Keep & Do, Trust & Obey | Sunday, February 14, 2021

The days of our lives are 70 years, if by reason of strength they are 80 years... So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90)

Every commandment which I command you today, you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers. (Deuteronomy 8:1)

Israel stood at the border of blessing again—and so do we, called to keep and do, to trust and obey.

Anniversaries and Transition Points

Happy Valentine's Day, and welcome to our broadcast for February 14th, 2021. This date is an anniversary for me. Twenty-two years ago today, on Sunday, February 14th, 1999, I stood before a group of people—a group of junior highers—to teach through the Scriptures for the first time on a Sunday morning. I taught out of Paul's letter to the Galatians. Now, 22 years later, I am truly grateful that first message was not recorded, especially not recorded like this one.

When I stood to teach all those years ago, I could never have imagined that I would eventually be the senior pastor of that same church, or that I would be preaching to you over a thing called YouTube. Twenty-two years ago there was no social media, no Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok. Google was hardly a thing. AOL was still a big deal—remember all those AOL CDs in the mail? We weren't even really sending text messages yet, and the internet had just barely taken off. One of the major fears that year was Y2K. There is no way we could have imagined all of this, which is both inspiring and a little concerning.

For some people, anniversaries are just another date on a calendar. But I think they are helpful waypoints. It is wise to take time to look back from an anniversary and to look forward. Moses, the preacher giving the message we have been studying in Deuteronomy, is thought to have written Psalm 90, where he says the days of our lives are 70 years, or by strength 80, and asks God to teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Inflection Points, Then and Now

Thinking back to 1999 and all that has happened over the last 22 years, I am reminded that certain points are inflection or transition points. The move from 1999 to 2000 was one of those moments. There was great fear about Y2K—worry that computers wouldn't make the transition and everything would shut off. Ultimately, Y2K was a dud. It wasn't a big deal at all. But it was a transition point, with much anticipation about the new millennium and a new political season.

Moving from 2019 into 2020 was another major transition moment, again into a whole new political season. Interestingly, the chaos that came in 2020 from COVID and politics is more like what people once expected Y2K to bring. We are still in the midst of the weirdness, at another inflection point. It will be interesting to see how these things play out over the next 12 to 36 months. What will life be like for our world, our nation, our community, our church three or five years from now? None of us can definitively answer that. I am not a prophet. But I am praying for good outcomes, and I am sure you are too.

Israel at the Border of Blessing

Some 3,400 years ago, Moses stood before the children of Israel at a critical transition point. They had spent the last 40 years in the wilderness, and now they were preparing to enter the promised land. There was a mixture of excitement and fear, anticipation and dread. It wasn't entirely clear what would befall them as they crossed the Jordan.

Thirty-eight years earlier, Israel had sent twelve spies into the land. They brought back a report that it was a great and beautiful land overflowing with abundance, just as God had promised—but also a report of fortified cities, entrenched tribal groups, and giants. At that report, the people were dispirited, discouraged, and demoralized. That is nothing new. At every point of transition there are factors that can discourage us from moving forward, from taking the ground God wants us to take. But faith requires that we move forward.

Now Israel was back at the very same place. We started studying Deuteronomy about a year ago with a series called Bordering Blessing, and that is exactly where they are. The challenges of 38 years prior are still there. The giants are still in the land. The fortified cities and tribal groups have not disappeared. Their parents died in the wilderness and never tasted the fruit of the promised land because they lacked faith and would not obey the voice of the Lord. Faith and obedience are key when we stand at a transition point.

A Life of Continual Trust and Obedience

Here was Israel again in the same place, having to trust God and obey His command. This would continue to be their place going forward, because the life of the child of God is to be one of continual trust and obedience. Once you have trusted in the Lord and obeyed Him once, it does not mean you never have to do it again. You don't tick a box and say, "I'm done with that." The life that experiences God's presence and tastes His blessing is the life lived in continual trust in God and obedience to His word.

