Being God's Community

We'll begin our worship by singing to God's praise in Psalm 34.

It's the Sing Psalms version on page 40 of the Psalm book.

We're going to sing from verse 8 to verse 14.

Again, I'm just a reminder that the Sunday school starts today and the tweenies will

come in as well and they'll go out to the Sunday school and the tweenies during the

second singing.

So we're glad that the Sunday school and resuming again today, we give thanks for that.

Psalm 34 at verse 8, come taste and see, the Lord is good who trusts and him is blessed.

O fear the Lord, you saints with need, you will not be oppressed.

We'll sing from verse 8 to 14 to God's praise and we stand to sing.

Come taste and see, the Lord is good who trusts and him is blessed.

O fear the Lord, you saints with need, you will not be oppressed.

Young lions may grow weak and faint and hunger for their food, but those who wait upon the Lord

will not be oppressed.

Come hear my children gather round and listen to my word.

And I will help you understand how you may fear the Lord.

Does anyone delight in life and long to see good days?

God bless you, the Lord is good.

Then keep your tongue from evil speech, your lips from lying ways.

Depart and turn from evil paths and practice what is right.

Desire to know the way of peace, pursue it with your might.

I will come to God in prayer. Let us pray.

Amen.

I will come to my word and I will help you understand how you may fear the Lord.

We pray that every one of us as we gather together here will have a real hunger to come and hear what you have to say to us.

And to give thanks that in him we have one who is able to save.

Help us to turn from our evil paths if that is what we need.

And that we would come and follow him and put our trust in him.

We thank you then for your word.

We thank you for all your people as we gather together in your name today.

Here and as those who tune online.

Those who meet throughout our land and throughout the world today.

We thank you that there is a chorus of your people offering a praise to you far and wide.

And so we ask that you will hear our prayers.

That you will bless us in all we do.

May it be to your glory.

And all we ask, we ask the forgiveness of our sins.

In Jesus name.

Amen.

Amen.

Well a word to the young ones before you go out.

As I was praying there I mentioned that this is the day that the Lord has made.

And what do we think of when we think maybe of these words?

This is the day.

What day is the psalmist there talking about?

What's your favorite day of the week?

Does anybody have a favorite day of the week?

I'm sure everybody's favorite day is Monday.

Is it?

Monday is usually everybody's favorite day.

When you get to go back to school.

When you get to go back to work.

It's a great day, is it?

I don't think you're convinced that Monday is your favorite day at all.

Maybe Saturday is your favorite day.

Saturday when you get to take a break.

Have a long lie.

Do the things that you want.

Maybe meet up with pals and enjoy a wee break.

Just think about that.

What's your favorite day of the week?

Another thing is that sometimes maybe when you wake up.

You wonder what day is it?

Not just young ones but older ones too.

Especially maybe during holiday times.

You wake up and you wonder what day is it today?

And how do you find out what day it is?

Maybe you put it on the news.

And see well what day is it?

They'll tell me on the news.

Or you pick up a newspaper and it'll tell you what day it is.

Maybe you check your phone or something like that.

Just to find out what day it is.

And sometimes you'll maybe be disappointed what day it is.

Other days you'll be glad what day it is.

I want you to think today about a special day that God has given to us.

He has given us every day of course.

All seven days in the week.

But he gave us a special day in the week.

And a day that I hope will if it's not already become all of our favorite day of the week.

All of that to us.

That will be our favorite day of the week.

And that is Sunday.

Sunday and today is a special day because we come together to worship God.

We come together today with Sunday school starting once again.

We come with the creche and the tweenies coming together.

We come as a people.

We come and worship God together.

And it really is a special day.

And that's what the psalm reminds us.

Psalm 118.

Where the psalmist says,

This is the day God made in it.

We'll joy triumphantly.

The psalmist is so glad that there is a day that we can come and worship God.

And may that be our song today as we come together.

That we would delight and rejoice that God has given us this day.

His own day.

The Lord's day.

This Sunday.

To come and worship Him together.

We may have other favorite days in the week as well.

Days we enjoy doing different things on.

But may Sunday really be a special day for us all.

Where we give thanks to God for the rest that He gives us.

