Trinity Bible ChapelTrinity Bible ChapelTrinity Bible ChapelTrinity Bible Chapel
  • Jesus
  • About
    • Service Times & Location
    • Our Mission
    • Our Four Pillars
    • Our History
    • What We Believe
      • Our Doctrinal Statement
      • Specific Issues
        • Baptism and Communion
        • Church Government
        • Church Membership
        • Church Planting Philosophy
        • Church Structure
        • Counseling Philosophy
        • Creation, Evolution and God’s Sovereignty
        • Eternal Security of the Believer
        • Sufficiency of Scripture
        • Spiritual Warfare
        • The Trinity
        • Women in Ministry
        • Worship
    • Church Staff
    • Job Opportunities
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Project Rehoboth
      • Rehoboth Updates
    • King Alfred Academy
  • Connect
    • New Here?
      • Welcome to Trinity!
      • What Should I Expect?
      • How Can I Be Saved?
      • Get Baptized
      • University Bus Shuttle
    • Get Connected
      • Step 1: Connect
      • Step 2: Consider
      • Step 3: Commit to a Small Group
      • Step 3: Commit to Serve
      • Step 4: Covenant in Membership
    • Resources
      • Weekly E-News
      • Events Calendar
      • Church App
      • Subscribe to Our Podcast
      • Pulpit Curriculum
      • Bible Reading Plans
      • Weddings
  • Ministries
    • Trinity Kids
      • Parenting Resources
      • Web Protection Guide
      • Parenting Conference Audio
    • Trinity Youth
      • Youth Ministry Blog Posts
    • Small Groups
      • Pulpit Curriculum
      • Small Groups Blog Posts
      • Accountability Resources
    • University Bus Ministry
      • Adopt-A-Student Ministry
    • Worship Ministry
      • Family Worship
      • Weekend Song List
    • Sunday Support
    • Evangelism
      • Evangelism Videos
    • King Alfred Academy
  • Sermons
    • Latest Sermon
    • View All by Date
    • View by Series
    • View by Preachers
    • View by Topics
    • View by Scriptures
    • Subscribe to Our Podcast
  • Blogs
    • The Pastor’s Blog
    • Trinity Ministry Blog
  • Give

The Pastor's Blog

By Jacob Reaume

I Need a Hero: Should I Look to the Bible?

By Jacob Reaume | January 9, 2015 | Leave a Comment |
Tagged: hermeneutics, heroes

Bonnie Tyler CD“Where have all the good men gone? I need a hero.” So said Bonnie Tyler in her 1984 hit single. To answer her question, can we turn to the Bible? According to some, we should not.

Preaching through Genesis, I interact with Bible heroes every week. Enosh, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham have now each become my heroes. Enosh, whose name means “small man,” called upon the name of the Lord amidst the din of godless tyrants like Cain and Lamech. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, walked with God and proclaimed the coming wrath to a rebellious generation. Noah, a preacher of righteousness, was the only holdover to the truth while everyone else defected in mass apostasy. He gave up his life on earth to bottle up his family and the whole creation in the ark. Abraham left his parents, left his homeland and offered up his son because he saw God as infinitely more valuable than anything. These men are my heroes. By their example, they inspire me to forsake all for the delight of knowing Christ.

Should they be my heroes? Some say, “No.” For example, consider Tullian Tchividjian, a popular Presbyterian pastor from Florida. In his series on Genesis, over and again he emphasized that we must not hold these men up as heroes, and he criticized pastors and Sunday school teachers who do just that. While preaching on Noah he says, “…Genesis is not a book of human heroes that we are called to emulate. It is not a book of human heroes who did great things for God… It is a catalogue of sinners in need of a God who saves.” Later in the sermon, he criticized his childhood Sunday school teachers for presenting Noah as a hero and example.

Tchividjian is half right. Genesis, and all of Scripture, is primarily about a God who saves sinners, a God who cleans up our mess. That being said, it is also a book about a God who takes sinners and so cleans up their mess that He uses them in heroic ways. God is the big hero. God uses small unlikely heroes. Scripture records the small heroes along with their heroic acts, at least in part, so that we can draw strength from their examples. While each small hero is full of flaws, we learn that God uses imperfect men to accomplish His perfect plan. That is encouraging. Not only does Scripture call us to emulate Bible heroes, but also to emulate present day heroes. And not only does Scripture call us to emulate present day heroes, but it also calls us to be present day heroes worthy of emulation.

