Remember the Way
Why
Remember the Way God Has Led You
Deuteronomy 8
Remember the Way
Why
Remember the Way God Has Led You
Deuteronomy 8
|
|
|
June 6, 2015 AM 21st
Anniversary Sunday
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I.
Introduction (Deuteronomy 8:2)
A.
A lot of
life is spent trying to forget
B.
But there
are some things worth remembering
C.
Worth
making sure we remember – keep fresh in our thinking
D.
Life has
a way of getting us to focus on problems, imperfections, enemies
E.
Rarely do
we know how to remember things well – especially important things
F.
God took
a whole Book, the Book of Deuteronomy, to make sure Israel, and
ultimately all people remembered some things about their lives that they
may not be very aware of
II.
Message
A.
God Gave
Clear Instructions – the Law (8:1)
1.
God gave
these instructions - commandments.
a.
They were
all the wisdom of God, written with the finger of God
2.
Why? Why
did God interfere and give them commandments, instructions on life?
a.
So that
they would Do them!
b.
And, so
that they would live!
c.
Like at a
factory – following the instructions and you will live to go home. Act
the fool, and you could die!
d.
And so
that God could give them all that He promised them – the Promised Land,
and a life of freedom and blessing!
3.
In this
chapter, God first commands His people to remember His laws
a.
What they
said
b.
And where
they came from
B.
God
Brought Israel Along THE Way (8:2) – HIS Way!
1.
The
nation of Israel were now free of Egypt
2.
But they
had no idea what way to go (left, right, through the mountains, into the
valley…)
a.
400 years
in Egypt – most of which was as slaves – never allowed to leave before
b.
So,
imagine going through locked gates, out into a desert, not knowing which
way to go?
3.
This was
not a free for all journey, just going wherever the wind took them
4.
God led
His people (Dt 1:31-33; Ex 13:21)
a.
Personally led them, every minute of every day
b.
With a
massive cloud by day
c.
And with
a pillar of fire by night
5.
Carried
them like a father does his little boy
6.
Every
step, even mis-step, God took charge of, and made something memorable
out of the way they went through that wilderness between Egypt, and the
Promised Land
7.
Remember
that, when looking back over YOUR past!
C.
So,
Remember the Journey (8:2)
1.
Constantly, remind yourself of what God is doing in your lives
2.
It was a
long journey – 40 years long!
a.
The
people now had 40 years of memories
b.
They had
been just children when they left Egypt
c.
Their
Mommies and Daddies had messed up royally, when they had the chance to
go right into Canaan and start inheriting the promised land
d.
40 years
of memories can be overwhelming
e.
But God
commanded them to go back over the entire journey
f.
That’s
why God had Moses write the Book of Numbers – to keep a record of where
they went, and what they experienced through those 40 years
g.
They were
supposed to re-read their journal, and remember what they had been
through
h.
AND, they
were supposed to teach what they learned to their children, and
children’s children
3.
It was a
humbling Journey
a.
Almost
none of it was anything to brag about
b.
Mostly
about stubbornness, and rebellions, and insurrections, and attempted
coups
c.
About
idolatries, and murmurings, and complainings
d.
And about
just walking! Thousands of miles of walking, but never getting actually
INTO the Promised Land!
e.
Very
humiliating – very humbling!
f.
Hard
lessons – not just simple things, but deep things, about real trust and
resting in God’s will and way!
g.
Didn’t
make any sense either (Ex 13:17,18) – didn’t go the obvious way
D.
God
Specifically Humbled Them Along the Way (8:2,3)
1.
Think
about it…
a.
God freed
them from the iron furnace of Egypt – brought them out, a free nation
now
b.
Salvation, deliverance
c.
And then
let them hunger, and thirst in the desert for days on end
d.
God
actually let Israel suffer, and struggle with lack of their necessities,
and hard times
2.
Why
Humble Them?
a.
Why did
God lead them on such a long, humbling journey?
b.
To Prove
them – examining and exposing what was in their heart
1)
The
hardest thing to look at is your own heart – easy to see ALL the faults
in another person’s heart
2)
The
hardest thing to know, is your own heart (Jer 17:9,10)
3)
Examples
of testing:
a)
Every car
must be tested thoroughly before it is sold and put into the hands of a
normal driver
b)
Every app
on your smartphone had to be thoroughly tested to see if it could handle
people’s use and mis-use, and still work right!
c)
So also
must every person who sets out to follow God be tested, to see if they
would obey God, especially when it got hard, and unpopular
4)
NEW
things, cheap things, easy things usually are such a waste – it is the
tried and tested things that are worth having
a)
Things
that have stood the test of time
b)
People
who have gone through the trials, and heartaches, and sorrows and
failures
c)
Those are
things and people to listen to and hold onto
d)
Not the
new, shiny, fancy, popular opinions and leaders of today!
c.
