GOD’S HALL OF FAME
Hebrews 12:1 NLT
We are surrounded by a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith!
When I was a teenager, I dreamed of one day doing something heroic. I yearned in my soul for a life of significance and great purpose, to make a difference in this world. At the time I was playing sports and doing music. I thought that perhaps one day I might accomplish something great in one of those endeavors, something worthy of acclaim. I’m sure many of you have aspired to something very similar. We see the exploits of great athletes and the recognition they receive, the honors that are bestowed on them, the attention they are given, the influence they have, and we often desire the same thing. Yet, in truth, none of their great records mean a thing in eternity. God is not keeping track of how many touchdowns they score, how many homeruns they hit, or how many great songs famous music artists write, or albums they sell, or grammys they win. In eternity none of it matters at all, they will never be in God’s hall of fame.
When I gave my life to Christ at 19, there was still this intense longing to make a difference with my life. To live with great purpose, significance and meaning. To make a mark on this world that would last forever. I discovered all of that through a life of faith in Jesus Christ. As I’ve walked with the Lord now for almost half a century, I’ve come to understand that this profound life of faith is often much different than first imagined. We read the famous scripture on the hall of fame of faith in Hebrews 11. We imagine ourselves doing great and mighty exploits for God! Yet, when you examine carefully the lives of each individual, you see great differences in each of their lives, even though each is in God’s hall of fame of faith! Noah worked on a very large boat for almost 100 years, warning and preaching to people around him that judgment was coming, God was going to flood and destroy the whole world. No one listened. No one! He saved only himself, his wife, immediate family and some animals. As an old man, Abraham believed God when he told him he would have a son. As a result he tried mating with his barren wife in her old age. She did not conceive. Sarah urged him to take her servant and mate with her. He did and problems have followed the Jews all their days because of Abraham’s mistake. Yet, Abraham in his old age, and his wife’s inability to have children at her advanced age, continued by faith mating with his wife, and God gave him one son, Isaac! Then God tested him again, asking him to sacrifice his only son! Abraham, I’m sure was deeply conflicted internally, yet, did what God asked him to do and at the last moment God intervened and saved Abraham’s son. Then there was David, who is remembered well for slaying the mighty giant Goliath, using a simple stone, and a sling, because of his faith in God. Yet that same David, ran for his life for over a decade, living in fear that Saul would find him and kill him. His own wife betrayed and abandoned him. His faith in God sustained him, and we read of his life, faith and struggles in the Psalms he wrote, articulating his journey of faith.
It’s very easy for us to see why these heroic people would be in God’s hall of fame of faith! We read of these things: By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength, they became strong in battle putting whole armies to flight, women received their loved ones back from the dead! Amazing! Wow we think, that’s who I want to be!
But then we have this! But others trusted God and were tortured, preferring to die rather than turn from God and be free. Some were mocked, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in dungeons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half. Others were killed by the sword. Some were persecuted, destitute and afflicted! Some went about in the skins of sheep and goats, hungry and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world. They wandered and had to hide in caves and holes!
These “others” didn’t seem to accomplish anything of great value, or make any difference at all. They just suffered a lot. They didn’t have all their needs met, they had to endure deprivation, hardships, and afflictions, having no real home. They didn’t have good reputations, in fact they were mocked, made fun of, and endured the indictments of slander and false accusations by which they never regained a good reputation! Many were ostracized by family and friends. They were terribly mistreated, suffered terrible injustices. All these things they chose to walk through, because of their faith in God. They could have compromised, many could have had vastly different circumstances had they chosen to compromise with this world, abandon their faith and obedience, and just live like everyone else around them.
Many of you reading this today are having to walk through extremely difficult circumstances that God has allowed in your life. Many of you like Jeremiah have had to endure great suffering and loss because of the sins of others! Many of you are enduring terrible mistreatment, painful injustices, very difficult hardships in your life, whether financial, physical, or even emotional, through no fault of your own. Many are being ridiculed, slandered, treated with great hostility by family, friends or co-workers. Some have had their own spouse reject them. Some have been treacherously betrayed by friends. Some are dealing with difficult physical health. Some have suffered great losses. You have chosen faith in God and continue to walk in obedience to God’s call on your life, to trust him through the shame, discouragement, humiliations, deprivations, ridicule, rejection, or enduring physical and emotional pain, and very difficult financial stresses. All this you are enduring because you have chosen to accept from God what He has allowed in your life, what He’s asked you to walk through! Let me assure you of this. You will be forever in God’s Faith Hall of Fame. In eternity you won’t have one regret whatsoever that you choose to walk by faith, through what God allowed in your life.
It is this truth, this eternal reality my dear friends, that has kept me going all these years. You see, I myself have had to walk through many of the things I’ve mentioned. I am still living through many of them even now. I am among those “Others” that Hebrews talks about. My wife is among the “Others” as well, as she suffers great physical pain and affliction every day of her life, yet chooses faith in God, and continues to walk through that which God has allowed in her life.
My friends, be assured of this! Your life of faith honors God most of all! Nothing matters to God more than you living a life of Faith in God! You see in spite of all your pain, all your heartache, all your emotional trauma, all your anguish of soul, all the crushing circumstances God has allowed in your life, you’ve kept trusting God, and nothing pleases and honors God more than this! That is a heroic life of faith!
Helping you become a Strong Disciple,
Because of Jesus,
Pastor Mark Darling
