[0:00] I'm going to ask you to turn in your Bibles to the New Testament book of Hebrews and chapter 10.! Hebrews chapter 10. We're going to begin reading at verse 32, read into chapter 11, and then pick up some more verses near the end of chapter 11.
[0:22] So chapter 10, verse 32. Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering.
[0:38] Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insults and persecution, and other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
[0:57] So do not throw away your confidence. It will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
[1:10] For in just a very little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.
[1:25] But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. Now, faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
[1:39] This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith, we understand that the universe was formed at God's command so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
[1:50] By faith, Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith, he was commended as a righteous man when God spoke well of his offerings.
[2:02] And by faith, he still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith, Enoch was taken from this life so that he did not experience death.
[2:12] He could not be found because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
[2:33] By faith, Noah, when warned about things not yet seen in holy fear, built an ark to save his family. By his faith, he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
[2:51] And then verses 23 through 29. By faith, Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born because they saw he was no ordinary child and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
[3:06] By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.
[3:18] He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward.
[3:30] And by faith, he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger. He persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith, he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
[3:47] By faith, the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land. But when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
[4:02] Well, in our study of four graces of the Christian life, we've come from humility, the great emptier, to faith, the great receiver.
[4:14] And we've seen that this grace gift of faith is precious because of what it does. It unites us to Christ. It purifies our hearts.
[4:27] And it overcomes the world. Now, today, we see that faith sees the unseen. Faith sees the unseen.
[4:40] Contrary to the materialistic worldview of secular humanism, there's more to reality than what you can see, whether by the naked eye or by peering through a telescope or a microscope or what can be perceived in a chemistry lab or realized by the five physical senses.
[5:02] If you only accept as real what can be seen or observed or perceived by the five senses, well, then you're just not playing with a full deck, I'm sorry to say.
[5:16] You will be unaware of huge chunks of reality and indeed oblivious to much that is real and is the most important for life here and hereafter.
[5:30] So the sum total of reality, everything that exists in the universe, is comprised of two categories, things seen and things unseen.
[5:45] So that that bench that you're sitting on is real, isn't it? Or is it? How do you know that it's real and it's not just imaginary?
[6:00] Well, you can see it. You can touch it. If you if you hit it hard enough, you could hear it. And if you ate it, you could taste it and feel and smell it.
[6:12] And so by your physical senses, you perceive that it is really here. It's reality and not just imaginary. And so much of reality that we live in is perceived in this way through these sweet gifts of God called the five senses.
[6:34] But how do you perceive the unseen world? Those real things that are unseen like angels and demons like heaven and hell.
[6:48] Like the spirits of safe people. Who have died. And yet their spirits are living on. The living spirits of those who died outside of Christ.
[7:02] How do you perceive that? How do you perceive God? The three persons of the one God. How do you perceive God the father who no one has seen and can see?
[7:15] First Timothy 616. How do you how do you see Jesus Christ? Whom having not seen you love. How do you see the Holy Spirit who is a spirit?
[7:29] And yet indwells every single one of God's people. How do you know that all of this that we we don't see is real and is not just imaginary?
[7:42] Well, we perceive it by faith. By faith in God's revelation, whether it be the revelation that he has made in creation or the revelation in conscience or the revelation in Holy Scripture.
[7:59] By faith in what God has revealed, we perceive that these unseen things are real. So faith is like a military grade night vision goggles.
[8:12] A good pair could cost you anywhere from three to eight thousand dollars. Without them, as you look out into the pitch dark night, you see little or nothing of what is really there.
[8:28] But with these night vision goggles, you see so much more. There's a rock. If I didn't see it, I would stumble over it. There's a lion on the prowl.
[8:40] There's a sniper. On the ground. Now, the goggles did not create those things. They only enabled you to see what is there.
[8:55] And that's what faith does. Faith sees the unseen. It's like a sixth sense that makes you aware of unseen realities. And not only aware of them, but certain of them.
[9:08] Certain that they are as real as the bench you're sitting on. Faith doesn't create your own reality. That's word of faith heresy.
