INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Today we are going to continue with our theme of Celebration. I believe we should celebrate every day because we have the gift of life. I want us to focus on a great gift we have from God, His Word!
• The Bible has been the top selling book for years. There have been roughly 6 billion bibles sold worldwide since about 1816. How many bibles do you have in your home?
• I have at least 8 in my office not including all the bible software programs I have. I hope you all have your bible with you today!
• According to Barna Research Institute their studies suggest that 47% of Americans read the Bible every week and 91% of homes in the USA contain at least 1 Bible. The average home contains 4 bibles. (http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/12/18/061218fa_fact1)
• In 2005 Americans purchased over 25 million bibles, twice as many as the then new Harry Potter books sold. In a typical year in the US over 25 million bibles are sold.
• We can go get a bible at so many places, we will not jeopardize our life for owning a bible as some in the world have to deal with and we are not one of the people groups in which the bible has not be translated as of yet.
• I have said before that when we have a lot of something, when something is easy to obtain, we tend not to give it a lot of appreciation.
• Today I want us to see four of many reasons as to why we can celebrate God’s Word!
• We will be in Psalm 119 but we will not cover at 172 verses. Our focus will be on verses 89-105.
• We will start with verses 89-91
• SLIDE #2
• Psalm 119:89–91 (ESV) 89 Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. 90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. 91 By your appointment they stand this day, for all things are your servants.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
We can celebrate God’s Word because God’s Word has…
I. The power of permanence.
• We can spend a lot of time talking about how quickly the world around us changes. WE can also talk along time about how people around us change.
• How people think changes over time. Sometimes that is good and sometimes that is bad.
• People can be fickle.
• Verse 89 gives us reason to celebrate because it reminds us that God’s Word is FIRMLY FIXED in the heavens!
• The Psalmist is distressed but yet he gains encouragement from the fact that God’s Word is immutable or put in a different way, unchangeable or permanent!
• Jesus says something similar in Matthew 24:35
• SLIDE #4
• Matthew 24:35 (ESV) 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
• Isaiah 40:8 also reminds us of the same thing.
• SLIDE #5
• Isaiah 40:8 (ESV) The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
• Why does the fact that God’s Word is permanent give us cause to celebrate?
• The big reason is we can count on what it says. How tragic would it be to live a life of faithful service to God only to get to heavens gates to be rejected because God changed His mind as to what it takes to be a part of His family?
• VERSE 90 reminds us concerning God, “Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.”
• We can live a consistent life in Christ because we know what pleases God and what pleases God does not change from day to day. People change, what they used to please them can change, but with God we can count on Him.
• SLIDE #6
• Hebrews 13:8 (ESV) 90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
• Let’s turn to verses 92-96 of Psalm 119
• SLIDE #7
• Psalm 119:92-96 says: 92If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. 93I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life. 94I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts. 95The wicked lie in wait to destroy me, but I consider your testimonies. 96I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad.
• SLIDE #8
We can celebrate God’s Word because God’s Word has…
II. The power to save.
• The Psalmist is speaking in the context of saving his physical life.
• The Psalmist was distraught and would have been utterly lost because of the afflictions that beset him. The Psalmist knew however, that since he belonged to God, he could depend on God to rescue hi, or to save him from the hand of his enemies!
• The Psalmist tells us that by not forgetting God’s precepts, God had given him life!
• We can now see God’s Word in a bit of a different light now.
• God’s Word can bring us salvation!
• SLIDE #9
• Romans 1:16 (ESV) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
• Following God’s Word can have the effect of preserving our physical life because when we follow it, we will avoid patterns of behavior that will lead to our destruction.
• BUT, Romans reminds us that God’s Word can help bring salvation to our life!
• When many of His followers were leaving Him, it looked like His inner circle may leave also because of some tough material Jesus was teaching, Jesus turns to Peter in John 6:67 and asked the 12 if they were going to leave also.
• Peter knew leaving was not an option.
• SLIDE #10
• John 6:68 (ESV) Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,
• Who do you know who needs salvation, who needs a new lease on life? DO YOU REALIZE THAT THE BIBLE IN YOUR HAND CAN HELP TRANSFORM A LIFE?
• I know when first started getting into and around the Word of God, my life changed! I hope it is still changing to this day!
• SLIDE #11
• 1 Corinthians 1:18 (ESV) For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
• WE should rejoice that God left us His Word and that His Word can transform lives!
• Let’s explore verses 97-104 now.
• SLIDE #12
• Psalm 119:97–104 (ESV) 97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. 101 I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. 102 I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. 103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.
• SLIDE #13
We can celebrate God’s Word because God’s Word has…
III. The power to enlighten.
• God’s word can enlighten us! It can help us to be wise and to understand things we did not understand before.
• Look at what the Psalmist says concerning this enlightenment!
• Verse 98- Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies.
• Verse 99- I have more understanding than all my teachers.
• Verse 100- I understand more than the aged.
• How does this happen by simply having God’s Word in proximity to us? NO!
• In verse 97 the Psalmist unlocks the key as to how we can get this enlightenment.
• Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
• We see a twofold process, first we need to have a LOVE for God’s Word. We need to understand exactly what we possess and we then in turn will love it because it is GOD’S WORD! We love God, so then we love what He shares with us. I love my wife; I love to listen to her!
• Ok, loving God’s Word is great, but there is another step, we need to spend time in it.
• The Psalmist tells us that he meditates on it all day. The more time we spend in prayer and meditation, the more we will be enlightened!
• This leads to the next reason to celebrate covered in the what we just read, but also in verse 105.
• SLIDE #14
• Psalm 119:105 (ESV) Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
• SLIDE #15
We can celebrate God’s Word because God’s Word has…
IV. The power to give guidance for life.
• WE need guidance to be able to navigate through the landmines of life.
• When we look at the previous verses we see that by being enlightened by God’s Word we see in verse 101 I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. And in verse 104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.
• Our new verse tells us that God’s word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
• God’s Word will guide us through life and help keep us from falling into some of the traps that the enemy lays out for us.
• The deeper into the Word we get, the traps get easier to recognize.
• God’s Word can keep us out of a lot of trouble in all areas in our life such as it can keep us out of financial trouble.
• SLIDE #16
• Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
• See the Proverb writer tells us to TRUST and to trust means we will TRUST God’s way over ours even when we THINK our way is better.
• I so wish I would have taken to God’s Word early in life because IF I would have heeded God’s Word, I would have saved myself and those around me a lot of heartache!
CONCLUSION
• I hope that you realize how blessed you are to have God’s Word so easily and readily available to you.
• For many you can carry it on your phone.
• The availability of GOD’S Word is one of those things we take for granted that we should take a moment to pause and PRAISE THE LORD FOR!
