The Courage of Faith – part 2 (Overcoming Your Fears)
Hebrews 11:23-31 (27-29)
February 14, 2016
We have finally returned to our study of the book of Hebrews.
And we are currently in the middle of what is called “The Faith Chapter”
The writer is doing everything he can to encourage struggling Jews to not shrink back from their commitment to Christ.
He wants them to cling to Jesus,
To endure for Jesus,
And to encourage others to do the same.
The only possible way they will succeed here is if they exercise their faith.
• The immediate cost is high
• The immediate danger is real
• The immediate opposition is intense
It is precisely what Jesus promised:
John 16:32-33 “Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Jesus told His followers that it would soon get rough.
But in the midst of these hardships they were to “take courage”
And trust that He had “overcome the world.”
John said:
1 John 5:4 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.”
And that is precisely where we are in this study.
The writer is asking them to live by faith
And he is giving one example after another
Of precisely what that faith looks like.
We saw the saints of old and THE REWARD OF FAITH.
Namely that God grants righteousness in response to faith.
We saw the patriarchs and THE FOCUS OF FAITH.
These who continually looked past their present circumstances to the promises of God.
And now we are looking at the THIRD SET OF EXAMPLES in this chapter.
We are looking at the slaves of Egypt and THE COURAGE OF FAITH
Many times our church has had the privilege
Of serving on mission in Zimbabwe.
And in doing so we have seen the reality
Of people living under a godless dictator.
• This man has seized farm land from some and given it to others only to require
them to sell it to him at his price.
• This man has threatened and beaten and murdered and maimed people who
opposed him politically.
• This man has wrecked the economy and impoverished his nation only to live in
the lap of luxury.
Some have wondered why his people don’t revolt.
But if you look at the situation you would have so say, “With what?”
• He controls all the resources
• He controls all the military
• He controls everything
Are these people to rise up with sticks and take back their country?
WELL THAT IS A SIMILAR SITUATION TO WHAT WE FIND IN EGYPT.
• Joseph is an afterthought.
• His reign has ended nearly 400 years ago.
• No one remembers and no one cares.
Now Joseph’s descendants are enslaved.
• Pharaoh controls the resources
• Pharaoh controls the military
• Pharaoh controls everything
Are these helpless Israelites supposed to rise up and defy Pharaoh?
That is exactly what God is about to ask them to do.
What manner of courage would be required
To defy the most powerful man in the world?
It had better be courage rooted in faith that God is on your side,
Because otherwise you are sunk.
LET’S TALK ABOUT THE COURAGE OF FAITH.
We actually saw the first point last week.
#1 THE CHOICE OF A SLAVE
Hebrews 11:23-26
It was really the choice of three slaves.
The first was Amram and Jochebed (Moses’ parents).
• These people adamantly defied Pharaoh’s specific order to kill all male Hebrew children.
• Certainly they had to know they would face severe and most likely lethal discipline for such a decision.
• But when they looked into the eyes of their baby boy they could see that the hand of God was on him for something great and they chose faith over fear.
God certainly rewarded them.
• Not only by protecting them from Pharaoh, but also by protecting the baby and even allowing that baby to be given back to his mother for a time until he was weaned.
• Beyond that God obviously rewarded this couple with another son (whom they also spared) because Moses has a brother named Aaron.
The next choice was seen when that baby grew up at the age of 40.
THAT WAS NONE OTHER THAN MOSES.
• Moses wasn’t a slave.
• He was raised as a child of Pharaoh’s daughter.
• He had ever luxury and privilege that he could imagine.
MOSES CHOSE SLAVERY.
Moses chose to leave Egypt and join his people all because he could see that reward of being a child of God was greater than all the riches of Egypt
It would take courage to make a decision like that, but Moses made it.
WE SAW COURAGE IN THEIR FAITH.
This morning I want to move on to the next examples the writer of Hebrews gave us.
The Choice of a Slave
#2 THE COMMITMENT OF A SERVANT
Hebrews 11:27-29
The first point of this segment dealt with a period of slavery.
This segment obviously deals with the event known as THE EXODUS
And it begins also with Moses.
(27) “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.”
Now I need you to understand this verse clearly
So that you gain the proper perspective here.
The common consensus is to read this verse and to want to apply it to
The day Moses left Pharaoh’s court, killed the Egyptian
And then fled into the wilderness.
That is NOT the even the writer is referring to.
Yes it took faith for Moses to leave Pharaoh’s court,
We already talked about that up in verse 24.
