Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things unseen. The men and women of old gained approval through faith. By faith, Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain and was declared righteous. Enoch walked with God by faith and was taken up to heaven without dying. Noah built an ark by faith when warned about a flood. Abraham lived as a stranger in the promised land by faith. All these people died without receiving earthly promises but saw heavenly things by faith and confessed to being strangers on earth while seeking a heavenly country prepared by God.

2. Hebrews 11:1–16
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped
for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by
it the men of old gained approval. 3 By faith
we understand that the worlds were prepared
by the word of God, so that what is seen was
not made out of things which are visible. 4 By
faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice
than Cain, through which he obtained the
testimony that he was righteous, God
testifying about his gifts, and through faith,

3. though he is dead, he still speaks. 5 By faith
Enoch was taken up so that he would not see
death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK
HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that
before his being taken up he was pleasing to
God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to
please Him, for he who comes to God must
believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of
those who seek Him. 7 By faith Noah, being
warned by God about things not yet seen, in
reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of
his household, by which he condemned

4. the world, and became an heir of the
righteousness which is according to faith. 8 By
faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by
going out to a place which he was to receive
for an inheritance; and he went out, not
knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he
lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a
foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and
Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; 10 for
he was looking for the city which has
foundations, whose architect and builder is
God. 11 By faith even Sarah herself received

5. ability to conceive, even beyond the proper
time of life, since she considered Him faithful
who had promised. 12 Therefore there was
born even of one man, and him as good as
dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS
OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE
SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE. 13 All these died
in faith, without receiving the promises, but
having seen them and having welcomed them
from a distance, and having confessed that
they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14
For those who say such things make it clear

6. that they are seeking a country of their own.
15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that
country from which they went out, they would
have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is,
they desire a better country, that is, a
heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed
to be called their God; for He has prepared a
city for them.

8. Now faith…
God is who he says he is
and will do what he
said he will do.
Needs an object
Gift from God
Independent of the
external
Propels to action Propels to Action

9. The First Hero
By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice
than Cain, through which he obtained the
testimony that he was righteous, God
testifying about his gifts, and through faith,
though he is dead, he still speaks.

11. Faith
A matter of personal salvation
Not a matter of birthright
Offered the superior sacrifice
Quality VS Quantity
Mirrored what God would prescribe
Still speaks

12. Foreshadowing
…and to Jesus, the mediator of a new
covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which
speaks better than the blood of Abel.
Hebrews 12:24
The New Testament in Jesus’ blood is superior
to and takes the place of the Old Testament in
animal blood.

13. Not Super-Human
Cain followed his reason and ignored revelation. He argued
that his own good works as manifested by the produce which
he had grown, would please God rather than a blood sacrifice.
Abel accepted revelation instead, and had faith in the divine
acceptability of the offering prescribed by God. His own
reason may have argued otherwise, but his faith in what God
had said, won the day. Here was the example which this first-
century Jew should follow in his appropriation of the salvation
which Messiah procured for him on the Cross, not the way of
Cain, which he had been taught by the first-century religious
leaders in Israel.
Faith in a Super God

14. A Sudden Change

16. Terms
Taken up Translated Taken away Transported
Metatithemi-to effect a change of location in
space, with the implication that the two
locations are significantly different

17. First mentioned
For when the priesthood is changed, of
necessity there takes place a change of
law also.
Hebrews 7:12

18. The whole story
Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the
father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked
with God three hundred years after he
became the father of Methuselah, and he had
other sons and daughters. So all the days of
Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five
years. Enoch walked with God; and he was
not, for God took him.
Genesis 5:21–24

19. Faith Action
Enoch’s faith walk
placed him in heaven
rather than earth.
65 before he came to faith
Walked with God
His walk pleased God

20. Most Important Verse
And without faith it is impossible to please
Him, for he who comes to God must believe
that He is and that He is a rewarder of those
who seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6
1. He exists
2. Rewards those who seek Him

21. Discovering God’s
Deuteronomy 4:29 But from there you will seek the
LORD your God, and you will find Him if you
search for Him with all your heart and all your
soul.
Jeremiah 29:12–13 Then you will call upon Me and
come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You
will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me
with all your heart.
Matthew 7:7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek
and you will find; knock and the door will be
opened to you.

22. Righteousness by faith
By faith Noah, being warned by God about
things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an
ark for the salvation of his household, by
which he condemned the world, and became
an heir of the righteousness which is
according to faith.

23. Faith built
God spoke
Noah listened
Prepared and made
ready
Action condemned
Became an heir/owner

24. The First Dynamic Duo
Now faith is the title deed of things
hoped for, the proof of things which are
not being seen… that assurance and
conviction of unseen things which
caused him to rely confidently upon the
future fulfillment of
the divine promises.

26. By Faith Abraham
Called to go
Didn't know where
Lived as an alien
In the promised land
Passed on to his heirs

27. Abraham’s better half
By faith even Sarah herself received ability to
conceive, even beyond the proper time of life,
since she considered Him faithful who had
promised.
Laughed
Lied
Believed

28. Didn’t Settle
…for he was looking for the city which has
foundations, whose architect and builder is
God.

29. Hebrews 11:14–15 (NASB95)
14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are
seeking a country of their own. 15 And indeed if they had
been thinking of that country from which they went out,
they would have had opportunity to return.
Not the land
All these died in faith, without receiving the
promises, but having seen them and having
welcomed them from a distance, and having
confessed that they were strangers and
exiles on the earth.

30. The prize
But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a
heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to
be called their God; for He has prepared a city for
them.
Hebrews 11:16
Revelation 21:2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a
bride adorned for her husband.