Howdy! You know, long before European maps showed
anything beyond the edges of the Mediterranean,
there were all sorts of people who were going
out and exploring the world. The people of Polynesia
were sailing across the largest ocean on Earth,
and not in these large boats that we might imagine
today. More than a thousand years before Columbus
ever set sail, they were navigating from island
to island, and eventually, sometimes over distances
of two or three thousand miles in these little
double -hulled canoes without compasses or charts.
There was a navigator named Tupaya who was from
Ryatea, and that's near Tahiti, and he could
name over 70 islands. scattered across the Pacific,
and he could find them by memory alone in his
boat. His ancestors made the voyage between Tahiti
and Hawaii, a journey of more than 2 ,500 miles
of open ocean, centuries before any European
crossed the Atlantic. Imagine setting out from
your home island, watching the familiar shoreline
fade, from the horizon. Days pass, nights pass,
and there's nothing in sight but the water as
you're sitting in your little boat. The swells
look the same in every direction, and all you
have is the map in your mind, the rising and
setting of the stars, the shape of the clouds,
the flight of the seagulls. You believe that
the island you seek is out there, even though
right now it's invisible. Without that belief,
you would never leave the shore. Even when we
think of someone like Christopher Columbus and
his crew crossing the Atlantic, a familiar story
for us all, but we oftentimes forget what it
must have been like for them. See, by then, most
educated Europeans already knew that the earth
was round, but the fear, especially among the
sailors, was very real. You know, the maps, they
were not complete. Nobody could be sure what
dangers were laying beyond the horizon. The sailors
would whisper about sea monsters or unending
storms or even, among some, just falling right
off the edge of the known world. Still, they
sailed west, trusting that there was something
worth finding. Maybe thinking that all they would
find was the Indies, but discovering two continents
right in their way. The Polynesian navigators
in Columbus are just a metaphor for the truth
that Hebrews 11 celebrates. Faith is the assurance
of things hoped for, the conviction of things
not seen. They didn't just say they believed.
They showed it. by stepping into the unknown,
setting their lives on a course that only made
sense if their hope was real. If there were no
other islands, it wouldn't have made sense to
go sailing. If there were no Indies to get to,
there would have been no point in trying. Because
without that faith, they would have stayed where
it was safe, and the world as they knew it would
have remained very small. See, the writer of
Hebrews tells us that faith works this way. It's
the assurance of what we hope for, the conviction
of things we cannot yet see. Faith is what moves
a person to leave the safety of the shore, not
just in their mind, but in the way they live.
That's why Hebrews lists these people specifically.
Thinking about Abel. His faith moved him to offer
the best of what he had to God, not just what
was left over, at a time and at a place where
there was not the local supermarket to go down
to, or hoping that HEB had a sale on prime rib.
Instead, there he is, taking the very first of
the lambs, the one he has in his hands, and offering
it up to God. If he had no faith, his sacrifice
would have either been half -hearted, Not believing
that God would actually take care of him or even
wouldn't have even bothered in the first place
He might have even done something less sacrificial
like Cain and putting his crops on the altar.
Is that really? Give up that much from you when
you're taking your crops and putting them on
an altar to burn His trust in God was not just
in his words. It showed in what he gave or even
Enoch The only thing he's known for in the Bible
besides rising up into heaven is pleasing God.
What if Enoch had spent so long making his own
legacy to the point where he would have been
known for something else? Or Noah. He was warned
about things that were not yet seen and he built
an ark before there was even a drop of rain.
He didn't even understand what a rainstorm would
even be without faith. He might have spent his
life building just a bigger and better house
for himself instead of a vessel to save his family
and the creatures of the earth. And then all
the living creatures would have perished. See,
his actions, every swing of the hammer was a
testimony to his trust in God's word. Or Abraham
called to go to a place he'd never seen. He packed
up his household and he just set out. Even being
willing, to give the better land to his nephew
instead of keeping it for himself. If Abraham
had ignored his faith, he would have just built
deeper roots in Ur, the place he grew up in.
