End Time Christians Must Hunger For God's Word Series

Introduction

The Bible tells us that Enoch walked with God; the Bible tells us that Noah walked with God. These walks with God were more God talks- where God talked to them, and these men took to heart what God was telling them. We know that to be the case because Enoch as result of those walks named his first-born son, Methuselah. Methuselah means when he is gone then comes the flood. Enoch would not have known anything about a flood unless God revealed it to him in those walks. It had never rained in those days; much less flooded. Noah would not have known to build an ark unless God revealed it to him in those walks. Noah never went to nautical building school so he would not have known that 450 feet long, 75 feet high, and 45 feet high was the perfect dimensions to allow the ark to float after the flood waters came up. Little would Noah know that further generations would build great ships using those same proportions that God gave Noah. God had to reveal that to Noah in those walks. So, I think it is a fair statement to say that both Enoch and Noah had a hunger for God’s Word. And we who are the end time Christians on this side of the cross, preparing for Christ eminent return, should also have that same kind of hunger for God’s Word that Enoch and Noah had.

And to be honest, I have heard preachers throw around the term “we must have a hunger for God’s Word”. But what does that really mean? I don’t believe the average person in the pew really understands what that means because for the longest I didn’t know what it meant. So, I went looking in God’s Word for the answer because this Bible is a book of answers. And I found it in the Book of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah lived after the flood and he lived before the cross and so he lived in between the first and second end times. But to Jeremiah, it had to feel like he was living in the end times. He was a prophet to southern kingdom of Israel warning the people to turn back to God before it was too late or life as they knew it was going to change. They were going to go from being a free people to people held under the captivity of the Babylonians. Can you see how it would make you feel like this was your end time if one day you are free and the next day you have to take orders from your captors? I think that is how Jeremiah felt. And it is during this time, he pens what it means to be hungry for the Word of God. So, let’s take a look at it in Jeremiah 15:16. Please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Scripture

Jeremiah 15:16 (NKJV)

16 Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.

Points

#1

HUNGER PEOPLE DO MORE THAN CARRY THEIR BIBLE TO CHURCH, OR SIT THEIR BIBLE ON THE COUNTER AT HOME, THEY DISCOVER THE BIBLE FOR THEIR LIFE. AND WHEN YOU DO THAT, IT IS AN AMAZING DISCOVERY!

Jeremiah says, “your words were found.” Picture what is going on. God’s Word is not lost; Jeremiah is not saying someone misplaced it. We know that because if you read the Book of Jeremiah, God is constantly sharing His Word with Jeremiah. It is there! But Jeremiah was so busy proclaiming God’s Word to a rebellious Israel that He did not take the time to discover God’s Word for Himself.

I am glad that you come to church on Sunday, and I want you to keep coming. But I got to tell you the truth, your relationship with God will not grow in leaps and bounds until you pick up your Bible and you discover the Bible for your life.

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

It did not say have your preacher study and show himself approved, even though he should; it did not say have your Sunday School teacher study and show himself approved, even though he should. It says for you to study and show yourself approved, and you should.

Coming to church on Sunday and maybe Wednesday night and listening to the sermon, is like getting the Cliff’s notes of the Bible. I got to tell you when I was in school, I loved that guy, Cliff. He got me out of a lot of jams by doing the work for me. I remember one year in high school my English teacher assigned the class to read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and write a book report. I went to the bookstore to buy the book and almost fainted when I saw how thick that book was. That Charles Dickens obviously liked to put pen to paper. So, while I was there, I looked for my buddy Cliff and thankfully he read it and put his results into a much smaller version. The problem was I only got what I needed to write my book report; old Cliff got to enjoy that great literary masterpiece. He did the work; I didn’t.