Hearing Gods Grace- Gods Amazing Mercy

to 21, which is on page 188.

The Golden Calf.

Remember this and never forget how you provoked the Lord your God to anger in the desert.

From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the Lord.

At Horeb you aroused the Lord's wrath so that he was angry enough to destroy you.

When I went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone,

the tablets of the covenant that the Lord had made with you,

I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

I ate no bread and drank no water.

The Lord gave me two stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God.

On them were all the commandments the Lord proclaimed to you on the mountain out of the fire on the day of the assembly.

At the end of the forty days and the forty nights, the Lord gave me the two stone tablets,

the tablets of the covenant.

Then the Lord told me,

Go down from here at once, because your people, whom you brought out of Egypt, have become corrupt.

They have turned away quickly from what I commanded them and have made a caste idol for themselves.

And the Lord said to me,

I have seen this people, and they are stiff-necked people indeed.

Let me alone so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven,

and I will make you into a nation stronger and more numerous than they.

So I turned and went down from the mountain while it was ablaze with fire,

and the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands.

When I looked, I saw that you had sinned against the Lord your God.

You had made for yourselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf.

You had turned aside quickly from the way that the Lord had commanded you.

So I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands,

breaking them to pieces before your eyes.

Then once again I fell prostrate before the Lord for forty days and forty nights.

I ate no bread and drank no water because of all the sin you had committed,

doing what was evil in the Lord's sight and so provoking him to anger.

I fear the anger and wrath of the Lord, for he was angry enough to destroy you,

but again the Lord listened to me.

And the Lord was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him,

but at that time I prayed for Aaron too.

Also I took that sinful thing of yours, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire.

Then I crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust

and threw the dust into a stream that flowed down the mountain.

Thanks, Justy.

And if you jump over to Deuteronomy chapter 10, verse 1,

Deuteronomy 10:1

and we'll continue reading there.

Deuteronomy 10, verse 1.

Deuteronomy 10:1

At that time the Lord said to me,

Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones

and come up to me on the mountain.

Also make a wooden chest.

I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets,

which you broke.

Then you were to put them in the chest.

So I made the ark out of acacia wood

and chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones,

went up onto the mountain with the two tablets in my hands.

The Lord wrote on these tablets what he had written before,

the Ten Commandments he had proclaimed to you from the mountain,

out of the fire on the day of the assembly.

And the Lord gave them to me.

Then I came back down the mountain and put the tablets in the ark I had made,

as the Lord commanded me, and they are there now.

Well, please keep your Bibles open.

Deuteronomy chapter 9 and 10,

Deuteronomy 9 · chapter mention

as we continue on in our studies in this fabulous book,

the big title we've given it is Hearing God's Grace,

and that's what we're going to do now.

So let's talk to God, pray us for his help,

and then we'll look at his word together.

Our Father God, we thank you so much for your word to us.

Thank you for the privilege of having many copies,

multiple copies of your word that we own.

But yet we know that without your Spirit speaking to us through them,

they remain lifeless.

And so we pray that by the Spirit of God,

you would speak life,

that you would change us,

transform us,

and showing us more of who you are,

your amazing character.

and how when we take that in to our own lives,

how it changes us.

So we ask for your help now this morning,

in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, Deuteronomy, as we have been saying,

is a collection of talks.

It's a series of sermons that Moses gives to God's people

just before they go into the Promised Land.

So in chapter 9, verse 1,

we read this, this little phrase,

Hear, O Israel.

It marks or signifies the beginning of a new talk

that Moses gives to the people.

And in this talk that we're going to look at this morning,

he tells the people two things.

So very simple for us this morning,

just two things we're going to get.

How they're going to get into the land,

and how they're going to stay in the land.

Two things, how they get in,

and how they're going to stay in.

Now let's remember,

40 years ago,

they tried to enter the land,

but they failed miserably.

Now, 40 years later,

they're back in exactly the same place again.

So what's going to be different?

Well, this is what Moses' talk is all about.

And he'll tell them that it's only because of God's mercy

that they're going to get into the land.

And it's only because of God's amazing mercy

that they will get to stay in the land.

Now, when we look at a book like this,

we might just think,

well, that's kind of 4,000 odd years ago.

That's history.

What's that got to do with me?

Well, as we read this story,

let's remember that this is also our story.

Because the way in which God works here

is also the way in which God works with us today.

The message is actually the same.

Because God is the one who brings us in

to a relationship with him.

Into, if you like, the ultimate promised land.

