Sermon Notes PDF The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. (Deut. 7:7) The First Human Question The first day we become self-aware we start asking the question, “Am I good enough?” The answer from Scriptures is simple: No. I am not good enough, . Taking the Land of Promise (Deut. 7:1-26) Deut. 7:1-2. Seven nations. Probably a symbolic number meaning something like “a great number of people.” No treaty, no mercy: Israel was to destroy the evil nations of Canaan because Israel was God’s means of judgment against them (cf., Deut. 9:5). God judges nations for wickedness, and some cultures are so corrupt that they require destruction. This principle is still true, and it is a warning to any nation today. The people of God today make war against structural strongholds through (Matt. 28:19-20) not through physical war. 7:3-5. Do not intermarry. Another reason Israel was to destroy the occupants of the land was to avoid their corrupting influence. Peer pressure is real, and it’s not just for teens. 7:6-10. A people holy to the Lord. Israel was not chosen because of its greatness (cf., 9:4-6). Rather, it was chosen because God loved Israel. God called Israel to be separate from the world: to be God’s holy people. Love. God’s love is serious enough to punish evildoers, as well as to call us to be a light to the world. Leaving people in their sin is not love. Pharaoh king of Egypt. Perhaps Ramses the Great (d. 1213), although others argue that Thutmose III (d. 1450) was the Pharaoh of the Exodus. 7:11-15. Your grain, new wine and olive oil. Obedience to God brings prosperity and a rich life— physical for Israel, spiritual for Christians. 7:16-24. How can we drive them out? God reassures Israel that, though Israel is not good enough or strong enough to drive out the inhabitants of the land, God is. We depend on the power of God, which comes through obedience. “Obedience is the key that opens every door” (C. S. Lewis). 7:25-26. It is detestable. We must remove the temptations in our lives. As James Clear (Atomic Habits) argues, environment is more powerful than motivation. Ex: removing the cookie from your house is more effective than using your willpower to ignore it. I Am Who You Say I Am Accept yourself for who God says you are, not for what others may say. God says you are His beloved child. (Eph. 1:5; Rom. 8:17) Who are you to ? Kill the A.N.T.s.—Automatic Negative Thoughts. (Phil. 4:8) The negative voice in your head is your own. Tell yourself to . Tell yourself a new story. Where possible, make past wrongs right. This may require nuance, but it brings amazing peace. Practice patience. God is up to something . (Isa. 12:2) If God has forgiven you, forgive yourself. (Col. 1:14) Trust that God will use your failures for good. (Rom. 8:28) Recognize the of the soul: eat healthy and exercise; in serious cases, talk to your doctor about medication. Recognize the social dimensions of the soul: surround yourself with positive people, join a small group and CR, find a small D-group where you can be open and transparent. The A.N.T.s *Negative filtering: picking the worst in any situation *Catastrophizing: making problems big to feel good about feeling bad *Mind reading: assuming others are bad- mouthing you *Blaming others: assuming these A.N.T.s are someone else’s fault *All or nothing thinking: assuming if it isn’t perfect, it’s horrible *Negative patterning: assuming a pattern where none exists *Trick feelings: assuming if you feel it, it must be true Legalism v. Obedience Many Christians grew up in churches that felt oppressive, legalistic, judgmental, and harsh— offering rules that seemed impossible for the ordinary person to keep. This disposition sank deeply into the souls of many people as a form of perennial guilt, self-doubt, and discouragement, and leads many to shudder at the world “obedience.” Legalism is the belief that we must earn our salvation—that we must be good enough before God will love us. And as such, legalism is roundly condemned in the Bible as a heresy. None of us will ever be good enough; God loves us in spite of our sin. Further, we are not saved by works, and to teach that we are is to engage the original sin of pride. We are saved by grace through faith. (Eph. 2:8) Obedience is not a matter of earning God’s love. Rather, obedience is the proper response to God’s love. As Augustine notes: when we obey without love, we become slaves. When we obey because we love, we show we are children. As Paul says, we are saved by faith in order to do good works, not because of good works. (Eph. 2:10) In this way, obedience does not negate faith. Rather, it demonstrates the faithfulness of faith. Obedience is not a form of legalism. Rather, it is a way of living in the grace God has given us. Obedience matters not in order to be saved, but because it gives the best possible life for those who are saved. We show each other grace while on the thrilling journey of obedience. Your notes: