Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need

Impotent Christians and an Impotent Church

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Covenant Theology

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2022-09-18

Synopsis: John Weaver examines Deuteronomy 28:32 to diagnose why individual Christians and the church today are powerless, anemic, and despised. He argues that the root cause is disobedience to God's law, which is also desertion and despisement of God. This brings God's curses, leaving believers helpless. The solution is repentance, obedience, and cleaving to God, who alone is our strength.

[John Weaver] Alright, if you'll open your Bible to Deuteronomy 28, and we're going to look at verse 32. Deuteronomy 28, verse 32. And, of course, we'll come back and pick up the context just a little bit later. But look in Deuteronomy 28, verse 32. The title of the message is Impotent Christians and an Impotent Church. So God says in Deuteronomy 28, verse 32, Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all the day long, and there shall be no might in thine hand."

[John Weaver] Have you considered, number one, your life as a Christian? And then secondly, have you considered the church of Jesus Christ as a whole? And have you considered the fact that basically today, Individual Christians, as well as churches, are absolutely powerless. I don't know if you've ever really considered the truth that God spoke to Jacob in Genesis 32, verse 28, And he said, In thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for as a prince thou hast power with God and with man and hast prevailed. So he said, Thou hast power with God and with man and prevailed. So you're going to say, but that was given to Israel. And of course, the Bible tells you in Galatians 6 and verse 16, And he said, and as many as, so listen to this, and as many as walk according to this rule, peace be upon them and mercy upon the Israel of God. So the Israel of God are those that walk according to this rule.

[John Weaver] So you have to ask yourself these questions. Where is our power and where is our might? And why is it that Christians generally today have no power and no might, either with God or with man? So if we compared our lives to the early Christians, if we just looked in the book of Acts and examined ourselves in light of how they lived and what happened in their lives, I think each of us would come to the realization that we really do not even measure up in any sense of the word. In fact, if you'll hold Deuteronomy 28 and look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 2, there's an interesting illustration here of how these Christians moved and lived. And notice in Acts chapter 2, beginning there with verse 42, Look what the Bible says, Acts 2 and verse 42.

[John Weaver] And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine. Right there would separate most Christians because most Christians know nothing about doctrine whatsoever. But the Bible said they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. And now watch, and fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles, and all that believed were together, and had all things common, and sold their possessions and goods and imparted them to all men, as every man had need. and they continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, to eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people, and the Lord added to the church daily, such as should be saved." Now, of course, the Bible says these Christians continued in doctrine, in fellowship, in prayer, and the Bible says also that they sold everything they had and gave as every man had need.

[John Weaver] Let me make a statement concerning that. That was certainly not communism. It was certainly not socialism by any stretch of the imagination. Because when you look at Acts chapter 5, the Bible tells us that no one was obligated to sell and no one was obligated to give. because Ananias and Sapphira sold a certain part or a certain land, and then came and gave to the church and pretended like it was all of the price.

[John Weaver] When it was not, they kept back some. And so Peter asked them, Ah, look, when you had the land, was it not yours? And when you sold it, was it not yours? You didn't have to do anything. But he said, thou hast not lied unto man, but thou hast lied unto God. And of course, in that particular passage, God killed both of them for lying to the Holy Spirit. But the interesting thing is, he said, you didn't have to sell it at all.

[John Weaver] No one required you to do it. So it was not communism. It was certainly not socialism by any stretch of the imagination. But they were in one accord. So if you look in your Bibles, Acts chapter 5, notice if you would, verses 13 and 14. Here's another statement concerning them. Acts 5, verse 13, And of the rest durst no man join himself to them, but the people magnified them.

[John Weaver] And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. But note, if you would, the Bible says that the people magnified them.

[John Weaver] Now, the word magnified is from the Greek word magaluno, which means to magnify, to esteem highly, to extol, to celebrate, and to praise. Look back up to verse 11. Here's another statement. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. So we should be able to ask a few very pointed questions at this particular time, and that is this. Why is the church of Jesus Christ not magnified today?

[John Weaver] Why is it not feared? Why are Christians not magnified? Why are they not held in high esteem? And why are they not feared in one sense of the word? You remember back in Genesis chapter 35, it was after Levi and Simeon had gone into Shechem and killed all of the male Shechemites. They took all their property and left because of what Shechem had done to Dinah, their sister.

[John Weaver] And basically, Jacob was outnumbered and outgunned. So there's a principle here. You can win a battle and lose a war. And so Jacob said, look, you've made me distinct in the eyes of all these people, and they're going to gather together and they're going to exterminate us. But the Bible says in Genesis 35 and verse 5, And as they journeyed, and the terror of God fell upon the cities round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. So, it was the fear of God, it was the terror of God that fell upon people, that preserved them and kept the people from literally chasing them down and killing them. So, there's another point, and that is in Deuteronomy chapter 11 and verse 25, because as Israel was going into Canaan to conquer that land, God says this, There shall no man be able to stand before you, For the Lord your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that you shall tread upon, as he said unto you."

[John Weaver] So the Bible says that God was going to lay the dread of them and the fear of them upon all the men. That is exactly what happened, because you will remember in the book of Joshua, chapter 2, when the spies went to Rahab's house, she made a convention. And she said to them, in Joshua 2 and verse 9, I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us. Now listen, and all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. So everyone feared them. Everyone knew that God was with them, and everyone had heard that God had not only delivered them from Egypt and dried up the Red Sea, but now they know that God is even dried up the Jordan where they could cross over and the rivers. It's just astounding.

[John Weaver] So you'd have to ask yourself these questions. Where is our power? Where is our might? And why is it that Christians today are impotent, anemic, helpless, powerless, and despised? And why is the Church of Jesus Christ basically impotent and despised as well? I want you to look in the book of Acts chapter 3, because I read an illustration years ago that really fits into what I am about to tell you. And that illustration was actually based upon this text. So if you will look in Acts chapter 3, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Look if you would. Acts 3 and verse 1.

[John Weaver] The Word of God says, Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man, lame from his mother's womb, was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple. Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

[John Weaver] And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up. And immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood and walked and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God." Wow.

[John Weaver] Well, the illustration that I read was, there was a conversation that was being carried on between a Roman Catholic priest and a Baptist pastor. And the priest said to the Baptist pastor, very gleefully and very happily, no longer do we have to say with Peter, silver and gold have I none, for the church has plenty. And the Baptist pastor responded, while that is true, neither can we anymore say with Peter, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.

[John Weaver] So we basically traded our power, in one sense the word, for materialism, that is for sure. And if you don't believe that, just simply look at the emphasis that the average professing Christian places upon church buildings. It seems as if we are more concerned with our edifice, with our building, than we are with the people who really and truly are the church. We're more concerned with the buildings than we are with the poor, the orphans, the sick, the afflicted. In other words, our church buildings have basically become our ministry, and what we have done, we have somehow equated the larger or the nicer the buildings, the more successful we are.

[John Weaver] And the more blessed we are when that in reality is not true. It's kind of like that passage in Hosea 8 in verse 14, where the Bible said, Israel hath forgotten her Maker and buildeth temples. And so that's what we've done. We've basically forgotten God and we are building temples. And then you'll have to remember also, The words that our Lord spoke to the church at Laodicea, in the book of Revelation 3, verse 17, and let me read them for you.

[John Weaver] Our Lord said, Because thou sayest that I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. So here was a church that said, we're rich. We have everything we need. We do not need anything. And our Lord said, you don't really understand. You're really poor, blind, miserable, and naked. While materialism is a problem, I don't think it is our only problem, and I certainly do not think that it is our largest problem. It is a problem. But when you look at the context of Deuteronomy chapter 28, You can understand why God's people are so impotent and why the Church of Jesus Christ is impotent as well. Because Deuteronomy chapter 28 is the chapter that deals with sanctions. And sanctions may be either positive or negative. And Deuteronomy 28 includes both positive and negative sanctions. So let me give you two definitions of sanctions.

[John Weaver] You could say sanctions are authoritative permission or approval or authoritative disapproval and condemnation. But there is an easier definition, I think, and that is simply this. Sanctions may also be defined as a provision of the law in acting a penalty for disobedience and a reward for obedience. So, in Deuteronomy chapter 28, naturally, the positive sanctions are known as blessings, and the negative sanctions are known as curses. When you look at Deuteronomy chapter 28, verses 1 through 14 deals with the positive sanctions, or the positive blessings. And then verses 15 through 68 deal with the negative sanctions or curses. So there are four times as many verses dealing with the negatives or dealing with the curses than there are dealing with the positives or the blessings.

[John Weaver] And I believe there's a reason for that. I believe that God is placing an emphasis upon the negative telling us that we need to beware, and we need to make sure that we watch our attitudes, we watch our actions, and we certainly watch our conduct as well, because there are consequences for disobedience. You remember you've heard me say this many times because here's a principle that I've enunciated, and that is this, God has designed it and God has ordained it that blessings always follow obedience and curses always follow disobedience.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look, if you would, at Deuteronomy chapter 28, because if you understand the impact of the Hebrew word nashon that is translated as overtake in verse 2 and verse 15, then you would understand the consequences either of obedience or disobedience, because the verb enforces the idea that you cannot outrun either the blessings or the curses of God. You try to run from them, and God is telling you that they will run you down, they will fall over you, and there's absolutely nothing that you can do to thwart them, hinder them, or stop them. So look in verse 2 of Deuteronomy 28, and look at this word. God says,"...and all these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee."

[John Weaver] if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God." So that means they're going to run you down. Look, if you would, in verse 15. He said,"...but it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes, which I commend thee to say, that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee." So it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter where you are, God is saying you cannot outrun either the blessings or the curses. Now, Matthew Henry had this to say regarding the word overtake, especially in reference to the curses. He said, In general it is declared, All these curses shall come upon thee from above, and shall overtake thee, though thou endeavour to escape them, It is to no purpose to attempt it. They shall follow thee, whithersoever thou goest, seize thee, overtake thee, and overcome thee." And that's true. While I was reading through the book of Deuteronomy, and especially verse 28, it was really verse 32 that caught my eye.

[John Weaver] I want you to look at that again. He said in verse 32,"...thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people." And thine eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all the day long, and there shall be no might, no power, no strength in thine hand."

[John Weaver] Now in the context we normally think of war, we think of captivity. We think of children being kidnapped and taken. And certainly that is there in the context, if you were to read it, because God talks about them being overcome of their enemies. But let me point something else out. He said, Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given to another people. Another people. Look at what is happening in the realm of government education. Look, if you would, at how the drag queens the gay pride quote-unquote statism everything is being forced upon our children even as early as kindergarten transgenderism i'm just simply saying here these children are being given to another people because the parents are losing control over them and obviously Once they leave, they may

[John Weaver] not be coming back at all. Do you understand that one of life's sorest and worst sorrows is helplessness and powerlessness? When I say that, let me emphasize. One of the greatest sorrows, one of the greatest heartaches for a father particularly, is to see his child going astray and realizing there's absolutely nothing he can do about it. I mean, you may teach them, you may educate them, you may counsel them, you may advise them, you may warn them, but you cannot live for them. And when someone is determined to do that which is wicked and wrong, there's no way in the world you can stop them.

[John Weaver] It's impossible to make anyone do that which is right. That is, we cannot, you and I cannot, And when we talk about seeing our children like this and helping, I'm not just talking about our children. I'm talking about people in general as well. And I'm not necessarily just talking about financially helping individuals. But what about physical health and what about spiritual health as well? So I can ask these questions. Do you want to see your children suffer?

[John Weaver] And the answer is no, of course not. Do you want to see your elderly mother or elderly father suffer? And the answer is no. Do you want to see a brother or sister suffer? And the answer is no. Do you enjoy seeing husbands and wives torn apart, families destroyed, and the agony that proceeds from those things? And the answer is no. And the question is, why do you not help in those situations? And the answer comes back.

[John Weaver] Because we're powerless to do so. We have no might. So in verse 32. The children are either stolen, or kidnapped, or captured by an enemy nation, and parents there are longing, waiting, wishing, and hoping for their safe return, but there is absolutely nothing that can be done about them. They have no might, no power to redeem them, no way to get them back, no way to have them returned. While I was thinking about this verse, I also thought about the children of professing Christians who are lost, who are unsaved, who are also not only wicked but also rebellious, and they will not listen, and they refuse to repent, they refuse to do that which is right and which is biblical, and their parents have no might, they have no power to get them to see the light and to see the truth. So there is in this Word the fruit of what I would call absolutely utter helplessness. Now, to show you the impact of verse 32, I want us to go back and begin reading at verse 28, and read through verse 35, and let you see how absolutely helpless and powerless people are in their disobedience to God.

[John Weaver] Watch verse 28. He said this, The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart. And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness. And thou shalt not prosper in thy ways. And thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee. Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her. Thou shalt build a house, and another shall dwell therein. Thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof. Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, thou shalt not eat thereof, and thine ass shall be violently taken from before thy face, and shalt not be restored to thee. Thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them. Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all the day long. and there shall be no might in thine hand. For the fruit of the land and all thy labor shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up, and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed always, so that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.

