Would you turn with me to Hebrews
chapter 11? While you're turning there, let me quote that verse
of scripture that I read at the beginning of this service. For
in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision avails anything nor uncircumcision,
but faith which worketh by love. I've entitled this message, The
Works of Not Working. The works of not working. Beginning in verse 23 of Hebrews
chapter 11. By faith, Moses. When he was
born. was hid three months of his parents
because they saw he was a proper child. Beautiful is what the word means.
Exceeding fair. Fair to God. They saw that he
was a beautiful child. And they were not afraid of the
king's commandment. 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 season, esteeming the reproach
of Christ. greater riches than the treasures
in Egypt, for he had respect under the recompense of the reward.
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king,
for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Through faith
he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, lest
he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them." Now, I want you to turn to Romans
chapter 4 and then to James chapter 2. I want to read a verse of
scripture out of each chapter. Verse 5 of Romans chapter 4. But to him that worketh not,
now do you hear what it says? To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth
the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. That person
does not work. Now look in James chapter 2. You see, then, how that by works
a man is justified, and not by faith only. Now, here we have
two verses of Scripture that, on the surface, appear to contradict
one another. but believeth on him that justifies
the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." And how many
times throughout the New Testament do we read, for by Gracie you
say it's in faith. In fact, that faith is not of
yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works. Lest any man should boast, for
we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
which God hath before ordained that we should walk in it. No
works. And yet James says, A man is
justified by works and not by faith only. Now, like I said,
I've entitled this message, The Works of Not Working, and it's
my prayer that we will understand how these two scriptures are
not at all at odds, although in appearance they are. Now,
first thing I want to say. Faith, true saving faith, that
which is the gift of God understands that salvation is by grace. It understands that. For by grace
are you saved. Do you understand that? Do you understand that your works,
the things you do, have absolutely nothing to do with your acceptance
before God? Do you understand that? For by
grace are you saved. Where is boasting then? It's
excluded. What do you have to take credit
in? What do you have to think, well,
at least I did this. Where is boasting then? It's
excluded. It's cut off. By what law? Works? Nay, but by the law of
faith. Therefore, we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. How much do our works contribute
to our salvation? Now, by works, what do you mean
by works? I mean anything that comes from you. I mean, any law
you keep. I'm talking about anything that
you have because you of your free will decided to believe
it or accept it or receive it, anything that comes from you,
anything that has your flesh involved, anything that comes
to you because of something you did or thought or anything like
that. If if you believe that anything
comes because of something you do, you don't believe grace.
That really is that simple. Somebody that God has given faith
to, they understand that salvation is by grace. For instance, the reason I'm saved is not because
I chose to be saved. It's because God chose me in
eternal election. Now, you know that if you're
saved. You know that tis not that I did choose thee, for,
Lord, that could not be. This heart would still refuse
thee, but thou hast chosen me. You know that, don't you? When
our Lord says, you did not choose me, but I chose you, you know
that so. I don't have to convince you
of it. You know from your own heart that if he didn't choose
you, you'd never choose him. That's what grace... God chose
before time began who would be saved. Election is an act of
grace. Justification is an act of grace. If I'm justified, if I stand
without guilt before God, and if I'm a believer, I do, I have
no guilt before God. Now, if I'm justified, it's an
act of grace. Being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption of King Christ Jesus. If I'm
redeemed, that's an act of God's grace. I'm not redeemed because
of anything I did or even because I asked to be. I'm redeemed because
He died for me and put away my sins. I know that's so. If I'm
born from above, if I have a new heart, if I've been regenerated,
if I've been born again, I know that's the gift of God's grace.
He caused it to be. It doesn't have anything to do
with my works. I don't have anything more to do with my new birth
than I did my first birth. Nobody asked me about my first
birth. I was born. I didn't have anything to do
with it. I don't have anything to do with my second birth either.
It's an act of God's grace. The fact that I persevered up
to this point. It's all a grace. I know that.
