Please turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews, chapter 11. We're nearing the end of the chapter. We won't quite get there this week, but we're getting closer to the end of chapter 11. And we'll be looking at verses 23 to 28. If you're using the Pew Bibles, that is on page 948, page 948. Hebrews 11 verses 23 through 28. Let's hear God's Word together. By faith Moses when he was born was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith, Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt not being afraid of the anger of the king. For he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. Let's pray. Father, as we look further into this chapter of Hebrews and continue to see these examples of faith modeled before us, we do pray again, Lord, that you would help us to look into our own hearts and to see that this kind of faith is in each and every one of us. We ask, Father, that you would give us grace to see the truth, Father, and to be of those who persevere and are faithful to the end. even as these examples have been, who are set before us. And we ask that you would grant us your Holy Spirit so that we would understand what is brought before us in the life here of Moses. And that in all things, you would be glorified, Lord, in our lives as we seek to exemplify such faith in us. Lord, please hear our prayers, grant us your spirit. Now, as we look at your word, we pray in Christ's name, amen. Continuing on with our checklist of the faithful, this morning the author will bring us to consider Moses as another example of the type of faith that justifies. That said, beginning with Moses' infancy, we find that his very survival was tied to the faith of his parents. And once again we're meant to take in these additional examples that demonstrate the same common faith that all of God's people are called to have. It's not so much the specific details of the actions but it's the quality of the faith that they had that we ought to find in us. And so we begin then first by looking at Moses' parents as we look into the life of Moses here in verse 23. We're told by faith when he was born was hidden by Faith Moses when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw that the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king's edict. And so when the Jews were multiplying in the land of Egypt, the wicked Pharaoh of their time, feeling threatened by their number, had turned them into slaves and gave a command to have all of the infant males be put to death in order to stunt the growth of the nation. Failing to observe this edict, or any of the Pharaoh's edicts for that matter, could easily lead to the death of the violator. That said, Moses' parents, drawing out of the storehouse of their faith in God and his promises, feared God and not Pharaoh, and refused to allow their child to be cast into the Nile River. And so defying the command, we're told they hid the baby for three months. Now there is something specifically stated in the text here that indicates that this was an act of faith of God, of faith in God, rather than just a means of sparing their child. There's something here that shows us the faith of their parents, and it's not just that they were sparing their child here, as much as that would be something that we would consider worthy as well. We're told here that they hid Moses for three months, notice, because they saw that the child was beautiful. What an interesting statement here. This sounds kind of strange to us, if we're honest. We would think, what does the physical appearance have to do with deciding whether or not to allow your child to be murdered? What if the child were ugly, right? What if it wasn't an attractive child? But the mere physical beauty of the child is not what is meant. by this statement. The literal interpretation here can also mean good. The Hebrew word here means good, and it's the same word that is used several times as we've seen in our Genesis study, in Genesis chapter one, where we're told that God looked upon the things that he had created each day, and he saw what? He saw that they were good, and so it was more than just the physical appearance of these things. But it was that they were desirable. They were pleasing to God in some sense. He was happy with what he had done. what God had done was desirable, pleasant, and acceptable to him. That said, in the case of Moses' parents, we're meant to understand here that they saw something in Moses that is a sign of some sort was given them by God concerning the child that indicated that he was pleasing to God and to be used by God in some significant sense, probably related to the present slavery of the people of Egypt. They saw something, there was a sign of some sort, something that they saw in their son that they knew he was to be used by God. Knowing that God had marked their child out in a significant way compelled Moses' parents to risk their lives for three months by hiding the infant in order to avoid his destruction. Now we might say, wouldn't any parent do the same thing for their infant son? You might think, well, would that be the only thing that would lead you to seek to hide your child? And I get that, and that would make sense. However, we have to understand that in those very difficult circumstances, and during those times where the Jews were thoroughly watched and abused by the Egyptians, it could have seemed virtually impossible to get away with such an infraction against the pharaoh's edict, which could then lead to the murder of both parents, along with the child and any other children they may have had, older children or daughters for that matter. In