Fred Tuttle had his shoulder
replaced today and it went well. And he's recuperating. We'll
remember him. We sang just a moment ago. Oh, the unsearchable riches of
Christ. Who would not gladly endure trials,
afflictions, and crosses on earth, riches like these to secure. I hope the Lord will take this
message and make that real to us. I've entitled this message,
The Faith of Moses. Now there are four verbs in this
passage of scripture used to describe his faith. We read of a refusal. By faith, Moses, when he was
born or by faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused
to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. There was a refusal
that took place. And then we read of a choice,
choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. And then we read of
an esteem, esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than
the treasures in Egypt. And then we read of a respect,
for he had respect under the recompense of the reward, the
faith of Moses. Now I am sure that this text
that I have just gone over has been used by preachers, fundamentalists,
reformed, in this manner. By faith, Moses
turned his back on Egyptian worldliness. When he refused to be called
the son of Pharaoh's daughter, he was refusing any connection
with the world and worldliness. Second, he chose the hard and
difficult life over a life that involved the pleasures of sin. While there's pleasure in sin,
it's to be rejected. We need to make the right choices
in our lives or there will be serious consequences. Third,
he esteemed the reproach of Christ, the way the world would reproach
him for rejecting its ways greater, more valuable riches than all
the treasures of Egypt, which he could have had, had he so
chosen. Fourth, he had respect to the
recompense of the reward. He knew it would be better to
suffer here on earth and be in heaven than it would to enjoy
the pleasures of sin here on earth. and not be in heaven,
but be in hell. Now, I got a question for you. Did I just preach the gospel? There's an element of truth in
everything I just said. There's an element of truth,
but was the gospel preached? You know it wasn't. From that
outline, as it were, there's some truth in all of
those statements taken like that. You know, rat poison is 99% good. Just got 1% arsenic. Everything
else is good stuff. Wouldn't hurt you. You going
to take it? What about 99% grace? What good would that do you? Something that's 99% true is
a lie. If that is the way I would approach
that passage of scripture, I have missed it all together. This is what The writer to the
Hebrews meant by these words, this is the faith of Moses. Now,
somebody says, well, you take that passage of scripture, it
means what it says. No, it says what it means. There's all the difference in
the world. It doesn't mean what it says. The scripture always
says what it means. So let's consider these four
aspects of Moses' faith. You'll notice in these verses
with regard to Moses, there's four by faiths. By faith Moses
in verse 23, and then verse 24, by faith Moses when he was come
to years. And then in verse 27, by faith
he forsook Egypt. And 28, through faith he kept
the Passover. Four of those are given to give
us different aspects of faith. And in this passage of scripture,
we're going to consider Moses' faith, what is meant by his refusal. He refused to be called the son
of Pharaoh's daughter. What's meant by his choice? He
chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than
to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. What about his
estimation? He esteemed the reproach of Christ,
greater riches and the treasures in Egypt and his respect for
he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith, Moses, when he was
come to years, now I've heard it said he came to the age of
accountability. The Bible doesn't teach anything
like that. The age of accountability, and they usually have it at 12.
That's when you're responsible for your actions. But the word come to years actually
is literally when he became great. And he indeed did become great
in the world's eyes. Acts chapter seven, verse 20
said he was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. And
they had the most wisdom, worldly wisdom in the world at that time.
And he was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and he
was mighty in words and deeds. And he was the son of Pharaoh's
daughter. You remember last week how she
saw him in the river and he was raised up in the home of Pharaoh.
She could have been his only daughter. Maybe he was next in
line for the throne. That could have been. But he
was a mighty man, as far as men goes. Mighty in words and mighty
in deeds. A highly educated, very successful,
very gifted man. So I think when it's talking
about him coming to years, it's not talking about when he became
an adult. It's talking about when he was up to 40 years old
and had become a very powerful man. if there is such a thing,
which there's not. Power belongeth unto the Lord.
And I hate it when people talk about powerful men and powerful
women. Nobody has any power. Me, you, or anybody else. Power
belongeth unto the Lord. But he had some kind of reputation
in Egypt. Well, what did Pharaoh do? He
made the children of Israel slaves. He put them to work. They built
the pyramids. He kept them in bondage, bitter
bondage. What does that sound like? Salvation
by works. That's what Pharaoh represents.
