Sermon Tone Analysis

Why do we fear for the younger generation?

Maybe it’s because we know the mess we’re leaving them to deal with.

We feel guilty.

At some point in time we are all considered the younger generation, so somebody else has feared the same thing for us.

Why do you think that is?

Vacuuming the mat at Azar’s

The truth is that a lot of us have been content with just letting the younger generation skim over the surface instead of teaching them the right way.

Into the Promised Landing

As the people are about to enter the Promised Land, Moses fears they will be tempted to worship false idols and forget about God.

Most of the people had not witnessed the scenes at Sinai; they had been born in the wilderness.

Moses knows better than anyone what can happen when we turn our back on God.

Like every great leader, Moses loved his people and really wanted to see them succeed.

So he lays out the game plan...

Life-Oriented

The Hebrews were extremely successful at making religion an integral part of life.

The reason for their success was that religious education was life-oriented, not information-oriented.

They used the context of daily life to teach about God.

The key to teaching your children to love God is stated simply and clearly in these verses.

If you want your children to follow God, you must make God a part of your everyday experiences.

You must teach your children diligently to see God in all aspects of life, not just those that are church related.

While it’s good for families to have formal teaching times, the powerful witness of a godly lifestyle that incorporates God’s Word in each day’s routine cannot be overstated.

Notice how regularly Israel was to speak of the things of God: when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Another way to understand it is this.

We can read a manual for how to drive a car, or how to ride a bike.

We can even have someone else read the manual out loud to us.

But until we actually get behind the wheel and start driving…we won’t know how to drive.

In this way, James encourages the readers to walk out their faith.

He encourages to walk out, heed and obey the Scriptures – to shema – to listen to them and obey.

Of course, we can’t do this in our own strength, and this is why we need the Holy Spirit to help us.

In Spirit and Truth

The Word of God is intended to change us, but it can’t change us unless it gets in our hearts.

[STORY]

When we get God’s Word in our heart, it begins working on us and then through us.

It’s so important to be in the Word—not just to learn practical principles, but, far more importantly, to gain an understanding of, an appreciation for the nature and character of God—for when you learn about the ways and the heart of God, you can’t help but lift your hands, bow your knee, and sing His praise.

Moses was declaring the necessity to have the law of God upon your heart rather than on tablets of stone.

(cf.

11:18; Jer.

31:33).

The test of a man’s love for the Lord Jesus Christ is that he keeps his commandments; ‘he who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me’ (John 14:21; cf. 1 John 5:2).

These passages show that obedience to the commandments is an outgrowth of love.

Feel like you’ve missed your chance?

Consider the Chinese proverb which says, “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago.

The second best time is today.”