Consider Abraham, the quintessential biblical man of faith. No other name in Scripture is more synonymous with faith than his. Romans 4:19-21 describes his faith. Galatians 3:5-9 explains we are Abraham’s sons if we have Abraham’s faith. James 2:16-24 shows that Abraham’s faith led to his heroic obedience, and it explains that our saving faith will produce the same obedience. Abraham is our example of faith. “What does faith look like?” we may ask. “Observe and emulate Abraham,” Scripture answers.

Sarah, Abraham’s wife, is also an example to be emulated. Christian women must submit to their husbands “as Sarah obeyed Abraham” (1 Peter 3:6). How does a Christian woman respond to her husband? Scripture points to Sarah as an example. Emulate her.

Hebrews 11 is known as the “Faith Hall of Fame.” It lists scores of Bible heroes as examples of faith. Included in the list are Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Jacob. Each man is commended for his faith displayed in works of obedience. This entire chapter of Hebrews lists example after example of faithful servants who perform heroic deeds. The list itself highlights the heroes and their works. Following the list of faithful heroes, in Hebrews 12:1-2, Scripture calls us to “also” emulate them. What do faithful Christians do? Look to the Bible stories and learn.

Not only does the Bible hold Old Testament saints up as examples, it does the same with New Testament saints and even present day church leaders.

Paul tells the church to imitate him (1 Corinthians 4:16; 11:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:9; 2 Timothy 3:10-11). And then he tells people to imitate his imitators (Philippians 3:17; 1 Thessalonians 1:6). He tells Timothy (1 Timothy 4:12), Titus (Titus 2:7-8), and older women (Titus 2:2-5) to be examples for others to imitate. Peter commands the elders to be examples (1 Peter 5:3) for imitation. The author of Hebrews commands all Christians to imitate their faithful church leaders (Hebrews 13:7). Again and again, Scripture points to mortal men and women who we should emulate.

None of them are perfect examples. We are never called to emulate Noah’s drunkenness or Abraham’s cowardice or Paul’s murderousness. But I find it interesting that the New Testament highlights, not the failures of the Old Testament small heroes, but rather their victories. Could this be because the Holy Spirit wants us to know He remembers, not our failures, but our victories?

So you need a hero?

The Bible is full of heroes to be emulated! Are they perfect? No. But they do heroic deeds and have redemptive attributes that deserve both our commendation and our emulation. Ultimately, the imperfections of our imperfect heroes point to the perfection of our Perfect Hero. Neither Noah, Abraham, Paul, nor you are perfect. So we fix our gaze upon the blameless Saviour, our perfect example to be emulated and our perfect substitute who earned our pefect righteousness.


SHARE


Comments

Related Posts

  • A Gay Bar with Free Math Lessons

    By Jacob Reaume | June 15, 2022

    I have been advising parents to pull their children from public schools for several years.  The primary objective of education should be to foster Christian virtue in the hearts of children.  Apparently this view was once shared by the majority of Ontarians to the point that they had it enshrined in law.  Section 264.1.c ofRead more

  • Protect Your Children from Public School

    By Jacob Reaume | June 9, 2022

    A few months ago, I reported (here) of a Waterloo Region public school teacher who the WRDSB chair censored at a board meeting.  Her offence?  She questioned whether school officials should be teaching children that hormone blockers are a good idea.  She did so while quoting a public school library book that presented hormone blockersRead more

  • Wisdom in Evangelizing Your Children

    By Jacob Reaume | May 17, 2022

    The following is adapted from a short sermon I gave at a child-dedication service on Mother’s Day. Introduction Many think that there is a recipe to get your children into the Kingdom of God.  “Maybe if I just protect them enough from the world they will be good,” some may reason. The problem is thatRead more

  • John Bunyan Opposed Church Attendance Limits

    By Jacob Reaume | May 12, 2022

    Just over a year ago, the Province of Ontario seized our church building and charged me, along with all our elders, with contempt of court for the second time.  The Province, claiming to be acting in the public good, had set limits on church attendance, and we had no regard for them.  We, ourselves claimingRead more

