HSS_2021_q4_EP09

♪ theme music ♪

(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,

an in-depth, interactive study

of the Word of God.

We're in the middle of an amazing series,

Present Truth in Deuteronomy,

amazing insights for our lives today.

If you've missed anything in this series,

go to our website, hopetv.org/hopess.

You can watch the entire series
and be blessed.

You can also download the same outline

that we use in our study today.

Our topic today, Turn Their Hearts.

I read that, and I thought,

"Lord, turn our hearts, too."

It's about what God wants to do

for each one of us,

turning our hearts toward Him.

So, welcome to Hope Sabbath School

and welcome to the team.

What a great series this is,

Present Truth in Deuteronomy,

and great to see you again.

Great to have not only our Gideon's band

in the studio - you know,

reduced occupancy due to the pandemic -

but we've got some

joining us remotely today,

and I just want to welcome

Travis from Michigan.

Travis, good to have you with us today.

And I want to welcome Adison

from British Columbia in Canada,

good to see you Adison,

always appreciate having you on the team.

And good to see Amy from Maryland.

Amy, great to have you with us again.

And we're just so excited to expand

our team through our remote team members.

We're also happy to hear from you,

our Hope Sabbath School members
around the world.

You don't know how much we're blessed

when you write to us at [e-mail]

and share the miracles God's doing.

You're like, "Well, it's just me,
just my life,"

but, you know, that is an evidence

that God is working through this ministry,

so, thank you for writing to us.

Thank you, Elizabeth,

for writing to us from New Zealand.

Elizabeth writes and says,

"My husband and I would like to just say

thank you for Hope Sabbath School."

Listen, "We're not big media fans,

but in our lockdown for COVID management,

we discovered Hope Sabbath School."

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) That's awesome,
"Now regularly enjoy

being part of the class."

Well, now, this is interesting, Sabina.

"We rather like the smaller
lockdown version..."

So, they like having five

rather than twelve; well,
that's interesting.

"...perhaps because we get to know

the members better during the time.

My husband teaches

a teens' Sabbath School,

and I teach a young adult class,

so it's very nice to have some time

with the Hope Sabbath School team

to recharge our batteries."

Elizabeth, thanks so much for writing.

It sounds like Elizabeth and her husband

are really engaged in ministry.

"I especially love the Scripture songs

provided by your wife.

We appreciate also the good modeling

that's demonstrated when you share

leadership with other team members,

even though we're totally happy with you."

Well, Elizabeth, that's pretty kind
of you to say,

but you know it is exciting

to see team members teaching,

because then another young adult,

maybe in Nigeria, maybe in Australia,

says, "Well, if God could use Jason,

like He did in this series,

or Sabina or Brittany, God could use me."

Not all of us will be teaching,

but we've got tens of thousands

of people downloading the outline.

And so, Elizabeth, thank you

for your encouraging word
from New Zealand.

Julia writes from the country of Georgia,

not the state of Georgia

but former USSR, Georgia,

and she's from Papua New Guinea.

You say, "How did she

end up in the country of Georgia?"

Well, she says, "The church I attend,

they only speak Russian,

and I do not understand Russian at all.

So, I praise God that you are

a blessing to me for my Bible study.

Every Sabbath morning, I join

with Hope Sabbath School

before going to church." Amen?

Wow, give Julia a wave there

in the country of Georiga.

Yeah, great to have this note.

"Thank you; your faces

burst with enthusiasm

in studying the Word of God;

you show that you have

walked with God before you share."

And we say thank you, Jesus, right?

"I particularly would like to mention

Harold and Brittany," well,

they're actually with us today, Julia.

They're sitting here, Harold and Brittany;

they're actually related, you know.

They just happen to be sitting one

in front of each other, husband and wife.

"Thank you for your excellent example

of a husband and wife team

studying the Bible." Amen?

(Harold) Amen.

(Derek) That's a beautiful testimony.

"You're a blessing to the global community

in sharing the Word of God.

Your testimonies are blessing so many.

Keep up the good work.

The least I can do is pray for you

to reach out to many more."

Well, Julia, what you've impressed us with

through your email is that even the way

we share together here,

even the way we smile,

even the way we interact together,
is a witness.

And we thank you for writing to us.

Well, here is one

of those old-fashioned notes.

We still get those sometimes

that are sent to us,

and this one is from a donor in Texas

in the United States of America.

And the donor writes and says...

And we don't read the name, you know,

but we do want to say thank you,

because we're a donor-supported ministry.

In fact, God may impress you today

to say, "I want to be a part

of this miracle, too,"

and I'll tell you how in just a moment.

The donor writes, "I started

watching Hope Sabbath School

about two years ago.

I feel blessed and encouraged

when I watch the program.

I appreciate how you provide insight

about the Word of God

and give personal stories

that indicate the love of God

is moving in your hearts."

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) "Please accept this gift

to continue the ministry

of Hope Sabbath School,"

and a donation of 100 dollars.

I want to say thank you, Texas.

You know who you are

because I just read your note,

but I want to thank each one of you

for partnering with us.

If you'd like to learn how you can be part

of this Impact Movement

that God's using to bless

more than 200 countries around the world,

write to us at [e-mail],

and I'd like to personally respond to you

and tell how you can partner with us.

