Welcome to the Freedom Fellowship online worship service!
"Lord, as we come together online this morning, would you please touch our hearts and help us receive all you have for us at this time! Encourage us with your word. In Jesus name, Amen."
WORSHIP
Please click on the following worship video links, and worship with us!
Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) -
Our God -
Do It Again -
MESSAGE
Title: Our Heroes!
Text: Hebrews 11
Date: April 26, 2020
INTRODUCTION
When I was growing up, I used to devour the Sunday comic section of the newspaper! There were all kinds of goodies there, like crossword puzzles, fun jokes (at my level!), problems to solve, tests of my observation skills. What I especially enjoyed, was the comics, especially Prince Valiant. I would look forward to each weeks new installment of Prince Valiant's adventures! He was my hero!
There is something inside each of us that wants heroes. We want someone to look up to, someone to copy, a role model for us. As we grow older, our need for comic book heroes goes away, and yet there remains a hunger for people to look up to, role models to show us the way.
Today we are going to take a look at some of the qualities of heroes of the faith!
HEROIC SUPERPOWERS
Hebrews 11 gives a short list of some of the heroes of the faith, people like you and me! These were flesh and blood people. They did not have the super powers of our comic book heroes. But they had other much greater qualities, which became evident in the fires of trial and persecution.
They had the quality of courage
Moses grew up as a prince in Pharaoh's court, was exiled for killing an Egyptian. Forty years later, God calls Moses to go back to the place of his humiliation. He returned not to wallow in self-pity, but to courageously stand up to Pharaoh, and lead the Israelites to freedom! This took incredible courage! And Moses won a place in the Hebrews 11 Hall of Fame. (1)
Daniel was captured by the Babylonians, while still a young man. God works in his life, gives him opportunities, and then starts to speak to him in his dreams. Daniel has to stand up and courageously speak the prophetic dreams, which then come to pass. In doing this he makes enemies. These opponents try to engineer his death. Daniel is faced with a choice, continue his walk with God, or be thrown to the lions. Courageously, he makes his choice, and is hurled into the lion pit. That took courage! (2)
Many others are mentioned: "
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground." (3)
They were men and women of courage.
They had the quality of faith
This courage was not a quality they necessarily grew up with. It may not have been a courage born of training and development. This courage come from their faith!
This chapter, Hebrews 11 is known as the Faith Chapter. This is because each of these heroic examples is introduced by the words "By faith [name] [what we remember them for]." These are heroes of faith! This is the source of their courage!
What is this faith? This chapter explains that "
faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (4).
This faith comes from not believing only in the physical or tangible, but also believing that things promised will happen, that the spirit is just as real as the physical.
We look at the circumstances around us and we may be fearful and scared. But God's promise is to be with us continually, never leaving our side (5) If we believe God to be trust worthy and faithful, we trust that he is with us in the fire, "the pestilence that walks in darkness" (6) , that he promises to provide for our needs (7) and to heal our sicknesses (8)
"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgives all thine iniquities; who heals all thy diseases; Who redeems thy life from destruction; who crowns thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfies thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's". (9)
They kept their eyes on Jesus
Just like Peter who walked on the water to Jesus (10), in an amazing example of faith, it is when we keep our eyes on Jesus (19) that we can live the life of faith. When we take our eyes off Jesus, that is when we focus on our surroundings and our faith falters.
Faith comes from seeing that our life is all about Jesus. He is the author and perfecter of our faith (11). He is the one who walks with us through everything we experience both good and bad. It is Jesus who calls us to an amazing future, both in this life and the life to come!
Our heroes of the Hall of Fame, looked beyond this life, beyond the here and now.
They looked toward a time when they would live forever in a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God (12). They were not concerned about preserving their physical life, as long as their future was assured! (13)
These Super Heroes had special powers, Their powers were birthed out of a vision for the future that could not be quenched, a faith that whatever God had promised was as good as done, and a courage that was not afraid of standing up for their testimony (14)!
THE SEARCH FOR SUPER HEROES
This world is searching for heroes, people who will lead them to a better and a safer future. People are parched and thirsty for things of true value. The fields are white, ready for harvest, but God says, where are the laborers? (15)
God is looking for super heroes, who will stand up and say "Send me!" People who have caught the vision of the big picture, a life that goes on into all eternity, an inheritance in heaven, pure and undefiled (16).
God is crying out "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" (17) Who will go out and fearlessly stand for me? who will shun the pleasures of sin, for the sake of obeying the call? Who will say, "Send me!" (18)
Are you a super hero? Have you been waiting quietly in the shadows, but now you itch to obey the call? To step out in courage, to fearlessly stand on the side of right, to fight the fight of faith, and to prepare a people to meet their God?
PRAYER
"Lord, I come to you today, knowing that you have been preparing laborers for the harvest. Give me the vision, the faith and the courage to step forward and respond, Lord, send me. Raise up an army of workers, laborers who will bring in the end-time harvest. Let me be one of them Lord. In Jesus name, Amen."
Let's listen to the final song again:
Do It Again -
NOTES
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(1) Hebrews 11:24-29
(2) Hebrews 11:33
(3) Hebrews 11:32-38)
(4) Hebrews 11:1
(5)
Hebrews 13:5).
(6) Psalm 91:6
(7) Matt 6:33
(8) Exodus 15:26, Psalm 103:3, 1 Pet 2:24
(9) Psalm 103:2-5
(10) Matthew 14:25-32
(11) Phil 1:6
(12) Heb 11:10
(13) Matthew 16:25
(14) Revelation 12:11
(15) Matthew 9:37-38
(16) 1 Peter 1:4
(17) Isaiah 11:6
(18) Isaiah 11:8
(19) Hebrews 12:1-2
