​Introduction:
1. Hebrews 11 is "the great faith chapter" in the Bible.
2. It was written:
a. to Christians whose faith was being tested
b. to encourage them to remain faithful to the Lord.
3. In this chapter we read about a number of men and women from the Old Testament who demonstrated
their faith in various ways.
4. Their examples are a tremendous source of encouragement.
5. In our lesson we are examining "three men who demonstrated great faith."
6. The first point we need to make is that . . .
Discussion:
I. THESE THREE MEN HAD CERTAIN THINGS IN COMMON
A. They were all descendants of Abraham who receives a great amount of attention in this chapter
(vs.8-10, vs.17-19).
1. Isaac was Abraham's son.
2. Jacob was Abraham's grandson.
3. Joseph was Abraham's great-grandson.
B. They all lived long lives.
1. Isaac lived to be 180 years old (Genesis 35:28).
2. Jacob lived 147 years (Genesis 47:28).
3. Joseph was 110 years old when he died (Genesis 50:26).
C. At the end of their lives,:
1. they all looked to the future with optimism
2. they all were concerned about future generations.
D. Let us turn our attention to . . .
II. HOW THESE THREE MEN DEMONSTRATED THEIR FAITH AT ADVANCED AGES
A. In Genesis 27 we read about the occasion when "Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come."
1. Isaac's condition is described in vs.1a.
2. (vs.27-29) Isaac blessed Jacob with the blessing he intended to give Esau.
3. (vs.38-40) Isaac also blessed Esau.
4. Isaac blessed Jacob again in Genesis 28:1-4.
B. In Genesis 48 we read about the occasion when Jacob "blessed both the sons of Joseph."
1. Jacob's condition is described in vs.1-2, 10a.
2. Jacob blessed Joseph's sons (vs.14-16, 20).
C. In Genesis 50 we read about the occasion when Joseph "made mention of the departing of the children
of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones."
1. Joseph's condition is described in vs.22.
2. Joseph expressed his final wishes in vs.24-26.
Conclusion:
1. Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph provide encouragement for all Christians, especially aging Christians.
2. Even at advanced ages, these three men demonstrated their faith.
3. In doing so,:
a. they looked to the future with optimism
b. were concerned about future generations.
4. Let us:
a. adopt the prayer recorded in Psalm 71:9
b. fulfill the responsibility revealed in Psalm 92:12-15
c. practice the instructions given in Titus 2:1-5.