Faith That Delivers

INTRODUCTION:

We have been on the Faith Hall of Fame Series

Recap: We’ve seen:

Abel: Our faith can speak long after we’re gone

Noah: Our faith can build the impossible

Abraham: Our faith can take us into the unknown

Joshua: Our faith can tear down walls

Introduce Title: And today we turn the page to Moses — our faith can lead to deliverance of others and ourselves:

A Faith that Delivers

THE SOLUTION: Transition into objective of sermon

Moses was one of the greatest historical figures of all-time

The Lawgiver: who received the Ten Commandments

The Prophet: who performed great miracles, like parting the Red Sea

The Friend of God: who spoke to God face to face

The Deliverer — who led over two million Hebrew slaves out of Egypt and to the promised land

But all these amazing titles came at the latter part of his life —But the majority of his life was spent wrestling with his own faith and discovering his path — because you see faith is a journey

In fact the author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith — meaning that God is the one who writes the beginning and the ending of our faith story

But that means there is also a middle — That's where we wrestle — That's where we make mistakes — And that's where we learn to truly surrender.

Transition:

And Moses knows all about that middle part

— From a baby floating in a basket to a prince in a palace

— From a murderer on the run to a shepherd in hiding

— From a reluctant leader to a prophet called by God

— Moses had to endure through his own seasons before becoming the man of God we know him as today

So wherever you are in your faith journey today — my prayer is that — by learning from the life of Moses that you will be able to place your trust in God — and experience a faith that delivers

— Let’s Pray

Before we read our main passage — I want to give you some context

Context

Ladies picture this: You're pregnant. You should be picking out baby names and decorating a nursery. Instead, you're hearing the screams of mothers as soldiers rip newborns from their arms and throw them in the river

This was the world in which Moses was born in

The Hebrews — the descendants of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob had settled in Egypt during the time of Joseph

And Exodus 1:7 tells us that “they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.”

But now came this new Pharaoh that did not know Joseph — and he saw the Hebrews as a threat

So in an attempt to stop them from multiplying — he orders that every Hebrew baby boy be thrown into the Nile river.

It is in this context that Moses was born — his death warrant issued before his umbilical cord was even cut — in a helpless and hopeless situation — condemned to be thrown into the Nile river to die — simply for being a Hebrew.

Main Passage: Hebrews 11:23-27

Hebrews 11:23–27 NIV

23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.

Transition to next point: As you can see by the passage, Moses’ story doesn’t begin with Moses. It began with the faith of his parents.

1. Faith Sees Hope

A. Faith sees

The writer of Hebrews reveals two things to us about why his parents hid Moses for three months — and defied the king’s orders — even though they could be executed

Because they saw he was no ordinary child — and they were not afraid of the king’s edict

They saw — and they were not afraid

When the writer of Hebrews wrote Hebrews 11, his main point is that faith is the assurance of things not seen

meaning faith can see beyond our natural circumstances — faith can see what normal eyes can’t see

And this point can be applied to every character we study in this series — after all, they are the examples of this exact point that he is making

That “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Faith sees what is invisible — faith sees hope

I’m sure Moses was probably the cutest baby ever — but what his mother saw was more than that

What she saw was a baby that was created in the image of God, that had potential, that had purpose, that had a future — Even if he was condemned to die.

While others saw a tragedy — she saw hope

When Pharaoh issued a death sentence— she stood firm in her faith — and believed God had a plan

Because faith sees hope — and faith rejects fear

So what does she do?

Exodus 2:3 “3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.”

The irony here is that the same river that Pharaoh ordered the babies to be thrown in — ends up being the same river that Moses’ mother release him in at the end.

The truth is, in those days, this was a common way of abandoning babies in the ancient world

It was in fact the equivalent of leaving them on the steps of a hospital or orphanage today.

The shallows of a river, by the reeds, would have been the ideal place to expose a baby and ensure its being found by the women who came to wash clothes or prepare food

Now I don’t know if she knew that it would be the daughter of Pharaoh bathing there — But I am confident that she believed that God would place somebody on the other end to receive her baby — and she was not afraid to let her baby go

Why? Because faith sees hope — and rejects fear

Fear holds on — but faith let’s go

And sure enough — God honors her faith — and her little boy is found by the daughter of Pharaoh who then adopts him as her son

B. Fear holds on — but faith let’s go

Illustration: Let me tell you about another baby

There was a little boy who was born in Australia in 1982.

And to everyone’s shock — even the doctors — this baby was born with no arms and no legs. 

Some questioned whether this child could or even should survive.

They wondered if it would be better to just give up—what kind of life could this child possibly live?

But something happened to his parents — overwhelmed and broken at first — they chose to believe that God didn’t make a mistake.

They began to see something more.

They believed that this little boy’s life had purpose—even if no one else could see it.