[John Weaver] The Lord shall smite thee in the knees and in the legs with a sore botch that cannot be healed from the sole of thy foot to the top of thy head." So, I want you to think with me. Can you imagine being blind? hopeless, helpless, being oppressed and spoiled with no hope of prospering and no hope of changing the situation. And everything that you do either fails or simply falls apart.

[John Weaver] And consider the implication of no marriage, no home, no farm, no garden, no way to maintain yourself, no way to survive, so to speak. On top of that, Your stored up food is confiscated. Your implements for farming or gardening are stolen and not returned to you. I mean, you end up with nothing. It's kind of like the Great Reset. You will own nothing and be happy, they say. Well, if I own nothing and you own nothing, somebody owns everything. It may not be you and I, but it may be the elite who want to control everything.

[John Weaver] But notice if you would, he says, everything's taken from you, even your children. So there is even no hope. of preserving your seed, so to speak, because you don't have any idea where your children are and you are defeated and you're frustrated and you are destroyed. You're smitten on every hand. And moreover, you are smitten yourself with diseases. You can't even help yourself, much less your children. So.

[John Weaver] When God draws us this awful picture, we have to ask, What actually happens to bring a people, a society, a nation in such a situation? What have we done? How did we get into the situation? What is the cause of that desolation and destruction? If you look around at where we are in the land of the free and the home of the brave, You'll find we're in judgment up to our eyeballs and most people have no idea what is happening.

[John Weaver] The Bible in Proverbs 26 in verse 2 says this, As the bird by wandering and the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. In other words, there's always a cause for the curse of God. So you can mark it down, you can underline it in your heart, that curses do not happen by accident. They're not something that just pops up out of nowhere. No. There is a reason. There is a cause. And the Bible tells us very plainly the cause of these curses is because we've disobeyed God and certainly we've defied God and His law. God and His law are one.

[John Weaver] I'll show you that later. But they are inseparable. You cannot maintain one idea toward God and a different idea toward His law. You cannot say, I love God, but I don't like His law. Or, I love His law, but I don't like God. No, no, no. God and His law are inseparable. He is King of kings and Lord of lords and God of gods, and every king rules by his law. And a rejection of God's law is also a rejection of God. If we do not keep His commandments, then we come short of the blessings of God. If we do not keep His commandments, we not only come short of His blessings, we also incur His curses. So as the curses then are full of absolute misery, We're also missing the absolute happiness and blessings that stem from obedience as well. Now, God is our creator. God is our judge. God is our lawgiver. God is our king. And he has the absolute right to tell us how to live. He has the absolute right to tell us what we may do and what we may not do.

[John Weaver] In fact, Isaiah 33 and verse 22 says it like this, For the Lord is our judge. The Lord is our lawgiver. The Lord is our king. He will save us. So God then is judge, lawgiver, and king. And the Bible tells you in James 4 verse 12, For there is only one lawgiver who is able to save and destroy, and that is the one true and living God.

[John Weaver] So what I want to do is this. I want to give you very quickly and show you the context. three reasons why we're in such a state that we're in, in our nation, in our churches, in our society, in our homes, in our individual lives. So the first one is this. We're under his curse because we've disobeyed God. We're under his curse because we've disobeyed God. God's law is his rule for our lives. When we transgress, and disobey, we violate his law and bring ourselves under a negative sanction, that is, we bring ourselves under a curse. 1 John 3 and verse 4 says, Whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is a transgression of the law. So you cannot sin without violating God's law. So have you disobeyed God's law? Have you violated God's law?

[John Weaver] Have you transgressed His commandments? Have you done that which God said do not do? Or, we could ask another way, have you failed to obey that which God has commanded? So every question that is answered in the negative places one under God's righteous anger and judgment.

[John Weaver] Now, I wanted you to look, if you would, in Deuteronomy 28 and verse 62. I want you to see this. It's amazing that now we're hearing about all the people that are dying from all the shots, all the vaccines. I heard the head of Pfizer say by 2025, 50 percent. of the country would be dead. Wow. Why? Well, look in verse 62. God says this is part of the curse, and you shall be left few in number, whereas you were as the stars of heaven for multitude, because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the Lord thy God. You're going to be left few in number because you would not obey In Nehemiah 9, verse 17, Nehemiah said this concerning Israel, and refused to obey, neither were mindful of the wonders that thou didst among them, but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to bondage. Note what he said, they refused to obey. They were not mindful of God's wonders, but they hardened their necks, and in their rebellion, they appointed a captain so they could go back into Egypt.

[John Weaver] In Job 36 and verse 12, God said, But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge. If they obey not, there is definitely a curse for disobedience. In Jeremiah chapter 12 and verse 17, God said this, But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the Lord. Not just an individual, not just a family, not just a church, but a nation. But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the Lord. When Stephen was giving his witness in Acts chapter 7 and verse 39, he said, to whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt. So, we're under God's curse because we refuse to obey God. We have disobeyed Him.

[John Weaver] But let me point something out. Sin is not only disobedience. It is more awful than just disobedience because sin is also desertion. So let me put it like this. We're under God's curse because we've disobeyed him. Secondly, we're under God's curse because we have deserted him. In reality, it is the height of stupidity and the height of insanity to forsake the one true and living God. He holds our souls in life.

[John Weaver] Our times are in His hands. He is the source of all blessings and happiness, and without Him we are absolutely nothing. You say, I don't need God. I don't need anything He provides. I've got enough strength. I can take care of myself. Really? Well, I tell you what. Just try taking care of yourself for five minutes without breathing His air. Let's see how far you get. Our Lord said in John 15 in verse 5, Without me ye can do nothing.

[John Weaver] So here is a principle. I'm going to show it to you from Scripture. When we disobey God, we desert Him. And when we desert and forsake Him in righteousness and in justice, He deserts and forsakes us. It's called the lex talionis, the law of retribution, where God makes the punishment fit the crime. And one of the greatest judgments that can befall anyone, a nation, An individual, a family, a church, one of the greatest judgments that can befall us is just for God to leave us alone. Do you realize how simple it is for God to destroy a people? All He's got to do is leave them alone.

[John Weaver] In fact, you remember in Matthew chapter 15, our Lord was preaching and after He got through The disciples came to him and said, Knowest thou not that the Pharisees were offended at that saying? You remember our Lord's answer? He said, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Leave them alone. If the blind lead the blind, they shall both fall into the ditch. Leave them alone. I got news for you. When God leaves someone alone, they're in trouble. They're in trouble. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 31, since you're close there.

[John Weaver] And look, if you would, beginning there, verse 16. Here's what God said through Moses. Look at it. Deuteronomy, chapter 31, verse 16. And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, and this people will rise up and go a-whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whether they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them. And they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us? Because our God is not among us." Note if you would, God said they're going to forsake me, I'm going to forsake them. Disobedience becomes desertion. When we disobey, we desert God. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 28 and verse 20. Deuteronomy 28 and verse 20. Look what God says.

[John Weaver] The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, and all that thou settest thine hand for to do, until thou be destroyed, until thou perish quickly, because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me. It's amazing that disobedience and reality is also desertion. In Judges chapter 10 and verse 13, God said, Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods. Wherefore, I will deliver you no more.

[John Weaver] You want to be left alone? You want me to leave you alone? Fine, says God, I can do that. You remember that passage in 1 Samuel 8, where Israel was demanding a king, and Samuel prayed to the Lord, and he was very upset because he knew it was wrong. And so God said to Samuel, in verse 8, according to all the works which they have done since the day I brought them up out of Egypt, even in this day, wherewith they have forsaken Me, and served other gods, even so they do also unto you." So, when a people forsake God, they also forsake His preachers, His prophets, His truth, His Word. So, disobedience is also desertion.

[John Weaver] I want you to look in your Bibles, hold Deuteronomy if you would, but look in your Bibles through the book of Jeremiah chapter 2. You want to see the absolute insanity of deserting God. We see it very clearly in this passage, Jeremiah chapter 2. Look in verse 13. Jeremiah 2 verse 13. In fact, we can read verse 12. He says, Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, Be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. Why?

[John Weaver] For my people have committed two evils. Number one, they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters. And number two, hewed themselves out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water. So why in the world would someone leave a fountain of living water and hew them out, that is cut them out, a wooden cistern that has holes and cracks in it that can hold no water. You have to be insane to trade a fountain of living water for a bucket that couldn't hold anything. But God says, that's exactly what people have done to me.

[John Weaver] They have deserted me, and they've deserted me for something absolutely worthless. That is why the idols in the Bible are always called vanity. They're worthless. They are useless. So Jeremiah then demonstrates the absolute insanity of deserting God. So now listen to me. The curse comes because we've disobeyed God. But disobedience is more than disobedience. It also becomes desertion. That is not the worst part of sin. So there's not only disobedience, there's desertion, but thirdly, there's despisement. So we're under the curse of God because we have despised God. So listen to this. Disobedience leads to desertion, and desertion leads to despisement.

[John Weaver] So let me just give you a good illustration. Suppose Steve has a very handsome knife and I see it and I really like it. I really want it. Maybe he made it. It's one of a kind. And so he puts it down and he walks away. And I say, this is my opportunity, and I go up and I steal that knife. Have I disobeyed God? And the answer is yes, because God says, thou shalt not steal. But I've done more than disobeyed God. I've deserted God. I've said, in essence, you're not my God. I am my own God because I want that knife, regardless of what you say. And then thirdly, not only have I disobeyed and deserted, I've now despised Him because I am treating Him with absolute contempt. Because I want what I want, and I don't care what he says.

[John Weaver] Now look in Deuteronomy 28 verse 15. Watch it. Deuteronomy 28 verse 15. Again, we read this. This is the beginning of the curses. But look what he says. Deuteronomy 28 verse 15. But it shall come to pass if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day, that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee."

[John Weaver] Note, there's not only a disobedience, there's not only a desertion in this, there's actually a despisement of God, and despising God is the highest contempt imaginable When we refuse to hear Him and obey Him, we desert Him, and in that desertion is the highest contempt of despising Him. Now, to show you I'm not making this up, I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel 12. 2 Samuel 12.

[John Weaver] And everyone is fully aware of the story of David and Bathsheba. You remember how David not only committed adultery with Bathsheba, he had her husband, Uriah the Hittite, murdered with the sword of the children of Ammon. And you remember also how God sent Nathan the prophet to David, and he told him the story about the rich man and the poor man with the one little ewe lamb. And the rich man who had plenty, when a traveler came his way, He spared to take his own flock, and went and took that one little ewe lamb that that one poor man had, and served him up for his guest. And David was so angry, he said, The man that hath done this thing shall surely die, and he shall restore fourfold. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.

[John Weaver] So look, if you would, in 2 Samuel 12 and verse 9. Look what God says to David. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with a sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now go back. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord? Well, look at the commandments that David despised. He despised the seventh commandment, Thou shalt not commit adultery. He despised the fifth commandment, thou shalt not covet. He despised the sixth commandment, thou shalt not kill. He despised the fifth commandment, honor thy father and thy mother, because what he did was very dishonorable to his family. And he certainly despised the first commandment, thou shalt have no other gods before me, because he treated God with contempt and acted as if he was his own God. Yes, he despised the commandments. But note verse 10. After verse 9 he says, Wherefore as I despise the commandment of the Lord, now verse 10, Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the life of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

[John Weaver] I told you earlier that God and His law cannot be separated. They are one. God rules by His law. So in verse 9, you despise His law. In verse 10, you despise Him. That is why I said you cannot maintain one attitude toward God and a different attitude toward His law. No. So sin is not just disobedience. Sin is not just desertion. It is a despisement of God.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles, the first Samuel, chapter 2. 1st Samuel chapter 2 and look if you would please at verse 30 1st Samuel 2 and verse 30 and of course here God is dealing with Eli in his house especially Hophni and Phinehas his sons but look at what God says to Eli wherefore the Lord God of Israel said I will indeed, I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me forever. But now the Lord said, Be it far from me, look at this principle, be it far from me, for them that honor me will I honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Well, what were Hophni and Phinehas doing?

[John Weaver] They were violating God's law. What was Eli doing? He was violating God's law by not restraining his sons. And God says, they that despise me shall be like me. In other words, God said, if you despise me, I'll despise you. It's just that simple. That is the ex talionis. That is the law of retribution.

[John Weaver] Now, in Isaiah chapter 13, verse 12, let me just quote it. He said, Wherefore, thus saith the Holy One of Israel, because you despise this word and trust in oppression and perverseness and stay there on. You despise his words. How do you do that? By disobedience? By deserting him? By doing that which he tells you not to do? Wow. And then he said in Jeremiah chapter 23 and verse 17, they say, still unto them that despise me, The Lord has said, you shall have peace. And they say unto everyone that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, no evil shall come upon you.

[John Weaver] No, that is not true. He said that you despise me when you violate my word, when you disobey me, when you desert me. And the truth of the matter is there is no peace for the wicked. He said in Isaiah 57, there is no peace for the wicked, saith my God. For they are like the troubled sea that cast up dirt and mire. There is no peace for the wicked. So if we desire peace, if we desire blessing, we must be obedient to His Word. We must honor Him and praise Him and cleave to Him.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to tie this together. I want you to think about this because my question is, where is our power? Where is our might? And the truth is, we're helpless. We cannot disobey and desert and despise God and continue to prosper and live. We cannot disobey, desert and despise God and expect to have His blessing and His power and His might upon us. It's impossible. I want you to look in Deuteronomy chapter 30 at what Moses warned the people concerning. Deuteronomy 30.

