The Strength of a Nation

Deut. 6:4-9

Big Idea:

The strength of a nation is influenced by the strength of its homes, but more importantly, the spiritual health of God's people is determined by whether His truth is treasured and transferred to the next generation.

INTRODUCTION

As Moses stands on the plains of Moab, Israel is preparing to enter the Promised Land.

Moses knows he will soon be gone.

He gathers all the fathers of Isreal together and begins to instruct them

The question before Israel is not how they will conquer Canaan.

The question is how they will remain faithful once they are in Canaan.

(land of milk and honey. Greater temptations)

How will one generation pass the truth to the next?

How will there nation be strong in a new land filled with giants and things pleasing to the eye?

God gives the answer:

it is not found in a military strategy.

political influence.

or in economic prosperity.

God says, It is found in homes where My Word is loved, lived, and taught.

Before the nation of Israel could be strong, their individual homes had to be strong.

And Moses lay’s out before us five foundational truths that can help us dads and mom’s have a strong home

because when they home is strong the nation is strong.

To build a strong home and influence the next generation, we must have:

I. A CORRECT PERSPECTIVE OF GOD

v. 4"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD."

We have lost this in America

The Declaration must be made

just as those men from 13 colines signed their names to a declaration declaring themselves free men

we must do the same this morning by declaring to the world that the Lord our God is One Lord.

This verse is known as the Shema.

The word demands that the hearer respond with his total being to the fact and demands of this essential revelation.

This integrated meaning reflects a Hebrew perspective where genuine listening inherently involves commitment and action.

Biblical passages using shema convey the sense of “listen and obey”—a unified concept foreign to English, which treats hearing and obeying as separate acts.

It was the foundational confession of Israel's faith.

Religious Jews continue this practice, reciting the Shema three times daily as part of their devotional life, and no Sabbath worship in the synagogue occurs without its proclamation

Moses begins with God because everything begins with God.

Before there can be right living, there must be right believing.

Before those 13 colonies could truly live as a free nation from England they had to declare themselves free.

The Distinction is made

Israel was surrounded by nations that trusted in everything but the God of Isreal

But…

Israel was called to trust the One true Lord God alone.

The New Testament reveals that this one true God has made Himself known through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father."

A correct perspective of God ultimately leads us to Christ, for Christ is the fullest revelation of who God is.

Every societal problem ultimately traces back to a theological problem—a people who have lost sight of God.

When people lose sight of God, they lose their moral compass.

and when the moral compass stops pointing north everything else turns south

The Application

Children need more than rules and discipline,

They need a right perspective of God.

The greatest responsibility of a father is not simply teaching his children how to live.

It is teaching them who God is.

Strong homes begin with a correct perspective of God.

II. A COMPLETE PASSION FOR GOD

Deuteronomy 6:5

"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He quoted this very verse.

Out of all the commandments in Scripture, Jesus pointed back to Deuteronomy 6:5.

Why? Because everything flows from our love for God.

If we love Him rightly, we will obey Him gladly.

God wants more than acknowledgment.

God wants all our affection.

Notice the completeness:

All thy Heart

All thy Soul

All thy Might

Nothing divided or held back.

God wants it all.

God did not say, "Serve Me with all your heart."

He said, "Love Me with all your heart."

Christianity is not merely duty; it is devotion.

We obey because we love, and we love because we understand that Christ first loved us.

If you are devoted completely to someone, you will serve them.

A child can tell the difference between a father who talks about God and a father who truly loves God.

The Principle

Children are not impressed by religious activity.

They are impacted by genuine devotion.

A father may provide:

A House

An Education

An Inheritance

But his greatest gift is a sincere love for God.

The Reality

Children often forget what we buy them.

They rarely forget what we model before them.

Father's Day Application

The greatest legacy a father leaves is not what he accumulates

but who he adores.

Strong homes require a complete passion for God.

III. A CULTIVATED POSSESSION OF GOD'S WORD

v. 6"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart."

The written Word ultimately points us to the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The purpose of Scripture is not merely information.

It is transformation as we come to know God through His Son.

The Priority

Before God's Word can be taught, it must be treasured.

Notice where Moses begins.

Not with the head

Not in the community

But in the individual heart

The Principle

The Word must first be:

In the father's heart

Truth cannot effectively flow from a heart where it does not dwell.

The Problem

Many people have God's Word:

In their hands

On their shelves

On their phones

But not in their hearts.

The issue is not access to Scripture.

The issue is, does Scripture have access to us.

Strong homes require a cultivated possession of God's Word.

IV. A CONSISTENT PRESENTATION OF GOD

v. 7a"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children."

Ultimately our goal is not merely to raise moral children.

Our goal is to point our children to Christ.

Morality without Christ still leaves a soul lost.

We want our children to know the Savior.

The Meaning

The word "diligently" carries the idea of sharpening.

Truth is impressed through repeated strokes.

Moses is describing intentional discipleship.

The Method

God never commanded parents to entertain their children spiritually.

He commanded them to teach them in spiritual things.

Truth must be:

Reinforced

Remembered

Repeated

Spiritual maturity is rarely produced in a moment.

It is produced through continual exposure to God's truth.

The Mandate

Churches help.

Schools assist.

Programs support.

But none of them can replace the God-given responsibility of parents.

The Question

If we do not teach our children God's truth, who will?

Every father is teaching something.

Through his priorities.

Through his words.

Through his example.

What are you teaching to your children/grand children

Strong homes require a consistent presentation of God's truth.

V. A CONTINUAL PRACTICE OF GODLY FAITH

Deuteronomy 6:7b-9

God never intended faith to be occasional or casual

He intended faith to be continual.

Moses is describing an everyday faith.

A daily faith that shows up in conversations, decisions, priorities, schedules, and relationships.

God never intended faith to be just a compartment of life.

He intended for it to be the whole context of life.

Notice what Moses is doing.

He is taking us through an ordinary day.

From the morning to the evening.

From the hallway to the highway

From the dinner table to the bedroom.

God is saying, "I do not merely want a place in your life. I want to permeate your life."

Persistent faith is not something we visit once a week.

We must live it every day.

Look at how Moses breaks it down:

a. Faith Around the Table

"When thou sittest in thine house"

The home should be a place where God is discussed.

Not just on Sunday.

But every day.

The Jewish home was intended to be a place of continual spiritual conversation.

Meals became moments of instruction.

Questions became opportunities for truth.

Ordinary moments became holy moments.

The family table ought to be more than a place where food is consumed.

It ought to be a place where faith is cultivated.

Children should hear their parents speak about:

God's goodness.

faithfulness.

provision.

answers to prayer.

One of the greatest tragedies in many Christian homes is that God is worshiped publicly but rarely discussed privately.

A father may spend hours talking about:

Sports.

Politics.

Work.

Finances.

But how often does he talk about God?

The home should echo with the things of God.

a. Faith Around the Table

b. Faith Along the Trail

"When thou walkest by the way"

Life's journeys become teaching opportunities.

Every conversation can become a lesson about God.

Moses is describing the routines of life.

God never intended spiritual instruction to be confined to formal settings.

Many of life's greatest lessons are learned in informal moments.

A child faces disappointment and a father teaches trust.

A child experiences success and a father teaches gratitude.

A child encounters temptation and a father teaches wisdom.

Life itself becomes the classroom.

Faith is not just taught in church,

It is taught in the everyday life of the believer and his or her home.

a. Faith Around the Table

b. Faith Along the Trail

c. Faith At the Turning Down

"When thou liest down"

The day should close with thoughts of God.

Prayer.

Thanksgiving.

Reflection.

There is something powerful about ending the day with God.

Before sleep overtakes us, our minds should reflect upon:

His protection.

His blessings.

His faithfulness.

The closing moments of the day remind us that we are dependent upon God.

a. Faith Around the Table

b. Faith Along the Trail

c. Faith At the Turning Down

d. Faith At the Turning Up

"When thou risest up"

The day begins with dependence upon God.

Before work.

Before school.

Before decisions.

Seek the Lord.

Every morning is a declaration of dependence.

A persistent faith does not merely end the day with God.

It begins the day with God.

The first voice we need to hear is His.

The first direction we need is His.

The first priority we establish should be His.

Too many people begin the day with:

The News.

Social Media.

The Stock Market.

The Email Inbox.

But God's people should begin with God.

The strongest homes are homes where fathers lead their families to seek God first.

a. Faith Around the Table

b. Faith Along the Trail

c. Faith At the Turning Down

d. Faith At the Turning Up

e. Faith In Total View

"And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand... and thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."

God's truth was to be visible.

The home was to testify:

"This family belongs to God."

Everything about the home was to point toward the Lord.

God's truth was not to be hidden.

It was to be displayed as a constant reminder

Every person who enters the home should know: v.13

This family fears God.

This family honors God.

This family serves God.

and most of all Loves God

A father's faith should be visible enough that his children never have to wonder where he stands.

Not because fathers are perfect, but because they consistently point their family to a perfect Savior.

Children do not need flawless parents.

They need parents who know where to take their failures.

The Progression

When prayer stops...

Faith weakens.

When faith weakens...

Families falter.

When families falter...

Churches struggle.

When churches struggle...

Society suffers.

When society suffers...

Nations decline.

The strength of a nation is never greater than the strength of its homes.

Father's Day Application

The future of America is being shaped right now in:

Living Rooms

Kitchens

Dinner Tables

Family Alters

History will record what happens in Washington.

But eternity will reveal what happens in our homes.

The greatest influence in a child's life

should not be culture.

entertainment.

or government.

It should be a father and mother whose faith is real every day.

A father may never hold public office.

He may never command an army.

He may never influence a nation from a platform.

But if he faithfully leads his family to God, he is helping shape the future of a nation.

CONCLUSION

As Moses prepared to leave Israel, his concern was not merely whether they would possess the land.

His concern was whether they would remember the Lord.

The future of Israel would largely be determined by what happened in their homes.

The same remains true today.

Governments rise and fall.

Economies strengthen and weaken.

Cultures change.

But God's plan has not changed.

He still works through homes where His Word is treasured.

He still works through parents who faithfully teach their children.

He still works through ordinary people who consistently walk with Him.

The ultimate answer is not found in Washington.

It is found in worship.

It is found in the home.

It is found in hearts surrendered to God.

The strength of a nation is never greater than the strength of its homes.

Gospel

The truth is, none of us have loved God with all our heart, soul, and might as Deuteronomy 6 commands.

Every father has failed.

Every mother has failed.

Every child has failed.

But where we have failed, Christ succeeded.

He loved the Father perfectly.

He obeyed the Father completely.

He fulfilled the law flawlessly.

That is why our hope is not in our performance as parents or children, but in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

"As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." — Joshua 24:15