A Faith That Risks Part 1

Some people say the get their lives show little evidence of others who have are willing to take risks and live out today we focus on this latter kind of thing. The kind that will survive when times of testing from the church in Chicago this morning with Dr. Erwin Sir, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Extroverts are give us a preview of this brief series. Your calling faith that survives the fire, you know Dave for a long time. I have believed that it is very important that the especially in the West need to rethink our view of suffering for Jesus Christ. We've had it so good. We've had governments that generally support the Christian faith. They were not necessarily antagonistic toward it as things change in our culture faithfulness to Jesus Christ is requiring more and more faith, more and more courage. I think that the Bible is of course such a remarkable book. After all, it is a book written by men, but it is the word of God.

We have stories in it like Moses, who is willing to say no to all the blessings of Egypt because he saw that which was in visible in all of our faith. What we have to do is to trade in that which we can see for that which we can't see. I hope that all who listen are going to be encouraged and to evaluate themselves and ask him. I'm willing to suffer for the faith.

Moses did.

Of course we find in the Old Testament, Shadrach me shack in a Bendigo did the last chapters of the book of Hebrews which we will be looking at next time.

All of these are heroes of faith left them, encourage and inspire us all. Faith has a risk and the reason that it has risk is because when you stop to think about it you are trading in that which you can see for that which you can't see but it's a viable faith. It's a good faith and that's what were going to study today. If you have your Bibles I want you to turn to the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews Hebrews chapter 11, where we have the story of Moses, and I do hope that you bring your Bible to church, preferably an actual Bible, not just a cell phone. Students but nonetheless this is what it says in chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews beginning at 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 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 treasurer of Egypt where 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 in visible what an interesting statement.

What we'd like to do today is to look at three different aspects of faith that takes a risk that changes our lives and puts us on a trajectory of fellowship and in eternity with God. First of all we like to look at the decision that Moses made the decision that he made the radical decision that he made your Bibles are open. Let's look at the text first of all, we have to ask the question of what is it that Moses said no to the answer is that he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter when Moses left the palace and identified himself with the people of God that were being persecuted by the Pharaoh.

Moses knew that in his heart he was leaving the throne behind what he was leaving behind was first of all, the prestige, as Moses went down the Nile River.

I'm sure that it was to the strange and beautiful music in the days that he was in the palace and ahead of him. There were people who were running and they were saying how the need bow the knee. Moses is coming. Women would hold up their children and say there is big Moses be like him. He left all that behind. According to Josephus, he was the next one to be slated to be the next Pharaoh of Egypt and then the Bible says that in addition to that, he left behind the treasures of the Egypt many years ago here in Chicago. There were the treasures of King tut that were brought to one of the museums I didn't have an opportunity to see them but I do know from descriptions that they were expensive and expansive.

Now think about Moses, what did he leave behind.

What did he say no to basically the American way of life. I mean after all, isn't it all about money and fame and power is not what people are sacrificing their lives to achieve. Moses said no to all that and it was thrown into his lap because to quote the words of one commentator, the cream of Egypt was put into his cup.

Moses said no to all that the thing that people want most in life in America. Now, what did he get in exchange. What did he say yes to bridge interview and where to say Moses now you left all that behind. What did you get in return.

What did you say yes to. He would tell us first of all, I said yes because what I substituted for what I left behind is first of all, mistreatment with the people of God. Verse 25 mistreatment with the people of God. I knew when I walked out there. I was going to be despised.

I knew that I would be identified with my people and all that they were going through and that's the route I chose later on.

Of course, when Moses becomes the leader leading the children of Israel out of the desert into the promised land, or almost the promised land. You, you discover that he had so many hardships so many difficulties people complaining hundreds of thousands of Hebrews on his case because they were out of water. They needed bread and always blaming him.

Furthermore something else that happened is his own sister Miriam teamed up with his friend and his associate by the name of Aaron and they criticized his wife. They were angry numbers chapter 12. So what Moses said is and I better catch these notes before they flowed out there because somebody in the congregation is going to have to preach if you get these it's up to you. So Moses is there any makes this decision and that he says I exchanged it for mistreatment if the people of God is a Moses. Surely there is some other reason why you made this decision of what did you actually get in return and Moses would say well yeah there is something else, and what I decided to get in return is nothing less than the reproach of Christ.

He considered verse 26 the reproach of Christ.

