"The essentials. Tell me just the essentials. What really matters. In 10 words or less." How often don’t we hear statements like that?
        Perhaps because we’re in a rush.
        Perhaps because there’s so much to choose from.
        Perhaps because the one presenting the material to us is simply spewing out way too much information and you have to force them to edit.

10 words or less -
        Can you name some of the key words of Christianity?
        Some ideas, truths, subjects that are central to our spiritual vitality?

May I suggest some?
        Faith
        Love
        Courage
        Forgiveness
        Justice
        Gifts
        Giving
        Growth
I’m sure you could come up with others, probably far better ones.
Over the next number of Sunday mornings we’ll spend time focussing on some of these ideas that are close to the heart of what Jesus was driving at.

Beginning this week with one of the most element terms for the Christian faith -
        There. I’ve said it already --
                - faith -

"You’ve gotta believe" we say. Being a Christian is about faith - and living by faith. If you've been in church for any length of time, you've heard words to that effect. You'll have heard them over and over and over. And rightly so - because without faith you have no Christianity in your life.
Period.

So....... What is faith?
        And where does it fit into the whole scheme of things?
        The Bible has some very important things to say about faith.

We’ll read some of them as found in:

Someone once said that you exhibit faith - you believe in something - when:
        1. you know about something...... AND.....
        2. you trust in that something.
[Heidelberg Catechism Q/A 21]

That’s an accurate rewording of the first words we read from Hebrews 11 -
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
        Sure.... and certain.
        Knowing...... and trusting.

        So then - having faith, in whatever, doesn't mean that you check your brain at the door. If you're going to believe in something, you investigate it. Carefully. Examine the contents. See if it fits together. If it works. If it makes sense. That’s the knowing part.
        And then you take that knowledge and put it into action in a personal way in your life. You count on it, lean on it, depend on it. That’s the trusting part.

Faith _ knowing and trusting.
        For example, you can have a basic faith in chairs. You exercised that when you came here today. You know about pews. You've seen them hold other people. You know that they're built in a sturdy fashion. And then you sat down on the pew. You probably didn't shake the bench, and gingerly lower your weight on the edge. You simply sat down, trusting that it would hold you up. You exercised a rather basic faith in pews.

        What does that mean in the Christian context when we say, "I believe"?

        It means, for a start, that as best you can you begin to investigate and learn and develop an understanding of Christian teaching. That's a growing, lifelong process. Through your life you begin to see how various parts of the Christian religion hang together; how one part depends on or affects the other.
        You begin to know about God _
                His power and utter holy magnificence,
                His deep, pure love
                His unshakable desire for a close relationship with you
                His will for your life
                His family - the Church.
You learn. And continue to learn.
That's part of faith.

But then, as you try to live by faith, you also become very aware that there's a huge difference between knowing about someone, and merely knowing them.

I know about Michael Cowpland - head of Corel Corp.
        I don't know him.
You can know about grieving.
        But unless you have had a significant loss in your life you don't know grief.
You can know about childbirth - right, guys?
        But until you have been there and experienced it.....

Faith _ there's a knowledge part; knowing about.
        And there is a trust part; letting it impact our life.

Christianity is not simply saying, "Yep" to a bunch of different intellectual ideas and then dropping them on the shelf until whenever.
        It digs far deeper. Christian faith means becoming open to those truths in a personal way. Such as........
        God created..... me.
        God loves.... me.
        God sent Jesus..... for me!
        God calls...... me..... to serve Him with everything I've got.
        This book – [the Bible] – is addressed...... to me!

Faith.
A believing Christian sees the Bible as true. She understands the Bible as God's Fully Reliable Word to the Human Race; the Word that presents us with Jesus. Through that she comes to know.
        And then the believing Christian reaches out an empty hand and admits that all that which Christ has done __ His forgiveness, his adopting us as children of God, his promise of divine presence & care in our lives __ all these undeserved and wonderfully rich items are available to her.
        She says:
        "I can't hold my existence together on my own. I can't find real peace and joy in myself. I couldn't stand before God one day and explain everything I've done in a way that would justify Him letting me into His pure and perfect presence.
        The surrounding, supporting love of the Heavenly Father _ I long for it!
        The forgiving grace of Jesus _ I will die without it.
        The personal friendship presence of the Holy Spirit _ I need that.
                Lord, take me. I'm yours. All I have _ is yours."

