Abraham / Hebrews 11:8-19 / Genesis 12-24
Introduction: What is Biblical Faith?
Well, it is so good to be with you tonight here at church. We are continuing in our series, “Heroes of the Faith,” in which we look at the lives of some of the Old Testament heroes through the lens of the New Testament book of Hebrews. If you have your Bibles, go ahead and turn over to Hebrews chapter 11. We are going to be looking at Abraham tonight, and we are starting with a reminder of what faith actually is.
Hebrews 11:1-2 (NASB)
Now faith is the assurance of [things] hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.
Faith, then, is to go beyond our five senses and to trust in that which we cannot see—to believe deeply with conviction in that which cannot actually be seen or sensed by us. But it is important to understand that faith is not simply “whatever I want to happen will happen if I just muster up enough willpower and believe hard enough.”
Hebrews 11:3 (NASB)
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
Biblical faith is not faith in ourselves or our own “belief power”; it is faith in a sovereign God who created us and who has called us. He is our very reason for existence. And the people who are commended for their faith—these “men of old”—they are not actually the real heroes. The real hero is Jesus Christ.
You might remember a couple of weeks ago in our overview of Hebrews that the theme of this book is “Jesus is better.” Hebrews reveals that Jesus is the one who truly shows us who God is. The sacrificial systems of the Old Testament pointed to the true Lamb of God, Jesus. He is the real hero. These heroes of the faith from the Old Testament were people just like us. They struggled with temptations, sin, and failures throughout their lives, but ultimately, they were declared righteous because they trusted in God. That can be true of our lives today as well.
A Faith that Matures Over Time
Today, we are going to look at what you might call a faith that matures over time. We will see in the life of Abraham that a maturing faith doesn’t mean we are perfect. It means that even as we stumble—and he certainly stumbled—the overall trajectory of our lives is one of faithfulness, growing trust, and deepening obedience.
There are some things in life that can only get better over time. I know we have many young people in this room, and you have probably heard people say, “When you have a little more experience, you’ll know how to do this.” To be honest, sometimes older people like me love to say that with time and experience, you will naturally become more wise. But that is not completely true. The reality is that you can get a lot older and just be a lot dumber. Experience doesn’t teach wisdom; evaluated experience teaches wisdom. You have to learn not to keep doing the same dumb things over and over again.
The same is true with faith. Being a Christian for decades doesn’t automatically make you a wise Christian. Our maturity depends on how we choose to respond to God and allow the Holy Spirit to do His developmental work in our hearts. Let’s look at four characteristics of a faith that matures over time, starting in the life of Abraham.
1. Trusting God in the Face of Uncertainties
The first characteristic of a maturing faith is trusting God in the face of uncertainties.
Hebrews 11:8 (NASB)
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
When verse eight tells us that Abraham went out “not knowing where he was going,” I think that qualifies as having a little bit of uncertainty! To understand why he left, we have to look back at Genesis 12.
Genesis 12:1-5 (NASB)
Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan.
In Genesis, Abraham’s name was originally Abram. He lived in Mesopotamia, a region where people did not know God. In fact, Joshua 24 indicates that Abraham’s family likely worshiped idols. In the middle of this godless society, Abraham encountered the living God. God called him, and he obeyed.
God gave him incredible promises: land (Canaan), descendants (a great nation), and a great name. God eventually changed his name to Abraham, meaning “father of a multitude.” Most importantly, God promised that through him, all the families of the earth would be blessed—a reference to the Messiah who would come through his line.
But to receive these things, he had to leave everything he knew. He had to leave his father’s house, his city, and his career to step into the unknown. He didn’t have a GPS telling him he was two hours and thirty-five minutes away from his destination. He just stepped out.
How about the uncertainties in your life today? Are there areas where you sense God is calling you to leave something behind? Maybe it’s a habit, a relationship, or a mindset that is hindering your walk with Him. Maybe it’s a bold step to be a pioneer in a new area of ministry. A faith that matures trusts God even when we don’t have it all figured out. It means believing that wherever He leads, He will be with us.
I saw the Summerpalooza highlight video recently, and I spent a good chunk of my summer over at the Fig Garden campus. One night, they taught the kids about Abraham, and they used a simple phrase: “We choose to trust God no matter what.” That is so simple, but so profound. It’s easy to say, but it is really hard to live out.
My family has uncertainties right now. I’m about to take a mission trip to China with my three sons, and we’re trusting God through that. My wife has some uncertainties, and she’s voicing them a little more than I am! Whether it’s family, work, or ministry, we all have areas where we are hesitant. Let’s trust God together and hold each other’s arms up as we move forward.
2. Allowing Hardship to Produce Perseverance
The second characteristic of a maturing faith is that it allows hardship to produce perseverance.
Hebrews 11:9 (NASB)
By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign [land], dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;
Abraham left a comfortable, successful life to live in tents. Now, I like camping, but when the trip is over, I’m ready for a real shower and a mattress. I don’t want to live in a tent permanently. For Abraham, this wasn’t a vacation; it was a dangerous lifestyle. If a band of raiders showed up, he couldn’t call 911. He had to defend himself.
Perhaps the most painful part is that he lived as an “alien” or an “outsider” in the very land God promised him. He was just one step above a slave on the social ladder. He faced these hardships as a direct result of being obedient to God. Sometimes obedience brings difficulty, not immediate comfort.
