Hebrews 11

Now the question is, is this really in Hebrews 11, what does it mean to have faith?

! Everyone believes in something. So for example, someone might say I believe in ghosts. I've

! I've never seen one but I believe in one. Someone else might say I believe in socialism. I've

never voted socialist but I've found socialist values. What does it mean to believe? Someone

else might say I believe that for every drop of rain that falls a flower grows to prodelvis.

And if you believe that, I'm happy for you. Everyone believes in something. So what does

a Christian mean when they say I believe in God? You can believe in ghosts without seeing

one. You can believe in socialism without voting socialist. Is that how we believe in God?

Is it like Mark Twain who said simply believe in what you know ain't so? Many people think

of it like that. Like the White Queen in Alice Through the Looking Glass.

She says, I'll tell you something to believe. I'm just 101 years old, five months and a

day. I can't believe that, said Alice.

Can't you, dear? The Queen says.

Shut your eyes, draw a long breath and try again. Alice laughed.

No point trying. One can't believe impossible things.

Can't you, said the Queen? You've just not had enough practice. When I was your age, I always

did it for one and a half hours every day. Why sometimes I believed as many as six impossible

things before breakfast. Is that what faith is? What does it mean to believe? Is it holding

your breath, shutting your eyes and believing what you know ain't true? Of course not.

That is not believe. That is make-believe, isn't it? And what is faith? Well, here in

this amazing chapter 11 of Hebrews, we have a definition and a demonstration of faith.

As well as the first three verses give us a definition. It's not a comprehensive definition.

In some ways, a description. It is more. But then in verse 4, we're given a demonstration

a demonstration of Old Testament believers. People who lived by faith. It starts right

back at the beginning. And it follows God's plan of redemption right the way through as

it nears its climax. And you come to the greatest man of faith, the Lord Jesus, the world has

ever known. And the climax is Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. So first of all, let's

look at faith defined. Look what it says in verse 11.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Faith

makes me certain of what God has promised and sure of what I cannot see. If I can put it

this way, it's a little bit like a sixth sense. How do we know? How can we be sure this morning

of this physical world? How can I be sure that I am here and this world is real? Well, because

I can see and I can hear and I can touch and I can taste and I can smell. Through my five

senses that I experience the world. But we know, don't we, that's not sufficient. That's

not enough. There is more to this world and this life than we can actually see and hear

and smell and touch and taste. I read a definition from a communist textbook and it gave this

definition of a kiss. It said a kiss is the approach of two pairs of lips with a reciprocal

transmission of microbes and carbon dioxide. And you wonder why communism died out. Because

everyone knows, we know there's more to a kiss than that. Scientifically it might be accurate,

that might be true, but there is more to a kiss, isn't there, than you can measure in a laboratory.

There are things that are invisible, there are things that are not seen. And those are the

things that make life meaningful and purposeful for us. God is invisible. The spiritual realm

is invisible. There are some things which are unseen because they haven't yet happened. But

we know that they're going to happen. Because God has said they're going to happen. And that

is what this definition is telling us. There are things that you can be certain of, there

are things that you can be sure of, there are things that you and I can build our lives

upon, foundations that we believe in, and we believe them not because we're whistling in

the dark. Not because we come on Sunday and we strike ourselves up to believe in possible

things. We believe these things because God has spoken to us for these things.

What are these things? Now, the very first thing I want you to notice, can you notice the

first word of verse 1? Now? Now faith is, that is a conjunction, it's a joining word.

And it joins chapter 11 to chapter 10 on the rest of Hebrews. So if you want to know what

these things are, these things that we hope for but we've not yet seen, well then you need

to go back to chapter 10. And when you do that, you notice that the writer to the Hebrews

is talking to a bunch of people who are suffering. And they're suffering persecution. They are

Jews for Jesus. They are converts from Judaism. And the authorities are now beginning to turn

their attention to them, towards these people. And they're beginning to suffer. So look at

verse 34, it's a shocking verse. But chapter 10.

For you, compassion on those in prison. And then here, and you joyfully accepted the plundering

of your property. Would we joyfully accept that? If they came to our brand new building.

