The 7th Petition - Rejoicing In Deliverance! Deuteronomy 8:1-10

Thanksgiving Eve                                                     23-November-2022
Sermon Text: Deuteronomy 8:1-10
Sermon Theme: “The 7th Petition - Rejoicing In Deliverance!” by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert.

I.N.R.I. Four decades had passed since their parents stood on the ground the Lord had brought them to through Moses. 40 years ago their parents broke faith with Christ and His Word of Promise. They refused to enter the promised land. Ten of the twelve spies claimed that victory over the people of the land would be impossible. The men of that land were giants while Israel grasshoppers. Their city walls reached to the sky - heavily fortified while Israel dwelt in tents. It would be better to die in the desert than to be slaughter by so great a foe. The Lord God listened to His rebellious children and gave them what they wanted. All the adults of that generation would die in the wilderness, except faithful Joshua and Caleb, before their children would be led across the Jordan to the Promised Land.
        Four decades has passed, only three men of that first generation survived, Moses, Joshua, and Caleb. Moses gathers the nation, once children, now adults with families - once more he catechizes them - teaches them God’s Holy Law, The Faith they confess passing it on to future generations, prayer to call upon God, and the sacrifices by which the Lord God drew near to them to bless them with forgiveness in the promised sacrifice of the Messiah - the Lamb of God - The One Who takes away the sin of the world. He will instruct them on the moral, civil, and ceremonial law by which their lives, their nation, and their worship was to be ordered for the glory of God and the benefit of their neighbor.
Now Moses instructs them to give thanks for the Lord’s deliverance. This evening as our nation pauses to give thanks, let us sit at the feet of our Savior and learn from Him: “The 7th Petition - Rejoicing In Deliverance!”
        It may seem like 40 years to your sinful flesh that we have been reviewing the ABC’s of Christ’s Doctrine - His Teaching - His Word - during this past Trinity Season. We have journeyed through the Holy Ten Commandments - our road map for Christian living. The Apostles’ Creed - Manna from Heaven - pure gift from our loving God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - to make, keep, and daily restore us to new life in the flesh and blood of Jesus. We have learned from Jesus to pray through and with Him to our Father through the Spirit by His Word.  
          Moses teaches the children of Israel. (Vs.1-2) Why pray? (LSB pg. 325 L.P. Conclusion W.D.T.M?) - We have God the Father’s Command and Promise! Let’s review (LSB pg. 321 2nd Cmdt. W.D.T.M?) The Triune God has blessed you with His Holy Life giving Name in Holy Baptism - Why? To call upon it in every trouble, pray praise and give thanks!” You have His Command - don’t wait until you feel worthy - He commands you to “ask”, “seek”, “knock.” He promises you in Christ Jesus - “it will be given to you!”, “you will find”, “it will be opened to you.” We just confessed - that all we are and all we have is gift from our Heavenly Father’s goodness and mercy without our own merit or worthiness. We thank and praise Him by calling upon His Name in prayer!
    We have His promise in Christ Jesus! (LSB.pg. 323 L.P. Intro. W.D.T.M?) We just gave thanks that Jesus has reconciled us sinners to our Heavenly Father by His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death. He became my sin to suffer my well deserved punishment and hell under the just wrath of my Heavenly Father. Risen from the dead He frees me from Satan through baptism to be His own and live under Him in His kingdom of grace. The children of Israel had grown up in the desert, but they were never alone or forsaken by their Lord who shepherded them. Give thanks - your Father, your Good Shepherd, has never abandoned you His little lamb called by the Holy Spirit in baptismal grace.
      What’s in your heart? The Lord God tested the children of Israel to reveal their hearts. What is in your heart will burst forth upon your lips. As sinners we learn to pray with the adulterous lying and murdering king, Psa 51:10-15 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. (11) Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. (12) Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. (13) Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. (14) Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. (15) O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.” David confesses his sin, his guilt, his shame - trusting only in God’s mercy in his Son and Lord - Jesus Christ. Forgiven and renewed he praises the Father’s forgiving mercy in Jesus by which the Holy Spirit makes all things new again.
        Moses preaches, (vs.3-6) Graciously God the Father humbles His beloved children. He leads them under the cross to teach us to trust in His Word alone. He leads us where we don’t want to go, that we may learn to trust in His Word and deliverance alone - not in our own thinking and strength. Jesus teaches you to pray! Casting all worries upon your true Father in heaven as His own beloved children. (LSB pg. 324-5 LP 7th Pet. W.D.T.M? ) Deliver us from the Evil One - from Satan - his lies - sin that entraps and pays out the wages of death. Our Lord Jesus would face the Evil One for us. Baptized into the raw sewage of our sin - He was led by the Spirit to battle the Old Evil Foe for us - the Second Adam. Fasting for 40 days and night - He was hungry. Satan knows the weakness of our human flesh. He mocked Jesus as a forgotten “Son of God” left to starve to death. Tempted Him to show his power turning rocks into bread. Remember what Jesus said for us? Mat 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.' "
    We live in dark days. Evil is trumpeted as good and good as evil. Death has become the answer to our problems. News reports of evil murderous men from dorm rooms, apartments, night clubs, and work places appear almost daily. Will knife control stop the evil people following the father of lies - Satan - from taking more lives? Can totalitarian governments give maximum security through enslaving populations? God the Holy Spirit teaches us, 2Ti 3:1-5 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: (2) For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, (4) traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (5) having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” Dear child, beloved of the Heavenly Father, don’t give up in despair - ask your dear Father as dear children. Pray with all boldness and confidence - deliver us from evil! St. Paul was in his final imprisonment when he wrote the letter to the church at Philippi. Far from despairing this is a letter of joy and hope facing evil in the highest ranks of human government. Php 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (7) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Stop being distracted by Satan and his evil - think on those things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
        Learn from Paul to rejoice greatly even in imprisonment. (LSB pg. 324-5 LP 7th Pet. W.D.T.M? ) Listen! (Vs.7-10). The Lord God was faithful to His promise is the children of Israel. He would bring them to the land He had promised to Abraham -that the Christ - the Seed of Abraham might be born to forever deliver mankind from the Evil One.
        Psa 136:1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Every day thank your Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ that He has rescued you from ever evil of body and soul. He has preserved your life, healed your diseases, but above all He has forgiven you all your iniquities washing you new again by His Holy Spirit with Christ’s blood. He has rescued you from the evil of possessions - trusting in them to sustain your life - He has given you day by day all you need for your body and life. You can say with David, Psa 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.He has protected your reputation with the blood of His Son. He frees you to explain the actions of others in the kindest possible way.
      He leads you on toward the promise land through the Jordan River of death and the grave to the resurrection of your body and the life of the world to come - in your body perfectly restored without sin. When your last hour comes He will deliver you - granting you a blessed end - not an easy death or a sudden death - perhaps long and painful - but time to hear His voice forgiving you in Christ, placing His living body and blood upon your dying lips - assuring you that you are His own. Then at the time He has set through the death He has prepared for you to glorify Him - He brings you Home from this sorrowful valley to Himself in Heaven.
      Ten men full of leprosy met Jesus. All were delivered by His healing Word - only one returned to give thanks! Be that one - daily fall at Jesus’ feet rejoicing that in Him God the Father has rescued you from every evil, from the evil one - His Holy Spirit will keep you in His Word and Faith until you die - this is the Father’s good and gracious will for you. Amen.