Category: Sermon Page

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 11, 2022

“Sound Doctrine: Applying Law and Gospel” (1 Timothy 1:5-17)

Sound doctrine: When you hear that phrase, what comes to mind? Maybe you think of a proud, triumphalistic claim: “We in the Missouri Synod have the pure doctrine, not like those other churches!” Maybe you think of sound doctrine as having all your facts in order, in your head, in a sterile, intellectual way, unrelated to real life. Or you think of sound doctrine as unloving, not caring about people, only about guarding the truth. Well, I’m here to tell you that nothing, none of that, could be further from the truth.

This stereotype of a concern for sound doctrine as being cold and unloving, all head and no heart, impersonal, uncaring–this is a caricature that people use to excuse their lack of concern for right doctrine and practice. We are accused of being obsessed with “incessant internal purification,” at the cost of being “missional.” But that is not the case. In fact, in our Epistle today, from Paul’s letter to Timothy, we will see that concern for pure doctrine and caring for people–that these two go hand in hand. And so our theme this morning, “Sound Doctrine: Applying Law and Gospel.”

First, a little background on Paul and Timothy and this epistle: Paul, of course, is the apostle Paul, appointed by Christ to spread the gospel to the Gentiles and to oversee churches across the Mediterranean world. Timothy was Paul’s younger assistant and his apostolic representative when Paul was traveling elsewhere. That was the case when Paul writes this letter. Paul was needed in Macedonia, northern Greece, so he left Timothy behind in Ephesus to oversee the churches there. And so in this letter Paul has instructions for Timothy on how to handle matters there in Ephesus.

Our text begins. Paul says to Timothy: “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” Now what is this “charge” that Paul speaks of? Well, Paul had told Timothy to remain at Ephesus so that he, Timothy, might “charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine.” Which is to say, Paul had told Timothy to charge, that is, to command and sternly warn, certain persons not to teach any doctrine different from what Paul himself had taught.

Now in our day, people would say of this: “Who does Paul think he is? Isn’t he being rather haughty and arrogant, as though he thinks he has a corner on the truth? Shouldn’t people be able to teach whatever they perceive to be the truth? What is truth, anyway? Isn’t whatever you believe to be true your truth? You’re not allowed to say that anyone is wrong in what they believe!” That’s the attitude in our society today.

But that is not the biblical view. No, the Bible throughout teaches that there is truth and there is error; that the truth has specific, unchangeable content; and that we are not at liberty to mess with that. That’s the viewpoint St. Paul takes and we should take also.

So the charge that Paul had given Timothy to rebuke and correct false doctrine–that same charge, Paul says, is done out of love: “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” Insistence on sound doctrine is done out of love and the care of souls.

Doctrine has to do not only with facts about God, such as his divine attributes, getting the Trinity right, getting the person of Christ right–oh, it is all that, but there’s more to it than that. Sound doctrine also has to do with God’s commandments, his law, how God wants his human creatures to live. Doctrine has to get the law right, so that people will know what sin is and what God thinks of it. In our text, Paul says that the law is good and that it is laid down “for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.”

What jumps out at you in this list? To me, it’s that Paul lists as sinful behavior certain behaviors that are condoned or even celebrated in our day. For example, “the sexually immoral.” That covers all forms of sexual immorality–premarital sex, cohabitation, adultery, unscriptural divorce–anything outside of the marriage of one man and one woman for life. Of course, that teaching has fallen by the wayside in our lifetime.

And, even more specifically, what Paul lists next: “men who practice homosexuality.” “Oh, there, now you’ve done it, Paul! Now you’ve gone too far! You’re a homophobe! You’re guilty of hate speech! Go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.” You see, Paul has the audacity to say that homosexual behavior is a sin. And it is. But our culture says: “Love is love! Love wins! Celebrate LGBTQ! Pride! Let’s have a pride parade! A pride month! And if you don’t agree with us, we will cancel you out!”

But sound doctrine applies law to people so they can see their sin before God, even if society says it’s ok. Otherwise, if there is no sin, people will think they don’t have any need to repent. They’ll not see their need for a Savior. And that would be disastrous.

