"A Faith that Surrenders!" Intro:
· I came across an article sometime back that blessed my heart. It is called "Real Men." It goes like this, .....'when life gets messy:' · I believe it is safe to refer to Moses as a "real man." The Bible attributes many things to the · The life of Moses gave the world the greatest Bible historian of all the ages. Moses · Moses represented the picture of the forming of the nation of Israel. He was the great Law Giver. He · The life of Moses could be divided into 3 distinct periods of 40 years each. Herbert Lockyear "In the first 40 years, in the palace of Pharoah, Moses learned to be SOMEBODY. In the next 40 years, in · The life of Moses is best viewed by looking at the time when he turned to; the time when he Let's continue our journey of faith through Hebrews 11, and notice 3 wonderful things about 1. The WILLINGNESS that MEASURED His LIFE! · The first saga of the life of Moses is seen in the willingness that measured his life as he A. To EMBRACE SEPARATION! · We read in verse 23, "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, · The very beginning of Moses' life was marked by separation. His birth embraced · The birth of Moses is not as magnified as some of the other great men of the Bible. We · Undoubtedly, his parents had received special revelation from God that Moses' life would be · However, not only did his birth embrace separaton, but his behavior embraced separation. · One day, while bathing in the river, Pharoah's daughter noticed the little basket which carried · Thus, as Moses grew into manhood, he was faced with a choice. He was found by · It seems that Moses knew that in order to be used of God, he had to separate himself from · Yet, as the people of God, we are called to embrace separation as well. We are to "come · There are many Christians who get saved and come out of the world, but the world never B. To ENDURE SUFFERING! · As one would imagine, with the choice to embrace separation from Egypt came the · We read in verse 25, "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy · In other words, rather than choose a life of prominence, position and pleasure, Moses chose · He knew that the "pleasures of sin" were only "for a season." He realized that all the · I need not remind you that sin always look good on the front-end, but it brings devastation on · Dr. D. James Kennedy put it well, "If you don't avoid the bait, you'll end up on the C. To EXPERIENCE SATISFACTION! · Moses' reason for embracing separation and enduring suffering is found his desire to · In Acts 7 we read that "Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in · But, he preferred and chose the "reproach of Christ," because he realized that it was "greater · How could Moses make such a decision? We're told that he "had respect to the · I remind you, tonight, that this world is not our home, we're just a passin' through. Our · Though it may call for a temporal time of separation and suffering, when God's payday 2. The WORSHIP that MAGNIFIED His LORD! · In verses 27-28 we not only see the willingness of Moses' life, but the worship of Moses' A. God's REVELATION to Moses! · Verse 27 depicts the time Moses fled to Midian, commonly referred to as "the backside of the · Thus, he leaves Egypt for Midian and remains there for the next 40 years of his life. · Moses did not have a Bible to read for instruction. Moses did not have a spiritual adviser to · We're not told here that Moses saw God, but rather endured "as seeing" God. In other · I have never seen God, but I know that He is real. I have never seen salvation, but I know · You say, 'Preacher, how can you go through this life by hoping and looking for the life to B. God's REDEMPTION of Moses! · I love to read verse 28. "Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he · That verse describes possibly the most momentous night in the life of Moses: the Passover. · The blood was the token of obedience to God's command. This was the night that God · As a result, this miraculous night was ever to be remembered throughout the Exodus · I say to you that we are to never forget what God has done for us. We are to never forget · It has always amazed me that we have no problem remembering birthdays, anniversaries, · The tragedy is that many Christians have forgotten what God has done for them. They have · We ought to replay what He has done for us everyday that we live. For, if it had not been for 3. The WITNESS that MARKED His LOYALTY! · Because of the willingness that measured his life and the worship that magnified his Lord, we A. God's POWER to PERFORM the IMPOSSIBLE! · We read in verse 29, "By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land:which the · The Red Sea miracle has well been called "the victory of faith." It was something that could · I read about a fellow that had not been saved very long and he was so excited about what he · The scoffer said, "Do not believe everything