Strathalbyn Church of Christ

Hebrews 11. Theme: Living by Faith. Sermon by Pastor David Williams. Strathalbyn Church of Christ. 13 Feb 2022.

An arborist is trapped in a tree. A sudden split in the trunk has left him pinned by his own ropes. His buddy on the ground sees his plight, sends up another rope and climbs to the rescue. He says, Cut your rope. I’m just under you. I’ll catch you. But it is 30 metres to the ground. The arborist is heavy. Is his buddy strong enough? Is the new rope secure or might it fail? Will the sudden jolt split the trunk completely and send them both to their deaths? But he can’t delay – he’s starting to faint. So, he decides. He cuts the rope. They make it to the ground. The arborist had faith. That is, he knew, he trusted, and he acted. That is faith. He knew his buddy was trained. He trusted in his skill. And he acted – by putting his life in his hands.

Knowing, trusting and acting. This is what faith is. It involves the head, the heart and the hands. We see Abraham knowing, trusting and acting:

8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land… He went without knowing where he was going.

Abraham knew there was a promised land – he knew in his head this was true. And in his heart, he trusted God. He trusted God to keep his promise. And he acted on that promise –by leaving his homeland. Abraham’s faith involved knowing, trusting and acting. This week and next we are looking at what the Bible says on faith. Faith, belief and trust – they are all similar in meaning. Today we look at:

· What can we trust,

· who can we trust,

· how should we trust?

1. What can we trust?

a. Not feelings

Pilate asked, “What is truth?” It is an important question, for what we believe to be true will direct how we live. For post-moderns, truth is what is true for me, what I feel to be true. Many Christians think like this too. You may be convinced that something is true. You may feel it very deeply and sincerely. And yet you may be wrong, utterly wrong. I may be convinced that God wants me to change our driving laws. From today I’m going to lead by example by driving on the other side of the road. Feelings, no matter how strong or sincere, are no reliable guide of truth.

If I’m walking along a clifftop in a fog, I need a map that is reliable – not a feeling. I need to know with complete certainty that the path I’m taking is safe. Yet many Christians rely on feelings of what the Spirit is saying while ignoring the map – what the Spirit has written. Humanity is walking along a clifftop in a fog. The fog of social media; of isms and ideologies and pop psychology. The fact we are all heading in the same direction is no guarantee that we won’t all fall off the same cliff. Even if some are singing hymns and praying to Jesus. Should we celebrate sexual diversity now that it has become part of the law of the land? Many church leaders now say that we should. Or should we continue to uphold a Biblical view of gender and of marriage? If we cannot rely on our feelings, or on our government, or on social media, where can we find truth?

b. God’s word is trustworthy.

We can trust God’s word because it is his word. But do you trust all of it, without hesitation? Are you convinced that it is true? Or do you only trust those bits that seem reasonable to you? The parts that are acceptable?

11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. When it comes to God’s word, faith is being convinced of its truth even when we do not understand or see how or why – faith is … being convinced of what we do not see.

There is a lot in God’s word that is hard to understand – take the Trinity. But why should we expect to understand everything that God says to us about his nature, his works and his plans? Are we God? Some atheists are very arrogant. Some Christians too. Some say, I can’t understand the Trinity so I won’t accept it. I can’t believe in a God who would slaughter his enemies or send people to hell. It’s like the pot criticising the potter (Isa 45:9). We can trust God’s word because it is his word. All scripture is God breathed. His word breathed out through human writers (2 Tim 3:16, 2 Pet 1:20-21). We can trust without having to understand it all. This is not blind faith. This is not irrational faith. Stay tuned – next week, we will look at faith, reason and doubt.

We live in a world where we must take things on trust. I do not understand aerodynamics, but when I step into a plane, I trust that some engineer has done the right calculations to make sure the thing stays up in the air. When we were little, how often would our parents say – Trust me. You will understand when you are older. We need to trust that Father knows best. When we get to heaven, we will know why things had to be as they are. In the meantime, some patience and humility would help.

c. Are we going to God’s word?