Life in all its fullness.

And it is God who will keep us in

that relationship with him.

Experiencing life in all of its fullness.

So, first, how God brings us in.

Our warrior.

Look at chapter 9, verse 1.

Hear, O Israel,

you are now about to cross the Jordan

to go in

and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you

with large cities that have walls up to the sky.

The people are strong and tall.

Anarchites.

Well, when you hear the word Anarchites,

you are meant to cower and hide under your chair.

Well, they were like giants.

These were people who won every battle.

Maybe it's perhaps how Ireland are feeling this afternoon.

You know what have been heard about them.

Who can stand up against the Anarchites?

Forty years ago,

they faced them

and they ran away from them terrified

and frightened.

Now they have to face them again on the battlefield.

And paddy power is not giving them great odds.

Everyone knows

you don't take on the Anarchites.

You'll get destroyed,

kicked off the park.

You might as well throw in your weapons now

and try and work out some kind of deal.

But,

look at verse 3.

Be assured today

that the Lord your God

is the one who goes across

ahead of you

like a devouring fire.

He will destroy them.

He will subdue them before you.

And you will quickly drive them out

and annihilate them quickly

as the Lord has promised you.

God

is going to fight for you.

God is the warrior

who is going to take you

and bring you

into the promised land.

I'm sure we've all seen

on the news recently

those fires

that were raging

across Australia.

Nothing

and no one

has been able to stop them.

They're too powerful.

They're too great.

Nothing

can quench them.

Well, God is pictured here

in verse 3

as a

mighty warrior,

one who is like

a devouring

fire.

Nothing

and no one

can stop

the awesome power

of God.

And the message

is simply this

that left to ourselves

and the people

left to themselves

are never going to get in.

They're going to be broken

and defeated.

But God

is the one

who goes ahead of us

clearing the way

making this path

so that they will be able

to cross over

and enter

into the promised land.

Now let's be clear

on why God

will fight for them.

Look at verse 4.

After the Lord

your God

has driven them

out before you

do not say to yourself

the Lord

well

he brought me here

to take possession

of this land

because of my

righteousness.

You know what?

God has given

this land to us

because of how

great we are.

God is doing

all of these things

for us

as a reward

because

well we've just

been so good.

God is fighting

for us

because well

quite frankly

we deserve it.

I mean look at us

look how great we are

compared to those

other lot.

Wow

God would do

anything for us.

Look at the rest

of verse 4.

No

it is on account

of the wickedness

of these nations

that the Lord

is going to drive

out before you.

It is not

because of

your righteousness

or your

integrity

that you are

going in to

take possession

of the land

but on account

of the wickedness

of these nations.

It's not

your goodness

that's going

to get you in.

It's the nation's

sin that God

must deal with

that will enable

you to go in.

You see

we have this

problem of thinking

that God works

on the basis

of our performance

and it goes

something like this

if I do

something for God

God is going

to do something

for me.

