The first five books of the Bible, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, provide a rich and rewarding revelation of Divine truth. Each book offers unique instruction and insight. But never forget: these five books were written by Moses and received by ancient Israel as a five-volume set commonly known as the Pentateuch or the Torah. This morning, we turn our attention to Deuteronomy, which closes out God’s covenant work that was established and brought forth through Moses. Even in the New Testament, we can see the marvelous work God carried out in this Old Testament period. The New Testament quotes from Deuteronomy dozens of times. In Deuteronomy, we are reading about a major transition. The transition of God’s covenant work in a new generation. The transition of God’s people from the wilderness to preparation for the possession of the land of promise. The transition from a dominant experience of learning to the full manifestation of attaining what God has promised. Deuteronomy calls God’s people to do what it takes, do all that it takes, to transition from a season of waiting to the season of walking in the attainment of what the Lord God said He would do.  Deuteronomy means “the Second Law,” or the second giving of God’s law. This is the point: learning and living out God’s laws is bottom-line essential to living in God’s best blessings for our lives. Notice this opening line: “Moses began to explain this law” (Deuteronomy 1:5). Deuteronomy is an urgent call to obey God! A timeless message that we need to hear and live out today. VHH       

 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. One of our daily struggles is to keep our minds aligned with God’s mind. It’s easy to assume that our thinking is God-centered. But we must be intentionally conscious, in the moment, to ask ourselves this question: Is my mind right? Is my thinking aligned with God? In our relationship with God, we are not seeking for God to think like us and agree with us. At all times, we are trying to think godly and agree with God. Speaking of the apostles as they went about their labor, this is what Paul said about them: “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16). We are quite familiar with the instruction that Paul gave to the Philippians: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5). Time and time again, this must be our conscious focus – in this course of action, in this decision, deciding on this direction, is my mind aligned with God’s mind? This explains why we must determine to commit daily time to the Scriptures. God’s Word reveals God’s mind on the issues that we face throughout life. To be in God’s Word is to pursue God’s mind. This is why Job declared: “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” (Job 23:12).  Get up each day seeking to be aligned with God’s mind.  VHH       

“Now the Lord called Moses, and spoke to him from the Tabernacle of meeting, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel…” (Leviticus 1:1).  

The original title assigned to this third book of the Bible was “Matters of the Levites.” In Leviticus, God gives clear commands to Moses concerning the roles and responsibilities of Aaron and his sons in carrying out their priestly duties in worship that is authorized, approved, and acceptable to God. Moses, as God’s ordained lawgiver, is to hold the priests and the people accountable to God’s way of worship. This is a lasting word of instruction to be learned in Leviticus; our worship is regulated by God – for it to be received by God. We don’t make up our own human way of worship to present to God. This is what it means for a church to take the LEVITICUS CHALLENGE. This challenge is about assessing our standards in worship. In an earlier season of my life, as one trained in engineering, I was very much aware of the basic law of entropy: things go from order to disorder.  It’s true scientifically, and it’s the way things can go in the church, in our worship. Without a Bible-based commitment to steadfast evaluation, we can start lowering God’s high standards for worship. In Leviticus, God gives highly detailed commands for the way worship ought to be and must be. At Waterbury, we must keep this church committed to a basic challenge in Leviticus: worship must be regularly evaluated to ensure we are doing it God’s way. VHH 

“Now the Lord called Moses, and spoke to him from the Tabernacle of meeting, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel…” (Leviticus 1:1).  

