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Today, it is difficult to trust people. The media presents information in various types of bias. One of the many takeaways from this last election cycle should be the realization that every news source has its own agenda to present information. So, sometimes, those agendas can be distorted and not based on reality. Yet, there are some that are boxed into their perspectives that they choose to attack rather than self-evaluate, or much more fact-check.

Fact-checking has become easier and quicker with modern technology. Everyone has Google at their fingertips (PS Even the Google algorithm has an agenda to push/hide information).

We can fact-check speakers, individuals, and even preacher’s sermons… but most of all, we need to learn how to fact-check life.

Sometimes life’s circumstances cause us to have some questions. We can grow discouraged and even deceived by lies that we are not loved or wanted, and confused to think that God is not in control of the world’s happenings.

We fact-check life by going to the source: God’s word, which is the basis for our faith. Let’s look at a popular Scripture: Hebrews 11.

EXAMINE What is faith?

• Hebrews is NT explanation of OT. Rich themes of prophets, purification of sin through sacrificial system & temple, sabbath rest, and overall with Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of God’s covenant.
• Uncertain of author[1]: Not likely Paul but someone in his circle and knows Timothy (Heb 13:23), but notably one who heard & embraced the apostolic teaching (Heb 2:3). Possibly Barnabas, Silas, Apollos or Aquilla & Priscilla, Luke.

HEBREWS 11 ¹ Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ² For by it the people of old received their commendation. ³ By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible… ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Faith is vital to life.

Hebrews 11: ¹ Now faith… This chapter is unique as it’s the culmination of not just describing the content of our faith but displaying characters of faith with a “hall of fame” list of individuals. BUT – as we’ll see in the next couple messages, these individuals are not Spiritual Superstars, Heavenly Heroes, or Angelic Avengers; they’re ordinary men & women with faults, failures, struggles, & sin problems just like us. What makes the names listed in this chapter stand out is not their deeds but their dependence upon God’s strength. Heb 10:39 “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”

Likewise, there are people today that think their life purpose is not working; their life pursuits are not worth the effort; and they thinking of quitting, giving up, and going back to life without faith in God. The author of Hebrews is exhorting us to not shrink back or sell out, but to step forward in faith by drawing nearer to God and devoting ourselves to one another (Heb 10:19-25).

Faith is vital to life.

• We have faith when we sit in a chair / drive a car / fly in a plane / place money in bank /choose a career or hire an employee / choose a mate.
• Faith in God is not a blind leap but an informed walk. Each step God calls us to take, He has already gone before us in the journey. Especially this side of the NT, we have ample evidence of God’s faithful provision; historical record of Jesus’ life/death and resurrection; and the testimonies of believers through the ages that point to the reality that not only is it impossible to please God without faith, but it is unbearable to navigate the problems and pain this world brings without the guidance and grace of Jesus.   
• FAITH = Forsaking All I Trust Him.

Faith is assurance of hope.

Heb 11:1-2 describe faith as assurance of hope and conviction of unseen.

• Assurance = reality, substance.^[2] Literally means to “stand under,”^[3] like a contract guarantee.
• Conviction = demonstrable proof or evidence.^[4]

So, what we discern is that faith is not merely wishful thinking but discernable reality.  – – – You say, “But faith isn’t sight. We can’t prove the existence of God.” YET, we affirm the unseen…

• Frequency waves in the air all around us, and you just need a radio antenna & speakers to pickup sound; or a phone to communicate.
• Digital information with communication and pictures are in a 4^th dimension world/cloud.  
• Air and wind cannot be seen but we see its effects – positively and at times aggressively.
• Love and truth can be difficult concepts to grasp but we see them personified and tangible in our physical world and namely through Jesus!

² by it people of old received their commendation

The author is not being disrespectful about people of advanced age but speaking of previous generations who had faith in God; people who trusted God’s promises with major life decisions, and whose stories are briefly described in Heb 11, but are recorded in the OT. These have received their commendation = their witness (ἐμαρτυρήθησαν) – the language tense is passive^[5], indicating that God is doing the action, not the individuals; so while most of these individuals did not receive earthly validation [old age; lions ate them; fire burned them; govts martyred them] – they still went to their grave without regret because God rewarding their integrity and trust in eternal perspectives.

³ by it we understand that the universe was created by the word of God so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible…

Here the author of Hebrews is pointing to the obvious: we know there is something and not nothing. Yet nothing x nobody ≠ everything. While we cannot prove that God exists scientifically, we also cannot disprove that God does not exist. Science teaches us that the physical world has a complex and spectacular origin. It is faith that picks up where science points: outside of ourselves. Faith hears an external voice saying: “I Am.” Again, faith is the antenna that picks up the spiritual frequency behind the physical realities. Faith intersects the unexplainable with the undeniable.

Faith intersects the unexplainable with the undeniable.

Illus: A stellar Yale Physicist Robert Adair studied the science of baseball with many experiments and articles. Essentially, he determined when a MLB pitcher throws 90mph fastball it takes 400 milliseconds to reach home plate; yet the batter requires at least 450 milliseconds to swing at more than 80mph, and meet the 3” spinning ball with 1/8” dead center of the ball and at precisely the right millisecond for it to at least be a fair ball. He concludes, “Hitting a baseball is a superhuman feat that is clearly impossible.”

While it’s scientifically impossible to hit a baseball, we see it every year for 30 teams in 162+ games season. Thus, when we look around at our wonderful world with spectacular leaf colors of fall; majestic mountains; breathtaking beach sunrises;
serene settings along valleys and hills; not to mention the creativity and diversity of every human being – Our CREATOR GOD IS AWESOME.

the universe was created by the word of God

God’s world has a voice to whisper of His presence, and sometimes shouting to us in moments of human pain, that we might call upon Him for salvation.