Secondly,
To show them how feeble they were without Him. And boy were they feeble
in that desert without God!
1)
The great
king David, who courageously faced off and killed mighty Goliath begged
God to constantly help remind him just how frail he really was (Ps 39:4)
3.
And when
He took care of them, He did it very unusually – with Manna
a.
When He
did supply their need,
b.
Gave them
a miracle – manna, six days a week, for the 40 years
c.
A light,
fluffy bread
4.
Why
Manna?
a.
Not to
teach them to wait to be lazy and not work for their food
b.
But to
teach them something marvellous
c.
That no
physical food gives anyone life – no matter how heathy, or how fancy
d.
That even
heavenly food, angel’s food, did not give anyone real life!
e.
But that
only the words that God spoke, those commandments – only THEY give life
– eternal life!
5.
Don’t you
see? God’s lessons are never learned on a full stomach!
a.
God’s
ways are never understood by our success
b.
But only
by our desperate need – by our lack, and our failures and our valleys
c.
You will
never love this Book like you should until you are hungry, and troubled,
and hurt, and at your last straw!
6.
So God
frustrated Israel, time after time after time – with good purpose…
7.
To humble
them
E.
And, Took
Great Care of Them (8:4-6)
1.
How did
God take care of them?
a.
Didn’t
entertain them
b.
Didn’t
provide great comforts
c.
But,
Their clothes never wore out
d.
Their
feet never swelled – that’s great health
e.
They
always had just enough to eat every day – daily bread, NOT all-you can
eat!
f.
That’s
pretty cool!
g.
But that
is not all that God did, taking care of them!
2.
He also
corrected them, chastised them
a.
That was
just as important as the good times, and even the Promised Land itself
b.
They were
a spiritual mess, and needed correction!
1)
Critical
constantly of Moses – blamed him for everything that went wrong
2)
Loathed
the Manna – miracles never change anyone
3)
Constantly missed the life of slavery and wanted to go back to it!!!
4)
All the
while, wearing the same clothes for 40 years, that never wore out
a)
And ate
food from heaven
b)
And never
were sick!
c.
Oh how we
need correction
3.
So,
remember to do things Gods way (8:6), and accept chastisement when we
don’t!
F.
God was
leading Them Someplace (8:7-9)
1.
To a Good
Land
a.
Farmers
understand these words
b.
You
better appreciate them too – because the only reason we eat, is because
of farmers who know the value of having
1)
Good land
2)
Loads of
fresh water
3)
Fields of
wheat and barley for breads
4)
Fruits
like grapes and figs and pomegranates
5)
And
luxuries like olive oil and honey
2.
To a
Bountiful Land
a.
Everything you will ever need
b.
More than
you need - You will never lack
c.
All the
iron and brass you will ever need – the best metals for building and for
weapons
d.
All
easily gathered and melted down and used!
3.
They were
being led to the Promised Land! Promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
G.
So God
Warned Them (8:10-20)
1.
To
Remember to Not Forget what God had been doing in their lives recently
2.
Or Else,
They Would Join the Pile of Forgotten Nations
3.
So,
Remember
a.
Don’t go
a week without just sitting and pondering God’s hand in your life
b.
That is
what the Sabbath was for – to do very little but ponder how good God has
been
c.
Work very
hard six days, and then sit and praise God for all day, one day
d.
Remember
to follow God’s commandments – do things HIS way
e.
Remember
who brought you this far – by faith!
4.
Or else
this warning will come true
a.
When
things go well – and they will when you do things God’s way
b.
Beware
that your heart gets filled with itself – with pride
1)
Thinking
it was YOU that was so smart
2)
Thinking
and believing that YOU deserved all the good things God has done for you
3)
Thinking
and believing some other god or power (meditation, astrology, inner
light, hyper-intelligence, good looks, etc)
c.
And then
you forget
1)
That God
loved you (Dt 7:6-8)
2)
And he
saved you – from Egypt
3)
And led
you
4)
And
protected you
5)
And
supplied your every need
6)
And
humbled you
7)
And
tested your heart
8)
And that
it was all because of HIS plan and design that he had for them
d.
And you
instead believe YOU are your own god – the master of your own life
e.
