Keep sharing good news without ads.
Pastor David Mitchell
Time before last we were in psalm 24 verse 1. Let's do a little bit of review and then we'll go on through this beautiful psalm. Let's pray first father. We thank you so much for your word the richness of it the Blessings that we got from our Sunday school classes and now the blessings we've gotten by singing Portions of your word and Psalms and spiritual songs and hymns and now father we go into your word and we know that your Holy Spirit can teach us and give us the sense of your heart and mind and We're excited about that this morning.
And so we ask that you would accomplish that in our lives to the end that we would be the people of God and be Servants that we ought to be your children and we ask it in Jesus name. Amen. A Psalm of David the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof the world and they that dwell within.
If you remember a couple of Sundays ago We talked about the fact that this psalm begins by establishing the sovereignty of God. It encompasses everything that is when it says the earth is his that is the Hebrew word Eretz, which means the actual firmness of the earth the ground the earth itself the globe if you will.
It is his it says the fullness thereof is his and this Hebrew word fullness is may low Which means all that there is. So the earth and all that there is in the physical universe are his and then it says the world.
That and they that dwell therein this word world is different than the word earth in the Hebrew. It's a bail which means the earth which is inhabited or sometimes It's translated the habitable parts of the earth.
You've read that phrase in the Old Testament comes from this word and the people that are his so this Encompasses the idea of the world in the sense of the people of the world. They are all his so this includes everything that there is the earth and everything and the world and the people and all the people all Is his and verse 2 says for he hath founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods.
The word established if you remember carries the idea of the one who her Erects something who builds it and the word founded carries the idea of the planning of it through consultation or counsel. Which takes us all the way back to the counsel of God that is spoke of a spoken of only once or twice in the scriptures that place before time began on this earth when God the Father and the everlasting Son Had a council that the scriptures give us very little information about it but the thing that we're supposed to know about it is that God is Sovereign and that everything that is and everything that ever will be was established at that Council and it will not be changed by man.
God is a sovereign God. It talks about that. He founded it upon the seas and Then we looked in Isaiah 43 15 About how God actually the one who founded the seas parted the seas and his children Went through in first Peter 4 19.
Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God Commit the keeping of their souls to him and well-doing as unto a faithful Creator. Yes. He is the sovereign God of the universe, but the Bible reveals him to us as a Faithful creator who will take care of us even when we're going through suffering when our hearts may be hurting.
So in times of suffering we must commit our souls to him for he is faithful. And so last time we spoke about how? The doctrine of eternal security the concept that God keeps those who are his forever is Inseparably tied to the doctrine of the sovereignty of God.
You cannot be eternally secure unless your father is in control of everything. Because as the Armenians in many denominations teach that you can lose your salvation the reason they believe that is they believe you're in control and It is not true.
God does never never reveals himself as the one who is controlled by us. But rather the one who's in control of all that there is. So we talked last time about how The doctrine of eternal security is tied to the sovereignty of God at this time today I want to speak to you about the fact that The doctrine of the sovereignty of God is linked to another thing.
It is linked to obedience and I found it interesting that we spoke much about obedience in the Sunday school class this morning but obedience and Sanctification being made more like the Lord Jesus Christ all of that is tied to an understanding of who God is.
It is tied to an understanding of the fact that the earth is the Lord's and all That are in it and when we understand that in a more than academic way. But we begin to understand it in reality that God is in fact in control then obedience.
And Sanctification and trying to walk a holy walk in this life with the Lord Jesus Christ Comes to life because we have a proper fear of God a Healthy fear like a little child has of his father when he comes home from work.
A fear that's based in love. It's based somewhat and not wanting to disappoint the one that you love. It's also based in not wanting him to have to disappoint you with a whippin. When you need it all of that is given as Examples of how it is with our relationship with our Father in heaven.
I'd like you to turn this morning to Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 9. We will return to Psalm 24 in a moment and finish finish it but I want to take you into a passage that deals with this concept of the sovereignty of God and obedience.
That's really what the message is about. We're taking it from a springboard from Psalm 24. The earth is the Lord's Deuteronomy 4 and verse 9. Now I want you to think about our topic as we read through this story of humanity of God's people.
Historical account of God's people. The New Testament tells us all these things were done as examples and in samples for those of us who live in the last days. We're supposed to learn something spiritual from their physical mistakes.
