By Faith, We Understand

December 8, 2019 · Hebrews 11

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Series · Hebrews 11 · Week 1 of 2

Scripture referenced 21 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

Hebrews 11:1 defining faith as the assurance/substance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not yet seen

1 Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.

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Hebrews 11:2

by faith the ancients gained approval

2 For by this, the elders obtained testimony.

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Hebrews 11:3

by faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, what is seen not made from visible things

3 By faith, we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible.

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Hebrews 11:4

by faith Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain and obtained testimony that he was righteous

4 By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks.

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Hebrews 11:5

by faith Enoch was taken up so he would not see death, he was pleasing to God

5 By faith, Enoch was taken away, so that he wouldn’t see death, and he was not found, because God translated him. For he has had testimony given to him that before his translation he had been well pleasing to God.

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Hebrews 11:6

without faith it is impossible to please God; he who comes must believe that He is and that He rewards those who seek Him

6 Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.

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Hebrews 11:7

by faith Noah being warned about things not yet seen prepared an ark, condemned the world, became heir of righteousness

7 By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

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Genesis 4:3-5

Cain brought fruit of the ground, Abel brought firstlings of his flock, God had regard for Abel and his offering but not for Cain

3 As time passed, Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground.

4 Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering,

5 but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell.

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Genesis 4:6-8

God pleading with Cain asking why he was angry, warning that sin was crouching at the door, then Cain killing Abel

6 Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen?

7 If you do well, won’t it be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.”

8 Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.

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Genesis 5:21-23

Enoch lived sixty-five years, became father of Methuselah, walked with God three hundred years, all his days were three hundred sixty-five years

21 Enoch lived sixty-five years, then became the father of Methuselah.

22 After Methuselah’s birth, Enoch walked with God for three hundred years, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

23 All the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years.

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Genesis 5:24

Enoch walked with God and was not, for God took him

24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not found, for God took him.

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Genesis 6:5-8

man was exceedingly evil, earth filled with violence, God regretted making them, but Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord

5 Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil.

6 Yahweh was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart.

7 Yahweh said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the surface of the ground—man, along with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky—for I am sorry that I have made them.”

8 But Noah found favor in Yahweh’s eyes.

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Genesis 6:9

Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time, Noah walked with God

9 This is the history of the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God.

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Genesis 6:13-14

God warning Noah that the end of all flesh had come, commanding him to make an ark of gopher wood

13 God said to Noah, “I will bring an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them and the earth.

14 Make a ship of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch.

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Genesis 6:22

thus Noah did according to all that God had commanded him

22 Thus Noah did. He did all that God commanded him.

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Luke 3

genealogy of Jesus listed through Joseph, including son of Methuselah, son of Enoch

1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

3 He came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for remission of sins.

4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight.

5 Every valley will be filled. Every mountain and hill will be brought low. The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth.

6 All flesh will see God’s salvation.’”

7 He said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Therefore produce fruits worthy of repentance, and don’t begin to say among yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father;’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones!

9 Even now the ax also lies at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.”

10 The multitudes asked him, “What then must we do?”

11 He answered them, “He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. He who has food, let him do likewise.”

12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what must we do?”

13 He said to them, “Collect no more than that which is appointed to you.”

14 Soldiers also asked him, saying, “What about us? What must we do?” He said to them, “Extort from no one by violence, neither accuse anyone wrongfully. Be content with your wages.”

15 As the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he was the Christ,

16 John answered them all, “I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire,

17 whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

18 Then with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people,

19 but Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things which Herod had done,

20 added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison.

21 Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also had been baptized, and was praying. The sky was opened,

22 and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form like a dove on him; and a voice came out of the sky, saying “You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.”

23 Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years old, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,

24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,

26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah,

27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er,

29 the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim,

31 the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,

33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Aram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,

36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

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Jude 1:14

Enoch in the seventh generation from Adam prophesied

14 About these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones,

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James 2

faith without works is dead; if you have faith it will work itself out in action

1 My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality.

2 For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in;

3 and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing, and say, “Sit here in a good place”; and you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool”;

4 haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him?

6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?

7 Don’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?

8 However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.

9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

10 For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

12 So speak, and so do, as men who are to be judged by a law of freedom.

13 For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?

15 And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,

16 and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled”; and yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it?

17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.

18 Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.

19 You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.

20 But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?

21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

22 You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected;

23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness”; and he was called the friend of God.

24 You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith.

25 In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?

26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

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Matthew 12:41-42

men of Nineveh will condemn this generation because they repented at Jonah's preaching; queen of the South will condemn because she came to hear Solomon's wisdom

41 The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here.

42 The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here.

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Luke 11:31-32

same account as Matthew 12 of queen of the South and men of Nineveh condemning the generation, order reversed

31 The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and will condemn them: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, one greater than Solomon is here.

32 The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, one greater than Jonah is here.

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1 John 3:11-12

the message from the beginning to love one another, not as Cain who was of the evil one and slew his brother because his deeds were evil

11 For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;

12 unlike Cain, who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

Pastor Ray preached the second Sunday of Advent from Hebrews 11, working through the first three specific examples the writer gives: Abel, Enoch, and Noah. The sermon traced a single thread through those three lives and tied it to a pair of general statements the writer places around them. The central question left with the congregation was this: are you currently seeking God by faith?

What was said

Hebrews 11 is often called the hall of faith, and Pastor Ray explained that before the writer names a single hero, he says "by faith, we." That "we" pulls every believer into the list. The first general statement in the passage is that by faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. That grounding matters because everything that follows is asking people to trust what they cannot yet see.

Abel is the first specific example. Genesis 4 records that God had regard for Abel's offering but not for Cain's, and Hebrews says Abel offered a better sacrifice by faith. Pastor Ray noted that the sacrifice and the faith cannot really be separated, since, as James says, faith works itself out in action. What struck him was the outcome: Abel acted in faith and was murdered. That is not the prosperity gospel. But Abel is still listed as righteous, and the text says through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

The second example is Enoch, who, in the brief account Genesis gives, walked with God and was not, because God took him. Hebrews adds that before he was taken up, he obtained the witness that he was pleasing to God. The outcome for Enoch was the opposite of Abel's, and Pastor Ray held those two outcomes side by side deliberately. Faith does not guarantee any particular earthly result. What it does is connect the one exercising it to the God who rewards those who seek him.

That connection leads into the second general statement, which Pastor Ray said he wanted to camp on: without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him. He pushed past the first half of that sentence because, as James also points out, even the demons believe that God exists. The part that changes everything is the second half: God is a rewarder of those who seek him. That is not the portrait of a cosmic killjoy waiting to slap someone down, and treating him that way is simply an errant view of God.

Noah is the third example. He was warned by God about things not yet seen, and the text says he was moved by reverence to prepare an ark for the salvation of his household. Pastor Ray spent time on the word translated reverence, pointing out that it carries the sense of holy fear toward something objectively good. Noah's righteousness was derived, not his own. He responded to God's faithfulness with the faith God had given him, and that is how Pastor Ray described the central move of the whole New Testament: our faith must be placed in the correct object.

The sentence that stopped Pastor Ray in his preparation was what comes next: by which Noah condemned the world. He worked through that by looking at what Jesus says in Matthew 12 about the men of Nineveh and the queen of the South, both of whom will stand at the judgment and condemn those who rejected Christ. The pattern holds from the beginning: Abel's righteous act condemned his brother's unrighteous one, and Noah's hundred years of obedience condemned those who heard him and refused. There are only two camps, Pastor Ray said, the mercifully forgiven and the justly condemned, and a righteous act done in faith marks out the line between them.

The sermon closed by returning to Cain as the negative image. God spoke directly to Cain, warned him that sin was crouching at the door, and pleaded with him to do well. Cain heard it all and killed his brother anyway. The same grace was on offer to him that Abel received. Pastor Ray's final point was that God's posture toward every person in the room is the same posture he had toward Cain: he is asking for faith to be placed in him, and he promises to reward those who seek him. The question he left in the congregation's lap was whether they are, right now, seeking God by faith.

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Pastor Ray pointed out that Abel's offering was made by faith, and that Cain's was not, even though both brothers came and brought something. What do you think the difference looks like in practice between doing a religious act by faith and doing the same act without it?
The sermon describes God pleading directly with Cain, warning him that sin was crouching at the door, and yet Cain still went and killed his brother. What does that exchange tell you about how God deals with people who are on the edge of a serious sin?

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0:00 Speaker 2The herald angels sing glory to the new born king and on the last hail the heaven born prince of peace. Hail the son of righteousness. Light and light to all he brings. Risen with healing in his wings mild he lays his glory by born that men no more may die born

0:54 Speaker 1Amen. How do you like singing out of the hymnals? Tell the truth. There there are there are some people who love to sing their part that said, I love it. I like it.

1:03 I like it. I'll tell you what, you sound better when your face is up like this. I will have to say that from right here but you are singing your part and I can hear em all. So, let's keep on going. The first Noel, hymn number two sixty five, hymn number two sixty five.

1:16 We're going to sing three of them. I don't know which three.

1:21 Speaker 2Pay attention. Okay, the first Noel. The first Noel the angel did say was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay in fields where they lay keeping their sheep on a cold winter's night so deep

3:25 Speaker 1Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I have a few announcements this morning and there probably should be more than I'm remembering but they're in your bulletin. So, in the paper bulletin, it'll have the announcements that need to be transmitted. And I forgot one in the first service.

3:44 I'm a I'm a do it now before I flash the next slide up. So next Sunday evening, we're gonna do the chili cook off. Hey, you got it, man. Chili cook off and Christmas caroling. That's December 15.

3:56 We'll do that in the evening. It usually starts about four or 04:30. So look in your bulletin. You'll find the time. And if not, we'll find the time next week, next Sunday morning.

4:05 We'll get it to you. But Chili Cook Off and Christmas Carolin's next week. Monday nights at First B are happening tomorrow night. So, Monday nights are a meal and music and a message and the message this time is from Micah. It's the second in a series.

4:20 You don't have to have, you don't need to have heard the first one before you hear this one. It is about what, Carl? God. Promise. That God keeps his promises.

4:28 Amen. Though they tarry, wait for it because it's coming, right? So Monday nights at first be meal music and a message. Awana happens at the same time. Changing kids' lives with God's word.

4:41 It actually is exactly that. Kids matter to God, and if we will spend our time sharing and imparting scripture and getting that into their heads, God will work and he works and it gets a chance to reach their hearts. This morning, Jonathan Tolson was baptized. So, baptist tree is open right now. If any of y'all have not been baptized and you are believers, come on forward.

5:07 Now, dunk you right now, okay? But Jonathan Tolson did that as a testimony of his faith in Jesus and he says that if it had not been for Awana, I probably would not know to be put in my faith in Christ. So, there that goes. Jackson Hole Men's Alliance, formerly men's fraternity meets here on Wednesday mornings at 6AM. This week, I'm actually the the speaker for this week.

5:30 We're going to meet in the fellowship hall down there and I'm supposed to be going from Ephesians five about nineteen to 06:10, the part about submitting. So, it's submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. That's that's Ephesians five. That's coming this week, Wednesday morning, 6AM if you want to be a part of that. Angel Tree is back there.

5:50 A lot of y'all passed by. You know the tags that are hanging on those or and to help needy families in the area. Tanya, my wife is the one who kind of coordinates all that. If you have any questions, you can ask her But it's pretty simple. You grab a tag and you read what's on it.

6:04 If you can buy something that matches that description, bring it back wrapped with that tag accompanying the present. It helps so we don't have to unwrap it, see what it is, and then give it to the right people. If the tag is on it, we trust that. Boy Scouts made breakfast this morning and it was fantastic. Oh my goodness, so good.

6:22 That was nice. They have been meeting here, we don't know exactly how long, at least eighty six years, but it's more like eighty nine years we think that they've been meeting at first week. And not the same Boy Scouts. They would be really old. Yeah.

6:37 Yeah. For all the other announcements and prayer requests, you could check your bulletin. There may be a few in there that I'm just forgetting but I I can't think of anything more that you gotta know. If you don't mind, would you stand and greet one another? If you're an introvert, I apologize.

8:19 Speaker 2Oxen lowing little knowing Christ the babe is lord of all swift are ringing angels singing no elves ringing tidings ringing Christ the babe is lord of all Christ the babe is lord of all blocks were sleeping shepherds keeping vigil till the morning knew saw the glory heard the story tidings of the gospel true thus rejoicing free from sorrow praises voicing greet

9:18 Speaker 1Alright. Did any of that second verse come up on that screen? Oh, good. Just making sure. Thank you.

9:25 Hymn number two eighty four. Birthday of a king. If you don't know this one, pretend.

9:50 Speaker 2Bright with the holy light for the place where Jesus lay. Hallelujah. How the angels sang. Hallelujah.

11:07 Speaker 1Thank you. Y'all can have a seat but I am going to invite forward Crystal Updike and Ingrid Dingfelder. Dingfelder or Dingenfelder? Dingfelder. Okay.

11:23 Okay. Very good. Welcome.

11:39 Speaker 3This Sunday, the second in Advent, we light the candle of peace. As we prepare to celebrate the coming of the prince of peace, we're reminded that God's timing is always perfect, and his provision is always sufficient. Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

12:07 Speaker 1Amen. Amen. Thank you. You. I'm going invite the frontline team.

12:24 Thank you very much to come forward and would you all pray with me as the frontline team is coming forward for the offering? God, thank you for this morning. I thank you for this season, second Sunday in Advent. We are anticipating, lord, or celebrating anticipated arrival. Lord, we are building up to the story of your birth but we're also looking forward to your advent, your coming the second coming.

