1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,007 Good morning. 2 00:00:02,964 --> 00:00:06,365 Take your Bibles if you will and open them to the book of Deuteronomy. 3 00:00:10,814 --> 00:00:30,729 Peter would write to the first century church that as long as he was in this tabernacle, as long as he was alive on this earth in the flesh, he would not be negligent to remind 4 00:00:30,729 --> 00:00:40,242 them of the basics, of the things that they had already heard and already believed. 5 00:00:41,008 --> 00:00:50,227 of the things if they could have full use of them, if they could have full utilization of them, they would never fall. 6 00:00:52,574 --> 00:01:03,521 This morning and this afternoon, I encourage you if you can, if it's within your ability to be back for the lesson this afternoon, we're going to take these two lessons from this 7 00:01:03,521 --> 00:01:11,046 passage in Deuteronomy chapter 10, a lesson entitled, The Basics for Everyone. 8 00:01:12,648 --> 00:01:23,380 Sometimes as we study, as we learn things, you know, in school you might have heard it said, I don't think I'm ever gonna use this. 9 00:01:25,140 --> 00:01:32,345 Well, hopefully there will not be anything in the lesson this morning or this afternoon where you would be able to say, I'm not ever going to use this. 10 00:01:33,586 --> 00:01:47,856 For as Moses speaks to the second generation of Israelites, the second generation of this nation that has come out of Egypt, 11 00:01:49,008 --> 00:01:57,084 As he speaks to them in the very last year of his life, he's going to begin in chapter 10 a dialogue with them. 12 00:01:57,084 --> 00:01:59,135 Aaron has died. 13 00:01:59,876 --> 00:02:02,778 Their first high priest has died. 14 00:02:03,318 --> 00:02:06,400 His son is now the high priest. 15 00:02:07,281 --> 00:02:16,988 And as Moses speaks to the people, he is going to remind them of the things that have occurred. 16 00:02:17,406 --> 00:02:32,853 He's going to remind them of the things they've already seen, of the things that they already know, and He is going to encapsulate for them a picture of what God would have 17 00:02:32,853 --> 00:02:34,404 them to do. 18 00:02:36,618 --> 00:02:41,652 Deuteronomy chapter 10 and verse 12 begins, now Israel. 19 00:02:43,328 --> 00:02:50,008 What does the Lord your God require of you? 20 00:02:51,738 --> 00:02:54,790 as Moses begins to speak. 21 00:02:57,310 --> 00:03:13,608 He confronts the nation with a question, one that shows up in many forms, in many fashions throughout Scripture in many different contexts, but Moses is setting before the people 22 00:03:13,608 --> 00:03:15,850 the law a second time. 23 00:03:16,811 --> 00:03:27,006 He is emphasizing to this nation what they have in front of them, and his life is all 24 00:03:27,046 --> 00:03:29,103 Most over. 25 00:03:30,848 --> 00:03:42,438 So Moses is going to ask them again, what does the Lord your God require of you? 26 00:03:45,790 --> 00:03:47,633 as we go through our lives. 27 00:03:49,332 --> 00:03:56,092 We will have periods of reflection, hopefully, introspection. 28 00:03:58,176 --> 00:04:05,553 Times like now, as you transpire from one year to another year and you start to think about, where am I at? 29 00:04:05,553 --> 00:04:07,077 What am I doing? 30 00:04:07,077 --> 00:04:09,060 What time do I have left? 31 00:04:11,752 --> 00:04:17,115 Last year we started the year with two baptisms. 32 00:04:19,328 --> 00:04:23,974 For many of us, this year we've started with multiple funerals. 33 00:04:28,234 --> 00:04:35,592 times where we step back and ask, what should I be doing? 34 00:04:36,474 --> 00:04:42,170 And is what I'm doing right in the eyes of God? 35 00:04:43,936 --> 00:04:49,140 And Moses is challenging Israel to ask that question. 36 00:04:49,981 --> 00:04:53,844 But Moses isn't going to leave it up to Israel's interpretation. 37 00:04:53,844 --> 00:04:57,467 He's not going to leave it up to their assumptions or their guesses. 