Good. Oh, wonderful, wonderful. Take your Bibles
and turn with me to the book of Revelation chapter
number 15. Revelation chapter 15, we're gonna
work our way back over to the book of Deuteronomy
and we're gonna start here in the book of Revelation.
Wow, thank you for being here this morning. Thank
you for. loving the Lord, thank you for your
love for God's Word. God's Word is quick, powerful,
sharper than any two -edged sword. God's Word
changes lives. God's Word, it's a lamp to my
feet and a light to my path. It's an absolutely
an amazing book. And when we get to the book
of Deuteronomy, we know that the children of
Israel are about to enter into the promised land.
and Moses is not gonna be able to go with them.
They're gonna cross that Jordan River. They're
gonna go into that land flowing with milk and
honey. It's gonna be wonderful. When we think
about Moses, say that with me, Moses, okay? Just
like Moses, okay? Try to say it like that, Moses.
That sounded a little bit better, maybe, but
Moses was the leader for 40 long. It was Moses
who went up into Mount Sinai, met with God, God
gave him his word. And we think about Moses copied
out Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy. But Moses also was a songwriter
or God used Moses to write a song. Look with
me here in Revelation chapter 15, verse number
three, the way this is worded. And they sing
the song. of Moses, the servant of God. And the
song of the lamb sang, great and marvelous are
thy works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are
thy ways, thou King of saints. This is, really
the singers of this song are the tribulation
saints, but they're singing the song of Moses,
the song of the lamb. And imagine that, great
and marvelous. Sing that with me. Great and marvelous.
I don't know how it sounds, but that sounds good
to me. Great and marvelous. And it's a song about
God, our great God, our powerful God, our amazing
God. And we do have a great God, amazing God,
a wonderful God. We'd all say him into that.
Okay, now when you go back to the Old Testament,
go back with me to Exodus chapter 15. Turn back
to Exodus. You know, you go Genesis, then Exodus.
Exodus chapter number 15. And wow, wow, wow,
in Exodus chapter, I'm wowing because wow, imagine
being there. Moses led the children of Israel
across the Red Sea. God parted the Red Sea. The
children of Israel crossed the Red Sea. The Egyptian
army's behind them. The Egyptian army follows
them. Then God takes and capsizes the Red Sea
and it destroys the Egyptian army. And right
here is a song. Look at verse number one. Then
sang Moses, then sang who? Moses, come on, then
sang Moses, try it again with me, then sang Moses
and the children of Israel, this song unto the
Lord. And Spake sang, I will sing unto the Lord
for he hath triumphed gloriously. The horse and
his rider hath he thrown in the sea. The Lord
is my strength and song, and he has become my
salvation. He is my God. And it was a song, the
song of Moses. Absolutely fascinating. Now we
turn over to Deuteronomy 31. That's where we're
getting at, Deuteronomy chapter number 31. And
we're gonna find another song, a song given by
God, and I call it the Song of Moses. And if
you will, stand with me for the reading of God's
word. We're gonna read Deuteronomy 31, and we're
gonna read the last verse, verse number 30, all
together in unison. Before we read that, remember
how we pronounce Moses. Say that with me, Moses.
Now look at verse number 30, ready? And Moses
spake in the ears of all the congregation of
Israel the words of this song until they were
ended. Now understand, Moses spake. the words
of this song, this song, this song. So as you
go to chapter 32, you're gonna hear the song
of Moses, you're gonna hear the words of this
song. Now, before we pray, before we pray, I
understand. I looked at this passage, I studied
this passage, and at the beginning of this week,
I was overwhelmed. The song of Moses, what does
that have to do with me? What does that have
to do with you today? By the time the end of
the week, when I was studying this, I was like,
holy mackerels. I've read this many times, but
I've not paid attention to it. And by the way,
you sometimes read the Bible and you read it,
but you're there, but you're not there. And when
all of a sudden I read this, I paid attention
to it, I got to my office, and I think about
it, I cried thinking I needed that. And I mean
that. And I thought about how many people in
our church desperately need this truth. Now the
problem is, this whole song as we go through
it, there's gotta be a base, we gotta lay some
foundations, we gotta look and we gotta pay attention.