But this is a different event.
IT IS NOT WHEN MOSES LEFT EGYPT THE FIRST TIME.
That event was actually not about faith at all.
Scripture is clear that Moses’ first leaving was all about fear.
Exodus 2:11-15 “Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. He went out the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender, “Why are you striking your companion?” But he said, “Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.” When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.”
Did you catch Moses’ response when he realized that his murder had been discovered?
“Then Moses was afraid…”
That fear then drove Moses out into the wilderness
And delayed the deliverance of God by 40 years.
That is actually an example of the danger of following fear instead of faith.
If you’ll recall the children of Israel would later delay their entrance into the Promised Land by 40 years because they also operated by fear instead of faith.
MOSES FLEEING FROM EGYPT WAS NOT AN ACT OF FAITH.
The event the writer is referring to in verse 27
Was the SECOND TIME Moses left Egypt.
That event required enormous faith.
Think about it for a moment.
• Moses decides to leave Pharaoh’s court.
• He takes matters into his own hands and kills an Egyptian.
• He is found out and flees for his life.
40 years (count them FORTY YEARS) passes.
That’s a lifetime.
I’m supposing that Moses never intended to return.
He had found a new life in Midian.
But what happened?
TURN TO: EXODUS 3:1-10
God tracked Moses down (not that he was ever lost)
And told him that he was going back to Pharaoh.
Imagine the emotions this would conjure up in Moses.
I can guarantee you Moses was afraid.
Not many fugitives are asked to go and confront the authorities.
Moses was not excited:
Exodus 3:11 “But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”
That’s Moses’ way of saying, “Wouldn’t you rather send someone else?”
And you’ll remember there was quite an argument that took place between God and Moses.
• (Exodus 3:13) but I don’t know Your name
• (Exodus 4:1) what if they won’t believe me
• (Exodus 4:10) but I’m not a good speaker
• (Exodus 4:13) please send someone else
And to this God grew angry.
Exodus 4:14-17 “Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. “You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. “Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him. “You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”
God told Moses he was going.
But do you see where Moses will have to overcome an enormous amount of fear to pull this off?
• Return to Egypt
• Tell the Israelites I’ve heard from God
• Tell Pharaoh to let you go
• Then lead you all out
THERE IS ENORMOUS FEAR THERE
You can even hear the “what ifs” of Satan attacking Moses’ faith.
• But what if they want God’s name?
• But what if they won’t believe you?
• But what if you have to speak?
It is that fear which is always the opposite of faith.
And honestly to make matters worse God promised Moses that
Pharaoh wouldn’t be too keen on the idea.
Exodus 3:19-20 “But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion. “So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go.”
Are you filling in the blanks?
• This is going to be hard.
• It is going to take a great deal of courage to pull this off.
But Moses went back to Egypt and he stood before Pharaoh.
And the battle was on.
TURN TO: EXODUS 5
(READ 1-4)
Moses tells Pharaoh and Pharoah says “NO” and then he makes work even harder on the people and if you’ll remember the people became angry at Moses.
And if you’ll remember Moses was ready to quit again.
(READ 22-23)
• God then reminds Moses that He is the faithful God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and he will surely deliver the people.
• And God tells Moses to go tell the people of Israel that God is going to deliver them.
• But the people won’t listen to Moses.
And Moses is still afraid
(READ 6:10-13)
• Talk about being between a rock and a hard place.
• You can feel his struggle
• It is fear vs. faith all the way.
(READ 6:28-30)
LOOK HOW MANY TIMES MOSES HAS TO GO.
• In 7:20 Moses goes back to Pharaoh again and turns the Nile to blood, but Pharaoh won’t listen.
• In 8:1 Moses returns to Pharaoh again and promises frogs.
• In 8:8 Moses is called back to Pharaoh to make the frogs stop and Pharaoh says you can go, but in 8:15 Pharaoh changed his mind.
• In 8:16 God sent gnats throughout Egypt and Pharaoh wouldn’t respond.
• So in 8:20 God sent Moses to Pharaoh a 4th time to warn him about insects.
• In 8:25 Pharaoh calls Moses back to stop the insects and says you can go worship and in 8:28 Pharaoh again changes his mind.
• In 9:1 God sends Moses before Pharaoh again with a promise to kill livestock. And Pharaoh ignored it.
• In 9:8 God sent boils across Egypt and in 9:13 God sent Moses before Pharaoh a 7th time to warn him about hail.
