The Song God Gave to Bring You Back | Deuteronomy 32 | Pastor Matt Nettesheim

Good. Oh, wonderful, wonderful. Take your Bibles

and turn with me to the book of Revelation chapter

number 15. Revelation chapter 15, we're gonna

Revelation 15 · chapter mention

work our way back over to the book of Deuteronomy

and we're gonna start here in the book of Revelation.

Wow, thank you for being here this morning. Thank

you for. loving the Lord, thank you for your

love for God's Word. God's Word is quick, powerful,

sharper than any two -edged sword. God's Word

changes lives. God's Word, it's a lamp to my

feet and a light to my path. It's an absolutely

an amazing book. And when we get to the book

of Deuteronomy, we know that the children of

Israel are about to enter into the promised land.

and Moses is not gonna be able to go with them.

They're gonna cross that Jordan River. They're

gonna go into that land flowing with milk and

honey. It's gonna be wonderful. When we think

about Moses, say that with me, Moses, okay? Just

like Moses, okay? Try to say it like that, Moses.

That sounded a little bit better, maybe, but

Moses was the leader for 40 long. It was Moses

who went up into Mount Sinai, met with God, God

gave him his word. And we think about Moses copied

out Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and

Deuteronomy. But Moses also was a songwriter

or God used Moses to write a song. Look with

me here in Revelation chapter 15, verse number

Revelation 15 · chapter mention

three, the way this is worded. And they sing

the song. of Moses, the servant of God. And the

song of the lamb sang, great and marvelous are

thy works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are

thy ways, thou King of saints. This is, really

the singers of this song are the tribulation

saints, but they're singing the song of Moses,

the song of the lamb. And imagine that, great

and marvelous. Sing that with me. Great and marvelous.

I don't know how it sounds, but that sounds good

to me. Great and marvelous. And it's a song about

God, our great God, our powerful God, our amazing

God. And we do have a great God, amazing God,

a wonderful God. We'd all say him into that.

Okay, now when you go back to the Old Testament,

go back with me to Exodus chapter 15. Turn back

Exodus 15 · chapter mention

to Exodus. You know, you go Genesis, then Exodus.

Exodus chapter number 15. And wow, wow, wow,

in Exodus chapter, I'm wowing because wow, imagine

being there. Moses led the children of Israel

across the Red Sea. God parted the Red Sea. The

children of Israel crossed the Red Sea. The Egyptian

army's behind them. The Egyptian army follows

them. Then God takes and capsizes the Red Sea

and it destroys the Egyptian army. And right

here is a song. Look at verse number one. Then

sang Moses, then sang who? Moses, come on, then

sang Moses, try it again with me, then sang Moses

and the children of Israel, this song unto the

Lord. And Spake sang, I will sing unto the Lord

for he hath triumphed gloriously. The horse and

his rider hath he thrown in the sea. The Lord

is my strength and song, and he has become my

salvation. He is my God. And it was a song, the

song of Moses. Absolutely fascinating. Now we

turn over to Deuteronomy 31. That's where we're

getting at, Deuteronomy chapter number 31. And

we're gonna find another song, a song given by

God, and I call it the Song of Moses. And if

you will, stand with me for the reading of God's

word. We're gonna read Deuteronomy 31, and we're

gonna read the last verse, verse number 30, all

together in unison. Before we read that, remember

how we pronounce Moses. Say that with me, Moses.

Now look at verse number 30, ready? And Moses

spake in the ears of all the congregation of

Israel the words of this song until they were

ended. Now understand, Moses spake. the words

of this song, this song, this song. So as you

go to chapter 32, you're gonna hear the song

of Moses, you're gonna hear the words of this

song. Now, before we pray, before we pray, I

understand. I looked at this passage, I studied

this passage, and at the beginning of this week,

I was overwhelmed. The song of Moses, what does

that have to do with me? What does that have

to do with you today? By the time the end of

the week, when I was studying this, I was like,

holy mackerels. I've read this many times, but

I've not paid attention to it. And by the way,

you sometimes read the Bible and you read it,

but you're there, but you're not there. And when

all of a sudden I read this, I paid attention

to it, I got to my office, and I think about

it, I cried thinking I needed that. And I mean

that. And I thought about how many people in

our church desperately need this truth. Now the

problem is, this whole song as we go through

it, there's gotta be a base, we gotta lay some

foundations, we gotta look and we gotta pay attention.

