As summer begins and a new season unfolds, this message launches a sermon series that bridges the book of Hebrews with the book of Genesis, revealing Christ throughout the Old Testament narratives. Building upon the previous "True and Greater" series that explored how Jesus fulfills and surpasses everything in the Old Testament, this new series examines the "Hall of Faith" found in Hebrews 11.
Hebrews chapter 11 is often called the "Hall of Faith"—similar to sports halls of fame or music halls of fame that honor the best of the best. This biblical hall of fame celebrates people from the Old Testament, particularly from Genesis, who demonstrated tremendous faith in God. The word "faith" appears 24 times in this chapter, making it clear that understanding faith is essential to grasping the rest of the passage.
As the author of Hebrews recalls these stories from Genesis, the intention is not merely to look backward at historical figures, but to help believers understand that faith should be part of their present reality. These ancient examples serve to inspire and instruct contemporary Christians in living faithfully today.
Before examining specific examples from Genesis, Hebrews 11 provides a foundational definition of faith. The passage opens with these words:
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand the universe was created by the word of God so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." (Hebrews 11:1-3)
The definition begins with "now"—not just to indicate time, but to emphasize that faith belongs to the present moment. According to Greek scholars, the very first word in the original text is actually "is," stressing that faith should be part of life right now, not just something relegated to past saints or future hopes.
This present confidence can be illustrated through everyday experiences. When someone sits in a chair, they exercise faith—a present confidence that the chair will hold them. If given a broken chair, no amount of confidence would prevent collapse. This demonstrates an important principle: the amount of faith matters less than where that faith is placed.
This is why Jesus taught in Luke 17:6 that faith even as small as a mustard seed is sufficient—because what matters is the object of faith, not its quantity. When faith is properly placed in God, believers can have genuine present confidence.
The second aspect of faith involves "the assurance of things hoped for." In contemporary American usage, "hope" often carries uncertainty—wanting something while doubting it will happen. However, biblical hope is fundamentally different. It represents confidence in a future reality that, though not yet experienced, is absolutely certain.
This confidence in future reality is grounded in past evidence. Just as a long marriage provides evidence of enduring love that creates confidence for the future, believers can look back at God's faithfulness throughout history and trust Him for what lies ahead. The entire book of Hebrews has been pointing readers to look at Jesus—the true and greater Moses, the true and greater sacrifice, the true and greater priest—to build this confidence.
The author of Hebrews provides the first example of faith immediately in verse 3: "By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."
Upon entering this hall of faith, the very first display is creation itself. No human being witnessed the moment of creation—there were no cameras, no recordings, no time machines. All theories about origins, whether philosophical, mythological, or scientific, must work with limitations.
Many great scientists throughout history—Robert Boyle, Isaac Newton, Galileo, Gregor Mendel—pursued scientific discovery precisely because of their faith in God. They wanted to understand how God's world works. However, science has inherent limitations when studying origins. Science requires reproducibility for certainty, but the creation event cannot be reproduced. Scientists can only study after-effects and evidence.
Because science is limited in this way, Scripture provides a valid and valuable perspective. God was present at creation, and according to 2 Timothy 3:16, all Scripture is breathed out by God. Therefore, Scripture offers a unique witness to what occurred at the beginning of all things.
The author of Hebrews makes a crucial point: everything was created by the word of God, and God did not start with pre-existing materials. The passage states that "what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." God took nothing and made everything—and He did it with nothing but a word.
This leads directly to Genesis 1, which opens with the declaration: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." The text does not say "In the beginning, God was created"—God has always existed, outside of time. In His creative act, God first creates time itself ("in the beginning") along with space ("the heavens and the earth").
Throughout Genesis 1, a pattern emerges repeatedly:
Each creative act follows the same structure: God speaks, and it comes into existence. The phrase "and it was so" confirms the completion of what God spoke. This is why Psalm 33:8-9 declares: "Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm."
Human beings cannot create from nothing. We can only manipulate what already exists—rearranging matter, combining elements, using the materials, colors, frequencies, and physical properties God has already established. But God creates absolutely new things from nothing, simply by speaking.
The series title promises to reveal Jesus in Genesis, yet the Genesis 1 account may not immediately appear to mention Christ. However, Jesus is present throughout the creation narrative, visible through three key Scripture passages.
