A Response Of Saving Faith-2 Series

A RESPONSE Of SAVING FAITH-II—Hebrews 11:3-40

Attention:

Faith’s response to life’s challenges.

Dan Cathy—CEO of Chick-Fil-A—made the following statements to the SBC’s Baptist Press on July 16, 2012:

"We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, & we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.”

"We operate as a family business ... our restaurants are typically led by families; some are single. We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that," Cathy emphasized.

"We intend to stay the course," he said. "We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values & operate on biblical principles."

It created a firestorm among the LGBT community, who are now obviously aligned against the truth of Scripture. As a result, certain mayors(Chicago, Boston, et al.) declared that they would not allow Chick-Fil-A restaurants to operate in their respective towns.

This, in turn, led Mike Huckabee(formerly a Baptist minister, former Presidential candidate, & present Conservative talk-show host) to establish Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day on August 1st.

Admitted many are on the bandwagon for Chick-Fil-A for political or economic reasons. but the fact remains that the FAITH of both the Owner(Truett) & CEO(Dan) is key to the manner in which their restaurant is run.

We indeed bring something of value to the table when we are saved!

Need:

The Hebrews writer sought to encourage & exhort his readers(hearers) by recounting the very practical responses which faith had wrought in their forebears/ancestors.

Saving faith yields practical responses to life, which encourage others.

What are some practical responses to life by saving faith?

How does saving faith respond to life?

Previously in Hebrews, we found 3(4) responses to life’s challenge afforded by saving faith.

Saving faith meets life’s challenge with...

1. A PARTICULAR WORLDVIEW(:3)—Concept presented 05/20/2012 with 10:39—11:3 as FELLOWSHIP

2. OFFERINGs Of PECULIAR QUALITY(:4)

3. DESIRE For GOD’s PLEASURE(:5-6)

4. CONDEMNING TRUST(:7)

5—Saving faith meets life’s challenge with...

A PARTICULAR PLACE(:8-10)

Explanation: (:8-10)

:8—“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”

Abraham was called of God.

Abraham obeyed the call of God.

Abraham “obeyed” the “call” of God “by faith.”

Abraham’s faith is of the same quality of “faith” noted previously which gives us a particular worldview(:3), which caused Abel to offer a “more excellent sacrifice,”(:4) which caused Enoch to “please God” so that he avoided death(:5), & which caused Noah to build & enter the ark, condemning the world(:6).

*Abraham’s obedience consisted of his “going out” from country & family.

Abraham went out to the place of his promised inheritance.

Abraham went to the land of his inheritance without knowing where he was going.

Gen. 12:1-4—“Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”” “So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, & Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

?Has your faith ever led you down a path you were unsure of?

Jesus speaks to this when He says: Mat. 7:13-14—““Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate & broad is the way that leads to destruction, & there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate & difficult is the way which leads to life, & there are few who find it.” :9—“By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac & Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;”

Abraham lived in the land he had been promised.

Abraham lived in the land, promised to him, as would a “foreigner”/alien(visitor—no home, power).

Abraham lived as a foreigner in a foreign land even though he was in the land which God had promised to him & his descendants.

Gen. 12:5-7—And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Then Abram took Sarai his wife & Lot his brother’s son, & all their possessions that they had gathered, & the people whom they had acquired in Haran, & they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram & said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.”