Hall of Faith ~ Part 1! | Hebrews 11:1-16

This week you and I are going to explore faithfulness. What does it look like in the lives of the people who lived in Bible times? What does it look like in the life of one woman, who lived in a concentration camp during World War 2? We’re going to explore faithfulness, and you and I are going to remember great is God’s faithfulness in our lives. So are you ready? We’re going to go to Hebrews chapter 11.

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Transcription:

So you know there’s a Baseball Hall of Fame, there’s a football Hall of Fame. There’s also a Faith Hall of Fame. Yes, the Hall of Faith. We’re going to dive right into it in the book of Hebrews chapter 11 in the Bible.

Hi, I’m Erica. Welcome to the Bible for Busy People. I am so glad you’re here. This week you and I are going to explore faithfulness. What does it look like in the lives of the people who lived in Bible times? What does it look like in the life of one woman, who lived in a concentration camp during World War 2? We’re going to explore faithfulness, and you and I are going to remember great is God’s faithfulness in our lives. So are you ready? We’re going to go to Hebrews chapter 11.

Verse one is our takeaway verse right off the top here.

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

Just soak that up today. It’s beautiful.

Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. By faith, we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command. that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

Whoa. I mean, this is rich. This is like eating a piece of delicious cheesecake and washing it down with wonderful dark roast coffee. Okay, let me say that again.

By faith, we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command. that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

So, the stars and the oceans and the mountains all formed by this God who we cannot see who is entirely faithful. The Bible says, our God is entirely faithful. Doesn’t that just comfort your heart today? Now, as we continue in Hebrews chapter 11, we are going to roll through the lives of some incredible people whose names you may have heard before. Or even if you haven’t, you’re going to love meeting these people. They’re incredible.

It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

Wow.

It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying. He disappeared because God took him.

What an awesome story.

For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God.

Oh, don’t you want to be known as a person who pleases God? I do.

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Wow. Okay.

It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith, Noah condemned the rest of the world and he received the righteousness that comes by faith. It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.

Think about that. Isn’t that such a marvelous physical picture of faith? God told Abraham to go and he left. Picked up his tents and his people and his livestock and said, I’m going to go because I’m going with God even though I don’t know where I’m going.

And even when he reached the land, God promised him he lived there by faith for he was like a foreigner living in tents, and so did Isaac and Jacob who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old, she believed that God would keep his promise, a promise he made to Sarah and her husband, Abraham, who we just talked about. and so a whole nation came from this one man, Abraham, who was as good as dead. a nation with so many people that like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. There is no way to count them. All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it.

Isn’t that beautiful?

They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously, people who say such things are looking forward to a country, they can call their own.

Aren’t you? This old world is not our home.

If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back, but they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Isn’t that incredible? Faith. What a concept. You and I can be faithful as humans because God is entirely faithful to us. I want to tell you the story of Betsy Ten-Boom. You may have heard of her more famous sister, Corrie. Both of them lived in a concentration camp for quite some time during World War 2. Their family hid some Jewish people. They were not afraid. They did what they believed God put on their heart. take care of my people, and they did at the risk of their own lives. and here are these two sisters in their fifties thrown into a concentration camp. gone from being well fed and in a circle of love and friends and family all the time, to being thrown in the barracks. and Betsy would say some words to Corrie during that time.

You can imagine the hardships they endured. It was terrible, and Betsy said these words to Corrie. Tell them, Corrie, there is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still. Betsy Ten-Boom was one of the most faithful people I have ever read about in any book in modern history, in my opinion. she trusted God in the middle of that pit. She didn’t give up on his love. She knew how much he loved her and she spilled that love out onto everybody else. To me, her life, and Corrie’s life too, was the very picture of faithfulness. It’s what it looks like, right? Maybe you are in a pit today. I know we’re going through something in our family right now where we feel like we’re in a pit, and we’re trying to claw our way to the top. but in the pit, our family is remembering that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Sometimes I’ll text my husband and my daughter and my son on a group text and I’ll just send them a verse and say, FAM, let’s remember today. That’s how you and I can be faithful in the pit. We can remember that God’s promises are true. Okay, tomorrow we’re going to dive back into the second half of Hebrews chapter 11. Can’t wait till then. Remember, you are loved.

Thank you so much for listening to the Bible for Busy People. If you need prayer or you’re ready to go a little deeper in your faith, we’ve posted some resources for you in our show notes. We’d love for you to share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review. It helps us reach even more people with the hope of Jesus. This podcast is part of Purposely, a podcast network designed with practical podcasts to help you find and live in God’s purpose for your life.

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