THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT
PROGRAM AIR DATE: 12-22-19
LESSON TITLE: SO GREAT A CLOUD OF WITNESSES - MOSES
WELCOME
"THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE; WE WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT," PSALMS 118:24! OH, HOW TRUE THESE WORDS SHOULD BE TO EVERY FOLLOWER OF GOD! THIS IS A GREAT DAY! WE SHOULD BE REJOICING! WE MUST BE GLAD! WHY WE ARE BLESSED SERVANTS OF GOD ABLE TO ASSEMBLE BEFORE HIS THRONE ON THIS, THE LORD'S DAY! HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND WELCOME TO OUR PROGRAM ON THIS WONDROUS LORD'S DAY MORNING. I AM GLAD YOU ARE WITH US TODAY AND THANK GOD YOU HAVE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION TO GIVE THIS TIME TO YOUR CREATOR. I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR TIME SPENT TOGETHER TODAY AS WE SING PRAISES TO THE ALMIGHTY AND AS WE STUDY FROM HIS MATCHLESS WORD! THIS MORNING, I KNOW WE WILL ALL BE EDIFIED THROUGH OUR TIME SPENT TOGETHER. SO LET'S ALL DO OUR PART TO MAKE THIS TIME PROFITABLE BEFORE GOD, AND FURTHERMORE MAY WE USE IT AS A GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT ONE TO ANOTHER! AT THIS TIME, LET'S APPROACH OUR FATHER'S THRONE IN PRAYER:
PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR THIS DAY - ANOTHER GREAT LORD'S DAY, ANOTHER GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY LIFE, TO BE BLESSED IN THIS LIFE, TO HAVE AND TO RECEIVE ALL THAT WE DO FROM YOU. AND FATHER, WE ASK THIS DAY THAT YOU'LL HELP US TO BE MINDFUL OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO FOR ALL OF US AND TO BE THANKFUL. FOR FATHER, CERTAINLY YOU DO ALL OF THESE THINGS AND YOU GIVE US SUCH TIMES OF THE YEAR TO ENJOY FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND TO BE ABLE TO REMEMBER JUST HOW BLESSED WE ARE AS YOUR CHILDREN. HELP US TO REMEMBER JESUS AND TO KNOW THIS DAY AS WE WORSHIP AND PRAISE YOU THAT CERTAINLY HE IS WORTHY OF PROPER AND ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICES. THESE THINGS WE PRAY THROUGH HIS NAME, AMEN.
WELL, IT IS TIME TO JOIN IN OUR FIRST SONG OF THE MORNING. WE WANT TO BEGIN BY SINGING A SONG WHICH FOCUSES ON THE GREATEST HISTORICAL GIFT WHICH GOD EVER PROVIDED FOR ALL OF MANKIND. SO, WON'T YOU PARTICIPATE WITH THE CONGREGATION AT THIS TIME AS WE SING TOGETHER, "HILL CALLED MOUNT CALVARY!"
