Jump Start # 1811

Hebrews 11:24 “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.”

Our verse today is a familiar one. It’s like watching a favorite movie or listening to a song that we have heard so many times that we can sing a long with it. By faith Moses refused. By faith Moses chose. His faith and his choices were noted in Heaven. What he chose was right over comfort. The easy thing to do was to live in the Palace as an Egyptian. The easy thing to do is stay in the city. The right thing to do was to be with the people of God. The right thing was to live as a nomad in tents away from Egypt. Moses could not choose God and stay in Egypt. To be with God, he had to be with God’s people.

Our lives are nothing more than the results of our choices. Our choices have consequences. Our choices often cannot be undone without serious pain and often disappointment from Heaven. I know couples right now who are trying to decide whether or not to stay in their marriages. They are unhappy and miserable. The easy thing to do is to think of self and do what makes one happy. That isn’t always the right choice. Deciding which college to attend is a huge decision for a high school student and his family. Sometimes the offer of a scholarship colors their eyes to whether or not there is a thriving congregation to attend in the area. So many young people lose their faith, their virginity, and their sense of morals while away in college. They leave with a degree in their hand but no faith in their heart. Four years of atheistic attacks upon their faith and four years of hanging out with godless friends have crushed any desire they once had in worshipping God. They find and marry someone from the university and they skip down the road of happiness without any thought to following God. Within five years, the marriage crumbles and divorce looms. Why? How did this happen? The answer is simple. Choices.

Our passage reminds us of several key aspects of making godly choices.

First, Moses was trained well. “When he grew up, refused…”   The choice to turn his back on Egypt was not made by his parents, but by Moses. But in many ways, they did make this choice years before as they raised him. They had not listened to the king’s edict. They had put faith in God above the law of the land. They did what was not politically correct, popular nor easy. Moses grew up learning to make the right choices. This is the job of parents, not the church. Teach them. Don’t always make the choices for them. Put them through some situations where you have them think out decisions. The first decision is not always the right one. The easy decision is not always the right one. Make choices based upon glorifying God. Add God to your choices. What would God have you to do? What would people think who saw you? Would they be encouraged to follow God or would your example disappoint them and discourage them?

All of this starts early. It begins when they are young and grandma gives them $20 for their birthday. Off to the store to buy a $30 toy. A lesson was taught. A lesson was learned. Spend all that you have. Buy more than you can afford. Nothing about saving. Nothing about giving. It’s all me. Those early days are when the lessons begin.

Second, Moses wasn’t afraid to say “No.” He refused. That’s a choice. That’s a hard choice. That takes more than faith, it takes courage and confidence. This is where many fail. They can’t say “No.” At a party, a can of beer is handed to a young person. He can’t say, “no,” so, he drinks. Alone with her boyfriend, the passion becomes too intense and she can’t tell him “No,” so off goes the clothes and the line of right and wrong is crossed. A grown sibling, constantly comes into your life needing money. He has been a problem and is covered with problems. Unable to say “no,” you continue to enable is poor choices. Just a few pages after Hebrews 11, comes James 4. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Resist. Refuse. Say No. These are all part of learning to make the right choices. A Moses who couldn’t say “no,” would have stayed in Egypt. He wouldn’t want to upset Pharaoh’s daughter. He wouldn’t want to disappoint Pharaoh. He would have allowed their feelings to decide for him. Sometimes a person must draw a line in the sand. He must say, as Joshua did, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” This is even true with brethren. Sometimes folks down at the church house can’t make up their minds and can’t move on what they ought to. Go along with them, or refuse and stand with God. Refusing may hurt the feelings of others. You may have to do that to please God. God or Pharaoh? Can’t please them both. Moses refused to be called an Egyptian.

Third, Moses chose God. The passage sounds like he chose ill-treatment. That didn’t come until after he chose God. His choice was God and all that comes with God. It meant leaving. It meant walking by faith and not being sure where he was going. It meant trusting God. We try to work all the details out so plainly that we leave nothing to trust. It’s all there. Our choices all mapped out. Our lives all figured out. Abraham journeyed not knowing where he was going. Moses left Egypt to travel through a wilderness. These were choices of faith. I will do what God says, even if it is hard.

The ill-treatment that followed Moses was an advancing Egyptian army that was in pursuit to harm them. The ill-treatment was the trials and troubles that they experienced in the journey to the promise land. Hungry. Thirsty. Tired. It made some wish that they could turn and go back to Egypt. It made some think that life as a slave in Egypt wasn’t all that bad. It was. They forgot.

Ill-treatment still follows those that decide to follow God. It may be that you don’t get that job because you “don’t fit in.” The fitting in is nothing more than crude talk and immoral behavior of the others. No, you don’t fit in. The ill-treatment may mean you don’t make the team. You don’t make the team because you can’t go to all the games because they are on Sunday and you want to worship God. That’s a choice. Ballgame or God? Too many have chosen the ballgame. It may be that you are talked about at school. It may be that you are not included in the inner circle of popular people. Moses made a choice. He chose God. That choice came with consequences. Yours will too. The consequences may be ill-treatment. It may be hard. But if you have chosen God, you have made the right choice.

Fourth, Moses made a choice that was not based upon his comfort or happiness. What a contrast of words. Ill-treatment and passing pleasures. Abuse or fun. Tough times or happiness. The world bows down to the gospel of happiness. Be happy. Do whatever you want to be happy. Leave a marriage if it makes you happy. Leave obligations if it makes you happy. Think of yourself. You deserve it. That message is the most believed message today. People get married because someone makes them happy. When they find someone else makes them more happy, off they dance chasing that person. They leave churches because “I don’t like the message.” What message do you like? Usually, it’s “less doctrine and more fun.” Church-lite is what folks are wanting. I want God but I want to stay and have fun in Egypt. I want the palace and God.

The choice of Moses was based upon faith. It was based upon God. The Bible is full of examples of those who choose God over the fun or the easy way. The first step of discipleship is to deny yourself. We’ve not stressed that enough. Without denying self, I will always pick what I want. Once I have denied self, I will always pick what God wants.

It’s the likes of Moses that enabled John to say, “Be faithful until death,” in the book of Revelation. He was not talking about remaining a Christian until you die in your sleep. He was talking about the fires of persecution. Be faithful, even when you are caught and put in prison. Don’t take the easy way out. Don’t deny your faith to save yourself or fit in. Be faithful. Be faithful when a sword is put to your throat. Be faithful when the doors open and the lions come out. Be faithful, even if it costs your life. There is not happiness in that. There is nothing easy about that. This is where faith takes us. Doing the hard thing because it is the right thing. Apologizing when the easy thing is to just ignore the person. Going out of your way to talk to someone who is different than everyone else. Helping someone who has never helped you. Refusing to make fun of someone. Standing up for what is right. Doing what is right.

Moses chose. It wasn’t easy. It isn’t easy today. You or God? If you make your choices based upon you, then you will always make the wrong choice. You will make the easy choice. Your choices may cost you your soul.

By faith…that’s the key.

Roger