Courageous Faith

Then folks, if you turn with me to the book of Hebrews, the letter to the Hebrews and chapter 11, that great faith chapter 11, that great faith chapter 11, and verse 23.

This is God's word. By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw that the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king's edict.

By faith, Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith, he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.

By faith, he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. By faith, the people crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.

Amen. May the Lord bless that reading of his own holy and inspired word to us. And before we turn back to that this evening, let's again just commit our time once more to the Lord in prayer.

Let's pray. Amen. Amen. And so, Lord, we pray that now you might speak. We thank you for the examples that are set before us in your word.

Great examples of faithfulness. Great examples of those who are willing to place their trust in you, regardless of what perhaps the world around about them was doing or what it might have thought.

We thank you for their faithfulness. We thank you that Abel brought a sacrifice that was pleasing to you and he was commended as righteous.

We thank you that Enoch walked with the Lord and did not taste death. We thank you for Noah, who was willing to exercise obedience in a crooked generation.

We thank you for Abraham, who was willing to go, though he didn't know where, willingly with the Lord. We thank you for the patriarchs, those who were willing to exercise a future faith, though they did not realize some of the promises in their lifetime.

And, Lord, we thank you for Moses. We thank you for a courageous faith, a faith willing to stand apart, a faith willing to go the difficult route in the eyes of the world.

We thank you for his example. And we thank you for what we can glean from that even yet this evening. And so we pray that through the truth of your word you may speak and your spirit may come upon us in power, that you might move amongst us, that you may stir our hearts, that you may fan into flame that fervent and earnest prayerful desire, that we may know you and grow in you and walk with you closer and learn more of you.

We thank you, Lord God, for the capacity that you give to us, the opportunity afforded to us to learn more of you, to understand more about you.

And we pray, Father, that the faith that we are blessed with and the understanding that we are given may translate into a practical application of that faith that may be evident to the world around about us, that we may be delighted to learn more of you and to learn more about us, that we may be delighted in the things of God, growing more like you as we walk the path of sanctification, as we look forward to the great promise of glorification.

For we recognize, Lord God, that the present sufferings that we encounter are not worth comparing with the crown of glory which awaits us.

And so we pray that we might live with that welcome of Christ etched into the forefront of our minds. Well done, good and faithful servant. Lord, that we may be good and faithful, that we may pursue the things of eternal worth, that we may shift our eyes from the temporal transient passing things of this world, and that we may look to the one who has the greatest treasure of all, that we might have the faith of Moses to look past the immediate treasure of Egypt and see the unsearchable riches of Christ.

And so, Lord, we pray that you might be at work in our hearts this evening, still our hearts, lead us in the way everlasting, give us your joy, we pray, in Jesus' name.

Amen. We live in an information generation. We have access nowadays to more information than anybody in human history.

Right at our fingertips, usually by means of a phone or device of some sort, we can search for just about any answer to any question at all.

Information is no longer an issue for us. We have access to it easily. And every day we are faced with claims, claims that require verification.

We might listen to news reports. We may hear news bulletins. We may read social media posts. We might hear political promises.

We may read advertising slogans. And all of these things invite us to ask the question, is that true? Information is not the issue, but discernment to determine whether what we're looking at, listening to, or reading, whether or not that is verifiably true, becomes the big challenge for us in the modern world.

You know, the writer to the Hebrews invites us to conduct a different kind of fact check this evening. Not a fact check of God's promises.

Not a fact check of Scripture, although they stand up to scrutiny, I can assure you. But he asks us to check ourselves, to examine our own hearts, to verify our own faith, and how does he do that?

He presents to us this myriad of people, these 18 examples of faith that are contained within this chapter.

It's this gallery of believers who show us what true biblical faith looks like.

And we see the fruit that comes from their faith as they exercise that faith in their lives.

Throughout this chapter, faith in God leads people to pursue particular, certain patterns of living.

By faith, Abel was willing to offer a more acceptable sacrifice to God than his brother Cain. And he was commended as righteous for it.

And indeed, it cost him his life. By faith, Enoch walked with the Lord and he was commended for that. By faith, Noah constructed an ark, much to the amusement of the watching world, who were saying, flood, what flood, as they continued to live in rebellious abandon.

Abraham, he obeyed the Lord, not knowing where he was going, but willing to follow the call. By faith, Isaac and Joseph and Jacob exhibited a future faith.

But the point of this chapter that is not merely intended to inspire admiration, though it does that. What it's intended to do is provoke examination.

