Scripture: HEBREWS 11:1-3,6 (NIV)
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Transcript
Good morning, everyone. If we haven’t met, I’m Jason, one of your Lay Pastors. Today I want to talk about a flight where the tickets aren’t for sale.
Picture this. It’s 4:30 on a Monday morning. A traveler stumbles through the airport doors with cold coffee and a rolling suitcase. The first thing they see are two different lines at the check-in counter. On the left is the regular line, and it’s packed with people as far as you can see. There’s a baby screaming, a toddler is climbing on their parent, and someone’s suitcase just exploded. Every single person in this line has the same look. It’s the look of someone who has completely given up.
But then they glance over to the right, and there’s the VIP line. It’s like entering a completely different world, and nobody standing in line. All of a sudden, a person casually walks up to the VIP counter and flashes some kind of fancy membership card. Thirty seconds later? They’re gone, having breakfast in the executive lounge. Meanwhile, our traveler is still standing in the regular line. They haven’t moved forward, not even half a step. And in that moment, a thought forms in their mind: I need to be in that line.
So while shuffling forward, they pull out their phone and apply for the airline’s rewards credit card. And immediately, the obsession begins. They’re buying things they don’t really need, just to rack up more points. Coffee, socks, cat food, and even a yard blower, even though they live in an apartment. After months of spending, they log into their account, and there it is: VIP status unlocked.
So the next time they need to travel, they walk through those automatic doors with their head held high. They see the two lines, and without any hesitation, they walk straight to the VIP line. They step up to the counter and hand the agent their card. She takes the card, scans it through her system, and studies her computer screen. She pauses. Her friendly smile fades. Then says, “I apologize, but your VIP status doesn’t include a ticket for this flight.”
The traveler is shocked. “What? Are you joking? I’ve been earning points for six months! I achieved VIP status! Look at my account!” The agent looks at them kindly and says, “Yes, I can certainly see that. Your VIP status is very impressive. You see, VIP status gets you perks like priority boarding, free upgrades, and access to the executive lounge. But it doesn’t give you a ticket. You still need a ticket to board the plane.”
The traveler replies, “Fine! No problem. How much is the ticket?” The agent looks back at her screen, types a few keys, and then looks up with an expression that changes everything. “I’m sorry. This is a charter flight. All the seats have already been paid for. You cannot purchase a ticket for this aircraft.”
They worked so hard. They earned so much. They achieved VIP status. But they were earning points for something that could never be bought.
Here’s what I want you to hear today. We do the exact same thing trying to get into heaven. We spend our whole lives trying to earn VIP status with God. We rack up good deeds like loyalty points. We compare ourselves to others. We work, we strive, we perform, all while missing the point. Going to heaven is a charter flight, and God already paid for every seat. The question isn’t whether you’ve earned VIP status. It’s are you on the passenger list? Are you in God’s Hall of Fame? Because the truth is, you can’t buy a ticket that Jesus already paid for.
Follow along on the screen or open your Bibles to Hebrews 11 verses 1 through 3 and verse 6. Listen to what it says: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Did you notice what’s missing from this passage? There’s no mention of résumés, no list of achievements, and no spiritual credit score. Instead, God says the one thing that matters is faith. Not what you’ve done, but what you believe. Not your performance, but your trust. But here’s the problem: we keep trying to earn what God freely offers.
Today I want you to imagine with me that heaven is like an airport terminal and there’s a flight boarding. Let me show you what that looks like.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Ladies and gentlemen, we are now beginning pre-boarding for Flight Eternity to our final destination of Heaven. At this time, we invite passengers requiring assistance to board. Those traveling with disabilities. Those who need extra time. And those who recognize they cannot board on their own. If you need help boarding this aircraft, please come to the gate now for pre-boarding.
A small group of people stand up and proceed to the check-in counter. They’re not impressive. They don’t have VIP cards. They don’t have fancy credentials or a big list of accomplishments. And we know what the world thinks about these people, don’t we? These are the faith people. You see, the world looks at faith as a weakness. They think, “You believe in something you can’t see? You’re trusting in something you can’t prove?” But watch this. These “weak” faith people board the plane first! While everyone else is still sitting in the terminal, the faith people are already on board. They’re already heading to heaven.
