Faith & The Example of Abraham

Hebrews 11 | Vintage Faith | 11:8-10,17-19 | Pastor Duane Smets

This an exegetical sermon of Hebrews 11:8-10,17-19. It covers the life of Abraham and how it was one of faith, his obedience and the importance of us doing what God tells us, and how God proves to us his work in us is real. Special attention is given to Jesus in how he is the true and better Abraham. This sermon was originally preached on October 2nd, 2011 at The Resolved Church in San Diego, CA.

Listen

The Resolved Church | www.theresolved.com

(619) 393-1990 | contact@theresolved.com
All Rights Reserved © The Resolved Church

Permissions: you are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material provided you not alter the wording in any way and you do not charge a fee. For web posting a link to this document is preferred.

The Resolved Church
Pastor Duane Smets
October 2nd, 2011

Faith & The Example of Abraham | Hebrews 11:8-10,17-19
I. The Obedience of Faith (v.8)
II. The Life of Faith (v.9-10)
III. The Proof of Faith (v.17-19)

Introduction

Good morning greeting.

Well we’re a month in now on our fall sermon series “Vintage Faith” where we’re looking at some great figures from the Old Testament who are surveyed in Hebrews chapter 11 as being individuals who modeled the type of faith God has called his people to from the beginning. This week we come to Ab-ra-ham, otherwise known as Abraham and he is a huge figure in the Bible.

Genesis, the first book of the Bible takes twelve chapters to tell his story. Hebrews mentions him more than any other person except Jesus and God the Father. He’s the first Jewish convert. He’s known as the father of faith. Some amazing things happen in his life. And he is a stellar example of what it means to be a person who had the faith Hebrews 11:1 described as the “assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Now Hebrews here only mentions 3 of the 15 different major events of Abraham’s life, 4 if you count the birth of Isaac which we’ll cover next week when we talk about his wife Sarah. So in contrast to some of the other characters we’ve looked at thus far and some of the ones we’ll be checking out in weeks to come…I don’t think Hebrews here means to summarize Abraham’s life or consider it as a whole. It seems to be selecting key events from Abraham’s life which especially demonstrate the nature of true faith.

Because of that I’m not going to walk us through Abraham’s story in all of the events covered in Genesis and instead just stick real close with the text here in Hebrews 11. So let’s get right into it by reading the text and praying over it. We’re working with Hebrews 11:8-10 and 17-20 today. We’ll come back to the verses in between next week in working with Sarah and then in the last sermon of our series when we spend a whole week on “The City To Come.” Today I just wanted to focus on Abraham.

(read text and pray)

I. The Obedience of Faith (v.8)

Our first point for this morning is “The Obedience of Faith” and it begins with the birth of Abraham. Genesis 11 tells us he’s born in Ur of the Chaldeans. Ur could have been one of several ancient cities or even just a general region. What we do know is Abraham grows up in Ur and after he marries and starts having children of his own Genesis 15:7 & Acts 7:2-3 tell us God shows up and comes and speaks to him and calls him to leave Ur.

At this point it’s been nine generations and over 262 years since anyone is recorded as having heard from God. Then all of a sudden God is on the scene and speaking to Abraham. Here’s what he says…Genesis 12:1-2 “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation.” And two verses later it says, “So Abram went, as the LORD had told him (Gen 12:4).”

[*The general consensus is Abraham’s father Terah moved his family to Haran (Gen 11:31) in response to Abraham sharing the calling of God and that after Terah died Abraham continued on in following through with God’s calling by leaving Haran (Gen 12:4).]

Hebrews 11:8 picks up on this, this first major event of Abraham’s life and unpacks the significance for us of what was going on there. You see, the book of Genesis is narrative material…it’s describing or telling a story. Hebrews is what we call didactic material, it’s directly instructional, explaining things for us. There’s a few things it draws out.

