Have A Blessed Life Sermon Vi: Blessed By The Permanence And Relevance Of God's Word Series

BLESSED BY THE PERMANENCE AND THE RELEVANCE OF GOD’S WORD

A billboard on the Airline Highway in New Orleans boldly announced a local church’s slogan: “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.”

One day a seminary professor mentioned the billboard slogan to his class and remarked that it would be more accurate if the billboard read, “God said it. That settles it. I believe it! The professor’s point: God’s Word is permanently settled in heaven, for, as the Bible says, “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . .”

The psalmist pointed to the truth that God’s People are blessed by the permanence of God’s Word, yes, but also its relevance.

David begins his 12th stanza of the 119th Psalm with a word that establishes the permanence of the Word of God – Psalm 119:89 – “Forever”!

With the use of the word “forever” David, a “servant of the Lord” who had “been with the Lord”, proclaims that the Word of God is above all the changes of time, all the changes of life, all the temporary, transient elements of the earth, to the transcendent eternal heavenly realm wherein dwell the hosts of heaven and where the LORD God reigns forever and ever!

As we read these eight verses, pay attention to the wonderful affirmations made by the psalmist - affirmations which, if heeded by us, will anchor our souls to the eternal, to the extent that we will be able to experience peace during these turbulent times in which we live – Psalm 119:89-96 . . .

(1) God’s Word endures!

Ever since Satan deceitfully asked Eve, “Did God really say . . .” (Gen 3:1), the enemy has attacked the Word of God. You name ‘em – atheists, agnostics, fools, narcissists, unbelievers of many kinds; these folks have either ignored the Word, mocked it, or attempted to do away with it, but it still stands. Matthew 24:35: “The heavens and the earth will pass away, but God’s Word will never pass away!”

(2) God’s Word assures!

Our LORD’s faithfulness has been demonstrated time and time again by His Creation of the heavens and the earth, plus the pattern of regeneration which the LORD our God established from the beginning – constancy of the air we breathe, rising of the sun day by day, moon and stars constantly appearing, seasons of the year never failing to materialize, and so on.

“All these things, O Lord, are your servants!” The natural world does God’s bidding, following the pattern He planned. May it be said of us that we do God’s bidding as does the natural world!

Folks, we may not be able to take delight in all that is going on in our world of sin and shame, but we can take delight in what God says in His Word, for, thank God, the Word of God equips you and me for dealing with the changes that occur in life, and, for dealing with inevitable crises.

Carol Cymbala, a partner with her husband Jim in Ministry in New York City, went through trying times that hurt her deeply, but her trust in God wavered not. During her critical ordeal, she wrote the words to the song, “He’s Been Faithful” --

“In my moments of fear, through every pain and every tear, there’s a God who’s been faithful to me. When my strength was all gone, when my heart had no song, still in love He’s proved faithful to me. Every word He’s promised is true; what I thought was impossible - I’ve seen my God do; He’s been faithful to me.

“Looking back, His love and mercy I see, though in my heart I have questioned, even failed to believe, yet He’s been faithful to me. When my heart looked away, the many times I could not pray, still God was faithful to me.

“The days I spent so selfishly, reaching out for what pleased me, even then God was faithful to me. Every time I come back to Him, He is waiting with open arms, and I see once again He’s been faithful to me. Looking back, His love and mercy I see, though in my heart I have questioned, even failed to believe, yet He’s been faithful, so faithful to me.”

(3) God’s Word matures!

The Word of God not only taught David the way of life that is right in God’s sight, it brought him renewal that matured him in his understanding of who God is and what God wants His children to be and do.

The Word the psalmist hid in his heart not only kept him from sinning but it became a lamp unto his feet and a light unto his path; he meditated on it, got into it more deeply, and grew spiritually beyond his previous level of understanding.