Introduction
Are you living in a way that only makes sense if Jesus is real, and when you face death, doubt, or your own failures, will you keep trusting Him anyway? The central lesson of Hebrews 11:32–34 is that God commends not flawless people with flawless resumes, but ordinary, flawed people whose faith persists, because Jesus Himself is the truly perfect One we trust. Tomorrow I’ll be at a memorial service for Mr. Mike, a man we knew and loved. Moments like that bring a mixture of joy and sorrow, and they also pull hidden questions to the surface: Have I done enough? Am I good enough? Will my life matter? What will be said when my eulogy is read?
Hebrews 11 can look at first glance like a collection of spiritual “superheroes”, a list of jaw-dropping accomplishments that might intimidate us. But I want to shepherd you to see what God is actually highlighting: not their perfect performance, but their persistent faith.
Main Points
Are you living in a way that only makes sense if Jesus is real, and when you face death, doubt, or your own failures, will you keep trusting Him anyway? The central lesson of Hebrews 11:32–34 is that God commends not flawless people with flawless resumes, but ordinary, flawed people whose faith persists, because Jesus Himself is the truly perfect One we trust.
Tomorrow I’ll be at a memorial service for Mr. Mike, a man we knew and loved. Moments like that bring a mixture of joy and sorrow, and they also pull hidden questions to the surface: Have I done enough? Am I good enough? Will my life matter? What will be said when my eulogy is read?
Hebrews 11 can look at first glance like a collection of spiritual “superheroes”, a list of jaw-dropping accomplishments that might intimidate us. But I want to shepherd you to see what God is actually highlighting: not their perfect performance, but their persistent faith.
The Hall of Faith Isn’t About Hype
Hebrews 11:32 begins, “And what more shall I say? For time would fail me…” The author is saying, in effect: I’ve made my case, there’s more evidence than I can fully unpack. It reminds me of John’s line about Jesus: that if everything He did were written down, the world couldn’t contain the books (John 21:25).
Then the author quickly names Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and “the prophets”, a sweeping tour across Israel’s story, from the era of the Judges into the monarchy and onward. The point isn’t merely to impress you with history; it’s to anchor your faith in the reality that God has been faithful through generations, in every era, through every kind of person.
And then come the outcomes:
- “conquered kingdoms”
- “enforced justice” (or “worked righteousness”)
- “obtained promises”
- “stopped the mouths of lions”
- “quenched the power of fire”
- “escaped the edge of the sword”
- “were made strong out of weakness”
- “became mighty in war”
- “put foreign armies to flight” (Hebrews 11:33–34)
Those are stunning. But we must ask: Is God praising them because they were spiritual elites? Or because they trusted Him in a way we can imitate?
These Heroes Were Deeply Imperfect
It’s tempting to read Hebrews 11 like I used to watch superheroes growing up, amazed, inspired, but also thinking, That could never be me. The stories can feel like the Bible’s version of the X-Men: extraordinary powers, extraordinary battles, extraordinary wins.
But Hebrews does something surprising: it puts deeply flawed people in the “Hall of Faith.”
- Gideon is called “mighty man of valor” while hiding in fear (Judges 6:12).
- Samson is gifted mightily yet morally compromised in ways that are hard to read (Judges 13–16).
- David, for all his love for God, carried grievous sin and its consequences.
- Even the best of the prophets were often weary, opposed, and misunderstood.
So I want you to hear this gently but clearly: if you think your weakness disqualifies you from a life of faith, Hebrews 11 is meant to correct that. Faith is not perfection. Faith is persistence, clinging to God through fear, doubt, and even real moral failure.
Gideon Shows Faith With Fear And Doubt
Gideon’s story (Judges 6–8) helps us see persistent faith in real life.
When the angel tells him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor” (Judges 6:12), Gideon is literally hiding, threshing wheat in a winepress because he’s afraid of the Midianites. And his response exposes his inner conflict:
“Please, my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” (Judges 6:13)
That question is still alive today: If God, then why the cancer? If God, then why the divorce? If God, then why depression, suicide, turmoil?
Notice: Gideon doesn’t start with unbreakable confidence. He starts with fear and questions. Yet God’s call still stands:
“Go in this might of yours… do not I send you?” (Judges 6:14)
God doesn’t wait for Gideon to feel strong. God sends him while he is weak, and promises His presence.
Then Gideon obeys, but even his obedience is mixed with fear. He tears down the altar of Baal, but he does it at night because he’s afraid of his family and the town (Judges 6:25–27). He’s not fearless; he’s faithful in the middle of fear.
And then the fleece episode (Judges 6:36–40) shows Gideon seeking reassurance, twice. God had already spoken, yet Gideon asks for confirmation, and God patiently answers.
So I want to disciple you here: God’s patience with Gideon should encourage you, but Gideon’s story is not telling you to build your life on “sign-seeking.” It’s showing you that even when your faith is shaky, you can still take real steps of obedience, and God can meet you there.