One, it is “By faith” that Abraham was able to obey this command of God to get up and move his family. As we have seen faith is not natural or guaranteed, it is the gift of God. So right away this is telling us, it would not have been Abraham’s normal inclination to go. He would not have wanted to unless God was enabling him to respond. This especially makes sense when you think about Abraham’s situation.

He’s essentially lived in the same region his entire life. He likely has many relational connections, friends and relatives of his father’s household. They live in a city, which provides protection and physical safety. They’re in Mesopotamia, we know that much from Stephen’s speech in Acts 7. Mesopotamia means “land between rivers” which means there’s food and water. Everything else outside of that is hostile.

It’s said that the well known Anglican pastor and theological professor Stuart Barton Babbage has four largely framed pictures of the desert in his office. One on each wall, north, south, east and west. Each one of them look the same but they are pictures he took from each of those directions at one of the potential sites of Ur where Abraham was from. When asked why he has them up, his response it that it helps remind him of how bleak the situation looked for Abraham when he received the call and responded and that such response is very close to the heart and nature of faith.

If you remember from past weeks we’ve been saying, faith in Hebrews “is convinced sureness and is directed toward either the unseen or the future.” So the first thing Hebrews points out is that there was something about God’s Word, God speaking to Abraham, that gave him faith and thereby the ability to respond with obedience to God’s directions. There was an unseen place Abraham becomes convinced God will take him.

The second thing this verse points out is he obeyed. Obedience is simply doing what God asks you to do. Following through. Notice Hebrews 11:8 specifically points out “he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Most of us, especially guys, don’t like to make decisions and particularly decisions which effect our families, unless we’ve got everything mapped out so that we know exactly what’s going to take place and there will be no or little risk involved.

I mean can you imagine renting a U-haul and just packing up your whole house and your family and filling up the thing with gas and just taking off not knowing where you’re going? That would be ridiculous. Please don’t do that actually, that’s not the point of the story, as we’ll see. But the principle here does stand. The principle is that God is the one who is supposed to determine the place we live.

Acts 17:26 says, “(God) made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.” God determines and means for you to live in a place. Far too often we pick that place based upon what sounds good to us. So many people become a slave to the job, you pick a place to live or to leave based upon what job you get…or if the city sound like a nice place…or if you’ve got friends or family there. Abraham did not have any of that. But he knew God called him to a place and he obeyed.

One of my daughters is a month away from turning 4 years old which means we’re having to have a lot of talks lately about listening and obeying Mommy and Daddy. Her mind and reasoning capabilities have been excelling and along with that comes things like “why” or “but I” or “I just want to.” Arguing words. What it boils down to for her is she wants to do her own thing, instead of doing what we ask.

And it’s the same thing when it comes to God. So often we just want to do our own thing rather than trust and obey. God always has our good ahead, we just often have a different idea of what’s going to be good for us. Notice, what God had promised Abraham was blessing and an place to possess that would be an inheritance. An inheritance is a rich and undeserved blessing from a father.

The whole thing here happens by faith, so we know it isn’t something we earn. We don’t earn our salvation or righteousness and it isn’t always in the form of health or wealth. But there is always a great reward which comes along with obeying God. Paul calls it the “obedience of faith” in the book of Romans (1:5; 16:26). In fact in Romans 4:3 says it was it was upon Abraham’s belief that God credited to him righteousness.

So let me summarize this point for us, “The Obedience of Faith.” One, faith does not always mean understanding. In this example, Abraham does not know where he will be going. But he has an assured confidence that God does and that it will be good. Two, faith requires obedience. Things that are easy do not really require much faith. It’s when things are tough to do that we often discover the true nature of faith because it requires us to trust and obey and do what we most likely don’t want to.

Before we move on to the next point, let me ask you…are there some things that don’t fully make sense to you but you know God just wants you to trust him? Do you believe that God knows what’s best for you and has good things in store for you when you respond to his calling?

