Mills Memorial Baptist Church
Sunday Morning Worship - 1/11
  • All Hail the Power of Jesus Name
  • By Faith
  • O Love that Will Not Let Me Go

      • Luke 2:10–11KJV1900

      • Deuteronomy 4:6–9KJV1900

      • Deuteronomy 4:6-7KJV1900

      • Deuteronomy 4:8-9KJV1900

  • Deuteronomy 6:4-9
    Life is a journey, and we all know there are stretches where the road feels long and the load feels heavy.
    There are weeks when you feel strong, and there are weeks when you feel like you’re running on fumes.
    And the question is not whether we will face pressure, temptation, discouragement, and change.
    The question is where we will get strength to keep walking with God when we do.
    God has not left us to figure that out by trial and error.
    He has given us His Word.
    And the Bible is not just a collection of random spiritual thoughts.
    It is a God-breathed library with design and order.
    Across the whole Bible there are seven main categories of books, and each category strengthens us in a different way.
    Some books give foundation.
    Some give instruction.
    Some give wisdom.
    Some give warning.
    Some give worship.
    Some give gospel (good news).
    Some give hope for the future.
    So over the next several Sundays, we’re going to walk through these seven categories.
    We’re going to learn what each section is, why God gave it, and how it’s meant to strengthen God’s people for the journey we’re on right now.
    And here’s what I want you to know at the start.
    This isn’t a “Bible trivia” series.
    This is a “life and faith” series.
    Because every time God opens His Word to us, He is calling us to something.
    He is calling us to trust Him.
    He is calling us to return to Him.
    He is calling us to obey Him.
    He is calling us to pass His truth on.
    So each week, we’re not only going to learn where a set of books fits in the Bible.
    We’re going to ask, “What does God want from me because of what I heard.”
    Today we begin where God begins, with the Pentateuch, because strength for the journey starts with foundations.
    Some of the weariness in God’s people is not because they don’t love Him, but because they’re trying to live the Christian life without staying anchored to what God actually said.
    It is hard to have steady faith when you are living on scattered impressions instead of settled truth.
    If you held up a couple of thick science textbooks, you would immediately understand what they represent.
    They are foundations.
    They are the basics you have to know before anything advanced makes sense.
    In the same way, God gave us a foundation in the first five books of the Bible.
    The Pentateuch is God’s beginning work of revelation to show us who He is, what went wrong, what He promised, and how He calls His people to live in relationship with Him.
    And Deuteronomy 6:4-9, the great Shema, is the heart-cry of that foundation.
    This passage is not meant to be admired.
    This passage is meant to be obeyed.
    4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

    I. Hear God’s Voice

    The first strength God gives for the journey is the strength that comes when His Word is no longer an occasional sound, but a daily authority.

    A. Let God Have the First Word in Your Life

    “Hear, O Israel.” (Deuteronomy 6:4).
    God begins with telling us to listen because our drifting usually starts with neglect.
    Romans 10:17 says,
    Romans 10:17 KJV
    17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
    If your faith has felt thin, your first step is not guilt, and your first step is not panic.
    Your first step is to return to the habit of hearing.
    Choose a time you can actually keep, and treat it like the type of appointment you would not casually cancel.
    Start small enough that you will truly do it, and stay steady long enough that it becomes normal.

    B. Understand What the Pentateuch Is, and Why God Put It First

    The Pentateuch is the first five books of the Bible.
    It is often called “the Law” or “the Torah.”
    But It is not just a rulebook.
    It is God revealing Himself through creation, through covenant, through redemption, through worship, and most importantly through relationship.
    It gives the vocabulary the rest of the Bible uses when it talks about sin, and sacrifice, and holiness, about faith, and promise, and redemption.
    If you want the New Testament to feel clear, you must let the Old Testament foundation do its work.

    C. Learn the Purpose of Each Book

    That way you know what God is building.
    Genesis gives beginnings.
    Genesis shows creation the Beginning of everything.
    The first sin…the fall, the spread of sin, and God’s covenant promises beginning with Abraham.
    Genesis teaches you that God is Creator, sin is real, grace is needed, and God keeps His promises even when people fail.
    Exodus gives redemption.
    Exodus shows God delivering His people from bondage, revealing His name to them, and forming them as a covenant people.
    Exodus teaches you that salvation is God’s work, that worship follows redemption, and that freedom without God is not true freedom.
    Leviticus gives holiness.
    Leviticus shows sacrifices, priesthood, and God’s instructions for how to approach Him.
    Leviticus teaches you that God is holy, sin is costly, and God provides a way for guilty people to draw near.
    Numbers gives the wilderness lessons.
    Numbers shows unbelief, complaining, consequences, and the steady faithfulness of God in spite of them throughout their journey.
    Numbers teaches you what distrust does to a heart, and how patient God is with stumbling people.
    Deuteronomy gives covenant renewal.
    Deuteronomy is Moses preaching to prepare God’s people to enter the land with a whole heart.
    Deuteronomy teaches you that remembering is spiritual warfare, love is the root of obedience, and every generation must choose to follow the Lord.

