First Lutheran Church
August 7, 2022 – The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. … By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore, from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”
All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
Sermon “By Faith”
Pastor Greg Ronning
“People get ready, there’s a train a comin’.
You don’t need no baggage, you just get on board.
All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin’.
Don’t need no ticket, you just thank the Lord.”
“People Get Ready” Curtis Mayfield, 1965.
“All you need is faith. ”Curtis Mayfield’s hit song from 1965, “People Get Ready,” echoes the theme found in today’s lesson from the Book of Hebrews. In recounting the story of Abraham and Sarah, the author of Hebrews encourages us to live “by faith.” “By faith” Abraham and Sarah set out for the promised land not knowing where they were going. “By faith ”they waited patiently on the promises of God, as sojourners, as strangers in a strange land. “By faith” even though they were beyond their childbearing years, “as good as dead,” they hoped and believed that one day their descendants would be as numerous “as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”
“All you need is faith,” but what is faith?
Sometimes faith is reduced to the list of things in which we believe. Sometimes faith is relegated to confessing the historic creeds of the church. “I believe in God the father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. ”As Lutherans we probably would add the words of Luther’s catechism, words we memorized in confirmation, answering the question, “What does this mean?” and responding, “This is most certainly true.” Sometimes faith is diminished to confessing creeds and assenting to doctrines, affirming who we believe Jesus was, and what his death and resurrection might mean for us and for the world.
And all that just might be a small part of our faith but confessing the creed and knowing my good Lutheran theology, in the end - just isn’t enough. Having my faith all worked out in my “head, ”having a systematic and intellectualized faith, is not enough by which to live! When the rubber hits the road, when I find myself between a rock and a hard place, when I need to be empowered, when I need to be impassioned, when that train comes down the track, when I want to hear those diesel engines hummin’; I need something more than a faith that lives solely inside my head, I need more than a list of the things that I believe. The conductor on that “train that’s comin ’”doesn’t want a “ticket,” he doesn’t want my “baggage, ”he’s looking for something else. Something that I possess that is more precious than my perfected doctrinal statements.
The author of Hebrews defines faith this way, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ”I imagine that most of us are familiar with this verse, this biblical definition of faith; but to be honest it’s not a very concise definition, it’s almost more of a riddle, it needs a lot of unpacking, and thus, sometimes, it’s not always helpful in a practical way.
So, what is the author of Hebrews trying to tell us about faith? As I mused over that text this week, in preparation for this sermon, the phrase that jumped out at me, the phrase I found helpful, was, “things hoped for.” Faith belongs to “things hoped for.”
“Hope,” at least metaphorically, does not belong to the head but to the heart. So it is that faith, the faith which we live by, the faith that empowers us, does not come from the set of beliefs that we ascribe to in our heads, but rather from the passion and dreams, “the hope,” that emanates from our hearts. Paul Tillich, one of the leading theologians of the 20th Century defined faith as “the state of being ultimately concerned.” Faith is not a static thing, like a list, but rather a dynamic thing, something that energizes and moves us. Faith flows from our ultimate concerns, from our deepest passions, from our human compassion, from the things that matter most, from the depths of our hearts. And such faith demands a response, such faith calls us into action. Faith is not something we sit with, but rather something we run with!
Each of us has been given the gift of faith, each of us can find in the depth of our hearts that ultimate concern which stirs up the image of God in which we were created, and the Kingdom of God that lies within us. The call to live “by faith,” is the call to go deep inside and discover that passion by which God is calling you to be a part the Kingdom that is at hand and the Kingdom that is coming again even now. To live “by faith” is to discover your unique calling, that which God has laid on your heart, that which is of “ultimate concern,” to you, the righteousness of God for which you hunger and thirst; -that which compels you into action.
This is the story of Abraham and Sarah. Our text highlights three components of the story …
One: “By faith Abraham obeyed …”In the twelfth chapter of Genesis God calls out to Abraham, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” And in faith Abraham obeys this calling, packing up and leaving his home, his land, his extended family, and his friends, leaving it all behind, to seek after the promise of God. He does not do all this - certain of the outcome, but he does all this “by faith,” faith that by definition includes a portion of doubt and a portion of fear. Abraham and Sarah do not make this decision in their heads, for the mind could never make such a poor decision, but rather from the heart. When God calls out to us to live “by faith,” don’t expect it to be a rational experience that makes complete sense; instead expect it to rise up from a struggle in your heart, an uncomfortable feeling in your stomach, a summons from which there is no escape. “By faith” Abraham and Sarah set out for the promised land not knowing where they were going. “By faith” we are called to set out on “ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths yet untrodden, through events unknown.”
Two: “By faith (Abraham and Sarah) stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, …) “By faith,” Abraham and Sarah overcame over their doubts and fears and did as God commanded. And for many years the dream did not manifest itself. They lived as sojourners, strangers in a strange land, they lived in tents without a “foundation.” Faith is not magic. Faith does not make life easy. In fact, you might argue that those who live “by faith” choose the harder way, “the road less traveled.” To live “by faith” is to be called into a long unknown journey that demands patience, the ability to embrace “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ”When God calls us to live “by faith” we are not being called to live without doubt, but we are called to live with hope in the face of doubt, patience in the presence of skepticism, and endurance even in our weakness. “By faith ”Abraham and Sarah waited patiently on the promises of God, as sojourners, as strangers in a strange land.“ \By faith” we are called to be “strangers in a strange land,” citizens of a kingdom that lies deep within us, waiting for the kingdom that is at hand.
Three: And finally, “By faith (Abraham) received the power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren.” In the fifteenth chapter of Genesis the Word of the Lord comes to Abraham in a vision, the Word of the Lord brought him outside and invited him, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” … “So shall your descendants be.” God has a way of doing things in unconventional and unexpected ways. “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” (Isaiah 11:1) “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46) “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43) Even though the scriptures describe Sarah as “barren,” and Abraham as “good as dead,” God is able to bring about the gift of life – in, with, and through - them! Those who live “by faith” will experience the unconventional nature of faith, the unexpected presence of God. “By faith ”Abraham and Sarah believed in the day when their descendants would be as numerous “as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.” “By faith” we are called not to second guess or limit the work of God because of our own perceived shortcomings but to be reminded that our faith, our passion, our ultimate concerns are “treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Each of us has been given the gift of faith, within each of us God has placed an ultimate concern which belongs to both you and to the Kingdom of God. Therein lies the soul of who you are truly meant to be in this world, the joy of life. Be not afraid, discover the passion that lies deep inside your heart, your faith, and let it call you out into the world with the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Doubt will enter your mind, faith and doubt must do their dance, but be of good courage and circle back to your heart and choose to live “by faith. ”The faith with which you have been gifted! May the love of Christ strengthen you as the journey before you begins to unfold this very day.
“People get ready, there’s a train a comin’.
You don’t need no baggage, you just get on board.
All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin’.
Don’t need no ticket, you just thank the Lord.”
Amen.