Talk 1 - Looking back... to look forward

And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and rules that I am teaching you and do them, that you may live.

And go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it,

that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.

Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal Peor.

For the Lord your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal Peor.

But you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive today.

See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me,

that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.

Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples.

Who, when they hear all these statutes, will say,

Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

For what great nation is there that has a God so near to it as the Lord our God is to us?

Whenever we call upon him.

And what great nation is there that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?

Only take care and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen,

and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.

Make them known to your children and your children's children,

how on the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb,

the Lord said to me,

Gather the people to me,

that I may let them hear my words,

so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth,

that they may teach their children so.

And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain,

while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven,

wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom.

Then the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire.

You heard the sound of words, but saw no form.

There was only a voice.

And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform.

It is the Ten Commandments.

And he wrote them on two tablets of stone.

And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and rules,

that you might do them in the land that you are going over to possess.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Everybody, if you're welcome.

We're going to just pray and ask the Lord to help us.

It's been a long week.

It's been long weeks, long months.

We need his strength, his help.

So let's pray together.

Amen.

Amen.

Our gracious God, we thank you for bringing us safely to this place.

We thank you for the word, which has blessed and helped so many over so many centuries.

we thank you for your Holy Spirit

able to illumine

encourage, convict

strengthen

and we pray that as we spend

these few minutes in this portion

of your word

that you would help us to see great things

and in your goodness

to live in the light of them

we ask it in Jesus name

Amen

I don't know if you've heard

the story before of Tiger Woods

and Stevie Wonder meeting in a pub

have you heard this story before?

just indicate if you've heard this before

so do you know who I'm talking about?

Stevie Wonder is the blind black musician

and Tiger Woods is the probably

nearly finished golfer

and they meet in a pub

and Stevie Wonder, the blind musician

says to Tiger Woods

you know when my drive, my golf drive is off

my whole game is off

and Tiger Woods said what are you talking about?