Or you can go to our website,

hopetv.org/hopess.

You will make a difference

when you click on that donate button.

You will make a difference,

because as a donor-supported ministry,

we're working together; we're
volunteers, right,

to see God's work be accomplished

and Jesus come soon.

Well, here's a note

from Lazaro in Tanzania.

Lazaro says, "Hello, brothers
and sisters."

(Team) Hello!

(Derek) "My first time writing to you,

but it doesn't mean that it's

the first time for me

making follow-ups of this program, no.

I've been following you

for about a year now,

and sure every time

I see you on the program,

I don't want it to come to an end.

Apart from learning for myself,

I also share with my family

and my church members,

because I am a Bible teacher," praise God.

"May God of heaven keep using

Hope Sabbath School

and bless you beyond your expectations."

Well, he lives in the Southern Highlands
of Tanzania.

Lazaro, thanks for writing to us.

Every nation, kindred, tongue
and people. Amen?

We're just so happy you're part

of our Hope Sabbath School family.

And one last note,

from the United States of America,

from Rhode Island; that's one

of the small states, right, Jason,

Rhode Island here on the Eastern Seaboard.

And Mary Lou writes and says,

"My husband and I watch

Hope Sabbath School all the time.

We enjoy it so much

and receive many blessings.

Love all the members and miss them

when they're not there.

I'm thankful for what you do.

Did I say I love all the members?"

Mary Lou, thanks for writing

to us from Rhode Island,

and we feel like we're part

of a big family, don't we?

And, Jesus said that's actually a sign

that, "You're My disciples

if you love one another."

And right now, if God loves us

with an immeasurable and unfailing love,

He wants to turn hearts toward Him

so that they can choose life.

But before we study,

we have a song to sing.

It's our theme song for this series,

from Deuteronomy 31:6,

"Be strong and of good courage."

Let's sing it together.

♪ music ♪

(Derek) Let's pray together,

Father in heaven, thank You so much

that we can study

Present Truth in Deuteronomy today.

As we see the appeal of Moses

at the end of his life,

appealing to people to turn

their hearts toward God,

I pray the Holy Spirit would speak

to hearts today across the world

as we, Hope Sabbath School members, study,

turning our hearts more fully toward You
than ever before.

Please bless, I pray in the powerful name
of Jesus. Amen.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) we're going to begin our study

in Deuteronomy, chapter 4.

Brittany, would you read for us

verses 22 through 26.

It's a prophecy that the prophet Moses

gave regarding the children of Israel

after they finally settled.

Now, remember,

they're on the borders of Canaan, right?

But Moses has been told

he is not going to actually go into Canaan

but he gives this prophecy

under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Let's read together Deuteronomy 4:22-26.

(Brittany) And I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) Now, that's a sad prophecy,

and by the way, Moses

was not allowed to enter the land.

What was it that he did,

do you remember, Sabina, that caused

the Lord to say, "You've spoken..."?

We don't need to read the text,

but do you remember the story?

He did something that, well, it said

something about God that wasn't true.

Do you remember what it was?

He was told to speak

to the rock, Brittany.

(Brittany) He was told
to speak to the rock,

and water would come out,

but instead he struck the rock.

(Derek) Twice.

(Brittany) Yup, two times.

(Derek) He struck the rock

at the beginning, as God told him,

but this was all a symbol of what,
who's the Rock?

(Brittany) Christ.

(Derek) Christ was the Rock,

and Christ would only die one time.

So, he would then just need to come...

Doesn't the Bible say we can come boldly?

(Team) Yes.

(Derek) Yeah, in the name of Jesus,
we come boldly.

So, you say, "Well, that
wasn't very fair."

But actually, we'll discover

in a later study that God had something

really special in mind for Moses.

And Moses was loved by God.

But here's this warning,

a prophecy of apostasy.

When was that fulfilled?

Does anybody know how quickly

after entering into Canaan

did the children of Israel

turn to foreign gods? Harold?

(Harold) After the death of Joshua,

because after Moses we see

that Joshua took his place.

But after he died, then we see

this lack of leadership.

And all of a sudden tons of people

are following foreign gods

of the surrounding nations.

(Derek) You're absolutely right.

Amy, I wonder if you could read for us

from Judges, chapter 2.

There's a theme...Judges 2:7-13.

There's a theme in the book of Judges.

Do you know what it is?

"And everyone did what was right..."?

(Derek, Team) "...in their own eyes."

(Derek) So, that's the problem, isn't it?

Instead of saying, "God,

what do You want me to do?"

wanting to do what seems right
"in my own eyes."

And let's see where they ended up.

Amy, read for us, if you would,

from Judges 2, verses 7 through 13.

(Amy) Okay, and I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) Now, it says

they didn't know the Lord.

What does that mean, Jason?

They must have known about Him, right?

(Jason) Yeah, they definitely knew about,

because they still had the stories,

but they didn't have the relationship.

There wasn't emotional, spiritual knowing.

They only had academic,
intellectual knowledge.

(Derek) I'm thinking, later Jesus

would say, "This is life eternal,

that they might know Thee."

That's talking about an intimate
relationship, isn't it?

