Sermon: September 5^th, 2010

Text: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Title: A Fork in the Road

Rev. Terry Defoe, Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

Our sermon text this morning is found in the book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, chapter 30. I’m reading verses 15 and 16. Moses says:

¹⁵ See – I set before you today, life and prosperity, death and destruction. ¹⁶ For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

(Today’s New International Version)

+ + +

Our sermon text this morning is about choices. When you think about it, we’re faced with all kinds of choices every day. Some are not that important: what to wear, how to schedule our time, what to eat. Other choices, however, are very important. Some choices affect the rest of our lives – where we go to school. What courses we take. Where we work. Where we live. Choices we make about marriage and family. All of these things can have a critical impact on the direction of our lives.

A famous philosopher once said: "We are our choices." In other words, they make us what we are. Yogi Berra once said: "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." Well, as we’ll see in the next few minutes, it’s a little more complicated than that. I pray that God would bless our consideration of his Holy Word this day.

+ + +

As the book of Deuteronomy opens, the people of Israel had spent 40 years as nomads in the desert. Because of their disobedience, God decreed that everyone above the age of 20 – with the exception of Joshua and Caleb – would die in the wilderness. Now that entire generation has passed away. Now a new generation stood before Moses. They were camped out in the plains of Moab east of the Jordan River. They were preparing to enter the land of Canaan. They had left behind slavery of Egypt and they were looking forward to a new land – the land God had promised them.

In the wilderness, several important events had occurred – events that reminded Israel that God was present with them. In the wilderness, they had received the 10 Commandments. They were God's covenant people. He had chosen them by His grace alone. At this point in time, the next major step in Israel’s faith journey was their entry into the promised land – the land of Canaan. The entire book of Deuteronomy is focused on this special event. One pastor says:

"The people of God stood before Moses, God’s prophet. Moses was saying goodbye to them, as he gave them his last sermon. Moses was now at the end of his life. He stood before the people and [he] gave them his farewell speech. [His message went like this]:

"Today, I’m giving you a choice – between good and evil, between life and death, between blessing and cursing. God is our witness. I say to you: Choose life. Choose life. Love the Lord your God. Serve him. Obey him. Do his laws. Be faithful to Him and it will go well for you in the [promised] land. Disobey Him and trouble will come."

We need to remember that this choice was placed before the Israelites nearly 4000 years ago. Before they took possession of that new land – a land which God Himself had promised them, the Lord wanted to review his covenant with them. And he used Moses to do it. God reminded the people of Israel about His deeds on their behalf. He reminded them how he had brought their parents out of slavery in Egypt. He reminded them how he had cared for them, for 40 years in the wilderness. He reminded them that he was now about to keep his promise to them regarding a new land – a promise he had made to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Moses was now an old man. He was ready to pass the baton of leadership in Israel to Joshua. Moses knew that he couldn’t enter that new land. He had brought the people out of Egypt and he had led them through the desert. But now he had come to the end of the road. As they were now ready to move on into a brand-new experience, he was concerned about them. He feared that they would become ensnared by forces in that new land that would seek to separate them from their God.

+ + +

So what’s actually at stake here? The answer is very simple -- everything. This isn't a choice between chocolate and vanilla. It isn't a choice between red and blue. We’re talking here about life and death – blessings and curses. In our text this morning, Moses is calling the people of Israel to recommit themselves to their relationship with God. God’s covenant with His people was symbolized by circumcision. In and through that covenant, God had adopted Israel as his own beloved children.

Throughout the history of Israel, terrible things happened when God's people drifted away from him. Moses didn’t want the people of Israel to turn back to Egypt – either in a literal sense or in a theological sense. That’s because Egypt represented captivity. Egypt represented bondage and slavery. Moses didn’t want the people of Israel, when they moved into that new land, to become spiritual slaves just as they had been physical slaves in Egypt. Moses knew very well that, in that promised land, Israel would face many temptations. Many powerful forces would try to separate them from their Heavenly Father.

+ + +

At this crucial time, as the people faced this important fork in the road, Moses told them that the way to avoid spiritual slavery was to stay close to their God – the way to avoid slavery was to do things his way. Should they do that, they would experience life – abundant, wonderful, joyful life. Should they fail to do that, on the other hand, they would experience death – despair, trouble, and separation from God. This was the stark and compelling choice that the people faced that day. They were now close to the promised land. After a long delay, they were now ready to move into the land of Canaan. The stakes were very high.

+ + +

As I mentioned a moment ago, our text this morning is about decisions – it’s about what we should do when we come to important choices and decisions. As Lutherans, we know that we have to be very careful with this word “choice.” As Lutherans, we know that on our own, before we know the Lord, we cannot choose him. On our own, without God’s presence in our lives, we would always choose our own way. On our own, without God’s strength, we would walk away from God. Jesus said, in John chapter 15, verse 16:

"You didn’t choose me, I chose you … ."

