A Life of Enduring Faith (Hebrews 11-12)

In Sermons, The Whole Story, Year 2024 by harvest.admin

Resource by Peter Park

Believe it or not, we are in the last month of our TWS series this year. We started all the way back in Jan from the very beginning in Genesis 1 and we’ll wrap up with Revelation 21-22 in a few weeks. What we have seen throughout the entire year is how the bible, made up of 66 books and written by many authors over a thousand plus years covering all of human history, tells one story about one person, Jesus. This morning – Hebrews 11-12. Bibles. Turn.

If you are a believer and you look back at when you put your faith in Jesus, it was likely an amazing, life changing experience. You were on the mountaintop. But the Christian life is not lived just on the mountaintops, the highs and good things in life, but through the valleys and hard times as well. And today’s passage is going to teach us how we can have enduring faith in Jesus through all of life’s ups and downs.

Text: Heb. 12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, (Talking about…) Heb. 11 – List some “heroes” of the Bible like Noah, who listened to God and built the ark (really big boat) to save his family from a worldwide catastrophic flood; like Abraham who obeyed when God called him to go out to a new land, believed God when he said he would have a son even though he and his wife, Sarah, were too old to have children; He was even ready to sacrifice his son Isaac when God tested him, believing that God was able to raise him from the dead. Then you have Moses who saw some of the most incredible works of God: the plagues against the Egyptians, the parting of the Red Sea, and he got to see the glory of God pass before him. 

And then you have others like king David, Israel’s greatest king and songwriter, and many others like Samuel and the prophets who 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. (Awesome stuff.)

But Heb. 11 goes on 35-38 (listen to this) Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

So in Heb. 11, you seemingly have two groups: 

-Group 1 – Giants. Named. In faith, did great things for God. (But they were pretty messed up too. Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David had big moral failures. They got drunk, lied, killed people, disobeyed God, stole other people’s wives, had multiple wives, and so on. (WP – X Hire)) But God used them despite their failures to do amazing things. And that’s good news for us isn’t it? This is where everyone wants their name.

-Group 2 – Unnamed “nobodys” who suffered and died for their faith. Saints “of whom the world was not worthy”. But no one really wants to be in this part of the list because they don’t want to suffer like that. Is this group any less important or less heroic than the first? Of course not. 

Heb. 11 is one list of those who demonstrated extraordinary faith in God, some for deliverance and victory and others in suffering and death. And that’s the kind of faith we are called to…A faith that believes God for miracles and is unshakeable even in the face of death.

Heb. 12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let’s talk about what it means to lay aside every weight and sin because our calling is to run the race of faith. I hate running. There’s a reason why “race” (agon) – where English “agony”. Ask – Have you ever seen a marathon runner or sprinter with a backpack on? No. They are wearing the lightest outfit possible cause they can’t run efficiently with weight. 

Sin – Any act, thought, word that violates the good and holy nature of God. Acts of commission (do) and omission (don’t do) People often think about the 10 Commandments. Anytime you don’t love God fully or your neighbor as yourself. And it’s important to know that sin is not simply bad actions or inaction. It’s not that we’re good people who do bad things sometimes. Sin is a rebellious heart towards God and what he has said is good at its core.

Too many think –  “Sin doesn’t affect me that much. It’s ok in moderation as long as I keep control.” There’s a reason why the verse says sin “clings so closely” because sin is not easily dealt with. In the Greek, “clings so closely” (euperistatos) is literally: easily ensnaring, obstructing, namely, to prevent or slow running. Sin’s purpose is to make your faith ineffective.

We can be honest – Sin is fun. (I can’t believe the pastor just said that.) That’s why we do it. Again and again. It feels so good to give an angry horn at a bad driver and maybe say some certain words. Our flesh loves sin and minimizes its effects. But what seems so harmless is numbing you and pulling you away from the God of life, and that always has devastating consequences. (People don’t have affairs out of nowhere. Don’t wake up one day – I’m going to ruin my marriage, my family, and dishonor Christ’s name. It’s pretty much always the result of a series of compromising decisions that lead to the one that takes you out.) – Stop and kill the sin now. Ro. 6. Paul exhorts us, how can we who died to sin and have new life in Christ still live in it?! 

Weights – Anything and everything that would hinder you from fully living out your faith in following God. Different from sin. Weights can be good things that slow you down, distract you from the mission.

How do you know what the weights are in your life: What do you find yourself daydreaming about? On what things does your mind naturally wander off to and you get lost in your thoughts? Examples – comfort, leisure, security, marriage, kids, careers, hobbies. These good things can become weights when we give them too much weight in our lives. 

Question: Are you willing to give these up because you are so consumed by Jesus and his mission to save people? The point is that the weight of sin and the cares of the world make us ineffective at running, living out our faith. So the Christian mindset isn’t “What do I have to give up for Jesus, What do I have to sacrifice?” but “What best enables me to run to please Jesus and engage in his mission?”

