FAITH OF AN OVERCOMER
Hebrew 11:30-40
INTRODUCTION:
Good morning everyone! It’s great to be with you this today.
TRANSITION:
If you have your Bible, please pull it out with me. Today we’re going to wrap up our study of Hebrews 11.
The bulk of this series has been spent examining some of the great heroes of our faith (as listen in this chapter). During this series, we’ve taken time to define the kind of life God has called us all to live. And to be clear — it’s an extraordinary life, not an ordinary one. Nothing average here. Rather, the life we’ve been called to is a victorious one. An OVERCOMING life!
As we’ve studied this chapter, we’ve examined some pretty amazing stories. Series of people who lived wildly impressive lives. But it’s possible that studying their stories may have left you feeling a bit small and insignificant in comparison. After all, their stories were amazing. The things they accomplished are nearly inconceivable. Their lives sound more like characters out a Stan Lee comic or Marvel movie than they do the real life events in our lives.
And in comparison to their lives, our lives can seem small and inconsequential. But here’s the thing, their stories weren’t intended to overwhelm you, but rather to inspire you. Because, THEIR stories AREN’T REALLY ABOUT THEM! Their stories are really about the greatness of God, and the amazing things HE did through them!
So this morning, I want to encourage you — and help you discover how to LIVE AS OVERCOMERS!
MESSAGE:
Before we look at Hebrew 11, I want to look at something the apostle Paul said in Romans 8. In verse 35, he defines the relationship we have with Christ. And here Paul says:
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39 (NIV)
Did you catch how Paul described the lives of those who serve Jesus? He said,“we are more than conquerors” — that phrase in Greek literally translates as “OVERCOMERS”.
Paul says, “we are overcomers” in this world.Well, if we are to live as OVERCOMES — then how do we it? Well, look with me at Hebrews 11 and let’s see how the writer describes the path to living that kind of life.
Follow along with me as I read. Beginning in verse 30, we’re told:
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. 31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. 32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 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. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Hebrews 11:30-40 (NIV)
Wow, what a passage. The writer defines the victorious, or OVERCOMING LIFE, as one defined by faith. A life that firmly believes what God has said, and expects God to keep His Word.
If we want to be victorious and live as an OVERCOMER, then we have to :
1. WE MUST LIVE IN FAITH!
What I mean by that — is that more than a trust in yourself, or a trust in your wealth, or a trust in your political party, your life must be defined by your FAITH IN GOD. And that faith must be ACTIVE.
Often we equate faith with a mental assent to the facts. Faith, however, is synonymous with action: apart from action, there is no faith. Faith is a conviction expressed in a choice. It starts with belief, but if this “belief” does not lead to obedience, it is not yet faith. Your “belief” does not become true faith until you act upon it in obedience. Faith is belief in action.
In verse 30, we read:
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
This story is told in Joshua chapter 6. And it’s an amazing one.
It’s really crazy though. Because, the way the army of Israel faced and defeated the fortified pagan city of Jerhico, was to march around like a marching band, to blow their horns, and shout.
It was like a half-time show at a high school football game. And as crazy as it sounds to you and me — it must have also seemed ridiculous to the nation of Israel. And yet, God had spoken. He had directed. And their faith wasn’t in their horns or shouts — their faith was in God to keep His Word.
Because, FAITH is only as strong as the one in whom it’s placed.
— That’s why faith in a person will disappoint.
— And faith in the economy will always leave you with anxiety and stress.
— And faith in politics or government will leave you wanting.
But, faith in God is the greatest faith you will ever know. Because God will never let you down. He will never disappoint. He will never break His Word and forget His promises.
So what He says — He will do. And when He commanded the Israelites to march around the city of Jericho, and He promised to make them victorious in battle.
I think it’s worth noting that God had really good things planned for His people long ago. He had taken them out of bondage and had prepared a good place for them. Canaan was literally the land of promise. It was filled with good things. Fresh Water. The bounty of fruit and fertile grounds. Cattle and pastures and so much more. But before the people could take hold of it, they first had to overcome the WALLS that stood before them. So, when God spoke — and they believed…the next step was to OBEY!
