Obedience in Small Things Leads to Big Victories — Anton Bosch

We were and we'll go through 34. Hebrews 11 reading from verse 24 through 34. By faith Moses when he became of age refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.

Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.

By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land whereas the Egyptians attempting to do so were drowned.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say for the time shall fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah of David and Samuel and the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms worked righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouths of lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weakness were made strong became valiant in battle turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

So we're in verse 28 we spoke about Moses and it continues to speak about Moses and then transitions to the people of Israel. And so in verse 28 it says by faith he notice that he kept the Passover. Obviously all of Israel kept the Passover but Moses was the one and we'll see that in a few moments when they crossed the Red Sea it is Moses's face that encouraged the rest of them to believe.

So our personal faith impacts on others. So you remember what happened is that the Lord had performed nine miracles to prove himself to Israel and then the tenth one was the most powerful of them all and in that one God said that whoever applies the blood so they were to kill a lamb they were to take the blood with hyssop and they were to apply it to the lintel and to the doorposts of their houses.

And the houses that had the blood applied the eldest would be spared. The houses that did not have the blood the eldest would die. So if the father was the firstborn in his family he would die and then the first born of his family would die.

The angel of death passing through did not discriminate between whether you were Jew or Egyptian the only thing was whether there was blood applied to the doorpost. If there was a Jewish family who did not apply the door the blood they would suffer.

If there was a Egyptian family who happened to apply the blood they would be spared. And so it wasn't a racial thing it wasn't a thing as to whether you were Jewish or whether you were Egyptian it was only whether you had the blood applied.

And we're going to see the same thing in a moment with Rahab if we get that far this morning. And so of course we we know that this is a picture of the blood of the Lord Jesus that the only thing that saves us is his blood.

It doesn't matter whether we are Jewish or Gentile it doesn't matter what ethnicity we're of it doesn't matter what education level we have. It doesn't matter whether we male or female it doesn't matter how old or young we are.

If the blood is applied to our lives then our sins are washed away and we pass from death to life. In other words the angel of death who killed the firstborn was symbolic of eternal death. And so because we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God we are all subject to eternal death not just physical death but spiritual death in the sense of eternal damnation.

But if we have the blood applied if we have come to the Lord Jesus and and been washed in his blood we are saved. And you know we speak all what you know you say you're saved. What are you saved from.

Well we're saved from sin and we're saved from the consequences of sin which is hell. And so because we have the blood applied we're saved. God is only interested in one thing and that is whether we've been washed in the blood.

He's not interested in anything else. And unfortunately there are many people who who have all sorts of things that they claim to which would protect them. You know whether being religious or being of this church or that church or this religion or that religion or whether you know having been baptized it doesn't matter if you've not been washed in the blood of Christ to the blood of Christ has not been applied to your life you will die.

But if you've had the blood applied you will be saved now. I want you to see also that they're one of the important things here was obviously is the issue of faith. And what he was asking them to do was strange.

No one had done this before. This was not part of their ritual or their tradition that they had done before. God was asking them to do something which was extraordinary and yet at the same time it wasn't a big deal in the sense that it wasn't.

He wasn't asking them to go and climb some high mountain and go and meet with a guru up there or you know go on their knees to to Mecca or or any of these things. He was asking them to do a very simple thing and that was to kill an animal take the blood apply it to the door.

And that was it. It would be easy to look at that and say well it's no big deal I don't have to do this or I can do it some other way. No you just had to do what God told you to do. And it was a simple thing he was asking you to do.

If there was no faith if you did not believe God well then you would you would not do it. If you believe God you would do it. It was so simple as that. And and the way of salvation today is just as easy and just as simple that whoever comes to him whoever believes on him will not perish but have everlasting life.

It's not difficult it's not hard. He's not asking you to be religious. He's not asking you to sell your house and give your money to the poor. He's not asking you anything except to believe on the Lord Jesus and to trust him for the cleansing that comes through the blood of Christ.

That's all. It's a simple thing and yet many will not do it. In fact the majority of people in the world will not do it because they do not believe God. They do not believe his word. The Bible doesn't tell us.

But as I said in the introduction that I do believe that there were Israelites who died that night who simply said no we we don't believe this. But this is this is stupid. And you know applying the blood is a stupid thing.

And besides which who says everyone's gonna die who says the oldest in each family is gonna die. And so not doing that would have resulted in tragedy for that family. And so there are really two things that they had to believe.