[9:19] No, faith simply perceives what is real. What God has made real. And what he's revealed to us. But is unseen to the physical eye.
[9:31] So that's why in 2 Corinthians 5, 7, Paul says, We walk by faith, not by sight. There's just two ways to live your life. By faith or by sight.
[9:45] Most of the world lives by sight. That means they live only for the things that they can see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. Now they may have heard about unseen things from the Bible.
[9:59] May have been taught them in their homes and in the church and in society at large. And they may even nod their heads to them and claim to believe them. But it's not real faith.
[10:12] Because these unseen things are dim and distant. About as real to them as the land of Oz. There's no compelling force in these unseen things to change the way they live.
[10:25] There's no shaping influence to radically affect their choices and their lives. And because they have no faith. That is no settled assurance that those things are real.
[10:39] They don't affect them. And only a split second after death. Will they see and wake up to the fact. That unseen things are just as real as what they saw with their eyes.
[10:55] But it will be truth learned too late. But things are different for the true believer. We walk by faith, Paul says.
[11:06] We, you and I, we walk by faith, not by sight. You see, the Christian life cannot be lived by sight alone. Sight is insufficient. It's not enough to live the Christian life.
[11:20] It misses the bigger part of reality. The most essential part of reality. The unseen. So we live by faith. In what cannot be seen by sight.
[11:34] A few verses before this. Second Corinthians 4.18. Paul's talking about the eternal glory that awaits suffering Christians after this life. And he says, so we fix our eyes.
[11:47] Not on what is seen. But on what is unseen. Because what is seen is temporary. But what is unseen. Is eternal.
[11:58] Eternal. So if you're living only for what you can see and perceive by the five senses. You're living for temporary things. That are eternally out of date.
[12:09] And will soon perish and leave you with nothing as you enter into eternity. But believers are living for that unseen eternal world. And so we fix our eyes.
[12:21] Not on what's seen. But on what is unseen. We focus our eyes. Is the idea. We fix them. We focus our eyes. On what we cannot see.
[12:32] Now that's a paradox. Isn't it? Focus your eyes on what you cannot see. Well. The paradox is explained. Just. Seven verses later. We walk by faith.
[12:45] Not by sight. That's how we see the invisible. It's by faith. By the eyes of faith. That we see the unseen. Hebrews 11. 27. Says that Moses persevered.
[12:57] Because he saw him who is invisible. How do you see him who is invisible kids? Well you see with. Not these eyes. But with the eyes of faith. And that's how you.
[13:12] Fix your eyes. On Jesus. It's by faith. By faith. Precious faith. That sees Jesus. Now crowned with glory and honor. No wonder Paul gave such glad.
[13:25] Praise to God. Whenever he heard about. Or saw faith in other people. She was blind. But now she sees. She saw no glory in Jesus.
[13:38] That she should ever desire him. Or live for him. For Satan. The God of this age. Has blinded the minds of unbelievers. So that they cannot see. The gospel of the glory of God.
[13:49] In the face of Christ. That cannot see. The glory of Christ. Who is the image of God. But the sight restoring miracle. Has taken place.
[14:01] For God who said. Let light shine out of darkness. Has made his light shine in our hearts. So. That we. Now. Now. Can see. To give to us. This light of the knowledge.
[14:12] Of the glory of God. In the face of Christ. She now sees. And what she sees. Has made life. Altogether new. For her.
[14:22] She now sees. The glory of God. In the person of Christ. And. And that changes everything. Precious faith. Precious grace. Gift.
[14:32] Of faith. That receives. The revelation of God. And now sees. The unseen. Now.
[14:43] We can hardly do justice. To a study of faith. And move on to. Love. In our study. Without going to Hebrews. Chapter 11. The chapter.
[14:54] The faith chapter. Some of you may already be on your way there. Let's join them. And see if it does not. Teach and apply. What we've been saying. Hebrews 11. It begins with a description.
