SPB Sermons || Faith That Trusts God to Do the Impossible || Hebrews 11 & Luke 17:5–6 || Alan Millar

In this sermon, we are brought face to face with one of the most searching questions of the Christian life: what does real faith look like, and where does it come from?

Hebrews 11 opens by grounding faith not in emotion or optimism, but in confidence and conviction. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the certainty of things not yet seen. From the outset, Scripture reminds us that faith is not blind. It is anchored in the Word of God, the God who speaks and creates, the God who frames the world by His command and sustains it by His power.

The writer of Hebrews then walks us through the lives of the patriarchs and leaders of God’s people. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and the people of Israel are not presented as flawless heroes, but as ordinary people who trusted an extraordinary God. Again and again, the phrase is repeated: “by faith.” By faith Abraham obeyed. By faith Moses chose obedience over comfort. By faith the people of God trusted God’s promises even when circumstances made those promises seem impossible.

These stories are not distant history. They are given to remind us that God has always worked through faith-filled obedience, even when the outcome was unseen, delayed, or costly. Faith, we are reminded, often requires choosing obedience before understanding, trust before clarity, and hope before evidence.

The sermon then brings us to the words of Jesus in Luke 17, where the disciples cry out, “Increase our faith.” Jesus’ response is striking. He does not rebuke them for having too little faith, nor does He demand great spiritual strength. Instead, He speaks of faith as small as a mustard seed, faith that trusts God enough to act, even when the task seems impossible. The issue is not the size of faith, but the object of faith. True faith rests not in our ability, but in God’s power.

From there, the sermon presses closer to home. Faith is nourished and strengthened by God’s Word. Scripture is not optional reading for the Christian; it is essential. God’s Word reveals His character, shapes our thinking, renews our minds, and deepens our trust in Him. When Scripture is neglected, faith weakens. When it is ignored, spiritual life withers.

This is not spoken as theory, but as lived experience. Many of us know what it is to be busy, distracted, or self-reliant. We know the temptation to treat church as routine, habit, or nostalgia, rather than as a living encounter with the living God. And the consequences are visible. Churches grow tired. Congregations shrink. Faith becomes thin and fragile. The danger is not simply empty pews, but empty hearts.

The sermon does not shy away from this reality. It asks hard questions. Why are God’s people absent from worship? Why is the Word of God neglected? Why do we lament decline but resist the deep spiritual renewal that God calls us to? Scripture makes clear that revival does not begin with programmes or nostalgia for the past, but with repentance, prayer, and a renewed hunger for God’s Word.

Yet the message is not one of despair. It is a call to hope. The same God who parted the Red Sea, who delivered His people from slavery, who raised Jesus from the dead, is still at work today. God has not changed. His power has not diminished. What He seeks is a people willing to trust Him, obey Him, and seek Him with all their heart.

Faith, the sermon reminds us, is not passive. It is active trust. It listens to God’s Word, responds in obedience, and believes that God can do what we cannot. It believes that God can restore what looks dead, revive what looks exhausted, and renew His church for His glory.

The sermon closes with a clear challenge: to return to the Word of God, to commit ourselves afresh to prayer, and to ask God honestly to increase our faith. Not for our comfort, not for our reputation, but for the sake of the gospel and the glory of Christ. God promises that when His people seek Him wholeheartedly, He will be found.

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Hebrews 11 | Faith That Trusts God to Do the Impossible

Preacher: Rev Alan Millar

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