And these are the very people listed in our scripture today. Verse 4 says, “By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did.” Abel didn’t come to God with a résumé. He came with faith. He knew he couldn’t earn God’s favor. He could only receive it. He was helpless in his own strength. He trusted God’s provision.
Verse 5 says, “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death.” Enoch walked with God by faith. He didn’t try to impress God with achievements. He just walked humbly, trusting God every single day, and God took him straight to heaven.
And verse 7 says, “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark.” Noah looked like a fool. Building a boat when there’s never been rain, let alone a flood? But he had faith in God’s word, even when he couldn’t see the storm coming. The world called him crazy. God called him righteous.
Do you see the pattern yet? Every person who made it onto this flight to heaven looked weak to the world but strong to God. They didn’t have it all figured out. They didn’t have perfect résumés. They didn’t have VIP status. What they had was faith. And that’s the only ticket that gets you on this plane. But here’s what the world doesn’t understand. They think faith is blind.
There’s this scene from The Office that perfectly captures what the world thinks faith is. Michael Scott is driving his rental car, and his GPS tells him to turn right. So he turns right. The problem? There’s a lake directly in front of him. But Michael has complete faith in his GPS. Dwight is screaming from the passenger seat. Later, when they’re standing outside the car, dripping wet, Michael says, “I don’t understand. The machine told me to go that way.” Here’s the thing: Michael had lots of faith. His faith wasn’t the problem. The problem was he had blind faith. Despite all the evidence screaming lake, he drove right into it anyway.
Biblical faith is completely different. Let me show you what I mean. Imagine you’re hungry and walking down the street. You see two restaurants side by side. The first one? You can smell it from the parking lot, and it’s not a good smell. You peek in the window, and the place is empty, not a single customer. The tables are sticky, the menu is stained, and you just saw a fly buzz past the window. You pull out your phone and check the reviews: “Food poisoning,” one says. “Avoid at all costs,” says another. The chef is a complete mystery. You have no idea who’s back there.
Now the second restaurant, the line is out the door. Through the window you see happy people, laughing, eating, and clean plates. You can smell garlic, herbs, something amazing. The health inspector’s grade is posted right there: A+. The reviews are glowing. But here’s the thing: in both cases, you have never met the chef. You haven’t seen the kitchen. You haven’t tasted the food yourself yet.
The first restaurant, the dirty, empty one, that’s blind faith. It’s choosing to believe in something despite all the evidence screaming not to. But that second restaurant? That’s biblical faith. It’s not blind. It’s supported by evidence! The place is packed with witnesses. The reviews are glowing. The health report is excellent. Biblical faith isn’t a leap into the dark. It’s a step into the light, based on the overwhelming evidence of God’s character and faithfulness.
And that’s exactly what Hebrews 11 is trying to show us. Hebrews 11 verse 2 says, “This is what the ancients were commended for.” Commended for what? Not their résumés, not their accomplishments. They were commended for their faith. The things we can see help us understand the things we can’t see. We see creation and understand there’s a Creator. We see design and understand there’s a Designer. Biblical faith is reasonable trust based on evidence.
And verse 6 says this: “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Not difficult. Impossible. You can be the strongest person in the terminal. You can have the most impressive résumé. You can have VIP cards for every airline. But without faith, you’re not getting on this plane.
So while the world mocks people of faith, they’re already boarding. They’re already on their way to heaven. They recognized their need. They admitted their weakness, and they trusted in Jesus. And that’s exactly what God requires. This week, stop comparing yourself to others. Write down one area where you’ve been keeping score spiritually, then cross it out and write “Jesus paid for this” over it. God’s not grading you against your neighbor. He’s looking for faith.
ANNOUNCEMENT: We now invite our Priority passengers to board Flight Eternity. If you hold Elite Status, if you’ve accumulated good works, maintained church membership, lived a moral life, or earned recognition for your religious achievements, please approach the gate now with your credentials ready. Priority passengers, you may now board.
