That the Christian life is a journey of faith, beginning with the foundational act of trusting in Christ's sacrifice, as exemplified by Abel. It highlights that understanding creation and living a life pleasing to God are only possible through faith, drawing parallels between the Old Testament heroes and the believer's daily walk. The message stresses the importance of continuous growth in faith, using Enoch's example of walking with God for 300 years as a model for consistent spiritual companionship. Ultimately, the sermon calls believers to actively pursue a faith that pleases God, praying for an increase in faith to meet Christ when He returns.
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the human author, to the Hebrews. I'd like to turn to chapter eleven of the book of Hebrews and by the grace and help of the Lord and the Spirit meditate upon some of the truths that are found in this wonderful faith chapter of Hebrews chapter eleven. I'm sure that we all are familiar with the fact that this blessed epistle was written to God's earthly people, early believers in the church, who were Jewish believers, for their encouragement and their blessing. But oh, what lessons there are for you and for me in relation to what we find in this epistle.
Now the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, in the whole setting of it, I'm sure that we may all know The whole setting of this chapter covers what we often call a chapter telling us of the heroes of faith. And may I speak very plainly, the emphasis of the whole chapter, no matter whom the reference may be to and about, the reference in the chapter is connected entirely with the subject of faith. Look with me in chapter ten of verse thirty-eight for just a moment.
Because this is a preliminary background for the chapter. Chapter ten in verse thirty-eight. Reading, if I may, verse thirty-eight only in the first sentence. The first praise. Now the just shall live by faith. I would like to mention the fact before we go further and read in chapter eleven. The expression that just shall live by faith can be found three times before we come to the Hebrew epistle. The original writing of it is in the book of the backup, one of the prophecies of the Old Testament, when the prophet himself was under great stress an exercise of heart regarding what God would do with his people.
And God gave him one message telling that the just shall live by his faith. That phrase is repeated in Romans chapter one. Relative to the gospel and the need of the whole world. Chapter one and verse eighteen I believe. Where even in the gospel it's declared that just shall live by faith the same phrase is repeated in the book of Galatians chapter three emphasizing the fact the law cannot and does not save us we must be saved the just shall live by faith likewise in Hebrews ten we come to this great chapter called the faith chapter preceding it in chapter ten we found in verse thirty eight the repetition of that same text that just shall live by faith.
And, beloved, as we approach the eleventh chapter, there are many particular persons recorded by name and their experiences for God in this world, both of Old Testament, particularly of Old Testament character. Many heroes of faith. Some of them are named, some of them are not named, but included in some other way. But the emphasis is, and you find it many times when introduced to such ones, by faith, the word by faith, by faith. Let me only begin reading in chapter eleven at verse one, reading only if I may to verse four.
By way of introduction, that by the will of the Lord we may indeed ask a ministry by the Holy Spirit on this great theme of faith. Now faith is the substance or the evidence of things hoped for or the reality of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the world's were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Now we are introduced in verse four to the person that is mentioned. By faith able, offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than came by which he obtained witness that he was righteous. God testifying of his gift and by it he being dead yes seeker now when we open the chapter sometimes verse one has been called a definition of faith and verse two but may I say this and down through verse three but may I say this it is more a description of the power of faith My beloved, let me say bluntly and carefully, you and I began our Christian life, how?
By faith. We have the example of it, and he enabled his presentation into the... Now, he was one of the first ones of whom we read, made a sacrifice to approach God from the book of Genesis, chapter four. and he is an example he represents for you and for me who were saved that we began our path of faith when we received the Lord Jesus as our Savior and trusted in his atoning sacrifice but let me introduce the words that begin the chapter first of all before we touch upon Abel in particular and as you may notice as in verse two the writer says The saints of old, they had a good report.
