Conclusion of the History Lesson… (3 things)

• 1^st – The word of God… vs. 1-14 Read: Deuteronomy 4:1-14
  • 1^st – Listen and live… vs. 1
    • Listening to the Word of God – is the key to having life – possessing ‘the Land’…
      • Nothing more important than spending time in God’s Word – Romans 10:17…
      • Suppose I gave you the parts to a car – and your life depended on assembling it…
      • Along with it I gave you an instruction manual – would you wing it / or read it…
      • Happiness / our eternity depends on what we do with the life God has given us…
      • He has given us an instruction manual so we can be successful…
      • It is through hearing the Word we get to know and have a relationship with God…
      • It is in the Word we learn about God’s expectations / will for our lives…
      • It is through hearing God’s Word we learn how to enter eternal life!
      • * John 5:24 – “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life…”
• Therefore take the time – make the time – to get into God’s Word…
  • Take the time to have personal devotions – read your Bible…
    • You might be thinking – when – there is not enough time – I am too busy…
    • Funny how we have time to lago-x2 / watch TV / text / spend time on Facebook…
    • It is not a matter of time – it is a matter of priorities – what we do with out time! 
  • It does not matter when we read the Word…
    • Psalms 5:3 – “My voice shall thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”
    • Mornings are a nice time because it means we start our day with Jesus…
    • But if you are not a morning person – if you have a hard time getting up – anytime!…
    • What is important is that we find time to read the Bible…
  • You may think that you are incapable of understanding the Word…
    • Always remember that you have a teacher who is always with you…
    • John 14:26 – “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
  • Attend Bible Studies…
    • It is a blessing to come together a couple times a week for a study the Bible…
    • It is a time when we can fellowship with God and with each other…
    • Think of it like gathering with Dad and the rest of the family for dinner…
    • But it cannot be your sole source of time in the Word of God…
    • Any more than only eating a meal once or twice a week would work…

• 2^nd – Do not add or take away from the Word… vs. 2-4
  • People have a tendency to try and tweak the Word of God to suite their needs…
    • If someone does not like a particular passage – they tend to skip over it…
      • Ever notice how most pastors only teach certain passages – over and over…
      • You don’t hear a lot of sermons about sin / hell / or repentance…
      • It upsets people – they would rather hear about – forgiveness / heaven…
      • But you don’t know you need Jesus until you see you are a sinner…
      • And you will not receive forgiveness/heaven with repentance!
    • If someone thinks the Bible is ‘overlooking’ something – they try and add to it…
      • ‘Doctrines and Covenants’ – is the book the Mormon’s attempt to help the Bible…
      • They feel the scriptures are ‘incomplete’ – and need their addition…
      • The Bible is complete/perfect – nothing needs to be added to it…
      • In fact if you try – God says He will add curses to you – Revelation 22:18
  • Israel understood this – they saw what God did at Baal Peor…
    • Where the woman of Moab seduced the men of Israel (Balaam’s counsel)…
      • How God had killed 23,000 in one day because they had abandoned His Word…
      • They choose to ‘forget’ some of God’s commands – and it cost them everything…
    • Only those who obey the Word live…
      • That is why we go through the whole Bible – to get the whole counsel of God…
      • Acts 20:27 – “I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.”
      • We may not like every subject – some of them can be very convicting…
      • All the more we need to teach the whole Bible – Genesis to Revelation!
• 3^rd – Obey the Word – and you will be a great nation… vs. 5-8
  • Israel knew the Word – but if they did not obey the Word – then it did nothing…
    • There are a lot of people who know what the Bible says – they can quote lots of verses…
    • But its not enough to know what the Bible says – we need to do what it says!
    • * James 1:22-23 -“Be doers of the Word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves…”
    • Often we listen to God’s word – we attend Bible studies and are ‘convicted’…
    • We agree with what we hear – we see our need to change – but then we go home…
    • And we go right back to the way we used to be – forgetting what we saw…
    • In the end we are no different than before we heard God’s Word – it did nothing!
  • If Israel obeyed the Word – people would call them blessed…
    • People see that God was for them – they could ask anything of the Lord…
    • They see God’s Word at work in their lives – His righteous laws and judgments…
    • Psalms 1:1-3 – “Blessed is the man… his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.  He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.”
    • If you find nothing you try in life seem to be working out – work / relationships
    • Chances are it is because you are not spending time in the Word…
    • As we get into the Word – hear from the Lord – He directs our steps…
    • Then no matter what we put our hands to – we will prosper!
• 4^th – Do not forget what you have seen… vs. 9-14
  • Don’t forget you the day you stood before Mt. Sinai…
    • When He spoke to Israel from the midst of the fire – when you feared God…
    • The day God gave Israel the 10 commandments – written two stone tablets…
    • Israel had a real experience with God – they had met Him personally…
  • But if they did not spend time with God daily – that relationship could fade…
    • Too often in life we try to live in the past – what God ‘did’ in our lives…
    • I have met many Christians who talk about how they ‘used to serve the Lord’…
    • King Saul/Solomon – many great men start well in Jesus – but do not end well…
    • Doesn’t matter what you ‘used to do’ for God – what’s He doing in your life today!
    • When we focus on the past – it means we are doing nothing in the present…
  • Don’t forget to teach them to your children and grandchildren…
    • It was not enough to keep their relationship strong – they had to pass it on…
    • Don’t just read your Bible – being doers of the Word – pass it on…
    • Each new generation must learn God’s Word – have a relationship with Jesus…
    • God has no grandchildren – take the time to read with your children…
      

And Israel settled the Land east of the Jordan River – ready to move into the Promised Land!