This is what it looks like to LIVE IN FAITH! It’s believing, and obeying!
For the people if Israel, THEY BELIEVED! They trusted God. And they obeyed. The lived out their faith in that moment by doing just as God had said. And God made them OVERCOMERS! And just as God wanted the walls in their lives to fall — He wants the same for you. He wants your wall to come down too. But, it will require faith—just like it did for the Israelites.
Many times the obstacles we face stand before us like Jericho—fortified walls that seem impossible to conquer. However, when we LIVE IN FAITH — when we trust and obey God, He will give us victory as well.
The question for you today is: Are you acting on your faith in God and His Word?
I challenge you today to LIVE IN FAITH! Trust in God, believe His Word, and walk in obedience. Because the more confident we are of the promises in God’s Word, the more we’re inspired to obey Him.
— We must live in faith!
The second thing this passage teaches us about living as overcomes is this:
2. WE MUST BE DEFINED BY Faith.
This passage tells us about another hero who lived by faith — and her name was Rahab. In verse 31 we read:
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
Hebrews 11:31
It’s kind of fascinating that Rahab is held here as a woman of faith. She was a Gentile. She is the second of only two women in the chapter, the first was Sarah. There’s quite a contrast between the two. Sarah was the wife of Abraham — that great patriarch. But Rahab was a prostitute and ran a brothel.
We have this tendency amongst ourselves of grading on a curve when it comes to our own feelings of religious worth or shame. We tend to try to calculate our spirituality by looking to the left and the right rather than up. We say, “At least I’m not like that guy over there. Look at him! He’s a lot more messed up than I am.”
But one of the bright glories of the gospel is that grace makes ruin of all of our efforts to grade on a curve. Grace laughs at our tendency to justify our sinfulness, and forces us to turn to God in faith.
Faith is the means by which we are saved. Its the pathway to cross of Jesus. It’s how we embrace the gift of salvation and forgiveness. It’s the way we are justified (being made JUST AS IF we have never sinned). And one day it will be the way we are glorified (and enter into the wonder of eternal life in Christ).
Through faith, we are entrusted with the light of life — and the wonder of Salvation.
You’ve probably heard the story and wondered if it really happened. It really did. Ken Sande writes in his book entitled, Peacemaker, that when Thomas Edison and his staff were developing the incandescent light bulb it took literally hundreds of hours to manufacture a single bulb. One day, after finishing a bulb, Edison handed it to a young errand boy and asked him to take it upstairs to the testing room. As the young man turned and started up a flight of stairs, he stumbled and fell, and the bulb shattered on the steps. Edison reassured him that it would be alright and turned to his stunned co-workers and simply ordered that they begin again. It was completed several days later and to the surprise of his staff, Edison took the bulb, walked over to that same errand boy and said, “Please take this upstairs to the testing room.” And this time, without incident, he did. — Ken Sande, The Peacemaker (Baker Books, 1997)
I love that story. But the surprising part of the story, at least to me, isn’t so much that Edison trusted that errand boy the second time – it’s that he trusted him the first time.
I mean, what are you doing giving the light bulb to an errand boy in the first place?! I would have expected Edison to carry that precious light bulb up the stairs himself, right?
Isn’t it wonderful to consider the fact that God uses errand boys – He uses ordinary people to carry His light; He uses run-of-the-mill people to demonstrate His power through their unspectacular, common-place, speckled with failure . . . lives.
For Rahab, she had heard about the God of the Israelites — and she believed. So much so, that she chose to act in faith and courageously hide their spies when they came to town.
She had faith to trust that God was ultimately in control of her world. And so, she believed in Him.
She trusted that if she reached out to Him for help — that He would save her. And He did. He saved her from the dangers around her, but more importantly…from the sin within her heart and life.
Someone once described her story by saying, “God took Rahab from the house of shame — to the hall of fame.” And that’s so true!
It’s amazing to see how God would include someone like her in this list of OVERCOMERS. But, know this — your past doesn’t have to determine your future.
But it’s not just the story of Rahab — it is also my story, and probably your story. And if it’s not — it can be. Because, God redeems the lives of the worst of us by the work of FAITH in our lives.
