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Do Christians Get “Immunity” from Hardships?
Selections from Hebrews 11

​The Scripture is taken from Hebrews 11. The sermon text is below.
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.
5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, because he pleased God. 
7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, prepared an ark for the saving of his household.
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 
11 By faith Sarah bore a child when she was past the age to do so.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off ]were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 16 They desired a better heavenly country, a place God was preparing for them.   And God was not ashamed to be called their God.
29 By faith Moses passed through the Red Sea on dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.
30 By faith Joshua marched around the walls of Jericho for seven days and they fell down.
31 By faith Rahab did not die with all who did not believe in God, for she dared to hide God’s spies from their enemies.
32 And what more shall I say? There is not enough time to tell you about Gideon and Barak, Samson and Jephthah, David and Samuel and all the prophets: 33 They by faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the enemies. 35 Women received their dead loved one – for they were raised to life again.
Others… because of their faith - were tortured, not accepting a way out if it meant denying their faith.  36 Still others (because of their faith) were mocked and scourged, put in chains and sent to prison. 37 They were stoned, or sawn in two, or tempted and slain with the sword.  Because of their faith, some wandered around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and tormented— 38 the world was not worthy of them.  They wandered across deserts and up into the mountains, hiding in dens and caves to survive.
39 All these men and women who lived by faith, offered a good testimony.40 They also knew God promised to “provide something better” for them one day.  Their reward was heaven, a place God was preparing for His faithful people. 