you're blind, you can't play golf

and Stevie Wonder said of course I can

and I get my caddy to wait down the fairway

and he calls to me

and I drive towards him

and when we get to the green

he stands behind the pin

and calls to me

and I putt towards him

and I'm doing well

he said I'm playing off scratch

which is fantastic

and Tiger Woods said that's amazing

we must have a game sometime

and Stevie Wonder said

well nobody takes me seriously

so I won't play for less than

a thousand dollars a hole

and Tiger Woods thinks for a minute

and he says let's do it

and Stevie Wonder says

and this is the punchline

you pick a night

I tell you that because

given that you and I

walked blindly down the road

we did not know what was coming in 2022

and a whole lot has unfolded

which is completely bewildering

would it not be great

since there are so many voices

in our heads

and around us

and in social media

and friends

powerful voices

would it not be great

if there was one voice

that just called to us

and we could walk towards it

and be safe

and that's what we have

in the scriptures

and that's why the plan

for the talks

is to look at this great book

of Deuteronomy

you've also been given

a outline

in this little booklet

and I wonder if you would turn

to see talk one

looking back

to look forward

and I'm resting my watch

on the lectern here

so that we won't be long

I'll try to be quick

I realise

you may be very weary

thank you for inviting me

it's a great thing

to look at this book

this is Moses

preaching on the edge

of the promised land

so it couldn't be more urgent

and it couldn't be more wonderful

and if you're not very familiar

with the Old Testament

we've said goodbye

to Adam and Eve

we've said goodbye

to Noah

we've said goodbye

to Abraham

to Isaac

to Jacob

the people have gone

into Egypt in slavery

Moses has been raised up

to lead them out

they've gone across

the Red Sea

they've come to Mount Sinai

been given the Ten Commandments

and hopelessly compromised

and God has led them

as a kind of a discipline

for 40 years

in the wilderness

so that they would learn

to listen to him

and now

most of those people

who wandered in the wilderness

as adults

have died

and it's the children

who've grown up

who are now in their 40s

50s

and maybe 60s

standing on the edge

of the promised land

and Moses is speaking to them

and he's saying

you must listen

to the word of God

look at what your forefathers did

but you're about to enter

in the promised land

this is the time to listen

because if you don't listen

everything will go wrong

now I hasten to say

that Deuteronomy

is a grace driven book

do you know what I mean by that

it's not teaching you

that if you obey the rules

you will get into God's salvation

Moses is saying to the people

you're a saved people

and I want you to obey

the God who saved you

not to get into his good books

but because you are in his good books

it's a grace driven book

and we're told in chapter 1

that God is the God who rescued them

and we're told in chapter 2, 3 and 4

that he like a father

has carried them like a child

through the wilderness

a father to a child

not a dictator

to a servant

a father to a child

you can get a handle on Deuteronomy

if you listen carefully

to these next few seconds

the first four chapters

that we're going to look at

tonight very quickly

are basically looking back

what's happened

the second chapters 5 to 11

are basically

this is what our relationship means

the third section

12 to 26

is these are some practical ways

to be obedient

and the last section

is make a decision

so imagine I was a dictator

and I had just conquered you

and I'm about to give you

a treaty

of how things will work

and I say to you

this is what happened

I won the battle

this is what our relationship

looks like

this is how I want you

to be

in your life

behaviour wise

and it's time for you

to make a decision

that's the book of Deuteronomy

in a nutshell

I once gave these talks

to adults

and I had to go down

and speak to the children's teachers

every afternoon

and they said to me

how are we possibly

going to teach Deuteronomy

to children

and so we came up

with the mnemonic

which was M-I-C-E

Moses preached Deuteronomy

Israel failed

Deuteronomy

Jesus practiced

Deuteronomy

everyone who belongs

to him

is safe

does that make sense

Moses preached it

Israel failed

Jesus practiced it

everybody who belongs

to him

is safe

it's a very weighty book

as I mentioned

one writer says

Deuteronomy provides

the theological basis

for virtually

the entire

Old and New Testament

and Christ is magnified

in the book

because it's the book

that he read

he practiced

and it's

the one where

because of his obedience

he's become our savior

here are some lines

that come in Deuteronomy

do not be afraid

the Lord will fight for you

what other people

has a God

so near to them

do not put your God

to the test

it was because

the Lord loved you

that he chose you

he defends the cause

of the fatherless

and the widow

teach your children

as you sit

walk

and lie down

don't think

I'll be safe

if I go my own way

when you return

to me

says the Lord

I will have compassion

and I will restore you

choose life

so you and your children

may live

these words

are not idle words

but your life

the eternal God

is your refuge

and underneath

are the everlasting arms

all of these

are lines

in the great book

of Deuteronomy

it's a great

great book

so let's look

at the outline

the road so far

chapter 1

which we didn't read

is where

Moses basically says

let's recap the journey

and if you would

just turn to chapter 1

I just want to read you

