and following is all about. It is a catalogue of people who demonstrate the kind of faith described in 11:1-3. How do we remain faithful when the days get dark? How do we go on when all seems lost? We follow the command of chapter 10 – we live by faith. We become those who have faith and thus preserve their souls.
Text: Hebrews 11:1-3
Look back for a minute at 10:32-34
But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings,
33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.
34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.
This is an incredible description of this little church in Rome.
They lived extraordinary lives.
We looked at this last time – “Joyfully accepted the plundering of their property?”
Extraordinary, yet this is the aim of the entire book of Hebrews.
Bringing us to live this kind of life.
How were they able to do it? “Since [because, for] you knew you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding hope.” By faith.
This brief text serves to remind us that…
Thesis: Biblical faith inspires hope and engenders perseverance.
3 characteristics of biblical faith.
- Biblical faith is absolutely certain of the truth of God’s promises. (11:1)
- Biblical faith is confident of God’s power to keep and commend. (11:2)
- Biblical faith enlightens our understanding. (11:3)