  • Property Rights, Free Enterprise, and God’s Law

    By Jacob Reaume | April 21, 2022

    Early in the first COVID lockdown, I had quickly publicly opposed the mandates, and in April 2020 someone criticized a post I made.  The individual said that we should be doing our part to save society from COVID just as our ancestors did their part to save society from the Nazis in WWII.  I tookRead more

Newer PostOlder Post

Top 5 Trending

  • A Gay Bar with Free Math Lessons

    June 15, 2022
  • What does “makes her commit adultery” mean? (Matt. 5:32)

    October 25, 2018
  • Protect Your Children from Public School

    June 9, 2022
  • Yes, Bruxy Cavey Is A False Teacher

    July 11, 2018
  • The Shame of Waterloo Region Public Schools

    January 18, 2022

Latest Posts

  • A Gay Bar with Free Math Lessons

    June 15, 2022
  • Protect Your Children from Public School

    June 9, 2022
  • Wisdom in Evangelizing Your Children

    May 17, 2022
  • John Bunyan Opposed Church Attendance Limits

    May 12, 2022
  • Property Rights, Free Enterprise, and God’s Law

    April 21, 2022

About the Author

Jacob Reaume

Born and raised in Guelph, Jacob holds a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He became pastor of Trinity Bible Chapel in August, 2009. Jacob is married to his high school sweetheart, Joanna, and together they have six children.

CHURCH LOCATION
Address:    1373 Lobsinger Line
Waterloo, ON, N2J 4G8

Phone: 519-658-6333
Email: info@trinitybiblechapel.ca

NEW HERE?

  • Service Times & Location
  • Welcome to Trinity!
  • What Should I Expect?
  • How Can I Be Saved?
  • University Bus Shuttle
  • Our Mission
  • Our Doctrinal Statement

OUR MINISTRIES

  • Trinity Kids
  • Trinity Youth
  • Small Groups
  • University Bus Ministry
  • Worship Ministry
  • Sunday Support
  • Evangelism

GET CONNECTED

  • Step 1: Connect
  • Step 2: Consider
  • Step 3: Commit to a Small Group
  • Step 3: Commit to Serve
  • Step 4: Covenant in Membership
  • Get Baptized
  • Events Calendar
Trinity Bible Chapel on Rumble
Copyright © 2022 Trinity Bible Chapel
  • Jesus
  • About
    • Service Times & Location
    • Our Mission
    • Our Four Pillars
    • Our History
    • What We Believe
      • Our Doctrinal Statement
      • Specific Issues
        • Baptism and Communion
        • Church Government
        • Church Membership
        • Church Planting Philosophy
        • Church Structure
        • Counseling Philosophy
        • Creation, Evolution and God’s Sovereignty
        • Eternal Security of the Believer
        • Sufficiency of Scripture
        • Spiritual Warfare
        • The Trinity
        • Women in Ministry
        • Worship
    • Church Staff
    • Job Opportunities
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Project Rehoboth
      • Rehoboth Updates
    • King Alfred Academy
  • Connect
    • New Here?
      • Welcome to Trinity!
      • What Should I Expect?
      • How Can I Be Saved?
      • Get Baptized
      • University Bus Shuttle
    • Get Connected
      • Step 1: Connect
      • Step 2: Consider
      • Step 3: Commit to a Small Group
      • Step 3: Commit to Serve
      • Step 4: Covenant in Membership
    • Resources
      • Weekly E-News
      • Events Calendar
      • Church App
      • Subscribe to Our Podcast
      • Pulpit Curriculum
      • Bible Reading Plans
      • Weddings
  • Ministries
    • Trinity Kids
      • Parenting Resources
      • Web Protection Guide
      • Parenting Conference Audio
    • Trinity Youth
      • Youth Ministry Blog Posts
    • Small Groups
      • Pulpit Curriculum
      • Small Groups Blog Posts
      • Accountability Resources
    • University Bus Ministry
      • Adopt-A-Student Ministry
    • Worship Ministry
      • Family Worship
      • Weekend Song List
    • Sunday Support
    • Evangelism
      • Evangelism Videos
    • King Alfred Academy
  • Sermons
    • Latest Sermon
    • View All by Date
    • View by Series
    • View by Preachers
    • View by Topics
    • View by Scriptures
    • Subscribe to Our Podcast
  • Blogs
    • The Pastor’s Blog
    • Trinity Ministry Blog
  • Give
Trinity Bible Chapel