The Book of Hebrews describes the heroes of our faith and explains how those heroes exemplified the only way to live.

Hebrews 10:38 says, “Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”

Many of us are plagued with worry, guilt, or loneliness; but there is not one problem that faith does not have an answer for. This is why it is crucial that we know what faith is, and how to have it.

Faith is not blind superstition, positive thinking, or a feeling of optimism. Rather, it is confidence that rests in hope, conviction that sees the invisible, and communication that comes from Heaven.

Hebrews 11:1-2 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.”

Faith can’t be altered by appearances or fettered by feelings. Our emotions are the shallowest part of our nature, while faith is the deepest work of God. And in a world that must see to believe, the Bible instructs us to believe in order to see. Faith is not limited by logic; it simply goes beyond it and becomes its own best logic.

We must also understand the dynamics of our faith. Adrian Rogers explains, “Faith is the heart’s response to the character of God.” Only after we accept God through faith will we receive the wisdom to understand His works and the ability to worship. Faith—not fame or fortune—is the medium of exchange in the kingdom of God.

Finally, a life of faith is destined to find, follow, and finish the will of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”

To win this race, we must be motivated by the saints of old and separated from the weight of the world. Repenting of our sins, we run the race of life with our eyes set on the Savior above.

Apply it to your life
Is your faith real, growing, and developing through wisdom and worship? Are you actively finding, following, and finishing the will of God?