It's nearly there, isn't it? Nearly open. And they tore it down. They closed it down. They

raised it to the ground. Would you be happy about that? You, look at verse 34 again. It's shocking,

is that you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property. Joyfully. Why? Why? Well,

because you knew that you yourselves had a better possession. And an abiding one. How did they

know that? Because they knew that God had told them and God had said it. And so there is a

difference, isn't there, between believing in God and believing God. Lots of people believe in God.

That doesn't make you a Christian. That makes you a theist. Believing in God doesn't demand

anything of you. But believing God means that you take him at his word. Seriously. And reality

is for you framed by what God has spoken. So even those people under persecution can be joyful.

It's easy being a Christian, isn't it, when nobody's giving you any bother. It's easy being a

Christian when it's tolerated. But when authorities turn their attention to you, and when the church

is driven underground, and when people begin to suffer for their faith, well, that's when

the hangers on bail out, don't they? And hypocrites disappear. Because only those who have

faith will endure to the end. And this is what we're talking about. The definition we're given.

Notice in verse 36 of chapter 10, he speaks about receiving what God has promised. It's

not there yet. It's unseen. You don't have it yet. It's not substantial yet. But you know

that you're going to receive it because God has promised it to you. And in verse 36, he speaks

about receiving what God has promised. And when you read through the book of Hebrews, you

find out what it is that God has promised, that he's promised an eternal inheritance. A Sabbath

rest. A heavenly Jerusalem. A world that is to come. An unshakable kingdom. A new creation

which is better and greater. And all of those things constitute what is hoped for but not yet

seen. Faith is the confidence assurance that all of that one day is coming our way. Faith

is the confidence assurance that one day that will come to pass. That the God who spoke the

world into existence from nothing will bring these things to pass through Christ. So there's

your definition of faith. Real faith is a conviction about things that you can't see. And it particularly

involves being certain about the future because God has spoken about it in his word. Let's see what it says

in verse 2. For by it the people of old received their commendation. They demonstrated their faith

secondly. Who are these people of old? Who are these ancients? Are they the over fifties? Who are the

ancients? They are the people who lived in ancient times. Who lived before the coming of Christ. They are the

old testament believers. And so he starts in verses 4 to 7 with the antediluvians. The people who lived

before the flood. That's what that means. And we're just going to look at this section this morning.

And he gives us four examples of people who lived by faith. Four pillars of our faith. And these

are the things that I most surely believed amongst us. And if you believe these four things that

these people believed, you will be called a fundamentalist. I hope you don't mind that.

What are these things? Number one, creation. That's the first thing they believed.

Verse 3. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God. So that what is

seen was not made out of things that are invisible. It's a really important verse. You cannot prove that

in the laboratory. You can neither prove nor disprove God scientifically. I hope you know that.

You cannot prove that this world was created scientifically. You cannot prove that the word

wasn't created scientifically. Science doesn't do that. How do we know? How do we know that

this world, how do we understand that this is rational? This is something that we thought

through. How do we understand that the universe that we live in was formed at God's command?

The only way we understand that is because we've been told that. God has told us. That is reality.

He spoke this world in existence. Just think for a moment of the imagination of God. Just think

of how wonderful this creation is. God imagined it. God dreamt it. And then he spoke it and it came

into being. Out of nowhere and out of nothing. And that's what the Bible teaches and that's what we

believe. That is the foundation of our faith. We are creatures. We have been created. And so we are

answerable to the one who made us. Second pillar is atonement. Verse 4. I faith Abel offered to God a more

acceptable sacrifice than Cain. Through which he was commended as righteous. It's not true what

pirates of the Caribbean say. Dead men do tell tales. And Abel has been dead for centuries.

And yet Abel's got something to say to you this morning. And it's about how you get right with God.

And the point here is that it's not up to us. It's down to him.

Third pillar is in verse 5. It's fellowship with God. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should

not see death and he was not found. Because God had taken him. Now before he was taken up he was

commended as having pleased God. Now here is a man Enoch. He knew God and he was known by God.

And that is fundamental. I hope you understand that faith isn't simply mental assent to some

proposition. Faith is a relationship with the living God through Jesus.

Fourth pillar is in verse 7. By faith Noah being warned by God concerning events as he had unseen.

In reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household.

And by this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

What was not yet seen?

