Hebrews #32: an exposition of Hebrews 11:23-29. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, November 30, 2014.
Intro:
The apostle Paul told the Romans, “The righteous will live by faith.” He told the Galatian believers, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Repeatedly the message of the writer of Hebrews is that we must live by faith. How are we saved? By grace through faith. How do we walk in obedience to the call and command of Christ? By faith. We know that. We understand that. We know that to accomplish great things we must be men and women of faith. You must also understand you must lived by faith in the ordinary and the mundane. It takes faith to stop and listen to your child when you’re late for the office and you’ve got a thousand things to do today. It takes faith to believe that being at home changing diapers, doing laundry and raising your kids is just as much a calling of God as “losing your life in some Muslim country for the sake of the Gospel.” Both callings demand faith to stay where God has put you and accomplish the task He has assigned. Too often we think faith is necessary for the “really big” things, the rest we are just to handle ourselves. “I’ve got this one Lord. I’ll let you know if and when I need help.” No, you need faith for every task assigned. You are to exercise faith in all matters. To some degree it is easier to give your life away in some distant land than it is to set in an office crunching numbers and wondering if you are really sold out for Jesus or if you’ve just sold out? Whether you are called to serve Christ on the mission field in some distant land or called to live a normal, ordinary life were you go to work, love and provide for your family and serve your local church it demands the same faith. It demands the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.
What does that faith look like?
That is the focus of Hebrews chapter 11.
Our text this morning is found in Hebrews 11 beginning with verse 23.
Text: Hebrews 11:23-29
The biblical writer describes faith for us in 11:1.
Then, beginning with verse 4 he sets before us a catalogue of the faithful.
Here are men and women who live out that faith.
Here are examples for us to follow.
There is Abel with his more acceptable sacrifice. Then Enoch who was well pleasing to God. Well pleasing because he walked by faith for without faith it is impossible to please God. Noah is a shining example of persistent faith. Verses 8-22 give us the example of Father Abraham. Now we come to Moses.
You knew Moses would have to be included in this list.
If ancient Israel had trading cards – Moses’ rookie card would be worth a fortune.
He was Israel’s greatest prophet.
He was their deliverer.
Their lawgiver.
Their historian.
He was the friend of God.
Listen to his epitaph:
And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:10-12)
Consider Numbers 12:6-8:
And he said, Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream.
7 Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house.
8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the LORD…
Yet:
Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. (Numbers 12:3)
(Read the text)
Thesis: Biblical faith defies paralyzing fear, choses the things of God over the pleasures of this world and assures a profound deliverance.
There are three (3) things I want to point out along the way.
- Biblical faith produces risk-taking courage and profound love. (11:23)
- Biblical faith chooses identification with the things of God over the pleasures of this world. (11:24-27)
- Biblical faith assures a profound deliverance. (11:28,29)
Conclusion:
The life of faith is not an easy life. You will regularly find yourself at a crossroad. Will you act in faith? Trusting His grace and power? Or will you surrender to your fear? Throw it all away for a moment of fleeting pleasure?
Biblical faith defies paralyzing fear, chooses the things of God over the pleasures of this world and assures a profound deliverance.