By Faith

By Faith / Hebrews 11:29 – 12:2

Intro: I once read a story about a tightrope walker who strung a cable across one tall building to another. – He asked the crowd that gathered, “do you believe that I can walk across with?” --- The crowd was enthusiastic about it. So, he asked a young man who seemed especially sure of his ability if he would be willing to get into a wheelbarrow and let him push it across the wire in front of him. - Man was full of faith in the ability of the tightrope walker until it involved him.

I. Trust ourselves before anyone else. Heb. 11 provides raw material for drawing a profile of faith

A. When doing a business plan – 1st step after determining need is to assess your resources to meet that need.

B. Verses 29 & 30 – examples of what God could do with and for those who had faith in God. – those who were faithful.

C. God is the one ally whom we must never leave out. 1st thought should be, not what WE can do; but what God can do with us and for us.

II. Verse 31 – Rahab believed in God against the evidence of the facts.

A. One great handicap we face is our sin --- for sin causes doubt and doubt, disobedience.

B. Real faith stays the course on God’s side even when that side seems doomed to defeat.

C. Frodo Baggins in trilogy of The Lord of the Rings is an example of being faithful to the task against overwhelming odds.

III. 12:1 – What God did once God can do again. – cloud of witnesses.

A. “having put off every weight and the sin which so easily clings . . . “– throw off the fat that hinders.

B. Gk. EUPERISTATOS – only here in Bible – PERSEVERANCE – “looking away from everyone and everything else & concentrating on a single object. – Verse 12:2 – TO LIVE AND ACT, BY FAITH!

Conclu: Being faithful to the call of Christ and running the race Christ Jesus has set before us – “Opera isn’t over ‘til the fat lady sings.” --- “Ain’t over until Jesus comes!”