WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:09.279 If you would grab your Bibles and uh and turn them to the book of Deuteronomy, uh Deuteronomy uh chapter four. 00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:18.239 Now we have uh begun our fall uh focusing on what it means to draw near to the Lord. 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:29.120 I don't know, maybe you had kind of an off summer spiritually and and uh you were away and you've just kind of gotten away from you know the regular uh things that you would do as you follow Christ. 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:33.679 And so we're you know, let's gather back together and draw near to him and talk about all of that. 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:47.920 Now, I think that the uh the natural and kind of logical uh progression uh from that place is that once we've drawn near, uh we should then stay near, right? 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:56.880 The idea isn't to just you know draw near to the Lord and you know kind of have a few moments with him and then walk away from him and kind of do uh whatever we want. 00:00:57.039 --> 00:01:02.960 No, we are to stay near him, really uh hold fast to Christ. 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:09.120 And that's really uh what our new series is about over the next uh three weeks, right? 00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:12.319 How do you and I, how do we, how do we abide, right? 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:19.120 How do we learn to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ, cling to the Lord? 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:23.519 Again, really that that term I think is is hold fast. 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:28.239 Well, obedience is a pretty big part of that, right? 00:01:28.319 --> 00:01:29.359 A huge part of that. 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:34.400 Holding fast to the Lord uh requires obeying his word. 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:49.519 And I love the book of Deuteronomy for this because there are just so many times uh all in and around in that that book where God's people are told things like listen to his statutes and his rules. 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:57.599 So much talk of God's commands and and his laws and his precepts, right? 00:01:57.760 --> 00:02:07.680 Much much direction given to his people that they're to follow and and not depart from and be careful to do. 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:21.039 All right, when I think uh, or I think whenever the topic of obedience comes up for us, though, I think um maybe you've noticed this in yourself, you kind of kind of instinctively recoil a little bit inside. 00:02:21.199 --> 00:02:22.400 Do we do we not? 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:32.400 I mean, uh maybe even a lot for you, and and maybe the reason for that is whenever you think obedience, there's kind of that that twinge of of conviction in your heart. 00:02:32.639 --> 00:02:37.360 Because you know, right, you know that there's some area that you're you're just not following the Lord, right? 00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:39.039 You're living in disobedience. 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:41.520 I am I am not I'm doing my own thing over here. 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:44.479 And so when we talk obedience, you're like, oh boy, I know where this is going. 00:02:44.560 --> 00:02:47.520 This is gonna be about to get uncomfortable real fast, right? 00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:55.759 Perhaps uh when you think obedience, maybe if you're being honest, you just kind of think, boring. 00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:56.800 Right? 00:02:56.960 --> 00:02:57.280 Really? 00:02:57.360 --> 00:02:58.479 Like, do we have to talk about that? 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:01.199 I mean, what a stale topic, right? 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:03.039 Is it even that important, right? 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:10.800 Like once we're saved, can't we kind of just you know do what we want and and and pick and choose in terms of how we live for Christ? 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:12.800 I don't know, maybe that's what we think. 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:22.240 Or maybe you twitch at the mere mention of obedience because you know you are dealing right now with a defiant toddler at home, right? 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:30.719 A toddler who uh wants straight up no part of your parental authority and like it's it's obedience, obedience, obedience. 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:35.439 Constantly, constantly, constantly in your home, and you're you're kind of worn out, you're tired. 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:35.919 Right? 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:38.960 Special shout out to the young moms who stay home all the time. 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:40.639 That is that is tough. 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:52.000 But maybe for you, okay, maybe for you, kind of depending on how your week went, your obedience is actually a large source of pride for you. 00:03:52.240 --> 00:03:55.360 And maybe for you, it's like, man, I had I had a sweet week, right? 00:03:55.439 --> 00:04:07.520 I was clicking on all cylinders with the Lord, and I was following him, and I've I was crushing it, and you're kind of walking around like you're all that and everything, and you're coming in here feeling like, man, I am ready for this, I am on it, right? 00:04:07.599 --> 00:04:17.120 Or perhaps you're at just the other end of that spectrum, and and your obedience is just a source of despair because you know this week has been a tire fire, right? 