So, they knew about God,

but they didn't know Him,

and the result: apostasy.

But let's see what else Moses prophesied.

John, if you could read on for us

in Deuteronomy, chapter 4,

verses 27 and 28.

(John) Deuteronomy, chapter 4,

verses 27 and 28, I'm reading

from the King James Version; it says:

(Derek) And when was that fulfilled,

that "scattering," anybody know? Jason?

(Jason) Well, that was the end

of the period of the kings.

It happened for both Israel and Judah,

when Assyria took away
the Northern kingdom,

and then Babylon came

and took away the Southern kingdom.

It was several hundred years,

but it eventually was fulfilled there.

(Derek) That's right, starting

in, what, the eighth century,

end of the eighth century,

and then down 605, I think Daniel,

and then in the 500s,

later when more are taken captive.

So, this prophecy was also fulfilled.

Now, I want to ask you a question.

Was it inevitable? Maybe I can ask Adison.

Adison, joining us from British Columbia,

was it inevitable that these prophecies
would be fulfilled?

Could they have repented?

Or, did it have to be that way,

that they would serve idols

and eventually be scattered?

What do you think, Adison?

(Adison) Pastor Derek,

that's such a phenomenal question,

and I'll say this, I believe

it was a conditional prophecy.

I believe that if they had stayed

close to the Lord (as the Lord had said,

He is their life), if they
had clung to Him,

if He had been their life support

through thick and thin,

they would have been facing
a different outcome.

(Derek) Can you think of an example

of that in Scripture?

Yes, Travis, think of an example?

(Travis) I'm thinking of the story

of Jonah, you know,

when he went to Nineveh.

And he said that the city
would be destroyed.

And, of course, we know from the story

that it wasn't destroyed.

And I forgot, but in the book of Jeremiah,

it says somewhere in the book of Jeremiah,

that when someone makes a prophecy,

if that people repent,

that that prophecy would not be fulfilled.

So, I believe that if the children

of Israel had stayed close to God,

that this would not have happend.

(Derek) And even if the children of Israel

as a people had chosen

to go after other gods...

Finish the sentence for me.

Even if, as a people, they'd chosen

to go after other gods, still, what?

(Sabina) Still there would be hope
for those who were remnant...

(Derek) That's right! Absolutely, Sabina.

There's always hope for the remnant

that says, "We're not going to do that."

An example on the plain of Dura,

a whole bunch of people bowed down.

Now, if I understand correctly,

there were many other young people

taken captive besides Daniel,

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

but everybody else bowed down.

So, we still have a choice, don't we?
Yes, Sabina.

(Sabina) And by the way, Pastor Derek,

the entire book of Deuteronomy,
actually,

which we already discussed

how it's a reinforcing of the law,

what would be the point

of reinforcing, giving so much warning,

if they had no choice?

What would be the point

of insisting they choose life

if they could not repent

and could not turn away in the future

from potential harm?

So, I definitely think that they

could have done much better.

(Derek) Alright. Yes, John.

(John) It reminds me also

of the story of Belshazzar.

His grandfather, of course,

followed other gods, but he repented.

(Derek) Nebuchadnezzar, right?

(John) Yeah, Nebuchadnezzar.

But Belshazzar, although he knew

what God had done to his grandfather,

he did not obey the God that he worshiped.

So, it's very interesting

to see that same pattern.

(Derek) And by the way, when Daniel

kind of rebukes him there in Daniel 5,

he says, "And you knew

all these things, O king," right? Jason?

(Jason) And building off that idea,

there's a distinction between nations
and individuals.

And so, well, what was going

to happen with Babylon,

we knew that the head of gold,

it was going to end,

it didn't have to be with Belshazzar.

(Derek) And by the way, that would be true

for today, wouldn't it, folks?

Just because I'm part of the church,

I've still got a choice,

an individual choice to make, right?

And if a church that I'm a part of...

Some people have written to me

and said, "Pastor, I feel like my church

has gone away from the Bible."

Does that mean that that church member

has to also go away from the Bible?

(Team) No.

(Derek) Well, that's what the Reformation

was all about, wasn't it?

We're trying to protest

going away from the Bible.

Bring people back to the Word of God.

Well, we want to go on with this prophecy,

because the good news is,

that even the prophecy

about apostasy, idolatry, captivity,

is not without hope.

Harold, can you read for us, please,

Deuteronomy 4 and verse 29?

(Harold) Yes, and I'll be reading

from the New King James Version; it reads:

(Derek) "From there," where's
the "there" again?

(John) Captivity.

(Derek) From captivity,
that's right, John.

From your place where you've ended up

because of your failures, "You will..."?

(Harold) Seek the Lord.

(Derek) Seek the Lord, how?

(Team) With all of your heart.

(Derek) With all your heart.

Does that remind you of another verse

in the Bible, anybody?

It's actually a contemporary prophet

during the captivity.

Who was that, that spoke

about "with all your heart"?

Do you remember that?

(Team) Jeremiah.

(Derek) Jeremiah, that's right.

John, could you read that for us

in Jeremiah, chapter 29,

verses 11 through 14.

So, that makes me wonder,

do you think Jeremiah was aware

of the prophecy of Moses?