Genesis 1:26 records: "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...'"
The Hebrew word for God in this verse is "Elohim," which has a plural dimension. The Jewish people firmly believed in one God—the Shema of Deuteronomy declares "the Lord is one"—yet this one God is so glorious and magnificent that the Hebrew language reflects a certain plurality within His unity.
For Christians, the doctrine of the Trinity explains this mystery: one God existing eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When Elohim says "Let us make mankind in our image," the Father is speaking to the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is present in this creative counsel.
John 1:1-3 provides explicit clarity: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made."
John identifies Jesus as "the Word" and declares that He was both with God and was God—a profound statement of Christ's divine nature. Critically, verse 3 emphasizes that Jesus was not merely present as an observer during creation. All things were made through Him. Nothing in all creation came into existence apart from Christ's active involvement.
When God speaks creation into existence in Genesis 1, it is Christ—the Word of God—through whom everything is created.
Colossians 1:16 adds another dimension: "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him."
Not only were all things created by Christ and through Christ, but they were also created for Christ. Creation exists for His pleasure and under His authority. Jesus stands sovereign over everything that exists.
Understanding that Jesus spoke all things into existence from nothing carries profound implications for present-day faith. If Christ could create the entire universe with mere words, transforming absolute nothingness into the vast complexity of all that exists, then no current circumstance exceeds His power to address.
The author of Hebrews wrote chapter 11 because he understood the fickleness of the human heart. People consistently place faith in unreliable things:
All these represent good things that become problematic when elevated to ultimate things. They form faulty foundations that inevitably crack under pressure.
Sometimes the kindest thing God can do is allow circumstances to shake these faulty foundations. When the things people trust in prove unreliable, it creates an opportunity to return faith to its proper object: God Himself.
The people featured in Hebrews 11 had far fewer resources and comforts than contemporary believers, yet their faith proved remarkably firm. This sermon series aims to inspire that same quality of faith—a faith so secure in Christ that regardless of physical circumstances, financial situations, political developments, or any other challenge, the foundation remains unshakeable.
This teaching emphasizes living with present confidence about a future reality, substantiated by God's past works. The God who spoke everything into existence remains present and active. He is both with His people and for His people.
For those experiencing difficult seasons, this perspective offers profound comfort. While the instinct might be to remove all hardship immediately, God's wisdom sometimes allows struggles to continue because they accomplish something important: they reveal where faith has been misplaced and create opportunities to establish it firmly on Christ alone.
As this series in Hebrews 11 unfolds, it will showcase individuals who maintained extraordinary faith despite challenging circumstances. Their examples serve to inspire contemporary believers toward the same unwavering trust.
The message calls for examination: Where has faith been misplaced? What people, possessions, or circumstances have been trusted to provide what only God can give? This moment of recognition provides opportunity for confession and return—acknowledging misplaced faith and recommitting to Christ as the sole foundation.
For those who have never placed faith in Christ, the creation account demonstrates both God's power and His love. The same God who created everything also entered creation to restore what was broken by sin. The cross reveals that despite humanity's rebellion, God pursued reconciliation. Faith begins with confessing sin and surrendering life completely to Christ.
This sermon establishes the foundation for the entire series by defining faith and demonstrating Jesus's presence at creation. Two great acts define God's work: creation and redemption. At creation, Jesus spoke everything into existence from nothing. At the cross, Jesus accomplished something equally miraculous—taking humanity's sin and offering forgiveness, defeating death through resurrection.
Both the creation narrative and the cross story reveal who God is: powerful, creative, loving, and faithful. These past acts provide the basis for present confidence and future hope. The God who created all things with a word continues to speak into the circumstances of His people's lives today.
The invitation stands to build life on this firm foundation—not on technology, money, substances, or people, but on Christ alone. This faith does not require perfection but does require trust: believing that Jesus died for sins and rose from the dead, and that He remains actively present and powerful.
As the summer unfolds and this series continues through Hebrews 11 and Genesis, the goal remains consistent: to know Jesus more deeply and to make Him known more widely. May these ancient stories of faith inspire contemporary believers to trust the Creator who spoke worlds into existence and who continues to work in power and love today.