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WERE AFRAID? DID YOU KNOW THAT FEAR IS A HEALTHY PART OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE? HOWEVER, LET ME CLARIFY THAT WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT AN UNCONTROLLABLE, UNFOUNDED OR IRRATIONAL FEAR, BUT RATHER A FEAR BASED ON LOVE, POWER AND RESPECT. WE FIND MANY VERSES IN GOD'S WORD WHICH HELP US TO SEE THAT IMPORTANCE OF A HEALTHY FEAR. ONE SUCH VERSE IS FOUND IN HEBREWS 10:31. THERE IT SAYS, "IT IS A FEARFUL THING TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE LIVING GOD." YOU SEE HERE FAITH IS BASED ON GOD'S POWER AND AWESOMENESS. BRETHREN AND FRIENDS WE MUST NEVER FORGET THE POWER AND MIGHT OF OUR GOD. ANOTHER WRITER THAT HELPS US WITH THIS TOPIC IS SOLOMON. WHAT WAS IT THAT HE SAID AS A SUMMATION OF LIFE, NEAR THE END OF ALL THINGS. READ WITH ME FROM ECCLESIASTES 12:13, WERE IT SAYS, "LET US HEAR THE CONCLUSION OF THE WHOLE MATTER: FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, FOR THIS IS MAN'S ALL." YOU SEE THE ALL OF MAN IS CENTERED AROUND KNOWING AND OBEYING GOD. AND WHY, BECAUSE GOD ALONE IS GOD HE IS ALL POWERFUL HE MUST BE OUR EVERYTHING. FINALLY, LET'S CONSIDER WHY FEAR IS SO NECESSARY. HEAR WITH ME THE WORDS OF GOD IN GENESIS 22:12, THERE GOD PROCLAIMS TO ABRAHAM, "DO NOT LAY YOUR HAND ON THE LAD, OR DO ANYTHING TO HIM; FOR NOW I KNOW THAT YOU FEAR GOD, SINCE YOU HAVE NOT WITHHELD YOUR SON, YOUR ONLY SON, FROM ME." DO YOU SEE HERE WHY FEAR IS SO IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY TO A CHILD OF GOD. IT IS THAT HEALTHY FEAR THAT MAKES US DO WHAT OUR GOD ASKS AND THAT CAUSES US TO ACHIEVE TRUE OBEDIENCE BEFORE OUR CREATOR. SO WHAT ABOUT IT, DO YOUR FEAR GOD AS YOU SHOULD AND THUS DO THAT WHICH IS PLEASING IN HIS SIGHT?TS
IN JUST A FEW MINUTES IT WILL BE TIME TO BEGIN OUR MAIN STUDY OF THE DAY. OUR TOPIC OF STUDY IS STILL FOCUSED ON OUR SERIES ENTITLED, "SO GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES." OUR SPECIFIC STUDY OF THE MORNING DEALS WITH, "MOSES." SO PLEASE STAY WITH US AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG, I WILL BE LEADING US IN THIS STUDY FROM GOD'S WORD. NOW LET'S JOIN TOGETHER IN OUR NEXT SONG OF THE DAY. THE NAME OF THIS HYMN, "HIDE ME, ROCK OF AGES."
LESSON
BY RAY SULLINS
WE'RE SO THANKFUL YOU HAVE CONTINUED WITH US THIS DAY AS WE NOW GO TO GOD'S WORD AND LOOK AT ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE AMONGST THAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES WHICH IS DESCRIBED FOR US IN HEBREWS CHAPTER 11. YOU MIGHT RECALL WITH ME THERE THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT MANY GREAT HEROES OF FAITH, AS WE MIGHT CALL THEM, BUT TODAY WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IS A VERY FAMILIAR BIBLE CHARACTER THAT CERTAINLY STANDS OUT AMONGST THE LIST BECAUSE OF NOT ONLY WHO HE IS BUT THAT HE WAS CHOSEN BY GOD AS MANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE AND BECAUSE HE WAS ONE OF THE GREAT LEADERS OF GOD'S PEOPLE. AND THAT IS MOSES - THE MAN MOSES. AND WITHIN THE TEXT THERE OF HEBREWS CHAPTER 11 IT'S ALSO SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE WE HAVE ABOUT SIX VERSUS THAT DEAL WITH FOUR DIFFERENT IDEAS OF SPECIFICALLY WHY HIS FAITH OR THINGS PERTAINING TO HIS FAITH REALLY ALLOWED HIM TO BE FOUND JUSTIFIED AND THEN THE PRODUCT OF HIS FAITH UPON OTHERS. AND SO AGAIN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING ALL THESE IN. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO AT LEAST TOUCH ON EACH OF THESE AND SHOW US PERHAPS WHERE THIS BENEFIT MIGHT APPLY AS WELL IN OUR LIVES TODAY NO MATTER WHO WE ARE.
