 All right, so tonight the faith of Abel, the faith of Abel from Hebrews chapter 11 verse 4 So our series again is entitled heroes of the faith heroes of the faith we're examining that from Hebrews chapter 11 called the Hall of Faith on Sunday evenings and This chapter Hebrews chapter 11 Has been a great encouragement to believers throughout the centuries So if you're a genuine Christian, you know that genuine Christians go through trials. They go through difficulties You're gonna face tribulation and adversity Paul said that it's with much Tribulation that we will enter the kingdom of God and sometimes I feel like that's an understatement It's a whole lot of tribulation a whole lot of trial a whole lot of difficulty Christians are gonna face suffering. They're gonna face persecution and Hebrews chapter 11 has been over the centuries a great encouragement to believers It was intended to be that when the author of the letter to the Hebrews I believe it's Paul wrote this book. He wrote this as an encouragement to Tell believers to exhort believers to hold fast to the faith not to depart the faith and go back into the the false works righteous religious system of Judaism But to hang in there to be steadfast in the Christian life It's easy to be discouraged at times right sometimes you feel weary Sometimes you just you feel weighed down defeated deflated sometimes it's difficult sometimes in the battle with sin right I've talked to guys before that are Attempted they they sit on the precipice of throwing in the towel and returning back to their sin Sometimes with the the persecution that you face from those that are closest to you sometimes You know within our own families and the difficulties that you face for following Christ Maybe when your family is an interested in following Christ Maybe where those guys that you work with aren't interested in hearing anything about your Christianity or those that are closest to you are Tired of hearing about it from you and you face persecution. It's sometimes just difficult and there's a temptation To turn back to sin to turn back into the world to throw in the towel So here this chapter specifically, but the book of Hebrews generally written To encourage genuine Christians to hang in there to persevere in the faith If you look in line with that thought Flip back to the left and look at Hebrews chapter 6 with me Hebrews chapter 6 and drop down in Hebrews chapter 6 to verse 9 You know in here what's being discussed is Those who profess Christ that aren't applying themselves to faith in Christ and There is apparel of not progressing in the faith here and There is the danger the temptation to turn back to the world to turn back in this case To that false works righteous religious system of Judaism and he says in verse 9. He says beloved We're confident of better things concerning you. Yes things that accompany salvation that we speak in this manner For God is not Unjust to forget your work and your labor of love which you've shown toward his name in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister and We desire now that each one of you show the same Diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end that you do not become sluggish But imitate those who through faith and patience Inherit the promises so there in Hebrews chapter 6 we have this exhortation to imitate those who through faith and Patience steadfastness perseverance inherit the promises and then in Hebrews chapter 11 We see these examples of faith that are given to us there in Hebrews 11 for that purpose that we would imitate those who through faith and patience perseverance Inherit the promises now in Hebrews chapter 6 knowing this temptation right knowing the temptation to fall back Retreat into sin or to retreat from the faith Our author here lovingly Exorts them in Hebrews chapter 9 to press on steadfast in the faith firm until the end He says in verse 11 We desire that each one of you show the same Diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end what he means by that is this That diligence that you showed when you first set out to follow the Lord you remember that Many of you yourselves you when you first came to Christ You first turned from your sin and trusted in him set out to follow him You remember the fervency and the earnestness and the zeal With which you first started out. We've been in this church blessed to see genuinely converted people Right people who left their sin Repented faith turned to Christ and we've seen the dramatic transformation that takes place in their life And we see the zeal and the earnestness and the faithfulness and the fervency with which they set out to follow Christ It's a blessing isn't it? It's exciting right you remember your own Christian life. You know what I'm talking about What he's saying Hebrews chapter 6 specifically in verse 11 is that Diligence with which you first began to follow the Lord Be diligent to be that diligent Keep that Diligence to the end that faithfulness that earnestness that joy that hope that zeal keep that going until the end right he says to the full assurance of hope until the end Now what does that look like from the book of Hebrews? Well? Hebrews warns us in several places to keep that going Hebrews says give the more earnest heed to the things that you've heard lest you drift away. It's