Six Characteristics of Walking by Faith
Hebrews 11:1-2 HCSB Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not
seen. (2) For by it our ancestors were approved.
Introduction
The only lasting motivation for ministry is because we want to please Jesus Christ, out of
a deep heart of gratitude. I know that your heart is like my heart, and my life goal is to one
day stand before Jesus Christ and have Him say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
At that point He says that it will be worth it all. You won’t be in heaven five seconds and
you’ll say, "Why didn’t I serve more? Why didn’t I give more? Why didn’t I love more? Why
didn’t I obey more?"
Hebrews 11 is the classic chapter on faith. Verse 6 says, "Without faith it is impossible to
please God." If I’m not ministering in faith, I’m not pleasing God. The Bible is even more
specific than that. It says,
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Romans 14:23 HCSB But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his
eating is not from faith, and everything that is not from faith is sin.
If I’m not ministering in faith, I’m ministering in sin. That’s strong stuff!"
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2 Corinthians 5:7 HCSB for we walk by faith, not by sight-Habakkuk 2:4 HCSB Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous
one will live by his faith.
Psalm 127:1 HCSB A Solomonic song of ascents. Unless the LORD builds a house,
its builders labor over it in vain; unless the LORD watches over a city, the watchman
stays alert in vain.
I. Walking In Faith Is Believing When I Don’t See It
 Hebrews 11:1 HCSB Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is
not seen.
"Faith is visualizing the future in advance. It is seeing the future in the present. Every
great achievement began when somebody saw it in advance. We didn’t put a man on the
moon until one day JFK stood up and said, "Let’s put a man on the moon." When he said
that, the technology had not even been invented.
Faith is believing when I don’t see it. Some things have to be believed before they can be
seen. The world says, "Seeing is believing." God says, "Believing is seeing." You have to see
it in advance." 1
Application: Budget, Land, Building
II. Walking In Faith Is Obeying When I Don’t Understand It
 Hebrews 11:27 HCSB By faith he (Moses) left Egypt behind, not being afraid of the
king's anger, for he persevered, as one who sees Him who is invisible.
Exodus 14, Moses and our people were trapped. They were told to cross the Red Sea
even though they had no boats. All the saints mentioned in Hebrews 11 stepped out in faith
when they didn’t understand.
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Henry Blackaby, Experiencing God, p.134
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Hebrews 11:8 HCSB By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to
a place he was going to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he
was going.
Abraham is a classic example of obeying when he didn’t understand. He was about 75
years old, and God asked him to give up all his security – right at an age when Abraham
should have been getting Social Security! God said, I want you to leave. Pick up everything
and get ready for the greatest adventure of your life. The scary part of it is God gave
Abraham no details. Abraham says, "Where are we going?"
God says, You’ve never heard of it.
"How long is it going to take?"
You’ll find out.
"How will I know when I get there?"
I’ll let you know!
Sometimes God will tell you to do something in your ministry, and you’ll think, "There’s no
way this is going to work!" Yet, God says, Do it!
And guess what? It works!"
III. Walking In Faith Is Giving When I Don’t Have It
 Hebrews 11:4 HCSB By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By
this he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even
though he is dead, he still speaks through this.
Isn’t that interesting? Giving and faith go together. God uses money to test our
faithfulness. God watches the giving of a Christian. The Bible says:
 Luke 16:11, NLT "if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with
the true riches of heaven?
 Luke 6:38 HCSB Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure--pressed down,
shaken together, and running over--will be poured into your lap. For with the measure
you use, it will be measured back to you."
 Malachi 3:10 HCSB Bring the full 10 percent into the storehouse so that there may be
food in My house. Test Me in this way," says the LORD of Hosts. "See if I will not open
the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.
 Proverbs 3:9-10 HCSB Honor the LORD with your possessions and with the first
produce of your entire harvest; (10) then your barns will be completely filled, and your
vats will overflow with new wine.
There is a direct relationship between how I use my money and how much of God’s power
I experience in my life. It influences how much God can bless my life. I think God expects
leaders to take the lead in giving. You cannot out give God.
