Faith to face God
Text: Hebrews 11:5-6
Introduction
A. One evening a woman was driving home when she noticed a huge truck behind her that was driving uncomfortably close. She stepped on the gas to gain some distance from the truck, but when she sped up, the truck did too. The faster she drove, the faster the truck did.
a. Now scared, she exited the freeway. But the truck stayed with her. The woman then turned up a main street, hoping to lose her pursuer in traffic. But the truck ran a red light and continued the chase.
b. Reaching the point of panic, the woman whipped her car into a service station and bolted out of her auto screaming for help. The truck driver sprang from his truck and ran toward her car. Yanking the back door open, the driver pulled out a man hidden in the back seat.
c. The woman was running from the wrong person. From his high vantage point, the truck driver had spotted a would be rapist in the woman's car. The chase was not his effort to harm her but to save her even at the cost of his own safety.
B. Likewise, many people run from God, fearing what he might do to them. But his plans are for good not evil-to rescue us from the hidden sins that endanger our lives. (Illustrations For Preaching & Teaching, Editor Craig Brian Larson, Baker Books, p. 98).
C. Heb 11:6, states, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
D. This passage reminds us that we are “to run towards” or seek God and not run away from Him.
E. Today is the third lesson in a series of lessons I am doing this year on “Faith to face the world.” Each lesson is looking at Heb. 11 and see how we can develop a strong faith to face the situations of that were very similar to the people in this chapter. This morning I want to try answer the question, “do we have the Faith to face God?”
Body
I. First we must understand that we must have Faith, to face God. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6).
A. God desires faith. He is not interested in how much money you make, the car you drive, the clothes you wear, or how good you look. He is looking for people of faith.
1. Heb. 11:1 explains faith and then makes it clearer in Heb. 11:6. Faith seeks God.
a. ILLUS: A grandmother took her three-year-old granddaughter into her lap and began reading to her from Genesis. After a while, noticing that the little girl was unusually quiet, the grandmother asked, "Well, what did you think of what I read, honey?"
"Oh Grandma, said the child, “I love it. You never know what God is going to do next."
b. That’s the kind of faith Hebrews is talking about here.
It’s “being SURE of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we do not see.”
It’s living in excited anticipation of what God is going to do next!!!
i. I am not sure how God is going to use my life? I am not sure of all the particulars of Heaven!
ii. I guess I am like that little girls, “You never know what God is going to do next.”
2. This type of faith is confidence in God that leads to obedience to God. True faith is based on what God says and is demonstrated in what we do. People with faith do things for God, and God does things for them.
a. I may not know how God is going to use my life, but that does not stop me from obeying what I do know about God from His Word.
3. We see this in Heb. 11 Faith is not only explained but it is modeled.
a. ABEL - FAITH WORSHIPPING.
b. ENOCH - FAITH WALKING or living for God.
c. NOAH - FAITH WORKING (Idea from Mark Copland)
4. Abel, Enoch, and Noah did not know everything God was going to do with their life but they "obtained a good testimony" by their faith. Whether we are "worshipping", "walking", or "working", faith must be the motivating factor behind all we do for God.
B. Faith is not a luxury, it is not just for the elders or preacher; it is a necessity for all Christians. It is for common people and not just great leaders. (Note: Most of the people in Heb. 11 were “common” people until they put their faith in God; that is why they are mention.)
1. We need faith for worshiping (v. 4) as well as for working (v. 7), and for walking, “living” (vv. 8–9).
2. In any area of life where you ignore faith, you will sin.
a. Rom. 14:23 “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”
3. Habakkuk 2:4 states that the just shall live by faith. Faith is so essential because it:
a. Saves Our Lives from Destruction (Mark 16:16).
b. Supports Our Hearts in Difficulty (1 Pet. 1:3–7).
c. Shields us from the Devil’s Attacks (Eph. 6:16).
d. Sustains our Morale in Labor (1 Thess. 1:3).
e. Strengthens Our Days with God’s Blessings (Rom. 1:17).
C. Where does this faith come from?
1. Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. “
a. Someone may say well I don’t have faith? I don’t believe any more? My response is why did you stop reading and obeying the Bible? Why are you not involved and participating in worship? Singing, Praying, being an attentive to the preaching and teach of the word?
2. This is the beginning of faith, we must remember that James 2:19-20 reminds us that even the demons believe. Godly faith is more than knowing about God, it is living for God.
