Hey, everybody. Welcome back to another edition of the daily Bible podcast. What's up, y'all? It is Friday, March 14th. And I don't know about you, but I know where I'm going to be next Friday. Pastor, do you know where you're going to be next Friday? Probably at the office, probably at the office, along with hopefully our church family. Cause we're having an open house at our offices a week from today. Oh, that's cool. Yeah. So we want everybody to come by and see us get a little snack. We'll have some cookies there, some refreshments going on and and just say, Hey, we're excited about being in this space. We really are excited about being in this space. It's I think, Kelly and I were talking about it this morning. She had a good word for it. She said it's, it feels. It's comfortable, not in a, in an idolatrous kind of a way, but it's a good space to be. It just feels like it feels like home. Mark has made similar comments that it feels good to be here. You want to be here. You want to walk in here and get work done and study and do work for the ministry. So we want you guys to come in and check it out as well. So that's next Friday, a week from today, we're going to have our open house here at the church. Open house, a house warming, perhaps an office warming. A pounding an office warming. So bring gifts, right? That's the idea. Everyone brings golden. Yes. Yes. Bring all those things. Yeah. Celebrate with us. If you bring enough of the gold, then maybe we can buy just a building, buy a building and avoid this whole office thing. Man. We were just talking about that. We, we meet before we record our podcast and that is a need that we feel. And obviously in, in every, all of y'all listening to this, understand that as we gather on Sundays and set up chairs and tear down chairs and roll out the floor covering and set up the stage and all that stuff and drive trailers. But. There, there's so much that we desire to do that that we don't want to use our church plant circumstances and excuses to say, this is why we're not doing this or not as successful over here. But there's a lot that we wish we could do that we can't do right now because we don't have the space and we're trying to maximize, we're trying to be good stewards of the space that we have. That's right. And we're also lendees. That's right. We're the borrower. Yeah. We're the borrower word. Better. Okay. Not the lender. And so the borrower is a slave to the lender. And so because of that, when we say, Hey, we want to add this or we want to do this or even, we'd like to add more classrooms for small groups, for youth on Wednesday nights. We have to go to the school and get the administration's permission from the school for us to be able to do that. We're doing everything that we know how to do. We're trying to maintain a good relationship with the school. And by God's grace, at this point, we've got a decent relationship with the school. You can pray for that as we're even in the midst of renegotiating, an extension for our lease at the school there, which we anticipate. Go with through. I've got a meeting coming up next Tuesday. You can pray for me as I meet with with one of the administrators there, not from the school, but from the corporation that, that runs all those schools. And so you can pray for that, just that would go well, but we do look forward to the day that God provides a facility for us. And we recognize, we're less than two years into this thing. And and so we're not trying to be. Beggars on that front, but we do feel the pinch. Yeah. And part of the reason is that we're not taking our foot off the gas pedal, right? We are charging ahead with as much ministry as we can possibly do. And much of it is not just because we think, Oh, this would be nice to have. These are things that we feel are necessary to love the people that we've been entrusted with. So as we talk and dream about the prospect of a building or a place where we could say, we for sure have something midweek that we can utilize. We're not just saying, Oh, wouldn't it be nice? We're saying, man, that's what we need. We need a place where we can be sure we have enough seats. Now we have projectors and sound systems so that we can just show up and start doing good ministry. We can't do that right now. At least not without a lot of on ramp and a lot of off ramp. We have to do a lot of things between. Which, let's just be honest, that takes time and energy that we could otherwise pour into the ministry itself, teaching, discipling, training, all of those things that are, which are so important. So keep praying with us about that. We're thinking about it all the time. Please continue to give to what God is doing here. We need you to do that. We need your support as we continue to join hands to see what God will do here in North Texas through our church. Yeah. Yeah. In some ways you could say that this is currently our wilderness wandering years, to connect it to what we're talking about here in the daily Bible podcast. In fact, we trust that at some day the Lord is going to lead us in the promised land of a 24 seven facility. And he's going to warn us as we're going into that promised land of the 24 seven facility. Hey, you know what? Don't forget the Lord's kindness to you during the wilderness years where you had the new office that you got to move into and how exciting that was. And he provided the school for us and he provided the facility and the things that