12:53 It's in Jesus name, lord, that we pray that we'd be instruments of your grace that by faith, putting our faith in you, lord, by faith, you would use us to draw others to yourself. We pray lord that as we lift you up, that you would draw all to you. Thank you for all that you have done for us. It's in Jesus name, lord that we pray we would be acting. Would you use all that we give you, lord, whether it be our time, our efforts, our prayers, our resources, money that goes in these plates.

13:27 Lord, would you use it to advance your kingdom here on earth? And Lord, we pray that it would be on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus name, amen.

13:41 Speaker 2It's a joy and a privilege to be here worshiping God through music. Amen? We're are going to sing a verse in Romanian language and then in English.

16:49 Speaker 1Thank you. Florina and Violetta, thank you very much. So, we're up to Hebrews eleven three. Last week, I put in the bulletin, I put the whole of Hebrews 11 which is 40 verses and it was four pages and it's a lot of information and when I saw several of y'all come in or several of the first service people come in, they looked at that like, no way it's getting through all this. But I wanted you to have a chance to read it ahead of time because there's a lot here and the way that it works together is amazing.

17:20 So we when I came in yesterday, I had Hebrews three through 38, so 35, 36 verses that I was gonna, use for today and the more I kinda bear down on what's going on, it ended up being just three through eight, five, six verses that we're gonna cover. But I think these first three specific examples, the hall of faith. Hebrews 11 is known as the hall of faith. Some people call it heroes of the faith. It'd be better to call it heroes and heroines.

17:49 There are women in there too but the hall of faith is this list and there are a lot of people listed. I'm gonna cover just three specific examples today that the writer of Hebrews gives and two general statements. One of the general statements I'll come back to at the end but those two general statements are pretty important. So last week, I talked about just the first two and the last two verses of the chapter and I said it's like bread on a sandwich. It's the outside edges.

18:18 Now we're going into the meat. We're just getting the first three pieces in there today. But my point from last week is this, by faith, we are unified with all believers of all times and these first three examples are gonna be all from the book of Genesis. They're gonna be very shortly after the fall and up to the flood. That's what we're going through today.

18:41 Just the first three examples but we are unified by faith with all three of these first examples because they exercise the faith that God had given them and placed it in him. Now, I want to say as the scripture says, faith is the assurance of things hoped for. Some of your versions will say is the evidence of things hoped for and some of them will say is the guarantee of things hoped for. It is the substance of things that's hoped for and it's the conviction of things that are not seen or things that are not yet seen because hope in the Bible is always an absolute certainty that has not yet come to pass, okay? So, faith is the assurance or the substance, evidence, assurance, confidence, guarantee of things hoped for, the conviction of things that are not yet seen.

19:38 And by it, that is by faith, the ancients gained approval. And this is the introduction and the ancients are gonna be listed and it's gonna start with Abel and go there way on down through the Old Testament. But I want you to see that from these two verses, the first thing that it says is by faith, we. By faith, we. So that's bringing us into the hall of faith, right?

20:02 That's bringing us into the hall of faith. If if you have faith by faith, we. Now, that's comforting to me. The writer of Hebrews mentions that before Abel or Enoch or Noah today. By faith, we understand that the worlds were was with God and the word was God and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us.

20:35 It's was nothing that was made except for that which was made through him. So, by faith, we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God. Hebrews has already gone into that in the first four verses of the book In the Exordium, he was the agent of creation. By faith, we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. God is the only one who creates ex nihilo out of nothing.

21:06 God made everything that there is out of nothing. So by faith, understand, and that's just a general statement. That's the first general statement. I'm gonna come back to this one either next week or in a couple of weeks. But by faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God and what is seen was not made out of things which are visible and then we're going to go straight into specific examples.

21:31 Three of em today. By faith, Abel, that refrain of by faith is going to happen over and over and over and even when it doesn't say it, it's implicit towards the end of the chapter. By faith, we understand but by faith, Abel offered. By faith, Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain. Now, Abel is the Abel that you're thinking about.

21:53 It's Adam and Eve's son and Cain is the Cain you're thinking of. Adam and Eve's son, they're brothers. By faith, Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain and the story, that's a specific example. Number one, the story is found in Genesis four. This is after the fall.

22:10 This is after they've been out of the garden mercifully, I would say, moved out of the garden. Genesis four three through five says this, so it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part, also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions and the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering. That's what Genesis says. So, back to the text in Hebrews, by faith, Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous.

22:50 God, testifying about his gifts. Now, the through which there, through what? Through his faith? Yes, I believe I know that grammatically it can be through that but grammatically, it can also be through his sacrifice. So, it's through his faith or is it through his sacrifice?

23:07 Well, I believe it's both because his sacrifice was an act of faith. James says, faith without works is dead and if you have faith, it will work itself out in action and by faith, Abel offered to God a better sacrifice through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous. God testifying about his gifts and we see right there that that's what Genesis says, the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering but for Canaan, for his offering, he had no regard. Oh my. That's a stark contrast.