Some translations say the disgrace of Christ is greater wealth in the treasures of Egypt. Moses said the reproach the disgrace that goes with identifying God's people, and with them that is really my treasure you can take all the treasures of Egypt piled them on one side and the reproach of Christ on the other, and I have chosen the other side. The reproach of Jesus. That's the decision that Moses made what could be his motivation.

Why would a man throw it all away for nothing but trouble disgrace and criticism. While we have to look at the motivation that he had the text says very clearly here. He considered the reproach of Christ greater than the wealth of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is in visible by the way, is not an interesting rates. How do you see that which is invisible by definition, the invisible can't be seen but Moses thought through faith two things. First of all what motivated him was the reproach of Christ because he said to himself, to be identified with the people of God is such an honor that I prefer that to Pharaoh I preferred the face of God to the face of Pharaoh and so I chose the people of God in their affliction, but then the text says he looks forward to the reward. Did he receive a reward yes will discover that he received a reward will tell you right now what the reward was the imagine Moses he is not allowed to go into the land because of disobedience and then not God says to him, you can't go in the land, but eventually Moses makes it to the other side. He really does. Because remember, on the Mount of Transfiguration. Centuries later, there is Moses and Elijah with Jesus in the land. We look forward to the reward.

Now you and I know more about rewards on the side of the cross with the New Testament than Moses knew.

During his lifetime he knows a lot more now, of course, that he's actually in the presence of God but Moses didn't have the revelation that we do regarding the land and regarding what the reward for faithfulness in the land about what are rewards from the standpoint of the New Testament. Sometimes I've heard people say will. These are medallions were going to put on the crowns and then I've even heard Christians say what you know it doesn't matter much whether or not we are faithful in this life.

Because if we are faithful and we get a crown.

Aren't we just going to throw these crowns at the feet of Jesus. Anyway, implying it's not very important will throw them at the feet of Jesus and then will just get on with eternity. What's along the subject that I don't believe that rewards are crowns are not medallions that were going to throw at the feet of Christ and if we do throw them at the feet of Christ will have to pick them up later because we are going to rule with him forever. The Bible says if we are faithful. I think that rewards are positions of responsibility within the kingdom responsibility that God gives us the ability to rule and there are some people who will not rule over the same territory, nor will they be entrusted with the same responsibility as others. Jesus indicated that in the parables you know one day I had a man say to me you know I'm a Christian, but I'm a carnal Christian. He said you know as far as I'm concerned. I figure as long as I get to heaven and sit in the back row that'll be fine with me. And that's why I always watch those of you who are I once read a psychological journal dedicated to understanding people who always choose the back seat in church, but the front seat at a baseball game, so he said you know as long as I get to sit in the back row.

I said you know to use your analogy. What if Jesus wanted you in the front row and God bless you for being in the front row. Those of you who are what Jesus wanted you in the front row. But the reason that you are in the back row is because of unfaithfulness to Jesus Christ you displeased him in your life and that's where you are, doesn't it bother you to be satisfied with the back row to be satisfied with a lesser reward when you have the opportunity of having a greater reward because you're living your life for Jesus Christ tell you my friend. I want to talk to you today heart to heart, not just mind to mind, but heart-to-heart. God is so generous that if we understood the doctrine of rewards it would change the way in which we live.

We change our ability to handle persecution and difficulty know the apostle Paul says that the suffering of this present world is not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us not have to say to the young people present you're not old enough to know this, but there used to be scales. I remember them in a little store in Canada where you'd put on you know a 1 pound weight on this side and then you'd put enough meat on the other side to make it balance and then you knew that you had purchased a pound of meat does not sound ancient, but that's the way it was. The apostle Paul is saying look on one side of the scale. Put all the suffering of this present world put cancer put an unjust lawsuit on this side put 10 physical difficulties, relational difficulties, a broken marriage, but the inability to be able to pay your rent. Take all of this suffering all of the pain, all of the hurt that people have done. Do you put it on one side of the scale and then on the other side. Paul says put the glory that shall be revealed in us pulses that are not worthy to be compared. The scale would go plonk like putting an aunt on one side and an elephant on the other. It is unworthy of comparison. And don't miss Paul's point what he is saying is this, that the more suffering, the greater the glory, the more you suffer for Jesus Christ the more you will inherit. And Moses knew that because he looks forward to the reward. He believed in another world.

