Sermon: Life or Death

15th Sunday after Pentecost, 2010

Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier

 

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

 

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

In today’s Old Testament text from Deuteronomy chapter thirty we hear these words, "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil." (Deuteronomy 30:15, ESV) And the text goes on to say, "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live," (Deuteronomy 30:19, ESV)

 

The age old question is this: What is the meaning of life? The answer to this question is extremely important yet profoundly neglected. We assume we know the answer until things don’t go the way we plan. Then we begin to ponder the question anew. What is the meaning of life? Who gives meaning to life? Do I? Do you? What is life? 

 

Well, some say life is a cereal or a bowl of cherries. In that way, all that matters is food. I suppose the bigger the bowl the better. But what type of diet is best? Jesus says, “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink.” (Matt. 6:25, ESV) Others say that life is a highway or a journey. In that way, all that matters is moving forward. I suppose the more comfortable the ride the better. But where are we going? Jesus says, "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:27, ESV)

 

Some say that life is a game. In that way, all that matters is having fun. I suppose the more exciting the activities the better. But in the end who wins? Is it the one with the most money? Jesus says, "Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:33, ESV) The other day I say a bumper sticker that said, “Life is the school. Love is the lesson.” In that way all that matters is learning to love. But if we are left to independent studies we will end up loving ourselves? Jesus says, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate… …even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26, ESV)

 

Moses doesn’t enroll the Israelites in a list of independent studies courses in which they can make love and not war, or grab whatever possessions they desire, or take the easy road, or indulge in any type of food. Instead, he teaches them and puts before them, life or death, good or evil, blessing or curse.  As Jesus says, “Wide and easy is the way that leads to death and narrow and difficult is the way that leads to life.” 

 

Now what does it mean that the Israelites can either have life or have death? They are already living and one day they will all die. They are living in the already but not yet. They have life. God is the source of all life for He is life. They have God with them. There is life in His word. They are already living and already dying at the same time. Yet, they are being pointed toward their future life with God in the Promised Land. Life with God leads to eternity with God. Jesus says, “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25, ESV) Life separated from God leads to eternity apart from Him. Their life is tied to the land that God has chosen to give to them. In this land, the LORD has chosen a place for His name where He will dwell with His people. In this land, the LORD will take upon flesh and blood. He will be born in this land. He will die in this land. He will rise again in this land. To live in this place is to have true life. To be removed from the land leads to death. They are warned not to forsake the fellowship that they have with God. They are instructed to choose life. 

 

In our lives, we are faced with many choices on a daily basis. Just the other day I was at the donut shop and I was faced with the choice of which donut to eat. There were so many choices to choose from. In fact, there were almost too many choices. You see, I have a difficult time choosing which one would be best, because I know that there always might be a better choice. Now in today’s text the choice is simple: life or death.

 

We must understand that the people of God are not told to choose God. In fact God has already chosen them. These people have already been redeemed from slavery in Egypt. Moses tells us in Deuteronomy chapter four that because the LORD loved their fathers, He chose them and brought them out of Egypt. In Deuteronomy chapter seven, we are told that the LORD chose them as His special treasured possession because He loved them. 

 

Thus, in today’s text they are told that the LORD is their God. They have already been chosen and loved by God. Likewise, we are told that God loved us and sent His Son to die for us. As God’s people we have been chosen in Christ. We have been redeemed from slavery to sin. The choice is not about making God our Redeemer. He already took care of that. He chose death to give us life. Rather, the choice is about rejoicing in the fellowship that we have with Him or rejecting this fellowship. Either we go with the grain of the cross or we cut against it. In our lives, we either live with God or against God. Either we learn from God or we try to teach God.

 

If we see life as a school and the lesson to be learned is love, then we cannot just embrace any concept of love. We are to love God. Deuteronomy six states, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”" (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, ESV) As disciples, we are learning. Moses gives to us the lesson plan which consists of loving God, walking in His way, keeping His commandments, hearing His voice, and holding fast to Him. This does not come naturally. It needs to be learned. These Israelites don’t tell Moses we already know about the exodus because we learned that lesson in Sunday School class. They need to continue to learn it so that they do not forget it. 

 

In Deuteronomy chapter thirteen, Moses teaches us that the LORD will allow false prophets to come in our midst who will try to lead us away to follow after false gods for the purpose of testing our love for the LORD. Before this happens we are told to be so familiar with God’s voice found in His written word so that we do not listen to the false voices. Loving, walking, hearing, and keeping are all related to the knowledge of God’s word. God’s word is life. The one who hears and believes is like a tree planted by the streams of water yielding its fruit. Moses warns us so that our hearts will not turn away from the LORD our God, that we will not close our ears to the voice of God, and that we will not set our eyes on other gods. We are learning to swim against the current.

 

There’s a game show on television called “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?” On that show, adult contestants are brought on with the challenge of answering fifth grade level questions. Subjects such as history, geography, grammar, and science are covered. While the contestant is given the question, there is a group of fifth graders who are also preparing their own individual answers. If the contestant gets stumped, he can ask for help. But, he can only ask for help three times. His options are to peek, copy, or save. If he gets the answer incorrect, he can be saved if the student gets the answer correct. The correct answer is credited to him as if he had answered it himself.

 

In the school of life, we come up short. We are spiritually challenged students. We get the answers wrong. Based upon our own merits we fail. Yet, there is one star student who scored straight “A’s.” His answers are always correct. His answers are credited to us. He alone perfectly loved the Father, walked in His way, listened to Him, and followed His will to the point of death. On the cross, He became the curse, evil was poured out on Him, and He was delivered over to death for us. He chose that path for us so that we would need to choose it. He has become our life, our good, and our blessing. He has chosen a place for His name and that is on all who have been baptized. If we have the Son, we have life. Amen.