God can take anyone willing to trust in Him and bring them into His family.
God placed this story in this chapter to remind us of His power to redeem our brokenness, our sin, and shame. But like everything else in He offers, we only receive it though faith.
The big question for you is HAS YOUR LIFE BEEN DEFINED BY FAITH? If not, what’s holding you back?
Overcomers are those who been adopted by faith! Grafted into God’s family. Have you?
— We must live in faith!
— We must be defined by faith!
Well, the third thing this passage teaches us about being overcomers, is that:
3. WE MUST DEPEND UPON FAITH.
Faith turns our weaknesses into strength (34-35)
Look at the end of verse 34 into verse 35. Here were told that those early overcomes were those:
“…whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.
What we learn through these men and women of faith, is that they didn’t triumph on their own. THE ROOT that produced THE FRUIT of victory within their lives — was THEIR FAITH.
Again, it was a relentless faith IN the greatest of GOD!
Here’s a key principle of faith: faith is willingness to obey God, even when it seems hopeless.
As verse 34 tells us, it was through their faith that made the difference. Not their intelligence or giftedness. Not by human strength or wisdom. Not by great wealth or resources. Not by extraordinary political scheming or power. No, BY FAITH!
In fact, many times God uses people like you and me in His good work in order to bring Him even greater glory,
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, that God uses the “…weak things…the base things…and those things which are despised…to shame the strong things in this world.” And…“As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.” And let’s be clear, God delights in using the small and insignificant things to do His work. All we need to be is faithful. To live for Him and trust in Him. And as we do, we will gain the victory.
Your weakness doesn’t hinder God’s performance through your life.
Often our problem is not that we are too weak, but that we think that we are strong in ourselves. So God’s plan for victory always leads us to humility so we can point to Him and His great power at work in us.
As Oswald Sanders once said, it doesn’t take much of a man to be a man of God; but it does take all of him. So give God your all and trust Him with your all, for He is your all.
So God’s means for victory always involves faith, because faith acknowledges our inability and God’s total ability.
John tells us in 1 John 5:4,
“Everyone who is a child of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world—our faith.”
So, through faith — we will gain victory over the world’s pressures.
Through faith — we will gain victory over the world’s persecutions
And, through faith — we will gain victory over the world’s temptations.
Understand, your faith in God will lead your to experience the production of good fruit in your life. So, live for Him, trust in Him, and walk with Him…and be an OVERCOMER!
Overcomers always produce good fruit by faith! Are you?
Again, if we are going to live as overcomes, then:
— We must live IN faith!
— WE must be defined BY faith!
— We must depend UPON faith!
In the end…
4. YOU WILL BE COMMENDED FOR YOUR Faith.
As a follower of Jesus, you’ve been given a great promise, that one day…when this life is over — a new season of life will begin. One where you will live forever in the presence and glory of Jesus. And when that day comes, you will be COMMENDED FOR YOUR FAITH!
It’s a divine promise that you can count on. Write it down. It will happen.
As we come to the end of this chapter, the writer tells us in verse 39-40,
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Hebrews 11:39–40
The life of faith requires a confidence in a God you can’t see and promises that you can’t always feel. And…the primary reason for this chapter was written, and this long list of heroes was given, was to encourage you that there’s more to this life than living and dying. More than simply overcoming the challenges of this world.
For those who are mentioned in this chapter — they were looking forward to a day when God’s promise of a savior would be given. They believed that day would come. They expected that day to come. And they longed for that day to arrive. But in the end, their days ended before Christ arose.
But understand — Jesus did come. The promise was kept — and God did as He had promised. He entered time and space, put on human form and flesh, and He lived among us.
What they only say in a shadow — we see in completion. While they could only look forward — we are able to look back and celebrate.
Here’s my point. GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES! He said He would come — they believed, they trusted, and waited, and eventually died. But in time, HE CAME.
So, what about those who waited but didn’t see? We’re they foolish to believe? We’re they wrong to trust? Not at all! And in the end, we’re told…the were all commended for their faith!
Hear me today — you can never go wrong trusting God’s Word. Trusting in His promises. For if you will live your life, sold out and fully surrendered to Jesus, in the end — you will be commended for your faith!