He would have never packed a single bag. He would
have never gone to the place that God would shape
his family into the ancestors of the Messiah,
the Christ. See, his faith, though, was seen
in the miles that he was willing to walk. not
drive, not fly, walk. And the tense that he pitched
in foreign and dangerous lands, trusting that
God would keep his promise. Or even Sarah, promised
a child long past the time that it was physically
possible, believing the one who promised to be
faithful. Because without faith, even after she
was laughing, she would have just moved on and
let the disappointment have the last word. but
instead her life bore the mark of God's promise
fulfilled. See, every one of these people, they
demonstrated faith. It's not simply by saying
that they believe in God. How easy would that
be? But by living in ways that only made sense
if his promises were true. See, they acted as
if God's Word was more certain than their own
sight because they knew it was. But when it comes
to our own lives, We often live as though the
shore is all there is. We make our life as if
we're passengers on a great voyage, but all we
care about are the shore excursions. We step
off the ship for a weekend of fun, buy a few
souvenirs, take some pictures, then hurry back
to the comfortable cabin without ever wondering
what lies beyond the next horizon. It's like
we're so afraid of being the next Titanic that
we avoid being on the ocean altogether. You know,
James said in his epistle that faith without
works is dead, but it wasn't because there are
certain works that are required for your salvation,
but rather it's because he was asking, can faith
that doesn't change the way you live actually
be faith? I will show you my faith by my works.
If you truly believe in all that Christ has done,
and everything He said, everything He's done
about this life and the next, then how can you
live and act exactly like everyone around you
who doesn't believe in Christ and His Kingdom?
See, we keep chasing the next upgrade for our
homes and we forget we're already headed for
a better country, a heavenly one, and we forget
that some of our time and our energy and our
money could be helping nonprofits that create
dignity. for people in farmlands that have no
place to actually put their head. People who
just want some safe place to sleep for the night
as we're making sure there's a pool in the backyard.
We pour out our energy into building security
and comfort for ourselves as if there's no eternal
harbor ahead. And meanwhile, there are people
on the streets who live without a sense of security
and comfort, physically, emotionally, spiritually.
We live for weekend pleasures, for career milestones,
and social approval. But we don't lift our eyes
to see that God is calling us farther. There
are so many things we could be doing with our
free time besides just chasing opportunities
to relax. Faith doesn't just talk. Faith lives
in a way that only makes sense if there's more
to be seen on this ocean. than just this shore
behind us that everyone uses. See, in Luke's
gospel, Jesus speaks directly to the heart of
our worry and uncertainty. He has a group of
followers that are not sure what He's doing and
are still trying to understand, can you tell
us more specifically what is to come? But He
tells us not to be anxious about life. What we'll
eat, what we'll wear. because our Father in Heaven
cares deeply for us. He watches over the birds
of the air and the lilies of the field, and He
values us even more, even as we're checking to
make sure that Whataburger has the honey butter
chicken biscuit. These are not just words meant
to comfort our minds. It's a call to live differently,
to see our lives through the lens of trust, even
when we can't see what's next. Jesus invites
us to embrace a faith that isn't about guessing.
what might happen, or hoping things will work
out maybe, it's a faith that rests in the certainty
of God's care, even when what we hope for is
invisible. Because faith, it's like setting sail,
but you don't see the destination, but you know
that the captain is guiding you safely there.
It's the deep conviction that God is providing,
even when we don't see it. See Jesus keeps contrasting
the treasures we seek here on earth With the
true treasures that are in heaven. He wants us
to get the difference See we gather the treasures
we gather things that we're saying are our own
and that we have, that we have been setting aside
and building toward, as well as the experiences,
the things that we make sure we have chronicled
and set aside, the things that when we want to
think about what makes us happy, and we go back
to those experiences, because we want to be comforted
enough. We want to ignore the fear of nothing.