38 00:04:57,467 --> 00:05:00,249 Moses is going to deliver them the answer. 39 00:05:01,531 --> 00:05:09,287 What does the Lord require, the Lord your God require of you but to fear the Lord your God? 40 00:05:09,287 --> 00:05:13,060 Number one, as you consider the 41 00:05:13,060 --> 00:05:18,020 answer to the question, what does the Lord your God require of you? 42 00:05:18,020 --> 00:05:23,800 It begins in the answer with, to fear the Lord. 43 00:05:26,432 --> 00:05:36,641 The Proverbs writer will tell us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 44 00:05:37,622 --> 00:05:50,103 Moses is going to tell the nation as they evaluate what they're doing, as they consider where they're headed, as they're asking the question, at least in the form of him 45 00:05:50,103 --> 00:05:53,236 verbalizing it, what must I 46 00:05:53,236 --> 00:05:57,477 do to be pleasing to God, God's answer returns to them. 47 00:05:57,477 --> 00:06:01,256 Number one, you fear me. 48 00:06:06,388 --> 00:06:07,821 Fear changes people. 49 00:06:10,418 --> 00:06:12,141 You can look through. 50 00:06:13,984 --> 00:06:20,413 studies, journals, experience, and life. 51 00:06:21,776 --> 00:06:27,623 And you will find the reality that fear changes people. 52 00:06:29,562 --> 00:06:37,417 extreme fear can cause extreme harm to people. 53 00:06:38,518 --> 00:06:48,585 But as you consider what God is telling this nation to do, He's not telling them to be afraid of Him. 54 00:06:49,726 --> 00:06:51,567 They were already that. 55 00:06:52,088 --> 00:06:58,656 You remember back in Exodus chapter 19 and Exodus chapter 20 as they're there before the 56 00:06:58,656 --> 00:07:10,845 uh the mount in Sinai as they are standing there observing the mountain on fire, pillars of fire and smoke coming up from the mountain, and a voice that boomed out of the mountain 57 00:07:10,845 --> 00:07:15,067 that was the voice of God declaring to them the Ten Commandments. 58 00:07:15,468 --> 00:07:25,055 And they come to Moses and they say, you go up on the mountain and you hear the voice of God and you get the message of God and you bring it back to us because if we continue to 59 00:07:25,055 --> 00:07:27,246 hear his voice, we're going to die. 60 00:07:28,788 --> 00:07:30,584 They were already afraid of God. 61 00:07:32,648 --> 00:07:34,250 This fear is different. 62 00:07:35,193 --> 00:07:41,743 This is the fear that one has that begins in reverence. 63 00:07:43,614 --> 00:07:51,777 that excludes everything else from the position that God holds in the person's life. 64 00:07:51,777 --> 00:07:53,880 Deuteronomy chapter 6, 65 00:07:56,632 --> 00:08:05,721 as Moses is going to speak to the people and encourage them and teach them how to raise the next generation. 66 00:08:06,302 --> 00:08:16,282 He says to them in verse 13, shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him and shall take oaths in His name. 67 00:08:18,992 --> 00:08:34,681 Moses is going to tell the people as you understand who God is, as you begin to implant into your life your understanding of God and who He is, you will understand there is no 68 00:08:34,681 --> 00:08:36,822 one beside Him. 69 00:08:37,763 --> 00:08:41,265 There is no one equal to Him. 70 00:08:41,746 --> 00:08:46,288 There is definitely no one superior to Him. 71 00:08:49,074 --> 00:08:55,986 And so Moses tells them, you are to fear the Lord and serve Him. 72 00:08:56,887 --> 00:09:02,929 Jesus in Matthew chapter 6 will tell us that a man cannot serve two masters. 73 00:09:04,009 --> 00:09:11,792 He can hold to God, he can love God, he can serve God, or he can serve someone else, but he can't do both. 74 00:09:14,656 --> 00:09:25,318 as Moses prepares the people to live a life and existence without Him as their leader. 75 00:09:27,188 --> 00:09:30,852 He reminds them that he's never been their leader. 76 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:34,883 God was their leader. 