3. God does not settle for mere acknowledgment of His existence. Heb. 11:6 goes and teaches us that acceptable faith in God is “…for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
II. Second, Faith must draw near to God. How?
A. Believe that he exists.
1. We must believe there is a God, and He is the God of the Bible.
a. We can know there is a God by His creation.
i. Ps. 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
ii. Acts. 14:17, “Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness."
iii. Rom. 1:20, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
b. We can know that His Word (Bible) is true.
i. Historically the Bible is true.
ii. Ancient witness outside of the Bible.
iii. Archeology
iv. The truth in the fulfillment of prophecy.
c. What the Bible says about itself.
i. 1 Cor. 2:6-16
ii. 2 Tim. 3:16-17
iii. 2 Peter 1:12-21
d. We can know God because he showed us love.
i. John 3:16
ii. John 13:35
iii. John 14:9-13
iv. Rom. 5:8
v. 1 John 4:7-12
2. There is a God who created everything, who cannot lie and His Word is true and shows us love. Through the teaching of the Bible He shows us how to life and a pattern to be His people.
a. He shows us how to seek Him!
B. He rewards those who seek him.
1. Are you seeking God? You may be reading the Bible but are you obeying it? You may be in a place to be taught the Word of God but are you receiving it? The Bible must be taught but it also must be caught by those hear!
2. Seeking God is not something we do just on Sundays it is walking and working for God like Enoch and Noah.
a. They did not just seek God when times were good or when things got bad. They daily lived for God.
b. The way we live each day, just not Sundays, but Mondays through Saturdays, every day of our lives we must seek God.
3. I am afraid that most of as Christians do not seek God daily. Look at the way we live; examine your life does it show by your actions, behavior, attitude that you are seeking God?
a. Eph. 5:21- 6:4 and Col. 3 and 4 remind us that the Faith in God and the resurrection of Christ changes the way we treat our spouses and children. It is different from the worlds view, we don’t abuse, divorce, neglect, harm our families. But we provide, help, lookout for their best interests and love them. Faith in a living God reminds us that we are different.
b. The way we conduct our life is different. 1 Cor. 6:9-11 and Gal. 5:19-22 tells us Christians act different, treat one another different, we are not supposed be self seeking or greedy or evil in any way because of our faith in Jesus death, burial and resurrection.
c. How do we view death? Because of the Christians faith in Jesus’ resurrection and the Bible teaches, we believe that we and our loved ones who die in the faith will live forever. 1 Cor. 15:20.
i. Paul states in 1Th 4:13-14, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”
ii. Notice Christians don’t grieve as the world that has no hope. We have hope. Have you seen how the world grieves? They get drunk, trying drown their sorrows out, they turn to drugs, some have even killed themselves.
iii. The faith of the Christian deals differently with death!
C. Faith means we continue to believe and seek God even when the rewards are not seen immediately or in this life time.
1. Heb. 11:36, the phrase “still others” reminds us that we can live by faith and appear to be defeated.
a. “Outward appearances of success do not always indicate faith, and outward appearances of failure do not always indicate lack of faith. A faithful servant is one that does what his Master tells him, whatever the outcome maybe. Look at Christ.”(Blackaby & King p.125)
2. Not everybody who trusted God was delivered or protected (vv. 36–40). But the important thing is not God’s deliverance; it is God’s approval (v. 39).
a. Example of this type of Faith is found in Dan 3:15-18, “Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?" Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
3. Faith in God gives you the ability to endure when others are giving up.
a. How many of us would have given up on God if we were in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s shoes?
4. “God often brings growth in our life through struggles; true growth in faith does not come easily. We must come to the Lord. We must approach Him humbly. We must display a persistent faith.”
Finally,
A. Heb 11:6, states, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
B. Faith helps us to continue seek God and do His will even when life is difficult. We are not the first one who has faced the hardship we face. Others have and faced them with faith.
C. Because of this faith we can confidently and without doubt sing songs such as are found on page 595 in our song books. Song: Gloria & William Gaither's "Because He Lives" 595
D. Life is worth living just because Christ lives! Do you have faith in the living Christ? Is your faith seeking Him daily? Praise God if it is; but if is not we invite you study the Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to convict you of the True and Living God. If you have been seeking Him and would like to confess your faith and repent of yours and put Christ on in baptism to remove all your sins we invite you to do that now as we stand and sing.
