1. Wrong Running
One evening a woman was driving home when she noticed a huge truck behind her that was driving uncomfortably close. She stepped on the gas to gain some distance from the truck, but when she sped up the truck did too. The faster she drove the faster drove the truck. Now scared, she exited the freeway. But the truck stayed with her. The woman then turned up a main street, hoping to lose her pursuer in traffic. But the truck ran a red light and continued the chase.
Reaching the point of panic, the woman whipped her car into a service station and bolted out of her auto screaming for help. The truck driver sprang from his truck and ran toward her car. Yanking the back door open, the driver pulled out a man hidden in the backseat. The woman was running from the wrong person. From his high vantage point, the truck driver had spotted a would-be rapist in the woman's car. The chase was not his effort to harm her but to save her even at the cost of his own safety.
Likewise, many people run from God's provision of atonement on the cross, fearing what He might do to them. But His plans are for good not evil -- to rescue us from the hidden sins that endanger our lives; that threaten our eternal destiny and the current blessedness of this life.
2. Revelation 22.1-7
a. Apparently eternity with God is a reset to his original intentions as in Eden -- Tree of Life; River;
b. The Ultimate "Tree of Life" was the cursed tree of Jesus' crucifixion
c. Through the cross we are reconciled with God -- real life -- 1 Corinthians 15.21-22
21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
3. Verse 7 reminds us of blessings that come when we keep God's word
a. It is a reflection of God -- Deuteronomy 7.9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,
b. It is a source of blessing -- Deuteronomy 29.29 Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.
4. Consider the importance of Keeping the words of God
I. To Keep is to Obey
Deuteronomy 11.28-29
26 "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, 28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known
A. Obedience comes from the Hearing of God
1. Eyes on the Ball
Imagine landing a jet on the rolling deck of an aircraft carrier in the pouring rain--in the middle of the night. It's complicated, but it boils down to a single request from the Landing Signal Officer to the incoming pilot: "Call the ball." The "ball" is a round light shining toward the plane that the pilot uses to line his plane up with the carrier's deck. When the pilot sees the "ball" and is confident of his path, he responds, "Ball." From that point until he lands he has one lifesaving task: to keep his eye on the ball.
Think now of dark times in life when you're looking for a port in the storm, a place to land safely and in one spiritual and emotional piece. Lots of things may help--friends, funds, family. But there is one thing absolutely essential: keeping your eyes on the Lord. When Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, was surrounded by a vast army, the people of Judah came together. Jehoshaphat led in a prayer for God's help, the last words of which were these, "Nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." 2 Chronicles 20:12b
We can only follow God if our eyes are on Him. The destination is wherever He leads. Therefore, we guard his word to be sure that we have his direction.
2. The Reason Incorporating God's Word is Key -- Psalm 119.11
3. The Book of Revelation Encourages the Readers to Hear and Heed God at all times -- Revelation 2.10
B. Obeying is Foundational to Our Lives in Christ -- Matthew 7.24-27 -- v. 24: 24 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
1. Foundation is key to a structure -- 1 Corinthians 3.11
2. We are the spiritual house, founded upon Jesus and apostles -- Ephesians 2.18-21 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
C. Motivations to Obey
1. Personal Achievement -- RYR Matthew 19.16-22
2. Fear (are taught to fear/revere God, not be terrified of him) -- 1 John 4.18-19 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.19 We love because he first loved us.
3. Love -- John 15.14
II. To Keep is to Continue
Keep the Ball Rolling
The 'keep the ball rolling' version of the phrase owes its origin and popularity to the US presidential election of July 1840. That election is widely regarded as introducing all the paraphernalia of present-day elections, that is, campaign songs, advertising slogans and publicity stunts of all kinds.
The unpopular incumbent President Martin Van Buren was pitted against Whig candidates, General William Harrison, a war hero who had fought against the Shawnee Indians at Tippecanoe, and John Tyler. The Whig candidates reveled in a folksy 'cider-drinking, log-cabin, men of the people' image and adopted the first known political slogan - 'Tippecanoe and Tyler, too'. A song of the same name was considered to have sung Harrison into the presidency.
Harrison's campaign literature referred to Victory Balls. These weren't, as we might expect, dance parties that celebrated his famous victory, but ten-foot diameter globes made of tin and leather, which were pushed from one campaign rally to the next. His supporters were invited to attend rallies and push the ball on to the next town, chanting 'keep the ball rolling'.
A. We are to continue as God's People in a dark world -- Philippians 2.14-15
1. It is our way of life -- HOW we live
2. Our Way of Life Involves -- Our Worship (Haggadah, story) -- Love God -- Deuteronomy 6.4
3. Our Way of Life Involves -- Our Walk (Halakah) -- Love Neighbor -- Leviticus 19.18; Enemies -- Matthew 5.43-44
B. With our Focus on Jesus
1. His past Ministry
2. His Presence -- Revelation 2-3
3. His Coming
4. We look forward by looking backward -- The story -- Psalm 106; Stephen's Sermon
5. Focus by Faith -- we have seen what he has done; read the promises of what he will do and faith believes he will accomplish what he says -- Hebrews 11.6
III. To Keep is to Protect/Watch Over/Guard
[Shepherds protect sheep as David with the bear and lion; Elders -- Acts 20.28
A. Our Purpose Ecclesiastes 12.13
B. Our Promise Psalm 119.57 -- 57 The LORD is my portion; I promise to keep your words.
C. Our Privilege Luke 11.28
D. Our Practice
1. Literally -- Torah hidden in temple during reign of Josiah 2 Kings 22.8 8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
[Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran 1946-54 981 different texts found
2. Internally as Mary -- Luke 2.19
1. Unreasonable People
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world," wrote George Bernard Shaw. "The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
Christians are, in a sense, unreasonable people. We are nonconformists and counter-culturists. We don't love the world or the things in the world. We're citizens of another kingdom, and we don't adapt well to this one. We do our best to get along, to love our neighbor, to do all the good we can, and to be wise and winsome. But the older translations called us "peculiar."
Exodus 19:5 says if we obey His voice and keep His covenant, we'll be His "peculiar treasure." Deuteronomy 14:2 says God has chosen us to be a "peculiar people unto himself." First Peter 2:9 says we are "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people."2 The essence of who we are matters, for we belong to Almighty God and we're His peculiar treasure.
Our business today is to be New Testament Christians, proclaim New Testament Christianity, and build New Testament churches. That seems simple enough ... but just try it in dead-earnest and see what happens! Vance Havner
2. Basis -- keeping the word of God
3. Blessed for keeping
