Taking Life & God Seriously
Steele Creek Church Eastfield
Dr. Tom Bartlett, 1-03-21
OUTLINE
Deuteronomy 6:12 (NIV) “Be careful that you do not forget the LORD…”
IN WHAT WAYS DID ISRAEL FORGET THE LORD?
THEY FORGOT WHAT HE HAD ALREADY DONE
Often, we fail to remember what God has already done for us.
Deuteronomy 4:9 (NIV) “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”
THEY FAILED TO FOLLOW HIS WORD
We want God to reveal His will in some areas while we refuse to follow in other areas
Nehemiah 9:16-17a (NIV) “But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and they did not obey your commands. 17 They refused to listen and failed to remember. . .”
There’s a correlation between obedience and remembering God’s teachings.
Deuteronomy 8:11 (NIV) “Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.”
THEY LISTENED TO FALSE TEACHING
How many times have you sought the advice of anyone else but God?
Jeremiah 23:27 (NIV) (God) - “They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship.”
WILL GOD REMEMBER US?
Nehemiah 1:6b-9 (NIV) “ I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands… I will gather them… and bring them to the place I have chosen...”
Now write down the word: “Remember” – (Hebrew: zakar) - it means: to put your mind on, to focus here!
GOD’S PROMISE
The Promise – God will remember His promise of a prosperous future.
THE PREMISE
The Premise – If you will remember, return, and obey His commands
Getting Serious About Life & God
Nehemiah’s Revival
Get serious about owning. . .
PERSONAL SINS
The time to get serious about God is now!
Nehemiah 1:6b (NIV) “I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you…”
COLLECTIVE SINS
Nehemiah 1:7 (NIV) “We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws…”
Wickedly – we’ve perverted what God has said (corruption).
Disobeyed commands – we have a blatant rejection of God’s way
Disobeyed decrees – we are living apart from God’s prescription for life
Disobeyed laws – we disregard what God has shown us to be true
We must confess the sins of: corruption, disobedience, selfish focus, and self-direction.
GENERATIONAL SINS
Nehemiah 1:6b (NIV) “I confess the sins. . . my father's house, have committed. . .”
Prayer of confession: Dear God, hear my prayer because of Your love for me. In brokenness and in awareness of my situation, I confess my sin. Lord first I confess the secret sins that I have harbored in my heart, forgive me of them, cleanse me from them. Next, I confess the generational sins that I have accepted as being the norm in my life and family. Remove them God, break them and the ties that hold them to me. Lord I now confess my lack of adherence and devotion to You. I have at times acted corruptly, I’ve willingly broken your commands, I’ve disobeyed Your direct path for my life and I’ve disregarded what You have shown me to be true. I admit all this Lord, but I want You to know that I am turning from them and to You. Today Lord I make my stand for myself, my family and this community. Fulfill Your promise to extend Your favor on me today for Your glory. In Jesus name, A-men.
MANUSCRIPT
Taking Life & God Seriously
Steele Creek Church
Dr. Tom Bartlett, 1-03-2021
Good morning and welcome to SCC, I’m Tom Bartlett. The other day, I got out of my routine of leaving my keys, phone, wallet and such in the place I keep them, and I inadvertently forgot to grab my wallet, which means I was driving around without my license. I only became aware of my missing wallet when it came time to go to lunch. I knew I had an appointment that day, so I reached around to y back pocket to doubt check, and you know it, my wallet wasn’t there.
I’ve learned over the years that if I need to bring a book, document, piece of equipment or anything into work, it’s best to put it where I will see it, or better yet to actually place it in my car the night before.
In my home, my morning routine is pretty standard, and everything is in a place that I can readily put my hands on. My morning journal for time in prayer, journaling and Bible reading is always in the same place, my coffee is usually set the night before. I know what I’m going to eat too.
Obviously, this takes a little pre-thought and work when I may not feel like doing it. It may also sound boring to you, but I’ve found that whatever is important in my life has to be prioritized and planned for. If exercise is important – I have to plan it. If eating right is important – it must be planned for, OR I’ll admit it, I’ll simply forget.
If you’ve tried to be on any routine or stick to anything, you’re probably like me. You’ve figured out that if it isn’t calendared, planned, set up, and thought-out, it probably won’t happen.
