The Inward Curve of the Heart

Hello, it is good to be with you, virtually anyway.

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Adam Wingrove,

and I'll be talking today, carrying on the sermon series based on the Generosity Project,

with today's theme looking at the inward curve of the heart,

focusing on the Bible passage in Deuteronomy, chapter 8, verses 11 to 20.

Deuteronomy 8:11–20

Let's have a quick dive into the background of Deuteronomy.

The name Deuteronomy comes from the Greek translation, Deuteros Nomos,

which misunderstands the phrase copy of the law for the second law.

Deuteronomy was written to appear as a reminder and reinforcement of Leviticus and Numbers.

However, its language is less complicated and regulated than the preceding books.

In verses 11 to 13, now the Israelites have found the promised land.

And are now well established.

Moses brings a reminder not to forget the Lord in a time of plenty.

He was concerned that the Israelites would exalt themselves and not Yahweh,

especially as they have everything they ever needed.

Moses would do this for two reasons.

The first being that Yahweh brought them out of captivity,

called them by name and delivered them safely into the promised land.

Secondly, the Israel culture submits their obedience to Yahweh to receive his blessing and remain in covenant with him.

They do this through tithing, strict worship and annual feasts.

In verses 15 to 16, Moses continues to remind the Israelites that they have been delivered from captivity.

Yahweh provided food in the form of manna and water from a rock.

It is easy to assume that they should remember.

However, the audience he was addressing is actually two to three generations later and was not actually present.

Which is why he was giving them this reminder.

To change their ways.

It is easy to forget what God has done for us.

For you, for me.

Our families, friends and communities.

Can you remember when God has brought you out of alone moment and delivered you into safety and provision?

As a child from a non-Christian family, we lived in a big house.

We had a piano.

We had a family horse.

We had all the latest gadgets and gizmos.

My mum and dad had a divorce.

We sold everything.

I remember one particular time, due to the circumstances,

we lived on food parcels from a local food bank.

We went from having everything to nothing.

One of my darkest moments, God was planting the seed.

And little did I know that the church who was feeding us was the ones in years to come I recall home.

In verses 17 to 18, Moses gives caution not to get carried away with ourselves.

And forgetting where our provision comes from.

As the Israelites' provision and wealth had grown over the years,

it is easy to slip into the thinking pattern that our provision is from salaries.

And if I'm successful, that makes me a self-made person.

Becoming proud can slip in easily.

Moses reminds us that it is God who has provided for us.

It is God who gives us strength to be successful.

In times of plenty, our hearts turn inwards.

And we often take credit for our own prosperity.

And become proud that our hard work and cleverness made us rich.

It is easy to get so busy trying to make it being rich that we actually push God right out of our lives.

And we have no time for him.

In verses 19 to 20, if we forget the Lord and bow down to other gods, destruction will certainly come.

Naturally, we are not generous nor thankful.

We get caught up in the world greediness with materialistic thinking and obsession.

When I was working in recruitment.

I was earning good money.

At one lunchtime, I went out to treat myself and walk past a homeless person who asked for some money.

I did not give him anything because I don't carry change on me.

However, I could have brought him a sandwich.

Yet because of my busyness and what I wanted to do, I did not stop and help.

God reminded me that it was him who provided me with the food box from the church when I was younger.

It was him who provided me with this money.

Walking away without helping someone that stayed with me, I regret doing that.

Pride and self-sufficiency are deeply rooted in us.

We must remember that our provision comes from God and give thanks to him for that provision.

God calls us to be generous.

We can do this by giving our time, knowledge, caring, sharing our possessions and simply loving people.

God bless you.

God bless you.

God bless you.

God bless you.

God bless you.

God bless you.

Mother Teresa once said,

May God break our heart so completely that the whole world falls in.

And so I pray that our hearts should turn away from inward looking to have the heart looking outwards with overflowing generous love, which our world so desperately needs right now.

I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.