That blows. There's a mercy seat,
a place to come, find shelter, refuge from that stormy wind.
A few of us stayed in a cabin one night this week, and I went
fishing with one of the men out on the lake, and it was And it
was windy. And that wind cut me like a knife. I could feel it in my bones. And I never could get warm out
there. We came back to the cabin. There
was a fire awaiting us. And we, as we do, we put our
backside up to that fire, and it sure felt good. We come in here this morning,
I hope. a little heat, and the fire of God's Word. The Word
is a fire. Hebrews 11, Hebrews 11, that
mercy seat is God's Word, the gospel is Christ himself, where
we come to shelter us from every stormy wind. The title of this message is
Moses' Refusal Look at verse thirty eight of
chapter eleven, ten, I'm sorry, chapter ten, verse thirty eight. It says, now the just shall live
by faith, by faith. And then chapter eleven begins
to give examples, many examples of people who lived by faith. Faith, the word simply means
belief. The word means to trust. The
faith here that is spoken of is to believe God, believe God's
word, and trust him. Faith means to believe God's
Christ, whom he said is salvation. Faith simply means to believe
Christ, to trust Christ for your salvation, to depend on Him,
to look to Him. Faith, to have faith in someone
is to look to them, to depend upon them. And so faith believes
God and believes God's Christ. Now faith doesn't give life. Faith doesn't give life. That's
what modern preaching believes. That if you believe, then God
will give you salvation. No, no, no. Faith is proof of
life. It doesn't give life. It's proof
of life. The Word of God, Scripture said,
is like seed. The Word of God is like seed. The life is in the seed. It's
not in the ground. Right? And he says, we're born
again, not of corruptible sea, but of incorruptible sea, the
word of God, which liveth and abideth ever. He says it never
returns void. It's alive. It's not dead. It's quick. And when the Spirit
of God, the Holy Spirit of God, takes this word, and miraculously, mysteriously,
he uses earthen vessels, preachers, what the world calls foolishness.
The world says, don't preach to me. But unto us which are
saved, be and say, it's the power of God and the wisdom of God. But God Almighty, through the
Holy Spirit, takes the Word of God through preaching that Word,
declaring it, simply declaring it. And it's like throwing seed
out. And he plants it in a heart, the heart he has chosen. A heart of a dead sinner. And only God knows when that
happens. Only God knows who it is to begin with. And only God
knows when, in His time, it's going to happen. And He does
it. Thank God. I'm glad He only knows. It's
like a seed, and it's planted. And that's the reason we should
never give up hope on any of our children or whoever. loved ones or friends or whoever
who heard. And. It's like an arrow to scripture
says the word of God is like an arrow. And when God Almighty
and only when God Almighty takes the arrow of his word and pierces
the heart. Will that person. Be safe. and God almighty must do this
work. Why do I say all this? You know
this, don't you? Because we can't begin with Moses. This is not all about Moses. Faith is not of ourselves, you
say. Moses didn't just decide to believe
God, did he? Faith, scripture says, is a gift
of gift of God. Faith is not an act of the human
will. That's what everybody believes, doesn't it? Faith's not an act
of the human will, but it's an act of God's will. God who worketh
in us both to will. Faith is not a choice we make. That's what the world says. Don't
choose God. Faith is a choice that God makes. God chooses to give faith, you
see. And I said all that because we
can't begin with Moses before we begin with God. Everything... Hebrews 11 is not the start of
Hebrews, is it? There are ten chapters before
Hebrews 11. Where does it begin? God. The first word. In Hebrews one
is God in the beginning God this whole Bible is not about man
it's about God. To the praise of the glory of
his grace his sovereign saving electing choosing giving keeping
saving grace that's what this whole book is about the whole
book begins in the beginning God. You think about the first
chapters in every book just just go through think about the first. Genesis 1, Psalm 1, that blessed
man, that's Christ, isn't it? John 1? Huh? 1 John 1? Revelation 1? That's where you begin, you see.
