Abraham, That Unbelievable Believer
Hebrews 11
Understanding Faith
- Faith is active, dynamic, and works in real-life situations (Hebrews 11)
- Importance of faith in pleasing God and living a righteous life
The Patriarchal Period and Abraham's Faith
- Overview of the periods discussed in Hebrews 11, focusing on the patriarchal period
- Abraham as a central figure of faith in both the Old and New Testaments
Episodes of Abraham's Faith
- Episode 1: Abraham's Call and Departure (Hebrews 11:8)
- Abraham's obedience to God's call to leave his home without knowing his destination
- Episode 2: Abraham's Sojourn (Hebrews 11:9-10)
- Living as a sojourner in the promised land, dwelling in tents
- Maintaining an eternal perspective despite not seeing the fulfillment of God's promises
- Episode 3: Sarah's Faith (Hebrews 11:11-12)
- Even Sarah's faith in receiving power to conceive despite her old age
- Episode 4: The Sacrifice of Isaac (Hebrews 11:17-19)
- The supreme test of faith when God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac
Lessons from Abraham's Faith
- Faith and Obedience: Abraham's immediate obedience to God's call
- Patience in Faith: Abraham's patient endurance without seeing the fulfillment of promises
- Certainty of Faith: Believing in God's promises despite uncertain circumstances
- Testing of Faith: The willingness to trust God even in extreme tests, such as the sacrifice of Isaac
Application to Modern Believers
- Challenges of understanding and following God's will
- Encouragement to trust in God's plan even when details are unknown
- Faith as a commitment to God before understanding His plan
- The importance of maintaining faith in difficult circumstances and trusting in God's ultimate goodness
Conclusion
- Encouragement to live by faith as Abraham did
- Reflection on what believers are trusting God for in their own lives
- Challenge to demonstrate faith through action and trust in God's promises
*The above summary is AI-generated, so discrepancies may exist. Please refer to the audio or video file to verify accuracy.
About the Contributors
Howard G. Hendricks
Dr. Howard G. Hendricks, known simply as “Prof,” directly or indirectly touched millions of lives in the evangelical community and beyond. For more than sixty years Prof served on the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), where he taught more than ten thousand students. He served as the chairman of the Center for Christian Leadership for over twenty years. He also ministered in person in more than eighty countries. Through speaking engagements, radio, tapes, films, the sixteen books he authored and coauthored, countless journal and popular-market articles, his service on numerous boards, and his work as a chaplain to the Dallas Cowboys (1976–1984), his reach was and is worldwide.
His legacy, in partnership with Jeanne, his wife of more than sixty-five years, includes four children and six grandchildren. Holding large audiences enthralled at venues such as Billy Graham’s conference center or Promise Keepers’ stadium rallies, Prof would confide, “It’s wonderful to be here with you, but I have a group of delicious students waiting for me back at the seminary.”
Contributors
