Please open your Bible to Hebrews chapter 11 again. We're going to be looking at this part of God's Word this morning for our message. And the topic or the theme of the message is, show me your faith. 

After I stopped preaching regularly on Sunday morning, from time to time, John would ask me to replace him as he did this week. At that time, I thought I'm going to start in the book of Hebrews. This is the 11th time since John became the pastor that I've spoken on Sunday morning, and it's been from the book of Hebrews. Previously, in another church where I was a pastor, I preached on every one of the names mentioned in Hebrews 11. So it was many weeks in Hebrews 11. But today, we're going to take an overview of this chapter and look at our faith as we study together. 

Let me read the scripture again, the first seven verses. Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it, the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. 

By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts. And through it, he being dead, yet still speaks. By faith, Enoch was taken away, so that he did not see death and was not found, because God had taken him. For before he was taken, he had this testimony that he pleased God. But without faith, it's impossible to please him. For he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he's a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. By faith, Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness, which is according to faith. 

Let's bow and have a prayer together. Our Father, thank you again for your truth, your word, for the privilege of having this book to look at again today. Thanks, Father, for your grace and your mercy, for your new covenant promises to us. Now we pray that through these minutes of looking into Hebrews chapter 11, the word will come into our mind and heart in a way that's just encouraging and convincing. Thank you, Father. We love you. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 

What is saving faith? Do you have saving faith in your heart right now? In the very first verse of Hebrews chapter 11, God answers that question for us. He said, this is faith. Faith is substance, and faith is evidence. And when I look at that and study that scripture, it's encouraging to me, because I know that the substance of my faith is Jesus Christ. The substance of my own faith is God's Son, Jesus the Savior. I know that the evidence of my faith is the gospel of Christ. Christ died for my sins according to the scriptures. He was buried. He rose again on the third day. So the gospel message is the evidence of my faith. 

What's the substance and evidence of your faith? That's the challenge that we begin with this morning as we look at Hebrews chapter 11. This awesome chapter given to us by the Holy Spirit is God's answer to the challenge of the Apostle James. In James chapter 2, James says, I want you to show me your faith. The essence of what he's saying is, I want you to show me that your faith is different than the faith of the demons. He said, even the demons have faith. What's different between your faith and the faith of the demons? 

So today, we're looking into the mirror of God's word to see the difference between our own faith and the faith of the devils. Biblical God-pleasing faith is not an ecstatic, jubilant feeling of happiness. True faith, the kind that pleases God and for which God gives man a good testimony, is a heart response to his saving word. It's not a feeling. It's a heart choice that we make in our mind, soul, and heart concerning the word of God. 

As I've looked at Hebrews chapter 11 and planned a message for this morning, I've noticed four revealing insights about the kind of faith that pleases God. First of all, the faith that pleases God believes God's word. Faith believes God's word. We just read that in the first six verses of chapter 11. We read about three examples that God gives us about God-pleasing faith, the kind of faith that results in eternal salvation and daily triumph. 

First, he reminds us of creation. God-pleasing faith believes in a literal creation as described in the Bible. Genesis chapter 1, the first statement of God's word, says this: God created the heavens and the earth. Just ponder this right now. Why do Bible believers, followers of Jesus, believe in the literal account of creation instead of the prevailing teaching of evolution? Where can you find an institution of education today, whether it's high school, college, or university, that believes in creation? They teach and stand on the proposition that this all happened as a result of time and chance. 

Well, why do you believe in literal six days of creation, 24-hour days of creation? You believe it because God's word begins with that statement. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Jesus said on one occasion, he said to the people following him, if you don't believe the words of Moses—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy—if you don't believe the words of Moses, how can you believe my words? 

That's a rhetorical question, but the answer is very clear. If someone's not willing to believe Genesis 1, verse 1, the story of creation, a literal creation by God, spoken into existence by his word, then neither can that man believe the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. So God-pleasing faith, the difference between our faith and the faith of the devils, is that we literally believe in the story of creation. 

The second example he gives us in the first seven verses is the worship of Abel, the son of Adam and Eve. Cain, remember, came with a basket of fruit, the work of man's hands. Abel came with a sacrifice of a lamb and the fat thereof. He came with a sacrifice of an innocent animal, and that pleased God. That was God-pleasing faith. 