He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land... You shall be blessed above all peoples... And the Lord will take away all your sickness... (Deuteronomy 7:13–15)

This is the consistent story of the Old Testament. The book of Deuteronomy defines God's covenant with Israel. It lays out the history of their relationship and establishes its terms going forward. God is clear: if you know, keep, and do these stipulations, I will continue in covenant relationship with you, show you mercy, and multiply my blessing upon you above all peoples. But the requirement was their trust and obedience.

Separated and Set Apart

This trust and obedience would be seen in Israel's complete separation from the foreigners around them and their total consecration to God.

You shall make no covenant with the people round about you, nor show them mercy, nor shall you make marriages with them... for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods. (Deuteronomy 7:2–4)

For you are a holy people to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 7:6)

The whole of Deuteronomy is filled with strong language like this. Moses keeps driving the point because of the very real danger of Israel departing from their trust and obedience. There was no danger of God being unfaithful to His covenant promise. But the entire Old Testament is a repetitive story of Israel's unfaithfulness and disobedience. If you keep and do these judgments, the Lord will maintain His covenant and blessing. If you do not, your blessings will turn to curses.

Standing Before a Holy God Without Mercy

If Israel was unfaithful and disobedient, the anger of the Lord would be aroused against them to destroy them suddenly (Deuteronomy 7:4). This is heavy language. The same anger that would consume Israel's enemies would turn against Israel if they were unfaithful. It is sobering and frightening, and it is worth noting: this is what it looks like to live before a perfectly holy and righteous God without mercy. That is what the Old Testament is—a picture of what it is like to stand before a perfect, holy God and have no mercy.

Thankfully, that is not our experience. We are blessed under the New Covenant to be found in Christ, where we receive grace upon grace and abundant mercy. But the Old Testament pictures life before that all-consuming fire who, without mercy and grace, will consume His adversaries. God said to Abraham in Genesis 17:1, "Walk before me and be perfect." That was His call to Israel: keep my judgments and be blessed; disobey them and be destroyed. Can you see why they had to be so serious about separating from the people around them?

"Do Not Be Terrified of Your Enemies"

Also, you shall destroy all the peoples whom the Lord your God delivers over to you... You shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt... You shall not be terrified of your enemies, for the Lord your God, the great and awesome God, is among you... You shall burn their carved images, their gods with fire... for it is an accursed thing. (Deuteronomy 7:16–26)

Whether the strong destruction language here is hyperbolic or not—and I think there is evidence that it may be—it is clear that God is very serious about the holiness of His people. He expected total faith, faithfulness, and obedience.

Every commandment which I command you today, you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply and go in and possess the land. (Deuteronomy 8:1)

God's blessing upon Israel was completely dependent upon their faith, faithfulness, and obedience. They would not experience His presence and blessing if they did not remain faithful and obedient. "You shall remember the Lord your God" (8:2). "Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in his ways and to fear him" (8:6). "Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God" (8:11). "But if you... forget the Lord your God and follow other gods... you shall surely perish... because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God" (8:19–20). This is exactly what you see throughout the rest of the Old Testament, from Deuteronomy through Malachi.

How Much Better the New Covenant Is

At this point, I hope you realize just how much better the New Covenant is than the Old. That is really one of the points of the Old Testament's story—it should make us constantly desire a new and better covenant that does not depend upon our faithfulness and obedience as the Old did. Of course, the New Covenant does not do away with the importance of faith, faithfulness, and obedience. But the motivation is different. In Christ, our obedience is a response to God's lavish love and grace.

Another thing that becomes clear as we study Deuteronomy is what is happening in the rest of the Old Testament. One reason I have been teaching this book is to lay a foundation for understanding the Old Testament books, especially the prophets. The prophetic books—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Zephaniah—make far more sense when you understand Deuteronomy. The prophets were essentially preachers who understood the blessings of obedience and the judgments of disobedience from this book. They looked at the sinful condition of their nation and called the people to repent and turn back to God, or invite His wrath.

Repent and Turn to Christ

Although we no longer live under this Deuteronomic system, it is still true that there are privileges and blessings for those who follow the truths and principles of God's law. We can look at our nation and the nations around us and say we are living in a way that, according to Scripture, is displeasing to God—and if we continue, we will experience the curses of disobedience. But whereas the Old Testament prophets said, "Repent and turn back to God," we should say, "Repent and turn to Christ for forgiveness and grace."

