SUBMISSION MEANS DEVELOPMENT
Deut. 1:19-36
"The positive side of life"
Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year. How long a minute
is depends on what side of the bathroom door you’re on. Birthdays are good for you; the more you have,
the longer you live. Happiness comes through doors you didn’t even know you left open. Ever notice that
the people who are late are often much jollier than the people who have to wait for them? Most of us go
to our grave with our music still inside of us. If Wal-mart is lowering prices every day, how come nothing is
free yet? You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person. Some
mistakes are too much fun to only make once. Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened. We
could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names,
and all are different colors....but they all exist very nicely in the same box. A truly happy person is one who
can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Today we are starting on journey in the book of Deuteronomy. This book was written by Moses and is
known as the 2nd giving of the law. It is a book that is written for the common church goer. So we find in
it the utter loyalty to the lord is demanded and a separation from false gods and worshiping them. I know
that we have many in this church who have been loyal to God because you have been faithful to attend
church and worship many years though you have been through many difficult times and troubles. God has
been faithful and you know He does not fail to bring about His purpose. Some have not come to realize
yet that God is jealous and tolerates no rival or divided loyalty. I read this last week in the Wesleyan
Advocate that on Sept. 14 there was a service held in Wash DC. In this service all religions were referred
to along with Christianity that we all worship the same God. One that prayed even ended their prayer
with Allah and Jesus together. This is Polytheistic and God does not allow that. Let us think about his. If
86% of Americans say they are Christians, 2% Jews, less that 1% are Hindu or Sikhs how can we give
equal billing to every other religion and rarely mention the name of Jesus? So when leaders are asked to
pray in public they can say “In God’s name” but do not use the name Jesus. Are we loyal if we refuse to
use the name of Jesus in our prayers?
Obedience brings life and blessing from God and disobedience brings brings sorrow and a ruined life with
little or no hope.
This is a book that was used by Jesus himself and the most noted is when he was tempted by Satan. To
throw off the temptations Jesus quoted from 8:3, 6:13, 6:16.
In Deut. We see that real allegiance to God is true godliness. This allows for no compromise with
anything that is offensive to God and calls for a separation from all that is unacceptable in relationships or
pleasures.
The meaning of being holy is Love. God loves His people and seeks their love to Him.
I. DISOBEDIENCE BROUGHT INTERRUPTION,. Obedience would have brought them into the
blessings that God wanted them to have in 11 days, instead they had 38 years of frustration The 40
days of the travels of the spies became the numerical pattern for their suffering: one year for one day--for
40 years they would recount their misjudgment, and for 40 years the people 20 years old or more would
be dying, so that only the young generation might enter the land. Significantly, Israel’s refusal to carry
out the Lord’s commission to conquer his land is the climactic act of rebellion for which God condemns
Israel to die in the desert.
A Word From Billy Graham "Someone said, ’The secret of happiness is not to do what you like to do,
but to learn to like what you have to do.’ Too many people think that happiness is discovered by
constant and relentless searching. Happiness is not found by seeking. It is not an end in itself. Jesus
said, ’Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added
unto you’ (Matthew 6:33, KJV). The ’things’ that Jesus spoke of were the basic needs of life: food,
drink, clothes. He told us not to make these the chief goal of our lives but to ’seek ... the kingdom’
(Matthew 6:33, KJV), and these needs would be supplied. There, if we will take it, is the secret of
happiness: ’Seek ye first the kingdom of God, ... and all ... shall be added unto you’" (Matthew 6:33,
KJV).
A. Roaming from or delighting in God’s presence.
1. It took only eleven days for the Israelites to journey from Mt Sinai to Kadesh-barnea but because
of disobedience the trip had taken 38 years.
2. There are to many that are wandering around in what is second best for their lives when they
could be enjoying the fulness of God’s blessing.
Hb 4:1Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be
found to have fallen short of it. 2For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the
message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.
10for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11Let us,
therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of
disobedience."
3. Moses now is declaring all that the Lord had commanded them to hear. So God is giving a second
time that these people might hear the truth to walk in God’s ways. How much do we need to hear the
truth before we follow with all our hearts? They were called to go in to possess the land the Lord had
promised them. Have we missed what God has promised?
What You "See" Is What You Get "According to your faith will it be done to you" (Matthew9:29,
NIV). In his book, Life without Limits, Robert Stone shares how, during World War II, a famous liner, the
Queen Mary, was making its first voyage across the Atlantic as a troop carrier, ferrying American GIs to
Great Britain. The waters were submarine-infected so the ship had to be blacked out at night. Six
WAACs–Women’s Auxiliary Army Corp members--were bedding down in hammocks for their first
night at sea in a cabin meant in peacetime for three. For hours they tossed and turned in the stuffy
cabin, unable to sleep. Finally, one of the women got out of her hammock and went to the porthole.