So it's not just to inspire admiration, but it is to provoke examination. We are meant to ask as we read these words and as we consider these examples, does my faith resemble that?

Do I trust God's promises like they did? Am I willing to obey God when it costs me personally as these people did?

Does my life demonstrate a confidence in the things unseen? Well, this evening we come to Moses and Moses receives more attention in Hebrews 11 than just about anyone else.

Why? Well, could we say it's because Moses demonstrated a courageous faith? A faith under pressure? A faith when powerful rulers opposed God?

A faith when worldly success beckoned? A faith when worldly comfort was offered? A faith when suffering was to be embraced?

A faith that was steadfast in the face of the uncertain? A faith that was obedient even when it looked foolish to the watching world?

Many of these challenges are still faced by Christian believers today. They are challenges that we may you may be facing within your own lives and within your own experiences right at this very moment.

And so we're left with a question at the outset. When we examine our faith against the faith of Moses and those contained within this chapter what do we find?

What do we find? Do we find a courageous faith like Moses exhibited? Or are there areas that require a wee bit of input?

A little bit of improvement? You know Moses exhibited a courageous faith because he made certain choices in his life and I want to look at five of them briefly this evening as we consider Moses' life and his courageous faith.

His faith was a faith that trusts a faith that chooses a faith that endures a faith that rests and a faith and a faith that obeys.

Firstly then a faith that trusts. Moses' faith trusted God's purposes despite present danger. Verse 23 by faith Moses when he was born was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw that the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king's edict.

even before Moses has a faith his parents exhibit a great and a fearless faith. A reminder to us especially those of us who are parents that our faith matters and our example matters and what we do may have future impact in generations to come.

But we read in Exodus chapter 1 that it was a dark period in Israel's history. They were as a nation enslaved and Pharaoh who had them enslaved feared their growing numbers.

And so he orders the indiscriminate slaughter of Hebrew baby boys. This is state sponsored evil. This is government authority being used to oppose God's purposes and to snuff out vulnerable life.

We may say well what's the difference to 2026? Because that is still happening. As we see abortion on the increase but that's a different matter not for this evening.

But Moses' parents refused to comply. Exodus tells us that they saw that the child was special that he was beautiful and that by faith they acted.

By faith they believed God's covenant promises and they acted according to them. Pharaoh looked powerful he looked imposing fearful of him I'm sure they were but they recognized that God's promise was greater that God's promises were stronger and so they acted according to their faith.

faith. They didn't act recklessly they did not act carelessly but they did act courageously. Throughout history throughout church history believers have often faced moments when obedience to God conflicts with the spirit of the age.

That is the case today as it was in Moses parents day. If we stand firm for the Lord it may cost us. It may cost us significantly.

In many workplaces today a Christian believer is under pressure to affirm that which the Bible does not affirm.

Students and pupils in schools are forced to remain silent about biblical truths as propaganda of one kind or another is peddled.

Business owners face ethical decisions that may cost them dearly financially because of their faith. But the question comes in all of these circumstances who or what do we fear?

Will we fear God or will we fear the current spirit of the age the people around about us? Moses parents feared the Lord because their faith saw beyond the immediate threat of Pharaoh.

their faith remembered that every earthly power is temporary but God's kingdom is not. It is eternal.

And so they acted according to their faith according to the promises that they knew they trusted in God despite present danger.

the question for us is when pressure comes and if you're a Christian believer and you're living faithfully and unashamedly for the gospel that pressure will come that opposition will come and so the question is do we compromise do we compromise quickly do we remain silent when we should have spoken do we trust God's sovereignty and his power even when the circumstances around about us may feel imposing and threatening you see faith does not eliminate fear but faith obeys God despite that fear and so we see a faith that trusts God despite the present danger secondly in verses 24 to 26 we see a faith that chooses!

a faith that chooses Christ over the world's treasures by faith Moses when he was grown up refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin he considered the reproach of Christ greater than the treasures of Egypt for he was looking forward to his reward this has got to be one of the greatest renunciations in scripture Moses you could say had landed on his feet he had it all he had access to power and prestige and privilege he had access to education and status and comfort and influence faith and he left at the center of the greatest empire of his day humanly speaking