And especially the rest that He gives us in knowing His own Son, Jesus.

So may you be blessed today in your classes as they resume.

And may we all be blessed in this.

His day may be a real time of refreshment for us.

Well, we give thanks to God.

And we're going to share together now in the Lord's Prayer.

And we'll just say that together.

So we'll put our hands together and say the Lord's Prayer.

Our Father which art in heaven.

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation.

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.

Amen.

We're going to sing again to God's praise in Psalm 5.

And this is in the Scottish Psalter version.

Page 203 of the Psalm book.

Psalm 5 on page 203.

We're going to sing from verse 1 to verse 7.

Give ear unto my words, O Lord, my meditation way.

Hear my loud cry, my King, my God.

For I to thee will pray.

So we'll sing these words to God.

Psalm 5, verse 1 to 7.

Psalms 5:1–7

And we stand to sing.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Give ear unto my words, O Lord, my meditation way.

Hear my loud cry, my King, my God.

For I to thee will pray.

Lord, thou shalt early hear my voice.

I early will direct my prayer to thee.

And looking up, an answer will expect.

For thou art not the God that doth in wickedness delight.

Neither shall evil dwell with thee, nor fool stand in thy sight.

All that ill-doers are the haste.

God's hope that liars be.

The bloody and deceitful man abhorred is by thee.

But I into thy heart will come in thine abundant grace.

And I will worship in thy fear toward thy holy place.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

We're going to read together in God's word now in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy chapter 6.

Deuteronomy 6 · chapter mention

Let me read the whole of this chapter.

Deuteronomy chapter 6.

Deuteronomy 6 · chapter mention

In the previous chapter, Moses has just given to the people of Israel the Ten Commandments.

And they're about to enter into the Promised Land.

They're preparing to go into the Promised Land.

So he's given them these commandments.

And now he is instructing them in how they are to live as they seek to go into this new land.

So in chapter 6, we read these words.

Now this is a commandment, the statutes and the rules that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you.

That you may do them in the land to which you are going over.

To possess it.

That you may fear the Lord your God.

You and your son and your son's son.

By keeping all his statutes and his commandments.

Which I command you all the days of your life.

And that your days may be long.

Hear therefore, O Israel.

And be careful to do them.

That it may go well with you.

And that you may multiply greatly.

As the Lord, the God of your fathers has promised you.

In a land flowing with milk and honey.

Hear, O Israel.

The Lord our God.

The Lord is one.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.

And with all your soul.

And with all your might.

And these words that I command you today.

Shall be on your heart.

You shall teach them diligently to your children.

And shall talk of them when you sit in your house.

And when you walk by the way.

And when you lie down.

And when you rise.

You shall bind them as a sign on your hand.

And they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

You shall write them on the doorposts of your house.

And on your gates.

And when the Lord your God brings you into the land.

That he swore to your fathers.

To Abraham.

To Isaac.

And to Jacob.

To give you.

With great and good cities.

That you did not build.

And houses full of good things.

That you did not fill.

And cisterns that you did not dig.

And vineyards and olive trees.

That you did not plant.

And when you eat and are full.

Then take care lest you forget the Lord.

Who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Out of the house of slavery.

It is the Lord your God you shall fear.

Him you shall serve.

And by his name you shall swear.

You shall not go after other gods.

The gods of the peoples who are around you.

For the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God.

Lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you.

And he destroy you from the face of the earth.

You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.

As you tested him at Massa.

You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God.

And the testimonies and his statutes which he has commanded you.

And you shall do what is right.

And good in the sight of the Lord.

That it may go well with you.

And that you may go in and take possession.

Of the good land that the Lord swore to give your fathers.

By thrusting out all your enemies from before you.

As the Lord has promised.

When your sons ask you in time to come.

What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes.

And the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you.

Then you shall say to your son.

We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt.

And the Lord brought us out of Egypt.

With a mighty hand.

And the Lord showed signs and wonders.

Great and grievous against Egypt.

And against Pharaoh.

And all his household before our eyes.

And he brought us out from there.

That he might bring us in.

And give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers.

And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes.

To fear the Lord our God.

For our good always.

That he might preserve us alive.