Did you ever ask yourself the question, why did one son come with a basket of fruit, and why did Abel come with a sacrifice of a lamb? Genesis 3 tells us the story, because God had demonstrated that the only way to be saved in his sight is to bring an animal, to slaughter an animal. When Adam and Eve sinned, they tried to cover themselves with coats that they made out of fig leaves. God said, that won't do it. God slaughtered an animal. He shed the blood of an innocent animal and made clothing for Adam and Eve. Abel believed that revelation. He believed that God insisted that we come with this innocent sacrifice to worship him. 

Creation, Abel's worship, and in these first few verses, it talks about a man named Enoch who walked with God for 300 years. He chose to walk with God in a culture so evil and so corrupt that God was compelled to pour out his wrath with the flood. I'd like for you to turn back, please, in your Bible to Genesis chapter 6. I'd like you to see this with your own eyes. Notice the culture in which Enoch walked with God. It's Genesis chapter 6, please. I'd like for us to look at verse 5. This is the kind of world that Enoch lived in, and he chose to walk with God. 

Genesis chapter 6, verse 5. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth. He was grieved in his heart. So the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping things, and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I've made them. 

That was the kind of world in which Enoch was living. If you turn to 2 Timothy chapter 3, notice a comparison to our world. 2 Timothy chapter 3. We're talking about the kind of culture, the kind of society, or the world that a man named Enoch chose to walk with God in. 

2 Timothy chapter 3: But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. From such, turn away. 

The time when Enoch lived was very much like the culture and the world in which we are living today. This one man on planet Earth made a choice to walk with the Lord. God's word dominated Enoch's life and his walk, and that's the example of God-pleasing faith. The question is for you and me today, do I choose to walk with God in this kind of a culture? Is that the ambition of my heart to live and to walk with God in obedience every day by faith, even in a world where this is not popular? 

So first of all, God-pleasing faith—the faith that differs from the devil's faith—is that we believe the written word of God, and we believe the living word of God, Jesus Christ. We believe in creation. We believe in the only kind of sacrifice that can save a lost sinner. We believe enough to choose daily to walk with God. God-pleasing faith, and I'm having us look at this in the mirror today, comparing our faith as the book of James tells us to do with the devil's. 

What's the difference between my faith and the faith of the demons? I believe God's written word. I want to give this personal testimony concerning my faith in the Bible. Years ago, when I began in the ministry, I was struggling over this issue: how do I know this book is God's word? I was raised in a family that believed that. I attended churches where the pastors taught that truth, but I was struggling. I had a list of things, of doubts and questions. 

One day, I thought of what God said to Elijah. He said, how long are you going to halt, limp along between two opinions? I asked myself that question. How long will I just limp along as a pastor between two opinions, between my doubts and the scriptures? I sat at my desk and took a piece of scratch paper. On the left-hand side, I wrote numerous things that were doubts and questions in my mind. Then on the right side of the paper, I wrote down the word of God, the Bible, and Jesus, the Son of God. I deliberately made a choice. I took out a red pencil and wrote on the right-hand side, I choose to believe this. 

God-pleasing faith believes God's word. It's not a feeling. It's not just optimism or positive thinking. It's a heart, mental choice based upon scriptures. 

The second thing about God-pleasing faith, in Hebrews 11, I'm going to have you follow in your Bible as we begin at verse 7, down through verse 22. The second thing about God-pleasing faith that differs from Satan's kind of faith is that God-pleasing faith obeys God's word. 

Look at verse 7. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness, which is according to faith. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he should receive as an inheritance. He went out not knowing where he was going. By faith, he dwelt in the land of promise, as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. 

For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith, Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Verse 12: Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude, innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. 

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 

Truly, if they'd called to mind that country from which they had come, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 

By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, in Isaac your seed shall be called, concluding that God was able to raise him even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith, Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel and gave instructions concerning his bones. 

All of these people mentioned here are examples of what true saving faith is. True saving faith is obedient to God's word. It's just as though we held a coin, a special coin in our hand, and on one side that coin says, faith, I believe the word. On the other side of that coin, it says, faith, I obey God's word. That's the coin that you would present to God concerning your own testimony. God-pleasing faith obeys the word of God. 

How can we understand the obedience of Noah for 120 years? Noah lived in a world and a culture very similar to the one we're living in. Let's go back in our Bibles, please, to Genesis chapter 6 and take a little time to look at the record of Noah. 

