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Hebrews 11:06 Can God Be Pleased?
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Text: Hebrews 11:6
Two Truths That Can Give You Hope
Introduction
A. Even more disturbing than the signs of unbelief around us are the signs of shallow faith in many of us who do believe.
1. Too many are Christians in name only.
2. Too many of us are too far behind in our spiritual growth and development.
B. It is urgent that we take God more seriously.
1. We need to seek God more diligently – Hebrews 11:6
2. During this series of studies, we’re going to take an in-depth look at every key word in this text.
C. In this lesson, we want to focus on the idea of PLEASING God.
1. Frankly, this is an issue that we struggle with.
2. Discouragement is all too prevalent, especialy among those who seem to take God the most seriously.
3. Genuine hope sometimes seems to be the exception rather than the rule.
D. Can God be pleased? I want to present two truths that can give you real hope based on Hebrews 11:6
Body
I. TRUTH ONE: YES, GOD CAN BE PLEASED
A. In regard to this truth, two dangerous extremes need to be avoided.
1. At one extreme is the self-righteous approach.
a. The “Pharisee” is out of touch with the reality of his own sinfulness.
b. Two texts which address the self-righteous attitude: Isaiah 64:6; Luke 17:10
2. But at the other extreme is the doubting approach.
a. This person is out of touch with the reality of God’s grace.
b. He may doubt that God can be pleased by anybody — or he may just doubt that he can do it.
3. When we fall into these errors, we swing back and forth between pride and discouragement.
B. But the Scriptures teach that God can be pleased.
1. The example of Enoch — Hebrews 11:5
2. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace” – Numbers 6:24-26
3. “The Lord takes pleasure in His people; Hebrews will beautify the humble with salvation” – Psalm 149:4
4. “Well done, good and faithful servant” – Matthew 25:21
5. The possibility that we — yes, we! — can please God ought to warm our hearts with confidence.
II. TRUTH TWO: IT IS OUR FAITH THAT PLEASES GOD
A. What it means to please God by faith.
1. There are only two ways one can be “righteous” before God. In the Scriptures, these are called:
a. The righteousness of law.
b. The righteousness of faith.
2. Consider the contrast drawn in the Scriptures between these two ways of pleasing God.
a. The righteousness of law belongs to those who have never broken God’s law. To “live” by God’s law in this way, we would have to “keep” it completely – Leviticus 18:5; Galatians 3:10-12
1) But not having kept God’s law, this path is now closed to us.
2) If, as Christians, we try to use the law of God that we’re now under as a means of accomplishing our own salvation, we make the same mistake that Israel made long ago: we reject God’s way of making people righteous (the righteousness of faith) in order to pursue our own way of being righteous (the righteousness of law) – Romans 10:1-8 (especially vs. 3 and 5)
3) Even the sincerest effort to keep God’s law perfectly is a losing battle – Romans 7:19-24
4) There can be no hope for those who base their confidence on their keeping of God’s law!
b. The good news, however, is that God is willing to accept us on the basis of our faith rather than the perfection of our law-keeping – Romans 5:1-2; Romans 1:16-17; Romans 4:3-5
c. God could not do this, of course, if Christ had not died to atone for our sins – Romans 3:25-26
d. But Christ having died for the sins of mankind, a new kind of righteousness is made possible.
e. This righteousness of faith is the hope of the gospel of Christ – Philippians 3:8-11
3. Hebrews 11:5-6 is simply asking us to believe what the entire rest of the New Testament teaches: by faith we can please God!
B. Abraham is the great example of the righteousness of faith.
1. It was not the perfection of his obedience that God counted as Abraham’s righteousness.
2. Rather, Abraham “believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” – Genesis 15:6
3. This text is quoted no less than 4 times in the NT – Romans 4:3-5, Romans 4:20-22; Galatians 3:6-9; James 2:23
4. Abraham, then, stands as the spiritual forefather of all, from creation until now, who have sought to please God as he did: through faith – Galatians 3:6-9
C. The critical issue is trust — if we trust God as Abraham did, then we can please God – Hebrews 11:8-19
1. Trust is what was lost in the Garden of Eden, and trust is what we must return to!
2. Hence, obeying the gospel can be described as “trusting in Christ” – Ephesians 1:12-13
D. Thus, to our confidence is added the healthy balance of humility – Hebrews 4:16
Conclusion
A. It is extremely important to know that we can please God.
1. If not, we’re defeated before we start.
2. If not, we won’t seek God — we will run from Him.
B. Pleasing God ought to be our aim, our goal — our highest aspiration.
1. No higher goal. “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him” – 2 Corinthians 5:9
2. No more powerful goal. “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” – 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
C. The most powerful reason to repent and obey God is eagerness to please a Father who can be pleased!
D. The gospel of Christ is a gospel of HOPE — it is the message that we can come home to a God who wants to receive us and be pleased with us!
E. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” – Matthew 11:28-30
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Hebrews 11:01-07 Faith That Pleases God – audio
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Text: Hebrews 11:1-7
Introduction
1. A key concern in this epistle is that Christians must remain strong in faith
a. There is the danger of developing a heart of unbelief – Hebrews 3:12
b. It was the lack of faith that destroyed Israel – Hebrews 3:16-19
2. In chapter ten, we saw:
a. An exhortation to draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith – Hebrews 10:22
b. An admonition to have that faith which endures to the end – Hebrews 10:35-39
3. But one might ask:
a. What is this faith which leads us to draw near to God and endure to the end?
b. How does this faith manifest itself in the lives of those who possess it?
4. In chapter eleven, we find the answer to such questions
a. With a explanation of faith – Hebrews 11:1
b. With a warning of how necessary faith is to please God – Hebrews 11:6
c. With examples of Old Testament saints who demonstrated saving faith – Hebrews 11:3-40
Body
I. WHAT IS BIBLICAL FAITH? (Hebrews 11:1-3)
A. FAITH IS CONFIDENCE AND CONVICTION
1. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for… (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV)
a. The Greek word translated substance is hupostasis {hoop-os’-tas-is}
b. Literally, it means to stand under, i.e., to be a foundation
c. As translated in Hebrews 3:14, it means confidence; i.e., firm trust, assurance
d. Other translations illustrate that the main idea is confidence
1) Now faith is being sure of what we hope for… (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)
2) Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for… (Hebrews 11:1 ESV, Hebrews 11:1 NASB)
2. …the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:3 NKJV)
a. The Greek word translated evidence is elegchos {el’-eng-khos}
b. It means conviction
c. How other versions translate this phrase
1) Certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:3 NIV)
2) The conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:3 ESV, Hebrews 11:3 NASB)
B. PERTAINING TO THINGS HOPED FOR AND NOT SEEN
1. Faith is confidence about things hoped for, such as:
a. The coming of our Lord – Titus 2:13
b. The resurrection of the dead – Acts 24:15
c. It was this kind of confidence possessed by the OT elders that pleased God – Hebrews 11:2
2. Faith is conviction about things we have not seen, such as:
a. The existence of God: whom no man has seen or can see – 1 Timothy 6:16
b. How the world began: the worlds were framed by the word of God – Hebrews 11:3
c. Yet faith is that strong conviction that such matters are true
3. As expressed in verse 2, the elders obtained a good testimony because of their faith. The rest of the chapter is filled with illustrations of their faith. First, let’s look at the antediluvians.
II. GIVE ME SOME EXAMPLES OF FAITH (Hebrews 11:4-5, Hebrews 11:7)
A. THE TESTIMONY OF ABEL (HOW FAITH WORSHIPS)
1. By faith he offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain – Hebrews 11:4
a. The reference is to Genesis 4:3-5
1) Cain’s offering was of the fruit of the ground
2) Abel’s offering was of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.
3) It is said the Lord respected Abel’s offering, but not Cain’s
b. Why did God respect Abel’s offering, but not Cain’s?
1) It may have been that God had specified an animal sacrifice
2) It may be Cain offered left-overs, while Abel offered his best (the firstborn)
3) Cain’s attitude may have been wrong; he certainly showed himself prone to display envy and hatred, capable of murder!
