Grace Church
Timeless Truth for Today - #3 The Promised Land
Exploring the timeless truth of God's Word for today's living. A January through March overview of the entire Bible.
Locations & Times
Grace Community Church
8950 M-79, Nashville, MI 49073, USA
Sunday 10:00 AM
This morning we continue our Timeless series with Moses as he prepares the Jewish people to enter the Promised Land.
Review:
Pentateuch - first five books that Moses wrote to start the Bible
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
Today we are adding the fifth book, Deuteronomy. In addition there are 3 other books that describe how Israel became a nation, Joshua, Judges, and Ruth.
Review:
Pentateuch - first five books that Moses wrote to start the Bible
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
Today we are adding the fifth book, Deuteronomy. In addition there are 3 other books that describe how Israel became a nation, Joshua, Judges, and Ruth.
In today's message we'll look at some of the factors that contributed to the forming of the nation of Israel.
We'll use a template for each book that will give us a broad overview for each of the four books.
We'll use a template for each book that will give us a broad overview for each of the four books.
DEUTERONOMY
Book & Outline:
In Greek the name means The Second Law and in Hebrew it means Words which is taken from Deuteronomy 1:1.
It is a second telling of the law; given to the generation that will inherit the Promised Land. The first telling was in Exodus 20.
Deuteronomy is the most quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament.
The HISTORY of Israel - A backward look (Deuteronomy 1-3)
The HOLINESS of Israel - The inward look (Deuteronomy 4-11)
The HERITAGE of Israel - The forward look (Deuteronomy 12-30)
The HERO of Israel - The upward look (Deuteronomy 31-34)
Book & Outline:
In Greek the name means The Second Law and in Hebrew it means Words which is taken from Deuteronomy 1:1.
It is a second telling of the law; given to the generation that will inherit the Promised Land. The first telling was in Exodus 20.
Deuteronomy is the most quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament.
The HISTORY of Israel - A backward look (Deuteronomy 1-3)
The HOLINESS of Israel - The inward look (Deuteronomy 4-11)
The HERITAGE of Israel - The forward look (Deuteronomy 12-30)
The HERO of Israel - The upward look (Deuteronomy 31-34)
Backdrop:
The people of Israel are camped just beyond the eastern border of Canaan - the Promised Land.
Moses, their leader, is preparing the people of Israel for when he is gone but reminds them that God will still be there.
Deuteronomy 7:17-19
The people of Israel are camped just beyond the eastern border of Canaan - the Promised Land.
Moses, their leader, is preparing the people of Israel for when he is gone but reminds them that God will still be there.
Deuteronomy 7:17-19
Big Picture:
The vast majority of this new generation had no recollection of God's deliverance from Egypt or the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai. So Moses presented a contract from God to the people in Deuteronomy 30:15, 19-20.
The vast majority of this new generation had no recollection of God's deliverance from Egypt or the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai. So Moses presented a contract from God to the people in Deuteronomy 30:15, 19-20.
Bold, Bad, and the Beautiful:
Moses delivers a series of monologues. Other key characters are Joshua, King Og, and the "ites."
Moses delivers a series of monologues. Other key characters are Joshua, King Og, and the "ites."
Best Passages:
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is a great summary of the whole book. It is the first of three Old Testament passages known as the Shema which is said twice daily. For the Jews, it is similar to an American saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is a great summary of the whole book. It is the first of three Old Testament passages known as the Shema which is said twice daily. For the Jews, it is similar to an American saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
Basic Lessons:
Two of the most often repeated phrases or words in the book are "so you do not forget" and "remember."
God desires that we remember:
1. His CARE as we go about our daily lives.
2. His COMMISSION to live as His people and pass our faith on to a new generation (family).
Two of the most often repeated phrases or words in the book are "so you do not forget" and "remember."