As we are this day.

And it will be righteousness for us.

If we are careful to do.

All his commandments.

Before the Lord our God.

As he has commanded us.

Amen.

And may God bless that reading.

From his word.

We will again engage in prayer.

Let us bow our heads in a word of prayer.

Our Father in heaven.

As we hear of the instructions.

That you gave your people of old.

They may seem instructions for a people.

So long ago.

And not relevant to ourselves.

We may be think that in our own wisdom.

That we have the knowledge to go forward.

By our own understanding.

Of the ways of this world.

That we can build our own commandments.

That we can find our own way.

That we can do as we please.

But in your word.

We find that there is only one way.

To live.

And that that is according to your truth.

And that your truth.

Is a word that stands firm forever.

That your word is relevant today.

As it always is.

It always will be.

For it is a word that is able to give life.

And to give blessing to your people.

We thank you that in the midst of.

A people who often failed you.

As we read in the Old Testament.

Who were distracted.

Who listened to the wrong voices.

Who went according to their own wisdom.

That you still spoke to them.

And called them back to yourself.

And as we live in a day.

That is so similar.

A day when we have listened to the voices.

Of this world.

When we have gone our own paths.

And had our own wisdom.

As we saw it.

We thank you that you are still a God who speaks.

And a God who is still calling.

A people back to yourself.

And so may each of us hear your voice.

And your word to us this day.

Return to me.

That I may return to you.

May we seek your blessing over us.

As a people.

And that you would do us good.

In these days.

That you preserve us.

You keep us.

And it is only in your strength.

That we go on.

So help us to acknowledge you.

And to give thanks to you.

And to praise your name.

That you are a God.

Who is so faithful.

We do thank you for this.

Your day.

We thank you Lord.

For the blessings that are ours.

We thank you for the abundance.

Of good things.

That we enjoy from your hand.

We are richly blessed.

In this past week.

We give you thanks.

For the communion season.

We enjoyed together.

For the encouragements.

That were there.

We give you thanks.

For new members then.

And also in the last few months.

As we see them.

In our intimation sheet today.

We pray that you will bless them.

Each one mentioned.

That you will guard them.

That you will uphold them.

That you will use them Lord.

In your kingdom.

And in our midst.

As a people here.

We thank you for the way.

You strengthen us in number.

We thank you for the way.

You strengthen us.

In our faith.

Through word and sacrament.

We thank you for the way.

That we are strengthened.

In our fellowship.

With one another.

And we do pray your blessing.

Upon the fellowship.

Of your people here.

That together.

We will indeed encourage.

One another.

We thank you for all.

The things that are resuming.

In our midst.

As a congregation.

We pray your blessing.

On the Sunday school.

Once again.

We give you thanks.

For all the children.

For the teachers.

For the helpers.

Your blessing.

And peace be upon them.

We thank you.

For the youth fellowship.

God willing to take place.

This evening.

We thank you Lord.

For the young ones.

Who are involved in that.

Both in leading.

And in coming along to it.

And we pray your blessing.

On us as we gather there.

We thank you.

For all that's going on.

Through the week.

With the toddler groups.

For the prayer meetings.

With the resumption.

Of the over 55 group.

To start soon.

With the WFM.

And so many other events.

Going on Lord.

We give you thanks.

That you are a God.

Who is giving us.

The opportunities.

For all of these things.

Once again.

And may you bless it.

To us as a people.

We give you thanks.

To that in the midst.

Of the sorrows.

And sadness.

Of this world.

That you are a God.

Who is compassionate.

And kind.

One who is able.

To comfort.

As only you can.

And as a congregation.

As once again.

We have the sad news.

In this past days.

Of deaths in our midst.

We give you thanks Lord.

That you are a God.

Who speaks.

And who ministers.

We pray for each family.

Who has lost a loved one.

We pray for our congregation.

As we mourn the passing.

Of people who are loved.

By many here.

Lord.

And we pray that.

In the days ahead.

In services.

To take place.

Of worship.

And of the funeral service.

We ask your blessing.

On all that is done.

In your name.

We look to our land.

As well Lord.

And we pray.

Oh Lord.

That you will guide us.

