God's Past Work

     Greetings Brothers and Sisters. We will be in the Old Testament this morning, learning how the Old Testament provides us with the New Testaments TRUTHS; and the information we need to live and share our Faith with and to others.

Let’s get an overview of the Book of Deuteronomy first.

     “The Book of Deuteronomy was written by Moses in his “Upper Desert Discourse” and consists of a series of farewell messages to Israel. Moses was 120 years old at the time and, “It is addressed to the new generation destined to possess the land of promise—those who survived the forty years of wilderness wandering.”

     Now usually, Moses dealt with the Priests but this time he put the emphasis on the laymen (us) rather than the priests (parents). “Moses reminds the new generations of the importance of obedience if they are to learn from the sad example of their parents.”

     Because of Israel’s rebellion and past sins against God in the wilderness, they became a perverse and crooked generation and God had to deal with their disobedience. So in their 40 years in the desert God allowed that whole generation to parish and the new generation began. But in His Mercy and Grace He gave the new generation TRUTHS (divine revelations) from His Word (The Bible).

     The old Testament “IS” God’s Work from the past, and it was told and retold down through the generations for us today.

     We are given an education in TRUTHS unknowable apart from divine revelations like, “Who am I?” and “Where did I come from?” God Himself discloses those facts in Genesis 1 and 2. Historical evidence shows the truthfulness of our Christian faith in the fulfilled prophecies; miracles of Christ, and Christ’s death and resurrection.

     Examples are also given to us from God’s past works. As present day Christians it helps us understand and avoid the pitfalls and judgments from the past like, idolatry and grumbling in the wilderness (I Corin. 10:11); Paul’s living example for believers to follow (I Corin 4:16;11:1); and what about Jesus’ own example of humility in the midst of suffering (I Peter 2:21).

     Think about it Church, those things are still here now-in our lives-today. We are all fighting, (or should be) the ‘Oh woe is me’ Syndromes; standing through the trials as Paul did; and heading towards even a small portion of the humility Jesus had through His sufferings.

     But even more important is the encouragement God’s past work gives us today. If we can posses David’s (who was a murderer and adulterer) Devotion to the Lord, we can also be called ‘a man after God’s own Heart’. And what about Saul of Tarsus, a man killing God’s People? God used Saul mightily when He converted and blinded him then filled him with the Spirit and led him to preach in Damasus and witness in Jerusalem. HOW MIGHTY IS OUR GOD!

     God’s past work, as told in the Bible, is still with us today. We as God’s Children, need to have the same love and devotion to God as He has for us.

     The world, as we know it, “IS” going to pass away—Truth and Fact—BUT the glorious future with our God belongs to us, His Children.

     So let’s stand fast in our Faith while we remember God’s Past Works which we still have today to read, study, learn, memorize and proclaim through God’s Spirit “IN” us.

 

We CAN do this, Church/Saints!!!

 

                                             How?          By:

 

Trusting and Believing in God’s Love for us.

 

All scriptures are from: New King James Version of Prophecy Study Bible, General Editor- John C. Hagee unless otherwise stated.