PENTECOST 8 July 13-15, 2013 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Deuteronomy 30:8-14 “GOD GIVES US A WONDERFUL LIFE”

PENTECOST 8

July 13-15, 2013

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Deuteronomy 30:8-14

“GOD GIVES US A WONDERFUL LIFE”

1.     By calling us to repentance.

2.     By keeping it simple for us.

3.     By giving us His word.

Deuteronomy 30:8-14 (NIV 1984) “You will again obey the LORD and follow all his commands I am giving you today. 9 Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers, 10 if you obey the LORD your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.”

          “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Hopefully every American 12 years old and older recognizes that sentence as coming from our country’s Declaration of Independence. Does it make me un-American if I quibble with it just a little bit? It’s that last part that bothers me. Listed as an unalienable right endowed by the Creator is the pursuit of happiness. Really? God gives me the right to pursue happiness? That’s not what the Bible says. The Bible says God gives us the right and the ability to be happy. Always. Happy the people the Lord has chosen to be His own! Happy/blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it. Rejoice in the Lord always. Since that’s true I don’t want to waste my time pursuing happiness. Neither do you. Instead we get to spend our time being happy. But that only happens when things are right with us and the Lord.

          Hear God’s good news. God gives us, His people, a wonderful life. Let’s see how He does that today by looking at how He did that with His people some 3500 years ago. That’s the setting for God’s Word before us. God’s people, the Israelites, were led by Moses. They had completed 40 years of wandering around in the wilderness as a consequence for their lack of trust in God’s power. 40 years before God told them to enter their new home but they were scared. They didn’t trust God to keep His word. Now 40 years later they were going to get to enter their Promised Land that would be their home. Moses spoke the words of God’s laws to them a second time. That’s what Deuteronomy means—the second giving of the law. Everything given 40 years earlier on Mt. Sinai was repeated. Then God had Moses outline the blessings of living the repentant life.

          “You will again obey the LORD and follow all his commands I am giving you today. 9 Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers, 10 if you obey the LORD your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Do you see how God gave them a wonderful life? That 40 years of wandering in the wilderness was an extended call to repentance.  They recognized their sin. They were remorseful for it. They turned to their Lord and were living with Him again. God would give them a wonderful life.

          The same thing is true for us. He knows we can’t be happy without Him so He calls us to repentance. We too have problems trusting God to keep His word. He tells us to seek first His kingdom and righteousness and we often get around to God and His word later. Too many other things are more important. He tells us to set our hearts on our heavenly home but the things in the earthly one are all we know so we often value them more. He tells us to live holy lives that stand out among the unbelievers we live among. Too often we fit in too well. Sadly the list of ways we have in the past declared independence from God is a long one. But God loves us. He calls us to repentance. He makes sure we hear words of the law at church , in the Bible, from a friend. We might not get 40 years of consequence but we get our own. And it’s good. Did you notice how God did not focus on Israel’s past but their future? So too with you. Your past does not matter. God gives you today as a present and He wants you to have a wonderful life where you can turn to God with all your heart, soul and mind. The only way for that to truly happen is to keep your eyes on Jesus. Jesus is the reason your past sins do not matter. He took those sins from you. He loves you. He gave Himself for you. No threats of punishment can motivate a person to love God with all his heart, soul and mind. But love can. Jesus loves you. He lives for you. He dies for you. He wants you with Him forever. God gives us a wonderful life by calling us to repentance.

          And by keeping it simple for us. “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" Do you remember the Bible Story about Naaman? He was the Syrian general who had leprosy. But God had put into his life an Israelite girl who was a believer. She sent him to the prophet Elisha who told him God would heal him by having him dip himself in the Jordan river. Naaman went away mad. It was too easy. Too simple. He wanted something great and grand. But God doesn’t do things that way. He keeps it simple. We need saving so He has His Son Jesus do all the work. We simply believe what God has already done. Or think of Baptism. It’s so simple! Where do you find people apart from water? You don’t. So when God wants us to know we are His children and our children are His children, He keeps it simple. He gives us Baptism.

          When it comes to giving us a wonderful life God keeps it simple for us. Simple commands. Jesus simply put it this way. “If you love me obey my commandments.” Hardly ever does it happen that we really don’t know what God says is right and wrong. It’s not like some of the instructions you see on products these days. I’m sure you’ve seen them. Like this one found on a Japanese food processor. “Not to be used for the other use.” What does that mean?  Or this one seen at a parking lot. “Entrance only. Do not enter.” What do you do with that? Or how about this on a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle? “Some assembly required.” Really. God doesn’t play those games with us. He keeps it simple. “Here are my commands. The most meaningful way for you to say thank you and show your love for me is by willingly obeying them. I will bless you.” God gives us a wonderful life by keeping things simple for us.

          And by giving us His word. “No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.” God’s Word is power. He calls it sharper than any two edged sword. He tells us it is His power to save. We know it is the absolute truth. Jesus rebuked the Devil by quoting the Scripture, “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” He gently rebuked and encouraged Martha with the truth that only one thing is needed—the word of God. Jesus is the one who said, “Blessed, (or happy) are those who hear God’s word and keep it.” God gives us a wonderful life by giving us His word. He says it is in our mouth and our heart. How does that happen? By daily use. Are you, making daily use? It’s the key to a wonderful life. Reminds me of when I first became a pastor. Before becoming a pastor I had a great habit of daily devotions and Bible reading. Then I was assigned to be a pastor at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Universal City, TX. Chris and I got married. We moved there. She started her job teaching. I started pastoring. There was so much to do. A house to set up. An office to set up. People to meet. Sermons to write. Meetings. About three months go by. I felt kind of empty. I studied so long for the privilege of becoming a pastor. Now I was one. What was wrong? Something was missing. Do you know what it was? My God’s Word time. I fell out of the habit. I was missing out on the wonderful life.

          But God loved me. He found a way to wake me up. God loves you too. He wants you to have a wonderful life now as you wait for the most wonderful life with Him in heaven. Join with me, brothers and sisters, in rejecting the American pursuit of happiness and claiming the Christian blessing of ongoing happiness. When God calls you to repentance, listen. Don’t think too hard. God’s made it simple so keep it simple. Obey Him out of love. All you need to do that is His word which will keep your eyes on Jesus. You have it. Use it. Amen.