The first was that there was a judgment on those who did not have the blood applied and secondly that you needed the blood. And those are the two things those are just the two things that we need to believe today.

The first is that there is a judgment and for the reality is in this and the sad thing is that there are many churches who are no longer preaching that there is an eternal damnation that there is a hell and that there is punishment.

This has become very popular in many many churches today. And if there is then no judgment well then what need do I have for the blood. If you have a terminal disease and the doctor says well you know here's the cure.

Well if you don't believe you've got the disease what's the point of taking the cure. But if you believe that what you have is terminal and there is a cure well then obviously you're going to take the cure.

And so it's a simple thing. And yet many do not believe. And so folk I think that one of the points that I see as we go right through Hebrews 11 is just the simplicity of the things that God asks them and us to do.

He doesn't ask. He didn't ask any of these men to do something profound. He asked them to do simple things and sometimes things that didn't make a lot of sense but just to trust him and to obey him in the things that he asked them to do.

And so by faith he kept the Passover and of course the the end of the the rest of the story the Passover of course was that that that lamb that they killed they had to eat that and they had to eat it in a particular way and that would become the beginning of the celebration that they would keep every year and they still continue to do that.

Jewish people continue to do that today as they remember the day that God brought them out of Egypt that night God delivered them. Pharaoh said get out of here and they began to they began to move. And as they came out of Egypt they came to the Red Sea that was the first obstacle and behind them was Pharaoh and his army 600 chariots and all of his horsemen and all of his soldiers following after Israel and so they come to the Red Sea.

And of course they find themselves as we would say today between a rock and a hard place front of them is the Red Sea. Behind them is the Egyptian army. And Hebrews 11 29 says that by faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land whereas the Egyptians attempting to do so were drowned.

Now we remember what happened is that the people then begin to complain now again I've this is the the the thing that really stands out for me. You remember that in the previous verse it says by faith he kept the Passover and yet he represents the nation.

It wasn't that Moses did so and then he sort of stood proxy for the rest of the nation. Each one had to do it but Moses set the example now verse 29 says that by faith they passed through the Red Sea.

The reality is that they did not believe that God would deliver them at the Red Sea. It was Moses who believed and I'm going to show you that in a moment. And so by faith they pass through the Red Sea as by dry land.

And so as Moses held out his his rod the the water's part and a wind dries up the rest of it and they pass through as on dry land. And remember that up to this point already God had been leading them with a pillar of cloud or the cloud and the pillar of fire and so as he leads them the pillar of fire leads them and they and they they move through during the night and the pillar of fire leads them during through the night.

As they go through the Red Sea and the cloud comes and positions itself now normally the two which would trade places so it would be the the fire during the night and the cloud during the day. But now the the fire is in front of them leading them and giving them light and the cloud moves to become a smokescreen behind them and the Egyptians can't see them and the Egyptians are following behind them.

And as they get out to the other side the Egyptian army is in the middle of the sea and the waters close and the army is drowned. And so not only does God provide the way of escape for them but he deals with the enemy forever permanently.

The army is now totally destroyed. Now let's look at the scriptures in Exodus chapter 14. I'm going to read five verses from there. Verse 11 says. So as they came to the Red Sea they said to Moses because there were no graves in Egypt.

Have you taken us away to die in the wilderness. Being sarcastic of course why have you so dealt with us to bring us up out of Egypt. In other words you just brought us here to die. Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt saying let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians.

For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians. Then we should die in the wilderness. Now remember what the verse says. By faith they crossed through the Red Sea. And yet is this faith. No this is not faith.

This is this is worse than unbelief that they they're not just trusting God. They're they're saying God has ulterior motives. God and Moses want to destroy us. And Moses said to the people do not be afraid stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which he will accomplish for you today.

For the Egyptians whom you see today you shall see again no more forever. And of course that's exactly what happened. The Lord will fight for you and you shall hold your peace now. I think the the lesson that I read in this is simply that there are times when our faith needs to uphold those who are weak in faith.

There may be those in our families there may be those in the church who maybe for a time go through a period of doubt or a period of unbelief for a period of not trusting the Lord of fear of discouragement.

And it is necessary for the rest of us to uphold them during that time to encourage them exactly as Moses said Moses is hang on. You got to get your perspective right here. It's not the Egyptians and the Red Sea.

That's the there are the factors here. It's God who is the factor. It is God who is the one that matters. The Egyptians matter nothing and the Red Sea is nothing. It is God who will bring us through. And so he reminds them of God and of God's goodness and of God's faithfulness.

