Of Trust and Faith

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 28th of August, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

For the longest time, people thought that the Apostle Paul authored the Letter to the Hebrews.  I’ve even seen older print versions of our Bible that title the book, “The Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews”.  And while there are many resemblances to the style of what we know for sure to be Paul’s writings, there are also many dissimilarities in both style and theology.  For instance, Paul usually appeals to his own apostolic authority in his letters, but the author of Hebrews references that of others who were eye-witnesses of Jesus’ ministry.  At this point, I think it safest to say that only God knows for sure who actually authored this letter.

The intended readers are pretty obvious, though, being those Jews who had come to believe in Jesus as the Messiah.  And the overall theme of the letter is also pretty clear: the superiority of Jesus Christ and of Christianity.  The author sets forth the argument proving that Jesus is superior both in His person and in His priesthood.  And because of that superiority, we should have no problem putting all our trust in the Lord.  Our faith is based on this, that Christ Jesus is superior in His person and as our great High Priest.

The passage I’d like to look at this morning speaks of our faith using stories that the Hebrew converts would have been very familiar with.  And we today know those stories, too.

Please listen and follow along to what our unknown author wrote in his letter to the early Hebrew believers in Jesus, from chapter 11 verse 29 through chapter 12 verse 2, and I’ll be reading from The Living Bible version this morning…

11:29 The people of Israel trusted God and went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians chasing them tried it, they all were drowned.

30 It was faith that brought the walls of Jericho tumbling down after the people of Israel had walked around them seven days as God had commanded them. 31 By faith — because she believed in God and his power — Rahab the harlot did not die with all the others in her city when they refused to obey God, for she gave a friendly welcome to the spies.

32 Well, how much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah and David and Samuel and all the other prophets. 33 These people all trusted God and as a result won battles, overthrew kingdoms, ruled their people well, and received what God had promised them; they were kept from harm in a den of lions 34 and in a fiery furnace. Some, through their faith, escaped death by the sword. Some were made strong again after they had been weak or sick. Others were given great power in battle; they made whole armies turn and run away. 35 And some women, through faith, received their loved ones back again from death. But others trusted God and were beaten to death, preferring to die rather than turn from God and be free — trusting that they would rise to a better life afterwards.

36 Some were laughed at and their backs cut open with whips, and others were chained in dungeons. 37-38 Some died by stoning and some by being sawed in two; others were promised freedom if they would renounce their faith, then were killed with the sword. Some went about in skins of sheep and goats, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in dens and caves. They were hungry and sick and ill-treated — too good for this world. 39 And these men of faith, though they trusted God and won His approval, none of them received all that God had promised them; 40 for God wanted them to wait and share the even better rewards that were prepared for us.

12:1 Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us.

2 Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy He knew would be His afterwards; and now He sits in the place of honor by the throne of God.

--Hebrews 11:29-12:2 (TLB)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for giving us so many examples of how faith is rewarded.  It is by our faith that we are saved – sometimes in this life but definitely in the next when we will be spared eternal punishment and instead will be with You forever in paradise.  Thank You, gracious God, for giving us the faith to believe, the faith to keep striving in this life.  Forgive us, please Father, when we fail to exercise our faith.  Forgive us when we hesitate to share our faith with others who may be in dire need of understanding what faith can do for them.  Please help us reach out to those in need of being saved.  Remind us that we are all fallen and in need of a Savior.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who carry out his evil works.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Show us how our faith builds and strengthens our trust.  Encourage us as we place all our trust in You.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Sadly, we also don’t know the author of this little poem about trust, but it goes like this:

Trust Him when dark doubts assail thee,

Trust Him when thy strength is small,

Trust Him when to simply trust Him

Seems the hardest thing of all.

Trust Him, He is ever faithful,

Trust Him, for His will is best,

Trust Him, for the heart of Jesus

Is the only place of rest.