(Team) Oh, yes.

(Derek) Absolutely. The Holy Spirit says,

"Don't forget what I said

through the prophet Moses," right?

How does Jeremiah repeat that concept,

John, in Jeremiah 29, verses 11 to 14?

(John) Reading from the King James
Version, and it says:

(Derek) So, Travis, I have

a question for you: Why is it important

to seek the Lord with all our heart?

Is God trying to hide from us?

I mean, in the Garden of Eden,

it's God who is looking

for the sinful pair, right,

the ones who have just made a poor choice.

Why do we have to seek God

with all of our heart?

(Travis) Well, Derek, I'm thinking

of a Bible verse; I'm thinking

of the book of Matthew, where it says,

"No one, having set their hand to the plow

and looking back, has eternal life."

I think of another, I think it's in Mark,

where it's talking about the end of time,

and the things going on.

It says, "Remember Lot's wife."

So, there's no middle ground.

We can't serve two masters.

The Bible says we'll love one

and hate the other.

And so, when we turn

to God with all our heart,

it's then that He can work

in us and through us to change us,

to be a blessing to others.

But there is no middle ground.

(Derek) So, I was thinking about that,

and I'll come to your point, Adison.

It's true with love.

I mean, you know, if I said to my wife,

"I'll love you on Mondays and Thursdays,"

what would you say?

That can't be true love, right?

You can't just love

on Mondays and Thursdays,

if you're going to love

with all your heart,

it will be a total commitment.

Not that God is requiring that

in order to accept us.

He's seeking for us.

It's like Travis said,

there really is no other way, is there?

Adison, you want to add to that?

(Adison) Yeah, I thought of one word

that, when I think about this subject,

I think of the word impartiality.

The only way to have

a relationship with God,

a constant relationship,

is to go into it without a divided heart,

to say, "Lord, I'm completely Yours,

surrendering to You each and every day.

No impartiality. I am all Yours."

(Derek) So, let's think about that

in terms of the context.

It's a time of failure,

but the prophecy is,

in this time of failure,

"If you seek Me with all of your heart,

you will find Me.

P.S., I'm not trying

to hide from you," right?

But, "You seek Me with all of your heart."

Can you think of a Bible character

who experienced - and there are

probably many of them - terrible failure,

but rather than choosing to give up

and be eternally lost,

he or she said, "I'm going to seek

the Lord with all my heart"?

Amy, can you think of someone

that comes to your mind?

Said, "I'm not going to give up.

I'm not going to," yeah, "despair;

I'm going to seek God with all my heart."

Who comes to your mind?

(Amy) I think David comes
to my mind first.

You know, after his terrible sin

and fall with Bathsheba,

one of the famous quotes

in the Bible maybe, or one of the songs

that's made from a Bible verse

is, "Create in me a clean heart."

You know, it's this whole idea

of seeking God with his whole heart

and recognizing that God is the One

who can change the heart, too.

(Derek) Oh, I can imagine...

That's a great illustration, Amy.

I can imagine, if King David
was listening,

he'd say, "Amy, it wasn't just

that adulterous affair with Bathsheba,

but I also killed her husband,

who was more honorable

in his conduct than I was,

and I brought shame to the name of God."

But you're absolutely right, Amy.

He said, "I'm going to seek God.

Create in me a clean heart.

I'm going to seek God

with my whole heart."

And he found forgiveness,
right? Hallelujah.

Brittany, can you think of another story?

(Brittany) I think of Peter,

the disciple of Christ,

and how Jesus had warned him

that, "You will deny Me

before the rooster crows," and Peter did.

And afterwards, he was very sorrowful.

He repented, and Jesus,

when He arose from the dead,

came and had a conversation with him

where He restored him,

not just to this loving relationship
with Himself,

but He restored him to go and serve

and bring others to Him.

And it was beautiful to see, He asks him

three times, "Do you love Me?"

And Peter responds, "You know

I love You, Lord; You know all things."

And so, we see that even someone

who was walking with Jesus

for three-and-a-half years

committed a great failure,

but God restored him

and gave him a mission to go

and find others who had

maybe made the same mistake,

that they could come back

to the Savior as well.

(Derek) And that story of Peter,

Simon Peter, paralleled with Judas.

You know, both denied Jesus,

and one opted for despair, right?

And the other one opted

to seek the Lord with his whole heart.

And, as we mentioned in a previous study,

Jesus not only forgave him,

but He gave him an important mission.

You know, that's the grace
of God, isn't it?

So, when we read this prophecy of Moses

in Deuteronomy, chapter 4,

it really is a prophecy of hope.

Now, I want to give a testimony.

People write and say, "I appreciate

how people are willing to share."

Can you think of a time,

a time when you experienced failure,

but you said, "I'm going to choose

not to give up in despair,

but seek God with my whole heart"?

Now, because some people

may be watching and saying, "Well,

the Hope Sabbath School members

are all perfect, and they don't

understand how I feel.

They don't understand."

"I've experienced failures in my life,

but God showed mercy to me."

Jason, people will probably say, "Jason

has never had a problem in his life,"

but we're all on the planet, right?

We're all sinners in need of grace.

Can you think of a time of failure,

when, instead of giving up -

which, by the way,

who tempts us to give up?

