Today, I am going to begin the conclusion of our sermon series. This will be a 2-part conclusion, based on Hebrews 12:1-3, which provides a fitting conclusion to the stories of triumphant faith found in Hebrews 11. Never forget that these men and women found approval from God through their faith. They were not perfect people, and I don’t think that they would want us to consider them “heroes of the faith,” because they were real people with real faith in real history. They would all make one thing very clear: God is the only hero! Our lives have the power to point to His story when we live by faith, trusting God to be the author and finisher of all stories. Hebrews 12:1-3 is the rightful conclusion to Hebrews 11 [the chapter break is an unfortunate interruption] by teaching us to look to the One who did live a perfect life, showing us the way to live a life that witnesses to the transformative power of faith. Jesus is the only One worthy to be consider a Hero of the Story. I invite you to open your pew Bible to page 1088, or your own Bible to Hebrews 12:1-3; listen now to the Word of God:

• Abel and Enoch taught us how faith pleases God (4-6).
• Noah taught us how faith gives substance to your life (7).
• Abraham taught us how faith trusts God’s promises (8-10).
• Sarah taught us how faith bears fruit (11-12).
• Abraham taught us how can pass the test of faith (17-19).
• Isaac taught us how faith blesses the next generation (20).
• Jacob taught us how faith gives us a limp (21).
• Joseph taught us how faith lifts us out of the pits (22).
• Moses taught us how faith makes us humble (23-29).
• Joshua taught us how faith toots God’s horn (30).
• Rahab taught us how faith saves the day (31).
• Gideon taught us how faith takes God at His Word (32-40).
• Barak taught us how faith invites partnership (32-40).
• Samson taught us how faith invites us to be weak (32-40).
• Jephthah taught us how faith overcomes obstacles (32-40).
• David taught us the faith of a person after God’s own heart (32-40).
• Samuel taught us how faith listens and obeys (32-40).
• The prophets taught us how faith calls people home (32-40).
• In verses 33-40, other members of the inaugural class of the great cloud of witnesses are alluded to, various judges, kings, and prophets of Israel’s history, but specifically Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego, Hezekiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah, Elisha, Uriah, Zechariah, and possibly even foreshadows of John the Baptist and others found in the New Testament.

 

The emphasis of Hebrew 11 is faith. Each of these people had a relationship with God. How they believed not only affected their own lives, but each of their stories sent a ripple effect through history. That’s the power of faith! There is an important pattern found between the transforming stories of faith, found in Hebrews 11, and the exhortation of Hebrews 12:1-3. It is the biblical rhythm of “indicative-imperative,” simply meaning, “IF you believe this about God (the indicative about faith), THEN live this way (the imperative of faith).” This is what it means to believe; there is no false dichotomy between the indicative and the imperative.

 

Hebrews 12 starts with a “therefore” and the common thing you do when you see a “therefore” in Scripture is to ask yourself, “What is it there for?” Don’t devoid God’s commands of their meaning, nor reject the grace being extended to you, by just reading what comes next. Instead, go back and see what the Bible teaches you (the indicative of the imperative). In the Bible, God’s grace (His choosing) always precedes the call of obedience (God’s divine demands upon His children); in other words, “Relationship comes before responsibilities!” If you don’t get this, you can easily become a legalistic Christian (works-based religion), insecure and unstable because your focus is on your own ability to obey the commands of God. If you give yourself to this misapplication of Scripture (imperatives devoid of indicatives, or responsibilities without relationship), then all your effort will miss the mark and you will not know the heart of God. How can any righteous act please God if it is lacking love? Hebrews 11:6 teaches this clearly, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

 

God does not call you to strive for acceptance through your own efforts; rather, He invites you to rest in His relationship with you. It is only by grace that you are even in a relationship with Him, nevertheless, able to live according to His divine responsibilities as a member of His family. Allow me to be clear, grace is not opposed to the effort you put into your relationship, but grace is opposed to merit – you think you can earn anything by your efforts. Hebrews 12:1-3 transitions from the previous chapter’s descriptions of faith to the responsibilities of faith. Hebrews 12 leans heavily on the faith relationship between God and His children. We have been investing these last six months to truly know the heart of God; to know He is good and that we can trust Him in all our circumstances. Who was the God of these people? What does it look like to live by faith; to believe? How does God transform stories through a faith relationship with Him? Can I grow strong in God’s grace and reap a harvest of praise to the glory of God?

