Transcription downloaded from https://yetanothersermon.host/_/pbclincoln/sermons/103058/choosing-god-over-egypt/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] Think about it as the Faith Hall of Fame. You know, it talks about by faith, by faith, by faith. And it was not just extraordinary people, but it was by faith of ordinary people that made a difference.

[0:13] And we see here in the book of Hebrews in chapter 11, that shone forth with many people. You know, I want you to understand, the ones listed here in Hebrews chapter 11 weren't superheroes.

[0:27] You know, they weren't above everybody else. You know, I want you to understand, they were ordinary people. They were able to accomplish extraordinary things, not of themselves, but because of faith in God.

[0:44] Trusting the Lord. You know, and it ought to encourage us as we think about this idea of by faith. And this morning, we're going to look at Moses. Moses, you know, and Moses is looked upon as probably one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament.

[1:00] You know, Moses, God used him mightily for many things that seem unconceivable to us. I mean, we couldn't even understand some of the things that took place in Moses' life.

[1:12] I don't know about you, but I couldn't imagine, you know, even having your walking stick turn into a snake. I mean, it's like some of you, that'd just creep you out, you know? It's like, if it turned into a snake, you'd never pick it up, you know?

[1:25] But you see him cross the Red Sea. You see prayer up on the mountain with the Lord. I mean, Moses had an amazing life when you talk about by faith.

[1:37] But, you know, we can ask ourselves a question. Why was God able to use Moses so effectively? You know, that's a question we ought to ask. Why was God able to use Moses in all those things?

[1:54] And I want you to pay attention here as we read this morning. We're going to look at Hebrews chapter 11. We're going to start in verse 23. But as you stand together, if you found that passage of Scripture here this morning, we're going to look here, but listen for that dynamic and that connection of faith.

[2:16] Faith, it's important. Look here at verse 23. It says this, By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents because they saw he was a proper child and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.

[2:31] By faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ's greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect under the recompense of reward.

[2:54] By faith, he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Through faith, he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

[3:09] By faith, they passed through the Red Sea as upon dry land, which the Egyptians are saying to do were drowned. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, as we come before you this morning, Lord, as we take a few moments here to look at the life of Moses and not just all the things, but specifically how faith and trust in you and trust in what your promises have given to us, Lord, that makes a difference.

[3:40] Lord, just as they made a difference in Moses' life, Lord, this is a lesson for us today. Lord, as we answer these questions, even in our own life, Lord, maybe there's been, we've wavered or, Lord, we just don't understand what it is to truly live by faith.

[3:58] Lord, I pray you might be encouraged today to see and look and examine ourselves in this area of faith, Lord, as we see Moses choose you over Egypt.

[4:10] And Lord, I pray that you just encourage and strengthen here in Jesus' name. Amen. May be seated. You know, have you ever thought about that? Why was God able to use Moses in such a significant way?

[4:25] You know, I think as we look here at this passage, there's four basic questions that get answered for us. There's four very basic questions of life that need to be answered by every individual, not only for yourself, because, you know, sometimes the world promotes self.

[4:40] But I want you to understand, you need to understand who you are before God. Because that answer to that question, that idea of who am I? You know, people search today to answer that question.

[4:54] Who am I? What are my choices? You know, sometimes people get the idea, well, I'm just locked into this. There's nothing I can do to change it.

[5:08] I want you to understand, God tells us that you have a choice. You have a choice in life of what you're going to do. What are my choices? And third, what is important?

[5:21] You know, we all have a priority or hierarchy of importance in our life. What things take priority? What things supersede everything else?

[5:35] You know? Because if something takes priority, you know what it does? It does exactly that. It pushes something else out. You know, there's probably a lot of people just waking up this morning that pushed a lot of sleep out to watch an event last night.

[5:52] We won't make mention of it. Maybe it would be a depressive thing. It's not a depressive message. Because there's hope in God. Far beyond those things.

[6:04] But fourth, what are my goals? What direction am I going in life? And these questions are dealt with because Moses had to choose between God and Egypt.

[6:19] God and Egypt. You know, Egypt in the scripture is often a picture of sin and the old life. You know, today we have the same dynamic. You have to choose between God and the life this world desires and pushes you towards.

[6:35] You have a decision to make of what you're going to do. You know, Egypt is anything that offers you the world without God. You know, Moses had the world by the tail.

