“FOR THY GOOD”
DEUT. 10.12-22
Intro. Have you ever told someone “It is for your own good?”
We seem to say that a lot to our children.
The word “good” is in the Bible 685 times. The word “bad” is mentioned 17 times.
God wants what is good for us.
Psalms 73:1 <<A Psalm of Asaph.>> Truly God
is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
Psalms 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the
LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
God wants what’s good for us. He has made it very clear in the Bible what He wants from us.
I.
FEAR THE LORD. VS. 12
A.
What fear is according to Webster: the fear of God is a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which
springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun every thing that
can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience.
B.
THE FEAR OF THE LORD
(1)
Is the beginning of knowledge (Pr. 1:7);
(2)
Is to hate evil (Pr. 8:13);
(3)
Prolongeth days (Pr. 10:27);
(4)
Is strong confidence (Pr. 14:26);
(5)
Is a fountain of life (Pr. 14:27);
(6)
Is riches and honor and life (Pr. 22:4).
(7)
The root problem with the wicked is that they do not fear God (Ps. 36:1; Ro. 3:18).
II.
WALK IN GOD’S
WAYS.
A. God’s ways are different than ours.
B. We have a great tendency to do things our way.
Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Hebrews 3:10 Wherefore I was grieved with
that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth
right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
C. The four requirements for obedience are:
1.
Obey immediately.
2.
Obey Respectfully.
3.
Obey joyfully.
4.
Obey completely.
Why Lincoln refused drink and smoke.
One day Lincoln was riding in a stagecoach with a Kentucky colonel. After a number of
miles together, the colonel took out a bottle of whiskey and said, “Mr. Lincoln won’t you take a drink with?”
“No, Colonel, thank you,” replied Mr. Lincoln. “I never drink whiskey.”
They rode along together for a while, visiting pleasantly, when the colonel again reached
into his pocket and brought out some cigars. “Now Mr. Lincoln, if you won’t take a drink with me, won’t
you take a smoke with me?” For here are some of Kentucky’s finest cigars.”
“Now, Colonel,” said Mr. Lincoln, “you are such a fine, agreeable man
to travel with, maybe I ought to take a smoke with you. But before I do so, let me tell you a story, an experience I had as
a boy—
“My mother called me to her bed one day when I was about nine years old. She was
sick – very sick – and she said to me, “Abey, the doctor tells me I am not going to get well. I want you
to promise before I go that you will never use whiskey nor tobacco as long as you live.” And I promised my mother I
never would.
“Up to this hour, Colonel, I have kept that promise. Now would you advise me to
break that promise to my dear mother and take a smoke with you?” The Colonel put his hand gently on Mr. Lincoln’s
shoulder and said with a trembling voice with emotions:
“No, Mr. Lincoln, I wouldn’t have you do it for the world. It was one of the
best promises you ever made. I would give a thousand dollars today if I had made my mother a promise like that and had kept
it as you have done.”
Folks, God is much more important than a mother. Why can’t we keep promises that
we have made?
III.
LOVE HIM. MARK 12.30
A. How much love do you have for the Lord?
“The life of Christianity,” says Martin Luther, “consists of possessive
pronouns.” It is one thing to say, “Christ is a Savior”; it is quite another thing to say, “He is
my Savior and my Lord.” The devil can say the first; the true Christian along can say the second.”
John Newton, the famed song writer of “Amazing Grace,” was a rough, dirty
sailor with a foul mouth and as appetite for rotten living. He hated life and life hated him. He was captain of a slave ship.
Then someone placed in his hands a copy of Thomas A. Kempis’ The Imitation of
Christ. He also had the gift of a good mother who told him about the Savior when he was young. And then he was saved.
He went all over England sharing his faith.
Well past his retirement age, he had to have an assistant stand in the pulpit with him
on Sundays. He was nearly blind and spoke in whispers, but nothing could keep him from preaching while he still had breath.
One Sunday, while delivering his message he repeated the sentence: “Jesus Christ
is precious.” His helper whispered to him: “But you have already said that twice.”
Newton turned to his helper and said loudly, Yes, I’ve said it twice, and I’m
going to say it again, Jesus Christ is precious!”
Matthew 10:37-38 He that loveth
father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And
he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
IV.
SERVE HIM.
A. Serving the Lord is not to be toilsome or a burden but a blessing.
B. We are to serve Him because of what He did for us.
1.
Rom. 12.1
2.
Psalms 2:11 Serve
the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
3.
Psalms 100:2 Serve
the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
V.
KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD.
A. It is part of BEING a Christians not BECOMING a Christian.
1.
1 John 2:4 He
that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
2.
1 John 3:22 And
whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
3.
1 John 3:24 And
he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which
he hath given us.
4.
1 John 5:3 For
this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
The things that we have seen today
are “FOR THY GOOD”