the first couple of verses

and you'll see

what he says

chapter 1

verse 1

of Deuteronomy

these are the words

which Moses spoke

to all Israel

on this side

of the Jordan

in the wilderness

in the plain

and he said

verse 3

it came to pass

in the 40th year

in the 11th month

on the first day

of the month

Moses spoke

to the children

of Israel

according to all

the Lord

had given him

his commandments

to them

and a little bit

further on

if you go down

it says

verse

is it

11

and I spoke

to you

at that time

saying

I alone

am not able

to bear you

the Lord

your God

has multiplied

you

and here

you are

today

as the stars

of heaven

in multitude

and he also

says to them

in the early

first few verses

he says

you know

we should have

arrived at this

promised land

after about

11 days

but it's

taken 40 years

it's taken

40 years

because

of disobedience

so Moses

is looking

back in

chapter 1

and

he reminds

them that

they've left

Mount Sinai

that they

chose some

leaders together

that they

sent spies

into the

promised land

that the

spies were

rebellious

in their

report

and the

Lord made

his decision

to send

them through

the wilderness

now God's

been very

gracious to

them in

the wilderness

we discover

in chapter 8

he's fed

them

he's taught

them

he's clothed

them

he's kept

their shoes

he's provided

water

there's one

passage in

Deuteronomy

that says

your sandals

did not

wear out

one million

Israelites

walking through

the desert

and the

God of the

universe

made sure

that the

sandals

of the

Israelites

did not

wear out

for 40

years

well

we need

to look

also back

if we're

to understand

the future

I hope

you know

this

I hope

you know

that as

you go

forward

and you

say to

yourself

I wonder

if the

future

will be

safe

I wonder

if I

will arrive

one day

with Christ

I wonder

if he'll

say to

me

welcome

the key

to that

looking forward

is to look

back and say

yes there on

the cross

he died

for me

and as I

look back

in my mind

to that hill

good Friday

3pm

first good

Friday

I say that's

where he called

out

it's paid

and therefore

I go forward

with confidence

confidence

because of

what he's

done

for me

a huge

part of

the Christian

life

is learning

to look

back to

what Christ

did

and what

God

has said

and a

great deal

of problem

living in the

Christian life

is not

remembering

what's

happened

but pressing

on fearfully

we read

in Psalm

77

I cried

to God

for help

in distress

and then

he says

I'll remember

the deeds

of the Lord

of the past

2 Corinthians 5

we must appear

before the

judgment seat

of Christ

but Christ

became sin

for us

or think

of Christmas

the people

come to

Christmas

the first

coming

has already

taken place

one day

they're going

to meet

Christ

at the

second

coming

how are

they going

to be

ready

for the

second

coming

by

understanding

the

first

coming

a huge

key

to the

Christian

life

is

looking

back

of course

there are

some times

we look

back

badly

guiltily

but there

is a good

looking back

to what

God has

said

and what

Jesus

has done

that's

chapter 1

chapter 2

is what I've

called pick

your fights

in chapter 2

he looks

back on the

journey

and he

reminds them

that there

were people

on the

journey

who they

are not

to fight

I won't

go in the

details of it

but just to

say that as

they travelled

and as they

get near to

the promised

land

they're not

to fight

certain tribes

they're not

to fight the

Edomites

the Moabites

and the

Ammonites

does anyone

know why

not

yeah that's

helpful

they're all

their relatives

yeah they've

come through the

tribe of

they go

they go

back to

Abraham

and so

they're not

to fight

their relatives

even though

their relatives

are dodgy

they're not

to fight

them

but they

were to

fight two

kings

who had

the unusual

names of

Sihon and

Og

and the

reason they

fought them

is that

those two

kings were

like doorposts

into the

promised land

and God

said you will

fight those

two and you

will win a

victory over

those two

before you

enter the

promised land

and that

victory over

those two

kings will

be a

prediction and

an encouragement

to you that

you're going to

make it

and so he

gave them a

battle a

God-given

battle

I want to

hasten to

say and

we'll come

back to

this again

that when

this book

talks about

fighting

and people

say well

that's what

the Bible

is like

isn't it

the Old

Testament

it's all

just

bloodshed

vindictive

God

doesn't care

really

bloodshed

bloodshed

I want to

remind you

that all

that takes

place around

the entry

to the

promised land

is pretty

unique

warfare

it's the

taking of

the promised

land

the taking

of it

and the

thorough

taking of

the promised

land

and we

mustn't fall

into the

trap of

thinking that

the Old

Testament is

just full

of battles

there's a

very specific

and great

battle which

is taking

the promised

land and

as we'll

see later

in the

weekend

God had

given this

particular

promised

land

400

years

to turn

to him

as somebody

has said

if you

want to

wage a

war

wait 400

years to

see if

things

improve

and he'd

warned

them

and they

had not

turned

they had

not given

up their

idolatry

they'd

heard of

Yahweh

they'd

heard of

the escape

from Egypt

they've

heard of

the crossing

of the

Red Sea

they'd

heard of

him looking

after the

people in

the wilderness

they had

heard that

a million

Israelites

had come

safely through

the wilderness

but they

were not

going to

turn to

Yahweh

and so

because it's

his land

and he's

