WEBVTT 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:07.600 Good afternoon everybody and it's great that you've come. This will be a quick session and I'll try and do my best to keep you awake. 00:00:08.259 --> 00:00:14.640 After this, quite soon after this, I'll hop in my car and go home. So I want to say a very big thank you for having me. 00:00:15.120 --> 00:00:21.960 Tomorrow I'm in a morning service with my own little church and then I'm taking Christianity Explained for a lot of unbelievers. 00:00:21.960 --> 00:00:31.240 And in the evening I'm preaching at a church near my house. So I've just managed to come for this 24 hours and loved it. 00:00:31.340 --> 00:00:36.880 It's been great to be with you. I'm going to pray a little prayer which I learned from my boss, Dick Lucas. 00:00:37.060 --> 00:00:43.120 It's actually an old Anglican prayer. You may have heard it before and I always find it helpful. So let's bow our heads. 00:00:43.119 --> 00:01:00.819 Heavenly Father, we pray that what we know not, you would teach us. And what we have not, you would give to us. And what we are not, you would make us. For Jesus' sake. Amen. 00:01:02.019 --> 00:01:09.479 So we're in our fourth session. If you want to turn to the outline in your little booklets. It's called Persuading the Listener. 00:01:09.480 --> 00:01:19.260 Anybody here old enough to have been to hear Billy Graham? A few. Anybody here meet Billy Graham? Wonderful. Yeah. 00:01:19.900 --> 00:01:29.640 I was invited by ABC to go with some students from Moore College to a group that were going to be a panel of students. 00:01:30.380 --> 00:01:34.900 And he was going to answer questions. Students asking Billy Graham questions. 00:01:34.900 --> 00:01:41.440 And the compere, the guy who was chairing it, came up to the three of us from Moore College and he said, 00:01:41.980 --> 00:01:45.620 I am a new believer. So I am on side. 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:51.020 But almost everybody here among the students is against him. 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:57.960 So when you have a question, put your hand up and I'll make sure you get to ask your question. 00:01:57.959 --> 00:02:03.939 So I had the great privilege of asking him a question on national television. 00:02:04.759 --> 00:02:11.219 And I'd read this in his biography that when he was a young man at theological college, he'd fall into great doubts about the Bible. 00:02:11.579 --> 00:02:14.299 But he was getting all these invitations to preach the Bible. 00:02:14.939 --> 00:02:19.139 So he went out into the field, some of you may know this, and he laid his Bible on a stump. 00:02:19.139 --> 00:02:28.319 And he knelt down beside the stump and he said, Dear God, I don't know whether I should trust this book or whether I should preach it or whether I should give up on it. 00:02:28.899 --> 00:02:35.579 But I'm going to keep preaching it and I'm going to trust that it's your word from cover to cover and stop me if I'm on the wrong track. 00:02:36.299 --> 00:02:39.199 And he said, even as he prayed this, there was a great sense of peace. 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:46.060 And almost immediately, he got his invitation to the big Los Angeles crusade, which became massive. 00:02:46.959 --> 00:02:49.139 And everything went from there. 00:02:49.639 --> 00:02:54.939 When I was leaving the ABC studio, he was talking to a girl who was really angry with him. 00:02:55.379 --> 00:02:57.659 And he was patiently listening to this girl. 00:02:58.259 --> 00:03:01.259 And I thought, I'm not going to leave here without touching the great man. 00:03:01.679 --> 00:03:05.539 So I just stuck my hand into the middle of the conversation and he went like this. 00:03:06.259 --> 00:03:07.659 And kept talking to the girl. 00:03:07.659 --> 00:03:10.240 Well, I've never washed my hand since. 00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:14.159 And he was a great persuader. 00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:20.620 He had the ability, especially in the 50s, where Sydney was very churched. 00:03:21.139 --> 00:03:24.960 And then a little bit less in the 60s and a little bit less in the 70s. 00:03:25.259 --> 00:03:32.960 But he had the ability to persuade people who knew enough about Jesus but had never responded to step over the line. 00:03:33.039 --> 00:03:34.680 It was just a gift from God. 00:03:34.680 --> 00:03:38.420 And some of his talks were really quite unusual. 00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:44.500 I mean, he gave a talk once on the family, which was just full of humour and fun. 00:03:45.580 --> 00:03:48.340 And then he said, and some of you can't do this work in the family. 00:03:48.420 --> 00:03:51.460 And I'm going to ask you to get up and give your life to Jesus. 00:03:51.460 --> 00:03:56.920 And of course, most of the people who were sitting there knew that Jesus had lived and died and rose. 00:03:56.980 --> 00:03:59.140 And they got up and said, it's time for me to respond. 