The flood was not yet seen.

Judgment hadn't happened.

But God warned Noah.

And believing

what was not yet seen

in holy fear

he built an ark

to save his family.

Now you put those four things together

and they are the pillars.

They are the foundations of our faith.

Creation

Atonement

Fellowship with God

And judgment

Think about those things.

There is nothing, is there, more confronting and threatening than those four things, is there?

The belief that this world has a beginning

and that this world has an end

Well they are truths, aren't they?

That the world mocks and mocks and mocks

If you believe that

you will be called a fundamentalist

But that is, is it, fundamental

to how we see reality

The way that we look at the world

The faith that we have

And the very idea that there is one in heaven

who you and I need to get right with

And that getting right with him

is down to him and not to us

Well that is like a red rag to a bull in our culture, isn't it?

And to say that you

Little old you

can have a relationship with the God of heaven and earth

and know God

and be known by God

Well that is just so arrogant, isn't it?

And so presumptive.

And yet these are the things we most surely believe

And so let's run around and look at them again

First of all, creation, verse 3

Have you ever wondered why there is something that says nothing?

Here I am in this world

and everyone else seems to believe

that this world just sort of happened

That it came into being from pre-existing matter

But we know, don't we

that it was framed by the word of God

And that God spoke it into existence

And that everything was made out of nothing

by a mighty act of his power

That the information stored in our DNA

did not come from nothing

It is the product of a brilliant mind

and an awesome imagination

and that governs our whole approach

to life on this planet

or it should

We are not a fortuitous concourse of atoms

We are the product

of intelligent design

How do we know that?

How do we know that?

By faith

By faith

It would be nice, wouldn't it?

I always say this when I'm speaking evangelistically

It would be nice to have some brilliantly logical argument

to prove that God exists

and he made the world

to kind of go

and unveil it

But you can't do that

Can you?

We know these things by faith

The reason we believe in creation

is because God has revealed it to us

By faith we understand that this is God's world

The earth is the Lord's

and the fullness thereof

That we live in it

and he made it

And we are his creatures

But it is a fallen world as well

So secondly

That second pillar

We need to face the fact

that this world has gone seriously wrong

And anyone with half a brain

knows that that is true

The first human being born on earth

in Genesis 4

turns out to be a murderer

And his victim is his own brother

And the story of Cain and Abel

raises the question

What on earth has gone wrong?

Of sin and of atonement

that needs to be made

How can human beings

have murder in their hearts?

How can you and I

who've got murder in our hearts

which is so offensive to hear isn't it?

How can we get right with God?

You see the Bible is very very realistic

It's realistic about human nature

It really does tie in

with what you see and hear

in our society

How can people like us

we know what we're capable of

Don't you?

We see perhaps

maybe the tip of the iceberg in us

How can people like us

have anything to do with a God

who is of purer eyes

than to even look on iniquity

to look on sin?

How can you approach him

after what you've done this week?

How can we get right with him?

The answer of course is

the only way God

can have anything to do with us

is on his terms

and not on ours

And that's the meaning

of the story of Cain and Abel

That if we want God

to accept us

and not reject us

then we need to listen to him

and listen to his word

And we need God

to tell us

how we can approach him

It's not up to us

It's down to him

You see that's the difference

between Cain and Abel

the brothers

It wasn't just that Cain was a farmer

and Abel was a shepherd

So Cain brought his fruit and veg

and Abel brought his sheep

Even though it's significant

that Abel brought a lamb

in the light of the rest

of the Bible

We see with animal sacrifices

there can be no forgiveness

without the shedding of blood

But the point of the story

is this

It's not up to us

to decide how we can

approach God

That's so humbling isn't it

for some of us

for all of us

That we have to listen

to his word

We have to hear from him

and we have to allow him

to tell us

And that's the difference

between Cain and Abel

That's why Abel's sacrifice

was a better sacrifice

whether he had fully understood

the implications

of what he was doing

But God told him you see

It's the difference between

religion and revelation

Why are there so many religions?

Did you ask that question?

Well it's very simple

It's us making up the rules

It's us deciding

We have a God consciousness

We know in every culture

there is a God who's there

We have this sense

Every culture has this sense

No matter where you're from

that things are not right

between us and God

It's a universal phenomenon

And so we have to find a way

that we can approach God

How can I get on the right side

of this God?