And I promise if you can just pay attention by
the end of this, you're gonna say, man, I needed
that or in the future I desperately am gonna
need that. But you're gonna have to pay attention
this morning. We're gonna have to work through
this just a little bit. Before we go any further,
let's bow our heads, bow our hearts, go to the
Lord in prayer. Dear Father in heaven, we love
you. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank
you, Lord, for giving us sometimes what I didn't
even know we needed, Lord. And this song, I didn't
realize how powerful it was, how much I needed
in my life. But I pray that you help us all to
spend the time thinking and working and really
laboring through your word to get to the truth.
And I pray that you help all of us to decrease,
you to increase in a marvelous way. And Lord,
if there's a soul here this morning that's not
been saved, I pray that this would be the day
of salvation for them. And God, just wanna say
thank you for your holy, precious, marvelous
word. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Oh, okay. Now,
as we get there, turn back to chapter number
31 there, and we're gonna go over to chapter
31, and before we read verse 14, understand now
that Moses is about to leave the children of
Israel. Joshua is about to lead the children
of Israel across the Jordan River and into the
promised land. But understand, where are the
children of Israel right now? They're about to
cross the promised land, and they are right with
God. This is very, very, very important. The
children of Israel, their heart is not far away
from God. They're listening to the word of God.
They have a fire and a zeal for God. The children
of Israel are right with God. Now look with me
at verse number 14, if you will. Some of you
need work at this. Moses, Moses, okay? Moses,
okay. And the Lord said unto who? That's better.
Behold thy day's approach that thou must die.
Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tabernacle
of the congregation that I may give him a charge.
Okay, stop right there. speaks to Moses, says,
hey, go get Joshua, you're gonna meet me over
the tabernacle, I'm going to give Joshua a charge,
that's a command, that's some directions. Now
look with me at verse number 15. And the Lord
appeared in the what? Tabernacle, look at verse
16. And the Lord said unto Moses, behold, thou
shalt sleep with thy fathers, and this people,
this people will rise up. These are some hard
words right here. And go a whoring after the
gods of the strangers of the land, whether they
go up to be among them and will forsake me and
break my covenant, which I have made with them.
Verse 17, then my anger shall be kindled against
them in that day. Okay, I'll explain this to
you, but it's not hard to understand. Right now,
the children of Israel are right with God. Moses
and Joshua meet with God in the tabernacle. They
hear the voice of God and they say, listen, they're
not gonna be long. The children of Israel are
gonna go into the promised land and when they
do, they're gonna forsake me their God. And it's
gonna, my anger, my anger, God's anger, not my
anger, God's anger is going to be kindled against
God's people. Okay, do you understand that? So
right now, this is a baseline for the sermon.
Right now, the children of Israel are right with
God, but Moses is gonna leave them. They're gonna
go into the promised land. They get in the promised
land. In the promised land, the people of God,
God's people are gonna forsake God, and God's
anger is gonna be kindled against them. You got
that? Okay, now look at this next verse. Look
at this next verse. Verse number 18. And I will
surely hide my face in that day for all the evils
which they shall have wrought. in that they are
turned unto other gods. Verse 19, now therefore,
because of this truth, now therefore write ye
this, what? For you, and teach it to the children,
teach this song, teach it the children of Israel,
put it, the song, in their mouths, that this
song may be a witness for me against the children
of Israel. Wow, verse number 22, skip ahead,
verse number 22. Moses therefore wrote this song
the same day and taught it the children of Israel.
Now, we're gonna make sure that we understand
this point right here real quick. Right now,
the children of Israel, they're right with God,
but they're gonna go into the promised land.