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:18.240 It's been it's been brutal. 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:22.079 You have not done well, and it's guilt and shame, and you've got all of that. 00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:38.800 You're bringing that in here with you today, and and for you, depending on where you're at, it's like you're on that up and down constant roller coaster of, you know, I'm good at the Lord because I'm obeying him, and it becomes this big legalistic thing, and you're trying to earn his favor or his love or his forgiveness, and and when you don't obey, you feel like you've lost that. 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:41.439 And so, I mean, that is exhausting. 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:42.079 Right? 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:49.199 But I think it's safe to say here, when it comes to obedience, uh, you and I, we can be all out of sorts about it. 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:56.720 Or, okay, and this is what we're really aiming at for, aiming at here today, or it can be a wonderful thing. 00:04:57.040 --> 00:05:06.079 Obedience can be amazing, just a tremendous source of joy and and and happiness for us, right? 00:05:06.240 --> 00:05:10.160 And and of course, something that brings God much glory, right? 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:17.120 We just sang about that, or the glory is back to him, forever he is glorified, and and that is what our obedience does, right? 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:22.639 As we as we cling to him, as we hold fast to him in holy obedience. 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:24.480 Well, I want to pray for us right now. 00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:26.079 I think we could use some prayer. 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:27.120 I mean, my hand is up. 00:05:27.279 --> 00:05:30.240 I need the Lord's prayer, his help when it comes to obedience. 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:36.000 The amazing thing I was thinking about this week is how uh God gives us what he commands, right? 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:45.120 He commands us to obey his word, and you and I are uh flat out terrible at that, but it's okay because God gives us grace. 00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:49.199 And so we want to remember that and thank God for that and pray for even more of that. 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:51.279 Why don't you join me uh as I pray? 00:05:51.519 --> 00:06:04.639 God, we thank you again for the fact that uh when you uh call us to obey you, Lord, you don't expect that we uh would do even remotely a half-decent job, let alone a good job. 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:06.160 And so, Lord, you pour out grace. 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:07.680 Lord, you give us strength. 00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:16.639 Lord, it is your Holy Spirit, your power in us that enables us uh to follow you and bring glory and honor to you and obey. 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:19.759 And so, God, I pray that you would help us today, Lord. 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:25.360 I pray that, you know, as we come away from here this morning, we would be uh we would be encouraged. 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:34.800 Lord, I pray that we would realize that obedience is not just something that you call us to, but Lord, something uh in your strength by your grace is is possible. 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:39.839 So Lord, I pray that you would um you would move in power among your church here today. 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:47.040 Lord, I pray that you would meet each person uh where they're at, whether uh things are going along well in their lives or maybe not so much. 00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:54.319 Lord, I pray that you would spur us on to love you and uh and show our love uh through our obedience. 00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:57.680 And so, God, help us today we pray in Christ's name. 00:06:57.920 --> 00:06:58.560 Amen. 00:06:58.800 --> 00:06:59.199 Amen. 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:08.720 Well, again, uh Deuteronomy is is such a great uh place for us to go uh for this topic of obedience today. 00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:19.839 All right, Deuteronomy, a bit of a kind of a recap here or a lesson for you if you're not aware, it's the it's the fifth and uh and final book of what's known as the Pentateuch, right? 00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:20.959 You heard that word before? 00:07:21.120 --> 00:07:22.959 Uh Penta means five. 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:29.120 So first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:35.759 Okay, so uh the Pentateuch uh deals largely with uh the creation account, right? 00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:37.439 That's in uh Genesis. 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:43.759 It talks about the you know the early history of uh the Jewish nation, Israel. 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:46.160 It it gives us the uh the law. 00:07:46.319 --> 00:08:06.879 We see all of that in there, and Deuteronomy itself is uh is essentially like a reader's digest, uh kind of recap of the time period between uh when Israel left Egypt under the leadership of Moses and that time before, uh right before they entered into the promised land. 00:08:07.519 --> 00:08:14.160 So about that 40-year period of them wandering uh in the wilderness. 00:08:14.399 --> 00:08:14.879 All right. 00:08:15.040 --> 00:08:18.399 Now, it's written as uh as a sermon, really. 