Welcome to 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 4 of the message, which was first preached on May 5th, 2024.
Look at verse 35. To you it was shown. that you might know that the Lord is God. There is no other beside him. And look at verse 39.
Know therefore today and lay it to your heart that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. There is no other. Years ago, we had an annual theme called Develop Your Theology. That just simply means get to know God better. Do you know the living God?
Are you basing your walk of faith on ideas you have about him? BOOM! Or do you know him? Knowing him is not the same thing as knowing about him. Do you know him?
If you do not know the living God, you are vulnerable to becoming an aimless, irrational tool. Verse three: God is just. and righteous verse 10. God is a communicating and an inviting God. Verse 13, God is a promise-keeping God.
Verses fifteen to sixteen: God is holy. primarily meaning he is set apart from his creation. He is not a part of the created order. Verse twenty four: God is a consuming fire. and jealous.
Those of you who are married, how many of you would want to be married to someone who wasn't the least bit jealous when a person of the opposite sex looked at your spouse? If another man is eyeing my wife. I'm going to have words with him. Could I say that I love my wife if I didn't feel that? God loves us.
He is jealous for us. And he knows he is the best thing for us. And he jealously guards against things that will lead us down a path of destruction. He warns against them. He alone.
is God. worthy of our worship and devotion. Key number two. Your priority. is your communion with God.
Your priority is your communion with God. We have an example of the faithful at Bael Pior. Where God judged 24,000 men in one day. those that were distracted by the Moabite women. Uh But as he says in look at verse 4 But you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive today.
Once again, we're reminded in verses 6 to 8 that the laws, these laws, spring from the character of God. He is righteous, so the laws are righteous. Come on, come on! We are called to become like him. In the law, God says, you shall be holy.
Why? Because I am Holy Learn that, folks. We are called to become like. God in his character. That's a high calling.
It's a high privilege. And who is there? Look again, verse verse 6. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom, your understanding, and in the sight of the people. When they hear all these statutes, they will say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
For what great nation is there that has a God so near to it as the Lord our God to us whenever we call upon him? and what great nation is there that has statutes and rules so righteous as this law that I set before you to day? It's unique. It's unique, there's nothing else like it. But it is your communion with God.
That is priority. God is not interested. In you keeping all the rules. If your heart is far from him. This people worships me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Your priority is your communion with God. It is a unique privilege. It is the desire and the invitation of the living God. We find in verse 29.
Okay. Number three. Be choosy and intentional about what shapes your affections. and your attitudes. This is no small thing.
But created in the image of God, you have this selective power. To be choosy and intentional about what shapes your affections. and your attitudes. Verse 23, look at it with me. Again, take care lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you.
Take care lest you forget. Be choosy and intentional about what shapes your affections and attitudes. We can be guilty of spiritual intelligence. carelessness. By forgetting.
Which means we have to constantly remind ourselves, which is one reason why we do this. We forget, we can easily forget God's promises. we can easily forget God's doings. You can easily forget your identity. That's why we have the Lord's table at the end of every other month.
I strongly encourage you to plan to participate. In these. Because they remind us of our identity in Christ. You need to be reminded. In verse 39, lay it on your heart.
that the Lord is God and there is no other. Do you hear the intentionality of that? Lay it on your heart. You have that selective power. What are you laying on your heart?
Yeah. What object of trust and security? is laid on your heart. Turn to Proverbs chapter two with me, if you would, please. Looking for a voice.
Sam. Sam's a good voice. Sam's got a great voice. Proverbs 2, would you read verses 1 through 6, please? I saw.
You receive my words and treasure up my face. Commanders. Making your ear attentive to wisdom. and incline them your heart to understand that. Yes, if you call for Call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding.
You seek it like silver. to search for it as for hidden treasures. Then you will understand the fear of the Lord. and find the knowledge of human. For the Lord gives wisdom from his mouth.
Knowledge and understanding. It's pretty clear, isn't it? Look at how it describes our search for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. It's passionate. And it comes from God.
So be choosy and intentional about what shapes your affections and your attitudes. Key number four.
Okay. Fully act on what you know to be true and right. Faithfully. I sorry, faithfully act. on what you know to be true and right.
If you do that, it will lead you to the good and the beautiful. Faithfully act on what you know to be true and right. Look at verse 1. And now, oh Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you and. What's the next word?
Do them. Do them. It kind of sounds like James, doesn't it? Be doers of the word and not just hearers. What you're learning here today Is it going to be water off a duck's back?
Is it going to go in one ear and out the other? Do you hear the voice of God? calling you to keep your soul diligently, Faithfully, Air. Act on what you know to be true and right. Keep them, do them.
As God's self-disclosure is treasured in your heart and mind, it is forming your heart and mind. Let me say that again. Listen to this, please, as God's word is true. treasured in your heart and mind, it is your heart and mind. That's how we apply.
The word of God. And he says that you may live. Thereby, we get wisdom and understanding. As he says in verses six and seven and eight, as we looked at already. Uh And a people of wisdom and understanding means that God's people are a people skilled at doing life well.
A people skilled at doing life well. That's wisdom. It's by God's design. That's beautiful. And we're doing life well.
Why? Because we're so great? No, because we are in touch and follow. We're in touch with and follow the designer. Key number five.
Learn from history. Learn from history, the faithful. and the unfaithful. 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.delightangrace.com.
to discover how to live by grace. Tune in with us on weekdays at 10 a.m.