He believed in the invisible world. That's why he made the decision that he did.

So what we have before us is first of all, that radical decision and a very powerful motivation and then we find that he did experience a miraculous victory.

I'm going to read very briefly. It says in verse 28 by faith he kept the Passover and sprinkle the blood and then in verse 29 he crossed the Red Sea, the Passover because of his faith. The people of God were protected from the anger of God. Remember what the Passover was all about Passover meant that blood was put on your door on the lintels of the door place and then it says when I see the blood, I will pass over you is why it's called the basil. Now you know in Israel. There may have been assigned a firstborn son who was protected by the blood who had emotional problems he may not even have been the best son that one can imagine. Maybe he gave his parents trouble but at the end of the day. All that mattered was whether or not to. There was blood on the door.

God says when I see the blood, I will Passover you and what a wonderful picture that is of redemption. The end of the day. What really matters is the blood of Christ I told you about well-known Christian leader who was dying and the people tried to encourage them and say look at all that God is done through you.

You did this you did this, and there was no peace in his heart until they reminded him that no matter what he had done or what he had not done at the end of the day is saved by the blood of Christ, and that is the way in which we get to heaven. It's the blood that saves us so so I need to ask you, are you trusting that blood had you trusted the blood of Christ as a sacrifice for our sins on Wednesday night we had a marvelous permitting and one of the songs that we saying was the one by Horatio Spafford not Stafford but Spafford and we sang together several times. I thought the tiles of the ceiling were going to fall down my sin over the bliss of this glorious thought my sin not in part but the whole is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul, so that's what the blood on the door represented so as a result of Moses faith the people's lives were spared and then they went across the Red Sea. You know that story know what I like to do is to answer this question.

Why should our lives be changed forever because you've heard this message whenever I prepare a message. I always ask myself the question, why should anyone listening be changed for the rest of their life. After all, that's what the word of God is to do some of you are making very important decisions. Some of you are young and you're making decisions. Some of us are little older that the end of the day. What we need to do is to nail down the life-changing lessons that this passage of Scripture teaches us what my friend I certainly hope that you listen to running to win next time as we will be talking about those lessons God has given us his word in order to change us. It's not just to inform us of that of course is part of it but actually to change our hearts to give us the ability to live for him no matter the cost. I want to thank the many of you who support the ministry of running to win a molding in my hand several letters that we have received that our great blessing to us. For example, one says I am currently in a county jail. I have access to a radio and fell in love with your sermons.

I've been fortunate to further my spiritual walk with Jesus Christ with your ministries help and then the letter goes on to say that they have given up their bitterness and anger toward God and laid it down in their giving God a chance to work in their life.

Let's what running to win is all about. It is to lead people to Jesus Christ and because of people just like you we are doing that today in 20 different countries in four different languages. Thanks in advance for helping us. Would you consider becoming an endurance partner endurance partners are those that stand with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts. Of course, the amount that you contribute is entirely your decision.

Here's what you can do because you do need info, you can go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com. And of course when you're there you click on the endurance partner button or you can pick up the phone right now and call us at 1-888-218-9337. I want to thank you for investing with your prayers with your gifts in the ministry of running to win. We do all that we can to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to thousands upon thousands of people and you my friend are a part of the running to win the family. As I mentioned, here's what you can do.

Go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com and when you're there, click on the endurance partner button or if you prefer.

Right now you can call 1-888-218-9337 is time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Luther a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Some people wonder who is where in the afterlife. Bonnie lives in Florida and sends us this question are the Old Testament saints with Jesus right now. What about Lazarus and John the Baptist Bunny the answer to your question very briefly, is yes, I believe that the Old Testament saints are with Jesus right now. Their bodies have not yet been raised. They will be raised in the final day, but they are in heaven today in an intermediate state just like believers who died today and so I think that that is true also about Lazarus and John the Baptist and the friends that you know that have died and gone to heaven. Now just to emphasize once more that their bodies will be raised in the future but for now, their souls, their minds are there with Jesus, and I believe that their souls take on the characteristics of the body so they can recognize one another. They can talk, they can communicate, but there is a sense in which they are still incomplete. The resurrection is still future. Thank you Bonnie for your question. Thank you Dr. Luther for that answer if you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 running to win is all about helping you find God's roadmap for your race of life when our faith is genuine. It causes us to make choices in God's favor next time. Choosing God's way over that of the world like Moses did running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church