in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 1 Beware This book says lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief and departing from the living God Hebrews chapter 3 verse 12 He warns us fear God lest you come short of entering his rest Hebrews chapter 4 verse 1 He says be diligent to enter that rest lest anyone fall into disobedience like those whose corpses fell in the wilderness Hebrews chapter 4 verse 11 He exhorts us to move on to maturity in Hebrews chapter 6 verse 1 and To put your faith in Christ and run this race in Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1 and 2 in other words from Hebrews chapter 6 verse 11 here Keep going in full confidence in full confidence full earnestness in zeal in faithfulness in Fervency keep going until the end And you keep going with a steadfast faith right a steadfast faith in Christ that despite the difficulties that you face You hope until the end and you inherit the promises a genuine Christian a genuinely converted person is marked By the perseverance of that kind of earnestness. I think about that with me for a moment, right? if you've ever Been around when a an older professing Christian is Talking to a zealous young man, right? fresh out of the oven and Just newly saved young man zealous for the Lord and Some old professing Christian turns to that young man and says well one day you'll be more like me in other words Your zeal will cool your fervency will disappear You'll settle in right they associate zeal with youth That's unbiblical that's ungodly that doesn't describe the genuinely converted person I Rejoice in God in this church that we have so many Godly older men godly older women who are godly biblical examples of a thriving and living and healthy faith We're to maintain that diligence Maintain that zeal that fervency that earnestness until the end that Perseverance in that living healthy thriving faith that perseverance is a mark of genuine conversion that By its nature is called the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints steadfast until the end He says in verse 11 That we're to maintain that same diligence for a purpose and the purpose is this Verse 12 that you do not become sluggish You don't become lazy Right you don't become lazy But you imitate those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises that were there for sluggish No, thrust it means slow and apathetic. So let me ask you Am I the only one here who's ever gone through bouts of apathy in their Christian life? I'm the only one no No, such as this common demand You're gonna face times where you struggle with Sluggishness in your Christian life. They're gonna be periods of time where you feel apathetic where it's difficult But what does he tell you to do so that you don't become slow and apathetic? What does he tell you to do so that you can battle apathy to avoid apathy? He says verse 12 imitate those who through faith and Perseverance or patience inherit the promises And so one of the reasons for preaching through a series like this on Sunday nights in Hebrews chapter 11 the Hall of Faith So that we not exalting man But exalting Christ in the man right not exalting the man But exalting the work of God in the man that work of faith that only God can do we look to Christ in them and We follow their example in as much as they show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end right we endeavor to Follow their example to imitate them in their faith That we might persevere in hope of the promises of God all of those promises, which are yes and amen and Jesus Christ alone, right? In order to fight apathy The author to Hebrews tells us to imitate their faith And so tonight in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 4 we come to the example of able we come to the example of able and Not a lot written in scripture about able. We have a couple of accounts a few passing mentions in scripture and those are very informative and the one of interest us tonight is in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 4 where the Bible reads by faith able offered to God a More excellent sacrifice than came through which he obtained witness that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts and through it he being dead still speaks If you look at verse 6 drop down to verse 6 From verse 6 we know considering faith the faith of able tonight We know that without faith. It's impossible to please God right apart from faith It is impossible to do anything to please God now faith has an object and that object from scripture is the Lord Jesus Christ So it goes back to that same concept. We've talked about this before that apart from faith in Christ Everything you do is sin Whatever is not a faith whatever is not a faith in Christ is sin Whatever is not a faith is not pleasing to God without faith. It is impossible to please him now consider this with me from Hebrews chapter 11 verse 4 first here God commends Ables faith That is an awesome thought right? It means that the opposite of verse 6. It means that by faith You can please God and God being pleased with able commends Ables faith by faith able offered to God a more Excellent sacrifice than came through which he obtained witness witness from whom? Witness from God right God testifying of his gifts. He obtained witness from God that he was righteous So by faith you can please God in this case Abel