In the Old Testament, in the book of Isaiah, God says: (Isa 43:1

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name … you are mine."

In Luther’s Small Catechism, in the explanation of the third article of the Apostle’s Creed, we read these words:

"I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in [choose] Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called [chosen] me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith."

+ + +

As Israel stood on the threshold of a new land, God asked His people to return to Him. He wants us to do the same. But how do we do that? How do we return to the Lord? We return to the Lord through his Word. We return to Him through the holy sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. We return to the Lord through his holy community called the church.

As God’s people, and by His enabling, we refuse to serve other gods. We say “no” to whatever wants to draw us away from God – whatever wants to take His place in our lives. In our Gospel lesson this morning, we heard Jesus say that He wants us to place Him first in our lives … even ahead of those who are closest to us in this earthly life. After all, He chose us to be His people. He chose to bear our sin. He chose to suffer our punishment on the cross, to die for us so that our sins might be forgiven. And then, He rose from the dead as victor over sin, death, and the devil. He rose from the dead to open the door to salvation and eternal life. Knowing that, and experiencing that, and by His gracious enabling, we now live for him.

When you think about it, the Christian religion is a religion of life. For Christians, life is a key word. Jesus said, "I have come to give you life and give you life more abundantly." He said, "I am the resurrection and the life." In Christ, we choose life.

+ + +

In our text this morning, Israel had come to a critical fork in the road. They were standing at a critical point – between the past and the future. What they decided that day – and in future days – would literally shape their future – and their relationship with God. That very day, they were facing two paths, one with God and one without Him. One led to life and the other led to death.

In our text this morning, the people of Israel were called upon to remember their failures in the past. They were asked to consider a future comprised of blessings from God. Everything depended on the choice they would make that day.

+ + +

Our text this morning encourages us – all of us – to hold fast to the Lord. We are to love the Lord our God. We are to walk in his paths. We are to observe his commandments. We are to maintain a strong relationship with Him – and with his people. There are various paths we can take in life, but the path of life – in other words, the path of faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, is the path God wants us to take. One of the words for sin in the Old Testament means "to walk the wrong path" or "to go in the wrong direction."

When you think about it, we “choose life” when we believe in Jesus Christ. As I mentioned a moment ago, we didn’t choose Christ – He chose us. By the enabling of the Holy Spirit, we gave Christ first place in our lives. And once faith had begun, God worked to keep it strong. He’s been doing that that through His Word, the Holy Scriptures. He’s been doing it through the Holy Sacraments – Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. And He’s been keeping our faith strong through the Christian community – the church.

+ + +

Our text this morning from Deuteronomy chapter 30 brings us to the high point of the book. Deuteronomy is, in a very real sense, Moses’ last will and testament for the people of Israel. I’ve got a question for you this morning. Are we like Israel? Have we failed to live up to God’s will for us? Have we made wrong choices in our lives? The answer is yes. But we, like the people of Israel before us, possess God's word. And we, like them, can let God's word inform us as we come into new situations and face new challenges and temptations.

+ + +

Consider the promises you and I made to God on the day of our confirmation. When we were confirmed, we stood before God and His people, and we promised to remain faithful to him no matter what. But the trust is that we haven’t always done that. Thankfully, our God is forgiving. Thankfully, God promises us a fresh start – this very day.

The book of Deuteronomy is a book of instructions. The book of Deuteronomy teaches us how to live for the Lord. Every day. All the time. In every situation. Our text this morning doesn't talk about the end of the road – it talks about a fork in the road. It talks about endings, but it also talks about beginnings. It talks about new possibilities made possible through repentance, through humility, through faith.

In our text this morning, God wants us to remember that the choices we make in life can have eternal consequences. One Christian writer says:

"This text is about God's grace – it’s about God's willingness to offer us life even though we have already chosen death. This same message, of course, is expressed in the life and death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.”

I close with this. God offers life to a broken and sinful world. The Gospel proclaims that God has loved us and offered us life in and through his son. All of us have choices to make in life. May God guide those choices by His Holy Spirit. May we always “choose life” in and through Jesus Christ. And may we always be willing to share that life with those around us. Amen.

+ + +

Let’s Pray: Dear Heavenly Father – On this day, we promise to serve you faithfully. On this day, we choose you and your ways over the ways of the world. On this day, we make a decision – a decision prompted and enabled by your Holy Spirit -- to always do your will and not our own. Be with us. Strengthen us. Encourage us. Keep us in the very center of your will. Forgive us when we stray. Grant us joy and peace as we appreciate the relationship we have with you and with your holy people. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.