The word of God says much about
faith. In Hebrews chapter 11, which
is our text this morning, faith is mentioned in nearly every
verse. Faith is a subject of the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. God's word says much about faith. It says things like this, Without
faith it is impossible to please God. It says we are justified
by faith. It says the just shall live by
faith, walk by faith, understand by faith. It says we are kept
by the power of God through faith. There are many examples of persons
with this faith in Hebrews chapter 11. All of the persons mentioned
in chapter 11 had the same faith. And even now, those who have
faith believe just as they did in Hebrews chapter 11, the ones
mentioned there, Abel and Enoch and Noah and Abraham. But I want
to use Moses as an example of faith this morning. Moses is
mentioned here in Hebrews chapter 11. Faith now, very simply, faith. means belief. Faith, it's called
faith because when you believe something you don't see, you
must have faith in it or that one. Faith is called faith because
it is belief in something unrealized, something not yet fully realized. That's why it is called faith.
Well, the essence of this faith, What this faith is, or this belief,
is believing God. Now, I'm not just saying believing
there is a God. James, in his book, said, you
believe there's one God, you do well. But he said, the devil
believes that and trembles. So that's not, we must without
a doubt believe there is a God, but it's more than that. It's
believing God, believing God's Word, believing God's record
concerning His Son. It's believing Christ. Now, first of all, before we
look at Moses, we must ask this question, where does this faith
come from? This is so important because
so many persons, particularly preachers, I have a misconception
or a wrong view of faith. They make it sound like faith
is an act of a human will. They make it sound as if faith
is something we must produce, that it's in the power of human
beings to produce this faith and therefore, in reality, save
themselves. Well, that's not so in Ephesians
1. listen very carefully or turn there yourself. In Ephesians
1 verse 19, Paul writes that those who believe, in verse 19,
it says, they believe according to the working of his mighty
power. Those who believe, believe because
God worked in them to believe. That's what Ephesians 2 verse
8 says, for by grace are you saved. That means an unearned,
free, undeserved gift bestowed. Not a gift offered, but a gift
bestowed upon someone. By grace are you saved through
faith. No one is saved without this
faith. But he goes on to say, this faith
is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Did you
hear that? Ephesians 1.19 is according to the working of His
mighty power. Ephesians 2.8, it is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Faith
is not a human act, a human work, a human decision. It's not in
the power of the human will to decide, to believe, or anything
like that. Faith doesn't come by us being
convinced by arguments, circumstances, or miracles, or anything like
that. Faith is the supernatural work of God Almighty giving a
mind, a heart to believe Him. Giving a mind and a heart to
believe the truth. Giving a mind and a heart to
make a choice. Yes, believers do choose, but
not first. God first chooses them. to believe, to believe Him. Psalm 110 verse 3 says, Thy people
shall be willing. Yes, all of God's people are
willing to follow Him, and they choose Him, but not first. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power. Psalm 110 verse 3. Faith is the
act, the gift of God upon certain human beings. No one would believe
unless God Almighty operated on them, unless God Almighty
gave them the ability to believe. Why do we say this? Number one,
it's true. It's God's Word. Number two,
God gets all the glory, His gift, His work, His power. the person,
not the human being. He will not share his glory.