00:03:59.700 --> 00:04:02.060 This fantastic gift of persuading. 00:04:02.200 --> 00:04:05.420 And that's what we come to in Deuteronomy in the last chapters. 00:04:05.540 --> 00:04:07.659 That Moses is a great persuader. 00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:10.740 We've seen the recap of the trip so far. 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:13.620 We've seen the chapters on the covenant relationship. 00:04:13.620 --> 00:04:18.680 We've seen a little bit of the details of what it means to unpack the commandments. 00:04:19.259 --> 00:04:23.560 And now there comes the moment where Moses says, make your decision. 00:04:24.180 --> 00:04:25.579 Which way will you go? 00:04:26.579 --> 00:04:29.399 Now, we know that persuasion is a work of God. 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:35.439 Ephesians 2, we're dead in our sins until God wakes us. 00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:37.620 But he uses people. 00:04:38.459 --> 00:04:41.339 And sometimes he uses the great one like Billy Graham. 00:04:41.740 --> 00:04:44.500 Sometimes he uses the ordinary one like us. 00:04:44.899 --> 00:04:46.740 Because we just say something. 00:04:47.660 --> 00:04:49.279 And sometimes it's very winsome. 00:04:50.360 --> 00:04:51.860 Come to church with me. 00:04:52.220 --> 00:04:53.259 Just come once. 00:04:54.040 --> 00:04:58.000 And the person comes and they, in the providence of God, come to believe. 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:01.139 Sometimes we can say something which is a little sharper. 00:05:01.659 --> 00:05:04.120 So there was a lady in my previous church who was not a believer. 00:05:04.120 --> 00:05:06.120 And she was in a queue for Woolworths. 00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:10.300 And the lady behind her turned to her and said, are you coming to my church? 00:05:10.620 --> 00:05:11.699 And she said no. 00:05:11.959 --> 00:05:13.300 And the lady said, oh, that's right. 00:05:13.340 --> 00:05:15.319 You've got a God called money, haven't you? 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:17.139 And went off with her groceries. 00:05:17.939 --> 00:05:19.780 The lady said she was so angry. 00:05:20.519 --> 00:05:22.660 And then she went home and thought, I have a God called money. 00:05:22.740 --> 00:05:23.860 She's absolutely right. 00:05:24.740 --> 00:05:26.199 And that's what led to the conviction. 00:05:26.360 --> 00:05:27.620 And that's what led to the conversion. 00:05:27.780 --> 00:05:29.300 So the Lord uses us. 00:05:29.699 --> 00:05:33.259 He doesn't, he can persuade and change anybody in a moment. 00:05:33.259 --> 00:05:36.159 But he tends to use us as his instruments. 00:05:36.539 --> 00:05:38.339 And that's what Moses is doing now. 00:05:38.420 --> 00:05:39.199 He's an instrument. 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:43.399 And he tells the people in Deuteronomy 27, this is on your outline. 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:45.439 If you've got your outline there. 00:05:47.019 --> 00:05:48.980 Not quite sure what I did with my outline. 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:52.500 He begins by talking about the pros and the cons. 00:05:52.699 --> 00:05:54.879 We're looking at chapters 27 to 34. 00:05:54.879 --> 00:06:07.759 And he tells the people that when they crossed the Jordan, chapter 27, they had to set up 12 large stones or rocks on the side of the river that they've crossed to. 00:06:07.759 --> 00:06:13.659 Now, I presume these big 12 rocks came out of the river. 00:06:14.819 --> 00:06:21.719 I presume they were to remind the people, you couldn't have dived in for these rocks. 00:06:22.719 --> 00:06:28.420 They had to be lifted out when the Lord stopped the river and you crossed. 00:06:28.420 --> 00:06:33.699 And the 12 rocks were therefore a reminder of a miraculous crossing. 00:06:34.080 --> 00:06:37.280 But they were to paint the 12 rocks white. 00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:41.460 And they were to put the law on the 12 rocks. 00:06:41.640 --> 00:06:44.580 Maybe that means the commandments and a bit more. 00:06:45.160 --> 00:06:50.420 And as they entered the land itself, remember, there were going to be two mountains like doorposts. 00:06:50.420 --> 00:06:54.740 One of them is called Mount Gerizim and one of them is called Mount Ebal. 00:06:55.360 --> 00:06:59.840 Somebody is to stand on Gerizim and call out the blessings of following the Lord. 00:07:00.220 --> 00:07:03.819 Someone is to stand on Ebal and call out the curses. 00:07:04.439 --> 00:07:10.000 And I understand from my reading that Gerizim was a very green and beautiful mountain. 00:07:10.540 --> 00:07:13.900 And Ebal was a very barren and rocky mountain. 00:07:13.899 --> 00:07:19.879 And so they visually as well as verbally said, life or death. 00:07:20.979 --> 00:07:24.239 Now, as we come into chapter 27, we didn't read this. 