So let’s not limit our application of the law to just those bad people out there–the gays and the fornicators and the abortionists. Sure, they need to repent. But then so do we. We, the respectable, morally upright people–we need to see ourselves as sinners, always in need of a Savior.

Take Paul himself as an example. As Saul of Tarsus, he was as morally upright a person as you could find. Clean living, dedicated to God’s service, a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee devoted to the law–as zealous a young man as there was. But how does Paul reflect back on those days? He says, “formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent.” In his zeal, and thinking he was doing a service for God, Paul had gone exactly opposite of God’s will, going so far as to persecute the church of Christ!

So Paul recognizes himself as a sinner. It’s not just those bad people out there. In fact, Paul puts himself at the top of the heap, as the chief of sinners! But even as bad as he had blown it, God still had mercy on him. Paul writes: “The grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Friends, this is the gospel! This is the good news! Whether you have been a proud pervert or a proud Pharisee, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, which means . . . Christ Jesus came into the world to save you!

Who is this Christ Jesus? He is the very Son of God, one with the Father from eternity. Christ came into our world in the flesh, to do the great rescue mission, to save humanity. Jesus came and kept the law of God perfectly, as a man, fulfilling all righteousness, in our stead. Then this same Jesus of Nazareth went to the cross, willingly, to suffer and die as the sacrifice for your sins, shedding his holy blood to win your forgiveness. Christ then rose from the dead, showing his victory over sin and death–his resurrection life, which he now shares with you in your baptism. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” and this is who he is and how he does it.

By the way, did you notice that everything I just said is doctrine? Yet it’s the most wonderful, the most comforting, the most joyous and loving and caring thing I can say! “Sound doctrine” simply means “healthy teaching.” To teach the word of God in its truth and purity–this is the healthiest, the most beneficial–this is the best thing for you! For it steers you away from all sorts of false doctrine, with their dead ends. Sound doctrine applies the law of God to your life, so that you will see that you are a sinner, in need for a Savior. Sound doctrine, healthy teaching, then points you to your Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone can save you, and, thank God, he does!

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Do you qualify? I do. Paul did. And if God can save Paul, the foremost of sinners, he can certainly save you, no matter where you fall on the sinner scale. So, we’ll give Paul the last word here. He says: “But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 4, 2022

“Delightful Meditation” (Psalm 1)

Our psalm today, Psalm 1, begins as follows: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Today I want to tell you about the kind of meditation this psalm is talking about: what it is; why we delight in it; and how to do it. What, why, and how; so here we go. Our theme this morning: “Delightful Meditation.”

First of all, what it is. When you hear the word “meditation,” what do you think of? Maybe you think of someone sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat, with their fingers like this, and repeating a mantra like “Ommm. . . .” Well, this is not that. No, the meditation this psalm is talking about is not some clearing-your-head centering technique with no real content. Rather, this meditation is very much content-filled. It’s filled with the word of God. Notice, it says, “and on his law”–the law of the Lord, that is, the word of God–“he meditates day and night.” In this kind of meditation, the mind is engaged, and it is focused on God’s word.

Now a word about this word “law.” It says, “his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” When you and I as Lutherans hear the word “law,” we immediately think of the law as that which accuses us, as that which condemns us as sinners. The law as opposed to the gospel. And there are places in the Bible where the term is used that way. But here the word “law” is used in a broader sense. It’s the Hebrew word “torah,” which literally means “instruction.” So you could translate this verse, “his delight is in the instruction of the LORD, and on his instruction he meditates day and night.” “Torah” in this sense means all that the Lord teaches us in his word, both law and gospel. So “the law of the LORD” here means essentially the same thing as “God’s word.”

What is it to meditate on God’s word? It is more than simply letting God’s word go in one ear and out the other. It’s more than just a quick look at a Bible passage. Meditating on God’s word goes deeper than that. It means to go over and over that word of God in your mind. To ruminate on it. To ponder it and treasure it up in your heart. To meditate means to let the word sink down into your soul, so that it will strengthen your faith and change your life. That’s what it is to meditate on the word of the Lord.