offers a sacrifice a pleasing sacrifice He offers that sacrifice by faith the reason that it was pleasing is because the sacrifice was offered in faith that At first blush here right if you just look at Hebrews 11 for by itself What was it that was pleasing to God? Was it Abel's sacrifice or was it Abel's faith his faith right pretty clear Here faith pleases God right first God commends Abel's faith secondly because of his faith able Though having died long ago Still speaks to us from the pages of scripture right so let's listen to what Abel has to say from the pages of scripture Let's go to the account of Abel's sacrifice in Genesis chapter 4 turn to Genesis chapter 4 with me Let's look at this in context Hebrews 11 is pointing back to this account of Abel's sacrifice And then Abel's murder in Genesis chapter 4 beginning in verse 1 Here Moses writes in verse 1 now Adam knew Eve his wife And she conceived and bore Cain and said I have acquired a man from the Lord Verse 2 then she bore again this time is brother Abel now Abel was the keeper of the sheep But Cain was a tiller of the ground And in the process of time that were their process of time literally it means at the end of days at the end of Day so after a considerable amount of time literally at the end of days It came to pass verse 3 that Cain Brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord Abel also Brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat Now of their fat Explains what he brought right so in verse 4 Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock and Specifically of their fat now That doesn't mean that he brought just the fat Portions of the firstborn like in the Levitical sacrifices not talking about that no relationship here that way to those Levitical Sacrifices of the Levitical law it doesn't mean that he just brought the first chubby one that came along All right the first of their fat What that means is it means the fattest of the firstborn So Abel he brought of the firstborn of his flock and Of the fattest of the firstborn in other words the best of the best Enables estimation right the best of the best The notice also in the two offerings right Cain in verse 3 Abel in verse 4 That the offering was in keeping with their job with their responsibilities right Cain was a tiller of the ground And so he brought an offering of fruit Abel was a keeper of the sheep and so Abel brought of the flock Now here's the result look at the end of verse 4 the Lord respected Abel and his offering in other words in other words the Lord was pleased with Abel in verse 5 but he did not respect Cain and His offering and Cain was very angry and his countenance fell So the Lord was pleased with Abel in his offering and the Lord was not pleased with Cain in his offering So now think of this we're in Genesis chapter 4 Here verses 1 through 5 Think about this account now in terms of Hebrews chapter 11 and beginning in verse 4 remember That according to Hebrews 11 without faith. It's impossible to please God right without faith. You cannot please God Right point one here. I want you to get by faith According to Hebrews 11 for by faith because of faith through faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain So we look at Genesis chapter 4 verse 3 we see Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground of the Lord and in verse 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat The distinguishing mark between Cain's offering in verse 3 enables offering in verse 4 is that Abels was offered by faith And by faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain now. Why is that? Why is that there's no indication from the text that they were taught or instructed or commanded there was no Levitical law given at this point in time no indication That they were given specific commands to do this that or the other thing and that Abel did it and Cain didn't There's no indication given this was somehow an Atoning sacrifice like the Levitical law being read back into the Genesis account in Genesis chapter 4 This has if you think about the text in the context in Genesis 4 This is has nothing to do with the type of sacrifice, right? Doesn't have anything to do with the fact that Abel offered a bloody Sacrifice and Cain didn't you'll have people that will say that Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins, right? And so they'll read back into the text that because Abel offered a bloody sacrifice that was acceptable to God And because Cain did not his was not accepted. There's no Hint at that in the text that it had to do with the type of sacrifice. In fact their sacrifices Were reflective of their responsibility their vocation their job, right? But implied from our text if you camp out in the white spaces Right between the lines It has everything to do with their heart toward God in bringing their offering First Abel in verse 4 brought the absolute best that he could bring that demonstrates faith, doesn't it? he's responsible for a flock of sheep and Abel Taking of the flock not only the firstborn, but the best of the firstborn He brought the best that he could bring demonstrating his faith Cain merely brought some fruit It doesn't even say in verse 3 that Cain brought any of the first fruits In other words not the best that Cain could do Cain simply brought an offering of the fruit of the ground of the Lord