UNWAVERING: FAITH AND PURPOSE

Sub-theme: A Church that is Built by Faith

Primary Text: Hebrews 11:8

Prepared by: Joey Arles O. Vergara | March 2026

(RECHARGE framework: Reference Verse, Entry Point, Context, Honor, Admonish, Reteach, Generalize, Encourage)

REFERENCE VERSE

Genesis 12:4-5 (NASB) > "So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan."

Hebrews 11:8 (NASB) > "By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going."

ENTRY POINT (Modern-Day Importance)

If you walk into any bookstore today or scroll through social media, you will find thousands of voices promising to help you "find your purpose." The modern world tells us that purpose is found by looking inward—by discovering our own hidden desires, following our hearts, and manifesting our own destinies.

But the biblical truth is radically different. True purpose is never discovered by looking inward; it is discovered by looking upward. You cannot find the purpose of a creation without consulting its Creator. And connecting with the Creator's design requires one essential, non-negotiable element: Faith. Without faith, purpose is just a temporary human ambition. With faith, purpose becomes an eternal calling.

Today, BCCC commemorates its kick-off day. It is a day of remembering the early faithful servants who went forth, like Abraham, to pursue a journey of responding towards bringing unchurched people into Canaan, the eternal promise of God’s Kingdom.

I don’t know how many of the present attendees could still remember or even knew the hypothetical “Abrahams” and who planted the seeds in this City of Butuan which resulted in what kind of tree it is now? I hope that there are still few of you who can tell the faithfulness and vision of those who pioneered the AFC START Program. By the way, I am a 2nd generation fruit of the START Program in Iligan City (the oldest of the 4 START Program congregations in Mindanao).

Hebrews 11 talks about faith and the many triumphs and commendations to the faithful servants of God, including Abraham who responded to God’s call to go to an uncertain place.

CONTEXT (At the Time of Writing)

When the writer of Hebrews penned chapter 11, the famous "Hall of Faith," he was writing to first-century Christians who were exhausted. They were facing persecution, and many were tempted to abandon their purpose and shrink back into their old, comfortable lives.

To encourage them, the writer points backward to the patriarchs—men like Abraham, who packed up his entire life in Genesis 12 to pursue a promise he couldn't see, and Joseph, who clung to God's purpose even on his deathbed.

Hebrews 11:13 > “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”

They understood that God's purpose is not a short-term project; it is a multi-generational promise that requires unwavering trust, confidence, and dependence on God.

HONOR (Celebrating Truth Seekers)

I want to commend you for being here today, and I especially want to honor the perseverance of the faithful in this local city church.

I highly commend those who serve by faith, faithfully, and fruitfully.

Through every challenge and changing season, you have remained steadfast in your devotion. By gathering together to study God's Word, you are making a persevering declaration. You are saying, "I do not want to build my life on the shifting sands of human philosophy. I want to build my life on the solid rock of God's truth." You continue to seek Biblical truth, willing to let the Scriptures define your identity and direct your steps. That ongoing desire to align your life with the pattern of the New Testament church is a beautiful evidence of your enduring faith.

ADMONISH (A Call to the Errant)

However, if we are honest, there are times when some of us try to steal the pen out of God's hand and write our own story.

There are times that we want God to bless our plans rather than submitting to His purpose. There are times that we forget the Abraham who went before us, we forget that this church is to become the Salt and the Light in the heart of Butuan City.

We become frustrated when life gets hard, or when God's timing doesn't match our calendar. Some may have grown weary, cynical, or spiritually stagnant because we have stopped living by faith and started living by sight. If we are trying to fulfill our purpose in our own strength, we will eventually burn out.

To tell you frankly, many local churches which I and my household has visited (remember or FYI: right after pandemic, February of 2022, we started the missionary journey of responding the call of reaching out to other congregations and planting new ones), there is a common concern:

Now, it is time to realign our hearts with God's purpose and remember why BCCC exists for more than 2 decades already.