[6:48] I mean, you think about where Moses was. He had the world. Royalty in the richest kingdom in the world at the time.

[7:00] You know, I don't know about you, but by worldly standards, he had everything. He had everything somebody would desire to have. But I want you to understand, he had to settle a few things in this.

[7:15] You know, we're going to look here this morning because I think the first thing that Moses had to settle was his identity in God. He said, I have to be his.

[7:25] You know, I think that's important to understand. Whose are you? Who do you belong? Who am I? Am I his? Now the question is, do you live like it?

[7:40] You know, I want you to understand identity is a struggle for a lot of people today, but I want you to understand God already settled it. God already settled who you are. You know, the world says, look inside and discover yourself.

[7:54] And the Bible tells us that you are not your own, that you are bought with a price. You know, what a difference we find in the world between that and God.

[8:06] God made you for his purpose and his plan. And Moses had to deal with this in the first part of his life. You know, I want you to understand as you read through this four or five quick verses here, we think that, hey, this is just a short thing.

[8:23] I want you to understand this, what he's talking about here was over 80 years of Moses' life. It was not quick. It was not fast.

[8:35] But it was a walk and a direction that he chose. He said, I'm going to have an identity in Christ. Notice how he had an identity crisis.

[8:47] Notice what he said here in verse 24. It says, by faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. You know what?

[8:57] He had a choice to make. Am I going to be identified with Pharaoh's daughter or am I going to be identified with the people of God? He had a decision to make.

[9:10] A big decision because notice that next verse in verse 25. He says that's choosing rather. Rather. You know? Choosing rather. I want you to understand he had to settle who he is.

[9:24] Was he going to be an Egyptian or was he going to be a Hebrew, God's people? He had to make a decision. Today we have that same decision. Are you going to be a person of the devil and of this world or are you going to be a person that says, I want to be identified with God?

[9:41] That's a distinction that's a clear as can be. Because you're either one or the other. You know? We find here, if you remember, that in Egypt, the baby Hebrew boys were condemned to die.

[9:56] So Moses' mother puts him in a little basket with pitch on it and sends him out and Pharaoh's daughter finds him and says, oh, I'm going to have compassion.

[10:06] And you know what? She knew he was a Hebrew child. But she takes him in. She raises him up. Gives him the best education. The best training.

[10:19] The best of everything that was available. I mean, I imagine that when Moses said no to being identified with Pharaoh's daughter, you know what? He probably gave up servants and all sorts of things in life when he made the choice.

[10:33] All the creature comforts of life, he gave up. But we find here that it was impact of his parents in this because verse 23 says, by faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents because they saw he was a proper child and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.

[10:55] You know, when you have faith in God, God has a way of working things out. Moses was supposed to be dead. Moses' parents had faith and you know what?

[11:09] God made a way for Moses' mom to raise Moses early on. When she turned him over to the Lord, she had no idea what was going to happen. She didn't have any idea how God was going to work it out.

[11:23] That's faith. Faith is not knowing the answer beforehand, but trusting, knowing what I ought to do and leave the results to God. Faith is trusting God.

[11:35] So Moses here was taught by his mom at a young age about the things of God and he was taught as a teenager about the things of Egypt.

[11:48] And he had a problem because Moses had to decide, he had to decide in his life, who am I? A choice that will impact the rest of your life.

[12:01] A choice that makes a difference in everything that you ought to do in this life. Because think about it, if he said, I'm an Egyptian and faked a heritage or connection there, he would live a life of ease.

[12:17] He would have an outstanding career. He'd be raised as a royalty in Pharaoh's house. He would have fame and fortune. But if he said, I'm a Hebrew, he's going to lose everything.

[12:31] You know, think about the faith of Moses to say, what I can have in God is greater than what Egypt has to offer. Egypt is enticing. You think about the gold and the silver and the servants and the position and everybody respected.

[12:47] I imagine when Moses walked down the street, it's like the Red Sea parted for him. I mean, that's the kind of authority he had. People would just get out of his way. But Moses had an identity crisis he had to make.

[13:01] Because notice, I want you to see here, it says, when he was come of years in verse 24, notice that word there, refused. That means to reject, to deny, or totally disown.

[13:15] He refused that dynamic of being called the son a Pharaoh's daughter. He refused.

