Series: Accessing God
Sermon #1 - Accessing God through His Word
Sermon #2 - Accessing God's Will
Sermon #3 - Accessing God's Wisdom
Sermon #1 - Want God ? Read the Word!
Scripture: Psalm 119:169-176/ Ephesians 2:17 - 22 (cf. v 18)
INTRO:
Have you ever been denied access? Whether it is to go through a gate, get on your Facebook page, download your emails, get some money out of the ATM or watch a TV show/movie on Netflix or Amazon Prime? It can happen when you use your smart phone or want to access a certain app. You put in what you think is all the correct information and suddenly the screen pops up and says something to this effect - "Access denied" "Authorization code needed" " Further Verification needed" "Sorry, you do not have permission to access this account, page or file" "Forget your password?"
I think we all have at one time or the other experienced a similar event. It can be quite embarrassing, especially if we are in line at the store and suddenly we forget our pin number and we cannot access our debt card. People begin to look at us like we are either losing it or we have stolen someone else's card and are trying to use it illegally.
We live in a world in which more and more we need a special key, word or code. And who doesn't like punching in those 16 digit codes on the back of a gift card to find out how much money is still available? All you have to do is to hit one wrong key and you have to start all over again. At times, we may wish that could just hack into the system and not have to worry about having the right login name, password or code.
The Psalmist this morning deepest desire is to access the heart of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. Psalm 119 is one of about a dozen alphabetic acrostic poems* in the Bible. It's 176 verses are divided into twenty-two stanzas, one stanza for each letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. Each stanza then contains eight verses that begins (in Hebrew) with a corresponding letter. We also see that the name of the LORD appears 24 times in Psalm 119. And while the author does not share their name, most Bible scholars believe that Psalm 119 comes from the hand of King David.
In this last section ( called the Tau section) we see that David is desperately seeking access to the LORD. He has spend 168 verses sharing with us all kinds of lessons, praises and blessings. And now as the author closes this psalm his heart is crying out for some type of deep intimate access. David cries out for God to hear him, to give him wisdom and to be his Divine helper so that he will make the right choices in his life. David cries out with this intense spiritual thirst and with this deep longing to live an upright and holy life. He takes great pains confessing his spiritual frailties and then commits himself to never give up on both knowing and living out God's Commandments.
What David longed for is something this morning that the Apostle Paul tells us is right at our fingertips, that is - the ability to have complete access to the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:18 that we have access to both our Heavenly Father and to His Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ - God in Flesh.
Ephesians 2:18 New International Version (NIV)
18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Take a moment and let that sink in. This morning, we have access to the Trinity through the Son - God in Flesh - Jesus of Nazareth - who came and lived among us, died for us and rose again and today sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession for you and me.
In other words when it comes to having a special code or access password for God - we have it - it is J E S U S. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus is the Door. Jesus is the Living Water and the Living Bread. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Jesus is the way for anyone to experience Salvation, New Birth and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. There is no other name under heaven by which we may be rescued and redeemed. Jesus is the Access Key to Everything.
The Bible shares with us that because of Jesus we also have access to some other things as well. This morning, I would like to share the first of those other things. Something that will help us live not only a more genuine life here on this earth but will help us understand God and have access to His Very Presence.
I. This morning, we have access to God through His Holy Word
One of the greatest gifts given to humankind is the Word of God. Let me say that again - ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS GIVEN TO HUMANKIND IS THE WORD OF GOD. At times, I am afraid we don't appreciate the wonder of what we have the ability to hold in our hands, to read, to study and to enjoy. At times I am afraid we don't understand the power, the majesty and the splendor of being able to read God's Holy Word.
John Wesley, many years ago believed that the Church stood on four major tenets - Scripture (God's Word), Tradition, Reason and Experience. Some people believed that Wesley was upholding the idea that each one possessed the same authority. In other words, they would be the four major pillars that each and every church should hold up as truth. Each one being equal - Scripture, tradition, reason and experience.
However, as you study Wesley and those before him you understand that Scripture - God's Holy Word was and will always be the main pillar or glue that holds everything together. Scripture is and will always be above tradition, reason and experience. We need tradition, we need experience and we need reason but without God's Word none of them make sense. God's Holy Word - our Bibles - those wonderful pages that are God's Love Story to all of us - are of Utmost Importance. The Scriptures informed tradition, reason and experience not the other way around.
