Sermon 11th August 2019 –
9th Sunday after Pentecost
Text: Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 – Faith in
the unseen
The book of Hebrews is an interesting
book in the New Testament.
It is masterly written but we don’t
know who wrote the Letter to the Hebrews.
Initial thoughts were that it might
have been Paul but scholars believe this was so it would get into the New
Testament.
It seems to be written to people who
are giving up their faith because of persecution - who are leaving the church,
who are leaving the Christian faith.
In Chapter 10 it specifically pleads
with the readers: Let us not give up the
habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one
another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.
That’s what Jesus is also concerned
about in our Gospel reading with the Day of the Lord coming nearer – when he
says:
"But know this: if the owner of
the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let
his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming
at an unexpected hour."
The book of Hebrews is written to
people who have endured suffering and
now, these people are growing weary in their faith.
They look at what’s in front of them,
and they don’t like it.
So the message is: Don’t give up.
Have faith.
Trust that Jesus Christ is the one in
whom we can hope.
Jesus Christ is the one in whom we
can trust.
Jesus Christ is the one in whom we
can place our faith because Jesus holds the future.
Have faith in Jesus because Jesus is
the future and the faithful one.
So in our bible reading it’s not
surprising that it contains the word “faith” 7 times.
The Book of Hebrews is very concerned
about Christians losing their faith as they look around them and see people
losing their faith because of what’s happening.
And so the take from this is that
what we are experiencing in the 21st century is not a lot different – in fact
no different – than the very first century.
So our reading encourages us to not
be so concerned about what we see but about what we believe.
Not about what we see or hear from
the voices in the media and in the public about the Christian faith but about
what God says:
And that’s what we call “faith”.
And so it says: Now faith is the
assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
We can’t see things we put our faith
in.
But we can see all the turmoil and
troubled times in the world around us.
God has enshrined our hope in
physical things – the water of our baptism, the bread and wine of Holy
Communion – his word made flesh.
But only by faith can we actually
understand and experience them.
Without faith they only seem to be
what we can visually see –water, bread, wine, a book.
But with the eyes faith they are for
us the power of God.
Just as St Paul says about the Cross
of Christ.
To the eyes without faith it was a
humiliating death – total defeat.
But as he says in 1st Corinthians:
the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us
who are being saved it is the power of God.
We visually see the same thing as
everyone else.
But with the eyes of faith we can see
God at work.
The book of Hebrews was written into
times just like these.
Times of persecution.
Times of drifting away from the
Christian faith.
It reminds us to not give up the
faith because we are giving up so much if we do with the Day of the Lord’s
Judgement coming.
The journey of faith is not always
easy and the writer uses several Old Testament heroes of the faith to encourage
us – like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Sarah – who all faced difficulties of
varying types.
But he speaks about Abraham’s faith –
often referred to as the Father of Faith.
The writer says: By faith Abraham
obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an
inheritance;
Abraham was asked by God to trust him
when he was asked to leave all his security behind – his family, his friends,
his livelihood – and to go to the Promised Land without knowing where is was or
what it might provide.
Sometimes the future is not known for
us and the church and we are asked to trust God.
Abraham faced enemies and hostile
lands, just like we do – but he kept his faith in God just as you are asked to
do.
We too are on a journey to our
Promised Land and along the way we go through hostile territory.
Sometimes we don’t know what is
around the corner.
But, like Abraham, we are asked to
have faith in God.
We are on our journey to our Promised
Land in the Kingdom of Heaven and Jesus says:
"Do not be afraid, little flock,
for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
It is when we let our fears take hold
of us that we put less faith in Jesus and more faith in ourselves – and that
has no assurance.
Assurance, as the writer says faith
is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
We cannot see the future, but God in
Jesus has made a future that awaits us.
We cannot see the future, but in
Jesus, God shows us a future which Jesus has prepared already.
The church is not perfect.
It lets people down at times because
it exists in human time.
That is what if often called the
church militant – the church that is fighting the good fight.
But there is also what is called the
church triumphant.
The church that has already won the
victory through Christ’s death and resurrection.
The church that Jesus has built on
the rock of faith and not even the gates of Hades can overcome it.
The church is where we see faith
being formed and strengthened through Word and Sacrament.
Faith that trusts the promises of God
and the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.
Faith that stands on the assurance of
things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.
This is faith that endures and
carries people through incredible physical suffering and pain.
This is faith that asks for
forgiveness, faith that forgives, faith that reconciles, faith that changes
lives.
A faith by which God leads to hope
and joy and strength and peace and a future we cannot yet see, but of which we
can be assured and confident.
As St Paul says to the Colossians –
our lives are hidden now with Christ in heaven.
And when Christ returns and his glory
is revealed so too our lives will be revealed.
It is a glory that is not yet seen
but one that is there and experienced through faith.
Being a Christian – worshipping our
Lord – receiving the Sacraments – are all about preparing us and keeping us
ready for our Lord’s return.
They are there to keep us strong in
our faith so we will not fear that Day of Judgment whenever it comes – so we
can be confident of our eternal life and receive the Kingdom prepared for us
with pleasure.
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