And in the word of God to Hebrews 11, and we are looking for the last time at Moses, and we're looking at the last line of verse 26, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. Our theme this morning is Moses, his gazing on eternity, or living with his mind upon heaven. living with his mind upon heaven. When Lydia Fraser started courting the famous Hugh Miller, he wasn't famous when they started, they came from two different social contexts. He was half educated, gave up schooling, became a stonemason, didn't have regular employment, therefore regular income. Lydia, by contrast, well educated, gorgeous looking, intelligent, moving in a different circle from a different class with a different lineage. Everyone was against this courtship, including her mother. Arguments were made against it and so they would meet In the graveyard from time to time where he would be carving names on headstones. In the evening time she would set off for a walk. Lo and behold, perchance she would meet Hugh out also for an evening stroll. What brought these two people together from such diverse backgrounds? It was their common interest in spiritual things. This common expectation of getting to heaven. That's what drew them together. He had the same experience in the life of Philip Henry, the father of the equally famous Matthew Henry. He became attached to Catherine Matthews, again from different backgrounds. Family and friends objected and all kinds of objections were made. Yes, he was a preacher, but nothing more than a preacher. What kind of a match would this be? Marrying somebody who was but a poor preacher and so on. And then it was put to her, but you do not know where he's from. And then she made that well-known statement that has been recorded for us. Yes, it is true. I do not know where he's from, but I know where he is going and I should like to go with him. That surely is the experience of Moses. He had respect unto the recompense of the reward. Here we see now, in this one sentence, here we understand his self-denial. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Now we understand his choice, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, his refusing the pleasure of sin, his esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward, his gaze upon eternity, living with his mind upon heaven. The word respect means to fix the eye upon, to have a steadfast mental gaze. That's what Moses had, a steadfast mental gaze. But upon what? The recompense of the reward, which simply means the payment. Moses lived with his mind upon heaven and its rewards. But that steadfast, fixed gaze upon heaven and all that it had, He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to suffer affliction with the people of God. He esteemed, what? He esteemed, we are told, the reproach of Christ's greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. A number of things that we see from this truth in this statement before us. First of all, that there is a reward for God's people. There is a reward for God's people. All through scripture we have this refrain of a reward for God's people. So we read in Psalm 58 and verse 11, So that a man shall say, Verily, there is a reward for the righteous. Verily, he is a God that judges in the earth. There is a reward for the righteous. In Romans chapter 2, we are told something of this reward. Verse 6. He will render to every man according to his deeds. To them who by patient continuance and well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality. What shall such be given? Eternal life. Them who by patient continuance and well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality. This is what we seek. Glory, honor, immortality. What shall be the reward? Eternal life. Three things we must add to this. First, these things are real to believers. They are real to believers. So we read in Hebrews 6, 5 of the powers of the world to come. Not for believers, imaginary things, building castles in the sky, the pie in the sky mentality. For believers, heaven and all its rewards are real. There's a reality about the powers of the world to come. There's a reality about heaven. And secondly, those who have gone before us looked for these things. For we read in Hebrews 11 verse 10, for he looked for a city which hath foundations who is builder and maker is God. Verse 13, These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek such a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have an opportunity to have returned, but now they desire a better country that isn't heavenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city. Those who have gone before us, they looked for these things. They had their eye on these things. They had that steadfast mental gaze upon eternity, upon heaven and all its glories and all its rewards. That's the explanation for the lives of these people. They lived not for this world, they lived for eternity. That's what made them different. John Bradford, the martyr, You know, of course, I'm sure that he was licensed to preach. In the last five years of his life, 1550, three years he spent preaching, two years he spent in jail, and then he was martyred. But he went to the stake. He took a faggot from the pile that was lying at the bottom of the stake and he kissed it The man who was to be burned with him, he encouraged him and said to him, friend, do not be alarmed, but be encouraged. Why? We shall soon enter heaven. There was a reality to these things. Consider thirdly, the example of Christ, Hebrews 12 verse 2, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was said before him, he endured the cross, the joy said before him, that expectation of heaven. He endured the cross, despising the shame. and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction as sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Christ your example. Look to him. Look at him. Why did he face all these afflictions? The cross and the shame The Apostle, writing the believer, says to them, come, let us gaze upon Christ. Let us look at Christ. See what he suffered, but see how he suffered. He, for the joy he set before him, endured. There is a reward for God's people. But then, secondly, what this reward is like What this reward is like? Well, first and foremost, we must say, it is beyond your imagination. It is beyond your imagination. The prophet Isaiah 64 verse 4. For since the beginning of the world, men have not heard nor perceived by the year, neither have the eyes seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waited for him. The prophet Isaiah is saying nobody on this earth that has ever lived has ever fully grasped, except God himself, what's in heaven. Only God knows clearly, absolutely all that's in heaven, because it's beyond your imagination. Even with the raccord we have before us, It's still beyond your imagination. The wonders of heaven. Beyond all imagination. That is not to say we cannot understand something of it. Of course we can, for the Bible tells us something of it. But remember, it's only a part. It is only something. And second, there are the glories and wonders of heaven itself. Revelation 22. Or rather chapter 21. Revelation 21 verse 10. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. And her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal, and had a wall great and high, and twelve gates. And at the gates twelve angels in names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel, on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city hath twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the land. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof and the wall thereof. And the city lieth four square, and the length is as large as the breadth. And they measured the city with the wreath, twelve thousand furlongs, the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And they measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper, and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper. the second Sapphire, the third a Chalcedonite, the fourth an Emerald, the fifth Sardonyx, the sixth Sardius, the seventh Chrysolite, the eighth Beryl, the ninth a Topaz, the tenth a Chrysoprisus, the eleventh a Jacan, the twelfth an Amethyst, and the twelve gates were twelve perils. Every several gate was of one peril, and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass, and I saw no temple therein. the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple offers and so on. The glories and the wonders of heaven. You see the language of John as he tries to describe it. It is like Antioch, as it were. It is like glass, transparent, yet it's all of gold. This glorious and awesome city. filled with the glory of God. There was no need of the sun. There was no need of any man-made light, for the Lamb is the light of it and the glory of it. There are glories in the wonders of heaven itself. Then thirdly, the company you shall be in. Hebrews 12, verse 22, and here come on to Mount Zion and on to the City of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven. What a glorious company of all of God's people, the spirits of just men made perfect. So you will have the patriarchs and all the prophets and all the apostles and all the martyrs for Jesus Christ. What a glorious company will be in heaven. And there will not be one wicked person in heaven. Nothing that defileth shall enter therein. What a glorious, holy company shall be in heaven to walk in that new Jerusalem with the prophets of old. with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, with Moses, with all of these patriarchs and prophets, to walk with the apostles and talk with them, and then with all those martyrs. We shall see those whom we consider on earth to be our heroes. Yes, of Cromwell, Calvin, Luther and so on. Then our loved ones who are believers. Them too we shall see and never part from them, from all eternity. What a glorious company it is going to be in heaven. And fourthly, the central attraction of heaven is God. Hebrews 12 verse 23, and to God the judge of all. Verse 24, and through Jesus, the mediator of the New Covenant. Matthew 5, verse 8 says, the pure in heart shall see God. We shall see him in his unity, in his trinity, in his glory and in his eminency. We shall see God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Psalm 73, verse 25, Whom have I in heaven but thee? We shall see God. We shall see Jesus Christ, one Lord, Jesus Christ Himself. What a glorious prospect this is. to behold the Lamb of God, to behold the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who came into this world, who died upon the cross, who rose, who ascended to heaven. We shall be witnesses to the fulfillment of his petition of John 17, that they will be with me to behold my glory, We shall see God. Jeremiah borrows a Puritan saying, Heaven in itself is not enough, unless God is in it. If God were to give all the glory and riches of heaven to saints, they would say, it is not enough, for it is not God. Just to have heaven without God, it would not be heaven. It would not be enough. We must have God. We must see God. And fifthly, the beauty of seeing in heaven. The beauty of seeing in heaven. Scripture tells us that God's people shall shine as the stars. Daniel 12.3. But Christ goes one step further and says that they shall shine as the sun. Matthew 13, 43. They shall shine as the sun. The Apostle Paul in Philippians 3, verse 21 says, Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body. The beauty of believers. On earth, some believers are a big disappointment. Yes, some believers are a big disappointment. They are not what they should be. There is not that Christ-likeness about them on earth that ought to be present. But do you know what happens? There'll be no disappointment. we shall be changed to be like Christ. As the psalmist puts it in Psalm 45, 13, all glorious within, all glorious within. Believers so changed and transformed, there shall be a beauty about them that was never seen on earth. Again, to quote Burroughs, if we could extract all the beauty of men and women and put it into one person, it would be less than the beauty of the least saint in heaven. What shall this reward be like? Beyond your imagination, there shall be the glories and wonders of heaven the company you shall be in, the central attraction of heaven being God, and the beauty of saints in heaven. Then thirdly, the influence of having respect to that reward. The influence of having respect to that reward. And you have it principally in most the great influence of having that steadfast mental gaze upon heaven and its reward. See what it enabled him to do. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. It enabled him to engage in self-denial. You know, one of the reasons why so many believers are compromisers in this world One of the reasons why so many believers are timid and cowardly. One of the reasons why when they're faced with opposition, if they take a stand for Christ in the workplace, they simply draw back and they accommodate themselves. Do you know why they do that? Because they haven't set their gaze upon eternity. Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. Moses refused to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ's greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. Often people ask, what made the Reformers, the Puritans and the Covenanters different? The answer is simple, isn't it? They had their minds set on eternity. That's what made them different. What makes the modern Christian different? And they are different in many ways. What makes them different? They have their minds set on earth. That's what makes the difference. What will help you as a believer? to endure hardship, suffering and trials in this life. This is a world of trial. This is a world of woe and sorrow. This is a world of suffering and hardship and disappointment. What is going to enable you to endure? Having respect unto the recompense of the reward. Four things. They that have respect unto the recompense of the reward have a power to occupy the mind for good. They that have respect unto the recompense of the reward have a power to occupy the mind for good. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 15 and 16. For all things are for your sakes. that the abundant grace might, through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." Here the Apostle is telling us that this abundant grace might, through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God, for which cause we faint not." Having our mind occupied with spiritual things, having a spiritual mind in a spiritual frame, having this eternal mindset, occupying your mind, will enable you to endure. They that have respect unto the recompense of the reward have a power to carry you through suffering. It says in verse 17, For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. steadfast mental gaze on heaven enables you, it gives you a power to carry you through suffering. And so, in light of eternity, you start to have a proper perspective as affliction No, affliction is hard and difficult, but he says in light of eternity, it's a light affliction. When you put these things in the scales, heaven and affliction, heaven is heavier and greater than affliction. Or light affliction which is but for a moment, it's temporary. Oh, it shall bring to us. a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. The Apostle says in Romans 8 verse 18, For I reckon, I account, that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. They that have respect unto the recompense of the reward have a power to carry them through sufferings. Early. They that have respect unto the recompense of the reward have a power to lessen the things of this world. So we read in 2 Corinthians 4.18, why we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. So it gives us a power to lessen the things of this world. You see what has happened to the apostles. Here are the things of this world, we look at them. What do we see? We see their lightness, we see their temporary, we see their shortness, we see their vanity. We look at the things that are invisible that are not seen. And how do we view them? They are eternal. So the things that are eternal are of greater importance than the things that are of this life. He is not saying that eating because you're hungry is irrelevant or working is irrelevant. No, he is saying the things of this world, they lessen in their overall value and importance in comparison with heaven, with eternity. They that have respect unto the recompense of the reward have a power to lessen the things of this world. And fourthly, they that have respect unto the recompense of the reward have a power to resist Satan. We read in Ephesians 6 verse 11, put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Satan is your foe. He hates you. He wants to ruin you. And he has his subtleties, his strategies and his methods. They're referred to as the wiles of Satan. He has never changed his tactics, his methods and his strategies. They're also called the fiery darts of the wicked. Showing to us and demonstrating to us that all he does is for your hurt. To bring you pain, suffering and anguish. How are we to stand? Take on to you the whole armour of God. And so he proceeds to list this armour. But in verse 17 he says, and take the helmet of salvation. What is the helmet of salvation? Well, according to 1 Thessalonians 5.8, the helmet is the hope of salvation. In other words, having respect unto the recompense of the reward enables the believer to resist the fiery darts of the devil. So when the devil comes and he tempts you with the things of this world, you know, I will give you the kingdoms of this world if you will come and bow to me. The believer says, I have the hope of salvation. I ain't going to bow to you. I'm not going to cut myself off from heaven and all its rewards and all its means in order that I may have the pleasures of sin for a season in this life. They that have respect unto the recompense of the reward have a power to resist Satan. And fifthly, they that have respect unto the recompense of the reward have a power to cleanse themselves from sin. And so we read in 1 John 3, verse 2, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him. For we shall see him as he is, and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. So they that have respect unto the recompense of the reward have a power to cleanse themselves from sin. They put off sin. They cleanse themselves. They have respect unto the recompense of the reward. And so when it comes to sin, they fight it, they mortify the flesh, they mortify the members of the body, they fight sin, they fight it within, they fight it without, seeking to cleanse themselves. And sixthly and finally, they that have respect unto the recompense of the reward have a power to sympathize with suffering believers. Have a power to sympathize with suffering believers. Hebrews 10 verse 34, For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and enduring substance. Why do we expect other believers to sympathize with us? Why? Why do believers want to sympathize with other believers? Why will they put themselves out for other believers? Because, you see, their mind is set on heaven. Why, they say, I shall receive in heaven recompense. knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and enduring substance. What I so get in heaven will far outweigh anything that it will cost me a life in this world. To sympathize with a fellow suffering