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:31.919 So I'm just telling you, there then is a list of curses that will happen to you if you turn away from the living God. 00:07:32.379 --> 00:07:40.979 And remember that what we're talking about here is either turning from the living God and being disciplined to be brought back. 00:07:40.980 --> 00:07:46.680 Or turning from the living God because you've apostatized and you will die. 00:07:48.200 --> 00:07:52.259 And the Lord never plays the game of saying, turn away, it'll be fine. 00:07:53.180 --> 00:07:56.620 He says, if you turn away, it'll be terrible. 00:07:57.620 --> 00:07:58.939 Of course, he may bring us back. 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:00.180 He often does bring us back. 00:08:00.500 --> 00:08:03.720 But we wouldn't want to say to anybody, turn away and play with rebellion. 00:08:04.860 --> 00:08:06.900 Because we don't know where the trajectory leads. 00:08:06.900 --> 00:08:10.860 Now, the general curses in chapter 27 are very general. 00:08:11.980 --> 00:08:14.160 It doesn't exactly say what will happen. 00:08:15.259 --> 00:08:19.680 In chapter 28, however, the blessings are very specific. 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:22.080 This is under my first heading of pros and cons. 00:08:23.580 --> 00:08:25.600 The cons are general curses. 00:08:26.180 --> 00:08:27.860 You know, it will go badly for you. 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:29.620 It will not be good for you. 00:08:30.160 --> 00:08:34.000 When you get to the blessings of chapter 28, they're very specific. 00:08:34.820 --> 00:08:35.920 You'll have crops. 00:08:36.060 --> 00:08:36.860 You'll have herds. 00:08:36.920 --> 00:08:37.639 You'll have victories. 00:08:37.800 --> 00:08:38.620 You'll have prosperity. 00:08:38.800 --> 00:08:39.580 You'll have rain. 00:08:39.580 --> 00:08:44.720 When you get to the end of chapter 28, the curses are very specific. 00:08:45.800 --> 00:08:46.660 They're the opposite. 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:57.280 Things like failure, poverty, barrenness, disease, dust, defeat, captive idolatry, siege, despair. 00:08:57.279 --> 00:09:00.860 And the curses are relentless. 00:09:00.860 --> 00:09:03.820 The blessings are the first 14 verses. 00:09:04.759 --> 00:09:07.399 The curses are verses 15 to 68. 00:09:07.399 --> 00:09:14.439 And what God is doing with these curses is he's saying, if you turn away from me, the creation will turn against you. 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:16.659 It'll be like going back to Egypt. 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:20.039 And, you know, there'll be darkness and there'll be locusts and it'll be dreadful. 00:09:20.039 --> 00:09:23.120 And he says there will be anxiety. 00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:26.879 You'll get to sleep and you won't be able to sleep. 00:09:26.959 --> 00:09:29.019 You'll wake up in the morning and you'll wish it was nighttime. 00:09:30.419 --> 00:09:33.539 Such a realistic warning. 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:37.279 Now, does all this have any bearing on us today? 00:09:37.459 --> 00:09:39.879 Do we read this and think, well, this is dreadful? 00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:41.360 You know, I'm a Christian. 00:09:41.700 --> 00:09:43.200 I'm going to be disobedient. 00:09:43.559 --> 00:09:47.320 Does that mean I'll suddenly be completely bankrupt? 00:09:47.980 --> 00:09:50.000 Does it mean I'll suddenly get diseases? 00:09:50.600 --> 00:09:52.659 Does it suddenly mean I'll become a captive? 00:09:52.939 --> 00:09:54.659 Does it suddenly mean I'm going to die? 00:09:55.960 --> 00:10:00.519 We're not meant to read the literalness of these curses into the Christian life. 00:10:00.860 --> 00:10:02.659 This was very much for Israel. 00:10:03.519 --> 00:10:05.460 Walk with the Lord, outward blessings. 00:10:05.940 --> 00:10:08.720 Turn away from the Lord, outward cursings. 00:10:09.879 --> 00:10:16.100 And we need to remember also that the Lord Jesus has taken, as I say, the curse for us. 00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:23.000 So that these curses cannot undermine our salvation. 00:10:23.820 --> 00:10:26.379 He came, Galatians 3, to be a curse for us. 00:10:27.139 --> 00:10:31.759 So when we have trouble in our Christian life, because the Lord is disciplining us, 00:10:32.220 --> 00:10:34.000 it may humble us to go back to him. 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:38.539 But curses and wrath are no more for the Christian. 00:10:39.879 --> 00:10:41.320 They are for the unbeliever. 00:10:42.600 --> 00:10:46.840 And of course, for the unbeliever, it's much worse to turn away from the living God 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:50.840 than it is to just get some famine or some poverty. 00:10:52.279 --> 00:10:55.939 Why are the blessings so brief and the curses so long in Deuteronomy? 00:10:56.659 --> 00:10:57.860 Is God sadistic? 00:10:58.100 --> 00:11:00.659 Does he actually like curses more than blessings? 