A much larger group stands up. These people look impressive, confident, and put together. They’ve got their credentials in hand. So they walk up to the gate agent and present their cases: “I’ve been a church member for thirty years.” “I was baptized as a child and confirmed as a teenager.” “I volunteer at the soup kitchen every week.” “I give 10% of my income to charity.” “I’ve never cheated on my spouse or stolen anything.” “I’m a good person. I’m better than most people you’ll meet.”
These are the Priority passengers. They’ve earned their status. They’ve racked up their points, and they’ve got the résumé to prove it. These aren’t bad people. These are good people, moral people, religious people. In fact, most of them are better people than the pre-boarding passengers! They’ve accomplished more. They’ve done more good. They have more to show for their lives.
But watch what happens when they hand their credentials to the gate agent. The agent looks at their file, scrolls through their achievements, studies their moral balance sheet, and then she looks up with a sad expression. “I’m sorry. Your credentials are very impressive, but you still need a ticket.”
“What? Do you see everything I’ve done? Do you see my church attendance? My charity work? My moral record? How can this not be enough?” And the gate agent says something that changes everything. “Your credentials would be impressive if you were the one paying for this flight, but you’re not. This flight has already been paid for by Jesus Christ, and the only acceptable boarding pass is faith in Him.”
Because the truth is, you can’t buy a ticket that Jesus already paid for.
Now let me show you what this looks like in real life. Picture two people, same room, same time, both praying out loud. Person One is praying: “God, thank You that I’m reading my Bible every day. Thank You that I’m serving in the church. Thank You that I’m not like those people who only show up on holidays.” They’re praying, but really? They’re reporting. Giving God a status update on their spiritual performance. Their mouth is moving, but they’re not actually talking to God. They’re talking at God about themselves.
Person Two is praying: “God, I’m struggling to believe You today. I showed up to serve, but honestly? My heart wasn’t in it. I read my Bible this morning, and I didn’t feel anything. Help me want You more.” Raw, honest, broken. Not impressive, but real. Same words: “Dear God,” but a completely different heart.
Listen carefully to what Jesus says in Matthew chapter 7, verses 21 through 23: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
Did you catch that? These weren’t atheists trying to be good people. These were people doing ministry in Jesus’ name! They were prophesying in Jesus’ name, casting out demons in Jesus’ name, and performing miracles in Jesus’ name. Their hands were doing all the right religious things, but Jesus says, “I never knew you.” Why? Because their hearts weren’t in it. They were performing ministry to impress God, not because they loved God. They were building a spiritual résumé, not building a relationship. They had religious activity without genuine faith.
This is exactly what Jesus was teaching when He told the story in Luke 18 about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people. I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of all I get.” Look at his résumé: fasting twice a week, giving a tenth of everything. These aren’t just good deeds. These are religious disciplines! But his heart? Full of pride, comparison, and self-righteousness.
The tax collector wouldn’t even look up to heaven. He beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” His hands? Empty. No impressive spiritual résumé to present. But his heart? Broken, humble, desperate for God. And Jesus said, “This man went home justified.” Not because of his religious activities, but because of his heart.
Hebrews 11 verse 6 says, “Anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists.” God doesn’t say, “Anyone who comes to Him must first perform impressive spiritual tasks.” He says, you must believe. Believing happens in the heart long before it shows up in the hands. God sees your heart first because that’s where faith lives.
So while the Priority passengers stand there with their impressive credentials, they’re not boarding. Their hands are full, but their hearts are empty. They’re performing for God instead of trusting in God. And that’s not what God requires. This week, before you do anything for God, ask yourself one question: “Is my heart in this, or just my hands?” If it’s just your hands, stop, and ask God to change your heart first. God would rather you come to Him empty-handed and honest than full-handed and fake.
Now imagine you’re one of those Priority passengers. You just got rejected. You’re sitting back down in the terminal, stunned, confused, and maybe even angry. You worked so hard. You tried so long. You earned so much, and it meant nothing? But then you hear another announcement.
ANNOUNCEMENT: This is the final boarding call for Flight Eternity. The aircraft door will be closing in moments. All passengers remaining in the terminal—this is your last opportunity. The Faith Counter is now open. Come as you are. Leave your credentials behind. Leave your past behind. Bring only your faith. Final boarding call. The door is closing now.