77 00:09:35,826 --> 00:09:39,131 He was always their leader. 78 00:09:39,874 --> 00:09:43,419 He was the one they were to fear, not Moses. 79 00:09:44,301 --> 00:09:46,354 But then consider as well 80 00:09:47,924 --> 00:09:53,709 that Moses doesn't just deliver to Israel the command to fear the Lord. 81 00:09:54,251 --> 00:10:03,540 But he says, what does the Lord your God require of you but to fear the Lord your God to walk in all his ways? 82 00:10:06,208 --> 00:10:11,568 once they've identified who their leader is, what now? 83 00:10:12,468 --> 00:10:20,068 Moses says you don't get to serve God by being stagnant. 84 00:10:20,068 --> 00:10:24,928 You don't get to serve God by standing still. 85 00:10:25,828 --> 00:10:32,568 You don't get to serve God by being someone who says, belong to the Lord. 86 00:10:32,568 --> 00:10:33,448 What do you do? 87 00:10:33,448 --> 00:10:34,668 Nothing. 88 00:10:35,528 --> 00:10:36,428 No. 89 00:10:38,622 --> 00:10:42,117 Now Moses says, you're going to fear the Lord. 90 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:50,522 And then having determined that He is your leader where He leads, you're going to go. 91 00:10:53,416 --> 00:10:57,483 You're going to walk in all His steps. 92 00:10:59,636 --> 00:11:05,319 You're going to pattern your life after His commands. 93 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:11,823 You're going to pattern your life after His example. 94 00:11:12,644 --> 00:11:25,862 Over in the book of Micah, Micah chapter 6, we read there in that text from that minor prophet a similar question. 95 00:11:28,454 --> 00:11:35,872 Micah phrases it this way, He has shown you, O man, what is good. 96 00:11:36,573 --> 00:11:40,237 And what does the Lord require of you? 97 00:11:40,818 --> 00:11:49,828 But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. 98 00:11:51,448 --> 00:11:56,352 as Micah reiterates the message of Moses. 99 00:11:57,673 --> 00:12:11,514 He reminds the people in his day that their solemn responsibility was to bow themselves before God and follow His authority. 100 00:12:15,898 --> 00:12:22,648 Israel had a history and these people were well aware of it. 101 00:12:24,714 --> 00:12:32,018 for 38 years, those who were standing there before Moses that day. 102 00:12:33,780 --> 00:12:50,649 had watched all of their loved ones, all of their friends, all of their leaders, all of their elders, all of their warriors who were over the age of 20 on the day that they were 103 00:12:50,649 --> 00:12:54,471 supposed to go into the land which God had promised them. 104 00:12:54,471 --> 00:12:56,612 They had watched all of them die. 105 00:13:02,176 --> 00:13:03,257 except Moses. 106 00:13:05,024 --> 00:13:08,250 except Joshua, except Caleb. 107 00:13:09,780 --> 00:13:11,321 They watched them all die. 108 00:13:12,583 --> 00:13:16,227 Some of them died in plagues. 109 00:13:17,249 --> 00:13:19,911 Some of them died in battle. 110 00:13:20,953 --> 00:13:24,056 Some of them died simply in the wilderness. 111 00:13:26,132 --> 00:13:36,404 but fraught throughout their entire history of that 38 years as they were wandering from Sinai in the wilderness before they would eventually go into the land, they watched a 112 00:13:36,404 --> 00:13:39,858 people die in rebellion. 113 00:13:42,866 --> 00:13:55,003 that would claim they had served God, they would claim they had done what God said, they had claimed that they had gone where God told them to go, only they had rebelled every 114 00:13:55,003 --> 00:13:56,904 step of the way. 115 00:14:01,748 --> 00:14:14,828 Moses is going to address the second generation, those who were born after they left Egypt, but also those who were below the age of 20 when they left Egypt, who had witnessed 116 00:14:14,828 --> 00:14:18,650 all of these things, who remembered Egypt, who grew up in Egypt. 