[13:26] He cut it off. Instead, he wanted to go with what God had for him to do. You know, I want you to understand there's something amazingly freeing about knowing that you're in the Lord's hands.

[13:40] Because the cares and the things of this life can slide by that it's not that you're unaffected by them, but the fact that they don't affect you like they do everybody else.

[13:51] Things aren't there. You know, we understand that picture clearly as we look at Moses' life. He made a decision. He refused. He cut himself off from being an Egyptian leader and instead he chose to live in truth.

[14:08] He had a choice to do. Am I going to lie or am I going to tell the truth? You know, our identity in Christ, we have to have the same question. You know, I believe today you have a lot of Christians because you can be a believer and want to live in Egypt.

[14:24] That you want to live in the world the same way you have people who want to play religious and are lying to themselves and lying to God because they think they're going to get to heaven because of what they are.

[14:38] You know, the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ and what He is. Who He is, not who we are. But notice that freeing element.

[14:49] You know, think about David as he was praising God. He says this, I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. God didn't make a mistake when He made you.

[15:02] God made you for a purpose. You know, oftentimes we lose sight because of lack of identity that we can belong to God. At the moment of salvation, the Bible says you become a child of God.

[15:15] You've been adopted into His family. You've been placed from one family to another. The day you choose to call upon Him to save you, it changes everything.

[15:27] As we'll look and see, it's not something you're born into, but something you choose to do. I want you to know here, Moses could have pretended all his life and lived comfortably in Egypt, but he would have missed what God made Him for.

[15:46] You know, I think we miss things God has for us, His blessings, His fulfillment of many wonderful things when we still want to live in Egypt instead of live for Him, to be identified with Him.

[16:00] We need to be His. The second key is choosing God over Egypt as this, is to be responsible. You know, to be responsible. Accept responsibility responsibility for your own life.

[16:14] You know, Moses accepted responsibility for who He is. Today, we live in a generation that want to make excuses for everything. But when you understand that you are responsible, you know, we love to blame somebody else for the situation of our life.

[16:32] It's because of my parents or it's because of something that happened to me. Now, those things can have a big impact. I'm not downplaying that, but I'm saying those things don't identify you.

[16:43] They don't make you who you are. You don't have to be anchored to them and make excuses. I can't because. I want you to know that you need to accept responsibility.

[16:57] Oftentimes, we say, well, it's not my fault. But you know what? Notice here, it says, Moses chose. He chose. Moses. You're not predestined to live in Egypt.

[17:13] The only thing you're predestined to is to be with God after you call upon Him as Savior. Predestination is our security that says, if you, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

[17:27] He's going to fulfill it. He's going to be the one to do it. It's not up to us any longer. He says, I'm going to secure you. You know, when we think about this, He chose, but He also refused.

[17:40] There's a negative and a positive. He said He's refusing. That's a negative. And in verse, and then we find, it's marked by a positive, choosing.

[17:52] The word literally means to select or to decide. Here's the principle to apply. The negative is followed by the positive.

[18:04] God never just says, don't do this, don't do that, don't drink or cuss or chew or run around with girls that do. Yeah, that used to be an old saying. If your girlfriend chews, that's something in another discussion.

[18:15] You haven't been to West Virginia. We have some here that probably says amen. And I'm not saying your girlfriend chews. We'll just get that out of the way now so nobody misinterprets anything. I'm not making any accusations. But the principle is this, if you're going to take something out of your life, you need to put something into your life.

[18:30] He didn't just refuse to be identified. He chose to identify with God's people. He chose to identify with God. In other words, he says, I'm going to replace those things of Egypt with the things of God.

[18:46] You see, refusing and then seeing the choosing makes a difference because believing in God, believing in Christ, is not a negative religion.

[18:57] Christianity isn't about the don'ts. It's about what God wants you to do. We get hung up on the don'ts. That's what you're leaving, the lying, the stealing, the adulterous thoughts.

[19:16] That's the leaving and we're coming over here to the blessings and the fulfillment and the enjoyment and the peace and the love that God offers.

[19:28] You're choosing something different. You know, think about this. Ephesians talks about, Colossians talks about putting off the old and putting on the new.

[19:41] That principle plays out here with Moses. He said, I'm putting off Egypt and I'm choosing to walk with God. I'm choosing to do what God would have.

[19:52] I'm going to be responsible for it. But when Moses grew up, it says he had to choose God and his people. And he made that choice. I want you to see here, it wasn't an intellectual choice.