Sometimes we're supposed to learn spiritual things from their physical Successes sometimes but what they did is a people physically will teach us a spiritual lesson. So let's look at this from the point of view of the fact that God is sovereign and As we think of the fact that all that surrounds us is his not ours.
It would lead us to a more holy life a more holy walk. It would lead us to obedience and a heart that yearns after our Father. Only take heed to thyself and keep thy soul diligently or that starts out with a warning, doesn't it?
It speaks of human nature. It speaks of that human heart, which the Bible says is desperately wicked who can know it. So we must take heed of ourselves and keep our soul diligently. Lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thine life.
But teach them thy sons and thy sons sons. Take heed and teach. Take heed is the Hebrew word Shamar which means to hedge about or to guard our very own heart lest our heart Forget the things that our spiritual eyes have seen God do already and we go after the things of the world.
Take heed to our souls diligently. The Hebrew word is a very strong word for diligently may hold it means with vehemence. To take heed of our souls with vehemence now you think about that word how is it used in the English language, it's used in times of of Passion times of intense motive to do something and The word is a very very strong word and when it speaks of us taking heed of our own hearts.
It says to do it with vehemence as if there is an enemy attacking and we would vehemently defend and fight the good fight. As this word that's used when it says to keep thy soul diligently. Lest thou forget the things you have seen.
Forget in the Hebrew literally means to mislay The things you have seen to place them aside. The things that you've seen God do in your heart and the hearts of your brothers and sisters and in our lives take heed with vehemence lest we lay those things aside and conveniently put them on the back of the table and Then begin to go after the things of the world once again it happened to the children of Israel so many times the whole Old Testament is a story of the blessings of God and then them forgetting the blessings of God and going into captivity and then God raising up a Deliverer and then bringing them back to God and they stay there just but a short season and then the success that comes with being In his presence leads them to forget him.
Isn't that sorry? Sorry human nature. But that's the lot that we are that is the old man the Old Testament is a picture in many ways of the old man striving to please God by keeping his laws and failing.
And we will fail the same way if we walk in the old man. This message in this passage is so much for the church today. It's for it's I would say that this message Touches on those who are in the camps that are legalistic more than anything else.
And there are such camps all around us the independent Baptist movement as I've told you some of you came in to this church. You don't know a lot about the true independent Baptist movement, but it is steeped in in Hypocritical rules that are placed upon the people to keep thinking that that will keep the people holy.
And this whole passage Speaks against that in many many ways. What the Bible does teach us is that we have to watch our hearts vehemently that we not lay aside the things that we have seen and become oblivious to them is another meaning of the Hebrew word and That they would depart From our hearts now that Hebrew word is interesting where it says that these things that we've seen would depart in the Hebrew.
The Hebrew word is pronounced sewer. Kind of sounds like the English word sewer. But what it means is to turn it off. Now you think about that God tells us in Deuteronomy 4 9 that we need to take heed to our own hearts vehemently that we not turn off the things we've seen and heard of God as if to apply that we could easily do it as if by flipping a switch and then rather Let us remember these things and not only remember them but to teach them to your children and children's children.
Now any of you in the room who've ever taught anything? Whether it be teaching a Sunday school class or teaching school teaching physics or mathematics brother Bill or Whatever one might have taught we all know that the teacher is the one who really learns the most.
Isn't that true? Did you know that you cannot be teaching Physics without being reminded of how you used to do physics back when it was one of the things you did. We were talking about that in our school.
We have a student that's gonna want to take physics. One of these days. But you can't teach it without being reminded of how to do it. So notice what God is telling us. God is telling us To heed Our own hearts to make sure that we don't lay aside the things that God has done in our lives.
But rather to teach our children and our grandchildren about the things that God has done in our lives. So as to keep us from forgetting those things while we're teaching the children. It's really a beautiful system and we know it works.
Anyone who's ever taught knows it works. The more you teach the more you will remember and learn of what you're teaching and The teacher gains the greatest benefit. So if we'll teach the things of God to our children and Grandchildren and even the things he's done in our lives and go over them and rehearse them to our children.
We're rehearsing them to ourselves and God knows that. And that's one reason he set up this system for us. He says in verse 10 as he speaks of the things that he wants us to remember. Starts out with the word specially.
So there's one thing in particular that he wanted them to rehearse to their children and let's see what it was especially the day That thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb. When the Lord said unto me gather me the people together and I will make them hear my words.
That they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth and that they may teach their children. So especially one of the things God wanted them to teach their children and to remember themselves was the day that God Spoke to them from the fiery Smoking Mount where the earth was quaking and the voice was louder and louder as many waters.
