AN ABIDING FAITH THAT WILL LAST
Hebrews 11:32-40

  1. The Realistic Picture

    1. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
      1. We can trust Scripture to be right, true, realistic, practical and relevant.
      2. I'm thankful that God's Word gives it to us straight.
      3. In the Bible, God has included triumph as well as tragedy. Some people are center stage in the limelight and wow us with their heroic deeds & live happily ever after. Other people's lives are filled with pain on a downward slope that ends in tragedy.

    2. In the world today
      1. Sometimes undeserving & sinful Christians experience unexpected triumphs.
      2. Sometimes godly & deserving Christians go through unexplained tragedies.
      3. "It's all a part of God's Plan," we say. God is the playwright and we're the actors on stage.
      4. Whatever role you've been scripted to play, play it well and with all your heart…. Because you only have a brief moment on the stage of life, and who knows when the curtain will come down?

    3. Peaks and Valleys in our Life as Illustrations by two Extremes
      Hebrews 11:32-40
      1. verses 32-35a - Triumphs of the faithful are the Mountain-top Experiences of life.
      2. verses 35b-38 - Tragedies of the faithful slide us into the dark valley of death.
      3. verses 39-40 - The Effects of those Triumphs and Tragedies live on.
        1. God didn't grade those believers on how successful their lives were but how faithful they were.
        2. They lived by a dim faith that looked toward the future as they longed to see what we've seen and experienced with a personal relationship with Jesus.

    4. Right now, I need to ask you,
      "Whether you're Standing on the Mountaintop or
      Walking through the valley of the shadow of death …
      Will your Faith endure?"

  2. Cassie's Story

    1. On Tuesday, April 20, two members of "The Trenchcoat Mafia," Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, dressed in long, black trench coats, opened fire in a Columbine suburban High School. Students and teachers were terrorized as they scattered inside that school building as gunshots ricocheted off lockers and pipebombs exploded all around them.

    2. We've all seen the pictures, the video footage and read the articles about the Littleton, Colorado, tragedy. Shock, horror and grief grip me whenever I consider the events of that morning.

      Timeline of events

    3. And yet, even in the middle of that massacre we hear about the stories of faith and courage.

      1. When I think about Cassie Bernall's story, I'm reminded of what Jesus said to the woman who anointed Him with an alabaster jar of perfume in Mark 14:9, "I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

      2. In the United States, very few Christians have to put their life on the line regarding their faith. Tuesday, April 20th, Cassie Bernall did just that. A Columbine killer pointed his gun at her and asked her the life-or-death question: "Do you believe in God?"

        She paused. The gun was still there. "Yes, I believe in God," she said, "and you need to follow along God's path." That was the last thing Cassie said.
        The gunman asked her "Why?" She had no time to answer before she was shot to death.

    4. The question is, "Would you be able to stand up for Jesus or would you deny Him?"
      "Lord, increase our faith!"

    5. Poem inspired by the Littleton tragedy, written by a youth minister:
    "The Outsider"
    by Dave Tippett
    He was a dweeb in the eyes of some.
    A loner.
    Strange.
    Unpredictable.
    He was different.
    Spoke of strange things.
    Weird things.
    Things that no one had heard before.
    His Dad had a bad reputation with some.
    He tried to talk about His relationship with His Father.
    Few of the teachers listened. Or cared.
    He belonged to a gang.
    A gang that was considered dangerous.
    It roamed the town, causing local authorities trouble.     		He got in people's faces.
    He hung out with losers.
    Rich kids hated Him.
    Some said Satan was in Him.
    He called the teacher names.
    To their faces.
    He lived on the streets.
    He called himself God.
    He got violent once. He was expelled for it. But He came back.
    He talked about his own death calmly.
    He promised to come back from the dead.
    One of His gang got Him arrested.
    He defended Himself in court. He lost.
    The state executed Him. It was a horrible death.
    On the third day, he kept His promise.

  3. Will Your Faith Endure?

    1. Hebrews 11:1-6, Five Characteristics Of Faith

      1. verse 1, Faith involves assurance and conviction.
        Our hope of eternal salvation is sure and secure. Our faith gives us certainty that we will see God one day.

      2. verse 1, Faith always relates to things yet future.
        Hope points toward the future. When our faith and hope come together, it forms our assurance and conviction.

      3. verses 1&3, The object of faith is "things not seen."
        God, Jesus, Heaven, the resurrection of loved ones - are all out of the range of our physical sight. When we focus our heart on the unseen things, we begin to see how God has worked in our lives and will continue to work to accomplish His purposes.

      4. verses 2 & 6a, Faith is basic to pleasing God.
        There is no substitute for faith in order to please God. No amount of good works, or religious activity can make up for what is lacking in our faith.

      5. verse 6b, Faith means focusing fully on God.
        If God slips from our view, our faith begins to slip away.
        Could a person look at your life and conclude there is a God because of the way you conduct your day-to-day existence?

  4. For A Faith that Will Endure, What Can We Do?

      Two Suggestions

      1. Ask yourself, "Why is faith such a struggle for me?"

      • Could it be that you fear God won't come through for you?
      • Or maybe because of events that have transpired in your life over the years, you're filled with so much bitterness, there's just no room for faith?
      • Or are you too proud to feel a need for God?
      • Perhaps you're insecure and feel like God just doesn't care for you?
      • Whatever barrier is keeping you from the kind of faith in Hebrews 11… you need to remove it now.

      1. Put God First as You Live One Day at a Time

      • Matthew 6:33-34
      • Just focus on today and don't worry about tomorrow since most of our terrible misfortunes we worry about never come to pass anyway.

Ted Edwards

West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, AR
Evening Sermon, 9 May 1999

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