THE FIRST EXAMPLE THERE IN VERSE 23 THE BIBLE SAYS: BY FAITH MOSES WHEN HE WAS BORN WAS HIDDEN THREE MONTHS BY HIS PARENTS BECAUSE THEY SAW HE WAS A BEAUTIFUL CHILD AND THEY WERE NOT AFRAID OF THE KING'S COMMAND. THE FIRST THING WE NOTICE IS THAT THE FAITH OF MOSES WAS REALLY FOUNDED IN HIS PARENTS AND IN THE WAY THAT HE WAS BROUGHT UP. YOU MIGHT GO BACK WITH ME TO EXODUS CHAPTER 1 AND IT'S THERE IN EGYPT THAT A NEW PHARAOH COMES TO POWER WHO NO LONGER REALLY IS AS FAMILIAR WITH THE ISRAELITES AND NOW HAS BEGAN TO IMPOSE GREAT HARSH PUNISHMENTS. WHY? VERSE NINE TELLS US THAT THE EGYPTIANS ARE BEGINNING TO FEAR ISRAEL BECAUSE THEIR NUMBERS ARE SO GREAT. AND NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO TO THEM IT SEEMS LIKE THEY JUST KEEP HAVING MORE CHILDREN AND THE PEOPLE BEGIN AND REALLY RATHER CONTINUE TO GET STRONGER AND STRONGER. SO PHARAOH BEGINS TO INCREASE THEIR WORK - THAT DOESN'T REALLY AFFECT THEM. HE BEGINS TO CHALLENGE AND TO COMMAND THE MIDWIVES TO KILL MALE CHILDREN. THAT DOESN'T WORK BECAUSE ALSO IN CHAPTER 1 THE MIDWIVES ARE MORE IN FEAR OF GOD THAN PHARAOH. BUT THEN FINALLY IN VERSE 22 OF CHAPTER 1 THE LAST VERSE HE ACTUALLY THEN CHALLENGES AND SAYS THAT ALL OF THE MALE BABIES BY LAW MUST BE THROWN INTO THE RIVER. NOW YOU CAN MAYBE IMAGINE EVEN THAT THE ARMIES OR SOME OF THE SOLDIERS OF PHARAOH'S ARMY WERE GOING AROUND AMONGST THE HEBREW PEOPLE WERE WATCHING AND SEEKING OUT AND WAITING TO BE TOLD WHO HAD CHILDREN AND THEY WERE SEIZING AND TAKING THOSE BABIES AND BY FORCE TAKING THEM AND THROWING THEM INTO THE RIVER. THIS IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT'S AMONGST THAT PICTURE THAT WE HAVE THERE IN CHAPTER 2 OF EXODUS - A COUPLE OF GOD; A MAN OF THE HOUSE OF LEVI AND A WOMAN WHO HAVE A CHILD AND THERE WE READ EVEN IN VERSE TWO THAT THE CHILD IS HIDDEN BY THEM FOR THREE MONTHS DURING THIS TIME WHEN PHARAOH IS CAUSING THE CHILDREN TO BE SEIZED AND THROWN INTO THE RIVER, THESE MALE CHILDREN. WHEN THAT TAKES PLACE THE NEXT THING THAT WE FIND IS THAT WHEN HE GETS THREE MONTHS OLD THEY HAVE TO HIDE THE BABY AND IT IS NO LONGER WORKING. PERHAPS THE CHILD IS GETTING OLD ENOUGH AND MAKING NOISE. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO KNOW HE'S A MALE SO THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO KILL HIM. AND SO THEY PREPARE AN ARK OF BULRUSHES AND THEY PUT HIM IN THE RIVER - REMEMBER THE BABIES WERE BEING THROWN IN THE RIVER SO THEY PUT THEM IN THE RIVER - AND WHAT IS IT THAT HAPPENS? WELL, THE VERY DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH FINDS THE CHILD AND TAKES THE CHILD TO RAISE THE CHILD AS HER OWN. AND AS IT GOES IN VERSE EIGHT OF THAT SAME TEXT SHE TELLS HER MAIDS TO GO OUT AND FIND A WOMAN WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO NURSE THE CHILD AS THE CHILD IS STILL TOO YOUNG THAT IT MIGHT EAT SOLID FOOD AND SUCH. AND SO WHEN THEY GO TO FIND THAT ONE TO NURSE THE CHILD IT IS INTERESTING BECAUSE VERSE EIGHT ACTUALLY TELLS US THAT IT IS THE MOTHER OF MOSES HIMSELF THAT IS CHOSEN TO DO THIS. SO GOD'S PROVIDENCE AND HOW GOD WORKS THESE THINGS CERTAINLY IS A BEAUTIFUL THING AS NOW MOSES CONTINUES TO BE IN A SENSE RAISED BY HIS MOTHER AND ALSO BY HIS STEPMOTHER WHO IS PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER AND NOW HE BEGINS TO GROW UP LEARNING, NOT ONLY ABOUT THE EGYPTIAN PEOPLE AND EGYPTIAN CULTURE AND EGYPTIAN THINGS, BUT NO DOUBT ALSO HE WOULD'VE LEARNED AS WELL BY THE HEBREW MOTHER AND THE THINGS OF GOD. SO AS HE GROWS UP WHAT DO WE FIND? WE FIND BECAUSE OF THE FAITH OF HIS HIS PARENTS, BECAUSE OF THE INFLUENCE OF HIS MOTHER, BECAUSE WHAT HE BEGINS TO LEARN ABOUT EGYPT AND ABOUT THE THE HARSH TREATMENT OF THESE PEOPLE (THE HEBREW PEOPLE) OF WHICH HIS MAID OR HIS CAREGIVER HAS BEEN FROM THAT TRIBE AND NOW THAT HE HIMSELF PROBABLY BEGINS TO LEARN THAT BECAUSE HE LOOKS DIFFERENT AND OBVIOUSLY HE'S NOT AN EGYPTIAN HE HIMSELF IS ALSO A HEBREW. AND ALL OF THESE THINGS BEGIN TO COME UPON HIM TO WHERE HE BEGINS TO THINK ABOUT A CHOICE. BUT AGAIN BY FAITH HE WAS MOTIVATED TO KNOW WHAT HIS PARENTS HAD DONE EVEN IN A DIFFICULT TIME BECAUSE OF THEIR LOVE FOR GOD. NOT ONLY THE PARENTS BUT THE MIDWIVES WHO WOULDN'T KILL THE BABIES BECAUSE OF THEIR FEAR. MOSES GREW UP IN A TIME WHEN HE SAW PEOPLE WHO DID FEAR THE LORD - WHO FEARED GOD AND KNEW GOD AND WHO WERE WILLING AT LEAST IN MANY RESPECTS TO OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS. SO WHAT ABOUT THAT AS PARENTS TODAY....WHAT CAN WE LEARN? THINK ABOUT THE EXAMPLE THAT WE ARE TO THOSE UNDER US OR MAYBE GRANDPARENTS TO THE EFFECT THAT WE HAVE ON OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. AND THEREFORE, HOW THAT HOPEFULLY THEY'LL BE ABLE TO KNOW GOD AND BE CHALLENGED TO FOLLOW GOD BECAUSE OF THE EXAMPLES THAT THEY SEE IN US. AND CERTAINLY, NO DOUBT THAT WAS A IMPORTANT ROLE FOR MOSES' LIFE OR PART PLAYED IN MOSES' LIFE THAT HE BECOMES THE MAN THAT HE BECOMES OF FAITH.