 

God calls by grace – you are His by His loving choice! Relationship precedes but does not preclude responsibilities. We see this best illustrated for us in the most ancient of places: the Ten Commandments (the Decalogue). For many, it is whitewashed as moral decrees to be obeyed to be found acceptable in God’s eyes. But I want to illuminate the most important part of the Ten Commandments; it is the word of grace that comes before the responsibilities of relationship. What is the first thing God declares in Exodus 20 before launching into His covenantal expectations? In Exodus 20:2, God says, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” This is a word of grace where God is saying, “I chose you! I rescued you from slavery and death, not because you deserved it, but because I love you! Therefore, as my dearly beloved children, follow these 10 commandments and you will grow strong in grace (our relationship), bearing the good fruit of my grace, living in such a way that proves to the world that you belong to me!” Do you see the indicative-imperative pattern? Never forget that every promise of God comes with a praxis to live.

 

God has established your identity in Him, now live like it! This is the teaching of the fruit-bearing branch abiding in the vine of Jesus Christ, found in John 15:7-11, and 16:

 

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. … You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

 

This is who you are, as the beloved of Jesus taught in 1 John 3:1-3:

 

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

 

Do you remember the first time you were chosen for something? Maybe it was a glance across the classroom, the request for a dance, the acceptance to a college, the selection for promotion at work, or the diamond engagement ring. How did that make you feel?

 

Being chosen changes everything! Grace changes everything! Let us grow strong in God’s grace today so that we may witness to the world the transformative power of faith! How? By extending the same grace to others, just as Jesus commanded a new command in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

 

How do you witness to the transformative power of faith in your everyday life?

 

• When you give generously without thought of getting anything in return.
• When you love for the benefit of the other and not for yourself.
• When you forgive a debt.
• When you invite someone to go for a walk or to sit around the fire together.
• Whenever you break bread with some around table fellowship.
• When you send a card, make a phone call, send a text of encouragement.
• When you make a visit or deliver a meal.

 

I try to teach my children to give good gifts; not to give away something they don’t need or want, but to give their very best. Love doesn’t give spare change; it gives the best of the first fruits. This is the principle behind how we give back to God. All things come from Him and all that we have is His; we are not giving anything to Him, we are returning it to Him because He is the source of abundance! Love doesn’t keep its commitment just when it feels good, because it’s easy, or because it’s reciprocated; love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).

 

The faith stories of God’s people summarized in Hebrews 11 inform our lives and our lifestyles by calling us to live according to Hebrews 12:1-3:

 

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. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

 

Paul echoed this in Philippians 2:1-4:

 

Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. [5-11 then give the example of Jesus in the Christ Hymn]

 

Take the next month and review Hebrew 11, and the lessons from the transforming stories of faith we have learned this last six months. Learn from these men and women of faith how you can be a witness to the transformative power of faith in your life. This is the faith we get to live when we are set free from sin to live with our eyes on Jesus:

 

• a faith, which pleases God.
• a faith, which gives substance to your life.
• a faith, which trusts God’s promises.
• a faith, which bears fruit.
• a faith, which passes the test.
• a faith, which blesses the next generation.
• a faith, which gives us a limp.
• a faith, which lifts us out of the pits.
• a faith, which makes us humble.
• a faith, which toots God’s horn.
• a faith, which saves the day.
• a faith, which takes God at His Word.
• a faith, which invites partnership.
• a faith, which invites us to be weak.
• a faith, which overcomes obstacles.
• a faith, which demonstrates God’s own heart.
• a faith, which listens and obeys.
• a faith, which calls people home.