"The Reason for Wilderness" (Deuteronomy 8:1-4)

 Deuteronomy 8:1-4

God put the Israelites in the desert for forty years after rescuing them from Egypt. The Israelites could have gone through the Philistine territory to arrive at Canaan earlier. So why not let them arrive earlier.

We have to go through suffering and hardships. It is a truth shared by all. Being a Christian does not exempt us from hardships, and we endure these tough times for different reasons.

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.

Deuteronomy 8:2 ESV

We have not yet been perfectly transformed and still need training just as the Israelites needed training. They had to develop their faith and spirituality. God needs to make us humble. This is because an arrogant person cannot fully accept God as their creator and savior.

God gave food and water when the Israelites were humble and submitted to God. When the they were proud and felt entitled to food or water, God showed them their true relationship to God. The result was the Israelites better understood that they could not live without God.

Even though we may profess and truly believe in God, we might need to be humbled by God. Our relationship sometimes needs to be shaken so we understand what has happened. 

But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:4 ESV

And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 8:3 ESV

God also needed to give a message. In fact, we need to hear the messages of God. We are taught that God's word is our bread. Without the word of God, we will starve. His word will guide us and sustain us.

Not only do we need to know God's word, we need to practice it. God needs to test us to see if we would keep his commands. We can study and talk about God's word, but if we do not practice it, we are fake followers. 

Our spiritual battles can only be won if we follow God's commands. God knows what is best for us and wants to train us to succeed and do what is right and pleasing to Him.

When we are going through difficult times, we can be assured that God is with us and wants us to be humble and rely on Him. Let us draw closer to Him in the good times and the bad.

2023-02-19 Worship Songs

Mighty To Save 내 주는 구원의 주

You're Worthy of My Praise 경배하리 내 온 맘 다해

There Is Power In The Name Of Jesus 주 이름 큰 능력 있도다

"Candidates for Failure"(Deuteronomy 1:1-8)

 Deuteronomy 1:1-8

 The Israelites were almost at the promised land in Canna. The journey by foot should only had taken 11 days, but instead it took 40 years. The fact was that the Israelites still did not fully trust God and were not permitted to enter the promised land. Despite several miracles, providence and fulfilled prophecies, the people murmured every time there was a problem. It was the same when the Israelite scouts went in.

 Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”

Deuteronomy 1:28 ESV

 The fear was not just caused by the serious threats that they faced. It was their hearts.

 Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God,

Deuteronomy 1:32 ESV

 

There are three types of people.

1.       Those who are without plans.

2.       Those who make foolish plan.

3.       Those who make wise plans.

We want to be like the third kind of person who seeks God to make wise plans.

 We also need to be aware that our success and failure on different goals may make us candidates for failure.

1.       Failing to succeed on the right thing.

2.       Succeeding on the wrong thing

3.       Failing on what God wants me to do.

4.       Succeeding on what God wants you to do.

 

Here are two type of candidates who will fail in the kingdom of God.

 

 Candidate 1

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So, whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

James 4:13-17 ESV

 James warns us of making plans especially for our own gain and profit since it does not include God. We should put God first in our plans.

 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33 ESV

 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

 We need to ask what the will of God is in our life. By seeking God first, we will find the will of God.

 

Candidate 2

 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’

Luke 12:16-20 ESV

 The rich man has so much that he no longer needs to worry and can now retire. However, God tells the rich man that it is time for him to die. The rich man does not seek God on how to use his wealth. This is his mistake. The rich man did not understand the sovereignty of God and focused on his pleasure.

 We live in a world that indulges in the self. Yet, we are called to be channels of blessings. As we give away, God will give.

 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39 ESV

 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:23 ESV

 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 ESV

 We need to know Jesus and accept Jesus as our savior. 

 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Luke 15:7 ESV

 Jesus calls us to serve and make disciples.

 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20 ESV

 Let us make our plans according to God’s will so that we would be candidates for success.

Walking in 2020 within God's Blessings

Walking in 2020 within God's Blessings

This is the final Sunday of January 2020 and the last sermon for the 2020 foundational message which is.

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ESV

As a church we need to embrace these words and hold onto it to experience God.

It is the intention of God to give us His joy and we need to repent of anything that is preventing us from experiencing God's joy. We need to love God. We have all had success and failures and we are reminded of these failures. Moses has the same words for us which is to love God with all our hearts. The way to do this is to put the words on our hearts.