[20:06] Well, let me sit down and write out the positives for both. Then let's write out the negatives for both. You know, when Moses chose to follow God, he knew there was going to be some negatives in this life.

[20:21] You know, if you follow God, some people aren't going to like you. You know, that's a reality. Let me give you a little clue. If you follow Jesus, you're going to be with somebody who other people didn't like too.

[20:34] There's a lot of people that didn't like Jesus. You don't get crucified because everybody loves you. They hated him. Jesus tells his disciples that the world's going to hate you if you follow him, but you have something so much more to gain.

[20:50] It was by faith. And it starts when you put their faith in Christ and surrender your life to him because you can't have it both ways. You'll either please God or you'll please yourself.

[21:02] Notice when he made a choice, it says, when he was come of years. You know, I want you to understand that there comes a time in your life where you have to make a decision. Who am I and what am I responsible for?

[21:13] You know, one of the problems is today everybody wants to put off responsibility. You know, I've seen this generational shift in my lifetime from an 18, 19 year old expected to take full responsibility for their life.

[21:29] Oh no, you can wait until you're 30. No, you can wait until you're 40. You know, now we got 60 year old children running around.

[21:39] Why? Because they never took responsibility. Moses, when he was come of years, in other words, when he came to an understanding, I imagine that Moses started struggling with this when he was in his late teens, identifying, who am I?

[21:57] You know, that's when most teenagers, you know, teenagers, years and early 20s, people struggle with that. Who am I? What am I going to do? What direction of life am I going to take? You know, what am I going to have for a job?

[22:09] Where am I going to do? Where am I going to live? What all this stuff? I mean, you have all these decisions to be made. And when he came of years, in other words, when he came to the point with himself to understand, I have to take responsibility for myself.

[22:22] I have to take responsibility. He made an act of responsibility in his life because you can't blame somebody else.

[22:33] You know, it's not my fault. You know, people blame the environment. You know what? Adam and Eve sinned and they were in the perfect environment. You know, Cain killed Abel and they were the only two around.

[22:46] They had the whole world to separate from. Environment doesn't dictate who you are. Not when you take responsibility. You know, you can't live off somebody else's spiritual commitment because you can't blame somebody else for the direction in your life, physically or spiritually.

[23:07] Especially spiritually. You know, people try to play off all the time. You'll go out and talk to people. It's amazing. Well, my grandpa was a Baptist preacher. And it's like, well, what hell of beans does that make?

[23:22] That and a full tank of gas, you'll get out of Lincoln. People say, well, my parents were Christians. You know what? You can live under the most godly parents and still be a dead and dying sinner.

[23:35] It has to make a decision about who you are before God. You know, one of the things of understanding who you are before God is understanding where you are and what you are because most people are caught up in their own goodness.

[23:47] But being caught in your own goodness isn't taking responsibility. Realizing that you have fallen, that you have sinned, that you have come short of the glory of God is a responsibility that makes a difference because that's the moment of responsibility you realize you're responsible for your own sin.

[24:09] The devil didn't make you do it. That's another wonderful lie of the devil. I'm exempt because the devil made me do it. You know what that's saying?

[24:20] It's not my fault. The decision you make is a decision you make and a decision you have to have responsibility for. Moses understood his responsibility.

[24:32] You know, matter of fact, sometimes we get caught up in things we think we're responsible for and we try to do and we even get ahead of God and do things that we ought not to do. You know, think about Moses.

[24:44] What got Moses in trouble? I really think when you read through Moses' life, the dynamic of choosing to be identified with the Hebrews instead of the Egyptians was a struggle and a dynamic that took place over a course of a long time.

[25:01] Maybe 10 or 15 years in his life. Now, I think Moses got tired of waiting and he saw an Egyptian striving with a Hebrew and said, I can do something about this.

[25:15] You know, we need to be careful because sometimes we take responsibility for things that's not our place to take responsibility for. Because what did Moses do?

[25:29] You guys all remember the story. What did Moses do? He killed the Egyptian. You know, look over here in Acts chapter 21. It says, when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up and nourished him for her own son and Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in word and deeds and when he was a full 40 years old it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel and seeing one of them suffer wrong he defended him and avenged him that was oppressed and smote the Egyptian.

