Hebrews 11:23-31 Making choices by faith / Choosing to align with the Lord

Clip from a well known movie of a few years ago.

Indiana Jones – Choose well clip

Making choices by faith. That is choosing well.

Let’s look at some folks who chose well.

I. Choosing by faith – A prosperous person chose to align with the Lord

A. Received a heritage of faith *

(ESV) Hebrews 11 23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hiddenfor three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

Exodus 1 22 Then Pharaoh commandedall his people, “Every sonthat is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, …

beautiful child. Meaning “favored

(ESV) Acts 7 20 At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house,

B. Rejected the world’s pleasures

(ESV) Hebrews 11 24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refusedto be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking tothe reward.

1) Deliberate choice

2. Pleasures? Yes – fleeting / sinful if distract from the purposes of God

3. Paradox – suffering is greater value than wealth

4. Trouble because of following Christ

in Philippians 3:7 (‘whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ’

5. Greater value than this time periods’ benefits – looking forward to God’s reward

6. Focused attention – looking forward

C. Unafraid of the worlds displeasure

(ESV) Hebrews 11 27 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.

First time – afraid

Seccond time – unafraid and trusting God

That time he did fear Pharaoh’s wrath. On the second occasion, he turned his back on Egypt and all that it represented. This leaving was not for fear of Pharoah, so it is the one in view here. seeing Him.Moses’ faith was such that he responded to God’s commands as though God were standing visibly before him

D. Embraced redemption by the blood for self and others

(ESV) Hebrews 11 28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyerof the firstborn might not touch them.

(ESV) Hebrews 9 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of bloodthere is no forgiveness of sins.

II. Choosing by faith – A people in bondage chose to align with the Lord

A. The Israelites in bondage / out of slavery and chaos **

(ESV) Hebrews 11 29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.

1. In the midst of fearfulness and unbelief

(ESV) Exodus 14 10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to usin bringing us out of Egypt? 12 … For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

2. Responded by faith to the Word of God through Moses

(ESV) Exodus 14 13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

B. The wilderness Israelites – omitted because of lack of faith *

(ESV) Hebrews 3 16 For who were those who heardand yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?

(ESV) Hebrews 3 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

1. No faith / saw great things / did not produce faith

2. Most died in the wilderness

C. The second generation Israelites – by faith followed God’s instructions

(ESV) Hebrews 11 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.

people did nothing militarily to cause the fall of Jericho; they simply followed God’s instructions in faith

1. Unlikely commands

2. Obeyed

III. Choosing by faith – A person on the margins chose to align with the Lord

A. An unlikely person

(ESV) Hebrews 11 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

a woman, a Gentile, and an open sinner

B. Did not perish with countrymen

(ESV) Hebrews 11 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

C. Embraced the Lord (and His people)

(ESV) Hebrews 11 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

(ESV) Joshua 2 8 Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof 9 and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

(ESV) Joshua 2 11 And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earthbeneath. 12 Now then, please swear to me by the Lordthat, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign

11:33–34 Three sets of three items from this catalog of faith deeds: The first triplet concerns events that affected Israel as a whole; the second triplet considers stories of dramatic personal deliverance; the third triplet looks at examples of power released through faith.

(ESV) Hebrews 11 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises,

stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword,

were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.