[John Weaver] And let's begin there with verses 19 and 20. Watch carefully. Deuteronomy 30 verse 19. He said, I call heaven and earth to record this day against you. That I've set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life. that both thou and thy seed may live." Now stop right there. He's given the law. He's explained the law. And he said, I've set before you this day life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose life that thou and thy seed may live. Now look at verse 20. If you choose life, here's the path, that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, that thou mayst obey his voice, that thou mayst cleave unto him. For he is thy life, and the length of thy days, that thou mayst dwell in the land where the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." Now, if you choose life, he says that you're going to obey, that thou mayst obey. If you choose life, he says you're not going to desert, that thou mayst cleave unto his voice.

[John Weaver] If you choose life, you're not going to despise Him. Why? For He is thy life and the length of thy days. So life involves obedience and faithfulness and loving the Lord. That's why it's said that thou mayest love the Lord thy God. Wow! Disobedience involves desertion and despisement. So one of the reasons that we are absolutely powerless is because, unhappily, even most professing Christians have chosen death instead of life, because they've chosen disobedience.

[John Weaver] Let me point something else out. We have to understand that the Lord alone is our strength, is our power, is our might. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Isaiah chapter 40. Isaiah chapter 40. Isaiah 40. Look if you would first of all at verse 26. Isaiah 40 and verse 26. God says lift up your eyes on high and behold who hath created these things that bringeth out their host by number, he calleth them all by names, by the greatness of his might. For then he is strong in power, not one faileth." So God is great in His might, He's strong in power, nothing fails. Now, skip down to verse 29. He said, He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might, He increases strength.

[John Weaver] Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles, and they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint." So He giveth power to the faint. He giveth power to those who are helpless. He giveth power to those who have no might. He increases their strength. our might and our powers in the Lord.

[John Weaver] So you'd have to think about this. Why in the world are Christians, and why in the world is the Church of Jesus Christ so impotent, so anemic, so helpless, so powerless, so despised when we have the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, almighty, invincible God of heaven and earth is our God. Why? And the answer is, because we've disobeyed, we've deserted, and we've despised. There's a passage in Nehemiah 10 that says this, The joy of the Lord is your strength. Think about that verse. The joy of the Lord is your strength. If you are rejoicing in the Lord, that means you're obedient. If you're rejoicing in the Lord, That means you're faithful. You have not deserted Him. If you're rejoicing in the Lord, you're not despising Him. You're loving Him. And you're cleaving unto Him. And we've just not really realized our extreme helplessness. Because the Bible says,"...not by might nor power, but by My Spirit saith the Lord."

[John Weaver] We cannot do one thing in and of ourselves. As our Lord said, without me you can do nothing. The reason for our impotence as a whole is because of our disobedience, our desertion, and our despisement of God. When we repent and come back to Him, we'll be like those early Christians And the fear of us and the dread of us will be upon all men. But right now, we're the laughing stock of the world because of our helplessness, our impotence.

[John Weaver] We need a real, genuine awakening and revival. The joy of the Lord is to be our strength. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You, Father, for Your Word. We realize, Lord, our sins, our disobedience, our desertion, our despisement. O Lord, forgive us for our sins, multitudinous sins. May we choose life. May we love Thee. May we cleave to Thee. May we obey Thee. Be faithful unto Thee. And, Lord, may we love Thee with all of our heart, mind, soul, spirit, and being, everything that we are. We cry, Lord, that You will turn us, and we shall be turned. Quicken us, O Lord, and we shall call upon Thy name.

[John Weaver] Give us Your grace and give us Your mercy, for Thou alone art power, might, and strength. We praise Thee and ask for Your grace. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose name we pray, Amen.

Impotent Christians and an Impotent Church

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	919221648582426
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-09-18
Dictation Name
Book	Book 043: Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need — Chapter 3
Source Timed Segments	70

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Problem of Powerlessness

Weaver introduces the topic by reading Deuteronomy 28:32 and posing the question of why Christians and the church today lack power, contrasting them with early believers in Acts.

Alright, if you'll open your Bible to Deuteronomy 28, and we're going to look at verse 32. Deuteronomy 28, verse 32. And, of course, we'll come back and pick up the context just a little bit later. But look in Deuteronomy 28, verse 32. The title of the message is "Impotent Christians and an Impotent Church." So God says in Deuteronomy 28, verse 32, "Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all the day long, and there shall be no might in thine hand." Have you considered, number one, your life as a Christian? And then secondly, have you considered the church of Jesus Christ as a whole? And have you considered the fact that basically today, individual Christians, as well as churches, are absolutely powerless. I don't know if you've ever really considered the truth that God spoke to Jacob in Genesis 32, verse 28, and He said,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 32:28

"Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed."

So He said,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 32:28

"Thou hast power with God and with men and hast prevailed."

So you're going to say, but that was given to Israel. And of course, the Bible tells you in Galatians 6 and verse 16, and He said, "And as many as"—so listen to this—"and as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God." So the Israel of God are those that walk according to this rule.

The Early Church's Power and Esteem

He describes the early church's devotion to doctrine, fellowship, prayer, and generosity, noting that they were magnified and feared by the people, unlike today's church.

So you have to ask yourself these questions. Where is our power and where is our might? And why is it that Christians generally today have no power and no might, either with God or with man? So if we compared our lives to the early Christians, if we just looked in the book of Acts and examined ourselves in light of how they lived and what happened in their lives, I think each of us would come to the realization that we really do not even measure up in any sense of the word. In fact, if you'll hold Deuteronomy 28 and look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 2, there's an interesting illustration here of how these Christians moved and lived. And notice in Acts chapter 2, beginning there with verse 42. Look what the Bible says, Acts 2 and verse 42.

"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine." Right there would separate most Christians because most Christians know nothing about doctrine whatsoever. But the Bible said they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And now watch, "And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Now, of course, the Bible says these Christians continued in doctrine, in fellowship, in prayer, and the Bible says also that they sold everything they had and gave as every man had need.

Let me make a statement concerning that. That was certainly not communism. It was certainly not socialism by any stretch of the imagination. Because when you look at Acts chapter 5, the Bible tells us that no one was obligated to sell and no one was obligated to give. Because Ananias and Sapphira sold a certain part or a certain land, and then came and gave to the church and pretended like it was all of the price.

When it was not, they kept back some. And so Peter asked them, "Ah, look, when you had the land, was it not yours? And when you sold it, was it not yours? You didn't have to do anything." But he said,

Scripture Reading — Acts 5:1-11

"Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."

And of course, in that particular passage, God killed both of them for lying to the Holy Spirit. But the interesting thing is, he said, you didn't have to sell it at all. No one required you to do it. So it was not communism. It was certainly not socialism by any stretch of the imagination. But they were in one accord. So if you look in your Bibles, Acts chapter 5, notice if you would, verses 13 and 14. Here's another statement concerning them. Acts 5, verse 13, "And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them."

"And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women." But note, if you would, the Bible says that the people magnified them. Now, the word "magnified" is from the Greek word "megaluno," which means to magnify, to esteem highly, to extol, to celebrate, and to praise. Look back up to verse 11. Here's another statement. "And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things." So we should be able to ask a few very pointed questions at this particular time, and that is this. Why is the church of Jesus Christ not magnified today? Why is it not feared? Why are Christians not magnified? Why are they not held in high esteem? And why are they not feared in one sense of the word? You remember back in Genesis chapter 35, it was after Levi and Simeon had gone into Shechem and killed all of the male Shechemites. They took all their property and left because of what Shechem had done to Dinah, their sister.

The Fear of God as Protection

Weaver cites Genesis 35:5 and Deuteronomy 11:25 to show that God placed the terror of His people on their enemies, preserving them, and asks why this is absent now.

And basically, Jacob was outnumbered and outgunned. So there's a principle here. You can win a battle and lose a war. And so Jacob said, "Look, you've made me odious in the eyes of all these people, and they're going to gather together and they're going to exterminate us." But the Bible says in Genesis 35 and verse 5,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 35:5

"And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob."

So, it was the fear of God, it was the terror of God that fell upon people, that preserved them and kept the people from literally chasing them down and killing them. So, there's another point, and that is in Deuteronomy chapter 11 and verse 25, because as Israel was going into Canaan to conquer that land, God says this, "There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you."

So the Bible says that God was going to lay the dread of them and the fear of them upon all the men. That is exactly what happened, because you will remember in the book of Joshua, chapter 2, when the spies went to Rahab's house, she made a confession. And she said to them, in Joshua 2 and verse 9, "I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us." Now listen, "and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you." So everyone feared them. Everyone knew that God was with them, and everyone had heard that God had not only delivered them from Egypt and dried up the Red Sea, but now they know that God has even dried up the Jordan where they could cross over. And it's just astounding.

Trading Power for Materialism

Using an illustration of a conversation between a priest and a pastor, he argues that the church has traded spiritual power for material wealth and building-focused ministry.

So you'd have to ask yourself these questions. Where is our power? Where is our might? And why is it that Christians today are impotent, anemic, helpless, powerless, and despised? And why is the Church of Jesus Christ basically impotent and despised as well? I want you to look in the book of Acts chapter 3, because I read an illustration years ago that really fits into what I am about to tell you. And that illustration was actually based upon this text. So if you will look in Acts chapter 3, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Look if you would. Acts 3 and verse 1.

The Word of God says, "Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us." "And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God." Wow.

Well, the illustration that I read was, there was a conversation that was being carried on between a Roman Catholic priest and a Baptist pastor. And the priest said to the Baptist pastor, very gleefully and very happily, "No longer do we have to say with Peter, 'Silver and gold have I none,' for the church has plenty." And the Baptist pastor responded, "While that is true, neither can we anymore say with Peter, 'In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.'" So we basically traded our power, in one sense of the word, for materialism, that is for sure. And if you don't believe that, just simply look at the emphasis that the average professing Christian places upon church buildings. It seems as if we are more concerned with our edifice, with our building, than we are with the people who really and truly are the church. We're more concerned with the buildings than we are with the poor, the orphans, the sick, the afflicted. In other words, our church buildings have basically become our ministry, and what we have done, we have somehow equated the larger or the nicer the buildings, the more successful we are.

And the more blessed we are when that in reality is not true. It's kind of like that passage in Hosea 8 and verse 14, where the Bible said,

Scripture Reading — Hosea 8:14

"Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples."

And so that's what we've done. We've basically forgotten God and we are building temples. And then you'll have to remember also, the words that our Lord spoke to the church at Laodicea, in the book of Revelation 3, verse 17, and let me read them for you.

The Context of Deuteronomy 28: Sanctions

He explains that Deuteronomy 28 outlines blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, with the curses being more extensive, and that these sanctions overtake people inevitably.

Our Lord said, "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." So here was a church that said, "We're rich. We have everything we need. We do not need anything." And our Lord said, "You don't really understand. You're really poor, blind, miserable, and naked." While materialism is a problem, I don't think it is our only problem, and I certainly do not think that it is our largest problem. It is a problem. But when you look at the context of Deuteronomy chapter 28, you can understand why God's people are so impotent and why the Church of Jesus Christ is impotent as well. Because Deuteronomy chapter 28 is the chapter that deals with sanctions. And sanctions may be either positive or negative. And Deuteronomy 28 includes both positive and negative sanctions. So let me give you two definitions of sanctions.

You could say sanctions are authoritative permission or approval or authoritative disapproval and condemnation. But there is an easier definition, I think, and that is simply this. Sanctions may also be defined as a provision of the law enacting a penalty for disobedience and a reward for obedience. So, in Deuteronomy chapter 28, naturally, the positive sanctions are known as blessings, and the negative sanctions are known as curses. When you look at Deuteronomy chapter 28, verses 1 through 14 deal with the positive sanctions, or the positive blessings. And then verses 15 through 68 deal with the negative sanctions or curses. So there are four times as many verses dealing with the negatives or dealing with the curses than there are dealing with the positives or the blessings.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 28:15-68

And I believe there's a reason for that. I believe that God is placing an emphasis upon the negative telling us that we need to beware, and we need to make sure that we watch our attitudes, we watch our actions, and we certainly watch our conduct as well, because there are consequences for disobedience. You remember you've heard me say this many times because here's a principle that I've enunciated, and that is this, God has designed it and God has ordained it that blessings always follow obedience and curses always follow disobedience. Now, I want you to look, if you would, at Deuteronomy chapter 28, because if you understand the impact of the Hebrew word "nasag" that is translated as "overtake" in verse 2 and verse 15, then you would understand the consequences either of obedience or disobedience, because the verb enforces the idea that you cannot outrun either the blessings or the curses of God. You try to run from them, and God is telling you that they will run you down, they will fall over you, and there's absolutely nothing that you can do to thwart them, hinder them, or stop them. So look in verse 2 of Deuteronomy 28, and look at this word. God says, "And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee."

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 28:2, 15

"...if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God."

So that means they're going to run you down. Look, if you would, in verse 15. He said,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 28:2, 15

"But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day, that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee."