Or as a trumpet that grew louder and louder and the people Drew back in fear and said Moses we won't go up there you go up there you you do that for us. We'll stay down here. He said you remember that day when I spoke to you in that way He says I'll make them hear my words.
That they may learn to fear me all the days of their lives and that they may teach these things to their children. That is the day I want you to remember. Especially verse 11 and you came near and Stood under the mountain and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven with darkness clouds and thick darkness and the Lord spake unto you.
Out of the midst of the fire you heard the voice of the words but saw no similitude. Only ye heard the voice. Now we don't want to move too quickly through this and I don't think you ever fear that I'll do that.
Probably by now. Have you been here for a while? But Let's stop just a moment and remind ourselves what it is. He is saying especially for us to remember and to teach. Especially the day that God spake the very name Jehovah or Yahweh.
No one really knows how it's pronounced. Because it's so it's such a holy name that the Hebrews stopped pronouncing it eons ago. But The very name Jehovah itself means The eternal one. But there's a secondary meaning to the word that's tied with that concept and it is this who reveals himself.
The eternal one. Who reveals himself? Remember most of all that God spoke to us in Verse 13. He declared unto you his covenant which he commanded you to perform even ten commandments. And he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
Verse 15. Take ye therefore good heed to yourselves. For you saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you and Horeb out of the midst of the fire. Now, I hope I'm able to to Articulate what this meant to me.
Take heed again. To yourselves. Now we've already seen that the main thing he wants us to remember and to teach is the day that he spoke in fire. Powerful words where he revealed himself to man to his own.
But now he says I want you to remember a second thing is that when I spoke I Did not allow you to see a similitude. What does that mean? I? Did not allow you to see anything. I Didn't allow you to see my face.
I didn't allow you to see an animal or a calf or a bird. I Didn't allow you to see my hand. I Didn't allow you to see my backside. I didn't allow you to see anything. You only heard me. But you heard me.
Verse 16 says the reason for this is because you would corrupt yourselves and make a graven image. The similitude of any figure the likeness of a male or female that you might have seen if I had allowed you to see me.
If we if they had seen the Lord Jesus at that time It would have been too soon. They would have made a graven image of a man or a woman. The likeness of a beast that is on the earth the likeness of a winged fowl that flyeth in the air.
So he said I didn't allow you to see any similitude of anything. You just heard my voice from the fire and the smoke. You know what God is saying. He is saying take heed lest you corrupt yourselves with a form.
You know what you discussed in Sunday school this morning in the class. One of the things brother Otis warned us about is that many many churches have many many programs. People of God had have always had a weakness in that.
They want a thing that they can look at. They may want a religion that they can look at. They want something liturgical. People would love it if we would come up and wear robes and Swing little bells around and swing little pots with smoke and incense and bring it around and swing it all in front of you.
And oh, there are people all over this world that call themselves Christians that get into that kind of service a form. They want to see something. The whole charismatic movement and and I have to always qualify that because we do have people that listen to our tapes that may be A part of that who are true believers and who walk closely with the Lord.
But I use the word generically just to bring because for lack of a better word to use I'm speaking of those people who wrongly Would try to create a form that they can see with their eyes. Thinking they need that to worship God when God says all you need was my voice.
All you need was the word that I spoke to you and you have it. Be very careful because I showed you no similitude. I didn't show you anything that you can see with your eye and connect with me and there's a whole movement today.
That's based upon seeing something either slapping someone on the forehead and they fall out as if that's something great to see. There has to be a sign. For an adulterous generation, doesn't there? God.
Show yourself on the cross bring yourself down from the cross. Then we'll believe you're who you are. You saved others save yourself show us something. That's what the modern church is saying today everywhere it's rubbed off from the Charismatics has moved into the Southern Baptist movement.
It's everywhere show us something God. God says no, I have spoken to you. I give you no similitude. Beware lest you take a form and you begin to worship it. Rather than me what a teaching there is in that passage and we could go on with that, but let's move on Verse 20 but the Lord hath Taken you and brought you forth out of the iron furnace.
Even out of Egypt to be unto him a people of inheritance as you are this day. You know, here's another mistake among many. And so many times I refer to the Independent Baptist because that's what we we from 1980 for many years.
That's what we were and we heard heard some of their best preachers and they were some wonderful pulpit ears but It's interesting. They really taught strongly this idea of separation and holiness and there are some Pentecostal groups that still teach that and boy I I really hate to say anything critical of any group that would teach Separation from the world unto God and holiness because the other problem we see around us today is his total freedom.