And of course remember we spoke about that before that. This is how faith comes. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Or faith comes by hearing to be exact and hearing by the Word of God. And so we are encouraged to believe when we hear the Word of God.

That's why it's important for us to be in church. It's not so that the preacher can have somebody to preach to. It's so that we can be reminded of the Word of God that we may be encouraged to believe that our faith may be strengthened as we are reminded of God's goodness and God's faithfulness.

And so Moses reminds them of who God is and as a result they believe. Can you imagine what would have happened if Moses said well you know here's 600 ,000 men plus women and children in excess of 3 million people.

And not one of them believe. All of them say this is this is. We're in trouble here. Well maybe they're right. Can you imagine what would happen if Moses listened to the people. And yet Moses says no I've.

I'm listening to God and focus. Easy for us to become discouraged. It's easy for us to come to a place of unbelief because we listen to those who are around us. We need to hear from God what the people said.

And and remember this. This is not the this is the first time but not the last time that we that this thing would happen where all 600 ,000 would be wrong. Remember 40 years or sorry a few years later actually a few months later they come to the promised land.

And exactly the same thing happens. Two men believe God Joshua and Caleb. The rest of them five hundred and ninety nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight do not believe. And yet Joshua and Caleb are not dissuaded by the unbelief of the majority and folk.

The majority of Christians today do not believe God or his word. The majority of theologians no longer believe that God's Word is true and inspired. Don't listen to the majority. Listen to God hear his word trust in him.

We cannot trust in men. Because men are fickle men of weak men fail. But God is true. Remember in Romans Paul says. Let God be true. And every man a liar. When men contradict God God remains true. When science contradicts God God remains true.

When nations and politicians contradict God God remains true. And all that these people had to do was simply to believe God. They didn't have to build boats. They didn't have to build a bridge. They just had to believe God.

And folk. That's all he's asking of us this morning. He's not asking you to do anything powerful or great or miraculous. He's simply asking you to trust him. And isn't that what we've seen all along. Isn't that what Abraham did.

Isn't that what Moses did. They just trusted God. And they did what God told them. And as they obeyed God God took care of the rest. Can you imagine what would have happened if they said no we we're not going to trust God.

Even though Moses says God is reliable we're not going to trust God. Well they would have died at the hands of the Egyptians. But God had a better plan for them now verse 30. So we're back in Hebrews 11 my face the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.

So this is 40 years later. And the first generation remember didn't enter into the land because they didn't believe. Hebrews chapter 3 and 4 tells us because of unbelief they didn't enter in a whole new generation had now been born.

Moses was had died. Joshua and Caleb are the only ones of that generation that are still alive. And they're leading the charge as they go into the land. And so they come to the first fortified city the city of Jericho it has walls and it is fortified.

And they say well now what. And of course you remember what happened. I'm sure we we all know what happened. In case you don't remember let me remind you. So the Lord says to Moses I'm sorry to to Joshua the people need to walk around the city for seven days.

For the first six days they were to walk around the city once in a particular order with the priest blowing the horn and with the Ark of the Covenant and with the people following and the people were to be absolutely silent.

But the priest would you sound the shofar the the rams horns. And they were just to do this once walk around the city go and camp for the rest for the for the rest of the day next day same story. And so they did this for six days.

On the seventh day they had to go around the city seven times. And on the seventh time now remember the people had to be silent all along. But on the seventh time when they blew the the horns the rams horns the people were to shout and they shouted and some earthquake happened or whatever happened.

But God caused the walls to collapse. The walls collapsed. And it's interesting in the New King James that says the walls fell down flat. I think it's a very good description of what happened. And of course they go in at this point there's encircled the city.

They go in and God gives them a great victory on that day again God asked them to do something simple. Maybe it sounded a little crazy. Probably did sound crazy. I mean you know how do we need dynamite.

Or we need battering rams. Or we need to build a ramp up against the wall. We need to do something so we can take the city. And God says no just walk around it once a day seven times on the seventh day.

And you know what God asks us again to do is simple now before you think well you know maybe God's gonna speak to me and he's gonna tell me to go and do something crazy. No God doesn't ask us to do crazy things.

He just asks us to be obedient. And I don't believe that in our context that God is going to ask you that somehow you're going to hear a voice and you're going to have to go and stand on your head on Hollywood Way for three hours.

That's not what we're talking about here we're talking about God's Word and in it he gives us plain and simple instructions. And some of those instructions seem to be a little weird particularly when it comes to how we live our lives how we raise our children how to get saved how husbands and wives relate how we deal with our finances.

