Summary:
Hebrews 11 mentions a group of people of whom the world was not worthy of.

1. What made them so special that the world was not worthy of them?
2. If the world was not worthy of these people, what was worthy of them?
3. What did they have to overcome to become one of those whom the world was not worthy?

Who exactly were this group of people? We can imagine just how great these people were, because even the WORLD was unworthy of them!

Heb 11:38
of whom the world was not worthy

These people whom the world was not worthy refers to those mentioned before v38. This sermon will take a look at a few distinct characteristics of these people. Specifically, a few questions will be examined.

1. What made them so special that the world was not worthy of them?

We often use the word ‘worthy’ to compare the value of 2 things; whether the 2 things weigh the same. How does the world measure worthiness? Very often it’s measured in terms of one’s accomplishments. The more accomplishments you have, the more worthy you are. Therefore people with great accomplishments in the world are considered worthy in the world. The question is: why was the world considered so inferior and below this particular group of people? What was the thing that made them so surpassing in value when compared to the world?

If we read Heb 11, the thing that distinguished them was their faith. Heb 11 is often known as the Hall of Faith. We take a quick look at how Heb 11 describes faith.

Heb 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

How do you believe in something you’ve not seen? Faith is actually the thing that makes us believe. This particular definition also applies to things of the world if you think about it. We do things in the world without actually having seen it beforehand. In the world, what is that faith based on? Sometimes it’s not very logical or rational. For example, the gambler has a lot of faith! Even though he is losing, he has a lot of faith that if he continues gambling, his luck will turn for the better. It’s this faith that drives him to continue to gamble even though he’s lost a lot of money. In the world, sometimes faith is based on your ability.

Genghis Khan once said this: Although there are many things in the world that you can rely on, no one is more reliable than yourself. His faith was built on himself.

The world today tells us the same thing too. “Believe in yourself. Have faith in yourself.”

But the focus on faith here is not on our abilities or accomplishments. It is based entirely on God.

Heb 11:3
By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

None of us were present during creation. God asked Job, “Were you there when I laid the foundations of the world?” Of course not, no one was there. How do we know the world was created by God? Faith is the key to understanding what we have not seen. Our belief is not based on what scientists have discovered. Many scientists today believe the world started off with a Big Bang. No one can be absolutely certain, because it is based on some observations we make today and a lot of extrapolations into the past. But we are very very certain that God made the universe. Our faith is based on what He tells us; on His word. We are also very certain that the things that are seen today are made by His word. Our faith is based on His omnipotence. Faith is the key to understanding everything about God.

Heb 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Again, no one has even seen God. John says no one has ever seen God. Sometimes God appears to men in dreams or visions. But most times, God does not appeared to us in dreams and visions. Yet, we can believe in His existence. This verse says it is necessary we believe in His existence! We also believe in God’s goodness and that He’s a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. For those who have yet to receive the Holy Spirit even after we have prayed for a long time, what is the thing that continues to drive us to pray with faith? It is faith in God’s goodness. We believe He ultimately rewards everyone. This is key to understanding God because God cannot be seen. There are many examples of people in the Bible who were rewarded because of their faith in God.

We take a quick look at a few characters in the Bible. When we read it the first time, we may wonder if they actually exhibited any faith. For example, v11 which talks about Sarah judging God to be faithful. But if we recall, she actually laughed when God said she would have a child. Another character we might notice is in v32 - Samson was included in the Hall of Faith! But in Judges we read he was a very fleshly person; he indulged in his flesh. He revealed the secret of his faith. Yet, he’s mentioned here.

v29 says the Israelites passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land. If we remember about the Israelites, in fact just a few chapters before, the author of Hebrews condemned the Israelites for not mixing what they had heard with faith. These were the exact same Israelites who died in the wilderness.

We would have nothing to say if Heb 11 just mentioned Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. But why are these characters recorded too? We have to understand that everyone recorded in Heb 11 were recorded for a reason. There are some object lessons for us to learn about faith.

