The Secret to Flourishing Faith (2)
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Opening Illustration: “Ignace Jan Paderewski - He was a prodigy pianist and composer. He entered the Warsaw Conservatory at age 12 and by 18 he was appointed as a professor. He was a Master piano composer and concert performer, mesmerizing audiences across Europe and America.
The legend is told that the great Paderewski was preparing to play concert in a certain city. The stage was set with the single ebony grand piano at center stage.
A mother brought her son to the concert in hope of renewing his interest playing the piano. As the audience settled into their seats, the young mother noticed that her son was missing. Then in horror, she watched as the boy walked on the stage and climbed up onto the piano’s seat and began playing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
playing around the child playing Twinkle, Twinkle. “Keep playing! You are doing great! Keep going!”
The audience gasped as Paderewski appeared quickly, he placed his arms around the child, and began to play along with the boy in a beautiful arrangements of counter melodies and harmonies. All the while, the great composer was whispering in the boy’s ears, ‘Don’t quit. You are doing great! Keep going!’”
pg 75 - in Invest In A Few, Craig Etheredge
Here are the people of Israel once again toddling on the brink of greatness - walking close to border of the Promised Land - gettting close to claiming God’s Promises.
Deuteronomy is the “Second Telling” of the Law - God is looking over the shoulder of the toddling faithful saying, “Keep Going, you’re doing great! Don’t quit.”
Those watching realize that it is not the People of Israel, but the Lord God making the nations sing of the glory of God. The people are to be faithful, YES - but God works through them and with them to bring glory to Himself.
1 “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it,
2 so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.
3 “O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
4 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!
5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
7 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
8 “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.
9 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
10 “Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build,
11 and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied,
12 then watch yourself, that you do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
1. Repetition of the Law is a Call to Commitment, v. 4-6
1. Repetition of the Law is a Call to Commitment, v. 4-6
William Law - “It is an easy thing to worship God with forms of words, and to observe times of offering them unto Him, so it is the smallest kind of piety (holiness).
On the other hand, it is more difficult to worship with our substance, to honor Him with the right use of our time, to offer to Him the continual sacrifice of self-denial and mortification, to correct all our passions and make piety to God the rule and measure of all the actions of our common life, so the devotion of this kind is a much more acceptable service unto God...”
so the devotion of this kind is a much more acceptable service unto God.
2. Commitment Leads to Growth. SO...
2. Commitment Leads to Growth. SO...
Commit Your Family to the Lord, v 7
“teach them diligently...” - Any Family can do this - It simply dedicating ourselves to the Lord and taking advantage of teachable moments.
Bedtimes, mealtimes, vacations and travel - make The Lord a priority!
Papers and assignments can be a proof of Biblical principles given to teachers. Especially in our area, there are many believing teachers who will welcome the opportunity to encourage students to live for God.
Coaches and Assistant coaches have a great chance to lead a small group of kids to make the Lord a priority in their lives. Prayer requests and prayer over THEM and the team is a great way to lead.
Commit Your Presence to the Lord, v. 8
what people see matters - The Israelites wore the Word of God on their outer clothing!
Let’s put a little case study. If the assignment was to get to know me as well you can in 2 hours - Which would you choose?
TIME WITH ME for 2 hours at work and mealtimes?
OR
TIME in my personal spaces looking at my room, my car, my music, my movies, and looking at my hobbies?
PSYCHOLOGY would say that it is the time in our personal space.
phylacteries - little boxes on the outer garments of the most devout Israelites.
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Phylactery
Phylactery. Small prayer case containing Scripture passages worn at times of prayer by pious Jews. Orthodox Jewish males wear two small black leather cubes or boxes, with Scripture inside, at the time of prayer.
In its original form the phylactery was probably not a box containing Scripture but a strip of parchment on which four passages from the OT were written in Hebrew. The passages were Exodus 13:1–10; 11–16; Deuteronomy 6:4–9; and 11:13–21. The Deuteronomy 6:4–9 passage contains the “Shema”—the confession of God being one Lord.
5 “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.
6 “They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.
8 “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
10 “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.
11 “But the greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
These trappings took such prominence that Jesus spoke against them in the Gospels.
NASB955 “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.
BUMPER STICKERS on cars tell others a lot about our interests. Currently i have two stickers on my car. They are magnets. One for UK and the other for the Red River Fiddlers group who will be in Franklin next month playing on the square.
6 “They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. 8 “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.
Verse 9 - is part of where we take our tradition of calling pastors and ministers BROTHER - and it is also why i don’t usually call my Catholic friends by their honorary title of Father. I usually just call them Brian or Fred or Brother...
11 “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
what people hear matters
It’s all a reflection back to God who is our Heavenly Father.
Commit Your Home to the Lord, v. 9
doorposts and gates - but also our books, and media, tablets and television are all testimonies of how we live for the Lord once the doors to our home close.
BUMPER STICKERS on cars tell others a lot about our interests. Currently i have two stickers on my car. They are magnets. One for UK and the other for the Red River Fiddlers group who will be in Franklin next month playing on the square.
Commit Your Community to the Lord, v. 10-11
Because the Lord and Moses knew this would be hard for the people - he repeats the Law and challenges the people to COMMIT to living out the Law BEFORE they get there.
The Wilderness wanderings were a teaching time, it wasn’t just all sin and smiting, backtalk and fighting. God was teaching them, discipling them and loving them to His Promises.
Again and again, I’m caught getting frustrated with the people of Israel, when really the frustration demonstrates how we behave so many times. I am Israel. You are Israel.
3. Crisis in the Wilderness Leads to Growth in Promises. v. 1
3. Crisis in the Wilderness Leads to Growth in Promises. v. 1
Growth - multiple generations flourish when patriarchs and matriarchs are sold out to the Lord.
multiple generations flourish when patriarchs and matriarchs are sold out to the Lord.
v. 3 Listen and Be Careful to do it
v. 3 Listen and Be Careful to do it
that it may be well with you.
that you may multiply greatly.
just as the Lord promised (conditional)
See verses 10-12 - - “Watch yourself!!
10 “Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build,
11 and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied,
12 then watch yourself, that you do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
13 “You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.
14 “You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you,
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 6
12 then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
13 “You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.
14 “You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you,
Application for Life
Application for Life
Holiness is a Responsibility that requires diligence
Faith is a Lifestyle and a Worldview
it requires diligence
The Lens Through Which We View the World.
Christ reorients our lives - His call to Holiness should change us and our habits.
We are only one generation away from the loss of freedom and faith.
2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.