worry is a mild form of Atheism. Worry is a way of saying God. This problem is too big for you or if there’s a God at all, you’re not able to handle it. And so I worry is just faith turned inside out and faith is worried turned inside out. And if if you’re prone to work, you need to strengthen your faith. Adrian Rogers ability to apply biblical truth to everyday life was one of the many things that made him such a remarkable pastor teacher and writer today on love worth finding. He’ll be bringing that uniqueness to this series of messages that were calling champions of faith. Have your bibles open to hebrews chapter 11 and join us for today’s message. And if this message is an encouragement to you, remember you can stream this message again and download Pastor Rogers outlined notes and other resources to go along with this message all at L WF dot org. Now let’s join Adrian Rogers the time of the message. The only way to live, we live in an age where we have a lot of people who are called stars, movie stars and we have a lot of people who called idols, sports idols. In my humble but accurate opinion, we have too many stars and too many idols and not enough heroes. I’m going to be talking to you today about heroes, bible heroes. Title of this theories that we’re going to be in is this Champions of Faith. Champions of faith and we’re going to study primarily in the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews about champions of faith. But that chapter is set up by Hebrews Chapter 10, if you’ll find that for just a moment, And I want you to notice verse 38 Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 38 here is a great statement and it is so abundantly and eminently true. Now, The Just Shall live by faith. The Just shall live by faith. Now, that friend is a quotation from the old testament. It’s a quotation from the book of her baca Harbach was perplexed. He lived in a day of violence, a day of degradation, a day of apostasy, a day of danger and he bombarded heaven. And he wanted God to answer, he wanted God to explain things so he could get along in life as it is. And God said back, you couldn’t understand if I told you what I’m up to. You think I’m not working, I’m working. And a box here is your responsibility. You are to live in this uncertain age by faith. So, in our study today, we’re going to look, we’re gonna leave chapter 10 We’re going to come over to chapter 11 And we’re going to think about faith what it is and how to have it and the elements of faith. Now, first of all, I want us to look in chapter 11 at what I’m going to call the description of a life of faith. Now, faith is the only way to live the just shall live by faith. And hear God describes faith notice in hebrews 11 verses one and 2. Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen for by it. The elders obtained a good report and as we describe faith today, I think it’s very important. First of all that we understand what faith is, not before we learn what faith is. Faith is not blind superstition, nor is faith closing your eyes to reality. The little boy said, faith is believing what you know ain’t so no, no, that’s not faith, faith is not positive thinking or feeling of optimism. I like to be around positive thinkers. I like to be around optimists. I don’t like to drive and get behind a person who thinks before they get there, the lights gonna turn red and by the time they do it has to do you ever get behind those kind of people? I don’t like I don’t like to be around negative people. I know people who brighten up a room by leaving it. I like to be around optimistic people, but but faith and optimism maybe in some way tan general, but they’re not the same. Faith is not positive thinking or optimism. It may lead to that faith is not a leap in the dark to the contrary, it is stepping in the light and faith is not faith and faith the bible says have faith in God, it doesn’t that say have faith and faith Sometimes people will tell you just believe as if believing will make it. So believing will not make it. So now we’re talking about what faith is not. What is faith? Well, he tells us here that faith is three things. And I want you to get these words down in your heart. First of all confidence, conviction and and confession. Now I want you to get these in your heart. First of all it is a confidence that rest in hope. Look at it. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Well pastor, why did you call it confidence? Well this this word. It means assurance actually it was used in the language of this day for a title deed. If you had a piece of property or an inheritance that you have not yet seen. But you had the deed, you had the assurance of that which you have not yet seen. But you want to have that something that your hope is in. And so uh faith is a confidence. It is not a will of the wisp sort of a thing. It is, it is substance, substance something beneath that we stand on when we live by faith we’re it’s not smoke and mirrors were not walking around on eggshells and jello it. There is as I’ve said, substance, confidence. Now it is the confidence that rests in hope. The word hope. Look at it there, the word hope doesn’t mean perhaps, nor does it even mean wish, nor does it mean desire. Listen very carefully or you’ll miss the whole thing. The word hope in the bible means rock ribbed assurance based on divine revelation. For example, the Second coming of jesus is called the blessed. What the blessed hope is that is that the blessed maybe? Oh it is rock rib assurance beast on the promises, the word of God. Now, faith therefore is the title deed. The confidence that what God has said is true and God will perform it. Now listen very carefully. There is no legitimate faith without hope and there is no legitimate hope without faith. These cannot be separated. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Put down the word uh confidence. Secondly, I think not only of confidence, but conviction. Faith is a conviction that sees the invisible Now, here we, we read it here. Faith is the evidence of things not seen now. That word evidence may remind you of a Colombo, that kind of his rumpled overcoat looking around for something. What is akin to that, But actually this word evidence literally means conviction, conviction. Now, what what it means is that if you have faith in your heart, there is a conviction of something that you have not yet seen. But it is there it is, it is an absolute confidence that leads to a conviction even though you have not yet seen it, you don’t have to see it for it to be real friend. There is an invisible world, that invisible world is electronically all around us right now there are movies and newscasts and music and all of that in the air, but we just don’t tune it in right now. But it’s all there there is an invisible world out there, listen to colossians 1 16 for by him by jesus were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible don’t make a mistake of thinking that everything is that that is real is communicated to us by the five senses. No, there is a 6th sense, there is another world, there is an invisible world. Now, what does faith do? Listen carefully? This is important to you. It’s the only way to live. Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen. You can treat the future as present and you can treat the invisible as seen by faith. Now the bible says, you’re delivered by faith. And then the third thing is it is a communication that comes from heaven. Now hebrews 11 and verse two says by four by year, that is by faith, the elders received a good report. That doesn’t mean they made straight A’S as a matter of fact, it doesn’t talk about what they did at all. It talks about what happened to them. They received a good report, that is God spoke to them out of heaven. it doesn’t deal with their reputation. Now. Maybe they should have gotten straight A’s But that’s not what it deals with. The good report means that they heard from heaven that God spoke to them. It is not their reputation. But God’s revelation that has spoken of here, that God speaks to them. They were conscious of God testifying to them. Now, if you put this confidence and this conviction and this communication together, when they come together, then you have something in your heart. Inexplicable, but glorious and wonderful. And it is called faith. And that is the only way to live. You will live by faith. Now, we’ve talked about the description of faith. Let’s talk secondly, let’s let’s shift gears. All right, put it in another gear. And let’s talk about the dynamics of a life of faith. Let me tell you how dynamic faith is. You see, we live by faith. First of all, faith is the dynamic of spiritual wisdom. There are things that you will never understand apart from faith. Now look, if you will in verse three through faith, we understand, don’t you like that, don’t you like that through faith. We understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God. So that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear plain english the visible was made out of the invisible. Now God in the bible is not explained. God is not argued. God is just simply presented and God must be accepted by faith go down to diverse six. Hebrews 11 and verse six for without faith it is impossible to please him for he that comes to God must believe that is we’re talking about wisdom. Now, faith is a dynamic and spiritual wisdom. It is the dynamic in spiritual worship. Look again in verse six, but without faith it is impossible to please him. Worship is pleasing to God for he that cometh to God must believe that he is. Now you say God, you prove yourself to me and I’ll serve you. No no no no. God’s not going to prove himself to you. He’s not under any obligation to prove himself to you. Faith is not a response to proof, that’s what thomas demanded. And jesus said, thomas you’ve seen and you believe blessed or they have not seen, but they believe what is faith? Faith is the heart’s response to the character of God. When your eye is right, it responds to light when you’re here is right. It responds to sound when your heart is right, it responds to God. And that response is called F. A. R. T. H. Faith, fame. And so faith friend is the heart’s response to God. That’s the reason the bible says, beware lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, unbelief never comes out of the head. Unbelief comes out of the heart, Faith is the dynamic of spiritual worship. Faith honors God and God honors faith. Now, here’s the third thing we’re talking about the dynamic of faith and and we say it’s the it’s the dynamic and spiritual wisdom, it’s the dynamic and spiritual worship and it is the dynamic and spiritual wealth and spiritual wealth, look again in Hebrews 11 6, but without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is now watch this and that he is a reward er of them that diligently seek him. Well, how do you seek him by faith, jesus said, be it unto you? According to your what nobody knows, be it under you, according to your faith. Thank you. Hello, Okay, now, not according to your fame, not according to your feeling, not according to your future, not according to your fortune, not according to your friends, not according to your fate, but according to your faith. Be it unto you. Faith is the medium of exchange in the kingdom of Heaven. If you pray without faith, you don’t get an answer. What thinks if you desire, when you pray believe that you receive them and you shall have them pray believe you receive praying, doubt you do that. Now God is a reward er of those who diligently seek him. Faith is the dynamic of spiritual wealth. How spiritually strong are you? How wealthy are you? How many what kind of reserves do you have? Well, it is all according to your faith. Now let’s move to the 3rd and final point. And we’ve talked about the description of faith, We’ve talked about the dynamic of faith. Let’s talk about the destination of a life of faith. You see, life is a journey we’re headed somewhere and it is not a casual journey. It is a race. Now, notice here in Hebrews 12, let’s go. And we’re gonna skip all of these champions of faith, because we’re gonna come back and take them one by one. All we’re doing now is just laying the groundwork. Okay, All right now, here in chapter 12, It’s kind of a conclusion to all of this vs. one and 2. Wherefore seeing we also come past about with so great a cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience. The race that is set before us looking unto jesus. Now watch this, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross despising the shame and to set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Now the life of faith, the only way to live is a life that has a destination. It is like a race. It has a goal. Now faith helps us to find that goal which is the will of God. Do you know what life is all about? It is defined to follow and to finish the will of God to find to follow and to finish the will of God that my friend is the destination of faith, that’s what faith is all about now. How are we going to do that? Well, very quickly, I want to mention some ways. First of all, we have to be motivated by the Saints around us were to be motivated by the Saints around us. Listen, he says, seeing were compact about with so great a cloud of witnesses. There they are, you can’t see them. But just as those people up there in the balcony looking down on us, all around us in the heavenly gallery there in the stands, a great cloud of witnesses. These are the champions of faith who have gone before now there they are in the ring of honor up there, looking down and we happen to be on the field being watched by the gallery of the great and they are cheering us on as we run the race. Abraham moses daniel, they’re up there in heaven saying go Adrian, go, go cheering us on and that’s the reason I’m going to bring this series of messages on these champions of faith And so they can encourage you were to be motivated by the Saints around us. Number two were to be separated from the surplus upon us. Now many of us are carrying extra weight. The bible says we are to lay aside every wait Now, these are not sins. These are weights. In the