So what is faith and what kind of faith it takes to stay faithful to God until the end, to have an enduring faith? Heb. 11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. … 6 And without faith, it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Faith – Isn’t and Is…

1. Not circumstantial or based on your feelings. A lot of people have what one pastor calls circumstantial faith: when things are good, God is good. But when things are bad, they question – Is God real? Does he love me? How can God be good if there’s so much suffering in the world and in my life? And they go through the ups and downs of life not anchored to anything but tossed around by what’s happening and how they’re feeling. And listen, feelings are good and God gave them for a reason. But they can be terrible judges of reality. The proof: Little kids and teenagers. Their feelings will lead them astray to destruction. We’ve all been there or we’re dealing with it at home. Amen? I mean, thank God he didn’t answer yes to all my prayers I prayed as a teenager out of my feelings. (Anyone else?)

Tim Keller: Faith is not primarily a function of how you feel. Faith is living out, trusting, and believing what truth is despite what you feel.

(Faith is not circumstantial or based on your feelings, but) Trusts in God’s character, in his love, his goodness, and his sovereignty – that he knows what he’s doing and he’s in complete control. Faith is only as good as the person or thing you put your faith in. (TK) (Ex: I can have all the faith in the world that…)  Heb. 12:2 End – He’s not pacing around worried about what’s going to happen. He’s seated on his throne with full confidence about everything. So even when your life feels like it’s out of control – (2 Cor. 5:7) We walk by faith in Jesus and not just by what we can see in front of us. Faith that Jesus is the rock that is firm through every trial and storm. He’s the strong tower you can run into and find peace and rest.

2. Not wishful thinking or blindly trusting. There has to be some kind of basis for what you believe or what you’re hoping for. And those beliefs have to be true. If you think – I deserve to have a good life – on what basis do you believe that? You can desire or believe it all you want. But it doesn’t mean it’s true.

Blindly trusting – You shouldn’t even blindly trust what I say because I’m your pastor. You should always hold it up to the word of God. And just because someone has a Youtube channel and says a lot and says it loudly doesn’t mean they know what they’re talking about or that you should be listening to them. (NC – Don’t blindly distrust either.)

(Faith is not wishful thinking or blindly trusting, but) Trusts in God’s promises. 2 Cor. 1:20 All of God’s promises are Yes and Amen in Jesus. Promises we can cling on to like he who started a good work in us will bring it to completion. (Phil. 1:6) That one day we will be with him free from our sin, our suffering, and pain. And it’s going to be so glorious, so wonderful that we’ll look back at all the suffering in this life and say it was nothing. That’s our future hope. You can take it to the bank. They are as good as done because God always keeps his word. And if you ground your faith in God’s good promises to you in his word, you’ll never be disappointed.

3. Not a guarantee of an easy life. There’s something ingrained in a lot of us that we think that a life of following Jesus is supposed to be a life free from suffering. But Jesus never tells us that. In fact, he tells us that if we’re going to follow him, we need to pick up a cross and follow him. And I know these days, wearing a cross, tattooing a cross, or decorating with a cross is common, but we can’t forget that the cross, as wonderful as it is for us because Jesus died on it so we don’t have it, it is a symbol of death. Following Jesus is a life of denying ourselves, and that’s never easy. So if there is no suffering, sacrifice, self-denial, self-death in your life I can say with high confidence you are not following Jesus. 

Because your life is hard doesn’t mean God got something wrong. The only time God fails or gets things wrong, is never. Suffering is not an indicator of God’s failure or absence. Now, suffering is still suffering. It still hurts. It’s not fun. And Romans 8:28 – We know that all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. – Often weaponized to tell people to just get over it and get on with life. It’s not that simple and godly grieving is good and has its place.

But the hard things in life and suffering are also not the end of the story. So we’ve got to treat it that way. We can’t give it more power than it really has. It doesn’t have power over Jesus. And we’ve got to let that truth also have its place in our suffering.

(Faith is not a guarantee of an easy life, but) Is the confidence that God understands and is with you. Heb. 4:14-16 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

And look again at Heb. 12:2 For the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising its shame. (Meaning he considered the shame of being beaten and stripped down and crucified as nothing compared to the joy of saving us. So, in the next verse, we’re exhorted to 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

So whatever you’re going through right now – Consider Jesus. Elisabeth Elliott – The secret to enduring is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances. That means, you can trust God with your past. You don’t have to be bitter or angry that God got something wrong in your life. No matter how confusing or painful, he can heal and redeem and use it all. And you don’t have to worry or be anxious about your future, that things won’t work out because God’s got you. 

4. Not a sprint. In the same way Jesus endured suffering and death for us, Heb. 12:2: “Run with endurance.” Means not giving up when things get hard and also having a long term vision, understanding the big picture. The way you run a marathon (12hrs) is not the same way you run 100m (12s). There are seasons that are like sprints. But you can’t just be going crazy trying to do everything all the time even if it’s with good things. It’s not sustainable or healthy. Quick way to burnout and become jaded. Pace. Good rhythms of ministry and rest. 