00:11:00.659 --> 00:11:04.879 I think the answer is that they are both gifts from God. 00:11:05.539 --> 00:11:08.139 But it's like the mother who says to the little boy, 00:11:09.059 --> 00:11:13.419 wait outside the school gates and I'll be there at 3.15. 00:11:13.419 --> 00:11:18.299 And then she says, don't walk away from the gate. 00:11:19.500 --> 00:11:21.279 Don't get a lift with a stranger. 00:11:22.279 --> 00:11:24.379 Don't forget that I said I'd meet you. 00:11:25.099 --> 00:11:26.759 Don't think of walking home. 00:11:26.759 --> 00:11:34.580 Don't forget that she's given more warnings than the one command to be at the gate. 00:11:35.080 --> 00:11:36.700 Not because she doesn't love him. 00:11:37.500 --> 00:11:41.399 Because she's so concerned that he doesn't fall into various dangers. 00:11:42.200 --> 00:11:45.240 And I think that's the way we must think of this as we think of the living God. 00:11:45.240 --> 00:11:48.639 The second point is warning and wooing. 00:11:48.779 --> 00:11:50.360 And these are beautiful chapters. 00:11:50.500 --> 00:11:51.799 Deuteronomy 29 and 30. 00:11:51.879 --> 00:11:53.659 We had a little bit of 30 read for us. 00:11:54.100 --> 00:11:58.240 And they reach their goal in chapter 30 verse 19, which is choose life. 00:11:58.759 --> 00:12:01.480 And this is where Moses the evangelist is saying, 00:12:01.940 --> 00:12:03.200 I want you to live. 00:12:03.960 --> 00:12:05.539 The Lord wants you to live. 00:12:06.019 --> 00:12:07.220 He wants to bless you. 00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:12.259 Just as Joshua, remember, said, choose this day whom you'll serve. 00:12:12.259 --> 00:12:14.899 And Elijah said, which way will you go? 00:12:15.199 --> 00:12:18.360 And Jesus said, choose the narrow road, not the broad road. 00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:22.399 And Moses is asking people to make a decision. 00:12:23.539 --> 00:12:28.740 He actually asks them to dedicate their life to God or rededicate it. 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:32.579 And he has two negative reasons for choosing God. 00:12:32.699 --> 00:12:36.039 One, I don't want you to fall into decline. 00:12:36.779 --> 00:12:41.220 The other, I don't want you to become a byword among the nations. 00:12:41.220 --> 00:12:45.960 He has two positive reasons for choosing God in chapter 30. 00:12:46.740 --> 00:12:48.440 God will use you for great good. 00:12:49.019 --> 00:12:51.080 And God will strengthen your faith. 00:12:51.080 --> 00:12:56.160 He says in chapter 29 verse 2, 00:12:56.259 --> 00:13:02.200 You saw when you were children great wonders from God, but you don't get it. 00:13:03.720 --> 00:13:05.240 You haven't understood. 00:13:05.800 --> 00:13:09.720 You need a regenerating work to take place in your heart. 00:13:09.720 --> 00:13:15.080 Do you know that story of the man who's out of work and he sees a job going at the zoo? 00:13:15.160 --> 00:13:15.920 Do you know this story? 00:13:16.540 --> 00:13:18.300 And he turns up and he says, I'm out of work. 00:13:18.360 --> 00:13:19.200 I'll be glad for a job. 00:13:19.240 --> 00:13:21.460 And they say, we're actually short one gorilla. 00:13:21.460 --> 00:13:26.300 And we need somebody to put on the gorilla costume and step into the cage. 00:13:26.940 --> 00:13:29.519 So he's completely lost for work. 00:13:29.620 --> 00:13:30.740 And so he says, okay, I'll do it. 00:13:30.759 --> 00:13:32.879 And he puts on the gorilla suit and he gets into the cage. 00:13:33.320 --> 00:13:35.060 And after a few days, he hates it. 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:38.480 And he says to himself, as soon as the cage opens, I'm going to leave. 00:13:39.320 --> 00:13:43.200 And so the cage opens and he runs out as fast as he can in his gorilla suit, 00:13:43.280 --> 00:13:45.379 running across the grounds of the zoo. 00:13:45.820 --> 00:13:48.720 And he's looking over his shoulder to see if anybody's chasing him. 00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:53.700 And as he looks over his shoulder, he slips over a rail and falls down into this huge pit. 00:13:54.680 --> 00:13:57.480 And as he's lying on the bottom of the pit, he wakes up a bit stunned. 00:13:57.560 --> 00:13:59.639 And he realizes he's in the lion's den. 00:14:00.500 --> 00:14:04.200 And a couple of the big lions come towards him slowly, menacingly. 00:14:04.240 --> 00:14:05.600 And he thinks to himself, what will I do? 00:14:06.040 --> 00:14:09.340 Will I call out, I'm not really a gorilla, I'm a man, and get into big trouble? 00:14:09.420 --> 00:14:11.060 Or will I just lie here and get eaten? 00:14:11.680 --> 00:14:12.860 And he thinks, well, I've got to call out. 00:14:12.920 --> 00:14:14.100 So he calls out in a loud voice. 00:14:14.200 --> 00:14:15.160 Say, hey, I'm not a gorilla. 00:14:15.259 --> 00:14:15.820 I'm not a gorilla. 00:14:15.820 --> 00:14:19.960 I'm just a man in a gorilla suit trying to make a few dollars. 