Hebrews 11

V 23) By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

V 24) By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; 25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; 26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.

V 27) By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.

What is faith? 

Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” 

We all know the story of Moses.  Do we ever stop to ponder, seriously grasp, the fear and turmoil that Moses’ parents and Moses himself endured?

What would you do if our government declared that all baby boys would be killed, and you had a baby boy?  What would you do if you came to the realization that your own family believed in and lived a way of life that you were compelled to abandon, but you loved them deeply?  What if it cost you your wealth, position, or sense of  belonging?  What if you were faced with death or a situation that seemed so hopeless you wanted to run, or hide?  In your mind and in your resources there seemed no way out?

By faith….

Will you consider Him and all His “greater riches” more than the treasures you’ve  accumulated? The treasures of your anxious way of living, and the comfort of fear that keeps you from doing greater things and making changes?

 Would you leave “Egypt” and all that you know for a higher calling that takes complete faith and trust?  Can we trust more in the “invisible” than what is obvious or expected?  Ah!  Expectations!  What expectations run through your soul and mind that cloud the voice of God in your life?

When I was 23 years old, God gave me a vision through a dream.  As I laid in my bed, alone, with Victoria as an infant sleeping in her crib, I cried out to God.  My husband was working late at his job, and the company had asked us to move again–further away from home.  God showed me Moses on a mountain praying.  God spoke to my heart and said, “Child, if I took care of Moses and all my people, surely I will care for you.  Be not afraid!”

Since that time I’ve had more serious trials than a move.  God has been faithful, and He has cared for us.  Things are changing so much in our lives recently.  Your 40’s bring changes that rock your soul.  You look back over your life and you look to your future and beseech God on so many levels.

 “I just pray that hope will go on living.  In this house of a thousand dreams.” (Martina McBride)  

Music moves me.  This song speaks my heart cry.  More than a thousand dreams exist in my home–I pray most of all for Hope.  God says that, “Hope deferred makes a heart sick.”  Oh may the Hope of the eternal God thrive in our homes!

1 Peter 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

By faith….

I want to see less of this world and more of heaven and His riches and do greater things……………….

Burning our Bridges by Faith

The bridges were burned between Moses and Egypt well before he was threatened by Pharaoh – they were burned in his heart and they were burned by faith. That’s what faith does all through this chapter. Faith is a hunger for God that triumphs over our hunger for the pleasures of this world. And so faith unleashes radically God-centered, risk-taking, people-loving behavior.

Let’s be like Moses this morning. Let’s look to the reward of God’s promises, as it says in verse 26. And let’s look to the God who is unseen, as it says in verse 27. And let’s be so hungry for the superior worth of our glorious God that the bridges are burned to a hundred sins and a hundred fears.  (John Piper)

 http://www.esvbible.org/resources/piper-sermons/article-liberated-for-love-by-looking-to-the-reward/