I know as sure as I'm talking to you. If the Lord removed his
hand from me, I'd fall away right like that. I know it. I don't
have to convince a believer of this. You understand. You might
not understand all the ins and outs of it. Who does? But you
understand salvation is my grace. It is wholly a work of God's
grace. Now, whenever there is real faith,
it will produce works. Faith worketh by love. And a summary of the works of
faith are found in this passage of scripture I just read regarding
Moses. We read of him enduring, we read
of him forsaking, we read of him choosing, we read of him
doing all these different things, and wherever there is true faith,
This will be seen these works that Moses had every single time
without exception. If I have faith, I'm going to
have the same works Moses had in this passage of scripture
that I just read. And if these works are absent,
then the faith that I have will prove to be not saving faith. Now, that makes me want to really
make God give me grace to look at myself honestly in light of
this passage of scripture of Moses and his faith. Now in verse,
back to our text in Hebrews chapter 11. By faith, Moses, when he was
born, was hid three months of his parents. You remember that
the king had ordered that all male children that were born
were to be killed. Now, Moses' parents had Moses
and, oh, he was a beautiful child. Scripture says, exceeding fair,
goodly, fair to God. They saw he's a beautiful child. So they hid him to save him from
the king. Now, if he was not such a cute
child, they said, well, let him have him. No, you know better
than that. When it's talking about him being
exceeding fair, I like what Stephen says, the word is literally fair
to God. Now, how did they know he was
fair to God? I don't know, but they did. They did. Moses was
exceeding fair. Moses was beautiful to God. When God looked at Moses, he
said, he's beautiful. He's lovely. Now, However beautiful the Lord
Jesus Christ is, that's how beautiful Moses was. But do you know that's
true of every believer? We're not just talking about
Moses. This is true of every believer. However beautiful the
Lord Jesus Christ is, that's how beautiful every believer
is. Now, in our experience, we say
with the Shulamite woman, I'm black. In and of myself, I'm nothing
to me. But, oh, in Christ I know I am
beautiful. And Moses, the Lord looked at
him and saw he was beautiful. You read this this morning. In
the psalm Moses wrote, Psalm 90, he says in verse 17, Let
the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us. Now, being united
to the Lord Jesus Christ, being in Him, however beautiful He
is, that's how beautiful I am. So when God looks at me, I know
exactly what that woman meant when she said, I'm black, but
comely. He says to me, thou art all fair,
my dove, my well beloved. There's no spot in me. That's
what he says to the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what he says to
every believer. Beautiful in Christ. So Moses begins with
how God saw him in the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is a good place
to be, isn't it? He was exceeding fair. I'm looking
at some exceeding fair people. I'm looking at some people who
the God of holiness and the God of glory looks at and says they're
perfect. They're beautiful. There's no
spot in them. Now, that's Moses. He he was
a goodly child, exceeding fair to God. And because of that,
they were not afraid of the king's commandment. Verse 24, now Moses
has grown up. By faith, Moses, when he was
come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
Now, you remember how Pharaoh's daughter found him in the river
and she brought him in and she raised him up and he was educated
under Pharaoh's daughter. And he was skilled in all the
wisdom of the Egyptians, Acts chapter 7 tells us. I mean, he
was brought up, and I'm sure he was grateful to this woman.
I'm sure he didn't just become ill toward her, no. But yet it
says, by faith Moses, when he was come to years, when he was
come of age, 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, the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
I want you to think of the wealth. I want you to think of the influence.
I want you to think of the pleasure. that could have been involved
in being the son of Pharaoh's daughter. As a matter of fact,
there's a lot of folks, a lot of writers that say he was in
line. What that means is he was in line for the throne. He would
have been the Pharaoh being the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Now,
I'm not sure if he would have been the Pharaoh, but whatever he
would have been, it would have been way up there, wouldn't it?
Now, I'm sure that Moses could have reasoned. I can be much
more good. I can do much more good for the
people of God by staying in this position. I mean, all the money,
all the influence, the political influence and power I have, there's
things I could do to help the people of God. If I would stay
right here, then they would be in good shape. And just for their
sakes, I ought to stay this way. That's the reasoning of the flesh,
isn't it? How much does the Lord need our policy? How much does
the Lord need our position? The Lord doesn't need anything
like that, and Moses realized that. He chose rather to suffer
affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures
of sin for a season. Now, the pleasures of sin is
everything that was associated with being in Pharaoh's house.
being the son of Pharaoh's daughter and all the wealth and the influence
and the opportunity that that afforded, all the pleasures that
afforded. And indeed, there is pleasure
in sin for a season. It's temporary, but people wouldn't
sin if there wasn't pleasure in it. There's indeed pleasures
in sin. But Moses made this choice. He chose affliction with the
people of God. Rather than this life of pleasure,
Now, why? Why? You don't let many people
make that choice, would they? Why? He chose affliction over
the pleasures of sin. By faith, Moses, when he was
come to here, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
verse 25, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people
of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Now, when
you believe, you don't choose to believe. You believe because
you have no choice. You know that, so don't you?
