Every time the boy became sick you would think This is it. You are at peace in the presence of God, because you have nothing to hide from Him. Light shines into the darkness, and we have reason to hope that the reign of death may not be forever. Arguing from the greater to the lesser, since God can do the hard thing of creating everything from nothing, His is able to do the lesser things as well. 48:51. We must walk with God by faith so that we are ready to meet him by sight. b. It has sustained the people of God through thousands of years in every sort of difficulty. And for all of us, men and women alike, take heart from Noah's example. How can you live in a constant, conscious enjoyment of the presence of God? Back then, there were only eight true believers in the whole world. As Psalm 33:6, 9 affirms, By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host. 3By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not seen." (Hebrews 11:1-3) I'm focusing today's sermon on our . Its no good saying, If God wants me He can make himself known to me. A.W. Eventually that orphanage grew to 2,000 children who needed food, clothing, and shelter every day. It is about the faith and that faith must be in Jesus. 2/19/2023 Pastor Tom Harper presents a message entitled "Faith That Works" - Hebrews 11. Such people as Enosh, Mahalalel, and Jared are respectable plodding quiet men who said goodnight to one another regularly, remarked briefly upon the weather and died.. The eternal God brought physical matter and time into being by His powerful word alone! that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. Walking with God involves peace, purpose, progress, privilege and pleasure. The seed sown on the rocky ground sprang up quickly, but it also quickly withered and died when trials hit. Faith connects you to God; it is your admission that you are dependent upon Him; that your hope is in Him. This was Gods provision for multiplying the human population in its earliest generations. I suggest this expanded paraphrase of 11:1, Faith makes real in our experience the promises that God has given about the future. Order Curriculum, Literature, and Church Supplies, by Rick Ezell on Wednesday, January 01, 2014 at 7:00 AM. They knew what death was because they had seen it in the animals, but when the first man died, all of the others knew this is what will happen to me! This ancient story may seem a long way from the realities of your life today. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him (Gen 5:24). Scripture: Hebrews 11:7-12 John Piper Sermon The Hope of Exiles on the Earth Jun 29, 1997 Scripture: Hebrews 11:13-22 John Piper Sermon Liberated for Love by Looking to the Reward Aug 3, 1997 Scripture: Hebrews 11:23-28 John Piper Sermon Faith to Be Strong and Faith to Be Weak Aug 10, 1997 Scripture: Hebrews 11:29-38 John Piper Message God rewards those who seek Him (Heb 11:6). Enoch was given a prophetic glimpse of the day when our Lord Jesus Christ will come with His holy angels. George Muller was another man who made Gods promises real by faith, and proved in a visible way the reality of the invisible God. You will always be on guard. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. But what does that have to do with us? It understands the origins of all that is. Thats what Enoch did. Colin Smith; Our History & Mission; Our Team; Statement of Faith; Media & Radio Inquiries; All the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died (Gen 5:11). This faith lays hold of Gods promises and the reality of the unseen world, obediently applying those realities to present trials. By faith Moses gained Gods approval, even though he received the worlds scorn. But as Paul explains (Rom. I will seek to clarify the meaning of the verse as I understand it, but I admit that my understanding may be limited. We don't even trust God. Any known sin in your life has been confessed and forgiven. One brother kills another in an outburst of rage and envy. Results like these do not belong on the resume of a supreme being. Will you live it? Faith proves or gives evidence for the things that we cannot see, thus giving us a conviction that these unseen things are true. He trusted in God. Walking with God is not just for Enoch. Enosh lived 905 years (Gen 5:11). He wanted Meacham, an Episcopalian, to defend the Christian faith against the sulfuric criticism of Christopher Hitchens. Either way, it is Christ who will take us up, and we will be at home with Him. We read here about Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah. Cain brought an offering from his crops while Abel brought a sacrifice of the best of his herd. We think it's easy to believe and easy to keep believing, but it's not - not for most of us. Pleasures are found at Gods right hand, and those who walk with God taste these pleasures before they ever arrive in heaven. And the author of Hebrews is explaining that by way of illustration in Hebrews chapter 11. As they burned him at the stake, he died singing! Please see below for details. Maybe you did too. After going through the roll call of these saints, the example of Jesus is set forth in the 12th chapter as the most excellent example of enduring faith, The writer of Hebrews wrote to warn the church he addressed not to drift away from the truth and commit apostacy. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. Faith says, "I believe God. You have to factor in eternity. God is the reward of those who seek Him. He's Where the Joy Is by Tara-Leigh Cobble, Black Church Leadership & Family Conference. Impossible Without Faith: Hebrews 11:17-40. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Pastor Colin Smith preached this sermon on the faith of Sarah from Hebrews 11:11-12 as part of the series "Living By Faith." About. Other Scriptures Referenced: Acts 17, John 20. . Try. Many martyrs have died at the stake because of their faith. THE OLD Assembly's Catechism asks, "What is the chief end of man?" and its answer is, "To glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever." Ten generations are recorded. 12:2). But God is full of grace and mercy and soon after the death of Adam, God gave a wonderful sign that deaths power would be broken. Second, if you have trusted in Christ as Savior, live each day to seek His approval. Hebrews 1:1-3 tells us that Gods agent in creation was the Son. You can be godly in a very ungodly world. Later in the day that Russert died Howard Fineman of Newsweek magazine made this observation during a television interview: "Tim Russert Did Not Pursue False Gods, He Pursued the Real One.". Christ said he would return, but it has been 2,000 years! As bad as things are, they were worse in Noah's day. We read this story and we wonder, How can this be? Enoch was taken soon after Adam had died. Enoch lived with a profound awareness that judgment was coming. At one time there was nothing but God. And just one generation later, their son Cain killed his brother. And were all in it for the same reasonto fuel the churchs mission of making disciples. Adam lived 930 years (Gen 5:5). The Power of Faith will help you strengthen your confidence in God's promises. That's the power of a godly leader. 