We're not going to begin with Moses and talk about what all
he refused and what all he chose until we begin with God and talk
about who God chose. Why Moses made these refusals
and choices is because God made Moses his choice. In the beginning God chose a
man, a baby, chose a baby named Moses, a baby. And that's why I say the hope
for our children is that they're one of God's elect, because if
they are, he's going to put them in an ark in the bulrushes. He's going to save them all their
days. And then when there come to years,
just give anybody a little hope. I see it does. Somebody must
have a lost child. And when there come to years,
God, in the fullness of time, This is to the praise of the
glory of his. He's the author. He's the author. You go ahead for the other part
of that. Aren't you, John? Say it, John,
out loud. He's the author and what? Finisher. He that hath begun it, he'll
finish it. Let's just go home. And that's
a good move. Well, but Moses. Moses made some
refusals and some choices. All right. Some refusals and
choice. The verse 24 says, by faith.
That is, believe in God, believe in Christ. Yes, Moses. Believe Christ, isn't that what
Christ said? Oh yeah, he said Moses wrote
of me. Abraham, he said, saw my day. Rejoice. By faith, Moses, when he was
come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. I hope all our young people will
listen to this this morning. I hope all our old people will.
I hope I do. Most of you know the story of
Moses. He was a son of Hebrew slaves
who were in Egypt at the time. And God, in that marvelous providence
of his, you know, the decree went out by Pharaoh to kill all
the males, Hebrew males, right? And yet God Almighty chose this
baby boy name Moses and he just happened to be a Levite. But anyway he was a son of Hebrew
slaves and God Almighty spared him this death and put him in
an ark in the river. To save him from a man who later
he's going to drown in the river. I hope you're hearing the irony
of it all. But in God's good providence the very man who gave
the decree to destroy all Hebrew males. His daughter went down
to the river and found this baby boy and God almighty Moses raised
in the very house. You don't think God mocks human
beings. They mock God don't they. They
laugh at God scoffers and mockers. Where's the promise of his coming.
all around you, you're just blind. But God mocked him, didn't he,
Nancy? Had him raise the Savior that
he was trying to kill. And had him raised in this home,
finest of all Egypt, no, a man could not rise higher than to
be Pharaoh's grandson, perhaps the next in line to be Pharaoh,
the richest, most powerful man in the earth. Why? Because he's
going to show. The riches of his grace and his
glory in making this man refuse that. Only the grace of God would
make a man refuse it all, I mean all. It says when he was come to years,
he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. How old
was he? Forty years old. Forty years old. Now, when you're
30, you think you know something. When you're 40, You really think
you know. And it's hard to convince you
of anything. Fifty, sixty, seventy, forget
it. God's able and. We better hope. For the sake of our whoever that
God is willing. As with man, it's impossible.
Forty years old, OK. Prime of life. Set to be the
next in line to the throne. When he was come to year all
of a sudden one day. He said I'm leaving. I don't
want any of this. I'm going to go down and join
this group of a bunch of nobody. And put on my sandals. And put
on a little simple robe. and walk out in the desert for
the rest of my day. Egypt thought he was crazy. It says when he was come to years
what this is is is like the prodigal son you remember the prodigal
it said our Lord told the story of the prodigal son says when
he was come to himself He went out in the world, the
prodigal son, and he ended up in the hog pen. Apparently he didn't mind it
until, but God all of a sudden made him come to himself. That
is, see himself. I'm in the hog pen. Look at me. You know, Moses thought the same
thing. But he was in the battery of the. He was in the palace
among the finest things and people that man had to offer yet. Look
at where I am. I'd rather be down there in the
mud pits. In the swamp pits with God's
people than to be up here in the midst of it. Think about that in this America.
of God's grace that's not the man this is impossible when he
grew up when he came to you when he grew up. Now God says of faith that. We reach the measure of the stature
of the fullness of Christ and that is we see all our fullness
and cry not the world. All we need and all we want in
Christ not the world. when we're come to you when God
brings us to an age the fullness of time age known to him time
there's no age of accountability. No. It's in God's good time. And unless the Lord brings us
to see our sale like that product we're going to die in the home.