117 00:14:20,318 --> 00:14:22,934 And he's going to remind them the first thing you do is you fear the Lord. 118 00:14:22,934 --> 00:14:29,407 The second thing you do is you walk in all His ways. 119 00:14:32,148 --> 00:14:33,807 but then consider as well. 120 00:14:35,946 --> 00:14:40,164 that he says and to love him. 121 00:14:43,540 --> 00:14:51,528 when Israel was confronted by Moses with what they were to do. 122 00:14:53,152 --> 00:14:59,232 He didn't say, this is how you fear God, this is how you please God. 123 00:14:59,332 --> 00:15:01,672 Blind submission. 124 00:15:02,812 --> 00:15:03,960 He didn't say that. 125 00:15:05,976 --> 00:15:23,803 Moses spoke to the people he did not tell them never question anything the Lord says never wonder about anything that's going to happen blind obedience is what the Lord calls for. 126 00:15:23,864 --> 00:15:24,984 I didn't say that. 127 00:15:27,422 --> 00:15:32,113 Now Moses said, first thing you're going to do is you're going to fear Him. 128 00:15:32,994 --> 00:15:39,776 You're going to reverence Him and put Him in the place that He belongs in your life. 129 00:15:39,776 --> 00:15:42,056 Then you're going to walk after Him. 130 00:15:43,157 --> 00:15:53,500 And as you fear Him and put Him in the right place and as you walk after Him in all of His ways, you're going to love Him. 131 00:15:57,450 --> 00:16:01,489 Think about the times in life. 132 00:16:03,102 --> 00:16:08,058 where I've been introduced to a third party by a close friend. 133 00:16:10,078 --> 00:16:14,958 someone who knows me really well and knows them really well. 134 00:16:16,724 --> 00:16:20,069 And they say, Aaron, I want to introduce you to somebody. 135 00:16:20,069 --> 00:16:23,162 You're going to love this person. 136 00:16:26,238 --> 00:16:30,748 And because they know me really well and they know them really well, they've already figured it out. 137 00:16:30,748 --> 00:16:32,230 This is going to work. 138 00:16:34,174 --> 00:16:35,717 These two are gonna fit. 139 00:16:40,135 --> 00:16:41,319 Moses. 140 00:16:43,142 --> 00:16:45,105 knew God really well. 141 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:52,666 Moses had had experiences with the Lord that no other person on the planet had had. 142 00:16:55,494 --> 00:17:04,780 Moses is telling this people if you'll put him in the right place and if you'll walk in his ways. 143 00:17:06,708 --> 00:17:07,929 then you'll love him. 144 00:17:12,126 --> 00:17:16,541 When Jesus was asked, what's the greatest commandment in the law? 145 00:17:17,644 --> 00:17:27,566 Jesus would tell the one who asked, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength, with all thy might. 146 00:17:29,692 --> 00:17:37,222 God never demanded obedience apart from love. 147 00:17:40,018 --> 00:17:46,232 God condemns all obedience that is apart from love. 148 00:17:50,878 --> 00:17:56,360 And Moses is going to tell this people, you've got to love your God. 149 00:17:57,505 --> 00:18:01,022 Again, in Deuteronomy chapter 6, just a few chapters over. 150 00:18:03,078 --> 00:18:13,896 Moses will say to the people, verse 4, hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 151 00:18:14,958 --> 00:18:22,783 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. 152 00:18:23,484 --> 00:18:28,528 And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 153 00:18:30,438 --> 00:18:37,895 If you're going to put God in the place where He belongs, and if you're going to walk in all of His ways, how are you going to learn to love Him? 154 00:18:37,895 --> 00:18:41,238 And Moses gives you the answer. 