And yet, we all know that the Bible is under constant attack. So called experts have been doing their best to discredit it or make it appear that the Bible is to be viewed on the same level as the writings of Buddha (Tripitaka (Pali Canon), of Mohammed (the Koran) or the Vedas of the Hindu faith. They have been doing their best to say that the works of Hammurabi, the works of the Avesta (Zoroastrianism) or even the Book of Shadows (Wiccans) may even be superior or at least equal to the Bible. Of course, none of that is true. The Bible is the Word of the Only God - the True God - the Good God of Creation - God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
People have been trying to discredit the Bible by saying that its words are inflammatory, misogynistic (mi•sog•y•nis•tic) and/or too extreme. Others feel that the Bible is full of errors, contradictions and misrepresentations. They believe that the stories are too jumbled and that they don't line up perfectly. They believe that the Bible focuses too much on Sin and Hell and on the essential need of personal and corporate salvation. And they believe that overall, the Bible's message is negative and disregards the intrinsic value of women and children.
Such people in my opinion may be genuine in their feelings and beliefs but I believe that they are being blinded by Satan. I believe that they are being blinded to what is the real truth concerning God and His Holy Word. The more you read the Bible the more you understand and experience its beauty and majesty. The more you read the Bible the more you understand and see that it is the greatest co-operative work ever created by God and humankind.
Sure, the Bible was written down with human hands. The Bible is a co-operative adventure between God and humankind. To tell the story of God is to also include the story of humankind. And to write that story both God and humanity had to come together. It is a shared story of a shared adventure.
To think that God was going to do otherwise is not to understand the basic facts of God or of Creation. The Good God of Creation has always worked with humans and the rest of creation. From the very beginning that has been the way that our God has operated. God is not distant but present. It was God's very Own Holy Spirit that was the author and inspiration of Scripture. Listen to the words that the Apostle Paul shared with Timothy:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 New International Version (NIV)
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a]may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
We have to pause and reflect on those verses - "ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD-BREATHED". In other words the GOOD GOD of CREATION worked with humans throughout the ages to write down the necessary words/stories/events that would help us discover and experience salvation. The Bible was written to help us find God. The Bible was written to help us understand how to live the best life here on this earth (Salvation). The Bible was written for us to have an intimate redeemed relationship with the only true God that exists - the Good God of Creation - the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
So, what do we do with this Bible? If we do believe that the Bible is God's Word, that it contains everything necessary for us to discover and experience salvation and that it shows us how to live the most authentic genuine human life here on this earth then what do we do with it?
a. WE READ IT.
It's that simple. We read it. We read it again and again and again. We sit down with the Bible, we open up its pages and begin to read it from cover to cover. We read its stories, its poetry and its prose. We read it and become familiar with its words, its rhythm and its flow.
We read it like a person surveying a rather large piece of land. We look it over and capture the complete story of God's Creation as it unfolds chapter after chapter. We see how God first created us and put us in this wonderful place of Paradise called the Garden of Eden. We read how God did not abandoned us even in the midst of our persistent rebellion and sin. We read how God has provided a way of for us to be redeemed and reconciled back to Him through His Son - God in Flesh - Jesus of Nazareth; our Messiah, Savior and Lord. We read how God through His Holy Spirit convicts us, cleanses us and leads us day by day. We read how God one day will make all things right and we will enjoy everlasting life on the New Heaven and New Earth. We read how that today we can live the best life possible by being infilled and led by His Holy Spirit. We read how we can transform this world in which we live by doing all we can to bring God's will to our earth.
We read it like a person who is hanging out a load of clothes. We enjoy each piece of God's Word - each book, each section and each chapter. We understand that we are not putting out all of the clothes that we own at one time. We are putting out just a few. And so we enjoy each and every one of them.
We have to begin reading God's Word in a very similar fashion. Not by trying to read it all in one day or in one sitting. But reading a portion of God's Word each and every day. That way we get the feel of the Bible. That way we grow into God's Word.
Actually, it doesn't take that long for any of us to read a book in the New Testament. Most people can read through the entire New Testament in about 17 hours. That means if they chose to read about 30 minutes a day it would take them a little over a month to read the New Testament in its entirety. That's about the same amount it takes to read the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and less time that it takes to read Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.
Now, of course the Old Testament takes a bit longer. To read through the whole Old Testament it takes a little over 60 hours. Which is just a bit longer than reading the Harry Potter Books or the Left Behind Series.
But let's say you want to just sit down for a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon and read the Bible. Well, in a couple of hours you can get through the whole Gospel of Matthew or complete the Book of Acts. Most of Paul's letters can be read in around 15 - 30 minutes with the exception of say Romans or 1 Corinthians which take about an hour each.
Actually, if we would read the Bible for about 12 minutes a day we should be able to read the entire Old and New Testament in about a year's time. Most of us spend that much time going one way to work. So, all we would need to do is to get the Bible on tape, CD or listen to our Bible app on our phones as we go to work and we would be able to read or hear the whole Bible in a year.
If you have ever done that, (read through the entire Bible) then you know how much better you are able to see the ebb and flow of God's Holy Spirit as you start off in Genesis chapter one with creation and end with Rev. 22 with the creation of the New Heaven and New Earth. All it takes is for us to sit down and actually read the Bible.
b. Next - We Study the Bible
After we become familiar with God's Word it is then time to do a little digging. It is time to do a little research. It time to do some studying. For the Bible is like a gold/silver mine. The really good stuff is found with just a little digging. The really cool stuff can be found with applying some investigation and studying.