We want to ignore the uncertainty. The times
when we think about the dreams that we pursue
so that we are trying to ignore the reality around
us Because we look at the things we try to control
and ignore the rest But you see the heavenly
treasure is not gold or possessions But rather
a life filled with well -being meaning purpose
Dedication to God's kingdom when we store up
treasures in heaven We're investing in the things
that last beyond this life, a kingdom that cannot
be shaken, a kingdom that cannot be taken by
storms or wars. See, remember, even the people
who heard all those messianic prophecies, about
those messiah prophecies, they didn't understand
fully what was coming. They wanted deliverance,
but the arrival of Jesus? God's greatest work
was so unexpected in his humility and power that
they killed him because he didn't make any sense.
Their faith was a hope for something they couldn't
fully see or grasp even when it happened. Like
those first listeners, we're called to trust
God's plan even when the future looks uncertain,
even when we don't know the details. Our faith
though, it's not a foolish leap. It's a confident
trust in the one who promised to leave us safely
through the unknown. But let's be honest, it
does not mean that you're always going to get
it right. How many of us are actually letting
every single thing in our life reflect our trust
in Christ? Noah still struggled with drinking
too much instead of placing his hope in the God
who had already saved him through the flood.
Abraham kept lying about Sarah being his wife
because he was afraid that he would be hurt or
killed in any country they went to even though
every time he did it Calamity fell over the entire
nation Sarah heard the promise and just laughed
at God and She even said well This won't happen.
So I'll let you have one of my servants to have
your child making life miserable for her, for
her future child, and frankly, for generations
to come. There are times when you'll stumble
in your faith, but God is bigger than that. And
He's forgiving us and calling us to follow Him
each and every day. So let me ask, what if you're
standing on the shore? What if you're watching
the waves you're thinking that this cruise is
just about the shore visits the things that you
can enjoy in that moment What if you haven't
yet trusted God enough to set sail toward the
horizon? That he's calling you to See there are
all sorts of things that we see Where we're discovering
that God is doing even more than we ever believed,
but maybe you're holding tight to the things
that you can see. You're holding tight to the
things that make you comfortable, the things
that help you with the Sunday scaries, the plans
that you think are going to work out perfectly,
and as long as you've written everything down,
the security of knowing that your pension and
your 401k are set up correctly. Because whenever
we step out, we feel the risks, the uncertainty,
and we don't want that. But maybe we worry about
what's gonna happen if we let go of control But
Christ's invitation is very clear Don't be afraid
little flock Because the thing is is that God's
not distant from you. He's not indifferent he
does care he cares deeply for you and He sees
your needs he sees your struggles faith means
trusting him even when you don't know that things
are going to work out based on what you see.
It means living as if the unseen treasures that
God promises are already real and true. Seeing
with your heart when you can't see with your
eyes. Because what might you be missing if you're
still anchored to the shore? You might be missing
the peace that comes from resting in God's provision.
instead of looking at your own efforts and thinking
that you failed. You might be missing the joy
of discovering a purpose bigger than just what's
immediately here with your pleasures or your
career. You might be missing the freedom to give
generously, knowing that your treasures aren't
here. You might be missing the power to face
uncertainties in life without fear because your
hope is secure. You may be stepping out in faith,
but It's not a one -time leap. It's not a one
-time moment that you have at your confirmation
or your baptism or this one event that you always
think is when you gave it over, but every day
deciding to trust God's hand, even when the destination
isn't visible, trusting that the captain knows
where you're going. Because God's greatest work,
the coming of Jesus, His kingdom, the hope we
have in Him, It's a promise that calls us beyond
what we see. So I'm asking you, here in this
place, will you trust him enough to sail beyond
the shore and into the fuller life he has for
you? Because I don't know whatever's gonna happen
next. Neither do you. But together as his people,
we can be on that ship together, seeing what
he's going to bring. So ask yourself, will you
cling to the shore or can we go ahead and set
the sails and move into the unknown and trust
what Jesus is doing for his kingdom forever?
May God grant us the courage to live by faith,
the peace to rest in his provision, and the joy
of discovering the purpose that he has for us
beyond what we can see today. Thanks be to God.