Or unless the Lord gives us faith and brings us to see ourselves
like Moses we're going to die in with golden robes on. Huh? We left out of the kingdom. A man may have a good life in
this world. Moses would have had the best
life that a man could have, but he'd have missed eternal life. But Moses, by the grace and power
of God, grew up. And God Almighty opened his eyes
to see the vanity like Solomon. The vanity of Egypt, the vanity
of vanity, Solomon said, all flesh. Just name something. It's vanity. Fame. Scriptures talks a lot. I heard
the morning radio message, Psalm 49. It says, you know, he's wise
and mighty and honorable among men that die like a dog. Honorable
dialogue and you'll forget who they were one time I asked everyone
in here who the. Fourteenth president of the United
States and nobody could give me the answer. I couldn't give
it to you I don't have it written down. That's the highest office
in the greatest nation in the country or in the world that
nobody knows don't have a clue you couldn't tell me who the
vice president was a couple of It's fleeting in time. The place thereof scripture says
oh no it no more only those nearest and dearest will ever give you
a passing. This is why it's only important
if one person knows. Right. He said. Lord remember me. I can't forget
you, got your name written on it. You going to be with me,
Fred? Well, fortune. Fortune doesn't... Scripture
calls riches deceitful. The deceitfulness of riches.
Why is that? Deceit is something that... Looks good and sounds good, and
yet you're being deceived by it. It promises something. It
seems to be something that it's not. The deceitfulness of riches. Riches promise what they cannot
give. If I can just get this, I'll be happy. No, you won't.
No, you can't do it. Riches are deceptive. But it says here by faith that
Moses refused all. Fame? Fortune? I think this is
not naturalism. A natural man runs to and seeks
after fame. Why is it that a billionaire
would run for president of the United States? Ross Perot got
his name. The rest of them are multimillionaire.
Why? Why would they want that job? The salary's only 200-some thousand
a year. Fame. power, honor, glory. Man loves that more than the
finest wine. Fame, recognition, favors, being
the most powerful and popular man on earth. For everyone to
look up to you, the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Everyone esteem you highly. To
be somebody in this world. Look at it now. Verse 25 says, Choosing rather to suffer affliction
with the people of God, and to enjoy the pleasures of
sin for a season. Verse 26, esteeming the reproach
of Christ. Choosing rather to suffer affliction,
to suffer reproach. You see why we had to begin with
God. Why? Choosing rather to suffer persecution,
troubles, trials. Now, that's not something he
wanted, but he knew it was coming. He knew it. Moses, by the amazing
grace and power of God, refused to be called somebody by the
world, choosing rather to be a nobody and despised by the
world. Moses refused to be called Pharaoh's
grandson, the prince of Egypt. Choosing rather to be called
son of God. A fool for Christ's sake. Like
Noah and those few on the boat. Remember them? Fools. Moses by
the grace and power of God refused to live in pleasure and ease
for the rest of his life. Choosing by the grace of God
to wander in the wilderness looking forward to a new life in which
he would really rest for the rest of his life. Are you hearing
it? You've got to have given eyes
to see it. Like Moses, he was given eyes.
