A Man of Faith(Hebrews 11:13-16 ,Genesis 22:1-2))

Hebrews 11:13-16 (Genesis 22:1-2) “A Man of Faith”

 

We call Abraham the father of faith.  And God said to Abram, “I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:2B).  By the way, Abraham had two encounters that would show how he would become a father of faith and be a blessing.  jIt was when God called him to move out of his father’s hometown and he responded by doing it (Ur of the Chaldees).  kAlso it was when Abram heard God’s voice to give his son Isaac, who was born when Abraham was 100 years old, as a burnt offering and he obeyed. 

To leave Ur of the Chaldees was the beginning of salvation for Abraham.  If he had not left, salvation would not have started.  The moment the people of Israel came out of Egypt they experienced the salvation of God.  It is the same in our lives.  If we want to have a life of faith we must get out of our hometown and family where we live and are loved.  Spiritually speaking it means we must leave the life which is entangled by the flesh.  I must leave the place where I used to live in my father’s home and my family whom I love, and when my soul turns toward the Lord, it is from that moment that a life of faith begins.  However, leaving is not all there is.  Abraham needed to grow in faith after he heard God’s voice and left.  God tested Abraham for his faith to grow in that he was to give his only son, Isaac, who was born when Abraham was 100 years old, as a burnt offering (Genesis 22:1).  It was very difficult for Abraham, but he obeyed.  Because of this he obtained the big title “Father of faith and be a blessing.”  Therefore today we receive grace from a sermon titled “A Man of Faith.”  I pray God’s grace be upon your hearts.

 

First, a man of faith must have a sense of being a pilgrim on this earth.  Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees for the land that God directed him by faith.  It was as the life of a pilgrim.  What does it mean?  Spiritually it means we are the people who are left, who look toward heaven as the land God has directed us to, which is the spiritual Canaan land.  Our physical body is in this land but our mind and spirit are in the spiritual land, God’s nation, so we must live in a sense, as a pilgrim in this land.  Hebrews 11:13 of today’s text says so. 

Let’s read it together.  “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”  It says they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth and they embraced the promises seen afar off.  In Genesis 47:9, what did Jacob say before Pharaoh?  “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years.”  Yes it is true.  If we want to rightly live a life of faith, we must live as pilgrims.  If we don’t, we can not be happy, because the love for the things of this world entangles us in the greed for the things of this world.  If we are attached deeply in the world we can not be used as God’s precious vessels.  For example, a long time ago there was a man who cleaned the clothes of a king in some country.  He was very poor but always happy.  One day the king asked him what the reason was that he was so happy.  Then his answer was simple.  “Yes I am always satisfied with my life.” 

Since the king heard this he praised him to his other ministers and said, “Wow, that man lives very happily.”  At that time one minister said to the king, “King, if the man has nothing but happiness always perhaps he has not been entrapped in the 99 pitfalls.  Give him 99 gold coins and see how he may also be different.”  After the king heard this he wanted to test the man.  So the king called him and gave him 99 gold coins to praise him for his sincerity.  The clothes cleaner came home and counted the money that the king gave him.  No matter how many times he counted, it was 99 coins.  At that time he felt that he was lacking one gold coin, and wished for 100 gold coins.  Since then he became so stingy in order to save one coin to make 100 gold coins.  He reduced eating and hated his children for using so much money and did not even want to see his wife.  His shoulders were hanging down and his eyes lost their brightness.  Finally he was caught in the trap of 99.  The greediness to fill one more causes the happiness to run far away from a person.  This is called the psychology of man that if he has $100, his desire is for $200, if he has $1000, then he desires $10,000.  Therefore we must be content with what we have (1 Timothy 6:8, Hebrews 13:5) for we must have a sense of being a pilgrim in this land.  Because we don’t know when the master may call us, if we look up to the countenance of our Lord always, this will be a blessing to us and God will also use us in a precious way.

 

Secondly, God trains the man of faith with trials and troubles for his spiritual growth.  A pole vaulter does not jump 5 meters or 6 meters from the beginning.  In training the vaulter continuously repeats running down the track and vaulting over the high pole until he can go over it smoothly.  The coach trains the vaulters on how they should improve.  Likewise our God trains the man of faith by strong trials.  Genesis 22:1 of the text says that God came to Abraham not to give something but to take away his only son Isaac, born to him when he was 100. 

