Do Not Forget the Lord

 Jesu Juva

Deuteronomy 6:4-12                                              

March 26, 2025

Lent Midweek 3                          

Dear saints of our Savior~

        I still remember the very first sermon I preached from this pulpit back in 2003.  First sermons are easy.  First sermons are forward-looking and hopeful.  First sermons are aspirational and motivational.  But last sermons—final sermons—they tend to be a little more grounded—more practical and down-to-earth.  I haven’t given any thought whatsoever to my final sermon from this pulpit.  But then again, any sermon could be my farewell address.  You never know.

        But Moses—he knew.  The book of Deuteronomy is essentially a farewell sermon from Moses to the people of Israel.  It’s Moses’ swan song—his grand finale—and he knew it.  Moses was about to depart in peace; and the children of Israel were about to take possession of the Promised Land.  And Moses’ valedictory homily is every bit as down-to-earth as you might imagine.  A good example can be found in tonight’s text from chapter 6:  “Take care,” says Moses, “lest you forget the Lord.”  Do not forget the Lord.

        Forget the Lord?  How could the children of Israel forget the Lord?  The Lord had been their constant companion for forty years—ever since the day He delivered them from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.  The plagues, the Passover, the parting of the Red Sea—it was all the Lord’s doing. How could Israel forget the Lord?  All they had to do was look up and see the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.  All they had to do was gather up that miraculous manna every morning and quail every evening.  There was water from a rock to drink.  And let’s not forget the Tent of Meeting—the Tabernacle—right in the middle of their campsite—the very place where Moses and the Lord met together face-to-face.  Why in the world would Moses feel the need to preach:  Do not forget the Lord?

        Moses knew what was next for God’s people.  The Promised Land meant great cities they did not build, and houses full of good things they did not fill, wells they didn’t dig, vineyards they didn’t plant, accoutrements and accessories aplenty.  Israel was movin’ on up to a deluxe life of plenty in the Land of Promise.  And Moses knew what that meant.  Moses knew that nothing makes people forget the Lord faster than a life of leisure and ease.  The influence of affluence makes it easy—so incredibly easy—to forget the Lord, (even though He is the Giver of every good and perfect gift).

        Who among us can deny the negative spiritual side effects of our affluence?  I don’t care what the numbers are on your tax return this year, we are collectively the richest, wealthiest people to ever walk the face of the earth.  We live in cities and homes we did not build.  Food we did not grow or gather—food from all over the world—fills our kitchens and pantries.  Our fridges and freezers are overflowing.  Our cup runneth over.  Like the rich fool of Jesus’ parable, our biggest problem is that we have to tear down our barns to build bigger barns so that we can store all our crops, all our grain, all our goods.  But as you eat, drink, and be merry, be mindful of this refrain from the mouth of Moses:  Take care lest you forget the Lord.  Be careful that you don’t forget the Lord.

        How do we do that?  What does it look like to remember the Lord while living in a land where we lack nothing?  In the Bible, “to remember” is much more than a mental activity.  “To remember” means to take action.  “To remember” is not just thinking, but doing.

        To remember the Lord in faith begins by hearing the Word of the Lord—by holding it sacred and gladly hearing and learning it.  Moses told the Israelites that God’s Words should be in their hearts:  Teach them diligently to your children.  Talk of them all day long.  Bind them on your hands; write them on your doorposts.  Or, as St. Paul wrote to the Colossians:  Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.  Hear the Word of the Lord; and so remember the Lord.

        There is also another way to remember the Lord.  And it’s particularly effective for those of us who enjoy the rich blessings of life in the Promised Land.  Keep in mind that “to remember” in the lexicon of the Bible means to act—to do something.  No act helps us better remember the Lord than what we are about to do in just a few minutes.  We call it the “offering;” but it is really your opportunity to remember the Lord in a very practical, tangible way.

        You remember the Lord whenever you take a portion—a percentage—of all your grain and your goods and your barns—and give those blessings back to the Lord.  From His gifts to you . . . you give to Him.  Take stock of all the stuff you so casually call your own; and give a portion back to the Lord—intentionally, thoughtfully, prayerfully.  Let it go.  Give it away to the God who gave His life to save you.  Being rich toward God is to remember Him.  Nothing focuses your faith—nothing puts your life into proper perspective more quickly—than pulling out your checkbook—than living and giving generously.  It’s a kind of discipline—a type of training—by which we live carefully and joyfully so as not to forget the Lord.

        Our sinful nature always surveys the scene and says:  You worked for it.  You earned it.  It’s yours.  But we who live in the Promised Land know otherwise.  We can’t help but remember that everything we have is from the Lord.  He has brought you to this place of plenty.  You may not have walked through the Red Sea on dry ground; but you have been born again in the cleansing waters of Holy Baptism.  You may not have been fed with manna from heaven; but you have been fed with the precious body and blood of Jesus in His Holy Supper.  None of us has lived a life of slavery; but you have been freed indeed from sin, death, and hell by the crucified and risen Savior.

        We love because He first loved us; and we remember because He first remembered us.  And if this should happen to be my final sermon, you can just forget about me—that’s fine.  But don’t forget the Lord who loved you and gave Himself for you.  Don’t forget the Lord who forgives all your sins.  Don’t forget the Lord who is leading you through years of tears and trouble to the true, eternal Promised Land.  That’s where Jesus has gone to prepare a place for you.  The cost of admission has already been paid by Him.  Don’t forget Jesus; for He will never forget you.

        In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.