The Word God Desires for You (Deut. 13:12-18)
We will share the grace of God today with the last bit of Deuteronomy 13. Deuteronomy is the content of Moses’ sermon that he gave to the Israelites before going into the land of Canaan, emphasizing this message for the last time. Our walk of faith begins by listening well. Moses didn’t do any other action other than delivering the word of God, and everybody was listening to Moses, but there were those who listened well and those who listened incorrectly. That is what determines our life.
In the Word we read today, our life is not determined by anything else. Never in the Bible does it say to try hard or go by your efforts. It never says we succeed by working hard or fail due to lack of diligence. From the very beginning, humans were created to live by the Spirit that gives life, and right now, if we lose hold of that, then the words we read in today’s main scripture will happen in our lives. Being a human means everything begins through the life of God and it goes out into the world through us.
For a fish, being in the water is life, and humans are created to live with the life of Christ. That is the blessing and answer of our lives of ruling and conquering. I wish you and I would know what a “human being” is. These are the words of warning given to the Israelites, the saved people of God, before they entered into the land of Canaan. “If you hear this said about one of the towns the Lord Your God has given you to live in.” It never says, “The land you worked hard to develop on your own. The LORD says, “This is the land I have given you to live in.” I don’t know how much you agree with these words, and even the word “agree” is the wrong word, I mean, how much do you hear these words?
If you don’t hear these words, you’ll receive the answer of not hearing these words. It doesn’t matter whether you agree with it or disagree because the Word of God is truth. But what we have learned in the world is that human beings are separated from God, because of our original sin. We are centered on ourselves. The message of the devil and the characteristic of those lost in original sin is that, instead of receiving everything from the Triune God including his life and his power, we say that we are created to live on our own, to decide what is good on our own and I am the source of life. We only agree with God’s Word if we agree with it. But whether I agree with God’s Word or not, God is fulfilling His Word exactly as He said.
It’s not a matter of whether I received God’s Word or not, I have to receive the covenant. God’s Word does not waver back and forth, based on how I feel, but God’s Word is unchanging. The issue is not whether my life is successful or a failure, but God’s Word is unchanging and is being fulfilled even now. But the reason we don’t accept God’s Word as God’s Word is because we compare God’s Word to our circumstances. That’s evidence that I am my own standard, that itself is Original Sin and the work of Satan. “If it makes me feel bad, I won’t go to worship.” That’s what it means to be human. “If it offends me, I don’t want to listen to the message,” that’s a human. “I feel good today so maybe I’ll go to church today.” I’m sure you ‘re not like this but all humans have this capability.
“The pulpit message doesn’t give me any grace so I should move churches,” If you ask for grace, God will always give you grace. The issue is, you’re not coming to church in a state where you can receive grace, so you’re not receiving it. Depending on how much someone acknowledges that, they will receive God’s grace and see the fulfillment of God’s covenant. What’s the characteristic of a mental illness? “I’m so depressed right now,” those words may be right, but don’t you think it’s wrong? Even more true than the fact that you’re depressed right now is that God is with you, but you don’t believe God is with you; you believe more in your depression. Before the depression came, the person’s state was centered on themselves. Then the depression is not the issue, but their spiritual state has made them their own god.
Until that changes, the mental illness will not be healed. If you have a physical disease, yes that might be right, but you must enjoy Christ regardless but for us, we’re not able to enjoy Christ because of the illness. It’s because our spiritual state is completely centered on ourselves. Listen to the words the people say, they say words that are correct, “”Because I have this illness.” I’m not only talking about diseases or illness, I’m talking about any problem you face. Those words are absolutely correct, they’re facing a problem and they are talking about the facts regarding their problem. But the real problem is they are speaking while losing hold of the fact that Jesus Christ is with them now. That person may be speaking of the present reality accurately, but they’ve lost hold of the spiritual fact, so they’re seized by Satan and there are many believers like that, and they don’t know what I’m saying. They say, “Listen to this. This is the fact.” Listen to anyone, they say “ Your life is not determined by what’s right or wrong; your life is determined by God’s Word.
In Genesis 3, Satan says, “You will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So, you become your own standard, knowing what is right, what is wrong. There are different ways to be possessed by demons. There are those who get physically crazy and you can see them demon-possessed, but other people are centered on their own standards. That demon possession is so strong in them, they’re so certain in their own standards. The person is beaten just as strongly, but that’s grace. Because otherwise, that person will not hold onto God’s Word.