IN VERSE 24 WE SEE THE NEXT THING. BY FAITH THEN WHAT IS MOSES REACTION TO BEING ABLE TO SEE THE FAITH OF OTHERS AND BEING TAUGHT BY OTHERS? WHEN HE BECAME OF AGE, HE REFUSED TO BE CALLED PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER CHOOSING RATHER TO SUFFER AFFLICTION WITH THE PEOPLE OF GOD THAN TO ENJOY THE PASSING PLEASURES OF SIN AS WE MIGHT EVEN SAY FOR A SEASON. AND HE ESTEEMED THE REPROACH OF CHRIST; GREATER RICHES THAN THE TREASURES IN EGYPT FOR HE LOOKED TO THE REWARD. AND THEN WE NEARLY NEED READ VERSE 27 ALTHOUGH IT MENTIONS THE THIRD THING - BY FAITH HE FORSOOK EGYPT NOT FEARING THE WRATH OF THE KING FOR HE ENSURED - I'VE SEEN HIM WHO IS INVISIBLE. NOW THE THING IS IS THAT WE FIND TWO THINGS THAT ARE INTERCONNECTED HERE IN THESE TWO EXAMPLES OF FAITH. AS HE GROWS UP AND HE LEARNS AND HE SEES THE SITUATION AND HE KNOWS WHO GOD IS - WHAT DOES HE DO? HE REACTS IN THE WAY THAT SAYS I CHOOSE GOD! I CHOOSE TO SERVE THE HEBREW PEOPLE! AND BECAUSE OF THAT HE GIVES UP WHAT? HE GIVES UP GREAT PLEASURES OF EGYPT. IMAGINE BEING A ROYALTY OR HAVING ALL THE MONEY THAT YOU COULD IMAGINE OR HAVING ALL THE POSSESSIONS OF THIS LIFE OR ANYTHING THAT YOUR DREAMS HAD EVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT AND TO HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO ALL THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO DO. AND TO EVEN PERHAPS SOMEDAY BE A RULER OR A TYPE OF LEADER OR A RULER IN EGYPT YOURSELF. WOW! WHAT DOE HE DO? HE SAYS I WOULD GIVE IT ALL UP FOR GOD AND BECAUSE OF WHAT THESE PEOPLE ARE DOING NOW TO MY BIRTH NATION; TO THE HEBREW PEOPLE. AND SO HE IS WILLING TO GIVE IT ALL UP AND ULTIMATELY WE FIND THERE IN VERSE 27 WHAT TAKES PLACE IS THAT HE LEAVES. WHY DOES HE LEAVE? CHAPTER 2 TELLS US THAT ONE DAY WHEN HE SEES AND EGYPTIAN BEATING A HEBREW HE ULTIMATELY THREATENS HIM AND THEN KILLS THAT EGYPTIAN. AND AFTER THAT WHAT DO WE FIND BECAUSE HE FEARS THAT PHARAOH WILL KILL HIM? ACTUALLY IF WE WERE TO GO THERE TO THE TEXT IT TELLS US THE PHARAOH WAS BEGINNING TO SEEK HIS LIFE, HIS OWN GRANDFATHER IN A SENSE, WAS SEEKING HIS LIFE BECAUSE OF WHAT HE DID TO THE EGYPTIAN. THEN HE ACTUALLY FLEES TO MIDIAN AND THAT'S ANOTHER PART OF THE STORY THAT WE WON'T LOOK AT TODAY. BUT WHAT ARE THE TWO THINGS THAT WE SEE AGAIN? WELL, HE FEARED GOD ENOUGH TO KNOW - I'M NOT GOING TO ALLOW MY PEOPLE; GOD'S PEOPLE TO BE ABUSED. BUT THEN ALSO HE FEARED AND LOVED GOD ENOUGH TO SAY I AM GOING TO GIVE UP ALL THE THINGS OF EGYPT TO SERVE MY GOD. OH, ISN'T THAT A BEAUTIFUL