Dear Christian friends:

Last Sunday, Trinity Sunday; we closed the first one-half of the church year. During the first one-half of the church year from Christmas through Lent, Easter and Trinity Sunday we hear about the kind, merciful, wonderful things our God has done for us poor sinners: How He, Father, Son and Holy Ghost shows mercy to us and saves us in Jesus.

Now during the second half of the church year, which begins today, we hear about the good things which we should gladly and cheerfully do to show our thanks and love to our kind and wonderful God.

Our text today commands us to do this. We often forget to do this because we live in a sinful world and we have our sinful hearts. So our text admonishes:

First, Moses here reminds us that God is our God. He said to Israel, Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord. God long ago in mercy came to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and gave them His Word and promised to forgive their sins through a Son, His Son and Abraham's Son, the Son of the Jews Jesus. Because of His Word and promise about the Savior Jesus, God was now Israel's God.

Because of Jesus and in Jesus, God is also our God. In Jesus He forgives all our sins and calls us His dear children. John says, We are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. So the almighty perfect, everlasting all wise, God is our God. If He is our God He is not our enemy but our friend and Helper and Keeper. So He says to us, like Moses long ago said to the Jews, Hear, O Christian, the Lord our God is one Lord!

He is our God and we have no other. He is one Lord. Three persons, yes but one Lord, one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the only true God and Savior.

Now since He is our God and the only only true God we should love Him with all our heart. Moses says, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might."

Perhaps a story will help us understand what it means: love your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Now this year we in Minnesota we have our own major league baseball team, the Twins. The Twins are our team. Because they are our team we love them and cheer for them more than for any other team. Even if they lose we still love them best and support them. They are our team our only team. So God is our God in Jesus and He is the only true God who can really help us in time of trouble in our sin and when we die. So we ought to love Him with all our heart, soul and strength.

Now this is not easy for us to do. Most people do not love God and many do not even try and don't care. People love, Self, Pleasure, Money, and Honor instead of God. Self, Pleasure, Money and Honor these are the four false gods of America and also of our sinful hearts and minds. And when we have health, beauty, money and pleasure or honor we easily forget our true and only God. That's why Moses admonishes the Jews here in verses six to nine not to forget their true and only God in the future. He says: (Read verses 6-9)

6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Moses admonishes the people to continue to hear and study God's Word so they won't get tempted and deceived by the vain and false gods of this world. So you also need this warning. Many deaf also and our hearts, too tend to love Self, Pleasure and Money. Some of us spend more for pleasure than we give for God's honor and work. Other's love and trust their money as they should love and trust God.

Now Moses gives a final admonishing here in verses 10-13. (read them)

10 And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,
11 And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;
12 Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

Here He shows how money and good times tempt our love from the true God. We should use money but not trust in it to help us or save us. If we feel safe when we have work and money in the bank we are not trusting God. Also if we worry or complain when we are poor and have no job we are not loving God with all our heart. We should feel safe and happy no matter if we are rich or poor, have a job or no job.

This does not mean that we should be lazy or careless and not work or save. That's why Moses says in verse 16, "Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God." When God gives us good health and minds, He expects us to work and earn our daily bread through that. If we think, "I will not work, God will take care of me," we are tempting God and not loving Him with all our heart.

But if God gives us sickness and poor health or if we can't find work, then we should not worry but trust that God will keep us and feed us even without our working.

So also with soldiers and police. Much of the time God protects us through soldiers and police. Yet He says, "The sword (police) will not save you." If we trust only in the police and not in God, the police cannot save us. God will protect you through the police if he is near and He can also protect you without the police if he is not near.

So also in church work: God has commanded us to work and preach the Gospel. Much of the time God blesses us through good, wise leaders in the Church. If we have good, wise lay leaders in our Church, God expects us to use them and He will bless our church through them. But if we have poor leaders in our church, we should not despair, but trust God and use the poor leaders and also cheerfully expect His blessing. Often with few lay leaders and weak poor people God gives His greatest blessings in His Church work. Remember David and Goliath and Gideon's 300.

So if we love God with all our heart, soul and strength, we will trust Him and praise Him in every place any time: rich or poor, sick or well, young or old living or dying. St. Paul says: "Who shall separate us from the love of God? etc.

Amen.