Welcome to Delight in Grace. The Teaching Ministry of Rich Powell. pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. Deuteronomy 11 is a pep talk for the people of Israel. It's a call for them to remember all that God has done.
and all that he has called them to.
so that they can move forward boldly in faith.
Now, as we look at God's message to the people of Israel, we can also be challenged to hold tight to God's word, his self-disclosure. to see his faithfulness through the ages, Let His Word be the stable place from which we launch out in confident faith. Let's listen to this message titled, Lay Up These Words in Your Heart. This is part 4 of a message first preached on July 7th, 2024, at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. You can listen to the message in its entirety and to other sermons from this series at www.delightinggrace.com.
What had God said? I want you to look with me at two verses. Look at verse 23 with me. The Lord will deliver out of these nations will deli The Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you. And then the second one, look at verse 25.
No one shall be able to stand against. You. That's a pretty clear promise, isn't it? Do you know what the story of David and Goliath is all about? It's about David taking God at his word.
That's what it's about. Anchor your heart. and mind. in his word. And then lastly, the fifth point today.
Consider the alternative. Consider the alternative. I will never forget. Back when we lived at Ramille Run, it was late in one afternoon. My wife and I had both been busy.
She'd been very busy doing stuff. I was exhausted from doing yard work, just coming back from the office. It's a long day. And she walks, she's walking up the driveway. I think she'd just been talking with a neighbor.
And she says, you have two choices for dinner. Leftovers are going out.
Well, that's a no-brainer. Consider the alternative. I had a good idea what was in the fridge. I better stop there. I'm going to get in real trouble.
There is no alternative. Listen to this. Look at verse 16 with me. Take care lest your heart be deceived and you turn aside. and serve other gods and worship them.
Listen to this right now. Listen. You have a choice. Let me quote one of my favorite authors and speakers, John Lennox. God sovereignly created mankind with the capacity to choose and he respects that choice.
You have choice. And God lays it out right here. Are you going to take God at his word? Or are you going to pursue earthbound thinking? There's blessing and there's curse.
He mentions it here.
Now, what he's doing here, he's going to lay this out in detail. Way ahead in chapters 27 and 28. It'll be a while before we get there. But he says this is what's coming. And he said, you know what?
You're going to go up on Mount Gerizim, and you're going to go up on Mount Ebel. Mount Gerizim, you're going to recite all the blessings, and Mount Ebol, you're going to recite all the curses.
Now those are right in the middle of the land of Israel. Here's Shechem. And the mountains were near each other, and the people would go up on one, go up on the other, and they would recite the blessings and the cursings. You have a choice. You walk with God.
and receive his blessing. or you drift away from him your detriment. Let me say that again. You have a choice. You walk with God.
and receive his blessing or you drift away from him to your detriment. It's true for all humanity. Psalm one: Blessed is the man. Does the watt sick or sit, walk, sit, or stand in the council of the ungodly, path of sinners, scornful? But his delight is in The law of the Lord, and in his law he what?
meditates day and night. And what follows that? A prosperous soul. That's what follows that. Take God at his word.
And in contrast, he says the wicked are like what? Chaff, which you ever seen chaff? You know what chaff is? I grew up in South America. and they would grow rice.
And they would lay the rice out. and let it dry And then they would beat it, and then they would throw it up, and the grain the rice grains would fall, and the chaff would Flutter away in the wind. I saw it all the time. Psalm 1 was very clear to me. The wicked are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
That's the alternative. That's the alternative. from taking God at His Word. And so it reminded me. as I was finishing up my studies here and drawing this to a close.
It reminds me of Psalm 73. where the psalmist had to consider two different paths. People who seem to be doing really well, having a great time in life, they couldn't care less about God. They gave him none of their time or even thought. And they seem to be doing well.
And the psalmist is like What on earth? Is it worth it to follow God? Until what? Until I considered their And And where did he consider their end? When he went into the house of God.
And he contemplated God's word and what God had done. And he anchored his heart and mind in the word of God. And his conclusion is: this: Those who are far from you shall perish. You put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Lord my refuge, that I may tell of all your works. That's powerful stuff. It's two options. It's two options. Either you take God at His word.
and follow him. Walk forward in trust and obedience. And follow him to blessing o'er You decide to be like the chaff which the wind drives away. Ultimately. This word is for us today.
This was given of long Time ago. But it's for us today, isn't it? Because God is God. And people are still people. But thank God.
We have the joy and the privilege of being in Christ if indeed you are here this morning and you are in Christ. If you're not. I invite you to speak with me afterwards. You need his forgiveness, you need his righteousness. But let us this morning resolve to be a people who take God.
At his word. There's so much There's so much blessing and potential in that. And I look forward to seeing that. But I have to recognize also, in all honesty, there is so much that can distract me and pull me away from taking God at its word. That is why I need to Contemplate what God has done and anchor my heart and mind.
in his word. I'd like us to pray together this morning. Let's voice our prayer to God. Our resolve before him to be a people who take him. at his word.
People who Because we take him at his word, we walk forward in trust and obedience. We follow him into blessing. We contemplate what he's done. And we anchor our hearts and our minds. in his word.
Let's spend just a couple of moments. In prayer before the Father. And if you would like to pray out loud and word a prayer for us. You're welcome to. Or just pray.
Right there before the Lord. But let's be a people. Let's be a people that take God at his word. Because there is blessing that awaits. Draw us to delight in you, Father.
And as our hearts and our minds are anchored. in your words, in your self-disclosure, Father. Find us following you. Into blessing. As we Walk forward.
in trust and Obedience. Father, we are your people. And it is our joy and our high privilege to call you our Father. because you call us your own. May we know the joy and the beauty.
And the rest. That means, Father. And we will thank you for what you have done. and for what you will do. In Jesus' name.
Amen. Thanks for joining us here at Delight in Grace. You've been listening to Rich Powell, the lead pastor at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. The Delight in Grace mission. Is to help you know that God designed you to realize your highest good.
and your deepest satisfaction in Him. the one who is infinitely good. We hope you'll join us again on weekdays at 10 a.m.
