By Faith: Refuse And Choose

“By faith: refuse and choose.”

Hebrews 11:24-26

Moses is the greatest prophet and teacher in the Bible:

- born to Hebrew parents

- who were at that point slaves in Egypt

- he was born a nothing and became a faithful servant of God,

- a leader of all God’s people prior to and during the Exodus from Egypt

At the time of Moses’ birth:

- the Hebrew people had been become great in number

- Pharoah, king of Egypt was fearful they had become too powerful

- though the Hebrews entered Egypt 400 years earlier

- as favored guests, now they had been reduced to slaves.

"The Egyptians worked the people of Israel without mercy. They made their lives bitter, forcing them to mix mortar and make bricks and do all the work in the fields. They were ruthless in all we read that their demands."

Exodus 1:13-14 (NLT)

Pharoah feared the HEBREW PEOPLE would:

- outnumber the Egyptians and take over the nation.

- he commanded that all newly born Hebrew boys be

- thrown into the CROCODILE INVESTED NILE RIVER….

Moses’ mother, Jochebed:

- was EXPECTED TO KILL HER OWN BABY…

- but she refused and hid her baby as long as she could

- then she put Moses in basket and floated him down the river

She chose to trust God:

- isn’t that exactly what faith is?

- faith is the assure of God’s ability

- to save and sustain us

“For we live by faith, not by sight.”

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

While Moses’ mother is a Bible hero:

- through her own eyes she lived as a slave

- every day was a struggle just to stay alive

- she owned little and was worked nearly to death

Yet she her choice to be faithful:

- to obey God rather than the King of Egypt

- resulted in Moses being able to be raised in Pharoah’s house

- and to be able have an audience with Pharoah at the right time

Seemingly small acts of faith can produce a title wave:

- for instance Moses would be the one to lead the God’s people

- out of Egyptian slavery, through the Red Sea and

- in the desert for 40 years…

Jesus said that we:

- don’t need much faith:

- that a little bit of faith is all we need

- that God can do a lot with a little bit of faith…

“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20 (NIV)

Faith is confidence:

- not in ourselves, talent, or resources

- faith is confidence that God will provide where He guides

- faith knows who holds the future, even though

- we don’t know what the future holds

Lack of faith is:

- closely tied to our desire to be in control

- our need to direct and have everything work out how we want

- faith is the opposite of being in control

Faith is the expression of confidence in God’s ability to take care of everything…

Faith says…

“Not my will, but your will be done.” Luke 22:42

Faith trusts God:

- no matter what

- regardless of opposition or difficulty

- despite a lack of clarity on our part…

Today we are studying the faith of Moses…

“By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.”

Hebrews 11:24–26 ESV

1. By faith Moses Refused the world.

A minute ago:

- I spoke of Jochebed’s faith, that stepped out to save Moses

- but we need to remember that

- faith must be personal, we do not inherit faith from our parents.

Moses had his own faith in God:

- he would not hide his true nationality.

- to win a few short years of earthly fame.

- Experience the high life in wicked Egyptian Kingdom

Moses is a famous man of God:

- because he rejected the ways of the world

- and embraced the ways of God

- Moses trusted God and turned away from what would please the flesh..

Make no mistake:

- God’s way is filled with struggle, suffering and difficulty

- being a Christian is not for the faith of heart

- to follow God means self-denial

Following the ways of the world is not hard:

- do what feels good

- get all you can, do all you can