That speaks volumes, doesn’t it?  When we start having doubts, when our strength fails us, when doing so seems like the hardest thing we could do… that is the time to put all our trust in Jesus.  He is ever faithful, always doing what He says He will do.  And He truly is our only place of rest, especially in this world filled with turmoil and unrest.

Trust fully in Jesus.  We won’t be disappointed or abandoned.

Our passage spoke a lot about faith, but just what is faith, from a Biblical viewpoint?  Our author explained this a little earlier in this letter, as he opened the chapter that I began reading from.  In chapter 11 and verse 1 of this Letter to the Hebrews, our author writes…

11 What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.

--Hebrews 11:1 (TLB)

The certainty that what we hope for, what we long for, is there up ahead, even though we can’t see it.  A slightly different version calls faith the evidence of things unseen.  I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “blind faith” somewhere along the line.  Faith is blind.  We can’t see tomorrow, but we are certain – absolutely certain – Jesus will return some bright tomorrow and call His church home.

This is faith.  And through faith we gain so much.  Faith allows us to trust in the one in Whom we have faith, Who gives us faith.  And faith gives us strength when things seem hopeless.

Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth in the 1st chapter of his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, verses 8 through 10…

8 I think you ought to know, dear brothers, about the hard time we went through in Asia. We were really crushed and overwhelmed, and feared we would never live through it. 9 We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for He can even raise the dead. 10 And He did help us and saved us from a terrible death; yes, and we expect Him to do it again and again.

--2 Corinthians 1:8-10 (TLB)

Paul and his companions thought their time was up, that they were doomed and about to die.  So through their faith, they put everything in God’s hands.  They put all their trust in God and He saved them.  God saved them in this life, and we know He spared them everlasting punishment in the next.

If we trust in God, trust in Jesus, our faith will be rewarded.  Wise King Solomon understood this, for in Proverbs chapter 3, verses 4 through 6, he tells us…

4-5 If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. 6 In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.

--Proverbs 3:4-6 (TLB)

In this day and age, I think we might only find favor with godly, righteous men when we put all our trust in the Lord.  The world thinks we’re crazy for believing in God and Jesus, or even in heaven and hell.  They only put faith in themselves and other people, in things they can see, things that can be proved.  We know their faith is misplaced.  We see them being led down the wrong path.  When we put all out trust in God and put Him first, He will lead us in the way we should go, and reward us for our faith.

Our faith is a gift from God.  It’s up to us whether to take advantage of that gift or not.  If we use our faith, exercise it by doing what God would have us do, we will see how easy it really is to put all our trust in the Lord, and we will be rewarded for our efforts.  We will be rewarded for our faith.  Our reward may or may not come in this life, but definitely in the next.

I like to think we receive rewards in this life, too, for I and I believe many of you have been in a situation like Paul and his traveling companions, when all seemed lost and death loomed near.  And then God reached out and snatched us from the very jaws of doom and saved us.

God is good.  Jesus saves.  Have faith, and trust in the Lord.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our blessed redeemer.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for giving us the faith to believe even in what we cannot see.  Our faith allows us to put all our trust in You, for You are ever faithful.  Thank You, Father, for so wonderful and precious a gift.  Father, too often we let our faith grow weak or even go dormant.  Sometimes we fail to act on our faith, exercising it, using it, sharing it with others.  Sometimes we just feel hopeless, yet we still do not give everything over to You.  Forgive us, Father, when our trust waivers.  Forgive us when we begin to fear the unknown instead of trusting You to get us through anything.  Please, loving Father, help us be as courageous and trusting as Paul in our journey through this life.  Keep reminding us that we are in Your hands, and that our future is secure.  And Father, please help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You are ever faithful.  Everything You ever said would happen did, so we can put all our trust and faith in You and Your word.  You are the Son of God; You are God.  In You we glory.  Please, Lord, continue to guide us in the path we must walk.  Please help us remember and understand the examples You gave us by how You lived Your own life.  Forgive us when stray off that straight and narrow path.  Remind us that our only way to the Father is through You, through our belief in You and our acceptance of You as our Lord.  And Jesus, please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.