Series: HEROIC
Sermon: Have Faith
Scripture: Hebrews 11
ICE BREAKER: When is a time that you felt like a hero? When have you felt like a Victim or Villain?
REVIEW:
This week we kicked off a new series where we are learning to live a HEROIC life!
We also learned the first part of our Heroic Template
Have Faith
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Hebrews chapter 11 is know as the Hall of Faith, or the Hall of Heroes. It is a compilation of Ordinary people who lived EXTRAordinary lives. Our job is to dig in and see what helped them live as heroes.
The very first Hero on the list seems kind of odd. His name is Abel and he only gets a couple of verses in all of scripture. Abel was the younger son of Adam and Eve. He was a part of the very first sibling group in all of the Bible. Abel and his brother Cain both brought sacrifices to the Lord. God accepted and honored Abel giving his best offering; however, he looked down on and dismissed Cain's lackluster offering.
This created so much jealousy and bitterness, that Cain took his brother into the field and murdered him! Abel's story was short lived, BUT his example is so incredibly powerful that his life still speaks to us today. Abel is a perfect example of how to HAVE Faith even when life is full of suffering.
What does Faith mean to you?
Hebrews 11 defines faith as "The reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen."
Abel had faith! He gave his best offering to a God he could not see, trusting that giving up something today, would improve his life later. He hoped that was true, and exercised faith by believing it before he could ever see it.
In this way, Abel teaches us the most important lesson for a successful and significant life - we MUST learn proper sacrifice!
Do you feel like you are living a life of active faith?
What lessons are you leaving behind by the way you navigate life?
We looked at a modern example of extreme faith to help us learn how to Have Faith in the midst of suffering. Victor Frankl was a survivor of the Nazi Death Camps in WWII. He learned during his time there that Faith literally kept prisoners alive. In fact, the moment people lost faith in their future, was the moment they began a quick march toward death.
APPLY:
What hope do you have for your future? Faith is the reality of what our Hope is in EVEN before we can see that thing! As humans, we all have one BIG problem - we all are going to die! To truly have faith, we must have an answer for what comes after death. This is why:
JESUS IS THE FOUNDATION OF FAITH!
A Heroic Life Requires Faith, Faith requires hope for the future, and ONLY JESUS has an answer for your ultimate future.
HERE IS THIS WEEK'S APPLICATION QUESTION:
IF you are a believer in Jesus already, what is ONE AREA where you need to increase your faith this week?
If you ARE NOT a believer in Jesus, what is the main thing holding you back from accepting Him as the foundation of your faith?
PRAY:
MetaChurch is a place where you can belong before you believe! Jesus loves you enough to meet you RIGHT where you are. At the same time, He also loves us enough to not LEAVE us where we are. He is the source of our faith and wants us to Have Faith and live a HEROIC life.
Take some time and pray for the area in your life where you are lacking faith. Pray for one another that we can embrace what it takes to live as a Hero!
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