And it's like

we aim

to build up

these credits

and we have

this special

account with

God

it's called

the special

favour account

and we build

up credits

that we put

into it

and we kind

of do good

things

and we help

people

and we give

our money

to charity

we kind

of sponsor

somebody in

compassion

and we go

to church

and we do

this and we

do that

and well

we're kind

of generally

good clean

people

and then

when we've

built up

enough credits

and we

want something

or we need

something

well we kind

of cash in

our credits

and we pray

a prayer to

God and we

say

Lord I

need

and

well just

look at my

life

because I

have done

this for

you

do this

for me

I've earned

it

I deserve

it

no

that's wrong

look at

verse 6

understand

then

that it

is not

because of

your righteousness

that the

Lord your

God is

giving you

this good

land to

possess

for you

are a

stiff necked

people

you're

actually no

better than

the nations

that have

been here

before you

you're just

as wicked

and as

sinful

as they

are

the only

reason that

God is

going to

fight for

you

is because

of his

mercy

and the

only way

that you're

going to

get into

the promised

land

is because

of his

amazing

grace

you see

it's all

about

what God

has done

for you

not about

what we

can do

for him

it's all

because of

his amazing

mercy

so

God

is the

one

who

will

bring

us

in

because

he

is

our

warrior

well

second

how

God

keeps

us

in

the

mediator

remember

God

has

entered

into

a

special

relationship

with

his

people

and

that

special

relationship

was

called

the

covenant

we

come

across

it

a lot

in

the

old

testament

and

a

covenant

simply

means

a

contract

between

God

and

his

people

it's

a

binding

agreement

that

would

keep

them

together

and

enable

them

to

stay

in

the

land

and

at

the

heart

of

this

agreement

was

what

we

call

the

ten

commandments

which

is

something

that

Moses

here

recalls

in

chapter

nine

verse

seven

following

where

he

goes

up

onto

the

mountain

to

receive

the

ten

commandments

on

the

stone

tablets

we

pick

it up

in

verse

nine

Moses

says

when I

went

up

onto

the

mountain

to

receive

the

tablets

of

stone

the

tablets

of

the

covenant

this

disagreement

that the

Lord

had made

with you

I

stayed

on the

mountain

forty

days

and forty

nights

I

ate

no

bread

and drank

no

water

and

the

Lord

gave

me

two

stone

tablets

inscribed

by the

finger

of

God

on

them

were

all

the

commandments

the

Lord

proclaimed

to

you

on

the

mountain

out

of

the

fire

agreement

or

the

covenant

was

really

quite

simple

and

basic

anybody

in

kindergarten

would

get

it

and

it

went

simply

like

this

listen

guys

you

obey

the

laws

you

keep

these

laws

that

I

am

giving

you

and

it's

going

to

go

well

for

you

you

you'll

get

the

land

you'll

stay

in

the

land

you're

going

to

be

blessed

you're

going

to

have

peace

prosperity

your

borders

are

going

to

be

protected

you're

not

going

to

suffer

you're

going

to

have

everything

that

you

need

it's

going

to

be

a

good

life

obey

these

laws

and

you're

going

to

stay

here

but

you

know

what

if

you

disobey

these

laws

if

you

get

these

commandments

wrong

if

you

turn

away

from

me

I'm

going

to

destroy

you

I

will

do

to

you

what

I

have

done

to

the

other

nations

you'll

be

taken

out

of

the

land

quite

simple

obey

goes

well

disobey

trouble

and

here

Moses

is

reminding

them

of

this

covenant

this

pact

this

agreement

that

they

had

made

but

he

shows

them

how

they

failed

and

how

God

is

going

to

keep

them

in

look

at

verse

12

so

Moses

had

gone

up

to

the

mountain

to

get

the

tablets

and

now

he's

on

his

way

back

down

again

verse

12

then

the

Lord

told

me

go

down

from

here

at

once

because

your

people

whom

you

bought

out

of

Egypt

have

become

corrupt

they

have

turned

away

quickly

from

what

I

commanded

them

and

have

made

a

cast

idol

for

themselves

and

we

know

an

idol

doesn't

have

to

be

a

particular

stone

or

carved

out

image

an

idol

is

anything

that

we

put

in

place

of

God

anything

that's

more

important

to

you

than

God

is

an

idol

he

says

you

put

these

things

before

me

verse

13

and

the

Lord

said

to

me

I

have

seen

this

people

and

they

are

a

stiff

necked

people

let

me

alone

so

that

I

may

destroy

them

and

blot

out

their

name

from

under

heaven

and

I

will

make

you

that's

Moses

into

a

nation

stronger

and

more

numerous

than

they

look

if

I

have

to

destroy

them

I

will

do

it

but

I

will

build

up

another

people

who

will

take

their

place

that's

not

a

problem

for

me

says

God

so

I

turned

and

went

down

the

mountain

while

it

was

ablaze

with

fire

and

the

two

tablets

of

the

covenant

were

in

my

hands

when

I

looked

I

saw

that

you

had

sinned

against

the

Lord

your

God

and

how

you

had

made

for

yourselves

an

idol

cast

in

the

shape

of

a

calf

you

turned

aside

quickly

from

the

way

that

the

Lord

had

commanded

you

now

look at

verse

17

so

I

took

the

two

tablets

and

threw

them

right

before

all the

people

gathered

there

these

tablets

just

smashed

and

Moses

smashing

them

on the