00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:21.420 Please help, help, help. 00:14:21.460 --> 00:14:24.220 And the lions come closer and closer, huge jaws. 00:14:24.660 --> 00:14:26.320 And he calls out, help, help, help, help. 00:14:26.700 --> 00:14:32.020 And one of the lions opens his mouth really wide and says, lower your voice, pal, or we'll all lose our jobs. 00:14:34.520 --> 00:14:36.720 And why am I telling you that? 00:14:36.800 --> 00:14:40.240 Because it's 2.30 in the afternoon and you're looking sluggish. 00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:44.220 But I'm also wanting to remind you that the Christian life is not a skin. 00:14:45.259 --> 00:14:46.560 You can't just put it on. 00:14:47.080 --> 00:14:48.340 You can't just fake it. 00:14:48.840 --> 00:14:51.139 There needs to be a life put inside you. 00:14:51.720 --> 00:14:56.519 And Moses is aware that these people going into the land will finally need a life. 00:14:57.480 --> 00:14:59.500 Of course they've got to respond to what they know. 00:14:59.779 --> 00:15:01.980 But they're going to need a life. 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:03.860 So he's appealing to them. 00:15:03.980 --> 00:15:05.960 He's appealing to them, take God seriously. 00:15:05.960 --> 00:15:10.139 And he warns them again about the idols and says, I don't want you to die. 00:15:10.600 --> 00:15:12.540 I don't want you to be a joke to the nations. 00:15:12.900 --> 00:15:15.860 He's at his creative best in this chapter. 00:15:16.340 --> 00:15:19.180 And I wonder if you've ever read before 29.29. 00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:22.379 Does anybody know Deuteronomy 29.29 off by heart? 00:15:26.780 --> 00:15:28.620 I'm sure you've heard this before. 00:15:29.460 --> 00:15:32.080 The secret things belong to the Lord our God. 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:35.639 The things revealed are for us and our children. 00:15:35.639 --> 00:15:36.899 Have you heard that verse before? 00:15:38.039 --> 00:15:39.480 It's a most wonderful verse. 00:15:40.039 --> 00:15:44.720 In other words, we must be dogmatics. 00:15:45.779 --> 00:15:47.799 Secret things belong to the Lord our God. 00:15:47.899 --> 00:15:49.460 Sorry, we must be agnostics. 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:51.480 There are secret things we don't know. 00:15:52.580 --> 00:15:54.500 And we must be dogmatics. 00:15:55.100 --> 00:15:56.840 Things revealed are for us and our children. 00:15:57.679 --> 00:15:59.039 There are some things we don't know. 00:15:59.980 --> 00:16:02.980 We can't explain exactly why the floods took place. 00:16:03.620 --> 00:16:05.980 We can't explain why the war is going on in the Ukraine. 00:16:06.100 --> 00:16:08.560 There's a lot of things we can't quickly answer. 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:11.639 But we do know a lot that the Lord has told us. 00:16:12.560 --> 00:16:17.220 And Moses finishes Deuteronomy 29.29 by saying to the people, listen, you don't know everything. 00:16:17.220 --> 00:16:20.600 But you know enough to know to respond to God. 00:16:22.259 --> 00:16:25.379 Don't pretend that you've got to know everything before you can respond to God. 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:29.060 I think this would be a great verse to preach at an evangelistic service. 00:16:30.180 --> 00:16:31.220 We don't know everything. 00:16:31.220 --> 00:16:33.740 But we know enough to know to take God seriously. 00:16:34.279 --> 00:16:37.460 And it's a great verse, of course, to preach in the context of suffering. 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:42.340 Because so often we have to say to people who suffer, we do not know why this has happened. 00:16:43.500 --> 00:16:47.200 I'm not going to pretend to give you some slick and superficial answer. 00:16:47.279 --> 00:16:48.120 But I will say this. 00:16:48.180 --> 00:16:49.259 We know that God is good. 00:16:49.340 --> 00:16:50.420 We know that God is great. 00:16:50.860 --> 00:16:52.160 We know that God is on the throne. 00:16:52.279 --> 00:16:53.820 We know that he's familiar with suffering. 00:16:54.279 --> 00:16:55.759 We know that he works things for good. 00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:58.080 We know that he will actually bring good out of this. 00:16:58.080 --> 00:17:01.080 So we're going to hold on to what we know. 00:17:01.320 --> 00:17:03.220 And we're going to sit loose to what we don't know. 00:17:03.300 --> 00:17:06.299 We'll be dogmatic and agnostic at the same time. 00:17:06.340 --> 00:17:07.900 That's what Moses is saying here. 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:12.079 And then he says in chapter 30, and this is the section that we read. 00:17:13.420 --> 00:17:16.259 You don't need to climb to heaven to find out what God has said. 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:20.259 You don't need to cross the seas to find out what God has said. 00:17:20.460 --> 00:17:21.900 The word has come to you. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:22.960 It's near you. 00:17:23.700 --> 00:17:26.559 No wonder Paul quotes this in Romans chapter 10. 00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:30.179 You don't need to climb a ladder to find out what God is like. 00:17:30.399 --> 00:17:33.059 You don't need to cross the oceans to find out what God is like. 00:17:33.339 --> 00:17:35.139 God has come down to you. 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:37.259 God has come across to you. 00:17:37.879 --> 00:17:40.099 It's all in front of you in Jesus. 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:44.379 No wonder Moses is quoted by Paul. 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:48.440 And Moses signs his signature at the end of chapter 30 and says, 00:17:48.659 --> 00:17:51.700 choose life because the Lord is your life. 00:17:52.460 --> 00:17:54.099 So that's the warning and the wooing. 00:17:54.179 --> 00:17:55.539 The third thing is death and judgment. 00:17:55.539 --> 00:17:56.319 We're nearly there. 00:17:56.619 --> 00:18:01.379 This is the chapter where he hands over to Joshua, calls on the people to be courageous, 00:18:01.639 --> 00:18:03.159 calls on Joshua to be courageous. 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:07.740 He says the law is to be read regularly every seven years. 00:18:08.299 --> 00:18:10.500 And then God speaks to Moses and Joshua. 00:18:10.879 --> 00:18:14.059 And he says to them, I want you to know you've got to face the facts. 00:18:14.159 --> 00:18:15.819 The people are going to turn away from me. 00:18:16.359 --> 00:18:17.960 It's not going to be all great. 00:18:17.960 --> 00:18:22.779 And so I want you to write a song, chapter 32. 00:18:24.120 --> 00:18:26.600 And it is a very sobering song. 00:18:27.819 --> 00:18:29.319 It's basically a lament. 00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:38.079 I had a godson who died a couple of years ago at the age of 29 after 12-year battle with leukaemia. 00:18:39.000 --> 00:18:41.119 And it wasn't the leukaemia that killed him. 00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:46.759 The leukaemia was kept under control because of two bone marrow transplants. 00:18:46.759 --> 00:18:50.099 But he got graft-versus-host disease. 00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:54.779 And so his body fought the bone marrow, which was keeping the leukaemia at bay. 00:18:54.779 --> 00:19:01.279 And so this very fine boy who'd been captain of his school and captain of rugby and captain of cricket 00:19:01.279 --> 00:19:05.359 and captain of athletics and captain of swimming, he was a keen Christian boy. 00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:10.799 He just for 12 years turned into a physical monster. 00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:17.680 So his face was all puffy and red and his skin was cracking all over the place. 00:19:17.940 --> 00:19:20.619 And he was bleeding and he couldn't walk on his feet. 00:19:20.619 --> 00:19:24.680 And he had 30 to 40 mouth ulcers in his mouth. 00:19:24.779 --> 00:19:26.819 And he had no tears in his eyes. 00:19:27.059 --> 00:19:29.500 And he just declined in front of us. 00:19:29.859 --> 00:19:32.099 It was absolutely horrendous. 00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:34.759 And his sister said to him, 00:19:35.160 --> 00:19:37.099 what's the hardest part of coming to church? 00:19:37.899 --> 00:19:40.240 And he said, it's singing the happy songs. 00:19:41.779 --> 00:19:44.660 And she wrote a lament for him. 00:19:45.180 --> 00:19:47.799 And the psalms, of course, are full of laments. 00:19:48.579 --> 00:19:52.399 Where you actually look suffering in the face and feel it. 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:56.720 And she wrote this song, coming to grips with suffering, 00:19:56.720 --> 00:20:00.220 so that he could sing it and say, this is me. 00:20:01.420 --> 00:20:04.519 And the song of Deuteronomy 32 is a lament. 00:20:05.560 --> 00:20:09.500 It begins by saying, we're going to remember our sins. 00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:10.920 We're going to remember his mercy. 00:20:11.040 --> 00:20:12.120 We've been rebellious. 00:20:12.540 --> 00:20:14.400 He's had to rescue us again and again. 00:20:14.759 --> 00:20:16.140 We've rejected him. 00:20:16.140 --> 00:20:19.300 Thankfully, God will relent. 00:20:19.700 --> 00:20:20.980 And we can rejoice. 00:20:21.120 --> 00:20:23.380 I've turned it into six or seven R's. 00:20:24.360 --> 00:20:28.540 Remembrance, rebellion, rescue, rejection, relent and rejoice. 00:20:29.840 --> 00:20:32.880 And they were to sing this song as a reminder to them 00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:34.600 that they were not a godly people. 00:20:35.340 --> 00:20:38.160 But God was a very gracious saviour. 00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:43.080 And they were to sing this, especially, I guess, when they turned away. 00:20:44.100 --> 00:20:45.920 So that's the death and the judgment. 