Deuteronomy 10:12-11:32
What Comes First?

I. Who Takes the Initiative?
1. The old question was, ‘What comes first? The chicken or the egg?’ It’s a conundrum.
2. Who comes first in a relationship? Traditionally people thought the man should take the initiative.
3. The culture said I the man was supposed to take the initiative, which could be a useful to hide behind.
4. With relationships there’s a complicated chain of events, a dance; one thing leads to another.
5. Someone has to start the chain; someone has to push over the first domino; someone has to come first.
6. With God, who comes first? Is my decision the crucial one? What sets the dominoes falling
7. The crucial question, in this dance, that results in some people being saved is what’s the cause?
II. The First Cause
A. The Call and the Cause (10:12-15)
1. “Israel, what does the Lord require of you?” What are you called to do? Fear and love the Lord, etc.
2. Some think, ‘I keep the rules, etc., then that starts the chain of events that leads to my salvation.’
3. They’re not being told, do this to become God’s people but do this because you are God’s people.
4. These people have already been brought out of slavery and saved from the oppression of the enemy.
5. The call is not what they are to do to get salvation but what they are to do in response to salvation.
6. Keep these commands for your good. Your life will be better if you live God’s way.
7. “To the Lord your God belong heaven,” the entire universe with billions of galaxies.
8. All of the universe and the earth belongs to God not just a land in the Middle East.
9. “Yet”, despite how enormous He is and how small we are, the Lord “set His heart in love” on us.
10. He determined in His heart, from the beginning, to love you, to make a covenant with you.
11. The cause of your salvation is the Lord setting His heart to love you. God’s choice comes first.
B. The Mark (10:16-22)
1. Circumcise your heart. Take the mark of the covenant. Be set apart, in a relationship with the Lord.
2. Don’t be stubborn, unchangeable, unteachable, always assuming that you are right as you are.
3. The effect of God’s prior covenant with you is that you are meek, open to His Word.
4. He is “God of gods,” the reason for being, of all the things you are tempted to serve, like money.
5. “Hold fast to Him.” It’s the same term as used in Genesis 3, a man shall hold fast to his wife.
6. “He is your praise,” the thing in your life that you praise as the cause of all the other good things.
C. The Motive (11:1-7)
1. Love the Lord because He first loved you. His love for you should cause your love for Him.
2. Your motive is love, not trying to manipulate Him to giving you what you want.
3. Then you consider His discipline and greatness. He disciplines His children. Think about that.
4. Then consider how He judges the world. Think about what He did to the rebels.
D. The Manifestations (11:8-17)
1. Show manifestations in obedience, in a changed life. God grace is the cause that produces effects.
2. Because the Lord first set His love on you, then you shall keep all the commands.
3. Following God’s word brings benefits. It makes your family better; you’re more self-controlled.
4. God is cultivating the Promised Land, as picture of the promise that He has for us.
5. God’s love manifests. So our love for Him will manifest itself in obedience, in all of your life.
6. Take care (11:13). Be careful “lest your heart be deceived.” Don’t lose your first love.
7. The Lord manifests His love by blessing you when you manifest your love by serving Him.
 
E. The Mind (11:18-32)
1. Attend to your mind. “Lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul.”
2. The effect caused by the Word of God will be that you will enter into a new life, starting now.
3. Don’t just be a hearer about loving the Lord, be a doer. Hold fast to Him.
4. If your faith leads to walking in His ways then you are bound for the Promised Land.
5. See (11:26). In your mind see that He’s placed before you a blessing and a curse.
6. Life comes from having the Lord set His love on you that causes effects in you.
7. Renew your mind, constantly, with the Word of God, so you know, God’s commands are good.
III. Invitation: See that if it depends on you, then what you will earn is judgment. The cause of your judgement will be your stubbornness. See His judgment and tremble. See, also, God’s prior love for you. See that He set His love on you, made a covenant with you, prepared a place for you. See that fair and happy land where your possessions lie. Thank God that you love because He first loved you.




















E.思想（11：18-32）
1.注意。 “将我的这些话放在你的内心和灵魂中。”
2.上帝圣言所造成的影响是，您将从现在开始进入新的生活。
3.不要只是做关于爱主的聆听者，而是做行动者。紧紧的倚靠他。
4.如果您的信仰引导你走神的路，那么你就会走向应许之地。
5.参见（11:26）。在您的脑海中，您将看到祂把祝福和诅咒摆在你面前。。
6.生命源于主将祂的爱放在你身上，从而对你造成影响。
7.用神的话语不断更新你的思想，所以你知道，神的诫命是好的。
三，邀请：看看是否取决于您，那么您将获得的是审判。你的固执导致你审判，看到他的审判而颤抖，同样也看到上帝对你的爱，祂要将爱放在你的身上与你立约，为你预备地方。看看你拥有美丽幸福的土地吧！感谢神，你爱祂，因为祂先爱你。l ll。