God desires that we remember:
1. His CARE as we go about our daily lives.
2. His COMMISSION to live as His people and pass our faith on to a new generation (family).
JOSHUA
This book is named after the understudy of Moses. Joshua was one of the 12 men who spied out the Promised Land. Joshua, along with Caleb, were the only ones from the old generation who trusted God to fulfill his promises and therefore were allowed to enter.
Joshua means: "Jehovah is Salvation" and is the Hebrew equivalent of the name Jesus.
Claiming the Land (Joshua 1-5)
Conquering the Land (Joshua 6-11)
Colonizing the Land (Joshua 12-24)
This book is named after the understudy of Moses. Joshua was one of the 12 men who spied out the Promised Land. Joshua, along with Caleb, were the only ones from the old generation who trusted God to fulfill his promises and therefore were allowed to enter.
Joshua means: "Jehovah is Salvation" and is the Hebrew equivalent of the name Jesus.
Claiming the Land (Joshua 1-5)
Conquering the Land (Joshua 6-11)
Colonizing the Land (Joshua 12-24)
Backdrop:
This is the story of God coming through on a promise He had made some 700 years previously to Abram in Genesis 12:1-2.
Abraham obeyed and arrived in the land, we read about this in Genesis 13:14b-15.
This is the story of God coming through on a promise He had made some 700 years previously to Abram in Genesis 12:1-2.
Abraham obeyed and arrived in the land, we read about this in Genesis 13:14b-15.
Big Picture:
The Promised Land was a gift from God, and not something they had earned or warranted. Complete faithful obedience to God was required to fully realize the prosperity and potential of the land.
Joshua is a picture of how to live a victorious life of faith and how faithfulness and/or disobedience will lead to defeat. To survive and thrive, we have to make tough choices and ruthlessly cut out of our lives those influences that would hinder our faith!
The Promised Land was a gift from God, and not something they had earned or warranted. Complete faithful obedience to God was required to fully realize the prosperity and potential of the land.
Joshua is a picture of how to live a victorious life of faith and how faithfulness and/or disobedience will lead to defeat. To survive and thrive, we have to make tough choices and ruthlessly cut out of our lives those influences that would hinder our faith!
Bold, Bad, and the Beautiful:
Key people are Joshua, Rahab, Achan, and Caleb
Key people are Joshua, Rahab, Achan, and Caleb
Best Passages:
Joshua 1:6-9; 21:43-45; 24:15
Joshua 1:6-9; 21:43-45; 24:15
Basic Lessons:
This is an extremely practical book with many life lessons.
We see in Joshua 1 that transitions are a part of life; only God stays the same.
Each transition from here to there provides a chance to reflect, a testing of our faith, an opportunity to grow, and a realization of God's promises.
This is an extremely practical book with many life lessons.
We see in Joshua 1 that transitions are a part of life; only God stays the same.
Each transition from here to there provides a chance to reflect, a testing of our faith, an opportunity to grow, and a realization of God's promises.
Judges
Book & Outline:
When Israel disobeyed the Lord, God used pagan nations to discipline them for their stubbornness and sinfulness.
The book takes its name from the fact that 12 men and 1 woman were used by God to deliver Israel when they came to their senses and repented.
Israel's UNRESOLVED Wars (Judges 1:1-2:9)
Israel's UNRELENTING Woes (Judges 2:10-16:31)
Israel's UNGODLY Ways (Judges 17-21)
Book & Outline:
When Israel disobeyed the Lord, God used pagan nations to discipline them for their stubbornness and sinfulness.
The book takes its name from the fact that 12 men and 1 woman were used by God to deliver Israel when they came to their senses and repented.
Israel's UNRESOLVED Wars (Judges 1:1-2:9)
Israel's UNRELENTING Woes (Judges 2:10-16:31)
Israel's UNGODLY Ways (Judges 17-21)
Backdrop:
Under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites had conquered a majority of the land of Canaan and each of the tribes had received a portion of land.
Joshua 24:31
Under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites had conquered a majority of the land of Canaan and each of the tribes had received a portion of land.