And meditating on God’s word is not limited to one hour in church on Sunday morning. Certainly, it includes that, and you are here today for that purpose. But this meditation goes far beyond that. Our psalm says, “and on his law he meditates day and night.” Day and night, every day and every night, we have God’s word in our mind and heart. There are 168 hours in the week, and you don’t compartmentalize your life into one hour on Sunday for God’s word, and 167 other hours when you block it out of your mind. No, God’s word permeates your whole week. It saturates and invigorates your entire life.

Listen to what Moses tells the Israelites: “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” That is no compartmentalization. That is permeation, saturation, no time or aspect of your life left out. We teach God’s word to our children; we don’t just leave it up to the pastor. We talk about God’s word with others, with our family members, with our friends, in our homes, when we’re out and about–wherever, whenever, and with whomever. That’s how all-encompassing God’s word becomes for us. It’s the greatest thing we’ve got going in our life, and we want others to know this joy also.

So that’s the “what” of meditating on the word of God. Now we ask the “why”: Why do we delight in meditating on God’s word? What makes our meditation so delightful? Our psalm tells us. It says that the man who delights in meditating on the law of the Lord “is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

Now, to be sure, this is not saying that you will prosper financially or that you will have no troubles in your life. Indeed, your life may be full of trouble. But you will prosper spiritually. And when you go off in a wrong direction or stray from the right path, the law of the Lord will get you back on track.

God’s word will be the refreshing stream that nurtures and produces your fruitfulness. You will bear the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, and all the rest. No matter the problems in your life, you will have a joy that runs deeper than your circumstances. You may not always be “happy,” because “happiness” depends on what happens. But you will always have the joy of the Lord, because nothing or no one can take that joy away from you.

Delightful meditation: What makes it so delightful? Why is it so? Because you will be meditating on the good news of all that the Lord has done, is doing, and will do for you. It’s the wonderful gospel of God’s free grace in Christ. This is the golden thread running throughout all of Holy Scripture. This is the true treasure that God delivers to you, that he gifts you with, in his holy word. There is nothing greater or more precious than that! What a joy it is to hear that our heavenly Father has made us his own children, his own people, for the sake of Christ! That he cares for us, that he watches over us from day to day. What a joy it is to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the one who died on the cross to win our forgiveness, who has delivered us from the death and hell we deserve and given us his own righteousness and resurrection! What a gift it is to have the Holy Spirit implanting the word of God in our hearts and minds to keep us firm in the faith! What a delight it is to know we have the hope of heaven to look forward to, eternal life with our Lord and with all his people! Can there be anything more wonderful than these great blessings to occupy our mind and our thoughts? This is why meditating on God’s word is such a delight!

Of course, not everyone delights in God’s word. There are those who “walk in the counsel of the wicked, and stand in the way of sinners, and sit in the seat of scoffers.” But that is not you. But those folks surround us, don’t they? They’re all over the media. Don’t listen to them. Don’t fall in with them. That is the devil tempting you to drift away from God’s word. And your own sinful, self-serving, lazy flesh will want to keep you from meditating on God’s word. “Oh, it’s too boring. Oh, I’m too busy. Oh, I get enough of that at church. Oh, I’ll put it off till tomorrow.” Well, now you’ve gone “oh” for four, and that’s not a good average. But don’t give up! No matter how many times you’ve fallen, the Holy Spirit will pick you up again. God is gracious, and he doesn’t give up on you.

Delightful meditation: What it is, why it’s so delightful, and now, third, how to do it. And here I want to recommend to you some practical, specific suggestions. Notice that I’m holding in my hands three books that will help you tremendously in your meditating on God’s word. One is The Lutheran Study Bible. This is the best study Bible there is, and it will help you so much when there’s a passage you’re puzzled by or you want to know more about. Even if you don’t get the study Bible, at least have a Bible that you read and don’t just let gather dust. So first, the Bible, especially The Lutheran Study Bible.