(Faith is not a sprint, but) Is small steps of obedience in the same direction over a long period of time. (Eugene Peterson) It’s usually not fancy and it doesn’t draw a lot of attention. But every small deposit of faith adds up and multiplies over time into a time tested and incredible faith. Said – people overestimate what they can do in a year but underestimate what they can do in 10. (Bill Gates – Not a Christian. But all truth is God’s truth.)

5. Not self motivation or your strength, skills, or wisdom. Faith is not having faith in yourself, that you can do it, dig deeper, try harder. The whole point of the Christian faith is you can’t do it! Jesus in John 15 – Apart from me, you can do nothing. Gal. – Don’t think so highly of yourself: We who could not save ourselves, are we now going to sustain ourselves or make ourselves holy by our works? But this doesn’t mean we demean ourselves or have low self-worth or value. 

It’s in our weakness that God works his power in us. (2 Cor. 12:1-10) So when we are weak, that’s when we’re strong. Tony Evans – You can’t be full of the Spirit and follow the Spirit if you’re full of yourself. God doesn’t want you where you can just depend on yourself and you’re operating out of your own strength. He wants you in desperate places where only he can provide and move to grow your faith. 

(Faith is not self motivation or about your strength, skills or wisdom, but) God’s strength and ability. Heb. 12:2 (Run) looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Look to Jesus. Faith is really that simple. Gives perspective: who God is, there’s nothing impossible for him, and who we are, those who are helpless but whom God loves and desires to be gracious towards. 

Encouragement: If you feel like a nobody, that you’re not that special. – God is not limited by your inabilities because it’s not about your merits, gifts, the size of your faith, or the lack of these things. The bible and Heb. 11 is not ultimately about amazing people, but an amazing God. God is the main character and only he is the true hero. All the other characters point to how our hope can only be found in him. And when ordinary people put their faith in God and say yes to him, God takes that faith and does extraordinary things through them.

6. Not a solo endeavor. An isolated Christian is a disaster waiting to happen. Sadly, there are lots of people who are self-sufficient, or have been hurt by people in the church – left, or too busy to be with other Christians. And many of them think they’re better off but they couldn’t be in any more danger. And your biological family doesn’t count. I’ve seen families make terrible decisions together. I’m talking about being in a healthy church family – the way God intended for his people to be together as his family.

(Faith is not a solo endeavor, but) Is communal. Eliud Kipchoge, best marathon runner ever. Mechanical doping. Broke 2hrs. 42.2km @ 21km/hr pace. (Faster than driving in KL) Needed a team of 41 runners in training and race day. None of us can do it alone. We need each other.

It’s in our DNA being created in God’s image. Trinity – 1 God, 3 Persons: Father, Son, and Spirit. Why – There are over 50 one another commands in scripture. Commands to love one another, live in harmony with one another, forgive one another, bear with one another, confess our sins to one another, pray for one another, exhort one another, serve one another and the list goes on. The Christian community is essential to our faith and our flourishing.

Heb. 10:23-25 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

7. Not something you decide in the moment. Faith doesn’t just show up magically when you need it. Quote – You don’t rise to the occasion, you fall to your level of training. If you haven’t put anything into your faith – what makes you think that in crisis it’s going to be there? Like me when younger expecting to get a good grade when I haven’t studied just because I prayed right before taking the exam. (Our students – X)

PJD – When life cuts you, you want to bleed scripture. Which means, you have to be intaking scripture, meditating on it, praying it, and memorizing it before the moment that requires faith comes.

(Faith is not something you decide in the moment, but) Practiced consistently and built up throughout your life.

Feeling – This is a lot. – Why can’t God just leave me alone so I can live my life? That’s essentially at the heart of what Adam and Eve thought when they first sinned against God. And if that’s what you truly want, you can have it. But let me just tell you that it’s a scary place to be. Do you really want the God of life, the God of love to stay out of your way and out of your life? Cause he will if that’s what you truly want. God is either Lord of all or not at all. And the choice is yours. He’s not forcing you but he also won’t be an add on to your life.

So the ultimate question that faith hinges upon is, Can God be trusted? Is God worthy of our faith? Faith – Trust in God and his word. You only have to look to one place to get your answer: the cross. Jesus willingly died for the joy set before him, us, so that through faith in him, we can have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Jesus is worth following no matter how hard it is. He will never leave or forsake you. And if you have his presence, you have everything you need to endure and run faithfully. So be all in with your faith.

If you want to look back at the end of your life and say, I’ve run my race and kept the faith, and look at all God did through me, then all you have to do is run, looking to Jesus, eyes fixed on him no matter what comes. The gospel is not that we have to run or perform for Jesus. Our approval is not contingent on how well we run but how perfectly Jesus ran and endured for us in our place. We get the trophy that Jesus earned. So we can run with audacious faith – we’ve already won.

Heb. 11 39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

We have something better, we have the death and resurrection of Jesus. That’s what they were all longing for. And now we join with the rest of all who have placed their faith in God in the past waiting, and hoping, and looking forward to the day when our faith is made sight.

Without faith in Jesus, it is impossible to please God. Your good works aren’t going to save you. Faith is a gift given to us.

Other videos in this series: