Sermon

Hearing God's Grace: God's Demanding Grace

February 17, 2013 Carrigaline Baptist Church - Sermons

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Cited passages

Deuteronomy 10 Chapter mention
Deuteronomy 30 Chapter mention
Deuteronomy 30 Chapter mention
Romans 2 Chapter mention
Romans 2 Chapter mention
Romans 2:28
Deuteronomy 11 Chapter mention

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90 in the church bibles
so deuteronomy chapter 10 and starting in verse 12

Deuteronomy 10 chapter mention
and now israel what does the lord your god ask of you but to fear the lord your god
to walk in all his ways to love him to serve the lord your god with all your heart and with all
your soul and to observe the lord's commands and decrees that i am giving you today for your own
good to the lord your god belong the heavens even the highest heavens the earth and everything in it
yet the lord set his affection on your forefathers and loved them and he chose you their descendants
above all the nations as it is today circumcise your hearts therefore and do not be stiff-necked
any longer for the lord your god is god of gods and lord of lords the great god mighty and awesome
who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes he defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow
and loves the alien giving him food and clothing and you are to love those who are aliens for you
yourselves were aliens in egypt fear the lord your god and serve him hold fast to him and take your
oaths in his name he is your praise he is your god who performed for you those great and awesome
wonders you saw with your own eyes your forefathers who went down into egypt were 70 in all and now the
lord your god has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky and following on in chapter 11 verse 1
love the lord your god and keep his requirements his decrees his laws and his commands always
remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the lord
your god his majesty his mighty hand his outstretched armed the signs he performed and the things he did in
the heart of egypt both to pharaoh king of egypt and to his whole country what he did to the egyptian
army to its horses and chariots how he overwhelmed them with the waters of the red sea as they were
pursuing pursuing you and how the lord brought lasting ruin on them it was not your children who saw what he
did for you in the desert until you arrived in this place and what he did to dathan and arabum sons of
elia the reubenite when the earth opened its mouth right in the middle of all israel and swallowed them
up with their households their tents and every living thing that belonged to them but it was your own eyes
that saw all these great things the lord has done now over to verse 16
be careful or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them
then the lord's anger will burn against you and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain
and the ground will yield no produce and you will soon perish from the good land the lord is giving you
fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds tie them as symbols on your hands
bind them on your foreheads teach them to your children talking about them when you sit at home
and when you walk along the road when you lie down and when you get up
write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates
so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the lord swore to give to your
forefathers as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth
well keep it open that those two readings chapter 10 and chapter 11
and let's pray
father thank you for your words thank you for the book of deuteronomy
thank you for all that we've been able to to learn and to hear about you
and we pray that you will continue to teach us
through this great book
teach us about god
teach us about ourselves
and teach us about the lord jesus
and his spirit
so please work amongst us
and we pray this in jesus name
amen
well deuteronomy as we have been
seeing in our studies is a collection of sermons
or a series of talks that's been given by moses to god's people
just before moses dies
and the people cross over into the promised land
it's his final his farewell speech
and in his sermons he's been telling the people
practically right up to chapter 10
of all the things that god has been doing for them
and all the things that god will do for them
but now as we get to chapter 10 and chapter 11
the emphasis has begun to shift
the focus is no longer on
what god has done for us
but what is our response
to all that god has done for us
in other words
how are they going to live in the land
what's their behavior going to be
what does god expect of them
as they go into the land
well we're going to unpack this
by looking at three things
what god demands from us
why god demands of us
and how we respond to god's demands
so what god demands from his people
why god can demand it
and how we are to respond to his demands
so first
what god demands from us
that's the question that is being asked
right at the very beginning
in chapter 12
in fact if you looked at the catechism
we asked the question
what does the law of god require of us
it's the question that we read here in verse 12
and now oh israel
what does the lord your god ask of you
what is it that god requires
what does he expect of his people
well look at the rest of verse 12
what does the lord your god ask of you
but to fear the lord your god
to walk in all his ways
to love him
to serve the lord your god
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and to observe the lord's commands
and decrees that i am giving you today
for your own good
and this theme is repeated
throughout these two chapters
so chapter 11 verse 1
love the lord your god
and keep his requirements
his decrees
his laws
and his commands always
or verse 31
you are about to cross the jordan
to enter and take possession
of the land
the lord your god is giving you
when you have taken it over
and are living there
be sure that you obey
all the decrees
and laws
that i am setting before you today
now this is nothing less
than a demand
for wholehearted loyalty
total commitment
and devoted allegiance
to god
and to nobody else
it's as if god is making a claim
on our lives
he's making it crystal clear
that our life is no longer our own
it now belongs exclusively
to god
and we mustn't think
that this is an optional extra
for the very king
this is what god demands
of all his people
it was spoken to
the whole gathering
it's not unlike
the relationship
between a commander
and a soldier
or a husband
and a wife
let me use these
as illustrations
to show
a commander
because of his very position
in the army
has the right
to demand
of his soldiers
that they obey him
if he gives a command
the expectation
is whenever he gives an order
that they will be carried out
without delay
a wife
because of her relationship
to her husband
has a right
to receive
from her husband
to receive love
there is an expectation
that she will
experience in her life
his devotion
and his loyalty
now because of the relationship
that exists
between god
and his people
god demands
our
loving obedience
and our
obedient love
it is nothing less
than a demand
for wholehearted
loyalty
total commitment
and devoted
allegiance
to god
and to no one else
so that is what god
demands of us
he is demanding
our whole life
everything that we are
our heart
soul
and mind
to love him
above all else
now second question
why
does god demand
of us
like this
who does he think
he is
to demand
of us
his total
allegiance
and all our love
well the reason
god can make
such demands
is because
of who he is
look at verse 14
to the lord
your god
belong the heavens
even the highest
heavens
the earth
and everything
in it
who is saying
that god
owns the entire
universe
every square
inch
of the universe
belongs
to god
there is not
one blade
of grass
there isn't
one galaxy
in space
that god
cannot say
this is mine
it all
belongs
to him
and we
belong
to him
but we
should never
think of god
as some
distant
dictator
who's sitting
on his throne
away out there
somewhere
abusing his
power
issuing these
orders
that we love
him
just to
satisfy
his own
ego
no god
can demand
of us
because
of what he
has done
for us
he owns
everything
we belong
to him
but he
has also
done
something
amazing
for us
two things
first we have
come to know
his grace
everything belongs
to god
yet
look at
verse 15
yet the lord
set his affection
on your
forefathers
and he
loved them
and he
chose
you
their
descendants
above all
the nations
as it is
today
you see
god isn't
cold
and distant
he has
actively
intervened
into this
world
and into
our lives
and he
has actively
loved
you
he has
reached down
as it says
in verse 15
and he has
chosen you
he has set
his affection
on you
he is
delighted
in calling
you
and giving
you his
love
it is
personal
and intimate
and we
must never
think that
this is in
response
to what we
have done
or who we
are
no look
at verse
17
for the lord
your god
is god
of gods
and lord
of lords
the great
god
mighty
and awesome
who shows
no partiality
and accepts
no brides
so god
is not
responding
to our
love
he's not
reacting
to our
obedience
he shows
no partiality
god
loves us
he sets
his affection
upon us
simply
because
he loves
us
it is
because of
god's
grace
that we
are his
treasured
possession
now this
grace
is not
just a
thought
or an
idea
that we
have
kind of
a way
out there
separate
from us
it has
been
experienced
in our
lives
it is
grace
experienced
look at
chapter 11
verse 2
remember
today
that your
children
were not
the ones
who saw
and experienced
the discipline
of the lord
your god
his majesty
his mighty
hand
his outstretched
arm
the signs
he performed
and the things
he did
in the heart
of egypt
both to pharaoh
king of egypt
and to his
whole country
verse 5
it was not
to your
children
who saw
what he did
for you
in the desert
until you
arrived
at this
place
verse 7
but it
was your
own eyes
that saw
all these
great things
that the lord
has done
for you
you see
god's grace
is not
some
hand me
down
memory
it's not
a second
hand
experience
that gets
passed
along the
family
this isn't
somebody else's
story
that we have
to try
and relate
to
it is
something
that we
can
experience
personally
in our
own lives
verse 7
he says
to the
people
it was
with your
own eyes
that you
saw all
these great
things
that the
lord has
done
he had
rescued
them from
egypt
he had
provided
for them
in the
desert
he spared
their lives
when they
grumbled
and complained
and they
disobeyed
this is
not the
experience
of someone
else
somewhere
else
this was
their
experience
this was
their
story
this was
their
life
and they
knew
god's
act of
love
in their
lives
first hand
and it is
no different
for us
god's grace
is experienced
in our lives
every single
day
even this
very day
we've known
his grace
to us
in providing
us with
the food
that we
eat
the homes
that we
live in
the families
that we
have
the friends
that we
have
the tap
the water
that we
have from
the tap
all of
these things
are signs
of god's
abundant
grace to
us
and we
have them
every single
day
and they
just bypass
us without
any thought
but yet
they are all
god's good
gifts to
us
and we
experience it
but above
all of
this
we experience
the rescue
of god
through his
son jesus
christ who
has forgiven
us and
who accepts
us and
welcomes us
into his
family to
be his
very children
he has
provided us
with all
that we
have through
jesus he
cares for us
he treasures
for us
the bible
tells us
that he
has provided
us with
everything that
we need
for life
and godliness
god through
his grace
gives us
everything
he doesn't
treat us
as our
sins deserve
when we
rebel against
him
and yes we
might say
okay the
death and
the resurrection
and the life
of jesus may
have been an
event in
history a way
back there
somewhere
but it's
not a
hand-me-down
experience of
somebody else
no through
faith in
jesus
the effects
of all
that jesus
has done
for us
can be
experienced
in our
lives
every single
day
we can
own
as it
were
verse 7
it's with
our own
eyes
that we
have seen
these great
things
that the
lord
has done
this isn't
somebody else's
story
this is
our story
god's grace
is known
today
and it
is something
to enjoy
today
and this
is the
reason why
god can
demand
our loving
obedience
and our
obedient
love
and we've
got to be
clear on
this
god doesn't
rescue his
people as
he as we've
seen in
deuteronomy and
he doesn't
rescue and
provide for us
and then say
you know what
do what you
like when you
get into the
promised land
it doesn't
matter how
you live
you choose
how you
want to
live
no god
says because
of what i
have done
for you
my grace
and my
love that
has been
lavished upon
you you
now belong
to me
you're mine
so god's
grace isn't
something that
we can just
take it or
leave it and
and kind of
abuse it
whenever we
wish
no grace
is deeply
personal
and intimate
it's relational
it's about
god who
owns the
universe
being in
relationship
with people
like us
and it's
binding
we can't
break out
of it
it's
demanding
upon us
and because
of all that
god has done
for us in
our lives
there's not
one inch
of our lives
not one
part of our
life that
god doesn't
say
mine
that means
there is
nothing
that god
can't ask
of you
there is
nothing
that god
can't require
of you
there is
nothing
that he
can't
demand
of you
we belong
to him
we are
his
and so
there is
this demand
that we
would love
god with
all our
heart
and with
all our
soul
and with
all our
mind
now i'm
sure as we
just even
think about
those two
things that
what god
demands of
us
our total
allegiance
our complete
love
and that
why god
demands of
us
this
this demand
can
overwhelm
us
look at
chapter 10
verse 12
again
just try and
think how
we could
possibly do
this
he says
fear the
lord your
god
walk in
all his
ways
love him
serve the
lord your
god with
all your
heart
and with
all your
soul
or chapter
11 verse
1
love the
lord your
god and
keep his
requirements
his decrees
his laws
and his
commands
always
or verse
32
be sure
that you
obey all
the decrees
and laws
that i am
setting before
you today
now that
to me
is is a
huge big
weight
that's heavy
upon our
shoulders
and the
weight of
it is
this
we know
what is
required
of us
we know
that we
are to
love god
with all
our
heart
we know
that we're
meant to
obey all
of his
commands
but here's
the crunch
of it
we know
that we'll
never do
it
deep down
we know
that this
is just
an impossible
task
so how
are we
to respond
to such
demands
well i
think there's
two very
helpful steps
that we
can take
that will
help us
to love
god
and to
obey
his
commands
the first
is this
circumcise
your hearts
can you flick
it up there
graham i think
it's there
there we go
circumcise your
hearts
look at verse
16
circumcise your
hearts
therefore
and do
not be
stiff-necked
any longer
now circumcision
we know
with this
outward sign
that you
belonged
to god
you were
part of
the covenant
family
but we also
know that
this external
procedure
doesn't
actually change
your heart
having your
foreskin
removed
doesn't
suddenly
enable you
to love
god
and to
obey
god
it
it
doesn't
work
like
that
so he's
saying here
verse 16
look
circumcise your
hearts
therefore
and do not
be stiff-necked
any longer
what we need
is not an
external
procedure
but an
internal
procedure
we need a
surgeon
who's going
to come
along
and cut
away the
impure
the wrong
motives
the false
desires
and deal
with our
hearts
so that
we will
be able
to love
god
well you
say that's
grand
circumcise
your
hearts
well who's
going to
do that
are we
meant to
do it
well look
at
deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30 chapter mention
chapter
30
go to
deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30 chapter mention
chapter
30
30
now here's
a promise
from god
in deuteronomy
30
and it
comes in
the context
of our
disobedience
okay
this is
important we
get this
right
it comes
in the
context of
our
disobedience
so chapter
30
verse 2
it says
when you
and your
children
return
to the
lord your
god
and obey
him with
all your
heart
and with
all your
soul
according to
everything i
command you
today so
they've already
kind of gone
off side a
little bit
they've been
disobedient
he's now
called them
back to
himself
and then he
makes this
promise in
verse 6
the lord
your god
the lord
your god
will
circumcise
your hearts
and the
hearts of
your
descendants
so that
you may
love him
with all
your heart
and with
all your
soul
and live
god is
going to
be the
surgeon
he's the
one who's
going to
do the
cutting away
he's going
to deal
with our
hearts
so that
we can
give him
our loving
obedience
now that's
good news
for us
because i
don't know
about you
but i
can't deal
with my
heart
i can't
love god
as i
ought to
i need
somebody else
to do
it
so god
says i'm
going to
do it
for you
but but
again how
is he
going to
do it
well jump
forward to
romans

Romans 2 chapter mention
chapter 2
romans

Romans 2 chapter mention
chapter 2
this is
where god's
promise
to
circumcise
our hearts
becomes a
reality
and he
tells us
how he's
going to
do it
romans

Romans 2:28
chapter 2
verse 28
so he's
been talking
all about
the tradition
of circumcision
the outward
and how it
doesn't change
anybody
so we get
to his little
summary in
verse 28
of chapter 2
it says
there a man
is not a
Jew
if he is
only one
outwardly
so let me
just try and
paraphrase this
a little bit
so we can
get to
to grips
with what's
being said
verse 28
a person
is not a
true believer
if he is
only one
outwardly
nor is
circumcision
merely outward
and physical
no a
person is
a true
believer
if he is
one
inwardly
and
circumcision
is circumcision
of the
heart
and that
circumcision
of the
heart
is done
by
the
spirit
you see
the only
way our
hearts can
be changed
the only
way that
we can
love God
and obey
God
is when
the Holy
Spirit
goes at
work in
our hearts
and begin
to change
us
because we
are completely
and utterly
powerless to
meet God's
demands
without him
we cannot
love him
with our
heart
soul and
strength
but how
often
do we
come before
God
and ask
him
to perform
this kind
of surgery
in our
lives
when
when was
the last
time we
sat down
and said
spirit
of God
change
my heart
to love
you more
spirit
of God
change
my heart
so that
I will
obey you
because we
cannot do
it on
our own
and he
has given
us the
very resources
to do
it so
that's the
first step
we need
to circumcise
our hearts
by the
spirit of
God
calling on
him
to do
that
change
the second
thing we
need
and they're
both
connected
so I
don't want
to see
these as
two different
things
but as
one big
step
together
we need
to go
back to
Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 11 chapter mention
chapter
11
for this
the second
step is
this
to fix
God's
words
in your
hearts
fix
God's
words
in your
hearts
chapter
11
and
verse
18
he
says
fix
these
words
of
mine
in
your
hearts
and
minds
tie
them
as
symbols
on
your
hands
and
bind
them
on
your
forehead
and
teach
them
to
your
children
and
so
on
now
literally
people
did
tie
verses
of
scriptures
on
their
wrists
and
on
their
forehead
they
were
called
the
lac
trees
they
were
just
little
boxes
with
verses
of
scripture
and
tied
around
their
heads
and
this
was
this
external
sign
to
show
their
love
and
devotion
and
obedience
to
God
but we
all
know
that
words
tied
on
your
hands
or
on
your
forehead
they
don't
change
us
or
transform
us
it's
the
same
as
maybe
me
getting
a
nice
big
tattoo
of
Kirstie
on
my
arm
here
with
saying
I
love
you
dearly
or
something
like
that
now
a
tattoo
isn't
going
to
make
me
love
my
wife
it
might
remind
me
but
it
doesn't
make
me
do
it
in
the
same
way
words
of
scripture
aren't
going
to
change
us
they
must
be
as
it
says
in
verse
15
these
words
must
be
fixed
in
our
hearts
they
must
be
written
in
our
hearts
internally
but
how
is
that
going
to
happen
well
as
we
read
God's
word
the
spirit
not
only
cuts
away
what
is
unclean
in
our
hearts
but
he
puts
God's
words
into
our
hearts
into
our
lives
you
see
if
we're
ever
going
to
meet
these
great
big
demands
of
God
if
we're
going
to
fear
God
as
it
says
in
verse
12
if
we're
going
to
walk
in
his
ways
if
we're
going
to
love
him
and
serve
him
with
all
our
heart
and
with
all
our
soul
if
we're
going
to
keep
his
commands
if
we're
going
to
follow
his
laws
as
his
people
in
this
world
what
we
need
to
do
is
this
we
need
to
book
in
for
regular
surgery
and
I
want
to
leave
us
with
this
image
or
this
picture
as
something
that
we
should
be
doing
on
a
daily
basis
we
need
to
go
into
God's
operating
theatre
and
as
we
go
into
God's
operating
theatre
there
we
will
find
the
chief
surgeon
the
Holy
Spirit
and
in
his
hands
if
we
can
picture
it
like
this
in
his
hands
are
the
instruments
for
doing
that
surgery
that
instrument
is
God's
word
so
the
Holy
Spirit
the
surgeon
has
the
implements
God's
word
and
as
we
submit
to
him
as
we
submit
to
him
in
the
operating
theatre
the
Spirit
of
God
takes
the
word
of
God
and
he
begins
to
cut
away
to
circumcise
our
hearts
to
take
away
the
unclean
and
the
impure
to
take
away
the
loves
that
we
have
for
other
things
and
for
other
people
and
then
he
begins
to
write
on
our
hearts
the
beauty
and
the
purity
of
God's
word
written
in our
hearts
in such
a way
that we
begin to
live out
that word
in our
lives
day by
day
that we
begin to
love
God
with all
our
heart
and with
all our
soul
and with
all our
mind
and it's
only by
taking
these two
steps
that we
can
respond
to
God
with
loving
obedience
and
obedient
love
let's
just
pause
there
for a
minute
and let's
right now
individually
and on
our own
just talk
to God
right now
we've seen
his demands
and why
he demands
because of
his amazing
grace
but we
can't do
that on
our own
we need
to go to
God's
operating
theatre
so let's
now in
prayer
privately
and quietly
ask the
Holy Spirit
to take
God's word
to do
his work
in our
lives
right now
so that we
will love
him
and obey
him
as we
should
let's do
that now
and
he
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
asking that your spirit, through your word,
would do his work, changing us,
so that you have our loving obedience
and our obedient love.
Thank you for the great God that you are.
Please go on changing us, we ask in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Amen.
Well, the song that we're going to finish
picks up on that final song.