Some time ago, I began blogging on our Sunday sermons to help myself review; today, I’m continuing that by covering our Oct. 18 sermon, on Hebrews 11:4, by Pastor Peter Kim. You can stream the recording of this service here.

As usual, I won’t summarize the sermon, but will focus on what I take away from it. Our text was Hebrews 11:4:

By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

Abel’s offering was, in some sense, better worship than Cain’s. We’re not told that many details, but Cain gave out of convenience, while Abel gave out of a heart of worship – out of faith. Pastor Peter compared the difference with the present idea of being a “fan” of a sport team versus a “fanatic”; while the root is the same, one can be a casual fan, but a fanatic is one who goes to extremes, to any length. Only one who has truly met God and loves him above all else will have that kind of attitude towards him, the attitude where they will go to any lengths to worship and serve him. And that’s true Christianity – God wants heartfelt worship, our loving him above all else – not adherence to some set of rules about what kind of offering to bring him.

This text, then, is foundational to what comes in the rest of the Hebrews 11 “hall of faith”, P Peter argued. Sometimes it is easy to read about the people here who did great things for God and think we want to join them in doing great things, but we need to have the faith that worships God so much that we’ll love him and serve him wholeheartedly even if he calls us to face the suffering of Heb. 11:34-38. We’re called not to have the faith that will bring us to do great things – but the faith that believes true life is in God, regardless of whether that takes us through great or terrible things in our present life.

This was a great one, and I’m challenged to refocus on God – taking my eyes off my circumstances and putting them on him. So often my level of contentment orients around whether I feel like I’ve accomplished my earthly goals, gotten enough done, etc., and so of course I’m discontent. But that’s not supposed to be my source of contentment – I’m to find contentment in loving and serving God wholeheartedly because he’s worth it, and delighting more and more in his greatness and glory.