EXAMPLES WORTH IMITATING

Hebrews 11:1-31

When Idi Amin ruled Uganda, many of God’s people were killed or tortured for their faith in Christ. As they faced firing squads, they spoke of God’s love to their executioners. Smiles wreathed their faces; their songs filled the stadiums or fields where they were martyred. Many were attracted to Christ as the result of their witness.

Those who died had a common hope: they were going to be with Jesus. Some thanked the killers for sending them home to Jesus. Their future was secure; they could see beyond this life to what God has promised. They could see the present through the eyes of the future.

That’s faith; the appropriate response to Hebrews’ message. Heb. 11:1-7

Hebrews provides examples of men and women who trusted God in the face of adversity, to encourage us to follow in their footsteps.

They risked their lives, willing to pay a price, because they trusted God.

How will we respond to His greatness?

“O may all who come behind us find us faithful—may the fire of our devotion light their way. May the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe, and the lives we live inspire them to obey.” That’s what these people of faith did.

PRACTICAL WORKING DEFINITION OF FAITH 11:1-3

Mencken: “Faith is an illogical belief in the occurrence of the impossible.”

In contrast to the cynical view, Hebrews clarifies what genuine faith looks like:

     Faith is the assurance of things hoped for                 11:1

It’s confidence that what God has promised is certain to come to pass.

Faith is a conviction about things you can't see–certainty, when we can’t see

Circumstances may look grim. What we see may not be encouraging.

Faith believes there’s something more significant than what you can touch and see

Faith celebrates now the reality of what God promises to give us in the future, even though we can’t see it.

By faith, godly people gained approval from God11:2

Faith counts on the unseen God for approval—not on tangible things; not on man's opinions. Nor does it depend on our efforts—God’s approval comes by faith!

By faith, we understand the real force behind the universe.11:3

People without Christ will never come to the same conclusions because it’s faith that enables us to understand what life is all about.

Many people are like the piano mice who lived all their lives inside a piano. Music filled their “piano world.” They marveled that someone above, yet close to them, made such beautiful music. They loved to think about the Great Player they couldn’t see.

Then one day a daring mouse climbed up the piano and returned pensively. He discovered how music was really made. Tightly stretched wires trembled, making the music. They must revise their out-dated beliefs. Only “blind conservatives” continued to believe in the Unseen Player. Later, another explored further and found that hammers danced and leaped on the wires. The Unseen Player was just a myth. All the while, the pianist continued to play.

For those who know THE Pianist, it’s clear:

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what we can now see was made out of that which was previously not visible.”

EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE WHO TRUSTED GOD 11:4-40  The list is long!

These heroes teach us many lessons about living in adversity. We’re going to see a few.

     People of faith see what isn’t visible.

People of faith focus on their future reward.

Departing from Christ, and returning to Judaism, moves away from these godly people!

         They modeled the kind of faith he desires us to follow.

Key aspect of their faith is endurance. When they couldn’t see how things would work out, they trusted God and waited for Him to work.

     They kept their eyes on the goal. They could “see” the reward.

We considered the first three of these godly examples last week:

Abel 11:4

Because he trusted God, he offered a better sacrifice.

         Because he trusted God, God declared him righteous

Abel gave the first and best of his flock.

             He didn't cheat God or say: "Any thing will do." He gave God the first and the best!

Abel stands out as a man of faith; because he trusted God rather than his flocks and his income, God was pleased with him.

God says Abel's "faith is counted to Him for righteousness,"

Enoch 11:5-6

         Because he trusted God, Enoch pleased God.

         Because he trusted God, he never experienced death.

Gen. 5:22, 24: Enoch walked with God for 300 years.

What was it like to walk with God?

Enoch was God’s friend; he enjoyed God’s company;

                      he’s going the same way God is.

In a passage where everyone lives and then dies,

             here's a person who doesn't just live, he walks with God!

