It’s Not Hard
Deuteronomy 30:11-20
Introduction: As the golfer approached the first tee, a hazardous hole with a green surrounded by water, he debated if he should use his new golf ball. Deciding that the hole was too treacherous, he pulled out an old ball and placed it on the tee. Just then he heard a voice from above say loudly: "Use the new ball!" Frightened, he replaced the old ball with the new one and approached the tee. Now the voice from above shouted: "Take a practice swing!" With this, the golfer stepped backward and took a swing. Feeling more confident, he approached the tee when the voice again rang out: "Use the old ball!" (Copied)
So often, I hear people say, “If God would only speak audibly and tell me what it is that He wants me to do, life would be so much easier.” God wants us to do His will, nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else. But realize that knowing what God wants and doing what He wants really isn’t that Hard.
I. It is Not that Hard to Know God’s Will
A. Deuteronomy 30:11- 14 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ’Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ’Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
B. Vs 11 – What I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach”
C. Moses is telling the nation of Israel that they have a life and death choice to make. They are given the choice of following God and His will or of doing their own thing. Moses makes it abundantly clear that God has revealed Himself and His will to Israel. He demonstrated His person, His power and His majesty time and time again throughout their history. He revealed His will through the commandments given through Moses.
D. You don’t have to climb to some mountain peak in the Himalayas seeking some mystical wisdom from a “holy man”. You don’t need a doctor’s degree in Theology. It’s not rocket science to know God and to know His will.
E. God has revealed Himself and His will in nature and in the heart of man
F. Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse”
G. God has revealed Who He is and what His will is through the Word of God.
H. John 20:31 “...these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”
I. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
J. “The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life is either expressly set down in Scripture or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture, unto which nothing at anytime is to be added whether by new revelations of the Spirit or traditions of man.” – From the Westminster Confession of Faith
K. “I will seek the will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.” – George Mueller
L. Romans 15:4 “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning (instructon, guidance, to teach us), that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”
M. Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”
II. It is Not that Hard to do God’s Will
A. Deuteronomy 30:14 “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may DO IT.
B. Romans 2:13 “for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the DOERS of the law will be justified”
C. James 1:22 “But be DOERS of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
D. God will never ask you to do anything that you and He are not capable of doing together.
E. Imagine the parents of a newborn bringing their little bundle home from the hospital. They carry him from room to room, explaining, “There’s the refrigerator. Help yourself when you’re hungry. There’s the bathroom. It’s all there for you: toilet, shower, sink. Your bedroom is in here. Just make sure that you change the sheets each week and make your bed. If you ever need anything, let us know. We’ll see what we can do. Thankfully, no earthly parents would ever think of doing that, and God does not do that, either.” – Steven Cole
F. Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
G. Equip - The Greek verb is used of mending torn nets. It was used outside of the Bible to describe putting a bone back into place. It means to restore something so that it can realize its intended purpose.
H. God will never lead us to a place we are not ready to go.
I. Regardless of what God asks us to do- it is always for our good.
J. Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
K. When God reveals His will to us, we need to realize that He sees the end before the beginning. He knows the path we will take, the obstacles and valleys we will meet along the way. He knows where the provisions are that He has already placed along the way. His plan cannot be improved upon, but it must be followed for there to be victory and blessing! We can be in no better place that the perfect will of God for our lives! - copied
L. Nike has a slogan, “Just do it!” The believer’s slogan ought to be “Just do it!”
III. It’s as Simple as ABC
A. Deuteronomy 30:15- 16 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.”
B. Love God – “Love the Lord your God” - Have your heart right.
1. Deuteronomy 6:5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
2. Love for God is a wholehearted affection for God as my Lord, my King, my Savior, My breath. It means loving what He loves and who He loves.
3. Romans 10:8-10 “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
4. If you want to grow in your love for God, then guard your mind.
C. Walk Upright – “walk in His ways” – Have your mind right.
1. Philippians 2:15 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,”
2. Hebrews 10:7 “Then I said, ’Behold, I have come – In the volume of the book it is written of Me – to do Your will, O God.’”
3. John 20:21 “So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
4. To walk in His ways is to desire to be like Jesus Christ. Walking in "His" ways means following the example that Christ sets
5. Our walk talks; our talk walks; but our walk talks further than our talk walks. Our talk will walk no further than our walk talks.- copied
D. Obey His Word – “Keep His commandments” – Have your life right.
1. Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.”
2. 1 John 5:1-3 “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”
3. The will of God never has been and never will be accomplished by those who are not totally obedient to Him.
4. A church member went to his pastor, Phillips Brooks, to tell him he was going to the Holy Land. He said that it was his intention to visit Mount Sinai. "In fact," the man told the minister, "I plan to climb to the top of that mountain and when I get there read aloud the Ten Commandments." Thinking this would please Dr. Brooks, the church member was surprised to hear his pastor say, "You know, I can think of something even better than that." The man responded, "You can, Pastor? And what might that be?" Brooks replied rather bluntly, "Just this. Instead of traveling thousands of miles to read the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, why not stay right here at home and keep them?"