And I promise if you can just pay attention by

the end of this, you're gonna say, man, I needed

that or in the future I desperately am gonna

need that. But you're gonna have to pay attention

this morning. We're gonna have to work through

this just a little bit. Before we go any further,

let's bow our heads, bow our hearts, go to the

Lord in prayer. Dear Father in heaven, we love

you. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank

you, Lord, for giving us sometimes what I didn't

even know we needed, Lord. And this song, I didn't

realize how powerful it was, how much I needed

in my life. But I pray that you help us all to

spend the time thinking and working and really

laboring through your word to get to the truth.

And I pray that you help all of us to decrease,

you to increase in a marvelous way. And Lord,

if there's a soul here this morning that's not

been saved, I pray that this would be the day

of salvation for them. And God, just wanna say

thank you for your holy, precious, marvelous

word. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Oh, okay. Now,

as we get there, turn back to chapter number

31 there, and we're gonna go over to chapter

31, and before we read verse 14, understand now

that Moses is about to leave the children of

Israel. Joshua is about to lead the children

of Israel across the Jordan River and into the

promised land. But understand, where are the

children of Israel right now? They're about to

cross the promised land, and they are right with

God. This is very, very, very important. The

children of Israel, their heart is not far away

from God. They're listening to the word of God.

They have a fire and a zeal for God. The children

of Israel are right with God. Now look with me

at verse number 14, if you will. Some of you

need work at this. Moses, Moses, okay? Moses,

okay. And the Lord said unto who? That's better.

Behold thy day's approach that thou must die.

Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tabernacle

of the congregation that I may give him a charge.

Okay, stop right there. speaks to Moses, says,

hey, go get Joshua, you're gonna meet me over

the tabernacle, I'm going to give Joshua a charge,

that's a command, that's some directions. Now

look with me at verse number 15. And the Lord

appeared in the what? Tabernacle, look at verse

16. And the Lord said unto Moses, behold, thou

shalt sleep with thy fathers, and this people,

this people will rise up. These are some hard

words right here. And go a whoring after the

gods of the strangers of the land, whether they

go up to be among them and will forsake me and

break my covenant, which I have made with them.

Verse 17, then my anger shall be kindled against

them in that day. Okay, I'll explain this to

you, but it's not hard to understand. Right now,

the children of Israel are right with God. Moses

and Joshua meet with God in the tabernacle. They

hear the voice of God and they say, listen, they're

not gonna be long. The children of Israel are

gonna go into the promised land and when they

do, they're gonna forsake me their God. And it's

gonna, my anger, my anger, God's anger, not my

anger, God's anger is going to be kindled against

God's people. Okay, do you understand that? So

right now, this is a baseline for the sermon.

Right now, the children of Israel are right with

God, but Moses is gonna leave them. They're gonna

go into the promised land. They get in the promised

land. In the promised land, the people of God,

God's people are gonna forsake God, and God's

anger is gonna be kindled against them. You got

that? Okay, now look at this next verse. Look

at this next verse. Verse number 18. And I will

surely hide my face in that day for all the evils

which they shall have wrought. in that they are

turned unto other gods. Verse 19, now therefore,

because of this truth, now therefore write ye

this, what? For you, and teach it to the children,

teach this song, teach it the children of Israel,

put it, the song, in their mouths, that this

song may be a witness for me against the children

of Israel. Wow, verse number 22, skip ahead,

verse number 22. Moses therefore wrote this song

the same day and taught it the children of Israel.

