I.
First Need:
We need to Hear God’s Word.
We need to hear God’s Word. Turn with me to Romans 10:17 and it says “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the words of Christ.”
We need to hear God’s Word. How? Well, we listen to it. We come to church and we pay attention by listening to what the preacher is saying. Just making an appearance at church is not going to cut it. See, I used to just show up at church but I would not listen to God’s word. Oh, I would hear it but I would not listen to what was being said. When we hear God’s Word we need to do more than just hear it with our physical ear, we need to listen with our spiritual ears. (verses). Like I was saying and maybe you can relate to this, I used to go to church and hear with my physical ear but I would not listen with my spiritual ear.
So many times in our life we hear people talk to us but we do not listen to what they are saying. How many of you here have ever had someone ask you a question and then immediately say “what?” or “what did you just say?” Come on now we are all guilty of it. See we were hearing but we were not listening. I used to go to a church called Upper Room Worship Center and the Pastor was Paul Lewis. Now Pastor Lewis knew that I would often drift off somewhere, you know I would be hearing but I would not be listening and he would come right over beside me, and most of the time I would not even notice him and he would get to shouting at the top of his lungs. The first couple of times this happened it scared the daylights out of me I jumped and I looked at Pastor Lewis and he just looked back at me with his head cocked and a half a smile on his face. The next time it happened, I said “Pastor Lewis you are going to give me a heart attack.”
And he said, “Well it will be your own fault because you are not listening, pay attention”.
I said “I hear everything you are saying.”
His response was “you hear me but you do not understand me, now pay attention.”
People when we come to church or listen to someone giving the word wherever we may be we need not simply hear it with our physical ear but we need to hear it with our spiritual ears.
Even our Lord knew this same listening without hearing principle was at work because in Matthew 15:10 Jesus tells his disciples "Listen and understand..." See he wanted to make sure he had his disciples attention and that they were listening to him for what he had to tell them was of utmost importance as were all the words of Christ.
II.
Second Need:
We need to Read God’s Word
Not only do we need to hear God’s Word but we also need to Read God’s Word. Turn with me to Deuteronomy 17:18-19 and it says “When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of the law, taken from the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow all the words of this law and these decrees.”
As a Christian we should set aside a time everyday to read God’s Word. Everyday. I know, some of you are saying you do not have the time to read God’s Word everyday. I say make time. Why? Because as Christians we have a scriptural obligation to read God’s Word every day. Again I refer you to verse 19 “It is to be with him and he is to read it all the days of his life…” It does not say some of the days of his life or most of the days of his life it says all the days of his life.
Another reason we should read God’s Word is to allow us to focus on what God has said and is saying to us. I love the Bible because it isn’t like any other book in the world. The words of the bible are alive they are a living word and they speak to us. These words were given to us by a loving and compassionate God, who loves us so much that he gave to us his one and only beloved Son, to die on the cross, to be beaten and kicked and spit upon and MURDERED for you and for me, so that through Him we might be saved from an eternity in hell. Why? Because he cares for us and He does not want to see us go to hell. As Christians, we need to set a time aside everyday to read the Bible.
Here at the Ranch we are required to read God’s Word every night. Now when I first got here I did not want to comply with this rule. I did not see why from 9:30 pm to 10:00 pm we were required to read God’s Word when I could have been doing other things like sleeping or talking to the other guys about the happenings of the day or anything else other than read the Bible. I just did not want to comply. Several times the R.A. would come into my room and wake me up and tell me to read my Bible or tell me to be quiet that there was no talking during quiet time. And of course I thought that he was power hungry and one night the R.A. told me to stop talking and read the Bible and I made a smart remark something to the effect that I would do it to respect him and the rules. He told me to do it out of respect to God. That really sunk in. God brought me into this program and here I was doing everything I could to not read his word. I am now thankful for the opportunity to consistently read God’s Word every night. Again, in order to grow spiritually as Christians we must regularly read God’s Word.
God’s Word speaks to us. Which leads me to the third need.
III.
Third Need:
We need to Study God’s Word
The third need is we need to study God’s Word and it goes hand and hand with the second need of reading God’s Word and it is we need to study God’s Word. In your Bible’s turn with me to Proverbs 2: 1-6 “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding”.
We have to study the scriptures, which are the infallible word of God. Study is defined-“the mental effort of understanding”. Hearing the Word of God and reading the Word of God are important to Christian spiritual growth however, we need not only hear and read but there is also a necessity that we study the Word of God. We have to put a mental effort to understand what the scriptures say.
Proverbs 2:2 says “turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding”. Notice applying your heart to understanding. Understanding is achieved by studying.
I’ll give you an example. In school I was not very good with math. Yeah, I can add, subtract, multiply and divide very well but when it comes to algebra, trig and calculus I am clueless. Why? Because, I did not study those areas of math. Sure, I heard the teacher explain the formulas and I read the textbook but I did not study it. I did not study the formulas. I did not put a mental effort into understanding so now; if I were presented with one of these math problems to solve I would not know where to begin. As the old cliché goes if my life depended on solving one of these math problems well, you guys would be holding a funeral for me that is for sure. In reality, my life does not depend on me figuring out one of these problems but my life does depend on the Word of God and so does yours.
IV.
Fourth Need:
We need to Memorize God’s Word
The fourth need is we need to memorize God’s Word. The Bible tells us in Psalms 119:11 “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you”. When we merely listen, read and study the Word of God we tend to deprive it of much of its power. Now I am not saying that we could ever deprive God’s Word of its power but I am saying that we, as we often tend to do will deny ourselves of its power.
