Welcome to Delight in Grace. The Teaching Ministry of Rich Powell. Pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. God's provision is a gift. He delights in richly giving to his people.
But there is a danger that comes with abundance. How we can let ease draw us into drifting from our Lord our ultimate source of wholeness and help. Deuteronomy eight holds warnings for Israel as they prepare to enter the rich abundance of the promised land. God calls them to remember. to hold fast to what they have known to be true of him.
and to follow all that he has commanded them. This is part 4 of a message originally preached on June 16, 2024. We've become disengaged from God. We're going through the days there. I can get along just fine.
And I start neglecting God's Word. I'm not communing with him in prayer. I'm not thinking about him through the course of the day because there's just so much other stuff that needs to occupy my mind. When you get disengaged, then you're going to get distracted. You're going to become distracted with something that is more pleasing or.
brings more pleasure, at least you think it does. Or something that's going to bring you a greater sense of security. Or something that's shiny and new. And when you get distracted, that's when you start to drift. You never drift in a positive direction.
You do not drift in a positive direction. You start drifting in your affections, you start drifting in your attitudes. You're noticing that your attitudes are more in a negative rut more often. You become critical of other people. You become more focused on what you don't have.
And then from that drift, you become deceived. You start believing a lie. You start believing the lie about your own self-importance, about what you deserve. You start comparing yourself with other people. And if you take that deception far enough, then you.
become victim to a delusion. And that delusion is it's all about me. It's my life. It's up to me. I'll do it my way.
In other words, as he says here in this text, verse 14, your heart is lifted up. and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of slavery. And you say, look at verse 17 with me. Beware lest you say in your heart, here's the delusion. At the bottom of this, okay, here's the delusion.
My power and the might of my hand have gotten me. where I am. That's delusion. It's all about me. Because I pursued what I deserve.
I am affirming me. And you know what that is? That's the very problem that we're born with. Self-preeminence. And that can come back if we forget the Lord.
If we become negligent, in our walk with God. Let's look at this in a couple of different areas. We could see this in an occupational setting. We promote here strongly at Grace that your work that God has given you, your work is a venue for worship. You worship God by serving Him.
By serving people. And what you do, you are worshiping God in that means because you're generating an income to provide for your family, but also to give to the needy. 1 Timothy 6. And so let's say that in your work, in your occupation, you become fruitful. Because Israel was going to walk into a land that It was turnkey for them, buddy.
They didn't have to build or plan anything. It's all right there, ready to go. And so, maybe in your occupation, you've become fruitful. And in that fruitfulness, you are relishing the abundance and the. the ease that comes from that.
You want to live a comfortable life. I'm not saying a comfortable life is wrong, but let's see where this can lead, okay? Be careful with this. Because in that abundance and that ease, that can lead you to a sense of indulgence. I want more.
And that indulgence then, if you continue in that direction, that indulgence will lead you to the attitude I deserve. This is what I deserve. In other words, you start believing that you're special. Because people will start telling you how special you are because of the stuff you have and how successful you are at business or whatever. and people will tell you you're special.
This is the problem of celebrity that we see so often, right? This can happen to pastors very, very easily. People will tell you you're special and the That's not so bad. The problem is when you start believing it. And what happens when you start believing that you're special?
Then you start with, then you that leads you to the attitude I demand. I demand your praise, your affirmation. Your loyalty. Your trust, your love. And when you get to that point and you continue in this path, then.
That leads to abuse. Because at that point, at this point now, when you start demanding. from life and from people, that's where you abuse people to maintain or attain what you think you deserve. You see that you see the downward Thrust, this is when we forget God. And this is what Israel was heading into.
And we know history, don't we? And Look what happened. This is exactly what happened. Let's look at this in a relational setting, okay? A relational setting.
We're in the middle of Married for His Glory month here with our ABFs, and last Sunday is really good with Brad Hamrick. And in a relational setting. Married for his glory. If it just becomes a relationship, a contractual relationship between you two, and you're just simply living together and existing together, though married, right? And we know where that can lead to.
And it's a struggle today. It's clearly a struggle for many people today. Because you're two different people and you're two imperfect people. That's a problem, right? But it could be in your relationship that you have a very meaningful relationship.
It's a very meaningful relationship and things are going well and you understand each other and you're talking and you do things together. And in that meaningful relationship, If you're not careful about maintaining that oneness and the pursuit of Christ. You get comfortable in that relationship.
Well, Rich, what's wrong with being comfortable in my relationship? I mean comfortable in the sense of we don't really need to work at this. I'm just going to put it in cruise control. There's no such thing as cruise control for a relationship. Are you with me on this?
If your marriage relationship, or whatever relationship you want to put in here, if your relationship is on cruise control, It's the same thing as drift. doesn't go in a positive direction.
Okay, so you get comfortable. And when relationships become comfortable, then you move towards. assumptions you assume from each other. You'd assume about each other. And the husband assumes, well, she knows I love her.
I don't need to. Tell her. Guys, wake up, okay? When a relationship is marked by assumptions. Assumptions are very, very dangerous.
Very hurtful often. then that leads to glacial drift. Is your relationship drifting? Is your relationship drifting? Let me tell you why.
There's assumptions going on there. 'Kay. And that's because you got comfortable in your relationship, you put it on cruise control. Because then your relationship starts to drift. And then, if your relationship is drifting, then you become disconnected.
Here's the sad part about this. The two of you, both of you, could be doing very purposeful, meaningful things individually, but your relationship is doing this. You're drifting apart. That's not God's design. Because if you become disconnected in your relationship and you continue in that, then that will also lead to abuse.
Where you will you will get to the point where you abuse the hopefully better not be physical, but you could also abuse somebody spiritually or emotionally. But you abuse to attain or maintain the recognition that you need.
Well, she's not meeting my needs or he's not meeting my needs. And you see how the I, the me, the I is all in that. Why? Because You've drifted, you've become disconnected. Why?
Because you are not pursuing Christ in your relationship. You see, these are God's loving boundaries. Verse 18: it is He who gives you power to get wealth. Whether it's your occupation or it's your marriage relationship or marriage or relationship with your kids or whoever. What is the point of verse 18?
This is God's business. You are his vessel. Make sure he remains preeminent. in all that you're doing. This is why verse one and verse eleven mirror each other.
He says in verse 1, you shall be careful to do that you may live. In verse 11, he says, Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes. Be careful, take care. Those words mean it's the same word in both verses to to guard, to observe, to keep watch. In other words, there's a nuance of vigilance there.
Because you and I have a tendency to drift, we have a tendency to forget. we have a tendency to become self-focused. That self-preeminence can rear its ugly head time and time again, day after day. And that's why I need to be in pursuit of God. 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.
