Deuteronomy 4:1-40

Introduction

      I have a beautifully wrapped gift here. Whoever would like to come up here can open it.... It is kind of disappointing to open such a beautiful gift and find nothing inside isn't it? I understand that some of you got envelopes in your mailboxes last Sunday that were empty. Was it disappointing?

      Is following God an empty box?

      Last week, I was waiting to meet someone in a coffee shop in Osborne Village and I was early so I wandered around the shops and went into a book store. The type of books were very interesting because they were all books on various aspects of spirituality - new age, eastern religions, occult and so on. People today are searching for a spiritual dimension to life. What can we say to convince them that following God will fulfill their spiritual hunger? What convinces us?

      Thoughts of the coming millenium have captured the imagination of many people. Many are asking, "What will happen in the future?" I found an article recently which talked about observing cycles of the past in order to predict the future. Others are using astology and many other means to predict the future. Why would we point to God as the one to hope in as we face an unknown future?

      I invite you to turn to Deuteronomy 4. In the first four chapters of Deuteronomy, we read about a time in the history of God's people when they were standing at the edge of the Jordan River ready to enter into the promised land. Moses was their leader and he was not going to go with them and so he challenged them, as they were going to cross over from the old into the new, that they should continue to follow God. He knew there would be many temptations to turn aside, but he gave them reasons not to turn aside, but rather to follow God. The reasons he gave them are still good reasons for us to follow God.

I.                   It Is The Path To Life 4:3,4

      Every day, we have to make choices. Some of the decisios we make, improve our life and some of them get us into trouble. Occasionally, we are required to make choices that have life and death consequences. I heard Lyle Schaller speak once and he told us that he went to a doctor and found that he had cancer. The doctor gave him two choices, you can have surgery and live or avoid it and die. One choice lead to life and the other to death.

      As Moses began to challenge the people to follow God, he reminded them about an incident which happened some years earlier during their years of wandering in the wilderness. It is described in Numbers 25. While Israel was camped at Shittim, some of them began to get friendly with the Moabite women. They ate with them and bowed down to their god, the Baal of Peor. God's anger burned against them and in the plague that followed, 24,000 people died. Moses reminded them of this incident, we read in Deuteronomy 4:3,4. "read"

      Moses was reinforcing for them that following God is a choice that results in life!

      The Bible is loaded with sayings and stories which tell us that rejecting God leads to destruction and following God leads to life. Psalm 1:1,4 comes to mind where it says, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away."

      We forget this truth because we do not often see such a direct judgement of God on the wicked as Israel had experienced or as happened to Annanias and Sapphira when they lied to God and where immediately struck dead. As a result, we begin to think that God doesn't care about how we live our lives and we become careless in our choices. But this incident reminds us that following God is the only way that leads to life. Jesus also proclaimed in Matthew 7:13,14, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

      Both in a temporal sense, but certainly in an ultimate sense, it is worth following God because it is the only way to find life!

II.               It Is Admired 4:5-8

      Have you ever been tempted to hide the fact that you belong to God? Perhaps you were in a group of people who were mocking God or the church or Christians and you didn't have the courage to stand up and follow Jesus. When we get a sense that people don't respect us because we are Christians, we may be tempted not to follow Him. But is that the whole picture?

      Moses goes on to argue that the people should be faithful to God because other nations and other people will see what God is doing and be amazed. We read in Deuteronomy 4:6, "read."

      Moses mentions two specific things that are valuable and are unique to those who follow God.

      First of all, we have a relationship with God in which he hears and answers the cry of our heart for help. We read in Deuteronomy 4:7, "read." I believe the spiritual longings of many people would be satisfied if they had a relationship with God such as we have in that our God hears us.

      The other thing, found in the next verse is, "read 4:8." We have a clear, God given set of instructions for following Him which is much greater than anything any other religion or nation has. Unfortunately, often people do not see a living relationship. They see us living by our own power and by man made rules instead of by the Spirit of God. When they see that, it is not surprising that they are not attracted. When we live in a genuine relationship with God and by His words, people do take notice and see what is positive.

      This happened when the Queen of Sheba heard about Solomon and all that God had done for him and his God given wisdom. She was amazed and she admired him and his God. It happened when Jesus walked on this earth and people saw His relationship with His Father and the holiness of His life.

      So the challenge is not only to follow God, but also to follow Him in such a close relationship and in such holiness that others will see God in us and be amazed.

      The world may ridicule us, but when crunch time comes, they often will seek us out because they see these things in us. The New Testament also challenges us to this kind of following in I Peter 2:12, "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."

      It is worth following God because it is seen as the best way by others.

III.            God Made Himself Known 4:9-14

      It is the Muslim belief that God gave his revelation to Muhammed on the top of a mountain who in turn revealed it to the people. It is the belief of Mormons that God revealed himself to Joseph Smith through the angel Moroni.

      We have something much greater. We understand that on at least two occasions, God has personally spoken to His people in an audible voice. Not to just one representative but to a group of his people gathered.