RETEACH (Key Points)

To understand how faith connects to God's purpose, we must understand five biblical realities. The first three show the progression of faith in our lives, and the final two look to the life of Joseph to show us what this looks like in practice.


1. Knowing God's purpose takes faith.

We cannot figure out why we are here through logic alone. Human wisdom will only lead to earthly conclusions. We make decisions that we think will serve us best.

To know the mind of God, we must open the Word of God. Consider how God revealed His monumental plan in Genesis 12:2-3 (NASB), telling Abram, "I will make you a great nation... and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Abram had to know and believe this unseen promise.

The Hebrew root word for believe or trust, used throughout the Old Testament to describe this kind of faith, is Aman, which means to be firm, to support, or to build up. Believing that God's Word holds the absolute truth for our lives takes a firm, unshakeable faith.

Cross-Reference: Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB) - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Unshakable faith as described in Hebrews 11:1…faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.

Again, knowing God’s purpose takes faith.  


2. Receiving God's purpose takes faith.

Knowing the purpose is not enough; we must accept it. We see this vividly in Genesis 12:4 (NASB), which says, "So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him." The Hebrew word used here for "went forth" is Halakh, which literally means to walk, to journey, or to live one's life. Receiving God's purpose requires us to surrender our own agendas, pack up our proverbial tents (the willingness to leave our comfort zones), and physically move at His command.

I remember, two weeks ago, I had a conversation with one of our female leaders here, she was sharing with me about the discomforts of responding to God’s anointing. I was so moved by that sharing and I was encouraged and was taught a solid lesson by that sister in faith.

The message of the Gospel is about receiving God's saving purpose. It means an active, obedient faith—trusting Him enough to repent, confess Christ, and be buried in baptism for the remission of sins. It is an active acceptance of His grace.

The Gospel must always be the priority of our teachings, sharing, and encouragement with one another, else, we will be led into forgetting why the church exists.

Cross-Reference: Galatians 3:26-27 (NASB) - "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."

Again, receiving God’s purpose takes faith. Anybody can claim he/she believes in God. However, the Scripture strictly teaches that not everyone who calls Him Lord will be saved, only those who do what the Father wants (Matthew 7:21-23).


3. Fulfilling God's purpose takes faith.

Fulfilling our purpose is not a one-time event; it is a daily, lifelong walk. In Genesis 12:6-7 (NASB), Abram journeyed into Canaan, a place where "the Canaanite was then in the land." Surrounded by worldly opposition and a pagan culture, God reaffirmed His promise, and Abram responded by building an altar to the Lord. The Hebrew word for "build" here is Banah, which means to establish or to construct permanently. The church must take root in the place where it is planted. BCCC must take hold within Butuan, this is where you are planted. BCCC must continue to grow in numbers and above all in faithfulness. Continue planting churches around the city and the nearby towns.

Like Abram, fulfilling God's purpose means building (Banah) our lives around worship in spirit and truth, continuing to do good works, and remaining faithful to God even when the people around us push us back or reject us. It requires the endurance to keep going when the initial excitement fades.

Cross-Reference: 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NASB) - "for we walk by faith, not by sight."

Again, fulfilling God's purpose takes faith. If the church or each member loses that faith of fulfilling God’s purpose, it becomes a terrible state. As I have said, if a local church is no longer fulfilling God’s purpose by faith; worshippers become attendees or participants, worship service becomes social gathering, and small groups become a hub for gossip and not Bible studies nor Biblical counseling.

4. Unwavering Faith looks forward to God's promised future (The Foresight of Joseph).

To see this applied, look at Joseph’s remarkable faith as recorded in Hebrews 11:22 (NASB).

The writer doesn't highlight Joseph's endurance and success in life. Instead, the focus is on his deathbed. By faith, Joseph "made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel." The Greek word used here for "made mention" is Mnemoneuo, which means to deliberately call to mind, to be mindful of, or to remember with intent. Even though he was dying in a foreign land, his faith was fixed on the Exodos—the Greek word for the departure or the way out.