The Word of God must be known and prized by us. It must totally consume us. When our affections, our souls, our understanding and our whole Christian character are impregnated by God’s Word as it ought to be, as God wants it to be, and when we realize its threatening (the fear of the Lord), its promises, and its excellencies then we will realize the nature of God which is pure love. When this happens then we will be fortified and our spiritual growth will excel and we will become more Christ like in our character and our expressions of love. I don’t know about you but this is what I want.
“…that I might not sin against you”. When we memorize God’s Word it keeps us from sin, which is against God. When we memorize God’s Word it cannot be stolen from us and we cannot be snared by the Devil as Eve was. The Devil knows God’s Word very well and he can ensnare us if we do not know what God’s Word says.
The Devil has a very cunning way of twisting God’s Word to trick us into thinking that if we do a certain thing we will not be breaking God’s Law. Or if we are doing something that is pleasing to God, the Devil will trick us into thinking God’s Word says it is unpleasing to God. Now if you think that the Devil will not be able to ever fool you then let us see what God’s Word says about this matter. In Mathew 24:24 it reads “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-if that were possible”. So that tells me that if Satan could fool the elect then Satan would fool them. How much more do you think Satan can fool you and me? Memorize God’s Word.
I remember a situation that I was in recently when I was out in Mechanicsville campaigning in front of the Wal-Mart. I was minding my own business and doing the Lord’s Work by standing out there and asking people if they would like to help save a life by donating to New Life for Youth. This lady comes up to me and she had some money in her hand and said she wanted to donate to New Life for Youth but she first wanted to know if we believed that it is necessary to be baptized in order to go to heaven. I told her my belief and she wanted to argue. I kindly told here that I did not want to get into a tug of war concerning the issue of baptism.
Then she asked me if I thought that it was ok to play instruments during praise and worship. I explained to her that I thought it was ok to worship and praise the Lord with instruments. I also explained to her that I am a member of a praise and worship band called God’s Miracles and we often travel around to different churches and minister to the congregation with song and with our testimonies of how the Lord has made us new creations. She told me that playing instruments unto the Lord was wrong and that it said so in the New Testament.
Now I know that it does not say that in the New Testament so I asked her what book and what verse in the New Testament says that and she stated that Colossians 3:16 said that it was wrong to play instruments during praise and worship. Now I knew that particular verse because I had memorized it and hid it in my heart and that particular verse says “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God”. I gently told her that that verse does not say that it is wrong to praise an d worship the Lord with musical instruments. Then she wanted to see my Bible. I let her see it and she looked up the verse and recited it to me. I asked her where it said no musical instruments and she came back with “see that is the problem you are taking away and adding to the Word of God. Just because it does not say not to use musical instruments does not mean it is right”. She went on to say that the Bible warns of people like me who take away and add to the Word of God. I let her know that I was aware of that verse in Revelations 22:18 and that I was not adding to or taking away from the Word of God.
I knew that she was trying to trick me. Trying to get me to doubt God’s word and if I had not committed these verses to memory then she may have succeeded. Finally I had to tell her that it was nice talking to her but I needed to continue to do my work unto the Lord. She went away, I thought.
After she walked about 15 yards away she turned around and came right back to me. She wanted to argue about more verses. I was about to rebuke her out loud but I did not. Instead I silently prayed “Satan get thee behind me. In the wonderful name of Jesus Christ I command you to flee right now”. That worked. She left as quickly as she came. And by the way, she did not donate any money.
This example goes on to show that in order for us to know how to handle situations such as this one which I know was an attack of the Devil we ought to memorize God’s Word.
V.
Fifth Need:
We need to Practice God’s Word
The last need that I want to point out to you is we need to Practice God’s Word.
Luke 8:21 states “He replied, My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s Word and put it into practice”.
We can hear, read, study and memorize God’s Word but we need to practice God’s Word. We need to do what it says. As we learn God’s Word and we begin to practice what it says as we begin to put it into motion we allow the Word, which is alive begin to do a work in us. We begin to be transformed and it is through the Word that we are made New Creations.
As you enter the driveway of the New Life for Youth Ranch there is a big sign out front that has II Corinthians 5:17 written out on it “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” We begin to become more and more Christ like the more we practice God’s Word. When we practice all of the things God’s Word teaches us and God’s Word is Christ we become brothers and sisters to Christ. Wow! What a feeling knowing that we have a big Brother and His name is Jesus Christ.
Practice the teachings. Practice what you hear, what you read, what you study, and what you memorize. See if we do not practice what we know it is useless. Take this example, a man can know all of the laws of driving and can recite all of the citations but this does not make him a good driver. He can know the owners manual of the car form front to back and all of the special handling features. He can read “how to drive better” tutorials and know all of the information contained within them but it still will not make him an excellent driver. The only way he will become a good driver is to practice driving that car. Then as he begins to drive more and more then he becomes a better driver.
This same principal applies to our Christian lives as well. We can know what God’s Word says from front to back, if that is even possible but it will not do us any good if we do not practice it. If we do not put it into operation, allowing it by our experiences to begin to change us to begin to make us more Christ like, then what good is it to us? If we do not practice what God’s Word is teaching us we deny ourselves of the life changing Supernatural Power that is contained in the Words of God. God gave it to us to use. God wants us to practice it.
Conclusion
The Bible abounds with clues. But perhaps the clearest and most concise statement of the scriptural pattern for fruitful interaction with God’s Word is found in Paul’s first prayer for the Colossians “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins”. (Colossians 1:9-14)
