Still Believing (Hebrews 11:13)

Sermon on 16 March 2025 by Pastor Gaius Lee  

Hebrews 11:13 - “All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth.”

Hebrews 11:1-3 - “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.”

Blessed are those who believe but haven’t seen. It is opposite from what we do in the world. Your faith should be based on the promises in the Bible. In Hebrews 11:1, these people have not received before they died, but they were still faithful. Our wisdom is foolish in the eyes of God. The things that we can see are made from what is made by the One who we cannot see. It’s not that God is not here, but our eyes are covered.

Genesis 12:1-4 - “The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.”

Hebrews 11:8 - “It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.”

(Hands) Abraham obeyed without knowing. It is a big challenge to many of us. The more success we have in our life, the harder it is for us to achieve this. The more intellect we have, the less we know about God.

Genesis 12:5-7 - “He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”

Hebrews 11:9-10 - “And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.”

‭‭He looked forward over downward (eyes). Abraham believed God even though the situation that he saw wasn’t reflective of what God promised him. He might not have been in the ideal environment but by faith, he believed God.

Genesis 15:5-6 - “Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.”

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Genesis 17:4-6 - ““This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!”

‭‭At this point, Abraham still didn’t have any sons.

Hebrews 11:11-12 - “It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.”

‭‭(Head) We consider God to be faithful. Even when things don’t seem to be going to plan, God will always bless us. Did Abraham and Sarah see the nations before they died?

Genesis 17:7-8 - ““I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.””

‭God wants to bless us because He wants to have an everlasting close relationship with us.

Hebrews 11:13-16 - “All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”

‭When Abraham died, they continued to trust in God. We should not have backup plans to God’s plans. (Heart) Our heart should always desire to be with God eternally. When the boat was flooded with water, Jesus was always with us but our heart was not with Him. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but we believe that His promises are true.

Amen.