Just do anything you want to do. In fact, just pray there's dear Jesus come my heart and say me Amen, then go live like the devil and you're fine. So we have that side of the spectrum so you hate to say anything against a group that teaches.
Well, let's try to live a holy life. But the thing is what they do wrong is they place the cart before the horse. They place the holiness there first. The things you're not supposed to do don't go here.
Don't go here. I found foundation once he gets all over my sermons and you're teaching that it's interesting. But you talked about and this was very profound. I've never heard anyone say it lately. I mean, I think we all believe this but brother Otis said.
You know that there are some people who will not eat a meal in a restaurant that serves alcohol. Those same people will however fly on a jet that serves alcohol because they got to get where they're going and it's expedient to do It but they won't eat in the restaurant.
You see where legalism gets you. You just you where do you where do you stop the line? You might as well end up you'll be a monk. And that doesn't make you more holy. Otis said it's all right to eat there.
Just don't drink the beer if you walk in there with the Lord in Christ as The Apostle said. Paul said all things are legal or lawful for me yet. Not all things are expedient. But do you see the priority?
Do you see how God places the horse in front and the cart behind it here when he says that deliverance is? For God not for us you see if you if you make the means be the end you always get messed up and There are groups out there who strive so hard for personal holiness and to be separate.
They do become peculiar people that told that they are so bizarre. You would never want to be like them and the lost world looks at that and says well then if that's Jesus I don't want to be like Jesus and it hurts the cause of Christ humanly speaking and.
What they do is they say if we can just be holy. Then we can praise God that he delivered us and. The focus is always on us such is the case such as the curse of the Arminian. But the focus should be on God and look what verse 20 says.
The Lord hath taken you and brought you forth out of the iron furnace. Yes, that does picture our salvation. Our deliverance from the devil from the world from the flesh even out of Egypt which pictures the world.
But what was the end of this? To be into him of people. That's why he did it. He did it for him. He did it for himself. He brought us out from the world and separated us unto himself for himself. Because he wanted to love us and to show forth his grace.
Not only in us and to us but to the entire universe. Even Satan has to watch that. Even the fallen angels have to watch the grace of God in our lives now. They don't like to admit. That's what's going on.
They don't like to admit that even the times when we fall is under the sovereignty of God because God always lifts us up. He says in the psalm though ye fall you shall not be utterly cast down. It's all part of God's will for our lives because it causes us to draw near to him again.
And we seldom draw near to him when we're on top of the world we draw near to him when the foot slips and we are reminded of our humanity and of our deliverance and of the deliverer. So he brings us forth out of that fiery furnace.
For himself to show forth his grace and his mercy and the fact that he is the deliverer. So deliverance is not only from the Lord. It's for the Lord. Verse 24. For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire even a Jealous God.
God reminds us that God is jealous as a consuming fire in a holy way. It brings forth the concept of the fear of God. Healthy fear of God will cause us to be obedient to him and not play the harlot after the world.
Verse 30 and 31. When thou art in tribulation. Because tribulation does come. Especially when we draw away from God he makes sure that it comes that we might draw near to him again. But look what he says about tribulation.
When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee. Even in the latter days now this points forth to thee great tribulation. Even if you're one who is here in the latter days even that tribulation if thou turn to the Lord thy God and Shalt be obedient and to his voice.
For the Lord thy God is a merciful God. He will not forsake thee neither destroy thee nor forget the covenant of thy father's. Which he swear unto them. Tribulation even that of the last days is designed to turn God's people back to himself and is in fact a part of the mercy of God.
His mercy his faithfulness is omniscience. His Promises are all tied up in the safekeeping of his people. Whether that be from the point of view of eternal security or from the point of view of the fact that we are safer When we're obedient.
Verse 32. For asked now of the days that are past Which were before thee? Since the day that God created man upon the earth and asked from the one side of heaven to the other whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is as great as this thing is or Hath been heard of like it.
And what is he referring to verse 33 did ever People hear the voice of God. He brings us back to that one great thing that he wants us to remember. He has spoken to us From one side of heaven to the other.
Has there ever been anything since the creation of man on the earth as great as the fact that God has spoken to us. Did ever a people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire as thou has heard and live.
Or hath God has said to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation by temptations by signs by wonders by war. By mighty hand all of this physically pictures the spiritual Battles that have gone on in our lives as he brought us forth out of the world.