that the Bible tells you. The truth of the matter is · Suddenly the skeptic heard the fellow let our big "Glory to God, Praise the Lord, Amen!" · Think about this. There was anywhere from 3 to 3 1/2 million Jews that crossed that night. It · Someone might ask, "How did God do that?" Well, in Exodus 15: 8 we read that "with the · Would you allow me to give you a Wagers' translation? God blew His nose, and the waters · By the way, I need not remind you that if God is big enough to do that then there's nothing in B. God's PROMISE to POSSESS the INEVITABLE! · The close of Moses' life seems somewhat tragic. It was tragic that he was not able to lead · But, don't feel sorry for Moses just yet. The time of grevious disappointment ended in a As Jesus prayed, two men were conversing with Him. One, was Elijah and the other was · The word "decease" means "departure, or exodus." In other words, Moses was allowed to · Moses may not have been allowed to see the physical, temporal Promised Land; but, he was · As the Bishop of Smyrna in the second century, Polycarp openly confessed his faith in · Eventually, Polycarp was arrested and sentenced to be burned at the stake. During · We have seen, in the faith-life of Moses, that while we may be called upon to endure the "Trust Him when dark clouds assail thee, · Although the life of a child of God may call for times of sadness, sorrow and suffering. And, How Do I Become a Christian? All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory God had in store for us. Sin separates us from our Heavenly Father, so He sent His only Son to earth to atone for our sins by dying on the cross. Deciding to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior is the most important decision anyone can ever make, because at the end of life those without Jesus are doomed to live in damnation — Hell — for all eternity. If your life suddenly ended today, do you know where you would spend eternity? Don’t put off this decision another second. Take your Bible (or borrow one from a friend) and learn how to become a Christian by following the outline below. If you don’t have a Bible or can’t understand the Plan of Salvation, visit a local Baptist church and ask the pastor to assist you. You Can Respond Right Now! Simply share the following prayer with God in your own words: Lord, I admit that I need you. (I have sinned.) I want forgiveness for my sins and freedom from eternal death. (I repent.) I believe Jesus died and rose from the grave to forgive my sins and to restore my relationship with you. (I believe in Jesus.) By faith, I invite Jesus Christ into my life. From this time on, I want to live in a loving relationship with Him. (I receive Christ as my Savior and Lord.) "But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name." (John 1:12)
(Hebrews 11: 23-29)
Real men don't turn to Jack Daniels, they turn to John's Gospel.
Real men don't pretend they are strong; they admit they are weak.
Real men don't hide their tears when blindsided by sorrow. They open their eyes to the inevitable hardships that come to everyone.
Real men don't rationalize away the need for faith. They readily admit that only fools claim all the answers.
Real men don't take the name of the Lord in vain. They make a point of using that name to talk to God often.
life of Moses, and none greater than referring to him as "the meekest man in all the earth."
However, although Moses was a man of meekness, he was not a man of weakness. Again, he
was a 'real man,' and a man's man.
recorded the account of creation. Moses authored the first 5 books of the Bible, known as the
Pentateuch. He also wrote one of the greatest psalms, Psalm 90.
was the greatest statesman in the Old Testament as he stood before Pharoah. He was also a
man who, firsthand, beheld the glory of God.
said of it:
the desert, Moses learned to be a NOBODY. In the final 40 years, during the time of the Exodus, he learned
that God was for EVERYBODY!"
turned from; and, the time when he did not turn back. He turned to God, he turned from Egypt;
and, he did not turn back from his commitment to his Lord.
the faith-life of Moses.
accepts God's plan, purpose and program for his life. These verses explain to us that Moses
was willing:
because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment."
separation. We're told that "when he was born, he was hid three months of his parents,
because they saw he was a proper child." The word "proper" means "exceedingly fair." In
other words, his parents recognized that there was something altogether about Moses, even at
his birth.
know that his parents were a couple named Amram and Jochebed. We know that his parents
hid him for 3 months, because of Pharoah's decree to slaughter all of the male Hebrew
children. We know that they hid him in a 'basket of bulrushes,' which literally a 'basket of
willingness.'
spared, and God would use his life in a great way. Thus, he was separate from his birth.