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:28.480 It's written or a set of sermons by by Moses where what he does is he repreaches uh the law that God gave Israel at Mount Sinai. 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:35.840 Now we're gonna look at that again here in just a second, but stylistically, it's not just a sermon, it's a it's a motivational sermon. 00:08:35.919 --> 00:08:40.480 All right, it's urging Israel uh to faithful obedience. 00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:51.679 Okay, the thrust all throughout this book is just this constant reminder, this constant reassurance to the Israelites of God's holiness, right? 00:08:51.759 --> 00:09:03.039 His his faithfulness to the covenant uh that he's made with them, the the reassurance of his love and his strength and his power on their behalf, right? 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:09.840 And and it's these things that are to inspire God's people to obey him. 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:19.360 Okay, so it's it's not about you know mechanical, you know, just kind of put your head down and grunt it out obedience, right? 00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:20.480 No, it's not about that at all. 00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:22.000 We've talked about that a lot. 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:23.919 It's about love for God, right? 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:35.840 Love for God is to be at the at the center, at that the at the heart of why they, the Israelites, and us here today, why we why we follow his commands. 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:41.519 Now, a couple of of verses here in Deuteronomy itself uh that kind of flesh this out. 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:50.720 Deuteronomy 6, verses 5 and 6, it says this you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all of your soul and with all your might. 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:57.120 And these words that I command you today, right, to obey, shall be on your on your heart. 00:09:57.440 --> 00:10:00.879 That's what it says there in chapter 6, in chapter 11, verse 1. 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:10.240 It says, You shall therefore love the Lord your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always. 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:25.679 Alright, so it's clear throughout Deuteronomy and I mean the whole Bible for that matter, that a deep love for God is to be the fuel for our obedience as we hold fast to Him. 00:10:25.919 --> 00:10:30.240 Alright, so with all of that, uh let's take a look at our first thing here. 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:31.840 Just two points this morning. 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:38.000 I will obey the Lord because I revere his unmatched greatness. 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:47.519 Okay, just last week, I mean, we looked at how God's greatness shows that he is worthy of our worship, right? 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:55.120 So I think that's a pretty good segue into this actually, because here it's how his greatness inspires us to obey him. 00:10:55.279 --> 00:10:59.600 Just take a look at verse 32 as Moses writes this. 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:01.679 This is him speaking here. 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:21.600 Take a look, he says, For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you since the day that God created man on earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened or was ever heard of. 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:29.600 Now, the the natural question that might be coming to mind for you is, you know, what's this what's this great thing that Moses is talking about? 00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:31.440 All right, well, he's gonna let us in on that. 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:33.120 Take a look at verse 33. 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:44.799 He says, Did any people ever hear the voice of a God speaking out of the midst of the fire as you have heard, and still live? 00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:54.480 What he's doing here is he's he's reminding them and referencing uh what transpired at Mount Sinai. 00:11:54.720 --> 00:11:57.120 Now, do you remember that part in your Bible? 00:11:57.279 --> 00:12:00.159 It starts in uh Exodus chapter 19. 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:09.759 You might want to jot that down and take a look uh at that this week, but but it's the point in Israel's history where they had just exited uh from Egypt, right? 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:19.120 They've done the whole, you know, crossing the Red Sea thing, Pharaoh's army has been wiped out, they've been given uh manna, they've been given water from the rock. 00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:24.320 God's people had complained and and grumbled already against Moses and against God. 00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:31.759 And so they find themselves now at the foot of this mountain, Mount Horeb, it's sometimes called, often Mount Sinai. 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:38.720 And if you remember in chapter 19, and preached on this just a couple of years ago, actually, but it's this like epic, incredible moment. 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:53.519 As you can just imagine, all of these all these people gather, just so many of them, and it's where God says, Hey, listen, I am coming down, I'm coming down to meet you, and I am going to speak with you, and listen, this is gonna be a game changer for you. 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:54.960 And it absolutely was. 00:12:55.120 --> 00:13:07.519 And he he told Moses, he said, Listen, you need to go down and you need to go tell the people that they need to consecrate themselves, they need to set themselves apart, they need to wash their clothes, they need to take this very seriously. 