Hebrews 11 “Living By Faith”

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Goodness. If you've not been at Southwood before, when the pastor cries before the sermon, it is not a good sign, and you should start praying for him right now.

Now, it's not just appropriate for our graduates, but for all of us who are needing to walk by faith, who are perhaps some of us wondering,

what might it mean to have faith in the God of the Bible?

I'm going to read just the first three verses for now, but we're going through the whole chapter, and I'd encourage you to keep a Bible open.

To Hebrews 11, as we're going to look at a lot of it as we go, but right now, this is the holy, inerrant, infallible Word of God.

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

For by it, the people of old received their commendation.

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 visible.

God, thank you for your Word.

Lord, would you help us this morning, as your people in this chapter through the Old Testament, as they heard your voice and trusted you and followed you,

would you so help us, speak to us that we would hear you, work in our hearts, spirit, that we might love you, trust you,

and in our lives, that we might follow you all of our days.

We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

Seeing is believing is a philosophy that's familiar to many in our world these days.

Scientific naturalism tells you that what you see is all there is.

That's all you can count on.

But think about it more at a street level, the way we encounter it in our lives.

Even in a world where we are skeptical if the video on social media is actually real,

for many of us, it is the things that we see.

Our security comes from numbers we see in our bank account.

Our happiness comes from the stuff we have that we can look at and enjoy.

Our beauty is often seen as skin deep.

Our importance, our value in the world, whether we've been successful in life,

is often seen in the size of our houses,

the type of car that we drive, the location of our office,

building our lives around the things we can see with our eyes, right?

Seems to come natural.

Makes sense.

Except that God's word tells us we are made to walk by faith,

not by sight.

To build our lives quite differently, actually, around unseen realities.

There's so much that we can't see.

I mean, our graduates,

they're preparing to walk into new places,

new people,

new life experiences that are hard for them even to imagine today what's ahead.

Our prayer guide's expectant mothers list indicates quite a few of you are investing lots of energy

and excitement in preparing for a new person who will transform your life,

and you don't even know what he or she is like yet.

Come to think of it,

whether you're awaiting test results,

navigating technological changes,

trying to predict the weather,

even things that we see leave us with lots of uncertainty.

All of us.

Whom and what will we trust?

Hebrews has just quoted at the end of chapter 10,

last week,

that famous line,

the righteous shall live by faith.

That's how we're to live,

by faith.

And so chapter 11 starts by saying,

faith is the assurance of things hoped for,

the conviction of things not seen.

In other words,

what do those words mean?

And what's it telling us about faith?

It's the confidence of counting on something,

of building my life around something,

of placing my hope in something

that my eyes don't see right now.

Why in the world would you do that?

That sounds crazy, right?

That's blind faith, isn't it?

Well, not exactly.

You're not just insisting on believing something

against all evidence to the contrary.

No, he's actually about to give us story

after story after story

of people who lived like this,

trusting God when they couldn't see.

And it's not an invitation here

when he says live by faith

to check your brain at the door

and just come believe.

That's not it.

Rather, he actually begins the opposite direction.

He begins by saying,

open your eyes.

He turns our eyes,

not only to the real stories,

but also to the real world all around us.

Do you see all this, he says?

Look out the windows.

God made all this from nothing.

All these things your eyes see,

the closer you look,

they have the marks of a designer,

don't they?

I mean, you're thinking,

I didn't see mountains and bugs

and flowers and stars formed.

I didn't see them come into existence.

How'd that happen?

There's a God behind it all.

And people have been trusting him

for millennia now,

even though they haven't physically seen him.

In other words,

it may just actually be

that believing is seeing.

That the clearest vision possible

comes when you set your eyes

on things you can't see.

What could that look like?

That's so weird, pastor.

What are you talking about?

Can I live by faith?

Would I want to?

How would I do that?

That's what this chapter's about.

Though our physical eyes are limited,

the eyes of faith see.

Above all else,

they see a person.

Here's what I mean.

In the classic movie Aladdin,

you've all,

oh, I wish you'd all seen Aladdin.

I'm going to show you just a little bit of it.

Princess Jasmine,

and she leaves the palace, okay,

where she's grown up.

And she finds herself in a marketplace

that she's never seen before.

Completely unfamiliar place.

But the boy who lives there on the streets,

he knows the marketplace.

And they're being pursued,

chased,

and they're trapped now

on the edge of a building.

And she can't see,

has no idea what's over the edge.

She's left with a famous choice.

A leap of faith,

one might say.

But not a leap for no reason.

She trusted the boy,

right?

Later in the story,

that's actually how she recognizes

this boy when he's dressed up as a prince.

Do you trust me?

Do you trust me?

He's offering to show her the world

on a magic carpet,

and look what happens.

Do you trust me?

I showed you that second clip

because I think God wants us

to recognize him

saying again to us,

do you trust me?

Do you trust me?

There's so much you don't know.

There's so much out there

you haven't seen,

and you can't see,

and you won't understand.

But do you trust me?

That's what it comes down to.

It's interesting as we go through this chapter

how much he talks about seeing.

Notice by faith,

verse 26,

Moses left Egypt,

not being afraid of the anger of the king,

even though the king was right there

in front of him,

and very powerful.

Moses boldly stood before him,

called the king to account.

How did he do that?

How did he stand in front of him?

For he endured as seeing him

who is invisible.

It's a great statement of faith

if you want one to take home with you today.

The eyes of faith see God's person.

Believe that he exists,

verse 6 says,

that you can actually draw near to him

because he's personal.

He wants you to know him.

So how do you see an invisible God?

Believe then that he exists.

Well, verse 3, remember,

told us that God's creation

is a big part of that.

We can see that someone started all this.

Someone incredibly powerful

and creative and orderly

and preexistent.

Someone did this.

We know that Moses

had heard God speak

by this point in his story.

We hear him speak to us, don't we?

In his word.

It tells us who this creator God is.

It explains so much about his world

and about our place in it.

And over time,

people have learned

that his words are trustworthy.

And true.

For example, verse 11,

by faith, Sarah.

What happens to her?

She conceives a child

when to her human eyes,

physically, she's too old.

But she sees God.

She considers him faithful

who had promised.

She hadn't physically seen God, right?

But Sarah had watched for decades

as God led her and her husband Abraham,

as God rescued her

in various situations,

as God helped Abraham grow.

So she saw God

and learned that she could trust him.

He comes through.

Person after person here

acts on things they haven't seen

because they trust God himself.

Do you slow down

to see the invisible God?

If you don't,

it'll just be everything

that comes in front of your face.

That is the very beginning

of the life of faith,

y'all.

Seeing

the invisible God.

If he's real,

and he is,

if he made this world,

and he did,

then you will not be left

without reminders of him

no matter where you live this fall.

No matter how confusing

the path forward appears to you,

you won't be left

without things

that will point you to see him.

You don't have to see the future.

You see the God

of the present and the future.

And you look by faith for him.

And you trust him.

That's living by faith.

Secondly,

we learn the eyes of faith

see God's promises.

Even seeing ahead

to their fulfillment.

This is so remarkable to me.

I hope I can

give you a picture of it.

It made me pray this week.

God, help my faith.

See, one after another

in this chapter,

they hold on to God's promises

to them,

even though for the large majority

of them,

they don't actually get

those promises fulfilled

in their lifetimes.

Their entire lives.

Look at Sarah again,

who believed God was faithful.

And so she and her husband Abraham

become the parents

of descendants

as many as the stars

and the sand.

Amazing.

But did they live long enough

to see that happen?

No.

Verse 13.

These all died in faith,

not having received

the things promised,

but having seen them

and greeted them

from afar.

That's repeated again

after all the people

who suffered terribly

and were commended

for their faith,

but verse 39 says,

did not receive

what was promised yet.

But what did all these see?

What kept them going?

They saw the things

God promised

to the point that they

greeted them from afar.

They were that real.

What faith they had.

They so trusted this God,

believed that He'd proven

Himself faithful,

found being His

so wonderfully worthy

that they could die

without receiving

the fulfillment

of His promise.

Do you believe that?

Look at Moses' story.

It's so powerful.

Verse 24.

By faith, Moses,

when he was grown up,

refused to be called

the son of Pharaoh's daughter,

choosing rather

to be mistreated

with the people of God

than to enjoy

the fleeting pleasures of sin.

He considered

the reproach of Christ

greater wealth

than the treasures of Egypt,

for he was looking

to the reward.

Moses had at his disposal

the power,

the prestige,

the influence,

the wealth of the world

in the nation of Egypt, right?

Thanks to God sending Joseph

there to prepare Egypt

for the seven years of famine.

Every nation around

is coming to Egypt.

Egypt.

And Moses lives

in the palace.

But God's people

were enslaved.

And Moses chooses

which one?

To be with them.

Mistreated

with God's people.

Think about it, y'all.

Mistreated

with these slaves

or pleasant

and comfortable

and rich

in sin.

How did Moses decide?

It wasn't just

that he was so holy.

Moses did the math.

It says.

If God is real,

then being on

his team,

even if it hurts

for days

or months

or years,

even if I never

make it to the promised land

before I die

and he didn't,

it's actually

way more valuable

in the long run

than all the gold

in Egypt

which will only

make me feel good

for a little while.

I've got

God himself,

Moses said.

I've got

eternal treasure.

Life is

not all about

what I see

right in front of me

because God

has promised

to deliver

his people.

I can trust

him.

Y'all,

that's hard.

The fleeting

pleasures

of sin

look

exactly

like that.

They feel,

they sound,

they taste

pleasurable.

That's what it says.

And so,

if you're going

to choose

something different,

you have to believe

that God's ways,

God's laws

are sweeter

than honey.

Seeing God

as the ultimate

king,

seeing his words

as trustworthy,

seeing his promises

as true

and things that are

actually able

to be held on to,

that's what enables

you,

for example,

to say no

to sex

before marriage.

Even when it's

increasingly popular

and your head

tells you

it makes sense.

It's what enables

you to say no

to using AI

to cheat

on the project

when everyone

else is doing it

and your grade

will probably be

lower than theirs

if you don't.

It's what enables

you to say yes

to a Sabbath day

when it feels

like you're falling

behind

because God says

it's how you work

best.

It's a gift,

I promise.

He says

just trust me.

Maybe you're

getting ready

to move

to a new place

and you're worried

you're going

to be alone.

You'll struggle

to fit in,

find community.

By faith

you can see

God's promise

that Bill mentioned

earlier,

never to leave you

nor forsake you.

Even when you

feel alone,

you can say

I'll go.

Maybe you're

deeply sad

about being

childless.

Sometimes it

makes you feel

God has

abandoned you.

He's not

given you

the longings

of your heart.

By faith

you can see

God's promise

of brothers

and sisters

and sons

and daughters

in his

family,

even if they

don't come

for a while

in your

lifetime

even.

See,

faith is not

a magic wand

to make your

life better

in the way

and time

you please.

No,

it is a

confident trust

in the God

who will make

your life

best

in the way

and time

he pleases.

That's faith.

Whether you

see it today

or not,

trust him.

God is

keeping his

promise to

you.

He is.

It's who he

is.

He's faithful.

You can count

on it.

It's actually

what Moses

is counting

on.

When it

says verse

26,

he was

looking

to the

reward.

That means

something beyond

this life,

doesn't it?

If only

for this

life,

we have

hope in

Christ.

Y'all,

just listen

to what

God's people

endure

starting at

verse 32.

It sounds

good at

first.

What more

shall I say

for time

would fail

me to tell

of Gideon,

Barak,

Samson,

Jephthah,

of David

and Samuel

and the

prophets,

who through

faith conquered

kingdoms

and forced

justice,

obtained

promises,

stopped the

mouths of

lions,

quenched

the power

of fire,

escaped the

edge of

the sword,

were made

strong out

of weakness,

became mighty

in war,

put foreign

armies to

flight.

Women

received back

their dead

by resurrection.

Some

were tortured,

refusing to

accept release

so that they

might rise

again to a

better life.

Others

suffered

mocking

and flogging

and even

chains

and imprisonment.

They were

stoned.

They were

sawn in

two.

They were

killed with

the sword.

They went

about in

skins of

sheep and

goats,

destitute,

afflicted,

mistreated,

!

of whom the

world was

not worthy,

wandering

about in

deserts and

mountains and

in dens and

caves of the

earth.

And all

these,

though commended

through their

faith,

did not receive

what was

promised.

They didn't

receive yet

what was

promised.

After all

those things,

key line,

verse 38,

of whom

the world

was not

worthy.

It means

that there

was no way

that the

world could

satisfy them.

they suffered

deeply here.

He's honest

about that.

They were

made for

something beyond

this life.

Their faith

saw something

else, even if

they never got

to have it

here.

It saw

God's place.

It's a theme

throughout this

chapter.

Just as God

said to Noah,

verse 7,

build an ark

when you've

never seen a

flood.

Boy, that's

weird.

God also

said to

Abraham, who

was comfortable

and successful,

he was very

prosperous at

home in his

own land,

verse 8,

go out to

the promised

land I'm

going to

give you.