4:15). That you are God's creature, that you have rebelled, that he is holy and you are guilty as a sinner before him, that he sent Jesus Christ into the world to atone for sin, that by believing in Jesus his righteousness and the virtue of his death are imputed to you so that your guilt is swept away and you are accounted righteous in God's sight, that, if you believe in Jesus, you have been made a new creature in Christ, have been given a summons to live a new life and the power to live it, that when you die and your body is laid in the ground, your soul will be immediately and gloriously in the presence of God in heaven, and Jesus Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead and to vindicate those who have trusted in him, and that endless bliss and perfect satisfaction of human life, body and soul, awaits, at the resurrection, those who have trusted Jesus Christ. Genesis 4:4 says that God looked with favor on Abel and his offering. The author says that faith gives us understanding of how the material universe (and time) came into being, namely, by Gods spoken word. We've heard and read that in the Bible's creation story innumerable times. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him (Gen 5:24). Obviously sibling rivalry was present from the beginning. Follow Us Online. 4:4). Abels sacrifice of a lamb from the flock points forward to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Sermon Archive "Faith That Works" - Hebrews 11. " This man is revered by over one-half the world's population. Men, God holds you accountable to set the pace for your entire family. Rick is a consultant, conference leader, communicator, and coach. Website:UnlockingtheBible.org. On the other hand, to deceive someone under the guise of love is to deny truth. The word of God here does not refer to His written word, but to His spoken word. By Faith - Sermon on Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-12 Leave a reply Last week we discovered that God's vision in creation is to be with us. But over time Adam became weaker. I know you believe. the word for substance is the Greek word hypostasis which is hard for us to directly define. The early chapters of Genesis chart the growth of sin in the world and its devastating effects. They are making up their own religion. What they did, they did by faith. And that's why we've got to take it seriously. That is why we need the preaching of the Word. That means more than that heaven is a place of great happiness. If you would draw near to God, you must believe that He is who He says He is. Just after I became pastor here, I had to take a stand on a matter that resulted in a lot of conflict. All we need is the courage to do what Noah did and to believe what God has said. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah (Gen 5:21 22). Hebrews 11 begins with a short general definition of what faith is. Seth lived 912 years (Gen 5:8). It's easy to look at Enoch or Noah or Joseph or Moses or David and say, "I could never do that." Down deep in our hearts, we have believed a lie that the life of faith is restricted to a few "special" people. He wanted to prove to the world that there is reality in dealing with the living God. Maybe you know what this is like. But Hebrews applies the story of Enoch directly to us. Nine generations were all living at the same time! Ten generations are recorded here from Adam to Noah. It is the relationship you have with Jesus. But if you will starve the flesh and feed your faith, it will grow. Are we a nation "under God" can we really say, "In God We Trust"? Abel had faith; Cain did not. I need patience. Abel had been killed, but that was before Seth or any of his descendants were born. By any standards this is a remarkable story. 1. Hebrews 11:17-19 I. When he looked at Abel's heart, he found faith there, and it was faith that he rewarded. We need to recognize that faith is not a meritorious work that we do to gain rewards from God. For example, God confronts our unbelief and sin. And we know how Noah saved his family while the world around him perished. For George Carlin, the comedian, religion and God weren't high on his list. If wickedness had filled the earth by the time of Noah, you can be sure that it was running rampant in the time of Enoch. Joseph Parker says, The fifth chapter of Genesis is the beginning of that long series of characters in human history which are extremely uninteresting. "You gotta come down and defend the faith, Brother." He speaks of straining forward toward what lies ahead (Phil 3:13). It did for three men: Abel, Enoch, and Noah. Hebrews 11:1-2 (ESV) Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. It has to make a difference. A Matter of Faith: My Sermon on Hebrews 11 Faith is a living, busy, active, mighty thing. Faith comes down to us as a gift from God. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval. He speaks. And that's why we've got to take it seriously. Instead we find complexity, and diversity not only between religious communities but within it as well." You would think that a discovery such as human DNA, which shows amazing design, would cause all scientists to fall down in worship before God. It gains Gods approval. Hebrews chapter 11 has the answer we are looking for. Husbands, observe this carefully. Hebrews 11 paints a picture of what a life of faith looks like. Please open your Bible at Hebrews 11 as we continue our series, Living by Faith. Their faith needed to be strengthened to meet this challenge. It also makes all of creation His. But this first one goes back to Genesis 1, to the biblical account of creation. And I want to make two observations from them: i. Adam was still living when Enoch was born. Finally we have the story of Noah (Gen. 6-9). Featuring Jen Wilkin, Jennifer Rothschild, Kristi McLelland, and more! Enoch's story teaches us that death for the believer is not a traumatic event - though on earth it often seems traumatic. His faith made real in the present the future promises of God. Your world changes. (2) Faith enabled people in the past to overcome. Until recently, the nearly universal voice of the Church was the traditional view that God created all from nothing. It is possible to walk with God, in a world that defies Him. Faith A Sermon . Your community. Reminder: You are currently impersonating {{userSessionData.email}}. Scripture: these people were heroes. We learn from them that: The story of Cain and Abel, recorded in Genesis 4, is a tale that is so well known that many people who never read the Bible know that Cain killed Abel. Him perished ten generations are recorded here from Adam to Noah Leadership & family Conference generations are recorded here Adam! 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