Hebrews 11-13

Hebrews 11 – Faith Examples

This week study is on FAITH.  Like oxygen is air to nourish to the body, faith nourishes the soul.

Some call chapter 11 the “Hall of Faith”.  What is faith?  Faith is to have a confidence and assurance in something without having tangible proof.  The word faith is used loosely today.  Some people today think if you have enough faith in something, it will happen.  It’s almost like they will it to happen.  It’s really just wishful thinking.  Heb. 11:1 says “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  Faith is belief, trust, loyalty to God.  Faith has action. 

True faith is belief in God and acting on that belief.  It’s having complete trust in God, His Word, and His promises.  It’s knowing that He is in control.  It’s trusting that He died on the cross for us and was raised on the 3^rd day.  Even demons have belief in God and tremble, but they are not saved.  It’s believing God created the universe.  It’s believing in God’s holiness and requires sinners to accept Jesus’ sacrifice for their sins making Him their Savior.

Where does faith come from?  Faith comes from God.  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Eph. 2:8-9.

Saving faith is threefold:

1.       Content – Believing in something

2.      Warming of the heart – loving response to God

3.      Commitment – following after Christ.

Many in the Old Testament had faith.  This chapter gives us examples of true faith.

·         By faith Able offered God a better sacrifice.  God is holy and establishes a way man is to approaches Him.

·         By Faith Enoch was taken by God and did not experience death.  Enoch teaches us there is life after death.  He walked with God and was personally rewarded.

·         By faith Noah in holy fear built an ark to save his family.  He teaches us about the judgment of God.

·         By faith Abraham was called by God to leave his home and go to a foreign land.  By faith Abraham became a father in his old age. 

·         By faith Abraham obeyed God when he was told to sacrifice his son.  He trusted God’s word.  He believed God when circumstances seemed impossible.  God called him to go into a foreign land.   

·         By faith Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph lived and trusted God in His promises.

·         By faith Moses identified with his suffering people and chose to be with them instead of having the riches of the Egyptians.  He looked ahead to his reward.

·         By faith the prostitute Rahab acted boldly.  She was an unlikely person to be in the Hall of Faith.  She didn’t know much, but she believed and acted.  She was saved by her faith.  She became the mother of Boaz who was an ancestor of Jesus.

All these examples given of Old Testament believers were not admired in their time because of their faith, but were persecuted.  None received what God promised in their lifetime.

Principle:  Jesus is the superior object of our faith.

How is God calling you to believe what is hoped for and certain of what you do not see?

Does it give you hope that your faith could change the world like those in the Old Testament?

How would you describe your faith?

How would others describe your faith?

Hebrews 12 – Faith Tested

Chapter 12 tells us how to live our faith while our faith is being developed. 

God has personally marked our race in the line of faith.  Every race requires perseverance.  There are four steps listed that urge us to take to persevere in difficulties –

1.       Fix your eyes on Jesus – That’s our actions and our attitudes.  Get rid of everything that makes you doubt.

2.      Welcome discipline – This is not punishment, but acts of a loving parent training his child the way he should go.  If we are believers, God considers us His sons.  As a father disciplines a son, God disciplines us because He loves us.  He tells us to endure hardships as discipline.  It may be painful at the time, but it produces a beautiful harvest of righteousness and peace.  He is the King Righteousness and King of Peace.  His discipline develops our character like Christ.  Have you seen God’s discipline?  What refining process is He developing in you?

3.      Handle our relationships with others right – Reacting with people is a BIG ole life test!  Sanctification is not optional.

Trust in the promises of God.  Consider the Old and New Covenant.  “See that you do not refuse him who speaks….” (Heb. 12:25).  There will come a time when the earth will be shaken.  This refers to the great earthquake that will occur to end the present world and where God’s Great White Throne Judgment will occur.  “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” (Heb. 25:28)  Freedom and peace come by trusting God completely without fear, because of He is unstoppable and unshakable.

Is your life shaky? 

What do you count on for security?

What is hindering your faith? 

What does it take for you to further trust God?

Are you wrapped up in anger or unforgiveness?

Principle:  God is pleased when we trust what He says.

Hebrews 13 – Faith Expressed

Hebrews 13 gives us ways our faith can be put into action.

·         Be loving – Keep on loving each others.  Entertain strangers. 

·         Be sympathetic– Remember those who are suffering, those in prison, and those who are mistreated.

·         Be pure – Guard your marriage and be faithful to your spouse.

·         Be content – Keep your lives free from the love of money.  Be satisfied with what you have.

·         Be loyal – Don’t be persuaded by false teachings, but stand firm in your faith. 

·         Be bold – Don’t be afraid to speak the truth and worry about what others may think of you.

·         Be worshipful – Praise God in all things.

·         Respect your leaders who speak the truth – Imitate their faith, submit to their authority, and be supportive.  Remember that Jesus is the real true leader and head of the church.

Principle:  Faith in Jesus equips us to do God’s will.

How can we grow in faith?

Ask God to increase your faith.

Focus on obeying God. 

Spend time reading and hearing God’s Word.

Spend time with other believers.

To sum up the book of Hebrews:  A life of faith pleases God.  Faith is reflected in our choices.

Trust that He is developing your faith.  May we become a cloud of witnesses for God. 

Jesus’ example of faithfulness is encouraging to us.  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” – Heb 13:8.

Join me here next week as we go back to the study of Acts 15.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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