Deut. 13:12, “If you hear about these towns,” meaning what you hear is very important. “Wicked men have arisen among you and have led the people of their own astray saying, ‘Let us go and worship other gods.’” They’re not speaking of anything else, but gods we have not known. These are the things that happen when you go into Canaan. Worshiping or talking about the gods that the land of Canaan is worshiping, these are gods the Israelites haven’t even seen, so these are gods you do not know.
Deut. 13:14-15, “Then you must inquire, probe, and investigate it thoroughly, and if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. Destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock.” This means to kill all the living creatures in the land, the people and animals. If what happens? If it is proven that there are people saying, “Let us go and worship other gods.” Then centered on those people, killing everyone. For example, they’ll be living their lives diligently, worshiping idols, and they’ll be killed by plague. Or it says, “kill them with a sword,” and they’ll be wiped out by the sword. Then what determines our entire life and death? It’s whether you choose God or not.
Because you’re going into the land of Canaan to wage war, and if you’re hearing those words, these are the words of Satan to try to trick you into thinking something other than the Triune God that can satisfy your life, then cast it out without any exception; utterly destroy it. This is what we should be doing in the present day. It’s talking about anything, even the words people say, that make you think you can get life from something other than a heart? Do you know why people are constantly conned or fail? It’s because at a fundamental level, this person is far away from God’s Word. Even though they know the word of God, they’re Christian who believe that all the answers do not come from the Word.
Whether it’s through people or our business or marriage, Satan will put these thoughts into us, then what happens? You’re destroyed. That’s how the unbelievers in this world are destroyed, and the believers are also destroyed, that’s the nature of the world we’ve lived with . The answer that the Word will come from the God Who is with you: wait for that.
We’re bound to conquer Canaan. How do we conquer Canaan? By the covenant of God as we’re with God, however, if you think you’re fighting this battle with you? If you don’t want to be deceived and tempted by these other people, you must decide for yourself. “I will not take one step until Jesus Christ Who lives in me and is with you, gives me a sign.” That’s why you guys pray. You do not pray for whatever you want, but you pray for God’s sign and God’s plan. Then the land of Canaan is bound to be conquered.
It’s the same no matter who you’re talking to, but you’re about to receive an answer from the unprecedented, never repeated God because God has called me to be unprecedented and never repeated, your job and everything you do will be unprecedented and never repeated. But the people who have lost hold of God’s covenant will say, “It’s work,” or “it’s not working.” They keep saying words of unbelievers, “My business is doing as well as the stock market,” it means that person is not interested in God, but there’s too much stress from their job, because they’re in a fundamental state where they’re struggling. That’s why we come back to worship and refresh, because every person has the nature when they can do that. But people who say they’re confident say they can go with their thoughts without God’s Word.
The issue is not whether things are working out well for you or not; this is their spiritual state and problems are coming. Have we received God’s Word to conquer the land of Canaan? God says, “I will be with you,” then God will give us the Word of the time schedule on how to conquer. We do not know with your thoughts and own experiences, and the reason we keep making this mistake is we say, “because it did not come from God’s word, this is the reason the person will fail and fall.” It’s not about knowing the Word of God, but it’s about knowing the Word of God He gives you. If you follow the Word God gives you, then God will work ahead of you. With that, you conquer Canaan to the 237 nations of the world.
The more you succeed in the world, the more you’ll rely on and the things of the world, and that person will surely fall because a person in this state is irrelevant to God’s Word. Because their spiritual state is already like this, as time passes, the suffering will be revealed. Therefore, the church.
What I mean is that people rely on the government, and if they think their logic and rationality is perfect, God’s word is irrelevant. Conquering the land of Canan is not rational, save the 237 nations? That doesn’t align with my thoughts so it is irrelevant to me. What could I possibly do to save the middle school? God desires to save this region, then that’s what this Word means. Instead of this, there will be other words of temptation, “This is how you make money in your business,” don’t listen to those words. You were not called to this world to have a successful business, but to conquer Canaan. But the reason why people go crazy is because they think about what is beneficial to me.
People think, saving the world has no benefit for me,” then they do not need God. But that spiritual state is already in failure. If you go following the Word of God, it doesn’t mean it will be glittery and bright, but what does He promise in the end? Deut. 11:17 says, “He will increase your numbers. It means your abundance is within God’s Word. So don’t listen to unnecessary words just to be destroyed. All the blessings, the treasures, and wisdom come from the Triune God, and if you look from your experiences, you will not be aligned with God’s Word at all. However, Good will bring you to abundance just as he promised on oath to your forefathers.