rocks

was a

sign

that

this

agreement

this

special

relationship

between

God

and the

people

was

over

it

had

been

broken

in

fact

if we've

listened

carefully

to what

we've

just

read

we

will

have

seen

that

they

broke

the

contract

even

before

they

even

managed

to

set

foot

in

the

land

so

if

they

can't

keep

it

before

they

get

in

what

hope

have

they

got

of

keeping

it

if

they

do

get

in

but

look

what

happens

go

over

to

chapter

10

verse

1

so

so

far

we

see

they've

just

been

smashed

a

sign

that

their

relationship

has

just

been

broken

but

look

how

God

responds

chapter

10

verse

1

at

that

time

the

Lord

said

to

me

Moses

chisel

out

two

stone

tablets

just

like

the

first

ones

and

come

up

to

me

on

the

mountain

and

also

make

a

wooden

chest

also

known

as

the

ark

I

will

write

on

the

tablets

the

words

that

were

on

the

first

tablets

which

you

broke

then

you

are

to

put

them

into

the

chest

verse

5

then

I

came

back

down

the

mountain

and

I

put

the

tablets

in

the

ark

that's

the

wooden

chest

I

had

made

as

the

Lord

commanded

me

and

they

are

there

now

now

why

put

the

agreement

why

put

these

commandments

these

stone

tablets

into

a

wooden

box

what's

the

point

of

doing

that

well

if

they're

put

into

this

sealed

wooden

box

they're

protected

they

can't

be

broken

you

see

as

far

as

God

is

concerned

this

is

a

permanent

agreement

that

he

makes

with

his

people

when

God

says

I

want

you

to

put

the

tablets

of

the

covenant

this

agreement

this

relationship

that

we've

got

worked

out

together

he

says

when

I

say

to

you

put

them

into

the

ark

or

into

the

box

he's

saying

you

may

break

it

but

I

am

going

to

be

the

one

who

keeps

it

it's

God's

way

of

saying

to

the

people

I

am

committed

to

you

I

am

faithful

to

you

I

am

loyal

to

you

you

might

give

up

on

me

you

might

put

God

substitutes

in

my

place

you

might

say

that

your

family

or

your

work

is

more

important

to

me

than

anything

else

but

you

know

what

you

are

always

going

to

be

number

one

I

will

never

ever

give

up

on

you

chapter

10

verse

10

now

I

stayed

on

the

mountain

40

days

and

nights

as

I

did

the

first

time

and

the

Lord

listened

to

me

at

this

time

also

it

was

not

his

will

to

destroy

you

go

the

Lord

said

to

me

and

lead

the

people

on

their

way

so

that

they

may

enter

and

possess

the

land

that

I

swore

to

their

fathers

to

give

them

God

is

saying

I'm

not

only

going

to

get

you

in

but

I'm

going

to

keep

you

in

now

that's

incredible

but

let's

try and

make the

connection

here

because

what

has

happened

for

God

to

change

his

mind

because

they

broke

the

agreement

in

chapter

9

verse

14

he

says

I'm

going

to

destroy

them

I'm

going

to

blot

out

their

name

from

under

heaven

because

they

broke

the

agreement

the

contract

but

then

he

says

in

chapter

10

verse

11

he

says

well

it's

not

my

will

to

destroy

you

I'm

not

going

to

do

that

so

what's

happened

for

God

to

change

his

mind

well

the

answer

comes

in

the

middle

and

it

explains

in

a

deeper

way

why

God

is

going

to

keep

them

and

the

answer

is

this

Moses

prays

for

the

people

he

acts

as a

mediator

between

God

and the

people

he

intercedes

for them

so look

at chapter

9

verse 26

here we

have

Moses'

prayer

verse 26

of chapter

9

verse 29

13

they

their

are

those

is not asking God to do something that is against his character. He is pleasing, he is pleading

with God to act because of his character, because of his commitment and loyalty to his people.

He's saying to them, these are your people. They belong to you. They're your treasured possession,

your inheritance. So how could you turn your back on them? How could you leave them? How could you

destroy them? Verse 27 of chapter 9, remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook

the stubbornness of this people. Overlook their wickedness and their sin. He's not saying to God,

could you just look the other way a minute while they're committing sin? Just don't look for a

minute and it'll be over. He's not going to like, forget about it or let's just pretend that it

never happened. That's not what overlook means here. He's asking God, do not treat them as they

deserve to be treated. They deserve to be destroyed and let go. But because of your character, because of

who you are, because of your promises and your commitment, because they're your people,

forgive them. Be merciful to them. You see, the only way they're going to stay in the land

is through a mediator. One who is going to stand in for them and pray for them and intercede for them.

You see, it's all about who God is and not who we are. It's not about our character, but God's character.

So God is the one who will keep us in.

Now, as we've said, this is not just history. This is our story too.

Because we're also people who need a warrior, who's going to bring us into that relationship with God.

We also need a warrior who's going to clear the path so that we might have life in all its fullness

and enter into the promised land, the ultimate land of new creation.

We also need a mediator who is going to keep us in that relationship with God and never let us go.

Well, in Jesus, we see the true warrior, the mighty warrior, the strong warrior.

But we also have the mediator, the one who prays on our behalf, interceding for us.

And in Jesus, the warrior and the mediator come together.

And we see Jesus as we read on through the Bible, as we see Christ.

He's the one who fights the battle for us.

The battle that we can never fight.

He fights, well, not the analogites.

But he deals with sin.

He defeats Satan through his death on the cross.

He clears the way, taking the blame for all of our sin, past, present and future,

so that we can enter into a relationship with him and enjoy him and know him.

But Jesus is our mediator.

And he continually stands in for us, speaking to the Father in our defence.

It's one thing getting in, but it's another thing staying in.

And I want us to get this right because so often it is taught and it is preached.

Well, Jesus gets you in, but it's up to you to keep yourself in by your good works.

Rubbish.

Get rid of that thinking.

Because every time I mess up and sin, every time we fail and we get it wrong,

Jesus is there continually speaking to the Father in our defence,

saying, I have paid for their sin on the cross.

I was destroyed for them.

Condemned for them.

Suffered hell for them.

So that they might enjoy life with you today and for all eternity.

Jesus brings us in and Jesus will keep us in.

So how does this change us?

Well, three things very simply that we can take away as we apply these two truths of God being our warrior

and God being our mediator.

The first thing is security.

If Jesus brings us in and Jesus keeps us in, we are forever secure.

Nothing and no one can take us out.

Not even sin, not even Satan, not even suffering.

We're safe forever through our faith in Jesus Christ.

No longer are we living a life of fear every time we sin thinking,

Oh, now I've suddenly come out again.

And I'm out of a relationship with God and now I'm in trouble.

No, because of our faith in Christ, we are forever secure in Jesus.

Nothing and no one can take us out of the grip of his faithful love.

That's the first thing we can take away.

The second thing is this, humility.

Because it's all about what Jesus has done for us, none of us here can say,

You know what? I deserve it.

Or I earned it.

No one here can claim to be better or greater or more superior to anybody else.

Nobody can say, I'm more blessed because of what I have done.

Do you remember what we read in chapter 9?

Three times it says, it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord is doing this for you.

It's not because of your righteousness.

In other words, it's all because of God's mercy.

Which means we become humble people.

That means we treat each other with mercy.

We don't hold grudges against each other.

We're not unforgiving towards each other.

We treat each other as Christ treated us.

We become humble servants because of what Christ has done for us.

So first it brings security.

Second it brings about a humility.

And third, responsibility.

Because of what we have experienced through Jesus,

it places on us not only a privilege,

but an amazing responsibility.

And I want us to take our example from Moses.

Because like Moses,

we need to pray on behalf of others.

We need to begin to be praying for our friends

and our family,

people who we know,

who have not yet entered in.

Because who's going to pray for them?

Are they going to pray for themselves?

We need to intercede.

We need to pray on behalf of

our friends and our family.

We need to pray for the nations,

the unreached nations,

the people that we were hearing about

as David came on Wednesday night in Thailand,

the places of Laos,

people who haven't yet heard.

Are they going to pray?

Today, one of the greatest religious festivals in the world,

the Hindu people,

the Hindu people,

are all going to be crowding down.

Tens of millions,

look it up on the internet,

tens of millions,

walking into the Ganges,

because the Ganges is going to clean their sin away.

Tens of millions,

lost.

Are they going to be praying to God?

Who's going to pray for them?

To intercede for them?

Well, like Moses,

we need to pray this prayer.

Verse 27,

chapter 9.

Overlook

their stubbornness

of this people.

Overlook their wickedness

and their sin.

Have mercy.

Have mercy.

Have mercy.

So we have an amazing responsibility,

but that privilege of talking to an awesome God

who longs to bring us in,

who longs to keep us in,

and to save us,

and rescue us.

We are secure.

We are humble servants.

And we are people who pray

for those who are not yet in.

Let's pray now.

Our Father God,

we thank you that you are an amazing God.

A God of mercy.

A God who has not only

brought us into a relationship with you,

life in all its fullness,

experiencing that life today,

looking forward to an eternal life

with you in heaven.

Not only have you brought us in,

but you are the God who will keep us in,

not because of our faithfulness,

but because of the faithfulness of God to us.

Thank you that we are secure in you.

Teach us humility.

And give us a heart.

Fill our lives with your spirit

that we might pray

on behalf of the nations

and pray for our friends and family.

We ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Well, we're going to sing together,

which takes up the theme of this...