THING! IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING BECAUSE WHAT IT SHOWS US IS THAT HE UNDERSTOOD A LOT MORE SOMETIMES THAN WE THINK. EVEN VERSE 26 TELLS US HE WAS ESTEEMING THE REPROACH - THOSE PROBLEMS, THOSE TRIALS SUCH AS CHRIST OR PERTAIN TO CHRIST. WHAT DOES THAT TELL US? MOSES WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE TEACHINGS ABOUT THE COMING OF THE PROMISES OF GOD INCLUSIVE OF THE MESSIAH AND HE WAS LOOKING FOR THAT INCLUDING THE REWARD. IF YOU WERE TO BACKUP AND READ VERSUS 13 THROUGH 16 AGAIN WHICH IS A SUMMATION OF THE THESE WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN SPOKEN OF EARLIER IN THE CHAPTER WHO DIED IN FAITH. WHAT WERE THEY WAITING FOR? THEY WERE WAITING FOR A NEW PLACE, A NEW COUNTRY, A NEW CITY PREPARED BY GOD NOT MADE WITH HANDS BUT SOMETHING OF AN ETERNAL NATURE. MOSES HAD LEARNED THESE TRUTHS. HE HAD LEARNED ABOUT THE PROPHECIES OF THE PROMISES OF GOD AND THE MESSIAH. AND SO THEREFORE HE SAID I'M READY TO SUFFER WITH MY PEOPLE KNOWING THAT THERE ARE GREATER THINGS AWAITING US IN THIS LIFE AS WELL AS THE LIFE TO COME. THE NEXT THING WE SEE IS IN VERSE 28 WHERE IT NOW SHOWS US LATER AFTER HE BEGINS TO LEAD THE PEOPLE ITHERE AT MOUNT SINAI. HE RECEIVES THE LAW. WHAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THEY PRACTICE? THE PASSOVER. BUT AFTER THAT BEGAN AMONGST THE 10TH PLAGUE OF EGYPT THE DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN AND THERE IN EXODUS CHAPTER 12 WE LEARN THAT BY FAITH HE KEPT THE PASSOVER BY THE SPRINKLING OF THE BLOOD LEST HE WHO DESTROYED THE FIRSTBORN SHOULD TOUCH THEM. SO WHAT DOES HE DO? HE BEGINS TO OBSERVE THE PASSOVER THERE ON THAT DAY THAT THE FIRSTBORN IN EGYPT WERE KILLED OF ALL THE EGYPTIANS AND WHEN THEY FINALLY FLED BUT HE CONTINUED THE PASSOVER FROM THAT DAY EVEN AFTER THE RECEIVING OF THE LAW THERE AT SINAI BECAUSE IT WAS A PART OF THE LAW. SO, BY FAITH WHAT DID HE DO? HE CONTINUED BY FAITH. NOT JUST TO DO WHAT HE HAD KNOWN TO BE TRUE TO THE WILL OF GOD BUT ALSO WHAT IT WAS ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD. MOSES WAS A MAN OF FAITH AND AN OBEDIENT MAN OF FAITH DOING ALL THAT GOD REQUIRED BY FAITH. I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT THE END OF EXODUS. THERE WHAT YOU'LL FIND AROUND CHAPTERS 40 IS THE IDEA OF HOW THE ACT OF THE TABERNACLE WAS BUILT. IT KEEPS SAYING MOSES DID ALL THAT GOD COMMANDED. THROUGHOUT ALL OF HIS LIFE HE WASN'T PERFECT OR SINLESS BUT HE ALWAYS DID WHAT GOD COMMANDED ACCORDING TO WHAT HE HAD HEARD. AND SO AGAIN WHAT FAITH TO HEAR THE WILL OF GOD AND TO OBEY IT.
