By Faith Moses
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By Faith: Moses
Hebrews 11:23-28 “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.”
The Pressures to Compromise in our Faith
The Pressures to Compromise in our Faith
You don’t really like the person you become when you’re with your friends (what you say, what you do, the way you treat others), but you don’t say anything, for fear of losing the friends - or becoming a target of them
We compromise to the fear of man
We compromise to the fear of man
You’ve been dating for a while, and you feel pressure to take the relationship to the “next level,” otherwise he’ll dump you, and all your friends are doing it, even though you know it’s wrong
The overwhelming and instantly gratifying pleasures of the moment pressure us to compromise our character.
We compromise for the pleasure of sin.
We compromise for the pleasure of sin.
You’ve been offered a promotion, an inside track, with a lot more prestige, a lot more pay, but also a lot more work. Weekends and evenings will be busy. Do you take it, and give up your commitment to your family, and even to the church, just to advance.
We compromise our faith for worldly wealth
We compromise our faith for worldly wealth
The purpose of Hebrews 11 - calling us to a faith that endures, that does not shrink back
Faith is trust, assurance, in the promise of God
Faith is a conscientious decision for God.
Faith always makes itself known in our choices.
By Faith Moses Chose:
By Faith Moses Chose:
To Fear God Rather Than Man
To Fear God Rather Than Man
His Parents did not fear Pharaoh.
Moses’ parents refused to follow the insane, murderous, and ungodly law of the day, they would not give their child over for murder.
He left Egypt, not afraid of the wrath of the king
When he stood before Pharaoh - let my people go When he led the people of of Egypt - His faith led him to fear and honor the Lord more than they feared Pharaoh.
To Renounce Worldly Honor and Suffer with the People of God
To Renounce Worldly Honor and Suffer with the People of God
He was the prince of Egypt, educated, in authority, a courtesan.
40 years - thinking he could change it from within. Joseph did it, Daniel and Obadiah; they all served faithfully in the courts of wicked kings.
Moses knew that all the pleasures of Egypt were fleeting and sinful.
Faith told Moses that worldly pleasures were pleasures of sin, ruinous to the soul, displeasing to God.
What profit it a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?
His faith brought him to identify with the outcast as his own people.
The people of God were poor, oppressed, suffering, and marked for elimination. They were looked down on by everyone.
By faith he know they were to one day be a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a people for God’s own possession
To Despise Worldly Wealth and Bear the Reproach of Christ
To Despise Worldly Wealth and Bear the Reproach of Christ
He considered the reproach of Christ greater than the wealth of Egypt
Reproach of Christ - the shame associated with him, and those who follow him. How is this Christ’s shame, its 2,000 years early?
Hebrews is written for those who were wanting to back away from the shame, the reproach they were facing for following Christ, returning to the old covenant system. Moses left his position of prestige for scorn, sharing in the disgrace of a subjugated people, as Christ would set aside His glory and identify with His, even dying on the cross for those who hated Him.
His reasoning: It is better to suffer in Christ than to prosper in the world? Why?
Prov 15:16 “Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it.”
He looked to the reward of God rather than the worldly riches. He knew that this disgrace would be only temporary but that the reward God offers would be eternal.
To Rest in the Passover Lamb
To Rest in the Passover Lamb
The blood on the door, the sacrifice offered.
Can you imagine trying to explain this - The angel of death is coming tonight, and the only way to avoid the firstborn of your house being killed is to take a spotless lamb, slaughter it, sprinkle its blood on your doorpost, and eat the meat, preparing to leave the next day.
It made no worldly sense, but it was the only thing keeping them from the destroyer - but it was from God, so it required obedience.
The Source of Moses’ Faith: In all of this, he looked to Christ
The Source of Moses’ Faith: In all of this, he looked to Christ
He endures as though seeing God
He endures as though seeing God
He did not fear the king of men, because “he endured as seeing him who is invisible.”
He had encountered God in the burning bush, he had seen the might hand of God in the plagues upon Egypt.
“As seeing him who is invisible” suggests an ongoing vision of God. God was always before Moses Scripture
He considered the reproach of Christ -
He considered the reproach of Christ -
He was looking to the promised deliverer
Phil 3:8 “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”
Jim Elliot - “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
He trusted in the lamb who was slain for his salvation
He trusted in the lamb who was slain for his salvation
John Owen illlustration...
Faith Requires a Decision
Faith Requires a Decision
Faith, as seen in Moses, requires a binary decision, yes or no: “will you forsake the world in order to hold on to Christ.”
In order to choose one thing, you must first reject everything else. To go one direction, you have to turn your back on the other. You Cannot hold onto the world and cling to Christ What will you choose
When you consider your friend group: will you choose the fear of man or the Fear of God
When you are pressured to compromise your morals: will you choose the fleeting pleasures of sin, or the identity as a child of God
When offered the riches of the world, will you trade your soul, or trust it to the one who gave himself for you.
Faith requires a choice
Faith requires a choice
Look to Christ
Constantly see Him; Set him always before your eyes - look to Him
Know the riches of His inheritance set aside for you. A ransomed, redeemed, glorified existence
Remember His perfect atoning sacrifice for you