God's telling Moses and Joshua that when they
go to the promised land, they're gonna forsake
God. God's anger is gonna be kindled against
them. Therefore, because of that truth, you're
going to write this song. You're going to teach
this song. You're going to put that song in the
hearts of my people. This song, the song of Moses.
OK, now I read that. I said, well, what does
that have to do with the price of tea in China?
What does that have to do with you? What does
that have to do with me? But here's what it did
for me. I begin to study this song. What is this
song? And I want you to turn over to the next
chapter, chapter number 32. We get to the actual
song of Moses. Look at chapter 32, if you will.
Look with me at verse number one. Okay, verse
number one. Read this with me. Give ear, oh ye
heavens, and I will speak, and hear, oh worth,
the words of my mouth. The song starts with saying,
give ear, O ye heavens, and O earth. It's saying,
think about what you're singing. The song and
the lyrics right here from the very beginning
are telling the children of Israel, the heaven
and the earth, to think about what you're singing.
I went golfing for the first time in like six
months this last week. I hadn't been golfing
in a long time. And when I was golfing, this
man in a cart, a polar cart, caught up to us.
We'd given him an invitation to church, and he
went around us, got in the next hole. And then
all of a sudden, I heard, off in a slight distance,
I heard him, he had this radio. And there were
some words that he had playing, and I imagined
singing that he didn't think about. They were
not good words. You know, many times people sing
songs, but they don't think about what they're
singing. Boy, there's a whole array of words
that are in my head where I've listened to music
or I hear music, and I don't even think about
the words, but I know the words, but I don't
really think about what the words say. I had
an interesting thought. I looked this up, and
I think about worldly music, and much of the
world's music is bad. Sometimes words in the
songs of the world's music, they make no sense.
There's sexual nature. There's wicked and sinful.
But I did a Google search. the five most popular
songs of all time. And I looked them up and it
gave me the list. Here's the list. The first
most popular song of all time. Now you may look
it up, it may show you something different, but
the first one was Imagine by John Lennon. And
the words of that song, imagine there's no heaven,
it's easy if you try, no hell below us. That
song may be sung, many people sing that song.
but it is a song that is absolutely against the
great God that I love. So many times people think,
the second on the list was what they call the
Bohemian Rhapsody by a group named Queen. And
it includes words like this, mama just killed
a man. It also makes reference in the song to
Beelzebub. And really there is a dark side to
that song and I won't go into it. but it's a
song that does not glorify the great God that
we have. And many people listen to that song
or sing that song and don't think of the words.
They're not listening to the words that are there.
And this is not a sermon about this, but it's
just part of to help you understand this. The
third song on there was by Michael Jackson and
a song named Billie Jean. that song right very
famous the kid is not my son and really this
this song centers on really sexual scandal accusation
moral and cleanliness it's sexual by nature it's
a song that people sing people like but many
people don't hear the words that song the third
fourth one is like a rolling stone by Bob I won't
go into that one, but really it's beating a man
while he's down. And the fourth one is good vibrations
by the Beach Boys. What's wrong with that pastor?
Well, I'm just saying the lyrics right there
lead to a life that's lived by emotion rather
than the facts that are found in the word of
God. Now, my whole point on that is often you
or I, we can turn on a radio and we all of a
sudden learn a song. And it becomes a part of
us in our mind, and we really don't think about
what the words are actually saying. God is saying,
hey, in this song, listen up. Think about what
you're seeing. Let the words of my mouth and
the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy
sight, oh, Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
Look at verse number 2. Look at verse number
2. Okay, now, if you can stop for just for me.
I got to stand here for a second. Hold over here
and just breathe for a second. I'm out of breath.
Okay, sit up straight, now you listen to this.