This was done for Abraham to understand that God’s purpose was to grow his faith in God.  The people in  the world have a lot of interest in faith which causes them to boast; men are interested in possessing something and becoming rich and having power.  But God’s way is different.  God’s way is much higher than man’s way, like heaven is much higher than earth.  God trains a person by trials like fire in order to make a great vessel.  We see this in Job as recorded in the Bible.  We know so well about Job’s difficulties so there is no need to explain.  But what did Job confess before God?  Job 23:10 says, “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.”  We see God trains Job first by trials like fire in order to bless him.  I believe that a man of faith must look up to God, Who makes our faith grow in the trials, without being disappointed or discouraged.

 

Thirdly, a man of God is to look up to Jesus Christ.  Hebrews 12:2A says, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”  The meaning of ‘looking unto’ is to take after or to learn from.  A man of faith is to take after Jesus and learn from Him.  There are so many things to learn but I have listed only three things:

jTo learn Jesus’ love, kTo learn Jesus’ humility, lTo learn Jesus’ obedience.  In the text, when Abraham heard that he was to give Isaac as a burnt offering he went up toward the mountain.  In this, God’s great secret is hidden.  It meant that in later days God’s Son would be born and He would be given for man as a burnt offering.  A father can not offer his son as a burnt offering without suffering himself.  He had a broken heart as he would have to watch his son Isaac bleed to death.  He had to stab him with his own hands.  This is the heart of Father God, Who gave His Son Jesus Christ, to be nailed on the cross. 

God had to eye witness His Son die on the cross.  God had to watch His Son bleeding and crying out, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”  This is the similar thing that God let Abraham experience.  We receive the forgiveness of sin by Jesus Christ and are saved.  Faith is to meet Jesus.  It is not a way of thinking, which is positive and constructive.  It is not just to say that we believe or be positive then it is O.K.  That is hypnotism, not faith.  Faith is to look up to Jesus Christ.  A faithful man can die of sickness, can fail in business, and go to the hospital.  However, in times like these, the action of holding on to Jesus Christ, that is faith.  Give up on everything and hold on to Jesus Christ, that is faith.  I finish preaching.  Beloved saints!  How is biblical faith?  Biblical faith is to look up to Jesus Christ.  It means to follow Jesus Christ, Who is the Lamb hung on the cross for us and for us to look up to Him, this is faith.  I believe we must become people of faith.  I pray God’s grace be upon your hearts.

 

We call Abraham the father of faith.  And God said to Abram, “I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:2B).  By the way, Abraham had two encounters that would show how he would become a father of faith and be a blessing.  jIt was when God called him to move out of his father’s hometown and he responded by doing it (Ur of the Chaldees).  kAlso it was when Abram heard God’s voice to give his son Isaac, who was born when Abraham was 100 years old, as a burnt offering and he obeyed. 

To leave Ur of the Chaldees was the beginning of salvation for Abraham.  If he had not left, salvation would not have started.  The moment the people of Israel came out of Egypt they experienced the salvation of God.  It is the same in our lives.  If we want to have a life of faith we must get out of our hometown and family where we live and are loved.  Spiritually speaking it means we must leave the life which is entangled by the flesh.  I must leave the place where I used to live in my father’s home and my family whom I love, and when my soul turns toward the Lord, it is from that moment that a life of faith begins.  However, leaving is not all there is.  Abraham needed to grow in faith after he heard God’s voice and left.  God tested Abraham for his faith to grow in that he was to give his only son, Isaac, who was born when Abraham was 100 years old, as a burnt offering (Genesis 22:1).  It was very difficult for Abraham, but he obeyed.  Because of this he obtained the big title “Father of faith and be a blessing.”  Therefore today we receive grace from a sermon titled “A Man of Faith.”  I pray God’s grace be upon your hearts.

 

First, a man of faith must have a sense of being a pilgrim on this earth.  Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees for the land that God directed him by faith.  It was as the life of a pilgrim.  What does it mean?  Spiritually it means we are the people who are left, who look toward heaven as the land God has directed us to, which is the spiritual Canaan land.  Our physical body is in this land but our mind and spirit are in the spiritual land, God’s nation, so we must live in a sense, as a pilgrim in this land.  Hebrews 11:13 of today’s text says so.  Let’s read it together.

