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“Hall of Faith” (Mess.#5) “The Obedience of Faith” (Abraham)
Text: Heb.11: 8-10 Intro. The first three examples spanned the time from creation to the flood. Now we are introduced to one of two prominent O.T. fathers, Abraham, later to Moses. The first recorded incident regarding Abraham’s faith was when he was called to leave Ur. This involved great faith, for he left family and friends to go to a place he had never seen, not knowing what it was like or how to get there. He went simply because God had told him to go and he obeyed. Likewise, God may ask us to take a step of faith to leave home for school, to leave friends in order to serve to Him somewhere else, or to leave our country to serve Him in another. We all can receive great encouragement by taking a look at Abraham’s obedience of faith. First of all we see that Abraham’s faith was a...
A) Compliant Faith: 1) “By faith Abraham . . . obeyed” (v.8) 2) See Gen.12: 1-4, “Now the Lord had said unto Abram . . . So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him . . . ” His obedience was without dispute! 3) Abram simply complied with God’s call. 4) He trusted God for guidance. 5) God called him out of his country, kindred and father’s house. He had to leave behind all that which was near and dear to him, and go where God would lead him. 6) This was for his own good. So too we must leave our “country, kindred and father’s house” that we might reveal our faith and show that we are no longer of this world. It is for our own good! 7) His obedience was without delay! “So Abram departed . . . ” 8) We need this same compliant faith that causes us to obey without dispute or delay! Abraham’s faith was also a...
B) Courageous Faith: 1) “...he went out, not knowing whither he went” (v.8). 2) Now that takes courage!! 3) He didn’t know the distance, the difficulties or the dangers he might face yet he went out!! 4) He left the seen for the unseen. He believed God’s promise of an inheritance when there was no tangible evidence of it! 5) He walked by faith when he couldn’t walk by sight! 6) Every step he took was one into the unknown! But he took each one by faith! 7) So too we need courageous faith, which will enable us to step out by faith into the unknown and trust God to guide, guard and provide! He also had a...
C) Constant Faith: 1) Abraham revealed his constant, unwavering faith by sojourning in the land of promise (v.9). 2) It was only a “land of promise,” because it was yet only promised, not possessed. But Abraham revealed his faith in God’s promise by sojourning in it and was willing to wait for the fulfillment of it. 3) We too must have constant faith. We must continue to trust God every day even when it seems all hope is lost!! 4) Like Abraham, we are only sojourners (temporary residents) in a strange country, awaiting our removal to our eternal heavenly home. He was a possessor of a...
D) Contagious Faith:
1) “...dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise” (v.9b). 2) Abraham had a contagious faith. His son and grandson caught it too!! We need this kind of faith!! The kind that gets passed on from one generation to another! 3) How precious it is to see parents and children sojourning together in this world as heirs of the same promise! 4) Have others “caught” your faith? Do you have contagious faith? Last of all we see that Abraham had a...
E) Curious Faith: 1) “For he looked for a city . . . ” (v.10). 2) he never gave up the hope of this heavenly city but lived in curiosity and anticipation of it! 3) “Foundations” plural - Not just any city - (Rev.21: 2, 14, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband . . . And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”) He was looking for the same city we look for! 4) This curious faith for this city supported him through all his trials in his sojourn, and helped him to bear patiently all the inconveniences and to carry out all of his duties and to persevere to the very end. 5) Your curious faith will do the same for you! Remember we’re only sojourners here, but we have an eternal home awaiting us! Keep looking for the city!!
Conclusion: Abraham had a... Compliant Faith - Are you willing to obey without dispute or delay? Courageous Faith - Do you have courageous faith? Constant Faith - Are you trusting God daily? Is your faith unwavering? Contagious Faith - Is your faith contagious? Curious Faith - It kept him looking all the days of his life. Are you looking for that city? Or are you content with what you have down here?
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