We got the first, this song needs to be heard,
the words. Now it's interesting, the second verse
right here says this, my doctrine, say those
two words with me. My doctrine shall drop as
the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew,
as the small rain upon the tender herb and the
showers upon the grass. Really, this is saying,
hey, God is my instructor. My doctrine, God's
doctrine, he's telling us his position. God's
telling us what is true. God is telling us what
is real. And it's like dew that makes the herbs
grow or the grass begin to grow right there.
The doctrine found in the word of God, the doctrine
that comes from God, it gives life. Okay, okay.
Life. It gives life. The word of God brings life,
okay? Sometimes I don't like the truth, but I
mean, I need the truth, okay? I'd rather somebody
not tickle my ears. I'd like to know what is
true. God's word is always true. Now, verse number
three, look at this, look at this. Look at this,
this is amazing. Because I will publish the name
of the Lord, ascribe ye, what does this say?
Greatness unto our God. Greatness unto our God.
He is the Rock. He is the rock. He is not a rock.
He is the rock. His work is perfect. For all
his ways are judgment, a God of truth, and without
iniquity, just and right is he. This rock right
here is a big rock. My family and I, we went
up to Maine, probably five or six years ago,
and outside of Millinocket, in the middle of
nowhere, we saw this rock in the wilderness,
and me and my kids, It doesn't look like much.
That's not a fake rock, but it is heavy. It's
like really, really heavy. But our God is the
rock. And what do I mean by that? Our God is
stable. You can stand on the rock. Our God saves.
Our God does not change. Our God is unmovable,
you might say. Psalm 18, verse two. The Lord
is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than me. Psalm
16, verse two. He is the only God, the rock.
He's the only God. He's a powerful God. He's
a mighty God. He is a great God. He's the king
of kings and lord of lords. He's the alpha, the
mega, the first and the last. greatness of God.
In this song, it's trying to point us to the
great God that formed the world, that gave us
life. Truly, the God of the Bible, the God that
give you life and me life is an amazing God.
Okay. I don't want to sit on the rock. I should
stand on the rock, shouldn't I? No, don't do
that. That's a bad idea. Okay. Now, we're going
through here. And think with me before I move
to this next time because something begins to
change in the song. God is the rock, he never
moves, he never errs. Our God that cannot lie,
he never sins, he never does anything wrong.
So as we begin this, think about what you're
singing. All of a sudden it's a song about healthy
doctrine, it's a song about the greatness of
God, a great God. But then verse number five,
look at this. They have corrupted themselves.
Their spot is not the spot of his children. They
are a perverse and crooked generation. Do ye
thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise.
It's a song that all of a sudden begins to change
and talk about a corrupted people. It's basically
saying, and we're gonna get into this more, the
children of Israel, they're gonna go into the
promised land. and they're gonna be turned into
God's people are going to turn away from the
great God that they have and they're gonna corrupt
themselves. They go again, you say their spot,
do you see that spot where it says spot? It says
this, it says their spot, in verse five, is not
the spot of his children. My wife, I think is
in the nursery this morning, but she'll remember
my son Sam. You were there, Sam, Sam, you remember
that? Our back window you had a wrench in your
hand and a big wrench and my Samuel my Samuel
Took that wrench and I don't know what he's thinking
four years old three years old takes a wrench
and he throws it through the window You know,
I thought I said Mandy that's your son It's not
my son, that's your son Didn't come from me It's
not my child well, she said the apple does not
fall far from the tree But think about it, it's
a song about a corrupted people. Now if you go
to this next part, look at it, it continues to
build. Verse number seven. Remember the days
of old. Consider the years of many generations.
Ask thy father, and he will show thee. thy elders,
and they will tell thee, win the most high, divide
it to the nations. And really, this next section,
it's calling the people to remember. They've
corrupted themselves. They have a great God.
That doctrine that they had is what grows you
and gives you life, but these corrupted people,
all of a sudden, it's calling them to remember
the days of old, remember the past, remember
how God had blessed you. Look at, in the next
section, verse number 10, look at this. He found
them in a desert land and in the waste howling
wilderness, he led them about. He instructed
them. He kept them as the apple of his eye, as
an eagle stirreth her nest. Now, this is very,
very hard. Now, stop and look at me real quick.