Try to not believe. If you're a believer, you can't
not believe. Now, your flesh doesn't believe, but your spirit
believes. You cannot not believe. You don't choose to believe.
You believe because you have no choice. But when you have
this faith, it causes you to make a lot of choices. Now, Moses
made a choice. He chose affliction over pleasure. Now what was it that Moses saw
that made him make a choice like that? Let's go on reading. Choosing
rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy
the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ,
greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. For he had respect
unto the recompense of the reward. He considered, he viewed, he
believed the reproach of Christ. Greater riches than anything
this world has to afford. Now, I'm going to ask you something.
What would you rather have if you're given the choice? Would
you rather have the reproach of Christ? Or a hundred million
dollars? If you're given the choice. Now,
somebody says, well, what do you mean by the reproach of Christ?
Well, the word means literally the hatred, the defame is what the
word literally means. Defame. You see, the world has
always hated the Lord Jesus Christ, and they don't hate the Christ
they feel comfortable with. The false Christ that they can control,
that they can get him to do whatever they want, if they want to, that
they can get him to bless them and all that. That's not the
Christ of the Bible. But I'm talking about the Christ
who is in control, the one who You're in his hands and he can
do with you whatever he's pleased to do. That Christ, the natural
man, has always hated. What did Isaiah say regarding
him? He said he was a man of sorrows
acquainted with grief. He was despised and rejected
of men. The reproach of Christ. Now, this reproach of Christ
is something that every believer bears. Here's an example. Are you gullible enough to really
believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God? You really
believe that? You can't prove it. You really
believe that? Why, that's so ignorant. I mean,
there's no proof to it. You really believe That God is
the first cause behind everything? Even the bad stuff? You really
believe that? You really believe He's in absolute
and utter and complete control of everything? Come on. Do you really believe that the
Bible actually teaches that men are completely and totally evil
with absolutely no goodness in them? Do you believe that? That's so morose, that's so negative,
that's so... And you're going to tell me that
you believe that God, before time began, chose who would be
saved and pass by everybody else. You expect me to believe that? And you really believe that Jesus
Christ died only for the elect? He didn't die for everybody.
He died only for the elect. You want me to swallow that?
Why, that's foolishness. I don't believe that. You believe
that God's grace cannot be resisted? That it's irresistible, invincible,
and no one can say no to his grace? You really believe that? You really believe that you're
saved by somebody else's righteousness and you had no part in it? Why, that's foolishness. I don't
believe that for a second. I find that offensive. Why? Where are you coming up with
that? How big is your church? Where
does your pastor go to seminary? What kind of education does he
have? I mean, you all don't even count. You all don't have any
influence. You're all zeros. You're nothing. You're such a
small church. Wow. That's called the reproach of
Christ. You see that? The reproach of
Christ. Now, Moses considered the reproach
of Christ greater riches than all the treasures in Egypt. You
know what? I do too. I do too. And the greatest honor, I think
of what that one martyr said. He said, to die for Christ is
an honor I don't deserve. Now, he saw some glory in Christ
that caused him to see his reproach as greater riches. Let's go on
reading. Esteeming the reproach of Christ,
greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect
under the recompense of the reward. Now I want you to think about
it. May God give us grace to think the right way. We naturally think wrong. You
know that. But may God give us the grace to think the right
way. What would it profit a man If he gained the whole world,
these are the words of our Lord Jesus, what would it profit a
man if he would gain the whole world and lose his own soul? And what will a man give in exchange
for his soul? If you got all the riches of
this world and lost your soul, what would it profit? But yet, in esteeming the reproach
of Christ, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, we have
respect for the recompense of the Lord. You know what my reward
is? It's a reward of grace. I realize this. Then it's the
reward of the complete forgiveness of sins. It's the reward of perfect
righteousness before God. It's the reward of the promise
that everything is working together for my good and His glory. It's
the reward of perfect conformity to the image of the Lord Jesus
Christ. It's the reward of spending eternity in His presence with
His people. It's the reward of being the
inheritor of all things, being joint heirs with Christ. Now,
which is better? Which is better? He had respect under the recompense
of the reward, verse 27. By faith, he forsook Egypt. He renounced Egypt, not fearing
the wrath of the king, for he endured, as seeing him who is
invisible. Now let me remind you, when you read the Old Testament
account, what did he do? He murdered somebody. He hid
the body in the sand. And when the king found out,
in fear he ran for his life and dwelt in the land of Midian.