Now, we're gonna make sure that we understand

this point right here real quick. Right now,

the children of Israel, they're right with God,

but they're gonna go into the promised land.

God's telling Moses and Joshua that when they

go to the promised land, they're gonna forsake

God. God's anger is gonna be kindled against

them. Therefore, because of that truth, you're

going to write this song. You're going to teach

this song. You're going to put that song in the

hearts of my people. This song, the song of Moses.

OK, now I read that. I said, well, what does

that have to do with the price of tea in China?

What does that have to do with you? What does

that have to do with me? But here's what it did

for me. I begin to study this song. What is this

song? And I want you to turn over to the next

chapter, chapter number 32. We get to the actual

song of Moses. Look at chapter 32, if you will.

Look with me at verse number one. Okay, verse

number one. Read this with me. Give ear, oh ye

heavens, and I will speak, and hear, oh worth,

the words of my mouth. The song starts with saying,

give ear, O ye heavens, and O earth. It's saying,

think about what you're singing. The song and

the lyrics right here from the very beginning

are telling the children of Israel, the heaven

and the earth, to think about what you're singing.

I went golfing for the first time in like six

months this last week. I hadn't been golfing

in a long time. And when I was golfing, this

man in a cart, a polar cart, caught up to us.

We'd given him an invitation to church, and he

went around us, got in the next hole. And then

all of a sudden, I heard, off in a slight distance,

I heard him, he had this radio. And there were

some words that he had playing, and I imagined

singing that he didn't think about. They were

not good words. You know, many times people sing

songs, but they don't think about what they're

singing. Boy, there's a whole array of words

that are in my head where I've listened to music

or I hear music, and I don't even think about

the words, but I know the words, but I don't

really think about what the words say. I had

an interesting thought. I looked this up, and

I think about worldly music, and much of the

world's music is bad. Sometimes words in the

songs of the world's music, they make no sense.

There's sexual nature. There's wicked and sinful.

But I did a Google search. the five most popular

songs of all time. And I looked them up and it

gave me the list. Here's the list. The first

most popular song of all time. Now you may look

it up, it may show you something different, but

the first one was Imagine by John Lennon. And

the words of that song, imagine there's no heaven,

it's easy if you try, no hell below us. That

song may be sung, many people sing that song.

but it is a song that is absolutely against the

great God that I love. So many times people think,

the second on the list was what they call the

Bohemian Rhapsody by a group named Queen. And

it includes words like this, mama just killed

a man. It also makes reference in the song to

Beelzebub. And really there is a dark side to

that song and I won't go into it. but it's a

song that does not glorify the great God that

we have. And many people listen to that song

or sing that song and don't think of the words.

They're not listening to the words that are there.

And this is not a sermon about this, but it's

just part of to help you understand this. The

third song on there was by Michael Jackson and

a song named Billie Jean. that song right very

famous the kid is not my son and really this

this song centers on really sexual scandal accusation

moral and cleanliness it's sexual by nature it's

a song that people sing people like but many

people don't hear the words that song the third

fourth one is like a rolling stone by Bob I won't

go into that one, but really it's beating a man

while he's down. And the fourth one is good vibrations

by the Beach Boys. What's wrong with that pastor?

Well, I'm just saying the lyrics right there

lead to a life that's lived by emotion rather

than the facts that are found in the word of

God. Now, my whole point on that is often you

or I, we can turn on a radio and we all of a

sudden learn a song. And it becomes a part of

us in our mind, and we really don't think about

what the words are actually saying. God is saying,

hey, in this song, listen up. Think about what

you're seeing. Let the words of my mouth and

the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy

sight, oh, Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

Look at verse number 2. Look at verse number

2. Okay, now, if you can stop for just for me.

I got to stand here for a second. Hold over here

and just breathe for a second. I'm out of breath.

Okay, sit up straight, now you listen to this.