What about obedience? Are you living a life of obedience or are you off doing your own thing? Is there anything in your life right now you know is not pleasing to God and you know you are living in disobedience? Are there some things, right now, you know God is asking of you and expects of you? Often times there are things in God’s word, which is how he speaks most clearly to us…there are things in there he speaks to us expects of us that we have a real difficult time listening to but we know their true and God wants us to trust him.

Or how about just simple promptings of God’s Spirit to pray or do something nice for someone. I’ve been doing a terrible job lately about being obedient with that one. I tell my daughter all the time, “It’s so important for you to obey, you need to trust me.” May God grant us great faith and obedience to his word. Okay, let’s talk about “The Life of Faith.”

II. The Life of Faith (v.9-10)

In the next two verses of Hebrews 11, verses 9 and 10, Abraham goes into the land, “the land of promise” also known as “the promised land” and he lives there. But it’s not his land yet. He’s there like a guest, camping out, waiting for God to fulfill his promise.

There’s a number of things going on here. How many of you have ever traveled to another city, country or whatever and you feel like an outsider? Recently my wife and I were in a little town called Corrales, New Mexico for a wedding. When we first got there we were hungry from traveling on the plane and then driving to the town and checking in this little bed and breakfast…so we went into town to this little mexican restaurant. We sat down at a table, order some drinks from this one girl. Then a waitress came over to take our order. Then the owner came to say hi. Then the cooks. Then the people who were hanging out over at the bar started stopping by because they all wanted to meet the couple from California or something. It was great! We felt like we were famous or something!

Maybe it was how we dressed or talked or whatever but apparently it was obvious that we didn’t belong. We were foreigners. Just visiting. It’s actually kind of the same thing on my street. We bought a house last year and we’ve started getting to know some of the neighbors. It’s cool. They’ll be like, “Oh, have you met so and so, they’ve been here for like 8 years.” And so I start asking questions about different houses and who lives there and they’ll start naming them off. Noel lives there. Sandy and her husband live there. Carlos and Maria live there. And then there’s that house. We don’t know them. They rent. This is the first time we’ve ever bought a home, so we’re like, “Yes! We’re in the club!”

There’s this attitude that if you rent, you’re not going to be there long and they don’t want to welcome you in. If you rent you’re a foreigner! The lesson is all you renters should buy a house here and stay awhile! Well…if you can, if you can’t we’ll still love you.

Now here’s what’s crazy about this. Abraham’s there. But the promise is not yet fulfilled. Remember what the promise was. A great nation. So this involves a place, a big city for sure…and a progeny, many children and followers. Abraham’s conviction and confidence here in the promise of God is amazing. He believes it so strongly, he is there, living in tents with his family…just waiting for God to bring it about.

It’s the opposite of how things happen today. Do you know how new towns or communities get started today? It’s a mega, multi-company effort. They go into an area, put up a whole new track of homes. Plop in a target, a Chilis, a Home Depot and a Grocery store all in this nice shopping center and bam! You’ve got a new suburban city.

Abraham’s deal is the opposite. He goes in when there’s nothing and camps out and waits…for years. But he is committed to living out the promise of God in the place God had called him to. Are you? Are you living out your life as a response to God’s call and promise?

Now here’s the other thing. Notice Abraham is called to a place and he goes there and sticks it out. I’m gonna capitalize on that because we need to hear this in transient San Diego. San Diego is one of the most transient cities in the country because people come to live here for a little while and then they’re gone and very few new people are investing in the city long term…which is one of the reasons our city has been facing some of the unique financial difficulties it has. Whether it’s military, college kids, or those who are seeking a temporary oasis, it’s very difficult to find people who have lived here for more than 10 years…even harder to find people who were born here.

So I’ve heard it over and over again…people love to go to the story of Abraham and use it to support their sense of calling to leave a place and to move and go to some place new. Besides the fact that isn’t the point of the story of Abraham…to teach people to move…I think that has more to do with the grass is greener syndrome, where people are always looking for something new and better thinking life will be better or easier somewhere else. That wasn’t what was going on with Abraham. Remember, he didn’t want to leave. But he does and he goes to a place and sticks it out.

