“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
- by whatever means you can,
- as long as you can
2. By faith Moses chose to side with God
“choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”
Hebrews 11:25 ESV
The other evening:
- I was outside the Church
- when a young lady walked up to me
- while I was loading something in my truck
She wanted to talk:
- so I asked where she lived and what her name was
- she told me and said that she had been inside the Church before
- and she knew me?
- I didn’t miss my que, I said “Well you should come back sometime...”
Usually when I invite people to come to Church:
- they tell me they will come, and sometimes they do
- or they avoid the question
- her response startled me…
She said “I have no interest in any activities there”:
- She seemed happy to say that
- she was wearing all black…that’s normalish
- but then I noticed she was wearing satanic jewelry
She had made her choice:
- it was a bad choice, but a choice
- she had picked a side
- she was pleasant enough, but was serving Satan.
And I want to point out:
- that if you are not of God’s side
- you are on the side of the devil
- there is no middle ground
It is not that you a person can be:
- saved or almost saved.
- people are saved or lost
That is one reason:
- we are striving to build up a youth group
- not just so we can attract people with kids, though that helps
- but so we can keep young people pick the right side
Our job at ACC:
- is not to maintain the building
- and to have fun activities
- our INSTRUCTION is to MAKE DISCIPLES
For those here who have:
- sided with Christ
- died and been reborn in baptism
- be sure you do not change sides.
Churches are struggling these days:
- partly because society hates God
- but also because God’s people love the world
- it hurts to say…but it is not new
We chose how we live our lives:
- how we spend our time
- how we spend our money
- what we love and what we hate…
There is great evidence:
- that a relationship with Christ
- a responsibility to the Church
- is not high on many people’s priority list.
Jesus told us the greatest commandment.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
- Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV)
See:
- who and what we love most
- will show up in how we live
- who we love most will change how we live.
WE must decide:
- whose side are we going to be on?
- who am I going to love?
- who has my heart…
“choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”
- Hebrews 11:25 ESV
The pleasure of sin is fleeting:
- it may provide temporary pleasure of distraction
- but the pleasure is short lived and comes with a price
I got a different truck last week:
- it was time for a change
- my old truck wasn’t working out, so
- I got the truck I wanted
My new 10 year old truck:
- had all the features I wanted
- 4x4, 4 doors, looks nice
- powerful engine for towing.
I was happy:
- at least I was happy for a minute
- I got home and found out there was a big dent I didn’t see
- now I can’t not see the dent
Then yesterday:
- saw some door dings
- and another dent on the front bumper
- and wear on the driver’s seat and steering wheel
4 days in and the pleasure is fleeting already…
It’s the same way with:
- drugs…you feel amazing, then worse again
- alcohol. 1 beer is good, 10 are better then you soon feel bad again
- cigarettes, sex, food, materialism, entertainment
- pleasures of the world are fleeting…and fast…
Moses had everything that a person on earth could ever want:
? education and knowledge
? fame and wealth
? possessions, power and authority
? position and duty
? purpose and responsibility
? a home and love
He REJECTED all that to serve the LORD…
That makes sense because:
- Solomon tells us that all
- the possessions and pleasures of this world
- are meaningless, fleeting, like a blowing of the wind…
God’s rewards are:
- not meaningless or fleeting
- they are eternal
- heaven is unshakable
Christians are to be:
- dead to sin and alive to Christ
- yet too often we can seem alive to sin and dead to Christ
- we need to invest in God’s Eternal Kingdom,
- but too often our best is invested in Our temporary Kingdom
The Church needs repentance:
- many times we are more in love with something else
- than we are with Christ
- we must not go through the motions of faith
- and think that God is fooled
A side must be chosen:
- Moses renounced the status which he enjoyed in Egypt
- He could not identify himself both with the Israelites and with the Egyptians;
- He had to choose one or the other.
Moses made it clear that allegiance was on God’s side.
- I remember what Joshua said at the end of his life
- choose this day who you will serve,
- but for me and my household we will serve the Lord
3. By faith Moses had an eternal perspective
“He (MOSES) considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.”
Hebrews 11:26 ESV
Moses could have:
- had a life of luxury, power, and pleasure
- instead he took the narrow and difficult road of
- placing his faith and future in God’s hands...
Consider the life Moses choose:
- an enemy of Egypt
- a leader of people who were stiffed necked and arrogant
- and living in a desert with no home for 40 years.
- only to die without entering the promised land.
What Moses chose was:
- more difficult in the short term
- but more rewarding in the long term
- Moses’ investment in God paid off well
Without question:
- the highway to hell is congested with traffic
- people who are trying to have heaven on earth
- only to realize they have made a terrible trade
We are easily distracted:
- by things of this world
- but we must be focused on things of eternal significance
We daily must answer this question:
- does what I am focusing on have value in eternity
- is my life better invested in this world or the next?
- am I living for God or living for myself?
Living by faith is not easy…. but it is better…
Are you trusting God today?
o Are you letting go and allowing God to work in your life today?
o Are you asking God to take control of your future?
o Have put your faith in God.
o Do you know Him as your Lord and Savior?
All the Bible people in Hebrews 11:
- are praised by God
- for acknowledging God’s greatness
- and for having confidence in God’s character
- they truly trusted God….
What about you?
- have you placed your trust in God?
- are you waiting for something to happen?
- before you make the commitment of faith?
- what is it you are waiting for?
Many people are waiting to fully trust GOD:
- but you do not have to wait for an expression of God’s love…
- CROSS (gospel)
- You do not need to become a better person…you can come now
- what is it you are waiting for?
The reality is that you are not the one waiting:
- God has everything prepared
- God has come as near to you as you will allow
- God will not force himself into your life….
He will simply call your name and wait for your answer….
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
John 10:27 (NIV)
Do you hear Him calling?
- if you hear Him
- will you come to Him???
Credit: I believe this to be mostly original. I did start with someone's outline, but I altered it so I think it is my outline now. I can't find the site where I found the outline.