We got the first, this song needs to be heard,

the words. Now it's interesting, the second verse

right here says this, my doctrine, say those

two words with me. My doctrine shall drop as

the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew,

as the small rain upon the tender herb and the

showers upon the grass. Really, this is saying,

hey, God is my instructor. My doctrine, God's

doctrine, he's telling us his position. God's

telling us what is true. God is telling us what

is real. And it's like dew that makes the herbs

grow or the grass begin to grow right there.

The doctrine found in the word of God, the doctrine

that comes from God, it gives life. Okay, okay.

Life. It gives life. The word of God brings life,

okay? Sometimes I don't like the truth, but I

mean, I need the truth, okay? I'd rather somebody

not tickle my ears. I'd like to know what is

true. God's word is always true. Now, verse number

three, look at this, look at this. Look at this,

this is amazing. Because I will publish the name

of the Lord, ascribe ye, what does this say?

Greatness unto our God. Greatness unto our God.

He is the Rock. He is the rock. He is not a rock.

He is the rock. His work is perfect. For all

his ways are judgment, a God of truth, and without

iniquity, just and right is he. This rock right

here is a big rock. My family and I, we went

up to Maine, probably five or six years ago,

and outside of Millinocket, in the middle of

nowhere, we saw this rock in the wilderness,

and me and my kids, It doesn't look like much.

That's not a fake rock, but it is heavy. It's

like really, really heavy. But our God is the

rock. And what do I mean by that? Our God is

stable. You can stand on the rock. Our God saves.

Our God does not change. Our God is unmovable,

you might say. Psalm 18, verse two. The Lord

is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.

Lead me to the rock that is higher than me. Psalm

16, verse two. He is the only God, the rock.

He's the only God. He's a powerful God. He's

a mighty God. He is a great God. He's the king

of kings and lord of lords. He's the alpha, the

mega, the first and the last. greatness of God.

In this song, it's trying to point us to the

great God that formed the world, that gave us

life. Truly, the God of the Bible, the God that

give you life and me life is an amazing God.

Okay. I don't want to sit on the rock. I should

stand on the rock, shouldn't I? No, don't do

that. That's a bad idea. Okay. Now, we're going

through here. And think with me before I move

to this next time because something begins to

change in the song. God is the rock, he never

moves, he never errs. Our God that cannot lie,

he never sins, he never does anything wrong.

So as we begin this, think about what you're

singing. All of a sudden it's a song about healthy

doctrine, it's a song about the greatness of

God, a great God. But then verse number five,

look at this. They have corrupted themselves.

Their spot is not the spot of his children. They

are a perverse and crooked generation. Do ye

thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise.

It's a song that all of a sudden begins to change

and talk about a corrupted people. It's basically

saying, and we're gonna get into this more, the

children of Israel, they're gonna go into the

promised land. and they're gonna be turned into

God's people are going to turn away from the

great God that they have and they're gonna corrupt

themselves. They go again, you say their spot,

do you see that spot where it says spot? It says

this, it says their spot, in verse five, is not

the spot of his children. My wife, I think is

in the nursery this morning, but she'll remember

my son Sam. You were there, Sam, Sam, you remember

that? Our back window you had a wrench in your

hand and a big wrench and my Samuel my Samuel

Took that wrench and I don't know what he's thinking

four years old three years old takes a wrench

and he throws it through the window You know,

I thought I said Mandy that's your son It's not

my son, that's your son Didn't come from me It's

not my child well, she said the apple does not

fall far from the tree But think about it, it's

a song about a corrupted people. Now if you go

to this next part, look at it, it continues to

build. Verse number seven. Remember the days

of old. Consider the years of many generations.

Ask thy father, and he will show thee. thy elders,

and they will tell thee, win the most high, divide

it to the nations. And really, this next section,

it's calling the people to remember. They've

corrupted themselves. They have a great God.