Second, the catechism. This is Luther’s Small Catechism, with Explanation, the 2017 edition, which I recommend. With the catechism, every day you can meditate on the chief parts of the Christian faith: the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Sacraments. There are Daily Prayers to help you with your devotions. There’s a Table of Duties to guide you in your various vocations in life. There are Christian Questions with Their Answers to help prepare you to go to the Sacrament. And what’s more, this week I will begin a new round of catechesis, for those wishing to become communicant members and for those already members who want a refresher. Talk to me if you’re interested.

The Bible, the catechism, and book #3, the hymnal. Our hymnal is the Lutheran Service Book. And yes, we have copies in the pews, but it would be wonderful if we each had a copy in our home. Being familiar with our hymns and the various liturgical orders–singing our hymns, and not just on Sunday morning–this is a great and delightful way to meditate on God’s word. What does it say in Colossians 3:16? “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Through music, through singing, the word of Christ has a way of dwelling richly in our souls. That’s what you will find as you learn and enjoy our hymns. And again, this week we will be starting a class to help you to do that. I’m calling it “At Home in Our Hymnal: Understanding Our Liturgy and Hymnody.” The class will start this Tuesday, 3:30 at St. Matthew’s and 7:00 at Grace. Come, and I guarantee that you will grow in your knowledge and appreciation of what we do in church and what we sing in our hymns. By the way, even if you don’t have a piano or an organ in your home, there are ways you can still hear the music to sing along with the hymns, what with the internet, CDs, etc. And I can help you with that.

The Bible, the catechism, and the hymnal–three books that all of us should have in our homes and put to good use. Those are some suggestions on the “how.” The “what,” as we said at the outset, is that we meditate on God’s living, life-giving word, which he wants each one of us to know and to grow in and to apply to our lives. But what will lead us to do this eagerly–that is the “why.” Why is this meditation so delightful? Because it tells us–and plants deeply in us–the wonderful good news of what God has done, is doing, and will do for us for the sake of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters in Christ, as our Lord himself says: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” This is delightful meditation, dear friends, and this is God’s gift to you!

Guest: Rev. Matthew Wood

“Remember Your Leaders, Those Who Spoke to You the Word of God” (Hebrews 13:7, from the Epistle for the day, Hebrews 13:1-17).

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
August 21, 2022

“God’s Open, Narrow Door” (Luke 13:22-30)

In our text today, someone asks Jesus a question: “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” Well, that seems like a reasonable question, something you might ask a visiting rabbi. An interesting academic question, to be sure: “Are only a few people going to be saved?”

But what was the question behind the question? Why did the guy ask this? Let’s consider the possibilities. Was it just idle curiosity, like, “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” Could be. Or maybe this fellow thinks God is too loose, letting in all the riff-raff he sees hanging around Jesus. A righteous God shouldn’t be that soft in his justice.

On the other hand, perhaps he asks his question in order to put God on trial. Maybe he thinks God is too strict. If God were really a decent God, he would let everybody in. You know, there are lots of people who think that way today. “God wouldn’t dare to send anybody to hell! The God I believe in wouldn’t do that!” That’s how people think today.

Another possibility: Maybe the questioner is trying to trap Jesus with his question. We know elsewhere in the gospels that that sort of thing happened. Jesus’ enemies were out to get him, and they tried to trap him into saying the wrong thing.

But it’s also possible the man’s question was neither purely academic nor a trick to trap Jesus. It could be a sincere question on the personal level for this man. Maybe he was genuinely worried about himself, that he wouldn’t make it. “Lord, will those who are saved be few? Because if that’s the case, then I’m not so sure I’m good enough to qualify.” Despair could be driving his question, and he was looking for the slightest sliver of hope.

