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Church of the Nazarene – East Rock
Christ Above All: Hebrews Part 7 – East Rock
The heartbeat of the Book of Hebrews is the ultimate supremacy of Christ over all.
Today we are continuing our summer teaching series in the book of Hebrews called “Christ Above All”.
Hebrews was written to a persecuted group of Christians in or around the city of Rome, and under the pressure of the moment, they were tempted to return to their Jewish roots to escape the persecution that came with the name of Jesus.
But as we find in the letter itself, the author has gone to great lengths to show these weary Christians that Christ is better than anything else they can turn to- they shouldn’t give up on him.
The message from the writer of Hebrews is loud and clear: “There’s no life in the old way of doing things. The only source of salvation is Christ alone. He is above all.”
As chapter 11 opens the author is about to share the “hall of faith” to encourage his readers to persevere in the faith.
Hebrews 11:1-3
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
In Chapter 10 the author has been encouraging the readers to recall how they had already persevered in the midst of hardship and trials.
He is seeking to lift their spirits and spur on faithful living in the face of persecution. Coming into Chapter 11 he is about to share the Hall of Faith, names and stories of people who trusted God in the face of some really difficult circumstances. Before he begins, he wants to clear up what he means by Faith.
“Faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
What we notice immediately is that biblical faith is not a flimsy hope. It’s decided and resolute choice, a firm and conscious decision to believe and trust in the reality of the Lord.
And biblical faith is not a static intellectual assent, it’s not a casual “yeah I believe in God”, it’s a settled affirmation that he is LORD of YOUR life that results in action.
Faith in the Lord means we live by his word and his desire, not what we see all around us in the world. And that’s the kind of lives the author is about to show us.
Hebrews 11:4-12
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
From the first children of Adam and Eve, through the great flood with Noah, to the calling of Abraham, the author does a sweep of biblical history to highlight the impact of faith on each persons life.
Notice how many times he says “By faith” then lists the action they took.
This phrase comes up again and again, that repetition is there to drive home the point- True Faith results in ACTION.
All of these stories are unique and different, but they all show a life lived by faith and trust in the word of God.
Hebrews 11:13-16
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
The author wants his audience to understand- The life of faith is not all about happy endings. He says “All these people died before they ever saw the fulfillment of the promises.”
Even though they never got to experience what God had promised, they continued to believe and trust him. And that’s the life the author is calling his audience to live.
Hebrews 11:32-40
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
As if he is running out of breath he says “I could go on and on, but I don’t have time to share with you all the amazing stories from the hall of faith. Men and women who despite challenging circumstances in their lives, chose to trust the Lord”
With wording connecting all the way back to verse two the author puts the finishing touch on this whole section. All of these people were commended, were celebrated and approved by God, because of their faith.
Imperfect people can still live a life that pleases God, the life of Faith.
The author has given considerable space in his letter to show his audience what a life of faith looks like and to make it clear- it’s the only life that pleases God.
To the original audience, facing ongoing persecution and pressure from the world, I have to think this came both as an encouragement and a warning.
An encouragement that they were not alone in facing trials and even persecution and yet a warning that they needed to hold firm in their faith.
Generations of God’s people before them faced incredible difficulties in following God’s call for their lives, some even died before they saw the fulfillment of those promises. But they lived each day, moment by moment, trusting in the promises of God. I think that’s what the author was calling his first century readers to, and I believe that’s exactly what we are called to now. To be hall of faith Christians.
These ‘hall of faithers’ did not make this list because they were perfect, but because their faith called them to repent of their sins and failures, and continue after the will and way of God. And that’s exactly what a life of faith is about for us today.
It’s about a conscious and purposeful decision to live every moment, to make every decision, in light of the reality of God. Even if we don’t see the promises fulfilled, even if the world says we are crazy and stupid- choose faith. Cling to the promises of God.
That’s the only life that pleases God.
The beautiful thing about God’s grace is that today can mark a new day in your story. You can start your life of faith today, right now.
Will you live you life by faith?
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