Sermon Audio: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ministrybymail

Faith is being sure about what we hope for, being convinced about things we do not see. For by this faith the ancients were commended in Scripture. By faith we know that the universe was created by God’s word, so that what is seen did not come from visible things.

…And without faith it is impossible to please God. Indeed, it is necessary for the one who approaches God to believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

…By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go to a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance, and he left without knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as a stranger in the Promised Land, as if it did not belong to him, dwelling in tents along with Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith Abraham also received the ability to conceive children, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was past the normal age, because he considered him faithful who made the promise. And so from one man, and he as good as dead, descendants were born as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand along the seashore. One by one, all of these died in faith, without having received the things that were promised, but they saw and welcomed them from a distance. They confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Indeed, people who say things like that make it clear that they are looking for a land of their own. And if they were remembering the land they had come from, they would have had an opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better land—a heavenly one. For that reason, God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he prepared a city for them.

Do you know if you have any famous ancestors in your family line? Not surprisingly, as far back as I know my German ancestors from both sides of my family were mostly pastors and teachers. However, I don’t know of any kings, princes, or famous people from my family line.

I imagine it would be quite an honor to be a descendent of some famous person or great historical figure. A pastor friend of mine once instructed a young lady who was a direct descendant of Babe Ruth. If you are a baseball fan (like my friend is) that’s a pretty big deal! I once knew a young man from South Carolina who told me that he was in some way or another a descendent of Robert E. Lee. When you’re from the south that’s pretty special! He told people about his relation to his famous ancestor with pride.

So, what if I told you this morning that my most famous ancestor was actually Abraham, the great man of faith from the Old Testament that we have read about in our sermon text? Would you think I’m crazy? Just making up a good story? Maybe you’d recommend that I get a subscription to Ancestry.com and do a better job of finding out my family lineage, since, as far back as I know, my heritage is German. What if I told you that all of you here today are also descendants of Abraham? Well, we are! Not necessarily by blood relation—although I suppose that is possible—but more importantly We are Abraham’s Children 1. by faith.

Why does the Bible make so much of Abraham’s faith? Well, just look at the tests of faith that God put Abraham through. Here is a man whose faith we should emulate. Our text reminds us, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go to a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance, and he left without knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he lived as a stranger in the Promised Land, as if it did not belong to him, dwelling in tents along with Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (v. 8-10).

Let’s also not forget the faith of his wife, Sarah! Abraham and Sarah were promised their first son Isaac long after they were of childbearing years. (Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born and Sarah was ninety!). Listen to v. 11-12 from the English Standard Version (ESV), “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.” (v. 11-12 ESV).

Finally, perhaps the most famous test of Abraham’s faith came when his promised son Isaac was a young man. God tested his faith by commanding Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, his only son, through whose line God had already promised the coming Savior, Jesus. The verses just after our text in Hebrews tell us, “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered Isaac. This man, who received the promises, was ready to offer his only son, ¹⁸ about whom it was said, “Through Isaac your offspring will be traced.” ¹⁹ He reasoned that God also had the ability to raise him from the dead, and in a figurative sense, Abraham did receive him back from the dead.” (Hebrews 11:17-19 EHV).

Abraham’s faith is impressive. But why is it so important that we emulate his faith? Why is it so important that we are Abraham’s children by faith??? Because only those who share his faith in the LORD are saved. In the Old Testament book of Genesis we read, “Abram believed in the Lord, and the Lord credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6 EHV). In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul tells us that the faith we share with Abraham is saving faith in our God and Savior, Jesus. “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29 EHV). Paul also tells us in Romans 9 that being physical descendants of Abraham is not what matters, but being his “spiritual descendants” by faith in the promised Savior. As our text also reminds us, “without faith it is impossible to please God” (v. 6).

Another question we might ask is “How did Abraham do it?” How was he able to pass these incredibly difficult tests of faith? How was he able to remain so faithful to Jehovah, despite the impossible, the illogical, and the unthinkable? First of all, Abraham had help from God Himself. Abraham’s great faith was a gift from the LORD, even as our saving faith—no matter how weak or strong—is a gift given to us by God Himself. Secondly, our text tells us the “secret” to Abraham’s incredible faith, and the faith of all the great “heroes of faith” that we read about in the Scriptures, “One by one, all of these died in faith, without having received the things that were promised, but they saw and welcomed them from a distance. They confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴ Indeed, people who say things like that make it clear that they are looking for a land of their own. ¹⁵ And if they were remembering the land they had come from, they would have had an opportunity to return. ¹⁶ Instead, they were longing for a better land—a heavenly one. For that reason, God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he prepared a city for them” (v. 13-16).

Their “secret” was that they were looking forward with eyes of faith toward their heavenly home, and did not make this world and this life their goal. Remember, Abraham was also blessed with incredible earthly wealth. He was one of the richest men of his day. His life is a great illustration of one of my favorite quotes from the Christian author, C. S. Lewis, “Aim for heaven and you’ll get earth ‘thrown in’; aim for earth and you’ll get neither.”

Abraham’s faith in the LORD was put into practice many times and in many admirable ways during his lifetime. But how helpful is his example to our lives? Aren’t the “tests” of his faith a bit extreme and unique? God will probably never come to us and call us to move to a foreign land, like Abraham was. I’m willing to bet that if you are 90 years old like Sarah, you are not going to bear any children, and I can all but guarantee that God will never command any of us to sacrifice our only child as a test of our faithfulness toward Him.

However, like Abraham, God has called us to 2. show our faith by our life. God wants our faith to be shown to be real by the “fruits” it produces. We may never be tested as severely by God as Abraham was, but we are tested. We are confronted daily by temptations from the devil, the godless world around us, and our own sinful flesh. God allows some of these to come our way in order to test and strengthen our faith in Him. He wants us to learn from our “forefather” Abraham, and train our eyes of faith to see things from a heavenly perspective and with hearts fully resting on God’s Words and promises. God wants us to remember this beautiful description of faith from the first few verses of our text, “Faith is being sure about what we hope for, being convinced about things we do not see. ² For by this faith the ancients were commended in Scripture. ³ By faith we know that the universe was created by God’s word, so that what is seen did not come from visible things” (v. 1-3).

When the pressures of work, or of life in general, are getting to you, find rest and peace in the sureness of the heaven we “hope for” (v. 1). When our relationships in this life continue to frustrate us and we can’t see how we are going to ever work things out, trust in God’s “evidence of things not seen” (v. 2 NKJV). When the natural disasters, pandemics, diseases, wars, crimes, political turmoil, unrest and horrors of this sinful world make life seem “out of control,” understand that this world “was created by God’s word” (v. 3) and is still under His control.

Emulate the faith of our “famous spiritual ancestor,” Abraham, and fix your eyes on God’s heavenly promises, our true homeland. May it be said of all of us at the end of our lives, “One by one, all of these died in faith, without having received the things that were promised, but they saw and welcomed them from a distance. They confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴ Indeed, people who say things like that make it clear that they are looking for a land of their own. … they were longing for a better land—a heavenly one. For that reason, God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he prepared a city for them” (v. 13-14, 16).

God has prepared that city, the heavenly Jerusalem, for us—for you and for me! That is the home of our “spiritual ancestor,” Abraham. It is our true home as well! Why is it our true home? Because Jesus our Lord, by bearing our sins on the cross, made it our home. Jesus has forgiven your sin and made the heavenly Jerusalem not just Abraham’s home but yours. Amen.

—Pastor Luke Bernthal

St. Stephen Lutheran Church
Mt. View and Hayward, CA

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