Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell. Pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. In Deuteronomy chapter 29, the children of Israel stand on the cusp of a new life in the Promised Land. And so near to the completion of this forty year journey, With so much ahead of them to look forward to, God calls on them to look backward. to see his faithful provision and protection.
He wanted them to see that they had not reached this place in their own strength. but because of his loving purpose. Here is the point If they walked forward into their future without a heart for him, they would only find emptiness and disaster on their doorstep. May the Lord challenge our hearts. to remember.
In this message titled, The things that are revealed belong to us. You're listening to part four of a message that was first preached on October 27, 2024. It's part of a series from Deuteronomy titled, It is Because the Lord Loves You. To hear the whole message or others in this series, you can visit www.delight in Grace.com. And people come through and say, What happened here?
Here's the answer. God did this awesome thing. Yeah. And then they abandoned him. It's crazy.
But that shows the condition of the human heart, doesn't it? We would rather trust what we can see and manipulate. Then trust God. We would rather trust what we can see and manipulate. Then trust God.
And the Bible makes it very clear: God resists the proud, but gives grace. to the humble.
So we come down now to the last verse of this James. It's a beautiful verse. The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. Who has responsibility for what? He starts off with the sovereignty of God, the secret things.
What is he referring to in the secret things? God. In his sovereignty, weaving together all of our experiences. And all of our experiences include our bad choices. and their consequences.
And our good choices to follow and trust Him. But God and His sovereignty, weaving together all of our experiences. and his purpose. Those are the secret things. Only God sees that.
You and I cannot, but God sees that. That's God's responsibility. Proverbs chapter 29. Verse 21. Many are the plans in the mind of man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
Know that. Yeah. Let me make this clear. We are not in control. You are not in control of your life.
I am not in control of my life. They rich, what are you talking about? I am not the master of my destiny. Yeah. Now listen, I know that is diametrically opposed to everything you're hearing outside of these walls for the most part.
particularly if you're in the corporate world. You are not the master of your destiny. What are you then? We are stewards. Yeah.
We are stewards. Everything you have has been entrusted to you by God. Your intellect Your will, your emotions, your relationships. Your work, your wealth. All of it.
entrusted to you by God. You are a steward of it. And so Moses concludes this chapter by saying, The things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. We have sufficient information from God. to trust and follow with confidence And joy.
Joy is a settled satisfaction. In the goodness and the sovereignty of God. And we have from what God has revealed, and He says it to the people of Israel here, even at that time. You have enough information. to trust God.
And follow him with confidence and joy. Do that. You are not in control. You don't have to be in control. You can't even be in control.
So don't try. Trust. Trust him, walk with him, be a steward of what he has entrusted to you. Use it all, all of it, for his glory. It's kind of like The pilot illustration.
You look in the cockpit of an airplane. What information has God given us? These pilots, they are not flying by sight. Did you know that? You ever flown on an airplane recently?
They are not flying by sight. All right. They are flying by information. But it's not their sight. that gives them that information.
There's enough information available for them there to trust. and be able to get them and all of their passengers safely and joyfully to the destination. Folks, listen, that's what faith is. The things that are revealed. Belong.
Yeah. So follow them. Follow the information that we have. Because God is like what God has done. And he says, and the reason this is important because you remember John F.
Kennedy Jr. He did not have an instrument rating. And he was flying a small airplane over the water. And I remember flying up from St. Lucia.
A few weeks ago. I looked out the window and literally I could not tell where the water ended and the sky began. And if you don't have an instrument rating and you don't know how to follow the information that's available to you, and you trust your eyes, you will pull. A JFK Jr. I don't mean that snidely.
It's reality. What are you following? What is the information that you're following and trusting? Is it your own understanding or is it what God has revealed to you? That's what we need to follow.
And he says, and it could easily be missed, these things that are revealed belong to us. And what does he say next? And to our children. Pass it on. intentionally.
Your life depends on this. Pass it on intentionally and pass it on passionately. That God is the greatest and most important reality. Any parent in here this morning, whether your children are young or old, you know what? Your children need from you more than anything else.
It is this, that when they observe you, they become convinced. that God is the greatest and most important reality. Because if they see that when you're in these walls, you're this kind of person, and then when you're outside of these walls, you're an entirely different kind of person, that they're either scared of or laughing at You're ruining them. They need to see that God is the greatest and most important reality. Last statement today.
For the sermon. It is the surrendered heart. That delights in the way of the Master. He says, you've just been looking at events, really cool events, some of them along the way, but you need to understand. I am the point to your existence.
I'm not your assistant in life. I'm not an addited to your life. I am the point. to your existence. And it is the surrendered heart.
that delights in the way of the Master.
So we have a Baptism Now coming up. Two Gentlemen. That have entrusted themselves in faith to Jesus Christ. They've surrendered themselves in faith. This baptism today does not save them.
It is simply a public testimony that provides a powerful picture. of what has been accomplished through their faith in Jesus Christ. Because Christ has finished the work. He's done all the work necessary for you and I to be reconciled to God. It's the doctrine of propitiation.
Redemption, justification, reconciliation. And these are coming here today in testimony of the fact that they are now in Christ, they belong to Him, He is their identity. They now serve this master. They delight, their surrendered hearts now delight in the way of this master. And that's their testimony to you today.
Stand and I'll close the sermon in a word of prayer and then we'll have a song and it's during that time that parents, if you want your children to witness the baptism, you can go get them at that time. Would you stand with me please as we close in prayer? Father, we are grateful for your love and for your goodness. Thank you for making yourself known to us.
so that we can know you and walk with you and serve you with delight. Father, we recognize as we study the historic people of Israel that they're no different than we are. We are no different than they are. We are prone to wander. But Father, thank you for giving us the Lord Jesus Christ.
that we as we fix our gaze upon Him, The one who is the author and finisher of our faith. Father, the one who has done the work necessary for us to be reconciled to you. The one who has given us His righteousness. Thank you, Father, that we can celebrate. that the work is done.
So Father, find us living. In the outflow. of this finished work. Because you are good. We thank you for the testimony of these that are coming this morning, Father.
having surrendered themselves to you in faith. Encourage them, their families, and this family, Father. May it be a wonderful testimony to the glory of God. and to magnify Jesus Christ. And let me just conclude by saying this morning, if you were here this morning and you do not know Jesus Christ, you've not surrendered yourself to him in faith, you do not know his forgiveness, I would be happy to speak with you afterwards.
Just approach me and say, Rich, let's talk. We need to talk. I'll be more than happy to do that. And the invitation is wide open. But you've heard the gospel today.
What will you do with Jesus? Thank you, Father, for these two who are coming in testimony this morning. Bless us and encourage us this morning, Father, I pray. 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.