BUT THEN I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WITH ME FINALLY VERSE 29 BECAUSE NOW IT SAYS BY FAITH THEY. WHAT WAS THE EFFECT OF MOSES' FAITH ON ALL OF ISRAEL. NOT SOME OF ISRAEL BUT ALL OF ISRAEL? WHAT THEY DID IS THEY DETERMINED TO FOLLOW GOD. AT MOUNT SINAI AGAIN WHAT DID THEY DO? YOU SPEAK TO HIM AND YOU TELL US WHAT HE SAYS AND WE ARE GOING TO DO IT. WHY? WE FEAR HIM (EXODUS 20) THEY WERE AFRAID OF GOD. THEY KNEW THE POWER OF GOD. THEY'D SEEN THE DEMONSTRATION OF HIS GLORY AND MAJESTY AND THEREFORE WHAT DID THEY DO? THEY ALSO OBEYED. WHY? THEY OBEYED BECAUSE OF MOSES. DOES THAT MEAN THEY WERE PERFECT? NO. THAT THEY WERE MURMURING AND COMPLAINING CERTAINLY BUT THEY ALSO FEARED GOD ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT THEY HAD TO DO WHAT GOD SAID. AND SO IN VERSE 29 IT SAYS BY FAITH THEY EVEN PASSED THROUGH THE RED SEA AS BY DRY LAND WHERE THE EGYPTIANS ATTEMPTING TO DO SO WERE DROWNED. WHEN THEY WERE FLEEING TO EGYPT AND THEY CROSSED ON DRY GROUND THE WALLS OF WATER ON EITHER SIDE THEN AFTER THEY ARE SAFELY ACROSS ON DRY LAND AND THE EGYPTIANS ENTER, THE ARMIES OF PHARAOH, AND THE WATERS CRUSH OR DESTROY THEM. BY FAITH THEY DID IT. HOW MANY OF US WOULD WANT TO ENTER INTO THAT PLACE WHERE THE WALLS OF WATER ON EITHER SIDE AND TO WALK ON DRY LAND AND IT WASN'T JUST A SHORT PASS. IT WOULD'VE TAKEN QUITE A BIT OF TIME TO CROSS THAT SEA AND TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE WITH THOSE WALLS OF WATER ON EITHER SIDE. YOU SEE THE FAITH. THE FAITH THAT CAN COME FROM PARENTS. THE FAITH THEY CAN COME FROM LEARNING AND HAVING KNOWLEDGE IN KNOWING WHO GOD IS. THE FAITH THAT CAN COME BY KNOWING THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND THEREFORE OBSERVING THEM. AND THEN EVEN AS WE SEE HIM GETTING THE LAW OBEYING THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD FOUND IN THE LAW AND THE FAITH OF THE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY SAW THE POWER OF GOD IN MOSES AND THROUGH MOSES AND HIS FAITH - WHICH ALSO CHALLENGED THEM TO WANT TO HAVE FAITH KNOWING THAT GOD WAS A GOD WHO NOT ONLY SAID WHAT HE MEANT BUT MEANT WHAT HE SAID AND COULD DO ANYTHING THAT HE CLAIMED. HE COULD PROVIDE FOR THEM OR HE COULD DESTROY THEM. MOSES WAS A MAN OF FAITH. AND BECAUSE HE LEARNED HIS FAITH AND HE DEMONSTRATED HIS FAITH THEN HE ALSO BY EXPRESSING THAT FAITH HAD A GREAT EFFECT - A PROFOUND EFFECT, NOT ONLY ON HIMSELF AND THOSE IN HIS DAY, BUT EVEN US TODAY THROUGH THE GREAT FAITH CHAPTER. WHAT ABOUT YOU/ ARE YOU OBEYING THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD? ARE YOU LIKE MOSES NOT ONLY KNOWING THE WILL OF GOD BUT ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE YOURSELF FULLY TO HIM IN ALL THINGS AND ALL WAYS?
CLOSING COMMENTS
LET ME THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US TODAY. I HOPE OUR TIME TOGETHER HAS BEEN AN ENCOURAGEMENT AND BLESSING TO US ALL. WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US EVERY FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, AT 7:30, AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THIS TIME OF WORSHIP BEFORE GOD!
BUT FOR NOW, LET ME ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY'S LESSON? MAYBE, YOU WOULD LIKE A FREE TRANSCRIPT OR A CD/DVD OF THIS PROGRAM? POSSIBLY, WE COULD ASSIST YOU WITH FREE BIBLE MATERIALS OR CORRESPONDENCE COURSES? NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NEED IS, PLEASE CONTACT US AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:
The Living Word
2540 N. Kansas Expressway
Springfield, Mo. 65803
Many of these materials are also available on our website:
That address is: www.thelivingwordprogram.com
Or if you prefer, you may call us at:
(417) 869-2284
WHAT A GREAT MAN AND EXAMPLE MOSES WAS FOR ALL OF US AND NOT ONLY WHAT A LEADER SHOULD BE BUT ALSO WHAT IT MEANS TO BE FULLY FAITHFUL. MAY WE ALL LEARN THE LESSON OF TRUE OBEDIENCE FROM THOSE WONDERFUL EXAMPLES OF OLD.