Welcome to the United States. Delight in grace. The Teaching Ministry of Rich Powell. pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. God calls you to take care and keep your soul diligently.
Why? Because we humans were made to worship. We were made to worship the Lord God who created the universe. and holds all of life together. Why?
because we so easily replace the Lord God For created things. You're listening to part two of the message, which was first preached on May 5th, 2024. Verse 37, and because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them. and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence by his great power. He loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them.
In other words, Israel would not exist. Were it not? forgot.
Okay. And then the second major factor is Revelation. Look at verse thirty-three. Did any people ever hear the voice of a God speaking out of the midst of the fire as you have heard and still live? God speaks, and he has spoken to his people.
So The two major factors to this covenant are that God has made himself known. He has chosen his people and he has made himself known to them. That is the foundation of this covenant. And the covenant is like God saying, I promise to be this way towards you, kind of like at a marriage. When the bride and groom exchange their vows I will, I will promise.
I promise to do this for better, for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health. I promise I will be with you. I will be beside you. I will be faithful to you. That's a covenant.
This is what God is saying. And then in this I feel like a 14-year-old whose voice is changing. Forgive me. It's like God is saying to the people of Israel now. As he gives, he's introducing the Ten Commandments.
We're going to study them next time. And he's saying this is what Follow this. This is what I expect of you. Because of what you know about me.
Okay, follow that. That's what the law of Moses is, particularly the Ten Commandments. They're delineated in chapter 5. This, God is saying to his people, this is what I expect. from you because of what you know about me.
You see, every precept. in Scripture is anchored in the character of God. But he also presents in this preamble, he presents a contrast. God is unique. There is no other God.
His people, therefore, your laws will be in contrast.
Okay. Your customs will be in contrast. to the other nations. They will be in contrast to the pagan Polytheistic worship of non-gods. Why do I say they are non-gods?
Because that's what they are. Knowledge that gods exist. In human imagination. and as the product of human ingenuity But they are not God. And God with his people over and over and over again in the Pentateuch, in the prophets.
In the books of wisdom, he is constantly contrasting himself as the living creator God. Versus the products of human imagination and ingenuity. Those gods. Can't help you. Because they don't exist.
They don't have. You paint eyes on the wood, but they can't see you. You paint ears on the wood, but they can't hear you. You paint mouths. But they can't speak to you.
A couple of examples of the contrast. If you look with me towards the end of chapter four. Verses 41 to 43, we have the cities of refuge. cities of refuge. And the The establishment of the cities of refuge contrasts the people of Israel.
with a sense of justice. in order and the value of life. But also If you look at verses 44 to 49. And look what it says there. Look at verse 44.
This is the law that Moses set before the people of Israel, these are the testimonies. the statutes And the rules which Moses spoke to the people of Israel when they came out of Egypt. The testimonies, all of these refer to the Word of God. The testimonies speak of the witness to the goodness of God. Remember, every precept of Scripture is anchored in the character of God, so the law of God is good.
Why? Because God is good. And the people are constantly called and to remember that, and these testimonies are witness to that. The statutes. Statutes are the privileges and the customs of people of the living God.
statutes and the rules. Point to the justice of God. He is the standard of what is right and wrong. And all of this is in contrast to the non-existent gods. that cannot help you.
Stop for just a moment. and ask yourself, what is at the very core of my being that I am devoted to? What is it that motivates me more than anything else? What is it that is Reference for everything that I do. That's your God.
It's what you worship. This is how God is challenging His people, and this is why He says, Keep your soul. diligently. Diligently. Humans Humans are are designed.
to worship. There are new exceptions there. None. Why do I say that? Because everyone is.
created in God's image. We were designed to worship. But there's a problem. We tend to worship. created things.
Things that we create in our imagination or our ingenuity. We tend to worship created things. This is why God says to his people: keep your soul. diligently. Because you tend to worship created things.
You tend to put your trust In created things, you tend to find your identity in created things. You tend to find your security. in created things. And God said, I made all of them. I am the Creator.
I am your God. Turn with me to Psalm one fifteen. And I'm going to ask the man with the strongest voice that I know to read verses 4 to 9. Ernie, would you please stand and read Psalm 115, verses 4 to 9? I love this man's voice.
Uh Psalm 115 verses 4 through 9. Four for money. Mm-hmm. Their idols are silver and gold. The work of Ben Sands.
They have mouths, but they do not speak. Eyes they have, but they do not see. They have ears, but they do not hear. Noses they have and do not smell. They have hands so they do not handle.
feet they have that do not walk. nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them.
So is everyone who trusts in them. Oh, here's the bottom. Trust in the Lord. He is their help and their shield. Thank you.
Did you get that? Do you know what the Bible is telling you this morning? You become like What you worship. That's God's intent. Because you're created in His image.
You were made to worship him. and you become like what you worship.
So tell me, what sense does it make to worship products of your imagination and your ingenuity, because you're the creator. You become like what you worship. And if you're worshiping human creations. And you become like them, that means you become irrational, aimless tools. Worship of anything other than the God of Israel is to become.
an irrational, aimless tool. Worship is what you're devoted to. It's the reference to every other aspect of your life. If work is what you worship. Then You relate to your family, you relate to your church, everything about your life.
is relative to How much work means to you. Your schedule. is devoted to work. Work is not a bad thing, obviously. But it is not your God.
The same could be said of money. The same could be said of any particular relationship. Oh, if this if this person just loved me. And that becomes the reference point for everything else in your life. You center your schedule around this person.
You center your work around this person. your money, your fight, everything. A sense of happiness could be your God. You see, where is this going? They cannot be your God.
Because they are not the living God. And this is why Paul said to Paul. Phew Moses. says Keep your soul. Diligently.
There are two cautions in this chapter. They're related to the title of it. Two cautions which we could call two warnings that he gives them. You've been listening to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. To hear this message and others, check out www.delightandgrace.com.
to discover how to live by grace. Tune in with us on weekdays at 10 a.m.
