Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Wales was previously known as the nation of 'One Book'
• David originally brought the Christian message in the 16th Century
• Wales is remembering a religious figure
• There have been times of ups & downs in the Christian life of Wales
• Wales has been noted as a land of revival
• 18th Century - the Welsh Methodists had a great influence upon the nation
• During this time many Welsh hymns were written: e.g. Guide my O Thou great Jehovah
• 19th Century - further revival
• 1904 Revival - about 150'000 people became Christians
• What then has happened in Wales and why have so many of the chapels closed?

Deut 4:7-9

• Speaking about the promised nation of Israel
• God was in the midst of this nation
• God has given His laws, statues and judgements to this nation
• The key was that the nation kept these laws and passed them on to their children

Israel as a highly favoured nation

• He had brought them out of Egypt, taken them through the red sea, led them for 40 years in the wilderness
• They were to build a Holy place
• God spoke to them out of fire at Mount Sinai via Moses
• They had His holy law - the Ten Commandments (v13)
• God made a covenant with this nation
• God was speaking to them (v12, 33, 36)
• People today might say 'I wish I had God speaking to me in an audible voice'
• These people had the voice of God but often lived in abominable ways
• What about Wales?
• God has not promised to favour one nation over another
• He has promised to build His Kingdom
• The Kingdom of God is throughout all the nations of the World
• In some ways we are more privileged than Israel
• How much did they understand of the Son of God, of the cross, of the resurrection?
• If we would rather be there listening to God speaking out of the fire, we miss the full revelation of Jesus Christ
• We are encouraged by the things that God is doing
• We are discouraged that there are few who come to know Jesus

God has done great things for Wales

• God has done great things for Israel (v34, 37-38)
• God has done great things for Wales
• God set His love upon the smallest and most despised nation - Israel - because He wanted to
• But they rejected Him, trampled His laws and disobeyed Him
• We have gone away from God
• God will save us not from the tyranny of Egypt but from the bondage of sin
• Examples of people who have had great influence on others
• The 1904 Revival and the tremendous effects of God at work
• What God had done (v20)
• We need to pray that God will do great things today

The Path to Blessing

• You must meticulously follow God's word (v1-2)
• Do not add to it, subtract from it or distort it
• Keep God's commandments (v40)
• If you keep to this it will go well with you, God's hand will be upon you
• The path of blessing is to follow the word of God
• God knew that they would go astray and not have the strength to obey (5:29)
• If we are to obey God's law we must ask for a clean heart, for a pure heart
• Forsake other gods (4:14)
• God is a consuming fire and is jealous for His name and glory (v24)
• Do we bow down to the god of materialism, money, leisure & pleasure, living for self?
• We can bow down to anything but the true and living God
• If we are to fully obey God we must reject the gods of this world
• We are to teach our children (v9-10)

God is at work in Wales
Deut 10:12-13 - Love God with all your hearts