We're told in verse 24 that, "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the
son of Pharaoh's daughter."
the baby Moses. She took him, and gave his care into the hand of her nurse, which happened
to be Moses' mother, Jochebed.
Pharoah's daughter, and was adopted into the royal family. However, we're told that he
decided against remaining in the palace of Pharoah, and refused to be known as "the son of
Pharoah's daughter."
any alignment with Egypt. He could not remain in the palace; and, at the same time, rest in
God's plan. Thus, he made a choice to embrace separation.
out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord." In other words, if we are to be used
of God then we cannot have any alignment, or affiliation with the world. Why, because James
4: 4 says "the friendship of this world is enmity with God."
comes out of them. They have been delivered from Egypt on the outside, but they've never
been delivered from Egypt on the inside. However, if God is going to use our lives, then we are
called upon to embrace separation. Moses was also willing:
consequence of enduring suffering in Egypt. In other words, because Moses chose not to
associate and affiliate with the 'house of Pharoah,' he could expect suffering at the 'hand of
Pharoah.'
the pleasures of sin for a season." The words "suffer affliction" is better translated, "to have bad
times with."
a life of persecution with the people of God. He chose to have "bad times" over good times in
order to fulfill God's purpose for his life.
benefits he would enjoy as a member of the royal family of Pharoah would not be permanent,
only temporary.
the back-end. Sin brings passing pleasure, not permanent pleasure. Sin may bring short-lived
pleasure, but it always carries a long-lasting price.
hook." Finally, we learn that Moses was willing:
experience satisfaction as described in verse 26. "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches
than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect to the recompence of the reward."
words and in deeds." In other words, Moses could have anything he wanted in the world of
Egypt, and from the wealth of Pharoah.
riches than the treasure of Egypt."
recompence of the reward." The word "respect" literally means, "to look away from." In other
words, Moses looked away from all that he could see with his natural eye, to all that he could
not see with his spiritual eye. In the Lord's army, he found a reward he could have never found
in Pharoah's army.
rewards and riches will never be found in this life, but only in the next life. The things of this
world can hale nothing in comparison to the things which "God hath prepared for them that love
Him."
comes it will bring an eternal time of satisfaction.
Lord. There is worship for:
desert." He has taken matters into his own hands, killed an Egyptian, and buried him in the
sand.
However, verse 27 reminds us that he endured this time, "as seeing him who is invisible."
give him counsel. He only had a firm conviction that the Israelites were the people of God, and
the God would keep His word to His people.
words, although he paying for his own sin by being alienated in the land of Midian, he saw God
through the eyes of faith.
that I possess it. I have never seen the blood of Christ, but I know it was shed for me, and was
applied to my depraved heart. I have never seen heaven, but I know that I am "looking for a city
that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
come?' I'll tell you, I do it "as seeing Him who is invisible." God said it, and that's good enough
for me.
that destroyed the firstborn should touch them."
It was an event that he never forgot. He never forgot the night that redemption came to Israel
by the means of the "sprinkling of blood."
redeemed them from Egyptian bondage. This was the night that death came to the house of
Pharoah. This was the night that blood, sprinkled upon the door posts, signified that
redemption had come to that house.
journey. They were never to forget what God had done for them. It was to be a constant
memorial for them to observe. Even to this day the Jewish people commemorate and celebrate
the Passover as a rememberance of what God did for His people.
his body that was shattered, and His blood that was shed for us. We are to never forget the
day that He picked us up from off the trash-heap of sin, from the "miry clay," and saved our
unworthy soul.
and many, various special occasions. I submit unto you that if there is one day we should never
forget, it is the day that God saved us by His marvelous grace.
lost sight of the wonder of it all. They have gotten over what it means to be a child of God.