 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”  It says they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth and they embraced the promises seen afar off.  In Genesis 47:9, what did Jacob say before Pharaoh?  “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years.”  Yes it is true.  If we want to rightly live a life of faith, we must live as pilgrims.  If we don’t, we can not be happy, because the love for the things of this world entangles us in the greed for the things of this world.  If we are attached deeply in the world we can not be used as God’s precious vessels.  For example, a long time ago there was a man who cleaned the clothes of a king in some country.  He was very poor but always happy.  One day the king asked him what the reason was that he was so happy.  Then his answer was simple.  “Yes I am always satisfied with my life.”  Since the king heard this he praised him to his other ministers and said, “Wow, that man lives very happily.”  At that time one minister said to the king, “King, if the man has nothing but happiness always perhaps he has not been entrapped in the 99 pitfalls.  Give him 99 gold coins and see how he may also be different.”  After the king heard this he wanted to test the man.  So the king called him and gave him 99 gold coins to praise him for his sincerity. 

The clothes cleaner came home and counted the money that the king gave him.  No matter how many times he counted, it was 99 coins.  At that time he felt that he was lacking one gold coin, and wished for 100 gold coins.  Since then he became so stingy in order to save one coin to make 100 gold coins.  He reduced eating and hated his children for using so much money and did not even want to see his wife.  His shoulders were hanging down and his eyes lost their brightness.  Finally he was caught in the trap of 99.  The greediness to fill one more causes the happiness to run far away from a person.  This is called the psychology of man that if he has $100, his desire is for $200, if he has $1000, then he desires $10,000.  Therefore we must be content with what we have (1 Timothy 6:8, Hebrews 13:5) for we must have a sense of being a pilgrim in this land.  Because we don’t know when the master may call us, if we look up to the countenance of our Lord always, this will be a blessing to us and God will also use us in a precious way.

 

Secondly, God trains the man of faith with trials and troubles for his spiritual growth.  A pole vaulter does not jump 5 meters or 6 meters from the beginning.  In training the vaulter continuously repeats running down the track and vaulting over the high pole until he can go over it smoothly.  The coach trains the vaulters on how they should improve.  Likewise our God trains the man of faith by strong trials.  Genesis 22:1 of the text says that God came to Abraham not to give something but to take away his only son Isaac, born to him when he was 100. 

This was done for Abraham to understand that God’s purpose was to grow his faith in God.  The people in  the world have a lot of interest in faith which causes them to boast; men are interested in possessing something and becoming rich and having power.  But God’s way is different.  God’s way is much higher than man’s way, like heaven is much higher than earth.  God trains a person by trials like fire in order to make a great vessel.  We see this in Job as recorded in the Bible.  We know so well about Job’s difficulties so there is no need to explain.  But what did Job confess before God?  Job 23:10 says, “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.”  We see God trains Job first by trials like fire in order to bless him.  I believe that a man of faith must look up to God, Who makes our faith grow in the trials, without being disappointed or discouraged.

 

Thirdly, a man of God is to look up to Jesus Christ.  Hebrews 12:2A says, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”  The meaning of ‘looking unto’ is to take after or to learn from.  A man of faith is to take after Jesus and learn from Him.  There are so many things to learn but I have listed only three things:

jTo learn Jesus’ love, kTo learn Jesus’ humility, lTo learn Jesus’ obedience.  In the text, when Abraham heard that he was to give Isaac as a burnt offering he went up toward the mountain.  In this, God’s great secret is hidden.  It meant that in later days God’s Son would be born and He would be given for man as a burnt offering.  A father can not offer his son as a burnt offering without suffering himself.  He had a broken heart as he would have to watch his son Isaac bleed to death.  He had to stab him with his own hands.  This is the heart of Father God, Who gave His Son Jesus Christ, to be nailed on the cross.  God had to eye witness His Son die on the cross.  God had to watch His Son bleeding and crying out, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”  This is the similar thing that God let Abraham experience. 

We receive the forgiveness of sin by Jesus Christ and are saved.  Faith is to meet Jesus.  It is not a way of thinking, which is positive and constructive.  It is not just to say that we believe or be positive then it is O.K.  That is hypnotism, not faith.  Faith is to look up to Jesus Christ.  A faithful man can die of sickness, can fail in business, and go to the hospital.  However, in times like these, the action of holding on to Jesus Christ, that is faith.  Give up on everything and hold on to Jesus Christ, that is faith.  I finish preaching.  Beloved saints!  How is biblical faith?  Biblical faith is to look up to Jesus Christ.  It means to follow Jesus Christ, Who is the Lamb hung on the cross for us and for us to look up to Him, this is faith.  I believe we must become people of faith.  I pray God’s grace be upon your hearts.


By: Rev. Samuel Choi