This weekend we went to our pool at just our neighborhood pool with Colin and We had a lot of fun. We threw these rings and and we’d go find them and we’d jump off the side and We played catch with a ball and we played his favorite game, which is dad throws me. I Am NOT as good as throwing him as I was when he was little. I told him I used to get you a Lot higher in the air and he goes well, that’s before I can remember. But what I do when I go to the pool, I have this Admitted weakness.
It’s my eyesight You you may not know but I wear contacts because I have a horrible astigmatism That I did not have when I was younger, but that time I got to college I admitted I needed glasses when I could not see very well at night to to drive and so I Rely on that so much that at the pool I was wearing my contacts and I and I do this all the time but the chlorine gets there and we were there for a couple hours and I got home and my eyes were a little dry but I did not want to take them out because I wanted to have them in and I Took them out at night and in the middle of the night I woke up and I had this feeling like my contacts were still in my eyes As in does anybody have contacts and in there you ever leave them in and you wake up and it’s like oh Well, they weren’t in my eyes and I knew they weren’t in my eyes, but they were so dry From having them in the chlorine and leaving them in the next day I could not put my contacts in so I went to my backup plan and that is my glasses and My glasses are trifocals Ever since I turned 40 my one of my best friends from high school is my Optometrist and he ever since at 40 he was going it’s just a matter of time Just a matter of time and every year I’d come back and I go ha you’re wrong I don’t need reading glasses until the day He said it’s time for you to wear reading glasses and eventually replace my regular glasses with trifocals so I had those in and You see I also Wore my sunglasses at the pool, but they don’t give me eye protection from the water just from the Sun and I Realized That I care and lean on my eyesight so much Do you guys ever realize when you’re like that that you want to see you want to see clearly? I get my prescription updated every year so it can be crystal clear as far as I can see Bob wants me to see the clock back there very clearly and so the difference is as we are continuing our series talking about our Calling and our purpose that there is something in there where God says it’s not about your eyesight It’s not about what you see It’s really about what you don’t see that is important to our faith and to who we are Called into service as God’s Church What we don’t see is something that Noah was able to do that was so powerful that changed the whole world because of his faith This week we’re going to look at Hebrews 11 and then the first part of 12. I’m going to skip around We’re actually going to look at 11 1 through 3 6 and 7 and then 12 1 and 2 If you’re not familiar with Hebrews 11 I it’d be really awesome if this week you go back and pick up your Bibles and read Hebrews 11 and Hebrews 12 see what our forefathers in the faith did and How their faith made such a difference not only for them But for other people will you stand as you are able? Now faith is the the assurance of things hope for the conviction of things not seen For by it the people of old received their commendation By faith, we understand that the universe was created by the Word of God so that it was seen that it what is seen was not made out of things that are visible 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 by faith Noah being warned by God concerning events yet unseen in reverent fear constructed an arc for the saving of his household by this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith Therefore 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 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 the Word of God Inspired by God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.
Amen. You may be seated Now the author of Hebrews focuses on something all through chapter 11 It’s so cool because he says now faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things not Seen how can we be convicted with things not? seen I Mean seeing is believing Although I’ve seen a lot of things especially in the last few years that I can hardly believe The conviction of things not seen but it goes on it says by faith Abel offered God a more acceptable sacrifice By faith Noah by faith Abraham by faith each of these people Moses Gideon Barak Samson Jephthah and David and Samuel and the prophets by faith things that were unseen Now what’s really cool in this is the second verse or the third verse I should say says by faith We understand the universe was created by the Word of God Now the author of Hebrews says it’s really cool because there was nothing seen right the non-existent became Existent the invisible became visible you go back to all creation all that we have that there was a time where only one Could see the universe Only one could see The people in the earth and the animals and everything else and that was God and God could see What is non-existent and make it reality? faith is the hope for things longed for But the conviction of things unseen Unseen Faith it’s not about. Okay.
Well, this is what we’ve seen. So this is what will be true Faith is about knowing God and knowing that God brings things into existence That were not in existence before and God has Great plans when we trust in God’s calling and God’s purpose one hope was not in existence a little over a year ago and now it is in existence and For it to thrive We need to have faith and conviction in things. We cannot see If we look at this next slide Trusting as events in events as yet unseen Naturally feels naive.