Genesis chapter 6, please. Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful, and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. The Lord said, My spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh, yet his days shall be 120 years. This is God speaking to that man. 

There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came into the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart. The Lord said, I will destroy man whom I've created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping things, and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I've made them. 

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. God went on to tell Noah that his assignment for life was to build a huge barge, a massive ship, in which all of the animals would come that God would bring, and Noah and his family would be there, and they would survive through this time of God's judgment. 

Most people still don't believe that literal event, but if you believe the Bible, you believe that actually happened. How can you understand that Noah was willing to give up whatever his career was, his vocation, and was willing to begin this project on that massive ark? That's obedience. That kind of obedience, which caused Noah to spend the rest of his lifetime building the ark, is the evidence of God's saving faith. That's different than the faith of the devils. James tells us that the devils believe about God and about Jesus Christ and many of the doctrines of the Bible, and they even tremble because of what they believe. But they're not saved. The devils don't have a heart of obedience to God. 

Let me ask you another question. We read about Abraham. We read that Abraham was told to go into a land that God was going to give to him, and God would make him into a great nation. God would save the world through the seed, Jesus, the Son of God, the seed of Abraham. Abraham departed; he went out to the land that God was going to give to him. How do you understand that? That's obedience. Obedience to the Word. 

But especially concerning Abraham, how can we understand when God came to him years later and said, Abraham, I want you to take that son now that I promised you, that seed through whom I'm going to send blessing to the world, Isaac, your son, and take him and offer him as a sacrifice to me on a mountain that I'm going to show you? I'm always amazed at his response. Abraham rose early in the morning to obey God. That's faith. That's biblical, God-pleasing faith. 

Why do you and I today have a desire in our heart to be obedient to God? I want to show you a New Testament answer. Would you turn to Philippians in your Bible, to chapter one, please. Why is it that you and I have a passion in our heart to live our life daily in obedience to the Lord? Here's an answer. 

Philippians chapter one, verse 21. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. From hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. 

Why did Paul have that intense desire to live in obedience to Jesus during his entire lifetime? Because of his faith. He had God-pleasing faith. If we have God-pleasing faith, we're not 100% perfect in our obedience. But our passion, our desire of our heart, at all times, is to obey God, to obey His Word. 

So God-pleasing faith believes the Word of God. We believe the Bible at face value. God-pleasing faith obeys the Word of God. We have a passion in our heart to obey the Word of God. And God-pleasing faith is willing to suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ. 

I'd like for you to turn now to Hebrews again, to chapter 11. We'll look at verse 23, beginning at verse 23. We see this precept: God-pleasing faith has a desire, a willingness to suffer with Christ. 

Verse 23 of Hebrews 11: By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents because they saw he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. By faith, Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he looked to the reward. 

By faith, he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who was invisible. By faith, he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he should be destroyed. He who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith, they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians attempted to do so and were drowned. 

The significant precept I see in that part of the scripture, as I overview Hebrews chapter 11 for my own life and then for the message today, is that the person who really believes Jesus Christ with saving faith is willing to suffer with Christ. 

Now remember that Jesus predicted that we will suffer. He said, the world hates me; the world's going to hate you. He said, you're going to experience suffering during your life here on this planet Earth. When He sent them out, I don't know if you're aware of it, but when He sent His disciples out just before His ascension to heaven, He said, you are going to be my witnesses to the end of the world. Do you know that that word witnesses in the original language is the word 'martyrel,' the word from which we get martyrs? Jesus said to His men when He sent them out, I'm sending you into a world where you're going to be, many of you will become martyrs to be my witnesses. You must be willing to suffer. You must be willing to take the cross daily. 

Paul realized that; he said, it's not, when he wrote to the Philippians, it's not only given to you to believe on Jesus, but it's also given to you to suffer for Him. What we read in Hebrews 11 this morning is that Moses could see the invisible Savior. Because he saw the Lord, he made it his heart choice 1,500 years before Jesus was born to choose to suffer for the people of Israel and to save them and to enjoy all of the wealth and the privileges, the riches of Egypt that were at his hand. 

