I think most of us in one way or another have heroes or role models that we look up to. The author of Hebrews laid out 17 of them that we could look to—people who experienced horrible situations and still honored God.
And even throughout the rest of history, there are always heroes of the faith ... men and women who chose to publicly identify with Jesus Christ no matter the consequences from society.
Who will ever forget what happened in Columbine, Colorado? Two students went through the school killing anything that moved. When they entered one of the classrooms, they shouted to Cassie Bernall, “Do you believe in God?”
She said, “Yes.”
With that simple response, she publically identified with Jesus Christ and was murdered by a mad man.
That’s the kind of faith that makes someone a hero. That’s the kind of courage that the Church needs today to rise up again.
Today people often ask, “Where is the Holy Spirit that we read about in the book of Acts?” But I think that’s the wrong question.
The right question is, “Where are the men and women of the book of Acts today?” We’ve got the same Holy Spirit but maybe not the bold, courageous, and fearless people that we see in the book of Acts.
Where are God’s people in the business, athletic, entertainment, and governing worlds that are making much of Jesus publicly?
To me, this is why the church is retreating. If we are to be honest as believers in Christ, we must ask the question, “Where are all the heroes?”
The trouble is we trust God for the major things—like forgiveness of sin and eternal life—but that’s where we leave it.
We become “double-minded”—reserving our hearts for the American dream and not for God’s purposes. We focus on our comfort and not our calling … and that makes us idol worshippers.
Real faith costs us something because it cost Christ everything.
Heroes are willing to be uncomfortable … willing to risk it all to bring glory to our Heavenly Father.
Heroes know that no matter what they face the Lord’s mercies are new every morning.
Today, all of God is available to any heroic heart that cries out, “I'm all in, Lord. Your will be done.”
Our God will meet us with His presence and power, pick us up, and move us forward when we’re ready to say “yes.”
May our Lord begin anew to wake us up so we as His people may begin to rise to shout His glory at this time in history.