You can’t see it. How do you believe me? I mean that is the essence of most of What we are told today? Faith seems naive the unseen is not Possible that there’s anything beyond it in and faith takes us another step beyond what we can see in front of us To see what God has in store for us to see amazing things that God has available Douglas McGray tells the story in the Atlantic of Chris Downey who had just started an architectural job as A successful design firm and a few weeks after he started the job. He noticed there was something wrong with his vision The doctors told him he had a tumor wrapped around an octet nerve Which required immediate surgery? After the surgery he could see with blurred sight, but five days later everything went dark Downey had become permanently blind Now what was his job? Do you remember an architect? So, how’s that gonna work? He tried to maintain his architectural work, but he couldn’t read the plans or use the design software Initially the limitations jeopardized its job until he found a blind computer scientist who had devised a way to read tactical tactile architectural plans and So Much to his surprise Downey discovered that his blindness actually gave him an unique way to observe interior spaces not with his eyes, but with his fingers as One of the company vice presidents would later say at first I thought okay.
This is going to be a limitation But what then I realized the way he reads drawings is The way we experience space Downey is now able to use his fingers to walk through a space and view it from a different and sometimes better perspective due to his blindness he can also envision new possibilities for the creative use of space as a result his limitations or weaknesses have become gifts and strength not only for himself, but for his community our calling Let’s put this up here. Let’s let’s say this together Our calling is to build a boat where people of every generation can experience God’s grace like Noah’s family and trust in Jesus who is our one hope from the overwhelming floods of life our Calling is like that of Noah And here’s what Hebrews says about Noah by faith Noah being warned by God concerning events As yet unseen in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household Noah had a faith to save When you have faith in God it can save now We normally think of our personal faith as in when I received Jesus and we are justified We are saved Can everybody agree with that? Amen, or a thank you Jesus or something that God does that and then we grow up in our faith and we have that But when we are on the path of sanctification When we are on the path of growth in our faith when we continue to be faithful We can have a faith to save to create the opportunity for others to be saved By faith through the grace of God in Jesus Christ Your faith can open the door to save others That is our calling Sometimes I Wrap my head around it. I think about it too much and I overcomplicate it Wanting to be so different and so unique and then I read in the book of Hebrews to see about the faith of our forefathers and realize that it is not new it is a Renewal of our faith that says our faith can open the door for others to be saved by faith Noah Saved his household.
He built an ark that saved his household we Can build a boat Where others can be saved? You know, sometimes we think about it like You know on mornings like this where we go. I wish everybody was back here I wish we could see some more new faces today And we need to pray for that stuff and pray for those who couldn’t be with us some of them are sick some of them Are dealing with family issues. Some of them are having a lot of fun and in all of that we are called To have faith to save We are called to have faith to save others It’s a different picture than we might have had with our whole church experience 2nd Corinthians 5 6 puts it like this So we are always of good courage We know that while we are at home in the body We are away from the Lord for we walk by faith and not by sight We walk by faith and not by sight that means our walk with Jesus is a walk of faith We know God sees things clearly We know that God has Wonderful plans, but we got to walk with God and continue to walk by faith With the faith of Noah we prepare for Jesus return Which is yet unseen.
I mean the rainbow promised that there would be no rain floods would not come but they did not promise that Jesus wouldn’t come again and God wouldn’t take up all of us who are in him so if We are going to be on a journey Where we build a boat that saves others that opens this up for others We look at the faith of our forefathers In fact if we look at the faith of John Wesley He said this untold millions are still yet untold I Love that just in and of itself untold millions are still untold you have one business to save souls Sometimes when we miss something Holly likes to say you had one job I don’t want to stand before Jesus and Jesus say to me you had one job to save souls to bring people to Jesus what I want you to do as We walk by faith and not by fight Thy sight as we have conviction of things unseen Close your eyes We’re gonna pray we’re gonna meditate. We’re gonna think about We’re gonna ask God to put images in our mind Images of things that are yet unseen. Where do we need to build? How can we build disciples of Jesus Christ How am I called and I say I meaning each one of you say I? to build the boat How am I called? How can you use me God this week to open the door So others can be saved How can salvation be our one job on this earth Lord we pray we can save souls We pray that people who are far from God would draw near to God through us We pray God that you would take our hands That you would take our feet that you would take our mouths that you would take our lives So we walk by faith and not by sight Give us a clear picture of what is unseen What do we need to do now God? What do we need to build? Who do we need to reach? What neighbor do I need to talk to what co-worker do I need to just share the love of Jesus What family member can I invite give us faith to save help us to trust in you in Jesus name Amen