Jesus is Worth It

Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. The were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. Then went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated – of whom the world was not worth – wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Hebrews 11:36-40

What does Jesus mean to you? Is He simply an authority figure to whom we tip our hats? Is He little more than a lucky charm, a place to turn when we need a little bit of “blessing”? Do we merely think of Him as we do some distant cousin that we enjoy being around? Or, is our commitment to Jesus more valuable than anything we possess? Are we willing to die for Him? Does He mean more to us than life itself?

When we read the above passage, we see the commitment level of those who have gone before us. These people were radically committed to their God. Nothing was going to separate them from their passion, commitment, and zeal for serving Him. Hebrews 11 was written for the express purpose of motivating those who were waffling in their faith. It was written to be an encouragement – a motivation.

When we read of people who were mocked, flogged, imprisoned, stoned, sawn in two, and killed by the sword – it should move us. And, when we read of others who hid out in sheep skins and goat skins, who were destitute, afflicted, and mistreated – and yet the stood strong – we should be motivated to press on in our faith. These people knew that their relationship with God was more valuable than other thing they had.

Let us evaluate what Jesus means to us. I hope He is more than a few feelings of comfort or security. I hope that He is truly our all in all.

By Faith

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the “Hall of Fame of Faith.” In this chapter, we see a survey of many of the people in scripture who, by God’s grace, were able to do amazing things. However, it is not these people who are the heroes of their various stories, but God Himself. It is in this chapter that we see a summary report of the faithfulness of God to those who put their trust in Him.

This chapter begins by defining faith. We are told, “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 12:1, ESV). One of the key words in this verse is, “conviction.” If you do not have the conviction that God is going to see you through, that He will provide, that He is guiding your steps – then you will never accomplish anything of significance for the Kingdom.

As we read Hebrews 11, we will see a re-occurrence of the phrase, “by faith.” This phrase in not used once, twice, or even a dozen times. This phrase is used twenty-two times as we are reminded of the great works of the men and women of the past. It is, “by faith,” they were able to accomplish the works that they did. Or, you might say, it was through a strong conviction of things not seen that they were able to accomplish what they did.

How is your faith? Put your name in this sentence and fill in the blank: It was by faith that Darrell __________________________________________. What might we do if we will simply operate “by faith.”

Remember the startling warning of Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please him…” (ESV).

Walk in Faith

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. 

Hebrews 11:6, ESV

“Without faith it is impossible to please him.” There is a phrase that ought to get the attention of every believer. If I lack faith it will be impossible to please God. This verse calls to mind other passages related to faith as well:

“And he said to them, “’Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm” (Matthew 8:26, ESV).

“If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible to you” (Matthew 17:20, ESV).

Clearly, faith is an essential part of the Christian journey. It takes faith to initially trust Christ for our salvation. It takes faith to walk with Him on a daily basis. It takes faith to accomplish the task for which He has called us. And, it takes faith to do anything of significance. When we read the Bible, we see that God has called us to a storm calming, mountain moving faith. Without faith, we can do nothing – worst of all, we cannot please Him.