By your wisdom.

As we think of the week ahead.

And the appointment.

Of a new prime minister.

To our nation.

We pray that.

Whoever it is.

That is appointed.

May be used by you.

That they would bow the knee.

Before you.

That they would hear your voice.

In the midst of all the other voices.

That will clamor for attention.

We pray for our land.

Oh Lord.

In the midst of all the different struggles.

That we have.

How we need you Lord.

To pour our new spirit upon us.

To come in a day of your power.

To revive us.

To bring us the peace.

That only you can.

We pray that.

For our world as a whole.

We thank you for those.

Who go out.

Into the midst of all the different lands.

Of this world.

Proclaiming your name.

We thank you for Muriel.

And pray for our own ministry.

And pray your blessing on her.

That you will uphold her.

And keep her.

And we thank you for opportunities.

To meet with her online.

And pray that that will be blessed.

To each and every one of us.

So we thank you Lord.

That there is much to praise your name for.

Above all Lord.

We pray that.

In this day.

In this time of worship.

And as we go forward.

In your strength.

That you will be our shepherd.

That you will guide us Lord.

And give us.

From your living waters.

To refresh our souls.

And to give us.

That quenching of our thirst.

That we live in a dry parched land.

As your word describes it so often.

We thank you Lord.

That there is refreshing showers.

From your spirit.

And from on high.

So we pray Lord.

Refresh us.

Do us good.

And continue with us.

Throughout this day.

Help us to do all.

To your glory.

The singing of your praise.

The worship of your name.

The reading of your word.

And our meditation upon it.

May it be blessed by you.

And we ask all.

Acknowledging our sins anew.

Thankful for the forgiveness you offer.

In Jesus Christ our Lord.

In whose name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

We again sing to God's praise.

Before we turn to the passage.

We're going to look at.

Singing in Psalm 127.

Psalm 127.

The singing Psalms.

Version on page 171.

Unless the Lord builds up the house.

Its builders toil in vain.

Unless he keeps the city safe.

They vainly watch maintain.

We'll sing the whole of this Psalm.

To God's praise.

Psalm 127.

And we stand to sing.

Amen.

Unless the Lord builds up the house.

It's builders toil in vain.

Unless he keeps the city safe.

They living watch in vain.

In vain you rise before the dawn.

And with our vainly keep.

That you may toil for food to eat.

He gives his love won't sleep.

Sons are a precious heritage.

A blessing from the Lord.

The children that are born to us.

The children that are born to us.

Are truly history, Lord.

Like our rose in a warrior's hand.

Our children of one's youth.

The man who's quivered full of them.

The man who's quivered full of them.

Is blessed by God in truth.

Such men will not be put to shame.

That will not be their fate.

When they contend against their foes.

Who faced them in the gate.

Well, let's turn to our reading in Deuteronomy chapter 6.

Deuteronomy 6 · chapter mention

We're thinking about the first nine verses of this chapter.

We can read again at verse 4.

And so it goes on.

Normally, when you have a mass walk out in church.

It wouldn't fill you with much enthusiasm.

But today, looking on as the children walked out.

It was great to see and encouraging to see so many of them.

Going out through the various exits.

It's great to see a hunger for parents to bring their children to Sunday school.

To creche and to twinnies.

It's great to see so many people of different ages coming together to worship God.

Because that is the way that we are meant to live as a people.

We are to be a people.

Whatever age and stage we are at in life.

That come and give thanks to God and praise to God for all his goodness to us.

And we often speak in the place which we live as a sense of community.

And in our islands, we do indeed enjoy that blessing of having a real sense of community.

It's something that we hold dear to ourselves.

A sense of belonging.

A sense of knowing that maybe in our greatest times of need.

That there are always people who will come and gather around us and help us in our times of need.

We ask ourselves today, what does it mean to live in a community?

And what kind of community are we?

When we look around ourselves, we see that there are many different types of community that we can belong to.

A community is often seen as a group of people who have a particular interest in mind.

So even around us, we could have such a community as we often would say, a Gaelic community.

We might have a real sense of being a part of a musical community around us.

Many people have these kinds of interests.

We speak about the scientific community and all kinds of different interests that we have.