we needed. So we don't want to Complain against the lord not complaining, right? In fact, we're doing the opposite. We're saying thank you so much god that you're giving us these things But we're so hungry to do more for you exactly help us to do that. Totally. Yep. Yeah. Yeah We'll turn to Deuteronomy chapter 8 9 and 10 and we'll have some of those themes show up in our reading today actually Deuteronomy chapter 8 Israel in this chapter is warned not to forget the Lord's kindness to them during those wilderness years and how he humbled Them and tested them during that time and they're warned not to become puffed up and to think that they had a hand in somehow bringing about the blessings after they take possession of and settle in the promised land. This is such a good reminder to us in wherever you are, whatever there's different seasons. I was talking with somebody recently on the phone from back in California and then just saying, yeah, It just feels like it's a good, it's a sweet spot ministry season right now for us. There's a lot of good that God is doing with our church. He's bringing people to our church. Our numbers are growing at our church, which is awesome to see. And God is just kind in that. And I understand it's not always going to be that way, but in those moments, it's so important for me as a pastor to remember. Okay. This isn't because you, this isn't because of how great you are. This is God's doing that God is the one that's providing these things. And it's not because your skill and your efficacy and your giftedness that this is happening. And wherever you are, whatever you're going through in life, when if you're as a family, just in a sweet spot as a family, praise God for that. Make sure the right person gets the glory. And that's what God is concerned about here in Deuteronomy eight. He's saying, make sure the right person gets the glory. You guys didn't bring yourself through the wilderness to get here. I brought you to the wilderness to get here. In fact, occasionally that involves some discipline. We get the writer of Hebrews picks up on the Deuteronomy eight, five, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord, your God disciplines you. And so he's Moses is reminding the Israelites here. Even remember that the tough times during the wilderness years, God was at work. God was doing something during those tough years to bring you to the point that he's brought you to notice also in verse number three, that Moses says that he humbled you and he let you hunger. He let you hunger. That's interesting to me because in first Timothy chapter six, Paul is going to say something like, Hey, if you have food and clothing with these, you should be content. And yet scripture tells us that God is willing to, to forego, or at least to withhold things that ordinarily are necessities, things that we need to survive. He's willing to. Re withhold those in order to do good to them. Notice he says this in verse three, he says he let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your father's know that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone. This is what Jesus quotes in Matthew chapter four, Luke four but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. And then later on, he's going to say in verse 16, that he did these things in order to do good to you in the end. In other words, God is more than happy to utilize. Our necessities being withheld in order to accomplish a greater end for us. This is Romans chapter 8 in the Old Testament that he will work all things out for the good of those who love him who are called according to his purposes. You see it all the way back here in Deuteronomy chapter 8. I think it's really important that you notice this. Because you might find yourself in a situation where God withholds good things from you and you say Lord, these are necessities I need these things. I think that's a I understand your concern there But notice God is doing good even when he withholds those things that you need Yeah, and part of that is to get us to the place of going. Okay, I can't do this for myself I can't provide what I need. I gotta, I need you to do it. And it's so often when we get to that place, not always, but it's often when we get to that place of dependence upon him to your point and saying, God, we need you that then he does show up and provide what we need. Cause it's like the father that wants to be asked, you watch your kids struggle and struggle to do something and you could step in and do it for them, but you want them to. Come to you and ask, you want them to express that humility of going? I can't do it. And we've all seen our own kids. It have the stubbornness to go. I'm not asking for help. I'm not going to ask for help until they finally get to the place where they're like, okay, I can't do it. Will you please help me? And that's us so often with God. It's okay, fine God, I've gotten to the end of myself. Will you please help me? And we just need to get there faster. And and ask God for that help that we need. Amen to that. Yeah. Chapter 9 Moses reminds the people here that it was again, not about them this time about the righteousness. He's saying it's not your goodness. It's not your obedience. It's not your righteousness that warranted these blessings. Instead. He reminds them here in this chapter of the rebellion, he's it's not only were you not righteous, but remember the golden calf thing. You remember that