Football season is upon us as we enter the final month of summer 2003. Soon the days will grow cooler, the night will come earlier, and the clothes will cover more of us rather than less.
Already the pundits are making their predictions regarding the best teams in the high school and college polls and who will make it to the Super Bowl, which is still 6 months away.
(Overhead 1) Speaking of football, legend has it that Knute Rockne and the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame were about to again face the University of Southern California, in one of the storied rivalries of college football. In this particular season, USC was a far superior team to Notre Dame and Rockne was worried about the outcome of the game. Then he got an idea.
He scoured the city of South Bend for about a hundred of the biggest men that he could find. When he had most of them, each at least six-foot five inches and around three hundred and fifty pounds, he had them dress in Notre Dame uniforms complete with shoulder pads and helmets, which made them look even bigger.
When it was time for the game to begin, Rockne had these 100 men come out of the locker room first. As the USC team watched, they kept coming and coming and coming until these hundred men were all the USC players saw.
Even though the USC coach made the point, “They can only field eleven men at a time,” the damage was done. None of the 100 ever played a minute of the game. But USC had become so intimidated at the sight of them that they were unable to function and Notre Dame won the game.
An addendum to the story makes the following point: “Kind of reminds us of the twelve spies and Israel as they lost out on “winning” the Promised Land even though they never engaged a single one of the “giants” in the battle.” Both stories illustrate an important point – the place and importance of faith.
We continue our summer series, “Classic Chapters of the Bible” with a stop at Hebrews 11 – the faith chapter.
The story that we have just heard illustrates something that is common to all of us – things we place our faith in. And this past week I asked some of you, “Other than God, who or what do you place the greatest faith in and why?” Here is what some of you said: (overhead 2)
Others because they believe in us and we in them
Self because, as one person put it, “I know myself.”
Family because they are reliable.
Spouse because they are there for me.
Parents because they set an example of faith to me.
Faith is a critical part of life. We have to have faith on a daily basis at a certain level in order to function. We have to have faith that our transportation will get us to where we are going. We have to have faith that the other drivers will drive safely as well. We have to have faith in the chairs that we sit in will hold us up, in the purity of our food and water that we eat and drink. Why? Because if we did not, then we would not dare to come out of our homes, or live in them, or trust anyone or anything. Paranoia would set in and life would become chaotic.
This morning we are looking at faith, however, at a far deeper level. It is the level at which we make the choices to believe, trust, and have faith (or not) in God, others, and self. Four things we are to notice about faith this morning:
First, faith has a cost. (Overhead 3) We see this dramatically in the lives of three persons mentioned in this chapter: Noah, Abraham, and Moses. Each of these men had faith in the person and purposes of God and lived in that faith though it was difficult at times.
We are tempted perhaps to see certain events in their lives a unique to their situation, Noah and the construction of the Ark, for example, and that those moments have nothing to say to us because we have not been told to build an Ark. That’s true, you and I have not been told to build an ark. But we miss the point of Noah if we focus on the boat and not the captain.
In Genesis 6:8 we read, “But Noah found favor with the Lord.” And Noah found favor with the Lord because of his faith that was expressed in the way that He lived as is described in verse 9, “Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with Him.” I would call that faith in action.
But, such faith exposed him to ridicule and ridicule is often one of the costs of faith because people of faith live life at a different level. People of faith live lives that are not, at times, safe and easy but hard and difficult. As Hebrews 11:7 says, “He (that is Noah) obeyed God, who warned him about something that had never happened before. By his faith he condemned the rest of the world and was made right in God’s sight.” This is a hard place to be! I don’t know of anyone who wants to live in such a fashion that results in such a response.
But, some of us here know exactly the feelings that Noah had as he built the ark. In the classroom, on the factory floor, in the office, or in the neighborhood we are looked at differently and made fun of because of our faith that moves us to live life in a different way because we live by a different set of values. We see it increasingly so in society as well.
But, we cannot give in to despair and fear because just as faith has a cost, faith also has a reward. (Overhead 4)
The upside, the benefit of faith is clearly seen in the life of one who is mentioned by name in verse 22, Joseph:
“And it was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, confidently spoke of God’s bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt. He was so sure of it that he commanded them to carry his bones with them when they left!”
Just this past week Susan and I learned of the unfortunate experience of a former parishioner who was trapped in her interior bathroom for 24 hours. She went to turn the handle and it broke off and she was trapped until her son came the next morning and located her. Scary, isn’t it?
But, at least she had a family member who was concerned about her! Joseph, at one point did not have such a person! His family into slavery sells him. Then he goes through one misfortune after another until he encounters his brothers, now in dire straits themselves, and ultimately responds to them in the right way.
Joseph was trapped! Trapped in a country that was not his. Trapped in situations that he did not choose to create. Trapped by the anger and jealousy of others. And yet, his faith and trust and confidence in his God carried him throughout His life to the very end. And even then, he spoke confidently that God would bring his people out of Egypt and into the promise land.
Have you had faith that God would come through in a certain way and even though it was perhaps years before He did come through, your faith still carried you? So did those of who the author of Hebrews 11 writes:
Listen to verses 13 through 16: “All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed the promises of God. They agreed that they were no more than foreigners and nomads here on earth. And obviously people who talk like that are looking forward to a country the can call their own. If they had meant the county they came from, they would have found a way to go back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a heavenly home for them.”
Faith is the “confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen.” Why? Because of who God is and what He has promised to us!
We need to fix our hope on God. He is the one who has made both life and life eternal possible. It was God whom Noah and Joseph placed their faith in.
Yes, it grew weak, it faltered, and it at times failed. But, they kept on believing and trusting and “faithing” in the One who had called them to follow and obey. One thing that we must be grateful for is that we have in print their stories that take place over substantial periods of time so that we can see that their faith grew and grew and God rewarded that faith with His faithfulness to and forgiveness of them.
So while we acknowledge that faith has a cost and celebrate that faith has a reward, we also must recognize that faith requires action. (Overhead 5)
This is evident in Moses’ life. As we read in verses 24 and 25, Moses made the choice to give up one way of life, the way that he had been taught and raised, and embrace the life of his people. This was action that Moses took as he choose to live the right way by faith.
Was it easy for Moses to make this choice? (Ask for a show of hands) It was probably not easy at a certain level to give up the rich and easy way of life that Moses had been raised in. But, because of his faith, he did so.
Faith requires us to act, not merely believe. Faith is a combination of thinking, reflecting, and acting. Faith requires us to step up, step out, or step away. Each person mentioned in this chapter had moments of action that faith required them to make.
Finally we must acknowledge that faith is our avenue of acceptance. (Overhead 6) Verses 6 and 39 make this perfectly clear:
So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him… All of these people we have mentioned received God’s approval because of their faith…”
For us to enjoy the power and hope of the Christian faith, it requires faith. Faith in God. Faith in Jesus Christ. Faith that our sins are forgiven as we confess them to God. Faith that God will help us live for Him through the strength and power of the Holy Spirit.
But, there is one more thing that we must consider this morning regarding faith. What kind of faith?
This is an important question, because faith is viewed with suspect eyes these days for two reasons. First, we live in a time and place in which adherence to a “faith” causes people to ask questions or observe us more closely than prior to September 11, 2001. Why? Because of September 11th, faith and fanaticism are closely linked in many people’s mind and because faith and intolerance have been demonstrated in a most violent fashion
Second, when we are called to faith, we often find ourselves on a treadmill that weakens our faith. A treadmill of what I call a “religious production line.”
Gordon MacDonald offers us something to think about on both counts:
I find myself engaged in too many conversations with people who call themselves Christians but who are quietly disappointed or frustrated with their experience. It’s not working for them. The faith they have embraced calls them to life out there where the activities are. The programs, the meetings, the conferences, the projects. They hear incessantly about how they are to participate in changing the world, but they know that they haven’t begun to see deep life-change in themselves.
What if our people suspended all radio and television broadcasts, turned off all printing presses, and shut off all the direct mail? What if we stopped asking for money, stopped criticizing all the systems and structures of the world, and stopped launching worldwide crusades? What if we just stopped talking and starting listening for a while?
What if we did nothing but worship, think, meditate, repent and seek a new understanding of what the Christian gospel really does call people to be and to do? Frankly, I don’t think we’d be missed if dropped out for a while. And we, and the larger world as a result, might be the better for it when it was over.
I fear that we are too often perceived as mean and angry people. We call ourselves a people of prayer and redeeming vision. But, we are not known for these things by the larger world. We are too often seen as presenting an arrogant and self-righteous spirit. We might seek a revival in humility.”
(Overhead 7) What kind of faith do we have? I don’t want you and I don’t want myself to have a faith that exhausts me and makes me a grumpy person. I want a faith that gives me joy, hope, love, and the possibility of a wonderful and satisfying life! I want a faith that will help me keep the big picture of God’s purpose in mind when life and faith are hard and trying!
At our last stop in our series we spent sometime at I Corinthians 13. What was said in the final verse of I Corinthians 13? “There are three things that will endure – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love.”
We know that there moments of frustration and fear and disappointment. But one day, all of that will be done with.
We know that we live with uncertainty and anxiety and heartache. But, one day that will be completely dealt with.
“Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.” Have faith – in God, you still matter to Him! Have faith – in God, He has not given up on you! Have faith – in God, He wants to give you greater faith and greater life here and now as well as in the hereafter!
Keith Miller tells the story of a highly regarded pastor that one day stood before his congregation after heart surgery and began to share excitedly about being aware all over again about the basic message of his ministry – the wonderful life that Christ offers. But then he stopped, collected himself, and simply said to those gathered, “And I have found again in my experience that I believe in Jesus Christ, and this belief is transforming my life.”
I say that to you this morning as your pastor. My deep prayer and desire is that you can say that as well. Amen.
(Overheads for this sermon is available by e-mailing me at: pastorjim46755@yahoo.com and asking for 081003 svgs.)
