Walk by Faith

Sermon August 10, 2025  Hebrew11:1-3, 8-16

Walk by Faith

Reverend Fred Okello

We planted several trees at our property in Kenya in 2013. We didn’t care how long it would take them to grow back then; we just planted them and hoped for the best. We went back home a few weeks ago and started building a house. We were happy and surprised that we didn’t have to buy wood. We took down around ten of those trees, and they gave us just what we needed. At that time, we understood how important it was to sow in hope.

But something else took place. That encounter brought out something deeper in us. We got the boys together and planted a thousand more trees. Not for today, but for the future. We hope that in five, ten, or even more years, the boys will be proud of what they helped to plant, even if they can’t see the end result right now.

That is an image of faith. The writer of Hebrews says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is putting seeds in the ground today and trusting God to bring in a harvest tomorrow, even if you don’t know when or how it will happen.

Today’s reading encourages us to think about the lives of people who lived by this kind of faith, especially Abraham, who obeyed God and saw beyond what was seen. As you think about our patriarchs’ faith journey, I challenge you to think about your journey as well.

People often ask me, “Why did you come to the U.S.?” And the answer to that question depends on how much time we have. If there’s time, I can tell you the extended version of my life narrative, which includes everything that has happened to me since I was five years old and how I got to where I am now. But sometimes it’s just a brief meeting. Five minutes in a hallway or a quick chat after church is all it takes. When it happens, I usually say, “God sent me here.”
I know it sounds sudden or even a little too direct, but it’s the most honest answer I can provide in a short amount of time. If the person is interested and has the time, I’m always happy to offer the longer version. But the truth is that I came here by faith, believing that God had a purpose for me that I couldn’t see.

That’s what we see in the narrative of Abraham. He followed God’s call even though he didn’t know where it would take him. He left his home, his people, and his comfort zone. He didn’t have a comprehensive blueprint; he only believed the One who called him. His faith pushed him ahead.

Faith doesn’t always come with reasons. You sometimes just get a call and a choice. You could have had a time like this when you knew God wanted you to change, take a chance, or go somewhere new. It’s not simple. But Abraham reminds us that faith leads to obedience, even when the end goal isn’t evident.

And pay attention to what Abraham actually wanted: “a city with foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” (10)

He wasn’t only looking for a better place to live; he was expecting God to keep his word.
Faith not only makes us do what we want, it also changes what we want. Abraham and Sarah didn’t merely follow God with their bodies; they also yearned for something much bigger than what they could see at the time.

It is very important that verse 13 says, “All these people were still living by faith when they died.” They did not get what was promised to them; they merely saw it and embraced it from a distance, saying that they were outsiders and strangers on earth.

This is a strong picture of people who lived sincerely, trusted completely, but never got everything they were promised while they were alive. But they never gave up. They were happy to hear the promise from afar. Why? Because they weren’t just hunting for land or success on Earth; they were looking for something better. Something that lasts forever. They wanted something better. They went through disappointment. They had to deal with emptiness and things that were impossible. They lived in tents. But they kept their eyes on what God had promised. That vision came from their faith.

And that means something to us now. We can spend a lot of time thinking about what we can see, touch, or do right now—success, comfort, and safety. But real faith makes our hearts reach out to heaven. It reminds us that this world is not where we will live forever.

Are you living like a traveler or a settler? There is a difference! Pilgrims realize they’re on a trip. Settlers act like this is the end. The faithful ones, like Abraham, Sarah, and all the saints, lived as pilgrims. And because of that, God wasn’t ashamed to be named their God.

God honors those who want His kingdom. He respects people who walk by faith and not by sight.

We may still have the same hope today, even when things are hard, we don’t know what’s going to happen, and our prayers go unanswered. A hope that says, “I may not see it yet, but I believe in the one I believe in.” I might not be there yet, but I trust the One who has made a city for me.

So, what does faith mean for us at Bethel and Emmanuel? Faith means believing that God is still working, even if we can’t see the whole picture of what God is doing in our lives or in our churches. It means having faith that the modest things we do in worship, mission, leadership, and community outreach will eventually pay off.

Faith means answering God’s call to be a hopeful people, even when the way is unclear, the numbers are small, or the problems seem big.

We are on a journey, much like Abraham and Sarah. Some of us are still getting used to things after a lot of changes. People are curious about what will happen in the future. Some people feel like strangers and pilgrims, just trying to find a place to fit in again.

But the book of Hebrews tells us that God is not ashamed to be called our God when we keep our eyes on His promises.

For us, faith means:

-Loving each other as a family even when it’s hard.

-Coming back week after week because we think God still has work for us to do.

-Letting others in and trusting that God is still bringing people to Himself through our witness.

Investing in the next generation, exactly as people who plant trees they may never sit under, because we think the Church is broader than any one moment in time.

So, let’s keep going, step by step, in confidence. In obedience, let’s keep building, nail by nail. And let’s keep hoping every day for the better country that God has promised to those who trust in Him. We want to be known not just as people from Bethel and Emmanuel, but as people of faith. Yes “Arise and Shine for your glory has come!