So it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter where you are, God is saying you cannot outrun either the blessings or the curses. Now, Matthew Henry had this to say regarding the word "overtake," especially in reference to the curses. He said, "In general it is declared, 'All these curses shall come upon thee from above, and shall overtake thee, though thou endeavour to escape them, it is to no purpose to attempt it. They shall follow thee, whithersoever thou goest, seize thee, overtake thee, and overcome thee.'" And that's true. While I was reading through the book of Deuteronomy, and especially verse 28, it was really verse 32 that caught my eye.

The Helplessness Described in Deuteronomy 28:28-35

Weaver reads verses 28-35 to illustrate the utter helplessness and despair that come from disobedience, including loss of children, property, and health.

I want you to look at that again. He said in verse 32, "Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might, no power, no strength in thine hand." Now in the context we normally think of war, we think of captivity. We think of children being kidnapped and taken. And certainly that is there in the context, if you were to read it, because God talks about them being overcome of their enemies. But let me point something else out. He said, "Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given to another people." Another people. Look at what is happening in the realm of government education. Look, if you would, at how the drag queens, the gay pride, quote-unquote statism, everything is being forced upon our children even as early as kindergarten, transgenderism. I'm just simply saying here these children are being given to another people because the parents are losing control over them. And obviously, once they leave, they may

not be coming back at all. Do you understand that one of life's sorest and worst sorrows is helplessness and powerlessness? When I say that, let me emphasize. One of the greatest sorrows, one of the greatest heartaches for a father particularly, is to see his child going astray and realizing there's absolutely nothing he can do about it. I mean, you may teach them, you may educate them, you may counsel them, you may advise them, you may warn them, but you cannot live for them. And when someone is determined to do that which is wicked and wrong, there's no way in the world you can stop them. It's impossible to make anyone do that which is right. That is, we cannot, you and I cannot. And when we talk about seeing our children like this and helping, I'm not just talking about our children. I'm talking about people in general as well. And I'm not necessarily just talking about financially helping individuals. But what about physical health and what about spiritual health as well? So I can ask these questions. Do you want to see your children suffer?

And the answer is no, of course not. Do you want to see your elderly mother or elderly father suffer? And the answer is no. Do you want to see a brother or sister suffer? And the answer is no. Do you enjoy seeing husbands and wives torn apart, families destroyed, and the agony that proceeds from those things? And the answer is no. And the question is, why do you not help in those situations? And the answer comes back.

Because we're powerless to do so. We have no might. So in verse 32, the children are either stolen, or kidnapped, or captured by an enemy nation, and parents there are longing, waiting, wishing, and hoping for their safe return, but there is absolutely nothing that can be done about them. They have no might, no power to redeem them, no way to get them back, no way to have them returned. While I was thinking about this verse, I also thought about the children of professing Christians who are lost, who are unsaved, who are also not only wicked but also rebellious, and they will not listen, and they refuse to repent, they refuse to do that which is right and which is biblical, and their parents have no might, they have no power to get them to see the light and to see the truth. So there is in this Word the fruit of what I would call absolutely utter helplessness. Now, to show you the impact of verse 32, I want us to go back and begin reading at verse 28, and read through verse 35, and let you see how absolutely helpless and powerless people are in their disobedience to God.

Watch verse 28. He said this, "The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart: and thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee. Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof. Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them. Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand. The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway: so that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see."

"The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head." So, I want you to think with me. Can you imagine being blind, hopeless, helpless, being oppressed and spoiled with no hope of prospering and no hope of changing the situation? And everything that you do either fails or simply falls apart. And consider the implication of no marriage, no home, no farm, no garden, no way to maintain yourself, no way to survive, so to speak. On top of that, your stored up food is confiscated. Your implements for farming or gardening are stolen and not returned to you. I mean, you end up with nothing. It's kind of like the Great Reset. You will own nothing and be happy, they say. Well, if I own nothing and you own nothing, somebody owns everything. It may not be you and I, but it may be the elite who want to control everything.

But notice if you would, he says, everything's taken from you, even your children. So there is even no hope of preserving your seed, so to speak, because you don't have any idea where your children are and you are defeated and you're frustrated and you are destroyed. You're smitten on every hand. And moreover, you are smitten yourself with diseases. You can't even help yourself, much less your children. So.

Three Reasons for the Curse: Disobedience, Desertion, Despisement

He presents the threefold nature of sin: disobedience to God's law, desertion of God, and despisement of God, showing that these bring His curse and powerlessness.

When God draws us this awful picture, we have to ask, what actually happens to bring a people, a society, a nation into such a situation? What have we done? How did we get into the situation? What is the cause of that desolation and destruction? If you look around at where we are in the land of the free and the home of the brave, you'll find we're in judgment up to our eyeballs and most people have no idea what is happening. The Bible in Proverbs 26 and verse 2 says this,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 26:2

"As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come."

In other words, there's always a cause for the curse of God. So you can mark it down, you can underline it in your heart, that curses do not happen by accident. They're not something that just pops up out of nowhere. No. There is a reason. There is a cause. And the Bible tells us very plainly the cause of these curses is because we've disobeyed God and certainly we've defied God and His law. God and His law are one.

I'll show you that later. But they are inseparable. You cannot maintain one idea toward God and a different idea toward His law. You cannot say, "I love God, but I don't like His law." Or, "I love His law, but I don't like God." No, no, no. God and His law are inseparable. He is King of kings and Lord of lords and God of gods, and every king rules by his law. And a rejection of God's law is also a rejection of God. If we do not keep His commandments, then we come short of the blessings of God. If we do not keep His commandments, we not only come short of His blessings, we also incur His curses. So as the curses then are full of absolute misery, we're also missing the absolute happiness and blessings that stem from obedience as well. Now, God is our creator. God is our judge. God is our lawgiver. God is our king. And He has the absolute right to tell us how to live. He has the absolute right to tell us what we may do and what we may not do.

In fact, Isaiah 33 and verse 22 says it like this, "For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us." So God then is judge, lawgiver, and king. And the Bible tells you in James 4 verse 12,

Scripture Reading — James 4:12

"There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy,"

and that is the one true and living God. So what I want to do is this. I want to give you very quickly and show you the context three reasons why we're in such a state that we're in, in our nation, in our churches, in our society, in our homes, in our individual lives. So the first one is this. We're under His curse because we've disobeyed God. We're under His curse because we've disobeyed God. God's law is His rule for our lives. When we transgress and disobey, we violate His law and bring ourselves under a negative sanction, that is, we bring ourselves under a curse. 1 John 3 and verse 4 says, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." So you cannot sin without violating God's law. So have you disobeyed God's law? Have you violated God's law?

Have you transgressed His commandments? Have you done that which God said do not do? Or, we could ask another way, have you failed to obey that which God has commanded? So every question that is answered in the negative places one under God's righteous anger and judgment.

Now, I wanted you to look, if you would, in Deuteronomy 28 and verse 62. I want you to see this. It's amazing that now we're hearing about all the people that are dying from all the shots, all the vaccines. I heard the head of Pfizer say by 2025, 50 percent of the country would be dead. Wow. Why? Well, look in verse 62. God says this is part of the curse, "And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God." You're going to be left few in number because you would not obey. In Nehemiah 9, verse 17, Nehemiah said this concerning Israel, "And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage." Note what he said, they refused to obey. They were not mindful of God's wonders, but they hardened their necks, and in their rebellion, they appointed a captain so they could go back into Egypt.

In Job 36 and verse 12, God said, "But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge." If they obey not, there is definitely a curse for disobedience. In Jeremiah chapter 12 and verse 17, God said this, "But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD." Not just an individual, not just a family, not just a church, but a nation. "But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD." When Stephen was giving his witness in Acts chapter 7 and verse 39, he said, "To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt." So, we're under God's curse because we refuse to obey God. We have disobeyed Him.

But let me point something out. Sin is not only disobedience. It is more awful than just disobedience because sin is also desertion. So let me put it like this. We're under God's curse because we've disobeyed Him. Secondly, we're under God's curse because we have deserted Him. In reality, it is the height of stupidity and the height of insanity to forsake the one true and living God. He holds our souls in life.

Our times are in His hands. He is the source of all blessings and happiness, and without Him we are absolutely nothing. You say, "I don't need God. I don't need anything He provides. I've got enough strength. I can take care of myself." Really? Well, I tell you what. Just try taking care of yourself for five minutes without breathing His air. Let's see how far you get. Our Lord said in John 15 and verse 5, "Without me ye can do nothing."

So here is a principle. I'm going to show it to you from Scripture. When we disobey God, we desert Him. And when we desert and forsake Him in righteousness and in justice, He deserts and forsakes us. It's called the lex talionis, the law of retribution, where God makes the punishment fit the crime. And one of the greatest judgments that can befall anyone, a nation, an individual, a family, a church, one of the greatest judgments that can befall us is just for God to leave us alone. Do you realize how simple it is for God to destroy a people? All He's got to do is leave them alone.

In fact, you remember in Matthew chapter 15, our Lord was preaching and after He got through, the disciples came to Him and said, "Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?" You remember our Lord's answer? He said, "Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." Leave them alone. I got news for you. When God leaves someone alone, they're in trouble. They're in trouble. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 31, since you're close there.

And look, if you would, beginning there, verse 16. Here's what God said through Moses. Look at it. Deuteronomy, chapter 31, verse 16. "And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?" Note if you would, God said they're going to forsake me, I'm going to forsake them. Disobedience becomes desertion. When we disobey, we desert God. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 28 and verse 20. Deuteronomy 28 and verse 20. Look what God says.

"The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me." It's amazing that disobedience in reality is also desertion. In Judges chapter 10 and verse 13, God said, "Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more." You want to be left alone? You want me to leave you alone? Fine, says God, I can do that. You remember that passage in 1 Samuel 8, where Israel was demanding a king, and Samuel prayed to the Lord, and he was very upset because he knew it was wrong. And so God said to Samuel, in verse 8, "According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee." So, when a people forsake God, they also forsake His preachers, His prophets, His truth, His Word. So, disobedience is also desertion.

I want you to look in your Bibles, hold Deuteronomy if you would, but look in your Bibles through the book of Jeremiah chapter 2. You want to see the absolute insanity of deserting God. We see it very clearly in this passage, Jeremiah chapter 2. Look in verse 13. Jeremiah 2 verse 13. In fact, we can read verse 12. He says, "Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD." Why?

"For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." So why in the world would someone leave a fountain of living water and hew them out, that is cut them out, a cistern that has holes and cracks in it that can hold no water? You have to be insane to trade a fountain of living water for a bucket that couldn't hold anything. But God says, that's exactly what people have done to me. They have deserted me, and they've deserted me for something absolutely worthless. That is why the idols in the Bible are always called vanity. They're worthless. They are useless. So Jeremiah then demonstrates the absolute insanity of deserting God. So now listen to me. The curse comes because we've disobeyed God. But disobedience is more than disobedience. It also becomes desertion. That is not the worst part of sin. So there's not only disobedience, there's desertion, but thirdly, there's despisement. So we're under the curse of God because we have despised God. So listen to this. Disobedience leads to desertion, and desertion leads to despisement.

So let me just give you a good illustration. Suppose Steve has a very handsome knife and I see it and I really like it. I really want it. Maybe he made it. It's one of a kind. And so he puts it down and he walks away. And I say, "This is my opportunity," and I go up and I steal that knife. Have I disobeyed God? And the answer is yes, because God says, "Thou shalt not steal." But I've done more than disobeyed God. I've deserted God. I've said, in essence, "You're not my God. I am my own God because I want that knife, regardless of what you say." And then thirdly, not only have I disobeyed and deserted, I've now despised Him because I am treating Him with absolute contempt. Because I want what I want, and I don't care what He says.

Now look in Deuteronomy 28 verse 15. Watch it. Deuteronomy 28 verse 15. Again, we read this. This is the beginning of the curses. But look what he says. Deuteronomy 28 verse 15. "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee."

Note, there's not only a disobedience, there's not only a desertion in this, there's actually a despisement of God, and despising God is the highest contempt imaginable. When we refuse to hear Him and obey Him, we desert Him, and in that desertion is the highest contempt of despising Him. Now, to show you I'm not making this up, I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel 12. 2 Samuel 12. And everyone is fully aware of the story of David and Bathsheba. You remember how David not only committed adultery with Bathsheba, he had her husband, Uriah the Hittite, murdered with the sword of the children of Ammon. And you remember also how God sent Nathan the prophet to David, and he told him the story about the rich man and the poor man with the one little ewe lamb. And the rich man who had plenty, when a traveler came his way, he spared to take of his own flock, and went and took that one little ewe lamb that that one poor man had, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David was so angry, he said, "The man that hath done this thing shall surely die: and he shall restore the lamb fourfold." And Nathan said to David, "Thou art the man."

So look, if you would, in 2 Samuel 12 and verse 9. Look what God says to David. "Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon." Now go back. "Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD?" Well, look at the commandments that David despised. He despised the seventh commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." He despised the tenth commandment, "Thou shalt not covet." He despised the sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not kill." He despised the fifth commandment, "Honour thy father and thy mother," because what he did was very dishonorable to his family. And he certainly despised the first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," because he treated God with contempt and acted as if he was his own God. Yes, he despised the commandments. But note verse 10. After verse 9 he says, "Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD?" Now verse 10, "Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife."

