Hebrews 11:29-40

By Faith

• Heb 11:29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

• Heb 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.

Faith of the Desperate

• The people in both incidents had run out of options

• They had one hope – that God would deliver on his promises

• “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68)

• Jesus is our only hope

• Heb 11:31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

Faith that’s Incomplete

• “For the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below” (Joshua 2:11)

• Rahab’s knowledge was limited • She had led an immoral life • She was a foreigner • She was saved from the judgment, protected

by the scarlet cord • A picture of the work of Jesus on the cross

• Heb 11:32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets,

• Heb 11:33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,

• Heb 11:34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.

• Heb 11:35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again.

Faith that leads to Victory

• There doesn’t seem to be any order in the six men selected

• God did great things through them • They were far from perfect • The victory is the Lord’s

• Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection.

• Heb 11:36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison.

• Heb 11:37 They were stoned ; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—

• Heb 11:38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

Faith under Trail

• Some were tortured • Those who were ill-treated did not lack faith• “escaped the edge of the sword” (v34) “they

were put to death by the sword”(v37)• “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8)

• They were not much to look at • “The world was not worthy of them”

• Heb 11:39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.

• Heb 11:40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Faith in the Promise • For all of the triumphs, they did not receive the

greatest promise• “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of

seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” (John 8:56)

• ‘be made perfect’ (teleioō) – to make perfect, to complete, to bring to an end, to accomplish

• God is calling a chosen people, a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9)

• The ‘Body of Christ’ is incomplete without us!• By faith