Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Good morning! It’s great to have all the kids in here with us today.
Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Big Idea: We must be diligent in discipling the next generation.
What we find here is most commonly known as the “Shema.” This word in Hebrew means “to hear, listen, or understand.” So the first word of our passage is “Sh’ma.” “Listen up! Pay close attention!” But the meaning runs deeper. This word implies obedience. In other words, “listen carefully to what I’m about to say and let it command obedience.” So what does God want the Israelites, and in turn, us to know and do?
1. There is one God (4)
Now the word for God here in our passage is “Elohim.” Kids, have you heard that name before? Elohim was a common word that was used to talk about pagan gods, false gods, gods of other religions. During this time, many of the religions were polytheistic, in other words they believed in many different gods. So what Moses is doing here is taking a commonly used word for gods and reminding Israel that there is only One true living Elohim. There is only one God.
We cannot discount the power of cultural influence here. Think about this. Kids, who led Israel after Moses? (Joshua) So Joshua is the one that leads Israel into the promised land. Joshua would be 1 generation after Moses. Listen to what it says in the book of Judges 2:8-12: “And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years. And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them.”
It only took 2 generations for Israel to turn their backs on the Lord. The influence of the culture around them was too great, and they began to worship false elohim’s, false gods. And for nearly 300 years this was Israel’s reality. So for Israel, believing that there is only one true God was hugely important. So how can we ensure that we don’t ever forget?
2. We are to love God completely (5)
The type of love talked about here is the same as the Greek word “agape,” or self-sacrificial love. It’s a love that is not based on a feeling, but on a choice. This is an important distinction because there may be times in our lives that are very difficult, seasons where God may seem silent, and we may not feel the emotion of love towards Him. However, when seasons of difficulty come, and perhaps God seems silent, we make a choice to love God and trust in His promises. And there are 3 different areas from which we are called to love. These 3 areas together make up the whole person.
A. Heart
Proverbs 4:23 says to “keep your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” Our heart is the literal life-blood of our being. From our heart flows our passions, our desires, our emotions. In the Old Testament, the heart can also speak to intent or purpose. So it isn’t as simple as just what I feel, but it is connected to the truths and realities that are seated in my mind. All of these are very connected, there will be overlap. What drives me? What am I pursuing? What are my hopes and dreams? This is the heart.
What would it look like to love God with all my heart? To align my desires and my passions in such a way that the Lord is honored through them. We have to start by replacing anything that is seated in our hearts that leads to selfish gain and empty pursuits with a gospel-driven desire to represent Jesus in the way that we live. We have to work out the pride that leads us to anger, impatience and stubbornness. Do I desire to make a name for myself, or to make the name of Jesus great in my life? Am I pursuing things that leave me empty at the end of the day? Or am I pursuing things that bring me spiritual joy and fulfillment?
B. Soul
In Genesis 2:7 we see that “the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living soul.” The soul is synonymous with life. We should long for the Lord from the very depth of our being! Our soul is connected to our identity and personality. It is the deepest and most intimate part of my being.
Psalm 42:1-2 - As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
How do I love God with my whole soul? The best way that we can do that is to allow the identity that we have been given in Christ to shine through, rather than trying to create an identity that may fit the cultural mold. Do my deepest convictions reflect a desire to see Christ magnified? Do I allow the Holy Spirit to drive my intuition? Is my deepest longing a thirst for Jesus?
C. Might
We tend to think of might or strength as loving God with our physical strength. How hard I work. How hard I serve. How much energy I expend. And while this is true, there is more to it than that. The Hebrew word for might in the Old Testament is the adverb, “very” or “exceedingly.” The meaning behind it is “to a great degree.” Many commentators would agree that beyond the physical strength this word carries the idea that we love God “exceedingly” with “everything we have at our disposal.”
So how do we love God with all our might? Do I work hard and pursue excellence in whatever occupation I currently hold? Do I exercise in whatever way my body can handle, taking care of my physical health? Am I generous in my giving? Do I give open handedly? Do I give sacrificially? This isn’t just with my money, but with my time. How am I honoring God by managing well the things that I have been given?