That doctrine that they had is what grows you

and gives you life, but these corrupted people,

all of a sudden, it's calling them to remember

the days of old, remember the past, remember

how God had blessed you. Look at, in the next

section, verse number 10, look at this. He found

them in a desert land and in the waste howling

wilderness, he led them about. He instructed

them. He kept them as the apple of his eye, as

an eagle stirreth her nest. Now, this is very,

very hard. Now, stop and look at me real quick.

We're all on the same page. We're all there.

I know this is a struggle for us in a way to

get through this, but he's all of a sudden saying,

hey, listen. Our God right there demands and

desires us to open up our ears and listen. We've

got to listen to the words, okay? All of a sudden,

our God is a great God. Our God is a great God.

His doctrine gives you life. But you're a corrupted

people, corrupted people. But if you can remember

how, in the past, how good God has been for you.

God is the one that led you for those 40 years.

He gave you water from a rock. He gave you manna

from heaven. He's a God that God will take care

of you. Okay, we sort of got that. If we're getting

there, we're getting there, we're moving along

right there. Look at this, oh, by the way, huh,

huh. You know, you think about it, it's easy

to go against the God that we love. Okay, and

I was thinking about, sometimes we don't intentionally

kick against God, you might say, but sometimes

we do. My son Amos right there, yesterday we

were playing thumb wars. He got on my lap. Dad,

let's have a thumb war. One, two, three, four,

let's have a thumb warp. Okay, then it grew to

two thumb wars at once. One, two, three, four,

let's have a thumb warp. Then he, Amos, five

years old, with his head, attacked my knee. Now

he's crying all of a sudden because he hit his

head on my knee, he attacked my knee. So when

he started crying, I said, you're not the one

to cry. You did that to me, and I started crying.

So I was smarter than him. I ran out to Mama,

and I got on the couch with Mama and I said,

he hit my knee. And he was slow because he was

still in the bedroom crying over there. And finally

he came wallering out, and you remember Amos,

you remember this, and you said, my head. I said,

my knee. And then he looked at me and said, let's

have another thumb war. So we had another thumb

war, one, two, three, four, let's have a thumb

war. And this time he did this and he popped

me right in the head. I was seeing stars. I was

good to him and he hurt me, smacked me. But here's

the thing, God's been good to us whether we meant

to be corrupted, go against God, the reality

is this people have gone against the great God

They gave them life and breath. Look at this,

look at verse 15. But Jeshuram, that's Israel,

waxed fat, fat, waxed fat, and kicked. Thou art

waxed in fat, thou art grown thick, thou art

covered with fatness. It's saying, God's blessed

you, God's blessed you. And as you continue to

read this, verse 16. They provoked him to jealousy

with strange gods. Verse 17, they sacrificed

unto devils, not to God. It's a song about waxing

facts. Spoiled, rebellious children going and

living and serving other gods. Okay, Noah, you're

over there. Noah, you got your little son Job

and yesterday out soul winning on the bus, you

got sitting there and Job's a little over one

years old. He's cute. Then all of a sudden he

came over and he bit you hard. on the chin, and

he gripped a hole to get to rip your chin out

of his grips right there, but he bit you. Your

son, who is cute, bit you. And I thought about

that, that when it used the word, Jeshurun waxed

fat and kicked. Jeshurun, Israel waxed fat, God

blessed them, but they're kicking against the

will of God. Kicking against the will of God.

You understand that? Okay, look at this next

part. Verse number 20, look at this. And he said,

I will hide my face from them. Say that with

me. I will hide my face from them. Look at verse

23. I will heap mischiefs upon them. It's a song

about God's judgment. In other words, when Israel

rebelled, God judged them. God said, I'm not

gonna bless you. Okay, you go ahead and serve

those other gods, but my judgment is coming upon

you. Judgment is coming upon you. Look at this.

Look as you go to this. Look at verse 29. Look

at this. Oh, that they were wise. that they understood

this, that they would consider their latter end.

Say that verse with me. Oh, that they were wise,

that they understood this, that they would consider

their latter end. In other words, God didn't

want it this way. God didn't wanna judge them.