But you find with these kinds of communities that there's almost an exclusiveness to them.

You have to have an interest in these things or a desire for these things to be part of that community

and to feel a real sense of belonging.

But there's another kind of community that is even more precious to us.

We have all these kinds of communities around us.

But the greatest kind of community that we enjoy and are part of here is to be a community of God's people.

To have that blessing of being together around God's word, young and old alike.

There being a oneness and a bond that exists between us that has its foundation in Christ our Lord.

And to have that desire to bring ourselves together as families, as individuals,

but collectively coming as a community of God's people, praying together,

worshipping together, and seeking God's good on us as a people.

So what kind of community then does God want us to be?

As we come together to worship, we are not to be an exclusive kind of group.

We are not to be accepting only of a certain kind of people.

But we are to be very much an inclusive community.

That we would feel welcome.

That we would feel at home.

That we would feel the presence of a place of peace in our midst

as we gather together to worship God.

Young, old, middle-aged, whatever our background, wherever we're from.

That we would find a real sense of oneness as a community under God's word.

And above all, that we would have God and his word in our midst as a people.

That is what we have here in the book of Deuteronomy.

That's what we have in the passage before us today.

And today as we think of the Sunday school resuming,

as we see so many young ones coming out,

is to think not just that we are a people who,

yes, we are blessed by having young ones and seeing them here.

That we feel also that we are all part of this community together.

And to see our own responsibility towards our young ones

and towards one another.

And our responsibility towards God.

To truly be his community.

And as we look at this passage today,

we see what Moses is instructing the children of Israel.

To be as a community.

And how that they are to live together as one

with God at the heart of their community.

Somebody once said,

what forms and sustains a community

isn't a commitment to community per se,

but a commitment to the word.

So it's not just to feel a commitment to the people around us,

but to have that foundation of a commitment to the word

that gives us that sense of belonging

and that sense of community.

Because as Moses is speaking to the children of Israel here,

he is giving them a warning too.

This is how you are to live.

This is how you will find blessing.

But he gives them a ringing warning in their ears as well.

And you see that in verse 11 and 12.

He's saying there,

when you're going into this land,

remember it's not a city you built yourselves.

It has houses full of all good things

that you did not fill,

and cisterns that you did not dig,

and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant.

There's all of these things.

But he says,

when you eat and are full,

then take care lest you forget the Lord.

The Lord, who he says,

brought you out of the land of Egypt,

out of the house of slavery.

Again, we think of our own day,

we have so much.

And that warning rings through in our ears.

Let us be careful that as a community of God's people,

we do not forget the Lord.

So I want us to think of three things

that we have in this passage

that gives us a sense

of the kind of community that we are to be.

The first thing is

that we are to be a listening community.

The second thing is

we are to be a loving community.

And the third thing is

we are to be a living community.

So the first thing is

we are to be a listening community.

How can we obey God's word?

How can we live as God's community

if we do not listen

to what he is saying to us,

if we do not heed the instruction of his word?

So there in verse four,

Moses is saying to the people,

hear, O Israel.

Listen, O Israel,

to what I am saying to you.

This is the beginning of God's dealing with the people

and telling them,

as you go into this land,

this is one of the first things you must do.

You must listen to my word.

Listen to what I am saying to you.

And why is this?

Well, God knows the kind of place

that they are going into.

He knows the land in which they are going into

and he knows the temptations

that there will be around them.

They are going to enter into a land

that already has various kinds of communities.

Communities that have various and many gods.

And as God's children go into this land,

they are going to be confronted

with these other communities.

They are going to hear

what these other communities are saying to them

and to listen to them talking about their gods

and their ways

and the way that they would seek

to move them towards living themselves.

They are going to hear much advice.

And in many ways,

God knows the temptation

is going to be there for them.

To listen to this,

it's going to seem so much better and easier

than the God that they have had

and listened to in the past.

But God is saying to them,

listen,

the Lord,

our God,

the Lord is one.

So they are to listen

to what God is saying.

And as a people today,

the same instruction rings through to ourselves.

How often in your life do you hear advice?

How often in your life are you given instruction

and told that this is what you are to do?