    D. Receive the Personal Weight of God’s Oneness

    “The LORD our God is one LORD.” (Deuteronomy 6:4).
    God is not one priority among many.
    God is not a tool you use when life breaks.
    God is Lord.
    Isaiah 45:5 says,
    Isaiah 45:5 KJV
    5 I am the Lord, and there is none else, There is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
    When your heart is pulled in ten directions, the oneness of God becomes a stabilizing truth.
    If He is truly Lord, you do not just fit Him into your life.
    You surrender your life to Him.

    II. Love God Wholeheartedly

    Once God has our ear, He presses for our heart, because the Christian life does not run on pressure, but on love.

    A. God Is Asking for Your Whole Self

    “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
    God is not asking for the religious corner of yoru life.
    God is asking for the center, the corners, the walls…everything.
    Jesus called this the greatest commandment in Mark 12:30, in answer to the question what is the greatest commandment.
    Mark 12:30 KJV
    30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
    Divided love will always produce unstable obedience.
    A half-heart will always create a half-strength Christian life.

    B. Let God’s Love for You Become the Fuel for Your Love for Him

    1 John 4:19 says,
    1 John 4:19 KJV
    19 We love him, because he first loved us.
    When you forget His love, obedience feels like drudgery.
    When you purposefully remember His love, obedience becomes a grateful response.
    Think about the Pentateuch’s storyline.
    God created when He didn’t need us.
    God pursued when we ran.
    God redeemed when we were helpless.
    God provided a way to draw near when we were unclean.
    God stayed faithful when His people were stubborn.
    The point is not that Israel was impressive.
    The point is that God is faithful.

    C. Identify What Competes for Your Love

    …because whatever wins your love will shape your life.
    Matthew 6:21 says,
    Matthew 6:21 KJV
    21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
    Sometimes the greatest rival to loving God is not a wicked thing, but a good thing that became a ruling thing.
    Something that took God’s rightful preeminence.
    Comfort can rule.
    Approval can rule.
    Entertainment can rule.
    Control can rule.
    In the film The Man Who Invented Christmas, Charles Dickens is under immense pressure to write his next book.
    As the story develops, something interesting happens.
    The characters he is creating don’t just stay on the page.
    They begin to fill his thoughts, shape his conversations, and even interrupt his daily life.
    Dickens walks through the streets of London, but his mind is still in his story.
    He sits at the dinner table, yet he’s talking about characters no one else can see.
    The world he’s writing about becomes so real to him that it reorders his attention and affection.
    Nothing forced this on him.
    No one demanded it.
    It happened naturally because what he loved most was what he thought about most.
    That is how the heart works.
    What captures our attention will eventually capture our conversation.
    What fills our mind will inevitably shape our direction.
    And in the same way, when the Word of God is not just something we read, but something that dwells richly within us, it begins to shape how we think, how we speak, and how we live.
    It shows up in our homes, our decisions, and even in the quiet moments when no one else is listening.
    You don’t have to force obedience when the heart is full.
    What fills the heart will always find its way out.
    What do you talk about when you’re relaxed.
    What do you reach for when you’re stressed.
    God’s call here is not to shame you.
    God’s call is to free you from lesser loves that cannot carry the weight of your soul.

    D. Choose Love That Becomes Loyalty

    It shouldn’t just be Emotion
    Love in Scripture is not only a feeling you fall into.
    Love is a devotion you live out.
    John 14:15 says,
    John 14:15 KJV
    15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
    This is not earning salvation.
    This is expressing our relationship to God in tangible ways.
    And that leads us to the next step, because love needs daily nourishment, or it will be crowded out.

    III. Keep God’s Word Close

    God knows our hearts wander, so He tells us where to keep His Word so our love can stay alive.

    A. Put the Word in the Heart

    “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.” (Deuteronomy 6:6).
    God is not satisfied with Bible proximity, having it close to you physically.
    God wants Bible intimacy.
    Psalm 119:11 says,
    Psalm 119:11 KJV
    11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, That I might not sin against thee.
    A Bible that is only heard on Sundays will not be ready when temptation strikes on Tuesday.

    B. Practice Obedience as a Way of Honoring God

    James 1:22 says,
    James 1:22 KJV
    22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
    It is possible to agree with sermons and still never change.
    We can say amen, aloud in church, but never let it sink into our hearts.
    It is possible to know truth and still live stuck.
    The way forward is not grand promises.
    The way forward is simple obedience.
    Ask, “What is the next right step God is showing me from His Word,” and then take it.