23:43 Both of em came. One of them is said to have been offering by faith. The other and we don't hear anything else about it but there is a difference between the two. God had regard for Abel's offering and he had no regard for Cain's offering. So, through faith, though he is dead, Abel still speaks.

24:07 So, it's by faith we understand. By faith, Abel offered and through faith, though he's dead, he still speaks. Abel is still speaking today because he acted upon the faith. That he had. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering but for Cain and for his offering, he had no regard.

24:25 So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Why? Because God regarded Abel's offering and he didn't regard his. Now, we are not given anymore about the motivation behind Cain. I mean, it's implied because Abel's offering was by faith.

24:46 Cain's was, I mean, Paul would say by works. You know? In the New Testament, it's gotta be faith or works. That's the way it is. It's spirit or flesh and Cain was regarded or not regarded for his offering.

24:58 Cain became very angry and his countenance fell and then the Lord said to Cain and listen to this, why are you angry? Why are you angry, Cain? I care about you. Why are you angry and why is your countenance fallen? If you do well and I I think I can interject right here, doing well is acting out of faith.

25:18 If you act in faith or if you by faith do what you do, if you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? Will you not be happy if you do? Live in faith? And if you do not do well, which is the case for him, right? He did not do well.

25:36 If you do not do well, beware. Sin is No, here we go. I think I'm on. Am I on now? Okay, thank you.

26:43 Lord said to Cain, why are you angry? Come on, Cain. You've got the chance right here. I'm I'm communicating with you and I'm warning you that sin is crouching at the door and it's desire is for you but you've gotta master it. You've gotta master that.

26:56 You've got to trust me. And Cain told his brother Abel. He told him what God had said. He told him, God was pleading with me and then what's the next thing? And it came about that when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and he killed him.

27:15 Ain't that something? That's a big contrast right there. As first specific example we have, Abel gave the first sling of of his flock and good prosperity gospel sermon right there. He acted in faith and he was murdered. That's the way it goes sometimes.

27:38 But he's listed as righteous and he acted in faith and he for an outcome, he was murdered. By faith, Enoch, okay, second example. Second example, specific is mentioned in Genesis five. So, we've got Genesis one in that verse three. We got Genesis four and verses four and we've got Genesis five and verse five.

28:01 By faith, Enoch and I'll go to the story there. It's 05/21. Says, Enoch lived sixty five years and he became the father of Methuselah. This is in a long list of genealogy by the way which as Americans, we usually just skip. Then, Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah.

28:20 Methuselah, by the way, oldest man ever and he had other sons and daughters and so all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty five years and I'll let Hebrews tell the story. By faith, Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death and he was not found because God took him up. For he obtained the witness that before his being taken up, he was pleasing to God. Oh, wouldn't that be nice for that to be? The witness that you're pleasing to God.

28:50 By faith, Enoch was taken up. So, this is the way the Old Testament puts it. It says, Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him. That's that's it. Okay, that's all we have in our canon in our Old Testament.

29:04 That's all that we have. Now, the books of Enoch or the book of Enoch is an apocryphal text. It's one that the Jewish believers at the time and since we're in Hebrews, the writer of Hebrews was speaking to Jewish background believing Christians who were being tempted to go back to old covenant stuff and worship. Religion versus relationship. Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him.

29:33 Speaker 2That's what

29:33 Speaker 1it says. Now, the genealogy of Jesus, I'm going say, the only other place we see Enoch listed, there are two places. One's in Luke and one is in Jude but in Luke because it's Christmas, I included all these little words. You don't have to read em all. When he began his ministry, Jesus himself was about 30 years of age and being as was supposed the son of Joseph.

29:55 Okay. Y'all excuse me just a second. I'm not going to get in the baptism. Is that helping? Some of y'all?

30:10 And we're it's in the works. We're fixing those. It's coming. Hopefully before Christmas. If you just go on down through the through the genealogy of Jesus, if you read all of that in Luke three, you get down.

30:23 This is Jesus' line through Joseph, okay? As was supposed, son of Joseph and it goes on down. It's son of Methuselah, son of Enoch. So, it's listed in the genealogy and then, in Jude, we see, it was also about these men that Enoch in the seventh generation from Adam prophesied saying, behold, blah blah blah. Alright?

30:42 That's from the book of Enoch. So, in our Old Testament, we've got Enoch walk with God and he was not for God took him and in the book of Enoch, there's a lot of stuff that the Jewish believers at that time knew about and since Hebrews was doing that, he's making reference to Enoch because to them, that's a big guy. For us, it's a weird story but for them, they knew who he was and the wisdom that he shared. Jude also quotes Enoch for the same reason but this is what we know in our canon. Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took it but we do see this by faith.