That boy grew up to be Nick Vujicic — a world-renowned speaker, evangelist, husband, and father — a man who has preached the Gospel to millions around the world.

He has no limbs — but he’s been used by God to reach more people than most of us ever will.

Why?

Because someone saw hope where others hopelessness.

- Pause -

Parents — what do you see when you look at your child today?

What do you see when your child is struggling with addiction? Do you see a lost cause or a future testimony?

When your teenager rebels, do you see defiance or a leader who hasn't found their way yet?

Do you see hope, or do you see fear?

- Emphasize -

The devil wants you to think that you and your loved ones are destined to drown in the river of addiction, sickness, rejection, failure — that you were a mistake — that you deserve to die

But I declare over you today — The same river that was meant to drown you — is gonna be the same river that God will use to carry you to your destiny —

Isaiah 46:4 “4 Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”

This is the Word of the LORD

Faith sees hope and rejects fear

Transition to next point: While Moses’ faith journey began with his parents — when he grew up, he had to discover the path of faith for himself

2. Faith Sees Identity

A. Moses embraces his identity

Hebrews 11:24 “24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.”

Moses’ first act of faith was to reject his Egyptian identity and embrace who he truly was — a Hebrew

Moses was 40 years old at this point — he was no longer that poor Hebrew baby floating hopelessly in the Nile River

Everything about him now reflected strength, power and all the decadence of Egyptian royalty

Stephen in Acts 7:22 tells us that “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.”

Moses was fully immersed and assimilated into the culture — the lifestyle — and all the privileges of the Egyptian kingdom

He had the finest education, military training, and social training that money could buy

He looked like an Egyptian, walked like an Egyptian, and talked like an Egyptian

But all the while — Moses was facing an identity crisis— because in his heart, he was a Hebrew — a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — a people chosen by God — a people of promise and faith

Exodus 2:11 “11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.”

He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew

This must have been an existential moment for him

On the outside everything about Moses screamed Egyptian — but on the inside, he couldn’t deny or run away from his true identity — He was a Hebrew

The costume no longer fit. The mask was suffocating.

So, in the next verse, he does something crazy

Exodus 2:12 “12 Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.”

I doubt that Moses woke up that morning and decided I’m gonna kill an Egyptian today

No, this was a crime of passion

All the years of his own suppressed inner conflict was playing out right in front of him — and so he lashes out

And maybe by killing that Egyptian, he felt he was killing his false Egyptian identity

What can we draw from all this? — Is this faith? — Killing in an act of rage? — Does our faith justify acts of violence?

Well first let’s look at the intent

When we tie it back to what we said about faith — that faith is the evidence of things not seen

We can say that: — What Moses saw on the outside (his Egyptian identity) did not match what he saw on the inside (his Hebrew identity) — and he had a choice to make — And he chose to believe that which was unseen more than what was seen

To the extent that he chose to identify with the oppressed rather then oppressor — even though it would cost him everything— he valued what was inside more than what was on the outside

Hebrews 11:25–26 “25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”

After 40 years of going along with it — he refused to conform any longer — and he choose his true identity even if it meant losing everything

Faith sees identity and rejects conformity

Now if you are having a hard time understanding the spiritual implications of this — let me break it down to you

Who you are on the inside — your soul — is more important than who you are on the outside — your flesh

It doesn’t matter if you are rich, educated, or even poor and uneducated for that matter — what matters is your soul

How many of us are living double lives? You're one person at church, another at work. — One person in public, another in private.

Some of you are exhausted from maintaining an image that no longer fits. — The world has dressed you up in its values, but your soul is suffocating.

Romans 12:2 “2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

There is a transformation that needs to occur on the inside of you

B. Moses rejected

Now let’s address his action

For Moses that transformation had not yet occurred

Yes, there was a step of faith had occurred — he no longer wanted to conform to a false identity

He refused to remain complicit in the face of injustice

but How his faith manifested exposed his spiritual immaturity and lack of transformation — he was impulsive — full of pride and self-reliance

His faith manifested according to his current understanding — His Egyptian mentality

I have all this power and privilege thanks to my title and position

I’m gonna use that to deliver my people because they need my help — and with that mentality, he justified murder

The next day — after committing murder — he goes out and he sees 2 Hebrews fighting — and then proceeds to try to mediate the situation —

One of them immediately calls him out saying, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?”

Acts 7:25 “25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.”

What’s wrong with them? Don’t they see I’m trying to help? — that I’m on their side?

