Headlines from Hebrews Wk 1 Jesus at the centre Wk 2 From heaven to earth Wk 3 Persevering through difficulty Wk 4 Faith triumphant Wk 5 Running a good race Wk 6 Our constant companion

Faith is like a spark…

Once alight anything can happen…

Headlines from Hebrews Faith Triumphant! Hebrews 11:1-16

1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: ‘He could not be found, because God had taken him away.’ For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness

that is in keeping with faith that is in keeping with faith. 8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even

Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting

that they were foreigners and strangers on earth that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Faith is… confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see v1

Faith is… confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see v1

And without faith it is impossible to please God v6

We see here, too, different ways of talking about faith…

1. Credal faith There is a glimmer of a ‘creed’ here (creation v1-3)…the word comes from Latin Credo meaning ‘I believe’ - used at baptism What is ‘credal’ faith? –The body of doctrine which makes up what we believe as Christians Two creeds in particular are important…

The Apostles Creed (2nd C) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen

The Nicene Creed (AD 325) We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation  he came down from heaven,  was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary  and became truly human.  For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;  he suffered death and was buried.  On the third day he rose again  in accordance with the Scriptures;  he ascended into heaven  and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,  who proceeds from the Father [and the Son],  who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,  who has spoken through the prophets.  We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.  We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.  We look for the resurrection of the dead,  and the life of the world to come. Amen

Credal faith provides us with a shape to our doctrine, a biblical framework for our ‘day to day’ living…

2. Active faith Faith for the moment Acts of obedience that seem impossible - even ludicrous! Noah v7, Abraham v9, Sarah v11 For you and me everything we do affects someone else TWO things help us grow this faith…

John Wimber famously said Growing active faith John Wimber famously said Faith is spelt R-I-S-K

Faith is like a muscle… to grow it use it Growing active faith Faith is like a muscle… to grow it use it

3. Saving Faith Faith that is relational and deep in our hearts Abel and Enoch v4-5, 6 Faith that reaches beyond the earth the city with foundations v10 A decision that affects our eternal destiny foreigners and strangers here v13-16 A backdrop to who we are and what we do…

We face a number of challenges to faith… The temptation: to give in to discouragement to despair to keep our heads down to stop risk-taking to give up completely But FAITH CAN WIN because JESUS HAS WON!

Headlines from Hebrews Wk 1 Jesus at the centre Wk 2 From heaven to earth Wk 3 Persevering through difficulty Wk 4 Faith triumphant Wk 5 Running a good race Wk 6 Our constant companion