And delivered us from the world the flesh and the devil. Has there ever been anything since the creation of the world as great as the fact that God has spoken to us and by his Word he delivers us. From another nation that means from our lostness and from the world.
Takes us through temptations. Shows us wonders. There is war spiritual warfare going on. By the might by the mighty hand of God and by a stretched-out arm and by great terrors. According to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes.
Is there ever been anything greater than your salvation and the fact that God spoke to you? Individually. He spoke to you as out of a fire. You couldn't see him. He showed you no similitude. He didn't give you any physical thing to help you.
All he gave you was his voice and You responded by the grace of God and you now belong to him and you know who you used to belong to and you remember what it was like and the lostness and the darkness of your eyes.
Has there been anything greater than that that he brought you out of that? The deliverance of God is that the world may know that there is none beside him. Yes, that's true because notice the little phrase at the end of verse 34.
By stretched-out arm according to all that the Lord your God did for you. Do you have two little phrases? I'd like you to circle there think about at least in your minds the phrase for you in the phrase in Egypt.
You see we live our lives here in Egypt so to speak God didn't take us out put us on a month in a monastery. Did he we are still among the people of the world? Are we not? We are in Egypt. But he has done this for you.
But the fact is he did it in Egypt. What is the in Egypt part? Tell us? Well, that's the part that tells us that God has allowed us to remain here so that even the Egyptians Might see the power of God.
For some reason it was important to the omnipresent omnipotent God. That even Pharaoh saw his powerful hand and the deliverance of his people. The same is true today. God wants the world that we live in to see his power.
Through our lives and through the deliverance of us. From that very world. That's one of the aspects. That's the in Egypt part. But the for you part is very important and that takes us to verse 35 and to thee it was showed.
That thou mightest know that the Lord he is God. So you see God wants Egypt to know that he's God. But you know who else he wants to know and be reminded again and again that he is God us his children that we may Remember and know the Lord he is God there is none else Beside him.
No similitude was given. No, we can't worship a bird or a beast. Or any man or woman or boy or girl or thing our system or even religion? He's a jealous God and he wants us strictly to worship him and he gave us his voice as if by fire.
People were burned at the stake to bring us this in our language. They died. Tyndale died so that we could have this book in our language. And we have it and God has spoken to them to us. And we ought to always remember that he wants us to remember that he is the only true God.
He's given us his word. Verses 36 and 37 and 38 show us Several things that this brings us for his own people out of heaven. He made thee to hear his voice. That the word that means he's going to tell us why he made us to hear his voice.
That he might instruct us. So the first thing we gain from God's Word is instruction on how to live for God and on God himself. Who God is what God is like the very character of God the desires of God's heart.
God's revealed will. Will if you will. So he gives it to us To instruct us and upon earth. He showed thee his great fire and thou heard his words out of the midst of the fire. He spoke to us. Not only that he might instruct us that but that we might have ears that hearken.
That we would have ears that hear and also he spoke to us because he loved our Fathers. Now for us that means our spiritual fathers. The Abrahamic Covenant is what this refers to. Therefore he chose their seed after them and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt.
He reminds the children of Israel that the reason that they got delivered Saved is because they were elected Before they were born and it was promised their spiritual father. That they would be delivered and they were.
Some 400 years later. Election is according to the promise of God. And prop God has promised that he has elected all those whom he loves. Those whom he has loved from the foundation of the world. Those who are his.
Verse 38 says to drive out the nations from before thee. Greater and mightier than thou art to bring thee in to give thee their land for an inheritance as it is this day. That verse speaks specifically of sanctification.
He's Given us his word that he might instruct us that we might hearken that we would understand that we are chosen by promise. But fourthly in verse 38 Sanctification is taught. Now look at it again. Once again He puts the horse in front and the cart behind it like it should be.
But I want you to picture something when you verse read verse 38. I want you to picture your old man that old body of flesh that you live in as the Gentile nations that God sent his people into and Then drove them out and turned it into the promised land.
Picture your body of flesh that pulls against what you want to do and against what God wants for you. That old flesh that tempts you from time to time to sin. The flesh that will talk to you almost as plain as day.
And tell you to do something in the new man and you says no don't do that. That battle that goes on in your life from time to time. Picture it in verse 38 and look what God says. To drive out the nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art.
