"Decisions, Decisions, Decisions"
A sermon preached on The Second Sunday after the Epiphany, January 14, 2007 at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp. Sermon based on Deuteronomy 1:1-8.
Few of us can deny the fact that life is full of decisions. In fact, Albert Camus wrote; "Life is the sum of our choices." Decisions are inevitable - everything we do requires decision. Some of our decisions are insignificant, while others are considerably life-changing and life-altering. As Edwin Markam reminds us, some of our "choices are the hinges of [our] destiny."
One of my favorite poets, Robert Frost has written a poem that quickly became a favorite of mine when I read it many years ago. The poem is titled; "The Road Not Taken." Most literary scholars believe that this poem speaks of Frost’s decision to take the path of being a poet rather than following the well-worn path of being a farmer. While I do believe that synopsis is true; still, this poem offers a greater message - one with a spiritual implication. By taking "the road less traveled," Robert Frost reveals his decision to step out on faith, to be different, to take a risk.. And certainly, that is "the road less traveled." But isn’t this what we are all faced with from time to time.
In our Scripture Lesson this morning we see that God’s people found themselves in a situation where they really had no choice. They had to make some changes. They had to move ahead, no matter how uncertain or frightening those change were. Call it an intervention, if you will.
Let’s review for just a moment the situation in which the people of God found themselves. Keep in mind, the book of Deuteronomy consists of Moses’ explanation of God’s Law and his exhortation to follow it. This book records Moses’ sermons, if you will. Moses’ most significant contribution as the leader of God’s people at one of the most, if not the most, indisputably crucial time in their history was primarily, preacher - the communicator of the Word of God for the people of God. In verses 2 and 3 we have a stark reminder of the necessity for a preacher like Moses. God’s Word is a vital ingredient in life because men and women are, by nature, stubborn and willful. God, like a parent has to repeatedly teach and discipline his children.
We, by nature, are like the Israelites. We are as every bit of stubborn and hardheaded as they were. In fact, we are reminded of their stubbornness in verse 2 - a journey that would have taken Israel less than 2 weeks to complete lasted 40 years because of unbelief and disobedience.
As we see in our Scripture Lesson this morning, it is easy for the people of God to become stuck, if you will, and to make little or no discernable progress on their journey. It certainly happened to the Israelites. They had become idle, stagnate, stuck in park. And so, Moses stood before them, and he spoke the Word of the Lord. "You’ve been here long enough. Break camp and get on with the journey. The Promised Land isn’t going to come to you. You’ve got to go and claim it!" Certainly, if there is a message for the church today, this would be it!
The word "law" we find in verse 5 is the renown Hebrew word torah, which literally means, "instruction." But this word also implies action. It involves applying what is taught through example and deed. As I denoted on Thursday evening at our Bible Study, we are called not to solely be disciples - students, but also apostles - those who apply the message in word and example. We, as Christians are to take what we have learned as disciples and apply it.
The second thing I want us to notice about Moses’ challenge to the people of God is found in verses 6 and 7, and that is the resolve to get on with it! Stop procrastinating and move forward, as Moses’ message. Take yourself out of park and put yourself in gear! The price for staying where they were was simply too high, and the same is true for us. Perhaps some of you have seen the recent movie "Little Miss Sunshine." The movie is about a family that drives 800 miles to enter their daughter into a "Little Miss Sunshine" pageant. And on this trip the family encounters problem, after problem. One of the problems they are faced with is the clutch in their Volks Wagon bus goes out. When they take it to a garage the mechanic informs them that it will take several days to get the parts and fix it. Realizing they were pressed for time, the mechanic tells them that if they can push the bus and getting it rolling about 15 mph they could start it right up and would have no trouble. So, for the remainder of the movie, every time this family stops they have to get out and push the vehicle in order for it to start back up. The same should apply to the church. We should all be behind the church pushing it forward!
Now, friends, I know there are times for caution and there are times for patience. In everything we do we must make sure we discern that it is God’s will. But patience, isn’t an excuse for idleness or inactivity. Patience wouldn’t be much help to a man who plants an orange grove in Alaska, now would it? And certainly, the "let’s wait and see" attitude is not much help when you’re trying to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ and change their lives by its power.
We read in verses 6 through 18 of God’s promises and the need for leadership. Keep in mind, back in Genesis chapter 15, God had promised Abraham that his people would be living in the land and receive his blessing. This was now about to happen - the promised was about to be fulfilled. But as Israel had increased in numbers, so had the need for vital and effective leadership! Leadership is essential when it comes to the Church - we need effective leaders - those who are willing to stand up, take responsibility and lead people in example. Without leadership there is no organization.