However, we shouldn’t put Abraham on too high a pedestal. Some of his hardships were self-inflicted. When he went to Egypt, he was afraid Pharaoh would kill him to take his wife, Sarah. So, he lied and said, “She’s just my sister.” It created a mess, and they were eventually kicked out of the country. Later, Sarah talked Abraham into sleeping with her maidservant, Hagar, because they didn’t think God was moving fast enough with the promise of a child. Abraham basically said, “Alright, I’ll take one for the team,” and he chose passivity over faith.
We all have hardships. Some come because we are obedient, some are self-inflicted because of our sin or lack of faith, and some are just “I don’t know why” hardships. What matters most is how we respond. Will we allow these trials to produce a supernatural, Holy Spirit-empowered perseverance?
Romans 5:3-5 (NASB)
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
When we go through trials, our hope becomes real. We stop hoping in the temporary things of this life and start hoping in the eternal things of God. As we depend on the Holy Spirit, He increases our capacity to love God and others. Let’s allow God to do His work in us, even through the hard times.
3. A God-Ward Focus that Intensifies Over Time
The third characteristic of a maturing faith is a God-ward focus that intensifies over time. As Abraham grew older, his focus shifted from the temporary earthly promises to the eternal reality of God’s kingdom.
Hebrews 11:10-16 (NASB)
for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, [as many descendants] AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE. All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that [country] from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better [country], that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.
Abraham was looking for a city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. One commentator noted that while this divine city has many names in Scripture, the most encouraging one is found in Ezekiel: “The Lord is there.”
Abraham began to think, “One day, I will be in the presence of the living God for all eternity.” That perspective changed how he lived. He didn’t just let life happen to him; he passionately sought God. He built altars. He pleaded with God for his nephew, Lot. He was a man after God’s own heart.
We see that Sarah also grew in faith, eventually conceiving Isaac twenty-five years after the promise was first given. But verse thirteen gives us a startling statement: “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises.”
That isn’t meant to be sad; it’s a shout of victory! They saw the fulfillment from a distance. They knew God’s timetable was bigger than their lifespan. If you’ve ever sat at the bedside of a dying loved one who knew Jesus, you know there is a peace and even a joy that surpasses understanding. They die in faith, knowing exactly where they are going.
Does your perspective lean toward the temporary or the eternal? It’s hard because life comes at us fast. But God calls us to look upward.
One commentator put it this way: “It is when we concentrate on things below that we live and die with every little thing that goes wrong… There is no greater cure for discouragement, fatigue, or self-pity than to think of being in the presence of the Lord one day.”
4. Obeying Even When the Test Doesn’t Make Sense
Finally, a maturing faith obeys God even when the tests of life don’t make sense.
Hebrews 11:17-19 (NASB)
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten [son]; [it was he] to whom it was said, ‘IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED.’ He considered that God is able to raise [people] even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.
In Genesis 22, God gives Abraham the ultimate test: “Sacrifice your son, Isaac.” This was the son of the promise! This was the son through whom the whole nation was supposed to come. It seemed unjust and contradictory. But Abraham’s belief in God’s promise was deeper than his fear of the circumstances.
He reasoned that if God promised descendants through Isaac, and God was now asking for Isaac’s life, then God must be planning to raise him from the dead. He had never seen a resurrection, but he trusted God’s character more than his own understanding. At the last moment, God intervened and provided a ram. He saw that Abraham was willing to hold nothing back.
Are you in a test right now that makes no sense? I’m not talking about the consequences of your own mistakes, but a situation where you’re asking, “Why would God allow this?”
In those moments, we are most tempted to go off the rails and do our own thing. But we can look back at our lives and see the times God was there, even when we didn’t feel Him. The same God who brought you through the past is with you right now.
1 Peter 4:12-13 (NASB)
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
Conclusion: The Great Cloud of Witnesses
We often look at Abraham as a giant of the faith, like a straight line pointing up to glory. But if we saw a graph of his life, it would have plenty of pits. He stumbled into passivity, doubt, and temptation. Sometimes he was in a pit because of his own failure.
If you are in a pit tonight, feeling like you’ve failed too much for God to use you, that is a lie from the pit of hell. God’s love and transforming power go deeper than any pit you can find yourself in. He can take you out of that pit and use your journey to make you more like Christ.
Abraham’s story ultimately points us to Jesus. Verse 19 says he received Isaac back as a “type”—a physical reality that teaches a spiritual truth. Just as Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son, God the Father actually gave His only Son to be the sacrifice for our sins. Just as Isaac carried wood up a hill, Jesus carried His cross up the hill of Calvary. But while Isaac was spared, Jesus was not. He took the stroke of justice so that we could receive the grace of forgiveness.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NASB)
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus. Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses like Abraham, let us run our race with endurance. We have a source of strength in the Holy Spirit. We are deeply loved, we are adopted as sons and daughters, and we can become all He has called us to be—even as we stumble along the way.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, as we consider the life of Abraham, we are mindful that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. I pray for everyone here tonight, that we would know that in Christ, there is strength to face every uncertainty, hardship, and test. We thank You that even when we are faithless, You remain faithful. You are powerful and glorious. It’s in the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.