We're all on the same page. We're all there.
I know this is a struggle for us in a way to
get through this, but he's all of a sudden saying,
hey, listen. Our God right there demands and
desires us to open up our ears and listen. We've
got to listen to the words, okay? All of a sudden,
our God is a great God. Our God is a great God.
His doctrine gives you life. But you're a corrupted
people, corrupted people. But if you can remember
how, in the past, how good God has been for you.
God is the one that led you for those 40 years.
He gave you water from a rock. He gave you manna
from heaven. He's a God that God will take care
of you. Okay, we sort of got that. If we're getting
there, we're getting there, we're moving along
right there. Look at this, oh, by the way, huh,
huh. You know, you think about it, it's easy
to go against the God that we love. Okay, and
I was thinking about, sometimes we don't intentionally
kick against God, you might say, but sometimes
we do. My son Amos right there, yesterday we
were playing thumb wars. He got on my lap. Dad,
let's have a thumb war. One, two, three, four,
let's have a thumb warp. Okay, then it grew to
two thumb wars at once. One, two, three, four,
let's have a thumb warp. Then he, Amos, five
years old, with his head, attacked my knee. Now
he's crying all of a sudden because he hit his
head on my knee, he attacked my knee. So when
he started crying, I said, you're not the one
to cry. You did that to me, and I started crying.
So I was smarter than him. I ran out to Mama,
and I got on the couch with Mama and I said,
he hit my knee. And he was slow because he was
still in the bedroom crying over there. And finally
he came wallering out, and you remember Amos,
you remember this, and you said, my head. I said,
my knee. And then he looked at me and said, let's
have another thumb war. So we had another thumb
war, one, two, three, four, let's have a thumb
war. And this time he did this and he popped
me right in the head. I was seeing stars. I was
good to him and he hurt me, smacked me. But here's
the thing, God's been good to us whether we meant
to be corrupted, go against God, the reality
is this people have gone against the great God
They gave them life and breath. Look at this,
look at verse 15. But Jeshuram, that's Israel,
waxed fat, fat, waxed fat, and kicked. Thou art
waxed in fat, thou art grown thick, thou art
covered with fatness. It's saying, God's blessed
you, God's blessed you. And as you continue to
read this, verse 16. They provoked him to jealousy
with strange gods. Verse 17, they sacrificed
unto devils, not to God. It's a song about waxing
facts. Spoiled, rebellious children going and
living and serving other gods. Okay, Noah, you're
over there. Noah, you got your little son Job
and yesterday out soul winning on the bus, you
got sitting there and Job's a little over one
years old. He's cute. Then all of a sudden he
came over and he bit you hard. on the chin, and
he gripped a hole to get to rip your chin out
of his grips right there, but he bit you. Your
son, who is cute, bit you. And I thought about
that, that when it used the word, Jeshurun waxed
fat and kicked. Jeshurun, Israel waxed fat, God
blessed them, but they're kicking against the
will of God. Kicking against the will of God.
You understand that? Okay, look at this next
part. Verse number 20, look at this. And he said,
I will hide my face from them. Say that with
me. I will hide my face from them. Look at verse
23. I will heap mischiefs upon them. It's a song
about God's judgment. In other words, when Israel
rebelled, God judged them. God said, I'm not
gonna bless you. Okay, you go ahead and serve
those other gods, but my judgment is coming upon
you. Judgment is coming upon you. Look at this.
Look as you go to this. Look at verse 29. Look
at this. Oh, that they were wise. that they understood
this, that they would consider their latter end.
Say that verse with me. Oh, that they were wise,
that they understood this, that they would consider
their latter end. In other words, God didn't
want it this way. God didn't wanna judge them.
God didn't wanna chase in them. It's not the
way God wanted it. You know, God sent him to
the land flowing with milk and honey, the promised
land, because he wanted to bless them. But they
turned their hearts away from God, so God, rather
than blessing them, has to chastise them. And
right there, the God says, no, oh, that they
were wise, that they understood this. Verse number
31, look at this, you gotta see this. For their
rock is not as our rock. Their rock, little r,
their rock, their false gods is not as our rock,
the rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.
And by the way, you continue on. God didn't want
it this way. But look at this, verse 36. Go to
36. We're almost at the end of this. For the
Lord shall judge his people and repent himself
for his servants when he seeth that their power
is gone and there is none shut up or left. And
he shall say, where are their gods, their rock
in whom they trusted? Look at the end of verse
38. Let them rise up and help you and be your
protection. Now you're gonna see this, it's gonna
come together, it's gonna be worth it. But understand
where we're at. All of a sudden, the children
of Israel, they're right with God. They're gonna
go into the promised land. They're gonna corrupt
themselves. They shouldn't, but they are. It
leads to God chastising them. They're serving
false gods. They get in trouble, and all of a
sudden, they're false gods their way. They find
no help in that. There's no hope in that. And
it's like, you don't have to live that way. But
listen, you've chosen to live that way. Those
little rocks are not going to help you. The big
rock would, but the little rocks would not help
you at all. You understand? OK, we got this.
We're almost there. It's a story of false gods.
They will fail you. By the way, the little rocks,
they won't help you. There's a man I've been
witnessing to for a while now. He's a Muslim.
And he sort of jokes. He said, you know, I'll
go to your church if you'll come to my mosque.
And I said, well, no, we're different. He says,
no, we're about the same. No, there is a big
difference between your little rock God and the
big capital R rock God of the Bible. There is.
The God of the Bible is a true and living God.
Okay, so verse 39, look at this. And this is
what says it. See now that I, even I am he, and
there is no God with me, I kill and I make alive.
I wound and I heal. Neither is there any that
can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my
hand to heaven and say, I live forever. And here
God in the song is declaring his authority, you
might say. He's saying, as God, I give life,
I bring death, I judge, there's no other God.
I alone rule. God is basically saying, I am the
King of kings and Lord of lords. I'm the one
that gave you life. I'm the one that gave you
breath. I'm God. Okay, okay. Just take a deep
breath real quick. Where did this pastor come
from? I've been working on this week trying to
study this and we're almost there because what
does this have to do with you? And what does
it have to do with me? You're gonna notice it
has a lot to do with us. We got two more little
things that you see. Look at verse 43, you gotta
see this. 43, rejoice, O ye nations, rejoice,
O ye nations, with his people, for he will avenge
the blood of his servants and will render vengeance
to his adversaries. And look at this next spot.
And we'll be what? Merciful unto his land and
to his people. Merciful unto his land, to his
people. Oh, you don't get it yet, but you're
gonna see it. All of a sudden it's gonna be like,
oh yeah. A few weeks ago, Connor, we played basketball.
I was a captain. I chose my team. And Joseph,
you were a part of that team wherever you are,
Joseph. And Brother Connor, you were part of
that team. But we played our first game, Connor.
And I realized, two minutes in the game, we're
in trouble. We're in trouble. We're not going
to win. And anyways, we played five games. We
lost all five games. But I knew after the first
two minutes that we were in trouble. And the
thing is, once you lose once, I have to go play
the next game. And we're in trouble. Do you understand?
I'm on the wrong side. And if you're on the wrong
side, it's miserable. And here's the point. At
that point, it didn't matter if the first game
or second game or third team, that's my team.
And if you could, Connor, forgive me for saying
this, it's only gonna hurt you. But it's not
yearly you, it's Joseph was the problem, okay?
