The Danger of the Compromised Life: Moses vs. Pharaoh

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by some special friends of this ministry.

Pastor Greg wanted to see a special word of thanks to the harvest partners who make this ministry possible next time your online check out Pastor Greg's personal blog@blog.greglaurie.com is one good hard hard hard by continued exposure to the truth of God and a refusal to obey response to God's word is meant to be heard.

Pastor Greg Laurie says it's full strength through transformers so let's hear God's word. As we ought to hear it seems our life because we don't cure the way we ought to hear it hard hard and inoculate keep us from getting a disease which in the inoculation off with a small dose of the disease itself causes our body's resistance today on a new beginning after Greg Maurice's, we can build up a similar God's word. When we get small doses of that true but ignore what God said today. Pastor Greg shows us how to respond to Scripture appropriately turn this into the men and women God wants us to be day. Hebrews 11 which is sort of our basic text of this series were doing that were calling world changers, but also I want you to turn to Exodus chapter 5 to be working through a few chapters in Exodus as we look at the amazing life of Boris in the title of the message is the danger of the compromise life.

You remember it took a while for the Lord to whip Moses in the shape it was always God's plan that Moses would be the one to deliver the Israelites from the bondage of Pharaoh in Egypt but Moses wanted to say he acted a bit premature, and took matters into his own hands and he made a horrible mess of it.

You know the story.

He was raised in the court of the barrel by the daughter of Pharaoh, but one day even though he was groomed to possibly be the next Pharaoh of Egypt, he saw an Egyptian slave driver mistreating a Hebrew when he stepped in and killed that Egyptian man and then he ran to the hills because the Pharaoh effectively put a contract out autumn there on the backside of the desert.

40 years later, the Lord spoke to Moses from a bush that would not stop burning and God said Moses you're my man, you shoot to deliver the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt.

Moses had a bunch of excuses God responded.

The Lord told Moses, it's not going to be easy. But what I want to do is take them three days journey into the wilderness so Moses was ready.

His heart was full of faith and courage. By the way, faith and fair cannot coexist together. One drives up the other when faith walks in fear walks out so if you're filled with fear today. Maybe you just need a lot more faith because these people that change the world that were talking about they did up by faith. That's the operative word. They believe God at his word, and here's what we learn in Hebrews 11 verse 27 it says I was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king's anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. It was piping to see because he had faith. He did not have fear and the thing that prompted this fate and sustain his faith was keeping his eyes on Jesus, looking to the Lord. When you have your eyes on the Lord you can do amazing things, and when you take your eyes off of the Lord you're going to face defeat.

So let's see what happens now, when Moses says this first confrontation with the great Pharaoh of Egypt knowledge flip over to Exodus chapter 5 starting in verse one.

Afterwards, Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh thus says the Lord God of Israel, let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness. The Pharaoh said who is the Lord why should I obey his voice to lead Israel go. I don't know the Lord nor will I let Israel go. They said the God of the Hebrews is met with us.

Please let us go three days journey into the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword. So no big moment has come. Moses walks into the court of the Pharaoh and says let my people go. This angered the Pharaoh for a number of reasons. First of all, no one talk like this to the Pharaoh. He was a powerful man worshiped as a god by the Egyptians. The landscape was dotted with monuments erected to Pharaoh, which is the word deacon of a man or a woman executed on the spot and who is this shepherd that comes into his court.

By the way back in this day the Egyptians regarded the shepherds as the lowest of the low.

There were sort of the telemarketers of their day. I don't know what to compare them to, but in so for Moses to come in is this shepherd and just to confirm the fact he has been a shepherd. The Lord tells them. Take care staff in to see barrel because the stuff is going to do a supercool trip in a few moments is going to turn into a snake. Let my people go in the barrel, but there's no way I'm in a do this and he opposed Moses any hidden word hurt because he made the slavery of the Jews. Even worse, they take the straw out of the brick make them go get their own straws and all the Israelites are ticked off that Moses there was not responding to Moses. Every one of those days. You think you're doing the will of God in all the doors shut in your face and your say what went wrong with that's just the way it goes sometimes. But Moses was not going to back down. No flip over and exit this seven verse 10 so Moses and Aaron wanted to Pharaoh and they did so just as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down the raw. This is the shepherd staff now before Pharaoh before his servants and became a snake but Pharaoh also had wise men and sorcerers and the magicians of Egypt. They did the same thing with their enchantments. Every man threw down his rod and they became snakes. But Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods and Pharaoh's heart grew hard and he did not heed them to the Lord had said so no a series of judgments are going to come upon Egypt. Each one is going to be directed specifically against a God of Egypt. You see, the Egyptians worshiped Pharaoh as God, they worshiped the Nile River as God, they worship animals as God, they worshiped frogs as God, they worshiped all kinds of crazy things and so God's going to bring a series of 10 judgments or plagues against Egypt each leveled at one of the gods they worshiped. The first thing that happens is Moses rod becomes a serpent, presumably a cobra, which by the way, was a symbol of Egypt. You can look at ancient Egyptian antiquities today and see the cobra was a part of their whole look in their whole kingdom and so the magicians these guys on the payroll of the Pharaoh are able to replicate this miracle knows is very interesting that we have this power which shows us the devil has certain power. Satan is not the equal of God. Sometimes people think whatever God can do. The devil can do.