2^nd – Warning against Idolatry…vs. 15-31 Read: Deuteronomy 4:15-31

You did not see God at Mt. Sinai… vs. 15-23

Israel never saw the form of God when He ‘appeared’ on Mt. Sinai…

They did not know what God looked like – man/woman/animal/bird…

All of these images pagans have / and still do – attribute to the image of God…

But God did not want Israel to try to create an ‘image’ of Him…

Their intention might start out Good – to remember the day God appeared…

But what once served as an inspiration/representation – would become twisted…

Much like with statues of ‘saints’ – who are meant inspire and encourage…

God forbid idols – because it is man’s propensity to worship ‘things’…

What starts as a reminder – soon gets treated as if it has power and is worshiped…

If Israel was not careful – there was a very real danger of falling into Idolatry…

If their relationship with God became distant – they would fill it with other things…

They might look up at the sun / moon / or stars – and begin to worship them…

What is it that we look up and get exited about – what do we worhsip…

If you find that you are more excited about cars / cell phones – than God…

It may be a good heart check – time to reevaluate – God should be number one!

Punishment for Idolatry… vs. 24-31

God is a jealous God – He is a consuming fire – Hebrews 12:29 – He will not share us…

If we allow ourselves to drift away from God – He will start a fire…

He will allow anything /everything in our lives that is distracting us from him – to burn…

If we love our cell phone – it breaks or gets stolen / if we love our Tanduay – we get sick…

Not to punish us – but because He loves us – and want to make sure we get to heaven!

When you have grown old – children/grandchildren – become complacent…

Moses foresaw the history of Israel – they love for God would grow cold…

Once they were comfortable in the land – they would forget / drift away from God…

Then Israel would make their idols – they would forget about the Lord…

As a result Israel would be scattered among the nations…

They would end up serving gods of wood and stone – in bondage to…

God’s with ears and noses – but cannot hear of smell – which cannot save them!

When life is easy – we get complacent – we forget to read / start to ignore God…

When we loose our close relationship with God – we end up in deep trouble…

We try to depend on things/money to save us – we cry out for it to help…

The printed faces on the money have ears and mouths – but can’t hear or speak…

It is powerless to save us – in fact it fails us every time!

Then they would cry out to the one true God – to redeem and save them…

And God will hear – He is a merciful God – who does not forget His promises!

I am always amazed at the Grace of God – He is always there for us…

No matter how many times we fail/fall – He is there to pick us back up…

Once we realize He is the ONLY answer – and cry out to Him – He answers…

Our relationship with Him is restored – and He gets us out of our trouble!

3^rd – God’s speical nation…vs. 32-40 Read: Deuteronomy 4:32-49

From creation to the present / from one end of the world to the other…

God had never chosen one people to be His own special possession…

Because of His promise and love for Abraham / Isaac / and Jacob…

He called Israel out of another nation (Egypt) – to make them His nation…

Let them audibly hear the voice – the Law of the Lord booming from Mt. Sinai…

Driving out nations greater than them – so they could possess the Promised Land…

God has chosen us – therefore obey the Lord…

Israel is not the only one who is a special chosen nation – we are God’s chosen people!

*I Peter 2:9 – “You are chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out…”

God choose us – knowing exactly what He was getting – He knows everything…

He choose us knowing all of our sin / weaknesses / faults / and failures…

I know how much of a challenge I can be – how many times I make mistakes…

I am always amazed – that God also knowing exactly who I am – still choose me!

God is not surprised by our mistakes – He choose us knowing we were sinners

God choose us – to change us – mold us into the image of Jesus Christ – Romans 8:29…

It is not something that happens in a moment – the very day we are saved…

It is a process of growing in Jesus – learning to become more like Him…

God does not want to us to stay the same after we are saved…

He desires for us to grow – following the example of Jesus – become like Jesus!

How do we grow in Jesus – how are we conformed in the image of Christ…

By spending time with Him – spending time in His Word – then He changes us..

God Choose us! God forgave us! And He will also conform us – to be like Jesus!

He’s the one who began a good work in our lives – and He will finish what He started!

Hebrews 12:2 – “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”

Israel took possession of the Land…

Moses established the 3 eastern cities of refuge – Numbers 35…