Abel if you think about Abel's sacrifice or offering in verse 4 Abel Was motivated by his need Demonstrating faith and I want to show you this from Genesis Adam and Eve in the garden Hid themselves because of their guilt But if you remember after they had taken of the fruit and have eaten of the fruit It is said of God that he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day and he called out to Adam Where are you right? God knew where Adam was this was for Adam's sake that he did this Adam and Eve had hidden themselves because of their shame and because of their guilt Abel in bringing his sacrifice sought God out. The difference isn't there Abel's not running From God Abel's bringing an offering to God Another demonstration of faith. It's clear that in this they desired to worship God Man had been separated from God by the fall and man certainly as man always has Desired fellowship with their Creator desired fellowship with God. This was certainly an act of gratitude everything that Cain and Abel had everything they had they recognized as being directly from the hand of God That God had given it to him God had given them their lives. They were created by God just like you and I are You were created by God. I'm created by God everything that I have has been given to me Right everything that you have the clothes on your back the roof over your head that car that you drive that job that you have All those opportunities all those blessings every one of them given to you Directly by the hand of God even those trials that you face those adversities that you face that grow you and mature you and Cause you to be more holy all of those trials all that adversity all those good and blessed Difficulties all directly from the hand of God everything you have comes from him Every good and perfect gift comes down from the father of lights So as a result of this it's clear they desire to worship God This was a an act of gratitude an act of worship an act of thankfulness a desire for fellowship This was given toward the one to whom they owed everything right So Abel brought the best that he could bring Abel was motivated by his need his need for fellowship His need for worship his need to express thanks to God but secondly First by faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. What does it say in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 4 Abel? Secondly by faith was commended by God as righteous He was commended by God as righteous Verse 4 says by faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain And here it is through which he obtained witness that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts again This is said to be through faith now. Here's what we know from the New Testament, right? You Look at revelation on top of revelation. Here's what we know from the New Testament Romans chapter 10 verse 17 faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God right Faith that faith which is acceptable and pleasing to God comes by hearing and hearing By the word of God. So what is the foundation then of A faith that is pleasing to God. It's God's word God's testimony God's revelation of himself faith has a foundation that foundation It has a ground that ground in which it's cultivated is the word of God Now there is that kind of Quote unquote faith that is mere belief. It's mere intellectual ascent, right? I agree with this this set of facts But that doesn't make the 18 inches from your head to your heart and it's just not a faith. It changes your life It's a mere mental ascent But there is the kind of faith that faith which pleases God that is a gifted faith. It's a faith that's given Divinely Supernaturally given by God and it's that faith that is pleasing and acceptable to God You can see the difference can't you between the faith of Cain and the faith of Abel Cain had a mental agreement a mental ascent to God's revealed word and so Cain brings his Self-serving offering self-serving sacrifice to God Abel on the other hand Had a Divinely gifted faith by which Abel brings a sacrifice that is acceptable to God and Abel then committed by God as righteous Look at the result of it. We're in Genesis chapter 4 look at verse 6 So the Lord said to Cain Why are you angry Cain and why has your countenance fallen? if you do well Will you not be accepted and if you do not do well Sin lies at the door and its desire is for you, but you should rule over it In other words there had to have been an understanding right between Cain and Abel of what? Doing well meant and what that entailed and what it didn't Cain knew what it meant to do well To act in faith Now part of that understanding Part of those principles that would have fueled Abel's faith Would have come from Adam and Eve's garden experience and they would have recounted that garden experience to Cain and Abel if you look at Genesis chapter 3 For the sake of time, I'll just summarize this for you You have the curse of the fall Adam eats the fruit God curses man God curses the earth God curses the serpent and then look at verse 21 Genesis chapter 3 verse 21 also The tail end of these curses here Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin and clothe them in other words in order to make Coverings for Adam and Eve God killed an animal shed the blood of an animal and covered them Adam and Eve had attempted to do that for themselves