This is how you are to live.

This is what you are to believe.

We're flooded day by day with information.

It comes at us thick and fast.

There's so many voices

trying to vie for our attention,

telling us that this is what we need to hear.

This is what we need to listen to.

It's constant.

But what or who is it

that we are listening to ourselves?

We can easily become stressed

by all that we hear.

Being pulled in so many different

kinds of directions.

And that's the challenges

that the children of Israel were going to face.

That's the temptations

that they were going to be confronted with constantly.

So God is saying to his community,

to his people,

listen first and foremost

to what I am saying.

Listen to my voice.

Hear what I am saying to you.

And that is what we are to do today

ourselves as well.

In the midst of everything,

all the information

that's constantly flowing our way,

we as a people are to listen

to what God is saying to us.

To listen to what his word

is saying to us.

To put our trust in his word.

To put our trust

in his son, Christ Jesus,

who is the word

that became flesh

and dwelt among us.

We have this precious resource

before us

to enable us

as a community,

a community of God's people,

to listen

to what he is saying.

The Psalm,

Psalm 34

that we sung,

it says,

Come here, my children,

gather round

and listen

to my word

and I will help you

understand

how you may fear

the Lord.

There is instruction

there for us

and it is to come

and to listen.

But are you too busy

to listen?

Are you too busy

to be still

for a moment

and listen

to what God

is saying to us?

Even as God's people

we can become so busy

that we don't listen

to what God

is saying to us.

We don't make time

to hear what God

is saying to us.

Charles Swindle

is a famous

Christian writer.

He's written many books.

He wrote a book

called

Stress Fractures.

And in that book

he's speaking

about the busyness

of his own life.

and the effect

it had on him.

And he says

at one point

in that book

that he had

far too many

commitments

in his life.

He was doing

too much.

He was becoming

nervous and tense

about everything.

And this was affecting

his life

at home.

He was saying

I was snapping

at my wife

and her children.

I was choking

down my food

at mealtimes.

Feeling irritated

at those

unexpected interruptions

through the day.

Before long

he says

things around

our home

started to reflect

the pattern

of my life.

That was just

hurry,

hurry,

hurry.

He says

it was becoming

unbearable.

But then

something happened

that left

an impression

on him.

He says

I distinctly

remember

after supper

one evening

the words

of our younger

daughter

Colleen.

she wanted

to tell me

something

important.

Something that

had happened

to her

in school

that day.

And so

she started

speaking

hurriedly

and she said

Daddy

I want to

tell you

something

and I'll

tell you

really fast.

And suddenly

it dawned

on Charles

Wendell.

He realised

her frustration

that everyone

was in the

household

was becoming

so fast

paced

everything

had to

be rushed.

And he

stopped

and he

answered

and said

to her

honey

you can

tell me

and you

don't have

to tell

me

really fast.

Say it

slowly.

But it was

her response

then that

really hit

home to

him.

She said

then listen

slowly.

Are we

so rushed

in our

life today

that

everything

needs to

be done

quickly.

Even

our

listening

has got

to be

done

quickly

because

we've

got so

many other

things to

do.

Our

listening

to God's

word

our

making

time

for him

it's

becoming

a rush.

As

God's

community

we are

to engage

in listening

to him

and making

time

to listen

to him.

As we

gather

round

God's

word we

find that

he's

talking

to every

one of

us

together

young

and old

all of

us

together

to come

and listen

to what

God is

saying

to us.

Sometimes

we just

have to

heed

that

advice

ourselves

that we

listen

slowly

that we

make

time

for God.

So let

us be

a

listening

community

of God's

people.

Listening

to each

other

listening

to our

children

listening

to young

and old

alike

making

time

for one

another

but above

all

listening

to God

and what

his word

is saying

to us.

The second

thing we see

here is that

we are to be

a loving

community.

So as you

go through

these verses

we find that

following the

first part

which is to

listen and

to hear

what God

is saying

to us

we are also

to be

challenged

by what

we hear.

We are not

just to

hear and

put it

away.

We are to

listen and

seek understanding

in what God

is saying

to us.

And the

challenges

there for us

is that if

we want to

be a

community

of God's

people

we have

to ask

ourselves

well where

is our

heart's

desire

directed.