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:20.559 You need to set limits and boundaries around the foot of the mountain, lest people see my power come down and try and break through those barriers and die because they cannot stand in the face of my holiness. 00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:22.480 And Moses is like, All right, I'm gonna go tell them. 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:27.840 And they go down and they get themselves ready, and God's like, I'm coming down on the third day, on the third day, I'm coming down. 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:28.639 And so he does. 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:47.759 And Moses goes up to him, and God comes down in fire, it says, and in and in this cloud and smoke, you know, fills the mountain, and the mountain trembles and and and quakes, and this is this wild moment as the as the Lord speaks to Moses and gives him the Ten Commandments. 00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:48.240 Right? 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:51.360 And he goes down to share this with the people. 00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:55.919 He actually gives them more than just the Ten Commandments, he gives them the entire law as well. 00:13:56.159 --> 00:13:56.480 Right? 00:13:56.639 --> 00:14:01.600 And so here in Deuteronomy, Moses is challenging the people. 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:02.240 Right? 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:06.000 He's he's he's he's asking them the question. 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:08.159 Okay, go ahead, guys. 00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:16.159 Try and you know, try and call to mind uh another instance from the beginning of creation until now. 00:14:17.039 --> 00:14:17.360 Right? 00:14:17.519 --> 00:14:18.559 But not just that. 00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:40.639 At any point, in any place in the entire universe where something's so great, right, and so awesome as has happened as a holy, perfect, amazing God agreeing to meet and speak with a people so unholy and so sinful as you and I. 00:14:40.799 --> 00:14:52.960 Go ahead and try and think of an instance where that where that has happened, where those people weren't just you know immediately struck dead because of their sinfulness in light of in the presence of such perfection. 00:14:53.600 --> 00:14:53.840 Right? 00:14:53.919 --> 00:15:01.360 He says there again, did any people ever hear the voice of a God speaking out of the midst of a fire as you have heard and still live? 00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:03.279 He's like, go ahead. 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:04.559 Think about it. 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:06.960 I'll give you some time, I'll I'll wait here. 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:07.360 Right? 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:08.879 Give me your response. 00:15:10.240 --> 00:15:19.200 See what Moses is doing here is he's casting light on a just a primo example of God's greatness. 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:20.080 Right? 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:36.159 Namely, that that God would be so willing to enter into a relationship of of love and and grace and you know and forgiveness with forgiveness with such depraved, broken people. 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:50.720 Do you understand, church, that the fact that that you and I woke up this morning with with breath in our lungs is testimony of God's greatness. 00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:52.080 It is. 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:53.039 Right? 00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:56.000 It's it's his mercy and and it's his grace, right? 00:15:56.240 --> 00:16:03.039 It's his love and his patience towards you and I that we have any existence at all. 00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:03.679 Right? 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:04.080 It is. 00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:05.440 Our our sin, do we know this? 00:16:05.600 --> 00:16:12.720 Our sin is so so so grievous and and so utterly wicked and and appalling in God's eyes, right? 00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:25.519 So against his righteous nature and his law that that you and I straight up we we deserve nothing less less than than to be vaporized by him immediately. 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:26.720 Right? 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:30.159 And that that's not that's not an exaggeration, right? 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:32.639 That's not Pastor Mike using hyperbole here. 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:35.120 I mean, this that's just that's just straight up fact. 00:16:35.360 --> 00:16:35.679 Right? 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:37.519 That's that's the reality. 00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:52.480 How many times I wonder, even just you know, this week, have you and I kind of strutted around, you know, maybe hopefully, not physically. 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:54.159 But like in our hearts, right? 00:16:54.240 --> 00:17:00.799 In in our in our pride, you know, kind of thinking and sort of acting as though we're all that. 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:04.960 And I mean, I I deserve better than this. 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:07.359 What's God doing? 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:10.000 I don't deserve this treatment. 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:11.039 Right? 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:17.119 That God didn't just wipe out the Israelites right then and there. 