whole incident? He reminds them of that in, in their wilderness rebellion at Sinai and God's mercy and not completely destroying them. So he's rehashing these things with them saying, Hey, remember God's kindness to you. Remember your history, your recent history. Look back in the rear view mirror, remember these things and remember how God was ready to wipe you out. And yet, because I intervened, he didn't out of his mercy. So don't get too puffed up thinking that you're good because you've obeyed for a little bit of time. Again, it is such a good reminder to us. We can feel like because we had a good week or we had a good couple of weeks that man, God must be really pleased with me because look how faithful I've been over the last couple of weeks. I've read my Bible every day and my marriage is good and my parenting is good. I'm not saying those are bad things. Those are great things. But when we become puffed up as a result of them, man, that's a. That's an idol then in our heart that otherwise should be a good thing. Yeah, we can so often start to attribute our own self worth to our actions and think that we ourselves have brought ourselves to this place. Even just in the last chapter, God is reminding them. Look, I'm the one who gives you the ability to get wealth. I'm the one who gives you the ability to do good. In fact, I think about Philippians chapter 2 where Paul says to the Philippian church, It is God who works in you both to will and to do. That is to desire to want and to work for his good pleasure, which is exactly what I think he's saying here again, under the guise of the old Testament saying, look, you, when you're doing good, it's not because you're so inherently righteous. It's me working through you. No, I'm the one who gives you the desire to do good and the ability to actually follow through on that. And that's a really good reminder for us. All the time when you do good, it's God working through you. When you do bad, all you, when you do good, all God, easy to remember. Yeah. Note in verse three, he says of chapter nine, know therefore that the today that the, he who goes over before you, the Lord is a consuming fire. In this context, he's talking about for Israel's enemies, that he will destroy them, subdue them before you, you shall drive them out. The writer of Hebrews is going to pick up the same terminology though, and warn the readers to say, Hey, don't. Don't drift from the Lord. Don't fall into unrepentant sin. Don't go on sinning because it's a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. He is a consuming fire. Here in, in Deuteronomy nine, three, this is about how he's a consuming fire to the enemies of Israel, but he's a consuming fire to all of his enemies. And as Christians, we need to be mindful of that as well and not to continue an unrepentant sin, which might be potentially an indication of our not being truly Part of his family. And that's the writer of Hebrews, what he's saying there. But I think he grabs this concept from this chapter and says, this is who he is. He is a consuming fire. Deuteronomy chapter 10, then Moses here is going to charge the people to serve and worship God. Now. So he's laid this out. It's not you. It's not because of your righteousness. God led you through the wilderness. He disciplined you. He showed you, that he could provide for you and even let you have a need so that you would turn to him. Chapter nine. It's not your righteousness. And so then what's the response? The response is serve and worship God. In response to his kindness and obey his commandments because this is your duty, Israel. And this is one of my favorite passages in the old Testament when he says, what does the Lord require of you? Verse 12 and 13, but to fear the Lord, your God, to walk in his ways, to love him and to serve the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and to keep the commandments in the statues of the Lord, which I'm commanding you today for your good. It's applicable. Applicable to us today. And it's also just abundantly plain and clear. And God made it clear. He laid it out to the people. This is what I want from you. This is what I desire from you. God is not an enigma. And sometimes people today are even like, I wish I knew the will of God. One of my favorite responses to that is first, that's for says, this is the will of God, your sanctification at its heart. Now, Paul talks about sexual immorality in specific there, but at its heart. Just in general, God wants you to be like Jesus. John 15, abide in Christ. In fact, we're going to be talking about that this weekend at church on Sunday, that, that idea that we are to be kept in God's name and what that means. And that Jesus has given us the word in order to accomplish that. And his spirit in order to accomplish that abiding in Christ, that God wants us to be his, he wants us to be set apart for him, consecrated for him. That's what he wanted for Israel. That's what he wants for the church today too. There are people who are gonna be confused by the idea that you should love God and fear God. Help put those pieces together. Yeah. This is a common theme in scripture that comes up time and time again. And it's this idea of a fear of respect of, we use the word reverence, which is not a word that. We don't revere much today, especially in our culture and society. Most things are pretty flippant and casual and commonplace. But I think the closest thing that you could