Transcript What is faith? (Hebrews 11:1-3)

Heroes of faith – Hebrews 11
What is faith? (Hebrews 11:1-3)
Penge Baptist Church
29th June 2014
Context
• A church under pressure to renounce its faith
• Chapters 1-10:18: the Jesus in whom we can have faith
• Chapter 10:19-38: warning that some people do not
persevere in faith, and the consequences
• Chapter 11: encouragement to keep faith from heroes of
Scripture:
– “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of
witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin
that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the
race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)
What is faith?
 Strong belief in the doctrines of a religion based on
spiritual conviction rather than proof?
 Complete, firm and resolute trust or confidence in
someone or something
God’s promises
• Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and
certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)
• Active certainty, conviction and confidence
• Going beyond our senses and the material world of
science, informed by God’s word
• “Faith is looking at God and trusting him for
everything, hope is looking at the future and trusting
God for it” (N T Wright)
God’s people
• This is what the ancients were commended for. (Hebrews
11:2)
• They witnessed to God…
• …but he also showed his approval
– “Abraham my friend” Isaiah 41:8
• They only had fragments of what we have!
– The Old Testament
– The New Testament
– The presence and power of the Holy Spirit “when he, the
Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth” (John
16:13)
“Faith is the ice
axe that gets us
to the Holy City”
God’s power
• “By faith we understand that the universe was
formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was
not made out of what was visible.” (Hebrews 11:3)
– “since the creation of the world God’s invisible
qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have
been clearly seen, being understood from what has
been made” (Romans 1:20)
 Faith in God as creator – the root of faith in
judgement and in resurrection
WHAT
FAITH IS
What faith is not
 “a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an
evil spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus
of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know
who you are—the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:23-24)
 “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the
demons believe that—and shudder.” (James 2:19)
Let’s be inspired by the heroes of
faith!
• Who showed “complete trust and confidence in our
God”….
• ….looking forward to the promise that was fulfilled in
Jesus
• “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.”
(Hebrews 11:29-30)