• Hebrews 11:1 – a description of what faith does
• Faith is a choice
  • Faith requires a choice that goes beyond observable facts.
    • John 20:29
    • II Corinthians 5:7
    • I Peter 1:8-9
  • The evidence only takes us so far.
  • Moral or spiritual choice must take us the rest of the way.
  • Faith is reasonable but not provable.
  • God has intentionally made it this way.
    • Hebrews 11:6
• What faith? - Hebrews 11
  • It gains God’s approval. Hebrews 11:2,39
  • It pleases God. Hebrews 11:5-6
  • It shows true reverence. Hebrews 11:7
  • It shows true obedience. Hebrews 11:8
  • It shows trust. Hebrews 11:11
  • A commitment to the spiritual. Hebrews 11:13-16
  • A rejection of the physical. Hebrews 11:25-27
• Conclusion
  • Faith is based in part on observable evidence and reason.
  • But faith will always require a choice that goes beyond what can be seen.

• Romans 10:17
• A message that produces faith
  • The life of Christ
    • John 1:14,18 – Jesus is a way of explaining God.
    • If you had the power of God…
      • Would you make yourself wealthy?
      • Would you pursue fun and pleasure?
      • Would you show off your power?
      • Would you always get your own way?
      • Would you make everyone adore you?
      • Would you punish your enemies?
      • Philippians 2:6-8; Acts 10:38 – The humble ways Jesus used His power.
    • Completely devoid of human vanity
    • No concern for the petty or trivial
    • Focused on the eternal and spiritual
    • Yet with compassion on the suffering
    • Selfless, humble, obedient
      • Matthew 8:1-3 – Jesus touches and heals a leprous man.
      • Luke 19:9
      • John 3:4-5 – Jesus washes the disciples’ feet
  • The teaching of Christ
    • John 7:17-18
    • Matthew 5:44-45 – Love your enemies.
    • Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31
    • Matthew 7:3
    • Matthew 15:11-20 – The contents of the heart are what matter.
    • Luke 10:36
    • Luke 12:15 – Beware of greed. Jesus’ focus was on the soul. There are more important things than material goods!
  • The death of Christ
    • John 3:16
    • Romans 5:6-8 – Christ died for the ungodly.
    • Matthew 26:39
    • Luke 23:33-34
    • Matthew 27:42-43 – He was openly mocked.
    • I Corinthians 1:18 – If you can read the story of Jesus and understand it and not see the power of God, you will perish.
  • The resurrection of Christ
    • John 20:6-8 – The disciples discover the empty tomb.
    • John 20:18 – Mary Magdalene announces the resurrection of Jesus.
    • I John 1:1-2
  • The hope of redemption in Christ
    • II Corinthians 5:18-19
    • Acts 13:48
• Conclusion
  • The gospel message of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation.
  • It is a message that discerns the hearer and moves us to choose.

• The lead up to the leap of faith.
  • A persuasive message that speaks to something inside us. Romans 10:17
• The message of salvation in Christ runs through the Bible. It produces faith in those who see it.
• John 5:39
• Luke 24:26-27,44-45
• Threads that tie together in Christ
  • The sacrifices of atonement
  • A law giver like Moses
  • …
• Colossians 2:17
  • Physical family → spiritual family
  • Earthly family → heavenly nation
  • Physical deliverance → spiritual deliverance
  • …
• Redemption is realized in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:7
• The end of the story of redemption
  • Revelation 20-22
  • A story with a beginning, middle, and end.
    • Revelation 20:10 – Satan deceived Eve; Christ defeated Satan; Satan will be judged.
    • Revelation 20:11 – The world was cursed; Christ came into the world to save man; the world is destroyed.
    • Revelation 20:12-12 – Adam brought death; Christ overcame death; all will be raised.
    • Revelation 21:1-2 – Physical Jerusalem; spiritual Jerusalem; heavenly Jerusalem
    • Revelation 21:3 – Tabernacle, God dwells with Israel; the church, the temple of God; God’s people dwell with Him fully in Heaven
    • Revelation 21:4 – A curse inflicted; a curse borne; a curse removed.
    • Revelation 21:4-5,9-14 – 12 tribes; 12 apostles; the glorified people of God.
    • Revelation 21:15-16,21-22,24 – Nations divided; nations invited; nations redeemed.
    • Revelation 22:1 – Rivers of Eden; …
    • Revelation 22:2 – Tree of life; the tree that gives back life; the tree of life.
    • Revelation 22:3 – Sacrificial lamb; the lamb of God; the lamb who reigns.
    • Revelation 22:4,14 – Cleansing of the priests; washing of regenerating; washed in the blood of the Lamb.
    • Revelation 22:16,20-21
• Conclusion
  • The story of redemption began in Eden and will end in Heaven.
  • In Jesus, God provided deliverance from the curse of sin and death.
  • When we see the story woven and tied together it produces faith in us.
  • How will the story end for you?

[Sorry, no notes available for this lesson.]

• The leap of faith
• Romans 1:19-20
• Exhibit A: The universe
  • Cosmic microwave radiation background of the universe
  • The universe contains over 170 billion galaxies
  • Galaxies contain 10 million to 100 trillion stars
  • Estimated total of 70 sextillion (7*1022) stars
  • The law of cause and effect
    • For every event there must be a cause sufficient to account for it.
  • God, the universe creator
    • Only a being of infinite power could bring such a universe into existence. Genesis 1:1; Psalms 19:1; Isaiah 40:25-26
    • Only a force which is itself eternal could be a sufficient first cause.
      • Something must start everything. Revelation 1:8; 22:13
    • Only a force of nature could bring it about.
• Exhibit B: The laws of physics
  • The 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics
    • Nothing new is being made.
    • Everything is moving toward a disordered state.
  • No natural cause can account for the existence of the universe.
  • All energy progresses to a more disorderly state, thus the universe cannot always have existed.
  • Psalms 102:25-27
• Exhibit C: The fine tuning of the forces of nature
  • Genesis 1:1-3
  • Isaiah 45:19 – God created the universe to be orderly.
  • Physical values finely tuned to incredible precision
    • Electron to proton ratio
    • Electromagnetism to gravity ratio
    • Must be correct to 1 in 1*1018