olden days, I used to be on the track team Tehran and when I would run I would get the lightest shoes I could get. And just a pair of very light shorts to wear and and a shirt didn’t even have sleeves in it. Just like a shirt made of light milan. And to get down there with your hands spread out and your feet there on that starting block, every muscle ready to go, headed toward the goal. Now, one thing I did not do. I never ran with an overcoat on. Never anything wrong with overcoats. Not a thing in the world. Nice to wear in cold weather. But if you’re in a race, what do you do? You lay aside every weight. Everything that is superfluous. If you want to be a success in life, don’t get in the kindergarten stage of saying, is this right or is this wrong? Is this lawful or is this unlawful? Forget that? You ask yourself, is this thing a weight or is it a wing and friend? Never exchange wings for weights. There’s some things that are not bad in and of themselves. Would you just have to say? That’s not for me? Not if I want to run this race. There are certain things that I am going to do without. I am to be motivated by the Saints around me. I am to be separated from the surplus that is upon me. Any extra baggage? # three, I’m to be liberated from the snares beneath me were to be liberated from the snares beneath us. The bible also mentions and the sin which does so easily beset us. All of us know what a besetting sin is. It’s something we’ve been wrestling with. Ah for a long time. Actually, this word beset means to entangle you. It’s something that would trip you up when you’re running a race. Ask what it is that keeps tripping you up. Where do you keep falling? Now notice what it says it says. Lay it aside, lay it aside. Come to grips with it be done with it. You know what the great enemy of faith is? It is sin beware lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief. You say I have intellectual problems. No, you don’t. You have dirty rotten sin. I told you that your heart will respond in faith when your heart is right. Now. If you’re having trouble with faith, try repentance in the bible. It always comes this way. Repentance and faith never. Faith and repentance. Repentance. And faith! Try repentance. Get your heart right, Get the sin out of your life and you’ll be surprised how quickly the flowers of faith will grow when you get the scent of the soil of your life. Lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us. Well, you say, you know this, this this little sin I have. It’s so precious. Is it, is it worth God not answering your prayers? Is it worth a right relationship with God? Is it worth not being a mighty power for God? Is it worth it? No. Lay it aside, be done with it Now. Next friends would be activated for the race before us. Notice, he said, we’re to run with patience. The race that is before us, patience means determination. God does business with those who do business. God has a course for you. God has set a race before you and you to get on the track, last of all, be dedicated to the Savior above us. Look, if you will in hebrews 12 2. Looking unto jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. Looking under jesus friend, listen to me. It’s not great faith in God that you need. Oh, we all want great faith in God. But that’s a byproduct, not great faith in God that you need. Listen, look at this pastor, it is faith and a great God. Did that sink in? It is faith and a great God. Do you know what faith is? It is the byproduct of looking unto jesus, who is the author and the finisher of our faith. He’s the alpha, the omega. He’s the one that fires the gun? He’s the goal to which we run? He is the coach that coaches us as we run. Put your eyes upon jesus christ. If you needed to cross a bridge, you’re not sure it could hold you, let’s say the Mississippi river bridge over here. You could tremble and try to screw up your courage. That would be one way to do it, afraid the bridge might fall. But on the other hand, you could step back and look at it and see semi trucks, 18 wheelers going back and forth and automobiles. you can see the great pylons and the steel and the girders. Then you don’t have to make yourself believe. You just go across the bridge because you see who it is, what it is and what it can do. Look to jesus, fall in love with jesus study jesus And you’ll find him in the word Faith comes by hearing and hearing, by the word of God. Now we’re gonna be talking about champions of faith. Now you’re going to live by faith and you will not live without faith. Do you know jesus or you can exist without faith that you will never live with, jesus said, I’ve come that you might have life, You put your faith where God has put your sins on jesus christ. Did you bow your heads in prayer? Well, hallelujah, for the God who has given us faith, who tests our faith and yet who keeps us by faith? Have you put your faith in the Lord jesus christ. Let me give you one of the sweetest scriptures in all of the bible. Believe on the Lord jesus christ and you will be saved. Now that’s gloriously simple and friend. It is simply glorious when you receive the Lord jesus christ, God forgive your sin, He inhabits you through the Holy Spirit and one day when you die, when jesus comes again, he takes you home to heaven. Do you believe that christ shed his blood on the cross for you? Do you believe he is the son of God? Then pray and say, Lord jesus come into my heart, take control of my life and begin now to make me the person you want me to be. And if you pray that prayer, please let us know. So we can rejoice and we’ll send you some literature to help you get started in your christian life. We hope that you’ve been encouraged by these character studies from Hebrews Chapter 11 that we’re calling champions of faith. You can stream this message again, share this message with a friend and download other resources related to this message all at L WF dot org or the MA L WF app while you’re there, be sure to check out our new bible studies on today’s topic As well as many other topics at LWF.org. You can also subscribe to our daily heartbeat emails. Each heartbeat contains a daily devotional from Adrian Rogers, 90 seconds of profound truth also from Adrian Rogers as well as a link to our daily radio program, all in one place delivered directly to your computer or mobile device each day. Or you can catch up with our program each week on our facebook page or Youtube channel and on the my L WF app. Thanks for joining us for today’s message. We’ll see you next time and I would say today that the rich man is poor, the mighty man is weak and the educated man is a fool. If he does not know who jesus christ is, no one can claim to be truly educated, who is ignorant of jesus christ, discovering jesus is a journey. And Adrian Rogers gives us a map with this new book from Love Worth Finding, discovered jesus, who is jesus, how can I know him? How can I grow in him and how can I share him with others? For your gift? This month to Love worth finding, we’d love to send you a copy of discovering jesus Call 1 806 47 90 400 or give online at L WF dot org