PM Sermon: A Great Cloud of Witnesses

Published March 15, 2013 by admin in Sermon Outlines

PM Scripture Reading: Hebrew 11.39–12.2

Brent T. Willey

A Great Cloud of Witnesses

Hebrews 12.1-2

Introduction:

  1. The faithful men & women of old serve as testimony of God’s faithfulness. (Heb. 11.1-40; cf., Rom. 15.4)
  2. The author of Hebrews refers to them as “so great a cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12.1). [I imagine these notable characters looking down on us…]

I. WHO ARE THESE INDIVIDUALS?

[* I have given the passages for your personal consideration…]

  1. Abel – His righteousness speaks today; though he has been dead for centuries! (Heb. 11.4; cf., Gen. 4.1-5)
  2. Noah – He overcame the nay Sayers of his day & obeyed God fully! (Heb. 11.7; cf., Gen. 6.22; Gen. 8 – 9)
  3. Abraham – His obedience was both sacrificial & complete! (Heb. 11.8-19; cf., Gen. 21.2; Gen. 22)
  4. Jacob – He had faith that God would prosper his family! (Heb. 11.21; cf., Gen. 35.1-15)
  5. Joseph – His faith remained strong while he experienced multiple hardships! (Heb. 11.22; cf., Gen. 37.3-11)
  6. Moses – Faith was crucial to be able to confront Pharaoh & lead the children of Israel! (Heb. 11.23-29; cf., Exod. 2.15-22; Deut. 34.1-10)
  7. Rahab – By hiding the spies she placed her life in danger! (Heb. 11.31; cf., Josh. 2.1-13; Josh. 6.17)
  8. Gideon – Faith was needed to face an enemy with an army forty times the size of Israel’s army! (Heb. 11.32; cf., Judges 8.4-12)
  9. Samson – A brave judge that possessed no fear because of his faith in God! (Heb. 11.32; cf., Judges 13 – 16)
  10. David – A man after God’s own heart! (Heb. 11.32; cf., Psa. 6; 32; 39; 40; 51; etc.)

II. WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON?

  1. They all walked “by faith.” (2 Cor. 5.7; cf., Heb. 11.1, 6)
  2. “By faith…” they obeyed God. (Cf., Heb. 5.8-9)

III. WHAT ARE WE TO LEARN?

  1. How to “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (v. 1; cf., 2 Tim. 4.6-8).
  2. We keep our focus by “looking to Jesus” (v. 2). Why? Back to v. 1, that we may “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us” – to “run with endurance the race set before us.”

Conclusion: There is tremendous value in studying the faithful men and women of God as recorded in the Old Testament!

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