​       Chapter 11 in the book of Hebrews has often been called God’s Hall of Fame, or Hall of Faith.   It shines light on a long list - centuries’ worth of ordinary men and women who chose to trust in God and live their lives in obedience to God.   The author of Hebrews really knew his Old Testament well, to create this inspirational list.   He was a very well-educated scholar named Saul; when Jesus became his Savior, he became Paul.  
       What motivated Paul to write this letter in 64 A.D. was the advent of severe persecution of Christians.  The book of Hebrews urges all believers to hold fast to their faith – and this 11th chapter is the centerpiece of his inspiring message.   It is a litany of faithful heroes and heroines, very familiar to his Jewish listeners; it would have been a powerful sermon if preached in person, given an enthusiastic response.   And little could they, or Paul, know at that time that wide-spread, systematic persecution would not be short-lived – but endure for much of the next 250 years.  
         The dangerous days Paul’s original audience was living through forced them to leave behind all that had been normal.   Their new normal meant needing to meet at night to worship in secret.   On Sundays they often met in chilly, shadowed underground catacombs under cemeteries for prayer, singing and Holy Communion.  During the daytime they were vigilant in concealing, but not denying, their Christian beliefs.   If someone found out they were a confessing Christian it could cost them their job or home.  It could turn once-close family members against them.   And worst of all, being a Christian could get a person - or an entire family - jailed, tortured or killed.    
     If you were the Apostle Paul, hearing vivid reports of tragic events happening to numerous Christians you knew and loved, what message might you write that could strengthen every man, woman, and child?   What could help them remain focused and living purposefully - despite the chaos and danger that surrounded them? 
      Paul not only shared the Hall of Faith list with them, there are three other  bedrock truths; these are foundational and relevant for every Christian - past and present.   The first thing Paul emphasized was having FAITH.  Notice how every person listed in the Hall of Faith begins with “By faith, Noah...by faith  Abraham...by faith...”.   Someone who has faith actively trusts in God and is confident God will accomplish His purposes.   Do you believe God is real and God is trustworthy?   Do you believe God is in charge of all things?  Is our human “his”tory truly under God’s domain so it is His story?  If you can affirm these things then you are living “by faith”.    In Hebrews 11:6 Paul says “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.”
       Another aspect of living “by faith” is this: you trust God well beyond what you can see with the naked eye or understand with your limited mind.   This truth is summed up in Hebrews 11:1: “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for - and the proof/evidence  of things not yet seen.”   Paul is saying to every Christian - you gotta have FAITH like that.  That is deep and wide.   That’s consistent.   That remains on perfect days through tragic ones.   Paul says words we all need to hear - have faith, hang on tight to that faith, and never stop trusting in God.
       Paul’s next important message is this: keep walking forward in faith.   Every person listed in his litany of godly followers chose to carry on and not give up.   Take Naomi as an example.   She traveled to Moab with her family when there was a famine in her land.   But her husband tragically died leaving her a widow, then both of her grown sons died.   She went back to her hometown and told people to start calling her “Mara", meaning “bitter” - not Naomi - saying that God had dealt very harshly with her.   Dark thoughts came to her as they can come to all of us at times.   Her life is highlighted as an example for us, though, recorded in history as someone godly who chose to walk forward.   She chose to look to God for the ability to get through each day, to slowly heal, and in time to begin living a new life.   Because Naomi moved forward, step by step, she came to have a loving, beautiful new family again.  Her emptiness turned into fullness;  her lack of financial stability became secure again.   What was lost was restored- because she kept moving forward. 
      Do you recognize yourself in Naomi?   Have you ever suffered serious setbacks?   Has a loved one died, or someone close to you moved far away, and you felt depressed?  Have you lost a job or been in a place of real financial hardship?   Whenever you or I find ourselves in a place where there is no quick fix, or immediate resolution, what should we do?  We definitely should not sit down and quit.  Being passive gets us stuck and that just prolongs our troubles.  
       We all have choices.   If you lack motivation, take this first step: contact someone to talk about your dilemma – a friend, counselor, or come to me.   If you know you are exhausted, or not in good physical shape, start there, making small, manageable choices and changes.  Pray regularly.  Breathe deeply.  Allow others to support or comfort you.   Naomi had her daughter-in-law Ruth.   Her company helped her as she grieved.   It also helped her start seeing beyond just her small world.   In due time Naomi was ready for the next chapters of her life.  Paul points this woman out as an inspiration and model for our own lives.   She moved forward in faith toward the future God was preparing for her and we can do the same.
      I don’t have time to move through each person in this list of faithful God followers in Hebrews 11 - but I really hope you will check them out.  Look up their stories; they are diverse- each one can give good insights.      
      Something in my life this week really reinforced the “keep moving forward” faith lesson.   I went into various stores on errands and as I approached an entrance door, I stepped on a rubber mat, triggering a mechanism.  That made the door smoothly swing open before me.  I noticed I usually didn’t even have to slow my stride.  I walked by faith, going forward - not hesitating.    
       I realized I liked that forward progress, not having to slow down or wait.  I’d like my Christian life to be like that - moving forward, not slowing my stride or getting completely stuck, like Naomi did.  She got stuck in deep grief.   That, or any number of other difficult things, could slow me down or sideline me - at least for a while.  The same is true for all of us.  We are vulnerable, not protected from harm because we happen to trust in God.  We lack immunity.   Bad, and hard things, do happen to good and godly people.  
      The words “lacking immunity” reminds me of the TV show called Survivor.  It’s been on 20 years now and there have been 40 seasons of its shows.   One of the most sought-after prizes is to get immunity, either for yourself or your whole tribe.  Anyone with immunity is thrilled because they are safe and can stay in the game longer.  But those without immunity face hardships; they may suffer from hunger, exposure to the elements, or the ultimate fate of being voted off by others.   
         If you read through all of Hebrews 11, Paul included people who lived by faith, who kept moving forward, but many suffered and even died.  Those Christians were not given immunity from all types of troubles, nor are we. But here’s what those Christians had that made all the difference.   They had strong hope.  They knew with great certainty that “something much better was coming to them”.  They had the confident assurance of something not yet seen - but believed.   They just had to keep moving forward because their reward was heaven.  
        That was Paul’s third and final reminder for the Hebrews, and for us.   He said “something much better is coming”.   Heaven is the beautiful place God is preparing for those who love him and live according to his teachings.   Those who trust in God and are obedient are promised this amazing inheritance.  Imagine abiding in a place of beauty and perfection, with a renewed Creation surrounding you.  Your senses will take this all in and you shall have new bodies that are perfect vessels, without pain or any limitations.   There will also be the absence of any emotional pain; no anxiety or sadness can ever be felt, nor any bitterness, raw jealousy, or personal insecurities.   Anger will pass away and we will not feel any form of sorrow.   Those are heaven’s promises.  
       With all those coming realities waiting for us in heaven, let that motivate us to keep stepping forward, to not falter in our stride.  Let’s live by faith, with active confidence in what God can and will do - trusting Him though we cannot see the future.  We too are ordinary men and women, but be mindful of this: God wants our lives to be godly examples for others to see in our generation.  Those who do not know God and are living through the escalated chaos and endless uncertainties of 2021 need hope.   They may feel like quitting.   Our lives can preach a sermon they need to hear.  
      Let’s live our lives by faith and purposefully until the day comes when a trumpet blows and Jesus Christ descends from the clouds, coming to claim us as His own.    When we arrive at heaven’s glorious gates, the names written in the Book of Life will be called out.  When the roll call of faith is read, let's be there among that number for our long-awaited reward!  Amen.

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