God’s word is the only reliable source of truth – not a source but the only reliable source of truth in a world of fakes. God’s word is under attack as never before. God’s word is misused, even by church leaders. There are so many alternatives claiming to be the truth. But we are told that th_e sword of the Spirit is the Word of God_ (Eph 6:17). We are to wield it if we are to _take our stand against the schemes of the devil_ (Eph 6:11). The devil likes nothing better than for Christians to keep their swords in their sheathes. For God’s word _is able to make us complete and equipped for every good wo_rk (2 Tim 3:16-17). Some Christians spend more time seeking truth on You tube than in God’s word. Some rarely look at God’s word. How do you expect to be equipped for _any_ good work? How do you expect to grow in faith if you are not daily feeding on his word? Are you using it? If not, _what_ is your faith built upon? Is it built upon some sandhill that is about to be swept away?

You may be facing some hard decisions. Your health is failing. Your family is falling apart. Your financial security is threatened. What should you do? How will you cope? In the confusion and turmoil, what can you trust? God’s word is a lamp to our feet. God’s word is a sure guide. God’s word is true. God’s word brings us hope. God’s word makes us complete. Help is at hand. Here, this week. Won’t you join one of our many groups studying God’s word?

2. Who can we trust?

a. No man, but God alone

Even the great ones had feet of clay. Gandhi’s home life fell way short of his teaching. Buddha walked out on his wife and baby so he could find the right way to live. Muhammed was over 50 when he married Aisha, who was only 9. Many Christian heroes also had feet of clay. Martin Luther said appalling things in his hatred of the Jews. There are glaring lapses of faith among the heroes of Hebrews. Abraham that great man of faith, doubted God promise and so slept with Hagar. David murdered Uriah to cover up his adultery. We could go on.

Don’t put your trust in man, be they politician, pastor or prophet. There is one man alone worthy of our trust – we know we can trust him, for he led a blameless life and he died to save us all. Surely such a man is worthy of our trust. His father also is worthy.

b. We can trust God who is powerful and loving

We often doubt God - that he can or will come to our aid. That is, we doubt his power or his love. 6 …Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. See the two things we must believe – that God exists. The almighty one, creator of all – he really exists. And that he rewards those who seek him – he is good to them. God is both powerful and loving, he is both able and willing to help.

Think what this means. Our hope is not hopefulness – maybe we might get lucky. No, our hope is powerful, our hope is certain because of the one we hope in. What do you fret over? Is it your shares, your debts, your financial security? The Lord Jesus loves you and holds you in his hands. Is it your failing health? Your pains? The uncertainties ahead in aging, in dying? Our Lord healed some, not others. But he heals all who believe of that truly terminal disease – death itself. He knows your pains. Let your pains spur you to greater trust in him, our comforter. Have your children rejected you or your faith? Are there marriage problems? Jesus revealed himself to his enemy Saul and turned his life around. Jesus can do the same to anyone. No-one is beyond his reach so never give up in praying for them. We have a certain hope – for our trust is in the creator and saviour of all.

c. Trust banishes fear

Jesus may not take away the uncertainty, the pain, the conflict, the trouble. He did not take away Paul’s thorn despite earnest prayers. But where there is trust there is peace. Where there is trust, there is no fear. 23 It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him … they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command… 27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger.

Faith removes our fear (Dt 31:8, 1 Jn 4:18, 1 Pet 5:7).

d. Trust while suffering

This confident hope was just what the Hebrews needed to hear, for they were being persecuted. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They needed to know that God loved them when the world – Jew and Roman – hated them. That God held them eternally secure as their homes and lives were taken away.

e. Trust when God is silent

Trusting in God means that we trust him – but not to answer our every need. He’s not some Father Christmas in the sky. No, we trust him to do the right thing. It is good that he doesn’t answer all of our prayers. How would your children turn out if all their wishes were granted? Many of these saints did not see their hopes fulfilled in their lifetime. Abraham did not acquire the promised land. 9 Even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—like a foreigner, living in tents. …

13 All these [Patriarchs] died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it.

Many died under great suffering. 35But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection.

