becoming champions of faith: define the win

We begin a new sermon series this Sunday that is inspired by the coming Olympic Games in Paris, France. Although the games are still several weeks away, they provide a great opportunity for us to celebrate excellence, especially the excellence of a living, dynamic faith. We all like winners. As we go through the games, there will be a constant “medal tally” and the country with the most medals will celebrate the strength of its athletes and its national pride. We may even hope that our country is the one that “wins” it all. Our series title is ambitious, Becoming Champions of Faith. God desires to inspire us toward this living, dynamic faith but there are plenty of obstacles. Our first sermon in this series is Define the Win. The Olympic Games have a clearly defined standard for winning. Either the score or the clock will determine the winner. How do we determine a winning faith? One of the passages that helps us answer this question is found in Hebrews 10:32-11:4. These early believers were struggling to hang onto the power of faith. Their obstacles of fear, threat, and persecution were taking their toll. They wanted to give up rather than stand up! We may not be under the harsh conditions as these believers but the obstacles are still present and clear. The enemy of faith still wants us to give up rather than stand up and he will use whatever opportunity to discourage us. As the writer of Hebrews seeks to encourage these struggling Christians, he clarifies the power of a championship faith for every generation. He shares with us a faith that can help us endure the difficult and dark path to find the most important win of our lives. Our most sincere and earnest prayer is for you to find the strength to confront the obstacles the enemy has put in your path and to find your load lifted by the presence of our living God.  

Hebrews 10:32-11:4 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. ³³ Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. ³⁴ You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. ³⁵ So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. ³⁶ You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. ³⁷ For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” ³⁸ And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” ³⁹ But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. ² This is what the ancients were commended for. ³ By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. ⁴ By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. (NIV)