IV. Walking In Faith Is Persisting When I Don’t Feel Like It
How do you develop persistence? How do you develop the kind of persistence that keeps
you in a position when God has put you there, when every bone in your body says, "Quit!"
 Luke 18:1-7 HCSB He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always
and not become discouraged: (2) "There was a judge in one town who didn't fear
God or respect man. (3) And a widow in that town kept coming to him, saying, 'Give
me justice against my adversary.' (4) "For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to
himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or respect man, (5) yet because this widow
keeps pestering me, I will give her justice, so she doesn't wear me out by her
persistent coming.'" (6) Then the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. (7)
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Will not God grant justice to His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay
to help them?
Where do you get that kind of persistence? Let’s look at Moses:
 Hebrews 11:27 HCSB By faith he left Egypt behind, not being afraid of the king's
anger, for he persevered, as one who sees Him who is invisible.
Notice the key to persistence is that last phrase – he could see the invisible. Only as we
see the invisible can we accomplish the impossible. The key to persistence is to keep your
eyes on God. Keep your eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ.
ILL: A certain boss was talking to his employee about selling their products and he said,
"The main thing to remember is that repetition is the key. Repetition. Repetition.
Repetition. If you have a product to sell, keeping harping on it in every possible way and at
every possible chance. Cram it down people’s throats if you have to...make yourself
sickening, if need be...but don’t forget to repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat. It’s the only way to
get results."
The employee said, "Yes, sir!"
Boss: "And now, what was it that you came in to see me about?" The employee replied,
"A raise in salary! A raise! A raise! A raise! A raise!"
Corrie Ten Boom says,
"If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if
you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest." It all depends on where you’ve got your eyes."
V. Walking In Faith Is Thanking Before I Receive It
 John 11:41-42 HCSB So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes and
said, "Father, I thank You that You heard Me. (42) I know that You always hear Me,
but because of the crowd standing here I said this, so they may believe You sent Me."
A good illustration for this is Joshua. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell after the people had
marched around them for seven days. Jericho was the most fortified city in the world at that
time. God said, "There’s no way a bunch of slaves are going to take this thing, but here’s
what I want you to do: March around the city seven times a day for seven days and then I’ll
cause a miracle.
What were they doing seven times a day for seven days? Thanking God in advance.
Praising God in advance.
Faith doesn’t mean you believe God can do something. He can do it whether you believe
it or not.
Faith doesn’t mean believing He will do something. That’s hope. You hope He will.
Faith is believing He’s doing it! That He’s already doing it. That the answer is already on
the way.
 Mark 11:24 HCSB Therefore, I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for--believe
that you have received them, and you will have them.
Don’t beg. Just thank God in advance. Make your request and then be continually
thanking. If I were to write out a check for $1000 and give it to you, would you wait until
you’ve cashed it to thank me? (You might!) No, you’d thank me the moment you made the
request and the check was offered."
VI. Walking In Faith Is Trusting If I Don’t Get It
Walking in faith does not exempt you from problems. We all know that from personal
experience.
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Hebrews 11:39-40 HCSB All these were approved through their faith, but they did not
receive what was promised, (40) since God had provided something better for us, so
that they would not be made perfect without us.
Anybody can trust God in ministry when things are going great. Big deal! Real faith is
developed in the valleys of ministry, when the situation looks impossible, when the people
look hopeless, when the tide has turned against you, and when you’re tempted to ask
yourself, "Why is this happening to me?" This is a test!
Faith is trusting that if you don’t get it, God has a better idea -- a far, far better idea. In
Abraham’s case, it took God five more years to reveal the better idea, but He did. And don’t
you think there were some real questions during those five years?
Faith is trusting even if you don’t get it.
Conclusion:
"Without faith it is impossible to please God."
 Am I walking by faith?
 Am I believing when I don’t see it?
 obeying when I don’t understand it?
 giving when I don’t have it?
 persisting when I don’t feel like it?
 thanking before I receive it?
 trusting if I don’t get it?
Or, am I allowing the pressures of life, work, and the world to hinder my obedience and
thus not walking by faith?
Faith isn’t making a good guess based on the best human estimate of what will happen...
Faith is believing the promises of God, even when there is nothing to show for it.
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