If we

come to

see that

God is

one and

there is

no other

God

and if

we are

listening to

him

then what

are we

to do

with that?

Well he

goes on

here in

verse 5

to give

us

instruction.

He says

you shall

love the

Lord your

God with

all your

heart and

with all

your soul

and with

all your

might.

And these

words that I

command you

today shall

be on

your heart.

There is

instruction

there for us

we are to

be a

loving

people.

That we

are to

listen to

what God

is saying

to us

but that

we are

also to

put that

into practice

in the sense

of being

affected by

what we are

hearing.

As we

make time

to listen

to God

as we

hear what

he is

saying to

us

as he

opens

our ears

and opens

our heart

what is

that doing

to us?

Is our

heart

becoming

hard?

Are we

pushing

him away?

Or are we

listening and

seeking

understanding

through

prayerfully

approaching

him?

Moses is

saying to

the children

of Israel

here you

shall love

the Lord

your God

with all

your heart.

And the

question for

us is do

we love

the Lord

and especially

do we love

the Lord

with all

our heart?

Somebody

once said

the first

duty of

every soul

is to

find not

its freedom

but its

master.

Not to

find our

freedom

but to

find our

master.

And so

who is it

or what

is it

that you

love most

in this

life?

Who or

what is

the master

the ruler

of your

life?

If we

are to be

a community

of God's

people

if we

are to

listen

to his

word

then we

are to

see that

our love

should be

directed

towards God

first and

foremost.

if we

were to

ask

today

how does

that

congregation

grow in

godliness?

How do we

individually

grow in

godliness?

By listening

and recognizing

that God

is worth

all our

love

and that we

can love

only because

he first

loved us

and gave

himself

for us.

that we

would be

moved by

the love

of God

for us.

To love

him with

all our

heart.

To love

our families.

To love

our community.

To love

our young

people.

To love

our old

people.

That the

love of

God would

transcend

everything

that we

seek to

do for

him.

In the

New

Testament

as Jesus

was teaching

his people

around him

one person

came to

him and

said

teacher

which is

the greatest

commandment

in the

law.

And where

did Jesus

take them

for that

greatest

commandment?

He took

them to

these words

that we

have in

Deuteronomy.

Jesus

said to

him you

shall love

the Lord

your God

with all

your heart

with all

your soul

and with

all your

mind.

This is

the great

and first

commandment

and a

second is

like it.

You shall

love your

neighbor as

yourself.

a loving

community

as the

Lord at

his heart

and in

our heart

and as

we love

the Lord

with all

our heart

that leads

to us

loving our

neighbor as

ourself.

Having a

desire and a

hunger that

our community

be one

but in the

sense that we

would also see

many others

coming into

this community

a belonging

and finding

belonging

in God

and in

his son

Christ

Jesus.

Moses is

telling his

people here

he's instructing

them in

discipleship if

you like.

That's what we

would call it

today.

We disciple

one another.

We disciple

individuals.

We disciple

ourselves

collectively.

He is

speaking to

the community

here in

Moses'

day and

saying disciple

one another.

Love one

another.

Love the

Lord and

do good to

each other.

And so

today he's

instructing us

in the same

way too.

To disciple,

to encourage

one another,

to pray for

one another,

to be there

for one

another.

All of

these things.

It's not

just thinking

biblically but

acting biblically.

He says

here these

are the

commands that

you are to

do.

These are

the things

that you

are to do.

So it's

not just a

case of

simply

listening to

these

commandments.

It's not

just a

case that

you know

these

commandments.

It's not

a case that

you can

recite

these

commandments

or that

even you

accept

these

commandments.

It's

that you

do

these

commandments.

That you

put these

things

into

practice.

Martin

Luther once

said,

a religion

that gives

nothing,

costs

nothing,

and suffers

nothing is

worth

nothing.

So what

is our

community

like?

Is it a

community

that's willing

to give?

Is it a

community that's

willing to

bear a

cost?

Is it a

community that's

willing to

suffer?

Because if

we're not,

we're worth

nothing.