right with fig leaves Man's covering for sin man's covering for their shame in their guilt is always insufficient It's worthless Fruitless it affects nothing right man's covering is No covering at all and so Adam and Eve attempt to cover their guilt attempt to cover their shame That was seen as worthless and so who has to come in and cover God does God's covering is the only covering that avails God comes in and kills an animal skins an animal to provide for them a covering showing that thematic element from cover to cover in the Bible that without the Shedding of blood there can be no remission for sins So God provides the covering And for a sinner like Adam A sinner like Eve a sinner like Cain a sinner like able To be able to stand before a holy god They need a sacrifice for sin. They need a covering right? The necessary covering the only acceptable covering could only be provided by death only by the shedding of blood Principles from Genesis chapter 3 would have been an able's mind as he brought his sacrifices the wages of sin Is death? I didn't God tell Adam and Eve that in the day that they eat of that fruit They would surely die right the wages of sin is death and what happened to Adam and those that came after Adam they died right if you go on in Genesis That becomes obviously clear and they died and they died and they died and they died The wages of sin is death In order for there to be life The principle that would have been applied in their mind is that in order for there to be life life would have come and out Would have come out of death There must have been the death Of a sacrifice the death of an innocent the death of a substitute In order for my sins to be covered or for my sins to be atoned for An innocent must be sacrificed in my stead on my behalf And for that to be accepted or acceptable to God there must of necessity be faith in God's provision God provided Adam and Eve With clothing the death of an animal Under moses we have the sacrificial system and God Providing atonement providing a covering through the blood of bulls and goats offered continuously Continuously under the covenant for years Pointing to the fact that the blood of bulls and goats can never fully atone for sin and causing in the people of god this overwhelming desire for god's full and final provision you can imagine right the um the nation of israel and the wilderness And the number of sacrifices that had to be made to atone for the sins of the people it was a continuous process Constant sacrifices the priest would put his hand on the head of the goat on the head of the sheep on the head of the bull Would slit the throat of the animal pouring its blood out They would sprinkle the blood on the altar. They would have to eat portions They would have to burn portions portions. They would have to take out of the camp in other words. There was bloodshed animal parts killing of animals Constantly in the nation of israel constantly through the wilderness wanderings constantly in jerusalem. There was a constant need to atone for sin So just built into the very fabric of the people's relationship to god that there must of necessity Be a full and final sacrifice and in the grace And mercy of god. He provides one. He provides one in his own son So when abel Is considering the gracious and merciful provision of god for sin able Understanding his need Acknowledging his own sin right Understanding the grace and mercy of god and gods A tested desire To have fellowship with man Able trust in the provision of god for sin And by faith he's attested to by god as being righteous. Do you see? Just trust god trust god that faith grounded in the revealed word of god That faith divinely gifted in other words not mere mental ascent That faith grounded in an acknowledged reality of able sin and of his guilt his unworthiness to stand before a holy god and out of abel's desire for cleansing his desire for Forgiveness his desire for a restoration of fellowship abel's understanding of his own bankruptcy as a sinner before a holy god That's the kind of faith that is pleasing in god's sight. Do you see? It's acceptable to god aw pink says this he says here then is where the life of faith begins There must first be a bowing unto the righteous verdict of the divine judge that i am a sinner A transgressor of his holy law and therefore justly under its curse curse or death sentence No excuses have i to offer no merits have i to plead no mitigation of the sentence that i can fairly ask for My best performances are only filthy rags in the sight of him Who knows that they were wrought out of self love and to promote self interest rather than for his glory I can but plead guilty And hide my face for very shame But as the gospel of his grace is applied to my stricken conscience by the power of the spirit Hope in him revives As he makes known to me the amazing fact that the lamb of god died so that all who bow to god's verdict Own themselves as lost and hate themselves for their sins might live then might live Then at that point faith stretches forth a trembling hand and lays hold of the redeemer and the criminal is pardoned and accepted by god It's a picture of the faith that is acceptable to god It's a picture of the faith that if you understand the context the faith that made ables sacrifice pleasing in his sight and commended able then as righteous The