That's not true. God is all-powerful, the devil's power is limited.

God is all knowing the devil's knowledge is limited God to be everywhere at one time the devil can only be in one place at one time but having said that he's very powerful and he can do certain signs and even what we might call false miracles here. One is done the Pharaoh's magicians do the same miracle" that Moses and Aaron do what's reminds us one of the devil's most effective tactics is imitation.

You know he'll try to stop a work out right but he often will imitate in this will minimize the power and glory of God and divert us in a sense I people stand up and they think I'm a follower of Jesus to make a public proclamation and then they'll maybe fall away or do something that would contradict what they said and we will respond why did they come to Christ the ball away from Christ. Here's a thought. Maybe they never came to Christ at all. Just because someone says or a Christian doesn't mean they're a Christian.

The only way I will know if a person is a Christian is. By the way they live. I can see their heart. I can see their faith. I can only see their actions and interactions contradict what they have said, are they really a Christian. The apostle Paul asked the question in Corinthians check up on yourselves. Are you really a Christian. We are just pretending to be a Christian when you really aren't one at all. So this is an imitation that the devil brings in to dilute too confused to deceive ensure the Pharaoh's heart in just a moment. We'll see how God responds to Pharaoh's hardness of heart will see it spectacular and miraculous that's coming up so many listeners have commented on the encouragement they receive these daily messages God's word ministers to them and it often gets them through some of their darkest hours. I frequently listen to Pastor Craig on Christian radio in my area. He was extremely helpful when my husband of 43 years. Suddenly and unexpectedly went to the Lord in January of this year he was retired and I had just retired in May. We had plans for retirement years. However, God's plans were quite the opposite. Needless to say they felt like my life was written down from under me. By listening to Pastor Greg Monday. He spoke of the promise of hope after the loss of a loved one course speaking about the loss of his son. I am still in the grieving process back his message helped me find hope and peace. I continue to move forward through this trial. God is so kind. Every time I cry out for comfort and strength. He puts the right message or person in my thank you for all you do these daily studies ministered to you and your family. If so, would you let us know you can tell your story by calling 1866-871-1144 866-871-1144 today.

Pastor Greg is helping to study the confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh. Learning how we can guard ourselves against hardness of heart continue there comes a like number one.

The no river is turn the blood that's on the exit. This 714 to 18 God directs Moses to cover with the staff he calls Pharaoh to come and walk to the puts a step in the water and it turns the blood no not only did the Egyptians worshiped the knob, but that was also the source of food supply.

It was a source of drinking water, are they with you the water for bathing for cooking for cleaning, laundry, plus I got fish out of that Nile River and now it's all turned to blood, but the magicians, though that's no big deal. We can do it too, and they take what little Clearwater. There is a turn not to blood, but almost even more logical if the magicians of Pharaoh could turn the blood he water back to clear, that would be helpful but they took what little Clearwater was left in turn, not the blood. Whoever said sin makes sense. There's something I discovered after years of walking with the Lord. Sin makes you stupid. It does sin makes you stupid.

I know clear thinking people or at least I thought there were clear thinking, intelligent people do the most irrational things under the control of sin is a great theologian Forrest Gump once said stupid is is as stupid does really bad Forrest Gump imitation because of this devilish imitation of Pharaoh hardened his heart, but really what was happening was God was striking down there. God is a new worshiped. The Nile is a God, your God just failed you your God is in real where is your God now know we can have God's to with a small G of God and idle is anything or anyone that takes the place of the Lord God in our life. Some people make gods out of careers.