other words, it could have been a threat to the whole family, to the whole home. in that sense. Needless to say, Moses' parents had confidence that God could and would overcome the will of Pharaoh, sparing their son in seemingly impossible circumstances so that he could later bring about the deliverance of the people of God. They saw something. There was something about the child. There was a sign given through the child's appearance that indicated this in some way. They knew that he was chosen by God, that he was good or beautiful or fair in God's eyes in this sense. Secondly, moving on from the faith of Moses' parents, we then turn to Moses himself in verses 24 through 28, but first look at verses 24 and 25. By faith, Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. When Pharaoh's daughter had taken Moses in, He was raised in Pharaoh's household, setting him in the position to become very wealthy, prominent, and powerful in Egypt. He could have enjoyed all of the material benefits and blessings that inundated the most powerful nation of that time. very likely was Egypt, and he could have enjoyed the best of the blessings of Egypt. And among the Egyptians, as slaves, were Moses' kinsmen, according to the flesh, the Jews. So they were among the Egyptians, but they were slaves. As Moses grew up, he had a choice to make. He could remain a son of Pharaoh's daughter and enjoy the good life, freely benefiting from all of the riches of Egypt while likely retaining a high position of authority, or he could identify with his Jewish kinsmen forfeiting all of the riches and prestige of Egypt while likely becoming an enemy of Pharaoh. Moses is our example of the faith then in a profoundly powerful way as he here provides us with a critical display of choosing to honor and obey God over securing the riches and material wealth of this world. A very relevant application for us especially in our country here. For here we find Moses choosing to identify with the enslaved Jews rather than with the household of Pharaoh. The author tells us that out of the storehouse of his faith, when Moses had grown up, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, walking away from the riches of Egypt, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God, choosing that as a certain path of suffering, rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. Moses looked beyond the temporal, fleshly enjoyments of this short life and embraced the glory to come, being willing to bear a cross and lose this life so that he could identify and suffer with the people of God in the present. Now that's an easier thing to do if you're already among the people as a slave. It's not easy, but it's easier than if you're in the position where you have all the riches and the prestige and a path of great success in front of you and to turn away from that and to embrace the sufferings of your people. Such a heart compelled him to exercise genuine compassion to his suffering Jewish kinsmen. He saw what they suffered as he went out and looked among them and it broke his heart and it led him to thoroughly risk his life when he killed an Egyptian who was harming a Jewish man. Well, this act led him to have to flee Egypt for his life when the Pharaoh had been informed of what he had done. Moses had to leave. And so, recognizing the fleeting nature of this world's sinful pleasures, Moses clung to an eternal hope, leading him to forfeit the glories of Egypt for the sufferings that belong to the people of God who are seeking a house whose builder and maker is God. And brethren, how relevant, how relevant is Moses' example for our American culture. is in Egypt in many ways a foreshadowing of the picture of Babylon in scripture and is in Babylon in many ways a foreshadowing of the picture of the materialistic sway of this world and its entrenchment in the idolatry of possessions and riches and power Notice, the author provides further insight here into the mind and heart of Moses, revealing that which compelled him to choose suffering over material wealth and power. He pulls back the curtain and says, this is what was going on in the heart of Moses that led him to do what he did in risking his life in that way and in turning his back on the riches of Egypt. In verse 26, We read these words. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. See, we have insight into the heart of Moses there, don't we? We've seen the author doing this in Hebrews 11, giving us insight into the inner man of these folks, into what has caused them to operate outwardly in ways that would seem insane to the world at large. He's given us insight into the faith that was inside of these individuals. And so here we have it. How does one choose suffering and reproach over riches and power? He considered the reproach of Christ. That is, he considered the reproach that comes with serving and remaining faithful to Christ and the Gospel as greater wealth, as of much more value than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. See, there were two paths that were set before Moses. One, brought temporal riches and treasures now in this life with condemnation in the afterlife. And the other brought eternal wealth, wealth that lasts forever in glory in the presence of Christ. One promised immediate blessings that would fulfill the immediate desires of the flesh for however long that would last. The other promised something later on. And Moses did what the far, far, far majority of people in this world choose not to do. Most choose to do the opposite of what Moses chose to do. He chose to give up what he could not keep in this life, Jim Elliot, in order to gain what he could not lose beyond the grave. For, we're told, again, he was looking for or to the reward. Is this not the consistent heart of the faithful as we have seen prior to this? Doesn't it go right in line with all we've seen? Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the substance of things not seen. Moses was assured of the reward that he hoped for, and he was certain of the reward that he could not presently see. Like Abraham, Moses was ultimately looking forward to the city that has foundations whose designer and builder is God. Indeed, because he disobeyed God, and struck the rock, Moses had forfeited the blessing of entering into the physical promised land. We know that. However, he still inherited the far more important and eternal blessing of everlasting life with Christ in glory. Isn't that what gets us past Moses not getting into the promised land, is to know that he had the bigger reward that he never forsook, that he had not forfeited the great prize that Abraham and Isaac and Jacob were looking toward? Moses believed in God and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him. Moses died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen the reward from afar, he acknowledged that he was a stranger in an exile on earth. For those who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking an eternal homeland. If Moses had been thinking of that land from which he had gone out, Not only Egypt and its material wealth, but even the land that he was in with his father-in-law, he could have stayed there or went back there where it was certainly safe, rather than spend all those years in the wilderness. But if he wanted to go back, he would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, he desired a better country that is a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called as God, for he has prepared for Moses a city. See, we're just going back and carrying over the same theme. into the life of Moses. And so Moses chose the path of suffering with Christ, for the glory of Christ, for the kingdom of Christ, and with the people of Christ, rather than all the treasures of Egypt. By faith, he looked forward to the eternal reward. And then we find, furthermore, in verse 27, an additional display of Moses' faith. By faith, Moses left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who was invisible. You've all remember that battle, as it were, between Moses and Pharaoh, and Moses proclaiming to Pharaoh the judgments of God and saying, let the people of God go. He was in the presence of the king doing that. So, we see here, again, the emphasis on believing what is unseen and letting that drive how you respond to all that is seen. God wasn't visibly present next to Moses when he went to Pharaoh. yet the trust in the unseen. It's so critical to see how the very substance of a genuine faith is manifested by one's absolute assurance, absolute assurance that directs and shapes one's life in spite of contrary feelings and assurance of things unseen. That's the emphasis. This reality is the very heart and soul of this text. And in fact, of this book, getting to the root of the wavering faith of the Hebrews to whom the author is writing. They were, what were they doing, the Hebrews? They were allowing their present felt and experiential circumstances to drive them away from the unseen Christ and back toward the visible old covenant ceremonies that they could touch and feel and see. and experience with their senses. They were loosening their grip on the unseen but certain promises because of present seen and felt realities. And so Moses leaves them and us, leaves the Jews, the Hebrews, and us a vital example Moses left Egypt not being afraid of the anger of the Pharaoh, the king who was probably the most powerful king of that time. Moses stood before the Pharaoh and firmly declared the truth of God's judgment plagues against him, not fearing for his own life, even though from the world's standpoint, Moses was a powerless nobody and Pharaoh was surrounded by the most powerful army of that time. Moses stood there. What prevented the Pharaoh from any one of those occasions where Moses went to him from simply taking Moses' life? God ultimately prevented Pharaoh from doing such a foolish thing. And of course we know what happened to the army of Pharaoh because of the unseen, much more powerful reality in whom Moses had trusted. Four, we're told, Moses endured. How did he endure? He endured as seeing him who was invisible. Isn't the language there interesting? He endured as seeing him who can't be seen, who is invisible. How did Moses see him who was invisible? By faith. By faith, Moses was confident in the powerful presence of his unseen God, and he endured the threats of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, confident that God was more powerful, not only than the king of Egypt, but of the entire world itself, combined. To this end, we find as well, Moses' faith further confirmed by what we're told in verse 28. It was so firm that we're also told, by faith, he, that is Moses, kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. You see, from the standpoint of the world, keeping that first Passover would have been the equivalent of wearing a tinfoil hat as a means of warding off space aliens. What kind of nonsense is this, Moses? What kind of instructions? Cook and eat these vegetables, boil the lamb, eat the lamb, sprinkle the blood of the lamb on the outer edges of your door, and that will keep the destroyer, the angel of death, from killing your firstborn child? Talk about superstition. it would seem. When this destroyer sees