God didn't wanna chase in them. It's not the

way God wanted it. You know, God sent him to

the land flowing with milk and honey, the promised

land, because he wanted to bless them. But they

turned their hearts away from God, so God, rather

than blessing them, has to chastise them. And

right there, the God says, no, oh, that they

were wise, that they understood this. Verse number

31, look at this, you gotta see this. For their

rock is not as our rock. Their rock, little r,

their rock, their false gods is not as our rock,

the rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.

And by the way, you continue on. God didn't want

it this way. But look at this, verse 36. Go to

36. We're almost at the end of this. For the

Lord shall judge his people and repent himself

for his servants when he seeth that their power

is gone and there is none shut up or left. And

he shall say, where are their gods, their rock

in whom they trusted? Look at the end of verse

38. Let them rise up and help you and be your

protection. Now you're gonna see this, it's gonna

come together, it's gonna be worth it. But understand

where we're at. All of a sudden, the children

of Israel, they're right with God. They're gonna

go into the promised land. They're gonna corrupt

themselves. They shouldn't, but they are. It

leads to God chastising them. They're serving

false gods. They get in trouble, and all of a

sudden, they're false gods their way. They find

no help in that. There's no hope in that. And

it's like, you don't have to live that way. But

listen, you've chosen to live that way. Those

little rocks are not going to help you. The big

rock would, but the little rocks would not help

you at all. You understand? OK, we got this.

We're almost there. It's a story of false gods.

They will fail you. By the way, the little rocks,

they won't help you. There's a man I've been

witnessing to for a while now. He's a Muslim.

And he sort of jokes. He said, you know, I'll

go to your church if you'll come to my mosque.

And I said, well, no, we're different. He says,

no, we're about the same. No, there is a big

difference between your little rock God and the

big capital R rock God of the Bible. There is.

The God of the Bible is a true and living God.

Okay, so verse 39, look at this. And this is

what says it. See now that I, even I am he, and

there is no God with me, I kill and I make alive.

I wound and I heal. Neither is there any that

can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my

hand to heaven and say, I live forever. And here

God in the song is declaring his authority, you

might say. He's saying, as God, I give life,

I bring death, I judge, there's no other God.

I alone rule. God is basically saying, I am the

King of kings and Lord of lords. I'm the one

that gave you life. I'm the one that gave you

breath. I'm God. Okay, okay. Just take a deep

breath real quick. Where did this pastor come

from? I've been working on this week trying to

study this and we're almost there because what

does this have to do with you? And what does

it have to do with me? You're gonna notice it

has a lot to do with us. We got two more little

things that you see. Look at verse 43, you gotta

see this. 43, rejoice, O ye nations, rejoice,

O ye nations, with his people, for he will avenge

the blood of his servants and will render vengeance

to his adversaries. And look at this next spot.

And we'll be what? Merciful unto his land and

to his people. Merciful unto his land, to his

people. Oh, you don't get it yet, but you're

gonna see it. All of a sudden it's gonna be like,

oh yeah. A few weeks ago, Connor, we played basketball.

I was a captain. I chose my team. And Joseph,

you were a part of that team wherever you are,

Joseph. And Brother Connor, you were part of

that team. But we played our first game, Connor.

And I realized, two minutes in the game, we're

in trouble. We're in trouble. We're not going

to win. And anyways, we played five games. We

lost all five games. But I knew after the first

two minutes that we were in trouble. And the

thing is, once you lose once, I have to go play

the next game. And we're in trouble. Do you understand?

I'm on the wrong side. And if you're on the wrong

side, it's miserable. And here's the point. At

that point, it didn't matter if the first game

or second game or third team, that's my team.

And if you could, Connor, forgive me for saying

this, it's only gonna hurt you. But it's not

yearly you, it's Joseph was the problem, okay?