Never forget how great and mighty your physical fleshly self is. It is great and mighty in this sense. It can sometimes out talk you it can sometimes outsmart you it can deceive you. It can cause you to do a thing that you don't want to do and cause you not to do the thing you want to Do for God.
Paul dealt with that. But God has promised here that he has sent us the new man into this place. To drive out the old man. Who was greater and mightier in the flesh? Never try to serve God by rules and things you do and by going out trying to please God it won't work.
You'll end up like the battle of AI where they Defeated. But you need to go in in the spirit. Drive out the nation from before thee that are great greater and mightier than thou art to bring thee in. To give thee their land for an inheritance as it is this day.
God has given us these bodies that we live in as an inheritance to do his will to live in. It no longer belongs to the old man. We were supposed to drive the old man completely out and kill every man one boy and girl and all the animals.
So that the only thing left is the new man. But that was pictured with Joshua and they didn't do it. Did they. And it's a beautiful picture of us, isn't it? There's still a bit of the old man that sticks his head up from time to time.
But the whole idea is that the battle is continuing and there are still cities to be taken. There are still sin habits in your life and mine. That are to be destroyed. They cannot be destroyed by the arm of flesh by good character by willpower by positive thinking.
They can only be destroyed when we understand that the battle is the Lord's and That he is our battle banner and we follow him into the battle and we win. These victories and the nations are driven out and we are given this promised land.
Victorious Christian living is what the promised land picture. Verse 39. Know therefore this day and consider in thine heart that the Lord he is God. It brings us back to the sovereignty of God when we speak of elect of eternal security when we speak of obedience.
We must be brought back to the fact that all of the earth is the Lord's. Know therefore this day and consider it in thine heart that the Lord he is God in heaven above and upon earth beneath. There is none else doesn't it sound like the psalmist the earth is the Lord's in the fullness thereof.
They all shall keep therefore his statutes. Why therefore because he's the sovereign you see this helps our obedience. It helps us to understand that obedience should be natural for us because he is the sovereign and we are his servants.
We're not only his sons. We're his son servants therefore. Keep his statutes his commandments, which I command thee this day. That it may go well with thee. What is God's design in? Us being obedient.
Not only that he would receive glory, but that he would also Bring it to pass that it would go well in our life. The obedient way young people. Children teenagers the obedient way is the safe way the disobedient way is the dangerous way and.
And he says keep these commandments so that it would go well with you and with your children after you. Do you realize that how you live will affect the next generations of your family? That there are things literally that are passed down from generation to the next sin habits such as alcoholism.
And other things that can be passed down and so therefore we ought to obey the Lord and walk with him. Keep his commandments that it would go well with us. But also for our children after us and that thou may prolong thy days Upon the earth, which the Lord thy God giveth thee forever.
That speaks so much to the Jew. Not so much speaking of how long he would live but speaking of how long he would stay in the promised land. And you know how long he stayed he stayed as long as he was obedient.
He stayed as long as he was obedient because his heart was close to God and when his heart drew far from God. And he began to set those things that God had done in his life Behind him and to look at the world and the ways of the people around them that they didn't drive out.
Then it didn't go well and they were removed by force and taken slavery taken slaves and Taken out let a captive away from the promised land. He says to us today Obey the Lord that it may go well with you and you your time in the promised land may be Prolonged as you're here on this earth.
May it be as the promised land. May you experience victorious powerful? Christian living power over sin the ability to have sins not be there in your life anymore. Specific ones that have been there that kind of power.
Abundant life, so we see that the doctrine of eternal security that God's children are his forever unconditionally and cannot be lost and the doctrine of sanctification and consecration and personal holiness and deliverance from sin Satan in the world are both inseparably linked together to the sovereignty of God.
The God of whom it is said the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof the world and They that dwell therein let's stand and have prayer together. Dear father. We thank you once again for your word.
We thank you that you've ordained a time when we would assemble together and study it together and have you speak to us all together. Powerful times not all that unsimilar from the time when The people gathered at the foot of the mount and heard your voice And saw the fire and saw the smoke and the earth quaking and your word was given we're reminded every time we meet together and open your word that your word has been given and That you desire to drive out from our lives any other idols any other things any sin habits Any captivities that we may be into?
You desire to drive those out and you'll use your word to do it as you speak to us because We then are reminded that you are the only true God our God our Lord and there is none other and We have been restored to a proper healthy fear of God.
We thank you that you accomplish this in our lives in each season Father we ask you to bless our fellowship together in a few moments and the meal we're about to have and we ask it in Jesus name Amen.