The real focus with Abraham is the land of promise, the land God calls him to. “Land” in the Bible is a big deal. It’s out of dust from the ground of the land that God forms the first man. After sin enters the world, man’s relationship with the ground gets severely affected so that it fights against him and man gets expelled from the good land of the Garden of Eden. Before Abraham comes on the scene in Genesis, the stories prior to him reveal an increasing tension between humanity and the earth with things like the flood and the tower of Babel which result in divine judgment in the form of exile and alienation from the earth.

Thus, when God comes on the scene and promises an inheritance, a gift of land…it’s no small deal. It’s a major movement in God’s redemptive plan. In fact much of the overarching narrative of the whole Bible can be seen as a movement from losing the land in the garden to regaining it in the heavenly city. John Milton eloquently describes it as Paradise Lost and in his subsequent poem Paradise Regained.

Here’s the point, Abraham is consistent. He’s not a drifter. He lives out the promise of God because he’s looking forward and trusting that God will bring it about. Look at verse 10, “he was looking forward to the city that has foundations (not a tent), whose designer and builder is God.”

Living a life of faith involves looking forward, seeking the city to come, which is built by God. We’re not going to go into depth a ton on this because we’re gonna come back to it and spend a whole week on the city of God as our final sermon of this series after we finish the chapter. As we’ll see it’s probably the main reason any individual gets selected in Hebrews 11 as being an example of faith…if they were seeking the city to come.

But let’s press in just a little today. Abraham was looking for a city designed and built by God. As designer, God’s the architect. As builder, he’s the construction manager. And what’s the emphasis? God does it. God designs it! God builds it! So often we try and try and try to make stuff happen. We try to make our lives work. We try to design and build our own kingdom. We try to map things out and get everything lined up. We try and try and try…and we fail because we’re not looking to God to doing it, we’re looking to ourselves and our own efforts. We’re not trusting God’s design and trusting him to build it.

The other piece is recognizing that no city and no life will be perfect until Jesus returns and sets up his city. We’re going to be left longing and in want until that happens. We’ve got to look forward and put our ultimate hope in that. It’s having a long term vision.

The life of faith really involves sticking it out. You know what’s crazy about Abraham? The only land he ended up ever owning before he died was the small plot he was able to buy for his wife’s burial when she died. And that’s it. Abraham came to realize that the vision and calling he had received from God would be fulfilled by his heirs and not in his lifetime.

Not only is that a huge lesson for us parents in caring more about their future than ours and what’s happening right now…but it also shows us that living a life of faith is about something so much bigger. It involves all of history and what God is doing and will do in the world. Looking forward to the city that is to come whose designer and builder is God. Preparing, longing and looking to that…instead of the measly attempts we make to try to create heaven on earth now. Politics, cities, people we’ll all be broken until Jesus comes again.

So let me ask your heart some questions and we’ll move on to our final point. Do you have a sense of calling about where you live? Like God has called you here to these people and this place? You should. Because until you do, you’ll just be a drifter and it will keep you from really living out a life of faith. Are you trying to make your life happen when you just need to sit back, trust and let God do it? Do you have a vision for the city to come, or are you just hung up on what’s happening right now?

So much of faith has to do with actually living things out. Faith is not just this ethereal feeling. It’s confidence and action based upon a conviction of what is ahead that comes from God. Putting feet to our faith. May God help us in that. We’ll let’s check out our final point this morning, “The Proof of Faith.”

III. The Proof of Faith (v.17-19)

This is the famous story of Abraham offering up his son Isaac on the altar. Let me re-read the text from Hebrews so we get it fresh in our heads. Hebrews 11:17-19 “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.”

Okay, some crazy stuff here. Next week, when we look at Sarah, Abraham’s wife we’ll hit up what a big deal it was that Isaac was born. Abraham was longing for a son so that God’s promise would be fulfilled. It wasn’t happening. He tries to make it happen but that doesn’t work. And then by a great miracle God finally gives him a son by opening up the 100 year old womb of his wife. Suffice it to say today, Isaac was a big deal. Here in verse 17 of Hebrews 11 he’s called his “monogenes” in Greek, his “one and only.”