00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:20.160 It is. 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:22.000 That's what they deserve. 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:24.240 That's what we deserve. 00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:26.559 That's the people who sinned against him. 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:36.559 And that God didn't do that to them, and he doesn't do it to us, reveals something just so remarkable about his greatness. 00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:41.279 But hey, it's not the only great thing about God. 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:46.079 Moses continues here painting the picture for them. 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:48.000 Verse 34, take a look. 00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:58.079 Says, for has any God ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself, so it's referring to them, the Jews, take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation. 00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:00.000 That's the the Egyptians. 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:19.039 By trials, by signs, by wonders, and and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great, there's that word, by great deeds of terror, all of which the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes. 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:24.240 To you it was shown that you might know that the Lord is God. 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:27.519 There is no other besides him. 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:28.160 Right? 00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:30.960 Do you see there how how the Lord is, he's unmatched. 00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:43.519 Now, when it says there that you might know, that you might know that the Lord is God, it's talking about not just head knowledge, but but really experiential knowledge. 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:44.000 Right? 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:53.279 If there's a movie that you really want to see that's coming out, it's coming to theater or whatever, um, you may have you may have heard that it's good. 00:18:53.359 --> 00:19:04.240 Maybe you've even seen a preview or some of your friends have gone to it and they're recommending it and saying, yeah, it's it's a good movie, and and you know, you've read the reviews and it looks legit and all of that. 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:10.960 Okay, you probably believe it's good, but listen, you don't really know that it's good until you actually see it. 00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:11.599 Right? 00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:18.960 Your your knowledge that that movie is truly good comes through the experience of actually having seen it. 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:19.519 Right? 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:30.559 So God, He He brought the Israelites through these incredible experiences so that his people would truly know, right? 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:33.119 Like I got this locked in now, like I I get it. 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:34.319 He is God. 00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:38.160 There is there is no other besides him. 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:39.680 He's incomparable. 00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:42.880 Right now, verse 36, keep going. 00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:48.400 He says, Out of heaven, he let you hear his voice that he might discipline you. 00:19:48.559 --> 00:20:16.000 And on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire, and because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them, and and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power, driving out before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is this day. 00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:19.839 Remember, they're on the cusp here of entering into the promised land. 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:20.240 Right? 00:20:20.960 --> 00:20:27.759 He keeps going, he says, Know therefore today, and he kind of repeats, I love this line, he says, and lay it to your heart, right? 00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:32.640 That the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. 00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:34.960 There is no other. 00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:52.960 Now, when you and I begin to, you know, kind of slip into that place of seeing obedience as you know more of an option, you know, I'm gonna kind of pick and choose here. 00:20:53.039 --> 00:21:00.079 When we see obedience as kind of an inconvenience, like, uh, I've got to come to church today, right? 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:15.920 Or I've got to follow his commandment, I've got to try and live a righteous life, if we see that as an inconvenience, or maybe even a problem to be avoided more than anything else, it's because we've we've really lost sight of the gist of what Moses is saying here. 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:16.400 Right? 00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:20.000 We've forgotten how great our God is, right? 00:21:20.160 --> 00:21:22.880 The great things that He has done. 00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:28.880 We've forgotten that we deserve nothing better than instant annihilation. 00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:29.519 Right? 00:21:29.680 --> 00:21:33.200 When we forget these things, we stop revering him. 00:21:33.519 --> 00:21:33.680 Right? 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:34.640 That's just what happens. 