I recall, a while back, being at a memorial service for a member of my congregation. I was not leading the service, and, in fact, had no part in it. I was there because I was invited and because I had loved this brother in Christ who was now at rest in the presence of our Lord. What happened is not particularly uncommon. He was a member of the church, and I had visited him when he first got sick and continued to do so until his death. His children, however, were not members of the church. They were not members of any congregation. As far as I could tell, they were not even Christians. They were loving and kind people who had loved their father, but they did not share his faith. So, they had invited me to this little memorial service as they did their best to honor the memory of their father. Beautiful things were said, wonderful memories were shared, but I always felt like something was missing. Their conversations about him, about his life, had very little to do with his faith. I was a bit upset about that. Perhaps I should have gotten up and said something, for his faith was no small part of who he was. It was not just something he did on a Sunday morning. It shaped how he lived, and most certainly how he died.

Hebrews chapter 11 has a lengthy list of those who lived and died in faith. It is a list of great men and women whose stories unfold in the pages of Scripture, which inspire and comfort us as we live our lives. What is marked out and highlighted in this list is their faith. By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. By faith, Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. By faith, Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph. By faith, Moses left Egypt and kept the Passover. By faith, the people of God crossed the Red Sea. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell. By faith, Rahab the prostitute did not perish with the rest. By faith, men and women lived their lives trusting in the promises of God. Many suffered terribly because of their faith, undergoing trials which are difficult to imagine.

Yet, we read, “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised.” Their faith was in the promise of a life beyond this age, faith in the hope of a new Heaven and new Earth, a new reality for the people of God. It was a faith that looked to the resurrection of the dead and the glorious reunion to come on the day of our Lord’s return. The faith of these saints who have gone before us is the same faith that defines our life. The faith that was given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the faith that gives shape and definition to your life today. You stand in a great line of those who trust in God’s promises.

To live a life of faith is to live in the promises of God. To live like that is to live a markedly different life from those without faith. Sure, you may have the same types of jobs, go to the same restaurants, and enjoy the same type of recreation. But living with faith in the Word and work of God is to live in a distinctly disjointed reality from the rest of the world. For instance, it means that the people in your life are not just fellow travelers on this blue planet doomed to destruction. No, these are creatures made in the image of God. Your spouse, your children, your coworkers, and the people you pass by on the street have all been fearfully and wonderfully made. Here, there is cause for compassion, respect, and love. By faith, you can see them as those loved by God.

By faith, you can see the world, with all its governmental powers, with all of society’s flaws and failures in a new light. These structures are not a cause for power acquisition or a means to press down opposition but are the temporary attempts of man to live together. By faith, you can see they are only temporary. They do not get the last say on who you are or what your eternal reality will be. By faith, your salvation is secure in the gifts of Christ, so you are free to care for this world without being defined and contained by it.

In our text, we have heard the great list of those who have lived by faith, those who have lived a life looking not to this age but the age to come, not to temporary blessings but to the eternal blessings which only God can give. Faith shapes the choices they make, the interactions they have, and the desires in their hearts. And then he says something wonderful: Those who have gone before us, these brothers and sisters of faith, now stand as a great cloud of witnesses whose lives inspire and cheer us on as we run the race set before us. It means you are not alone. You are not alone as you struggle to live by faith in these latter days.

Sure, there are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There are Moses, Gideon, and David, but there are also so many others. These are those we read about in the pages of Scripture, but we know so many others who have lived by faith. As we try to comprehend the great cloud of witnesses, perhaps we can begin to see faces we recognize. There, we can see Missy Webber and Scott McComis cheering us on. We can see among the saints Shelia Wells and Bob Pierett. Among that cloud are your parents, grandparents, friends, and neighbors, those who lived and died in the faith. It is the same faith you are given.

And their faith bears witness to you, directing you to something beyond this age. It points you to the founder and perfector of your faith, to your faith’s source and its goal, to your Lord Jesus Christ. So, we read, “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus…” The race we are running, the race of faith, is engaged by fixing our eyes on Jesus. He is the firstfruits of the dead. It is into His crucifixion that you were baptized so you can now live in Him and He in you. Christ alone is the hope of your faith, for in Him all the promises of God have their, “Yes.”

Our text says, “For the joy that was set before Him [Jesus] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” He endured the cross, the suffering and shame, the pain and trial because of the joy set before Him. And just what is that joy? It is the great cloud of witnesses. It is you. You are the joy that was set before Him. You are the object of His compassion and love. You are not alone. You are never cut off. You are loved, forgiven, and welcomed into an eternal kingdom by faith. So, let us run in His promises. Let us press on in His assurance. Let us take comfort in the great cloud of witnesses, so that you too will endure.