I told you earlier that God and His law cannot be separated. They are one. God rules by His law. So in verse 9, you despise His law. In verse 10, you despise Him. That is why I said you cannot maintain one attitude toward God and a different attitude toward His law. No. So sin is not just disobedience. Sin is not just desertion. It is a despisement of God.

Look in your Bibles, the first Samuel, chapter 2. 1st Samuel chapter 2 and look if you would please at verse 30. 1st Samuel 2 and verse 30. And of course here God is dealing with Eli and his house, especially Hophni and Phinehas his sons. But look at what God says to Eli. "Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me;" look at this principle, "for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed." Well, what were Hophni and Phinehas doing? They were violating God's law. What was Eli doing? He was violating God's law by not restraining his sons. And God says, "They that despise me shall be lightly esteemed." In other words, God said, if you despise me, I'll despise you. It's just that simple. That is the lex talionis. That is the law of retribution.

Now, in Isaiah chapter 30, verse 12, let me just quote it. He said, "Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon." You despise His words. How do you do that? By disobedience? By deserting Him? By doing that which He tells you not to do? Wow. And then He said in Jeremiah chapter 23 and verse 17, "They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you."

No, that is not true. He said that you despise me when you violate my word, when you disobey me, when you desert me. And the truth of the matter is there is no peace for the wicked. He said in Isaiah 57, "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." For they are like the troubled sea that cast up dirt and mire. There is no peace for the wicked. So if we desire peace, if we desire blessing, we must be obedient to His Word. We must honor Him and praise Him and cleave to Him.

The Call to Choose Life and Return to God

Weaver concludes with Deuteronomy 30:19-20, urging a choice of life through loving, obeying, and cleaving to God, who alone is our strength and power.

Now, I want to tie this together. I want you to think about this because my question is, where is our power? Where is our might? And the truth is, we're helpless. We cannot disobey and desert and despise God and continue to prosper and live. We cannot disobey, desert and despise God and expect to have His blessing and His power and His might upon us. It's impossible. I want you to look in Deuteronomy chapter 30 at what Moses warned the people concerning. Deuteronomy 30.

And let's begin there with verses 19 and 20. Watch carefully. Deuteronomy 30 verse 19. He said, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." Now stop right there. He's given the law. He's explained the law. And he said, "I've set before you this day life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose life that thou and thy seed may live." Now look at verse 20. If you choose life, here's the path, "That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." Now, if you choose life, he says that you're going to obey, "that thou mayest obey." If you choose life, he says you're not going to desert, "that thou mayest cleave unto him."

If you choose life, you're not going to despise Him. Why? "For he is thy life, and the length of thy days." So life involves obedience and faithfulness and loving the Lord. That's why it's said, "that thou mayest love the LORD thy God." Wow! Disobedience involves desertion and despisement. So one of the reasons that we are absolutely powerless is because, unhappily, even most professing Christians have chosen death instead of life, because they've chosen disobedience. Let me point something else out. We have to understand that the Lord alone is our strength, is our power, is our might. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Isaiah chapter 40. Isaiah chapter 40. Isaiah 40. Look if you would first of all at verse 26. Isaiah 40 and verse 26. God says, "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth." So God is great in His might, He's strong in power, nothing fails. Now, skip down to verse 29. He said, "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength."

"Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." So He giveth power to the faint. He giveth power to those who are helpless. He giveth power to those who have no might. He increases their strength. Our might and our power is in the Lord.

So you'd have to think about this. Why in the world are Christians, and why in the world is the Church of Jesus Christ so impotent, so anemic, so helpless, so powerless, so despised when we have the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, almighty, invincible God of heaven and earth as our God? Why? And the answer is, because we've disobeyed, we've deserted, and we've despised. There's a passage in Nehemiah 8 that says this, "The joy of the LORD is your strength." Think about that verse. The joy of the LORD is your strength. If you are rejoicing in the Lord, that means you're obedient. If you're rejoicing in the Lord, that means you're faithful. You have not deserted Him. If you're rejoicing in the Lord, you're not despising Him. You're loving Him. And you're cleaving unto Him. And we've just not really realized our extreme helplessness. Because the Bible says, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD."

We cannot do one thing in and of ourselves. As our Lord said, "Without me ye can do nothing." The reason for our impotence as a whole is because of our disobedience, our desertion, and our despisement of God. When we repent and come back to Him, we'll be like those early Christians. And the fear of us and the dread of us will be upon all men. But right now, we're the laughing stock of the world because of our helplessness, our impotence. We need a real, genuine awakening and revival. The joy of the LORD is to be our strength. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You, Father, for Your Word. We realize, Lord, our sins, our disobedience, our desertion, our despisement. O Lord, forgive us for our sins, multitudinous sins. May we choose life. May we love Thee. May we cleave to Thee. May we obey Thee. Be faithful unto Thee. And, Lord, may we love Thee with all of our heart, mind, soul, spirit, and being, everything that we are. We cry, Lord, that You will turn us, and we shall be turned. Quicken us, O Lord, and we shall call upon Thy name.

Give us Your grace and give us Your mercy, for Thou alone art power, might, and strength. We praise Thee and ask for Your grace. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose name we pray, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Spiritual Impotence of Modern Christianity

Summary: The sermon diagnoses the powerlessness of individual Christians and the church, contrasting it with the early church's vitality and impact.

Evidence: Weaver asks, 'Where is our power and where is our might? And why is it that Christians generally today have no power and no might, either with God or with man?'

Disobedience as the Root Cause of Powerlessness

Summary: The primary reason for the church's impotence is disobedience to God's law, which brings His curses and removes His blessing and strength.

Evidence: He states, 'We're under His curse because we've disobeyed God. God's law is His rule for our lives. When we transgress and disobey, we violate His law and bring ourselves under a negative sanction.'

Sin as Desertion and Despisement of God

Summary: Sin is not merely disobedience but also desertion and despisement of God, treating Him with contempt, which leads to His forsaking of us.

Evidence: He explains, 'Disobedience leads to desertion, and desertion leads to despisement... When we disobey God, we desert Him. And when we desert and forsake Him in righteousness and in justice, He deserts and forsakes us.'

The Inseparability of God and His Law

Summary: God and His law are one; to despise His commandments is to despise Him, as seen in David's sin and God's response.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'You cannot maintain one attitude toward God and a different attitude toward His law... God and His law are inseparable.'

The Call to Repentance and Returning to God

Summary: The solution to powerlessness is to choose life by loving, obeying, and cleaving to God, who alone is our strength and joy.

Evidence: He cites Deuteronomy 30:19-20 and says, 'If you choose life, he says that you're going to obey... you're not going to desert... you're not going to despise Him.'

Key Arguments

The early church had power and favor because of their devotion, unlike today's church.

Summary: Weaver argues that the early Christians' steadfastness in doctrine, fellowship, prayer, and generosity resulted in signs, wonders, and favor with people, which is absent today.

Evidence: He reads Acts 2:42-47 and says, 'If we compared our lives to the early Christians... I think each of us would come to the realization that we really do not even measure up.'

The church has traded spiritual power for materialism and building-focused ministry.

Summary: He contends that the emphasis on church buildings and wealth has replaced the power to heal and transform lives, as illustrated by the conversation between a priest and a pastor.

Evidence: He quotes the pastor's response: 'While that is true, neither can we anymore say with Peter, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."'

God's blessings and curses are inescapable and tied to obedience.

Summary: Using the Hebrew word 'nasag' (overtake), he argues that blessings and curses pursue people relentlessly based on their obedience or disobedience to God's law.

Evidence: He says, 'God is telling you that they will run you down, they will fall over you, and there's absolutely nothing that you can do to thwart them.'

Disobedience is not just breaking rules but deserting and despising God.

Summary: He builds a case that sin progresses from disobedience to desertion to despisement, each bringing God's judgment, as seen in David's sin and Eli's house.

Evidence: He explains, 'Disobedience leads to desertion, and desertion leads to despisement... When we refuse to hear Him and obey Him, we desert Him, and in that desertion is the highest contempt of despising Him.'

God's forsaking of His people is a severe judgment that leaves them powerless.

Summary: He argues that when God leaves people alone due to their forsaking of Him, they become helpless and devoured by evils, as warned in Deuteronomy 31:16-17.

Evidence: He reads, 'Then my anger shall be kindled against them... and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured.'

True strength and power come only from the Lord, not from human effort.

Summary: He emphasizes that God gives power to the faint and that waiting on the Lord renews strength, but this is contingent on obedience and faithfulness.

Evidence: He quotes Isaiah 40:29-31 and says, 'He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.'

Scripture References

Deuteronomy 28:32

Context: The key verse for the sermon, describing the loss of children and powerlessness as part of the curse for disobedience.

Genesis 32:28

Context: God tells Jacob he has power with God and men, used to contrast with modern powerlessness.

Galatians 6:16

Context: Identifies the Israel of God as those who walk according to the rule, linking Old Testament promises to New Testament believers.

Acts 2:42-47

Context: Describes the early church's devotion and the resulting signs, wonders, and favor, used as a contrast to today's church.

Acts 5:1-11

Context: The account of Ananias and Sapphira, used to show that the early church's sharing was voluntary, not communism.

Acts 5:13-14

Context: Shows that the people magnified the believers and multitudes were added, highlighting the church's esteem.

Genesis 35:5

Context: The terror of God fell on the cities, preserving Jacob's family, illustrating divine protection.

Deuteronomy 11:25

Context: God promises to lay the fear and dread of Israel on the land, showing His power working through His people.

Joshua 2:9

Context: Rahab confesses that terror of Israel has fallen on the inhabitants, confirming God's promise.

Acts 3:1-8

Context: Peter heals the lame man, used in the illustration of trading power for wealth.

Hosea 8:14

Context: Israel forgot his Maker and built temples, paralleling the modern church's focus on buildings.

Revelation 3:17

Context: The Laodicean church thought it was rich but was wretched and poor, illustrating spiritual blindness.

Deuteronomy 28:1-14

Context: The blessings for obedience, contrasted with the longer section on curses.

Deuteronomy 28:15-68

Context: The curses for disobedience, which are four times as long as the blessings, emphasizing the severity.

Deuteronomy 28:2, 15

Context: The word 'overtake' is used to show that blessings and curses pursue and catch up with people.

Deuteronomy 28:28-35

Context: A detailed description of the helplessness and despair under God's curse, including madness, blindness, and loss of children.

Proverbs 26:2

Context: The curse causeless shall not come, meaning there is always a reason for God's judgment.

Isaiah 33:22

Context: The Lord is our judge, lawgiver, and king, establishing His authority to command.

James 4:12

Context: There is one lawgiver who is able to save and destroy, reinforcing God's sole authority.

1 John 3:4

Context: Sin is the transgression of the law, defining disobedience as lawlessness.

Historical References

Early Church in Acts

Context: Weaver contrasts the power, unity, and favor of the early Christians with the modern church's impotence.

Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5)

Context: Used to illustrate that the early church's sharing was voluntary, not forced communism or socialism.

David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12)

Context: David's sin is used as an example of despising God's commandments and God Himself.

Eli and his sons (1 Samuel 2)

Context: Eli's failure to restrain his sons is an example of despising God, leading to judgment.

Israel's demand for a king (1 Samuel 8)

Context: Israel's forsaking of God is paralleled with forsaking His prophet Samuel.

The Great Reset

Context: Weaver briefly references the contemporary concept of 'you will own nothing and be happy' as a parallel to the curse of losing everything.

Important Quotes

Where is our power and where is our might? And why is it that Christians generally today have no power and no might, either with God or with man?

Significance: This rhetorical question sets the central problem the sermon addresses: the powerlessness of modern Christianity.

No longer do we have to say with Peter, 'Silver and gold have I none,' for the church has plenty. And the Baptist pastor responded, 'While that is true, neither can we anymore say with Peter, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."'

Significance: This illustration encapsulates the trade-off between material wealth and spiritual power.

God has designed it and God has ordained it that blessings always follow obedience and curses always follow disobedience.

Significance: This principle undergirds the entire argument about the cause of powerlessness.

Disobedience leads to desertion, and desertion leads to despisement.

Significance: This summarizes the progression of sin and its severity, showing why it brings God's curse.

You cannot maintain one attitude toward God and a different attitude toward His law. No. So sin is not just disobedience. Sin is not just desertion. It is a despisement of God.

Significance: This emphasizes the inseparability of God and His law and the full nature of sin.

The joy of the LORD is your strength. Think about that verse. The joy of the LORD is your strength. If you are rejoicing in the Lord, that means you're obedient.

Significance: This connects the solution to powerlessness with a right relationship with God characterized by obedience and joy.

Discussion Questions

In what ways do you see the church today lacking the power and favor described in Acts 2:42-47?

Context: Weaver contrasts the early church's devotion and impact with modern Christianity.

How might an overemphasis on church buildings and material wealth contribute to spiritual impotence?

Context: He argues that the church has traded power for materialism, referencing Hosea 8:14 and Revelation 3:17.

Do you agree that disobedience to God's law is the primary reason for the church's powerlessness? Why or why not?