And Abraham

said,

where?

Never seen

it.

Can't look it

up online to

see if I'll

like it.

And then

much of the

rest of

Abraham's

life was

spent

journeying

living.

Living where?

Intense.

Why?

What was

his reward?

Was it the

dirt of

Canaan that

he would

finally get

there?

No.

Verse 10,

he was

looking forward

to the city

with foundations

designed and

built by

God.

Back to

verse 13.

they were

strangers

and exiles

on the

earth.

For people

who speak

thus make

it clear

that they're

seeking a

homeland.

If they'd

been thinking

of that

land from

which they'd

gone out,

they would

have had

opportunity

to return.

But as

it is,

they desire

a better

country that

is a

heavenly

one.

Therefore,

God is not

ashamed to

be called

their God

for he has

prepared for

them a

city.

Listen,

God's got a

place for

you, a

country, a

city, and

it's not even

Auburn or

Tuscaloosa.

Of all of

his promises

that you can

count on

for you,

don't miss

this one.

He's made

a place

for you

forever

with him

so that

even if you

live in a

tent now,

you will

reign with

him

forever.

So that

even if you

don't make

any money

in this

life,

you will

walk on

streets of

gold

forever.

So that

even if you

cry

and suffer

and die

before you

get to

enjoy the

best years

of your

life,

you will

live and

laugh and

love forever.

The best is

always yet to

come.

See, this

world is not

worthy of you,

but the next

one will be.

It will

delight and

satisfy you

forever in a

way that you've

only tasted a

sample of what it's

going to feel

like to be

full on the

glories of

God forever.

That's your

reward, a city

prepared for

you by the

one who's not

ashamed to be

your God.

He's actually

eager to be

seen there

with you

every day.

Can you not

wait for that?

You are there

with God and

he's delighting

in you.

What a reward

he is.

I can trust

him for that

no matter

what else.

I heard

stories this

week of

Iranian

Christians who

could be in

Hebrews 11 as

far as I'm

concerned.

Especially in

the last few

weeks, you

want to talk

about not

seeing what's

ahead?

If they

avoid the

bombs around

them,

increasingly

they might

get arrested,

beaten,

even killed,

for their

faith.

It's one of

several countries

these days where

Christians really

every day have

to ask,

is Jesus

worth it?

And you know

what's happening

in Iran?

The church is

growing like

crazy.

See, faith

sees God

and the place

that he has

prepared for

those who love

him even

if this

one seems

to be

going away

fast.

Maybe most

of you don't

live in Iran.

I also

sat with our

brother Jim

Harris this

week.

He so

encouraged my

heart as he

described his

struggle with

cancer.

He said he's

been fighting the

cancer because it's

bad, it hurts,

but Jim's not

desperately

fighting for

his life.

No.

His life

cancer can't

take away.

His life is

hidden with

Christ in

God,

his Savior

who's gone

to prepare a

place for

him, even if

he doesn't know

when he gets

to be there.

He doesn't see

what tomorrow

holds.

He doesn't

know his

days, but he

sees God and

his promise and

his hope forever.

He has a

place.

Graduates,

is Jesus

worth it?

You're going to

have to answer

that question

many times in

the days ahead,

some small

moments, some

big moments.

all of us

have to answer

that question.

Maybe this is a

reminder that

none of us

sees what

tomorrow holds

for us here.

All of us,

as a result,

face uncertain

futures, new

relationships, new

seasons of life

that we don't

know how to

handle.

Will we walk

by faith

today or

tomorrow because

Jesus is worth

it?

will we just

default to what

we see?

It's what we

know.

It's what we're

safe and

comfortable with.

It's what we

think we can

control.

Is that what

we'll lean

back into?

God's telling

you today, if

you want a firm

foundation, it's

him, his

promises, his

place.

grace.

See, if you

don't know this

yet, every

single one of

us will face a

day when our

next step, our

eternity beyond

this life is

unseen.

And that next

step is based

not on what

college we

attended, doesn't

help.

Not even your

ACT score helps.

Unbelievable.

It's not based

on the amount

of money that

you've made.

It's not based

on the family

you've started,

the beaches

you've visited,

the professional

awards you've

received.

They don't

count.

In fact, none

of them will

catch you when

you're falling

over the edge

on that day.

None of them.

You don't get

points for any

of those things

that you can

see.

That would be

living by sight,

living by faith,

says what

matters on

that day is

did you trust

God?

Did you put

your hope in

His promises?