31:14 We understand. By faith, Abel offered. Through faith, he still speaks. By faith, Enoch was taken up. That general statement is up there too.

31:25 The specific example number two now on our on our board here. Enoch walked with God, Old Testament or Enoch was pleasing to God. It says that in the New Testament in Hebrews and his outcome was he was taken up. So far, those are two different outcomes, you know, possibility. Here's the next general statement.

31:44 Without faith, everything else has been by faith, by faith, by faith, through faith, and without faith, this in contrast, in without faith, it's impossible to please God. Enoch, Enoch was pleasing to God. Abel was pleasing to God. Without faith, it's impossible to please God or he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him. I didn't stop on the believe that he is because that's not enough.

32:10 James tells us that the the devils believe that he is and they shutter because they're condemned. That's a general statement, another general statement. I'm gonna come back to this one at the end and kinda parse it a little bit and hopefully take our application points from that. The two observations here, he who comes must believe that he is, but you can't stop there. He's a rewarder of those who seek after him.

32:38 Abel believed that and it was counted to him as righteousness as the New Testament say and Enoch believed that and he was taken up. He walked with God and he was not because he because God took him. He's a rewarder of the ones who seek him and there's something that's implicit but not explicit that Cain didn't believe that. He didn't he didn't believe that. He knew that God was.

33:05 He listened to him. He had a chance to talk to him. He heard from him but he ignored and rejected and went on to sin. The sin that was crouching at his door. Now, third example, specific example number three, by faith, Noah.

33:19 Oh, we know Noah. Noah, we've seen that mural on a thousand Sunday school walls, right? Every color and book in the church that's got a picture of Noah and all those animals. This one for me was probably heaviest of three examples by faith, Noah. Genesis five, we're introduced to him.

33:37 It's his genealogy in the line and a little bit of an introduction to him just a very short introduction to Noah and then in Genesis six, we see the corruption of mankind that man was exceeding evil and the Earth was filled with violence and it was corrupt and God regretted that he had even made them and we see this, a very strong disjunctive but but Noah in contrast to all those others but Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord and these are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man. First man in scripture that was declared to be righteous by scripture by God. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time, and Noah walked with God. Just like Enoch, it said, he walked with God.

34:27 Blameless in his time, Noah walked with God. He heard from him and in this, it says, by faith, Noah being warned by God about things not yet seen technically, verbally, that is having been warned, having been warned by God about things not yet seen and let's see where that was. Six thirteen and fourteen is the warning and then God said to Noah, the end of all flesh has come before me. For the earth is filled with violence because of them. It it goes back to Cain.

35:00 That first violent act was Cain's murder when his brother offered something better than he and he got angry about it and he murdered his brother. Earth is filled with violence because of them and behold, I'm about to destroy them with the earth. Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood. You shall make the ark with rooms and you shall cover it inside and out with pitch. So by faith, Noah being having been warned or being warned by God about things not yet seen and the not yet seen is important because your circumstances right now, you don't have any idea what's coming.

35:37 You might be in desperate circumstances right now and can't see something great that's on the horizon, but you got to have faith to get to that. And or you might be just walking in high cotton right now and everything's just fine, but you don't see what's coming over the bend. I know that there are a lot of us here today that are grieving somebody that we lost, that we had no idea a year ago, we would be losing. By faith. Noah being warned by God about things not yet seen.

36:08 Thus, I like this and so he was warned and then the text goes on. So, that's thirteen, fourteen, 22 of Genesis six says this, and thus Noah did. According to all that God had commanded him, so he did. What a testimony that is right there. Just that sentence and thus, Ray did.

36:25 Oh, that'd be a great testimony. Just as God had commanded him, so he did. May it be so. By faith, Noah being warned by God about things not yet seen in reverence, in reverence, prepared an ark for the salvation of his household. So in reverence, the word for reverence right there is Eula Betes.

36:48 Eula, Monroe. Eula. It means good. It means good. La Betes is a good testimony or it's holy fear and reverence.

37:00 That's a good testimony. Holy fear or reverence. Actually, for you grammar nerds out there, this is a verb. It's aorist, passive, participle. It's nominative, masculine, and singular, so it was Noah, no doubt about that.

37:13 Noah, aorist, passive, having been moved by reverence. Now, this is the chance that I get to tell you about that subjective and objective faith. Faith is subjective. It is something that you can exercise as a subject. You can exercise it but your faith must be placed in the correct object.

37:36 God's faithfulness and our faith. We must respond to God's faithfulness with the faith that he has given us. Are you with me? That that is probably the central point of the whole New Testament. Having been moved by reverence and so since it's passive, Noah was revering the objective goodness and direction and warning of God and he was moved by that in reverence.