[25:58] You know, Moses said, hey, I'm going to take some responsibility but you know what? When we take hold of things that it's not our place to take a hold of without God's authority it causes a problem. Moses got ahead of God.

[26:10] We're going to read a little later in verse 25 that Moses said, well, didn't they know I'm the one God's going to use to set them free? You know, sometimes we get ahead of God and get in trouble.

[26:22] Let me give you a little clue. The best place to be in life is not behind God. It's not in front of God but to be beside Him. To walk with Him.

[26:34] You don't set the pace. You let the Lord set the pace. That's understanding the responsibility. The fact is is nobody can ruin your life ultimately except you.

[26:48] I want you to understand Satan doesn't have enough power to ruin you. The choice is yours. It's either to understand that God loves you and wants what's best. When you love Him the Bible says if you love God you'll keep His commandments.

[27:03] His instructions. Because you know what it is? It's like safety parameters that say, hey, this is what's going to give you what you need in this life. This is what's going to protect you.

[27:16] No matter what happened in your past you have the freedom to choose how you're going to respond. You know, sometimes people have things happen in their life and they get bitter.

[27:27] They get angry. It's not the way I thought it was going to be. You know what that is? That's childish. I'll just say it. Bitterness and childishness walk hand in hand. Responsibility says I'm going to turn it over to the Lord and be better for it.

[27:45] I'm going to serve God. Think about Joshua. Joshua 24 15 tells us this and it says and if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord choose you this day whom you will serve whether the gods which your fathers served which are on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

[28:09] You know what? Joshua took responsibility and said I don't know what you guys are going to do and I can't control what you're going to do but I'm going to be in control of following the Lord and I'm going to serve the Lord.

[28:23] He took responsibility for what he needed to do. Nobody could make that choice for them. Nobody can make it for you. What choice you have been putting off and putting off is a choice too.

[28:37] You know most people don't think doing nothing is a choice. If I kick the can down the road I can decide later. You know what you just decided to do? You decided to kick the can down the road.

[28:49] Didn't solve anything but you need to be his. Be responsible. Accept responsibility for your own condition before God and what you're going to do with God.

[29:02] Thirdly I think we see here quickly we need to have some values. Establish a value system. You know the Bible gives us a set of direction and values that we need to follow.

[29:14] God tells us what's going to be best. What's going to guide my life. That's what we're talking about. What's going to be the guide for my life. You know everybody's guided by something. Sad part is that sometimes it happens and they allow the choice to be implied upon them.

[29:33] Instead of saying I'm going to be responsible and make a choice of what's going to guide my life. That I'm going to guide my life by a set of principles that God has established.

[29:44] It requires some serious thought because you have to ask yourself what's really important. You know Moses was faced with a choice. He said what is really important.

[29:55] Is it more important for me to enjoy the luxuries of Egypt or is it more important for me to identify with the things of God?

[30:07] That priority made a difference. Think about it. He clarified his values. He thought it out. I want you to understand it wasn't just a random thing.

[30:19] Look back in the text here and look at verse 26. Notice what it says here. It says esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for he had respect under the recompense of reward.

[30:35] Think about that for a moment. He esteemed. The word literally means to count or to consider to evaluate the value or the worth. It says he reproached the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.

[30:54] You know he said I'm going to have something that's going to guide my life. My value system was I'm going to place God at a higher value than the things of Egypt.

[31:08] The things of this world you know what are the values for life? What are values that guide your life right now? What are those values built upon? Are the world standards setting what you value?

[31:20] You know most people in the world are frantically searching for three things. Pleasure, possessions, and power. That becomes their value system. By the world standard if you take those three things and then look at Moses Moses made it according to the world.

[31:39] He rose from the place of a slave to a place of authority. He rose from being poor to having all the wealth of Egypt.

[31:53] He rose from being a nobody in a river to a place of prominence and pleasure. He had everything the world wanted but he esteemed the things of God higher than the things of Egypt.

[32:12] Knowing that there was a cost. You know you need to know that to follow God takes a commitment that says it cost him everything for me and what am I willing to do?

[32:25] What's it willing to cost me to follow the Lord? To be obedient to him? You know here's a lesson in Moses' life we all have to focus on when you establish the value system for your life you have to learn to say no.

[32:42] Every time you choose something in life there's automatically turning away from something else. Jesus said in Matthew 6 no man can serve two masters for either you will hate the one and love the other or else you'll hold the one and despise the other.

