Scripture References: Hebrews 10:32-11:40 (esp. 11:1, 6, 13-16, 24-27); Mark 8:22-25; 2 Corinthians 4:18; 2 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Corinthians 15:19, 32

Intro: Welcome back to our sermon series on "Forever." We've established that to live well now, we must aim past this life, setting our hearts on things above. But often, our vision of heaven is blurry, like the blind man in Mark 8 who initially saw people as walking trees. We see something, but lack clarity. Today, we focus on faith – the essential lens for seeing the unseen eternal realities. The opposite of faith isn't doubt, but sight (trusting only the tangible). Faith enables us to grasp forever.

Key Points:

1. Compelling Vision Required: To make sacrifices and endure hardship for eternity's sake, we need more than vague notions or heaven being just "better than hell." We need the clear, compelling, biblical vision that fueled martyrs and saints throughout history.
2. Heaven Makes God Bigger: Studying heaven biblically reveals God's grand plan isn't just soul evacuation but the redemption of all creation. He won't abandon His plan for humanity or this planet. Seeing His commitment to restore all things enlarges our view of Him – His power, faithfulness, and redemptive scope. As C.S. Lewis wrote (paraphrasing Aslan), "Every year you grow, you will find me bigger."
3. Faith Defined & Demanded (Heb 11:1, 6): Faith is "confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." It connects us to the unseen. It's impossible to please God without it; we must believe He exists and rewards those who seek Him.
4. Faith is Active & Forward-Looking (Heb 11): The "Hall of Faith" showcases faith in action. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses – they acted based on unseen realities and future promises. They lived as "foreigners and strangers," longing for a better, heavenly country (Heb 11:13-16). Heaven isn't just a future destination; it's present motivation.
5. Faith Enables Sacrifice (Heb 11:24-27): Because they looked ahead to the eternal reward, people like Moses could choose mistreatment and disgrace over fleeting earthly pleasures or treasures. Faith empowers us to delay gratification for a greater, future gain. If there's no resurrection, no heaven, then following Jesus is pitiful (1 Cor 15:19), and we might as well "eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" (1 Cor 15:32). Faith without heaven is dead.
6. Faith vs. Sight (2 Cor 5:7): We are called to live by faith, not by sight. Trusting only what we can see is the opposite of faith. We must actively choose to "fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen," because the unseen is eternal (2 Cor 4:18).
7. Faith vs. Formulas: Be wary of reducing Christianity to steps and techniques designed to control God or eliminate risk. God desires relationship and dependence, which always involves the mystery and risk of faith – trusting Him for what we cannot yet see or fully grasp.

Conclusion: Faith is our God-given capacity to perceive and live according to eternal realities we cannot yet see. It connects us to the compelling hope of heaven, enlarges our view of God, and empowers us to aim past this life, making sacrifices and enduring hardship for the "better and lasting possessions" to come.

Call to Action: Where is your vision of forever blurry? Ask Jesus to touch your eyes again for clearer sight (Mark 8). Choose today to live by faith, not sight. Read Hebrews 11 this week and ask God to instill in you the same forward-looking, enduring faith. Reject the temptation to rely on formulas; embrace the adventure of trust

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