promised it

to his

people

and he

executes a

judgment

which of

course he

is the

judge

but it's

not a

common

thing

it's a

one-off

never to

be repeated

battle

and it's a

very God

centered battle

it's all

about what

God says

it's not

about

bloodthirsty

people

deciding that

they'll invade

their neighbours

read my

lips

okay

so there

are a

couple of

people who

they defeat

as an

encouragement

and Moses

reflects on

this fighting

and he says

this was

helped by

God

enabled by

God

and now

he says

with great

clarity

chapter 2

verse 37

this was in

accordance with

the command

of God

well

it's a

very great

thing when

the church

teaches

clearly

the task

of the

church

we are

under

tremendous

pressure

as local

churches

to change

the agenda

to suit

the applause

of the world

and I don't

know if you've

seen the book

by Kevin

de Young

called

What is the

Mission of

the Church

but he argues

in the book

that back in

the 1970s

where the

church started

to talk

about

mission

and serving

everything

got confused

because mission

means a thousand

things to people

and serving

means a thousand

things to people

and what we

needed was

somebody to

clarify that

the mission

of the church

is the

commission

of the church

make disciples

and the

serving

is serving

the Lord

by helping

people believe

and be safe

for eternity

and that's

the great

mission

of the

church

we have

to be

very careful

that we're

not just

afraid of

the world

listening to

what they

tell us

to be

enthusiastic

about

when Christ

has said

make disciples

and then

he says

I'm with you

always

so we're

always

thankful

for those

people

who've

got an

eye

to

eternity

remember

John

Piper said

we don't

want anybody

to suffer

but we

especially

don't want

people to

suffer

eternally

and that's

the great

motivation

for our

task

and as

Moses

talks

about

the

mission

of

God's

people

the

mission

of

God's

people

is to

go in

and take

the

promised

land

and the

mission

of God's

people

today

it's not

climate

change

it's not

creation

care

it's not

a whole

range

of things

it's

helping

people

come to

Christ

and live

so in

chapter

four

sorry

chapter

three

we come

to what

I've

called

looking

ahead

and what

this chapter

is all

about

is that

some of

the land

on the

east side

of the

river

that's not

the promised

land

is to be

given to

some of

the tribes

some of

the tribes

the Reubenites

the Gadites

and the

half tribe

of Manasseh

are to be

given some

land on

the east

side of

the Jordan

the land

on the west

is going to

be taken

by everybody

and divided

up among

the other

nine and a

half tribes

in chapter

three

Joshua

is appointed

as the

one who

will lead

the trip

over the

river

into the

promised

land

Joshua

is to be

the one

who takes

them in

Moses

is told

you're not

going to

travel across

the river

into the

promised

land

you can

climb the

mountain

says God

and you can

look at the

promised

land

but you're

not going

to go

in

why didn't

Moses go

in

anybody

know

because he

struck the

rock

and that's

what we're

told in the

book of

Exodus

it was

obviously a

public

piece of

disobedience

which was

very serious

because he

was basically

saying I'm

your leader

I've been

telling you to

trust God

but we can't

really trust

him so I'm

going to have

to whack

the rock

but in

Deuteronomy

good old

Moses says

it's your

fault that I'm

not going

into the

promised

land

so he

becomes the

patron saint

of pastors

who blame

their

congregations

and I

think he's

probably right

in saying

that he's

not going

in because

they

aggravated

him

to sin

and so

there is a

sort of an

element of

truth in

both reports

he whacked

the rock

and the

people provoked

him

but Moses

is not going

to lose

his soul

we know

that he's

not

perished

how do

we know

he's not

perished

where did

he reappear

Mount of

Transfiguration

thank you

there he was

alive and

well on the

Mount of

Transfiguration

with Elijah

and there

Jesus met

with the

two great

leaders

to show

that he

was safe

and sound

just because

he didn't

get into

the promised

land

the dirt

of the

promised

land

doesn't

mean he

lost his

soul

or his

salvation

the promised

land

very wonderful

but something

infinitely more

wonderful

and if you

don't mind

me saying

one of the

great problems

with the

Middle East

today

is that

there's

not enough

gospel

which would

liberate a

lot of

people from

such a

fanatical

interest in

grabbing soil

the gospel

does that

the gospel

helps you to

be set free

from the

absolute

preoccupation

with having

land

and so the

gospel is

greatly needed

in the Middle

East as the

great secret

for bringing

a real peace

to the Middle

East

anybody here

ever been to

the promised

land

few people

yeah

and I

was after

my 30

years at

North

Sydney

11 couples

took Kathy

and myself

on a trip

to the

promised land

to Israel

I never

expected to

go but

they took

us and

we stood

on the

mountain

where Moses

stood and

we looked

over at

the land

and from

the top

of the hill

it doesn't

look that

great but

when you

get into

it you

realise how

lush and

beautiful

it is

but Moses

didn't miss

out really

on anything

he just

missed out

on walking

the dirt

now we

come to

chapter 4

are you

still with

me I

can see

one or

two are

still with

me which

is exciting

now we

come to

chapter 4

and that's

probably the

most important

chapter this

evening and

that's the

passage we

had read

for us and