155 00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:51,678 You take His Word, you take His commandments, you take His message, and you put it in your life. 156 00:18:54,144 --> 00:18:55,985 and you come to know who He is. 157 00:18:57,598 --> 00:19:07,448 and you come to serve Him not out of fear and being afraid, but out of love. 158 00:19:10,259 --> 00:19:11,770 over in the book of John. 159 00:19:14,066 --> 00:19:32,405 In John chapter 17, Jesus, in the midst of a prayer before His disciples in the upper room, as He is preparing to go back out of that room, out to the garden to be betrayed, to 160 00:19:32,405 --> 00:19:39,488 be imprisoned, to be taken, to be beaten, to be killed, and to be crucified for us. 161 00:19:41,246 --> 00:19:49,379 Will say in that prayer, verse 1, Father, the hour has come, glorify your Son, that your Son also may glorify you. 162 00:19:49,780 --> 00:20:00,044 As you have given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him, and this is eternal life. 163 00:20:00,904 --> 00:20:09,906 If the very Son of God were to define eternal life for you, 164 00:20:09,906 --> 00:20:11,779 you would know what it means. 165 00:20:12,842 --> 00:20:14,043 Well, He did. 166 00:20:14,966 --> 00:20:16,828 And this is what He said it was. 167 00:20:17,731 --> 00:20:22,988 And this is eternal life that they may know you. 168 00:20:25,266 --> 00:20:31,108 the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 169 00:20:35,133 --> 00:20:36,731 Jesus tells us. 170 00:20:38,378 --> 00:20:45,784 that eternal life is bound up in the very definition of knowing God. 171 00:20:49,330 --> 00:20:54,628 And Jesus, who knew God, said he loved God. 172 00:20:56,370 --> 00:21:01,924 And Jesus made it clear that if we would come to know Him, we would love God. 173 00:21:04,084 --> 00:21:06,264 back in deuteronomy chapter 10. 174 00:21:10,034 --> 00:21:14,055 Moses says, was the Lord require of you? 175 00:21:15,584 --> 00:21:17,285 but to fear the Lord your God. 176 00:21:18,347 --> 00:21:20,488 To walk in all of His ways. 177 00:21:21,350 --> 00:21:25,433 To love Him, but He doesn't stop there. 178 00:21:26,434 --> 00:21:28,576 He says to serve 179 00:21:30,622 --> 00:21:36,196 the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 180 00:21:38,110 --> 00:21:41,585 when you've put God in the right place. 181 00:21:43,796 --> 00:21:51,376 when you've determined to set your path so that where his footsteps lead you, that's where you're going to go. 182 00:21:53,352 --> 00:22:04,637 When you've looked at what He has said to you, you've taken it, you've instilled it in your life and into your heart so as to know who He is and what He has told you to do and 183 00:22:04,637 --> 00:22:11,300 what He expects of you, then, Moses says, then serve Him. 184 00:22:14,324 --> 00:22:20,988 We often in our society have such a mixed view of service. 185 00:22:22,782 --> 00:22:32,744 We have a view of service kind of like going to a restaurant that someone who's going to wait on our table is serving us. 186 00:22:34,147 --> 00:22:39,152 And if they do a good job, they get a good tip, and if they do a bad job, they don't get any tip. 187 00:22:40,455 --> 00:22:41,946 Or they get a lesser one. 188 00:22:44,264 --> 00:22:53,092 We consider service to be something that we expect in some scenarios and don't in others. 189 00:22:53,793 --> 00:22:59,277 There was a time in this country where you would expect full service out of a gas station. 190 00:23:00,018 --> 00:23:01,439 Not anymore. 191 00:23:01,700 --> 00:23:03,761 That's called self-service. 192 00:23:04,322 --> 00:23:06,724 Get out of your own vehicle, fill it up. 193 00:23:13,684 --> 00:23:16,324 but we struggle with service as a concept. 194 00:23:18,228 --> 00:23:24,344 We struggle with it mostly because we don't want to humble ourselves to be servants. 195 00:23:26,184 --> 00:23:33,382 We don't want to view ourselves as those who are forced to serve. 196 00:23:35,796 --> 00:23:47,472 Yet if we are actually humble, we realize that in moments where we have the opportunity, we are blessed to serve. 197 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:51,852 I don't want do it because somebody makes me do it. 198 00:23:51,852 --> 00:23:53,880 I want to do it because I want to do it. 199 00:24:00,146 --> 00:24:01,365 And yet... 200 00:24:03,124 --> 00:24:06,938 when we're placed in this position in relationship to God. 201 00:24:08,810 --> 00:24:14,554 We're called and commanded to serve. 