Salvation by works, human religion. Now somewhere along the line,
Moses finds out that those people who were enslaved by Pharaoh
were his people. And he refused, he rejected all
association with that. He left it. He no longer was
in the Egyptian camp. He identified with these people
and he sought their good. When you come to Christ, there's
a place you leave. There's something you refuse.
You refuse, you intelligently, willfully, with all your heart
and all your understanding, you refuse salvation by works in
any way. You refuse it, you won't have
anything to do with that. Is that where your faith is at?
He refused any association with Pharaoh. He, you could call this
repentance from dead works. He refused all association with
Pharaoh. Now let's look at faith's choice.
Verse 25. He 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 season."
Now, here's what he chose. He chose, this is what he wanted,
affliction with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the
pleasures of sin for a season. When he made that refusal, he
made this choice. Think about what it said. He
chose affliction with the people of God rather to enjoy the pleasures
of sin for a season. There is pleasure in sin. There's no doubt about that.
There's a kind of high in sin. There's a kind of pleasure in
the commission of any and every sin. That's why it's a temptation. But this is not saying that Moses
made a choice to turn away from the pleasures of sin and worldliness
and live the virtuous life. Now that's a good thing to do,
but that's not the teaching of this passage of scripture. It's
not like he, well, here's the pleasures of sin. Here's affliction
with the people of God. I think I'll choose affliction
with the people of God over the pleasures of sin. Now, the key
word in this portion is the people of God. He chose affliction with the
people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for
a season. You see, if he would have stayed
there as Pharaoh's son, Pharaoh's daughter, there was a lot of
pleasure involved in that. There was a lot of reward, humanly
speaking, in that. There's all kinds of things that
could have happened, but he had some understanding of this thing
of the people of God. The Egyptians were not the people
of God. Who are the people of God? Well, and we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are called
according to his purpose. Those are the people of God.
For whom he did foreknow, those are the people of God. He also
did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son. That's
the end of the people of God. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
them the people of God, he also called. And whom he called, the
people of God, them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he
also glorified. What should we say to these things?
If God be for the people of God, who can be against them? He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for the people of God, How shall he not
also with him freely give the people of God all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of the people of God? Bring it on. God justified them. Who's gonna condemn the people
of God? Christ died for them. Yea, rather,
if risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, making
intercession for the people of God. Moses had some insight into
the people of God. That's why he made this choice. Who are the people of God? Both
he that sanctifyeth and they who are sanctified, the people
of God. God said, I'll be to them a God
and they shall be to me a people. The pleasures of sin that would
be there and remaining the son of Pharaoh's daughter, all of
the pleasures of sin at his disposal, he chose identification with
the people of God rather than the pleasures of sin involved
in staying in Egypt. Now, what was behind this choice? I mean, there's a reason when
you make a choice like that, there's a reason behind it. What
was behind him making this choice? He refused to be called the son
of Pharaoh's daughter. He refused association with that. He chose affliction, hardship. with the people of God rather
than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Now, what was
behind all this? Well, here it is. Verse 26, esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater
riches than the treasures in Egypt. If you're given the choice between
having $10 million and $10, what are you going to take? That's a no brainer, isn't it?
Everybody in this room take $10 million. I'd like to take $10
million. That's an easy choice. Well,
let me give you another easy choice. I know everybody that
knew what money was, and if they were in their right mind, everybody,
without exception, would make the choice, I'll take the $10
million or the $10 bill. If it's gonna be given to you,
I know what I'm gonna take. Well, let me ask you this. If you're
given the choice between being saved by the righteousness of
Jesus Christ and your own righteousness, which one will you choose? Do you know that most people
would choose being saved by their own righteousness? Everybody
that's not saved makes that choice. That seems to be a no brainer
to us, doesn't it? Why is that? The only people
who choose to be saved by the righteousness of Christ are the
people who have absolutely no righteousness of their own. It's a no-brainer to them. It's
not really a choice. Just like it's not really a choice
to take $10 million over $10, this is not a choice. This is
the only thing there is, to be saved by the righteousness and
merits of Christ rather than my own righteousness because
I know that I do not have any. Now, what is meant when he says
in verse 25, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the
people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin, perceiving,
esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures
in Egypt. Now, what is meant by the reproach
of Christ? Now, Moses looked at the reproach of Christ and
he knew what it was. And he said, I would rather suffer
affliction Then to have the reproach of Christ, rather than to have
all the pleasures of staying in Egypt. What is the reproach
of Christ? Now turn to Hebrews chapter 13
and we see. Verse nine. Be not carried about with diverse
and strange doctrines. Every time you see the word doctrines
in the plural, it's always false doctrine. And it's always varied. Be not carried about with diverse
and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the
heart be established With grace, not with meats, things you can
eat, things you can eat, do's and don'ts, which had not profited them that
have been occupied there in those people who are occupied in meats,
it hadn't profit them at all. Now he says in verse 10, we have
an altar where of they have no right to eat, which serve the
tabernacle. The altar we have is Christ Jesus. They have the altar of the tabernacle,
but they have no right to eat of this altar. They have the
Levitical altar. We have Christ as our altar.