Have brought faith. Now let me just raise a question to your conscience and mind. How good is our report? How good is our testimony of our faith? Yes, we trusted the Lord Jesus. But they had a testimony that went on, as we shall see in our chapter. And then, as you have in verse three, let me give you this wonderful truth and notice, through faith. We understand.
that the worlds were framed. How? By the Word of God. So that things which are seen were not made with things which do appear. How do I understand the truth about creation? There's only one way to understand it. By faith. Very recently A long article was sent to me to be read regarding the mental advance of scientists and what they are seeking to do, disregarding entirely what?
The Word of God. And may I say, all the evolutionary teaching of scientists and others who believe in that theory have never been proved factual. You cannot understand all that comes out of the educated science of human reasoning how the worlds were made. There's only one way to understand. God did it. And let me just repeat one verse, the first verse in the Bible. Not the rest of the chapter, but the first verse.
In the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth. That's all. And then may I repeat, what you read in the second verse of Genesis two was something that happened in between later on. For if we read, the earth was without form and void. But I read in Isaiah forty-five and verse eighteen that when God created the earth, it did not make it without form and without void. There is no question of doubt. There was a great tragedy that came in.
Personally, I believe it was the fall of Satan, that great Lucifer. son of the morning as he was called in the angelic host but nevertheless how do i understand the world was created i've taken it from god's word he made it and he did it by speaking and as you read through director genesis one regarding the recreation and the restoring of the creation. God spoke and it was so.
God spoke and it was so. God said and it was so. My beloved, may I say again, as you have here in verse three, you have a description of the power of faith. Faith? No, tell me and make me know how the world came into being. And what a joy to read the corresponding approval of the New Testament. Let me quote in John chapter one. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by Him. And without him there was not anything he made beloved. There's the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the living word. And his association with the great creation coming into being. And how do I know it? I believe it. I take God. Please may I say, look. When you were saved, you took God at his word. So did I. God who had told me, John, you're a sinner. And I confessed it. And God's word told me, if you trust Christ as your Savior, you'll be saved. And I did it. And I'm resting on that. Now let's go to the first example of faith.
We'd like to meditate upon it tonight. Let me read verse four again. By faith. And let me say again. Let me repeat it with emphasis. Abel was the first person to approach God as recorded in the Bible with a sacrifice to be accepted by God. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain's. By which he obtained... Now please note.
How did he obtain witness that he was righteous? Not by himself, not because of who he was, but because of the sacrifice he brought. The Blessed Lord Jesus, terrified by the Lamb that he brought. And by it he obtained witness that he was righteous. God testifying and note of his gifts, the sacrifices that he brought. And by it he being dead, yet speaking. Now let me please emphasize the truth that we find in the opening of this verse, Abel, the first example of faith.
This how you and I began our path of faith. Do you remember when you were saved? That's when you began the path of faith. That's when you and I began the path of faith. How long have you been walking on that path? And my beloved, let me say, from the time you were saved to the very present moment, you have been on the path of faith. And faith is a divine principle by which we should go on.
Oh, how often? Let me give you some thoughts regarding the life of the Lord Jesus. You may remember some of the occasions when he was here. I think of one occasion recorded in Mark chapter five. He told the disciples to get into a ship and go across to the other side and they got in and he went with them. And he fell asleep as they were crossing that lake of Galilee. And a great storm arose. And waves came into the ship. And the disciples were afraid. They were his followers.
They had heard his invitation to follow him. And they were following him. But they were afraid. And in their fear they cried out and woke him up, they Lord. Care is thou not that we perish? They were afraid of drowning. I think they were more afraid for themselves than they were for his situation. More concerned about themselves. But when he rose immediately and said to the storm, peace be still, and there was a great calm, he rebuked them. What did he say? How is it that you have no faith? As I read the word of God, or let me say it plainly, on the path of faith, our faith should be growing.
Later on in the lives of the Lord Jesus on the earth, the disciples at one time came to him and said, These words, Lord, increase our faith. My beloved cannot, you and I pray that prayer too. These heroes of faith in our chapter. There are examples for you and for me to follow. But we begin as did Abel. We bring a sacrifice which alone can bring us in acceptance to God as did Abel. Cain brought a sacrifice. Please. Now Cain brought a sacrifice.