the blood of a lamb on your doorposts, he will then pass over your home and spare your child. Were it not for the Lord who commanded this, and were it not, of course, for the rich meaning that was attached to this ceremonial act, one could legitimately understand why Moses would shy away from observing it and commanding the people to observe it. You could see and understand why he would do that, if it were not the fact that God had commanded it. But Moses, we're told, drawing out of the storehouse of his faith, did what seemed absolutely ridiculous, senseless, and foolish to the natural man. It's like when Naaman was commanded to go wash in the Jordan River so that he could remove the leprosy. There's all kinds of cleaner water where I'm from. You want me to go to this Jordan River to do that and dip myself seven times? And of course, his servant said, look, what can hurt? Just try it. There was not really any faith there really at all, right? And he just said, okay, I'll do it. Here's this guy, right? This great man, Naaman. And he went and did it. And of course, the Lord still healed his leprosy. Well here, Moses did exactly what God commanded. Moses knew that there must be something significant to this feast if God commanded it to be kept. There must be something important attached to it. It wasn't some random thing that God just developed on the fly to say, well try this out. And of course, it was significant. For by means of this feast, the firstborn of each Jewish household was spared, leading into the ultimate redemption of God's people from out of their slavery to the Egyptians. It was upon the celebrating of this feast and doing what they did that they were finally let out of Egypt and out of their slavery. Following this, the people went out, and God would have all people see the connection in what happened there between the shedding of innocent blood, the sparing of life, and the redemption out of slavery all exhibited by this feast and this real historical event. For in it, we find the gospel of Christ, whose innocent shed blood delivers sinners from death, and redeems them from slavery to sin. And so Moses, by faith, set up this festal observance, affirming his confidence in God, who commanded it, and the necessary redemption revealed within it. There is no redemption without the shedding of blood. And we see that in that Passover. Well, brethren, in all of these ways given here in Hebrews, we find Moses serving as an old covenant example of the type and quality of faith that is required by all of God's people. His parents hid the child and risked their lives, confident in God's approval of and determination to use that child. Moses turned his back on the riches and glory of Egypt to suffer reproach with the people of God, looking unto a greater reward. And he left Egypt not fearing the king or his threats, but rather looking with confidence and hope to his invisible God. And finally, he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch the people. And so brethren, that is the example of Moses. Well, let me leave you then. with a few closing thoughts and applications. Let's bring this more home, more directly home to our own hearts by way of application. First, brethren, again, when we see the act of faith displayed by these, our examples, all these examples we've been given, and will be given more, what does that look like in our lives? See, that's the point that the author is bringing this out. There's a point in this. to show the same faith that is required in all the people of God. And we're meant to ask the question, is such a real, true, and living faith in us? A faith that goes beyond a mere profession and which actually governs the whole of our lives, our thoughts, our words, our actions, and our motives. Not a faith defined by evangelicalism in general. No, a faith defined by scripture as we see here in Hebrews 11. Now brethren, very likely, None of us will have to choose between identifying as the son of Pharaoh's daughter or suffering reproach with the Israelites. But can we not see the clear and relevant application here for us? Again, it's not the specific details in the actions, but it's the faith that drove it. And it's the general principle that we see here found in Moses that comes to us. You see, the Christian life involves a choice. It involves a moment, in fact many moments, where like Joshua, the son of Nun, we have to choose this day whom we will serve. And faith involves being willing to turn our backs on what is visible. and material and appealing to the flesh in order to commit our lives to serving Christ. There will be a contention with all of us between the material possessions of this world and our need to serve Christ. It will come to pass in every individual in this room. And you will have to decide who you will follow. You cannot have both. And there are many churches you can go to that will tell you you can have both. They're out there. But I'm not going to lie to you and pave your path to hell for you. That is a damnable lie. It's not scriptural. In a very real sense, as the Lord Jesus Christ stood before Satan during his time of temptation, we too will have to gaze upon the kingdoms of this world to a lesser extent, but the kingdoms of this world and determine if we will bow before Satan to obtain the world or bow before, serve and worship God alone at the risk of losing everything else. And as I said in the past, in similar ways, we will all approach every last one of us, that fork in the road, that divide in the road where there's two directions that you can go. And it may look very different for each one of us, but it's a moment, a