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?
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
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
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.