The Big Picture: A Typical Faith

Text: Genesis - Deuteronomy

Introduction:

 Quotes on Excellence

Isaac D'Israeli 1766-1848

"Whatever is felicitously expressed risks being worse expressed: it is a wretched taste to be gratified with mediocrity when the excellent lies before us."

Curiosities of Literature [1834]. On Quotation

Hesiod c. 700 BC

"Badness you can get easily, in quantity: the road is smooth, and it lies close by. But in front of excellence the immortal gods have put sweat, and long and steep is the way to it, and rough at first. But when you come to the top, then it is easy, even though it is hard."

Works and Days l. 287

Theognis fl. c. 545 BC

"Even to a wicked man a divinity gives wealth, Cyrnus, but to few men comes the gift of excellence."

Elegies l. 149

Aristotle 384-322 BC

"With regard to excellence, it is not enough to know, but we must try to have and use it."

Nicomachean Ethics, bk. X, ch. 1 9

Sallust Gaius Sallustius Crispus 86-34 BC

"The renown which riches or beauty confer is fleeting and frail; mental excellence is a splendid and lasting possession."

The War with Catiline [c. 40]b.c.], sec. 1

Publilius Syrus Publilius Syrus First century BC

"It takes a long time to bring excellence to maturity."

Maxim 780

 Typical is not necessarily what God expects.

 Average is not what God wants from us.

 He wants us victorious.

 The Pentateuch has many lessons, but overall we see the typical life and how to avoid it.

  1. Genesis: Beginnings
    1. Creation
      1. God is the author of physical creation
      2. God is the author of the new creation in the heart
    2. Calling
      1. Abraham was called by God
      2. We are called by God
    3. Commitment
      1. Abraham believed God
      2. Abraham obeyed God
      3. Genesis is the story of his family's commitment
    4. Beginnings
      1. You can start at any time and have a new beginning
      2. Tonight can be the start of a new commitment, a new beginning with the Lord
  2. Exodus: Deliverance
    1. Delivered from bondage
      1. Israel is delivered from slavery
      2. We are delivered from the bondage of sin
        1. The way of the transgressor is hard
        2. Many people get to the point that they want to be free of sin. They are tired of it, but they are in bondage to it.
        3. Christ makes us free
    2. Delivered from death
      1. Missed the death angel
      2. We are delivered from death and hell through Jesus
    3. Delivered from the world
      1. They left Egypt
      2. We must leave the world and separate from it
  3. Leviticus: Holiness
    1. The laws were for separation
      1. God was making a difference between Israel and the other nations
      2. The Law was God's covenant with them
    2. The laws were for consecration
      1. The Law demonstrated who was obedient
      2. "If you love me, keep my commandments"
    3. The laws were for identification
      1. The Law was unique to Israel.
      2. Our obedience to Christ's law identifies us as His
        1. One way people know we are Christ's is by our obedience
        2. There are certain marks of a Christian
  4. Numbers: Wanderings
    1. They desired the world (Egypt)
      1. The first step in sin is a desire to sin
      2. Illus. Lot looked, leaned, lived and legislated
      3. James: "lust when it hath conceived"
      4. The onions and cucumbers in Egypt LOOKED better than the manna in the wilderness
        1. What looks good depends on what you are used to eating
        2. The more you feast on the world, the better it looks
    2. They acted like the world
      1. They made a golden calf
      2. They got involved in immorality
      3. They murmured and complained instead of trusting God
    3. They suffered the consequences of their actions
      1. Judgment on the complainers
      2. Wandering of the unbelieving
      3. Even Christians face consequences when they sin
      4. "Be sure your sin will find you out"
  5. Deuteronomy: Restatement & Return
    1. Had to go back to the law to be restored
      1. Revival begins with the word of God
        1. We often try to promote revival with emotion
        2. We often try to promote revival with programs
        3. Starts with the word and obedience to it
      2. Illus. The revival under Josiah began when they found the Word and read it and then obeyed it
    2. Had to renew their commitment
      1. Begins with the Word, continues with obedience
      2. Josiah they heeded what they "readed"
    3. Had to renew their obedience