By Faith: New Testament Believers
(Hebrews 11:39-40)

I. Old Testament believers were commended for their faith, yet they did not receive the promise. (Hebrews 11:39)
A. Old Testament believers were commended for their faith. (Hebrews 11:4-38)
B. Yet none of them lived to see the coming of Jesus the Messiah. (Hebrews 11:13,33,39)

II. God planned something better for us in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:40a)
A. Things are better now that Jesus has come. (Hebrews 1:4, 6:9, 7:19, 7:22, 8:6, 9:23, 10:34, 11:16, 11:35, 12:24)
B. The Old Testament believers longed for these better days. (1 Peter 1:10-12)

III. Old Testament believers are not complete without New Testament believers (Hebrews 11:40b)
A. Old Testament faith looked forward to the time of Christ. (Hebrews 10:1)
B. New Testament faith rests on the finished work of Christ. (Romans 3:24, 4:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

CONCLUSION
1) We have a better revelation of God in Christ. (John 14:8-9; Hebrews 1:1-2)
2) We have a better relationship with God through Christ. (John 14:23)