this is what

we read in

chapter 4

verse 1

Moses says

I want you

to listen

very carefully

and I want

you to do

what I say

because your

forefathers

kind of

listened and

didn't do

and then

he says

in chapter

4

verse 2

don't add

to the

law

and don't

subtract

does anyone

know where

that comes

up again

in the

Bible

in the

book of

Revelation

yeah thank

you don't

add don't

subtract

the Pharisees

as you know

were great

adders

the Sadducees

were great

subtractors

adders are

always a

nuisance

Sadducees

often stir

the church

up to

rethink its

foundations

the most

dangerous

are the

Pharisees

because they

introduce

extras

creating the

A group

and you're

only in the

B group

and so the

place gets

divided

and adding

and subtractive

are both

dangerous

but I

suspect that

adding is

the most

dangerous

now when

Moses in

chapter 4

verse 6

says that

their role

in the

promised land

is to show

the nations

the greatness

of God

I want you

to notice

that they

were not

just moving

in to

get some

milk and

honey

they were

moving into

the promised

land to

show that

God was a

great God

who could do

the impossible

and they were

to live by

the word of

God which

would show

all the

nations around

them that

God was a

wise and

great God

and the

nations would

look on and

they would say

what is the

matter with

these people

they're so

fair and

they're so

generous and

they look after

the weak and

the poor we

despise them

and they would

say who's their

God and the

God is Yahweh

now I'm saying

this to you

because you've

got to know

that they didn't

go into the

promised land

just to have a

good time

they went in

to be God's

signposts and

Peter takes this

up as you know

in 1 Peter

when he says

you are also

God's chosen

people a

holy nation

to declare

the praises

of him who

brought you

not out of

the wilderness

into promised

land but out

of darkness

and into

light

now can I

say I don't

know how you

as a local

church affect

your suburb

I was 30

years in North

Sydney trying to

work out how

does the local

church affect

North Sydney

we had quite a

nice building

I don't know if

you've ever seen

St Thomas's North

Sydney but it's

like a sandstone

cathedral set in

beautiful green

grounds and I

imagine a lot of

people in North

Sydney and the

lower North Shore

said it's a nice

old property

must be very rich

at Anglican

Church but it

always I scratch

my head for 30

years thinking how

does the church

arrest the

attention of the

community are

people going to

drive past and

say wow listen to

that music we've

got to stop the

car and go in

or are they

going to say

gee that was an

attractive group

walking in the

building the other

day we must go

and meet them

how is the local

church going to

affect the

community and I

came to the

conclusion that it

isn't the hour on

Sunday which is

going to impact

the world it's the

group that meets

for the hour on

Sunday that goes

into the world

it's not the

gathered church

church which is

going to cause

your suburb to

sit up and take

notice it's the

scattered people of

God who are going

to cause people to

think again the

fact that you don't

swear where you

work that you don't

blaspheme that you

take an interest in

people that you talk

about slightly higher

things than gutter

things these are the

things that cause

people to say he

she is a nicer

person a sweeter

person a kinder

person and eventually

to discover that

you're a believer and

you're not a nuisance

and you're not a

pest and it's that

door it's that

living which digs up

the soil and brings

God willing an

opportunity for a

seed to be to be

landed you know that

lovely passage in

Colossians 4 where

Paul says live wisely

among the unbelievers

making the most of

the time especially

he says get ready to

answer and let your

speech be gracious

seasoned with salt

it's a very clever

text because every

single believer goes

to work and they

must concentrate on

asking the Lord that

they'll be useful

living wisely among

the unbelievers

getting ready possibly

to answer how was

your weekend what do

you do on the

weekend nothing

much at door

closes doesn't it

went away on the

weekend with my

church end of

sentence really you

go to church I

didn't think anybody

with an IQ over 10

went to church no

there's a few of us

and little door

opening because

you're starting to

live wisely you're

answering the

questions and you're

trying to do it with

grace and salt and

living among the

world which is where

most of you live we

pastors and clergy

we're hopeless you

see because we live

in our offices way

too long but you

live in the real

world and that's

where you're to live

wisely as the

scattered people of

God helping the

non-people of God

learn something about

God and that's what

Moses is talking

about well he says

in chapter 4 verse

9 I'm nearly

finished the

listeners at Mount

Sinai were

children that is

everybody he's

speaking to in the

present was a child

at Mount Sinai now

they've grown up and

he says I want you

now that you're

adults to help your

children who were not

there at Mount Sinai to

know what took place

because he says you

will remember that when

you got to Mount Sinai

God appeared in thunder

and lightning and he

spoke and you were

frightened and you

asked God not to

speak and you didn't

see anything just

thunder and lightning

you didn't see the

shape of God you

didn't see the look

of God you didn't see

the face of God you

heard the voice of

God and that voice

that word is what you

need to live faithfully

for him and that's why