That's the Old Testament account. But what's the New Testament
account? He wasn't afraid of the wrath of the king. Now, why
the discrepancy? Well, the Old Testament account
gives the story of his flesh. The New Testament account gives
the story of the new nature. He was not afraid of the wrath
of the king. Let me back back for a moment. I love it when it says when he
was born, his parents saw he was a goodly child. This goodness,
this new nature comes at birth, not the first birth, but the
second birth. And it was this, the New Testament is giving the
story of the new birth, the new man, Moses. By faith, he forsook
Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured.
He persevered as seeing him who is invisible. He pursued Egypt. Now, what is Egypt all about?
Turn to Revelation chapter 11. There's typical significance
to Egypt. He renounced. That's the word. Pursued. He
renounced. He cut off all association with
Egypt. Revelation chapter 11. Verse Eight, and their dead bodies
shall lie in the street of the great city, which is spiritually
called Sodom and Egypt, which also our Lord was crucified.
Now notice Jerusalem is called Sodom and Egypt. Egypt represents
the flesh. It represents man's religion. It represents man's philosophy.
It represents man's works. Sodom. What is Sodom? Well, it has something to do
with homosexuality. And I want you to understand
this. When the Bible forbids homosexuality, I can't stand
people who become homophobic in the sense they act like a
homosexual is worse than somebody else. That's one sin as bad as
another. Adultery is just as bad. But
it's what homosexuality represents. It's the act that cannot produce
life. Man's religion cannot produce
spiritual life. No one is born of God in man's
religion. It does not produce life. Sodom and Egypt, man's religion. And what Moses did is he refused
to be associated with man's religion. I love thinking about this in
the days of John the Baptist. If you were going to hear from
God, would you hear from him in the synagogue? Would you hear
from him in organized religion? No, you had to go out to the
wilderness to hear John the Baptist preach. And you're not going
to hear from God in organized man's religion. It's not going
to happen. You hear from him where his truth is preached.
And he forsook the wrath. He forsook association with Egypt.
Back to our text, Hebrews 11. By faith, he forsook. He renounced
Egypt. He wasn't going to have any ties.
He turned his back on that, not fearing the wrath of the king,
for he endured. He persevered. And this is what
faith does. It perseveres. Somebody says,
I love what somebody said at the bargain. They said, do you
think I'm safe? He said, see me in 30 years.
See me in 30 years. And I understand what he meant
by that. Anybody who's a believer perseveres. They persevere. They
endure all the way to the end. And here's why they persevere.
They see Him who is invisible. Understand, faith is not believing
a doctrine. Faith is seeing a person. And everything, every doctrine
you believe comes from seeing that person. Who do you believe? That's the issue. He endured.
He persevered as seeing him who is invisible. Verse 28. And you see all the things Moses
faith did. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
He refused association with this world. He chose to suffer affliction
with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of
sin for a season. He esteemed the reproach of Christ, greater
riches than the treasures of Egypt. He had respect under the
recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not
fearing the wrath of the king. He endured, he persevered at
seeing him who is invisible. Verse 28, through faith he kept
the Passover. and the sprinkling of the blood,
lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. Through faith
he kept the Passover." Now, I want to remind you of a very important
scripture. 1 Corinthians 15.3, when Paul's defining the gospel,
he says, Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel.