On the other hand–now how many hands is this?–on the other hand, it could be pride. Pride, as in: “Hey, look at me! I’m one of the few, the proud, the saved! I’m better than all those lowlifes who aren’t as righteous or holy as I am. God must be pleased with me1”

In any case, we’re not told what the man’s motivation was for asking the question. What we do know is how Jesus answered it. Or didn’t answer it. You see, Jesus doesn’t actually answer the man’s question. The man had asked, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” But Jesus doesn’t directly address that. Instead, he says: “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”

Jesus turns the man’s question around. He doesn’t let it stay on the academic or theoretical level. He makes it very personal. “You ask, Will those who are saved be few? Not many or few but you!” It’s as though Jesus tells the fellow: “So you’re concerned about how many people are going to be saved? Well, start by looking in the mirror. Are you going to be saved? True, there’s a danger that many people will not be saved. But don’t let that happen to you. See, here, I’m warning you–yes, you, here today!”

“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Now what is this “door” that Jesus is talking about? It is the door to salvation. It’s the door to eternal life. It’s the door to the kingdom of God, the household of God, and the heavenly banquet. And many will not be able to enter, even though they will try. Jesus doesn’t tell us how many, or what the proportions will be, just that many will not make it. The door will be closed to them at that time.

You see, there will come a time when it’s too late. That will happen at the end of time, at the Last Day and the final judgment, when Jesus comes again. And until that time, the end will come for each one of us at our death. After that, it will be too late to repent, too late to enter through the door. So, make sure that you attend to such matters now, before it is too late. Death could come for any one of us at any time.

The Bible says, “Today, if you hear his voice, harden not your heart.” Any time and every time you hear God’s voice, open your heart and heed what he says. Don’t stop your ears and run the risk that the next time it will be too late. There may not be a next time. And even if there is a next time, by then you may be so used to saying “no” to God that you won’t be able to say “yes.” Listen, God is calling. He’s calling you today to repent and be saved. The door is open now, now while you have ears to hear.

“Strive to enter through the narrow door.” There is a door to go through to enter the kingdom of God, but what kind of door is it? Jesus says it’s a narrow door. It is narrow, and notice, there’s just one such door. There are not many doors. But that’s what many people think, that there are many doors to God. You can pick door #1, door #2, or whichever door you choose. You prefer the door of the Christian religion; someone else picks the Jewish door. The Muslims believe in God, just in their own way. Buddhists, Hindus–many faith traditions, many doors. Or maybe you have no faith at all. You don’t believe in “organized religion.” Well, that’s OK, too. You make your own door, your own “spirituality.” It’s your door, whatever works for you. That’s the prevailing message of our postmodern, hyper-tolerant culture. But that idea is simply dead wrong.

Now to be sure, “many shall come from the east and the west,” that is, there will be many saved from every language, tribe, people, and nation. But all those who are saved will be saved in the same way: They all will have come in through the same narrow door, the one door that God has provided for all men everywhere, namely, God’s only Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus says there is only one door, and it is a narrow one at that. Not everything will fit through. This narrow door has no room for your pride or your accomplishments. No room for your money or possessions. No room for anything you think will earn your way in. This narrow door has a “fraud detector,” too. A mere surface association with Jesus will not make it in: “Lord, open to us. We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.” But the master of the house will turn them away: “I don’t know you or where you come from. Depart from me!” With this door, there’s no sneaking past security.

Nevertheless, you, today, come in through the narrow door. There’s just room for you and Jesus, with Jesus leading the way. In fact, Jesus is the way. He says: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.” Again, Jesus himself is the door: “I am the door for the sheep. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved.”

You see, there is just one door, and it is narrow. But that door is open now, and it leads to salvation! Come in through the way that is Jesus, the new and living way that he opened for us, in his flesh. Christ, the only Son of the Father, took upon himself all our sins, which would block us out and exclude us from God’s presence. Christ’s perfect sacrifice now having been made, the way for us sinners no longer is blocked. It is as open as the empty tomb with the stone rolled away. Christ has overcome the sharpness of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. The door is open! Jesus is our open door!

Come in through God’s open, narrow door. But why does Jesus say, “Strive to enter”? If there’s no room for our works, our efforts to save ourselves, then isn’t that a contradiction? “Strive to enter”? I thought being saved was giving up on our efforts and instead trusting Jesus to do the work for us? Well, yes, it is. But entering through the door still is an effort, it still is a struggle. For we still strive and struggle against our own sinful flesh. Our Old Adam is at war with the new man. So we struggle every day with sin and temptation. We do battle against the devil, the world, and our flesh. That’s why the way of salvation involves a certain striving. And that’s what Jesus means when he says, “Strive to enter.”