4) Perhaps most likely, Abel offered his with faith while Cain did not
2. Through faith Abel obtained witness that he was righteous – Hebrews 11:4
a. God certainly testified of his righteousness in showing respect to his offering
b. Jesus also bore witness to the righteousness of Abel – Matthew 23:35
c. The apostle John also – 1 John 3:12
3. Through his faith, he being dead still speaks – Hebrews 11:4
a. His example of faith was written for our learning – Romans 15:4
b. His example of faith continues to warn us in regards to worshipping God
B. THE TESTIMONY OF ENOCH (HOW FAITH WALKS)
1. By his faith, Enoch was translated so that he did not see death – Hebrews 11:5
a. The historical reference alluded to is Genesis 5:21-24
b. Like Elijah, he did not experience death – 2 Kings 2:1-11
2. His faith was such that he pleased God – Hebrews 11:5
a. What God found pleasing is that he walked with God – Genesis 5:22, 24
b. His example of faith illustrates the value of walking with God throughout life
C. THE TESTIMONY OF NOAH (HOW FAITH WORKS)
1. By faith Noah, moved with godly fear – Hebrews 11:7
a. The scriptural background is Genesis 6:1-22
b. God warned him about things not seen (Hebrews 11:1); the coming flood
c. His confidence (faith) in what God said would happen prompted him to act with reverence toward God
2. By faith Noah prepared an ark for the saving of his household – Hebrews 11:7
a. His faith moved him to do according to all that God commanded him – Genesis 6:22; Genesis 7:5
b. Through such faith working, Noah
1) Condemned the world
a) His own example of faithfulness stood in stark contrast to others
b) His obedience magnified the lack of obedience in others
c) Just as Nineveh will condemn those who did not listen to Jesus – Matthew 12:41
2) Became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith
a) He received the standing of being right in God’s eyes
b) It was his faith that so pleased God!
3) Demonstrated that faith and works are not necessarily contrary to one another – Galatians 5:6; James 2:14-26
D. From the examples of these antediluvian elders we learn that the faith is a strong conviction that worships God properly, walks with Him in life, and works as He directs.
III. HOW IMPORTANT IS FAITH? (Hebrews 11:6)
A. WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD
1. We have seen how Abel, Enoch, and Noah obtained a good testimony by their faith
2. Of Enoch in particular it is said he pleased God – Hebrews 11:5
3. Whether we are worshipping, walking, or working, faith must be the motivating factor behind it all — Without faith, then, there is nothing we can do that will please God!
B. THE FAITH WHICH PLEASES GOD
1. Includes conviction that believes that God is
a. We must believe there is a God, and He is the God of the Bible
b. Though we do not see Him, we have conviction in things not seen – Hebrews 11:1b
2. Includes confidence that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him
a. We must believe that God acts on the part of those seek after Him
b. It is regarding such things hoped for, that we must have confidence – Hebrews 11:1a
3. Such was the faith seen in the lives of Abel, Enoch, and Noah; one might ask how we develop such faith today…?
IV. HOW SAVING FAITH IS DEVELOPED?
A. FAITH IS NOT THE RESULT OF FEELINGS
1. A common misconception is that faith is blind
2. That there is no logic or reason to faith, one simply believes
B. BUT FAITH AS DESCRIBED IN THE BIBLE IS THE RESULT OF EVIDENCE!
1. Faith in God is the result of evidence provided via creation – Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1
2. Faith in Jesus is the result of evidence provided via revelation – John 20:30-31
3. Certainly the antediluvians had such evidence, including God speaking to them directly!
C. TODAY, FAITH COMES BY HEARING THE WORD OF GOD – Romans 10:17
1. The word of God presents evidence to believe in God and Jesus
2. Such as fulfilled prophecy, eyewitness testimony, etc.
3. Through God’s word, we can develop the kind of faith which pleases God! – Romans 15:4
Conclusion
1. The faith which leads to the saving of the soul is one that includes:
a. A strong conviction that God is
b. A strong confidence that He will reward those who diligently seek Him
2. It is the same kind of faith that we see in:
a. Abel, in how he worshipped God
b. Enoch, in how he walked with God
c. Noah, in how he worked for God
3. Do you have that same kind of faith today?
a. If you don’t, let the Word of God create such faith in you
1) It can produce faith in the existence of God!
2) It can produce faith in Jesus as His Son who died for you!
b. If you do, then let it affect the manner in which you:
1) Worship God
2) Walk with God
3) Work for God
4) As revealed through His Son Jesus Christ
4. With the right kind of faith, we can have the assurance that:
a. God is pleased
b. We are heirs of the righteousness which is according to faith
c. We too will one day obtain a good testimony!
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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