00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:44.240 We get our eyes on ourselves, we get self-focused, we get self-centered, we get our eyes on our problems, on the things of this world, we get our eyes off him, we stop, we stop revering him. 00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:45.279 Right? 00:21:45.359 --> 00:21:50.319 And and that's why Moses says here in verse 39, he says, Lay it to your heart. 00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:52.000 Right again, what a great line. 00:21:52.160 --> 00:21:52.319 Right? 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:56.799 He's like Moses saying that this has gotta this has gotta sink in deep here for you. 00:21:56.880 --> 00:22:01.200 Don't just listen to my words and have them go in one ear and And out the other. 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:01.759 Right? 00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:09.759 His unmatched greatness here is to have a profound and a piercing impact on our hearts. 00:22:10.079 --> 00:22:16.000 And it's out of out of that place, from that place, that we joyfully obey. 00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:29.599 Now, you might kind of be tempted to think here, well, you know, it's easier for the Israelites here to remember these things and obey. 00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:35.920 You know, after all, they or or their parents at this point, their parents had lived it, right? 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:36.880 That they saw it. 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:41.759 They were the ones walking through the Red Sea there. 00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:44.559 They saw manna come from heaven. 00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:45.920 They've seen it all. 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:48.880 And so it's easier for them, you know, to remember this. 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:50.559 We just we read about it, us today. 00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:53.279 We read about it like thousands of years later. 00:22:54.319 --> 00:23:03.440 Well, I would actually argue that we have even more reason than they did to rejoice in God's greatness and obey him. 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:20.559 Right, after all, you and I, you know, we read Deuteronomy today from the distinct vantage point of being on the other side of the cross and the resurrection in terms of the timeline of history. 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:21.039 Right? 00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:27.200 We have the advantage, so think about it, over Israel here of kind of knowing how all of this would play out. 00:23:27.440 --> 00:23:27.759 Right? 00:23:28.240 --> 00:23:31.119 We get it in in a more full way than they did. 00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:44.880 That we get that the giving of the law, you know, as as awesome as that was and as as amazing as the law, you know, was and is, it would only showcase how inept you and I are at obeying it. 00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:45.279 Right? 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:50.240 It shows us the standard of perfection and helps us realize we fall short. 00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:52.319 That's really the purpose of the law. 00:23:52.400 --> 00:24:00.160 You and I have the incredible benefit of knowing that Christ came and obeyed the law perfectly for us. 00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:00.880 Right? 00:24:01.039 --> 00:24:05.200 He he lived the holy life that you and I could not. 00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:17.359 We know that that Jesus would substitute himself for us on the cross by receiving the divine punishment that you and I deserve for our sin. 00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:18.000 Right? 00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:23.119 We know that that Christ poured his blood out, right? 00:24:23.279 --> 00:24:29.279 And and and that that would wash away our record of guilt and shame. 00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:33.680 We know that the Lord would rise again on the third day. 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:38.160 He would defeat sin and death entirely. 00:24:38.319 --> 00:24:48.079 And as we trust in him by faith, we have this awesome place called heaven waiting for us that we'll be able to enjoy for all eternity. 00:24:48.400 --> 00:24:49.039 Right? 00:24:49.680 --> 00:24:57.599 These are the great things that we know about that Christ Himself accomplished for us that day. 00:24:57.839 --> 00:25:00.799 Again, church, you and I, we know the whole story here. 00:25:01.200 --> 00:25:04.000 We see the big picture. 00:25:04.400 --> 00:25:13.359 We have even more to lay to our hearts here today, more more examples of his unmatched greatness. 00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:23.039 And when we revere him for these things, all of a sudden, obedience for us becomes something that we get to do. 00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:25.279 I get to do this. 00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:28.240 This is this is something that I'm compelled to do. 00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:31.440 I long to do this, I I want to. 00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:40.079 I can't picture and imagine myself doing anything other than obeying every command that God has for me. 00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:41.519 Right? 00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:44.559 We we don't see it anymore as a hassle. 00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:52.319 We don't see this as simply an option where we get to pick and choose or a problem to be avoided. 00:25:53.200 --> 00:25:56.319 Do you need to remind yourself of these things today? 00:25:57.279 --> 00:26:06.480 As you kind of assess where your obedience is at, do you need to remind yourself of just how great our God is, how how worthy He is? 00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:11.920 Do you need to spend some time this week just kind of marinating in that? 00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:34.480 And reminding your soul and proclaiming the gospel to yourself and realizing and just what a privilege, what an immense honor it is to stand in the presence of God because of what Christ has done, to be to be in a relationship with him, to have our to have our sins forgiven, to be given purpose in this life, to have him work in his power in our hearts. 00:26:35.599 --> 00:26:36.880 This is amazing. 00:26:37.599 --> 00:26:44.400 As we start to absorb that, our desire to obey will only increase. 00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:56.640 Biblical obedience from a heart of love for God, it'll flow from a deep reverence for his unmatched greatness. 00:26:57.279 --> 00:26:59.839 And that's where this is all building to here in the text. 00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:07.440 And verse 40 kind of really nails it right there, and that really gets us into our final thing here this morning. 00:27:08.160 --> 00:27:12.480 I will obey the Lord because it goes well for me when I do. 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:13.039 Right? 00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:15.119 Take a look at verse 40. 00:27:15.599 --> 00:27:27.680 It says, Therefore, right, so because of his unmatched greatness, because of who he is and what he's done, you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today. 00:27:27.839 --> 00:27:29.440 Right, so there's the obedience part. 00:27:29.599 --> 00:27:32.240 Because he's so great, obey him. 00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:32.960 Right? 00:27:33.200 --> 00:27:33.759 Do that. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:53.279 And it says that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time, speaking specifically of the promised land that they were about to step foot into. 00:28:08.720 --> 00:28:10.400 Let me put it this way this way. 00:28:10.559 --> 00:28:12.720 It translates into good things. 00:28:12.880 --> 00:28:13.279 Right? 00:28:13.440 --> 00:28:15.119 Good things for you and I. 00:28:15.279 --> 00:28:17.359 It says there, it goes well for you. 00:28:17.440 --> 00:28:17.680 Right? 00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:19.440 It goes well for you when you obey. 00:28:19.599 --> 00:28:19.839 Right? 00:28:20.079 --> 00:28:22.400 We receive uh benefits here. 00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:25.599 We receive that there are good results that happen. 00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:32.400 Right now, now the scripture here, the verse, it doesn't spell them all out here or anything, but we see a promise, certainly. 00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:32.880 Right? 00:28:32.960 --> 00:28:35.440 We see the promise of good things. 00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:38.319 Right, and not just to us. 00:28:39.039 --> 00:28:44.400 Our obedience can actually have a profound impact on our children, according to this verse, right? 00:28:44.559 --> 00:28:54.720 The generations that follow us, which I think should be really a very practical encouragement to parents here, right? 00:28:54.799 --> 00:28:59.440 Or to aspiring, you know, future parents in our church. 00:28:59.680 --> 00:29:00.000 Right? 00:29:00.720 --> 00:29:10.400 Your obedience these days, it might kind of feel like you know a difficult and wearisome grind. 00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:15.599 Sometimes obedience does feel that way and it and it's hard, right? 00:29:15.680 --> 00:29:23.039 But take heart here because you are you are modeling something for your kids, something amazing. 00:29:23.279 --> 00:29:23.519 Right? 00:29:23.839 --> 00:29:36.720 It's something that they may not recognize, they may not see it, they may not appreciate it right now, but it can have lasting benefits to them uh down the road. 00:29:36.960 --> 00:29:37.279 Right? 00:29:37.440 --> 00:29:45.039 I think about my my mom, and you know, I think about my my grandma, and they are they're they're prayer warriors. 00:29:45.200 --> 00:29:54.880 And I remember like as an 18-year-old or something like that, my my grandma uh telling me, hey, listen, I I sit in this chair every single morning and I pray for you. 00:29:55.279 --> 00:29:58.960 And I remember thinking at the time, I'm like, cool, I guess. 00:29:59.279 --> 00:30:03.279 Right now, now I love it. 00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:10.000 And I can't help but think that the Lord has used that powerfully in my life. 00:30:10.240 --> 00:30:17.759 And I see my my mom and and and my dad uh doing the exact same thing on on a daily basis. 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:22.400 Remember that for those of you who who have kids, right? 00:30:22.559 --> 00:30:27.039 Be willing to be weary for the sake of your kids in that sense. 00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:30.960 Obey the Lord, even when it's even when it's tough. 00:30:31.200 --> 00:30:36.319 You're modeling something, you have no idea how the Lord might use that in their lives going forward. 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:39.599 Maybe, maybe for you, you you know, you're single, right? 00:30:39.759 --> 00:30:47.440 Or or or you're dating and you're starting to think, and you have these aspirations to like, I want to start a family someday, and I want to I want to raise some kids. 00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:59.599 Well, well, know that your your obedience to God now, okay, will have a great impact on your kids down the line, should you have kids someday. 00:30:59.759 --> 00:31:00.079 Right? 00:31:00.160 --> 00:31:01.279 Because think about it. 00:31:01.440 --> 00:31:01.759 Right? 