Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Today we’re continuing our series titled ‘The Faith of our Fathers’

We began by looking in depth:

The Bible Explains what Faith is: Heb.

11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Without rehashing, we learned that through this verse that faith is believing something for which proof was provided

Also to the importance thereof: Heb.

11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

And so as we consider Faith in God specifically, this chapter deals with the Faith of our Spiritual forefathers, AND WHAT IT MOVED THEM TO DO.

In this series of messages we have looked at:

v4 ‘By Faith… Abel Sacrificed’

v5 ‘By Faith… Enoch Walked with God’

v7 ‘By Faith… Noah Feared God’

v8-10;17-19 ‘By Faith… Abraham Obeyed, Became an Outcast & Offered’

v11-12; 20-22 ‘By Faith… Come Blessings & Bones’

So today, we’re going to be looking at a great man of faith in Moses.

God was pleased to use Moses to not only rescue His people from Egypt, be the mediator of the Mosaic Covenant, but also pen down over 2,000 years of history in God’s Word!

Moses was a great man of Faith, but before we get to Moses, we must first look at Moses’ parents - as they played a great part in what Moses would ultimately accomplish

I.

By Faith Moses’ Parents Defied the King (v23)

Exodus Chapter 1 sets the stage for the life of Moses.

In Ex. 1 we find that Joseph dies, the Pharaoh that loved Joseph dies & another rose up who didn’t know NOR CARE about Joseph or his brethren.

Because of that, this new Pharaoh grew afraid of the Hebrews numerical growth and devised a ‘population control’ technique by killing every male child of the Jews born.

(If you think that’s wicked, we have our own population control in America, it’s called abortion - and it kills more black babies that any other combined… You’d think that if these libs really believed that ‘Black Lives Mattered’, they’d call for an end to abortion.)

But in Ex. 2, we see the birth and miraculous preservation of Moses

They Saw Potential in Moses

He was a ‘proper’ child (v23)

He was a ‘goodly’ child (Ex.

2:2)

In the most basic sense, this is saying that they saw good in Moses.

They saw potential.

They looked upon their baby boy & said ‘this child is something!’

Do you know what?

That’s a natural inclination for a parent towards their child.

I know of no parent that has ever held their baby and said ‘man, this child is UGLY!

He’s a loser for sure!

Give me a sharpie, we’ll go ahead & write an ‘L’ in his forehead now!’

They saw potential in Moses - and that’s the way is should be!

Whether the child is 3 months, 3 years or 30 years - parents, your children have potential!

It doesn’t matter how far your child has gone or what sins are besetting them - GOD CAN GET HOLD OF THEIR HEARTS!

This is why we should pray and seek God’s face for our children!

Moses’ parents saw potential in Moses

They Provided for their child

They Provided a Foundation

The Displayed a Greater Fear of God than of the King

Had Moses’ parents had greater respect unto man than they did their God, where would the COI be today?

The entire foundation of Moses’ existence depended on his parents and the way they viewed their God, their child and their King.

Without the actions of his parents, Moses would have had no hope for a future.

(Just FYI, if you think that we’re supposed to follow every dictate from our Government without question, study the midwives in Ex. 2 and see how God blessed them for their civil disobedience)

They Provided a Future by Faith

They Displayed a Faith in God to Preserve their Child

Consider just what they were trying to accomplish by what they did with their baby.

They knew that if he was discovered, he’d surely be killed, so they by faith fashioned him an ark!

And why not?

They knew how God spared Noah and his family with an ark some 1,100 years earlier!

“God used an Ark to save Noah, maybe God will use an Ark to save my boy!”

They placed their trust in a God who is able to protect a child that wasn’t!

The Provided for their child

They Serve as a Pattern for Parents Today

This I believe is a good mindset for parents to have toward their children today.

They saw Potential in Moses.

Notice I did not say they saw perfection in Moses.

This is a mistake that many parents make in that they see no wrong in their children - and this is dangerous, as if you don’t recognize the wrong, you’ll see no need for correction!

Guess what, your children are not perfect, they’re not going to be perfect - but they all have potential!

They all have potential to do great and mighty things!

And I’m not talking about in their careers, I’m talking about doing great & mighty things for God!

(Ill.)

I’ll give you a ‘for instance’.

You take me for example.

I’ll never be rich in earthly goods.

My career choice is not one that makes men wealthy.

I have no education to get some fancy, high-paying job (even if I wanted one).

I don’t have money to put into stocks.

I don’t play the lottery (and neither should you).

But my parents could look at me with hope for great potential in that God could use EVEN ME to CHANGE THE WORLD FOR THE CAUSE OF CHRIST!

And if He can use me, He can use you!

They Provided a Foundation for Moses

They took the necessary steps to get Moses the opportunity!

They made sure to follow what God wanted for Moses instead of man!

They rejected the popular and the accepted, and dared to be different - even at the expense of their own safety!

They Provided a Future by Faith

They placed their faith in a God who is able!

They committed their child unto that God!

Yes, Moses’ parents serve as a Pattern for you and I today!

So we see how Moses’ Parents by Faith Defied the King.

Secondly, moving on to Moses himself, we see By Faith Moses Denied the Carnal

II.

By Faith Moses Denied the Carnal (v24-27)

He Elected Affliction Over Adoration (v24-25)

Several things to notice in these few verses, the first of which is that word ‘Choosing’ in v25.

Moses chose - and the Scripture tells us what he chose - He chose to yoke up with God’s people instead of the popular and powerful.

Church - let me tell you something… this is a choice that we all will make.

We will either choose to suffer for the cause of Christ, or we will choose to enjoy the adoration of the world.

One thing that we Christians need to understand, is that our lives are simply a sum total of the choices that we make.

God does not FORCE us to serve Him

Satan cannot FORCE us to reject Him

Joshua told the COI this - after God brought them into the promised land and Joshua was going to the grave, he said: Jos.

24:14-15 “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Make no mistake - to live like Christ will bring persecution.

Jesus said: Joh.