The Resolve, Reproach, and Reward of Faith

Order of Service

• Scripture Reading — Hebrews 11:23-29
• Sermon
• Prayer of Dismissal

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Sermon Title: The Resolve, Reproach, and Reward of Faith

Scripture: Hebrews 11:23-29

I. The Resolve of Faith

A. Three times in the passage, people act without fear in the face of Pharaoh's edict and power

1. Moses's parents hid him for three months, not afraid of the king's edict (Hebrews 11:23); they saw by faith that something special rested on the child (cf. Exodus 2:2; Acts 7:20)
2. Moses himself was not afraid of the anger of the king, continuing to go before Pharaoh as God's spokesman (Hebrews 11:27; cf. Exodus 10:28-29)
3. The people of Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry land, demonstrating faith in the face of the advancing Egyptians and the wall of water (Hebrews 11:29)

B. The ground of Moses's courage: he endured as seeing him who is invisible — he trusted in the God he could not see over the king he could see (Hebrews 11:27)

C. Courageous faith has a multiplying effect

1. Moses was saved because his parents were not afraid
2. The people, seeing Moses's boldness, were helped to face their own fear
3. Application: the original audience of Hebrews faced fear and temptation to abandon Christ; we too face internal and external pressures, and are called to resolve to press on by faith in God's promises

II. The Reproach of Faith

A. Moses refused the title and privilege of being called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing mistreatment with the people of God over the fleeting pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:24-25)

B. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt (Hebrews 11:26)

1. Moses, an Old Covenant man, looked forward by faith to Christ and chose to be joined with him and his people
2. Spurgeon: affliction with the people of God is affliction in glorious company — the sweet that kills the bitter

C. Sharing in Christ's reproach is part of the Christian life

1. Christ warned his people of tribulation and reproach in this world
2. Paul speaks of sharing in Christ's sufferings in Philippians
3. Peter writes: rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings (1 Peter 4:12-14)
4. Application: hard choices — regarding work, friendships, and allegiances — may require us to choose the reproach of Christ over the comforts of this world

III. The Reward of Faith

A. Moses reasoned by faith: he considered, believed God's promises, and chose accordingly with a better reward in view (Hebrews 11:26)

B. Christ himself is the reward

1. Jesus: rejoice when persecuted, for your reward is great in heaven (Matthew 5:11-12)
2. Paul: he counted all things as rubbish in order to gain Christ (Philippians 3:8)
3. Moses's faith became sight at the transfiguration — he stood with the incarnate and glorified Christ he had trusted from afar

C. Rick Phillips: acknowledging Christ is always costly — a yes to him and his people's affliction, and a no to the world; but both the yes and the no of faith will be richly rewarded (Matthew 10:38-39)

D. Application: keep Christ before your eyes of faith as your chief reward through all endurance

1. As Moses sprinkled the blood of the Passover lamb, he saw Christ, the Lamb whose blood would be shed for him (Hebrews 11:28)
2. Moses died overlooking the promised land, never entering it — yet he arose to behold his Savior; the promise of reward became his possession
3. The same will be true for every believer: faith will become sight