Deuteronomy 8:1-10, 18-20
Awww come on and praise the Lord up in this house. God bless you as you are seated in the presence of the Lord. Ushers you may admit the door and let the worshippers in. Amen. This chapter of Deuteronomy is a powerful piece, and it’s pregnant with possibility. That’s why I had to jump around a little bit and skip because I needed you to get the full effect. And when you get a chance you should really read the whole chapter, but I don’t have time, so I want to focus in on verse number 2, where the Lord says, "Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you these last 40 years in the wilderness." And that’s what I want to deal with. I want to keep it simple and for a little bit of time talk from the subject of, "Remember The Long Way." "Remember The Long Way." Are you all praying with me on today?
My Brothers and my Sisters, I am convinced today beyond a shadow of a doubt that when God raises you and takes you to a new level or a new hieght that it is imperative that even though you’re at a whole new place in life, that you don’t forget where you came from. Yeah, you, you, don’t forget, you don’t forget. And God doesn’t want us to forget because it allows us to remain humble and meek, even in our elevation. And I believe on today that it is dangerous to forget where you came from. It’s dangerous. But i’m also convinced that far too often when we get raised to a whole nother level in God or to prosperity, that we forget where it is that we’ve come from and more importantly WHO it is, in fact, that bought us up from there. Yeah we, we tend to get prideful, puffed up, concieted, and self-centered, like we did it all by ourselves. Like we’re all of a sudden "Holier than thou". We look down on those that are even yet still where we were just at, as if we’ve never been there before and we’ll never go back again, when the truth be told if it wasn’t for God on our side we could still be caught up in our mess at the same old level or be back down there tommorrow!! We get full of ourselves, we get concieted.. Hello somebody!! Y’all ain’t going with me!! Somebody oughta say "amen!" And so, and so we’re forgetful and concieted. Somebody oughta say "Concieted!"
And i’m sure now some of you all are saying, "Well preacher, why is it soo imperative that we don’t forget where we came from?" And for those of you who are Bible Scholars i’m sure you’re trying to bring up Paul in Phillipians chapter 3 when he says, "Forgetting what is behind..." I need to tell you don’t get that twisted because he wasn’t saying forget your past completely but what he was implying was "Don’t dwell on it... Don’t dwell on it.." Move on, don’t let it hold you back but don’t forget it!!! Y’all ain’t liking me! That’s okay I didn’t come to make friends I came to bring a word! And so, why is it then, so important to remember where you came from? Why is it? I believe that there are 3 reasons found here in the text and I need to drop them on ya, I need to drop them on you because I believe that they will help you. Can I teach y’all something for a minute?
The first reason why it’s important to remember where you came from is because oftentimes it’s in your previous state or wilderness where you learn the most from as far as life lessons. Let me make it plain for you.. More often then not in life we learn the most from our trials & tribulations. It’s not the good times that so much as teach us as it is the rough & hard times... Can I get a witness? You, you didn’t really learn how to pray and seek God, fast & put him first, until God allowed you to go through some things and some situations where you had to rely totally and solely on him! And you didn’t learn how to be so creative, and imaginative until you had to survive on your own with nothing!!!!! You didn’t learn the importance of love, kindness, compassion, and care until you went through a period of not being loved or cared for by anyone but God. You didn’t learn full dependence on God until you had no job, a hill of bills, rent that needed to be paid, no friends, children acting up, didn’t know where your next meal was coming from!!!!! Somebody help me up in here!!! And these are lessons, lessons that you need to continuously draw from for a lifetime!!!! I’m still using stuff I learned in my wilderness experiences today! Can I get a witness up in here? And so, you need to remember the lessons you learned in your past wilderness experiences. Somebody oughta say "Stuff I’ve learned!"
But not only that, a seccond reason it’s important to remember where you came from is because it keeps you Humble & meek. And God wants us to be a humble & meek people. Look at verses 2-4 in the text, (Read Scripture.) God says, "I did all this so I could humble you, and now, now that I’ve brought you out continue to stay humble by remembering where you came from." God wants us to be humble. And he says in his word, "That if you humble yourselves before me then I will exalt you before men." God keeps us humble through trials & tribulations. And the opposite of humility is pride, and the word says that "Pride cometh before a fall." That’s why so many of us fall back to the same level we came from, because we forget that former hardship, and that the Lord bought us out, and then we become prideful & arrogant, thinking we did it all on our own. When you remember where you came from & that you weren’t all that good to begin with, it keeps you lowly, always before God, thanking him for where he bought you from. But it also makes you compassionate towards others that are still back in that same situation. And so the seccond reason you shouldn’t forget where you came from is because it keeps you humble. Somebody oughta say "humble".
I’m almost done. A final reason you should remember where you came from is because it keeps you balanced. Yeah, it keeps you balanced. And the reason it keeps you balanced is because so long as you remember the hard road you had & the fact that it wasn’t you that got you where you are at but that it was God, it allows you to not think too highly of yourself. Oh, you want proof I got word, it’s in the text, look at verses 18 & 19, (Read scripture). If you begin to think too highly of yourself it causes you to put yourself above God, yeah above God, and I don’t know about you, but I serve a jealous God. He says "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me!" And so remembering where you came from allows you to be balanced. Somebody oughta shout balanced.