But I chose the wrong team and there was no going
back. There's no going back. Can you understand
that? What it's saying right here, though, is,
hey, I will be merciful unto his land. It's saying
in the end of the song that God wins, but he
is merciful enough that he will allow you to
come back to the winning side. And I'm gonna
sum this up in just a moment, because it's gonna
all of a sudden go, oh, this is good, because
it is good. Look at verse number 44. Look at
this. This is the very last part. And Moses came
and spake all the words, all the words of this
song in the ears of the people, he and Hoshia,
that's Joshua, the son of Nun, and Moses made
an end of speaking all these words, these words
of that song to all Israel, and he said unto
them, said unto them, watch this, set your hearts
unto all the what? All the words of what? The
song. All the words of the song. He's saying
all of the words of the song. This is a side
note, but do you realize there's many people
God will give a gift, instructions, a map, and
people do not have the character to pay attention
to it? Well, you mean I gotta spend time learning
that? Paying attention to that? Working on that?
Thinking about that? meditating upon that, reading
that. I didn't say it, God said it. And here's
the thing, it says this, and this is wild. Under
all the words which I testify among you this
day, verse 47, for it is not a vain thing for
you, it's not an empty thing for you, because
it is your life. It is your life. It's your life.
It's your life. And here's where the sermon comes
in. And just to sum this up, think about what
you're seeing. The children of Israel, and if
there's a part to pay attention to, it's right
now, okay? It's gonna come together. The children
of Israel are right with God. They're about to
enter into the promised land. God already knows
when they get to the promised land, they're gonna
turn away from God. Then God's gonna judge them.
God's gonna chase in them. And God is gonna have
this song. Remember the song. Remember the song,
the song that reminds you about what you're singing,
a song when you're in the promised land, you've
turned away from God, a song that has healthy
doctrine that reminds you of the greatness of
God, a song about a corrupted people, a song
to remember the days of old, a song to remind
you that God took care of you, a song about the
wax, fat, spoiled, rebellious child right there,
a song about God's judgment, a song where God
didn't want it this way. Now here it is, now
listen to this statement. The song of Moses.
Was given before Israel ever entered Canaan because
God already knew they would forget him Forsake
him and suffer for it. So he gave them a song
to bring them back to truth When rebellion comes
and the consequences of sin starts showing up
They were to remember that God is still the rock
God was never the problem their trouble came
from turning away from him and in mercy And in
mercy, God still leaves the door open for them
to return to the winning side. That's why the
song mattered. It was not empty words, it was
their life. Okay, for me, I thought about what
does it matter to me? Me, Matt Nettisheim, Pastor
Matt Nettisheim of the great Chesapeake Baptist
Church, I have been given this song today. And
the reality is one day, I'm going to forget God.
I'm going to forsake him and I'm going to suffer
for it. But God gave me, Matt Nettis signed this
song to bring me back to the truth. When rebellion
comes and the consequences start showing up,
I need to remember God is still the rock. Okay,
what about you? You, Chesapeake Baptist Church,
people that are here, you've been given this
song today. The reality is that one day you're
going to forget God. What do I mean by that?
What do you mean, forget God? The reality is,
in some form or fashion, every one of us slips
away from God and begins to turn to our own way.
It just happens. We're not proud of it, but it's
the reality of life. And it's going to happen
to you. Whether you like it or not, there is
a time it's going to happen to you. And when
you do, the reality is one day you're going to
forget God, you're going to forsake him, and
you're going to suffer for it. But God gave you
this song to bring you back to the truth. When
that rebellion comes, and the consequences of
sin start showing up in your life, you need to
remember that God is still the rock. God was
never the problem. And the trouble in your life
came because you turned away from him. And yet
in God's mercy, God's still leaving the door
open for you to return to the winning team. That's
why this song matters. It's not empty words.
It is our life, your life. Okay, I want just
to make sure that we understand this and I know
I'm repeating this but let's let's do it like
this we that's us That's you and me together.
