Unsung heroes

“Of whom the world was not worthy: they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”

– (Hebrews 11:38-40) ‘S ome of God’s most noble and dedicated servants are people whose names you have never heard.” This was advice given to brother BJ Clarke from his father as he was preparing to go to college. Brother Clarke gave the same advice to the class he was teaching at the Memphis School of Preaching, and it has resonated with me ever since. Oftentimes we boast about the “well-known” preachers and the wonderful sermons they may preach, or we may give credit to the leadership of a congregation, and those that are serving faithfully should receive recognition and encouragement to keep on keeping on, but how many within the church go unnoticed or never receive “honorable mention”? Within the church, there is much to do and there is work that everyone can be involved in if they so desire. At times there is a need to ask for certain works to be done, but most of the time, there are works that take place “behind the scenes” and those that do these works never or hardly ever receive the recognition for such.

The Bible is filled with examples of faithful servants of God throughout the ages. Abraham is considered as the “father of the faithful”. When Moses died, Joshua was told, “Moses my servant is dead” (Joshua 1:2). David is called the “man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22) and provides many examples of faithfulness throughout his life. Hebrews 11 provides “faith’s hall of fame”, and some are mentioned by name (Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sara, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab) but after naming some by name, there are those that go unnamed and the Bible says of these “unsung heroes” that “of whom the world was not worthy” (Hebrews 11:38).

The reason these unsung heroes of the faith are given this credit is because these, like Moses, Noah, Abraham, and others, possessed a faith that is pleasing to God. Hebrews 11begins by defining faith and how to have a faith that is pleasing to God. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1) and without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). When we begin to examine the examples provided within this chapter, it is obvious, the faith that is pleasing to God is a faith that hears the commands/Words of God and puts those Words into action. Noah received warning of the flood and instruction to build the ark and put those Words into action. Abraham heard the command of God to leave his father’s house and from his kindred and put those words into action, looking for a city whose builder and founder was God. “The men that move the world are men whom the world cannot move” and there seems to be a shortage of such individuals today. It seems as if there is an abundance of chaos and confusion, and those that are faithful appear to be less visible, and the world needs examples of faithfulness that will preach the Word in season and out of season, being the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

Throughout the Scriptures, there are accounts of people that faithfully served God but remain unnamed. Does anyone know the name of the widow that gave her last two coins, or the young boy that offered his fishes and loaves when Jesus fed the multitudes, or the name of the Naaman’s young maid? Their names may not be known but their contributions were not unnoticed! In the church, there are many devoted servants of God that continue to serve in humble and unseen ways. Many continue to be a light of the world, but not for notoriety for self but rather to glorify God.

God is aware of all that we do. Those that continue to serve God faithfully but go unnoticed by others can take delight because God sees what is done in secret and “will reward thee openly” (Matt. 6:4). The world is not worthy of those that continue to keep the faith and press toward the mark, fulfilling the Law of Christ, even if no one else is watching. Someday we will receive the things done in this body (2 Cor. 5:10) and those that are faithful unto death will receive the crown of life.

Jeremy Thornton is Minister of Highway 77 Church of Christ in Marion, Arkansas.

Jeremy Thornton

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