Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20020724.htm

DEUTERONOMY: GETTING OTHERS TO BE VICTORS, NOT CASUALTIES
Part IV: Influencing Others To Heed God's Word
(Deuteronomy 4:1-40)
  1. Introduction
    1. Though we ourselves might know how important it is to heed Scripture, those we seek to disciple in our family, Bible Study or Sunday School class may not see the value of obeying the Word of God.
    2. Moses exampled how to influence others to heed God's Word in Deuteronomy 4:1-40, giving us invaluable insight on motivating and instructing others to that end.
  2. Influencing Others To Heed God's Word, Deuteronomy 4:1-40.
    1. Moses influenced Israel to heed Scripture by reporting from his own life the high cost of not doing so:
      1. When Moses urged Israel to heed Scripture in Deuteronomy 4:1a, he contrasted Israel with himself:
        1. In the Hebrew text, the word "you" (atah) appears before the verb, "hearken" (KJV) or "Hear" (NIV), meaning it is emphatic to contrast ISRAEL with the subject of Deuteronomy 3:23-29.
        2. Well, in Deuteronomy 3:2-29, Moses had revealed how God would not let him even walk into the land to survey it because of his sin of not honoring God at Meribah, cf. Numbers 20:1-13.
        3. This dishonoring of the Lord violated in spirit the first commandment of Exodus 20:3-7.
      2. Accordingly, Moses was urging Israel not to disobey Scripture as he himself had done and thus had paid a huge personal price of not being able to enter the Promised Land! (cf. Deuteronomy 4:1b,c)
    2. Moses influenced Israel not to add or to detract from Scripture lest they pay the price of God's discipline unto death as that generation itself had seen come upon others at the Baal-peor judgment, Deut. 4:3-4.
    3. Moses influenced Israel to heed Scripture as its directives provided the people wise and understanding before onlookers, giving them a good reputation and honor leading to their peace, Deuteronomy 4:5-8.
    4. Moses influenced Israel to recall God's will for them to respect Him in order to obey Scripture to their blessing at Mount Sinai, indicating the need to counter a bent to disrespect God so as to sin, Deut. 4:9-20. In connection with this, Moses influenced Israel to realize they were innately sinful as they as a people had tempted himself (a great man of God) to fail the Lord and not be allowed into the land, Deut. 4:21-22. Accordingly, they were to take heed to the sinful nature within themselves lest they sin, Deut. 4:23.
    5. Moses claimed God was not slack in holding Israel accountable for righteousness, but that He was jealous that His people cling to Him opposite clinging to sin at the pain of severe judgment, Deut. 4:24. Hence, they were to be motivated to be earnest about respecting Him and clinging to His Word. Indeed, Moses motivated Israel to heed Scripture in warning that even after many generations, were Israel to turn from God's Word, He would utterly remove them from the land, scatter them among the nations, and there they would serve other false gods in judgment, Deuteronomy 4:25-28. However, due to God's mercy, were they to repent, God would heed their cry for help and deliver them, Deuteronomy 4:29-31.
    6. Moses finally motivated Israel to heed Scripture based upon the great lengths God had gone to cause them to see His great power and desire to bless, making them responsible to heed His Word, Deut. 4:32-40:
      1. Moses reminded Israel that no other nation since creation had heard the voice of God speaking to them out of the fire of Mount Sinai and lived to tell about it, Deuteronomy 4:32-33.
      2. He reminded Israel that no other nation had ever been delivered out of bondage to a world power by many great miraculous works as had they, Deuteronomy 4:34-36.
      3. He reminded Israel that no other nation would see God driving out greater and mightier nations than they were to give them a Promised Land, and that due to His great love for their fathers, Deut. 4:37-38.
      4. Accordingly, Israel was obligated and responsible as no nation before it to heed God's Word, 4:39-40.
Lesson: Moses exampled for us how to influence others to heed Scripture PRECISELY as follows: (1) We can remind our disciples of the LOSS of BLESSING in NOT heeding Scripture, whether we illustrate it in our own lives or in the lives of others. (2) We can report how heeding Scripture supplies a good reputation that improves one's lot in life. (3) We can remind our hearers of the DANGEROUS bent to DISOBEY Scripture that is IN them to be avoided. (4) We can tell others of GOD'S motivation that they heed Him or that He will administer SEVERE judgment on them. Finally, (6) we can remind others of the great WORKS of God in their PASTS that OBLIGATE them to heed the Word of God.