Joshua 24:31
Big Picture:
In spite of the goodness of God and the faithfulness of men like Joshua, the people chose to disobey the Lord by failing to conquer ALL the land, worshipping false gods, intermarrying with the natives, and by adapting their values and behaviors. As a result, they enter a vicious circle that is repeated over and over - Rebellion, Retribution, Repentance, and Restoration.
In spite of the goodness of God and the faithfulness of men like Joshua, the people chose to disobey the Lord by failing to conquer ALL the land, worshipping false gods, intermarrying with the natives, and by adapting their values and behaviors. As a result, they enter a vicious circle that is repeated over and over - Rebellion, Retribution, Repentance, and Restoration.
Bold, Bad, and the Beautiful:
Out of all the key characters in this book, Gideon and Samson are the most famous. The one who has most interested Pastor Don over the years is Shamgar (3:31 & 5:6). It's the story of how one little guy used what was available to him to accomplish something great...something for the glory of God and the good of man!
Out of all the key characters in this book, Gideon and Samson are the most famous. The one who has most interested Pastor Don over the years is Shamgar (3:31 & 5:6). It's the story of how one little guy used what was available to him to accomplish something great...something for the glory of God and the good of man!
Best Passages:
Judges 2:7-16; 3:9; 7:17; 16:23-30
Judges 2:7-16; 3:9; 7:17; 16:23-30
Basic Lessons:
Partial or incomplete obedience is still disobedience. It stems from the attitude found in the last verse of the book. Judges 21:25
This week, as you start each day, pray and ask God to be the judge of your life. To GIVE you wisdom as how to live, to GOVERN your heart attitudes, and to GUIDE your actions according to his will. And when He reveals something to you, do it!
Partial or incomplete obedience is still disobedience. It stems from the attitude found in the last verse of the book. Judges 21:25
This week, as you start each day, pray and ask God to be the judge of your life. To GIVE you wisdom as how to live, to GOVERN your heart attitudes, and to GUIDE your actions according to his will. And when He reveals something to you, do it!
Ruth
Book & Outline:
It takes its name from a Moabite woman who demonstrated great faith in God. The story is considered to be a classic piece of literature from the ancient world and Ruth is a beautiful picture of the virtuous woman that is described in Proverbs 31.
In addition, the book tells us that God uses this woman to bring about the family lineage of King David and eventually, the family line of Jesus.
Ruth DECIDING (Ruth1)
Ruth SERVING (Ruth 2)
Ruth RESTING (Ruth 3)
Ruth BIRTHING (Ruth 4)
Book & Outline:
It takes its name from a Moabite woman who demonstrated great faith in God. The story is considered to be a classic piece of literature from the ancient world and Ruth is a beautiful picture of the virtuous woman that is described in Proverbs 31.
In addition, the book tells us that God uses this woman to bring about the family lineage of King David and eventually, the family line of Jesus.
Ruth DECIDING (Ruth1)
Ruth SERVING (Ruth 2)
Ruth RESTING (Ruth 3)
Ruth BIRTHING (Ruth 4)
Backdrop:
The setting of the book is contemporary with the first half of the book of Judges. Ruth 1:1
A famine in Israel forced a man and his wife Naomi and their 2 children into the land of Moab. There the man died and the two sons married Moabite women, one was named Ruth. After 10 years the 2 sons died, Ruth and Naomi bonded, and Ruth committed to move to Israel.
The setting of the book is contemporary with the first half of the book of Judges. Ruth 1:1
A famine in Israel forced a man and his wife Naomi and their 2 children into the land of Moab. There the man died and the two sons married Moabite women, one was named Ruth. After 10 years the 2 sons died, Ruth and Naomi bonded, and Ruth committed to move to Israel.
Big Picture:
The book is a picture of redemption. It tells how one who was a stranger to Israel and the things of God was brought into a right relationship with the Lord.
In the midst of despair, a man named Boaz took Ruth as his wife. Boaz is a picture of Jesus who rescues us from the darkness and despair of our sin.
The book is a picture of redemption. It tells how one who was a stranger to Israel and the things of God was brought into a right relationship with the Lord.