Oh no but you know there's better ways to do this. We know God gives us some instructions and they're very simple. And when we follow his instructions victory comes. And when we don't follow his instructions disaster happens.

And folk the majority of Christians in the world today hear me have lives that are in total chaos and they live lives of total defeat because they will not obey the simple instructions of God's Word. And it applies to every area of our lives.

But when we do what God tells us even though it doesn't make sense God's blessing ensues and God gives the victory. Forget about what the world has to say about raising your kids. Forget about what the world has to say about how husbands and wives ought to relate.

Just do it God's way and you'll know God's blessing. And yet folk the problem is that so few will just obey God. And why will we not obey God. Because we don't believe him. God's not asking you to go and stand on your head and on Hollywood Way or outside the airport or whatever.

He's simply asking you to live your life according to the scriptures. Walk the way. I'm telling you to walk. Be silent when you need to be silent. Speak when you need to speak simple things. And if we will trust God and if we will believe him he will take care of the rest.

And so let me encourage you this morning obey God. I don't know that there's any of us who obey God a hundred percent. There are all for all of us. There are areas that we feel we have to take care of this.

Now we wonder why things don't work out. But if we just do what God tells us simple simple step-by-step everything works out and victory comes. May I challenge you this morning you know the areas in your life that you're being disobedient in.

Just do what God tells you and you'll be surprised what God can do all right now as we as all of this goes on there's the story of Rahab. And so in verse 31 by faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe when she had received the spies with peace.

So again let me remind you what happened. Remember they sent in spies 12 spies initially two of them Joshua and Caleb came back with a positive report. They said yep there are giants and fortified cities but God's with us.

The other ten said no there's giants and fortified cities. We're done for as a result the people believed the evil report. They wander in the wilderness for 40 years. That generation dies. This is now 40 years later they're about to go in again new generation.

They send in two spies. This time the spies go in and they go to Jericho which is the first city and they get into the city and the inhabitants or the men of the city here that the spies are there. They figured they were two strangers here and they're probably here for for no good reason and they begin to look for them.

The two spies then go to Rahab's house. Rahab was a prostitute again. Modern theologians try and change us and say well you know she she was an innkeeper. No she wasn't an innkeeper. She was a whore. To put it bluntly she was a prostitute.

You say well why is this a big deal. Because this prostitute becomes the ancestor of David the king and of Jesus Christ. Why. Because she believed God. Because she believed God. And so they come to her house and I have no doubt that God directed them to to this brothel.

And she takes them and she hides them on the roof of the house and remember her house is on the city wall. Remember these walls were huge some of these cities they could ride chariots on the top of the wall and she she lives in the city in the in the wall.

The house is right up there on the top of the wall. They put her they she puts them up on the roof and she's drying flax which they use for for garments and they she hides them under the flax. The men of the city come and they say we heard these guys are here.

And she says no they're not here and I'm not going to comment on on the fact that she was lying. That's a whole other story. But they're not here. They've they've just left. They went out that way and and the men of course go out after them.

And she comes up to them and she says okay you you know they're after you they're on to you. And she lets down a rope down the wall and they escape. But before they escape she comes to them and she says promise me that when you come and when Israel takes us you will spare me and my family.

No you remember we made reference to this at the beginning of Hebrews 11. And let me remind you again Israel did not believe that God would give them the land and that's why they perish in the wilderness.

And yet here's this woman who is a Gentile prostitute and she believed God. She believed the testimony and I didn't bring the scriptures. But she she says when you first began to leave Egypt we heard about you and we heard what God your God did to the kings along the way Sihon and Og two kings that they confronted.

And when you began to march towards us we were afraid and we were ready to run. And so while Israel did not believe Rahab did believe. And so when God said to Israel go into the land there were actually three who believed God Joshua Caleb and Rahab.

Can you imagine that she had not eaten the manna. She had not seen the pillar of fire she had not drunk of the water that came out of the rock she had not seen any of the manifestations of God she had not passed through the Red Sea.

She had simply heard the testimony. And she says I believe this God and no wonder God saves her. And not only does he save her but she becomes one of the greatest ancestors in the in the lineage of the Lord Jesus and in the history of Israel.

And the same way as it didn't matter whether you were Egyptian or Jewish but if you obeyed God and applied the blood it didn't matter who she was. She was a Gentile to begin with and she was a woman of ill repute.

