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All throughout life we’re faced with different responsibilities that we have before us.  Often times those responsibilities aren’t things we’re really that excited about, but we take them on if our duty requires them or our circumstances dictate it.  But of course, often it’s those circumstances that are before us that we wish were different.  We’re then called to follow through on our responsibilities, even when things aren’t the way we like.  But when we still do step up and serve in those situations, that’s commendable.  Hopefully the attitude of our heart at such times is equally commendable.

I raise this for today, because we have a passage here were God’s people are being called to serve their fellow brothers and sisters.  Actually, this passage is full of different groups of people all being called to different responsibilities in the family of God.  I want us to look at these different groups today and see how they’re being called to serve.  I’m sure not everyone in these different groups thought their responsibility was exactly what they wanted.  But God was calling them to serve as a part of a bigger plan to bring all God’s people into a state of rest.  That’s what verse 20 says.  Even though some of the tribes of Israel had now already received their inheritance of land, their men of fighting age still had to go with the rest of the Israelites to war, until the Lord had given rest to all the brothers.

Sermon preached on Deuteronomy 3:12-29 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 08/09/2009 in Novato, CA.

Manuscript: Until The Lord Has Given Rest To Your Brethren

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