Here is the reality: it is not only true that Israel's disobedience invited God's wrath; it is true for all of humanity. Paul writes in Romans that the wrath of God will be revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of those who suppress the truth. So God's wrath will one day be poured out upon unfaithfulness and disobedience.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Jesus took the sin of the world upon Himself and absorbed all of God's wrath for sin, so that we could find refuge in Him. We justly deserve God's punishment, and He would be completely righteous in bringing it. But in Christ we receive grace and forgiveness, because Jesus took God's punishment in our place. Only by trusting in Christ are we sheltered from God's righteous wrath. Ultimately, this is the whole point of passages like Deuteronomy and the prophetic books: the law and the prophets point us to our need for Christ.

An Invitation to Trust in Christ

I want to speak to those of you who have never put your trust in Jesus Christ. God's wrath will one day be poured out upon all unrighteousness, just as it was poured out on the Hittites and Canaanites, and on Israel when they departed from the Lord. We are not safe from that wrath if we stand upon our own good works. Our own good works will never save us. But Jesus, the one who knew no sin, stood in our place, took our sin upon Himself, and died on the cross, absorbing all of God's wrath, so that we could find shelter in Him. He is our refuge.

There is only one way to be righteous before God: to be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ by trusting in Him. First, admit that you are a sinner. You might be better than your neighbor or the person in the cubicle next to you, but you are not being judged by those people—your life will be put up next to the perfection of Jesus Christ, and none of us will stand up to that. Then put your trust in Jesus Christ, believing He died on the cross in your place to pay the penalty for your sins. Then confess your sins to God through prayer, asking Jesus to save you.

If you want to do that today, pray with me wherever you are. Close your eyes and pray quietly in your heart: Dear Jesus, I recognize that I am a sinner. I recognize my need for you. I don't live up to your perfect standard. I thank you that you died in my place on the cross, that you took all of God's wrath upon you so that I could be forgiven and receive mercy. I pray that you would forgive me of my sin, help me to follow you by faith, and give me salvation and refuge. In Jesus' name, amen.

If you prayed that prayer, we would love to know about it—there is a web address on the screen where you can let us know, and if you don't have a Bible, we'd love to send one to you.

Shine as Lights in a Dark World

We are living in challenging times. It is my prayer that things change for the better. But even if they don't, God desires that you and I, as followers of Jesus, would shine as bright lights in a dark world. We do that as we follow the Lord by faith, walk in obedience to His word, and share the good news of the gospel.

So I want to encourage you—members of Cross Connection Church, or any follower of Jesus—to share the gospel with those you work with, live next door to, and are related to who don't yet know it. People who are trying by their own merits to live a "good life" will never live up perfectly to God's law. God never intended that we would be saved by keeping His law. He intended that His law—books like Deuteronomy—would reveal how far we are from Him, so that we would call out to Him for salvation in Jesus Christ. Take a step of faith this week, pray for boldness, and share that good news, because it is the very thing others need—the grace, mercy, and peace that come only from Jesus Christ.

Closing Prayer

Father, as we close out our time today, we pray that you would open doors of opportunity to your church. I pray for my brothers and sisters, that you would give us an opportunity—whether standing by the mailbox getting the mail, or at work, or wherever we might be—to share the good news of who you are. I pray for boldness. Pour out your Spirit upon your church and enable us to be lights shining in a dark place. Make it impossible for us not to shine with your love, grace, and truth through the gospel. Give us boldness to speak the truth of who you are and what you've done in our lives, and what you desire to do in the lives of others.

Father, we thank you for your word, which is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword—breathed and inspired by you, useful for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, so that we would be equipped for every good work. Equip us by your Spirit to do the work of the ministry, sharing the good news with everyone we meet. Help us to trust in you and walk in obedience to your word, working out our salvation with fear and trembling as you work in us to will and to do your good pleasure. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

And now the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you and give you His peace. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of His Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.