The Decisions Of Faith - Part 1 Series

Topic: Living by Faith Sermon Series

Text: Hebrews 11:23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. -NIV

Title: The Decisions of Faith -Part 1

Intro: Many ‘believers” do not live by faith as the scripture commands but have unknowingly moved toward another approach to living a fatalistic one. Because they believe that all events are predetermined by God, and therefore inevitable, fall into a “que sera sera, whatever will be will be” approach to life! Their attitude is “I’ll just sit here and wait on God to do His thing, and I don’t need to do anything!” Wrong approach!

I believe that our scripture passage places before us the fact that life and LIVING BY FAITH IS ABOUT CHOICES – IT IS ABOUT THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE in life! The bible is replete in this concept, and I do think some of

The following verses that I will quote affirm this:

Deuteronomy 30:19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live,

Joshua 24: 14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Proverbs 1: 28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me, 29 since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord.

I do believe that passage like I just read point us to the fact that -Decisions Determines Destiny!

Jesus said for example in his very 1st sermon…there are 2 roads, 2 gates, 2 ways of life….

Matthew 7:13a “Enter through the narrow gate.

Enter (eiserchomai from eis = into + erchomai = come, go, enter) means to go or come into and so to enter into. The aorist imperative conveys the sense of urgency, calling for immediate and effective action! Don't delay! Enter now! Don't procrastinate is the idea!

Matthew 7:13b For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

THE IDEA HERE IS THAT “GOD SENDS NO ONE TO HEAVEN OR HELL – IT IS BASED ON THE CHOICE THEY’VE MADE! ETERNAL DESTINY DEPENDS ON THE DECISIONS THAT YOU MAKE!

Romans 10:21 But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."

Proposition: Hebrews 11:23 places this principle before us. Let us consider how decisions affected the destiny of literally millions of lives!

Let’s consider first of all the two unnamed people whose decision affected redemptive history…

I. The People of decision:

A) Parent’s of Moses:

Hebrews 11:23a By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born,

II. The Problem that necessitated the decision?

We saw last week that Joseph was brought to Egypt by God to save them during a 7 year famine, he sends for his family to live there also in order to survive…

Exodus 1: 6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 7 but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.

Exodus 1: 8 Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. 9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”

Exodus 1:11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. (But it backfired) 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly. 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.