What is this faith?
Theme: A Journey with Abraham
Theme Verse: "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." Hebrews 11:8 NIV
Readings: Hebrews 11:1-7
Optional Readings: Psalm 33:6-8(Creation); Genesis 4:1-7(Cain & Abel); 5:21-24(Enoch); Genesis 6:5,6,8,9,13,14,22, 7:5, 8:15-22 (Noah)
Memory Verse: "The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd." (Hebrews 11:1-2) The Message.
This year we're going on a faith journey, a walk with God, like Abraham and others mentioned in Hebrews 11. Just as Abraham had sign posts of God's word to him, we too have sign posts of God's word to us. The signposts point to God. They also point in the direction he wants us to go. We will be looking at the signposts he has given us as a way of understanding how we're to walk. In this lesson we look at how God directed these early faith heroes and how he is directing us. When you see a signpost you have a choice of going with it or not. It point the way but you still have to choose the way it's pointing.
Look carefully at Hebrews 11:1-2 in the Message. (See memory Verse). The faith/trust that is being talked about is faith/trust in God, the "I AM", believing God, relying on God and obeying him, NOT something else, like a vague faith in faith, faith in ourselves or in something we can see and touch, or in power, other people, or ideas. This faith in God, the I AM, is what can be a firm foundation for our lives. Word received: "This trust in God, this faith..." I want the children to learn this definition of faith. I want to write it on their hearts. I want them to know Me and love Me and trust Me.
God, the "I AM" (Yahweh) wants to have a personal relationship with each of us just as he had a personal relationship with the heroes in Hebrews 11. They had a daily walk with God. Yes, they often failed and did wrong, but they got up and started again. They believed God when he spoke to them and acted on that.
The first major signpost showing us how to go through life is God's Creation-the Universe. It belongs to him and we are a part of it. "By faith we see the world called into existence by God's word, what we see, created by what we don't see." The most basic fact here is that we trust that the God we know in Jesus created everything. It is not an accident, made by chance. It was made by God's plan. God's WORD and BREATH (Holy Spirit ) brought it into existence. We are still discovering the wonderful intricacy of the tiny cells and the giant galaxies. We see a wonderful, purposeful creation and we are invited to meet and get to know the Author and Artist who made it--and us. We can know this because God TOLD (revealed ) it to us. All else is secondary.
When Adam and Eve doubted and disobeyed God, the perfect relationship with God was broken. We call it "the Fall". But God did not abandon us. He still seeks a faith/trust relationship with us, and we have a choice.
Now we look at faith in a fallen world. Abel had a trust/faith relationship with God and paid attention to the signposts. Cain didn't listen to God's warning, killed his brother out of jealousy and became a wanderer. But God didn't give up on people. God seeks us and wants us to seek him. The lives of the people in this chapter and in the Bible are signposts to us to show us what happens if we go one way or the other. Cain ignored God. The key difference between the two was what was in their hearts.
Hebrews 11:6 says "without faith it is impossible to please God", but WITH faith it IS possible to please God! All we know about Enoch is that he pleased God! He had a strong faith/trust/ obedient relationship with God and God spared him death.
By faith Noah believed God, he trusted and did what God told him to do. God warned him about a danger he couldn't see--a flood in a dry land a long way from any water--and told him to build a huge boat, an ark. He trusted and obeyed God for years and years before he saw why. God can be trusted. He keeps his promises. God had seen how great the corruption and violence had become and was going to start over with a remnant. He chose Noah and his family.
Hebrews 11:6 says that whoever would draw near to God must believe God exists and rewards those who seek him. Noah "walked with God", trusted, believed and obeyed him. Noah's reward was the saving of his family, the animals and an intimate relationship with God. (What was the sign of the covenant God made with Noah?) Word received: "By faith Abel offered to God", "By faith Enoch was taken away", "By faith Noah being divinely warned"...Look at all that can be done by faith: offering, being drawn to Me, being divinely warned. I want you to be built up by faith in Me as these were.