Moses’ first action of faith was bold and powerful — but it was reckless, overzealous, and destructive —

He didn’t yet have the character — he didn’t yet have the humility needed to be a deliverer

He stepped out — but he stepped out in his own strength in his own understanding

And instead of delivering his people — he ends up a fugitive — escaping into the wilderness — and hiding as a stranger in another land for the next 40 years of his life

C. Takeaway

We live in a time where people are bold and brazen in what they do and say — often in the name of faith / justice— but what they lack is understanding —

No spiritual transformation has occurred — they are just airing out their own knowledge and understanding often conformed to the pattern of this world — all the while murdering anyone that disagrees with them online

It’s time we stop letting the world define who we are — it’s time we stop using our own strength and understanding to fix broken things — and submit to the transformation that only God can bring

Maybe for you, the Egyptian palace is a lifestyle that no longer fits you — Or an image you’ve been trying to keep up that doesn’t reflect who God made you to be — What would it look like for you to finally say, “I refuse to live a lie… I choose my true identity in Christ.”

Because when you do, God can begin to transform you.

Faith sees identity and rejects conformity

Transition to next point: The person born in poverty, but raised in prosperity, now ended up living in obscurity on the backside of the desert. It was almost as though God had given up on him. But in reality, God was preparing him for an even greater destiny

3. Faith Sees God

A. Moses settled down

We don’t know too much about the life of Moses while he was in Midian — but we do know that he spent 40 years there. — There he settled down, married a woman named Zipporah — and there he became a shepherd.

Exodus 2:22 “22 Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.””

Can you feel his pain? — One mistake. One moment of misguided passion — The Egyptian-Hebrew was now neither — just a foreigner in a foreign land — stripped of everything — a shepherd walking the same sheep trails, carrying the same staff, waking up to the same barren landscape — for the next 40 years

Some of you know exactly how Moses felt. — You used to be somebody. — You had the position, the influence, the platform. — But one divorce, one bankruptcy, one scandal, one diagnosis, and now you're in your own Midian

You wake up every day thinking, "My best years are behind me. God has forgotten about me."

But God was not done with Moses — And He’s not done with you

B. The far side of the wilderness

Exodus 3:1–2 “1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.”

There the angel of the Lord appeared to him — where? On the far side of the wilderness — on the mountain of God

Not in the palace with all its power. — Not in the city with all its connections. — On the far side of the wilderness — on the mountain of God

The place where he no longer held any title— the place where his ego had finally died — the place where he wasn’t trying to be a deliverer anymore — he was just living a humble life

One Bible commentary puts it this way

“It was not until the self-confident young Egyptian finally knew himself to be an old Midianite shepherd, past the days of further human accomplishment, that he was finally usable for God”

You see, it wasn't that God took forty years to find Moses.— But rather, it took forty years to get Egypt out of Moses — It took Moses forty years to stop running long enough to look and see God.

Exodus 3:3–4 “3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” 4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.””

If you’re wondering why you can’t find God while you’re busy climbing up the corporate ladder, building your network, and pursuing your own causes — it’s because you have stopped to look for Him — you’re looking to be something — you’re looking to do good things — but you’re not looking for HIM — because you still wanna do it your own way

God does not need your position — your influence — your money — He wants you

Jeremiah 29:13 “13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

— THERE — on the far side of the wilderness — THERE — in your solitude — THERE — in your forgoten-ness — THERE — where you thought you lost it all — THERE — He’s gonna meet you and send you

Transition to end:

What the story of Moses teaches us is that deliverance is never the product of human strength or ability .

It's not something we achieve through our resources, connections, or capabilities.

Deliverance is a gift of God, made available to those who have been emptied themselves of self-sufficiency

REVIEW: Objective and rationale

Eighty years. That's how long it took to prepare Moses for his forty-year assignment.

Eighty years of preparation for forty years of purpose.

A baby in a basket became the deliverer of a nation.

A murderer on the run became a friend of God.

A shepherd of sheep became a shepherd of millions.

Summary:

Faith Sees Hope and rejects fear.

Faith Sees Identity and rejects conformity.

Faith Sees God and rejects self-sufficiency.

Sermon Call to Action: 

Wherever you are in your journey. God is not done with your story.

Let go of fear. Embrace your God-given identity. Stop striving in your own strength — and seek God with all your heart.

Deliverance is not found in power or performance — it’s found in surrender.

Prayer Call to Action:

If you're here and you've never accepted Christ — you've been floating through life without an anchor—today is your day of deliverance. Today, you can move from death to life, from hopelessness to purpose.

If you're a believer but you're living in compromise — maintaining a false identity, conforming to the world's pattern—today is your day to refuse the palace and choose your true identity.

If you're in the wilderness — feeling forgotten, disqualified, useless — today God wants to meet you on the far side of your wilderness and recommission you for His purpose.

Salvation call

Dear God,

I confess that I’m a sinner,

and I ask for your forgiveness.

I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord

I believe that You raised him from the dead

From this day forward,

I surrender my life,

I surrender my will

to Jesus Christ

I pray this in the name of Jesus.

Amen.

If you prayed that prayer for the first time: Text LIVING to 94000