Grace Community Church

Case Studies in Faith:

The Depth of Abraham’s Faith

Hebrews 11:17-19 (ESV)

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,  [18] of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”  [19] He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

So far through chapter 11 of Hebrews we’ve witnessed events of one time acts of faith namely, that of Abel.  We’ve witnessed long durations of faith in that of Enoch who walked with God and Noah who built a ship.  We saw the beginning of Abraham’s faith as God called him and gave him the gift of faith.  Now, we’re going to look at the depth of Abraham’s faith.  The phrase, O’ you of little faith doesn’t apply to Abraham here in this text.  Perhaps the phrase O’ you of amazing faith does apply.

Human need that these verses address is our need to exercise faith when the cost is high and our understanding is low.

Truth Taught- We learn obedience by the things which we suffer at the loving and providential hand of God.

Hebrews 5:7-8 (ESV)

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.  [8] Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.

This verse is also true of Abraham.

Genesis 22:1-14 (ESV)

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” [2] He said, “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 shall tell you.” [3] So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. [4] On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. [5] Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” [6] And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. [7] And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here am I, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” [8] Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

[9] When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. [10] Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. [11] But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” [12] He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” [13] And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. [14] So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

In Genesis we are blessed to have the narrative account preserved for us.  In Hebrews we get a more in depth picture as to what was going on in Abraham’s mind during all this.

I want to zero in on verse two of the Genesis account and pick out a couple of things that will help us understand Hebrews. Read the rest of this entry »

Case Studies in Faith:

By Faith Abraham Saw a City

Hebrews 11:8-16 (ESV)

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.  [9] By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.  [10] For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.  [11] By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.  [12] Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

[13] These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.  [14] For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.  [15] If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.  [16] But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

As we begin this morning we should reread the opening verse showing us the characteristics of faith from Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11:1-2 (ESV)

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  [2] For by it the people of old received their commendation.

One big piece of this text today when we take into account the apostle’s description of faith is that assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, is that all the ones mentioned never received the promises while on this earth.  None of the people mentioned in Hebrews 11 actually received what they had been convinced of while alive.  By this fact, and by other verses in Scripture, we shouldn’t think that God’s promises will be fulfilled while we’re alive either. Read the rest of this entry »

Case Studies in Faith:

Enoch Walked With God

Hebrews 11:5-6 (ESV)

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.  [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.

Saving faith, the faith that justifies the ungodly not only saves the sinner but it pleases God.  Last week we learned about the faith of Abel.  We learned that it was his faith in God and what God had said that Abel was counted among the righteous.  He believed God and by faith acted on that belief.  That type of faith pleases God because it looks toward God’s Son.  Saving faith glorifies Jesus Christ and this pleases God the Father.

Genesis 5:21-24 (ESV)

When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. [22] Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. [23] Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. [24] Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

We don’t know much about Enoch.  Mostly when he’s mentioned it is in the context of a genealogy list which has his name.  That’s about half the time.  The two other places that really tell us anything are here before us today.

What is before us is extremely important.  Simply put, Enoch walked with God by faith and this greatly please God.  What Scripture means when it uses the phrase Walked with God is that Enoch lived a consistent life of obedience.  He lived in fellowship with God. Read the rest of this entry »

Case Studies in Faith:

Abel’s More Acceptable Sacrifice

Hebrews 11:4 (ESV)

[4] By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.

Genesis 4:1-10 (ESV)

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” [2] And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. [3] In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, [4] and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, [5] but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. [6] The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? [7] If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

[8] Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. [9] Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” [10] And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.

As we continue on from last week’s Attributes of Faith, to this week’s Case Studies in Faith, I pray we will through the course of the next few weeks truly understand what saving faith is and what it looks like in the life of a believer.  In this text before us, we have a contrast between brothers Cain, the firstborn and Abel, the righteous.  I hope to answer the age old question about the sacrifices offered and why one was accepted and the other rejected.

For the church, faith is a much misunderstood concept.  Faith is what separates religious hypocrites from genuine worshippers.  It’s what is shown by genuine fruit in contrast to a self-elevating act.  Faith is what apprehends the future rather than walking in the present. Read the rest of this entry »

The Attributes of Faith

Hebrews 11:1-3 (ESV)

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  [2] For by it the people of old received their commendation.  [3] By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

The Hebrew Christians, as has been noted before, were tempted to go back to their former ways and practices of Judaism.  One reason surfaces in this text of Scripture.  Judaism was a religion to behold.  The sights, sounds, and smells were breathtaking.  Can you imagine the amazement of the worshipper when he entered the temple and saw the shine of gold and silver?  It would be astounding to see the size of such a place with every flicker of the candles being reflected a hundred times.  Can you imagine the singing and the blasting of the shofar or the smell of the incense rising up and filling the room?  All this majesty was almost more than one could take in.

Christianity on the other hand does not have such breathtaking scenes.  As far as images go, it really has none, at least none that we can see now.  I’ve never once seen the Lord Jesus Christ.  I’ve not been allowed into heaven like John was.

The Old Testament worshipper was hindered in the fact that he often began to worship what he saw and not the God it was to represent.  In many ways we are much better off.  They worshipped by sight, we worship what we can’t see.  We’re not distracted by visual images.  We worship the Lord by faith. Read the rest of this entry »