What’s Your Role?

Have you ever been a part of a group project where you were the only one carrying your weight? Maybe you’re the only one who know what’s going on. Or maybe you’re the only one who cares. Either way, it seems that others are going to benefit from the fruits of your labor.

The stories of those in the “Hall of Faith” kind of seem like that sort of group project. Let’s call it “The Group Project of The Faith.” We benefit from the stories of those in the faith who have gone before us as they awaited the finished work of Christ. But here’s how it’s different from that biology class assignment. The Spirit empowers us to not let these Hebrews 11 legacies go to waste!

Examples that Empower

Here at the close of this chapter, Paul describes the incredible perseverance and hardship of God’s people. In these lines, we read about their unbelievable obedience achieved at such great personal cost. He relays the stories of judges, prophets, kings, and others who battled, wrestled, and endured on the basis of their faith (Hebrews 11:32-38).

He writes, “All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.” Here in these lines, we find the culmination of their legacies in Jesus Christ Himself. And we carry these truths into the identity of the church today. They have passed the baton on to us.

Their Heroic Legacy

The church benefits from every member in the body doing the work of the kingdom. This isn’t a passage about good works’ ability to save us, but rather about the faith and is revealed through these incredible acts of trust and obedience to the one true God. We have carried the stories of these ordinary heroes with us as extraordinary examples for the church still today. These are reminders that serve to tell us where we came from and where it is we’re going: an eternity spent dwelling with the Lord. May our lives tell the story of a God worth following.

So, what roles are we playing in “The Group Project of The Faith”? We’re walking in obedience and in trust towards the great hope and fulfillment God gave His people in Jesus. This is no group project where we simply disengage and allow these legacies of old to go unnoticed. Instead, we lean into community to see His works more greatly displayed among His people. Here, God’s promises come to fruition and are provided to us, that we would show others who it is we serve. Let’s make the choice to move in faith.

Now What?

How do you view your role within the church today? Have you found a place to serve within the body? Lean into community and into further discipleship opportunties as you discover your place in the legacy of the faith.