The enemy, right, "Curse God
and die," right?

But instead, you said, "No,

I'm going to seek God with all my heart."

(Jason) Yeah, so, during the time

when I was in high school,

I was in a high school that had

a lot of spiritual emphasis

and really helped me grow spiritually.

But then during the summers,

I would leave school,

and I would be back home.

I mean, home was a good place,

but also, I'm with friends and others

who could guide me

in other different directions.

I remember there was one summer,

particularly, where, being separated

from the spiritual connection
I had at the school

was really hitting me hard.

And so, I was feeling that,

and I was wanting to replace it

with whatever I could.

And so, that summer I really got

into watching all these kinds of movies
and TV media.

There were a lot of things

that were not godly,

and I was just desperate for something.

And so, I was just spending my time

absorbed in all this media

that was not good for me.

And there was about a two-week period

that was really dark during my life

during that time,

and I felt, like, darkness.

But I felt kind of trapped.

I was like, "I know this bad.

I know I shouldn't be doing this,

but I'm just desperate."

And so, I was just in this dark period.

And then after about two weeks there,

I finally was like, "Lord,

I can't stand this anymore.

Lord, I've got to give myself
back to You."

And I really just kind of...

I think I would open my Bible.

I just started praying.

I was like, "Lord, please,

get me out of this situaton."

And thankfully I was able

to go on a little bit of a trip

and move out of that situation.

And then a couple weeks later,

I was back at school.

I was in my spiritual atmosphere,

and I was able to talk with others

who were able to encourage
and strengthen me.

And that really kind of helped restore me.

That time was dark; it was difficult,

but I realized that by having
the Word of God

and being able to surround myself

with others who could give me

spiritual encouragement, particularly

at a time that I really needed it,

that got me through that dark time.

(Derek) I learned something here,

Maybe someone on the team,

you want to react.

But it sounded like environment

was an important factor,

either negatively or positively.

Amy, I see you nodding.

Why is environment so important?

You say, "Well, I'm free.

I can choose whatever."

Why does environment

affect people so much?

(Amy) That's a really good question,

and I think that there are
a number of reasons.

But a lot of times the world

looks a little bit better
than following God,

And I know, as a parent of young people,

teenagers and now getting
into their twenties,

you know, a lot of times our church

and God's Word looks more like

a list of do's and dont's

rather than a welcoming

and inviting place to be.

And so, I think that the world

really does have a draw,

especially on our young people,
but any of us.

And, you know, again it's Satan.

He's good at what he does, unfortunately.

(Derek) You know, I can remember

(this is my personal testimony),

I can remember, in public high school,

I did live in a Christian family,
but when I was

with my non-Christian friends,

I would act a certain way.

I would talk differently.

And the environment, that would mean

I ought to choose my environment

carefully, right, Harold?

Travis, I see you responding

to that concept of choosing

your environment carefully.

(Travis) Well, Derek, it wasn't

an environment I guess I chose.

I come from a broken family,

and at 15 I went and lived with somebody

who lived obviously contrary

to the will of God.

Like, I had never sworn

or did anything like that before,

so I kind of, from 15

on into my 20s and 30s,

I grew up in this environment.

And I began cursing, and I began drinking

and smoking and chewing tobacco

and living an adulterous lifestyle,

I mean, just really bad.

So now here, just thinking of Peter

as was just mentioned, I'm thinking,

coming out of that,

Satan reminds us constantly

of our failures and our past.

And it means so much more, John 3:16

means so much more to me now

because I have to believe

that Jesus forgives me.

I have to believe that Jesus

can change the ways.

But the surroundings

and the environments in which we're in

have a profound impact on our lives.

It completely changed the person I am,

and, praise God, I am being changed again

into a new person

because I have a life with Jesus.

(Derek) And maybe a tribute, Travis,

there was a gentleman that God used,

a godly man that God used

to help turn your heart.

We're going to talk aobut turning hearts.

What was his name, and how did he help you

to seek the Lord with all your heart?

(Travis) Well, Derek, there were

actually several people along the way,

so I don't want to give credit

to one particular person.

But the very first person was a man

by the name of Randy

who was in the mountains of Wyoming.

He was leaned back

and kicked up on a chair

at a cabin in the mountains.

He started talking to me about God.

And that was my first introduction,

but there have been many people
along the way.

God has put people in to start

steering me and leading me back.

(Derek) That's a beautiful story,

and that's an interesting thought,

that God uses a variety of people.

And God not only accepted you

when you sought Him with your whole heart,
but He put you

onto the Hope Sabbath School team, Travis,

great to have you here.

We want to go on to the next verse,

and, Sabina, if you could read fo rus

Deuteronomy 4 and verse 30.

There is so much in these few verses,

right, present truth for our lives today

because it speaks about turning
to the Lord.

Could you read for us

Deuteronomy 4, verse 30?

(Sabina) Yes, I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,
and it says:

(Derek) And you're going to stop there

because we're going to read verse 31

in a minute to see what God will do,

but let's explore that phrase

"turn to the Lord."

Brittany, is that talking

about, "Oh, the Lord's there,

and so I'm turning my body"?

What does it mean to, "Turn to the Lord"?