He trusted God's purpose so entirely that he spoke of the deliverance of his people as a guaranteed future reality. And know that this vision of a literal future happened 400 years after Joseph’s death.

Cross-Reference: Genesis 50:24 (NASB) - "Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.'"

Faith drives the church evangelism and discipleship program. Without foresight on what has been promised by God, a church or anyone can easily get stocked in the affairs and concerns of earthly life. It was through faith that those who initiated the START program that they were able to foresaw that city churches could bring the unchurched people to hear and believe the Gospel.

5. Unwavering Faith points to the ultimate purpose beyond this life (The Legacy of Joseph).

Notice the second part of Hebrews 11:22—Joseph "gave orders concerning his bones." By faith, Joseph knew Egypt was not his permanent home. His faith was anchored in a purpose that outlasted his own heartbeat.

Biblical church purpose always points toward eternity. In Hebrews 11:13, the Greek word Parepidemos is used, meaning strangers, exiles, or sojourners.

Joseph lived as a highly successful man in Egypt, but in his heart, he was a parepidemos. He knew his true citizenship and his ultimate purpose belonged to the Promised Land.

Cross-Reference: Hebrews 11:13 (NASB) - "All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth."

If we live with a finite purpose of achieving fame, materials wealth, social relationships, business network, without contributing to the legacy of sharing the Gospel, reaching the poor in spirit, reaching the troubled and the discouraged of life due to illness, mental issues, family troubles, spiritual struggles, then, we have become selfish of not sharing eternity with others.

True disciples of Christ point others towards eternity by actively engaging others to keep the faith, become faithful, and become fruitful.

GENERALIZE

Whether you are just beginning to figure out your calling, whether you are walking faithfully day by day, or whether you are like Abraham who has heard God’s call to go on uncertain mission, or whether you feel like you are currently sitting in a pit of despair like Joseph in his youth—the requirement is exactly the same: Faith is the engine of purpose. You cannot have one without the other. Faith is the thread that ties Abraham’s journey, Joseph’s bones, and your life today into one magnificent story of God’s redemption.

ENCOURAGE (The Final Charge)

The question this morning is simple:

As what we have learned from the Scripture, by faith, Abraham went forth to the promised land and he did get there. Joseph, made sure that the legacy of Abraham is kept, even if it took 400 years for the Israelites to go back to the Promised, both heroes of faith made sure that God’s legacy of fulfilling His promise is actually done and experienced by the people who put their faith on that promise.

If you have never stepped into God's saving purpose, the invitation is open. It takes faith to hear the Word, believe that Jesus is the Son of God, repent of your sins, confess the name of Jesus Christ, and it takes faith to be baptized into Christ. That is where true purpose begins.

If you are already a Christian, perhaps you've been trying to navigate life by sight instead of by faith. Perhaps, you are trying to do ministry with fear and uncertainty. Perhaps the trials of life have caused you to lose sight of the ultimate Promised Land. Come back to the purpose God has for you. Allow the fellow believer to help you, pray with you, and encourage you as we walk this journey together.

And to the congregation; I charge you today, if we have forgotten the original purpose of why this city church exists—if we have drifted into treating our faith like a social club rather than a rescue mission—it is time to wake up and rebuild. Let us collectively return to the profound, active faith that seeks the lost, worships in spirit and truth, and builds the Lord’s Church for eternity.

Abraham had to take that physical first step of faith toward an unseen promise, and today is an opportunity to take a step of faith. Whether that means coming to the waters of baptism for the remission of your sins, or asking for the prayers of this congregation to renew your strength for the journey ahead, the invitation is yours.

Let us walk this road together. If you are convinced to respond to this call—if deep inside your heart and mind you know you are subject to the Lord's invitation of Purpose and Faith—please come forward or maybe you could just raise your hands towards heaven as we stand and sing the response song prepared by the music team.

Soli deo Gloria!