A Leader Worth Following

Introduction

This morning we are continuing to work our way through the book of Deuteronomy. We kicked off the series last week with Tom Eggum and we looked at how our sin has a way of spoiling our spiritual journey. How when we stray from the plan that God has for our lives we can often times find ourselves in trouble.

I should make one general comment in that we are taking 8 weeks to go through the book of Deuteronomy which is 34 chapters. We are going to fly over the book and then drop down and examine verses here and there so be ready to move around within the book.

This morning we are going to look at the leadership of Moses. I am sure if Moses was standing here today he would tell us that he wasn’t the leader that he turned out to be. Maybe that is why I like Moses so much. That he wasn’t this polished, well dressed, perfectly spoken man but he was just an ordinary person, a run of the mill type. The same type of person that we see God choosing time and time again through out history. Most of you know that Paul is my favorite historical person for much the same reason. Here were two guys from a normal background, sinful in their own rights but chosen to be a leader in their own time.

The Israelites needed someone that could keep them on the narrow road. So many times we read that those chose the wrong path, that their sins spoiled their journey, that their sins prevented them from being the people God had intended them to be.

I dont think we are any different today.

Think about a leader in your life and are there times when you have not followed them? Are there times when you have thought in your mind that you had a better plan only to realize they were right?

We see that in all areas of our life today. Most prominent would be in our political leaders from city and county leaders to state and country leaders. We find ourselves in a position that if we dont agree with a decision or dont like a direction we put up a pretty big stink about it. Almost to the point or rebellion. We see it in the church when a leader doesn’t do what we think he or she should do we are sometimes quick to point out that leaders perceived faults.

Titus 3:1–3 “1 Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. 2 They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone. 3 Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.”

I know this can be a difficult verse to hear but Paul is urging Titus to lead the believers in Crete and to lead them in a way that is honoring to God. If we understand the Old Testament and that throughout the plight of the Israelites they were to be an example to the nations and people around them. Obeying God and honoring Him. We too have that same instruction. God has put leaders in place and so the way we treat and respect those leaders shows how we are honoring God in that.

If I am honest with you I struggle with this within my own company. Our leadership is making changes that I dont always agree with or that I question if thats the right decision. So, I have to constantly remind myself that they are in that leadership position and I need to respect them for it. I am not saying I need to agree with everything but I should not make it difficult for them to do their job and perhaps they are seeing a fuller picture of the situation. I like the analogy that our leaders fly at 40,000 ft and they are able to see the broader picture. I am simply at the ground level and so I cant see the curves ahead or the storm brewing on the horizon that they are navigating around.

I wonder if you see it in your own walk with God? Are there times in your walk that you question why God is bringing you through something? Are there times when your angry with Him and maybe even decide to take your own path. A path that will usually end in troubles or problems.

Prayer

Deuteronomy 5:1–21 NLT

1 Moses called all the people of Israel together and said, “Listen carefully, Israel. Hear the decrees and regulations I am giving you today, so you may learn them and obey them! 2 “The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Mount Sinai. 3 The Lord did not make this covenant with our ancestors, but with all of us who are alive today. 4 At the mountain the Lord spoke to you face to face from the heart of the fire. 5 I stood as an intermediary between you and the Lord, for you were afraid of the fire and did not want to approach the mountain. He spoke to me, and I passed his words on to you. This is what he said: 6 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. 7 “You must not have any other god but me. 8 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 9 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 10 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. 11 “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. 12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your oxen and donkeys and other livestock, and any foreigners living among you. All your male and female servants must rest as you do. 15 Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day. 16 “Honor your father and mother, as the Lord your God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 17 “You must not murder. 18 “You must not commit adultery. 19 “You must not steal. 20 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor. 21 “You must not covet your neighbor’s wife. You must not covet your neighbor’s house or land, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.

Deuteronomy 5:32–33 NLT

32 So Moses told the people, “You must be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail. 33 Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

Following God’s commands leads to a life rooted in faith and love, it shows evidence of our covenantal relationship with God.

The Leadership of Moses

The book of Deuteronomy is the 5th and final book of what in Hebrew is called the Torah. We in the church like to call the first 5 books, the books of the law. Deuteronomy was written to God’s chosen people but it was written mainly to the new generation of Israelites. Written after the exodus from Egypt, after the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. They find themselves at the edge of the Promised Land. The book is written from a series of sermons that Moses gave to the people.

Moses, being the leader that he was, recognizes that from the exodus from Egypt to the edge of the Promised Land that a lot of people have died. A lot of history and knowledge of what God has done for them has died too. So, Moses wants to impress upon the people what that history was like. He doesn’t sugar coat it either.

Deuteronomy 4:1–2 “1 “And now, Israel, listen carefully to these decrees and regulations that I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you may live, so you may enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2 Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you. Just obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you.”

Chapter 4 is a transition point from where Moses is giving the historical accounting of their travels and moving into a teaching period of the law. Chapter 5 begins that teaching period and we will get to that in a minute, but before we get there I want to lay the ground work for Moses’ leadership abilities.

Moses has basically 2 main themes in his teaching. To Obey God through obeying His laws and worship God alone. Its pretty simple and straight forward right? Well see Moses knows the history of the people and knows that they have worshipped other gods and idols. In fact he goes on to remind them of that.

God didn’t give them the 10 commandments with the intention of restricting them but so that through their obedience to the law they would be a beacon to the surrounding nations and people.

Deuteronomy 4:7–8 “7 For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him? 8 And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today?”

Moses warns them about idols and images of God. He uses an interesting way of saying it to. He first says be very careful. You didnt see God’s form when He spoke to you from the fire on Mount Sinai so how do you know what He looks like. Dont corrupt yourself in thinking he looks like a man or a women, an animal or a bird. In other words dont worship any idol that you think looks like God, worship God alone with your whole heart and mind.

Moses even reminds them that he will not be going with them to the promised land. In one of the many times that the Israelites were not happy with their leader and they grumbled about lack of water God instructed Moses to speak to a rock and it would give them water but instead Moses used his staff to strike the rock.

See Moses was human, had human faults. Maybe Moses wasn’t what we would have expected to be the leader but it was through his faith in God, through is perseverance to follow God’s commands that turned him into the leader that God had designed.

God made a covenant with the Israelites at Mount Sinai and its there that God gave to Moses the 10 commandments.

God’s Covenant With Us

So Moses calls the Israelites together and says listen carefully to these instructions. When I first read this I was a little confused. He says in verse 2 that God made a covenant with us at Mount Sinai but then he said the Lord did now make the covenant with our ancestors but that he made it will all who are alive today.

If God gave Moses and the Israelites the 10 commandments on Mount Sinai that was before they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years and so thats 40 years before Deuteronomy was written. Alot has changed in that 40 years. certainly there were young kids alive at Mount Sinai and they are adults now but many of the adults on Mount Sinai are no longer living.

And to make things even more confusing Moses says earlier in chapter 4

Deuteronomy 4:10–14 “10 Never forget the day when you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai, where he told me, ‘Summon the people before me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear me also.’ 11 “You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while flames from the mountain shot into the sky. The mountain was shrouded in black clouds and deep darkness. 12 And the Lord spoke to you from the heart of the fire. You heard the sound of his words but didn’t see his form; there was only a voice. 13 He proclaimed his covenant—the Ten Commandments—which he commanded you to keep, and which he wrote on two stone tablets. 14 It was at that time that the Lord commanded me to teach you his decrees and regulations so you would obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy.”

So, I think what Moses is trying to say here is that this is not just your fathers covenant but its our covenant as well. For some this could be the first time hearing it and for some they maybe can remember that time on Mount Sinai. Many of their fathers are no longer with them and so for them this is God’s covenant with them directly. Not only was God speaking to the generation on the mountain side but he was speaking directly to all generations to come. That includes us here today.

Notice how God acts first in verse 6, he says I am the Lord your God who rescued you out of the land of Egypt. God acts before he even tells the Israelites the details. God acts out of His mercy for us, God acts out of His abundance of love for the Israelites and he acts out of the love for you and for me.

Tony Evens puts it this way:

The Tony Evans Bible Commentary A. The Ten Commandments and the Greatest Command (4:44–6:25)

The law was not given for Israel’s redemption; they had already been redeemed from Egypt when he gave the law to them. No one is saved by keeping the law, then. Rather, the law provided the means for a redeemed people to express their reciprocal love for the holy God who had saved them.

The 10 Commandments are the center piece of God’s covenant with the Israelites. These are the standards that reflect God’s righteousness. The thing about these commandments is you can not get to heaven by obeying all 10, why because its impossible to keep them all the time. Yeh, maybe some are easier than others but these are really the minimum. When Jesus gives his sermon on the mount is offers some additional text to think about.

He says that you have heard that you should not murder but I tell you if your angry with someone you are subject to judgement. Jesus says if anyone looks at another with lust that they have committed adultery.

He says in:

Matthew 5:17 “17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.”

We dont have enough time to explore all 10 commandments so we will save that for a future series but I want to explore the first 2 because they have direct relevance to the Israelites and to us.

Deuteronomy 5:7 “7 “You must not have any other god but me.”

This command sets the stage for the remaining 9 because if we fail here then the rest wont matter. To use Pastor Garys favorite past time, baseball. If you hit a ball to the fence in the outfield your goal is to race around the bases and try to reach home plate before the other team tags you out. If while your running you so happen to miss 1st base but get all the others it doesn’t matter because you missed the first base.

This commandment applies to anything in our lives that we may put in place of God. Other people, things, places. God is the only God we should have and he deserves all of our devotion to him.

Deuteronomy 5:8 “8 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.”

The first commandment dealt with having other God’s and this commandment deals with how we approach God. Nobody has seen God and so therefor we should not try to create any image or sculpture that we think represents God. When we do that we are creating something and worshipping something that is not God. Idols can also come in other forms according the Paul he says

Colossians 3:5 “5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.”

“Through Moses resilience and faithfulness he led God’s people well”

Sure he wasn’t perhaps the best dressed, he admitted right away that he didnt think he could talk well. All that didnt stop God from using Moses to be the leader that he was.

Why follow all these commandments? Moses says so that you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy. Moses is urging this new generation to listen and obey, to do the very things their ancestors promised God they would do but didnt.

In order for the Israelites to accomplish this and in order for you and I to accomplish this we must persevere in our faith.

Perseverance In Our Faith

We are called to persevere and live a life of resilience for God

While in prison Paul writes his letter to the church in Philippi to encourage them.

Philippians 1:20–21 “20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. 21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.”

Paul was a great leader of his time and one who persevered in his faith. Towards the end of his letter he is telling them about who he was, his upbringing, his education and status in the world but he says that none of this matters to him any more. None of this matters to him because he is following Jesus as his leader.

Philippians 3:7–11 “7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”

I think there are 2 ways to look at a leader. The first way is through a microscope. When a scientist or a doctor uses a microscope to look at something they are trying to take something small and magnify it so they can see the intricate details. When we use a microscope to look at the leaders in our lives we tend to nit pick all the fine details. We try to micromanage all their decisions in our life. The same can be true if we look at God with a microscope. We find ourselves complaining about every little thing in our life, we feel like God is just not getting it, why would he let that happen if he really cared.

The other way to look at a leader is through a telescope. When scientists or astrologers use a telescope they are trying to take the big things and bring them closer to us. When we use a telescope to look at the leaders in our life we take the big things in our lives and make them close to us. The same is with God, we bring the big things in our lives closer to us. The things that matter the most come into reach, the things that God wants us to have are there for us to grab hold of.

God’s covenant with the Israelites is the same covenant with us. The 10 commandments that were given to Moses are the same for you and for me today. When we are faithful in following the leadership of Jesus we can then respect the leadership of the men and women that God has placed in our midst.

Are you following the leadership of Jesus in your life today? If not are you ready to begin to follow him?

John 10:27 “27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

Do you know and hear the voice of the great shepard and are you willing to follow him?

When we are rooted in faith and love, when we are resilient and persevere to a life pleasing to God our lives will show that we are in covenantal relationship with the Father and we will bring glory to God.