As we begin this new series, Heroes of Extraordinary Faith, we are going to base it out of Hebrews Chapter 11 where God sets up a sort of “People of Faith” hall of fame. God puts the lives of these handpicked elite in the spotlight so that we may learn to have faith as incredible as theirs. In essence, these men and women become mentors to us. Yet, we may ask, what is faith and how do we get it anyway? Is it something only angels or saints of old could have possessed? Is it something that we as everyday people can grasp and live by today? Many people see lives that are going sideways, they see people that are sick or have problems. Very often, the self-righteous will judge them as people who do not live by enough faith. We are sometimes too quick to define faith incorrectly.

Going to the scriptures first, it says that…

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval…And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:1-2, 6).

The Bible says that faith is based on something that is unseen or not yet attained. Faith is, therefore, NOT on what is readily seen and attained but what we live in assurance of even though we cannot see the outcome.

HOW DO WE “LIVE BY FAITH”?

God knew that we needed help to understand and live by faith so He gave us three different avenues or mentors in life. Therefore…

1.     YOU WILL HAVE 3 MENTORS IN LIFE.

The first type of mentor is…

A.     CONTEMPORARY MENTORS

Contemporary mentors are people who are alive now and with whom you choose to spend time with on a regular basis. They can include teachers, counselors, friends and family members. It is important to remember that mentors are influencers and therefore must be chosen wisely. We are reminded in scripture that…“He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Proverbs 13:20). Another familiar Biblical adage says that we are not to be misled and recognize that “…bad company corrupts good character” (1Corinthians 15:33). In other words, even though good morals are deposited into one’s character, if it is surrounded by a bad culture or by ones with bad character, that good character is corruptible even when it is least expected (see also Proverbs 22:24). If we are committed to God’s best, we need to surround ourselves with those who encourage God’s best in our lives.

While the first type of mentor is Contemporary Mentors, another type of mentor God made available to us is…

B.     HISTORICAL MENTORS

Historical mentors are those that, although not living, continue to influence us through books about their lives and work. Some of the people I have been privileged to study under are Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and missionaries like David Livingstone and Hudson Taylor. One of my favorite mentors is a wonderful woman by the name of Mother Theresa. And though she is not alive today, I have listened to her recordings and heard her compassion and empathy for those she served so faithfully. Her mentoring has expanded my heart for those less fortunate.

Then lastly, the best type of mentor is…

C.     BIBLICAL MENTORS

For us, God put together a library of 66 books (the Bible) filled with stories and examples of these mentors. It even includes the bad accounts to speak to us about living a life of faith. Case in point, the story of Cain and Abel, the first biblical account of murder is mentioned in Hebrews. It affirms the fact that even ages later, there are lessons to be learned: “By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain,…and…though he is dead, he still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4).

I have often sat with biblical mentors like David to learn about courage and leadership, or to learn how to deal with loneliness, heartache and sin. We can walk alongside leaders like Moses (while he worked with grumblers and idiots) to learn how to maintain humility and steadfastness. 

God intended the Bible’s stories for use well beyond the era in which it was written. Everything we need to know about how to be a good husband, wife, employer, worker, friend, sister or brother is exampled in God’s collection of biblical mentors. The Bible is not simply an historical account…“such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. They give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises” (Romans 15:4 NLT).

Therefore, to continue in a “life of faith” you must…

2. FILL YOUR LIFE WITH HOPE & FAITH.

We know that the biblical definition of faith “... is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it, the men of old gained approval” (Hebrews 11:1-2). The “things hoped for” are promises that God deposits in our lives. And even though we do not necessarily see it in the here-and-now, we have faith that the hoped for promises (which are God’s best) will happen.

So, what is hope? …

·        HOPE DEEPLY DESIRES GOD’S BEST FOR YOUR FUTURE.

Not everyone deeply desires God’s best in their lives because it all boils down to a choice. We have to make a decision that, because we have but one life to live, it will be lived with a desire to fulfill God’s best in it. Instead, many of us confuse God’s way with our own ways. Many of us see God as a tool to bless our own directions or plans, all the while failing to see that the theme song to hell is: “I did it my way!”

