February 7, 2021

WALK IN HIS WAYS
February 7, 2021
Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Have you ever made the comment, “Well, living with ________ is better than living with the alternative”? Can you share the example?

Open: 

The month of January passed quickly as members of Thomas Road were challenged to read the Bible through in six months. Sermons on Sunday are being pulled from a passage read during the prior week. Today we finished with Deuteronomy, also known as the “Second Giving,” as Moses reinforced to Israel  the Laws God had given them. We know God had many blessings that He had promised His chosen people, but they hinged on Israel following and loving Him.

Focal Passage: Deuteronomy 11.

Walking with God is better than any other option

    • Read Deut. 11:13-15. What is the condition God gives Israel in verse 13? What are the blessings that follow in verses 14-15?
    • How is this similar to the actions of parents as they place rewards for conduct or goals in front of their children?
    • Read John 6:66-68. Peter realized that only Jesus had what no one else could give; what was it? Where would you go if you left Jesus?

Not walking with God has devastating consequences

    • Read Deut. 16-17. What is the conditional phrase that begins this passage? What are the curses that will come to the one who rejects God to follow some other form of idol or god?
    • How have you gone your own way when you felt as though God’s rules were too stringent to obey? Can anyone share?
    • What are some conditional rules in our everyday lives that can have dire consequences if we disobey them?

Hold His truths close and tell others

    • Read Deut. 11:18-21. In verse 18, who is the “you” that can be assumed here? Whom are the actions directed toward?
    • In verse 19, who will be on the receiving end of these actions? What are they being taught, and who will be doing the teaching?
    • In verse 20, what else will exhibit the testimony of God’s children? How? How should your home reflect your love for Jesus Christ?
    • What is the promise in verse 21? If this promise is yours, will you be happy?

The bottom line is clear: be a follower of Jesus Christ

    • Read Deut. 11:22-24. What are the two commandments in verse 22 that God again states as conditional?
    • What will be the blessings of someone who loves Him fully, and is faithful to Him? How—if you fulfill both these commandments—will your love for your neighbor be shown?

Will you be that person cited in verse 22?

Close:

It is hard to read the books of Moses and not criticize the Israelites for their continual grumbling, complaining, and pagan worship practices. It comes with our tendency to judge other people, even when we know we shouldn’t. That is, until God shows us the beam in our own eye. The swiftest challenge to a judgmental spirit is to ask God to show us if the bad habits that we detect in someone else are present in our own life! God doesn’t pull any punches in taking you at your word that you are asking because you really want to know. We definitely need to beware if we hold the Israelites to a higher standard than we hold ourselves.
As we read through Genesis to Deuteronomy, we assume that we would do so much better at being faithful to God than the Israelites were. We feel we would not have to bear any of the curses that were promised to come to them if they did not follow God. In reality, it is with this in mind that we need to focus on the instances during the day when we fail God because we are failing our brother. We often let anger, impatience, irritability, or dozens of other sinful actions to enter our spirit.

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