“Strive.” The Greek word here is “agonizomai,” from which we get our word, “agonize.” It was used of athletes in competition. They “agonize” to win the prize. Same with us. We “agonize,” we sweat and strive and struggle. We press on to run the race, keeping our eyes on the prize, the crown of life that God will award us for Christ’s sake. The paradox of the Christian life is that it is both a gift and a struggle at the same time. “Strive to enter through the narrow door.”

We started this message with the question: “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” But this is no time for a mere academic exercise. The question is, rather: Will those who are saved include me? And God is not the one who’s on trial here. You are. How are you going to fare in his heavenly court of justice? Will you be able to enter his kingdom?

Yes. Thank God, yes! The door is narrow, but the door is open. And it is open right now, for you. “Behold, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” Right now, as you hear the living voice of the gospel, God is opening his door to you. God is speaking to you, inviting you in, welcoming you home with open arms.

If the question is, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” then Jesus’ answer is, “You who are hearing me today, come in through me and be saved while there is still time.” Yes, come to the feast of salvation, enter the kingdom of God, through God’s open, narrow door.

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 14, 2022

“By Faith Let Us Also Run the Race” (Hebrews 11:1 – 12:3)

Whether you like it or not, you are in a race. It’s a long-distance race, more like a marathon than a sprint. It will not be easy. It will take endurance to complete the course. Do you have what it takes? That’s an important question, because it is imperative, it is absolutely necessary, that you make it to the finish line. If you don’t, if you drop out of the race, you lose everything. But if you do cross the finish line and reach the goal, you will gain a victory that is better than any other. That’s how important this is.

So to find out that there are others who have run the race and reached the finish line, you might want to know what their secret was. And, surprisingly, it’s not because they were all such talented runners. In fact, they were people just like you and me. Which gives us hope that we too can make it to the end. And so our theme this morning: “By Faith Let Us Also Run the Race.”

Our text is from the Book of Hebrews, a combination of last week’s Epistle, the first part of Hebrews 11, along with today’s reading, the rest of chapter 11 and the beginning of chapter 12. It makes for a long reading, but then, this is a long race we have to run.

Hebrews 11 is the famous chapter known as the “Hall of Fame of Faith.” It is a remarkable run-through of the whole of the Old Testament, highlighting the well-known heroes of the faith that you may recall from your Sunday School lessons. Abraham, Moses, David, and many more, are cited as examples of those who accomplished amazing things as they ran the race set before them. But what is it that enabled them to do these amazing things?

Well, look at the refrain that runs throughout this chapter. Do you see it? Take a look: “By faith Abel. . . . By faith Enoch. . . . By faith Noah. . . . By faith Abraham. . . . By faith Sarah. . . . By faith Isaac. . . . By faith Jacob. . . . By faith Joseph. . . . By faith Moses. . . . By faith Rahab. . . .” In all, the phrase, “by faith,” or its equivalent, “through faith,” occurs over twenty times in the forty verses of Hebrews 11. It seems a point is being made.

And the point is not that all these people were superhuman golden saints who had no flaws. No, not by a longshot. You know, sometimes we refer to these folks as “heroes of the faith.” Well, that’s something of a misnomer. These Old Testament characters did not always live such heroic or virtuous lives. One of the distinctive features supporting the authenticity of the Bible, compared to texts from other religions, is that the Bible lets us see these people in their full humanity, warts and all.

For instance, Abraham at one point got impatient waiting for God to deliver on his promise, so he took up with a concubine and had a son by her. Sarah laughed at the idea of her having a child at her age. Jacob was a trickster who cheated his brother out of his birthright and blessing. Moses killed a man in anger. The people who crossed the Red Sea worshiped a golden calf and were always grumbling and complaining. Rahab had been a prostitute. Samson let himself get seduced and lost his strength as a result. Jephthah made a rash and impetuous vow that cost the life of his daughter. David–David, for goodness’ sakes!–King David was an adulterer and a murderer!

