SERIES OVERVIEW
Pastor Greg shares four resolutions that Moses made – recounted in Hebrews 11 – that profoundly changed his life for the better. If you will make these four resolutions and depend on God to help you, your life will radically improve.
This is week 2: CHOSE
MESSAGE NOTES
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 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 temporary pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he persevered, as though seeing Him who is unseen. ~ Hebrews 11:23-27
In this passage, Moses made four choices, four resolutions. Moses, by faith, refused, Moses chose, Moses considered, and Moses persevered. Because of this, God guided his steps, as well as the steps of the people Moses led and cared for, and these four resolutions Moses made changed all their lives for the better. When you understand the meaning of these four verbs and their implication for your life today, thousands of years later, it’ll change your life for the better as well. The rest of your life will be the best of your life.
#1) I Refuse To Be Defined By Others.
2) I Choose Short-Term Pain For Long-Term Gain.
“If you will live like no one else now, you can live like no one else later.” ~ Dave Ramsey
… choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin ~ Hebrews 11:25
You can go out and do whatever you want to but then there are consequences. You are free to choose. God has given you free will to make any choice you want. But you are not free from the consequences of those choices. The moment you make that choice you are no longer free from the consequences of that choice; so you better make good choices. Because you can’t choose the choice and not choose the consequence. They are linked. You need to do both some refusing and some choosing in life as well. This is a mark of maturity. It’s a mark of responsibility.
If you’re not close to God it’s because you have CHOSEN to NOT be close to God. You’ve got to make the choice. If you are not close to God then it is time for you to grow up spiritually. You don’t get in good with God through someone else’s spiritual commitment. It’s up to YOU to CHOOSE to have a personal relationship with Him.
We are all products of our past but we don’t have to be prisoners of our past.
… we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. ~ Romans 5:3-5
So I even know when I’m going through short-term pain it’s producing character in my life. God is more interested in my long-term character than in my short-term comfort. Sometimes the pain we experience, God is allowing it, sometimes He’s even leading into it, sometimes He is even causing it! Why? Why would He do that? Because it builds character in us. It makes us a better person in the long run. It makes us strong enough to handle what we need to do later in life.
For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while 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. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
None of the problems I see will make it into eternity! What IS going to last is the character I develop from going through them. What IS going to last is my trust in God. What IS going to last is the reward I will receive from putting my faith in Christ, building my relationship with Chirst, while I’m going through all of those problems.