When in
reality, it has always been and always will be the Lord God alone who
gives you anything
f.
And if
you DO forget all these things…
g.
You will
fall!
h.
You will
end up like all the other forgotten nations of history
1)
The
Hittites, Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perrizites, the Hivites
2)
The
Moabites, and the Edomites
3)
The
Sumerians
4)
The
Babylonians
5)
The
Persians
6)
The
Romans
7)
The
Normans
8)
The
Vikings
9)
The
Aztecs and the Mayans
5.
All
because you choose not to obey His way of doing things!
III.
Application – Our Turn!
A.
God Gave
US Clear Instructions – the whole Bible
1.
God gave
these instructions - commandments.
a.
Not the
Catholic church
b.
Not
dreams or visions
c.
Nor the
State, or the Garda
d.
No
referendums or opinions
e.
But the
wisdom of God, and the finger of God
2.
Why? Why
did God interfere and give them commandments, instructions on life?
a.
So that
we would Do them!
b.
And, so
that we would live!
c.
And so
that God could give us all that He has promised us – not some the
Promised Land that belongs to Israel, but a life of freedom and blessing
anywhere we live!
3.
Get to
know God’s words, start to finish
B.
God
Brought ALL OF US Along A Way
– HIS Way!
1.
None of
us have any idea what way to go
2.
We don’t
make this up as we go along, like most churches and religions do
3.
We let
God led us
4.
If we
ever take time to notice, we will see how He almost constantly has
Carried us like a father does his little boy
5.
Think
about it
a.
Every
step, even mis-step, thankfully, God took charge of, and made something
memorable out of the way that we have travelled
b.
The old
preaching barn – most mocked
c.
The cold
d.
The fire
that destroyed the building
e.
The move
to Ballincollig
f.
The long
delay in getting our own building
g.
The
coming and going of so many people
6.
God has
led us all the way!
C.
So,
Remember the Journey
1.
Constantly, remind yourself of what God is doing in your lives
2.
All of it
– everything that happened since getting saved
3.
Never
imagine any of it was trivial, insignificant, or worthless
4.
Satan
works so hard so that we have so much happening, that we never take time
to ponder, or remember what God is trying to teach us and show us! To
see the BIG picture
5.
We just
live from moment to moment and never think, about where we are at, how
we got here, where we are going!
6.
How long
journey has YOUR journey beed?
7.
Mine has
been 35 years on the 15th of June
a.
Through
my parent’s divorce
b.
Through a
time of great poverty
c.
Then
getting saved at 17
d.
Losing
most every friend – making some others
e.
Heading
off the Bible college
f.
Wanting
to quit at the end of every year
g.
Meeting
my bride to be during my 4th year
h.
Not
having 2 pennies to rub together
i.
Heading
off to New jersey, with no job, no house – only God’s call
j.
Living in
a fourth floor attic apartment in Belleville, NJ
k.
God
providing a job miraculously like Manna
l.
Giving us
one, then two, then three children
m.
Joel
getting Meningitis at 10 months old
8.
Take time
to remember what they had been through
9.
AND,
teach what you have learned to your children, and children’s children
10.
It was a
humbling Journey
a.
Almost
none of it was anything to brag about
b.
Mostly
about MY stubbornness, and rebellions
c.
About
idolatries, and murmurings, and complainings
d.
And about
just walking the journey! I figure I have driven hundreds of thousands
of miles since getting saved
e.
I have
not “arrived yet” at what I should be, and am not good at what I am
supposed to be doing
f.
Very
humiliating – very humbling!
g.
But that
is MY journey
h.
And it is
YOURS too if you will just take it!
D.
God
Specifically Humbles all of Us
1.
Let’s us
hunger, and thirst in the desert for days on end
2.
Let’s
some of us suffer, and struggle with sickness, and troubles, and hard
times
3.
Why?
a.
To test
us
1)
Proving
you – examining and exposing what was in YOUR heart
2)
What is
exposed when you go through the fire?
b.
To show
them how feeble we are without Him. Jesus reminded His disciples
constantly just how much they needed Him just to live (John 15:3; Col
3:4)
c.
By giving
us simple, plain bread from heaven – the word of God (John 6:31-33; 58,
63)
d.
To get us
totally dependent upon THIS bread
1)
This is
what Jesus reminded Satan of in Matthew chapter 4
2)
Didn’t
eat for 40 days – starving
3)
Satan
tempted Jesus to do a miracle and turn the stones into warm, buttered
bread
4)
Jesus
reminded him that life does not come from bread only, but from knowing,
loving, and believing every word that God has ever spoken!
