Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Hebrews 11

IDEA: When ordinary Christians think of the life of faith, they may feel they can't step up to it.

PURPOSE: To help listeners see the danger of thinking they can't live by faith.

It's easy to look at people in Hebrews 11 and say, "Those people were different from us—they're in the Bible, so they could act nobly in relation to the unseen God and in response to a hostile world. I'm too normal to live an extraordinary life of faith!"

Is that a legitimate conclusion?

I. The life of faith is normal for the people of God.

We may see ourselves as much too normal or worldly or powerless to live the life of faith, but when we say that, we miss the whole point.

Hebrews 11 shows us that struggling, sometimes bumbling, stumbling people can live boldly by faith.

There is no other way to live as a Christian.

The life of faith is "mere Christianity."

II. God calls us with all our habits and hang-ups, warts and worries to action.

God calls us to step out of step with the world, hop up on the stage of history and take our places in God's roll call of the faithful.

Of course we're inadequate. So have been all others who have evidenced the grace of God.

Otherwise it would not be GRACE.

III. Hebrews 11 is highly relevant to any Christian, even in parts of the world historically congenial to Christians.

We must be ready to practice faith in the little things (like bank accounts and board rooms) honoring God.

Whatever our situation, we must hear God's call to join the ranks of those who are examples of faith.