"I know we are not supposed to do this," she said to the others, "but I am going to open the porthole;
nobody light a match or a flashlight." "Yes, do it," the others urged. When she cranked open the
porthole, they all breathed a sigh of relief and slept like babies that night. In the morning, when they
went to close the porthole, they saw that it was sealed with an outer glass pane and no fresh air had
entered the cabin that night. The reality is--for better or for worse--what we believe shapes our
lives.This is especially true in what we believe about ourselves. In life we don’t see (and believe)
things the way they are but the way we are. And the way we see things is largely dependent on the
way we see ourselves. If we see and believe we are lovable, we will act in a lovable manner and
attract love to us. If we believe we are capable and have integrity, we can achieve great and noble
goals with our life. On the other hand, if we believe we are unlovable, we will act accordingly even
though it is a lie. That is, we will act in such a way that we will get ourselves rejected and the thing
we fear we make happen. I know a man who believes he isn’t very smart because he doesn’t have
a university degree, but he is highly intelligent and is very clever. But because he believes his own
lie about himself, he has cheated himself of what he could have achieved with his life. I believe in
education but a college degree doesn’t make one smart nor give one wisdom. There are many
educated fools around. The lies we believe deceive. As Jesus said so poignantly so many years
ago, only the truth will set us free. As he also said, "According to your faith [what you believe] so
be it done to you." "Dear God, if you have planted a good idea in my mind and heart, please
give me the courage to go ahead with it regardless of what others think or say, the wisdom to
know how to do it, and the zeal to finish it. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In
Jesus’ name, amen
II. DISOBEDIENCE ALWAYS RESULTS IN IMPATIENT, TIME-CONSUMING ACTIVITY WITH NO
PROGRESS.
A. Moses spoke with reality and faith which we should always combine for a healthy spiritual life. He
knew of the mountains and the Amorites that were in the way of possessing the land. He also knew
that the land was from God as a gift and possession. So we hear these words, "Go up and take
possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be
discouraged." For fifty two times you will read in this book that they were to go and possess the land
God had for them.
B. A new insight about those spies that had kept them out of the land for the 38 years is found in vs.
22. Back in Num 13 we read that God told Moses to send out the spies. But here we are told he did
it because the people wanted him to do this. So the new thing we learn here is that God can permit
us to do something but not approve of it. The spies made an excellent report when they came back
from their trip. All was just as God said it would be with food and good land. Only if they had just
said let us go up with God’s blessing, but the Word says they started talking about the walled cities
and the big people who lived there and brought fear to the people blocking what God wanted. We
read of it as the sin of unbelief.
C. They refused to go in to the land. 1. We read first they would not go up. 2. They complained
about their lot in life. 3. they decided to go against God and take the land by their own doing. 4. They
charged God with disliking them. These four steps came because of those who only talked about
the difficulties and failed to address the great possibilities. God could bring down walls which He did
at Jericho and giants are no problem as Goliath a nine foot giant was killed by a boy. You think that
the Canaanites were of great strength but God had delivered these Israelites from the nation of
Egypt which was by far a greater nation that any nation in the land He was leading them into. In
regard that God hated them, how could they forget all that He had done for them in the years of
wilderness wandering.
D. Calculated refusal to receive God’s blessings can be costly as a decisive wrong. One can
compromise their future usefulness and happiness with just a moment of unbelief and defiance. Do
you realize that these people held up God’s blessing and purpose for an entire generation. There
were only two exceptions, Caleb and Joshua. They took God at His word and knew that against Him
there is no one that can win. What we do today affects those who will follow in years to come.
E. Moses loved these people for he was giving them a message from God for a promised land that
they would be going into but that Moses himself would not get to enjoy.
F. We are shown here that we can make an attempt to make up for our moral failure to do now at
the wrong time what we should have done at the right time when God first spoke to us. It is true that
doing the right thing at the wrong time is as much a rebellion as to do the wrong thing a the right
time.
III. OBEDIENCE RESULTS IN A SENSE A RIGHT DIRECTION TOWARD FULFILLMENT.
IT CAN BE DONE "Never be lacking in enthusiasm, but keep your spiritual intensity, serving the
Lord. (Romans 12:11). Some years ago an energetic young man began as a clerk in a hardware
store. Like many old-time hardware stores, the inventory included thousands of dollars’ worth of
items that were obsolete or seldom called for by customers. The young man was smart enough to
know that no thriving business could carry such an inventory and still show a healthy profit. He
proposed a sale to get rid of the stuff. The owner was reluctant but finally agreed to let him set up a
table in the middle of the store and try to sell off a few of the oldest items. Every product was priced
at ten cents. The sale was a success and the young fellow got permission to run a second sale. It,
too, went over just as well as the first. This gave the young clerk an idea. Why not open a store that
would sell only nickel and dime items? He could run the store and his boss could supply the capital.
The young man’s boss was not enthusiastic. "The plan will never work," he said, "because you can’t
find enough itemsto sell at a nickel and a dime." The young man was disappointed but eventually
went ahead on his own and made a fortune out of the idea. His name was F.W. Woolworth. Years
later his old boss lamented, "As near as I can figure it, every word I used in turning Woolworth down
has cost me about a million dollars!" One of the age-old killers of enthusiasm is: "It can’t be done."
But if the idea is creative and comes from God, it can be done! It may not be easy, but it can be
done." Let us go out and do what God wants us to do.