Knowing....and trusting – Faith.

One thing to remember about all this –
        You may know what you believe.
        You may trust what you believe.
        But there will definitely be times when you won’t see what you believe.

You won’t be able to physically measure it. You can’t nail it down. You’ll be living with a measure of uncertainty. There may be loose, frayed edged, flapping in the wind.
        Which is the whole point of Hebrews11. Example after example of great heroes of faith. People who knew that God existed and who fully trusted that He had a stake and claim on their lives. They experienced His direction and support, and served as they sensed His direction and leading.
        But there remained unfinished business in every one of them. Promises that they didn’t experience fulfilled. Tasks they didn’t see completed. Great troubles they had to endure. The bible tells us:
                "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised."
It was in the future - beyond their reach.
Their faith was on target.
But the experience of final fulfilment wasn’t to be for them.
They were left with a whole shelf full of questions that never got answered until they crossed the divide between this life on earth and eternity.

What their faith did give them was the courage and strength to carry on and do what they needed to do.
        Lot’s for that.
        But total tranquillity, no problems, always coming up roses – far from it.

Someone translated the opening verse of Hebrews 11 this way:
        "The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see." [The Message]

Knowing and trusting that there is a God who keeps His hand firmly on us, who cares for and loves us, and has a planned direction for us –
        This keeps us going where otherwise we may give up;
        Where otherwise we may become horribly cynical about life
                especially when things really rub raw and hurt.

We are able to take our questions to him; our frustrations; our uncertainties.
We dump them in front of Him and say, "You take it. Please. I can’t handle it."
        And trust that He does.

Tell me - what are your loose ends?
What remains uncompleted – where you can’t see the end?
What is flapping around with frayed edges?

Can you picture yourself beside some of these other people whom we read of – the ones with real, raw pain, or long lists of unanswered questions? Do you read their story and say, "Sounds familiar."?

        Our bible reading says - Hebrews 12.1 - that they surround us like a great cloud of witnesses. I’m not sure what you picture when we read that. But here’s what I think – I can’t help but think that eternity is not as far removed from us as we may think.

        I can’t help but wonder if it isn’t really just another dimension of reality – beyond the three dimensions that we, with our limited senses, can experience now. Some fourth or fifth dimension of created reality. That they are right there.
        And, as I try to take these words of Hebrews 12 seriously, I get a picture in my mind of these veterans of faith actually surrounding us, cheering us on. Seeing the struggles we face with aging parents, with grief, with raising our kids, with getting through school, problems with friends –
        seeing all that, and calling out to us – "keep going. You can do it. Don’t quit. God is there for you. Reach out to Him. Keep going."

People like you. Who also had times when they wondered if it could get any worse. Who probably also asked, "Doesn’t God hear? If he’s really so right and so loving then how come......? Why me?"

People who know that there are the dry seasons. They had them, too. Days, months, even long years when faith seemed to be coming apart – not sure how true it all is, not sure if we really trust it.
        When things don’t seem to fit.
        When the actions of others leave us wondering, "Is THIS Christianity?"
        The times of wavering, doubting.

It’s all part of that essential word called - "faith."
 

For some of you here this morning faith is an easy thing.
        At least right now it’s easy.
        Don’t know what it may be like next week or next month.
        Let me encourage you with the words of Hebrews 12 to keep going, and watch out for those things that become spiritual parasites, sucking the vitality slowly out of you. Keep going - and keep your focus on Jesus, who put up with so much and didn’t quit......
                ...... who did it for you.

For others of you – it’s even hard to say "faith." Let alone live it.
Can I encourage you to take a deep breath this morning. Picture, if you can, all those who have been where you are – the ones cheering you on.

And even greater - picture Jesus.
Because He’s cheering you on! Alongside you. Hearing you.
        Always.

He does work.
He does provide new hope, new energy.
He will bring dry times to an end.
And, most of all, He guarantees a reservation in your name in God’s great home when eternity begins.

Remember that. And together remind each other of that.
        And then together moving ahead, growing, maturing, hanging on in faith to the knowledge and assurance that when questions arise and we haven't got all the answers, and we can't see the future, and the clouds gather dark around us,
there is One who has the final Answer, who holds the future in His hand.

Believe it.