(Brittany) I think of the word repentance.

Repentance means turn towards God,

or turn away from sin.

And so, we all have choices.

We talked about this in our last lesson.

Choose life or choose death,

God is giving us the choice.

He's right there waiting.

He's right next to us.

And He never leaves us nor forsakes us,

but He doesn't force us.

So, when it says, "Turn,"

it's giving us the opportunity to choose.

Am I going to choose to follow God,

or am I going to choose to go my own way?

(Derek) Adison, you want to add to that?

What does it mean to turn to the Lord?

(Adison) Well, can I use an analogy?

I thought of being on a road;

you're driving down a long,
maybe, interstate.

And you see all these signs

that are telling you not to go that way.

It's like a road to destruction.

And finally, you see the signs,

you believe the signs, and you see

what's good in the opposite direction,

and you make a U-turn.

You make a complete "360" maybe,

or I should say "180,"

and you go the other way,
and you serve the Lord.

(Derek) I can remember one time

on a divided highway,

and someone got on, and they

were driving on the wrong side

of the highway towards the rest of us.

And everybody's going, "Honk, honk!

Honk, honk, honk, honk!" to try,

and flashing their lights,

because if that person

doesn't make a U-turn,

they're going to have

a head-on collision, right?

So, great illustration, Adison. Travis?

(Travis) Just building off

of what Adison said,

the implication in the verse,

"Turn to the Lord,"

is that your back is to the Lord.

So, by implication, it's saying

that your back is to the Lord,

and that's not a good place, right?

We need to be "looking unto Jesus,

the author and finisher of our faith."

(Derek) And so, maybe the turning

is from looking down

or even looking at myself, my sin,

or my pleasures, or whatever,

and turning towards the Lord,

focusing on Him, making that choice.

That idea of the U-turn, though,

I like that; thank you, Adison.

That U-turn, I may actually have

to leave some things behind

or some intended destinations,

to use the image, right,

I'm heading on a...

What are some things

I might have to leave behind

when I say, "I'm going to turn to the Lord

and seek Him with my whole heart," Sabina?

(Sabina) I think that the first thing

we need to leave behind

is our own selfish desires,

you know, our own ideas

of what life is about

and even about who God is.

And so, letting the self go

and letting God, then, direct our lives.

For me, it's one of the steps.

(Derek) Letting go of our selfish desires.

Now, doesn't it say somewhere

in the Bible, "Trust in the Lord

with all your heart," right?

But I'm thinking of another one

where He will give you

the desire of your heart.

So, desires of our heart are not bad

as long as our heart is...(someone
finish the sentence).

(Brittany) In tune with God.

(Derek) Turned toward God, right?

Then I'm saying, "Oh, God,

I'm looking for a companion

who wlll love me and love You."

That's a good desire, right?

When my heart is turned to God,

it brings that into alignment. Jason?

(Jason) Sometimes we may need

to turn away from people.

They could be friends.

They could be family.

They could be even supervisors at work

or even teachers, anyone who

might have an influence on us

that isn't leading us towards God.

(Derek) You talked in your testimony

about turning away from certain forms
of media, right?

There may be some things

I need to leave behind. Yes, Adison.

(Adison) Yeah, so I was

thinking about this, and I think

it even applies to our future plans
and wonderings.

Like, "Lord, what would You have me to do?
What's Your plan?"

I still am sort of wrestling

with some of those questions,

but yet I'm constantly reminded,

and I praise God for this verse.

He brings it to my mind all the time;
it's Matthew 6:33

where He says, "Seek first."

Not seek second, not seek third,
but seek first,

make God your first priority.

"Seek first His kingdom

and His righteousness.

All these other things

shall be added unto you."

So, with future endeavors,

with the desires of your heart,

I mean, God is so good.

And I pray that He will

give me the strength and the faith

to continue to move forward by His grace.

(Derek) Amen. And we're praying

for you, Adison, because these are

important times as we think

about what we're going to do
with our lives.

I love the prayer of Saul of Tarsus.

He's about to be changed

to Paul the apostle.

He prays a simple prayer, "Lord,

what do You want me to do?"

I mean, that is just so simple.

I can remember that one.

"Lord, what do You want me to do?"

Amy, what are some things

you were thinking about we may have

to turn away from, or what were you

thinking as we talk about these choices
we're making?

(Amy) I was just going

to second what Adison said.

You know, sometimes our future plans.

I remember I was studying

with a young lady in Asia,

and she was on a fast track

to a high-paying career and was

building up a really good reputation,

popularity, within her business.

And she felt like God

was calling her away from that.

And even, she had a picture

of what her husband was going to look like

and who he was, even though she didn't
have a man in her life.

She just had this picture,

and she felt like she was

having to give that up.

And it was a struggle.

You know, sometimes turning to God

and leaving some of these things
behind us.

I think of Lot's wife.

She turned around and looked

because she was leaving something

that was important to her,

and it can be a challenge.

And I think that this is where

community is really important.

That, as we're turning away,

and as we have friends and colleagues

and family and disciples

who are turning away from God,

they need help and encouragement

and support as they're turning

away from whatever it is

that God is calling them away from.

(Derek) It may not always be easy, right?

