Wholehearted Commitment

Wholehearted Commitment

(Deuteronomy 6:1-25)

Yearly Theme:  “Patience is…”

Series Title:  “Preserving Patience”

March 13^th, 2022

Something to think about:

Are you committed to what you believe in and promote? 

We come to a passage of Scripture today that focuses on “wholehearted commitment.”  After the Exodus from Egypt, and after the 40 years of wilderness wanderings, the Israelites were now ready to enter the Promised Land that GOD swore to give to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  In this final book of instruction (Deuteronomy), Moses is teaching a new generation of Jewish people what GOD desires of, and expects from, them.  Following along with me today…

Turn in your Bible to:  Deuteronomy 6:1-25

With this reiteration of the covenant of GOD to the people of GOD, Moses exhorts the Israelites to love, commitment, and faithfulness to GOD.

Here’s the takeaway this morning:

Key Point:  “Wholehearted commitment to GOD’s commands is a means to blessing and preservation of life.”

Let’s look at the main points of this passage today in more detail:

• Commitment to GOD alone is paramount to  and  .

Deuteronomy 6:4-6 (NLT), ⁴ “Listen, O Israel!  The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.  ⁵ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.  ⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 

John 14:15 (NLT), “If you love me, obey my commandments.

• If we’re not careful, prosperity can  from a  to GOD.

Deuteronomy 6:10-13 (NLT), ¹⁰ “The Lord your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build.  ¹¹ The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce.  You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant.  When you have eaten your fill in this land, ¹² be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.  ¹³ You must fear the Lord your God and serve him.  When you take an oath, you must use only his name.

• Each  must be taught the  of love and commitment to GOD.

Deuteronomy 6:20-25 (NLT), ²⁰ “In the future your children will ask you, ‘What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the Lord our God has commanded us to obey?’

²¹ “Then you must tell them, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand.  ²² The Lord did miraculous signs and wonders before our eyes, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people.  ²³ He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had sworn to give our ancestors.  ²⁴ And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day.  ²⁵ For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us.’

Something to take home:

A missionary society wrote to David Livingstone and asked, “Have you found a good road to where you are?  If so, we want to know how to send other men to join you.”  Livingstone wrote back, “If you have men who will come only if they know there is a good road, I don't want them.  I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”[1] 

True love and commitment is willing to go the distance even when the way seems impossible.  Wholehearted commitment to GOD requires everything, and not just something.  There can be ho half-hearted commitment when it comes to following Christ; it’s either all or nothing.

Jesus said,

Matthew 12:30 (NLT), “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.”

Key Point:  “Wholehearted commitment to GOD’s commands is a means to blessing and preservation of life.”

However, the adverse is true as well.  Where there is no wholehearted commitment to GOD, there are curses and the path to destruction.  Which path have you chosen?

[1] Good News Broadcaster, April 1985,  p. 12.