Some time ago, I began blogging on our Sunday sermons to help myself review; today, I’m continuing that by covering our Oct. 11 sermon, on Hebrews 11:3. There were A/V problems this Sunday so there’s no recording.

As usual, I won’t summarize the sermon, but will focus on what I take away from it. Our text was Hebrews 11:3:

By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

Here, as we enter Hebrews 11, it would be easy to think that the take-away is that we should be able to do amazing things by faith. But then, flipping to 11:36-38, we see the terrible suffering that’s also included in this hall of faith, and that also “by faith”. Or Paul himself, who probably wrote this letter, himself suffered a great deal. What we need is the kind of faith that brings us to follow Christ, regardless the cost, whether it leads us through great things or mundane things.

We looked at several aspects of the foundational faith we need to have – faith that begins with creation, which believes God as creator, and believes God is sovereign. That last one was the most challenging to me – am I ready to face any and everything because of a trust in God which is independent of circumstances, one which knows that regardless of whether I’m in a time of ease or one of hardship, he is still the same God, still just as trustworthy, still as sovereign? Today I read 1 Thes. 5:16-18, which includes “Rejoice always… in everything give thanks.” It’s only absolute faith and trust in God which can lead me to give thanks even for difficulty and trouble. And I very much need to grow in that kind of faith. Even yesterday I caught myself with some discontent in my thoughts – but how can I be discontent if God is truly sovereign and is working all things for my good and his glory? (eg Romans 8).