Firstly, everyone recorded here had flaws and weaknesses, just like you and I. There is no one person recorded in Heb 11 that’s perfect. Only Christ. Even Abraham, Noah, Moses had their weaknesses and human flaws. But the important thing to note here is that they showed faith despite their weaknesses. We can also show faith despite our weaknesses. These people are put here so that we can also identify with this group of people.

Secondly, if we don’t have faith now doesn’t mean we can’t have faith later. Just because Sarah laughed, this doesn’t contradict what Hebrews says that Sarah has faith to bear the son of promise. The opposite is also true: you can start off with faith but that doesn’t mean you won’t disbelieve later on. We do not believe in once saved, always saved. When over here says the Israelites crossed the Red Sea by faith, Hebrews also says they perished because of their disbelief. It is the same group of people! In other words, you have to maintain your faith from the beginning right to the very end. God is not pleased if you draw back.

Thirdly, the only way we can receive God’s blessings and deliverance is by faith alone. If we take a look at Sarah’s story, why did God appear to Abraham to announce his son Isaac? Was it for the sake of Abraham? Actually no because Romans says Abraham had unwavering faith. It was for Sarah’s sake; to restore her faith. Because she had already lost faith in God; she thought it was impossible! Which was why she laughed. Even when God promised God would have a child, she needed to have faith in order to have a child. Therefore v11 says it was by faith she received strength to conceive the seed. She would not have borne the child of promise without faith, because the promise of God cannot be received without faith. What about the Israelites? v29 They passed through the Red Sea as by dry land. We may ask what faith they needed since the sea was already parted? Here says they needed faith to walk on the dry land, because the Egyptians had attempted to cross as well. Both of them did the same thing, they crossed the Red Sea on dry land. One had faith, the other did not. Therefore one was delivered, the other was destroyed. Whatever God has promised can only be received by faith.

We take a look at our sacraments. A lot of people criticise our sacraments as being of works (not of faith). They say it’s relying on human effort to win the salvation of God. But in reality, faith is required in each and every sacrament of God. If we eat the Holy Communion without faith, what happens? We don’t receive the blessings that Christ has promised you. You are judged and condemned instead! We see all the promises of God hinges on faith. It is faith, that makes all the difference. Faith has no value in this particular world. It is not valued in the world because it’s not compatible in the world. But here says it is faith that makes our value far surpass the world.

2. If the world was not worthy of these people, what was worthy of them?

Obviously, they did not place their hopes and dreams in this world. Because the world was unworthy of them, why place your hopes and dreams in something unworthy of them? They were looking for something worthy of them.

Heb 11:16
But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

The patriarchs knew there was something better than what they had on earth. They were looking forward to something that was better. It was heaven, and not earth, that was worthy of these people. But let’s not think the patriarchs were unworthy people of the world and hence had to look to heaven. In the Hall of Faith, some patriarchs were very well to do in the world.

Gen 23:6
“Hear us, my lord: You are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead.”

How did the sons of Heth speak to Abraham when he wanted to buy land to bury the dead? They called him a mighty prince! He was a great man.

Gen 26:13
The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous

Variations of the word ‘prosper’ was mentioned thrice in this verse. Isaac was very prosperous!

Jacob too had many flocks.

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were very very successful in the world. They weren’t people who had no accomplishments and unworthy of the world. They were more than worthy of the world! But what was the thing that made the world unworthy of them? It wasn’t because of their worldly success, it was how they led their lives DESPITE their worldly success.

Heb 11:9-10
By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Despite their success in life, the distinct characteristic of them was that they were tent dwellers. They led very very simple lives. Let us not think living in tents is something fun. Sometimes we go camping and we think it’s fun. But that’s just for a few days. Constantly moving about in tents is a hassle; it is very troublesome.

The other day the speaker was helping a brother to shift house. It reminded him of the times he had to shift house. When he was a child, shifting house was very very exciting, because he was not the one shifting house. “I was a young boy. My mother did all the work!” When he grew up, it wasn’t so fun anymore. He had to help out with shifting the house. He remembers having to take a bus back and forth multiple times to move bags from the old to new house. He would ask his mother, “When is this going to end? How many more rounds? Why do we have so many things?”

