Family Faith, Part 1

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Hebrews 11:23-27It takes a family to raise a child, and it takes faith to make a family. The most powerful and influential people on the earth are mothers and fathers of faith. Hebrews 11 tells the story of the prophet Moses’ divine appointment, which would not have existed if not for his parents, Amram and Jochebed.There are four principles to learn from their indispensable faith, as we learn the importance of our family faith.“By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents because they saw that he was a proper child…” (v. 23).First, faith sees every child as the special handiwork of God.It is our responsibility to raise our children specifically and individually, by God’s daily guidance.Second, faith sees every conflict as spiritual.Amram and Jochebed hid Moses for three months because the King had commanded that baby boys be killed. By faith, they recognized this physical conflict as a spiritual conflict between the gods of Egypt and Almighty God.In these treacherous days, raising children takes more than wit, wisdom, and good intentions. Raising children is a spiritual battle, and our only hope is a solid faith in Jesus Christ.Third, faith sees every challenge as solvable.As Adrian Rogers says, “faith doesn’t throw in the towel,” nor is it “intimidated by the sinister minister of fear.” We have the victory, because, “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).When facing challenges, we must do all we can do with a spirit of optimism. If it is God’s will, we can trust that He will move heaven and earth for our children.Finally, faith sees every choice as significant.Hebrews 11 notes that because Moses’ values were established in him by his parents, he valued his faith more than all the riches of Egypt.Moses embraced the virtues of knowing Christ eternally, and rejected the vices of this world, refusing to be called Pharaoh’s son (v. 24).Because Moses’ parents raised him by faith, he became an example of Psalm 112:2: "…the generation of the upright shall be blessed.”Apply it to your lifeAre you raising your children by faith, recognizing the spiritual conflict? Do you see every challenge as solvable and every choice as significant?