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There is a chapter in the Bible, appropriately nicknamed “The Hall of Faith,” and it is Hebrews 11. While headings and verse numbers are not inspired by the Holy Spirit, they are often helpful when reading the Bible. I am especially fond of the heading assigned to Hebrews 11 in the NASB: “The Triumphs of Faith.”

 

Hebrews 11 begins, “Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.” The ESV uses “conviction” instead of “proof,” while the Berean Standard Bible uses “certainty.” What were the men and women listed in Hebrews 11 so certain of? They were certain that God’s promises were true, even when they could not yet see them. They were certain that what is truly lasting is what God is doing for His glory, the good of His people, and the redemption of those He seeks to redeem through His Son.

 

Those whom God has redeemed ought to be compelled by His mission while looking and longing for the city He has promised to His redeemed children (1 John 3:1). Abraham was willing to leave the city of Ur, “not knowing where he was going” (Heb. 11:8), because “he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (v. 10).

 

As you read Hebrews 11, you discover that God’s call upon His people to engage His mission often includes three common factors:

  1. It is rarely comfortable.
  2. It is often inconvenient.
  3. It frequently seems risky.

 

This was true when Abraham and Sarah left the city of Ur, which Abraham had called home for many years (Gen. 12:4; Acts 7:2–4; Heb. 11:8–10). It was true when God commissioned Moses to lead His people out of Egypt (Exod. 3:1–12; Heb. 11:24–29), when Israel stood between Pharaoh and the Red Sea (Exod. 14:10–14), when Joshua led Israel into the promised land (Josh. 1:1–9; Heb. 11:30), when David stood before Goliath (1 Sam. 17:32–47), when Ezra rebuilt the temple (Ezra 3:8–13; 6:13–18), when Nehemiah rebuilt the wall (Neh. 2:17–20; 6:15–16), when Joseph and Mary welcomed the birth of Jesus (Matt. 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–38), and when the disciples left everything to follow Him (Matt. 4:18–22; Luke 5:27–28). Comfort, convenience, and the certainty of safety were not promised to any of them.

 

As you pray about how you will respond at our meeting this Sunday at 6:00 p.m.—whether you are a partner casting a vote or an attender sharing your input through the survey—I want to encourage you not to base your response on what you cannot see. Instead, respond in light of where God is leading Meadowbrooke, what best aligns with His mission, and the city we long for and seek as we follow Jesus where He has told us to go.

 

We can move forward with confidence because God is sovereign over what we cannot see. So let us not be led by what feels most comfortable, but by what most faithfully aligns with His mission for Cheyenne. Let’s triumph with a faith that rests in and moves in light of the God of the Bible.

 

Because He lives,
Pastor Keith