3. We are to teach the next generation about God (7-9)
We believe that discipleship starts in the home. This is what Moses is getting at here. He references teaching in the context of the home. However, we know that sometimes there are home situations where 1 or both parents aren’t followers of Jesus. So while discipleship begins in the home, and parents should be the primary disciple maker of their kids, we also believe that the church has a role to play in discipleship as well. If you are sitting here today and you have children in the home, hopefully you are encouraged and empowered this morning to disciple more intentionally and more consistently. If you are sitting here this morning, and you don’t have kids in your home, there are ways that you can partner with parents as they pursue discipleship of their children.
The word usage here is really cool. The Hebrew word behind “teach diligently” is “shanan.” This word means “to sharpen, to point, or to pierce.” The idea behind the word is a stone worker taking a hammer and chisel and carving words into a slab. It takes time, energy, but creates permanence. This is the intentionality with which we teach. And what are we to teach? He says it right there in verse 6: “these words that I command you.” The way of life that the Lord lays out in Scripture, the way of life that honors Him with our mindset, our words and actions, teach this diligently to your children. And when do we do that? All the time, everywhere!
A. When you sit in your house
When you are at home with your children, take advantage of the opportunities that are before you! We watch The Chosen as a family, and it’s great to sit there together and be able to talk about what they are seeing. What is biblical compared to what is artistic liberty? Why would Jesus say or do certain things? When you sit down for a meal, talk about the day, use it as a way to steer your children’s attention towards Jesus. When they talk about what was hard, point them to the gospel. When they talk about friend drama, point them to the gospel. When it’s the weekend and you shockingly don’t have anything to do, be intentional with time spent with them. Do not forsake the hours you have with your kids at home because before we know it they are all spent. But it’s not just in your home, it’s outside of your home as well.
B. When you walk by the way
Back then they didn’t have vehicles like we do today, but I don’t think God is telling us to only disciple when we are walking. I believe He is telling us to teach our kids as we go about our lives, inside of the home and outside of the home. The average American spends roughly 1 hour per day behind the wheel of a car. Whether it’s going to and from work, school, the grocery store, sporting events, parties, whatever. That’s 365 hours a year, which equates to roughly 15 full days spent driving per year. You want to hear something crazy? If you live to be 80, that’s 1200 days or about 3 years of your life driving a car. That’s almost 4% of your life. Anyways, I digress.
If we have children, much of that time is spent in the car with them. What do those car rides look like? Is the music blaring, with no conversation? What about going to the grocery store together? Is it spent frustrated because our kids won’t stop asking for stuff?
Did you know that, according to research, kids begin to look for outside voices rather than their parents around age 12 or 13? As the brain develops, it begins to favor unfamiliar voices, new and fresh in relation to what they have been hearing. Guys the window just gets shorter and shorter as we get into this. By the way, this is where the church becomes really important in the lives of our kids, but we’ll get there in a few minutes.
C. When you lie down
At bedtime. What do those conversations look like when you are tucking your kids into bed and saying goodnight? Are you debriefing on the day? Using it as a time to encourage or maybe challenge? Are you spending time praying together? Are you doing devotions? These are the moments when you can capture the attention of your kids, and it’s the same when they wake up.
D. When you rise
What does the morning routine look like? Is it chaotic and just “we need to get out the door and I don’t care if your socks match?” Or is it intentional, breakfast together when you’re able. If the mornings are a bit chaotic, is there a brief time carved out for prayer?
Here’s the point. As parents, it is our primary responsibility to disciple our children. We have limited time with them, and the years are few when we are able to impress upon their hearts the importance of a relationship with Jesus. Now here me, it is not up to us to save our children. That is the work of the Holy Spirit drawing them to Himself and opening their eyes to the gravity and reality of the gospel. But, we have been commissioned as parents to teach them diligently, to chip away at the hardness in their hearts so that they see the Lord in all His glory.
And I believe the church has a role to play here as well. We know, as parents, that we need help. It’s the old adage, “it takes a village.” But it’s really true. I want people teaching, encouraging and challenging my kids every week in the Kids Ministry. I want adults who love Jesus and want to see teenagers come to know Him and fall deeply in love with Him serving in our Student Ministry. The Lord is doing something incredible here with kids and students, and we need to be a people that takes discipleship seriously.
