The Dangers of Grace
Part 2
Deuteronomy 32:19-33
Purpose: To teach the early warning signs of getting away from the Lord.
Aim: I want the listener to feel a deep sense of danger that their relationship with the Lord can grow cold very easily.
INTRODUCTION: Moses is 120 years old and is about to finish his journey on this earth. A new generation was about to embark on a brand new journey into the long awaited Promised Land. The circumstances would be new, the enemies they would face would be brutal, but the challenge from God would not change: love Him and serve Him with all the heart.
Every day we also begin a new journey. It would be wise for us to be sure that we are prepared for our journey.
There is a story in Our Daily Bread about an explorer who wasn't really prepared. He was a young man who wanted to photograph the beauty of Alaska.
"His adventure began in the spring of 1981 when he was flown into the desolate North Country to photograph the natural beauty and mysteries of the tundra. He had photo equipment, 500 rolls of film, several firearms, and 1,400 pounds of provisions. As the months passed, the entries in his diary, which at first detailed his wonder and fascination with the wildlife around him, turned into a pathetic record of a nightmare. In August he wrote,
'I think I should have used more foresight about arranging my departure. I'll soon find out.'
He waited and waited, but no one came to his rescue. In November he died in a nameless valley, by a nameless lake, 225 miles northeast of Fairbanks. An investigation revealed that he had carefully mapped out his venture, but had made no provision to be flown out of the area.
In the 32nd chapter of Deuteronomy we read that the Israelites made a similar mistake. For awhile they had all they needed, but it soon became obvious that they had given no thought to the outcome of worshipping false gods and living for their own enjoyment. They failed to consider 'their latter end.'" [1]
REVIEW:
Vs.15-18 I. What does Spiritual Coldness look like?
Moses explains that we should be on the lookout for five indications of spiritual coldness.
Vs.15a A. You stop working for God "Jeshurun grew fat"
1. By focusing on yourself "grew fat and kicked"
2. By ignoring your need for God's help "grown fat, thick, sleek"
Vs.15b B. You forget who owns you "forsook God who made him"
Vs.15c C. You overlook the wonder of God "scorned the Rock"
Vs.16-17 D. You change what you worship "New gods who came lately"
Vs.18 E. You ignore the worthiness of God "neglected the Rock"
LESSON:
Vs.19-27 II. How Does God React to our Spiritual Coldness?
Vs.19 A. God hates our coldness "The LORD...spurned them"
It is a mistake to think that God is not very concerned when we drift away from Him. We tend to think that God is only concerned that we don't do anything really stupid like hurt someone or go bungee- jumping without the bungee.
As far as we know Solomon never murdered anyone or stole anything and yet the Lord was even angry with Solomon. Why was God angry at Solomon? Solomon he let his love for God grow cold. 1 Kings 11:9 Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, (NAU)
Notice that God viewed the Jews as His "sons and daughter" but they "neglected the Rock who begot" them (Vs.18). One of the most disrespectful things we can do is enjoy God's blessings and then turn our back on the One who gave us those blessings.
Psalm 7:11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day. (NAU)
Vs.20 B. God hides from our coldness "I will hide My face"
Hosea 5:15 I will go away and return to My place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me. (NAU)
Why would God hide from us? Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes. (NAS)
Vs.21-22 C. God is heartbroken over our coldness "They have made Me jealous"
Paul quotes this passage in Romans 10:19-21 19 But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says, "I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation, by a nation without understanding will I anger you." 20 And Isaiah is very bold and says, "I was found by those who did not seek Me, I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me." 21 But as for Israel He says, "All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people." (NAU) i.e. God says, if you make Me jealous, then I'll make you jealous.
Perhaps God is allowing you to experience the feelings of jealousy by blessing others the way you wish God would bless you. When we feel jealous of others it should alert us to how we make God feel when we give our affection to things rather than the God who made us and rescued us from our sin.
Vs.23-27 D. God heaps up problems for the cold of heart "heap misfortunes on them"
Jeremiah 2:13 For My people have committed two evils:[#1] they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,[#2] to hew for themselves cisterns, (water tanks) broken cisterns that can hold no water. (NAU)
When men forsake the true source of their help then they try to make a substitute. It could be a bigger bank account, worldly friends, sinful amusements, or illegal drugs. God is our only source of real happiness, so when we turn away from Him we will try anything that we think will replace the joy that is missing in our lives.
We should view pain as a gift from God that exists to reveal our weakness.
God often uses problems to warm up cold hearts. Paul struggled with an awful physical problem he called a "thorn in the flesh" but through that trial he gained more of the presence and power of God on his life. 2 Corinthians 12:9--10 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (NAS)
Trials are either opportunities to experience more of God in our lives, or they are encouragements to forsake sin--or maybe God is doing both at the same time.