Context: The sermon's main thesis is that curses for disobedience explain the lack of power.

How does the concept of sin as desertion and despisement of God change your understanding of disobedience?

Context: Weaver explains that sin is not just breaking rules but forsaking and despising God.

What does it mean for God to 'leave us alone' as a form of judgment, and have you seen this in your life or church?

Context: He discusses God's forsaking as a severe judgment, citing Matthew 15:14 and Deuteronomy 31:17.

How can we practically 'choose life' as described in Deuteronomy 30:19-20 in our daily walk?

Context: The sermon concludes with a call to love, obey, and cleave to God.

Applications

Examine your life for areas of disobedience to God's law.

Summary: Weaver calls listeners to recognize that disobedience brings God's curse and powerlessness, urging self-examination.

Evidence: He asks, 'Have you disobeyed God's law? Have you violated God's law? Have you transgressed His commandments?'

Repent of deserting and despising God through sin.

Summary: The sermon urges repentance from the deeper sins of desertion and despisement, not just outward disobedience.

Evidence: In the closing prayer, he says, 'We realize, Lord, our sins, our disobedience, our desertion, our despisement. O Lord, forgive us.'

Choose life by loving, obeying, and cleaving to God.

Summary: Based on Deuteronomy 30:19-20, he calls for a deliberate choice to love and obey God as the path to life and strength.

Evidence: He says, 'If you choose life, he says that you're going to obey... you're not going to desert... you're not going to despise Him.'

Depend on the Lord as your only source of strength and power.

Summary: Weaver emphasizes that true might comes from waiting on the Lord and rejoicing in Him, not from human effort.

Evidence: He quotes Isaiah 40:31 and says, 'He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T16:36:10Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T07:34:54Z