This was so important to my sister Brenda that when she was in high school she wrote on calendar and planned what she would wear to school every day of the month to make sure she didn’t suffer the awful embarrassment of being seen in something twice in one month!
Maybe you’ve heard the leadership phrase, - prioritize or agonize?
THIS IS TRUE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD TOO!
Look at what God’s Word instructs us with!
Deuteronomy 6:12 (NIV) “Be careful that you do not forget the LORD…”
Now I want to point out something that may not be obvious if you’re simply looking at that verse alone.
God has instructed Moses with words for the Israelites.
• The Israelites were the ones who God brought out of 430 years of slavery,
• Protected them from Pharaoh’s army, (Physical protection)
• Opened the Red Sea, (Direction)
• Fed them miraculously for 40 years in the desert, (Nourishment)
• Gave them the 10 commandments on and on. (Spiritual guidance)
He says don’t forget the Lord? How could they? Is this even possible?
YES, IT IS AND THEY DID!
The nation of Israel barely got out of Egypt, while Moses goes to meet with God face to face, and before Moses gets back, the Israelites are saying “God who?” They’re worshipping a golden calf.
NOW YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, “WHAT WERE THEY THIKING?”
Just stop right there, because I’d suggest most people are no different than they are. This happens in relationships when we take for granted people who care for us, go the extra mile for us, help us out and more. It also happens in our relationship with God.
IN WHAT WAYS DID ISRAEL FORGET THE LORD?
THEY FORGOT WHAT HE'D ALREADY DONE
Apparently this is a big issue for people because this phrase “don’t forget God,” is written in numerous places in the scriptures. Most people have a tendency, when things start going well, to think they don’t need God anymore.
Often, we fail, simply because we fail to remember what God has already done for us.
Deuteronomy 4:9 (NIV) “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”
Circle the word “SLIP”. We loosen our grip.
HEY FAILED TO FOLLOW HIS WORD
Not only did they have spiritual amnesia toward what God has done, they also forgot to follow what He had said.
People often come to me asking with help in knowing God’s will. Many times, they want a clear Word about direction for their lives, when in another area they are walking in direct defiance to what God has already said.
HOW REALISTIC IS IT TO EXPECT GOD TO REVEAL HIS WILL IN THE AREAS THAT YOU WANT WHEN YOU WON’T FOLLOW IN THE AREAS THAT HE’S ALREADY COMMANDED?
In speaking about these people who forgot God, Nehemiah writes,
Nehemiah 9:16-17a (NIV) “But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and they did not obey your commands. 17 They refused to listen and failed to remember. . .”
It seems there’s a correlation between obedience and remembering God’s teachings. In other words, if I focus on what God has said, I will have a better chance on doing what He commands. The result of that is a sense of freedom in life. Moses reiterates and draws the connection between “not forgetting” and “obedience.”
Deuteronomy 8:11 (NIV) “Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.”
The third way they forgot is that. . .
THEY LISTENED TO FALSE TEACHING
So now, not only do we, 1. forget what God has done and, 2. what He’s told us, we then listen to instruction that isn’t from Him.
How many times have you sought the advice of anyone else but God?
Every day in America, thousands of people visit their horoscope, or a psychic whether in person, online, or on the phone. They are searching for answers to life’s questions, but they are looking in the wrong place.
Deepak Chopra, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil, newspaper advice columnists, tarot cards, palm readers. We will look to anyone but God and His Word.
Much of what we are looking for is already addressed in God’s Word. He’s already spoken, but we’re not listening.
Jeremiah 23:27 (NIV) (God) - “They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship.”
If you go back and read this chapter, people were following someone’s dream (a false prophet) at the expense of following God’s Word. If someone tells you something they say is from God only receive it in confirmation of what God has already revealed in His Word.
WILL GOD REMEMBER US?
Nehemiah, who was not a priest or prophet, recorded the reconstruction of the wall of Jerusalem, Judah’s capital city. Together, he and Ezra, who led the spiritual revival of the people, directed the political and religious restoration of the Jews in their homeland after the Babylonian captivity.