God Makes Strength Out of Weakness
Then comes one of the clearest lessons in Gideon’s story: God intentionally reduces the army.
“The people with you are too many… lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’” (Judges 7:2)
When the fearful are dismissed, 22,000 leave and 10,000 remain (Judges 7:3). And then God reduces it again until it’s only 300 men facing a massive force.
God is not being cruel, He is being clear: salvation is His work, not ours. This is what Hebrews 11:34 celebrates: they “were made strong out of weakness.” That is God’s pattern.
And Gideon’s victory, torches, jars, shouting, and the enemy thrown into confusion, only makes sense if God is real. That’s the kind of life faith produces: a life that may look unreasonable to the world, but is steady because it rests on God.
Samson Warns Us And Still Encourages Us
Samson is one of the most surprising names in Hebrews 11. His life included sexual sin, arrogance, violence, and foolishness. Judges 16 opens bluntly: “Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute…” (Judges 16:1). His compromises eventually lead to capture and blindness.
At the end, Samson prays:
“O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once…” (Judges 16:28)
And he pulls down the pillars, killing many Philistines as he dies (Judges 16:29–30). It’s complex, tragic, and not a model to imitate in its details, Samson is not the kind of man I want you to copy. But Hebrews includes him to prove something: God can still work through flawed people, and faith can persist even after devastating failure.
That should humble us, because sin is never “small.” And it should comfort us, because our worst chapters are not beyond the reach of God’s mercy when we turn to Him.
Jesus Is The Perfect One We Trust
The author of Hebrews has been leading us here all along: beyond the judges, beyond kings, beyond prophets, toward Jesus, the only perfectly faithful One.
The believers who first received Hebrews were facing persecution and pressure. They had to be wondering, Is this worth it? Should we give up? Hebrews answers: Don’t abandon your faith. Jesus is greater. Jesus is worth it.
And here is the hope I want you to hold tightly: when your time comes, if you are in Christ, God will not be tallying your résumé of accomplishments to decide if you are “good enough.” You will stand in the righteousness of Jesus, not because your performance was excellent, but because Jesus is perfect, and He gave Himself for you.
So we persist, not pretending we’re strong, but because He is.
Living Faith Still Looks “Unreasonable”
It’s easy to read Hebrews 11 and think, Those kinds of things don’t happen today. But people who step out in faith still see God answer prayers, provide in unlikely ways, heal, guide, and sustain. God is still God.
Also, some of the most powerful “by faith” moments won’t look like spectacle; they’ll look like obedience that only makes sense if you believe.
- Gathering weekly with God’s people and building your life around worship.
- Giving generously instead of hoarding.
- Forgiving someone who wronged you when bitterness would feel more “natural.”
- Serving sacrificially, showing up for children, families, the vulnerable.
- Doing mission work and kingdom work that seems foolish to a world that worships comfort.
That’s what I want for you: a life that can’t be explained apart from Jesus, a life of persistent, loyal faith.
Conclusion
Hebrews 11:32–34 is not trying to make you feel small under the shadow of spiritual celebrities. It’s inviting you to join the same story: ordinary people, real weaknesses, real failures, and real faith that persists because God is faithful.
So when death puts hard questions in front of you, Have I done enough? Am I good enough?, remember the better question: Am I trusting the One who is enough? Jesus is enough. And a life of faith is not perfect, but it persists.
Let’s keep going. Let’s not give up. Let’s live in a way that only makes sense in light of faith.
Father, thank You for Your Word and for the honest stories of flawed people You used through faith. Help me not to idolize their accomplishments, but to imitate their trust in You. Strengthen my faith when I’m afraid, when I doubt, and when I feel the weight of my failures. Fix my eyes on Jesus, the perfectly faithful One, who lived without sin, suffered for me, and gives me His righteousness by grace. Teach me to live in a way that only makes sense because You are real, and keep me loyal to You until the end. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Conclusion
Hebrews 11:32–34 is not trying to make you feel small under the shadow of spiritual celebrities. It’s inviting you to join the same story: ordinary people, real weaknesses, real failures, and real faith that persists because God is faithful.
So when death puts hard questions in front of you, Have I done enough? Am I good enough?, remember the better question: Am I trusting the One who is enough? Jesus is enough. And a life of faith is not perfect, but it persists.
Let’s keep going. Let’s not give up. Let’s live in a way that only makes sense in light of faith.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for Your Word and for the honest stories of flawed people You used through faith. Help me not to idolize their accomplishments, but to imitate their trust in You. Strengthen my faith when I’m afraid, when I doubt, and when I feel the weight of my failures. Fix my eyes on Jesus, the perfectly faithful One, who lived without sin, suffered for me, and gives me His righteousness by grace. Teach me to live in a way that only makes sense because You are real, and keep me loyal to You until the end. In Jesus’ name, amen.