[15:05] Of what faith is. A practical description. More like what faith does. Hebrews 11. One. Now faith is being sure.
[15:15] Of what we hope for. Certain. Of what. We do not see. Faith receives. God's revelation. About. Unseen things.
[15:27] Whether present. Or future. And. Makes us sure. Certain. About them. So by faith.
[15:38] We see things. We cannot see. With our physical eyes. And when we. When scripture talks about that. And when I speak of seeing. The unseen. I'm not talking about some vision.
[15:49] Not talking about some hallucination. Or visualization. In which we see things. In our mind. I'm not speaking of that. I'm speaking of what verse one. Is talking about.
[16:01] Faith is that. Inner conviction. That inner confidence. And assurance. That is certain. That these unseen things.
[16:11] Are real. As real as the things. We can touch. And see. All around us. Faith. Gives the amen. In the soul.
[16:22] To all that God says. So God speaks to us. And tells us. Of these unseen things. In his word. And faith says. Amen. It's true.
[16:34] I'm sure of it. I'm certain of it. That's faith. It's that inner assurance. That the unseen Jesus.
[16:44] Is just as real. As the bench. You're sitting on. And just as your certainty. That that bench is real. Caused you to sit down on it. And to put all your weight on it.
[16:56] So the certainty. Of these unseen things. Moves you to do things. That you otherwise. Never would do. Hebrews 11 shows us.
[17:07] The power of faith. To shape the lives. Of so many people. In scripture. 22 times. We're told in this chapter. What they did. They did by faith. By faith.
[17:19] The great difference maker. So Noah. There he is. Kids. And he's building a big boat. And there's no body of water.
[17:29] Big enough to float his boat. Anywhere near him. Some of you have been to Kentucky. How many of you have been to Kentucky. And seen the model of the Noah's Ark.
[17:40] Okay. Good. Then you know what I'm talking about. A big boat. And the size of a body of water needed. And he was nowhere near. Anything. Like it.
[17:51] Now. Why in the world. Would he live that way. Why would he scrap his. His. His plans for life. I mean.
[18:02] You don't build one of those things in a day. Decades of his life. Why would he scrap all of his plans for life. And instead give himself.
[18:14] To building this. Boat. That. Appeared to be complete insanity. To the world. Around him. Well the answer is because of what he saw.
[18:26] By faith. It's what he saw. What did he see. By faith. Noah. When warned about. Things not yet seen. In holy fear.
[18:37] Built an ark. To save his family. What was it that he was. Warned about. That was not yet seen. Well it was a global flood. It had never happened.
[18:48] In all of Noah's lifetime. Nor in the history of the world. As. They had heard from their ancestors. It had never. Flooded the whole earth.
[19:00] Before. But God said it. God said it's going to happen. And Noah's faith.
[19:11] Made. Made. Certain to him. That. What he could not see. Was really going to happen. That's faith. That's what faith does. He was sure of it.
[19:22] Sure enough to reorganize his life. To build what made no sense apart from faith. And that's what faith is. And that's what faith does. The assured conviction.
[19:34] That what God. Says is reality. It's going to happen. And it did. Didn't it? It did. And so by his faith.
[19:44] He condemned the world. For not believing. And he became heir of the righteousness. That comes by faith. Because faith is being certain.
[19:54] Of what. We do not see. Certain. Noah building an ark. Certain. And then let's consider what Moses.
[20:08] Saw by faith. And how it affected the way he lived. We're given these examples. That we might know. That this matter of faith. Is no nebulous thing. That doesn't intersect with. You and life. And here are these many examples.
[20:19] Of real people. Just like you. Just like me. Living in the real world. The same world. You and I live in. And the difference that faith made. So Moses. Verse 24.
[20:36] By faith Moses. When he had grown up. Refused to be known. As the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated. Along with the people of God. Rather than to enjoy. The pleasures of sin. For a short time.
[20:47] He regarded disgrace. For the sake of Christ. As of greater value. Than the treasures of Egypt. Because he was looking ahead. To his reward. By faith he left Egypt.
