Unshakeable Faith: Hebrews 11

Unshakeable Faith: What is faith?

October 12th, 2025 | Leverne Johnson Campground

Intro:

Good morning, church!

Man, what a beautiful day to worship God outside. I love this… kids running around, birds singing, the church gathered in God’s beautiful creation. It’s fitting that we’re talking about faith, because everything we see right now… started with something no one could see.

Would you turn with me to Hebrews 11:1-3 KJV

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” - Hebrews 11:1-3

Dr. J. Oswald Sanders once said: “Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen.”

Pray:

1. What Faith Is?

   1. Illust: Faith is like WIFI — You can’t see it, and you also can’t live without it. Haha

      1. Faith is like a GPS — it keeps saying, ‘Recalculating,’ every time you ignore the directions.

      2. Faith is like coffee — most of us don’t function right without it… and sometimes it takes a few cups before it kicks in.

         2. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
         3. That’s one of the most quoted verses in the Bible, and maybe one of the most misunderstood.

      3. Faith isn’t blind optimism.

      4. It’s not “I hope this works out.”
      5. It’s not pretending the bad stuff doesn’t exist.

      6. It’s not manifesting your own outcome.

         4. Faith is confident obedience to God’s Word in spite of what you see.

      7. The Airplane Passenger – “When you board a plane, you can’t see the pilot, you don’t check the flight path, and yet you sit down, buckle in, and trust you’ll land. That’s faith.”

      8. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
      9. That means faith starts when we hear God. He speaks through His Word, through His Spirit, and we respond.
      10. It’s trusting His voice even when the outcome is uncertain.
      11. That’s what makes faith so unshakeable, not because of the person who has it, but because of the God it’s placed in.

2. Faith Is the Foundation “Substance”

   1. That word “substance” literally means to stand under, like a foundation holding up a house.

      1. Faith is what holds you up when the storm blows
      2. When it’s not happening on your timeline
      3. When everyone around you is afraid

      4. When you can’t see how this is going to work out.

         2. Story: flipping houses… check the foundation first!
         3. Even recovery programs know this truth, Step 2 of the Twelve Steps says, “We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”

      5. Freedom starts when we stop relying on ourselves and start trusting God.

      6. That’s what biblical faith is: confident trust in the God who can do what we can’t.
         4. Faith is the foundation that holds you when life shakes you… but it’s also the conviction that moves you forward when everything around you says stop.

3. Faith Is Conviction “Evidence”

   1. The writer says faith is “the evidence of things not seen.”

      1. Evidence means conviction, this inner assurance from God that what He promised, He will do.

      2. You can’t always explain it, but you know it. Like that sense in your spirit when God whispers, “I’ve got you.”

         1. Even before the provision shows up.
         2. Before the healing comes.
         3. Before the answer arrives. Faith isn’t waiting to see before you believe; Faith believes so deeply that it starts to shape how you live.

4. Faith Is a Witness “God’s Approval”

   1. Verse 2 says the ancients “were approved by their faith.”
      In other words, God put His stamp of approval on their obedience.

   2. When you walk by faith, you’re not just believing, you’re bearing witness that God can be trusted.

      1. People around you get to see what it looks like to live like God’s promises are true.
      2. That’s what Hebrews 12 calls “the great cloud of witnesses.”
      3. Men and women whose lives shout, “He’s faithful!”

5. Faith Sees What Others Can’t

   1. Verse 3 says, “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command.”

      1. That’s wild, faith helps us understand what can’t be seen.

         2. Faith gives you a new set of eyes.

      2. Where others see chaos, faith sees purpose.

      3. Where others see endings, faith sees beginnings.

      4. Where others see an empty tomb, faith sees resurrection.

         3. Faith lets you live with confidence even when you don’t have all the answers.

      5. I think of Noah, building an ark with no flood in sight.

      6. Abraham, leaving his home for a land he couldn’t even point to on a map.
      7. Moses, standing in front of Pharaoh with a stick in his hand and a word from God in his heart.
      8. What about Ps Matthew, stepping into the call of God on his life to pastor and shepherd God’s people
      9. What about Brent, who prayer walked around the abortion clinic praying that the doors would close.
      10. What about Justin & Courtney, who stepped out in faith to start a school where they could share about the love of Jesus.
      11. These are not “special people”... no offense. :) They are surrendered people… people of great faith.
          4. Faith isn’t for the elite; it’s for every believer in every situation.

6. Faith Brings Reward — “God Is a Rewarder”

   1. Verse 6 sums it all up: “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.”
   2. The reward = Himself. The blessing of knowing Him and the power of His resurrection.

7. Bringing It Home

   1. So let me ask you… What are you facing right now that requires faith?

   2. What step has God asked you to take that feels scary or uncertain?

      1. Maybe it’s forgiving someone.
      2. Maybe it’s starting something new.

      3. Maybe it’s trusting Him again after you’ve been disappointed.

         3. Faith doesn’t mean you never doubt.

      4. It means that when you do, you keep moving anyway.

         4. And if you’re thinking, “I want that kind of faith, but mine feels small,” you’re in good company. Because in Luke 17:5 the apostles said to Jesus, “Increase our faith.”

      5. Even the ones who walked with Him needed help believing.

      6. So it’s okay to pray that today: “Lord, increase my faith.”

Closing:

So as we stand here today, surrounded by God’s wonderful creation, let’s remember: the same God who spoke galaxies into being is speaking to you.

He’s calling you to trust Him again. To take Him at His Word. To build your life not on what you see, but on who He is.

Because faith, real faith, will always lead you to a stronger foundation, give you a new set of eyes, and it will empower you to live a supernatural life!

Dr. J. Oswald Sanders once said: “Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen.”

Let’s pray.