We have Christ as our priest. We have Christ as our sacrifice. And they have no right to eat
of this altar. We do. Now, what does he say? We have an altar where if they
have no right to eat would serve the tabernacle for the bodies
of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by
the high priest for sin, talking about the day of atonement, are
burned without the camp. Now, what did they do after that
beast was slain? They took him outside the camp,
outside of Jerusalem or outside of the camp in the wilderness. You know who dwelt outside the
camp? lepers and unclean people. Those are the only people. Lepers
and unclean people. And he was brought outside of
the camp because of what he did on Calvary's tree, being made
sin. Wherefore, verse 12, Jesus also
that he might sanctify the people with his own blood suffered without
the gate. Just like the Old Testament beast,
he had to be crucified outside of Jerusalem. Let us therefore, let us go forth
therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach. Now, what reproach he had when
he was made sin? What reproach he had when he
was crucified outside the camp and died outside the camp. And what reproach do religious
people feel toward him? What reproaches do worldly people
feel toward him? They consider him reproachful.
You say I'm saved by That work alone? Why, that will lead to
sin. That'll lead to indifference.
That's not gonna motivate people to holiness. And the world says,
what? You mean to tell me I'm saved
by a man being nailed to a cross? Why, that's foolishness. There's
a reproach to that. And we bear it willingly. You know what the Lord called
it? Taking up your cross daily and following him. We esteem that reproach. That's why even in the Beatitudes,
blessed is he that's persecuted for righteousness sake. Now that's
bearing his reproach. We believe that the righteousness
of Christ is the only righteousness there is. Do you believe that?
His righteousness is the only righteousness there is. All human
righteousness is sinful, filthy rags. We believe that. Well, that's going to create
reproach from the world. And I think of what the Lord
said, blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness
sake. Blessed are you when men revile you and cast out your
name as evil for the son of man's sake. We want that reproach. I realize, I realize, I really
do realize that if I was called upon to deny my faith, or be
burned at the stake. I realize that apart from the
grace of God, I'll deny it. I don't want to, but I realize
I would. I know something about my own weakness. But the greatest
honor any sinner could have would be to die as a martyr for the
name of Christ. And believers feel that way.
They feel they esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than
the treasures of Egypt. Now look what he says in verse
back to Hebrews chapter 11. For he had respect to the recompense
of the reward. He had respect to the recompense,
the payback of the reward. Now, does that mean we think
that because of our courageous stand for Christ, we're going
to get a greater reward in heaven because of our refusing the riches of Egypt and choosing
a reproach with the people of God and esteeming the reproach
of Christ greater than pleasures, greater than the pleasures of
sin. We're going to get some kind of heavier crown or bigger
mansion or, um, some kind of higher reward. Of course not.
Of course not. That's missing the meaning all
together. What is our reward or who is
our reward? Christ said, I am thy shield
and thy exceeding great reward. I love when we sing that song,
the bride eyes, not her garment, but her dear bridegroom's face. I will not gaze on glory, but
at my King of grace. Not at the crown he giveth, but
on his pierced side. The Lamb is all the glory in
Immanuel's land. Now, faith in Christ. Faith in
Christ. That's the recompense of the
word. The word respect is to look only
at one object, to look away and to look only at one object. That's
what the word here means, respect. Faith, what is it? What is it? This is so simple,
it's so beautiful. What is faith? Faith is believing
who he is, faith is knowing who he is, believing what he said,
and trusting what he did. That's what faith is. It's knowing
who he is. That's why we have respect to
the recompense of the reward. He is the reward. And we know
who he is. He's the son of God. Do you know
that? I'm not asking if you know that
you're saved, if you know, you're one of the elect, or if you know,
you're born again, do you know, he is the son of God. You know, who he is God, the
son, you believe what he said. You know, if you know who he
is, you'll believe what he said. And if you believe what he said,
you'll trust what he did. And that's the only trust you
have. You have respect unto the recompense
of the reward. He himself is the reward. Now the word respect means to
turn your eyes from all of the things and fix it on this one
thing. Knowing who he is, believing
what he said, trusting what he did. Now that's all my salvation. I don't have anything else. And
I love it that way. It's not complicated. I love
it that way. Look in Hebrews chapter 10 verse
35. Cast not away therefore your
confidence. which has great recompense of
reward. Now there's the same statement
that we read in our text, cast not away your confidence, which
has great recompense of reward. Now in this same chapter, look
in verse 19, what is this? This confidence is the word boldness.
Verse 19, having therefore brethren boldness, confidence to enter
the holiest. by the blood of Jesus. That's my confidence. That's
my boldness to enter into the very presence of God by the blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I, no other way, I wouldn't
dare come any other way, but through the blood. Turn to first
John chapter two. First John chapter four. Verse 17, herein is our
love made perfect that we may have boldness. There's the word
again, confidence, boldness in the day of judgment. Now you
think about standing before God, being judged and having boldness,
not being afraid, having confidence. Where would that come from? It's
only one place. Because as he is, so are we in
this world right now. Now here's my confidence with
regard to the day of judgment. My life is the life of Jesus
Christ. My obedience is the obedience
of Jesus Christ. My sin payment is the sin payment
of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's my boldness. Him only. Nowhere else. In him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily and you are complete in him. Now what about the faith of Moses? We refuse, we reject everything
that has to do with Pharaoh because we have something infinitely
better. Grace is infinitely better than works. I love what Paul
said when he talked about Same thing, this is the same thing
as Moses forsaking the riches of Egypt. Paul put it this way,
I've suffered the loss of all things and do count it, but,
anybody know the next word? Done. He wasn't thinking, look
what all I've suffered, you know, to giving up for Christ. No,
he said, well, I've given up, done. That's it. I have suffered
the loss of all things and counted but done, that I may win Christ
and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is
of the law, but that which is through the faithfulness of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by faith." Oh, he knew what he's doing, didn't
he? You know, this choice was easy. The people of God have
Christ. He chose to identify with the
people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season
and remain there in Egypt. The people of God have God for
them. They have God as their father.
They have all things. Christ is all. Ain't no choice,
is there? Not if you see him. It's not
like you, if you see who he is, it's not a choice. It's a choice,
but it's not a difficult, well, which one? No. He considered the reproach of
Christ and that's how the world views his accomplishments in
a reproachful way. He considered the reproach of
Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt. He had
respect for the recompense of the reward. What's the reward? The Lord Jesus Christ being like
him. Well, being in him. being like
Him and being with Him. What could be better than that?
Being in Him, being like Him, and being with Him. He had respect
unto the recompense of the reward. Now, like I said, somebody can
take this passage of Scripture and preach a pretty good message on how you need
to refuse certain things and choose certain things and esteem
certain things and respect certain things or you'll be in a mess. You've got to make the right
choices. But this is a simple message with regard to true saving
faith. May you and I have this same
faith, this same refusal, the same choice, the same esteem,
the same respect. And really, if you have one,
you have them all. And if you don't have one of them, you don't
have any of them. This is the faith of Moses. This is the faith
of God's elect. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for your
word. Lord, we ask that we might by your spirit, by your grace,
be just like Moses and refuse any association with works, Pharaoh,
Egypt. We ask that you might give us
the grace to choose affliction with my people rather than to
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Lord, we ask that you
would give us this high estimation of the reproach of Christ. And
Lord, give us this respect, looking only to Christ, nowhere else,
the recompense of the reward. Bless this message for Christ's
sake, in his name we pray, amen.