Deut 30:14, "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it. 
 In this morning’s reading, we have a most wondrous promise of the Lord to His people, which fully includes you and me. He has made known the very means of coming into a relationship with Him on the basis of so much more than merely Creator with His creation. By the instilling of His Word into our hearts and our minds, we are open to the pulsing course of His plan and His purpose in action through all that He has accomplished in the giving of His Only Begotten Son. 
Even in the earliest days of dealing lovingly with mankind, there has been that opportunity for humanity to come into a heart-to-heart connection and rapport with the Lord God Almighty through the means of knowing His Word. In the study of His Living Word, the Lord has made known the full measure of what was required in order to facilitate such a tremendous and vibrant means of relationship and fellowship in the majesty of His open heart to humanity whom He created for exactly this purpose.
Listen to what the Lord made known to Joshua as he was about to lead the nation of Israel in the conquest of the Promised Land. This is recorded in Josh 1:7-9. Here we have Joshua being directly addressed by the Lord to encourage him to trust and obey and be strong and courageous. This would be in order to know the gracious manifestation of the Lord and His blessing in Joshua’s every endeavor. If Joshua would study the Word and obey it and cherish it and mediate upon it with the desire that it would cause him to know the Lord and His ways in greater measure, then Joshua would have that knowledge of the abiding presence of the Lord with him everywhere he journeyed. 
Josh 1:7-9, Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." 
Joshua would know that personal reality of the Lord being with Him as long as Joshua was faithful in observing what the Lord commanded through His Word. If he did so in constant communion with the Lord and His Word, Joshua would be the leader who would find absolute success in all the course of conquering the Promised Land. This would be with the Lord going victoriously before him.
Next, please turn to Ezek 33:27-33, as we have the word of the Lord expressed through the Prophet Ezekiel concerning the course of delivering the message that the Lord had for him. He would be speaking as the voice of God to the people. His message would not be an easy one to deliver neither would the people be thrilled to hear it, but speak he must.
Ezek 33:27-33, "Thus you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God," As I live, surely those who are in the waste places will fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves will die of pestilence. "And I shall make the land a desolation and a waste, and the pride of her power will cease; and the mountains of Israel will be desolate, so that no one will pass through. "Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I make the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations which they have committed."' "But as for you, son of man, your fellow citizens who talk about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, 'Come now, and hear what the message is which comes forth from the Lord.' "And they come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people, and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain. "And behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not practice them. "So when it comes to pass — as surely it will — then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst." 
    	The Lord did not keep His Word of desolation and destruction from the people. He made it abundantly clear to all, whether they listened or not, that His Word was going forth through this chosen prophet. The people would nay say what Ezekiel spoke, but all would come to pass just as the Lord made evident through this man. Then there would be no doubt that Ezekiel was in constant communication with the Lord and delivering exactly that which the Lord had to say to His people. Even in this case, when the word was that of judgment and tribulation, it was still the very voice of God that was being faithfully proclaimed. Ezekiel was so very connected to the Lord for the delivery of that warning and message of doom that was precipitated by the people’s disobedience and hardness of heart.
	When our Lord came to the earth, He made it very abundantly clear that the God of Creation, His Heavenly Father, was set upon that which had always been proclaimed. There needed to be a calling forth unto the Lord and a belief and a relationship with God in place, based on that which would honor and please the Lord and not the whims of mankind. Therefore, it was vital that the gift of God, His Only Begotten Son, be received with belief and with faith in all that the Lord God Almighty had done in making this only way of salvation.
	Jesus spoke so very clearly to this point as recorded in Matt 7:21-29. Please turn to this most familiar passage and ask the Lord to make it very new in the power of His Holy Spirit. 
Matt 7:21-29, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.' "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock. "And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall." The result was that when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. 
Notice it was not the matter of what man perceived that made the difference. We all have our ideas of what will bring salvation to us. Some think that it is doing more good things than bad things, kind of like a scale. We weigh all the good that we have done on this side and then measure it against the evil in which we participated. If we have more good on the scale, more positive items in our imaginary ledgers of right and wrong, then we will be OK. However, please take most seriously to heart, that is not what Jesus so very clearly teaches here.
It is only those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and who live their lives in the relationship that He makes available through His death and resurrection who will find that they are welcome in His eternal presence. There will be so many who have deluded themselves because they tried to live a good life and yet they rejected this living relationship that God has opened by His freely offered Gift of the Living Word, Jesus, to everyone who will believe upon Him.
The Apostle Paul declared this without hesitation to the gathered crowds in Acts 13:38-41. The fact is that it is the Word Who is preached, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Who brings forth salvation that is found no where else. It is the recounting of all that God made known through the prophets of old in pointing to the time in which He would bring His Word into the very heart and essence and beings of His appointed people. The Word that saves is Jesus, God’s Own Son, hanged on the cross and then raised victoriously and gloriously from the grave.
Acts 13:38-41, "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. "Take heed therefore, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: 'Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and perish; For I am accomplishing a work in your days, A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.'" 
    	The Children of Israel were loath to hear the gospel preached because it set aside the ideas and the concepts that they had constructed as to the exclusive relationship that they would have with God. They saw themselves as the end all, rather than the means by which God would bring His salvation unto all the nations of the world. They wanted to be set above all humanity as the glowing examples of what all people were to strive to be. In their minds, the Gentiles were considered as but heathen dogs and fuel for the burning fires of eternity. All was centered on them as a people, rather than on the Lord God Jehovah!
	Again listen to the Apostle Paul in Acts 28:23-27, as he declares the full measure of what has been put into place concerning them. This was echoed through all the prophets whom they so forcefully persecuted because they did not like the message that was being preached unto them. 
Acts 28:23-27, And when they had set a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God, and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening. And some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe. And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, "The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying, 'Go to this people and say, "You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; And you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes; Lest they should see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I should heal them."'  
        Later, in Rom 10:6-13, as the Apostle Paul was dealing with the Church at Rome, he reiterated the truth of the salvation that is found only in Jesus Christ. This was not open to the speculations of humanity, neither was it at all obscure. The Lord made it very evident from the onset that He was the One Who would save His creation through the free gift of His Love. There was nothing that man had to do nor was there anything that man could do to earn or to attain this full and complete and eternal salvation. It was all at the instigation and the fulfillment of the work of Jesus which is the only means by which any man can be saved. 
Here again, the Apostle quotes our very passage of this morning as we can all read. Please turn to it. Rom 10:6-13, But the righteousness based on faith speaks thus, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down), or 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)." But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" — that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him; for "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved." 
	The Writer to the Hebrews, in Heb 2:1-4, then gives us the encouragement as to how we need to hold so very closely and dearly to the Word of God. This is in order that we do not get caught up in any of the whims or the schemes of mankind. We need to singly hold true to the Word as He is made clear in our hearts and minds by the manifested working power of the Holy Spirit. 
Heb 2:1-4, For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. So be it.
"But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it. Amen.

This morning’s benediction is 1 Cor 16:14. Let all that you do be done in love. Amen.