Letting Your Faith do the Walking Part 15
The Great Believer’s Faith
Hebrews 11:32-40
Introduction
We live in a society where winning is everything. Everything in our society is success oriented. Even the church has acquired the success syndrome. One religious leader says that what we need is to “think positively,” “you just need to claim the wealth that God wants you to have” if your faith is strong enough “something good is going to happen to you.”
All of these ignore the principal that there is a difference between spiritual success and material success. There is a difference between being deemed a success by the world and deemed a success by God.
Tonight we are going to conclude our look at faith as it is displayed in Hebrews chapter 11. Last time we saw how true faith involves a willingness to obey, in the case of Rahab obeying the command to put the scarlet thread in her window to secure the salvation of her and her family. Today in the author’s summary to his great “Heroes of the Faith Hall of Fame,” he gives four great principles about faith.
Read Scriptures: Hebrews 11:32-40
I. A Faith that accepted incredible responsibility.
Vs. 32 “And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets,”
This verse highlights the lives of some great men of faith—men who dared to believe God against unbelievable odds, and accepted great responsibility, and also showed undying courage.
There was the faith of Gideon. Who according to the book of Judges went into battle against the Medianites with three hundred hand-picked men against thousands and thousands of Medianites. Judges 7:15 “Get up! The Lord has given the Medianite camp into your hands”
There was the heroic faith of Barak. When called by God through the prophetess Deborah to fight for the freedom of the Israelites against the Canaanites. He agreed to fight against a massive Canaanite army of with over 900 iron chariots, and Barak with an army of only 10,000 men. Through faith they won an incredible victory. He believed God and because he believed, God gave him the victory.
There was the faith of Samson. Despite Samson’s life long weakness of passion, when the time came, he alone believed God; he alone was available for God to use.
Matthew Henry in his commentary makes a statement dealing with Samson, he said “True faith is acknowledged and accepted, even when mingled with many failings.”
That is certainly true of Samson’s life.
There was the heroic faith of Jephthah. Jephthah was called by God to save Israel from the Ammonites. Jephthah’s mother was a harlot a prostitute, he was raised by his father; he endured abuse and rejection by his family and society. So much so that he was driven into exile in the desert. While in exile, God used him to gather some of his surrounding neighbors to protect small villages from raids by the Ammonite terrorists. Being obedient to that call, when God called him to save Israel from the Ammonites he was ready and responded with great faith.
There was the heroic faith of David. David’s life and legacy is truly a blessing to all of us. Just think about all the psalms written by David. David wrote approximately 73 of the psalms. David was a boy of heroic faith, we all know about his battle with Goliath. David was a young man of heroic faith; David was on the run a great portion of his young life due to the fact that the King of Israel Saul hated him and feared him because he was anointed the new King over Israel while Saul was still seated on the throne. He showed great faith and trust in God as he lived in the wilderness in exile. David ruled over Israel for forty years.
There was the heroic faith of Samuel. Samuel was both prophet and Judge over Israel. During his lifetime he was the lone figure of great faith among the people who rebelled against God and refused to follow Him in righteousness and holiness. He was a man of heroic faith in the Midst of a faithless and unbelieving generation.
There was the heroic faith of the Prophets. There were all men who sensed their unworthiness before God but who answered God’s call. They faced every imaginable trial that is known to man by wicked and sinful people. But despite it all, they stood for righteousness and proclaimed the message of God, a message of hope for those who would repent and a message of judgment for those who refused.
These people accepted great responsibility but through there faith they are shining examples for us today.
II. A Faith that witnessed the impossible.
Vs. 33-34 “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.”
These people listed in this chapter have in there lives truly witnessed with there own eyes the impossible made possible by God.
By faith they conquered kingdoms that they should not have. They administered justice this means that when they lived out there faith they lived just or righteous lives. They gained what was promised, each of these leaders listed all received exactly what God said He would give them.
They shut the mouths of lions. This was true of Samson, Daniel, and David. They quenched the fury of the flames. Referring to the three young Hebrew men, named Shadrack, Meshak, and Abednego, who were protected by God from the fiery flames of the furnace when they refused to bow and worship the golden image of King Nebuchadnezzar.
They escaped the edge of the sword. David escaped the sword of Goliath. Elisha escaped the sword of the king of Israel. They received strength from there weekness. Everyone of the leaders listed in this chapter sensed there unworthiness and God used them mightily.
They grew powerful in battle. True faith believes God and knows that God is with him. We are actually stirred to fight , even against unbelievable odds. There faith was a faith that witnessed the impossible.
III. A Faith that endured in the worst of circumstances
Vs. 35-38 “Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death 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, and in caves and holes in the ground.”
It is important for us to understand and note that there are no names listed in these verses, and I believe it is for the purpose of telling us the readers that it wasn’t just for the leaders and well known folks that God did extraordinary things for and through, it is also true for just ordinary everyday people.
However the one common denominator in all is the same, they believed God. They endured in faith no matter what attacked them. They never accepted defeat; therefore they were never defeated. They never denied God; therefore, they were never denied by God. They never lost hope; therefore, they were never hopeless. They endured in faith. No matter the circumstance, difficulty, threat, injury, pain, torture, or form of execution and death, they endured and held fast to their faith and profession in God.
Notice the words in Vs. 38 “The world was not worthy of them”. When as a believer you are ridicule and mocked for living out your faith, just like these precious people who had everything of earthly value taken away from them, the world is not worthy of you, however we must remember it is not this world that we are living for.
IV. A Faith that received a Great Reward
Vs. 39-40 “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”
The reward was twofold.
1. All the believers of the Old Testament obtained a good report and testimony. There faith touched both God and man. There faith was the light of the world; the lives pointed people to God, and there testimonies still do today. There faith touches people of every generation and stirs them to be men and women of stronger faith. What a legacy to leave behind, a legacy of faith that stirs and encourages people to arise and trust God and to live righteously and godly.
2. They had a glorious hope of the Promised Land and the promised seed. They died without receiving the promised seed. They never saw Christ born, crucified, resurrected, and exalted to the right hand of God the father. They never saw there salvation secured by Jesus, who is the very Son of God. They never saw the promise of the Messiah fulfilled. They died believing the promise.
But this is not true for us: we know. Christ has come; He died and has been resurrected and exalted to make all believers perfect and presentable to God the father. The Old Testament believers look forward to the Messiah; we look to Him. We are far more privileged to live after Christ has come, than those who lived before He came.
Conclusion
Are you letting your faith do the walking, we have been through fifteen different teaching and preaching times during the course of going through this chapter, and if you haven’t learned anything else, I hope you have learned that God doesn’t always use the biggest, best, loudest, or self-built person. He uses those who are humble enough to say that what He has called them to do is bigger than they are, and they cannot possibly do it alone, and then God says okay I can use that person.
Maybe your are sitting here tonight and you think God cannot possibly use me. If that is your thinking then you are a prime candidate for God to use you, just surrender to His leadership.