Moses had made it he landed on his feet he won life's lottery and yet he renounces it he refuses it he walks away from it why because faith changes how we evaluate life faith changes how we evaluate life notice the three deliberate choices that Moses makes here number one he refuses he refuses to be known as Pharaoh's daughter a reminder to us that sometimes faith says no that can be one of the most difficult words for us to learn can't it in life we think we have to be open to everything we think we have to say yes to everything but sometimes faith leads us to say no there are identities and opportunities that are offered by the world that we cannot accept because we will capitulate to their way of thinking we will assimilate into their mindset we will compromise our faith so sometimes we have to refuse

Moses would not allow himself to be defined by Egyptian privilege as alluring and as enticing I'm sure as that may have been he'd rather identify himself with the Lord's covenant people so he refuses but he also chooses he chose rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin astonishing Moses is willing to turn away from privilege and comfort and ease and prestige and to enter into a life of suffering not because suffering in itself is good or inviting but because faith values the Lord above comfort so he refuses he chooses and he considers he considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt what does considered mean it means he calculated!

it means he evaluated! it means he considered carefully he did the maths he looked at Egypt's treasures and they would have been vast and amazing and enticing but then he considered them in light of God's promises and they paled into insignificance he concluded that God's promises were worth infinitely more than the treasures of Egypt and he regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ the reproach of Christ now if you're awake after your Sunday lunch at the moment you might be thinking to yourself hang on a minute Moses was born way before Jesus was how on earth can we be talking about the reproach of Christ here because salvation is always through Christ the Old Testament saints looked forward to the

Messiah that was to come believing that he would come trusting that he would come just as we look back and as we give thanks for what has been accomplished on our behalf and so faith asks the question what is more valuable immediate gain or faithfulness to the Lord was it not Jesus himself who said for what good is it for a man to gain the whole world yet forfeit his soul Moses understood that and Moses was willing to turn away from the immediate gain the immediate ease the immediate goodness of Egypt and all that it had to offer in order to exercise a faithfulness to God yeah Egypt looked impressive and the riches looked enticing but he recognized they were temporary they were temporary what are the treasures of Egypt in your life at the moment career advancement at any cost financial security is the ultimate goal social acceptance personal autonomy comfort and convenience etc etc now none of these things in and of themselves are evil but they become dangerous when they take the throne of our lives when they compete with Christ so we have to check our faith fact check our faith against the likes of Moses what would we willingly refuse for

Christ what would you willingly sacrifice in this world of temporary gain for Christ what are you willing to lose what are you unwilling to lose your answer reveals where your true treasure lies Moses was willing to turn from that there was a faith that trusted despite present danger there was a faith that chooses Christ over and above all of the riches of this world verse 27 we see a faith that endures a faith that perseveres because it sees the unseen king by faith Moses left Egypt not being afraid of the anger of the king for he endured as seeing him who is invisible

Moses persevered in hardship he endured the difficulty because he saw with eyes of faith the invisible God Pharaoh was visible strong and imposing powerful God was invisible Pharaoh seemed powerful God could have appeared absent and yet Moses he understood reality correctly he understood that the invisible God was infinitely more powerful than Pharaoh if you go home this evening and you read through Pharaoh through Exodus you'll read a familiar statement from Pharaoh again and again who is the Lord he says that's the central question in his mind because he himself believes that he is the sovereign that he is the one in charge that he is the one who has all power how wrong he was the plagues exposed that truth or that claim shall we say the Exodus exposed that claim the Red Sea reveals the true king the one alone who has all power and all dominion and all authority you know it's easy for us today as

Christian believers in modern Scotland to feel increasingly marginalized maligned and mocked for our faith our convictions can appear to a tolerant and progressive Scotland weak we can fear media influence or academic authority or political power but appearances can be deceptive Moses reminds us of that because we follow the one who is above all things the one who is the king of kings the lord of the lords the one in whom all things are possible as we close with this morning the one who is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or even imagine and so we can stand we can endure we can persevere even through the hardest of times because we look to the one who is unchanging and who has promised us that there is no one and nothing that can snatch us from his hand our faith is rooted in the one who is sovereign not just claims to be how do we endure difficult seasons of life as Christian believers is it by positive thinking no is it by self-confidence absolutely not is it by sheer determination no we endure by fixing our eyes on Jesus the author and the sustainer of our faith and so we have another question what dominates our thinking what dominates your thinking is it the visible the temporary or is it the invisible the eternal