He’s giving the same Word again to the Israelites. Do not be shaken by the words around you. If you are in the middle of prayer and you are praying for evangelism and missions and praying for it, and then you hear those words, then it’s an answer. But if you’re not in that state, then you are really far away from God’s covenant, so no matter what kind of answer you get, it may not matter, because without a doubt, that person will decide based on their benefit. So they’re in a spiritual state where they themselves are god. So the only things that get caught in their ear are the things I like, the things that help me. They’ll be laughing on the inside, “If I do this, things will be so great,” but if you hear those words, then kill them all, because that is what will destroy you, that’s what this word means.
By nature, we are people who feel good when we hear words that make us feel good. If we’re in a difficult situation and someone gives us advice, “All you have to do is this,” I received all answers from the Triune God. I confirm it through the Word, and if it’s not aligned with God’s Word, I stop. It is aligned with God’s Word, then I challenge. It seems foolish and naive, but it’s the way to not rely on myself. The reason it seems foolish to us is because it doesn’t seem similar to the life I’ve been living up until now, and it doesn’t seem like it will help us at all. However God and His Word are eternal, and if you hold onto this as you pray in your heart, God will work. Your continuous and repetitive failures are part of the spiritual state.
Inside this person’s mental illness, they get tied up and it is their spiritual state, the same thing that happens continuously and repetitively, that is their spiritual state. No matter how much you try to solve it, it will not be fixed. This is because this comes from your spiritual state and in order to correct your spiritual state, you must go into a state that is content with only Christ. Being in a state where you’re satisfied means you will not waver no matter what words people tell you.
I was talking on the phone with someone earlier this week, “This is the fourth man you’re meeting” rain and you need to hear it again because you’re a bit stubborn. You’ll do the same thing with them. If the Word of God doesn’t go into you, you’ll face the same problems again. The trauma of your past, all your insecurities and anxieties, you want to find comfort in someone, and that’s a man, for you, right? It’s the same even if they’re 70 years old. I hope you will listen correctly.
Don’t force yourself into a life of celibacy under a tree, you’re not a Catholic nun, you’re not a Buddhist monk, I told this person, “You’re not satisfied and content.” What kind of trauma does this friend have? They came to the US and that’s why their feelings are all towards men, and men come to her this way. But her face is like this, “so then what’s going to happen to our kids?” I said, “raise your children well. Imagine how confused your children will be. You never thought of that, did you? If these children are imprinted with only Christ, it would be incredible, but if not, it’s going to be confusing. You cannot reject that man, and that’s why our life continues to flow the same way.”
I’m not talking about the number of people right now. I’m talking about the state where this person has no choice. I’m talking about destruction. Joseph went to Egypt as a slave, imagine at such a young age, being in that situation, the fear, the anxiety, the loneliness, it’s hard even for an adult. So she has the blessing of being Joseph, but if the gospel doesn’t go into her accurately?
There’s no other method, everything is bound to come within this and He will move all things. It is the same for you and your children and all the people. The people of this nation are not like this, as we lack education or strength. There are so many great things that people began to think, “What’s so great about Christ?” And that was the problem. In that kind of state, it doesn’t matter how many. What is the church and person God desires? I am completely satisfied through only Christ and the Triune God, for the Lord is my shepherd. If we don’t have that and we’re in a lacking situation, we’re bound to be dragged off by people’s words. Listen to the words of people who have been dragged off. None of their words are untrue, they speak of the facts and reality. I met a lot of pastors like that, too.
“Pastor, I don’t get any offering, so I have to work.” Some people say, “I’m so busy trying to go to work and make a living, how can one go to church? They are in a state where the LORD is not their shepherd. Then I’m going to die, there’s no God there, then just come to worship and just die like that. Pastors, don’t go to work, only give messages and die like that, because if you die, you become a martyr for God. They can’t hear words like that, that means they don’t want to believe. That’s the state they’re in, of course it’s difficult, they don’t have believers, they don’t have offerings, just fail in your business.