Clean Transcript

Impotent Christians and an Impotent Church

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Alright, if you'll open your Bible to Deuteronomy 28, and we're going to look at verse 32. Deuteronomy 28, verse 32. And, of course, we'll come back and pick up the context just a little bit later. But look in Deuteronomy 28, verse 32. The title of the message is "Impotent Christians and an Impotent Church." So God says in Deuteronomy 28, verse 32, "Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all the day long, and there shall be no might in thine hand."
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Have you considered, number one, your life as a Christian? And then secondly, have you considered the church of Jesus Christ as a whole? And have you considered the fact that basically today, individual Christians, as well as churches, are absolutely powerless. I don't know if you've ever really considered the truth that God spoke to Jacob in Genesis 32, verse 28, and He said, "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." So He said, "Thou hast power with God and with men and hast prevailed." So you're going to say, but that was given to Israel. And of course, the Bible tells you in Galatians 6 and verse 16, and He said, "And as many as"—so listen to this—"and as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God." So the Israel of God are those that walk according to this rule.
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So you have to ask yourself these questions. Where is our power and where is our might? And why is it that Christians generally today have no power and no might, either with God or with man? So if we compared our lives to the early Christians, if we just looked in the book of Acts and examined ourselves in light of how they lived and what happened in their lives, I think each of us would come to the realization that we really do not even measure up in any sense of the word. In fact, if you'll hold Deuteronomy 28 and look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 2, there's an interesting illustration here of how these Christians moved and lived. And notice in Acts chapter 2, beginning there with verse 42. Look what the Bible says, Acts 2 and verse 42.
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"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine." Right there would separate most Christians because most Christians know nothing about doctrine whatsoever. But the Bible said they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And now watch, "And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Now, of course, the Bible says these Christians continued in doctrine, in fellowship, in prayer, and the Bible says also that they sold everything they had and gave as every man had need.
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Let me make a statement concerning that. That was certainly not communism. It was certainly not socialism by any stretch of the imagination. Because when you look at Acts chapter 5, the Bible tells us that no one was obligated to sell and no one was obligated to give. Because Ananias and Sapphira sold a certain part or a certain land, and then came and gave to the church and pretended like it was all of the price.
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When it was not, they kept back some. And so Peter asked them, "Ah, look, when you had the land, was it not yours? And when you sold it, was it not yours? You didn't have to do anything." But he said, "Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." And of course, in that particular passage, God killed both of them for lying to the Holy Spirit. But the interesting thing is, he said, you didn't have to sell it at all.
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No one required you to do it. So it was not communism. It was certainly not socialism by any stretch of the imagination. But they were in one accord. So if you look in your Bibles, Acts chapter 5, notice if you would, verses 13 and 14. Here's another statement concerning them. Acts 5, verse 13, "And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them."
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"And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women." But note, if you would, the Bible says that the people magnified them.
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Now, the word "magnified" is from the Greek word "megaluno," which means to magnify, to esteem highly, to extol, to celebrate, and to praise. Look back up to verse 11. Here's another statement. "And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things." So we should be able to ask a few very pointed questions at this particular time, and that is this. Why is the church of Jesus Christ not magnified today?
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Why is it not feared? Why are Christians not magnified? Why are they not held in high esteem? And why are they not feared in one sense of the word? You remember back in Genesis chapter 35, it was after Levi and Simeon had gone into Shechem and killed all of the male Shechemites. They took all their property and left because of what Shechem had done to Dinah, their sister.
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And basically, Jacob was outnumbered and outgunned. So there's a principle here. You can win a battle and lose a war. And so Jacob said, "Look, you've made me odious in the eyes of all these people, and they're going to gather together and they're going to exterminate us." But the Bible says in Genesis 35 and verse 5, "And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob." So, it was the fear of God, it was the terror of God that fell upon people, that preserved them and kept the people from literally chasing them down and killing them. So, there's another point, and that is in Deuteronomy chapter 11 and verse 25, because as Israel was going into Canaan to conquer that land, God says this, "There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you."
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So the Bible says that God was going to lay the dread of them and the fear of them upon all the men. That is exactly what happened, because you will remember in the book of Joshua, chapter 2, when the spies went to Rahab's house, she made a confession. And she said to them, in Joshua 2 and verse 9, "I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us." Now listen, "and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you." So everyone feared them. Everyone knew that God was with them, and everyone had heard that God had not only delivered them from Egypt and dried up the Red Sea, but now they know that God has even dried up the Jordan where they could cross over. And it's just astounding.
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So you'd have to ask yourself these questions. Where is our power? Where is our might? And why is it that Christians today are impotent, anemic, helpless, powerless, and despised? And why is the Church of Jesus Christ basically impotent and despised as well? I want you to look in the book of Acts chapter 3, because I read an illustration years ago that really fits into what I am about to tell you. And that illustration was actually based upon this text. So if you will look in Acts chapter 3, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Look if you would. Acts 3 and verse 1.
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The Word of God says, "Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us."
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"And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God." Wow.
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Well, the illustration that I read was, there was a conversation that was being carried on between a Roman Catholic priest and a Baptist pastor. And the priest said to the Baptist pastor, very gleefully and very happily, "No longer do we have to say with Peter, 'Silver and gold have I none,' for the church has plenty." And the Baptist pastor responded, "While that is true, neither can we anymore say with Peter, 'In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.'"
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So we basically traded our power, in one sense of the word, for materialism, that is for sure. And if you don't believe that, just simply look at the emphasis that the average professing Christian places upon church buildings. It seems as if we are more concerned with our edifice, with our building, than we are with the people who really and truly are the church. We're more concerned with the buildings than we are with the poor, the orphans, the sick, the afflicted. In other words, our church buildings have basically become our ministry, and what we have done, we have somehow equated the larger or the nicer the buildings, the more successful we are.
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And the more blessed we are when that in reality is not true. It's kind of like that passage in Hosea 8 and verse 14, where the Bible said, "Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples." And so that's what we've done. We've basically forgotten God and we are building temples. And then you'll have to remember also, the words that our Lord spoke to the church at Laodicea, in the book of Revelation 3, verse 17, and let me read them for you.
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Our Lord said, "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." So here was a church that said, "We're rich. We have everything we need. We do not need anything." And our Lord said, "You don't really understand. You're really poor, blind, miserable, and naked." While materialism is a problem, I don't think it is our only problem, and I certainly do not think that it is our largest problem. It is a problem. But when you look at the context of Deuteronomy chapter 28, you can understand why God's people are so impotent and why the Church of Jesus Christ is impotent as well. Because Deuteronomy chapter 28 is the chapter that deals with sanctions. And sanctions may be either positive or negative. And Deuteronomy 28 includes both positive and negative sanctions. So let me give you two definitions of sanctions.
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You could say sanctions are authoritative permission or approval or authoritative disapproval and condemnation. But there is an easier definition, I think, and that is simply this. Sanctions may also be defined as a provision of the law enacting a penalty for disobedience and a reward for obedience. So, in Deuteronomy chapter 28, naturally, the positive sanctions are known as blessings, and the negative sanctions are known as curses. When you look at Deuteronomy chapter 28, verses 1 through 14 deal with the positive sanctions, or the positive blessings. And then verses 15 through 68 deal with the negative sanctions or curses. So there are four times as many verses dealing with the negatives or dealing with the curses than there are dealing with the positives or the blessings.
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And I believe there's a reason for that. I believe that God is placing an emphasis upon the negative telling us that we need to beware, and we need to make sure that we watch our attitudes, we watch our actions, and we certainly watch our conduct as well, because there are consequences for disobedience. You remember you've heard me say this many times because here's a principle that I've enunciated, and that is this, God has designed it and God has ordained it that blessings always follow obedience and curses always follow disobedience.
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Now, I want you to look, if you would, at Deuteronomy chapter 28, because if you understand the impact of the Hebrew word "nasag" that is translated as "overtake" in verse 2 and verse 15, then you would understand the consequences either of obedience or disobedience, because the verb enforces the idea that you cannot outrun either the blessings or the curses of God. You try to run from them, and God is telling you that they will run you down, they will fall over you, and there's absolutely nothing that you can do to thwart them, hinder them, or stop them. So look in verse 2 of Deuteronomy 28, and look at this word. God says, "And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee."
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"...if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God." So that means they're going to run you down. Look, if you would, in verse 15. He said, "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day, that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee." So it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter where you are, God is saying you cannot outrun either the blessings or the curses. Now, Matthew Henry had this to say regarding the word "overtake," especially in reference to the curses. He said, "In general it is declared, 'All these curses shall come upon thee from above, and shall overtake thee, though thou endeavour to escape them, it is to no purpose to attempt it. They shall follow thee, whithersoever thou goest, seize thee, overtake thee, and overcome thee.'" And that's true. While I was reading through the book of Deuteronomy, and especially verse 28, it was really verse 32 that caught my eye.
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I want you to look at that again. He said in verse 32, "Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might, no power, no strength in thine hand."
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Now in the context we normally think of war, we think of captivity. We think of children being kidnapped and taken. And certainly that is there in the context, if you were to read it, because God talks about them being overcome of their enemies. But let me point something else out. He said, "Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given to another people." Another people. Look at what is happening in the realm of government education. Look, if you would, at how the drag queens, the gay pride, quote-unquote statism, everything is being forced upon our children even as early as kindergarten, transgenderism. I'm just simply saying here these children are being given to another people because the parents are losing control over them. And obviously, once they leave, they may
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not be coming back at all. Do you understand that one of life's sorest and worst sorrows is helplessness and powerlessness? When I say that, let me emphasize. One of the greatest sorrows, one of the greatest heartaches for a father particularly, is to see his child going astray and realizing there's absolutely nothing he can do about it. I mean, you may teach them, you may educate them, you may counsel them, you may advise them, you may warn them, but you cannot live for them. And when someone is determined to do that which is wicked and wrong, there's no way in the world you can stop them.
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It's impossible to make anyone do that which is right. That is, we cannot, you and I cannot. And when we talk about seeing our children like this and helping, I'm not just talking about our children. I'm talking about people in general as well. And I'm not necessarily just talking about financially helping individuals. But what about physical health and what about spiritual health as well? So I can ask these questions. Do you want to see your children suffer?
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And the answer is no, of course not. Do you want to see your elderly mother or elderly father suffer? And the answer is no. Do you want to see a brother or sister suffer? And the answer is no. Do you enjoy seeing husbands and wives torn apart, families destroyed, and the agony that proceeds from those things? And the answer is no. And the question is, why do you not help in those situations? And the answer comes back.
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Because we're powerless to do so. We have no might. So in verse 32, the children are either stolen, or kidnapped, or captured by an enemy nation, and parents there are longing, waiting, wishing, and hoping for their safe return, but there is absolutely nothing that can be done about them. They have no might, no power to redeem them, no way to get them back, no way to have them returned. While I was thinking about this verse, I also thought about the children of professing Christians who are lost, who are unsaved, who are also not only wicked but also rebellious, and they will not listen, and they refuse to repent, they refuse to do that which is right and which is biblical, and their parents have no might, they have no power to get them to see the light and to see the truth. So there is in this Word the fruit of what I would call absolutely utter helplessness. Now, to show you the impact of verse 32, I want us to go back and begin reading at verse 28, and read through verse 35, and let you see how absolutely helpless and powerless people are in their disobedience to God.
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Watch verse 28. He said this, "The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart: and thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee. Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof. Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them. Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand. The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway: so that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see."
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"The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head." So, I want you to think with me. Can you imagine being blind, hopeless, helpless, being oppressed and spoiled with no hope of prospering and no hope of changing the situation? And everything that you do either fails or simply falls apart.
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And consider the implication of no marriage, no home, no farm, no garden, no way to maintain yourself, no way to survive, so to speak. On top of that, your stored up food is confiscated. Your implements for farming or gardening are stolen and not returned to you. I mean, you end up with nothing. It's kind of like the Great Reset. You will own nothing and be happy, they say. Well, if I own nothing and you own nothing, somebody owns everything. It may not be you and I, but it may be the elite who want to control everything.
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But notice if you would, he says, everything's taken from you, even your children. So there is even no hope of preserving your seed, so to speak, because you don't have any idea where your children are and you are defeated and you're frustrated and you are destroyed. You're smitten on every hand. And moreover, you are smitten yourself with diseases. You can't even help yourself, much less your children. So.
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When God draws us this awful picture, we have to ask, what actually happens to bring a people, a society, a nation into such a situation? What have we done? How did we get into the situation? What is the cause of that desolation and destruction? If you look around at where we are in the land of the free and the home of the brave, you'll find we're in judgment up to our eyeballs and most people have no idea what is happening.
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The Bible in Proverbs 26 and verse 2 says this, "As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come." In other words, there's always a cause for the curse of God. So you can mark it down, you can underline it in your heart, that curses do not happen by accident. They're not something that just pops up out of nowhere. No. There is a reason. There is a cause. And the Bible tells us very plainly the cause of these curses is because we've disobeyed God and certainly we've defied God and His law. God and His law are one.
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I'll show you that later. But they are inseparable. You cannot maintain one idea toward God and a different idea toward His law. You cannot say, "I love God, but I don't like His law." Or, "I love His law, but I don't like God." No, no, no. God and His law are inseparable. He is King of kings and Lord of lords and God of gods, and every king rules by his law. And a rejection of God's law is also a rejection of God. If we do not keep His commandments, then we come short of the blessings of God. If we do not keep His commandments, we not only come short of His blessings, we also incur His curses. So as the curses then are full of absolute misery, we're also missing the absolute happiness and blessings that stem from obedience as well. Now, God is our creator. God is our judge. God is our lawgiver. God is our king. And He has the absolute right to tell us how to live. He has the absolute right to tell us what we may do and what we may not do.
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In fact, Isaiah 33 and verse 22 says it like this, "For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us." So God then is judge, lawgiver, and king. And the Bible tells you in James 4 verse 12, "There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy," and that is the one true and living God.
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So what I want to do is this. I want to give you very quickly and show you the context three reasons why we're in such a state that we're in, in our nation, in our churches, in our society, in our homes, in our individual lives. So the first one is this. We're under His curse because we've disobeyed God. We're under His curse because we've disobeyed God. God's law is His rule for our lives. When we transgress and disobey, we violate His law and bring ourselves under a negative sanction, that is, we bring ourselves under a curse. 1 John 3 and verse 4 says, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." So you cannot sin without violating God's law. So have you disobeyed God's law? Have you violated God's law?
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Have you transgressed His commandments? Have you done that which God said do not do? Or, we could ask another way, have you failed to obey that which God has commanded? So every question that is answered in the negative places one under God's righteous anger and judgment.
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Now, I wanted you to look, if you would, in Deuteronomy 28 and verse 62. I want you to see this. It's amazing that now we're hearing about all the people that are dying from all the shots, all the vaccines. I heard the head of Pfizer say by 2025, 50 percent of the country would be dead. Wow. Why? Well, look in verse 62. God says this is part of the curse, "And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God." You're going to be left few in number because you would not obey. In Nehemiah 9, verse 17, Nehemiah said this concerning Israel, "And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage." Note what he said, they refused to obey. They were not mindful of God's wonders, but they hardened their necks, and in their rebellion, they appointed a captain so they could go back into Egypt.
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In Job 36 and verse 12, God said, "But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge." If they obey not, there is definitely a curse for disobedience. In Jeremiah chapter 12 and verse 17, God said this, "But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD." Not just an individual, not just a family, not just a church, but a nation. "But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD." When Stephen was giving his witness in Acts chapter 7 and verse 39, he said, "To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt." So, we're under God's curse because we refuse to obey God. We have disobeyed Him.
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But let me point something out. Sin is not only disobedience. It is more awful than just disobedience because sin is also desertion. So let me put it like this. We're under God's curse because we've disobeyed Him. Secondly, we're under God's curse because we have deserted Him. In reality, it is the height of stupidity and the height of insanity to forsake the one true and living God. He holds our souls in life.
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Our times are in His hands. He is the source of all blessings and happiness, and without Him we are absolutely nothing. You say, "I don't need God. I don't need anything He provides. I've got enough strength. I can take care of myself." Really? Well, I tell you what. Just try taking care of yourself for five minutes without breathing His air. Let's see how far you get. Our Lord said in John 15 and verse 5, "Without me ye can do nothing."
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So here is a principle. I'm going to show it to you from Scripture. When we disobey God, we desert Him. And when we desert and forsake Him in righteousness and in justice, He deserts and forsakes us. It's called the lex talionis, the law of retribution, where God makes the punishment fit the crime. And one of the greatest judgments that can befall anyone, a nation, an individual, a family, a church, one of the greatest judgments that can befall us is just for God to leave us alone. Do you realize how simple it is for God to destroy a people? All He's got to do is leave them alone.
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In fact, you remember in Matthew chapter 15, our Lord was preaching and after He got through, the disciples came to Him and said, "Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?" You remember our Lord's answer? He said, "Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." Leave them alone. I got news for you. When God leaves someone alone, they're in trouble. They're in trouble. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 31, since you're close there.
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And look, if you would, beginning there, verse 16. Here's what God said through Moses. Look at it. Deuteronomy, chapter 31, verse 16. "And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?" Note if you would, God said they're going to forsake me, I'm going to forsake them. Disobedience becomes desertion. When we disobey, we desert God. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 28 and verse 20. Deuteronomy 28 and verse 20. Look what God says.
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"The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me." It's amazing that disobedience in reality is also desertion. In Judges chapter 10 and verse 13, God said, "Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more."
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You want to be left alone? You want me to leave you alone? Fine, says God, I can do that. You remember that passage in 1 Samuel 8, where Israel was demanding a king, and Samuel prayed to the Lord, and he was very upset because he knew it was wrong. And so God said to Samuel, in verse 8, "According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee." So, when a people forsake God, they also forsake His preachers, His prophets, His truth, His Word. So, disobedience is also desertion.
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I want you to look in your Bibles, hold Deuteronomy if you would, but look in your Bibles through the book of Jeremiah chapter 2. You want to see the absolute insanity of deserting God. We see it very clearly in this passage, Jeremiah chapter 2. Look in verse 13. Jeremiah 2 verse 13. In fact, we can read verse 12. He says, "Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD." Why?
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"For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." So why in the world would someone leave a fountain of living water and hew them out, that is cut them out, a cistern that has holes and cracks in it that can hold no water? You have to be insane to trade a fountain of living water for a bucket that couldn't hold anything. But God says, that's exactly what people have done to me.
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They have deserted me, and they've deserted me for something absolutely worthless. That is why the idols in the Bible are always called vanity. They're worthless. They are useless. So Jeremiah then demonstrates the absolute insanity of deserting God. So now listen to me. The curse comes because we've disobeyed God. But disobedience is more than disobedience. It also becomes desertion. That is not the worst part of sin. So there's not only disobedience, there's desertion, but thirdly, there's despisement. So we're under the curse of God because we have despised God. So listen to this. Disobedience leads to desertion, and desertion leads to despisement.
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So let me just give you a good illustration. Suppose Steve has a very handsome knife and I see it and I really like it. I really want it. Maybe he made it. It's one of a kind. And so he puts it down and he walks away. And I say, "This is my opportunity," and I go up and I steal that knife. Have I disobeyed God? And the answer is yes, because God says, "Thou shalt not steal." But I've done more than disobeyed God. I've deserted God. I've said, in essence, "You're not my God. I am my own God because I want that knife, regardless of what you say." And then thirdly, not only have I disobeyed and deserted, I've now despised Him because I am treating Him with absolute contempt. Because I want what I want, and I don't care what He says.
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Now look in Deuteronomy 28 verse 15. Watch it. Deuteronomy 28 verse 15. Again, we read this. This is the beginning of the curses. But look what he says. Deuteronomy 28 verse 15. "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee."
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Note, there's not only a disobedience, there's not only a desertion in this, there's actually a despisement of God, and despising God is the highest contempt imaginable. When we refuse to hear Him and obey Him, we desert Him, and in that desertion is the highest contempt of despising Him. Now, to show you I'm not making this up, I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel 12. 2 Samuel 12.
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And everyone is fully aware of the story of David and Bathsheba. You remember how David not only committed adultery with Bathsheba, he had her husband, Uriah the Hittite, murdered with the sword of the children of Ammon. And you remember also how God sent Nathan the prophet to David, and he told him the story about the rich man and the poor man with the one little ewe lamb. And the rich man who had plenty, when a traveler came his way, he spared to take of his own flock, and went and took that one little ewe lamb that that one poor man had, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David was so angry, he said, "The man that hath done this thing shall surely die: and he shall restore the lamb fourfold." And Nathan said to David, "Thou art the man."
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So look, if you would, in 2 Samuel 12 and verse 9. Look what God says to David. "Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon." Now go back. "Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD?" Well, look at the commandments that David despised. He despised the seventh commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." He despised the tenth commandment, "Thou shalt not covet." He despised the sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not kill." He despised the fifth commandment, "Honour thy father and thy mother," because what he did was very dishonorable to his family. And he certainly despised the first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," because he treated God with contempt and acted as if he was his own God. Yes, he despised the commandments. But note verse 10. After verse 9 he says, "Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD?" Now verse 10, "Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife."
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I told you earlier that God and His law cannot be separated. They are one. God rules by His law. So in verse 9, you despise His law. In verse 10, you despise Him. That is why I said you cannot maintain one attitude toward God and a different attitude toward His law. No. So sin is not just disobedience. Sin is not just desertion. It is a despisement of God.
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Look in your Bibles, the first Samuel, chapter 2. 1st Samuel chapter 2 and look if you would please at verse 30. 1st Samuel 2 and verse 30. And of course here God is dealing with Eli and his house, especially Hophni and Phinehas his sons. But look at what God says to Eli. "Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me;" look at this principle, "for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed." Well, what were Hophni and Phinehas doing?
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They were violating God's law. What was Eli doing? He was violating God's law by not restraining his sons. And God says, "They that despise me shall be lightly esteemed." In other words, God said, if you despise me, I'll despise you. It's just that simple. That is the lex talionis. That is the law of retribution.
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Now, in Isaiah chapter 30, verse 12, let me just quote it. He said, "Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon." You despise His words. How do you do that? By disobedience? By deserting Him? By doing that which He tells you not to do? Wow. And then He said in Jeremiah chapter 23 and verse 17, "They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you."
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No, that is not true. He said that you despise me when you violate my word, when you disobey me, when you desert me. And the truth of the matter is there is no peace for the wicked. He said in Isaiah 57, "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." For they are like the troubled sea that cast up dirt and mire. There is no peace for the wicked. So if we desire peace, if we desire blessing, we must be obedient to His Word. We must honor Him and praise Him and cleave to Him.
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Now, I want to tie this together. I want you to think about this because my question is, where is our power? Where is our might? And the truth is, we're helpless. We cannot disobey and desert and despise God and continue to prosper and live. We cannot disobey, desert and despise God and expect to have His blessing and His power and His might upon us. It's impossible. I want you to look in Deuteronomy chapter 30 at what Moses warned the people concerning. Deuteronomy 30.
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And let's begin there with verses 19 and 20. Watch carefully. Deuteronomy 30 verse 19. He said, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." Now stop right there. He's given the law. He's explained the law. And he said, "I've set before you this day life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose life that thou and thy seed may live." Now look at verse 20. If you choose life, here's the path, "That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." Now, if you choose life, he says that you're going to obey, "that thou mayest obey." If you choose life, he says you're not going to desert, "that thou mayest cleave unto him."
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If you choose life, you're not going to despise Him. Why? "For he is thy life, and the length of thy days." So life involves obedience and faithfulness and loving the Lord. That's why it's said, "that thou mayest love the LORD thy God." Wow! Disobedience involves desertion and despisement. So one of the reasons that we are absolutely powerless is because, unhappily, even most professing Christians have chosen death instead of life, because they've chosen disobedience.
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Let me point something else out. We have to understand that the Lord alone is our strength, is our power, is our might. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Isaiah chapter 40. Isaiah chapter 40. Isaiah 40. Look if you would first of all at verse 26. Isaiah 40 and verse 26. God says, "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth." So God is great in His might, He's strong in power, nothing fails. Now, skip down to verse 29. He said, "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength."
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"Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." So He giveth power to the faint. He giveth power to those who are helpless. He giveth power to those who have no might. He increases their strength. Our might and our power is in the Lord.
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So you'd have to think about this. Why in the world are Christians, and why in the world is the Church of Jesus Christ so impotent, so anemic, so helpless, so powerless, so despised when we have the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, almighty, invincible God of heaven and earth as our God? Why? And the answer is, because we've disobeyed, we've deserted, and we've despised. There's a passage in Nehemiah 8 that says this, "The joy of the LORD is your strength." Think about that verse. The joy of the LORD is your strength. If you are rejoicing in the Lord, that means you're obedient. If you're rejoicing in the Lord, that means you're faithful. You have not deserted Him. If you're rejoicing in the Lord, you're not despising Him. You're loving Him. And you're cleaving unto Him. And we've just not really realized our extreme helplessness. Because the Bible says, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD."
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We cannot do one thing in and of ourselves. As our Lord said, "Without me ye can do nothing." The reason for our impotence as a whole is because of our disobedience, our desertion, and our despisement of God. When we repent and come back to Him, we'll be like those early Christians. And the fear of us and the dread of us will be upon all men. But right now, we're the laughing stock of the world because of our helplessness, our impotence.
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We need a real, genuine awakening and revival. The joy of the LORD is to be our strength. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You, Father, for Your Word. We realize, Lord, our sins, our disobedience, our desertion, our despisement. O Lord, forgive us for our sins, multitudinous sins. May we choose life. May we love Thee. May we cleave to Thee. May we obey Thee. Be faithful unto Thee. And, Lord, may we love Thee with all of our heart, mind, soul, spirit, and being, everything that we are. We cry, Lord, that You will turn us, and we shall be turned. Quicken us, O Lord, and we shall call upon Thy name.
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Give us Your grace and give us Your mercy, for Thou alone art power, might, and strength. We praise Thee and ask for Your grace. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose name we pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T16:36:10Z

Impotent Christians and an Impotent Church

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver examines Deuteronomy 28:32 to diagnose why individual Christians and the church today are powerless, anemic, and despised. He argues that the root cause is disobedience to God's law, which is also desertion and despisement of God. This brings God's curses, leaving believers helpless. The solution is repentance, obedience, and cleaving to God, who alone is our strength.