So God's

word challenges

us to do

as he

commands,

to be

a loving

community,

loving the

Lord and

loving our

neighbor.

The final

thing I want

us to take

from this

is that we

are to be

a living

community.

If we are

called to be

a people who

hear these

things,

and if we are

called to be

a people who

love the

Lord with

all our

heart,

we have to

leave it with

this,

what are we

going to

do with

that?

What will

we do

with that?

Surely it's

to make sure

that we are

practicing these

things,

not just on

a Sunday,

not just in

our time of

worship,

not just in

bringing our

children to

Sunday school

and that's

that box

checked for

the week,

but together

actively living

for God,

instructing our

children,

encouraging them,

discipling and

helping one

another,

being in

fellowship with

one another,

worshipping

throughout the

week,

living together

in a sense

of being

active in

every way

we can,

prayerfully,

practically.

We all have

a part to

play,

every one

of us.

It doesn't

matter where

we are in

life,

it doesn't

matter even

if we're not

able to come

out as we

once did.

Maybe there's

those tuning

in online and

you maybe

don't feel

you belong to

this community,

you do,

and you have

an active

part to

play in

this community

as you

pray for

it,

as you

remember

different

people,

as we

all engage

together,

we become

a living

community for

Christ,

showing forth

his love

towards those

around us.

Paul,

as he wrote

to the church

at Philippi,

he instructed

them to live

in this way.

He says in

chapter 4,

verse 8,

finally,

brothers,

whatever is

true,

whatever is

honorable,

whatever is

just,

whatever is

pure,

whatever is

lovely,

whatever is

commendable,

if there is

any excellence,

if there is

anything worthy

of praise,

think about

these things.

And what you

have learned

and received

and heard

and seen

in me,

practice

these things.

Practice

these things.

And he

says the

God of

peace

will be

with you.

That is

a promise

that the

children of

Israel had

from God

here in

Deuteronomy

6.

He says

to them

that it

would go

well

with you.

He speaks

here about

teaching

diligently

the children,

speaking about

these things

as you sit

in your

house,

when you

walk in

the way,

when you

lie down,

when you

rise.

You shall

bind these

words as

signs on

your hand.

There shall

be as

frontlets

between

your eyes.

You shall

write them

in your

doorposts

and in

your gates.

And all

of this

is so

that it

may go

well

with them.

Practice

these things.

That is

what we

are to

do as

a people

as well.

We are

given

these

instructions

as how

we are

to live

for God,

to practice,

to teach,

to talk,

to bind,

to write.

to be

a living

and a

learning

community

together,

a people

who know

God

and love

God,

and show

that in

our practice

in how

we live.

Today it's

encouraging

that the

Sunday school

starts and

to see so

many coming,

but this

isn't just a

message of

how to

parent and

to teach

our children.

This

isn't

Moses giving

instruction

here.

This is how

you deal

with your

young ones

and that's

all.

It's a

whole

community

of God's

people

living

together

as one,

worshipping

together

as one.

Everything

that we

do,

we do

for the

glory

of God.

So may

it be

that we

seek to

do it

all together

for His

glory.

What's

your

greatest

accomplishment

in life?

As you

look back

over your

life,

what's

your

greatest

accomplishment?

It's a

question that

the former

President of

the United

States,

George Bush

Senior,

was asked

once.

And he

had done

many things

in his

life.

There are

many things

that he

could have

maybe said,

well this

is the

greatest

accomplishment

I see

in my

life.

He had

been a

Navy

pilot in

the Second

World War.

He had

been a

vice

president

to

Ronald

Reagan

for eight

years.

He was

president

himself.

He could

have spoken

of his

time as

the head

of the

CIA.

He could

have

mentioned

so many

different

things that

he had

done in

his life.

But you

know what

he answered

when he

was asked

that question,

what is

your

greatest

accomplishment

in life?

He said,

my greatest

accomplishment

is that my

children still

come to

see me.

He had

done all

these things

in his

life,

but it

hadn't

affected the

fact that

his children

could still

come to

speak to

him.

That means

making

time.

And for

ourselves,

what would

be our

greatest

accomplishment?

We can

maybe achieve

so much

in life,

but our

greatest

accomplishment

would surely

be that