C.S. Lewis, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”

God’s world has a voice to whisper of His presence, and sometimes shouting to us in moments of human pain, that we might call upon Him for salvation.

Faith is reception for grace.

⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

The author of Hebrews reminds us that we cannot approach or please God on our own. We need faith, but there is something that precedes faith: the substance of our faith.

You see, God is not pleased with a generic agreement but requires a specific faith. It doesn’t matter about the quantity of your faith. You can have a lot of faith:

• Favorite team will win.
• Meal properly cooked & taste good
• An easy work week
• Win the lottery
• Body will stay healthy
• When aged, your adult children will not send downhill in a wheelchair. 

In other words, faith is not wishful thinking, but nor is it a positive feeling. And that’s good news bc our feelings soar and shrink, and sometimes they shrivel up in fear and hide in a dark corner of our circumstances. So, thankfully, the quantity of our faith is not outweighed by the quality object of our faith.

Illus: Like when you purchase a picture frame at the store, you don’t hang it on your wall without first placing your preferred picture inside the frame. The frame is only valuable based upon the picture inside. God has placed a frame around our life with His grace, waiting for us to place our picture inside it.

The object of the Christian’s faith is two-fold:

*God exists.

Heb 1:1-3 “Long ago, at may times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days, God has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things through also God created the world. [Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. [And] after making purification for sins, [Jesus] sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”

God’s existence is revealed through Jesus. We know about the Father because God sent His Son, Jesus Christ as our Savior.

So, to believe God exists requires us to trust in Jesus Christ.
> Some say they trust Jesus for salvation but they’re not living by faith in trusting Jesus with their finances / their anxieties / their lifestyle…
         

*God rewards.
The reward of our faith is God.

How we know that we believe God exists and that we are truly seeking Him, is that we are not shaken by earthly circumstances.

• We are not charmed or confounded by earthly power. – – – One of the sad outcomes of this election is seeing people’s reaction to the results. For some, those whose candidate won are like the rooster strutting around pridefully and speaking condescendingly toward those of opposing candidates. Likewise, some of those whose candidate lost are abandoning family/friendships who voted for the other candidate, and are equally trashing the other side.
  
  We cannot reach those we resent. Our boasting is not in anything except the cross, for how dreadful we are apart from God’s grace.
   
• We are not mesmerized or bewitched by money. Proverbs 30:7-9 “Two things I ask of [God]: 1) Remove far from me falsehood and lying; 2) Give me neither poverty nor riches; lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ OR lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of God.” Christians understand that God is the reward and we trust His provision, and are content whether in plenty or in poverty – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me… for my God will supply every need according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus.” (Php 4:12-13, 19)

• We are not overwhelmed at the face of evil. Some circumstances you face will exhaust you. Your patience will wear thin. Your optimism will appear bleak. But the Christian’s reward is they know that what others mean for evil, God intends for good (Gen 50:20), and God works all things together for good according to His purpose, to conform us to the image of Jesus (Rom 8:28-29), and to know God’s grace is sufficient for the struggle; His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9); and  that “we have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain” (Heb 6:19).

The reward of faith in God is that: We are not charmed or confounded by earthly power. We are not mesmerized or bewitched by money. We are not overwhelmed at the face of evil. Simply put, God is the reward of our faith.

Faith is vital to life.

Faith is assurance of hope.

Faith is reception for grace.

> “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb 4:16

APPLY/TAKEAWAY

There’s a familiar story of a beautiful lady who was made to feel ugly. She lived with her wicked stepmother and two equally wicked step-sisters. The beautiful lady never felt qualified or loved because those in her environment repeatedly spoke words of rage and hate against her. She was isolated in her circumstances with no way of escape…

Until one day through a series of outside intervention, she was transformed and taken to a new setting. The experience was beyond her imagination, filled with joyful music, delightful dancing until her feet hurt, and the connection of friends who felt closer than family.

Unfortunately, as you know, she could not stay there forever and had to return to her horrible household.

Yet, the good news is the prince never forgot her. He pursued her no matter the expense. He overcame every obstacle, conquered every challenge, and defeated every hindrance to finding her. And finally, when the prince stood before his cherished and chosen bride, they embraced and she was forever rescued… and as the story says, “they lived happily ever after.”

A lot of us are like Cinderella. We are living as slaves to the world’s values and held hostage from the hope of heaven. But Jesus knows right where you are. Jesus is pursuing you and He will not give up until you stand face to face with Him. Hell wants to keep you chained to your circumstances but Heaven is calling to set you free. Jesus wants to give you a new love, a new life, and a new hope.

BUT, can you imagine Cinderella saying, “Look Prince, I like you and care about you. I would treasure bearing the title “Princess.” I would cherish spending my days in your castle. And I would celebrate every day when I get to ride in your chariot along with all the other kind benefits of your kingdom. But my single issue is that I don’t really want to commit myself to you. I love what you can do for me, but I’m not really sure I want to be with you.”

The Bible presents God waiting patiently for us to know His heart and character, and to receive His love. God will not force entrance into our life. But there is coming a day when it will be too late. And we will not only miss out on the glories of heaven, the grace of forgiveness of guilt in sin, and freedom from regrets, but we will miss out on the one who gave His all, in love to you. 

*Will you shift the weight of your worries and the shame of your sin to faith in Jesus?

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[1] https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/who-wrote-hebrews

^[2] Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Hebrews, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010), 399.

^[3] Paul Ellingworth, The Epistle to the Hebrews: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1993), 564.

^[4] William L. Lane, Hebrews 9–13, vol. 47B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1991), 326.

^[5] William L. Lane, Hebrews 9–13, vol. 47B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1991), 326.