May 31, 2026 | Hebrews - Jesus the Superior Way | The Hall of Faith | Mark Strickland

Devotional

Day 1: Priority of First Fruits in a Shepherd’s Hands

The story of Abel’s offering teaches that faith begins by placing God above all else. Abel didn’t give leftovers; he gave the best of his flock, trusting God’s worthiness even when logic might argue for practicality. Like a child insisting a parent’s credit card is magic, we often treat God as a secondary resource rather than the source of every blessing. Faith as priority means surrendering what is precious—time, energy, resources—not because we must, but because we recognize God’s claim on our first and finest. What we prioritize reveals what we truly worship. [31:09]

“By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.”
(Hebrews 11:4, ESV)

Reflection: What “first fruit” in your life—time, talent, or treasure—have you hesitated to surrender to God? How might offering it deepen your trust in His provision?

Day 2: Walking Until God Takes You

Enoch’s life shows that faith thrives in daily proximity, not sporadic visits. He didn’t achieve perfection but walked so closely with God that his earthly end was a seamless transition to eternity. Like a path worn by repeated steps, faith grows through habitual nearness—prayer, Scripture, and obedience. The Hebrew word halak (to walk) implies a journey of devotion, not a single act. Enoch’s example invites us to ask: does our walk with God leave a trail others could follow? [33:49]

“Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.”
(Genesis 5:22–24, ESV)

Reflection: What daily habit could you cultivate to walk more closely with God? Where do you sense Him inviting you to lean into His presence this week?

Day 3: Building the Ark in a Dry Valley

Noah’s faith was a blend of purity and boldness—a refusal to compromise with a corrupt world and a courage to act on God’s word despite ridicule. For decades, he hammered planks in a desert, trusting a promise of rain he’d never seen. Faith often looks foolish until the storm comes. Like Noah, we’re called to build obedience even when the world mocks, knowing God’s timing turns patience into testimony. [35:50]

“By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”
(Hebrews 11:7, ESV)

Reflection: Where is God asking you to “build the ark” in your life—to obey boldly even when others misunderstand? What step can you take today?

Day 4: Laughing at the Impossible Promise

Sarah’s laughter at God’s promise of a son in old age mirrors our doubt when God’s plans defy logic. Yet her journey from skepticism to trust shows that faith isn’t the absence of questions but the choice to believe God’s faithfulness outweighs our uncertainty. Like Sarah, we’re called to shift from laughing at God’s promises to laughing with Him in joy as His plans unfold. [38:44]

“By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.”
(Hebrews 11:11, ESV)

Reflection: What promise from God feels impossible to you right now? How might surrendering your timeline to His faithfulness change your perspective?

Day 5: The Unseen City with Foundations

Abraham lived as a foreigner, his eyes fixed on a homeland he’d never visit. Faith means holding earthly comforts loosely, trusting that God’s eternal city—built on His presence, not human effort—is our true inheritance. Like Abraham, we’re exiles passing through, called to invest in what lasts beyond our lifetimes. The question isn’t whether we’ll die but whether we’ll live for what death cannot touch. [39:51]

“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.”
(Hebrews 11:13–14, ESV)

Reflection: What earthly attachment do you need to release to fix your gaze more fully on God’s eternal kingdom? How can you invest in “the city with foundations” this week?

Sermon Summary

Hebrews 11 opens by naming faith as “the assurance of things hoped for” and “the conviction of things not seen.” The text does not ask for perfect knowledge. It asks for trust in the gap between limited understanding and God’s full reality. Hebrews then ties that trust to creation itself. By faith, creation is received as the workmanship of God’s word, the uncaused first cause who simply is, the I AM, and Jesus stands as the same yesterday, today, and forever. Faith therefore becomes the God‑given way to draw near, not a fallback when proof runs out but the posture God actually desires.

The chapter then shows what faith looks like in real people. Abel shows the ingredient of priority. His offering is the first and the best, not the leftovers, and his life still speaks. Enoch shows the ingredient of proximity. He “walked with God,” the halak, a whole‑of‑life path that reads as devotion, nearness, and delight. Without faith it is impossible to please God, because faith is how a person draws near and keeps near.

Noah shows the ingredients of purity and boldness. In a corrupt generation he walks with God, receives a word about unseen things, and starts building a boat in a dry field. Purity does not mean flawlessness but a reflex of returning to God, and boldness is the public shape of trust when ridicule is loud and rain has not yet fallen. God uses a life like that to awaken others to hope.

Abraham and Sarah receive the ingredient of the impossible promise. God calls Abraham out of Ur, out of all that shaped him, and promises a nation through whom the world will be blessed. The promise delays and looks impossible, yet the text says they looked beyond tents and timelines toward a better country. They greet fulfillment from afar because the promise rests on God’s character, not their sight. When the knife is lifted over Isaac, a ram appears in the thicket, but the wording hints that a lamb is still to come. Hebrews reads that moment as a signpost toward the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The ancients are commended, yet they do not receive the fullness, because God prepared something better that reaches its yes in Jesus. Their faith and today’s faith share the same center. Christ holds the story together.