202 00:24:16,544 --> 00:24:26,731 And Joshua will confront the people in his last message with the same scenario. 203 00:24:27,092 --> 00:24:35,437 In Joshua chapter 24, Joshua gathers all the tribes of all of Israel to Shechem. 204 00:24:35,758 --> 00:24:44,156 In chapter 24, verse 1, he called the elders of Israel for their heads, for their judges, for their officers. 205 00:24:44,156 --> 00:24:47,079 and they presented themselves before God. 206 00:24:47,580 --> 00:24:58,912 And Joshua said to all the people, thus says the Lord God of Israel, your fathers, including Tira, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of 207 00:24:58,912 --> 00:25:03,506 the river in old times, and they served other gods. 208 00:25:05,288 --> 00:25:21,256 Joshua confronts Israel with their history, with what they knew to be true, with what Moses had revealed to them and taught them by the revelation of God that their people 209 00:25:21,256 --> 00:25:23,258 hadn't always done what was right. 210 00:25:24,830 --> 00:25:28,453 that they weren't going to do right just because they happened to come out of Israel. 211 00:25:28,453 --> 00:25:32,325 Because Israel hadn't always done right. 212 00:25:32,886 --> 00:25:42,674 And he says to them, then I took your father Abraham from the other side of the river, led him throughout all the land of Canaan and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac. 213 00:25:42,674 --> 00:25:50,670 To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, to Esau I gave the mountains of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. 214 00:25:50,714 --> 00:25:54,126 Also I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt. 215 00:25:54,126 --> 00:25:58,148 According to what I did among them, afterward I brought you out. 216 00:25:58,248 --> 00:26:06,913 Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with the chariot and horsemen to the Red Sea. 217 00:26:06,913 --> 00:26:14,537 So they cried out to the Lord, and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, brought the sea upon them, and covered them. 218 00:26:14,537 --> 00:26:17,598 And your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. 219 00:26:17,779 --> 00:26:20,720 Then you dwelt in the wilderness a long time." 220 00:26:20,978 --> 00:26:30,096 and I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who dwelt on the other side of the Jordan, and they fought with you, but I gave them into your hand, that you might possess 221 00:26:30,096 --> 00:26:41,626 their land, and I destroyed them from before you." Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose to make war against Israel and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse 222 00:26:41,626 --> 00:26:42,067 you. 223 00:26:42,067 --> 00:26:48,892 But I would not listen to Balaam, therefore he continued to bless you, so I delivered you out of his hand." 224 00:26:49,342 --> 00:26:59,236 Then you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the men of Jericho fought against you, also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the 225 00:26:59,236 --> 00:27:00,637 Hivites, and the Jebusites. 226 00:27:00,637 --> 00:27:03,698 But I delivered them into your hand. 227 00:27:04,338 --> 00:27:15,622 I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but not with your sword or with your bow. 228 00:27:16,063 --> 00:27:19,164 I have given you a land for which you did not labor. 229 00:27:19,334 --> 00:27:21,786 and cities for which you did not build. 230 00:27:21,947 --> 00:27:28,833 And you dwell in them, you eat of the vineyards and the olive groves which you did not plant. 231 00:27:29,755 --> 00:27:35,980 Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in truth. 232 00:27:36,221 --> 00:27:41,106 And put away the gods which your father served on the other side of the river and in Egypt. 