[21:00] Not fearing the king's anger. He persevered. Because he saw him. Who is invisible. You remember the story. Back in Exodus. Chapters 1 and 2.
[21:12] The Pharaoh of Egypt. Had ordered every. Israelite. Baby boy. To be thrown into the Nile River. The children of Israel. Are now slaves. Under Pharaoh.
[21:24] A new Pharaoh. That did not remember Joseph. And now. They're. They're. Mistreating them. And making them. Build. For them. And.
[21:35] They kept. Multiplying. And they're afraid. That they might side. With the enemy. In a war. So we've got to reduce them. Well. Baby boys. Baby boys. Must be thrown into the Nile River. Well.
[21:46] Moses. Parents. Were able to hide baby Moses. For three months. And then. They could hide him no longer. And so they. They put him in. A little ark.
[21:56] And. Floated. That little boat. In. The Nile River. And you remember. It was Pharaoh's own daughter. That came and found. The ark. With the baby in it. And she had compassion on him.
[22:10] And. She hired. His mother. To nurse him. And paid her for it. And. And then. After she. She had weaned.
[22:22] Baby Moses. She brought him to Pharaoh's daughter. And Pharaoh's daughter. Never adopted him. As her own son. But when he had grown up. He had a huge decision to make.
[22:33] Now. Acts chapter 7. Verse 23. Says he was 40. So some of you need to grow up. You're not yet 40. That's how old he was. When he had grown up.
[22:44] He was now 40 years old. He has this huge decision. To make. What will he do? Shall I continue to identify. With the Egyptians.
[22:54] As the son of Pharaoh. Pharaoh's daughter. That had been his identity. For nearly 40 years. Or. Shall I identify. With God's people. The slave nation.
[23:06] Of Israel. Well. The consequences of his choice. Could not be greater. So let's help Moses. Make decision. This decision. Let's do what.
[23:18] Sometimes you do. In writing down. The pros and cons. Of both. Options. And let's do it. As any other 40 year old. Egyptian.
[23:29] Man. Would have done it. Okay. Let's start. What can be said. For continuing. As the son. Of Pharaoh's daughter. Let's write down. All the perks. Well.
[23:39] Instant recognition. VIP status. Throughout the land. He's the son. Of Pharaoh's daughter. And that identity.
[23:50] Would swing open doors. That otherwise. Would be locked. To him. And anyone else. The royal family. Goes right. To the front of the line. No waiting. For them. Servants. Rather. Waiting.
[24:00] On their every. Back and call. The popularity. Power. Privileges. Of palace life. The kind of thing. Most men dream of. And then there were. The treasures of Egypt.
[24:11] Verse 26. Egypt was one of the richest nations of the world. At that time. And according to the law that Moses. Or that Joseph set in place. All the land belonged.
[24:24] To the Pharaoh. And his grandson of Pharaoh. Moses would have had access to much of that treasure. At his disposal. He wouldn't have to work another day of his life.
[24:37] He'd never have to. Agonize over the price of. Of things that he wanted. No saving up to buy it. He could afford everything. Cash on the barrel head. Right now. The treasures.
[24:49] Of Egypt. Were his. As the. The son. Of Pharaoh's. Daughter. And then there. There were the pleasures of sin.
[25:00] Verse 25. You know there are pleasures of sin. And the Bible doesn't hide that from us. Sin is fun. Sin is pleasurable. I mean it's got to have something going for it.
[25:10] For men to be selling their souls. For it. And it does. And here's this single man Moses. And as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
[25:22] Why he can have anything his heart desires. Any number of women. That he might want. He can get drunk with the finest of wines. He can attend the best parties. With all the entertainments.
[25:33] That appealed. To the sensual. Lust. Of men. Whatever he wanted. Whenever he wanted it. It was all at his fingertips. Just because of who he was. The. The son of Pharaoh's daughter.
[25:45] Her daddy's the king. He's. One of the. Royal princes. So all of this and more. Was his. Just for. For choosing. Egypt. Egypt.