Faith is trust in God, even though we can't see him. God wants that to be the foundation of our lives. We have so much more to base our faith/trust in God on than Abel, Noah, Abraham. This trust and obedient relationship with God is the key to our understanding and our right decisions. It was the key to the decisions these men made. "By faith we understand...(11:3)
Word received: Faith and understanding are brothers--they walk together. As you have faith your understanding will grow. As you grow in understanding, your faith will grow.
St Augustine said, "I believe in order to understand." The world has it backwards. They want to understand before they believe. It comes down to whether we think that God is to be trusted, that he loves and cares for us, that he gives us his word(in the Bible and in Jesus) to guide us as signposts. Are we willing to trust God and believe the word, the message that he send us? He is in control. He's God and we're not. Do we believe that and act on it?
Word received: I am shaping your hearts by My word. It is all My word. I want you to know (in your heart) that I AM. I AM God for Abel and Cain. I AM God for Enoch. I AM God for Noah. I AM God for Abraham and Sarah, for Isaac and for Jacob.
Are we/am I willing to let God be I AM for us/ for me? God longs for us to seek him and promises that when we do, we will find him. God spoke to people in Old Testament times, New Testament times and he still speaks today.
Faith(trust, doing what he says) is necessary to pleasing God. We have to trust that he is REAL and that he blesses those who seek him. Do you want to give God, our Father in heaven, pleasure? Then seek him, trust and obey him and enter into a personal relationship with him. We do this by trusting and following Jesus, asking him to forgive us and come into our hearts. We can do this by the power of the Holy Spirit he gives to whose who ask. Word received: Think how much pleasure you receive when your children trust you. Think of My pleasure when you trust Me.
These heroes of faith were far from perfect. They sinned, but in spite of many failures they kept on going, trusting and obeying, repenting of their sins, asking for forgiveness and keeping on walking with God, trusting him to guide them.
Faith is about a person, Jesus, and God the Father, who made each one of us, designed us with a plan, to serve him, and wants to love us and care for us every minute of our lives. A life of faith is a life devoted to following Jesus, walking with him day by day by the power of the Holy Spirit.
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, please help me respond to your promptings.
What signposts is God showing you? Have you made a commitment to follow Jesus and obey him, to walk with God day by day, no matter how many times you fall? If not, think about doing it now. If you ask, the Holy Spirit will help you. If you don't have enough faith to act on this, ask Jesus for more faith like the faith of the boy who had seizures, "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief."
Reading for next week is Hebrews 11: 8-22.
Teacher ideas- for the little ones
Please read the Study Guide first.
Go over the Memory Verse with them to see if they know it and pray as you do that God will write it on their hearts.
1. Faith is to believe God when he says something.
2. God wants to be your best friend. He's also the awesome God who made everything.
3. God wants us to trust him.
4. There are lots of people in the bible who trusted God and had faith in who he said.
Example: Abraham and Noah.
(There are a lot of people who didn't. The Bible tells the truth about how people really are, even the good ones.)
Activities and Object Lessons:
Plate of cookies in middle of room. (No touching yet) Did these cookies get her by accident or did someone make them and put them here? How do you know who made them and why? You have to trust (take the teacher's word for it ) that Myra made these for you and that they are good. That is like Creation. You have to trust the maker and the one who tells you.
Mustard seed. Jesus said you only need this much faith to start with.
Signs. Ask children what the signs mean. What happens when you don't obey them? God gave the people in this chapter signs to guide them. He gives them to us.
Challenge at end of lesson. The people in this lesson & Abraham and Sarah had a faith walk with God day by day all their lives. In spite of many failures they kept going, trusting and obeying. Ask if children have made a promise to follow and obey Jesus, to walk with God day by day, no matter how many times you fail. Invite them to make it fir the first time or renew it. Pray with them and ask for the Holy Spirit to help them.
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