         After three hundred years, he doesn't die—he walks with God. God takes him with Him!

Phil 1:21 "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain!"

When the goal of our life is to walk with God, what could be better than to die and be in His presence. No more barriers!

Enoch teaches us a lesson about the importance of faith 11:6

* Without faith, you can't please God.

He doesn’t say that without faith it’s difficult to please God. It’s impossible!

If we’re ever going to live in a godly way—a way that pleases Him—we’ll need a different perspective on life: FAITH!!!

* The only way you’ll ever come to God:

             1. Believe that He exists

             2. Believe that He rewards people who seek Him

A common thread through all these examples of faith: they are focused on the ultimate reward! 10:34-36; 11:10, 13-16a, 26

NOAH 11:7

Do you ever feel like you're all alone-like no one else, of all the people around you —at work, where you walk each day—is concerned about living for God?

Noah lived in a time when it wasn't popular to walk with God.

All mankind is separated from God. No one cares about pleasing God.

             God says everyone else is evil

“Every intent of the heart of all people was only evil continually!”

Except for one! Only one person on the planet wants to live for God!

             God decides to destroy the whole thing and start over.

The flood story provides a model of the kind of life that finds grace in the sight of God-especially in a pagan culture.

                  It provides a picture of trust in God and obedience to Him.

HIS FAITH Talk about faith in the unseen! —They had never seen a flood

Def. of faith-"the conviction of things not seen"

God said it and Noah believed it.

He spent years preparing an ark because God told him to.

From the perspective of what you can see, it didn't make sense.

Because he trusted God, he delivered his family from judgment.

Because he trusted God, he condemned the world.

Because he trusted God, he became an heir of righteousness

             —the kind of righteousness that comes by faith.

Do you know what it's like to be the ONLY one who stands for what's right?

DO WE stand for what's right and pleasing to God?

Or, do we capitulate—cave in—compromise—and begin to look like everyone else?

TWO LESSONS FOR US FROM NOAH'S LIFE:

             1. Those who trust God and are faithful to Him—who are willing to take a stand against the crowd, ultimately triumph!

             2. We should trust God and follow His word

                      —even if it means we stand alone as Noah did!

OTHER EXAMPLES WORTH IMITATING 11:8-31

     Abraham 8-10        He was willing to give up everything for his faith

Because he trusted God, he left his home and family,

             not knowing where he was going.

Abraham had a family to care for. Talk about a hare-brained, lame thing to do!

             You don't just take off with your family and go to "who knows where"!!!

That's how people would have seen it! Can you imagine the dialogue?

"Where are you going Abraham?" "I don't know!"

             "What are you going to do there?"

             "How are you going to take care of your family?"

             "Right! Sure, Abraham. God told you to go?!!!"

Abraham believed God. He didn't know where he was going, or what he would do there. All he knew was God said go, and he was on his way!

He had no contingency plan. He was committed to doing whatever God said, whether anyone understood or not—whether anyone else came along.

That’s what a godly life is like. God says “Go.” So we pack our bags, say goodbye to old friends, and move on to wherever He sends us. We face an uncertain future.

                  But we go, because the Boss has told us to trust Him and follow Him!

Convincing others that what you’re doing is right, is harder. You endure the frowns, the counsel of those who try to tell you why the idea is foolish.

                  But you move on, trusting the Lord, and doing whatever He tells you!

A friend of mine left a six-figure a year job to begin a new ministry. He began making less than $20,000 a year. Why? “God!” God called him; God and supplied all he needed.

             “I have never felt so fulfilled. I have never had less financial pressure in my life!”

Are you on the verge of such a decision?

Is the Lord telling you to loosen your tent pegs and follow Him into the unknown?

             You can trust Him!

God is looking for people who are willing to follow Him, free and unencumbered, loose and available, ready to roll, willing to break the mold—wherever He leads.