decision moment nonetheless. And we will have to decide whether we will choose the path that promises much more later, that is unseen now, and much hardship in the present, or the path that promises much more now and appeals to the desires of the eyes, the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life. See, one, from a visible standpoint, looks so much more appetizing because it's here and now. Give me a cake right here, right? My body's going after it, but to have to put it away and say, well, later on I can do something, that's a hard thing to do. And so the Lord will put life and death before each and every one of you and me. And the substance of your faith will be tested. when you're called to risk or lose much in order to remain faithful to Christ. Following Christ will cost you. It will cost you discomfort. It will cost you pain. It will cost you suffering. It will cost you loss. Not that you're earning anything, but that's just the reality of holding on to Christ. Such defining moments are part and parcel for the Christian course. They are faith-defining moments, moments that will affirm our faith or expose our hypocrisy. And may it be, brethren, that like Moses, we will choose to bear the reproach that comes with serving Christ and His Church over and above pursuing the riches of this world and the fleeting pleasures of sin. Brethren, I wanted to bring out an encouragement, because I know it's easy to jump on that each week, on that self-examination sense of examine yourself, and if you're not doing this, then this is not a genuine faith, and that can become overbearing to the people of God. I realize that. It's tough. And so I want to encourage those of you who have been fighting the fight, Not perfectly, but you're fighting. And perhaps you're weary. Perhaps you're deeply wounded at times. I want to encourage you to hold the line. It can seem impossible at times. The knots can seem untieable. The pain can seem unbearable. There might be no clear way ahead. The light at the end of the tunnel may seem very dim or even beyond the reach of your perceivable senses. But hold the line. The war is almost over. And when it is, it will never ever rise up again. it will never rise up again. There is an eternal glory around the corner. And no amount of enemies, no amount of opposition, perceived or not perceived, physical or demonic, can keep you from entering in. Stay the course, hold the line. We watched a movie a few weeks ago, and I've seen it in the past, and it's a good movie. It's not necessarily something you want little kids to watch, and it's obviously disfabrication as well, but it's a movie called The Patriot with Mel Gibson, who directed it, I believe, and was in it. And it's meant to portray the Revolutionary War, right, where we were trying to gain our full freedom from the British. And we were fighting against them for our freedom. And because the British were far superior in their military strength because they were far more skilled at war and had a much larger army than the United States, it seemed to be a hopeless cause attempting to fight for our freedom. They had a massive, skilled, elite army with all of the highest quality weapons of the time. And the U.S. had militias made up mostly of farmers and laborers with nowhere near the experience or expertise of the British. They were your average people. Not all, but a lot of them had to be drafted to fight. And so the U.S. militias had to fight the war in an unconventional way, seeking to outsmart the brute force and strength of the British. You couldn't fight them on their terms. They were unbeatable the way they lined up. You couldn't do it. And so they began to fight in unconventional ways. And toward the end of the movie, and I realize this is just a movie, There's this emotional scene where the Americans are putting up a great fight, but they are barraged by more and more and more British soldiers like facing an unending onslaught of army ants. And the Americans are deeply wounded. They're battered, they're tired, they're weary, they're surrounded by many of their own who have already died in the battle all around them. And so they begin to pull back and retreat. But at that moment, Mel Gibson, who plays this heroic made-up figure, this commander over a portion of the militia, He runs and he grabs an American flag from one of the fleeing Americans who's running away. He runs and grabs the flag from that person, and he presses ahead toward where the British are, and he begins to wave that flag, and he starts shouting aloud, hold the line! Hold the line, hold the line! See, he knew that this was it. He knew that this was their best chance and that they already come so far. And then suddenly the American army begins to turn away, turn back toward the British again. And they fight on and they rage against an innumerable number of remaining British with all of their hearts only to break through their lines causing the British and General Cornwallis to ultimately retreat. It wasn't the end of the war. Things happened beyond that with Washington and so on and again this fabrication there and so on. But that's what happens. And so they pressed ahead without looking back. They held the line. This represented one of the battles, as it were, that had taken place. Again, probably exaggerated and changed in various ways, but it signified the fervent, unbudging, pressing forward for the sake of the greater cause. Even Mel Gibson himself had begun to understand that it was bigger than just his family, because that's what kept him. He lost his sons, and he didn't want to fight in the war, but he saw the bigger