A warning from God!!!
A warning from God!!!
This morning, we are coming off a high, we had a great vacation bible school, with six children and one adult that accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. They all were special but we had one Mother and daughter come forward. And church that’s what VBS is all about, making a difference for the Kingdom, one soul at a time. I would like to thank Susan Holley and all of the teachers plus we had the best crafts and snacks I have ever saw and tasted. All in all, I know that God blessed and honored all of our efforts and it showed. This church served the community and I am proud to be a part of Beaver Creek Baptist Church. So with that being said, I want to continue on with Chapter 8 in the book of Deuteronomy starting with verse 11.
Today I want to show you a warning from God, A warning that our nation, our country and our world has forgot. This very warning tells us not to forget. As you hear God’s word, think about what’s going on in the news around the world, think about what is happening in your own life. God gives us His word to live by and follow. So turn with me to:
Deuteronomy 8:11
11 “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— 17 then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’
18 “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19 Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. 20 As the nations which the Lord destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God.
Pray
In the original Hebrew text verses 11–16 are one long sentence, which was easily broken up when translated. But it is easily broken up:
By not keeping: that is, “by disregarding,” “by disobeying.”
Commandments … ordinances … statutes: Rules and regulations, Laws and commands
Which I command you this day:
You shall not add … nor take from: the Law is regarded as a complete and perfect whole, and the Israelites are not to add any more rules to it nor take any out. So Tev (todays english verison)has “Do not add anything to what I command you, and do not take anything away.”
The Law here is called the word (which I command you). But the Hebrew word for word can have a more general meaning: of “matter,” “subject,” or even “thing,” and that is how most translations take it here: “You shall not add anything to what I am commanding you ….”
Which I command you: or “which I teach you” in verse 1.
Commandments translate the word most commonly used for the laws of Israel; it appears forty-three times in this book.
Moses say’s to “Remember! Don’t forget!” When they finally enter the land and enjoy its bounty, Israel must not forget we must not forget the God who gave it to them and us. Nine times in Deuteronomy Israel is warned not to forget God’s faithfulness (4:9, 23, 31; 6:12; 8:11, 14, 19; 9:7; 25:19). Forgetfulness has been a problem among God’s children throughout history. Until present day; as a church we need to be on our knees thanking God daily for everything we have and what He is going to do.
Have you ever just forgotten something that had dire consequences? You either made someone very dear to you mad, or a group of people mad just because you forgot. This verse describes the very nature of forgetting:“failing to observe His commands, His laws and His decrees.” Thus forgetting is not just a failure to remember. Forgetting is a failure to give the lessons of the past a very important place in our present. Have you heard the expression “you learn from your past,” or “you are destine to repeat your past.”
We as parents tend to forget what God has done for us, so we do not really pass that on to our kids. We very seldom, if at all, tell them what God has done in our lives and if we do, we leave God out. We love to talk about the past but for some reason God is left out of it. In verse 12 it says: 12 lest—when you have eaten and are full, (in some translations it says satisfies which means to live in the midst of plenty) and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; when things are going great and we lack for nothing, when there is no trouble, we do not need God. When we go out to eat or when food is on the table, we forget who made it all possible. We were all brought out of our own Egypt. Egypt is used in the Bible as a place of bondage or sin. And all of us were in or still are in a place of bondage or sin in our lives and need to trust God to bring us out. I hear all the time, “I can do it on my own.” Sometimes we feel God is just a character we read about and He can not help me now, I’m too far into this mess. Friends let me tell you, God is waiting on you to just ask Him for His help. When we realize that we can not do it on our own, we turn to God for help, but God is not the last resort, He is the 1st and only resort, if we would learn to go to Him 1st we would not go through the trials we find ourselves in!!!!! and when we leave Him out, we must deal with the consequences. We must learn that God has only our best in mind. So Moses is saying that if Israel forgets the lessons taught in the wilderness, if they fail to depend completely on God, if they fail to worship Him, and fail to respond to His Word, the disaster that will surely follow will wipe out all the blessings that remembering God brings. How does that affect us today? We all have a testimony to tell of what God has done for us and that is our legacy to pass down from generation to generation so what He has done and what He can do!!!!!!!!!!
The biggest problem today is we get caught up in trying to find the good life. A better life according to TV and magazines; we strive to find what we think is the perfect life.
I want to start to close with this verse:
John 6:27
27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
Some things steal your life, even as you pursue them, a better job, a larger paycheck, more possession and greater statues are fine in their place. But which of those add value to your life? An employer rents your time, possessions take your time, and when all time is gone so is your life. Some things are worth giving your life to obtain or protect; Faith, Freedom, Peace and Love. These things enrich life, and they give life meaning and purpose. No price is too dear when things of true value are at stake. They are the very essence of life and have true eternal value, courage is born, loyalty and character are gained. If you are a person who labor to obtain, then let your labor edify and amplify which enriches life. The things of God are eternal and give untold riches to those who seek after them, both now and the world to come. The things of God will not steal your life, but through the Son of God you will discover life. Through His commandments you will discover peace a joy and freedom that you have never thought possible. Through the love of Jesus Christ you will find true abundant eternal life. And all it takes is a decision to let Christ be Lord and Savior of your life.
If Jesus is speaking to your heart today, I want to give you the opportunity to discover true eternal life. So as we stand and sing if you’re looking for a church home we would love to welcome you into our church family. So what ever the reason you come today.
Amen