When our emotions fail us, we need to get our intellect to push us on to loving God. And when our intellect fails us, we need to have our will push us to love God.

We also need to commit the words of God to our family and teach them to our children. God's words needs to become the impetus of everything we do. We need to strive to know him in everything we do.

Not only will the words of God will govern our household but will also allow others see that I am Christian. My lifestyle will demonstrate how Christ is working in me, and this witnessing will be organic and genuine so that people will truly see God’s work. The intention of God is to bless His people who honour Him.

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"
John 7:38 ESV

, and

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9 ESV

God counts on us to channel His blessings. We must take action and put into practice God’s words.

In Deuteronomy 6:10-15, we read that we need to be careful not to forget all that He has done. God wants to bless us, but let us be vigilant that we are obedient to God. For some of us it is easy to overcome adversity, but it is easy to forget when things become comfortable. God intends to bless us but we need to be committed in good times and bad times. 

For 2020, let us make every effort to worship and praise God for all that He has done for us. Also, let us make every effort to be obedient to His word and seek His guidance as we walk in His blessing and protection.

Walking in 2020 Within God's Blessings

Walking in 2020 Within God's Blessings

Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Continuing with last week's topic of walking in God's blessings, we look at God's words to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land. The Red Sea had been crossed, but not the Jordan River. Moreover, except for three people, everyone else from the previous generation had died before crossing the Jordan. It was the new generation that would enter the Promised Land, and they had concerns.

The next generation knew how the previous generation had failed, so they asked Moses how they could act so they would not fail. Moses told the Israelites that God had said, 

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."

Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV

By your heart, we understand that this means our whole being. Even when our emotions tell us differently, we need to have our will push us on. Even when our circumstances show us differently, we still press on with our commitment to God daily. 

Our entailment for the love of God involves putting His words on our heart. This means patterning our lives according to the word of God. 

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

Deuteronomy 6:6 ESV

Most Christians do not really know God, and until we know God, we cannot love God. Reading the word of God allows us to know God. By praying to God, we show that we want to know God more. We need to make sacrifices to read and learn about God. 

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

John 14:6-7 ESV

We need to teach God's laws to our children.

You shall teach them diligently to your children, 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.

Deuteronomy 6:7 ESV

God wants us to love him so that things will be well with us. God wants us to be successful, to be blessed and to be protected for us and the generations to follow. God wants us to pass on His words to your children and everyone on your household. 

that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord , the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

Deuteronomy 6:2-3 ESV

Your lifestyle should be transformed. What you say needs to be demonstrated through your actions. This is truly God working in your life to be seen by others.

You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

Deuteronomy 6:8 ESV

We cannot teach God until we know God. We need to study God and His word. Then we can teach our children about God. The best heritage that we can pass on to our children is not material wealth but the love of God.

We also need to act in a way that people outside our homes would see that we are unique because we are God's people. We need to act in a way that others would be drawn to God's way and love.

You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:9 ESV

It is only when we truly and completely follow God that we and future generations will be blessed, and those outside of the church will see God’s goodness and glory.

Walking in 2020 within God's Blessing

Deuteronomy 6:4-15

In the New Year, we need to be alert to what God wants us to hear. God has plans and instructions for us, so we need to heed this for blessings and survival.

This year the Onnuri message is "Love the Lord Your God with All your Heart."

In the Exodus journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, the Israelites had seen the power of God and experienced many miracles. They put their confidence in God after God had destroyed Pharaoh’s pursuing army. They gave glory to God. Later in Exodus 17, the Israelites complained because there was nothing to drink and they believed they would die. They quickly forgot about what God had done. Many died and there were many demonstrations of love, contempt, mistrust, faithfulness, and death over 40 years.

In Deuteronomy, the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land, but they have wandered for 40 years because of mistakes they had made. Moses gives them these words to encourage and direct them.

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ESV

In 2020, just like the Israelites who were about to enter, we need to hear these commands. The command is clear that we need to focus on God with all that we have. God is our master, and we are His servants.

But not only are we to serve God with all that we are, but also we are to love God. God wants us to give our lives to God. It means that God will control our lives. In everything we choose to do, it needs to be distinct to God.

The Israelites were very aware of the history they had and how they failed and were punished. They also remember all the times they praised God when things went well and then they moved away from God. To experience the goodness of God Moses gave these instruction to move towards God and stay with God.

