Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20021120.htm

DEUTERONOMY: GETTING OTHERS TO BE VICTORS, NOT CASUALTIES
Part XVI: Discipling Others On The Value Of Corporate Worship
(Deuteronomy 16:1-17)
  1. Introduction
    1. Hebrews 10:25 calls us Christians not to abandon our gathering together for worship services.
    2. However, some believers think they can worship God just fine as they are all alone with Him in nature.
    3. Hence, we need insight on discipling others on discovering the value of group worship as follows:
  2. Discipling Others On The Value Of Corporate Worship, Deuteronomy 16:1-17.
    1. When Moses addressed Israel before his death and Israel's entering Canaan, he recalled God's commands on the three feasts where all of Israel's men were to gather for group worship, Deut. 1:1-5 with 34:1-5 and Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to Deut. 16:1-17 (cf. Ex. 23:14-17 re: the initial command)
    2. In reminding the nation of its need for group worship, Moses told of the CAUSES behind these charges:
      1. Moses reminded the nation the FIRST feast, the Feast of Passover, recalled Israel's great debt of thanksgiving and praise to God for His enormous deliverance of the nation from Egyptian bondage:
        1. In the Feast of Passover, the people of Israel would recall God's deliverance of the nation from Egyptian bondage, for that was the anniversary of the night God slew all the firstborn of Egypt while delivering the firstborn of Israel, Deuteronomy 16:1 with Exodus 12:1-29.
        2. Because of this last of the plagues on the Egyptians, Pharaoh and the Egyptians let Israel leave their land to begin the deliverance of Israel from bondage, Exodus 12:30-36.
        3. Accordingly, all the men of Israel were corporately never to forget their group indebtedness to Israel's GOD through keeping the Passover Feast, Deuteronomy 16:2.
        4. Various practices of the Feast highlighted the original event which would become a teaching tool to Israel's children, Deut. 16:3-8: (a) As Israel's generation in the Exodus had to hurry to leave Egypt without letting their bread dough rise with leaven, so the feast was to utilize unleavened bread to commemorate the haste of God's deliverance, Deut. 16:3-4a. (b) As the Pascal Lamb was initially eaten at night when the Angel of the Lord struck the firstborn of Egypt, so the people were to eat the Paschal lamb at evening, not allowing any of it to remain to the morning, Deut. 16:4b. (c) As God initially called Israel to eat the lamb in their homes, so God ordered them to eat the lamb only in the gathering of the nation, Deut. 16:5-7 with Ex. 12:13. (d) The nation was to eat unleavened bread for seven days followed by a corporate worship in further commemoration of this deliverance, Dt. 16:8.
      2. Moses reminded the nation the SECOND feast, the Feast of Pentecost (Weeks), recalled Israel's great debt of thanksgiving and praise to God for His continued sustained liberty from bondage so they could farm their own crops as free men in the Promised Land, Deuteronomy 16:9-12.
      3. Moses reminded the nation the THIRD feast, the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths), recalled Israel's great debt of thanksgiving and praise to God for His provision of harvest in their farming efforts, Deut. 16:13-17: (a) In the fall, Israel was to keep the Feast of Tabernacles outside under boughs of the land's vegetation to commemorate God's provision of the harvest bounty of the spring and summer growing seasons, Deut. 16:13 with Lev. 23:33-44. (b) This meant Israel owed God corporate worship with the attitude of joy for the Lord's provisions, Deut. 16:14-15, 16. (c) In recognition of God's harvest provisions, the men were to give offerings of their harvest bounty to the Lord, Deuteronomy 16:17.
    3. As the men, the nation's leaders kept these feasts, the people were influenced to preserve their individual allegiance to God and His truth as a buffer against the false religions of the world around them, Dt. 16:16.
Lesson: We can disciple others on the VALUE of group worship by telling how it INFLUENCES us ALL as INDIVIDUALS to STAY TRUE to the Lord versus the many detracting influences in our world around us, and that by REMINDING us of what God HAS DONE and STILL IS DOING for us ALL!

Application: (1) In our GROUP worship, we must continually be reminded of the SALVATION of God, of His DAILY PROVISIONS and of our continued obligation to praise and thank Him for these in order to OFFSET the influence of the world to the contrary. (2) As we DO so, we influence one another to SUSTAINED ALLEGIANCE to GOD and His TRUTH versus the influence of our world!