Secondly the spies told her when you when we come that rope and it happened to be a red rope that you let us down by you need to hang that rope out the window because that will be a sign that this house is to be spared.

And as the walls fall down all of the wall falls down except that section where she lives. Why. Because of the red rope now wasn't the rope that saved her. The rope was simply a sign of her obedience.

The same way as if Israel if a Jew didn't put the blood on the doorposts they would die. But if they did and they simply obeyed God and said I'm going to apply the blood they were spared. And in the same way all she had to do is believe God and do the simple thing of hanging the rope and the red rope is interesting that it was that the scripture specifies that it wasn't a brown rope which is what you would expect a rope to be but it was a red one.

Again to me a picture of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and she has spared. God is asking us to do simple things. Nothing difficult but if we believe we'll obey him and we'll obey him in the minute.

Little details. Whether you march once every for six days and seven times on the seventh day not seven times on every day and then once on the seventh day whether you hang the red rope or another rope these are simple things that are in themselves don't save us.

Of course those are not the things that save us. It wasn't the blood that saved them on the door post wasn't the rope that saved her. They were symbols. There was. They were in the indicators of their face.

And as genre is taking us through the book of James we see how the James says that faith without works is dead. Faith must produce action. And in their case the action was to put the blood on the doorposts was to hang the red rope out the window.

That was the work that the work that needed to be done. God took care of the rest. So what is it that God's asking you to do. Just do it. Was there risk attached to her. Hanging the rope out the window.

I'm pretty sure there was. I'm pretty sure that though the people in the city had heard that that the spies had been there because they came to the house they said but they're here. They knew that she had deceived them and so they were looking at her with suspicion.

Anything that she did would have been a problem. Yes she says no I'm going to obey God. And again we see another thing which I want to share with you by closing because not only is she saved but everyone that she had brought into the house her family were also saved.

Now no we're not saying that your family are saved because of you. We understand each one of us must come to faith for ourselves. Each one of us must believe for ourselves. But how you conduct yourself when you walk in faith and in obedience it gives an opportunity to your family to be saved.

If she went to her brothers and she said God's going to destroy the city. But if you come into my house you'll be saved now. Can you imagine that kind of message. I don't think that would go down very well.

Who do you think you are. You're not exactly the picture of morality. So how do we believe you. But they believed her testimony and they came and they sat in that house and because of that they were saved.

We have a responsibility to bear a testimony of faith to our families to those around us that they may also come into the place of safety and that they too might be saved. And I just find it interesting that because of Moses' faith Israel believes and are saved.

And even if you go back you remember Noah was saved and his sons and his daughter and their daughters and their wives and his wife are saved. But the scripture doesn't say they believed. But it seems that because Moses believed they believed God.

Can you imagine sorry Noah. Can you imagine if Noah didn't believe God he would have condemned his family. Now again they had to come into the ark in the same way as these people had to come into Rehab's house to be saved.

Noah's family had to come into the ark to be saved. So they believe his message. But folk we have a responsibility. You say well it doesn't matter if I don't believe. It doesn't matter if I don't obey and build the ark or hang the rope out the window or put the blood on the doorpost.

It doesn't matter if I don't live my life the way that God wants me to live. It does matter because by it you can either save or condemn your family. And I think that this is the message that I see in these examples.

And so it's not just a matter of whether you believe or don't believe this morning. It's the impact your faith or lack of faith will have on those around you. Father we pray that you'd help us Lord. You're not asking us to do difficult things.

You're asking us simply to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to surrender our lives to him. You're simply asking us to live our lives according to your word to order our families our finances our jobs our bodies according to your word Lord help us to be people of faith who believe you and who do what you tell us to do that we might know your blessing Lord that as a church we may know your blessing because we're obeying you.

And we're doing things the way you want us to do them. Forgive us Lord for our unbelief and for our disobedience the Lord. We don't want to be like Israel who did not enter because of unbelief and who were destroyed in the wilderness the Lord.

We want to enter into the fullness of your blessing. We want to know your the miracles that you can perform. We want to know your your deliverance. We want to know your salvation. So Lord we pray that you'd help us in our unbelief that we may simply believe you trust you and obey your word.

We ask this in Jesus name I pray Lord for each one who is here this morning each one who's watching online. I pray Lord that we may not go away and just forget your word but Lord that we may be doers of your word the same way as Moses and Rahab Joshua were doers of your word.

We ask this in Jesus name. Go with us now. Keep us and protect us. Bring us together again safely on Sunday. I pray.