Key Takeaways

1. Faith welcomes assurance and mystery Faith refuses the illusion of omniscience while holding a concrete confidence in God’s word. The text names assurance and conviction, not exhaustive explanation, as the core. Mystery is not a flaw in Christian knowing but the space where trust breathes. That posture is how a person actually draws near to God. [21:08]
2. Make God the first and the best Abel’s worship turns priority into a habit, not a mood. Firstfruits reorders the heart, teaching it who is Lord over time, talent, and treasure. Giving the best trains desire to love God more than outcomes and security. Over time, that voice “still speaks.” [31:09]
3. Walk in close, daily proximity Enoch’s halak is a path, not a moment. Proximity is formed by rhythms that keep God’s way on the tongue, doorframe, and road, so nearness becomes normal. Such nearness pleases God because it trusts him enough to stay. Draw near, and expect him to reward seekers. [33:49]
4. Practice purity and boldness in public Noah’s righteousness shows up as long obedience under open sky. Purity keeps returning to God; boldness keeps building when outcomes seem absurd. That combination steadies a soul and quietly confronts a watching world with a different clock and a deeper hope. [35:50]
5. Trust the impossible to the Lamb Abraham’s knife and the ram in the thicket are not the finish line but a pointer. A ram saved Isaac, but a lamb would save the world. The ancients’ faith leans forward to Jesus; today’s faith leans on the same Lamb, the better promise made present. [45:36]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[15:04] - Summer celebration and honoring
[15:31] - Hebrews 11 and the question of faith
[19:52] - Faith defined as assurance and conviction
[23:53] - Creation by God’s word and first cause
[24:24] - “I AM” and Jesus unchanging
[26:21] - God wants faith, not perfect knowledge
[26:57] - Hall of Faith reading begins
[30:46] - Abel and the ingredient of priority
[31:52] - Enoch and walking in proximity
[34:33] - Noah’s purity and boldness under ridicule
[37:44] - Abraham’s call and impossible promise
[39:21] - Homeland from afar and God unashamed
[44:53] - Ram vs. lamb and the greater Substitute
[47:18] - Four ingredients applied and invitation

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Hebrews 11:1-3, 4-11, 17-19 (ESV)
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 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…
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain… 5 By faith Enoch was taken up… 7 By faith Noah… constructed an ark… 8 By faith Abraham obeyed… 17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac…

Observation questions

According to Hebrews 11:1, what two things define faith? How does the sermon describe the relationship between faith and "perfect knowledge"? [21:08]
What specific actions did Abel, Enoch, and Noah take that demonstrated their faith (Hebrews 11:4-7)? How does the sermon connect these actions to "priority," "proximity," and "boldness"? [30:46]
In Hebrews 11:17-19, Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac is linked to trusting God’s promises. What detail in Genesis 22 does the sermon highlight as a "signpost" to Jesus? [44:53]
The sermon mentions that faith involves "assurance and mystery." What example from the transcript illustrates how even atheists operate by faith? [21:38]

Interpretation questions

Why does walking with God (like Enoch) require more than occasional moments of devotion? How does daily "halak" (walking) shape a person’s ability to trust God in uncertainty? [33:49]
Noah built an ark despite ridicule and no visible evidence of rain. How might purity and boldness work together to sustain faith in a culture that dismisses God’s promises? [35:50]
Abraham and Sarah waited decades for a child, yet Hebrews 11 says they "greeted [the promise] from afar." What does this reveal about the relationship between faith and timing? How does this apply to unmet prayers or delayed hopes today? [39:21]
The sermon argues that faith is not a "fallback when proof runs out" but the posture God desires. Why might God value trust in mystery over perfect understanding? [26:21]

Application questions

Abel’s offering prioritized God with the "first and best" of his resources. What is one area of your life (time, talent, or treasure) where you tend to give God leftovers instead of firstfruits? What step could you take this week to reorder that priority? [31:09]
Enoch’s "halak" meant walking with God as a daily rhythm. What habit or practice could help you cultivate intentional proximity to God—even in small, consistent ways? [33:25]
Noah’s boldness meant building a boat in a dry field despite mockery. Where do you feel called to live out your faith courageously, even if others might misunderstand or ridicule your choices? [35:50]
Abraham trusted God’s impossible promise of a son. What "impossible" situation or unanswered prayer in your life needs you to lean into the certainty of God’s character over visible outcomes? [50:15]
The sermon contrasts the ram (Isaac’s substitute) with the Lamb (Jesus). How does recognizing Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises change the way you view your past struggles or future fears? [45:36]
Hebrews 11:13 says the ancients "died in faith, not having received the things promised." How can you cultivate contentment in God’s promises even when their fulfillment feels distant or unclear?

Sermon Clips

30s

#FaithIsTrust

“What is faith? It's the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. The bible is clear that faith is not having perfect knowledge. However, it's the assurance of the things we hope for. It's the conviction of the things we don't see. Did you know that every person, whether they're a Christian, an atheist, an agnostic, a Muslim, a new age adherent, Hindu, whatever, every person has to have faith in whatever they believe about ultimate things.”

32s

#PracticeFaith

“God actually wants us to have faith. Have you ever thought about that? God could just reveal himself dramatically to humanity. Actually, I think he already did that. His name was Jesus Christ. He came two thousand years ago, and even when he dramatically revealed himself to humanity then, people still didn't believe him. So I'm not sure why we think that it would be any different today. But God doesn't choose to reveal himself in this dramatic ongoing way. Why? Because we're supposed to practice faith.”

33s

#GodNotAshamed

“There's a small part of this part of the passage that really sticks out at me. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God. That's a statement. Therefore, god is not ashamed to be called their god. Let me ask you a question. If you consider your life and what you're all about, would you be ashamed or would god be ashamed to be called your god? Would God be ashamed to be called your God? Fortunately, when God looks at our lives, he doesn't actually see us because we've all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. He sees Jesus's perfection and sacrifice.”

28s

#WalkTheWay

“You know what the Christians were first called in the book of Acts? They weren't called Christians. They were called what? The way because they were people of the way. They walked with the way of Jesus. It was the path they traveled on. What's the point? The point is if you wanna live a life of faith, you have to walk in close proximity to God. And Enoch's faith was in such close proximity to God that he was taken to be directly with God.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Milton Bible Church This sermon · AI assistant

What is the biblical definition of faith?

Why does faith point to an uncaused first cause?

What practical ingredients form an enduring life of faith?