Is He Still Good To You?
Deuteronomy 8:10-11 (NASB) "When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today;”
Deuteronomy 8:10-11(Good News Translation) “You will have all you want to eat, and you will give thanks to the Lord your God for the fertile land that he has given you. Make certain that you do not forget the Lord your God; do not fail to obey any of his laws that I am giving you today.”
Thought: Is He Still Good To You?
In 1978, a husband & wife recording duo by the names of Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson; better known as Ashford & Simpson recorded a #1 hit called “Is It Still Good To You?”. If a person could get past the music and the smooth voices of the vocalist, to analyze the situation of which the duo was singing about; you’ll find that they called to the forefront an issue that is as common today as it was nearly thirty-nine years ago, when the song topped the R&B Chart. You will find that the couple is calling a time-out due to complacency. The song speaks of this once loving couple, that somewhere along the way lost that fire of their relationship that in earlier years ignited their courtship into marriage; somehow during the course of living; that dreamy eyed look they once had for one another was not longer there. There once was a time that an infectious smile would suddenly appeared on his or her face when someone just mentioned the other person’s name. Somewhere along the way, that radiant passion that once sparked into flames is only smoldering smoke, all but extinguished. Now they find themselves asking one other, “Is It Still Good To You?”
As we study the Book of Deuteronomy, we find Moses calling a time-out. This time-out is called with Canaan (The Promised Land) in viewing distance. Moses calls a time-out near the end of the 39th year of their forty-year wilderness journey. Moses’ intent is to challenge the Israelites to not become complacent in their worship to God.
Again, looking at our text, it reads: "When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today.”
This question posed to you on this Sunday morning “Is He Still Good To You” is in no way a question doubting the goodness of our God. For we know that God is the very essence of goodness.
• Mark 10:18 - Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.
• James 1:17 (ASV) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.
• Romans 8:28 (KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
In short, we’ve got a God who is good, A God who can only give good gift and a God who make sure at all things work together for your good.
But on today, it’s not the lyrics of a song that is posing the question nor is it Moses trying to preempt the complacency situation; but it is God, Himself, challenging us with the question “Is He Still Good to You?”
So why the question/challenge: I’m glad you asked: If this sanctuary were to represent the demographics of the United States of America (The Barna Group 2007 Research):
• Only 55% of us would pray daily to our good God. With 23% of us admitting that we never/seldom pray to our good God.
• 52% of us who make over $50K/yr. never/seldom pray to our good God.
• 65% of us with some from of higher education never/seldom pray to our good God.
• The average Christian spends only one minute/day in prayer to our good God.
• 57% of Americans only read about our good God four times/year.
When analyzed, I believe that the preemptive message of Moses found in the eighth chapter of Deuteronomy teaches us how to avoid complacency in our worship to our good God, thus avoiding God’s fair and just judgment.
The challenge for us is to preemptively call a time-out in an effort to avoid complacency in our relationship with our Good God; which introduces our first point.
I. Do You Remember What He Delivered You From?
Deuteronomy 8:14 (NASB). . . then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Hosea 13:6 (NASB) As they had their pasture, they became satisfied, And being satisfied, their heart became proud; Therefore they forgot Me.
• Bondage/Hardship
• Depression/Anxiety
• Hopeless Relationship
2 Kings 14:10 (NASB) "You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has become proud. Enjoy your glory and stay at home; for why should you provoke trouble so that you, even you, would fall, and Judah with you?"
• Rebellious Mind
• Proud Disposition
• Vain Glory
Deuteronomy 6:20-23 (NASB) When your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What do the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments mean which the LORD our God commanded you?' then you shall say to your son, 'We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the LORD brought us from Egypt with a mighty hand. 'Moreover, the LORD showed great and distressing signs and wonders before our eyes against Egypt, Pharaoh and all his household. . .
• God’s command is for us to remember what he delivered us from.
o We toasted our bologna sandwiches due mask the fact the bread was stale.
o Growing up in 3 bedroom house, with seven other brothers and sisters; one bedroom for the boys/one bedroom for the girls.
o You’ve got more clothes than closets
o You had one car in the driveway, now you’ve more cars than garages.
o There was a time when you had more pantry than food, but look at you now, now you’ve got more food than pantry.
II. Do You Remember What He Brought You Through?
Deuteronomy 8:2 (NASB) “You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”
Deuteronomy 8:3 (NASB) “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you [understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.”
Matthew 4:4 (NASB) But Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Deuteronomy 8:15-16 (NASB) “He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint. In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end.”
Marvin Sapp – I never could have made it without you. When I look back
Over all You brought me through I can see that You were the One
I held on to. . . . I made it through my storm and my test. Because You were there to carry me through my mess.
Psalm 34:8 (NIV) Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
III. Do You Remember How He Kept You?
Deuteronomy 8:4-5 (NASB) “Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. Thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.”
• God was my tailor and my doctor. . . What do you need God to be for you.
Growing up castor oil was our God’s Medicine: Antimicrobial agent; Remedies for gastrointestinal problems; Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic; Immune system stimulant; Lymphatic stimulant; Hair stimulant.
Castor oil is considered a great remedy for major illnesses: Multiple Sclerosis; Parkinson’s Disease; Cerebral Palsy; Arthritis and Rheumatism pain; Skin Abrasions; Sunburn; Athletes foot; Acne; Migraines; Menstrual Disorders; Yeast Infection; Constipation; Gastrointestinal problems; Stye.
Jonah 2:7 (NASB) "While I was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple.”
Kurt Carr – He Kept Me:
I Almost let go; I felt like I just couldn't take life any more; My problems had me bound; Depression weighed me down; But God held me close; so I wouldn't let go; God's mercy kept me; so I wouldn't let go.
I almost gave up. I was right at the edge of a break through but couldn't see it. The devil really had me, but Jesus came and grabbed me, and He held me close,
so I wouldn't let go. God's mercy kept me, so I wouldn't let go.
CHORUS: So I'm here to day because God kept me; I'm A live today only because of His grace; Oh He kept me, God kept me; He kept me, so I wouldn't let go.
IV. Remember; HE IS Still Good to You!
Deuteronomy 8:18 (NASB) "But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
Deuteronomy 8:7-9 (NASB) “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat food without scarcity, in which you will not lack anything; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper.”
Deuteronomy 6:10-12 (NASB) “Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied,
Is He Still Good To You?
Is God Still God To You?
Is Jesus Still Jesus to You?
• Is He still the Redeemer to You?
• Is He still the Savior to You?
• Is He still the Provider to You?
• Is He still the Healer to You?
• Is He Still God to You?
• Do you still remember that it was Jesus that paid the price for salvation.
• Do you still remember that it was our Lord, who traveled the Via Dolorosa
• Do you still remember that is was Jesus who conquered death, grave and sin for you sake.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV) In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Ephesians 5:20 “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Illustration: Christian Object Lessons Using a Penny
Closing:
"Great Is Your Mercy"
Great Is Your Mercy Toward Me; Your Love And Kindness Toward Me ; Your Tender Mercies I See; Day After Day
Forever Faithful Towards Me; Always Providing For Me ; Great Is Your Mercy Towards Me;
Great Is Your Grace