    C. Build a Plan That Fits Your Actual Life

    …so the Word stays near you all week.
    If you only read when you feel like it, you will rarely read when you need it.
    Pick a short daily portion.
    Write down one sentence of what God showed you.
    Turn one verse into a prayer.
    If you read Deuteronomy 6:4-5, you can pray, “Lord, help me love You with a whole heart today.”.
    If you read Exodus, you can pray, “Lord, remind me You are a Redeemer, and I’m not trapped or enslaved.”.
    If you read Leviticus, you can pray, “Lord, make me take holiness seriously, and thank You for a way to draw near.”.
    If you read Numbers, you can pray, “Lord, keep me from unbelief and complaining, and teach me trust.”.
    God uses small, steady practices to produce long-term strength.
    And when His Word is kept close, it naturally starts to shape the people closest to us.

    IV. Pass God’s Word On

    God never intended His Word to stop at one heart.
    God designed it to move through a home and into a community.

    A. Teach diligently, Even If You Feel Imperfect

    “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children.” (Deuteronomy 6:7).
    Diligently does not mean you never fail.
    Diligently means you do not quit.
    Your children do not need a flawless parent.
    Your children need a parent who keeps coming back to the Lord, keeps repenting, and keeps pointing them to truth.
    Ephesians 6:4 says to…
    Ephesians 6:4 KJV
    4b … bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
    That nurture happens through consistency, not speeches.

    B. Talk about the Word in Ordinary Moments

    because ordinary moments form the soul.
    “And shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house.” (Deuteronomy 6:7).
    Use the table.
    Use the couch.
    Ask one question.
    Ask, “What did you read this week,” or “What did God teach you in church,” or “How can we pray today.”.
    “And when thou walkest by the way.” (Deuteronomy 6:7).
    Use the car ride.
    Use the errands.
    Teach your children what to do when they’re anxious, when they’re tempted, and when they’re angry.
    Show them how Scripture speaks into real life, not just church life.

    C. Let the Word Shape What You Do and How You Think

    “And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand.” (Deuteronomy 6:8).
    That points to actions.
    “And they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.” (Deuteronomy 6:8).
    That points to your mindset.
    To your setup to remember His Words.
    Romans 12:2 says we are transformed by the renewing of our mind.
    Romans 12:2 KJV
    2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
    When your mind is renewed, your reactions begin to change.
    When your reactions change, your relationships begin to change.
    and then make your Faith Visible without making it performative.
    “And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:9).
    This is not about showing off.
    This is about letting the Word be normal in your home.
    Put a verse where you will see it.
    Put a reminder where you will be tested.
    Let your home be a place where God is spoken of warmly and regularly.
    That kind of quiet faith becomes a witness.

    Conclusion

    Deuteronomy 6:4-9 are some good verses, but it is not a suggestion.
    It is God calling His people to live with His Word at the center of their life, their family, their heart.
    It is strength for the journey, because it keeps your faith from becoming shallow and your home from becoming spiritually neglected.
    So the question is not, “Did you enjoy the message.”
    The question is, “Will you decide.”
    Some need to decide to come to Christ, because love for God begins when you are reconciled to God.
    Jesus said in John 14:6,
    John 14:6 KJV
    6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
    If you have never repented and believed the gospel, today is the day to stop postponing and come.
    Some need to decide to return to their first love, because your heart has been divided and you know it.
    You have been running on spiritual fumes, and the Lord is calling you back to Himself with a whole heart.
    Some need to decide that God’s Word will have a daily place again.
    You need a time.
    You need a plan.
    You need a simple step you will actually do.
    Some need to decide that your home will not drift on autopilot.
    You are going to start talking about God again in ordinary life.
    You are going to pray with your family again.
    You are going to teach diligently, not perfectly, but faithfully.
    And I want to put one clear decision in your hands this morning.
    Will you love the Lord your God with all your heart, and will you prove that love by putting His Word close to you this week.
    If the answer is yes, then make it specific before you leave.
    Choose your daily time.
    Choose your starting point in the Pentateuch.
    Choose one verse to memorize from Deuteronomy 6.
    Choose one moment each day when you will speak of the Lord in your home.
    Because strength for the journey starts at the beginning, and it starts with a decision.

      • Romans 10:17KJV1900

      • Isaiah 45:5KJV1900

      • Mark 12:30KJV1900

      • 1 John 4:19KJV1900

      • Matthew 6:21KJV1900

      • John 14:15KJV1900

      • Psalm 119:11KJV1900

      • James 1:22KJV1900

      • Ephesians 6:4KJV1900

      • Romans 12:2KJV1900

      • John 14:6KJV1900

  • Have You Any Room for Jesus
Mills Memorial Baptist Church
millsmemorialbapt@gmail.com
989-843-6433
https://millsmemorial.faithlifesites.com
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