picture of what this meant for future generations. At that point, they didn't know for sure what would happen when they went back to hold the line. Their very lives were at stake, but they'd rather die than turn back, and they held the line. And brethren, that is a good picture of the Christian fight. Enemies can seem without number at times. Red coats of pain and suffering, of family problems, of marital problems, of all kinds of temptations, of job problems, of grief, of sorrow, of pain, of loss, of emotional stress, of mental anguish, of material loss, of of weariness, of tiredness, of weighty burdens, of distress, all of these and more in red coats, as it were, with a host of opportunities to surrender in search of some quick fix, easy way out. I just want to rest now. But we have to hold the line. Others have died to bring us here, and for the sake of Christ, his kingdom, and the eternal well-being of us, our families, our loved ones and friends, and the future generations of this country, we press on, even unto death, until we cross the finish line. And unlike those of the Americans in the movie, we know that no matter how it comes up against us, we will defeat the enemy. We will overcome. We hold the line, brethren. There's a much bigger cause at stake, and the cross must be carried for now. but it will soon be laid down, and what it is, it will never ever be picked up again. Hold the line, keep the faith, leave the past behind and take heaven by storm, and don't look back until you get there, no matter what you lose along the way. Stay the line. Let your biggest motive be to be faithful to God in Christ, to cling to Christ at all costs, and stay forward, and stay focused, and be encouraged. to know that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. If you're not a Christian this morning, if you're not a Christian this morning, know that the message of the gospel may seem like foolishness to you. It may seem like that Passover could have seemed to many people during the time of Moses perhaps. The declaration of a coming judgment where we must all give an account before God and where heaven and hell are in the balance may be suppressed and even denied by your conscience. But that doesn't change the reality of all that truly lies ahead. You don't control the future. That's God's, under God's sovereign authority. It will happen. This is God's creation and you are His creature, created for His glory. And your sin, your breaking of God's laws will be held against you. You will stand before God and you will have to give an account. And He will have the final say on your final and permanent destination. The good news is that He is telling you now, in advance, He's telling you now in advance by His Word what to expect when you pass from this life into eternity. He's not hidden it. He's provided all that is needed and He has declared all that is available in Christ to secure your forgiveness and eternal salvation. And He has avowed that the only way of escaping the wrath of God Indeed, the only way of being forgiven and being reconciled to God is through His Son, Jesus Christ, who entered into this creation through the womb of a woman, taking on the complete form of a man, so that He might lay down His life on behalf of sinners. You must repent of your sin. You must believe into this Christ to be saved. And God has assured us of this way of salvation, the only way of salvation, by raising His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, from the dead. We have a resurrected Savior to assure us. Come to Christ now by faith. Believe into Him and be saved. Be warned of a coming judgment. Everyone laughed when Noah built an ark, but the flood came and destroyed the world. And there are thousands upon thousands of fossils all over the place that indicate a universal flood and not evolution. Sodom and Gomorrah mocked God and continued in their sinful deplorable ways and God rained down fire and brimstone upon those cities and melted them to ashes. Judgment is coming upon this whole world and you can laugh and you can mock and you can deny it now and tell yourself all kinds of lies but you will stand before God as the creature and give an account to the Creator and if you're not, if you've not applied the means of salvation through Christ, In your life, by faith, you will be cast out into eternal darkness. Know for certain that it is coming and your death will usher you right into it. Repent, believe, and be saved. God give you the grace, if you're outside of Christ, to see that these words are not my words, but they are the words of God given to us so that we might be ready we might be ready for the time that we stand before him. Let's pray. Father, we give you thanks for your word. We give you thanks for the example of Moses' parents, of Moses, and the faith that they had, Lord, in the face of such great enmity and powerful opposition, in the face of such loss and sacrifice that they, Look to you that Moses was willing to bear the reproach of Christ rather than enjoy the riches of this world and the fleeting pleasures of sin. Lord, we ask that you would help us to take these things to heart, to recognize that this path of the faithful is something that all of us must walk down. And Lord, that we will be tested and we pray that our faith will come out to be true. and that we would rather lose all else than Christ. Lord, hear our prayers, and we ask for those who do not know you here that you would save them today. Lord, bring them to be broken before you. Humble them before your presence, we pray, that they might come to Christ for eternal life. We pray in Christ's name, amen.