That is exactly the reason that many Christians do what they do, say what they say, and act the
way they act. They have forgotten what God has done for them.
Jesus, we'd still be in a drunkard's life, in the gutter, in hell or on our way to hell. But, thank
God for the day that when I could not get to Him, He came to me. Blessed be God for the day
that He reached further down than I could reach up. We must never forget that day!
see the eternal witness that marked the loyalty of Moses. As a result of his undying,
unwavering and unyielding loyalty to God, Moses was allowed to witness some marvelous and
miraculous things. First, he witnessed:
Egyptians assaying to do were drowned." Those words remind us of the familiar night the
Israelites crossed the impossible waters of the Red Sea.
not be explained, only experienced. It was something out of the hand of man, but in the hand of
man.
was learning about God. One day he was on a bus reading his Bible
and every now and then he would shout, "Glory to God, Praise the Lord, Amen!" A skeptic
heard him and asked him what he was reading. He answered, "I'm reading the
Bible and how God parted the Red Sea and let the Israelites cross. That was some miracle."
that it was not the Red Sea they crossed but the Reed Sea
which is only about 6 inches deep, so it was not a miracle." The fellow nodded in
disappointment but kept on reading. The skeptic walked away feeling proud that he
had set the Bible reader straight.
Hearing this he went back and asked, "What is it now?" The fellow jumped up, pointed at where he was reading in the Bible and said,
"Here is the real miracle. God drowned Pharaoh's army in 6 inches of water."
has been calculated that for that many people to cross in one night they
would had to cross 5000 abreast which would have required God to open a path in the Red Sea
3 miles wide. To cross in a normal double file line, it would have required a line 800 miles long,
and would have taken 35 days/nights to cross. Yet, God did it in just 1 night.
blast of thy nostrils the waters were gatehred together, and the floods stood upright as an heap, and
the depths were CONGEALED in the heart of the sea."
stood up like Jell-O. Moses witnessed, firsthand, God's power to perform the impossible.
our life He cannot handle.
his people into the Promised Land. It was tragic that he was only allowed to go to the top of Mt.
Nebo and envision it, but not enter it.
glorious destiny. On the Mount of Transfiguration, in Canaan, one is able to see a different
picture. It is recorded in Luke 9: 30-31, "And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were
Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spoke of his decease which he should accomplish at
Jerusalem."
Moses. The topic of their conversation was "of his decease which he should accomplish at
Jerusalem."
catch a glimpse of Christ's work in setting man free from the slavery of sin. He was allowed to
see the purpose of Christ's coming into the world, and how He would redeem man, and
ultimately lead the redeemed throng into the true Land of Promise.
allowed to see the spiritual, eternal Promised Land. He looked a saw a bigger day, a brighter
day and a blessed day for the people of God. God rewarded his willingness, his worship and his
witness by allowing him to catch a glimpse of the finished work of Christ.
Christ. This confession was dangerous, however, because the emperor, Marcus Aurelius
Antonius, was in the business of killing those who claimed Christ publicly.
his trial the proconsul offered to release Polycarp if he would recant his faith. Polycarp replied,
"Eighty and six years have I served Jesus, and He never once wronged me; how then shall I
blaspheme my King, who hath saved me?" For this answer Polycarp was tied to a stake and
burned to death, all the while praising God.
trials of this life, as the people of God, we will enjoy the triumph of that life. I ask you, tonight,
will you be willing to do as the poet has described?
Trust Him when thy faith is small.
Trust Him, when to simply trust Him,
Seems the hardest thing of all."
although there will be times of hardness, not happiness; bitterness, not sweetness; I would still
rather be a Christian than anything else I know. Glory be to God!
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