DEUTERONOMY 6:1-15 – DEARLY DEVOTED?
Let me share some sobering thoughts with you.
Worship is not confined to church.
We will devote our time, thoughts, words, and praise to something. When we don’t even think of worshipping, we are worshipping something or someone.
Worship, unfortunately, is also not confined to worship of God. Whatever preoccupies our minds is what we worship. Worship is, in a sense, a continuous process that takes up our time. We just don’t realize that we are worshipping.
I have entitled this message, “Dearly Devoted?” I formed the title as a question, because, as Christians, we are often not as devoted to the worship of our God as we should be. How devoted are you to the worship of your God?
This morning we are looking at Deuteronomy, chapter 6. In this passage Moses is giving a message to the Children of Israel, who had been led out of Egypt 40 years before. They had seen God’s mighty plagues on the Egyptians, including the death of their first born, plus the miraculous parting of the red sea, the miraculous provision of food and water in the wilderness, the leading of God by a pillar of fire at night and a great cloud by day. They had witnessed the great works of God, and yet their parents had rebelled against God in disbelief.
After wandering for 40 years, God was graciously bringing them into the promised land. Moses was preparing them for their new life in the Land of Canaan.
In these verses, I see some reminders concerning worship. If we are going to be truly devoted to God in worship, we must take heed to some of the instructions found in these verses. We can be dearly devoted to God, if we just heed these three words and seek God’s help in doing so.
ACCEPTANCE
ATTITUDE
ACTION
ACCEPTANCE – Deuteronomy 6:4
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
When we have something important to say, and we want someone to understand it, we might begin with the words, “Now, Listen!” “Listen!” or “Listen up!”
God, through Moses, had something important to say, so he said “Hear, O Israel”. He meant “Listen Up” or “Pay Attention”.
In telling Israel to pay attention, God was also saying to us, who are reading this passage today, “Listen! Pay Attention!”
This truth is so important because we need to accept it.
We need to believe it!
We need to make this truth a real part of our lives.
God is saying here that there is only one true God.
There is only one God who truly answers prayer.
There is only one God who is to be truly loved and adored.
There is only one God worthy of our praise!
The word, “LORD” in capital letters refers to the Hebrew word “Jehovah.” The word Jehovah refers to the fact that he is self-existent. He depends on no one to exist. He is here!
The word for God is the Hebrew word “Elohim”. This word is in the plural. Hence, we think of the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Our God, is one God! Our one God is a Trinity.
There is only one God!
Have you accepted that?
There is only one God to worship!
Have you accepted this?
Before you answer me with a quick “yes”, please answer these questions.
Who or what are you thinking about when you wake up in the morning?
How much time do you take to talk to God?
How much time do you spend thinking about or reading God’s Word?
How big of an excuse does it take for you to miss Sunday School, Morning Worship, Evening Service or Prayer Meeting.
And, when you are in church, what are you thinking about, and who are you talking to?
Finally, who do you talk about?
Who you think about and who you talk about are dead giveaways for who your God truly is.
Christian, is God truly your God? Or has a person, an activity, a piece of machinery, some form of entertainment, or you yourself become the one you truly worship.
Christian, accept the fact that God is God!
He alone deserves your worship!
And to accept God as God, one must also accept God’s plan for eternal life.
Accept the fact that you are a sinner.
Accept the fact that you need a Savior.
Accept the facts that Christ died for you, was buried and rose again.
Accept the fact that there is only one way to heaven and that through faith in Christ alone! Ephesians 2:8-9
To be dearly devoted to God involves
ACCEPTANCE
ATTITUDE – Deuteronomy 6:5
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Your worship will spring from your attitude.
You will worship what you love.
God says, I don’t want you to love anything or anyone more than
you love me!
Notice the level of commitment. The word “all” is used three times.
If I love with all my heart, I am loving with all my mental capacity,
and all my emotions.
If I love with all of soul, I love with my very life.
If I love with all my strength, I am trying as hard as I can to love
Him!
Here is another thought. I can’t say I love God and not love other
Christians. Before being saved, the Apostle Paul persecuted
Christians. When Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to
Damascus, Jesus asked, “Saul, Saul why persecutest thou me?” Acts 9:1-6
When we don’t love God’s children, we don’t love God! 1 John 4:14-17
Do you need to make an attitude adjustment towards someone?