Vs.28-33 III. What is the Solution to Spiritual Coldness?
Vs.28-29 A. Consider the direction you are going "discern their future"
If you took two parallel railroad tracks and shifted the direction of one of them just one degree, it wouldn't look much different until you looked way down the tracks. God's standards may seem strict, but it is for our own good. For example, how much poison should the city allow into our drinking water?
Holiness is the standard for the OT. Leviticus 20:7 You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. (NAU)
Holiness is the standard is the same in the NT. 1 Peter 1:15-16 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." (NAU)
If the road we are on does not lead to purity and holiness then we are headed for heartache and not joy and peace.
Vs.30-31 B. Consider the power of your God "their rock is not like our Rock"
[Vs.30] Moses is reminding them of the promise God gave them in Leviticus 26:7--8 'But you will chase your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword; five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword. (NAS)
It is easy to look at our circumstances from a worldly perspective and be discouraged. The truth, though, is that "One plus God is a majority."
[Vs.31] Sometimes unsaved people can have a clearer understanding of the power of God than a backslider does. The harlot Rahab told the Jewish spies I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, (in Jericho) and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. (Joshua 2:9 NAU)
Even demons have a fear of God that many religious people don=t have. James 2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. (NAU)
Look ahead to Deuteronomy 32:39: See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; it is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand. (NAU)
Loving the things of the world is a death trap. 1 John 2:15-17 15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (NAU)
Vs.32-33 C. Consider the fate of those who forsake God "poison...bitter...venom"
Whom do you admire? Do you long to be like the average famous person in this world? Beware! Many of the famous and wealthy people we see smiling and laughing on TV will one day suffer the awful wrath of God.
The author of Psalm 73 admitted that he struggled with admiring the ungodly of his day. Psalm 73:3 For I was envious of the arrogant as I saw the prosperity of the wicked. (NAS) Psalm 73:8--9 They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; they speak from on high. They have set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue parades through the earth. (NAS) Psalm 73:12 Behold, these are the wicked; and always at ease, they have increased in wealth. (NAS)
It wasn't until the Psalmist looked at the big picture that he understood what was really important. Psalm 73:16--19 When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight until I came into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! (NAS)
The good news is that cold hearts can be changed. Psalm 40:1-2 1 I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. (NAU)
CONCLUSION: What is your plan for staying close to Christ in this New Year? We don't want to be like the young man who traveled to northern Alaska with no clear idea of how to get back. God's blessings are often disguised as hardships, but hardships for a Christian are a blessing if we are remain committed to Jesus Christ.
Sister Ma and her family were sound asleep one night in May 2001, when the Chinese Public Security Bureau police burst into her house and arrested her, her son and her daughter-in-law. The police left her 5-year-old grandson alone with nobody to take care of him. A 27-year-old woman, a friend and fellow Christian named Yu Zhongju, who had dropped by the house during the raid, and was also arrested.
According to interviews with members of Sister Ma=s house church and statements smuggled out of prison, dozens of church members were arrested at the same time and beaten with clubs, jolted with cattle prods and burned with cigarettes. When they fainted, buckets of water were poured on them to revive them. Interrogators stomped on the fingers of male prisoners and stripped off the clothes of young women prisoners and abused them.
Sister Ma never broke when she was tortured with beatings and electrical shocks. Even when she was close to death, she refused to disclose the names of members of her congregation or sign a statement renouncing her Christian faith.
While the physical abuse was almost unbearable, the mental torture was even worse. Throughout her ordeal, Sister Ma could hear the sounds of her son being tortured in the next room. They could hear each other=s screams--additional incentives to betray their friends and their faith. Recalling this, Sister Ma began to sob. "They wanted me to hear (my son's) cries," she said. "It broke my heart."
According to Voice of the Martyrs sources, Sister Ma was eventually beaten to death while in custody. This kind of treatment has been common in China and other countries for more than half a century. In fact, more Christians have been martyred for their faith in the last century than all other centuries combined.
Those hardships have actually fueled the growth of Christian churches in China. Which is like what happened when Paul was thrown into a Roman prison: Philippians 1:12--14 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. (NAS)
Charles Spurgeon tells us: "In the luxurious ease of the valley men degenerate, but among the mountains we find a brave and hard race, for there the dangers of the crags and the cold of winter brace nerve and muscle till each becomes vigorous, and men are fit for acts of valor and deeds of heroism. It is in battle and service that veteran soldiers are bred." [2]
[1]Our Daily Bread
[2]C. H. Spurgeon. Sermon #825 The Sieve Aug. 16, 1868 From The Biblical Illustrator Copyright (c) 2002 AGES and Biblesoft, Inc.