      The first time God spoke to a group of his people was at Mount Sinai. God invited the people to stand at the foot of the mountain and then in a cloud and with thunder and lightening, they actually heard the voice of God speaking to them, giving them the ten commandments.

      In the New Testament, this aspect has been made even more wonderful when for 33 years, God himself walked among us and talked to us and made a way for us.

      It is unique in the religious world that God has taken the initiative to personally and graciously speak to His people. When people say, "God said to me..." we often doubt it and at best, we should evaluate what was said. but we rest on the knowledge that at least twice, everyone heard God speak. Today, as Christians, we live by what God said when he spoke. It is worth following God because He has made Himself known and His way is clearly revealed.

IV.             Although Unseen, His Work Is Seen 4:15-20

      A number of years ago, a Russian cosmonaut went into space and concluded that God didn't exist because he could not see Him. Many people have stumbled over the fact that no one has seen God. Even when the people of Israel heard the voice of God, they did not see Him. In verse 12, Moses says, "you...saw no form..." and then again in verse 15, "You saw no form of any kind..." Although God made himself visible to us in the person of Jesus, his true essence and nature were still hidden by human flesh. No one has ever seen God because we cannot see God. He is the unseen God.

      For some, this is a stumbling block to following God. Yet God makes no apologies for this. In fact, we probably need to see it as evidence of the greatness of God. If we could see God, we might be tempted to put Him in a box or to make an image of Him. God has chosen to remain unseen and this should not cause us to stop following Him. Many times in the past people have come to the conclusion that God does not exist and they have followed idols - something they could see - instead. The point of Moses exhortation in this section is to warn the people not to come to this conclusion.

      Moses points out that although God is unseen, that does not mean that he is invisible. In fact, the hand of God is seen in many ways and He has revealed Himself in these many ways. Moses challenged them to recognize the presence of God in all that he had done for them and to follow Him even though He was unseen. The specific power and presence of God that Israel had seen was the redemption out of Egypt and making them His people.

      Since we also have seen God's power in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, it is worth following God because although unseen, He is not invisible.

V.                Although A Consuming Fire He Forgives 4:21-31

      In Deuteronomy 4:24, we read something that makes it hard for some people to follow God. God demands exclusive obedience. "read" Moses warned the people that if they did not follow God fully, they would experience his wrath. Here Moses predicted that if they would begin to follow idols, God would scatter them and they would "quickly perish from the land."

      What other nation has a God who loves his people so much that He is jealous for them. He has made us, He desires our best and when we reject Him, we reject a gracious and loving offer.

      But God's love for His people is so great that even when we reject his gracious offer, he continues to pursue us and to offer forgiveness and mercy. Take a look at Deuteronomy 4:29-31.

      God loves us so much that He warns us of the consequences of rejecting His love and then redeems us when we return to Him. What other religion anywhere, anytime has such a great degree of mercy? God is a merciful God, he will not forget you. If you fall away, God will punish, but if you return to Him, he will forgive. He is a merciful God who does not forget his covenant. He will not abandon or destroy. If Moses was able to say this, how much more is it true for us as Christians who have experienced the love and mercy of God in the person of Jesus Christ.

      It is worth following God because He loves us with a jealous love and because He is merciful and forgiving.

VI.             God Is The Greatest 4:32-38

      In verse 32, God throws out a challenge. He challenges us to examine and research all religions and all philosophies and all realities from one end of the world to another and from the beginning of history to the end of history.

      In a series of questions and statements, Moses invites the people and us to examine to see if there is a god anywhere who has done what God has done. He points to the experience of their history. Has anyone else experienced:

      -the voice of God speaking out of fire?

      -hearing His voice...and living!!

      -God taking one nation out of another

      -making His voice known from heaven

      -Showing Himself on earth in the pillar of fire

      -loved you and chose your ancestors and descendents

      -brought you out of Egypt by His Presence

      -will drive out nations before you?

      Moses states in Deuteronomy 4:35, "You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other."

      This challenge stands to this day and has not been answered. No one has ever been able to show anything greater, anyone greater than our God. As Christians, we can add other experience to that challenge. The other day, Debbie Fehr showed me a plaque she has on the wall in the hospital. It has a picture of a cross and the writing on it says, "I asked Jesus, 'how much do you love me.' 'This much,' he answered, and then he stretched out his arms and died." Has any other god ever done that?

      It is worth following God because He is, without doubt, the greatest!

Conclusion

      So follow God! That is what the Bible says. We read in Deuteronomy 4:39, "Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other."

      What does it mean to acknowledge this and take it to heart? It means to acknowledge His greatness in your heart and to follow Him with your obedience. Next week, as we study Deuteronomy 5, we will see what following God means in specific life related terms. Today, I simply want to issue the challenge for us to recognize that God alone is God and there is no one else. As we move into the new millenium and as we face the uncertainty of the future, as we face the challenge of a world that rejects him, I want to challenge us to follow God and to follow Him in such a way that others will see our relationship to Him and see the righteousness which comes from God in our lives.

      What will it mean to you to follow God?