How can I placate this God?

And so we come up with religion

and we have practices

and rituals

and we hope that somehow

religion is going to put us

right with God

But it won't

It won't

The only way that we can get

right with God

is by doing what he says

and bringing the offering

that he tells us

Which is why Jesus says

I am the way

the truth and the life

And no one

no one

comes to the Father

except through me

And that is so hugely

offensive isn't it?

So here are the fundamentals

of our faith

The ABC of our faith

God exists

And he spoke the world

out of nothing

He's spoken into existence

of something

that's gone wrong

And you and I

have lost touch

with our maker

And there's only

one way back

And that is the way

he has revealed

right from the very beginning

that without the shedding

of blood

the offering of sacrifice

there can be no forgiveness

of sins

Is that what you believe?

It is fundamental

to the Christian faith

In verses 5 and 6

he tells us about Enoch

There are those

who want to tell us

that this world

is a closed system

and you've got to make

the most of it

you kind of get on

with life

the best you can

we call them materialists

It takes on different guises

Some people

think that matter

is all that there is

Others believe

that matter

is all that matters

In the end

it doesn't matter

And the idea is

that this world

is all there is

there's nothing outside

There's nothing beyond it

And people live their lives

on the basis of that

don't they

in our city

It's a faith position

I'd want to argue

But on the other hand

there are those

like here in chapter 11

whom life is really

simply an apprenticeship

It's a training ground

for the world to come

And the most important

lesson for you and I

to hear

is how

do you and I

prepare for eternity

because eternity

is a very long time

to spend in the wrong place

isn't it?

Enoch learnt this lesson

Soon after the birth

of his son Methuselah

they told him

that he began

to walk with God

until one day

God said to him

Enoch

it's hardly worth you

going home

you may as well

come home with me

And he disappeared

off the face of the planet

He was now seen again

they put posters up

for him

they sent out

search parties

for him

but he'd gone

because God

had taken him

And of course

the Bible teaches

that one day

a whole generation

of people

will be taken like that

They will be translated

from this world

into the next

when Jesus comes back

a whole generation

will experience

what it's going to be like

to not experience

physical death

and if you and I

are still alive

when that happens

well it will be us

but if I'm not going to live

long enough

until that day

when Jesus returns

nevertheless

if we are believers

you and I

will still go home

to live with him forever

Do you remember

what Jesus said

to his disciples

he said

I'm going to prepare

a place for you

I'm going to the cross

to prepare a place for you

I'm going to die on the cross

to prepare a place for you

and I'm going to

prepare that place

I will come again

and I will take you with me

so that you will be

where I am

because in my Father's house

there's plenty of room

and the only way

that you can get there

is through me

I'm the way

and I'm going to prepare

a place for you

and if you trust in me

you will be with me

and so we shall be

forever with the Lord

that is what Christians believe

that is one of the

fundamentals of faith

and that is the hope

of the gospel

now let me ask you

do you have it?

have you seen that

faith is not something

that simply happens

momentarily in a meeting

it is a lifestyle

it is intimacy with God

it's not simply

nod and mental assent

on a Sunday morning

to the truth of the creed

it is Enoch

walking with God

and so

I'm not asking you

if you've made the decision

I couldn't care less

I'm asking

do you know the Lord?

not do you believe this

or do you believe that

but do you know the Lord

and have a relationship

with him?

Enoch did

and then verse 7

the witness of Noah

it's not an easy thing

is it to build a boat

the size of a football stadium

it took 120 years

and all the while

Noah was working

on his ark

he was urging people

all around him

to trust the Lord

he was a preacher

of righteousness

that's our task

isn't it?

to be a witness

to the world

you can imagine

the sort of conversations

that Noah would have had

as he was building his ark

what are you doing Noah?

building an ark

in fact what is an ark?

it's the Lord's provision

for you to escape

the flood

it's a place

where you can be safe

in fact it's the only place

where you can be safe

from the judgment of God

that is inevitably coming

you go to your office

tomorrow morning

and somebody says

do you have a good weekend?

you're at the school gate

and they say

what did you do yesterday?

and you say

well I went to church

you went to church

why did you go to church?