Introduction: The Problem of Powerlessness

Weaver introduces the topic by reading Deuteronomy 28:32 and posing the question of why Christians and the church today lack power, contrasting them with early believers in Acts.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 32:28

"Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed."

So He said,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 32:28

"Thou hast power with God and with men and hast prevailed."

The Early Church's Power and Esteem

He describes the early church's devotion to doctrine, fellowship, prayer, and generosity, noting that they were magnified and feared by the people, unlike today's church.

Scripture Reading — Acts 5:1-11

"Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."

The Fear of God as Protection

Weaver cites Genesis 35:5 and Deuteronomy 11:25 to show that God placed the terror of His people on their enemies, preserving them, and asks why this is absent now.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 35:5

"And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob."

Trading Power for Materialism

Using an illustration of a conversation between a priest and a pastor, he argues that the church has traded spiritual power for material wealth and building-focused ministry.

And the more blessed we are when that in reality is not true. It's kind of like that passage in Hosea 8 and verse 14, where the Bible said,

Scripture Reading — Hosea 8:14

"Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples."

The Context of Deuteronomy 28: Sanctions

He explains that Deuteronomy 28 outlines blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, with the curses being more extensive, and that these sanctions overtake people inevitably.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 28:15-68

And I believe there's a reason for that. I believe that God is placing an emphasis upon the negative telling us that we need to beware, and we need to make sure that we watch our attitudes, we watch our actions, and we certainly watch our conduct as well, because there are consequences for disobedience. You remember you've heard me say this many times because here's a principle that I've enunciated, and that is this, God has designed it and God has ordained it that blessings always follow obedience and curses always follow disobedience. Now, I want you to look, if you would, at Deuteronomy chapter 28, because if you understand the impact of the Hebrew word "nasag" that is translated as "overtake" in verse 2 and verse 15, then you would understand the consequences either of obedience or disobedience, because the verb enforces the idea that you cannot outrun either the blessings or the curses of God. You try to run from them, and God is telling you that they will run you down, they will fall over you, and there's absolutely nothing that you can do to thwart them, hinder them, or stop them. So look in verse 2 of Deuteronomy 28, and look at this word. God says, "And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee."

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 28:2, 15

"...if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God."

So that means they're going to run you down. Look, if you would, in verse 15. He said,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 28:2, 15

"But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day, that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee."

The Helplessness Described in Deuteronomy 28:28-35

Weaver reads verses 28-35 to illustrate the utter helplessness and despair that come from disobedience, including loss of children, property, and health.

Three Reasons for the Curse: Disobedience, Desertion, Despisement

He presents the threefold nature of sin: disobedience to God's law, desertion of God, and despisement of God, showing that these bring His curse and powerlessness.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 26:2

"As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come."

Scripture Reading — James 4:12

"There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy,"

The Call to Choose Life and Return to God

Weaver concludes with Deuteronomy 30:19-20, urging a choice of life through loving, obeying, and cleaving to God, who alone is our strength and power.

Give us Your grace and give us Your mercy, for Thou alone art power, might, and strength. We praise Thee and ask for Your grace. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose name we pray, Amen.

Impotent Christians and an Impotent Church

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	919221648582426
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-09-18
Dictation Name
Book	Book 043: Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need — Chapter 3
Source Timed Segments	70

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Problem of Powerlessness: Weaver introduces the topic by reading Deuteronomy 28:32 and posing the question of why Christians and the church today lack power, contrasting them with early believers in Acts.
The Early Church's Power and Esteem: He describes the early church's devotion to doctrine, fellowship, prayer, and generosity, noting that they were magnified and feared by the people, unlike today's church.
The Fear of God as Protection: Weaver cites Genesis 35:5 and Deuteronomy 11:25 to show that God placed the terror of His people on their enemies, preserving them, and asks why this is absent now.
Trading Power for Materialism: Using an illustration of a conversation between a priest and a pastor, he argues that the church has traded spiritual power for material wealth and building-focused ministry.
The Context of Deuteronomy 28: Sanctions: He explains that Deuteronomy 28 outlines blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, with the curses being more extensive, and that these sanctions overtake people inevitably.
The Helplessness Described in Deuteronomy 28:28-35: Weaver reads verses 28-35 to illustrate the utter helplessness and despair that come from disobedience, including loss of children, property, and health.
Three Reasons for the Curse: Disobedience, Desertion, Despisement: He presents the threefold nature of sin: disobedience to God's law, desertion of God, and despisement of God, showing that these bring His curse and powerlessness.
The Call to Choose Life and Return to God: Weaver concludes with Deuteronomy 30:19-20, urging a choice of life through loving, obeying, and cleaving to God, who alone is our strength and power.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

The early church had power and favor because of their devotion, unlike today's church.

Weaver argues that the early Christians' steadfastness in doctrine, fellowship, prayer, and generosity resulted in signs, wonders, and favor with people, which is absent today.

He reads Acts 2:42-47 and says, 'If we compared our lives to the early Christians... I think each of us would come to the realization that we really do not even measure up.'

The church has traded spiritual power for materialism and building-focused ministry.

He contends that the emphasis on church buildings and wealth has replaced the power to heal and transform lives, as illustrated by the conversation between a priest and a pastor.

He quotes the pastor's response: 'While that is true, neither can we anymore say with Peter, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."'

God's blessings and curses are inescapable and tied to obedience.

Using the Hebrew word 'nasag' (overtake), he argues that blessings and curses pursue people relentlessly based on their obedience or disobedience to God's law.

He says, 'God is telling you that they will run you down, they will fall over you, and there's absolutely nothing that you can do to thwart them.'

Disobedience is not just breaking rules but deserting and despising God.

He builds a case that sin progresses from disobedience to desertion to despisement, each bringing God's judgment, as seen in David's sin and Eli's house.

He explains, 'Disobedience leads to desertion, and desertion leads to despisement... When we refuse to hear Him and obey Him, we desert Him, and in that desertion is the highest contempt of despising Him.'

God's forsaking of His people is a severe judgment that leaves them powerless.

He argues that when God leaves people alone due to their forsaking of Him, they become helpless and devoured by evils, as warned in Deuteronomy 31:16-17.

He reads, 'Then my anger shall be kindled against them... and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured.'

True strength and power come only from the Lord, not from human effort.

He emphasizes that God gives power to the faint and that waiting on the Lord renews strength, but this is contingent on obedience and faithfulness.

He quotes Isaiah 40:29-31 and says, 'He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.'

Scripture References

Deuteronomy 28:32: The key verse for the sermon, describing the loss of children and powerlessness as part of the curse for disobedience.
Genesis 32:28: God tells Jacob he has power with God and men, used to contrast with modern powerlessness.
Galatians 6:16: Identifies the Israel of God as those who walk according to the rule, linking Old Testament promises to New Testament believers.
Acts 2:42-47: Describes the early church's devotion and the resulting signs, wonders, and favor, used as a contrast to today's church.
Acts 5:1-11: The account of Ananias and Sapphira, used to show that the early church's sharing was voluntary, not communism.
Acts 5:13-14: Shows that the people magnified the believers and multitudes were added, highlighting the church's esteem.
Genesis 35:5: The terror of God fell on the cities, preserving Jacob's family, illustrating divine protection.
Deuteronomy 11:25: God promises to lay the fear and dread of Israel on the land, showing His power working through His people.
Joshua 2:9: Rahab confesses that terror of Israel has fallen on the inhabitants, confirming God's promise.
Acts 3:1-8: Peter heals the lame man, used in the illustration of trading power for wealth.
Hosea 8:14: Israel forgot his Maker and built temples, paralleling the modern church's focus on buildings.
Revelation 3:17: The Laodicean church thought it was rich but was wretched and poor, illustrating spiritual blindness.
Deuteronomy 28:1-14: The blessings for obedience, contrasted with the longer section on curses.
Deuteronomy 28:15-68: The curses for disobedience, which are four times as long as the blessings, emphasizing the severity.
Deuteronomy 28:2, 15: The word 'overtake' is used to show that blessings and curses pursue and catch up with people.
Deuteronomy 28:28-35: A detailed description of the helplessness and despair under God's curse, including madness, blindness, and loss of children.
Proverbs 26:2: The curse causeless shall not come, meaning there is always a reason for God's judgment.
Isaiah 33:22: The Lord is our judge, lawgiver, and king, establishing His authority to command.
James 4:12: There is one lawgiver who is able to save and destroy, reinforcing God's sole authority.
1 John 3:4: Sin is the transgression of the law, defining disobedience as lawlessness.

Historical References

Early Church in Acts: Weaver contrasts the power, unity, and favor of the early Christians with the modern church's impotence.
Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5): Used to illustrate that the early church's sharing was voluntary, not forced communism or socialism.
David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12): David's sin is used as an example of despising God's commandments and God Himself.
Eli and his sons (1 Samuel 2): Eli's failure to restrain his sons is an example of despising God, leading to judgment.
Israel's demand for a king (1 Samuel 8): Israel's forsaking of God is paralleled with forsaking His prophet Samuel.
The Great Reset: Weaver briefly references the contemporary concept of 'you will own nothing and be happy' as a parallel to the curse of losing everything.

Important Quotes

Where is our power and where is our might? And why is it that Christians generally today have no power and no might, either with God or with man?

This rhetorical question sets the central problem the sermon addresses: the powerlessness of modern Christianity.

No longer do we have to say with Peter, 'Silver and gold have I none,' for the church has plenty. And the Baptist pastor responded, 'While that is true, neither can we anymore say with Peter, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."'

This illustration encapsulates the trade-off between material wealth and spiritual power.

God has designed it and God has ordained it that blessings always follow obedience and curses always follow disobedience.

This principle undergirds the entire argument about the cause of powerlessness.

Disobedience leads to desertion, and desertion leads to despisement.

This summarizes the progression of sin and its severity, showing why it brings God's curse.

You cannot maintain one attitude toward God and a different attitude toward His law. No. So sin is not just disobedience. Sin is not just desertion. It is a despisement of God.

This emphasizes the inseparability of God and His law and the full nature of sin.

The joy of the LORD is your strength. Think about that verse. The joy of the LORD is your strength. If you are rejoicing in the Lord, that means you're obedient.

This connects the solution to powerlessness with a right relationship with God characterized by obedience and joy.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways do you see the church today lacking the power and favor described in Acts 2:42-47?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts the early church's devotion and impact with modern Christianity.

[Question]

How might an overemphasis on church buildings and material wealth contribute to spiritual impotence?

[Context]

He argues that the church has traded power for materialism, referencing Hosea 8:14 and Revelation 3:17.

[Question]

Do you agree that disobedience to God's law is the primary reason for the church's powerlessness? Why or why not?

[Context]

The sermon's main thesis is that curses for disobedience explain the lack of power.

[Question]

How does the concept of sin as desertion and despisement of God change your understanding of disobedience?

[Context]

Weaver explains that sin is not just breaking rules but forsaking and despising God.

[Question]

What does it mean for God to 'leave us alone' as a form of judgment, and have you seen this in your life or church?

[Context]

He discusses God's forsaking as a severe judgment, citing Matthew 15:14 and Deuteronomy 31:17.

[Question]

How can we practically 'choose life' as described in Deuteronomy 30:19-20 in our daily walk?

[Context]

The sermon concludes with a call to love, obey, and cleave to God.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T07:34:54Z