get to it is I remember going to the white house and just going on the tour in the white house and the president wasn't even there. But I remember feeling a sense of reverence while I was walking through this space. There's authority that's imbued in this space and you want to be careful and you don't want to step out of line because if you step out of line, then there's consequences for stepping out of line. And so you've got the sense of going, okay, I know I'm not going to step out of line, but I still have that fear of going, okay, I want to be respectful of where I am because of who lives here. And I think if we carry that mentality into our relationship with the Lord, it's not that we're fearing that. The Lord's going to take us out, but there's an awareness of going, man, I need to be careful because I'm in his house. I'm part of his creation. He's the creator. I'm the creation. And so I want to conduct myself with, I want to be careful in his presence and how I live. But then at the same time, man, I also, I love him because of all the good things that he's done for me. He is a father who is, has both laid out what his expectations are, which I need to by following those. But also he's a father that's given. Christ so that I can have life. And so I love him because of that. Some will say, but scripture says for Sean, that perfect love casts out fear. So how are these two things mutually compatible? Yeah. The fear in there being the fear of judgment of eternal damnation, that. That the love that we have poured into our hearts through the gift of the spirit and the love that we have reciprocally for God does cast out that fear of eternal damnation, but not the fear of the father's discipline of his son. As we were just talking about recently the fear of transgressing God's commandments and incurring that discipline. It's not an eternal discipline. We're not fearing the judgment of hell, but we might fear. The forfeiture of reward, we might fear the consequences of our sins here on earth. We were just talking about that. I think last episode of the episode before that, that our consequences continue or maybe it was the Steve Lawson letter that, that was out there. We were talking about that, kicking that around as a staff or as pastors, just, yeah, there's repentance, but consequences continue and that, that's the fear that we do have, not the fear of. I'm cut off forever, right? And part of that is because we love the Lord. I think love comes before fear, even though grammatically, I think it actually appears before love here. But the idea is that because you love somebody that appropriate, reverent awe will be there. of necessity because we understand who he is. We understand what our sin does when we're in relationship with them. It distances him. It grieves the spirit. We fear displeasing God and we fear offending him because we revere him because we hold them in high esteem. And this is what it means for our church. When we say things like we Hold a high view of God. We seek to maintain a high view of God is what we actually say. And it takes work to do that because we naturally want to bring God down to our level. This is really important for us to understand as New Testament Christians. Some people like to draw a division between Old Testament God and New Testament God saying the Old Testament God, he was all fear and judgment and wrath, but New Testament God is gentle Jesus, meek and mild. There is no division. This is the same God and the God that we fear in the Old Testament is the God that we still fear in the new. But again, it's not because we're fearing condemnation. We fear because we're in awe of him. We're in all of his power, his authority, his presence, his majesty. And we fear offending him. What a great word, pastor Peter. Thanks for saying that. Let's pray. And then we will be done with this episode. God, we pray for wisdom to know that balance to know how to adequately fear you. When revere you as you are due, and yet also love you and draw near to you as you call us to we want to know that. And in the more time we spend with you, the more we abide in Christ, the more we spend time in your word, the more we give ourselves over to prayer in the pursuit of you, the more we will understand that balance just naturally, the spirit will work that and rot that in our life. And that's what we long for. And we ask for, and we pray for, give us a greater passion to be with you. To spend time with you, to be in your word and not to shy away from it. Lord, help us to be more effective at putting off sin and to put it on Christ likeness and to be more like Jesus as much as we can before you call us to be home and to be with him when we will be fully like him. Cause we will see him as he is. We will be like him as John talks about in first John there as well. So we thank you God for your word and just pray that you'd bear fruit from our time in it. And we pray in Jesus name. Amen. Keep reading your Bibles, tune in again tomorrow for another edition of the Daily Bible Podcast. See ya! Bye!

Thanks for listening to another edition of the Daily Bible Podcast. This is a ministry of Compass Bible Church in north Texas. You can find out more information about ourChurch@compassntx.org. We would love for you to leave a review to rate to share this podcast on whatever platform you happen to be listening on, and we will catch you against tomorrow for another edition of the Daily Bible Podcast.