The original title assigned to this third book of the Bible was “Matters of the Levites.” In Leviticus, God gives clear commands to Moses concerning the roles and responsibilities of Aaron and his sons in carrying out their priestly duties in worship that is authorized, approved, and acceptable to God. Moses, as God’s ordained lawgiver, is to hold the priests and the people accountable to God’s way of worship. This is a lasting word of instruction to be learned in Leviticus; our worship is regulated by God – for it to be received by God. We don’t make up our own human way of worship to present to God. This is what it means for a church to take the LEVITICUS CHALLENGE. This challenge is about assessing our standards in worship. In an earlier season of my life, as one trained in engineering, I was very much aware of the basic law of entropy: things go from order to disorder.  It’s true scientifically, and it’s the way things can go in the church, in our worship. Without a Bible-based commitment to steadfast evaluation, we can start lowering God’s high standards for worship. In Leviticus, God gives highly detailed commands for the way worship ought to be and must be. At Waterbury, we must keep this church committed to a basic challenge in Leviticus: worship must be regularly evaluated to ensure we are doing it God’s way. VHH 

For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45).

In Leviticus, “A holy God explains how to worship Him.” This is a major focus of Leviticus. God’s covenant people, Israel, are called to get their worship right before God. In Leviticus, we learn about the laws (rites, rules, and regulations) for worship that are authorized, acceptable, and approved by God. A key revelation of Leviticus is the establishment of the priesthood. In fact, the official title of this Book is “About the Levites.” Leviticus details the ceremonial laws that shaped the worship of ancient Israel. The family of Aaron, the brother of Moses, is ordained as Israel’s formal priesthood. This verse declares God’s charge to Aaron and the Levites: “That you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.” (Leviticus 10:10-11). As the book of Leviticus opens, we learn about two new developments. First, God’s presence and glory are now residing among the Israelites. Second, a central place of worship – the tabernacle – exists. Leviticus gives us this clear and urgent insight: worship matters to God, and it must always matter to God’s people. As New Testament Christians, we must know and follow God’s commands and instructions about worship. Leviticus challenges us to get our worship right before God and keep it right. VHH

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19)

We commonly call it the “Great Commission.” It’s not a mere church program that we get to choose whether to accept or reject. The Lord Jesus Christ, declaring His absolute authority, gave it to His apostles, the First Century Church, and to the Church of Christ in all ages and locations. For our salvation, sanctification, and strength for victorious living, Jesus had finished His work on earth. At the Cross and in His Resurrection, He had accomplished what had to be done for our right standing with God. But before ascending back to heaven, the Lord gave His marching orders to His people to carry on the soul-saving mission of the “Great Commission.” But here’s the point! This ageless, lifelong mission is so often associated with adults – adults seeking to proclaim the saving gospel to adults. This is exactly what is needed. But let’s be clear, the disciple-making work of the Lord’s “Great Commission” can, and must, begin in the work God has called the Church to do in the lives of children and youth. At Waterbury, we are seeking to faithfully answer God’s call. We call this missional work: Kingdom Kids and Young Disciples. Today, we celebrate another time commitment we have faithfully invested ,in our God-called work among children and youth. Administrators and teachers, GREAT JOB. The lives of our young people have been richly blessed. VHH 

The book of Exodus is a major focal point in the Old Testament’s storyline, as it highlights the beginning of the national life of Israel – God’s covenant people. It records the history of the covenant God set forth before His people through Moses at Mt Sinai. The name of the book means “the going out, or “the departing. God’s deliverance of His people from their slavery, suffering, and shame in Egypt is arguably the single greatest event of the Hebrew nation. Exodus serves as a connecting link to the history set forth in Genesis. It shows that God did not forget His promise made to Abram (Genesis 12). It shows the next big move of God among His people following the death of the Patriarch Jacob (Genesis 49) and His son Joseph (Genesis 50). Exodus also reveals how God raised up Moses as the great liberator and lawgiver for His people (Exodus 2-3). In Exodus, we learn about the establishment of the Jewish Feast of Passover (Exodus 12), the miraculous passing of God’s people through the Red Sea (Exodus 14), the giving of God’s covenant Law (Exodus 20), and details surrounding the Tabernacle (Exodus 26). In Exodus, God’s people become a special people of the covenant of promise). This was brought about by God’s faithfulness in delivering Israel from Egypt. But tragically, as the history of Exodus reveals, the generation that came from Egypt refused to be faithful to God and thankful for His deliverance. Exodus teaches us to remain surrendered to what God has in mind for our lives. VHH.  