00:20:46.420 --> 00:20:49.779 The last bit is the great hope, chapter 33 to 34, 00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:53.340 where Moses blesses the tribes. 00:20:53.460 --> 00:20:58.180 Do you remember when Jacob blessed his 12 sons in Genesis 00:20:58.180 --> 00:21:01.460 and said something specific to each one? 00:21:01.560 --> 00:21:05.040 Now Moses gathers the tribes and he has something to say to each of them. 00:21:05.039 --> 00:21:08.119 And then he has one thing to say to all of them. 00:21:08.519 --> 00:21:11.039 And I'm just going to read to you and you can follow with me. 00:21:11.139 --> 00:21:14.519 Deuteronomy 33, 26 to 29. 00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:18.339 This is what Moses says to all the tribes. 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:23.599 Chapter 33, 26 to 29. 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:26.619 He says, 00:21:27.139 --> 00:21:32.259 There is no one like the God of Jeshurun. 00:21:32.359 --> 00:21:33.799 That's another name for Israel. 00:21:33.799 --> 00:21:35.259 There's no one like the God of Israel. 00:21:35.259 --> 00:21:39.099 Who rides the heavens to help you. 00:21:40.019 --> 00:21:42.839 And in his excellency on the clouds. 00:21:43.919 --> 00:21:46.960 The eternal God is your refuge. 00:21:47.720 --> 00:21:50.740 And underneath are the everlasting arms. 00:21:51.500 --> 00:21:55.779 He will thrust out the enemy from before you and will say destroy. 00:21:55.779 --> 00:21:58.940 Then Israel shall dwell in safety. 00:21:59.240 --> 00:22:01.220 The fountain of Jacob. 00:22:01.500 --> 00:22:04.000 In a land of grain and new wine. 00:22:04.639 --> 00:22:06.519 His heavens shall drop dew. 00:22:07.160 --> 00:22:08.859 Happy are you, O Israel. 00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:09.799 Who is like you? 00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:11.099 A people saved by the Lord. 00:22:11.500 --> 00:22:13.000 The shield of your help. 00:22:13.299 --> 00:22:15.160 And the sword of your majesty. 00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:17.980 Your enemies shall submit to you. 00:22:18.379 --> 00:22:21.299 And you shall tread down their high places. 00:22:21.299 --> 00:22:24.299 And that's his blessing to the 12 tribes. 00:22:24.399 --> 00:22:27.279 And the thing I love about it is that it is so nice. 00:22:28.379 --> 00:22:29.899 He could have finished by saying, 00:22:30.019 --> 00:22:32.259 You've been an absolute pain in the neck. 00:22:33.259 --> 00:22:34.899 But he finishes by saying, 00:22:35.079 --> 00:22:36.940 How good is your God? 00:22:37.079 --> 00:22:38.940 And how good is he to you? 00:22:38.940 --> 00:22:40.620 So he says, 00:22:40.700 --> 00:22:41.779 There's nobody like God. 00:22:42.620 --> 00:22:43.140 Literally, 00:22:43.580 --> 00:22:45.440 Jeshurun is the upright one. 00:22:45.559 --> 00:22:47.700 What a special name to give to Israel. 00:22:48.779 --> 00:22:49.940 And Moses says, 00:22:50.059 --> 00:22:51.620 This God rides to help you. 00:22:52.259 --> 00:22:53.320 He takes initiative. 00:22:54.140 --> 00:22:55.840 And he needs to take initiative. 00:22:55.960 --> 00:22:57.740 Because often you don't take initiative. 00:22:58.559 --> 00:22:59.440 He's not inactive. 00:22:59.600 --> 00:23:01.299 He's not reluctant. 00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:03.259 He's active, not passive. 00:23:03.779 --> 00:23:05.900 He is thinking ahead of you. 00:23:05.980 --> 00:23:07.200 I don't know what you're going back to. 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:10.440 But the Lord is going ahead of you. 00:23:10.920 --> 00:23:12.120 He goes ahead of his people. 00:23:13.160 --> 00:23:16.880 Next week I'm taking the funeral of a Russian lady 00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:18.240 who killed herself 00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:21.120 because of her despair 00:23:21.120 --> 00:23:24.700 at the situation of her people in Russia. 00:23:26.180 --> 00:23:27.140 And she killed herself 00:23:27.140 --> 00:23:29.860 by buying a large quantity of methylated spirits 00:23:29.860 --> 00:23:31.700 and tipping it over her head 00:23:31.700 --> 00:23:33.059 and setting herself alight. 00:23:34.380 --> 00:23:36.759 So I'm going back to that funeral this week. 00:23:37.700 --> 00:23:39.319 And I don't know what you're going back to. 00:23:39.400 --> 00:23:40.220 Many struggles 00:23:40.220 --> 00:23:42.019 and many things to think about. 00:23:42.840 --> 00:23:43.920 And how wonderful to know 00:23:43.920 --> 00:23:45.279 the Lord goes ahead of us. 00:23:46.740 --> 00:23:48.080 And he's your refuge. 00:23:48.200 --> 00:23:48.940 Verse 27. 00:23:49.880 --> 00:23:51.460 The idea that he is up there 00:23:51.460 --> 00:23:52.880 and we are down here 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:54.140 needs to be rethought 00:23:54.140 --> 00:23:55.559 because he's around us. 00:23:56.299 --> 00:23:57.180 He's above you 00:23:57.180 --> 00:23:59.380 and he's around you. 00:23:59.380 --> 00:24:00.759 He embraces you. 00:24:00.759 --> 00:24:02.180 Verse 27. 