Moses, by the grace and power of God, refused to run with the
Egyptians, choosing rather to walk with a bunch of nobodies
in the desert. Moses, by the grace and power
of God, refused the honor and the prestige and the popularity
of educated Egyptian society, choosing rather to be laughed
at, mocked at, be called a fool. Reproach of Christ. Now here, look at this. Reproach
of Christ and for Christ, it says, in the margin. Does the
margin say that? For Christ. He esteemed the reproach
of Christ, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. In other
words, he, by the grace of God, saw the unsearchable riches of
Christ. And that all that glitters in
this world is certainly not gold, but perishes. Greater riches
than the treasures of Egypt, the unsearchable riches. How can a person see and esteem
the Lord Jesus Christ more highly than the things in this world
that are seen? The unseen Christ and choose
this unseen Christ and love him more than with man is impossible. By the grace of God. the grace
of God. And make him see the unseeable,
refuse the tangible. You know, if you give a little
child a choice, you hold up, I don't have any money on it,
if you hold up a glittering brand new dime, ten cent, for a little small child, and
hold up a hundred dollar bill, green or. Which will achieve. The more one of the things that
glitter the thing that looks the best something tangible you
know that. That means nothing to signatures
words all that paper. Or we go. We live by. What we believe who we believe
an unseen God why. It's all written on paper. But
Nancy, no, it says, no, I've written this on the tables of
their heart. And he proves to us like he did Moses through
life experience, proves himself. God doesn't prove himself to
mankind. All the heavens declare his glory.
The firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day, others' speech.
Night unto night, others' knowledge. They're without excuse. Invisible
things of God from the creation are clearly seen. They're without
excuse. But God blinded them, hid these things from the wise
and brilliant. And God is only known through His Word, preaching of His Word. While
the world goes after things that are tangible, things that are
seen, all that glitter, and yet we are seeing words on paper
as gold. An unseen Christ choosing
rather to suffer reproach, esteeming the reproach of Christ. Our Lord
said this. He said he's given unto us not
only to believe, but to suffer for Christ's sake. That is, suffer
the rejection of the world, the mockery of the world, be
not included with the world. Be hated by the world, he said
that. Esteem the reproach of Christ and for Christ. Why do
we do it? What would you go through for
one you love? Really love? Anything? Scripture says, Hear our Lord
for the joy that was set before him. Please the Lord make you
endure of the cross. And I love that verse, despising
the shame, meaning Didn't give it a thought. Just hang naked
on a cross. Didn't give it a thought. Saves
people. We're not called on for much,
are we? Just a word here and there. Now, reproach for Christ
and of Christ. This is absolutely the power
and grace of God to make this man see and love the Lord Jesus
Christ. He loved him because God purchased
him. And look at verse 26. It says
he had respect greater than the treasures of Egypt, for he had
respect under the recompense of the reward. Recompense. Recompense means payback. Payback. One old preacher years ago talked
about payday someday. Payday someday. And that became
an old famous religious slogan, payday Sunday. Well, it's a good
statement. Payday Sunday. Payback. God Almighty is going to pay
back everything. Everyone. Payday Sunday. Recompense. Payback for all who walk by faith
with God. Now, he's just giving us what
he provided. It's like a father giving a son
a trust fund. That's exactly what it's called.
Trust fund. What's the word? The. What's the word? Talks about
the assurance or the token of this riches. Well, like a father given a son,
a trust fund, and he draws from that and it draws interest. And
someday he reaps a reward that he didn't earn a dime of that
is all given to him. And so is this faith. He gives
the faith and yet. In glory, the payback. For walking
by faith that he gives us. But are you somebody out there
rejoicing in him? Is there is the reward? Notice.
Not rewards is. Reward, what is it? Same as he
said to Abraham, the father of the faith, I am by exceeding
great reward. Lot, what do I get? Lot gets
Sodom. Abraham, you're going to shortly see what Sodom's going
to get. You don't see it now. You see
it as the well-watered plains of Sodom. You see it as the treasures
of Egypt, Moses. I'm going to show you. It's going
to drown. It's going to be burned by fire.
It's all going to drown in the river. You get me. You get me
and there's more more. Yeah. I haven't seen you haven't
heard that's why we can't rightly comment on it but the recompense
of the reward payback. It's joy unspeakable scripture
says and full. Of glory. Full of glory infinitely
more glorious people This world is a beautiful place, it really
is. The world that God created, this creation, is glorious. I
believe the new one is going to be much like it. I really
do. Because God, when he created
this world, he says, he said, it's good. It's good, everything. You know, God can't create anything
halfway. That's not glorious. So the new
heaven, new earth that is, is going to be much like this old
one. even more beautiful without seeing
it without orange and this wasn't clouds and we need we need a
son. And glory full of glory. And
the glory is going to be the reason there won't be a son. Because we will see his face.
