AFTER GOD SPEAKS

Deuteronomy 1:6-7

INTRODUCTION: A parable is told about God speaking. Three men once heard God speak. The first did nothing, confessing he simply did not understand what God wanted. The second after hearing God speak allowed the fear of how he might look to keep him from doing what God had asked. The third heard God and though somewhat confused and fearful set out on a lifetime journey of doing what       God had asked him to do. Great blessings were his in life.

Those three men are in our midst today. No need to look around to look for them, for each of them exists within us all. Which of the three might you and I be today? After God speaks what are we to do? Perhaps the answer eludes us because of its simplicity. We are to do what God has said to do! After God speaks it is time to move to the next level.

The people of Israel had nearly completed their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. Now a new generation was getting ready to enter the Promised Land. Moses recounts for them the history of what had taken place before as a warning not to repeat the same mistakes. He reminded them that God has spoken and what He expects from us after He speaks.

I.          God Spoke and Continues to Speak.

A.       God had spoken through Moses.

1.      From the Mt. Sinai God had spoken to Israel through Moses.

2.      There were manifestations of a pillar of fire, cloud, smoke and lightning.

3.      There was no doubt that God had spoken.

4.      It was time for them to move to the next level.

B.        There is no doubt that God continues to speak today.

Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

1.      He continues to speak to us through His Word.

2.      What do we need to do?

3.      Go on to the next level.

4.      We cannot stay where we are and please God!

C.       There are No Squatters Rights! v6

1.      God said they had been there long enough.

2.      For eleven months Israel had camped and lived at the foot of Mount Sinai (Horeb).

3.      During their time of encampment God had spoken and made a covenant with the people. (The Ten Commandments)

4.      With the covenant came knowledge and responsibility to heed to the voice of their God.

5.      But eleven months of dwelling had allowed the people to settle into a life of ease.

a)      They had grown accustomed to their surrounding and life was good.

b)      However God never allows squatters' rights to develop among His people.

c)      God is always moving His people on to greater heights and deeper maturity.

d)     We must never become complacent and satisfied with what our life is today.

6.      Some would say that there is no hope for tomorrow.

a)      However, I believe that there is always hope in Jesus Christ!

b)      Do not be satisfied to remain where you are right now.

c)      If you are not a Christian, come to Christ and be saved today.  If you are a believer, realize that God's desire for us is that we become like His dear Son.

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

7.      It's time to leave what we have known in the past to follow Jesus in the present.

II.       When God speaks He is not satisfied with us "doing nothing!"

A.       "...As the Lord our God had commanded us..." v19

1.      Moses led the people to make preparations to depart.

2.      The idea is to pull up the tent stakes and start on a journey.

3.      The journey was not an easy one at all.

4.      They were on their way to where God had called them and was leading them.

B.        God has called us to action.

1.      Perhaps we are thinking there is nothing wrong with our life the way it is.

2.      But, God wants to move us beyond a life of being settled, content, and preoccupied with this world.

3.      He has a plan and a design for us, and it transcends anything that we could imagine.

4.      He wants us to obey Him and follow His direction.

C.       God is looking for sojourners today, who will declare "this is not my home, let's move on for God!”

1.      It's time to break camp and listen to God.

2.      Let the past be the past, let's put it behind us and move on!

Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

3.      Start A New Journey! v7

a)      What a challenge.

b)      These words speak of excitement and fulfillment at the hand of God.

c)      Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

III.    Blessings and Warnings from God.

A.       Moses was reminding the people of the past so they would not reenact it in the present.

1.      'Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it'

2.      Kadesh-Barnea (1:19b) was the turning point for the older generation who heard God speaking but refused to move on with God.

3.      They died with their past failures always haunting them.

B.        Do not fail to heed to the voice of God today!

1.      Do not fail to listen and obey the voice of God today.

2.      Do not allow the disobedience of yesterday to keep you from the victory of today.

3.      We should not allow our past to destroy what God has for us in the present!

C.       Blessings! v11

1.      God's blessings would go with them.

2.      No matter your past God wants to bless you today.

3.      As you come repenting of past failures, hurts, disappointments that have held you down, God is going to turn you and start you on a new journey.

4.      What can we expect?

Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

5.      If we want the blessings of God beyond our expectations, we have to break camp with the past and start trusting God in the present.

CONCLUSION: What is keeping us from coming to God today? Don't allow the lack of understanding of what God is doing and saying to keep us from coming this morning. Don't allow the fear of what others might think or how we might look to others to keep us from coming to God.

    God is speaking to us today and He is calling us to depart from our past and come to Him. What will be our response? Those here without Christ, come to Him today for salvation and the assurance of eternal life. Christians, God wants us to move on to the next level with Him. Will we obey the voice of God this morning?

    Three men heard God speak. The first did nothing, confessing he simply did not understand what God wanted. The second after hearing God speak allowed the fear of how he might look to keep him from doing what God had asked. The third heard God and set out on a lifetime journey of doing what God had asked him to do. Great blessings were his in life. Which man are you? Be the third man and find a life of blessing today