Some even ministries so make gods out of relationships. Some make gods out of possession. That becomes the most important thing to them that sometimes something will happen to remove that God, that is what the true Lord of our lives. Maybe your terminated from your job. Maybe the relationship unravels may be the object you worship the stolen or damaged or whatever it is your God is not over and you realize it was never true God at all and it opens your eyes to see your need for the true and living God. Here's Pharaoh he's seen the Nile River turned the blood but still his heart gets hard affect of Exodus 723 says he returned was almost but the whole thing out of his mind's eye got big deal now plague number two comes an invasion of frocks that's in Exodus 8 and this is this is a crazy play frocks everywhere you know that I lived in Hawaii years ago as a kid always to walk around everywhere barefoot and you know so at night, you'd walk around barefoot and sometimes stuff on frogs is lots of frauds, a wife, and their big frocks.

Dante that is gross, you know, give her step in the snail barefoot so bad is a frogs worse is that is stronger might know you know there were frogs everywhere. The Bible says there were frogs on the floor. There were frogs in the chairs were frogs and the others that were frogs in the bed. You know you kiss your wife.

Good night night honey I love you rabbit and it's a funny thing because the Egyptians worshiped a frog God's name in Egyptian was Kerr Moto and me that I was member Kerr McDermott defined Sesame Street near Sam was asked to go ahead get HEGET they worship a prop stupid thing to worship God says you want frogs position your God. All God stores and have fun. J yeah there were frogs everywhere and then the Pharaoh goes to Moses as is make these problems go away and then Moses prays in the frogs all died. The only thing worse than living frog is a dead frog and stinking and coming back to my childhood, Hawaii. We would get up in the morning there would be all these frogs laying on the street that were run over by cars you know they're looking to select this position.

Maybe great little Frisbees frog Frisbee there only good for one throw the apartment. This is ultra but Tom and the Bible says the land staying out of that word stank is a good biblical word, and so it isn't smelling well known to be the biggest shower bro menu please. Thank you. Know the land staying so Pharaoh course.

Noah's heart softened and he responded no. Exodus 815 Pharaoh's father was relieved the hardened his heart's. This is so typical of nonbelievers. Pharaoh asked Moses to call on God and Moses did once a crisis is gone, Pharaoh sagrada go back to being hard again about a hospital chaplain kept a record of some 2000 patients, all of whom were near death, or at least thought they were and what he found was of those who were sorry and repentant for their sins when numerous were stored back to help people only 2/2000 showed a marked change in their spiritual lives.

After the recovery that originally thought they were dying all God help me. Oh God, I turned to you and then when they recovered thanks God see later at the fair was doing all you got me out of this mess will I I'll just go back to hardened my heart. So what's going on with this heart of Pharaoh. This raises one of the apparent contradictions in the Bible because we read here that Pharaoh hardened his heart with the later on in Exodus 10 one. We read God hardened Pharaoh's heart contradiction to harden the heart was a God.

It was a Pharaoh. The answer both. It's not a contradiction. It's two sides of the same coin. Initially, Pharaoh hardened his heart.

Listen God is given to you of free will. The choice is yours. You decide if you will go to heaven or hell you decide if you will follow Christ, or Satan you decided your sins will be forgiven. Or you'll have to give an account for them.

That's all up to you but once you've made that decision God in effect will strengthen you and it. If it's a decision to follow Christ. He will strengthen you and that decision because a better translation of the word used when it says God hardened Pharaoh's heart would be God's strength in or stiffened Pharaoh's heart.

So Pharaoh initially hardened his heart and God confirmed him in that hardness so you're the one who decides ultimately within the Lord will confirm you in the position you hold he will not violate your free will.

He will not overrule your free will and that's exactly what happened to Pharaoh and his heart got harder and harder and the more signs that were done before him, the harder his heart. God, that sort of addresses the idea of people believing that they see a miracle you really think and then I could perform a miracle.

I know all of my nonbelieving friends would come to Christ if I can like That. You know the burgers on the grill that I can call fire from heaven on the burgers did believe right there in the spot they wouldn't they wouldn't believe because miracle after miracle was done for Pharaoh and more to the point when Christ walked this earth, he healed people of leprosy. He restored sight to the blind hearing to the deaf, even raised people from the dead. He walked on water men. What more do you want by a large almost all of the people turned against him, demanding his crucifixion and his death know we don't need to do a miracle to cause people to believe here's what Jesus said of wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to them, but that of the prophet Jonah.

As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man speaking of himself be three days and three nights in the heart of Europe. Windows ME only loosely paraphrase that I think I'm doing justice to what he was saying people don't need a miracle they don't need to sign here since I may need the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. That's our message to this culture. Jesus loves you. Jesus died for you. Jesus rose again from the dead in Jesus will come and take resident in your heart that's a sign we need backed up by a godly lifestyle. This, how does one get a hardened heart.