38:08 Or you can say by faith, his faith is what moved him in reverence. Are you are you with? Our righteousness is always derived. It's a derived righteousness from God. We have no faith of our own but God has given us faith.

38:26 If we place our faith in him, he will transform and make us righteous. He will unify us with all believers of all ages by faith. Having been moved by reverence, it says, prepared an ark. By faith, Noah prepared an ark. Well, by faith, Noah having been warned by God about things not yet seen and having been moved by reverence, he prepared an ark for the salvation of his household and this hung me up yesterday.

38:51 The next sentence is by which he, small H, that's Noah, by which Noah condemned the world. That blew my mind. I thought, how did how did Noah condemn the world? There is a dividing line. Everyone in this room and everyone throughout all eternity will either be justly condemned or mercifully forgiven.

39:20 Those are the two options and Noah was mercifully forgiven and saved and by that very act, it condemned everyone else. That's weird to me but I look for New Testament examples to see if you go back to Cain and Abel too, Abel's sacrifice was better than Cain's. Yes, we got that but Cain got angry and Abel still speaking today in his righteous act condemned his brother's unrighteous act. So, Genesis seven is a flood. Genesis eight, the flood subsides.

39:56 Genesis nine is God's covenant promise. It's a forward looking promise to the provision that God would make for those who will trust him by faith. By which he condemned the world and what look for New Testament examples and here that here are a couple of em. There are three. Two of em are the same or very similar from the synoptic gospel.

40:19 Make sense. Listen to this. So, the men of Nineveh, this is Jesus speaking to the Pharisees and the assembled crowd. Jesus is speaking to the people who were resisting and rejecting him. Matthew 12, the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment.

40:37 So, there is a great mighty day of the Lord in which all people from all times will stand before God in judgement and the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation of the judgment and the men of Nineveh will condemn it this generation because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. The men of Nineveh, remember that story, reluctant Jonah get swallowed by the fish and all that stuff and then he spit up and he presents and they accept and they repent and God spares them and this says that they will be there righteous at the judgment and they're going to be condemning that generation that was rejecting Christ. Actually, they repented at the preaching of Jonah and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. That was Jesus that was saying that. The queen of the South or the queen of Sheba will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it because she came from the ends of the Earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

41:35 Y'all remember that story? When the South comes up and she was seeking after God. Oh, she believed that God is and that he's a rewarder of those who seek him. She came from the ends of the Earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and behold something greater than Solomon is here. If you don't like the Matthew version, the Luke version is exactly the same except for the order is reversed.

41:59 The queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them. Her righteous act which was done in faith will condemn them because she came from the ends of the Earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Behold, something greater than Solomon's here. That was Jesus. Men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah and behold something greater than Jonah is here.

42:27 So that's a hard one for me because I'm a mercy guy and I don't like to think about me doing the right thing being condemning to anybody but there are two camps. There are only two ways and either you're going to act in righteousness by faith and be mercifully forgiven or you're going to reject that for whatever reason or even practice a different religion that's not regarded by God and die justly condemned. One more from the New Testament about this concept. For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning that we should love one another. Amen.

43:08 And then it comes first full circle for our text here. Not as Cain who was our first example. Not as Cain who was of the evil one. He was of the evil one. Sin is crouching at his door.

43:22 God was pleading with him and he was rejecting him. Not as Cain who was of the evil one and slew his brother and for what reason did he slay him because his deeds were evil. Cain's deeds were evil and Abel's were righteous and so that condemns him. That's the way it is. By which Noah condemned the world and his effort to walk by faith and save his household.

43:51 I want to retell that story about Cain real quick because God is pleading with Cain and God is pleading with all of us Why are you angry? Why is your countenance fall If you do well, will not your count be lifted up? I care about you Trust me. Place the faith that I've given you in me, God saying and if you do not do well, sin's crouching at the door and it's desire is for you and it's going to get you unless you bow to me, unless you come to me in faith but you must master it and then Cain rejected God out of hand. He told him about it first, held Abel, his brother, and then it came about while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, killed him.

44:36 So, by faith, Noah prepared an ark and he became by faith, it's goes back to that. By faith, he prepared an ark and he became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Now, I said that all of our righteousness, all human righteousness is derived from God only because we have no righteousness of our own. We do have faith that God has given us and if we exercise that faith and place it in him, then he can and will transform and sanctify and he will impute to us his son's righteousness. That's amazing.

45:19 We, Abraham's the next specific example and in the New Testament, Paul says, Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. If you listen to these examples, believe in God is a prerequisite to faith. He became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Noah prepared an ark and the salvation of his household was the outcome but not only that, the condemnation of the world. He'd been preaching to him for a hundred years.