In essence, faith in God reorients our present — in light of the future, and the promises He’s made about our future.
A great preacher from long ago (named Matthew Henry)once described faith in this way. He said,
“Faith has a clear and strong eye and it sees promised mercy at a distance.”
He went on to say, “Faith has a long arm and it can lay hold of blessings at a great distance.”
Folks, that’s the life of faith. It’s one that trusts in the promises of God — even when they seem far away.
Yet, when you lived with a confidence in God, you will never be put to shame. To the contrary, you will be commended for your faith! So, live as an OVERCOMER, and keep trusting in God.
In Cairo there is a small, dusty grave in an out of way location. I’ve never seen it, but I heard that you’d never in a millions years know it was there—it’s all overgrown with grass. In it lies the body of William Borden, the heir of the Borden milk company. He gradated from Yale in 1909 and had a life of luxury and power laid out for him. Borden is still a big company, but then it was one of America’s biggest. He had become a Christian as a teenager, and told his parents that he was giving his life to bring the gospel to Muslims. Refusing even to buy himself a car, Borden gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars to missions.
After only four months of zealous ministry in Egypt, he contracted spinal meningitis and died at the age of twenty-five, on a ship en route for medical help.
Someone asked him right before he died what he thought about his decisions, and he said simply, “No regrets.”
On his tombstone in Cairo is a brief description of his sacrifices for the kingdom of God and for Muslim people, followed by the simple phrase, “Apart from faith in Christ, there is no explanation for such a life.”
Verse 39 tells us that all those listed in this chapter (and those that didn’t make it, but still lived their lives fully committed to trusting in God),”…were all commended for their faith,”.
That word “commended” is sometimes translated as “approved.” Meaning, these people had God’s approval on the way they lived their lives. Which begs the question — WHAT ABOUT YOU? Do you have God’s approval?
If you want to live like an overcomer, then:
— We must live IN faith!
— WE must be defined BY faith!
— We must depend UPON faith!
— And if we will, then one day — when this life is over, God will COMMEND US FOR OUR FAITH. And we will live with Him forever!
I can’t wait for that day!
CONCLUSION:
But know this, the life of faith is not for the timid, not for the faint of heart. It’s not for those who want an easy life. But for those of you who want a great life — who want to accomplish great things for God and want to see him do great things — the life of faith is for you!
Faith is running the race, even when it looks like we’re losing – and we’re not! It all depends on where you stop the story.
Don’t stop now . . . don’t stop now . . . it doesn’t end here. It ends when, among other things, our racing is exchanged with our reigning – reigning with our coming, conquering King.
The story is not over until God writes the final word!
We mustn’t get caught up in living for the present, but for eternity.
We are called to be more than overcomers.
Maybe to you are wanting to start your journey of being an overcomer?
Maybe you have been thriving in your season but you need to recommit to allowing God to stay out front?
CLOSING PRAYER:
If you’d like to SURRENDER your life to Christ, invite Him to live in you…and begin your journey as an overcomer…then, would you pray with me today? Maybe you’d pray something like this:
HeavenlyFather, I admit that I am a sinner and I’ve made many mistakes in my life. Too often, I’ve chosen my way over yours. But all that changes today. Because, I believe in Your Son, Jesus. I believe that He came from Heaven to earth to pay for my sin. I believe He died on the cross, shed His blood, was put in a grave — and rose again. So, today — I put my faith in Him. Forgive me of my sin. Save me and give me new life in you forever. Come and live in me…and help me IDENTIFY with you. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer — I’m so proud of you. Before you leave today, let someone know! We want to celebrate with you.
And now…for the rest of us…let me pray for you:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your immeasurable love for us. As we journey through this life — would you give us courage to walk with you…to always trust in your promises…and to live up to the GRAND CALLING we’ve been given in you. Help us live forYOU. Fill us with Your Spirit, and let our lives reflect a genuine faith and trust in You. May we always live like IVERCOMERS in this world — and may you always receive the GLORY we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
Hey church family, I love you much — and hope you have a great week! God bless you! I’ll see you again soon!