So these were not perfect, faultless superheroes. No, in many ways they were people just like you and me. And yet they overcame many obstacles and pressed on and eventually reached the finish line. So there’s hope here for stumbling saints the likes of us. I know I’m no superhero. Oftentimes in my life I have taken a wrong turn before getting back on course. Oftentimes I have tripped and fallen, or just felt like giving up, and then I had to pick myself up and get going again. Maybe you can look at your own life and see the same.

I know I’m no superhero, but I also know I have the same thing that enabled those saints of old to run the race and finish the course. And that’s faith. Now the faith that enabled them and will enable you and me to run the race–this faith is nothing that you have to come up with on our own. Faith is not some magical quality in you that you have to muster up by dint of your determination and firm resolve. If that were the case, you could never be sure that you had faith enough. It would be a rather shaky foundation on which to build.

Rather, the firm foundation for your faith is found in God’s almighty, infallible, and trustworthy Word. God’s word of promise is utterly reliable. You can stake your life on it. You can stake your eternal salvation on it. “How firm a foundation, O saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!”

The saints of Hebrews 11 were not perfect people, and neither are we. But they and we have God’s perfect promises to rely on. That’s what it means to run the race and reach the goal “by faith.” God’s word of promise will sustain you and strengthen you as you look toward the finish line and see the goal that is in store.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation.” That’s the way it was for those Old Testament saints. They had received God’s promises, but they were still waiting for the arrival of the things promised when they died. “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar.”

God had given the promise of a Savior to come, who would stomp on the serpent’s head and reverse the curse of death–God had given that promise ever since the fall into sin. And that promise was reinforced and refined time and time again over the centuries. To Abraham the promise was that through Abraham’s seed–that is, through Isaac and Jacob and the tribes of Israel–all the families of the earth would be blessed. To King David the promise took further shape that David’s son, one of David’s descendants, would reign as the great messianic king, who would rule over an everlasting kingdom of glory and blessing. These Old Testament saints had the promise of the coming Christ, and by faith they were looking forward to his coming, but they didn’t live long enough to see him arrive.

We in the New Testament era have seen him arrive. But even for us, we still need to live by faith. We have not seen with our eyes Jesus performing his miracles of healing. We have not heard with our ears Jesus preaching and teaching. We have not seen Jesus risen from the dead, like his apostles did. But we have their testimony. And their New Testament witness–along with the testimony of that whole cloud of Old Testament witnesses–their witness rings true to ears opened by the Holy Spirit. God creates faith in our hearts through his living. life-giving, and efficacious Word.

“Therefore,” our text says, as we move into chapter 12, “since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” This is a spiritual race, so even an old guy with achy knees like me is able to keep going. But it being a spiritual race doesn’t mean it’s any less challenging. In fact, it is more so. You have the devil, the world, and your own sinful flesh working against you. They would pull you off course, discourage you, and get you to quit and give up. Don’t listen to them. Keep on running. If you fall, get back up. God will help you. Keep on running, keep on running.

And keep your eyes on the prize. Keep your focus on Jesus. “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus came to complete the race set before him, and how blessed we are that he did! Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem. He knew the suffering and agony that awaited him there. Still, he went. He was determined to do the will of his Father and to win your salvation. It meant the way of the cross. But this was the only way for him to gain your forgiveness, by shedding his blood on your behalf, as the sacrifice for your sins. This is how Jesus defeated death for you, as his own resurrection shows forth. Knowing what his sacrificial death would accomplish–namely, the salvation of the world and your eternal life–this was the joy set before him that gave Jesus the strength to endure.

Now risen, ascended, and seated at the right hand of God, our Lord Jesus is the founder and perfecter of our faith. He is the founder. His life, death, and resurrection–this is the sure foundation of our faith. He is the perfecter of our faith. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, keep attentive to his word, as week after week you come here to receive his forgiveness and be strengthened in your faith. Keep looking to Jesus, and you will be amazed at how God is able to keep you–like the saints who have gone before us–how God is able to keep you running the long-distance race set before you with endurance.