But I chose the wrong team and there was no going

back. There's no going back. Can you understand

that? What it's saying right here, though, is,

hey, I will be merciful unto his land. It's saying

in the end of the song that God wins, but he

is merciful enough that he will allow you to

come back to the winning side. And I'm gonna

sum this up in just a moment, because it's gonna

all of a sudden go, oh, this is good, because

it is good. Look at verse number 44. Look at

this. This is the very last part. And Moses came

and spake all the words, all the words of this

song in the ears of the people, he and Hoshia,

that's Joshua, the son of Nun, and Moses made

an end of speaking all these words, these words

of that song to all Israel, and he said unto

them, said unto them, watch this, set your hearts

unto all the what? All the words of what? The

song. All the words of the song. He's saying

all of the words of the song. This is a side

note, but do you realize there's many people

God will give a gift, instructions, a map, and

people do not have the character to pay attention

to it? Well, you mean I gotta spend time learning

that? Paying attention to that? Working on that?

Thinking about that? meditating upon that, reading

that. I didn't say it, God said it. And here's

the thing, it says this, and this is wild. Under

all the words which I testify among you this

day, verse 47, for it is not a vain thing for

you, it's not an empty thing for you, because

it is your life. It is your life. It's your life.

It's your life. And here's where the sermon comes

in. And just to sum this up, think about what

you're seeing. The children of Israel, and if

there's a part to pay attention to, it's right

now, okay? It's gonna come together. The children

of Israel are right with God. They're about to

enter into the promised land. God already knows

when they get to the promised land, they're gonna

turn away from God. Then God's gonna judge them.

God's gonna chase in them. And God is gonna have

this song. Remember the song. Remember the song,

the song that reminds you about what you're singing,

a song when you're in the promised land, you've

turned away from God, a song that has healthy

doctrine that reminds you of the greatness of

God, a song about a corrupted people, a song

to remember the days of old, a song to remind

you that God took care of you, a song about the

wax, fat, spoiled, rebellious child right there,

a song about God's judgment, a song where God

didn't want it this way. Now here it is, now

listen to this statement. The song of Moses.

Was given before Israel ever entered Canaan because

God already knew they would forget him Forsake

him and suffer for it. So he gave them a song

to bring them back to truth When rebellion comes

and the consequences of sin starts showing up

They were to remember that God is still the rock

God was never the problem their trouble came

from turning away from him and in mercy And in

mercy, God still leaves the door open for them

to return to the winning side. That's why the

song mattered. It was not empty words, it was

their life. Okay, for me, I thought about what

does it matter to me? Me, Matt Nettisheim, Pastor

Matt Nettisheim of the great Chesapeake Baptist

Church, I have been given this song today. And

the reality is one day, I'm going to forget God.

I'm going to forsake him and I'm going to suffer

for it. But God gave me, Matt Nettis signed this

song to bring me back to the truth. When rebellion

comes and the consequences start showing up,

I need to remember God is still the rock. Okay,

what about you? You, Chesapeake Baptist Church,

people that are here, you've been given this

song today. The reality is that one day you're

going to forget God. What do I mean by that?

What do you mean, forget God? The reality is,

in some form or fashion, every one of us slips

away from God and begins to turn to our own way.

It just happens. We're not proud of it, but it's

the reality of life. And it's going to happen

to you. Whether you like it or not, there is

a time it's going to happen to you. And when

you do, the reality is one day you're going to

forget God, you're going to forsake him, and

you're going to suffer for it. But God gave you

this song to bring you back to the truth. When

that rebellion comes, and the consequences of

sin start showing up in your life, you need to

remember that God is still the rock. God was

never the problem. And the trouble in your life

came because you turned away from him. And yet

in God's mercy, God's still leaving the door

open for you to return to the winning team. That's

why this song matters. It's not empty words.

It is our life, your life. Okay, I want just

to make sure that we understand this and I know

I'm repeating this but let's let's do it like

this we that's us That's you and me together.