So here’s the story. It’s in Genesis 22. Abraham finally has a son, which is the first real sign of God fulfilling his promise. Then God comes to “test” him and says, Genesis 22:2 “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will show you.”

This is crazy. Not only going against ever fiber in a parent’s bones, but this is the son of the promise and a religious abomination. But Abraham, apparently has grown to really trust God, so he does it. He loads up a donkey with wood, takes his son up on the mountain, builds an altar, put the wood on it and goes as far as tying his son down on the wood and taking a knife is about to kill him before he lights the fire and suddenly he hears the voice of Jesus, “The angel of the LORD (Gen 22:11)” call out “Abraham, Abraham!” And he stops him, gives him a Ram to sacrifice instead.

Hebrews 11 picks up on this story and says it was “by faith” Abraham was able to do this and then it unpacks and explains that for us. Now, many people have read all kinds of stuff into this. Soren Kierkegaard is famous for writing a book titled “Fear and Trembling” where he develops a full-blown philosophy of known as existentialism based on this story. Basically he defines faith as this blind leap into the dark through which one then escapes anxiety and finds reality.

Here’s the problem. How has Hebrews 11 defined faith? Not as a blind leap but an convinced sureness of the unseen or the future. So verse 19 tells us something God doesn’t say in Genesis but chose to reveal to the writer of Hebrews and that’s how Abraham could’ve have done this insane thing. It says, Abraham considered, or reasoned…i.e. not a blind leap…that God would raise him from the dead.

So, Abraham believed Isaac was the son of the promise from God. But he also believed God asked him to offer him up, so he considered, reasoned or figured that God would raise him from the dead. I suppose the boy was already a miracle anyway since he was born to a 100 year old barren woman so Abraham didn’t think it was too far fetched that God could bring him back to life. Abraham saw God as the one who gives life and can do it by whatever way he chooses.

Now here’s the real interesting thing. Verse 17 here along with Genesis 22 say Abraham was being tested. Most often when we hear that English word “tested” I think we come up with this idea in our heads like God is trying to find out something about Abraham…as if he didn’t know.

But not only does God know everything, including the thoughts and intentions of the heart as Hebrews 4:12 says…but also, God does not tempt people to sin. Listen to James 1:13 “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.”

So what’s going on here? Here’s what I think. James 1 also says this in verses 2-3 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” So really what is going on when we face tests and trials is God is proving to us our faith is real. God knew what he was going to do with Abraham all along. And he knows what he’s doing with us and he is faithful to show us that his work inside our hearts is real and not just our imagination. When we follow through and live out our faith in obedience and action, especially when it’s hard. We discover God’s work in our heart and life is real. Our faith is real.

I think so much of the times faith is a discovery. We don’t really realize it’s there or how strong it is until something hits us and our own response surprises us. I remember a couple critical junctures in my life where it would of made the most sense to throw in the towel and give up on the whole Christianity thing, but I just couldn’t do it because I felt as though I knew and had experienced too much. I discovered my faith was much stronger than I realized. Difficult, hard, challenging situations in life have a way of drawing out faith.

This week at our community group…we were eating, laughing and having a good time getting to know one another since our group is new and toward the end I told everyone we were going to pray and asked if anyone had anything they wanted us to pray for. And the tone of our group changed real fast. Family members with cancer and surgeries, friends who had recently died, and three individuals really struggling with a need for a job…and the lack of one causing all kinds of doubt and questioning about life, identity, meaning and purpose.

Life is real and it is hard. And God uses those real life situations and trials to beckon and birth faith in us. There may be some of you today who are going through something really tough right now. I want you to know God knows and he wants you to look to him and trust him. God is at work in proving to us his goodness.