233 00:27:41,106 --> 00:27:43,728 Serve the Lord. 234 00:27:45,832 --> 00:28:01,000 Joshua goes through this list of all the things for hundreds of years that God had done for Israel to prove to Israel that they should serve Him and Him alone. 235 00:28:04,468 --> 00:28:10,990 But he concludes it with, and if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord. 236 00:28:11,770 --> 00:28:15,752 Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. 237 00:28:16,172 --> 00:28:26,755 Whether the gods which your father served which were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell, but as for me and my house, we will 238 00:28:26,755 --> 00:28:28,736 serve the Lord. 239 00:28:32,808 --> 00:28:40,762 Joshua said, know who I serve, and I know who my people will serve. 240 00:28:41,785 --> 00:28:45,872 And we're not going to depart for the right hand or the left. 241 00:28:47,754 --> 00:28:49,306 We're going to serve the Lord. 242 00:28:52,936 --> 00:28:57,842 Moses calls upon Israel to make a choice. 243 00:28:59,988 --> 00:29:08,419 fear God, to walk in His ways, to love Him, to serve Him. 244 00:29:10,418 --> 00:29:24,532 And then he says, verse 13, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes, which I command you today for your good. 245 00:29:28,936 --> 00:29:33,029 Moses declares to the people. 246 00:29:36,084 --> 00:29:38,459 God is going to tell you what to do. 247 00:29:40,328 --> 00:29:43,252 God is going to give you His commandments. 248 00:29:43,894 --> 00:29:49,844 God is going to lay forth His statutes, His laws, His ordinances. 249 00:29:51,646 --> 00:29:53,560 and your job is to keep them. 250 00:29:55,456 --> 00:30:01,656 Your job is to hold on to them. 251 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:05,808 to not neglect them. 252 00:30:07,636 --> 00:30:24,187 to hold fast to the things which he tells you to do, to not depart from them, to not set them aside as insignificant, to not push them away from yourself and say, I'm not 253 00:30:24,187 --> 00:30:25,808 interested in that. 254 00:30:29,118 --> 00:30:33,828 Moses says, you've got to keep the commandments of the Lord. 255 00:30:37,118 --> 00:30:39,064 Deuteronomy chapter 28. 256 00:30:41,408 --> 00:30:48,296 a little deeper into the message that Moses gives to the nation. 257 00:30:49,972 --> 00:31:04,358 We find in Deuteronomy 28 and verse 1, now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command 258 00:31:04,358 --> 00:31:17,118 you today that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth and all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you 259 00:31:17,118 --> 00:31:21,750 because you obey the voice of the Lord your God. 260 00:31:24,990 --> 00:31:34,836 Moses told Israel, if you'll do this, if you will keep His commandments. 261 00:31:37,875 --> 00:31:39,493 It won't go unnoticed. 262 00:31:41,086 --> 00:31:43,099 God won't be blind to it. 263 00:31:44,262 --> 00:31:51,986 As a matter of fact, every commandment He gave, He gave for your good. 264 00:31:56,264 --> 00:31:57,638 one of the struggles. 265 00:32:00,020 --> 00:32:01,763 that exists as a parent. 266 00:32:03,601 --> 00:32:08,594 is the fact that you don't know perfectly everything you need to teach. 267 00:32:11,934 --> 00:32:15,653 when you get that new baby and you bring them home from the hospital. 268 00:32:17,342 --> 00:32:23,248 You have this sudden realization that you are entirely ignorant of everything you need to know. 269 00:32:25,234 --> 00:32:32,186 And it doesn't matter how many good-hearted and kind individuals tell you everything you need to know, you can't absorb it all. 270 00:32:36,180 --> 00:32:43,002 And then you're challenged for the next many years to stay one step ahead of that kid. 271 00:32:45,020 --> 00:32:48,762 in what you need to know so you can tell them what they need. 272 00:32:50,738 --> 00:32:58,552 and you hope very earnestly that anything that you tell them doesn't lead them down the wrong path. 273 00:33:01,438 --> 00:33:13,938 My mother often wondered aloud why it was that her three sons could learn all of her bad habits without her ever telling them to and couldn't learn anything that she told them to 274 00:33:13,938 --> 00:33:16,942 do in spite of how many times she told them. 275 00:33:22,802 --> 00:33:31,992 And yet, are we not truly blessed that when it comes to our Father in heaven, there's never been a bad example? 