That's what God is saying to you and to me today. Do I have God-pleasing faith? Paul testified that this is our lifetime choice if we're a new covenant believer. We're willing to suffer with Christ. I was looking at Revelation chapter 12, verse 11 this morning, where it talks about the coming great tribulation when the Antichrist will rule on this planet. It said the believers withstood Satan with the blood of Jesus Christ and with the confession of their faith and they loved not their lives; they were willing to give their lives even for the sake of the gospel. 

This is a description; this is how the New Testament presents genuine, honest faith in Jesus Christ. Four things we've seen today: honest faith—believes His word. 

When we open the Bible, we know we're reading God's word. We have a heart desire to obey Him. We realize that we come short sometimes, but that's our desire, that's our lifetime passion, to live as Christ, and I want to obey Him. We realize it's been appointed for Christians to suffer for His sake, and we're willing to do that. 

As I see the culture of our nation and see what's happening, I realize that imminent persecution may be at hand for Christians, but we must be willing for that because we believe Jesus. 

There is one fourth thing I want to emphasize from Hebrews chapter 11 about God-pleasing faith. God-pleasing faith holds fast to the promises of God, and we're going to read that beginning at verse 30 down through the end of the chapter. 

Now watch for this as we read these verses. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith, the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, and also of David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 

Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still, others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned; they were sawn in two; were tempted; were slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth. 

These all, look at this carefully now, these all, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise. God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. 

This amazing, wonderful chapter—this supreme faith chapter—ends with this statement: faith is willing to hold fast and wait for the promises. It tells us about many believers who didn't receive what they saw promised to them in the world, in the word, but they held fast to the promises. 

This long list of Old Testament saints had one thing in common: they waited for God to fulfill His promises. I know some of us today are here, and there are promises that we have not fully experienced in our lives. We love those promises, so we're just willing to wait. We hold fast. I think of Romans 8:28: We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 

All things work together for good. I remember a day when that verse struck me like dynamite. I'd been with my brother for three days in the hospital. Three days previously to that day, he was run into by a drunken driver. My brother Paul, just a young man, 22 years old, very close to me, was struggling for his life. I stood with him for three days and watched as he took his last breath and was absent from the body and present with the Lord. My parents and I left the hospital and went to his home to talk with his wife and his two little children about this. He had stairs going into an upper part of the house, kind of an attic part of the house, and I went up the stairs because he had a desk at the top of the steps. I wanted to see what was on his desk, and as I looked over the desk, there was the verse, Romans 8:28. 

All things work together for good to those who love God. Sometimes it doesn't seem like that promise is true, but we hold fast. As the Old Testament believers are mentioning, they held fast to the promises. I know when I think about Jesus' promise: in my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 

And of Jesus' words in John 17, Father, I want them to be with me in heaven, that where I am, there they may behold my glory also. Friends, I can't imagine in my own mind, even at this time of life, what heaven is going to be like. I think about it plenty, but I can't imagine what it's like. I can just hold on to the promises. 

This is what faith is: to hold on to God's promises even when it doesn't seem like those promises are being fulfilled. Here’s what we've seen today as we've been looking at this example of faith. We've seen that genuine faith that pleases God believes his word. Saving faith that has a good testimony from God has a desire for obedience. That's a passion, a desire of our heart. Saving faith recognizes that suffering is sometimes God's plan, and we choose that. 

Saving faith holds on to the promises of God even when it seems that they are not coming to pass in their fullness. That’s saving faith. The bottom line, I think, of saving faith is what God tells us in Hebrews 13, verse 15: Saving faith gives thanks to the name of Jesus Christ. That's the bottom line. I'm thankful for God's Son, Jesus Christ. 

Let's bow and have a prayer, please. Father, I thank you for Hebrews 11 and the assurance that it promises to us. Father, we don't want this just to be a sermon or words that we've heard, but we want this to be the reality of our daily life, living with the kind of faith, Father, that obtained a good report from you, and the kind of faith that pleases you. Father, that's our long and earnest prayer. Thank you so much for your patience, mercy, and goodness to us, Father. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen. 

I'd just like to say this also as we finish this morning. We don't always know the heart of each person that's spending this time with us in the Word. It could be that as you've heard these things, you recognize your need and your desire to have this kind of faith. Even when we're singing this song, you could make that transaction with God himself. You could just say, Lord, I want this. I want to be this kind of a believer. Jesus said if you ask him, he'll save you.