S3E285 – Hebrews 11-13: What Is Faith?

Transcript Associate Producer Cindy Gardner Podcast Introduction Today is Epistles Sunday, and we’re going to complete the book of Hebrews  with chapters 11-13. You’ve heard of the Baseball Hall of Fame? Today we’ll read about Old Testament people who are in a sort of Faith Hall of Fame, or Hall of Faith.  I do have an on this date in church history for you. I’m calling today’s episode “What Is Faith?”   Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Aaron Burden on Unsplash Comments on Hebrews 11 Chapter 11 is sometimes called the Faith Hall of Fame, or the Hall of Faith.  Why do you suppose the author of this book found it necessary to write this chapter? Of course, we know that the author wrote it because he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to do so, but beyond that I think the reason God gave this message for the Hebrews was because they were used to relying on the ongoing sacrifices to make them right with God. They were relying on their efforts to conform to the Mosaic Law. In the previous chapters, the Jews were told that Jesus offered Himself as the One sacrifice for all time, and that it was faith in Him that cleanses a person from sin. This notion of faith was a bit of a new concept for many of them. Thus they, and we, are given this chapter. I like the way this translation of the Bible explains what faith is. It “is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see.” Now, the word “hope” as it is used here is not the kind of hope a child has when he says, “I hope I get a new bicycle for Christmas.” That kind of hope is a sort of childlike wish. The hope spoken about here in Hebrews is the sort of hope that carries with it an assured anticipation of what will be in the future. I don’t wish that Jesus will someday return. I know He will, and it is that hope that allows me to have an unshakeable peace when I think about the future. I have no doubt that it will happen.  Why don’t I doubt? Because I have the kind of faith spoken about in this chapter.  Some people have little faith, some have great faith. Those who have little faith, if they ask for more, will receive it. I know this because at one time I had very little faith. But the faith I had told me that the One in whom my faith rested was real. So God, in His matchless grace, brought events into my life that made me see that whatever faith I had put in Him was well-placed.  Often times my faith was tested. And when you think about it, when our faith is tested it is often God who is being tested. God says, “Do you have faith that I will do this?” And I say,”I believe, but help my unbelief.” And He proves Himself worthy of my faith in that instance, thus causing my faith to grow.  Like God delivering the people of Israel from Pharaoh’s army: God says to Moses, “Do you have faith that I will provide a way of escape?” Moses says, “I have faith, Lord, but how are you going to do it?” And then God does the unthinkable by parting the Red Sea. Moses’ faith was tested, but it was God who did the miracle.  It’s important to understand that our faith is not something that we whip up ourselves. It is God who gives us the faith in the first place, and it is God who increases our faith. Our part in the process is to believe and trust Him. At the beginning of the process, we cannot see the end. Not with our eyes, and not with our reason. But by faith, we know…we have the hope…that God will do as He says He will.  I am not a man of faith because of some great thing that I have done. It’s not because of me, or my parents or the church I attend. The faith I have is because I responded to His call to trust Him. And when my trust was challenged, and when I responded with a, “Yes Lord, I will trust you”, He did something that made me see that, yes, He is there and He is trustworthy.  I have to rush to say that no… I do not have a perfect score. I have often failed when given the decision to trust or not. And every time, that has been to my detriment. But even in those times, God has proven that He was there. And He has said, “Are you ready to trust me now? Shall we try again?” He doesn’t give up on us when we fail. He just takes us back to school, because He knows where He wants to take us, and He knows the person He wants us to become. Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. God doesn’t have to hope, because He does see the end, and He lovingly and patiently brings us along until we reach where He already is. Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 11 ERV; Ch. 12-13 CEV Support This a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT. Transcript Download .txt file. Steve Webb 0:00I have faith, Lord, but how are you going to do it? Steve Webb 0:10Hi there. This is the Lifespring family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, podcasting since 2004. I’m your OG God Gaster Steve Webb. This is the daily show where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year and today is epistle Sunday, we’re going to complete the book of Hebrews with chapters 11 through 13. You’ve heard of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Well, today we’ll read about Old Testament people who are in a sort of faith hall of fame, or Hall of Faith. I’m calling today’s episode. What is faith? Today’s show notes page is it Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 291. My email address is Steve at Lifespring media.com. And I think it’s time to get started. Steve Webb 0:51Hebrews chapter 11. Faith is what makes real the things we hope for it is proof of what we cannot see. God was pleased with the people who lived a long time ago because they had faith like this. Faith helps us understand that God created the whole world by his command. This means that the things we see were made by something that cannot be seen. Cain and Abel both offered sacrifices to God. But Abel offered a better sacrifice to God because He had faith. God said He was pleased with what Abel offered. And so God called him a good man because he had faith. Abel died. But through his faith, he is still speaking. Enoch was carried away from this earth, so he never died. The Scriptures tell us that before he was carried off. He was a man who pleased God. Later, no one knew where he was because God had taken Enoch to be with him. This all happened because he had faith. Without faith. No one can please God, whoever comes to God must believe that He is real, and that He rewards those who sincerely tried to find him. Noah was warned by God about things that he could not yet see. But he had faith and respect for God. So he built a large boat to save his family. With his faith, Noah showed that the world was wrong. And he became one of those who were made right with God through faith. God called Abraham to travel to another place that He promised to give Him. Abraham did not know where that other place was. But he obeyed God and started traveling because he had faith. Abraham lived in the country that God promised to give him. He lived there like a visitor who did not belong. He did this because he had faith. He lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who also received the same promise from God. Abraham was waiting for the city that has real foundations. He was waiting for the city that is planned and built by God. Sarah was not able to have children. And Abraham was too old. But he had faith in God, trusting him to do what he promised. And so God made them able to have children. Abraham was so old, he was almost dead. But from that one man came as many descendants as there are stars in the sky. So many people came from him that they are like grains of sand on the seashore. All these great people continued living with faith until they died. They did not get the things God promised his people. But they were happy just to see those promises coming far in the future. They accepted the fact that they were like visitors and strangers here on Earth. When people accept something like that they show they’re waiting for a country that will be their own. If they were thinking about the country they had left, they could have gone back. But they were waiting for a better country, a heavenly country. So God is not ashamed to be called their God, and He has prepared a city for them. God tested Abraham’s faith. God told him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham obeyed because he had faith. He already had the promises from God. And God had already said to him, it is through Isaac that your descendants will come. But Abraham was ready to offer his only son. He did this because he had faith. He believed that God could raise people from death. And really when God stopped Abraham from killing Isaac, it was as if he got him back from death. Isaac blessed the future of Jacob and Esau. He did that because he had faith. And Jacob also because he had faith blessed each one of Joseph sons. He did this while he was dying, leaning on his rod and worshiping God. And when Joseph was almost dead, he spoke about the people of Israel leaving Egypt and he told them what they should do with his body. He did this because he had faith. And the mother and father of Moses hit him for three months after he was born. They did this because they had faith. They saw that Moses was a beautiful baby. He, and they were not afraid to disobey the Kings order. Moses grew up and became a man. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose not to enjoy the pleasures of sin that lasts such a short time. Indeed, he chose to suffer with God’s people. He did this because he had faith. He thought it was better to suffer for the Messiah than to have all the treasures of Egypt....