     Sarah 11-16   11:11-12  NAS & KJV accurately make Sarah the subject:

"By faith, even sterile Sarah, received the ability to conceive"

             "She considered the One who had promised to be trustworthy"

Reading Gen., you wonder about N.T.

She had questions about how God would do this. It looked impossible

                  -BUT she considered the One who had promised to be trustworthy!

Every time she thought about it she laughed. HER?!! At her age?

             She got so used to laughing that she named her son "laughter."

She could trust God with what seemed impossible to her.

Because she trusted God for what seemed impossible, she was enabled to conceive and give birth to a great nation.

She couldn't count on her 90 year old body, but she knew Whom she could count on.

Because they trusted God, they saw the things God promised,

             and welcomed them from a distance.               13-16

Abraham (part 2) 17-19

Because He trusted God, he was willing to offer his only son.

Abraham knew God well enough to know he could trust Him, even when His orders didn't make sense. If God wanted his only son, He could have him.

Can He have anything He wants from us?

Abraham believed God could raise Isaac from the dead, if necessary, to fulfill His promise. But, he could trust God to fulfill His promise!

God had given him, God could take him away. He wasn't going to cling to the son. He just believes what God said about him.

He trusts God to raise Isaac rather than believe He would lie or mislead him.

Many parking lots have automatic gates, designed to go up when a car activates a sensor. As you drive up to that gate, it remains down, blocking the entrance. But, as you get close to it, the arm swings up and lets you through. If a person stops a few yards away, it stays closed. Only as you move forward does it open.

     Faith is like that!    Some people follow an "open door" approach to faith.

                               If God opens the door they will proceed. If He doesn't, they stop.

     Faith isn't like that.     If God says go, walk up to the door and keep going.

                               Sometimes God uses us to remove a misplaced door.

Missionary to Colombia.          That's what Abraham's faith was like.

         He didn't know what God would do about Isaac, but He trusts God.

When Isaac asked what they would do about the missing animal,

             Abraham responds that God will provide what they need. That’s faith!

He knew he could trust God. He passes that assurance on. Is that what our children learn from us when we face a trial and don’t know how God will resolve it?

     The examples continue:

     *  Isaac 20                  *  Jacob 21                     *  Joseph 22

     *  Moses 23-29          *  Joshua 30                   *  Rahab 31

LESSONS LEARNED FROM THOSE WHO WALKED BY FAITH:

     1. People who trust God please Him. They trust Him, and please Him.

             Faith is the basis for pleasing Him.

     2. People who trust God, desire to walk with Him.

     3. People who trust God aren't afraid to be different from those around them!

All these people testified to their faith in God and His faithfulness.

Like silent shadows, the heroes of the faith pass beside us, pointing us toward God, whispering words of courage, reminding us of His faithfulness.

             Now, what will our response be?        Will we join them, in faith?

             Will we escape, in unbelief?           Which do we prefer?

People today have become “wired.”

     Everywhere you look people walk around connected to headphones and a little box.

When you try to talk to such people, you realize that they are off somewhere in another world. They’re not hearing what’s going on around them.

They’re walking along in the midst of one situation, bobbing to the beat of different music.

However you may dislike that social response, imagine this as a picture of walking by faith.

To hear God’s promise is to hear something that perhaps no one around us can hear.

         It’s like starting to tap your toes and move to the beat of the music.

             It leaves people around us bewildered.

             They can’t hear the music. They just see our response.

The music we hear is the music of God’s future, what He has promised.

     Hope is hearing the music. Faith is dancing to it–now.

It’s not that we live in the future, it’s that the future begins to live right now,

             in the midst of our present circumstances.

We can dance now to the beat of God’s future. That’s what real faith is all about!

     Whose music are WE dancing to?

People of faith in Heb. 11 heard God’s music.

     Their lives are controlled by the assurance that God will do what He says! How about US?

Jeremiah 29:11: “‘I know the plans I have for you,’

     ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

We can trust Him, even when we can’t see where He’s taking us.