A Counter-cultural Faith
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Brawndo
Brawndo
One of my most favorite comedy movies is Idiocracy. This movie is set in 2005, and an average soldier by by the name of Joe Bowers (Luke Wilson) is selected to take part in a secret military experiment to put him in hibernation for a year along with a woman named Rita (Maya Rudolph). It happens that they are forgotten about when the base they are stored on is closed down and are left in stasis until 2505. When they finally wake up, they discover the average intelligence of humans has decreased so much that Joe is now the smartest man in the world. The intelligent people in the world have decided that the best liquid for a human to consume is a sports drink called Brawndo. And every time Joe Bowers asks for some water to drink the response is “you mean like in the toilet?” The world has not only decided that it’s the best drink but it is also what they use to water the failing crops of the country. There’s a scene in the movie where there is a planning meeting to save the crops and Joe is trying to convince them that water is best and he get’s the response “But Brawndo’s got what plants crave, it’s got electrolytes!” It he has the utter look of failure in his eyes. At times I feel just as alien in this current time. I look at what is considered normal and sometimes it seems like it would be easier to just give up and give in! I know that God has not called us to be what the masses have become. And it would in fact be easier to join in with group think, become sheeple and be comfortable! But we’re not called to do that!
Going against the grain
As we’ve made our way through this sermon series about running this race of faith we’ve gleaned several tips in order to be successful in our race. This great cloud of witnesses has allowed me to run more efficiently and we have one more for you today! On this morning we check out what Moses has for us in the way he ran.
This story of faith begins with father Abraham who had many sons BTW. God asked him to leave his family and country and go to a place that he did not have the address to. And Abraham agreed. Because of his faith and obedience God made him a promise that he would be blessed, his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, and the whole world would be blessed through his lineage. Abraham goes to this land and lives in tents, never really owns much of it, and still remained faithful even though he didn’t have a child with his wife Sarai to begin a lineage with! God assures him that after a time of 400 years of his family being slaves they would be redeemed. Some time passes and Abraham finally has a son by the name of Isaac who then gives birth to a set of twins. One is a hairy child named Esau and the other is a sneaky kid named Jacob. Jacob has a wrestling match with a messenger of God and his name is changed afterwards to Israel. Israel fathered the twelve sons and one his sons was Joseph. Joseph was the guy with the colorful coat and there was a problem because his brothers were jealous of him. They decided the best course of action would be to sell him into slavery in Egypt. But even though they meant to harm Joseph, God meant good for him and his family. Jacob found favor in the eyes of Pharoah and he helped favor solve a problem for a famine that spread from Egypt to the promised land where his family dwelt. Jacob at that point believing his son to be dead sends the sons to Egypt and the family is reunited. The family moves there and the descendants multiply and flourish in Egypt… Until that Pharoah dies and the new one who did not know of Joseph and his efforts to help save Egypt decided to treat the Israelite people harshly. He believed the people to be too numerous and gave an edict for all male infants to be killed… For a better recap read .
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.
22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”
21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
Moses was born into a tumultuous time where evil people had power over their world. And in his wickedness Pharoah caused a culture of wickedness.
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.
Moses was blessed to be born to parents of great faith unfortunately faith is not hereditary or contagious. Moses had to make his own decision to be faithful.
Edict- That which has been ordered or commanded.
“Legality does not define morality”
Holocaust (legal gas chambers etc.)
American slavery (was legal…)
Same Sex marriage
No love for illegals
Let us not find ourselves on the wrong side of history. Sometimes we HAVE to go against what is “NORMAL”
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.
After hiding her son for three months his mother decides to prepare a basket and place the young child in it and into the Nile. And it happens that the daughter of the Pharaoh found him!
5 Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. 6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.
ex 2
One thing I love about the south is the hospitality. Southern hospitality is a real thing! Have you ever gotten a handwritten note of thanks?!! That has to be one of the best feelings in the world. You took the time to communicate with me through an antiquated form of communication?! But that is just something that we do in the south. We show gratitude when someone does something nice for us! But here in this situation Moses doesn’t show southern hospitality! Why? He understood that there is something in a name.
One thing I love about the south is the hospitality. Southern hospitality is a real thing! Have you ever gotten a handwritten note of thanks?!! That has to be one of the best feelings in the world. You took the time to communicate with me through an antiquated form of communication?! But that is just something that we do in the south. We show gratitude when someone does something nice for us! But here in this situation Moses doesn’t show southern hospitality! Why? Was Moses being rude? He understood that there is something in a name.