The Israelites wanted it their way even though they saw the miracles of God. Their attitudes are recorded in Ezekiel: “Yet you say, ‘the way of the Lord is not right.’ Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?” (Ezekiel 18:25)

Hope is saying something else. Hope says, “I am convinced that doing things God’s way is the best.” We have to settle things in our hearts (once and for all) and accept that a marriage God’s way is the best, that a dating relationship God’s way is the best, and that even as an employer, God’s way is the best. When we settle that issue in our hearts, it is then that we will experience assurance, confidence and true direction in our lives.

We also need to fill our lives with faith and…

·        FAITH IS COOPERATING WITH GOD BY MAKING CHOICES OF FAITH TODAY.

Even though we don’t see the benefit of doing things God’s way today, we must continue to make choices that reflect our belief that “God’s way is the best”. Faith is when we have options to go either way but choose God’s route. When we do this, hope is built within us and we can joyfully look forward to the future; an assurance is set.

Yet, even veteran Christians sometimes choose to go the other way, much like“... the Pharisees and the lawyers [who] rejected God’s purpose for themselves…” (Luke 7:30). People like Jonah and Samson decided that their ways were better than God’s and they forfeited the hope God had for them. They did not settle in their hearts that doing things God’s way was the best. When we settle this issue in our hearts, we do not get so flustered by the myriad of choices and temptations we’re presented with.

Again, faith is having the assurance of things hoped for (the promises) and the conviction of things not yet seen. Therefore, it is so important that we…

3. STEWARD THE GIFT OF “CHOICE” WISELY.

In all of creation, we are the only creatures to whom God gave the powerful gift of choice. In fact, it is so powerful that we can even choose to veto God! If we steward choice wisely, it will lead to life; but if we don’t, it will lead to death. So does this mean that we are immune from problems if we do things God’s way? Absolutely not! God never said we would be immune but He did promise us an edge.

Here’s a tip to help us choose wisely and move through problems quickly. There are two sides to a problem: the negative side which focuses on the problem and the positive side which looks toward the resolution of it. Camping on the negative side of a problem too long brings about depression, discouragement and dissension. Sometimes people pride themselves on recognizing bad leadership or mistakes without moving towards the solution because it gives them the power to criticize others. On the other hand, faith is about moving as quickly as possible from the problem to the solution. This is where miracles can happen! Faith (and moving toward the solution) is where deliverance occurs, healing takes place, forgiveness is given, wholeness is restored and miracles run freely. Scripture confirms this, “Those who obey My commandments are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, My Father will love them, and I will love them. And I will reveal Myself to each one of them” (John 14:21 NLT).

If God knew that we could use choice for harm and destruction, why does He allow it? God allows it because He created us, His children, to commune in a love relationship with Him but in order to have real love, it must be a choice.  If we did not have a choice, it may be loyalty or duty, but it’s not real love.

In closing, let us ask ourselves again, “How do we live a life of faith?” We need to first recognize that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.…And without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:1-2, 6). God knew we would need help so He gave us mentors or those whom we can look towards for example and help. These include contemporary, historical, but most importantly, biblical mentors whose victories and defeats are recorded in the Bible so that we can gain wisdom from them. Our lives need to be filled with hope and faith because hope deeply desires God’s best for our futures and faith makes choices that reflect the assurance that God’s best is our best. It doesn’t mean that we are immune to problems but we do have an edge in dealing with them. Let’s be people who move quickly from problems to solutions and let us not forget to steward choice wisely because our eternities depend on it.

As you move through life making everyday choices in a spirit of faith, look forward to God’s promise that He will show up and expect a miracle as you put your faith in Him. Amen? Amen!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1.      Who do you consider your contemporary mentors and why?

2.      Name one of your historical mentors and describe what have you gleaned from them?

3.      What biblical mentor can you most identify with and why?

4.      Share about an issue you have been struggling with.  Are you handling it your way or God’s way?  Why is it a struggle?

5.      Faith is demonstrated daily in moving as quickly as possible from the problem to the [God’s best] solution. Discuss a situation you’re now facing where can you demonstrate your faith.  What do you believe is God’s best in this case?

Much mahalo to Liz Texeira who faithfully serves on the Sermon Notes ministry with the hope and assurance that her service will be used to bring about God’s best for all who now have a chance to receive His word.