Whose face. As a son. You know. We can't enter into this right
now, because we're. Under a cloud, darkly, but verse
27 said, by faith, he forsook Egypt, left, forsook it. Forsook it. Forsook Egypt. Walked away. Walked away. How can a man do that except
God gives him the faith to walk with God, like Enoch. And Enoch one day walked on in
the presence of God, and Moses did too. He took him up on a
mountain. And he took him. And he forsook
Egypt, not fearing, verse 27, the wrath of the king. For he
endured, as seen him. Who? Christ. looking at the. I see in him who is invisible.
Looking to him. Looking to cry. He's the reward. He's the. The one we look to
for grace, for help, for mercy, for salvation, for forgiveness,
for wisdom, for righteousness, for sanctification, for redemption.
Looking, look unto me and be saved. all of you and you'll
obtain a good report to and through faith look at this last but certainly
not late. Through faith he kept the Passover
in the sprinkling of blood that list he he that is God that destroyed
the firstborn should touch them and you're going to like it.
You're going to like this those who really listen you're going
to like it. Do you remember what the first example of faith was
here in Hebrews 11? Don't look. Do you remember who, what? First
example. There's a young boy, one of two
brothers, who brought blood. All right. And here it says, through faith,
Moses is this old man now, 80 some years old. ninety-some years
old. He brings blood in the end. In the beginning, started with
blood, John. Here in the end, he kept the
Passover. Why? Because without the shedding
of blood, there's no forgiveness. Like Abel, he brought blood.
That's why, you know, that's why Moses felt the need to leave
Egypt. When he went to Pharaoh, he said,
God said, let my people go to worship. We got to go out of
here. And get out in the wilderness
so we can sacrifice a lamb. There's no lamb got to leave
the camp. The next chapter. Go outside
the camp. To see the blood. Outside the
camp and it says he kept the Passover, kept it in Egypt while
they were still in Egypt, and God Almighty revealed that lamb
to him and his family, and he by faith put it over the doorpost
and the lintel of his house, which is Christ, that blood,
the lamb. And God spared him while he was
in Egypt. Well, it says later on he kept
it, he kept for the next forty years, he kept the Passover. He knew what rather who. And so what he did well. Here's
the end of the story. He kept the beginning of his
confidence. Steadfast to the end. For the next 40 years he kept
passive. Lest he that God that should
have destroyed him, Moses, a sinner. Forty years, he didn't give God
a thought for forty years. But God gave him thoughts all
those years, foreknew him before the world began. And so for the
next forty or so years, he kept the Passover. This do and remembrance
of me. Why? Because I remembered you.
and chose you. And do you see, does anybody
have the profound irony of this whole story? Amazing, wondrous,
amazing wisdom and irony of God Almighty in this whole story.
The decree came by the king in Egypt to kill all males. OK? Pharaoh said, let's kill
all males, kill them all. To know you're not going to do
it. You'll kill a bunch of them. I killed the Lord, killed the
Lord, took all those baby Hebrew boys to glory. All their mothers
were grief stricken. That they could rest in peace
that those babies were with the Lord. And but anyway, the king said,
kill them all, but God saved the one. All right. Well in the
end the decree came from God. Kill them all. God said what it is. But God. The decree also came my people. Not one of them died. Not one
first born male was going to die. They're all going to be
under the gun. My people. not one of them. They're all coming out. Egypt's
going to die. You see the profound irony? Kill
them all, the world said, and in the end, God says, kill them
all. And that's exactly what God's
going to do with this world. Kill them all. Send his death
angel. Kill them all. But those, you
see, I didn't mean it. Those are keeping the Passover.
Bring them out of that land. Oh, mercy, mercy, mercy. Glory
be to the mercy, love, grace, sovereign electing, sparing,
keeping grace of God through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.