Anyone have and enjoy the following nicknames?
Jezebel
Judas
Big Dummy
There is something in a name.
What do people call you?
What can be attributed to you?
25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
heb
There’s always a choice!- As a kid I enjoyed reading the book series “Give Yourself Goosebumps”. It was a new kind of Goosebump “scary” book that allowed you to choose your own path. But one thing that I hated more so than anything was to choose what I believed was the right/best/most appealing choice and then end up with a very brief and dull story. I would cheat and peek ahead at the different scenarios to find out which one was in my favor.
Yes the pleasures of sin look good. But it never ends well and it doesn’t last long!
Moses wasn’t too far off with his decision making because he understood that with God the pages were still going to turn and his end result would be in his favor!
Moses wasn’t too far off with his decision making because he understood that with God the pages were still going to turn and his end result would be in his favor!
True faith causes believers to make the right decisions even if the outcome causes discomfort. Or is unpopular...
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.
The word for disgrace in the Greek is mentioned 5 times in the NT, 3 times in Hebrews.
ὀνειδισμός- act of disparagement that results in disgrace, reproach, reviling, disgrace, insult
32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
heb 10 32-
act of disparagement that results in disgrace, reproach, reviling, disgrace, insult
Remember that addiction that you had and overcome ? Don’t give up!
Remember how folks wouldn’t let you forget that you ruined your marriage and God made you whole again? Don’t give up!
DON’T FORGET WHERE YOU’VE COME FROM!
10 We have an altar from which those who officiate in the tent have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify the people by his own blood. 13 Let us then go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
13 Let us then go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured.
heb 13 10-
The Hebrew writer here compares the reproach of Jesus to a sin offering, which they would have understood.
He invites the recipients of the letter to join in the reproach.
27 The bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall be taken outside the camp; their skin and their flesh and their dung shall be consumed in fire.
lev
When the blood was taken for the sin offering the whole animal was burnt up!
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.
So when the Hebrew author states that Moses thought the disgrace for the sake of Christ was of greater value he’s not stating that Moses knew Jesus Christ he’s stating that he knew that accepting the same type of reproach/insults/disgrace for God because there is a reward or recompense for doing so! THOUGH HE COULD NOT YET SEE IT!
God is a just God! And he’s an equal opportunity God! You will receive compensation for your work(s)...
You can’t be a Christian avoid disgrace from the world. At some point it’s coming!
BUT LIKE MOSES WE HAVE TO KEEP LOOKING AHEAD TOWARDS THE REWARD!
Read v26 again!
Read v26 again!
AND BECAUSE OF HIS FORWARD LOOKING TO HIS REWARD THAT HE COULD NOT SEE HIS FAITH WAS ACTIVATED!
27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
Moses didn’t have an Army when he left Egypt but he wasn’t afraid of the man who DID have one!
Do yall remember the movie The Matrix? When Neo began to believe that he was the one?!! Agent Smith had just shot him and all seemed lost. He rises up and his eyes are opened to what no one but him could see! He saw the binary code and that everything that seemed real was not and his limitations were no more! Look at
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
When we start to see the unseen! I mean really see it! This world won’t seem so harsh anymore.
Almost two months ago on a Saturday my wife called me and let me know that while she was at a stop light someone ran into the back of her car! I let out a sigh and I ask her if she called me or the police first. I’m thinking that it’s not very bad and then I see this! SHOW PIC I’m upset and it is made worse by the fact that the young lady was on her phone. Then someone who witnessed the whole thing and comes to me and starts a conversation. They say “Hey is that your wife?” I tell them “yes it is. What’s up?” They then say “Tell her to fall out and then have them call an ambulance! You can make some money!” That pushes me to another level of anger! Outside I’m calm but the mercury is rising! I help with the exchange of info and begin to take pics. And it was not until later, after getting the bad news of a totaled vehicle, having to commute with one car, and knowing we were going to have a car payment again I saw my wife’s face. In the picture I was focused the harsh “realities” of the situation. At the scene she was reassuring the young lady that everything was OK as she cried. She even invited her to church with us! Faith will allow you to be in the middle of a harsh world and still smile! Faith will allow you to ability to boldly reject a wicked world with no tangible solution! This kind of faith that Moses showed was countercultural!