Moses was resolute in his faith and he persevered because he looked to the Lord and not to the immediate fourthly we see a faith that rests a faith that rests in God's provision for salvation verse 28 by faith Moses kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them the Passover stands at the heart of Exodus judgment is coming the firstborn will die Israel well Israel deserved judgment just as much as Egypt did the distinction was not that Israel was righteous and Egypt was wicked no the distinction was that Israel trusted God's provision a lamb dies the blood is spilt the blood is applied to the doorposts and the lintels and the judgment of God passes over the Passover points us to Christ our Passover lamb here comes the sinless spotless lamb of

God who takes away the sin of the world salvation comes not by effort not through morality not through religious activity salvation comes is applied is received in and through Christ and him alone for the Lord's people if the blood was on the door they were safe a frightened Israelite under the blood was safe a confident Israelite under the blood was safe their safety rested not on the strength of their faith but on the object of their faith who is the object of your faith what is the object of your faith if it's anything other than Christ himself it will fail you your church attendance your religious activity your moral respectability your hard work your endurance your status your standing irrelevant how much wealth you amass how much you achieve and accomplish in your career irrelevant the answer of

Exodus is a reminder to us that only the blood saves only those who are under the blood of the lamb are saved Moses rested in that are you resting in that his faith was courageous because it trusted it chose it endured it rested in the provision of God and fifthly and finally his faith obeyed even when God's commands seemed unusual even when God's commands seemed unusual by faith the people crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land after that in the next verse the walls of Jericho fall down again because of faith stand at the sea and wait the sea on one side and an Egyptian army approaching on the other stand wait we could have died in Egypt they say

Moses says wait and see what God will do march around the city march around the city seems not like the greatest military strategy ever and yet as they exercised faith the sea is parted and the walls fall down the point being that God's ways are not our ways and sometimes we just have to stand and wait to see what God will do many aspects of the Christian faith would seem foolish to the world around about us forgive your enemies why love those who oppose you why prioritize gathering together as the Lord's people why give generously why pray consistently why how can that possibly work says the unbeliever we say because God has spoken and that is enough if our trust is in him so as we conclude then let's review the evidence

Moses teaches us that a courageous faith is a faith that trusts God despite danger it's a faith that chooses Christ over every worldly treasure it's a faith that endures by fixing its eye on the invisible God it's a faith that rests entirely upon God's provision for salvation and is a faith that obeys God's word even when the path seems unclear and so Hebrews 11 is not merely to inspire admiration although it does that but it is to examine ourselves examine where we stand and who we are when the world pressures us what do we do when comfort competes with Christ what do we choose when trials come where do we look when we think about salvation and what are we trusting when

God commands do we obey if you're like me and you answer those questions what you'll say is well I fail I fail to measure up well the good news is we're not alone Moses himself failed didn't he he sinned he doubted he disobeyed the point is that Hebrews 11 is not pointing us to heroes but it's pointing us to the hero who they worshipped chapter 12 reminds us of that therefore as a result of all of these people all of these examples of faith since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter the author the pioneer of our faith that is is to whom we are to look Jesus

Moses left Pharaoh's palace Jesus left heaven's glory Moses identified with God's people Christ became one of us Moses delivered Israel from slavery Christ delivers us from sin and death Moses led through the Red Sea Jesus leads us through judgment and into eternal life Moses trusted God's provision Christ became God's provision I wonder this evening are you looking to Christ because every example in Hebrews 11 directs our attention to him may God grant each and every one of us a faith that trusts chooses endures rests and obeys until the day that we see by sight and not just by faith let's pray

God our father we thank you for your word and for its challenge to us for the inspiration contained within it and the example set forth for us we pray that we might exhibit that same courageous faith that Moses had by trusting and choosing and persevering and resting and obeying until you return we ask in Jesus name amen folks we're going to conclude this evening's worship singing to God's praise from psalm 105 in the Scottish Psalter psalm 105 in the Scottish Psalter we're going to sing the verses mark 1 to 5 to God's praise to the tune Petersham give thanks to God call on his name to men his deeds make known sing ye to him sing psalms proclaim his wondrous works each one psalm 105 page 374 verses 1 to 5 and if you're able please stand and sing together psalm to him sing psalm to

God all on his sing to men this peace take Lord sing ye to him sing sounds proclaim his what does fight each one sing that he in his holy name to glory do accord and let the heart of everyone rejoice and seek the Lord a Lord almighty and his name with strength fast hearts seek he his blessed and his gracious grace seek he continually think all the works that he hath done which admiration be his wonders and the judgments all which wrongness mouth proceed and now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy to the only God our saviour through

Jesus Christ our Lord be glory majesty dominion and authority before all time now and forever and all God's people say Amen