Finally, we read in verse 8 of Moses’ challenge to the people: he called them to learn how to rely upon God, how to depend on his ability to keep his Word, and how to trust him for the outcome. It’s a matter of faith and trust in God’s promises. I read an interesting quote the other day; "Faith isn’t just hoping God will do what he says he will do; it’s believing God will do what God says he will do." That is, in essence, what Moses was telling to the people; "God told you that the land is yours. He has given it to you. What are you waiting for? Why are you still standing here? Go claim what is yours!"
Here in verse 8 we read; "...go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore he would give your fathers..." The Hebrew word for "swore" here is shaba. The verb is related to the number seven. The verb means, in effect, "to bind oneself," that is "seven times." You’re probably thinking what does "seven" have to do with an oath or with binding oneself? Keep in mind, "seven," is the symbolic number of perfection or completion; thus, this oath involves binding oneself completely, perfectly, and fully, in this case, it is God making the oath. It is a perfect oath - a perfect promise and, what’s more, it means that God will come through on his promise, which he did! God keeps his promises! As I said a couple of weeks ago, God sees his promises through! And, my friends, God has promised us great and wonderful things when we follow him!
I love the story of the woman driving through the mountains west of Denver when she ran into a snowstorm. She was completely lost, but just then she saw a snowplow. She decided to follow it in hopes it would lead her safely through the snow. At times the blowing snow almost cut off her view, but her faithful guide kept on leading the way, removing the snow from the read ahead of her. After some time, the plow stopped, and its driver got out and walked over to her car. "Lady, where are you going?" he asked. "I’m on my way to Denver," she replied. "Well, you’ll never get there following me! I’m plowing a parking lot!"
Sadly, this is way many of us go through life. This perhaps could describe the Israelites wandering aimlessly through the wilderness for 40 years. But it also describes many of us! In our Scripture Lesson this morning, we see that Moses gives the people a choice – stay where you are or move ahead to the Promised Land. And, you know, friends, God gives us this same choice. We can choose to stay where we are or we can move in the direction God would have us go! Sure, it can be risky at times, uncertain, difficult – but God will lead us and God will go with us!
It’s our decision, though! Thus, let us not procrastinate any long; let us proclaim along with the old hymn;
One of my favorite poets, Robert Frost has written a poem that quickly became a favorite of mine when I read it many years ago. The poem is titled; "The Road Not Taken." Most literary scholars believe that this poem speaks of Frost’s decision to take the path of being a poet rather than following the well-worn path of being a farmer. While I do believe that synopsis is true; still, this poem offers a greater message - one with a spiritual implication. By taking "the road less traveled," Robert Frost reveals his decision to step out on faith, to be different, to take a risk.. And certainly, that is "the road less traveled." But isn’t this what we are all faced with from time to time.
In our Scripture Lesson this morning we see that God’s people found themselves in a situation where they really had no choice. They had to make some changes. They had to move ahead, no matter how uncertain or frightening those change were. Call it an intervention, if you will.
Let’s review for just a moment the situation in which the people of God found themselves. Keep in mind, the book of Deuteronomy consists of Moses’ explanation of God’s Law and his exhortation to follow it. This book records Moses’ sermons, if you will. Moses’ most significant contribution as the leader of God’s people at one of the most, if not the most, indisputably crucial time in their history was primarily, preacher - the communicator of the Word of God for the people of God. In verses 2 and 3 we have a stark reminder of the necessity for a preacher like Moses. God’s Word is a vital ingredient in life because men and women are, by nature, stubborn and willful. God, like a parent has to repeatedly teach and discipline his children.
We, by nature, are like the Israelites. We are as every bit of stubborn and hardheaded as they were. In fact, we are reminded of their stubbornness in verse 2 - a journey that would have taken Israel less than 2 weeks to complete lasted 40 years because of unbelief and disobedience.
As we see in our Scripture Lesson this morning, it is easy for the people of God to become stuck, if you will, and to make little or no discernable progress on their journey. It certainly happened to the Israelites. They had become idle, stagnate, stuck in park. And so, Moses stood before them, and he spoke the Word of the Lord. "You’ve been here long enough. Break camp and get on with the journey. The Promised Land isn’t going to come to you. You’ve got to go and claim it!" Certainly, if there is a message for the church today, this would be it!
The word "law" we find in verse 5 is the renown Hebrew word torah, which literally means, "instruction." But this word also implies action. It involves applying what is taught through example and deed. As I denoted on Thursday evening at our Bible Study, we are called not to solely be disciples - students, but also apostles - those who apply the message in word and example. We, as Christians are to take what we have learned as disciples and apply it.
The second thing I want us to notice about Moses’ challenge to the people of God is found in verses 6 and 7, and that is the resolve to get on with it! Stop procrastinating and move forward, as Moses’ message. Take yourself out of park and put yourself in gear! The price for staying where they were was simply too high, and the same is true for us. Perhaps some of you have seen the recent movie "Little Miss Sunshine." The movie is about a family that drives 800 miles to enter their daughter into a "Little Miss Sunshine" pageant. And on this trip the family encounters problem, after problem. One of the problems they are faced with is the clutch in their Volks Wagon bus goes out. When they take it to a garage the mechanic informs them that it will take several days to get the parts and fix it. Realizing they were pressed for time, the mechanic tells them that if they can push the bus and getting it rolling about 15 mph they could start it right up and would have no trouble. So, for the remainder of the movie, every time this family stops they have to get out and push the vehicle in order for it to start back up. The same should apply to the church. We should all be behind the church pushing it forward!
Now, friends, I know there are times for caution and there are times for patience. In everything we do we must make sure we discern that it is God’s will. But patience, isn’t an excuse for idleness or inactivity. Patience wouldn’t be much help to a man who plants an orange grove in Alaska, now would it? And certainly, the "let’s wait and see" attitude is not much help when you’re trying to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ and change their lives by its power.
We read in verses 6 through 18 of God’s promises and the need for leadership. Keep in mind, back in Genesis chapter 15, God had promised Abraham that his people would be living in the land and receive his blessing. This was now about to happen - the promised was about to be fulfilled. But as Israel had increased in numbers, so had the need for vital and effective leadership! Leadership is essential when it comes to the Church - we need effective leaders - those who are willing to stand up, take responsibility and lead people in example. Without leadership there is no organization.
Finally, we read in verse 8 of Moses’ challenge to the people: he called them to learn how to rely upon God, how to depend on his ability to keep his Word, and how to trust him for the outcome. It’s a matter of faith and trust in God’s promises. I read an interesting quote the other day; "Faith isn’t just hoping God will do what he says he will do; it’s believing God will do what God says he will do." That is, in essence, what Moses was telling to the people; "God told you that the land is yours. He has given it to you. What are you waiting for? Why are you still standing here? Go claim what is yours!"
Here in verse 8 we read; "...go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore he would give your fathers..." The Hebrew word for "swore" here is shaba. The verb is related to the number seven. The verb means, in effect, "to bind oneself," that is "seven times." You’re probably thinking what does "seven" have to do with an oath or with binding oneself? Keep in mind, "seven," is the symbolic number of perfection or completion; thus, this oath involves binding oneself completely, perfectly, and fully, in this case, it is God making the oath. It is a perfect oath - a perfect promise and, what’s more, it means that God will come through on his promise, which he did! God keeps his promises! As I said a couple of weeks ago, God sees his promises through! And, my friends, God has promised us great and wonderful things when we follow him!
I love the story of the woman driving through the mountains west of Denver when she ran into a snowstorm. She was completely lost, but just then she saw a snowplow. She decided to follow it in hopes it would lead her safely through the snow. At times the blowing snow almost cut off her view, but her faithful guide kept on leading the way, removing the snow from the read ahead of her. After some time, the plow stopped, and its driver got out and walked over to her car. "Lady, where are you going?" he asked. "I’m on my way to Denver," she replied. "Well, you’ll never get there following me! I’m plowing a parking lot!"
Sadly, this is way many of us go through life. This perhaps could describe the Israelites wandering aimlessly through the wilderness for 40 years. But it also describes many of us! In our Scripture Lesson this morning, we see that Moses gives the people a choice – stay where you are or move ahead to the Promised Land. And, you know, friends, God gives us this same choice. We can choose to stay where we are or we can move in the direction God would have us go! Sure, it can be risky at times, uncertain, difficult – but God will lead us and God will go with us!
It’s our decision, though! Thus, let us not procrastinate any long; let us proclaim along with the old hymn;
"I have decided to follow Jesus.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
No turning back, no turning back!"
posted by Pastor Christopher @ 6:13 PM
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