It may not always be easy.

Sabina, I'm going to ask you

to continue reading.

You were ready to read verse 31, I know.

But, if we turn to the Lord,

there the prophet's writing,

Moses is writing;

this is his heartfelt appeal
to his people.

What does he tell us in the next verse,

in Deuteronomy 4, verse 31?

(Sabina) Okay, so I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,
and it says:

(Derek) So, what's the word of hope?

(Sabina) He will not leave or forsake us.

(Derek) Right. If we turn to Him,

and we've used the wording

"with all our hearts,"

He's not hiding.

He's not pushing us away, right?

He's ready there to welcome us.

There's another verse that reinforces that

in the prophet Isaiah, chapter 55.

Travis, I think, if you

could find that for us...

We actually sang this

in one of our series,

on Isaiah, the Gospel Prophet.

I think it was our Scripture song.

Isaiah 55, verses 6 and 7.

Verses 6 and 7, how does

that read in your Bible?

(Travis) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) What a beautiful picture.

That reminds me of a New Testament
Jesus story.

What's the story that comes to your mind

when you hear that picture

of "He will abundantly pardon"?

(Harold) The woman who was caught

in adultery, and she was about
to be stoned.

And then we see Jesus

showing abundant mercy,

because He knew what was the intention

of the other people.

(Derek) Yeah, and I was thinking

of another one, too. Jason?

(Jason) The Prodigal Son?

(Derek) Right, how does the father respond

to this wayward son who has clearly been

in a place of failure, right?

How does he respond to him,

as recorded in Luke 15, Jason?

You don't need to read it...

(Jason) So, I'll share the story.

So, he's sitting there; he's waiting

to see when his son will come.

And when he sees him afar off,

he literally runs out to him,

even though he's this high official.

And he doesn't care

about any of his customs or anything.

And then he's crying, and he hugs him.

It's a very emotionally intense experience

of love and receiving him back.

(Derek) Absolutely amazing.

And, by the way, and we're going to go on

and talk about when we turn;

there'll be changes in our behavior.

What changes - let's take

the Prodigal Son as an example -

what changes has that son already made

before he gets embraced by his father?

There are several key changes. John?

(John) He left his friends

that influenced him badly,

and he turned towards his father.

(Derek) He changed his environment, right?

"I'm leaving the pigpen." What else?

What other turn did he

have to make? Sabina.

(Sabina) I feel like that he was turning,

also, in honoring his father,

because he had left his family,

left his father, as if he had died,

as if the father had passed away.

And now he was honoring his father

according to God's command.

(Derek) Beautiful. To his father,

that he had basically said,

"I wish you were dead,"

now he's saying, "I know my father

is a man of love and honor and integrity.

I'm going to go and throw myself

on his mercy," basically, right? Jason?

(Jason) He made the decision to go home,

to come back home.

(Derek) Not just leave the pigpen,

but come back home.

But let's look at the prophet
John the Baptist,

John the Baptist, in Matthew, chapter 3.

He also speaks about the fact

(and, Jason, maybe you

could read that for us,

the first eight verses of Matthew 3)

that repentance will involve

some changes in behavior.

But please hear what we're saying.

That is not to earn the love of God.

He already loves us.

It's to get those things out of the way

that are hindering

a life-changing relationship with Him.

Matthew 3, Jason, verses 1 through 8.

(Jason) I have the New King James
Version here,

Matthew, chapter 3, verses 1 through 8:

(Derek) Now, in Luke's Gospel,

and, Amy, maybe you could read it

for us in Luke, chapter 3,

John the Baptist gets very specific.

You know how the synoptic Gospels

complement each other, and Luke,

under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,

records some very specific words
that this U-turn,

to use Adison's analogy there,

making a U-turn and saying, "I'm heading

on the road to destruction."

Everyone's honking; people of God

are flashing their headlights

and saying, "Wrong way."

What are some specifics, Amy,

that John the Baptist talks about

in Luke 3, verses 10 to 14?

(Amy) This is from the New King James
Version:

(Derek) What do they all have in common?

We're listening to some of those things;

what do they all have in common?

Anybody? Yes, Sabina?

(Sabina) It looks like they are curious

to know what they should be doing,
so they are asking questions.

(Derek) Okay, the people!

Thank you, my words weren't clear,

but the people, all in common

say that there have got

to be some changes, right? Thank you.

Now, let me ask the question again.

So, what do the things that John

asked them to do all have,

what do they all have in common?
Yes, Brittany.

(Brittany) It's all about how they
treat their neighbor.

(Derek) Okay.

(Brittany) Jesus talks about loving Him
first, and loving

our neighbor as we love ourselves.

So, it's all how they treat each other

that would reveal if they have

the love of God in their hearts.

(Derek) It's a shift, isn't it,

from you being the center of the world,

right, to thinking about how to care
for other people.

And that is an evidence of what?

Not just that you're trying

to be a nicer person...

(John) Love.

(Derek) That the love of God

is in your heart, right?

That you've connected

with the God of heaven who loves you

and also loves everyone around you.

And so, you're treating them differently,

whether you're a soldier

or a tax collector,

or whatever your occupation might be.

It's affecting the way

that you relate to those around you.