And he says, it's how that Christ died for our sins according to
the scriptures. Now, if I say Christ died for
our sins, I've not preached the gospel. Not according to Paul. I say how that Christ died for
our sins according to the scriptures. Now that's the preaching of the
gospel. And the Passover is how that Christ died for our sins
according to the Old Testament scriptures. You take any of these
ceremonies, that's how that Christ died for our sins according to
the scriptures. And nothing is more clear than the Passover.
Through faith, he kept the Passover. Now what's the Passover all about?
God told the children of Israel, I'm going to pass through the
land and I'm going to destroy the firstborn. I'm going to kill
every firstborn man, beast, doesn't matter who it is, I'm going to
kill them all. But there's a place of safety. You take a lamb without
blemish, picturing the lamb of God, and you kill it. And you take the blood of that
lamb and put it over the door and you go in the house and you
eat all of it that night. And when I pass through the land,
when I see the blood, I will pass over you." Christ died for
our sins according to the Scriptures. Now, what if one of those Israelites
said, I'm going to put up gold. Gold is valuable. I'm going to
put up gold. Surely, that's as good or better. After all, as long as my heart's
sincere, what difference does it make? I'm going to put up
gold. What would happen to him? God would have killed him. Right now. What is the one thing that God
was looking for? He didn't say, when I see your
faith, I'll pass over you. He didn't say, when I see your
good works or your sincerity or your doctrinal understanding,
what was the one thing God was looking for? He said, when I
see the blood, I'll pass over you. Now, what is it that proved
you really believe that? What is it that proved that you
really believed what God said was going to happen? That's one
thing. You got in the house with the blood over the door. And
you didn't come out. And you ate the Passover. You
ate it the way God said to eat it. You were to eat all of it.
You weren't to eat it watered down or boiled down, but roasted
with fire, picturing the crucifixion of Christ. And you ate all of
it. Nothing was to be left. How much
of the Gospel do I have to believe? All of it. All of it. Every bit of it. Everything God
says. Through faith he kept the Passover. He understood that God would
destroy him if he wasn't in a house with the blood over the door.
So he kept the Passover. Now, how does that translate
to right now? It does translate to right now.
Here's the way it translates. There's only one place I want
to be found. In the Lord Jesus Christ. Nowhere
else. When God comes looking for me, I've said this before, but I'm
going to say it again. I don't want to be found on my hands
and knees in prayer. I don't want to be found preaching.
Oh, I'd like to be. My flesh would. I'd love to die
preaching. Wouldn't that be good? I don't want to be found witnessing.
I don't want to be found reading the Bible. I want to be found
in the Lord Jesus Christ. So as that all he sees is the
Lord Jesus Christ, me in him. Through faith he kept the Passover. Now this is what faith does.
It works. It endures. It keeps the Passover. It renounces Egypt. It renounces
man's religion. This is the works of faith. Now,
while faith is contrary to works, I'm saved by grace. Altogether
by grace. Every aspect of my salvation
is by the grace of God. And the evidence that that faith
is real is it'll do just what Moses did. Do you esteem the
reproach of Christ? Great riches. One last scripture, turn to Philippians
1. I touched on this this morning. It scares me to think of my preaching. Pleasing the natural man. If
it does. I've not preached the gospel. Now, I want to be pleasing in
my demeanor. I want to be pleasing in the
way I treat people. You all know that. But I'm talking about the
content of our preaching. If the natural man is pleased
with it, we haven't told the truth. And Philippians chapter
1, verse 27. Only let your conversation be
as it becometh the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and
see you or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you
stand fast in one spirit with one mind, striving together for
the faith of the gospel and in nothing terrified by your adversaries,
which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation
and that of God, for unto you it's given. In the behalf of
Christ, not only to believe on him. Now, if you believe it was
given to you for Christ's sake, wasn't it? You understand that.
But it's given to you in the behalf of Christ, not only to
believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. Now, I want the
reproach of Christ and I don't want it for reproaches sake.
It's not like I'm come on, persecute me. Not at all. But I want to
preach the gospel in such a way as I bear the reproach of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Remember how the disciples, after
they were beat, they left rejoicing that they were counted worthy
to suffer shame for his name. I hope the Lord gives us the
grace to have this thirst to do whatever it takes for his
namesake. Let's pray together.