276 00:33:34,100 --> 00:33:43,108 There's never been an action that we couldn't emulate that wouldn't have turned out better for us if we did than if we didn't. 277 00:33:44,682 --> 00:33:55,644 There's never been a statement, there's never been a word, there's never been a command, there's never been an instruction where we would have been better off had we not done it. 278 00:33:58,430 --> 00:34:07,704 More often than not, the only problem is we don't have the foresight to keep His commandments before we understand them. 279 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:13,048 1 John chapter 5. 280 00:34:13,048 --> 00:34:15,231 John writes to the church, 281 00:34:21,780 --> 00:34:27,523 He says in verse 1, whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. 282 00:34:28,344 --> 00:34:35,367 And everyone who loves Him, who begot, also loves Him who is begotten of Him. 283 00:34:36,548 --> 00:34:43,922 By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments. 284 00:34:45,972 --> 00:34:47,887 For this is the love of God. 285 00:34:50,278 --> 00:34:59,294 As John pens these words, I wonder if his mind was going back to that upper room. 286 00:35:01,300 --> 00:35:14,708 Whereas he sat there with Jesus, Jesus said the words to his disciples, if you love me, keep my commandments. 287 00:35:16,870 --> 00:35:19,466 and you are my friends. 288 00:35:19,466 --> 00:35:24,196 If you do whatsoever, I command you. 289 00:35:26,110 --> 00:35:36,334 John writes to the church, for this is the love of God that we keep His commandments and His commandments are not burdensome. 290 00:35:40,402 --> 00:35:42,614 Moses is going to tell Israel. 291 00:35:44,724 --> 00:35:46,535 What does the Lord require of you? 292 00:35:48,446 --> 00:35:49,947 to fear the Lord. 293 00:35:51,498 --> 00:35:55,376 to walk in His ways, to love Him. 294 00:35:57,258 --> 00:36:04,346 to keep His commandments and to serve Him with all your heart. 295 00:36:07,826 --> 00:36:11,524 And today, nothing's changed. 296 00:36:13,344 --> 00:36:15,761 for what did Jesus command us to do? 297 00:36:17,354 --> 00:36:28,102 but to die to self, to be buried in that watery grave of baptism, to have our sins washed away and our allegiance to ourselves put away. 298 00:36:29,824 --> 00:36:36,171 and to rise in newness of life to serve our God. 299 00:36:37,473 --> 00:36:40,817 To love Him and to keep His commandments. 300 00:36:41,318 --> 00:36:43,420 To walk in all of His ways. 301 00:36:47,006 --> 00:36:49,777 if you're here this morning and you're outside the body of Christ. 302 00:36:51,774 --> 00:37:01,430 You cannot do what is required of you from outside the body of Christ. 303 00:37:02,592 --> 00:37:09,616 You cannot do what is required of you from outside of the church for which Christ died. 304 00:37:11,390 --> 00:37:15,692 You cannot do what God requires of you alone. 305 00:37:17,758 --> 00:37:21,693 and you cannot do what God requires of you in your sins. 306 00:37:24,414 --> 00:37:29,562 We'd love to help you change that if you are at all willing this morning. 307 00:37:32,414 --> 00:37:39,804 But if you were to glance forward in the text, might find that that wasn't all Moses told them to do. 308 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:45,760 So I hope you'll be back at 1 30 as we discuss the rest. 309 00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:49,469 If you have need of the invitation, why not come now?