And this is the moment of truth. This is where pride meets grace. This is where your whole worldview gets challenged. Because here’s what the Faith Counter requires: nothing. You don’t bring your résumé. You don’t bring your achievements. You don’t bring your credentials. You come empty-handed and say, “I can’t earn this. I can’t achieve this. I need help. I need Jesus.”
Let me show you what this looks like. Picture a swimming pool on a hot summer day. A father is standing in the water with his arms outstretched, and his five-year-old daughter is standing on the edge of the pool. She’s never jumped in before, and she’s terrified. The dad says, “Jump! I’ll catch you. I promise.” But she’s looking at the water, and it looks so deep. She’s looking at the distance, and it looks so far. So she says, “Dad, I’m scared.” And the father says, “I know, but I’m right here. Jump. I’ll catch you.”
She’s not worried about looking foolish. She’s simply deciding: do I trust my dad or don’t I? And when she finally jumps? It’s not because she’s confident in her ability to swim. It’s because she’s confident in her father’s ability to catch her. That’s faith.
Her father isn’t impressed by her swimming abilities. She doesn’t have any yet. He’s not grading her technique or judging her form. He’s saying, “Do you trust me enough to jump?” That’s all he wants. Her faith. Her trust. Her willingness to leap into his arms. And when she jumps? He catches her. Not because she earned it. Not because she deserved it, but because she’s his daughter and she trusted him.
That’s faith. You’re not presenting credentials. You’re accepting a relationship. You’re not proving your worth. You’re trusting in Christ’s worth. You’re not earning your ticket. You’re accepting the ticket Jesus already bought.
And here’s the beautiful part. You get to leave your past behind. All those mistakes? Left at the counter. All those failures? Left at the counter. All those regrets? Left at the counter. Paul says it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” When you come to Jesus with faith, your past doesn’t disqualify you. It stays behind, and you board as a new creation.
Hebrews 11 verse 6 says, “He rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Not those who impress Him. Not those who perform for Him, but those who seek Him with empty hands and trusting hearts.
So while some passengers sit in the terminal holding onto their credentials and their past, they’re missing the flight. The faith passengers? They’re boarding. They came empty-handed. They left their past behind, and they trusted in Jesus. And that’s exactly what God requires. This week, stop waiting to be “ready” for God. Come to Him just as you are: messy, broken, with all your past. He’s not asking you to clean up first. He’s asking you to trust Him. Just jump. He’ll catch you.
We’ve seen three types of passengers in the terminal today: the Pre-boarding passengers who admitted they needed help and boarded first, the Priority passengers who came with credentials but got turned away, and then some of those rejected Priority passengers made a choice. They could hold onto their credentials and miss the flight, or they could go empty-handed, leave their past behind, and trust Jesus. Only one thing gets you on the plane: faith in Jesus, not faith in yourself.
Let me show you what that looks like. In this scene from Indiana Jones, his father is dying. The only thing that can save him is on the other side of this cliff. There’s no bridge, no path, just a deadly fall. He has to step out into nothing and trust. Did you see that? The bridge was there all along. He just couldn’t see it. But when he took that step, when he trusted, the bridge appeared. His father’s life depended on it, so he stepped. That’s what God is asking you to do today. Jesus already built the bridge. He’s just asking you to take the next step.
And I don’t know where you’re standing as you hear this. Maybe you’ve been trying to earn your way your whole life, and you’re exhausted. Maybe you’ve been going through all the right motions, but your heart feels empty. Maybe you’ve been waiting to be good enough, but you never quite get there.
But let me tell you something about God’s Hall of Fame. Noah was a drunk. Abraham was a liar. Moses was a murderer. Rahab was a prostitute. David was an adulterer. And they’re all in God’s Hall of Fame. Not because they were perfect, but because they had faith. And if God took them, He’ll take you.
So let me ask you one final time: whose Hall of Fame are you trying to get into? Because 100 years from now, none of your credentials will matter. The only Hall of Fame that matters is God’s, and the only way in is faith in Jesus Christ. The father is standing in the water with His arms wide open, and He’s saying, “Jump. I’ll catch you. I promise.” Will you trust Him? Amen.