Know what it says. Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. Oh yes. Cain brought sacrifices. For what kind? You remember in Genesis four? They brought of the fruit of the ground. And if I recall in chapter two, when sin came into the Garden of Eden, God cursed the ground. And Cain brings the fruit of the ground, which God refused. And if you know the story well, Cain got mad at him.
But there's evidence to show, as Cain became the first murderer of the human race, he approached God the wrong way. But Abel, let me point out something. What Abel brought, he never could produce it. He was unable to produce it. a lamb and create a lamb, he had to bring what God had already made. He had to bring what God already had performed and provided. And my beloved, that's the way you and I came to the Lord Jesus.
As guilty sinners, we claimed the precious sacrifice of the Lamb of God. to take away our sins. And thank God we began the path of faith. Now let me raise another question. I hope it will search your heart and mind who. How are you getting along? Read with me in verse five if you please. Five and six if you don't mind. And you've got the next example on the path of faith. By faith, Enoch, was translated that he should not see death, and was not found, because God had translated him.
For before his translation, he had this testimony that he pleased God. But without faith, it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Now here is Enoch the second example. None of one who just began, but who continued on the path of faith. I hope you know the story as you have it in Genesis chapter five.
Let me ask you the question. From the scriptures in Genesis chapter five, how old was Enoch when he was first brought in relationship to God? Sixty-five, the word of God declares. And then the testimony of Enoch in Genesis five was this. For three hundred years following it he walked with God. He didn't follow God.
He didn't run after him, he didn't trail behind him. He walked in step with him. How long can you walk with God? Let me raise a question. To my own conscience I raise it. How's my walk been with God? You remember the words of John Rada, the apostle in First John, as well as the words of the Lord Jesus? In John chapter seventeen and verse three, This is life eternal, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast said.
And in John's epistle, the first chapter of it, our fellowship is with the Father, with his Son. Enoch walked with God. How long? Three hundred years. Kept in step with him. And he didn't have a Bible to read. But that man of God walked with God. May I say that the days were difficult that he lived in too.
They preceded the flood. The days of wickedness and darkness that came over the whole earth to such a degree that God repented that he had ever made man and destroyed the whole human race with the exception of Noah. In it continued. And my beloved, may I say this? When the Lord Jesus saved you and saved me, He put our feet on the pathway of faith. And our walk began with God.
and with the Lord Jesus. And please know these words that you've got in verse five here. Let me read them again. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found, though they looked for him. They never found him because God had translated him before his translation. And for before his translation, I note this testimony, that he pleased God. Beloved, let me say, I think of the words of the psalmist when he prayed in Psalm one thirty-nine at the end.
Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thought. and see if there be any wicked way or way of pain in grief or grief and lead me in the way everlasting. My beloved, let me raise the question. I say it lovingly, but I would search your heart and conscience as well as mine own. How's our walk with God doing? We walk a lot with others down here, don't we? But oh, may I say lovingly, we should be walking with Him every day.
Little chorus we used to sing, walking with Jesus, walking every day, walking all the way, walking in the sunlight, walking in the shadow, but walking all the way with Jesus. And one cause we used to think, I'd rather walk with Jesus than walk the paths of sin than roam the paths of sin. And surely we would. And what a joy to know myself. May I say this? May I emphasize it?
What a responsibility. Walking. Every day, every moment. with him. Let me remind you what he has promised. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, so that we may boldly save the Lord is my helper. I shall not fear what man shall do unto me. Let me repeat again. Abel, the example of being saved, we put our faith in the sacrifice that Christ made. Our walk began. Please may I ask again, how long have you been walking with him?