and you say

well I learned about Jesus there

how he took the wrath

of God upon himself

to save me from judgment

it's that sort of conversation

you have at work

what an inspiration

Noah is

isn't it?

to persevere

in witnessing to the world

you can imagine

can't you

that year after year

as Noah worked on that ark

laughter would turn to scorn

and then to hatred

and then to anger

so we're going to be judged

aren't we?

you believe in judgment

do you?

who says so?

when's it going to happen?

it's a long time coming Noah

but when it comes

only Noah and his family

were saved

and we sing

in family worship

sometimes

Mr. Noah built an ark

Mr. Noah built an ark

people thought it was a ark

Mr. Noah pleaded so

but into the ark

they would not go

down in the rain

in torrents

down in the rain

in torrents

down in the rain

in torrents

and only

eight were saved

it's horrific

it's horrific

I'm in Auschwitz

I'm in the room

for my dad

and my brother

and you go into a room

and there's a room

of names

and things

about five million names

written on paper

of people who died

in the holocaust

the flood is worse

than the holocaust

more people died in the flood

than the holocaust

it's devastating

how hard it must have been

for Noah to live like that

for Noah to continue

year after year

after year

lovingly and faithfully

warning people

to flee the wrath

to come

and it's such an

inspirational step

for us

to keep doing the same

you see we live

in a moral universe

and judgment

even though it's delayed

it is inevitable

and judgment will come

and this world will not

continue forever as it is

and people hope don't they

that God will never judge

and things will continue

as they have always been

and they take the fact

that he's not yet broken

in upon us

that he never will

but one day

the Lord will come

to judge the living

and the dead

and the only place

you can be safe

on that day

is not by getting

into a boat

but it is by

getting into the Lord Jesus

by trusting in him

and taking him

as your Lord

and Saviour

who has actually

taken the judgment

of God upon himself

and so the writer

of Hebrews says

to you this morning

fix your eyes

on him

keep trusting him

and keep pointing to him

and keep saying

salvation from judgment

is in him

in him

they are the fundamentals

of our faith

they are the things

most surely believed

amongst us

and they are all

fulfilled in Jesus

Jesus is our creator

our saviour

our friend

and our judgment

we could almost

put it into a creed

I thought this week

of writing my own creed

and then realised

how ridiculous that was

the Paul Levy Creed

but let me give you

the Paul Levy Creed

of Hebrews 11

I believe that Jesus

created the world

by the word of his power

I believe that Jesus

offered himself

as the perfect sacrifice

for my sins

I believe that Jesus

has gone to prepare

a place for me

and he will come again

to take me to himself

to live with him

in his father's house

and I believe that

God has set a day

when he will judge

the world with justice

through this man

whom he has raised

from the dead

Jesus

fix your eyes

on Jesus

and so is that

the kind of faith

you have

you're trusting in him

and looking to him

do you remember

Jesus said

to me

he said

when the son of man

comes

not if the son of man

comes

he says

when the son of man

comes

will he find

faith on the earth

and it's

a question

not a statement

there are some

miserable Christians

I think Jesus

is saying

the Christian faith

is going to

dwindle down

and disappear

Jesus is not

making a statement

he's throwing out

a challenge

for you and I

and he's asking

us a question

when I come back

will you be believing

will there be

faithful

there might not

be church buildings

might not be

denominations

like the IBC

there might not

be the trappings

of religion

but there will

be faith

this kind of faith

because we know

don't we

from this passage

that without faith

it's impossible

to please God

and so

this is my third point

the third point

is what faith

demands

you see what it

says in verse 6

it is a shocking

verse

we're going to

learn this

with the children

before the service

and Sunday school

it would be a great

verse for you to learn

because without faith

it is impossible

to please him

it is not difficult

it's impossible

and people think

today don't they

that it doesn't

matter what you

believe as long

as you

good

but what this

actually is saying

it doesn't matter

how good you are

if you don't

believe

and without faith

it is impossible

to please God

so let me challenge

you

do you have

authentic faith

is your faith

a living faith

not just a mental

ascent

are you living out

these truths

of creation

and judgment

to come