Now, one other change

that happens in this U-turn

is found in Acts, chapter 2 and verse 38.

Many people, maybe people

without a Christian background,

they say, "You know, I've heard

about Christian baptism;

what does that mean?

What's the significance of that?"

Well, it's part of this turning

of our hearts, isn't it?

It's part of this turning

away from the things

that are destroying us, toward God.

Brittany, would you read for us

in Acts, chapter 2 and verse 38,

and let's see what it says.

(Brittany) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,

Acts, chapter 2, verse 38:

(Derek) I have a question for you, John:

Does the water of baptism

actually wash away sin?

(John) No.

(Derek) So, you're telling me

an unrepentant sinner could say,

"Well, everybody's getting baptized;

I'm going to go be baptized,"

that he or she would go into the water,

come out just a wet, unrepentant sinner?

(John) Yep.

(Derek) So then, what is the significance
of baptism?

Apparently, it was an important invitation

on the Day of Pentecost.

(John) I think baptism is a symbol

of what the Holy Spirit has already done

within the heart of a person.

(Derek) Alright, the fact

that you've chosen to surrender

your life wholly to Jesus?

Ask Him to forgive your sins.

So, you're saying that's

just a visual representation

of what He's already done?

(John) Yes.

(Derek) Sabina, what do you think
about that?

(Sabina) I think, when you see

a person being baptized,

that you turn the person down,

you know, on the back,

and then when they come back

it's like if you die with Christ,

and then you are raised again.

That's what the Word of God says,

that when we are buried with Christ,

and then we are raised up,

in the baptism,

it's just a public confession

of this dying to our own desires,

as you were saying, the selfish ones,

the ones that are not aligned
with God's will,

and surrendering to His will in our lives.

(Derek) And rising up in a new life
in Christ, right?

You were quoting there

from Romans, chapter 6.

I remember I had the privilege

of participating in a baptism one time,

and the person said,

"Hold me under for a long time;

there are a lot of sins

that need to be washed away."

Well, it's just the symbol,

but it is not insignificant.

It's saying, somebody said,

publicly, I think Sabina, right?

It's a public confession

that I have, what?

(Brittany) Turned to Christ.

(Derek) I've turned, yeah,

I've turned to God.

I've turned to Jesus as my Savior,

and I'm not ashamed

to make that confession.

It's a beautiful passage

here in Deuteronomy.

Even though prophecy of apostasy,
idolatry, failure,

that we don't have to stay there, right?

We can choose to turn to the Lord,

knowing He will welcome us back. Sabina?

(Sabina) I'm just thinking

that, Pastor Derek, we've been talking

even in previous classes

about the importance of choosing well,
to choose life.

And that's it, you know?

It's just about choosing life.

It's not something about just what we
are letting go.

It's also what we are

choosing for the future.

It's not just about the "don'ts,"

but about the do's and what God has

for you in your future.

(Derek) So, let's imagine we have a friend

like in the place that Jason

was in some years ago.

He was in high school, so a teenager

who says, "Amy, I know

I should turn away from those things

because they are leading me away from God,

but I just don't feel like it,"

what would you say to her?

What would you say to him?

They're being honest, right?

"I know I should turn away.

Those things are deadening

my spiritual sensitivity,

but I just don't feel like turning

away from those things"?

What would you say?

(Amy) That's kind of a hard question
to answer,

but I think we all know

that it's the Holy Spirit

that leads us to repentance.

And so, my encouragement to them

would be, "The Holy Spirit

is working in your life.

You're not wanting to repent of your own.

This is something that the Holy Spirit
is doing in you.

And trust the Holy Spirit;

lean into Him, trust God,

and surround yourself with a community

of believers who can help

support you through this;
don't be afraid."

(Derek) Okay, could I pray to God

to help me to hate the things that I love

that are opposed to Him?

Would that be an appropriate prayer?

What do you think, John?

(John) There's a promise in Acts,

chapter 5 and verse 31 which says,
talking about Jesus:

(Derek) So, you would tell your friend,

"It's okay if you don't feel like it.

Ask God to give you

a spirit of repentance"?

Or, maybe someone's watching today,

and you're saying, "Pastor Derek,

that's me," you know.

"I've got these things

that are dragging me away from God

that will lead me to destruction,

but I don't feel like I can

be freed from them."

The Word of God is saying

that God gives us the gift of repentance.

We can also choose

to change our environment;
we've learned that.

We can choose to turn,

even though we're weak,

and see a loving God

running to meet us, who loves us

with an immeasurable and unfailing love.

My friend, if that's you,

I want to appeal to you

to turn to the Lord with all your heart.

If you know someone, you love someone,

who needs to turn,

you pray for her; you pray for him,

because our God is a miracle-working God.

Let's pray together; Father in heaven,

Turn Their Hearts, what a theme.

We thank You that You are ready

and longing to welcome us with acceptance,

forgiveness, salvation, grace and joy.

I pray for those making that turn today,

and I pray we would reflect

the love of God to those around us.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) Well, you were listening today,

and you said, "That's me,"

or, "someone I know."

Don't keep that good news to yourself.

God loves with an immeasurable
and unfailing love.

Go out and share that good news

with those around you.

♪ theme music ♪