That's what all the whole thing of salvation is about, God's
glory, God's work, God's power. God will not share his glory
with a human being. All right? Faith is the gift
of God. Moses believed because God chose
him. If you read the story for yourself,
and we don't have time to turn back there, but in Exodus chapter
3 is where God Almighty called Moses. Moses was an idolater. Moses was in Egypt, and God Almighty
called him. God sovereignly brought Moses
to a place, to a mountain, to see that bush burning, and God
called him out of that bush. Well, that's what Ephesians 1
says, that he called his people. That's what Romans 8 says. For
whom he did foreknow, he did predestinate. Whom he did predestinate,
he called. Whom he called, he justified. How? By faith. Whom he justified,
he glorified. It's all God's work. Moses received
this gift of faith. Had not God chose him and called
him, Moses would not have believed. All right? So God Almighty called
him. Moses believed God. This is the
essence of saving faith. Moses believed God. Moses believed
God is God. That's one of the things that
the Lord revealed to Moses there in Exodus chapter 3, verses 13
and 14. Moses said, Whom shall I say
has sent me? God said, Tell them I am that
sent thee. Tell them I am that I am. Moses believed God is. God is
God. That's what Hebrews 11, 6 says,
without faith it's impossible to please him, for he that cometh
to God must believe that he is. Not just that he exists, people. Oh, no, no. Everyone says they
believe there is a God. Or that is, at least most people
say that. Oh, no. This saving faith, this
true faith, this true God-given faith, is believing that God
is God. You know, most people don't believe
that. They really don't. Most people believe God can only
be God if you let Him be God. People, that's blasphemy. That's
not faith. That's blasphemy. Faith is believing
God is God, that God is our Creator. He said, cannot I do with my
own what I will? Well, it's absurd to think that
the creature has power over the Creator. Anyone who believes
such a thing doesn't have faith. They don't believe God. To believe
God is to believe God is God, that He's the Creator, the Ruler,
the Judge, the King, the Sovereign One who reigns and rules over
all things, the God in whose hands our breath is and all our
ways. We don't let God be God. It doesn't say that anywhere
in Scripture. We don't let God be God. God lets us know He is God. This is salvation. Our Lord said
in John 17 3, this is eternal life that they might know Thee,
the only true God. People, I contend without apology
and without reservation that most believe today in an idol. Most believe in a God who stands
by idly and has no control over anything, and He can't even be
God unless men let Him be God. He can't be Lord over their lives
unless they let Him have their lives. What kind of God is that?
Do your children control you? Well, maybe I shouldn't ask that. Most children do. But in reality,
if a true parent rules over their children, and they do what they
will concerning them, so it is with God Almighty. God Almighty,
the Scripture says, does as He will. He worketh all things according
to His will, Scripture says. And none can stay his hand or
say unto him, What doest thou?" Oh, no. Moses believed God is
God. I am that I am. Moses believed
God's Word. And that's how you know God is
God, is when He reveals His Word to you. That's how God is revealed,
from His Word, not in dreams and signs and visions and wonders
and miracles. Oh, no. God reveals Himself through
His Word. And I contend again. That's the
reason most people are ignorant of the God of the Bible. Most
aren't reading it. Preachers certainly aren't declaring
Him as He is. God hasn't changed from the Old
Testament to the New. Oh, no. It's significant that
in Malachi 3, verse 6, the last book of the Old Testament, right
before the New Testament, God says, I am the Lord. I change
not. That's significant. Right before
the New Testament, God reminds us, I change Not Hebrews 13,
8, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. He hasn't
changed. God of the New Testament is the
same as the God of the Old. That's a fact. Moses believed
God's Word. The next four books of the Bible,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy, Moses penned them. The next four books, God's Word was given to Moses,
all his laws, ceremonies, ordinances, the way to worship God. There's
only one way. Still only one way. Moses believed
God's Word. Moses didn't understand fully
everything God was telling him, everything he was writing, but
he believed him. Moses didn't question him. Moses didn't argue.
Moses didn't say that's not fair. Moses believed God. And so it
is with all who truly believe him. Moses believed Christ. Oh, yeah. Here in verse 28 of
Hebrews, it says, Through faith he kept the Passover. That's
Christ. First thing God taught Moses
was that it's necessary to have a mercy seat on which the blood
is to be sprinkled. The blood. When I see the blood,
I'll pass over you. The blood of a lamb. Christ said
this. The Lord Jesus Christ said, Moses
wrote of me. And it says in Hebrews 11, verse
24, By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be
called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction
with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for
a seizing, season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater
riches than the treasures in Egypt. Moses refused to be called
the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Egypt was the center of the then-known
world, as America seems to be now. Egypt represented civilized,
cultured, educated, modern world. Moses says, I don't believe it.
I don't follow it. I don't go along with it. And
so do all of those who have the same faith as Moses. They refuse
to believe as this world believed. Our Lord said in his prayer to
the Father, they are not of this world, even as I am not of this
world. They don't believe like this world. They don't follow
the world's religion. They don't follow the world's
ways and practices. Moses chose rather to suffer
affliction with the people of God. People, if you really believe
God, really believe God's Word, the world will hate you. That's
what Christ said. The world will hate you. They'll
call you a bigot. They'll call you prejudiced. I'm sure that the people in Egypt
said, Moses, you think you're right? Just you and a few people
and everybody else is wrong. No, Moses said, I believe God
is true and every man is a liar. Moses' confession. Moses confessed
Christ. He believed Christ, followed
him rather than this world. Well, is that your faith? Is that your faith? If it is,
it's God's gift. He gets all the glory. Until
next Sunday, good day.