We have been given this song today. God gave
us a song today It's an amazing song and in reality
we we one day are gonna forget God We're going
to forsake him. And when we do, we suffer for
it. But God gave us this song to bring us back
to the truth. When that rebellion comes in our
life and the consequences of sin start showing
up, we need to remember that God is still the
rock. He was never the problem. And the trouble
in our lives came because we turned away from
him. Yet in God's infinite. Wonderful mercy,
he's left the door open and we can come running
back to the great God and that song, if we can
remember the words of this song, it, it, the
song, it is our life. It's a reminder we can
come home to God. We can come home to God. Dear
friend of mine, I would say 24 years ago, dear
friend of mine. I mean, we were on fire for God.
And I remember the day that all of a sudden he
began to make decisions. And I remember going
up to him and I says, you know, to my friend
and saying, hey, you know, you really see what
you're doing? And he all of a sudden got puffed
up. He didn't care, he's hardened, hardened,
hardened. He said, I'm just gonna do what I'm
gonna do. And he did, he did. And it began to
destroy, sin when it's finished bringing forth
death. And I remember sin, when all of a sudden,
boom, boom, boom, it began to destroy his life,
his marriage, his children. And I remember it,
I'm not proud of that, I'm just saying that's
the way it was. And I remember eventually going
back to him and saying, hey, come back, come
back, come back, God is merciful. Yeah, you've
got scars, but God wants you back. And at that
time, he had no belief that God would ever accept
him back. He said, God's not merciful. and basically
he continued in sin, believing maybe that he
deserved it, maybe he did, but it's a terrible
life. And we fast forward today, his life is
no better, matter of fact, it's worse. You know,
there's hope for you. There's hope for me. We
have a great God. Okay, here's the reality, and
here's the very end of it right there. This sermon,
reality, we're sinners, but God's been so good
to us. You're here today, you're right with God.
but there's coming a time when you're gonna get
away from him. You're gonna do some things, you're
gonna say some things, you're gonna think some
things, and next thing you know, you're going
to the judgment of God. The words of this song,
if you think about it, meditate, they're not
vanity and they're not empty, but they're songs
to remind you to bring you back to the great
God who loves you, who's your rock, and keep
it in your mind, keep it in your heart, God is
merciful, and here's the last word, and I believe
this is for some here today. God wants us to
come back. When I wrote that right there, typed
that out, I typed it out, God wants us back.
I began to cry, to think about the times that
I've forsaken God in my life, and I'm thankful
for God's mercy. I'm thankful for allowing me,
Matt Nettisheim, to come back to him. God wants
you back. There's somebody in here this morning,
you're far away from God. You're here, but in
your mind you said, ah, it's good for Pastor,
but it's not good for me. No, it's good for you.
God wants you back. God wants you back. God wants
you, come back to him today. But for all of us,
we may be right with God, but right around the
corner, maybe a month, maybe a year, but sometime
in the future, prone to wonder, Lord, I feel
it, prone to leave the God I love, come back
to God. Let's pray. Dear Father in heaven, we
love you. We thank you, Lord, for loving us.
Salvation. The only way to heaven is you, Jesus.
Thank you for coming 2 ,000 years ago, giving
us the gift of life. And Lord, thank you for
allowing us to become your children through your
precious blood. Help us as a church to meditate,
to think about this song. It's a powerful, powerful
song. I pray even right now for somebody to come
back to you. Help them to come back, go to you,
ask for forgiveness, get back on that rock. of
serving you, Lord. And I pray for all of us as
we go throughout. Help us to think about this
song enough to where we get off track, we come
back to you. In Jesus' name, amen. Stand with
me if you will. Piano's gonna play, organ's gonna
play, and I encourage you to do business with
God. Come this morning as a piano and organ play.
If you're here this morning, and come. If you're
here and you're far away from God, Go to God
in prayer. If you're right with God, say, God,
help me to remember this truth. Help me to remember
this truth. Help me remember this truth. And
if those neither are there, pray for somebody
that they'll come back to God.