believer. They that have respect unto the recompense of the reward have had power to sympathize with suffering believers. If you find yourself horrified, disinterested in the problems and sufferings and afflictions of other believers, you better ask yourself, are you for heaven or are you not? Are you going to heaven? Let's come to application. Six simple things. First of all, a warning. A failure to follow Moses and spiritual things leads to apostasy. A failure to follow Moses and spiritual things leads to apostasy. The Apostle says in Philippians chapter 3 verse 18 and 19, for context, verse 17, brethren, be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as you have us for an example. Here the Apostle is saying, God has given you biblical examples, follow them. For many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, whose glory is in their shame, who mine earthly things. For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ." A failure To be like Moses in spiritual things leads to apostasy, of beginning to walk and then turning aside, throwing off the Christian field, throwing off everything to do with following Christ. We read in 2 Timothy 4, verse 10. 2 Timothy 4, verse 10. For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica." Demas, he wasn't like Moses. He loved the here and now. He loved this present world to the extent that he wouldn't walk with the Apostle any longer. and laboring for the cause of Christ, he quit. He turned his back on it all. I say to you, friends, follow Moses. Is that to take away from the Saviour? Not at all, because Moses followed Christ. Be like Moses. He esteemed the reproach of the Saviour. Follow Moses. Secondly, an exhortation. Keep your mind much in heaven. Keep your mind much in heaven. That will enable you to endure life's troubles. Such troubles that will be yours as Christians. You know there are two kinds of minds according to scripture. There is the spiritual mind and the earthly mind. Two kinds of minds. What kind of mind do you have? Do you have a spiritual mind or an earthly mind? Oh, they that are earthly minded, they mind only the things of this world. But they that are spiritually minded, they have their minds set on heaven. They can only think in terms of heaven. Everything about them is in terms of heaven. It's always in that eternal context. So they look at their marriage in the context of eternity. They look at their life in the context of eternity. They look at their calling in the context of eternity. They look at their trials in the context of eternity. They look at everything about them in the context of eternity. A spiritual mind. Keep your mind, what's in heaven. Set your affection on things above. That word affection, the underlying idea is the mind. Setting the mind upon heaven. That's what Moses did. He had a mind for heaven. Thirdly, the dreadful sinfulness of sin. which turns you away from such a reward. The dreadful sinfulness of sin that would turn you away from such a reward. Hebrews 10 verse 29. Of how much sore punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy, hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace. For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord, and again the Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. If there is one thing I must say before you, friends, it is this awful truth, this dreadful reality. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. For God to take you and deal with you as a sinner without a saviour. What shall he do to such a person? He shall cast him into eternal damnation. In Hebrews chapter 2 verse 3 we read, How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? How shall we escape? Oh, the dreadful sinfulness of sin that would say to you, forget heaven, enjoy sin. What will it cost you? It will cost you heaven. It will bring you hell. Fourthly, an argument against sin. When you are faced with the pleasures of sin, how shall we argue with ourselves? Burroughs says this. This is what we must say. I will not buy the pleasure of sin at such a cost. As Saul said, can the son of Jesse give you vineyards and olive yards? So the believer says, can the pleasures of sin give you heaven? That's how we will argue. I will not buy the pleasure of sin at such a cost. It is too dear, too expensive. It will cost me heaven. Can sin bring you to see God? Can sin bring you to see Christ? Can sin bring you to stand and walk on the streets of heaven? It can't do any of these things. It will cut you off from heaven. It will cut you off from the glories of Christ. It will cut you off from eternal life, glorification. It will cut you off from beholding the face of Christ. It's too great a cost. Then fifthly, a marvellous part of this reward in heaven is to see and understand the counsel, will and works of God. What did the Saviour once say to the disciples? What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt see hereafter. In heaven to understand the counsel and the will of God. On earth you may ask, why does one believer have much and another believer have little? Why does one believer suffer so much and another believer suffer so little? Oh, so many perplexities. But in heaven you will understand why. You will understand the counsel and the will and the words of God. Then too, you will see in heaven and understand all that God has done in this world. All that God has done since the beginning of time, since creation. after 6,000 years upon this earth. God has done so much and yet we see so little. We understand so little. There are a multitude of things that God has done that we know nothing of in this world. But in heaven, after 6,000 years in heaven, how much more you will know and understand. Six thousand years and more of beholding the intricacies and the marvels and the wonders of all God's works. Everything. How little we see in life, how much you will see in heaven. What a glorious prospect. And finally, the believer shall, like Moses, see the face of God. Revelation 22 verse 4, and they shall see his face. Moses had been in heaven a long time. What has he seen in heaven? He has seen Christ. He has seen God. When you and I get to heaven, we shall see what He has already seen. And we shall see it forever. 1 John 3, 2 says, we shall be like Him. We shall be like Christ. Psalm 17, verse 15, as for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. We shall be as Moses. We shall see what he has seen. And we shall be changed as he has been changed. We shall see him face to face. Amen.