4.
No wonder
so few love THIS BOOK! God’s lessons are never learned on a full
stomach!
5.
So God
frustrates you and me, time after time after time – with good purpose…
6.
To humble
us
7.
Let Him
humble you!
E.
Start
Noticing that God Has Taken Great Care of Us!
1.
Where
would you be if someone hadn’t preached to you and gotten you saved?
2.
What mess
would you be in?
a.
Drunk?
b.
Drug
addict?
c.
Don’t
tell me YOU won’t end up that way
d.
Divorced,
mentally unstable, living alone and broken and suicidal?
e.
There are
serious consequences for living without God
3.
Take a
good look around and start admitting that God has done great things for
us!
a.
Good
health
b.
A family
– a husband, or a wife, children, parents
c.
A job
d.
A Bible
believing, Bible preaching, Christ honouring CHURCH
e.
What if
this, all this wasn’t here for the past 21 years?
f.
God has
been very good!
4.
AND, God
has been good enough to keep correcting, and chastising us! Getting in
trouble is God’s way of reminding us he loves us enough to not let us
ruin our lives!
5.
That is
just as important as the good times
6.
We are a
generation that loves information, but we do not value wisdom
7.
And most
of all, we hate correction
8.
This is
THE most critical, fault-finding generation in history – find fault with
everything and everyone – demand perfection
9.
Yet, it
is the most ignorant of generations of their own sins and own faults (Pr
30:11-13)
F.
God is
Leading Us Someplace
1.
Not just
to heaven – that’s good enough
2.
But to
the very middle of the best life here and now – the middle of God’s will
for each of us
3.
Let Him
lead
4.
Let Him
take as long as He thinks fit
G.
God Warns
Us
1.
To
Remember to Not Forget what God has been doing in us lives recently
2.
Or Else,
we will Join the Pile of ruined lives
3.
So,
Remember
a.
Don’t go
a week without just sitting and pondering God’s hand in your life
b.
Remember
to follow God’s commandments – do things HIS way
c.
Remember
who brought you this far – by faith!
4.
The
warning
a.
When
things go well – and they will when you do things God’s way
b.
Beware
that your heart gets filled with itself – with pride
1)
Thinking
it was YOU that was so smart
2)
Thinking
and believing that YOU deserved all the good things God has done for you
3)
Thinking
and believing some other god or power (meditation, astrology, inner
light, hyper-intelligence, good looks, etc)
c.
And then
you forget
1)
That God
loved you (Dt 7:6-8)
2)
And he
saved you – from from hell and sin
3)
And led
you
4)
And
protected you
5)
And
supplied your every need
6)
And
humbled you
7)
And
tested your heart
8)
And that
it was all because of HIS plan and design that he has for you
d.
And you
instead believe YOU are your own god – the master of your own life
e.
When in
reality, it has always been and always will be the Lord God alone who
gives you anything
f.
And if
you DO forget all these things…
g.
You will
fall!
h.
You will
end up like all the other loosers of history
1)
The
Marylyn Monroes
The Judy Garlands
The Michael Jacksons
2)
There is
a website that lists over 1,000 dead rappers who have been shot, run
over, overdosed, stabbed, poisoned, committed suicide, and just mainly
shot!
5.
All
because you choose not to obey His way of doing things!
IV.
Conclusion
A.
Isaiah
predicted our real problem in Isaiah 53:6. We all want to go our own way
1.
We want
freedom
2.
But not
responsibility
3.
We want
to choose our way, AND we think we can control the consequences
B.
But God
is the only One who knows the way through the wilderness
1.
And He is
at work, always guiding, always calling, always prodding us to go the
narrow way – the hard way
2.
He has
been at work on me all my life
3.
But more
importantly, he has been at work IN me for the past 35 years
C.
The
longer we go as Christians, the more we should have learned, and the
more humble we should be – certainly!
D.
Is this
true?
E.
If not,
it is time we took inventory of God’s hand, and started yielding to His
instructions
1.
This is
not OUR church, it’s Jesus’ church
2.
Those
people in your home are not YOUR experiment, they are God’s heritage, on
loan to you, with the expectation that you will raise them God’s way
3.
Your life
is not your own – it was given to you by an amazing God, who expects you
to take care of it and operate it according to His instructions
F.
And if
you are not born again – if you haven’t even started the Journey, called
Christian life, not following a cloud or pillar of fire, but JESUS, then
today is the day to start! |