Do everything possible to make those words (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) a part of you.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
Deuteronomy 6:6 ESV

We need to give back our love back to God by governing ourselves to His word. We have to keep them all the time, every day and especially when we find ourselves have fallen. His mercies are new every morning. 

To do you good in the end [Deuteronomy 8:6-20]

 

The choice is yours to make (Deuteronomy 30:11-20)

The choice is yours to make

When God spoke to the Israelites through Moses and urged them to choose life and prosperity over death and destruction (Deut. 30:11-30), he was fully aware of his sovereignty.  But this sovereign God honored his people so much that he made them partners in creating the best possible life.  This partnership began in the Garden of Eden.  The sovereign God punished man for their disobedience instead of overruling man's actions because of his sovereignty; how can humans be held accountable for their actions in the world of a sovereign God?  Yet at the same time out of his sovereignty, he made the clothes of skins and cast them out of the Garden so that man could have a second chance in creating the best possible life.

This same sovereign God who punished Adam and Eve for their disobedience is also the sovereign God who rewards those who seek him diligently (Heb. 11:6) even though he grants grace for life to go on even if we do not seek him diligently.

Therefore, as believers who claim to be the children of this sovereign God, let us seek him diligently.  In seeking him diligently, let us not forget that our faith matters.  The writer of Hebrews in 11:6 says "it is impossible to please God without faith" and according to Jesus "everything is possible for him who believes" (Mark 9:23).  Paul takes this a step further by claiming "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13).  We could go on and on to see how Bible values the attitude of faith in matters of life in this world and also for the world to come.

I am fully aware that many of us struggle in life from one way or the other.  Some of these struggles have been there for a long period of time and now it appears as if you will never be able to overcome them.  But I want to encourage you by saying that there is absolutely nothing beyond God's ability to change or transform.  When you read statements like this, it makes you throw out, right? But I tell you, when I used to hear or read a statement like this, that is how I used to feel when I was going through my struggles in life.  But early in life I made Mark 9:23 the verse of my life and even when I saw the impossibilities surrounding my life, I kept on repeating and believing that promise along with others that spoke to my struggles.  After years of standing on these verses, I can testify to you that Jesus means what he said.  The tree did dry from the bottom at Jesus' words (Mark 11)!

So, if you are struggling in your health, keep believing and speaking the promises of healing.  If you are struggling in your finances, keep believing and speaking the promises of God's provision.  If you are struggling in your marriage and family, keep believing and speaking God's promises of a happy and blessed home.  If you are struggling with certain sins that beset your walk with God, keep believing and speaking the promises of God's forgiveness and complete victory in Christ.  If you are struggling with some kinds of addictions, keep believing and speaking the promises of God's ability to set you free from all bondage.  If you are struggling with broken relationships and hurt, keep believing and speaking the promises of God's healing and restoration in which even your enemies will come to live in peace with you.  If you are struggling with the loss of hopes and dreams, keep believing and speaking in God's ability to restore the years locusts have eaten from your life; keep believing and speaking God's ability to make all things new.  Whatever may be the struggle…never lower your faith in God's ability to do the impossible in the face of seeming impossibility!

The choice is yours to believe and dream even when there is no evidence and if you are a constant believer and speaker of God's promises, you will look back and praise the Lord like never before when you begin to see him act on your behalf.  You will finally say "I never thought this was possible…but God"!   

Or, you can choose not to believe in God's promises and allow your struggles to dictate the course of your life until it ends in losses and misery of all kinds only to realize how much you missed while on earth.  You hoped and wished for a better day but that day never came, and now you stand before the Lord trying to tell him what went wrong with you while on earth!  As you stand before the Lord in the portals of glory; your mind rushes back to earth and…

Church attendance could have been much more joyful.  Worship could have been a delight.  Prayer could have been a pleasure.  Charity could have been a treasure.  Marriage could have been a paradise.  Friendships could have been richer and deeper.  Health could have been robust.  Material life could have been a blessing.  The journey through earth could have been an amazing adventure and discovery.  But all those amazing possibilities were squandered because you chose to allow the struggles to dictate our stay on earth instead of God's promises.

That is why, Moses the man of God commanded Israelites to make up their minds to choose life and prosperity by "loving God" by "walking in his ways" and "keeping his commands and decrees" (Deut. 30:15).  Saint John sums up Moses' instructions in two commandments; 1) believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and 2) love each other (1John 3:23).  Faith and love will see us through the struggles of this life.  Therefore, let us choose faith and love and in doing so, we will inherit life and prosperity!