How have you been continuing? Oh, how we have the examples and the encouragement of the servants of God in the New Testament seeking to encourage one another to keep on and grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But let me repeat the emphasis of Enoch again and note the testimony that he had. He was translated. For before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God. But then may I be reminded with you about his translation. The first one that ever died.
went to heaven without dying. There's only two men that went to heaven without dying. Enoch was the first. Elijah was the second. But then we find the testimony of Enoch. Before its translation he pleased God. Now let me reapply the fact. My beloved, do you believe the Lord Jesus is coming? Do you know the day? Do you know the moment? No. In a day that you think not the Son of Man cometh, and in a moment, and in the twinkling of an eye, he will come and will have to go.
There's one thing, when the Lord comes for results, we're going. What a beautiful picture is, Enoch, of the saints of this age. They will be translated. Look, there's not a look. The day you translated, The moment you and I are translated, will we be found like Enoch, pleasing God? Let me say again the testimony of Enoch, as recorded in Genesis five. Enoch walked. He kept in step with God.
Don't we get out of step? But every moment of the day he walked with God. Someone made the remark in our present it was, the real thing of it. Enoch so walked with God that one day he was so nearer the home of God that God said, Enoch, don't go back to your home, come in and stay with me. But he was translated. Well, you and I are going to be translated. As you know, First Thessalonians chapter four, the Lord is coming himself from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain, shall be what?
Caught up, translated up, together to meet the Lord in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Let me just close the meditation. We can follow on next week and see what we have in Noah. But let me just close the meditation tonight with Ena, Abel and Ena. The beginning of our walk when we were saved. And then raise the question and search our hearts and ask, Am I walking to please God today? Does my walk please him?
Am I keeping his step with him? Enoch had this testimony that he pleased God. Again, let me repeat the wonderful example of Enoch. Three hundred years. I'm glad I don't have to live that long. And I'm sure you are too. Beloved, let me say this. You and I have the Holy Spirit. You and I have the Holy Scripture.
You and I have arisen, glorified Lord in heaven above to help us. And the Word of God to guide us. And may the Lord help us to do what Enoch did. Walk with God and have the testimony every day and when the translation comes will be found pleading God. Again we have to say the words of the Lord Jesus. How often we need rebuking. How is it that you have no faith?
And then again later on As the disciples began to learn a little bit more, they came to him and asked him, Lord, increase our faith. Beloved, let me say, it's faith all the way. Let me repeat again. Take the whole chapter of Hebrews eleven. Read every example. And it begins by those two words. By faith, Abel. By faith, Enoch. By faith, Noah. By faith, Abraham. And so on. By faith, Isaac. By faith, Jacob.
And so on. By faith, Moses. By faith. If you read the hero list of faith. By faith. And then you've got the last example in chapter twelve. The beginner and the completer of faith. Even our Lord Jesus Christ. And may I say lovingly, the Lord Jesus walked by faith. Though he was gone, yet he walked just as Enoch did by faith. So may the Lord bless these few thoughts and encourage us and search us and stir our hearts, Lord.
At least we can say the prayers that the disciples did when they came to the Savior. Lord in Cretop says, May the Lord Jesus not have to rebuke us and say, How is it that you have no faith? On one occasion he said to them, How is it that you have little faith? And then on one occasion about one man who said, I have not seen so great faith. No, not in Israel. I raise the question and leave it with you. How great is your faith? Shall we pray? Dearly beloved Father, beloved Savior, oh how we read this chapter and realize that we're in a walk that is by faith.
It began by faith. It could only go on by faith. And we just pray, Lord, what the disciples said to thee. Lord, increase our faith. Oh, Lord, we have such little faith. But, Lord, we pray thee that we'll be concerned and exercised like enough to walk by faith with thee every day. It may be at work. It may be in school. It may be at home. They may be on the street. They may be in the marketplace. No telling where we are.
All the way is a walk of faith. Blessed, blessed Lord Jesus, we say to thee earnestly, Lord, increase our faith. In thy precious and worthy name, for thy glory. Amen. Thank you. The Lord bless these two souls.