45:51 Telling them what God had said but people were rejecting him and didn't listen and they were condemned. So, the general statement at the beginning, by faith, we understand a thankful thankful thankful that he put us in the mix here We understand but it it it requires exercising the faith that God has given. We understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. That also alludes to what the text is saying. When God spoke to Noah, it wouldn't even rain it.

46:21 In fact, according to most folks, it had never rained period. It was just a different way. The Earth was different then. But God warned him and he revered God and his word and he listened and obeyed. But by faith, we understand that what will be is not something we can see right now.

46:41 That's why we have to walk by faith and not by sight. The other general statement is what I want to camp out on though this, without faith, it's impossible to please God. Do you want to please God? Yes. Well then, it's impossible to do so without faith for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he's a rewarder of those who seek him.

47:01 If I spread it out like this and we think about it, I'm going turn this into a question in just a minute. Without faith, it's impossible to please him for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he's a rewarder of those who seek him. I hear people say sometimes that God is just mean. He doesn't want you having fun. He's a cosmic killjoy.

47:23 No matter what it is that you wanna do, he's got rule against it. I'm just looking for him to slap me down. All he's waiting for me to do is trip up and then he's just gonna slam. That's not that's an errant view of God. He's a rewarder of those who seek him.

47:41 That's what he is. If you're going to come to God, that's what it's gotta be. So, without faith, it's impossible to please God. So, do you believe that God is? Do you believe that God exist?

47:51 I can say that first. That's not going far enough but do you believe that God is? And do you believe that he rewards those who seek him? Some of you right now are having a hard time believing that because you think I sought after God and something really bad happened. That is your present circumstance from which you're viewing God, and you have no idea what is coming beyond that.

48:19 What he's asking for is to put faith. Now Abel trusted God and he made that offering and he was murdered. Your earthly outcome, I cannot guarantee. Wouldn't even try. Enoch walked with God and was taken up.

48:33 Noah saved his household and became heir of righteousness which is according to faith. Do you believe that God is? Do you believe that he rewards those who seek him? So, the one who comes to God will do that. They will do that and it'll matter how they do it.

48:49 They do it by faith. That's the way. According to this chapter, according to this whole book. Now, Jesus is lifted up throughout Hebrews. This by faith chapter is speaking to people who knew this story and Christ isn't mentioned over and over and over and over and over during the story but we're tied to all the believers who have looked to God in faith throughout eternity.

49:10 They were trusting in the provision that God would make and we have to look back and say, that is sufficient for me Even though I'm going through it right now, I trust God for that incorruptible hope that he's promised. So are you currently seeking him and doing so by faith? That's what I want to leave the question in your lap this morning. Are you currently seeking him by faith? Now, this was written to people who had trusted in Jesus but were being tempted to go away and so this list of people is to say, trust him even though it looks pretty rough.

49:49 Building a boat for one hundred years when it never rained before, right? Are you seeking him by faith? That is the way that you will please God. That is the way that you'll walk with God and that is the way that your countenance would be lifted up. I think that's it.

50:04 Judy, would you come forward and I am conscious of of the fact that there are two camps and I know the exclusivity of the gospel is a hard concept in our society especially. But if there is a truth, and I believe that there is, and if this is the truth, I believe that it is. The two camps, the mercifully forgiven and justly condemned. You can get angry all you want to but it's just going to lead to further sin. If you reach out in faith, all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved but it has to be accessed by faith.

50:46 It's God grace being offered. It was offered to Cain and he rejected. It was offered to Abel. He accepted it and though he's dead, he still speaks. What are we going to sing?

50:56 Let's worship and adore him. Alright, we're talking about Jesus. Would you stand up? Amen. I'm going to go back for the benediction that faith is the assurance of things that are hoped for and the conviction of things not yet seen.

51:52 God has a blessed, blessed eternity ahead and faith tells us that that is true. It's a conviction of things that are not yet seen. Right now, if you're struggling it through it, I pray that God would remind you that he has a blessed hope in front of it and I hope that you can live out that joy of the season. I know that there is a divine line and for Carl pointed out first service this morning that for some of us, this is the most wonderful time of the year It's really, really happy. And for others of us, this is the most vivid reminder of the absence of a loved one.

52:30 For pastors, it's both. For me as a pastor, I'm supposed to, well, for us as Christians, supposed to weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn but we're all supposed to rejoice with those who rejoice God, would you give us the discernment as we look forward and hope? Would you give us the discernment and the words lord To be exactly what others need, to be able to see you. May our acts of faith be demonstrating your love for them and pleading with. In Jesus name, we pray.

53:01 Amen.

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