00:24:02.339 --> 00:24:03.359 He's underneath you. 00:24:03.779 --> 00:24:05.379 Underneath of the everlasting arms. 00:24:05.819 --> 00:24:07.619 You cannot sink into sadness 00:24:07.619 --> 00:24:09.759 lower than his arms. 00:24:10.220 --> 00:24:13.079 You can't sink into humiliation 00:24:13.079 --> 00:24:15.259 lower than his arms. 00:24:15.539 --> 00:24:17.440 You can't sink into trial 00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:18.460 lower than his arms. 00:24:18.680 --> 00:24:20.019 You can't sink into death 00:24:20.019 --> 00:24:21.180 lower than his arms. 00:24:22.059 --> 00:24:24.720 His arms, unlike Moses, 00:24:24.920 --> 00:24:25.680 that got weary, 00:24:25.819 --> 00:24:26.660 do not get weary. 00:24:27.660 --> 00:24:28.820 And he's ahead of you. 00:24:28.920 --> 00:24:29.779 He faces enemies. 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:31.259 He's aware of your fights. 00:24:32.580 --> 00:24:34.380 He's not sleeping in a bed. 00:24:35.680 --> 00:24:36.960 He is a fighter. 00:24:37.580 --> 00:24:38.560 And all of this language 00:24:38.560 --> 00:24:39.720 of God being above 00:24:39.720 --> 00:24:40.340 and around 00:24:40.340 --> 00:24:41.660 and ahead of us 00:24:41.660 --> 00:24:42.680 and underneath us 00:24:42.680 --> 00:24:44.259 is a preview 00:24:44.259 --> 00:24:45.420 of the privilege 00:24:45.420 --> 00:24:46.140 of the Christian 00:24:46.140 --> 00:24:47.340 of being in Christ. 00:24:47.339 --> 00:24:49.019 which is that great 00:24:49.019 --> 00:24:50.259 and favourite phrase 00:24:50.259 --> 00:24:51.439 of the Apostle Paul. 00:24:52.779 --> 00:24:53.579 We are to remember, 00:24:53.759 --> 00:24:54.019 of course, 00:24:54.079 --> 00:24:54.839 that the Lord Jesus 00:24:54.839 --> 00:24:56.179 fought a fight at the cross 00:24:56.179 --> 00:24:57.500 where he disarmed 00:24:57.500 --> 00:24:58.439 the principalities 00:24:58.439 --> 00:24:59.259 and the powers 00:24:59.259 --> 00:25:01.419 and caused 00:25:01.419 --> 00:25:02.399 a very great victory 00:25:02.399 --> 00:25:03.419 which we can hardly 00:25:03.419 --> 00:25:05.539 begin to fathom. 00:25:07.099 --> 00:25:07.459 So, 00:25:07.619 --> 00:25:09.259 let me finish 00:25:09.259 --> 00:25:10.659 with a quote 00:25:10.659 --> 00:25:11.740 from C.H. Spurgeon, 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:12.619 one of my heroes, 00:25:13.139 --> 00:25:14.099 as we come to the end 00:25:14.099 --> 00:25:14.799 of our little walk 00:25:14.799 --> 00:25:15.659 through Deuteronomy. 00:25:15.660 --> 00:25:16.560 Spurgeon says 00:25:16.560 --> 00:25:18.120 on chapter 33, 27, 00:25:18.960 --> 00:25:20.960 if you had 50 kingdoms 00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:22.360 burdening your brain, 00:25:23.500 --> 00:25:24.440 if you carried 00:25:24.440 --> 00:25:25.100 the politics 00:25:25.100 --> 00:25:26.400 of a hundred nations 00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:28.540 or were loaded 00:25:28.540 --> 00:25:29.340 with the cares 00:25:29.340 --> 00:25:30.720 of a thousand worlds, 00:25:31.640 --> 00:25:33.460 you can safely leave them 00:25:33.460 --> 00:25:34.779 with the wonderful counsellor 00:25:34.779 --> 00:25:37.180 and go on your way rejoicing. 00:25:38.060 --> 00:25:39.140 So lean hard, 00:25:39.220 --> 00:25:40.160 brothers and sisters, 00:25:40.680 --> 00:25:41.540 because underneath 00:25:41.540 --> 00:25:43.279 are the everlasting arms. 00:25:44.100 --> 00:25:45.200 It's a great Spurgeon. 00:25:45.660 --> 00:25:45.960 Great. 00:25:46.680 --> 00:25:47.480 We finished. 00:25:47.800 --> 00:25:48.840 I'll pray a short prayer. 00:25:52.040 --> 00:25:52.940 We thank you, 00:25:53.019 --> 00:25:53.820 our gracious God, 00:25:53.880 --> 00:25:54.820 for putting into 00:25:54.820 --> 00:25:55.920 the fellowship 00:25:55.920 --> 00:25:56.880 of your people 00:25:56.880 --> 00:25:59.519 a shepherd like Moses, 00:26:00.340 --> 00:26:02.000 one who would plead, 00:26:03.380 --> 00:26:03.900 persuade, 00:26:05.500 --> 00:26:06.019 teach, 00:26:06.900 --> 00:26:07.360 love. 00:26:07.359 --> 00:26:10.219 but we especially 00:26:10.219 --> 00:26:10.879 thank you 00:26:10.879 --> 00:26:11.979 for the good shepherd, 00:26:12.979 --> 00:26:14.699 for his perfection, 00:26:15.579 --> 00:26:17.299 for his love, 00:26:17.719 --> 00:26:18.619 for his victory, 00:26:19.699 --> 00:26:21.500 for his faithfulness, 00:26:21.959 --> 00:26:23.019 for his promises, 00:26:24.059 --> 00:26:25.199 for his sufficiency, 00:26:25.579 --> 00:26:26.959 for his care of us. 00:26:27.779 --> 00:26:29.039 Pray that you would help us 00:26:29.039 --> 00:26:30.419 and all whom we love 00:26:30.419 --> 00:26:32.799 to know and to walk 00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:33.719 with this Saviour. 00:26:33.720 --> 00:26:35.240 we ask it in Jesus' name. 00:26:35.539 --> 00:26:35.860 Amen. 00:26:35.860 --> 00:26:35.980 Amen. 00:26:35.980 --> 00:26:36.980 Amen.