We have been given this song today. God gave

us a song today It's an amazing song and in reality

we we one day are gonna forget God We're going

to forsake him. And when we do, we suffer for

it. But God gave us this song to bring us back

to the truth. When that rebellion comes in our

life and the consequences of sin start showing

up, we need to remember that God is still the

rock. He was never the problem. And the trouble

in our lives came because we turned away from

him. Yet in God's infinite. Wonderful mercy,

he's left the door open and we can come running

back to the great God and that song, if we can

remember the words of this song, it, it, the

song, it is our life. It's a reminder we can

come home to God. We can come home to God. Dear

friend of mine, I would say 24 years ago, dear

friend of mine. I mean, we were on fire for God.

And I remember the day that all of a sudden he

began to make decisions. And I remember going

up to him and I says, you know, to my friend

and saying, hey, you know, you really see what

you're doing? And he all of a sudden got puffed

up. He didn't care, he's hardened, hardened,

hardened. He said, I'm just gonna do what I'm

gonna do. And he did, he did. And it began to

destroy, sin when it's finished bringing forth

death. And I remember sin, when all of a sudden,

boom, boom, boom, it began to destroy his life,

his marriage, his children. And I remember it,

I'm not proud of that, I'm just saying that's

the way it was. And I remember eventually going

back to him and saying, hey, come back, come

back, come back, God is merciful. Yeah, you've

got scars, but God wants you back. And at that

time, he had no belief that God would ever accept

him back. He said, God's not merciful. and basically

he continued in sin, believing maybe that he

deserved it, maybe he did, but it's a terrible

life. And we fast forward today, his life is

no better, matter of fact, it's worse. You know,

there's hope for you. There's hope for me. We

have a great God. Okay, here's the reality, and

here's the very end of it right there. This sermon,

reality, we're sinners, but God's been so good

to us. You're here today, you're right with God.

but there's coming a time when you're gonna get

away from him. You're gonna do some things, you're

gonna say some things, you're gonna think some

things, and next thing you know, you're going

to the judgment of God. The words of this song,

if you think about it, meditate, they're not

vanity and they're not empty, but they're songs

to remind you to bring you back to the great

God who loves you, who's your rock, and keep

it in your mind, keep it in your heart, God is

merciful, and here's the last word, and I believe

this is for some here today. God wants us to

come back. When I wrote that right there, typed

that out, I typed it out, God wants us back.

I began to cry, to think about the times that

I've forsaken God in my life, and I'm thankful

for God's mercy. I'm thankful for allowing me,

Matt Nettisheim, to come back to him. God wants

you back. There's somebody in here this morning,

you're far away from God. You're here, but in

your mind you said, ah, it's good for Pastor,

but it's not good for me. No, it's good for you.

God wants you back. God wants you back. God wants

you, come back to him today. But for all of us,

we may be right with God, but right around the

corner, maybe a month, maybe a year, but sometime

in the future, prone to wonder, Lord, I feel

it, prone to leave the God I love, come back

to God. Let's pray. Dear Father in heaven, we

love you. We thank you, Lord, for loving us.

Salvation. The only way to heaven is you, Jesus.

Thank you for coming 2 ,000 years ago, giving

us the gift of life. And Lord, thank you for

allowing us to become your children through your

precious blood. Help us as a church to meditate,

to think about this song. It's a powerful, powerful

song. I pray even right now for somebody to come

back to you. Help them to come back, go to you,

ask for forgiveness, get back on that rock. of

serving you, Lord. And I pray for all of us as

we go throughout. Help us to think about this

song enough to where we get off track, we come

back to you. In Jesus' name, amen. Stand with

me if you will. Piano's gonna play, organ's gonna

play, and I encourage you to do business with

God. Come this morning as a piano and organ play.

If you're here this morning, and come. If you're

here and you're far away from God, Go to God

in prayer. If you're right with God, say, God,

help me to remember this truth. Help me to remember

this truth. Help me remember this truth. And

if those neither are there, pray for somebody

that they'll come back to God.