[32:57] You know there's a principle for you if you say yes to one thing you're going to have to say no to something else. Now I want you to understand here something very important because we ought to say yes to serving the Lord.

[33:10] We ought to say no to anything that hinders or is against the things of God. If you're going to make a commitment to follow God if you're going to leave Egypt of your life and say I'm going to follow God you need to understand who you are in Him how you get there by being saved you have to take responsibility for yourself and you have to say my values are going to be values that are going to be eternal values because it's one thing to recognize something it's another thing to do it.

[33:38] I want you to understand it's not really yes until the no takes effect. Let that sit in for a moment it's not really a yes until the no takes effect because until you reject put off intentionally put on the new it's living in just the thoughts but you know the Christian life isn't just intellectual it's action.

[34:10] You know if you try to say yes to two things at the same time you know what the Bible calls you? Double minded. You know what else it says?

[34:20] James says this a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. You know life is shown that's pretty true. Somebody who tries to say yes to everything is pretty unstable.

[34:35] It's important I want you to notice the value system of Moses because there's three things he decided quickly this morning. One is God's purpose is more valuable than popularity.

[34:46] You know look at verse 24 it tells us this that he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Do you think the title of Pharaoh's the son of Pharaoh's daughter held a little authority and position in Egypt?

[35:02] I mean you consider what's happening there. He had the kind of popularity that most people would say I'd give my right arm for that to be treated like royalty.

[35:14] But you know what? Moses understood that popularity passes. You know if you've been lived very long you'll find out what's popular passes pretty quickly. Fads and fickle people.

[35:27] Secondly God's people are more valuable than pleasures. Look at verse 25 he says choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

[35:41] He chose pain and discomfort over pleasure. He chose discomfort over ease. Why? Because he chose rather to suffer the afflictions with God's people being identified with God's people was more valuable to him than the pleasures and the riches of Egypt.

[36:03] You know and often times the pleasures of this world hold people's enticement. We chase things that are contrary to the things of God.

[36:15] He understood the reproach of Christ his rejecting the world's measure the world's pleasure and the world's treasure. He said what I have in Christ is greater than what the world offers.

[36:27] You know when you really understand value it makes a difference. When he understood that the reproach of Christ being identified with Christ was critical.

[36:38] But thirdly we hear God's peace is more valuable than possessions. You know some things in life are priceless. Good night's sleep. The older you get the more you understand that.

[36:50] Pricelessness of a good night's sleep. You can spend a fortune and still not get a good night's sleep. Good night's sleep has nothing to do with money or what you possess. But when we understand that we can be in the center of the will of God you can't buy that peace of mind that's priceless.

[37:10] You can't purchase lasting happiness. You know you think about our Declaration of Independence it says life, liberty and the purchase of happiness.

[37:21] It says what? The pursuit. Because purchased happiness is going to pass pretty quickly. You know we live in a world that people think what they buy or what they possess is going to make them happy.

[37:34] If I just had this. But it's not going to make you happy. What Moses did he understood that I don't want pleasure I don't want possessions he says I want what Christ has to offer.

[37:52] Luke 12 says for he said unto them take heed and beware of covetousness for a man's life consisted not of the abundance of things which he possesses. You know we can spend our whole life acting like that's not true.

[38:07] Because I want you to understand wealth is not the problem. You can be rich and serve God. you can be poor and serve God.

[38:21] You know the good part about it? You both can receive the same recompense of reward. As a believer there's only one thing you ought to desire to hear when you come before your Savior. You know we sang about what a day it will be when my Jesus I will see.

[38:39] I don't know about you but you know there's only one thing a believer ought to desire is when you see Jesus. our response is going to be thankfulness and gratitude for the one who saved us.

[38:53] But what you ought to desire to hear is well done thou good and faithful servant. It's a matter of values. He understood the reward. You know I want you to understand he was looking ahead not at the present because notice you need to have some vision.

[39:11] You know one of the things we need today is some vision. Never take your eyes off the goal. You know what happens when you take your eyes off the Lord you start following things that aren't godly.

[39:23] When you take your eyes off the Lord Moses continually remembered his purpose. He was persistent. He focused his attention. constantly kept it before him.

[39:34] You know some of us used to have vision. We started out right. But now we have forgotten what God What did Moses do?