Often times what happens in us is something like what happened with Abraham. We want something so bad, so we pray and pray and pray and ask God for it. And then he gives it to us. Our one and only………whatever. Then we make a idol out of it and treat it as our god. It’s the thing we love, cherish and protect the most. And God, the one true and real God sees that and cares for us, so he calls us to give it up because only he can be first and no other God will satisfy. If we do and we’re actually willing to give it up and have him first in our hearts…so often, in time he’ll restore that thing to us because we’ve learned the lesson that he must be first.

So let me ask you, is there something today God is calling you to give up and let go of? Something he wants you to offer up to him so that he might be first in your heart? Are you in the middle of a trial right now and God is calling you to put your faith in him? What’s that look like for you? As we’ve seen faith almost always has some follow through in action? How is God wanting to prove his gift of faith in you?

Well, let’s wrap up.

Conclusion

By faith, Abraham obeyed…verse 8. By faith, Abraham lived…verse 9. By faith, Abraham was tested or proved…verse 17. I want everyone to listen real closely. When we look at these things and hear these things. It’s so easy to be like, “Wow, Abraham…what a great guy.” But he wasn’t.

I didn’t take time to chronicle his sins today which included adultery with his housecleaner and pimping out his wife, twice. I got myself in hot water last week talking about Noah’s faults so I didn’t want to get you all upset at me today too by telling you Abraham wasn’t good either. For some reason we hate hearing that these Old Testament heroes weren’t really heroes at all.

But we’ve got to remember, Hebrews isn’t commending their morality but their faith…God’s work in their heart and their life. That’s the only way they are examples to us. Because what the truth?

Have we obeyed? No. And if we’re Christians we’re constantly battling belief and obedience…whether we do our own thing or God’s. Have we lived by faith in the land? No. We tend to be flippant and uncommittal and very few of us actually have a vision for the future and the city that could be. How do we do at tests or trials? Not good. We whine and complain, caring more about the gifts of God than God himself and we hate giving anything up.

Obedience, life, trials…we fail. But here is the good news of the gospel my friends. Jesus has done them for us. I know you hear me say it each week. But grab ahold of it fresh today.

Jesus obeyed the father perfectly for us. We haven’t. He has. And he gives us his obedience. Abraham left Ur to go to the promised land. Jesus left the glory heaven above and stepped down into the dirt he made in order to take us to the promised land.

Jesus lived the life of faith. He was treated as a foreigner, never had a home, but through his life and death became the cornerstone and foundation of faith. Abraham looked forward to the city of God. Jesus is the prince who opens the doors to his house, the one he designed and built in the heavenly city and there is room for faith in him.

Jesus proved who he was and offered himself up on the cross for us, so that we might put faith in him and be saved. Abraham knew some amazing things. He knew a son had to be offered up, he knew there had to be a resurrection and he learned there was a substitute sacrifice. Jesus is God’s one and only son, who was not just laid up on the altar but was actually killed so that he could be a substitute for all sinners who put faith in him.

Jesus simply is the true and better Abraham in every way and he is the one we need. Wherever you’re at, whatever you’re dealing with this morning. Jesus is who you need. The point of Abraham’s story is to point us to Jesus.

Know…if you’ve been really disobedient to God…know that where you’ve failed Jesus has succeeded. Jesus was obedient, always…for you so that we might not only have an example but one worthy to take our place. Allow that truth to transform your heart so that you’ll want to trust and obey.

Know…if you’ve been living your own life rather than a life of faith…know that where you’ve been selfish and tried to build your own kingdom and been treasuring other promises and dreams than God himself. Know that Jesus had it all and gave it all up so that you might truly come to the promised land with the city that God designed and builds.

Know…if you’ve been in trials and testing and failing…know that Jesus was tried and tested and found to be true so that you can look to him and run to him and be safe. Whatever you’re going through, God knows. He was offered up on the cross for your sin and he rose again so you might be forgiven and redeemed. Put your hope, your peace and your trust there.

Jesus is who we need. He is our obedience, our life and our hope. Let’s pray.