[25:57] And that meant that. He didn't have to do anything. Because he already was. The son of Pharaoh's daughter. It's just for continuing. The status quo. Just to remain. What he's been. For 40 years. A son.
[26:09] Of Pharaoh's daughter. Wow. That option's got everything. Going for it. Nothing. Against it.
[26:20] But for the sake. Of even handedness. Let's look at the other option. For a while. So what can be said. For choosing to identify. With the people of God. Over here. Well first of all.
[26:30] Moses. You'd lose. All that we've just been. Talking about. All the perks. That were yours. The status. And pleasures. And treasures. Of Egypt. You'd be kissing goodbye. Right away.
[26:42] And. In their place. You'd be mistreated. Along with. The people of God. Verse 24. You'd be choosing. A beating. To identify.
[26:53] With the slave nation. Of Israel. The crack. Of the whip. The cruel slavery. Of making bricks. In the hot desert sun. Carrying heavy loads. Under harsh foremen.
[27:05] Miserable mistreatment. Instead of. Ease and affluence. Of palace life. That's what this option holds. But there's more. Because identifying.
[27:15] With the people of God. Would mean. Suffering disgrace. Verse 26. You'd go from a somebody. To a nobody. A shameful nobody. From being honored.
[27:27] And respected. To be mocked. And disgraced. Bearing shame. And humiliation. A despised. Slave. Of a despised. Nation. Goodbye.
[27:38] Pleasure. Hello. Pain. Hello. Shame. Moses. This decision. Is a no brainer. The choice. Couldn't be clearer. Sure. It's clear.
[27:50] Isn't it? Moses says. It sure is. Couldn't be clearer. I'm out of here. I'm leaving Egypt. To identify. With the people of God. By faith.
[28:05] Moses. When he had grown up. Refused. To be known. As the son of. Pharaoh's daughter. And he chose. You see. He had other options. He could have chose.
[28:16] To remain. What he. No. He chose. He chose. In the light of day. He chose. Examining. And weighing. His options. And the pros. And cons. He chose.
[28:26] Counting the cost. And what he chose. Was to be mistreated. Along with the people of God. Rather. To enjoy. To enjoy. The pleasures of sin. For a short time. He chose.
[28:37] By faith. And he clearly saw. Things that this world. Without faith. Cannot see. And is not sure of. Now.
[28:51] The same decision. Stands before. Every one of us. Who are ever born. Into this world. We must choose. The moment of decision.
[29:02] Has been thrust upon us. By being born. A part of this world system. Will we continue. To identify. With the world. It's people. It's pleasures.
[29:12] It's treasures. It's values. Or will we choose. To be identified. With God. With his Christ. With his despised people. It's always been the world.
[29:24] Or Christ. It still is. The world is sparkling. With things that appeal. To your five senses. Jesus.
[29:35] And without faith. There's nothing on the other side. No wonder. The world is under the power. Of the evil one. Who rules and reigns. Over this world.
[29:47] They don't see. What Moses saw. And you will never understand. Moses's choice. Much less make the same choice. For yourself.
[29:57] Unless you see what he saw. By faith. So what did he see by faith? That accounts for his hands down choice. That he made. And would bring us.
[30:08] To that same decision. Christ. Instead of the world. Well. Five things quickly. First. Faith sees that the pleasures of sin.
[30:18] Are only for a short time. Verse 25. Yes. Those things tempted him. Yes. Those things appealed. To his baser nature. His flesh. As much as to any other man.
[30:30] But as he looked at those pleasures. By faith. He couldn't get over the fact. Of how short lived they were. They're momentary.
[30:41] They're fleeting. They're passing things. Even if they lasted the whole of his. Hundred and twenty year. Lifetime. For faith brings the unseen things.
[30:51] Of eternity. Into view. Eternity. Oh. Eternity. That's something that. Unbelievers do not see.
[31:02] Do not grasp. Are not sure of. Confident of it. Eternity. But. But Moses was. By faith. It brought eternity. Into view. And important decisions.
[31:15] Will never be right. Without eternity. In view. Will be cheated. Every time. It's why so many today. Are choosing sins. Pleasures. Over Christ. They don't see how short lived. The pleasures are.
[31:26] And how. Long lived. And awful. Sins. Consequences. In a hell. That lasts forever. Are. Some point. It must be acknowledged. It's not wise.
[31:37] To gain a moment. Of pleasure. For an eternity. Of torment. But they're blind. They're blind. To eternity. They only see. The immediate. Gratification.
[31:49] Of their desire. But the world's pleasures. Don't look the same. Through the eyeglasses. Of faith. Are you kidding me? Trade.
[32:01] This. For that. Momentary. Sin. Sin. For a season. Eternal life. Forever. Secondly.
[32:13] Faith. Also. Sees. Mistreatment. With the people. Of God. Differently. Not only. Is sinful. Pleasure. Seen. Differently. By faith. So is. Mistreatment. With the people. Of God. Seen. Differently.
[32:24] And that. Mistreatment. May be. As indeed. It has been. Through most. Of what you read. In scripture. And we've been. Living. In a bubble. With the good. Things.
[32:34] That we've had. In our nation. but that's not the way it's been for most of God's people in the world. They've been grossly mistreated. And though the mistreatment may be severe, that too only lasts a lifetime.
[32:48] And faith sees the eternity of bliss that God has prepared for his people and so reckons with Paul that our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be ours in heaven.
[33:03] Faith sees it's our greatest privilege to belong to the people of God. To be in that eternal covenant with him in which he says, I will be your God and you will be my people.
[33:17] Just to know that I am his and he is mine. There's no higher privilege. To be under his unfailing love and everlasting favor, to have God for me and with me every day of my life, the day of my death, the day of judgment, and every day of eternity.
[33:37] To belong to the people of God. So does that belonging to God's people bring mistreatment from the world? Moses says, so be it. That does not undo the far greater benefit of being one of God's people.
[33:51] Nothing can compare. No higher privilege than belonging to God. Better to be a persecuted child of God than to be a pampered son of Pharaoh's daughter.
[34:05] Better to be an Israelite slave with God than to be the son of an Egyptian prince without him. And faith sees this.
[34:15] The world's worst with Christ is far better than the world's best without him. And the reason the world does not know us sons of God is because it didn't know him.
[34:26] But oh, how that will all be changed when he appears. And every eye sees him. And we appear with him. And all will realize how blessed we are to be the sons of God.
[34:40] Those under his everlasting blessing. Yes, a day is coming. And faith sees that day. When the people of God, now despised, will be the envy of all who are not.
[35:01] By faith, he chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
[35:14] Faith sees the pleasures of sin are only for a short time. Faith sees mistreatment with the people of God differently. And thirdly, faith has a different value system.
[35:25] A different way of assigning worth to things. Sometimes we hear of paintings worth hundreds and thousands of dollars being bought for a couple bucks at a garage sale.
[35:39] Is that what drives you to those garage sales every Thursday and Friday and Saturday? I don't know. Let me know if you find a treasure for a couple bucks.
[35:50] But that happens, doesn't it? Why does it happen? Because somebody didn't see the true value of that painting. They undervalued it. They put too low of a valuation upon something that was more valuable.
[36:06] The world's valuation system is all messed up because it doesn't see with faith's eyes what is unseen. It can't see right. And so it highly values cheap things and puts a low value on most valuable things.
[36:21] Do you know what they valued the Son of God for? 30 pieces of silver. The price of a slave. And the world is valuing Him even for less than that today.
[36:37] Some pleasure. Some trinket. Some power. Some prestige. Christ is cheaply sold on the auction block of the world.
[36:54] Oh, but earthly treasures. Yes. Now we're talking. And some people will sacrifice their honor, their honesty, their family, their marriage, their health to get more of it.
[37:09] Many pursue the riches of earth over the riches of heaven. But faith enables us to see the true value of things. The low value of earth's treasures.
[37:23] The high value of Christ and all riches that are to be found in Him. So, verse 26, by faith. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt.
[37:37] The worldling sees the decision before Him. Treasures of this world. Disgrace for Christ.
[37:49] No-brainer. Give me the treasures. You can have the disgrace. Faith says, no-brainer. Give me disgrace with Christ and you can have all the world's treasures. What others shun like the plague, faith esteems as a prize to be disgraced for the sake of Christ.
[38:11] To be counted a fool for Jesus' sake. What does faith see that the world doesn't see? Well, faith sees that wealth is worthless in the day of wrath.
[38:27] Faith sees that we came into this world with nothing and we're going out with nothing. Faith sees that treasures are not certain. They take wings and fly away. It's nothing to trust in.
[38:37] Faith sees the emptiness of earth's treasures. They don't satisfy the soul. The soul is made for God and no amount of treasures can satisfy that. No, only God Himself. That's what faith sees, you see.
[38:50] On the other hand, faith sees the high value of suffering disgrace for the sake of Christ. What a privilege. Isn't that what the apostles said? They were preaching in the name of Jesus and the religious leaders arrest them and bring them in and rough them up and threaten them and then they beat them with rods and threaten them some more to never again preach in Jesus' name.
[39:17] And they left the high court rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name. And so daily in the temple courts and from house to house they never stop preaching and teaching that Jesus is the Christ.
[39:37] Faith sees something in disgrace for Christ that values it higher than anything of this world's treasures. I'd rather have Jesus and His shame than all the world has to give of riches and honors.
[39:52] Moses placed greater value on disgrace for Christ than the treasures of Egypt. Why would he do that? Verse 26 says because he was looking ahead to his reward.
[40:06] And that's our fourth thing. That too is the activity of faith. Faith looks ahead to the unseen reward. You've never had a true estimate of things without faith factoring in unseen rewards promised by God.
[40:20] Take just what you can see by faith Christians getting disgraced mistreated well it's a no brainer we avoid that and we go with the world. But faith looks ahead to the reward of these fellas.
[40:37] Isn't that what Jesus said? Blessed are you. He's talking to His disciples His followers. Happy are you. Those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of God.
[40:52] The kingdom of God. Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
[41:03] Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven. Moses chose as he did because he was looking ahead to his reward for being mistreated for the sake of Christ.
[41:16] Could only be seen by faith. living for Christ suffering for Him comes with an eternal reward attached.
[41:31] What are men's frowns now compared to God's favor and delight forever? Faith sees that. It shows us the day of final judgment that's coming when rewards of grace will be handed out for anything suffered for or done for Jesus Christ because of Jesus Christ.
[41:54] Because He says it. Because He wants it done. And we do it for Him. For His honor. Rewards. Eyes that have never seen.
[42:05] Things that eyes have never seen. Ears have never heard of. Never entered into the minds of man. By faith we see they're coming. They're coming. And it affects our choice.
[42:17] Lastly and undergirding it all faith sees Him who is invisible. That's what verse 27 says. Why why why Moses persevered against all hardship in this life.
[42:30] Why didn't quit? Why didn't fear man even the highest man the king? Why he left Egypt and left the world and kept his back to the world and never turned back to it.
[42:43] Why? Because he saw Him who was invisible. His face was now that direction. What he saw in Him who is invisible was so much more than what he was leaving behind.
[43:00] Faith is precious because faith sees the unseen. And it is chiefly precious because of what we see in the unseen Christ.
[43:15] What do you see in Jesus? What do you see in the Son of God? The world sees no glory nothing beautiful that they should desire Him or live for Him.
[43:29] And so they don't. They're still blind and cannot see. But you you too were blind and now you see. what do you see in Him?
[43:43] You see the eternal Son of God existing when there was nothing but God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit.