      Two words define and declare our basic understanding of Exodus: faithfulness and deliverance. Both words must be viewed from God’s perspective. God demonstrates His faithfulness to Israel, and God executes His deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage. Remembering the covenant promise God made to Abraham (Genesis 12 and 15), God proves Himself reliable, dependable, and faithful among His people. After being slaves for 400 years, God moved to deliver His people from the shackles and shame under Pharaoh. No longer able to ignore God’s almighty power, the Egyptian monarch set God’s people free. After the angel of death had displayed God’s judgment, Israel moved forth to the land of promise. As God did with Israel, God also extends His faithfulness to the members of His Church. Like the people of Bible days, Israel, God brings deliverance to Christians: He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13). As we read through the momentous pages of the Exodus story, we should always be mindful and thankful for the cleansing and delivering blood of Jesus Christ shed on the Cross at Calvary. As God’s people, like ancient Israel, we are earnestly striving to move forward to possess God’s covenant promise of eternal glory in heaven, but we also take time to reflect on the deliverance we were given in and through Jesus Christ. We keep on remembering our past life being enslaved to sin. But now, we celebrate the spiritual deliverance we have as God’s people.  VHH    

     The best way to understand Exodus is to think about the words “faithfulness” and “deliverance”. This is the storyline of Exodus. In Exodus, Moses records the amazing way that God demonstrated His faithfulness to His covenant people, delivering them from the shackles, suffering, and shame of slavery in Egypt. The history in Exodus is one of the most studied and well-known episodes in the entire Bible. In the Bible classes of God’s Church, Children, youth, and adults are soundly and continuously taught about the great lessons revealed in Exodus. And the spiritual lessons to be learned and applied are numerous. True believers are taught the rock-solid truth that God always keeps His word (Exodus 1). Christians experiencing hard times are reaffirmed in the truth that God always hears and responds to the suffering of His people (Exodus 1). Parents see the importance of faith and courage as they read about Moses’s parents taking action to protect their baby from being murdered by a wicked King (Exodus 2). Christians are reaffirmed in the truth that our deliverance from sin and its awful fallout is only through God (Exodus 12). And all believers are taught the absolute need to hear, believe, and obey God’s commands (Exodus 19). As we engage in a two-week study in Exodus, let’s open our heads and hearts to learn from this second Book of God’s Word. Paul put it this way: For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4). VHH. 

      Always approach Genesis with the big picture of its location within the 66 Books of the Bible – it comes first. Therefore, Genesis is the book of origins: the origin of the universe (Gen 1:1-25), the origin of man and woman (Gen 1:26-2), the origin of sin and death (Gen 3:1-7), the origin of God’s promise of redemption through Jesus Christ (Gen 3:8-24), the origin of worshipful sacrifices (Gen 4:1-5), the origin of civilization (Gen 4:16-9:29), the origin of diverse languages and nations (Gen 10-11), and the origin of the Hebrew people of God (Gen 12-50).  Always approach Genesis with the understanding that this first book of the Bible introduces foundational truths that will be set forth and expanded upon in the rest of the Bible. Keep in mind that this first book of history gives us a first look at understanding so much of the history that will play out through the other Bible books of history. We should greatly value this first book of the Bible and approach it ready to learn what God intends us to receive and apply spiritually from Genesis. Genesis, along with Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, make up what is commonly called the Pentateuch or Torah (the five books of the Law). Moses is the author of Genesis, and its direct intended recipients were the Bible days nation of Israel. The goal is to educate them in their identity as God’s covenant people. The Book of Genesis has 50 chapters that are packed with a wealth of knowledge for us to learn and apply. VHH.