39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.

Do not fall for the lie that God will heal all your diseases, will fix all your problems. The prosperity gospel teaches, if you have faith, God will bless you. Give your money to our church and God will repay you – here and now. But if you remain sick or poor, it is your fault - you don’t have enough faith. For if you have enough faith, God will heal you. God will make you rich. This is a false gospel. A gospel that is from Satan.

f. Seeing with the eyes of faith.

Hebrews 11 says a lot about seeing (v1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 13, 26, 27). 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.

We trust not in what we see, but in the God we do not see. The God we do not see is more real, more reliable than anything we might grasp in this world. We may not see or know why things happen, but we can trust that our Lord knows. Our Lord is in control and will never let us go. We should follow the example of Moses,

27… He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible

What then – if I go bankrupt, if I have a nervous breakdown, if I get terminal cancer? Is it my fault? My lack of faith? Nowhere does God promise to save us from such things. But he does promise that he will never leave us. That nothing suffered in his service is wasted. We live by faith, not by sight. When my world is collapsing around me, yet will I trust him, my Lord and my Saviour.

3. How should we trust?

a. As we walk by faith.

We walk by faith, not by sight, 2 Cor 5:7 We walk the talk. Obedience is part of faith.

7 It was by faith that Noah built an ark … He obeyed God…

8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home …

In English, there is a clear difference between faith and faithfulness – between trust and obedience, but this difference is not there in the Greek or Hebrew. For the Hebrews, if you believed in something, you were expected to act accordingly. If we have faith, we should be faithful. Obedience is part of faith.

I am not saying that I am saved by my works. No, but if my faith does not produce works, it is a sham faith. It is no faith. Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead, James 2:17. Saying this another way …

b. Knowledge alone won’t save.

You may believe some stuff about Jesus, but if it makes no difference to your life, your faith is a sham. The demons are correct theologians – in one sense. Even the demons believe God is one, Jas 2:19. But this knowledge doesn’t lead to trust, it doesn’t lead to faithfulness. Faith without works - without a life change; is dead faith.

c. And faith should bring life change.

Why? Because we are being transformed from children of darkness into children of light. This is a lifelong process and many of us still have a long way to go. How do you need to change? It will be different for each one of us. What do I need to let go of, or take up, or even, to utterly repent of? It may be a change in finances and the things I hold on to. It may be a change in who and how I relate to others. It may be a change in how I spend my time. It may be a change of attitude – letting go of worries, or ambitions, or plans.

d. Practising faith

17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. The saints were tried and tested in their faith. Tested by suffering.

36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons… Incredibly, James said we should look at such suffering with joy!

2 Consider it pure joy … when you face trials of many kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

But so often, that is not our experience. We look upon suffering with panic, or dread, or hopelessness and despair. How have you responded to suffering? Any suffering, not necessarily persecution. Suffering in itself doesn’t make a person better or more faithful. For some, suffering leads to the loss of faith. Sufferers say, God has forgotten me. God doesn’t care. Yet for others, it strengthens faith.

Suffering often comes without warning. Are you ready to suffer? If we do not have good habits now, we will hardly call on them under pressure. A pilot trains again and again to know what to do in an emergency. So, if the engine catches fire, he automatically responds for he is habituated in what to do. He doesn’t grab the instruction manual and try and work it out as the plane is plummeting out of control. If in easy times, your habit is to go to God in faith, to call out in prayer, to go to his word, how much more will you do this under pressure. You may not have handled suffering well. Even the heroes of faith often failed under trials. But there is always hope in God. You are a work in progress – his work.

To wrap up, let us remember that faith is knowing, trusting and acting. We trust in what is revealed by God in his word, we trust in the one who suffered for us, and we show that trust as we walk by faith.

Series: Hebrews

Topics: #Hebrews