[43:54] You see the Son delighting in the Father and His love and the Spirit and you see that wonderful harmony that was existing for all eternity and somewhere they planned and made a plan to create a world and you see the Son of God involved in that plan and then you see that nothing was made without what He made and He's creating this world and you see that part of the plan included the fall into sin and included a plan of redemption and you see this Son of God willingly offering Himself to come and be the Redeemer for man and you see Him becoming man for us He was God humbling Himself and becoming nobody a servant a slave and you see Him obeying for us putting Himself under the law as a man to obey for us and you see
[44:59] Him tempted for us nobody's ever felt the strength of temptation like Jesus did we give in too soon but He kept standing and so He felt the full force of temptation and never gave in He did it for us tempted for us obeying for us and then we see Him becoming sin for us taking our sins upon Him and going to the place of punishment where He became a curse for us and we see the Father turning away from Him and forsaking Him and leaving Him in this desolation of crying and not being heard of looking toward Heaven where He had always enjoyed face to face communion with His Father and now saying my God my God why have you abandoned me it was for us that's what I see in Jesus the crucified God man for me they took Him down and He was buried and put in the grave for me and then He rose triumphant over death for me
[46:05] He crushed the head of the serpent for me He overcame the world for me and then He ascended into Heaven and there He is He's there at the Father's right hand and He's ruling over everything right now for me for us His people He's working everything out for our good He's listening to our every prayer our whispered groans He's interpreting our tears He's hurting with us He's rejoicing with us He's weeping with us He's not a high priest who's unable to sympathize with us in our weaknesses no He feels in all our distresses He too is distressed that's what I see in Jesus now in glory and honor but not forgetting
[47:08] His people on earth no no not in the least in fact He's there for them and He's always interceding for them always talking to the Father on our behalf and that's why we who have come to God through Him will be saved to the uttermost why because He always lives to intercede for us not a second that He's not interceding for us pointing to His work on Calvary Father she's mine He's mine I've purchased her remember I went and obeyed even unto death the death of the cross and He's fixing to come again for me for us that's what I see in Jesus He doesn't want to be away from us I see a heart pounding with longing and desire to have us with Him that we might see His glory and be with Him forever and ever and He's not happy until that happens and He's just waiting for the
[48:19] Father to nod and then He will come and then faith will turn to sight and we will see our Savior face to face and He will raise the dead and we together will be caught up together with Him in the clouds and so shall we be with the Lord forever and He will bring us into a new heaven and a new earth where everything is made new for us for us and He will share His glory with us He will say enter into the joy of your Lord come I'll share my joy with you that fullness of joy everlasting pleasures at His right hand that's all in Jesus are you seeing that in Him faith receives receives the revelation of God and faith says it is sure it is so certain that I'll stake my life on it no I'll stake my eternity on it
[49:26] I'll turn my back on the world and I'll embrace Jesus and we don't do that in a moment you don't give your life to Jesus in a moment you give your life to Jesus one moment at a time you look to Him you receive mercy from Him you worship Him you trust Him you delight in Him one moment at a time and that's why it's so important that we feed faith with what is unseen to our eyes seeing we believe believing we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory He welcomes whoever you are whatever you've done come He delights to save sinners
[50:27] He's plenteous in mercy His loving kindness is better than life Do you have eyes of faith to see Jesus?
[50:38] Oh brother and sisters then we can join Paul in giving thanks to God can't we for faith let's do that let's do that now our father thank you for the revelation of scripture it is so clear it tells us things that we otherwise never would know we we we would look right over we are the ones who were born blind and could not see these things and so how we thank you for that miraculous work of your spirit to quicken us to life to give us eyes to see and what we see in Jesus has been enough but we know there's more to see in him so open our eyes further that we might see wonderful things in our savior things that would draw us closer and closer to him and further and further from this world's allurements pardon our sin forgive us look upon your son and that blood shed for us we pray for those without faith that don't see what we see oh lord we were once like them would you put forth your mighty hand give them eyes to see what we see in Jesus and give them conviction of sin for their unbelief that they do not believe what you say about your son oh this is the record that life is in his son and he who has the son has life and he who has not the son of
[52:19] God has not life give them faith today to believe the record to find more in Christ than they find in this world we pray in Jesus name amen amen who