You might be surprised by my answer. You get a hardened heart by continued exposure to the truth of God and a refusal to obey and respond to let me say that again you get a heart heart by continued exposure to the word of God or the truth of God in a refusal on your part to obey and respond to. We might think that the worst thing that can happen to a person is it to get into some sexual lifestyle. Drinking or partying or drugs or whatever it is, but listen, there's more chance for the person who's in the grip of some specific sin and still retain the heart and conscience them for the man or woman was hardened and where is the easiest place to get a hardened heart right here.

Yes, you heard me right right here in church because some will hear the word of God and the received the word of God and obey the word of God. Though be changed by God and others will hear the word of God. They may not even hear the may have earplugs in, or doing something else but the just blow it off and then their heart will get heart hearing God's word. So let's hear God's word. As we ought to hear it and let it change our life because we don't cure the way we ought to hear it can hardened our heart, and you can end up like Pharaoh Greg Lord solution to a dangerous condition as she continues her series called world changers he's bringing us important insights from the story of Moses and Pharaoh here on a new beginning pastor Greg has an important way to close today study so stay tuned. Now the title of today's message is the danger of the compromised life if you didn't hear the whole study you can get a replay@harvest.org or listen by way of our harvest mobile app for a copy of the study on CD. Call 1-800-821-3300 anytime 24 hours a day.

That's 1-800-821-3300 Prof. Greg I was thinking the other day about power steering you know what a marvelous invention it is you know you can change the direction of a 2 ton car with just a one finger turn of the steering wheel get out us what Christmas is coming when the mega-billion-dollar retail industry is poised to steer our kids toward the latest toy your gizmo and we might need a little power steering to turn them back toward Christ. You might have a suggestion for us today.

Why just happen to have a really good suggestion. I find it's called the Jesus storybook Bible Christmas collection of stories, songs and reflections for the Advent season written by our good friend Sally Lloyd Jones. This is absolutely delightful.

Sally is a prolific writer and is especially effective in communicating with the little ones and she has done it again in this amazing new project which actually has some interactive features so it kind of addresses that need for gadgetry a little bit because not only do you have her text as she tells the Christmas story in a way that only she does. It's is so simple and profound and at times you smile and in its just very effectively written, but there are interactive moments or you compress a little button and you hear the voice of the tremendous actor David Sue Shea and I pronouncing his name correctly. Sally yes you are absolutely and he plays Kathy what is the rhyme here with my wife Kathy and Sally went to see inspector and he pronounces name to kill plan yet who pocketed up pirate Palau row by row row and I got is a great actor and he has faith in Christ and he lends his impressive voice to this project. So here's the it's a beautifully illustrated piece of work I illustrations by John goes working with Sally my pronouncing jungles name correctly. Jacob Jago let's get the right illustrations by Jago and he's worked on.

He also did the illustration for the Jesus storybook Bible.

Did he not yes absolutely right so beautifully illustrated written so perfectly and then that you push the button and you hear this voice say the following outputs the button right now.

Everything was ready. The moment God had been waiting for was here last. God was coming to help his people, just as he promised in the beginning but how would he come what would he be like, what would he do.

That's the voice of renowned actor David Sue Shea, one of the interactive features in this new resource were making available called the Jesus storybook Bible Christmas collection by Sally Lloyd Jones and would like to send this your way for your kids, your grandkids really any child you know who needs a touch of wonder and needs to know God cares for them this Christmas season will send it to say thank you for your generous donation to help keep these daily studies coming your way around the station to contact us today at a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call around-the-clock 24 seven at 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org well next time. As we continue their study of Moses confrontation with Pharaoh pastor Greg brings practical insight on how to stand our ground against our adversary the devil, be sure to tune in next time for a new beginning. But before we go pastor Greg has an important word to close today's program everybody a few thoughts about the selection that's coming up. As you all know on November 3 we will elect the president of the United States. Your vote matters.

Listen, every Christian should register and vote. I cannot emphasize that enough. It's our responsibility. It is our duty, but it is also our privilege and we really have no right to criticize what's going on in our nation if we don't even take the time to vote for a candidate I'm looking to tell you to vote for. But I'll give you some ideas when I cast my vote. I can tell you there's some things that factor into that I could talk about a lot of things but let me just pick two out of particular the candidate that will receive my vote will be one that is pro-life. I would never vote for a candidate that would support the aborting of unborn children number two on the vote for a candidate that stands with and supports the nation Israel. God promises a blessing to the people the blessings God's people. So those are couple of things to think about is you go to the voting you build your content biblically and to vote and possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor greats free daily email devotions and harvest.org