Nehemiah 1:6b-9 (NIV) “ I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands… I will gather them… and bring them to the place I have chosen...”
Now write down the word: “Remember” – (Hebrew: zakar) - it means: “to put your mind on, to focus here!”
The idea here is that Nehemiah is putting forth the promise God gave. “God, you’ve said, you would remember Your promise, if we returned to You. God, I’m asking you to remember us, please don’t forget us. Don’t remove Your favor from us.”
GOD’S PROMISE
The Promise – God will remember His promise of a prosperous future.
While there seems to be so much waiting for those who follow God, it was God who was simply waiting on these people.
THE PREMISE
The Premise – If you will remember, return, and obey His commands
Getting Serious About Life & God
Nehemiah’s Revival
Get serious about owning. . .
PERSONAL SINS
I have to tell you that I think we’ve forgotten God. We’ve been fat dumb and happy in this country. We don’t think that we need anything, including God. Well can I tell you that a time is coming that you will wish you had returned to Him if you haven’t?
You might be saying, “what do you mean, you don’t know me, you don’t know my life.” Well maybe, but I see it in my own life; I see it in our nation.
WE ARE NOT SERIOUS ABOUT OUR SIN. IT’S AS IF WE’RE MOCKING GOD WITH THE WAY WE LIVE.
We view questionable movies, websites, shows. We listen read and receive advice that is not from God, and more. We constantly fill our minds with trash and yet our Bibles collect dust for the most part.
The Word of God is offered and taught in so many ways, yet we have to beg people to get in a small group, or a class.
WE HAVE PRAYER MEETINGS, AND SOME COME, BUT IF WE DO IT ALL THE TIME, WELL, PEOPLE JUST WON’T COMMIT TO THAT.
Please hear me, the time to get serious about God is now!
Nehemiah 1:6b (NIV) “I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you…”
COLLECTIVE SINS
Nehemiah 1:7 (NIV) “We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws…”
Write down the word “WE” write the word “US”
As a community we have decided that the norm for life is outside of God’s standard. We’ve set up a system that makes us look good but doesn’t attempt to do what God asks us to do. Nehemiah lists these areas,
Wickedly – we’ve perverted what God has said (corruption).
Disobeyed commands – we have a blatant rejection of God’s way
Disobeyed decrees – we are living apart from God’s prescription for life
Disobeyed laws – we disregard what God has shown us to be true
We must confess the sins of: corruption, disobedience, selfish focus, and self-direction.
You’re going to have to get serious about the secret sins of your life, the things that are hidden deep within. Nehemiah recognized that he too had failed the Lord.
Right now, what is the attitude in your life that is causing you to forget God?
• Is it a disappointment or hurt?
• Is it a secret desire that runs wild in your mind?
What action in your life have you resigned to and said that you’re just going to live with it since so many others do too, even though you know it dishonors God?
Can you simply lay it before God today and get it right with Him?
Nehemiah also includes the general sins. . .
GENERATIONAL SINS
Nehemiah 1:6b (NIV) “I confess the sins. . . my father's house, have committed. . .”
Let’s face it, there’s some reoccurring sins in families that must be broken and addressed completely. A generational sin is a sinful tendency that runs in families. It may be alcoholism, immorality, divorce, worry. You have to recognize it for what it is, admit it, and then ask God daily to redirect you from it.
PLEASE HEAR ME - The time is now. God wants to bring a harvest through you. He wants to use you but you’re gonna have to return to him. Will you?
Story of national revival – Welch revival
Prayer of confession: Dear God, hear my prayer because of Your love for me. In brokenness and in awareness of my situation, I confess my sin. Lord first I confess the secret sins that I have harbored in my heart, forgive me of them, cleanse me from them. Next, I confess the generational sins that I have accepted as being the norm in my life and family. Remove them God, break them and the ties that hold them to me. Lord I now confess my lack of adherence and devotion to You. I have at times acted corruptly, I’ve willingly broken your commands, I’ve disobeyed Your direct path for my life and I’ve disregarded what You have shown me to be true. I admit all this Lord, but I want You to know that I am turning from them and to You. Today Lord I make my stand for myself, my family and this community. Fulfill Your promise to extend Your favor on me today for Your glory. In Jesus name, A-men.