righteousness of the lord jesus christ not ables own righteousness Not the righteousness of ables sacrifice, but the righteousness of the lord jesus christ credited to ables account By his faith because of his faith in the same way that The righteousness of christ was credited to abraham The same way that the righteousness of christ is credited to you and credited to me if by repentant faith you trust in him So what about kane? kane back in jenesis chapter four verse eight kane talked with ables brother and came to pass when they were in the field that kane rose up against ables brother and he killed him And the lord said to kane where is ables your brother? He said i do not know am i my brother's keeper and look at the hard heart of this wicked guy He said in verse 10 what have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground So now you are cursed from the earth which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand When you till the ground it shall no longer yield its strength to you the fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth Lord jesus christ told the wicked hypocritical Pharisees of matthew 23 That because of their hypocrisy because of their persecution of god's people That all the righteous blood shed on the earth From the righteous blood of abel To the blood of zekariah the son of barakiah whom they murdered between the temple and the altar Would be held to their account abel Was commended by god as righteous that's only possible in jesus christ It cannot be said That abel is righteous of his own or you and i are righteous on our own merits Only because of christ You know the scholars from centuries past theologians have talked about faith In terms of three Components right there's knowledge and latin it's noticia right knowledge There's ascent or a census and there's fiducia or faithfulness So if you think about that faith which pleases god certainly It involves a knowledge a knowledge of your own Sinfulness a knowledge of your own condition a knowledge of who god reveals himself to be a knowledge of the lord jesus christ Right and a knowledge of those essential facts of our faith by which god saves a sinner to himself It's a knowledge of those facts secondly It's an ascent to those facts. It's a belief in those facts I believe what god has said as true I believe what he has said of me What the bible has said of you what the bible has said of me is that you and i are wicked depraved deplorable sinners without hope in this world Bankrupt before god you need to own that you need to own that that's god's description of you There is none righteous. No not one that includes you That ascent is a belief that those things are true that jesus christ came that he lived a perfect Sinless life. He was born of the virgin Right that he lived a sinless life that has a perfect sinless Blameless spotless lamb he went and was sacrificed On calvary's cross for sinners And as the perfect lamb of god He bled and died both to pay the penalty for sin to break the power of sin to defeat the power of death and that His righteousness then Could be imputed to those who by faith believe in him and our sin credited to christ on the cross him having paid for it all You believe in those things that is a scent. It's a belief It's a trust that those things are true and then lastly fiducia third element of faith Is a living in a cord with that revealed truth those truths Will have an impact on your life if christ died Then i died him Right if christ has died then i died in him and by faith in christ I live for him who died who loved me and gave himself for me It's no longer i who live I've been crucified with christ That's fiducia A lot of churches today A lot of books that come out a lot of sermons that you can listen to Have no concept of that That's the faith of the bible. That's the faith that pleases god. That is a god-given faith. That's a life Transforming faith. That's a healthy thriving living faith It's not a salvation by works. It's a salvation and a faith that works And all of that to the glory of god. Amen. Let's pray Father in heaven lord, thank you for the example of abel Thank you for The heroes of the faith that we see in he in hebrus chapter 11 the hall of faith Thank you lord for your graciousness in Commending even those sinful men for their faith And we know lord that it's not a faith that they generated even of themselves But it is a gift of god. It is a grace and mercy directly from you We thank you for it We look to you who Is the source of salvation We rest in you and we trust in you. We cling to you by faith That we lord by your grace By the power that you fought us through your spirit That we would show the same diligence To the end in hope of that inheritance that you laid up have laid up for us And lord that we would through patient endurance through perseverance inherit the promises We thank you lord that that's all according to your power. That's all according to your strength It's all according to your grace and mercy We pray lord that you would help us to persevere that you by your faith by your power god would preserve us to the end Thank you lord for this passage of scripture. Thank you for this series lord help us to Not to exalt men But to exalt your work in sinful wicked deplorable men And in that to exalt christ and to glorify our god. We love you in jesus name. Amen