Paul's Epistles – Hebrews – Part 18:
Faith in Action
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org
| www.TruthDigest.org | Online Audio Files
SERMON INTRODUCTION
The “official” writer of this epistle is unknown.
However, I obviously believe it is Paul since I have included it in the “Paul’s
Epistles” Sermon Series.
I believe there is enough evidence from early scholars
to agree this was more than likely Paul’s work.
We have already seen in Hebrews so far;
·
Jesus is greater than angels
·
And that we are to pay the most careful attention to
Jesus and His way so we do not stray
·
And how Jesus (New Covenant) is greater than Moses
(Old Covenant)
·
Paul’s warning about unbelief
·
A Sabbath Rest for the People of God
·
Jesus the Great High Priest, Jesus the Perfect High
Priest
·
Therefore, It is Time to Grow Up
·
The Certainty of God’s Promise
·
Melchizedek the Priest, Jesus like Melchizedek
·
The High Priest of the New Covenant
·
Worship in the Earthly Tabernacle
·
The Blood of Christ, Christ’s sacrifice, Once for All
·
A Call to Preserve Faith
TODAY’S SERMON
“Faith in Action”
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Hebrews 11
Now faith is confidence in what
we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were
commended for.
3 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.
4 By faith Abel brought God a
better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous,
when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even
though he is dead.
5 By faith Enoch was taken from
this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because
God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who
pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to
please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
7 By faith Noah, when warned
about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his
family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the
righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when called
to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and
went, even though he did not know where he was going.9 By faith he made his home in the promised
land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did
Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to
the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who
was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because
she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and
he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
13 All these people were still
living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things
promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting
that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show
that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of
the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for
a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called
their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
17 By faith Abraham, when God
tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises
was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to
him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could
even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac
back from death.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob
and Esau in regard to their future.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was
dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the
top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when his end
was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave
instructions concerning the burial of his bones.
23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him
for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary
child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
24 By faith Moses, when he had
grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be
mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting
pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of
Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was
looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left
Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who
is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the
application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not
touch the firstborn of Israel.
29 By faith the people passed
through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they
were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho
fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab,
because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
32 And what more shall I say? I do
not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and
Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered
kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the
mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and
escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to
strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead,
raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be
released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and
flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by
stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They
went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and
mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They
wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the
ground.
39 These were all commended for
their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something
better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
The overall message of this
epistle to the church is;
“The Cure for Lacking Boldness or Courage in your Christian Faith and
Backsliding is a Right beginning for the Glory and Work of Christ”
Faith is confidence in what
we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. THIS is what the Ancients
were commended for.
I. BY FAITH
a. Paul begins at the very
beginning
i. By
faith we accept the universe was formed by God’s Command
ii. What is now seen was made from what is not seen
b. Paul continues his walk
through those who live their faith by putting faith into action
i. Abel’s
faith brought forth a better offering, and he was commended as righteous
ii. Enoch’s faith pleased God and he was taken to heaven, escaping death
iii. Noah’s faith built the Ark, and he was commended as the heir of
righteousness
iv. Abraham’s faith caused him to obey, and go forth to an unknown land
c. Keeping faith alone verses
faith in action
i. All
these people who had faith were NOT commended until that faith was put into
action
ii. The moment their faith stirred up works (deeds, action), they pleased
God and were commended.
II.
ALL THESE PEOPLE WERE STILL LIVING BY FAITH WHEN THEY DIED
a. They did not receive the
things promised
i. They
knew they would not be made perfect, nor receive their heavenly home until
after death, yet, they remained in faith until the end.
ii. They, as Paul explained in last week’s sermon, preserved their faith.
iii. They saw what was promised from a distance, and welcomed it
iv. They understood, the earth is not their home, and they were foreigners
and strangers here
b. They had opportunity in
their lives to return to their old lands
i. We
are not “forced” into faith or obedience
ii. As Paul explained last week, we CAN walk away, turn our back on Christ,
the New Covenant, God at any time, and return to our old lives.
iii. However, Paul also made it clear, to do so curses ones soul to the second
death.
iv. Every choice and action in life has consequences, some leading to the
second death, from which there is no escape
c. Instead, they longed for
better homes, heavenly ones
i. Because
they preserved their faith, and put it into action, knowing they would not
receive the promise of perfection and heavenly homes here on earth, God was not
ashamed to be called their God
ii. For He HAS prepared a city for them
III.
BY FAITH
a. By faith
i. Abraham
offered Isaac, even though
God said through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned
ii. Isaac blessed
Jacob and Esau
iii. Jacob, though dying, blessed
each of Joseph’s sons and worshipped
as he leaned on his staff
iv. Moses’ parents hid him
v. Moses
left Egypt and kept the Passover
vi. They passed through the Red
Sea
vii. The walls of Jericho fell
down when the armies marched around
them
viii. Rahab was not killed with the disobedient because she welcomed the spies
b. Real Faith causes you to be
a “doer” and put faith in action
James 2:14-26
What good is it, my brothers
and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such
faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without
clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace;
keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good
is it?17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is
not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I
have deeds.”
Show me your faith without
deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.19 You believe that there is one God. Good!
Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence
that faith without deeds is useless[d]?21 Was not our father Abraham considered
righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his
actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he
did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says,
“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[e] and
he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is
considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the
prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the
spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit
is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
i. Without
“action” your faith is dead!
c. What shall I say then?
i. There
are countless others recorded in God’s Word who lived by faith
ii. None receiving what they hope for in this life, yet remaining in faith
for God’s promise
iii. Some were tortured, faced mocking, flogging, chains, imprisonment, put
to death by stoning, sawed in two, killed by the sword, some were destitute,
poor, persecuted, mistreated, living in caves or holes in the ground.
iv. But some, through faith in action conquered kingdoms, administered
justice, gained what was promised, shut the mouth of lions, quenched the fury
of flames, escaped the edge of the sword, whose weakness turned to strength,
became powerful in battle, received back their dead, raised to life again.
CONCLUSION
– these were all commended for their
faith
None receiving what had been promised since God planned something better
so that together with us would they be made perfect!
Next week we will look at the end of Hebrews 12 and how God disciplines His children.
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