In the midst of despair, a man named Boaz took Ruth as his wife. Boaz is a picture of Jesus who rescues us from the darkness and despair of our sin.
Bold, Bad and the Beautiful:
Key people are Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz.
Key people are Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz.
Best Passages:
Ruth 1:6-7, 16; 2:12; 3:11; 4:13-22
Ruth 1:6-7, 16; 2:12; 3:11; 4:13-22
Basic Lessons:
Jews in Israel still read the book of Ruth during the Festival of Weeks/Pentacost at the end of the grain harvest.
They do this to RECOGNIZE God's commands on how to treat those who are poor, to HONOR Ruth for her role in King David's life, and to ACCEPT God's law for their life as they did at Mt. Sinai (Ruth voluntarily accepted God's law for her life).
Jews in Israel still read the book of Ruth during the Festival of Weeks/Pentacost at the end of the grain harvest.
They do this to RECOGNIZE God's commands on how to treat those who are poor, to HONOR Ruth for her role in King David's life, and to ACCEPT God's law for their life as they did at Mt. Sinai (Ruth voluntarily accepted God's law for her life).
This week you could:
1. Recognize someone in need and help them.
2. Honor someone who is in your family or Christian family lineage.
3. Accept the responsibility of living according to God's standards.
1. Recognize someone in need and help them.
2. Honor someone who is in your family or Christian family lineage.
3. Accept the responsibility of living according to God's standards.
YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/c/GraceChurchMIGiving Link
https://gc3.org/giving/Grace Church Website
https://gc3.org/CJ's Coffee Shop Pre-Order Link
https://cjs-gracegc3.square.site/H.O.M.E. Groups
Do you have a Home Group? Visit the website to learn about which groups are meeting; you can sign-up for a group there as well. You can also contact the church office; we'd love to help you with this (grace@gc3.org).
https://gc3.org/home-groups/Mentoring at Grace
There are several men and women at Grace Church who have completed the mentoring program here at Grace and are looking to invest in and share what they've learned with someone else. If you are interested in starting the new year by re-inventing your life as Pastor Don has been talking about, you may want to think about being mentored.
Contact the church office with any questions or to get the process started (grace@gc3.org) or you can talk with any of the staff and elders. We would love to help you BE the person God created and saved you to BE!
Contact the church office with any questions or to get the process started (grace@gc3.org) or you can talk with any of the staff and elders. We would love to help you BE the person God created and saved you to BE!
Bible Reading Plan
Have you checked out our church-wide Bible reading plan for 2023? The plan will follow along with our various sermon series over this next year so that you can dig deeper into what you are learning on Sundays. This also includes weekly devotionals from Pastor Josh each week.
Visit the website at the link below or find paper copies in CJ's.
Let us know if you have any questions!
https://gc3.org/bible/Meet and Greet
There will be a Meet & Greet taking place after the service today in CJ's coffee shop. If you are new to Grace Church and have not attended a Meet & Greet, we'd love to have you! This is a brief time for you to learn more about Grace Church and meet the staff as well as an opportunity for us to get to know you. Light refreshments will be served.
Gracewear Shopping Link
Grace Church now has a shopping link for Gracewear through Courtside Screen Printing & Embroidery. Use the link below to take a look. All questions and orders go directly through Courtside. Their contact information can be found at the bottom of the page.
https://grace2022.itemorder.com/shop/sale/CJ's is Open on Wednesdays
You can take advantage of the opportunity to hang out in CJ's on Wednesday evenings from 5:30-7:30 pm this winter/spring.
Meet up with friends, bring a project to work on, or just spend some quiet time reading or praying.
Meet up with friends, bring a project to work on, or just spend some quiet time reading or praying.
Birthdays and Anniversaries We're Celebrating This Week!
Saturday, January 14th - Fionnlagh Godbey
Friday, January 20th - Linda Cheadle
Saturday, January 14th - Fionnlagh Godbey
Friday, January 20th - Linda Cheadle