[39:53] Seeing him who is invisible. Who is that? That's God. Seeing the Lord. Moses never took his eyes off the Lord and his reward.

[40:06] Why does it matter if we live for the Lord? Because we never make progress without problems. Sometimes we just can't see straight so that's when we need some vision.

[40:17] Our vision comes from trusting keeping our eyes upon the Lord. To say God is the one who can walk me through this. He is the one that has a solution.

[40:29] Moses knew there was going to be problems. There was for his life. Just to think of a few.

[40:41] How am I going to move 2 million people across the desert with no food? That's a pretty big problem. There was lack of water.

[40:53] How are we going to get him there? How do you convince Pharaoh that he needs to let his workforce go? persevered by keeping his focus on God and not the problem.

[41:06] I want you to understand why Moses understood what God had for him. Look back at Acts chapter 7 verse 25 quick. It tells us this.

[41:17] For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that by God's hand would deliver him but they understood not. You know what? Moses before he ever took action in Egypt getting ahead of God knew He said God is going to use me for something because I got my eyes on the Lord.

[41:37] He has me here for a reason. Forty years later before God used Moses to fulfill what God had set for him. Today we like to take shortcuts.

[41:49] Shortcuts get us in trouble. Most shortcuts are like taking Google shortcuts. They can get you some interesting places.

[42:00] Pictures all the time of semi trucks on roads I don't know what you were thinking dude. Pictures of people driving into lakes. That one always amazed me.

[42:12] The brakes work. But it's a great picture of life. Sometimes people take shortcuts and they know what's going to happen and they keep going anyways. But waiting is one of the greatest tests of faith is how long you can wait for answered prayer.

[42:28] How long can you wait for healing? How long can you wait for a goal to be met? Don't give up when it doesn't come immediately. Don't get discouraged when there's delay. God's delays are not denials.

[42:41] He fulfills his promises in his perfect time. I want you to understand God's timing is never late never early.

[42:55] It's always on time. He knows exactly what he's doing. Think about Isaiah 40 verse 31. says, you morning, trusting in?

[43:20] Are you waiting upon the Lord? Are you willing to say, Lord, I'm going to trust you. By faith, I'm going to do this. By faith, I'm going to choose to follow you.

[43:31] By faith, I'm going to put away the things of the world knowing the greater riches of reward that you have for me. Lord, by faith, I'm going to follow you. I'm going to do what you want me to do to not settle for who you are in this life, but who you are to God.

[43:50] To be responsible, to have the values that God has set forth, to have the vision to never take our eyes off what God has. You know, God tells us to draw an eye to God and he will draw an eye to you.

[44:07] And that only happens when the Bible tells us another dynamic, it says yield yourselves unto God. You hear this morning and you never identified yourself with Christ by faith.

[44:18] To say, Lord, I know I'm a sinner. You're the one that took my sin upon the cross that day. There's never been a time in your life when you can know 100%.

[44:30] Describe it this way to people. You ought to be able to put a circle around the time and the place it happened. Take you back to the place up at Clear Lake Iowa on a church camp.

[44:42] I could take you back to the place. I don't even think the building is standing there more, but I know where it's at. Called upon the Savior and my life changed. So to do the same. it starts when you identify with God because He wants to be your identity.

[45:08] He wants to be who you are because of who He is. There's no greater to associate with, but maybe there's some things in your life where you say I'm holding on to the things of Egypt, the things of this world that I need to let go of.

[45:22] I need to let go of my pride and my desire for what everybody else has to say Lord I'm going to trust you to step out by faith.

[45:32] What about you this morning? The eyes are closed this morning. You choose today. As Joshua said, choose ye this day whom you will serve. You are going to make a decision this morning.

[45:46] Choose God or you choose Egypt? Heavenly Fathers, we just turn this time to you Lord. You know each heart, each life.

[45:57] Lord, you know those who have identified with you by faith alone in what you've done. Not in what we have done, but what you have done. Lord, that with free gift of salvation, one here today that doesn't have that settled, that they can't draw the circle around it and say, I know that's the time and the place that today.

[46:25] There's also many here today that are struggling between you and Egypt. Peace of this world or the peace that passes understanding.

[46:38] Each one, Lord, as we have an invitation, an opportunity to respond, Lord, we might not choose no, but make it a yes by decisive direction in our life.

[46:56]  And we ask it all in your precious name. As the piano plays, what about you today?