00:31:01.839 --> 00:31:15.440 Your your obedience now is leading you to spiritual maturity, which will only make you a better and wiser and more godly parent down the line. 00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:26.000 Now, I I think it's good for us here today to just kind of be reminded that when we obey, it goes well for us. 00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:26.480 Right? 00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:31.200 Because again, like I've kind of said a few times already, obedience can be difficult. 00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:31.759 Right? 00:31:31.839 --> 00:31:37.200 There are times where you know obeying the Lord puts us at odds with people. 00:31:37.440 --> 00:31:38.880 Have you had that experience before? 00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:42.640 It might even be with people that you love, people, people in your family. 00:31:42.960 --> 00:31:47.519 You following the Lord creates friction there between people. 00:31:48.160 --> 00:31:56.400 Obeying Christ is hard sometimes because it's, let's be honest, it's not exactly popular in the culture that we live in today. 00:31:56.640 --> 00:31:56.960 Right? 00:31:57.119 --> 00:32:02.640 The world thinks that we're fools for like believing this book, right? 00:32:02.799 --> 00:32:10.720 For for believing that God exists and then you know for surrendering our lives to him and trying to do what he says by by his grace. 00:32:10.880 --> 00:32:11.039 Right? 00:32:11.119 --> 00:32:14.160 They think we're they think we're ridiculous for that. 00:32:14.559 --> 00:32:14.880 Right? 00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:23.680 Obedience to the Lord is is so hard because it runs in in such direct contrast to what's easy. 00:32:24.160 --> 00:32:24.480 Right? 00:32:24.640 --> 00:32:27.519 If you want an easy life, don't be a Christian. 00:32:28.160 --> 00:32:28.559 Right? 00:32:29.200 --> 00:32:29.680 It's hard. 00:32:30.079 --> 00:32:32.640 Our sinful flesh just wants what we want. 00:32:33.200 --> 00:32:34.799 We want selfish things. 00:32:35.279 --> 00:32:35.519 Right? 00:32:35.680 --> 00:32:41.279 And so it's hard to obey because we're constantly dying to self each and every day. 00:32:41.759 --> 00:32:50.000 Obeying the Lord is hard because it can cost us our jobs, it can cost us our our freedoms. 00:32:50.799 --> 00:32:53.920 I mean, let's be honest, it can even cost us our very lives. 00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:58.480 Truthfully, obeying the Lord, it can cost us everything. 00:32:59.200 --> 00:33:03.200 But do we realize what we gain? 00:33:03.839 --> 00:33:05.279 Like, do we realize that? 00:33:05.440 --> 00:33:12.799 Or do you just get like hyper-focused tunnel vision on how difficult and hard obedience is? 00:33:13.039 --> 00:33:14.480 I get it, it's tough. 00:33:15.119 --> 00:33:16.400 We've made that really clear this morning. 00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:18.000 We're trying to shy away from that. 00:33:18.160 --> 00:33:24.079 But do you get focused on that and and and you block out all the benefits and all the good that comes from obeying the Lord? 00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:28.000 Do you do you realize that that it goes well for you? 00:33:28.480 --> 00:33:28.799 Right? 00:33:28.960 --> 00:33:29.359 It does. 00:33:29.519 --> 00:33:33.519 Obedience always, always leads to blessing of some kind. 00:33:33.920 --> 00:33:44.240 Right in Luke, right in chapter 5, Peter is blessed with a full catch of fish when he obeyed Jesus' command to cast his nets on the other side of the boat. 00:33:44.720 --> 00:33:46.079 That's one example. 00:33:46.319 --> 00:33:54.240 Later in Luke, in chapter 17, right, Jesus tells the lepers to go show themselves to the priests. 00:33:54.400 --> 00:34:01.519 And as they went, it said, as they obeyed the voice of the Lord, it says that they were healed. 00:34:01.759 --> 00:34:10.400 Now, I I can't possibly stand here today and you know go through every single way that you and I could possibly be blessed. 00:34:10.559 --> 00:34:15.840 I mean, the Lord is far too great for that, and we would be here uh forever, right? 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:18.159 But but he does, he blesses us. 00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:26.159 Clear teaching of scripture says that when we obey, God's hand of blessing is on us, right? 00:34:26.239 --> 00:34:28.800 It will go well for you. 00:34:29.039 --> 00:34:31.760 Okay, do not forget that. 00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:41.679 Allow that to encourage you, allow that to motivate you this week. 00:34:42.159 --> 00:34:49.760 Remember that that obedience, hard obedience, when I don't feel like it, obedience. 00:34:54.719 --> 00:34:59.440 Listen, I want to I want to pray these things for us right now. 00:34:59.760 --> 00:35:02.880 I want to pray that you would be encouraged to do this. 00:35:03.039 --> 00:35:17.679 I want to pray that as you are thinking about that area or two or ten, if you're like me, that you know you need to walk in in greater faithfulness in with the Lord, that he would motivate you by his greatness. 00:35:18.079 --> 00:35:22.000 Right, that he would encourage you, that you win when you do that. 00:35:22.400 --> 00:35:25.519 God will bless you, it will go well with you. 00:35:25.760 --> 00:35:27.119 Let's pray. 00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:33.280 God, we praise your holy name. 00:35:34.079 --> 00:35:39.039 God, we thank you for your wonderful deeds, Lord. 00:35:39.280 --> 00:35:49.679 We just read about and talked about some of them that you did with your people, Israel. 00:35:50.239 --> 00:35:53.840 Lord, we thank you that you were so patient with them. 00:35:54.000 --> 00:35:57.920 We thank you that you extended mercy and and grace and forgiveness. 00:35:58.079 --> 00:36:05.760 We thank you that you showed them such epic examples of your holiness and your power and your might. 00:36:06.480 --> 00:36:19.039