Did you rest

in His place?

Can He come

through?

It's the

better way,

friend.

It is.

God.

I hope you're

still just a

little bit

unsettled at

all these

people who

sacrificed for

God and

then died

without getting

what they were

promised.

Like, what kind

of advertisement

is that?

God, come

on.

He finally

tells us why

in the last

verse of the

chapter.

Since God

had provided

something better

for us,

that apart

from us,

they should

not be made

perfect.

This is the

last thing.

Something

better.

Southwood,

please don't

get this

question wrong.

I will cry

all day.

in Hebrews,

who or what

is something

better?

Thank you.

Jesus.

When you read

something better

in Hebrews,

it's talking

about Jesus.

Jesus coming.

He is the

better access,

the better

relationship

with God,

the better

sacrifice,

the better

priest.

Here, the

better city,

the better

country.

All of that,

listen, living

by faith is

not as

complicated as

I may have

made it sound

this morning.

It really is

as simple

as seeing

Jesus.

It boils

down to that.

Yes, we can

see the person

of God in

creation and

in his word,

but we

especially and

most brilliantly

see the glory

of God made

flesh in the

face of Jesus

Christ.

and we

know he

exists and

we know that

because he's

come, he wants

us to know

him personally.

The promises

of God

through the

shadows of the

Old Testament,

what's he

promising?

Forgiveness and

cleansing,

deliverance from

bondage into

relationship,

a land for

security.

All of those

promises are

yes and

amen in

Jesus through

his life and

his death and

his resurrection

life.

And your

confidence in

God's place,

though you

have never

seen it,

is in Jesus

as well.

Because he

brings us to

the city where

he has already

gone to prepare

a place for

us where he

is the lamp

and the light

of that city

forever.

Forever.

her.

Please hear me.

Dear graduates,

dear friends,

seeing Jesus

and trusting

him is not

a blind

leap of

faith.

This is

really important.

When Jesus

says,

do you

trust me?

He's not

asking you

to leave

your comfortable,

secure place

and go

somewhere you've

never seen

with your own

eyes unless

he's done

it himself.

It's exactly

what Jesus

does for you,

isn't it?

He leaves

the glories

of heaven.

He suffers

beyond what

any of us

have known.

He dies

on a cross

and he lives

today saying,

trust me,

you don't have

to do what

I've done,

but I know

what's over

the edge.

I know what's

coming next.

I've been

there.

So you

just see

me and

take my

hand and

walk by

faith.

That's

what we're

offered this

morning.

He may be

calling you

to leave

home and

walk by

faith for

the very

first time

today.

I can't

promise you

it will be

easy.

I can promise

you it

probably won't.

But I can

promise you

you'll never

be alone

and eternity

will be

glorious

with your

best days

always ahead

of you.

If you're

going off to

college

unsure of

that,

I'd love to

talk to you

today.

Don't leave

today without

talking to me

or your

parents or

someone you

trust about

that.

God's

but he may

be calling

you to

leave home

and walk

by faith

again

today

because it's

a new

season and

you may be

afraid.

You may be

sad.

You may be

overwhelmed

by all the

things that

you see with

your eyes.

and he

says fix

your eyes

not on

what is

seen.

It's

temporary.

I promise.

But on

what's

unseen.

It's

eternal.

Never

ending.

So faith

is the

assurance

of things

hoped for.

The

certainty

of things

not seen.

Like the

fact.

The fact

that along

with Abraham

and Sarah

and Moses

and all

the saints

of old

you who

suffer now

will be

made perfect

forever.

You haven't

seen that.

It's hard

to imagine

but it's

true and

it is

certain

because God

has something

better

for you.

Even

Jesus.

Let's

pray.

God

thank you

for giving

us

Jesus.

Thank you

that he's

better.

Even

suffering

with him

is worth

more than

all the

treasures

of the

world

and these

saints of

old who

walked with

you and

never tasted

it here.

Oh they

rejoiced

when they

saw Jesus'

day and

so they

celebrate

today and

forever with

him.

they're not

complaining that

they never got

the promises

here.

They are

praising you

that they're

living in your

promises now

and forever.

Thank you

Jesus.

Would you

teach us to

walk by faith?

It's not

natural for

us.

We trust so

many other

things especially

the ones we

can see.

so help us

graduates and

parents and

all your

people to

trust you

and walk

with you

today.

We ask it

in Jesus'

name.

Amen.

For more

information visit

us online at

southwood.org.