It’s such a hassle to shift houses! It’s a hassle to be constantly on the move. Dwelling in tents was a hard life. It is much more comfortable to stay in a house and live in the city!

Take a look at Lot. He was also originally dwelling in tents like Abraham. But in the end, where did he end up? He ended up in Sodom, staying in a house. He was no longer living in tents when in Sodom, he was living in a house. It obviously shows how hard a life it is living in tents. But this was exactly what the patriarchs deliberately chose to do. It also shows they had embraced the mentality of a sojourner.

Heb 11:13-15
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.

A sojourner is someone who passes by in a foreign land. Where he stays now is actually foreign to him. He’s just passing through. Therefore as a tent dweller, since you stay in a place temporarily, you don’t have attachments to that place. You don’t have attachments to things because you’re constantly on the move.

Just the other day the speaker thought about the house he grew up in while he was in Sabah. He decided that since there was Google Earth street maps, he would take a look at his house, or rather, the location of his old house (it was no longer there - his neighbour bought over it and tore it down; it became an extension of his garden). Without anything there, there was actually nothing to reminisce about because the house wasn’t there.

Similarly, the tent dwellers had nothing to reminisce about. They lived their lives focused on the Kingdom of Heaven. Today, we are also sojourners. We are also passing through this earth. We all know that the world is not ours. But are we living our lives as patriarchs and sojourners of this world?

3. What did they have to overcome to become one of those whom the world was not worthy?

Heb 11:32-38
32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

There are two different groups of characteristics mentioned here. The first group is in v33-35a: they achieved victory despite overwhelming odds. The second group is in v35b-38: they are also victorious in their faith but the emphasis is different. They didn’t stop the mouth of lions, escape the edge of the sword or receive the dead raised to life again. Everything recorded is hardships, suffering and death. v35b-36 makes us think about all the prophets who suffered under the hands of the evil kinds of Israel. v37 “they were stoned”. Who was stoned? Naboth was stoned for his vineyard. Zechariah was stoned because the king didn’t like what he said (2 Chron 24:20-21). “Sawn in two” “tempted” “slain with the sword”.

This passage may seem to be incongruent at first. The people seem to be the scum of the earth. And yet the author says these people were whom the world was not worthy of. Some people say this is just ‘loser’s mentality’. The Chinese have their own way of saying it too - ‘Ah Q’ mentality. Every time he lost, he would convince himself that he won and that he was a great man. Was this the case? If we read the story we see he had no choice. But these people here had a choice! In fact if they did not believe in the resurrection, they would not have needed to suffer. They could have given up and received deliverance! But they made the choice not to accept deliverance. If we were given a choice, we would definitely choose the first group rather than the second group. But none of us know whether our faith will result in deliverance or result in sufferings. We could be like the first group that escaped the edge of the sword. We could also be like the second group who were slain with the sword. Some of them were saved because of their faith. Some of them suffered even more because of their faith! Sometimes the dilemma of our faith is this: when we meet with problems in life, if we pray to God, we expect God to act. But if God is not going to answer our prayers, we may ask: why should I pray to God? God expects us to pray to Him with faith. God demands that we believe that He can do all things. And even if He does not answer our prayers according to what we ask, He continues to demand that we believe that He is good.

Just like what the 3 friends of Daniel said. Even if God does not deliver them, they would not worship the golden statue.

The second group of people are those God did not deliver and yet held on to their faith. What we can learn here is that we must persevere even if there’s deliverance or suffering. We have to persevere in faith. In fact the world is especially unworthy of this group of people. Especially those who overcame their sufferings by faith.

When we think about our life: many of us spend a lifetime trying to make ourselves worthy of the world. We study hard, we work hard, for one purpose. Very often what do we get in return? Maybe some comfort; a comfortable life; some glory in life. And then we die. But there is another kind of life. They are those who suffer a lifetime because of their faith. It is as what is recorded here - they suffer many many things. And what do they get in return? They get something that is eternal. Being of those of whom the world is not worthy.

Which would you rather be?