in verse 12 the whole

problem of idols is so

great because if you

don't have the word of

God you fall into

idolatry so I've been

talking to somebody in

recent weeks and they

want to live immorally

and so what they're being

very careful to do is to

say I'm a believer but I

want to live immorally and

I'm not opening the Bible

in case it challenges me and

I'm not going to listen to

the talks you give me or

the books you give me or

the articles you give me

because they might

challenge me and that's

what idolatry does it

says I'm not listening I'm

just making something that

will suit me and as you

know the idols that sneak

into our lives are those

things that come before

Christ so just ask

yourself what is more

urgent for you than

Christ and you're pretty

close to your idol just

ask yourself what's the

thing that you turn to for

your comfort that's often

the thing which comes

before Christ and that

takes the place of the

idol I'm not saying that's

the meaning you've lost

your salvation but you

know that's where your

battleground is now why

did God not show himself in

some bodily form at Mount

Sinai part of the reason

was he's spirit part of the

reason was anybody got any

other thoughts he's too

holy to be seen and live

yeah Exodus very good he's

spirit you cannot see me and

live and the problem is once

you've had a vision or a

picture you can easily

abuse that picture or distort

that picture or change that

picture but the word of God is

completely clear and that's

why God has presented us with

the Lord Jesus we can't we

don't have photos of him we

don't have film of him but

we've got the word telling us

about his character his

promises his performance

because once you end up with a

vision or a picture it

becomes easy to distort and

this of course all prepares the

way for when God did come into

the world in flesh and show

himself to the first century

people who recorded his words

and his works so that we might

walk by faith and not by sight

well you can see as Moses speaks

and the birds are enthusiasts with

this you can see that as Moses

speaks that he looking ahead to

the future says to them in verse

25 if you do become idolatrous and you

will you'll be scattered you'll be

taken off into Babylon and you'll

spend a long time learning the

lessons again but I won't forget you

says the Lord I'll bring you back and

I'll restore you you may forget me I

will not forget you so the great

privilege of the people of God at the

end of chapter 4 verse 33 is that

they have heard the voice of God

nobody else none other religion has

heard the voice of God speaking to

them but God's people did and he

spoke to them from heaven and he

worked on the earth to preserve them

and he loved them and he chose them

and he drove out the enemies and he

brought them into the promised land and

there is no other God you know when the

Muslim lifts up his voice to Allah

there isn't an Allah sitting up there

that's the tragedy he's just an

invention remember how Paul talks in

1 Corinthians about how the how the

idol is in many ways it's a nothing it

could be a teapot but in another sense

it's an absolute tragedy because if it

captures your heart it will fail you

so God has been so wonderful to us and

he's interested in our welfare do you

want a God who communicates turn to the

Bible do you want a God who saves you

from your problems sins in the short

term every problem in the long term turn

to the God of the Bible do you want a

God who's demonstrated that he's really

loving and really faithful and really

kind and really strong turn to the God

of the Bible do you want a God who can

change you slowly but surely turn to the

God of the Bible and that's why Jesus

has come lived died risen so that we

might experience all this for ourselves

the final bit of chapter 4 talks about

the cities of refuge because the whole

section finishes with there's a safe

place to go if you fail and the cities

of refuge were those cities that you

could run to if you'd done something

and were afraid of being killed for it

and of course the city of refuge that we

run to is Christ where we find

forgiveness and welcome and safety and

the proof is the cross so Douglas Murray in

his book called the madness of crowds has

anybody seen the madness of crowds Douglas

Murray's book he says the Western world

has two problems it has no promises to

bring it together there is no agreed

truth and there is no mercy this is what

he says he's not a believer there is no

mercy when the when the fractures and the

cracks appear and I read that in the book

and I thought to myself what a prophetic

thing to say the Western world is in deep

trouble because there's nothing to bring it

together and if there are cracks or breakdowns

there is no mercy to get us back together and

that's why everybody is so angry and hostile and

on the bandwagon attacking

but in the gospel promises to bring us

together mercy when there are little

frictions and failures and that's why we are

the most blessed and privileged people because

we have such a great savior so there's an

introduction to the book of Deuteronomy quite

fast and tomorrow we'll look at even more even

faster so get a good sleep everybody I'll

finish in prayer for us let's pray

gracious God we thank you for giving to us

this book a reminder of your goodness and

your greatness a reminder of your safe keeping and

your plans a reminder of your word which we can

trust and our Savior who we do trust we pray that

you would fill us with gratitude for all that you've made possible

fixing the past fixing the present fixing the future help us to be your

joyful thankful people this weekend we ask it in Jesus name

amen