HEBREWS 24


     We are about to enter into the one chapter in the Bible that is
known as the faith chapter. This chapter has been used more than any
other to prove the facts about faith. Take your time with this one,
and learn it thoroughly. This chapter will be of great help in your
faith walk. We will begin in Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

     This verse is a lesson it itself. How many times have you been
asked what faith is? Probably you turned to this verse and read it to
the one asking the question. Faith, is a knowing, when all the facts
are against you. Faith is the opposite of fear.  Faith is assurance.
A substance is something you could see with your eye or hold in your
hand. Notice the substance is not the faith, the substance is the
hoped for. Then this is saying,  belief in something that you will be
able to see later. Evidence is an indication or a sign. This evidence
is of something not seen, how can this be? It can be because God said
it. Anything you can see takes no faith to believe. Then what is this
faith? This is believing that what God promised, He will do. Jesus
told Thomas, blessed are those who did not see but believed. John
20:29 "Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou
hast believed: blessed [are] they that have not seen, and [yet] have
believed." Romans 8:24 "For we are saved by hope: but hope that is
seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?"
Romans 8:25 "But if we hope for that we see not, [then] do we with
patience wait for [it]."  You see, faith in our heart in Jesus Christ
is what saves us. Read Romans chapter 10 verses 9 and 10. Abraham
believed and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

     Hebrews 11:2 "For by it the elders obtained a good report."

     We will find that many of the elders who obtained a good report
were not perfect men, they were believers. Their great faith in God
made them right in His sight.

     Hebrews 11:3 "Through faith we understand that the worlds were
framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made
of things which do appear."

     The very first Scripture in the Bible tells us how the earth came
to be. Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth." This one statement, kills so many of the theories that man has
about who or what to worship. This destroys the teaching of ultimately
becoming. It also kills the theory that we should worship things of
nature, because the Creator is always greater than the thing He
creates. God actually spoke the worlds into existence from nothing.
The Word of God created. John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:2 "The same was
in the beginning with God." John 1:3 "All things were made by him; and
without him was not any thing made that was made." We will give one
more Scripture on this for another witness to the fact, God made the
world. Acts 17:24 "God that made the world and all things therein,
seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples
made with hands;"

     Hebrews 11:4 "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent
sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was
righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet
speaketh."

     With this verse, we begin examples of those, who found favor in
God's sight, by faith. Cain and Abel were the 2 sons of Adam and Eve.
In the following verses we will see the reason Abel was found
righteous. Genesis 4:3 "And in process of time it came to pass, that
Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD."
Genesis 4:4 "And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock
and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his
offering:" Genesis 4:5 "But unto Cain and to his offering he had not
respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell." We could
read on and find that Cain killed Abel. The part of this that has to
do with this, however, is the fact, that Abel's offering was an
offering acceptable to God. Genesis 4:10 "And he said, What hast thou
done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the
ground."

     Hebrews 11:5 "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not
see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for
before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God."

     The next three Scriptures will give a little more on this. It
really seems that while Enoch was out walking with God one day, God
just took him on home with Him. Genesis 5:22 "And Enoch walked with
God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and
daughters:" Genesis 5:23 "And all the days of Enoch were three hundred
sixty and five years:" Genesis 5:24 "And Enoch walked with God: and he
[was] not; for God took him." Notice the number of years that Enoch
lived is the same number of days as a year on our calendar. This
catching away of Enoch is pretty much the same as the catching away of
the Christians that are alive when the Lord comes back to get us.

     Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith [it is] impossible to please
[him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that]
he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

     This may be one of the most important statements in the Bible. If
you do not believe in Jesus, then how could He be your Saviour? There
are so many Scriptures that explain how important it is for us to
earnestly seek God. He is available to those who will accept Him. He
will not force Himself on you, you must accept Him of your own free
will. Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" This Scripture
explained it so well.  Salvation through Jesus Christ is a free gift.
The only way to have any gift, is to reach out and take it. Salvation
must be received.  John 3:18 "He that believeth on him is not
condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he
hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."  Let
us look at one or two more Scriptures showing that belief in Jesus
Christ is the only way we can make it to heaven.  Romans 10:14 "How
then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how
shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall
they hear without a preacher?" You can easily see from this that you
can not even pray if you do not believe in Jesus.  The only prayer
that makes it through to heaven, is the prayer you pray in the name of
Jesus. How can you pray in a name you do not believe in. You see the
futility of this. We find the way to heaven is in the same name that
we must pray in. The next Scripture is Jesus speaking, because it is
in red in the Bible. John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way,
the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

     Hebrews 11:7 "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not
seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his
house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the
righteousness which is by faith."

     The really important thing about the great flood that God warned
Noah of, is that it would be the first rain that had ever fallen on
the earth.  Noah, when warned by God of the impending flood, started
building the ark. We have a friend who sings a song, that says, It
wasn't raining when Noah built the ark. What a foolish thing to do in
the sight of the world. The neighbors probably thought that Noah had
lost his mind. How would this boat be of any earthly use without water
to float it on? When we examine the Scriptures pertaining to this, we
do not find that Noah's wife's faith or the faith of the three sons
was mentioned. It seems that they were saved because of Noah's great
faith. One very important lesson to learn from this, is that Noah was
saved in the flood, not from the flood. It rained on Noah too. Noah's
obedience to God saved his family and himself. God will not save us
from tribulation either, He will save us in it. Notice also that the
righteousness that Noah had, was faith in God. I will give just a few
Scriptures on this for your consideration. Genesis 6:13 "And God said
unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is
filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them
with the earth." Genesis 6:22 "Thus did Noah; according to all that
God commanded him, so did he." Genesis 7:1 "And the LORD said unto
Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen
righteous before me in this generation." Genesis 7:5 "And Noah did
according unto all that the LORD commanded him."  Genesis 7:23 "And
every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the
ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of
the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only
remained [alive], and they that [were] with him in the ark." There is
a lesson for us in this. When we believe with all our heart in the
Lord Jesus Christ and are obedient, even in the face of ridicule from
our friends, He will save us. Our faith in Him will save us.







                             Questions 24

1.  What is the faith chapter in the Bible?
2.  Faith is the substance of what?
3.  Faith is the evidence of what?
4.  What is the opposite of faith?
5.  What is evidence?
6.  Who did Jesus tell Thomas would be blessed?
7.  What a man seeth, why doth he yet ____ for.
8.  Abraham _________ and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
9.  How were the worlds framed?
10. What 2 false teachings are completely wiped out with {In the
    beginning God created the heaven and the earth}?
11. In what Scripture do we find that the Word of God created all
    things?
12. God dwelleth not in _______ made with ______.
13. Which brother's gift was more acceptable to God; Cain or Abel?
14. Who were Cain and Abel?
15. What did Cain do to his brother Abel?
16. Who was translated that he did not see death?
17. What is an interesting thing about the number of years Enoch
    lived?
18. What does this catching away of Enoch remind us of?
19. He that cometh to God must believe that He __ and that He is a
    rewarder of whom?
20. How can Jesus be your Saviour if you do not belive in Him?
21. Ask and it shall be _____ ___.
22. Seek and ye shall _____.
23. Knock and it shall be ______ unto you.
24. He that believeth not is condemned, why?
25. How shall they call on Him in whom they have not _________?
26. What is the only way to get a prayer through to heaven?
27. What 3 things did Jesus call Himself in John chapter 14 verse 6?
28. How did Noah know to build an ark?
29. What made this building of the ark, seem so strange?
30. Who was saved with Noah?
31. Why were they saved?
32. Noah was saved __ the flood, not ____ the flood.
33. It wasn't ________ when Noah built the ark.
34. What was destroyed by the flood?
35. What lesson can we learn from Noah?