• In 9:27 Pharaoh called for Moses to make the hail stop and promised they could go and in 9:34 Pharaoh changed his mind.
• In 10:1 God sends Moses to Pharaoh a 9th time and warns Pharaoh about a locust invasion.
• In 10:8 Moses was called before Pharaoh to stop the locusts and promised they could leave, but in 10:11 Pharaoh changed his mind.
• In 10:21 God sent darkness and in 10:24 Moses is called before Pharaoh for the 11th time with a promise they can leave and in 10:27 Pharaoh again changed his mind.
Only this time the stakes were raised.
Exodus 10:28 “Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Beware, do not see my face again, for in the day you see my face you shall die!”
And of course you know what is coming next.
The death angel and the Passover.
But what you need to see is the tremendous endurance it took
For Moses to continually stand before Pharaoh.
• This is not something Moses wanted to do.
• He was afraid.
• But he chose to walk by faith and do it anyway.
When the writer says in verse 27 “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king”
He was talking about the entire situation.
That Moses had to stand up to Pharaoh 11 times in order to be able to leave.
And it would be on the 12th time that Moses stood before Pharaoh t
Hat he actually succeeded.
Exodus 12:31-33 “Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the LORD, as you have said. “Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also.” The Egyptians urged the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, “We will all be dead.”
Do you see the tremendous amount of courage that was required there?
Do you see the tremendous amount of faith?
• We are amazed when David stands before that giant…
• We are amazed when Esther goes before the king…
• We are amazed when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow before Nebuchadnezzar…
• We are amazed when Daniel continues to pray…
But do not overlook that this Moses stood before Pharaoh 12 times
Before he was allowed to leave Egypt.
HOW DID MOSES DO IT?
(27) “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.”
Moses knew that Pharaoh wasn’t the biggest king in the room.
Many have commented on the David and Goliath incident
And noted how David looked past the giant to see a giant God.
That is precisely what Moses did.
He feared God more than he feared Pharaoh.
Jesus said:
Matthew 10:28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
And Moses chose to trust God.
That is faith that overcomes fear.
And yet that isn’t the only thing Moses did.
(28) “By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.”
• I already read to you how the last time Moses had seen Pharaoh that Pharaoh had threatened to kill him.
• We already know that the children of Israel are not real keen on listening to Moses since they reckon that he has only made their lives harder.
But that doesn’t stop Moses from issuing a command
To the children of Israel and obeying it himself.
He had to overcome fear just to obey it.
But he also had to walk by faith to obey it.
TURN TO: EXODUS 12:1-13
The wrath of God was coming.
Now some would instantly want to know:
Why the children of Israel were in danger.
I mean God was delivering them, it looks like God would have just said,
“Stay indoors and you’ll be fine”
Why the blood?
Because the holiness of God was about to walk through that land and God’s holiness is absolutely impartial.
God doesn’t just judge sinners He doesn’t like
And spare sinners that He does like.
You know in west Texas we sort of have this “good ol boy” mentality.
• so an so may not go to church
• He may cuss a little
• He may drink a little
• He me mess around a little
• But he’s hard worker and a good ol’ boy
And some even think that for some strange reason good ol boy sinners
Are more acceptable to God than the real thuggy sinners.
There is no such distinction.
• When God’s holiness enters the equation every sinner will die.
• When God’s holiness enters the equation every sinner must die.
The only thing that would save the children of Israel
Was if they smeared blood on their doorposts.
WHY BLOOD?
Because the life of an animal is in it’s blood.
Blood signified death.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death…”
The only thing that is going to cause the holiness of God
To pass by is when sin has been paid for.
Moses was told to take the blood of a lamb and paint it on the door post
And this would appease the wrath of the death angel.
(28) “By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.”
And there is obviously an application to us there as well.
• We identified last week as Moses was called to choose between the
comforts of this life or the benefits of the next.
• We saw that Moses forsook this life that he might obtain the reward of God.
Here we learn that like Moses we not only must choose to follow Christ, but we are also in desperate need of Christ.
That blood on the doorpost was a picture of Christ.
1 Corinthians 5:7 “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.”
Jesus is in fact our Pass-Over.
It is His blood shed on our behalf
That protects us from the wrath of a Holy God.
We take His sacrifice and place it on the door frames of our heart.
We trust in His sacrifice to satisfy the wrath of God.
It’s not just that we must choose which life we want to pursue,
If we don’t choose correctly we will be under the wrath of God.
Do you see what happened in Egypt?
• Moses chose to leave Egypt and identify with Israel.
• But 40 years later do you see what God did to Egypt?
What if Moses had chosen Egypt?
What if Moses had chosen not to leave the courts of Pharaoh?
He would have been dead.
Today we offer Jesus to people as a sort of choice.
In some sense we give them the choice of whether or not they want to follow Christ, but the reality is there is no choice.
You either follow Christ or you suffer the wrath of Holy God.
That is what Jesus meant when He said:
Matthew 16:25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it…”
Moses understood and he walked by faith.
AND WE SEE HIS COURAGE CONTINUALLY.
• He had the courage to choose slavery over Egypt.
• He had the courage to confront Pharaoh continually.
• He had the courage to trust God’s provision totally.
Now, there is one more example here regarding
THE COMMITMENT OF A SERVANT.
Moses wasn’t the only servant of God who had to be courageous.
God required that same courage from the entire nation of Israel.
• After the death of the firstborn Pharaoh finally did let Israel go.
• In fact Israel even plundered the Egyptians as they left.
• So Israel packed up to leave.
• But God hardened Pharaoh one more time and Pharaoh pursued Israel where they stood trapped at the banks of the Red Sea.
• The people grumbled at Moses
• Moses prayed to the LORD
• The LORD parted the Red Sea
Exodus 14:21-22 “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.”
The writer of Hebrews said:
(29) “By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land;”
And our immediate response is, “what’s so courageous about that?”
Think about it
• Half of you in here won’t ride a ride at Six Flags.
• Could you imagine what this must have looked like?
• Could you imagine the perceived danger?
If you are confused about the danger, read the rest of the verse:
(29b) “and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.”
THIS WAS DANGEROUS.
BUT…
THIS WAS THE LORD’S SALVATION.
If Israel was going to be delivered from the hand of Pharaoh this is what had to occur.
• Two slaves had to agree to defy a king and spare their baby.
• That baby had to choose to leave the comforts of the palace and accept the life
of a slave.
• That slave had to overcome his fear and agree to stand once again before
Pharaoh (which he would end up having to do 12 times)
• These slaves would then have to trust the ordinance of God through the
Passover so that God would not kill them.
• And in their deliverance they would have to obey one of the scariest forms of
deliverance the world has ever seen.
THE POINT?
FAITH REQUIRES COURAGE
And make no mistake about it, it takes courage to follow Jesus.
Being a Christian is not for the faint-hearted.
In fact Jesus spoke of those type of IMPOSTERS.
Matthew 13:20-21 “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.”
Those are the type of people who run to Jesus when it is easy and run from Him when it is hard and they prove that their faith is not genuine.
In fact, listen to what is said about people in hell.
Revelation 21:7-8 “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
We kind of expect the unbelieving and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and liars to be on the list…
But did you notice the very first person? “the cowardly”
It is those who let fear overcome their faith.
Is this not what the writer of Hebrews has been warning against?
Hebrews 10:36-38 “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.”
Don’t be one of those who lets fear keep him from Jesus.
Don’t be one of those who lets fear turn him from Jesus.
I KNOW IT’S DANGEROUS, I KNOW IT’S SCARY
BUT THIS IS THE LORD’S SALVATION.
YOU MUST HAVE FAITH AND YOU MUST HAVE COURAGE.
After all, courage is a bi-product of genuine faith.
John MacArthur wrote:
“Faith is the source of courage. We do not have great faith by having great courage, we have great courage when we have great faith.”
(MacArthur, John [The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Hebrews; Moody Press, Chicago, ILL, 1985] pg. 361)
And this is precisely the point to the recipients of this letter.
You claim to have faith in Jesus.
You claim to believe.
SO WHERE IS YOUR COURAGE?
Because if your faith was real then your courage would be evident.
And so we come back here this morning and once again ask:
Where do you stand with Jesus?
• Forget that these Hebrews might go to prison for Jesus.
• Forget that these Hebrews would have their property seized for Jesus.
• Forget that these Hebrews would be ostracized for following Jesus.
Today we have people who won’t follow Jesus
Simply because they are afraid of what people might think.
This sort of fear is unacceptable to God.
Matthew 10:22-39 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. “But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household! “Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. “What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. “So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. “For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.”
Do you hear Him calling you to overcome your fears and trust in Him?
Because as we found with Moses, it’s really not a choice at all.
Someday this life will come crashing down just like Egypt did.
Today you must face your fear and choose Jesus
Before God’s wrath is poured out on all who don’t.
It really is that simple.
Have faith.
Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