and walking

with God

like the people

in this chapter

and trusting

in the atonement

of Jesus Christ

there's no such

thing as inanimate

faith

just faith in an

object

it's an oxymoron

it's like going to

the butchers

and buying

boneless roots

you can't do it

the devils have

got that kind

of faith

they believe in

God

now all these

people in this

chapter

as you read it

over the next

three weeks

you'll see

Abel

Enoch

Noah

all the others

they are

commanded

by God

as righteous

because faith

was the

animating

principle

in their

lives

and God

took delight

in what he

saw there

and he took

delight in

the faith

of these

people

as they

lived it

out day

by day

in the

decisions

that they

made

in the

priorities

they

set

and God

saw that

that they

lived on the

basis of

their faith

and he bears

witness to that

and he

commends

them

and he

says

each and

every one

of these

people

well done

good and

faithful

and

through to

the joy

of your

Lord

now do

you have

that kind

of faith

and you

say to me

but I

thought you

were saved

by faith

alone

isn't that

true

is it

faith alone

in Christ

alone

and yes

of course

it is

true

but the

faith

that saves

you

is never

alone

you're

not

saved

by faith

plus

works

but you

are saved

by a

faith

that

works

this is

how Martin

Luther

puts it

he says

faith is a

living

busy

active

powerful

thing

it is

impossible

for it

not to

do us

good

continually

it never

asks what

good works

are to be

done

and whether

good works

are to be

done

but it's

done them

before there's

time to ask

the question

and it's

always doing

them

faith works

faith acts

faith evades

faith endures

it's not

merely the

acknowledgement

of truths

that is

Christian

it is the

means by

which we

live

Christianly

listen to

that again

what is

faith it is

not merely

the

acknowledgement

of truths

that is

Christian

it is the

means by

which we

live

Christianly

that's the

message of

this chapter

all these

people they

lived out

their faith

because of

what God

had promised

they didn't

just believe

in God

they believed

God

and belief

in God

demands

absolutely

nothing

from you

believing

God

demands

radical

obedience

from you

and I

if you

believe

God

you'll act

in certain

ways

and your

life will

be shaped

by his

word

and your

decisions

will be

governed

by his

good news

and so

is that

you

would

anyone

know

that is

who you

are

your

friends

at the

school

gate

your

friends

in

school

your

neighbours

your

colleagues

would

they

know

that

you

are

a

Christian

if

you

came

out

as

a

Christian

tomorrow

morning

would

they

be

surprised

what

are we

to

think

of

somebody

who

professes

faith in

Jesus

and never

lives it

out

never

demonstrates

it

shows

no evidence

of faith

in their

lives

somebody

has said

if it

looks like

a duck

and it

quacks

like a

duck

and it

walks

like a

duck

what is

it

it's

a

duck

and if

you talk

like an

unbeliever

and walk

like an

unbeliever

and live

like an

unbeliever

what are

you

most likely

you're

an

unbeliever

you like

believe in

God

big deal

but you

don't believe

God

in a way

that makes

a difference

and if

you're not

living by

his word

and by

his warning

and by

his promises

do you know

when you're

in school

sorry

when exams

came around

hopefully it's a few

months before they do

but what our teachers

used to say to me

and I would ignore

is that

when you go into

the exam hall

and you sit down

and you're told

to open your

paper

the thing you've

got to do

is read the

questions carefully

do you know

I've been told

that

don't just go in

there and

start

writing

read the

questions

carefully

because time

and time

again

there are

people out

there who

give a

perfect

answer

to what

was not

actually

on the

paper

people do

that all

the time

don't they

I hear

that all

the time

people think

that they

know what

God is

asking of

them

they think

they know

what God

requires of

them

I live a

good life

I do my

best

I do my

bit

I go to

church

some of

them are

good

living

people

and they

do try to

live up to

those standards

but it's not

what God

requires of

you

because

without

faith

without this

kind of

faith that

we see

in Hebrews

11

this faith

that is

not just

intellectual

scent

but the

animating

principle

of your

life

without

this sort

of faith

it is

impossible

to please

God

it is

impossible

to get

through that

final exam

and that

is a great

challenge to

you and I

isn't it

a challenge

to us to

understand what

real faith

is

and to put

our trust in

the Lord

Jesus Christ

let's pray

Thank you.