If your body is just sick, just die. All you have to do is hold onto “only Christ” and then die. Vu instead you’re floundering trying to survive with your own strength, and yes, your desire to live and your standard may be good but it is separated from God. That’s what God is saying. “You guys left me. You want to get all these good things for yourself, so kill all of those people.” That means it ends all of Satan’s temptations like that, so of course, if you believe like this, you will seem foolish, but those are the perspective of people speaking from their own experiences. God is taking us down a new path so, you must not believe in your experiences.
If you make all your decisions based on the knowledge you’ve learnedm, then you’re dying. That’s just something to keep as reference, that’s not the Truth. The Truth means it’s true in all situations and that’s why you must believe in and listen to God’s Word, and if you fail to do that, even failure is a blessing but we’re afraid to fail, we’re afraid of dying, means you’re already separated from faith. All you have to do is die, because we never die, we live eternally. If it is time for us to die, the all we have to do is die, all you have to do is hold onto the covenant in faith and then die.
That death is not just us, but the faith will be relayed to many future generations . But there are so many seminaries and people who are dying because they mix half of their experiences and half of another word, and they try to make something else into their own. If it was the Word of God, it is the Word of God. I went to Sedona and there was a white pastor there. Whenever I said something, he said, “You’ve learned so much,” but it’s not something I learned. God gave me the words to say. They don’t need God. But people don’t talk about the Word given to me, they just talk about, “I learned a lot from you.” I told him multiple times, “It’s not from me,” but from that kind of perspective, if I think someone says the wrong words, I say, “You’re wrong,” that’s how it becomes.
But instead, you need to receive it by believing God is giving me these words through this person. Otherwise, if this person says words I disagree with or offends me, I won’t accept it. Because this person doesn’t believe in God. Yes, they do believe in God, but not in this situation. You have to stand before God, why is God telling me words I don’t want to hear through the mouth of this person? But instead of standing before God, they’re looking as if I’m one person teaching in some sort of college lecture. People do not fail because they lack logic or rationality, it doesn’t matter how much you go to church or how much theology you study; in that kind of state, you’re bound to fall. That’s when I first met this pastor; I’m sure he’s not like this anymore. I’m sure that’s not with everybody, but even if people have gone to church for a long., long time, they have an unchanging way of thinking. All you have to do is stand before God, then the Word of God is bound to go into you.
But you only want to hear words you want to hear, even if they’re words you don’t want to hear, they’re still the Word of God. But because you’re so self-centered, “If these words don’t help me, I don’t receive any grace.” That’s what kills you. But if you’re not like that and God is bound to give me His word in any time, location, and situation. All you have to do is stand before that God. God is bound to give His Word even through animals, or sometimes God can give the Word through TV shows you watch if you stand before God, but you don’t do that. We just say, “TV is TV,” and as we watch TV, we don’t stand before God. If that spiritual state continues, we have no choice but to suffer.
Conclusion
In today’s Word, we heard, “If these people enter into the land of Canaan, Satan says in other words, are you receiving all answers in your life and following the Word that comes from the Triune God? If yes, you confirm and challenge towards it, and if not, you throw it away. As I follow God’s Word, even if it doesn’t fit with my thoughts or experiences, it doesn’t matter because I give God’s Word during … It’s impossible to calculate all the great things of God; until you change that spiritual state that is always trapped by your ill and imagination, Satan will bring on reeeeeeeeee especially for our remnants, listen so carefully Because you grew up accepting the education of America.
Let us pray together holding onto the Word we have received.
Second, let us pray for the law school and Rise Kohyang middle and to allow us to follow God’s Word in faith. May we have strength to do this. It’s not just these schools; it’s your regions as well.
Third prayer topic, about two days ago, the young adult Charles in Nigeria was connected to the missionary in Tanzania, and he will receive training. Pray for him so that he may be the young adult who receives training. He’s enrolled into RU and there’s a seminary in Tanzania. Pastors go from Korea as well as from Africa, it’s a great place to receive training, please be aware of this and continue to pray.
Let us also pray for the young adults receiving training here, Naysay, He Chri, and Cameron, we have to be interested in them for our prayers to go to them. That’s the church. We ask you to pray for them because their goal is training. Let us also pray for our missions fields.
Benediction
May you restore great faith as you go home. Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the unending love of God, and the indwelling, working, guidance, and communion of the Holy Spirit, be upon all the heads of people of God, the people of all nations, and the remnants, who desire to be satisfied with only Christ of God and to testify of this to all nations, be with us from now until forevermore always, amen.