Do you need to forgive and start loving someone, so that your
love for God will be all that it should be? Do you need to help
someone, so that your love for someone will be all that it should
be? Revelation 2:1-4
So why should we love Him?
He is our creator.
He is our sustainer.
He is the one who gives so many blessings.
But most of all, He is the one who loved us enough to save us! 1 John 4:9, 1 John 4:18
My friend God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit loves you so much! What’s keeping you from loving Him? Confess it!
Forsake it!
To be dearly devoted requires
ACCEPTANCE
ATTITUDE
ACTION
Imagine Christmas. You look under the tree, there’s nothing there. But your husband or wife gives you a big kiss and says, “I love you honey.”
Imagine Valentine’s Day. Another big kiss. Another “I love you.” No present.
Imagine your birthday. Two big kisses. Two “I love yous.” No present.
Wedding Anniversary. More of the same.
Daily, He often says, she often says, “I love you.” But he or she doesn’t listen. He of she doesn’t help around the house. He or she doesn’t spend time with you. He or she doesn’t act like they care at all.
No matter how many times you hear the words “I love you”, you will get suspicious. He says he loves you. She says she loves you. But there is no proof.
What’s the point? The person who says “I love you” should back it up with actions.
We can say we love God all we want, but we prove it by our actions. We can worship God with our lips, but we also worship God with our actions.
HOW DO WE WORSHIP GOD WITH OUR ACTIONS?
Let’s begin with the obvious.
- WE WORSHIP GOD WHEN WE PRAISE AND THANK HIM. Psalm 100
Our lives should be filled with praise and thanksgiving. But this kind of praise is not natural for us. We need God’s help through the control of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18-20
- WE WORSHIP GOD WHEN WE OBEY HIM.
Deuteronomy 6:1-2 – God wants an obedient people.He wants us to know and follow His commands.
When us children were growing up at the Peters house, we were always looking for ways to get presents for Mom and Dad. A couple of times, with the help of my Aunt Dot, we did a wonderful job. We even pulled off sending them away for a weekend on one of their anniversaries.
However, my Dad often said, that the best gift we could ever give to him was obedience and good behavior. My Dad never tired of having people tell how him how good his kids were.
And as a father, I would concur. The best gift my kids ever gave me was loving obedience and good behavior. And I don’t tire of having people tell me how good my kids are!
What about our Heavenly Father. Isn’t it only fitting that his children worship Him by obeying Him? Shouldn’t His kids please Him with their loving obedience?
So often, as a pastor, I hear a nasty three letter word. The word is “but”.
“Pastor, I know should do this, but…”
“Pastor, I know I should witness, but…”
“Pastor, I know I should forgive, but….”
When we worship God because we love Him, there should be no “buts” in the area of obedience.
- WE WORSHIP GOD WHEN WE HIDE HIS WORD IN OUR HEARTS.
Deuteronomy 6:6 – When you truly love someone, you listen to what they have to say.
When you truly love someone, you remember what they have to say.
When we truly love God we will remember his words, and they become a part of our very beings – our hearts. Psalm 119:11, Psalm 119:15-16
- WE WORSHIP GOD WHEN WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN.
Deuteronomy 6:7 – You’ve taught your children manners. Have you taught them to thank God for their food?
You’ve taught your daughter how to act like a lady. Have you taught her, by your example, how to love Jesus?
You’ve taught your boy how to hunt. Have you taught him by your example how to put God first in your life?
We worship God by training our children to believe, love, adore, obey the same God we have!
- WE WORSHIP GOD WHEN WE SURROUND OURSELVES WITH REMINDERS OF HIM.
Deuteronomy 6:9 – Many of the Jews took this literally.
But I think the important point is not how many Bible verses we have hanging around the house, but what are we looking at on a daily basis. Are we looking at God’s Word? Are we spending time with God’s people? Are we looking to God.
Let’s put in front of our eyes, those things that will remind us of the good we have determined to worship.
ARE YOU DEARLY DEVOTED?
ACCEPTANCE
ATTITUDE
ACTIONS
Are we praising?
Are we obedient?
Are we hiding God’s Word in our hearts?
Are we training our children?
Are we putting remembrances of God in front of us?
