Hebrews 11
Sermon on Faith: Hebrews 11 and the Substance of Things Hoped For
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
— Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
Big Idea
Biblical faith is not a feeling or a leap — it is a confident trust in the character and promises of God that produces obedience even when the outcome is unseen.
Context
Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians tempted to drift back to the safety of the old covenant under persecution. Chapter 11 is a 'hall of faith' meant to stiffen tired knees by parading believers who endured.
Expository Outline (verse-by-verse)
1. Faith Defined (v. 1–3)
- •'Substance' — faith gives present reality to future promise.
- •'Evidence' — faith functions like courtroom proof of the unseen.
- •By faith we understand even creation — faith is how we read reality.
2. Faith Demonstrated (v. 4–31)
- •Abel worshipped by faith; Enoch walked by faith; Noah worked by faith.
- •Abraham went out, not knowing whither he went.
- •Moses chose suffering with God's people over the pleasures of Pharaoh's court.
3. Faith That Did Not Receive the Promise (v. 32–40)
- •Some by faith escaped the sword; others were sawn asunder.
- •Both are commended — faith is not measured by outcome.
- •'They without us should not be made perfect' — every era of faith finds its fulfillment in Christ.
Topical Outline (one big idea)
1. What Faith Is Not
- •Not a feeling that comes and goes.
- •Not a blind leap into the dark.
- •Not the power to get whatever you want.
2. What Faith Is
- •Confident reliance on God's revealed character.
- •Acting on what God has said before you see what God will do.
- •Trust that produces obedience.
Cross-references
- Romans 10:17 — Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
- James 2:17 — Faith without works is dead.
- 2 Corinthians 5:7 — We walk by faith, not by sight.
- Ephesians 2:8 — By grace are ye saved through faith.
- Hebrews 12:2 — Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.
Illustrations
- "A child stepping into the arms of a father he cannot see in the dark — not because the dark is safe, but because the father is."
- "Hudson Taylor said, 'God's work, done in God's way, will not lack God's supply.' That's faith translated into a missions strategy."
- "Corrie ten Boom: 'Faith is like radar that sees through the fog.'"
Application questions
- Where is God asking you to obey before you can see the outcome?
- Whose faith story (in your family, your church, your friends) do you need to remember this week?
- Are you measuring your faith by your feelings or by your obedience?
Closing prayer
Lord, increase our faith. Where we have demanded sight before trust, forgive us. Help us today to step where You have spoken, and to let the outcome belong to You. Amen.