Well I believe I’ve taught you enough and now I almost feel like preaching! Somebody oughta shout "Keep it real kev!" Well now, I know you think that I was making all of this up because I really didn’t have anything else better to do but naw baby, i’m not makin’ it up, ha, it’s in, yes, it’s in the word of God. Dueteronomy Chapter 8 opens up with Moses, ha, having a little talk with the Isrealites, ha, ahhh yeah, they’re getting ready to come up, ha, outta 40 years of being in the wilderness, ha, yeah, 40 years of trials, tribulations, and hardships, ha, and they’re getting ready, ha, to enter the blessed land of Canaan, ha, but before they go, ha, God wanted them, ha, to be reminded of a few things, ha, God had to prepare them ha, for the blessing they were about to recieve, ha, yeah the wilderness, ha, prepares you for the blessing, ha, can I get a witness? Ha, Moses says "first of all, ha, that thou shall remember, ha, the long way that God has bought thee ha, the last 40 years, ha, you need to remember, ha, where ya came from, ha, and he says that it was to test thee, to humble thee, ha, to prove what was in thine heart, ha, wether thou would keep thy commandments or not," Can I stop right there and tell you, ha, that God has a ryhme and a reason, ha, for everything, every swituation, ha, every trial, ha, every hardship, ha, that you go through, ha, the old folks said, ha, "Hold on, ha, be strong, ha, it’s only a test, ha, that you’re going through, ha" Can I get a witness? Ha, it was to grow you, ha, to humble you, ha, to test you, ha, I don’t know what it was for, ha, but God had a purpose, ha, yes he did, ha, yes he did, ha, well now, ha, look at the word, ha, it says "And he humbled thee, ha, and caused thee to hunger, ha, but then provided thee with manna, ha, foriegn food from the sky, ha, so that you would know, ha, that man does not live, ha, by bread alone, ha, but by every word, ha, that proceedeth from the mouth of God!" God will humble you, ha, so that you have to rely fully on him, ha, but then he’ll ultimately, ha, provide the need! Can I get a witness? Ha,"Thy rainment waxed not upon thee, ha, nor did thy foot swell, ha, these last 40 years, ha," God kept them, ha, and he can keep you to! And Moses says, ha, "That as a father chastens his son, ha, so God shall, chasten us, ha, can I keep it real for a minute, ha, some of your trials, ha, some of your tribulations, ha, you can’t blame nobody else for, ha, you bought em’ ha, on yourself, ha, and now God is using your trials, ha, to chasten you, ha, as a father, ha, chastens his son, ha, y’all ain’t likin’ me, ha, look at the word, ha, Moses says "To keep all of God’s commandments, fear him, and honor him" And then he goes on to describe, ha, the blessings, ha, that they are about to recieve, ha, well, ha, i’m going back to my seat, ha, i’m going to leave it alone, ha, but can I fast forward ha, to around verse number 17, I wish I had time to preach, ha, but Moses goes on, ha, telling the Isrealites, ha, to "Not forget the Lord", and goes on talking about, ha, all the things, ha, that the Lord, ha, had done for them, ha, but look at verse 17, ha, he says "That thou say in thine heart, ha, the power, ha, and the might of mine hand, ha, hath gotten me, ha, this wealth." Can I go ahead and tell it like it is, ha, it’s a dangerous position, ha, when you think, ha, that you did it, ha, all by yourself, ha, that’s called pride, ha, and the word says, ha, that "Pride cometh ha, before a fall." Can I help somebody right now, ha, the seccond you think, ha, that you did it, ha, allll by yourself, ha, you’d better get ready, ha, to take a fall, ha, because that means, ha, that you’re now putting yourself, ha, above God, ha, and God says, ha that’s a no, no, "That no man, ha, may glory, ha, in my presence," I’m gonna leave it alone, ha, I feel the holy ghost, ha, moving right now, ha, thank you Jesus! Well now, ha, I’m going back to my seat, ha, but look at verse 18, it says "That it is the Lord your God that giveth wealth." I need to help somebody get delivered right now, ha, I don’t care how much money ya got, ha, how big your house is, ha, how fine your man is, ha, what kinda car you drive, ha, you didn’t get it, ha, by yourself, ha, but it was the Lord ha, who gave it to you, ha, ohh, ha, you actin’ funny? ha, I got word, ha, "The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof", "The Lord giveth, ha, and the Lord taketh away!" You didn’t do it, ha, it was nobody, ha, but the Lord, ha, that was on your side! I said it was the Lord, ha, If it had not been, ha, for the Lord on my side, ha, ohhh where, ha, would I be! ha, I dare you, ha, I dare you, ha, I dare you, ha, i’m closing the book, ha, but I dare you, ha, look back, ha, over your life, ha, at the looooonnnnggggg way, ha, that the Lord, ha, has bought you, ha, and as you remember, ha, where ya used to be, ha, begin to store it, ha, in the front of your mind, ha, and make up in your mind, ha, that you’ll never forget, never forget, ha, I said never forget, ha, the long way, ha that God has bought you, ha, Look at your nieghbor, ha, and say nieghbor, ha, ohhh nieghbor, ha, I’ll never forget! Well now, ha, as you begin to remember, ha, alllllll the things, ha, that God has bought you through, ha, all the ways, ha, he blessed you, ha, I dare you ha, to give God, ha, a crazy praise, ha, up in this house, ha, for when I think of the goodness of Jesus, ha, and alllllllllll he’s done for me, ha, my soul, ha, cries out, ha, halellujiah, ha, halellujiah, ha, halelujiah, ha, sssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhooooooooooooooouuuuuuuutttt GLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYY!!!!!!!!!
I’m done, i’m done... I ain’t messin’ with y’all... I ain’t messin’ with y’all. But don’t forget where you came from. Don’t forget. I’m closing the book. There may be someone here...