Take Psalm 23 for example. On the surface it is a very comforting and peaceful psalm about God being our Shepherd. When we are in trouble this is one of the psalms that can bring us great comfort and peace. But as we begin to dig into the Psalm just a little bit we begin to see all these other wonderful and insightful truths.
For example - did you know that Psalm 23 is a Sheep Psalm? King David wrote it from the view of a sheep.
"THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD"
The Psalm is about one sheep talking to another sheep about its shepherd. It is one sheep telling another flock of sheep all about the Shepherd who takes care of it and the others that belong in the flock. It is a sheep bragging about how well their Shepherd takes care of them, how much the shepherd loves them and how much they in return love the Shepherd. They love the Shepherd so much that they never want to leave Him or where He resides.
"HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES"
This Good Shepherd does not make his sheep lie among the thorns or the thistles that grow everywhere in the desert/wilderness. He does not make his sheep lie down on the rocks that scattered the hillsides. Instead, he seeks out places of comfort. He leads his flock beyond the thorns, the thistles and the rocks. He knows that his sheep love grass and that they need the quietness that comes from water that is still and not rushing. He knows that constant noise bothers sheep. The noise agitates them and makes it impossible for them to get adequate rest and relaxation. So, he does his best to make sure that his sheep are in the best place possible to grow, to eat, to drink and to rest.
"YOU PREPARE A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES"
The sheep were in constant danger of being attacked by lions, bears and other predatory animals. They were in constant danger of being attacked by thieves. And they were constant danger of being attacked by poisonous plants that grew all around them.
This Shepherd would go out to the field and remove all the plants that would cause his sheep harm. He would remove anything that looked suspicious. He would go out and create barriers and would stand guard so that wild animals and thieves could not attack. He would keep his staff and his rod well at hand as instruments of both comfort and protection. He would spend every moment possible to make sure that his sheep could eat a well nourished meal even though there was danger all around.
David knew what it meant to be a Good Shepherd. The first time we meet David he is watching over a flock of sheep. He knew what it meant to fight wild animals and take care of a flock. He knew what it meant to put his own life in danger for the welfare of the flock.
And so, now David is seeing God the same way. David trusts that God will lead him down paths that will bring him salvation, nourishment and safety. David trusts that God will enable him to rest and be at peace. David knows and trusts that God will stand guard over him when he finds himself in danger.
David not only wrote this Psalm under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David lived this Psalm. He knew what it meant to be one of God's Sheep. He knew what it meant to be guided by still waters. He knew what it meant to need his soul restored. He also knew what it meant to need God's Protection as for years he lived as a wanted fugitive and a man on the run. He knew what it meant to have the LORD watch over him, take care of him and provide him peace and tranquility.
How can we learn so much and more about this Psalm? How did I learn what I just shared? I opened up the Bible - read it, read it again and again. I asked the Holy Spirit to open up its words to me and I began to dig around and find other people who had written on Psalm 23.
One of the things I found was this wonderful little book written by an actual shepherd named Philip Keller. Philip helped me understand that Psalm 23 is a Sheep Psalm. Philip helped me learn more than I have time to share this morning. From there I began to study how ancient shepherds took care of their sheep. I began to study about the area in the Middle East where most shepherds lived and cared for sheep. I studied about sheep, their characteristics and their lives. I went out and watched sheep and talked to those who raised sheep.
And the more I studied the more Psalm 23 came alive. There is enough good stuff in this Psalm to be able to teach a series of lessons or preach a series of sermons. There is more here than we can spend today looking at. And it's that way with so much of God's Word. There is much gold/silver/precious jewels that can be ours by studying God's Holy Word.
Our best teacher of course is God's Own Holy Spirit. When we read the Bible we are to open our hearts, our minds and our souls to be taught and guided by God's Holy Spirit. We are to invite the Holy Spirit to come and sit with us - read with us and help us understand the words that we are reading.
Then of course other helps will assist us as well - Good Study Bibles, Commentaries, Sermons, Bible Studies, History Books, Language Books and the list goes on and on. We need all these extra helps so that we can receive as much as we can from God's Holy Word. The key is that the better we know Scripture the better we know how to spend time with God. The better we will know God. The Bible gives us Access to God's Mind, Heart and Will.
c. Finally, We Are to Rest In God's Word and the Access to God it Brings
After we have read it and studied God's Word we simply rest in its truths, its words and its meanings. We take time to enjoy, to rest and to give thanks for what it teaches us, how it guides us and how it opens up to us the very Presence of God Himself.
Remember how good it feels and smells to put on a nice clean shirt. T-shirt or blouse. You can feel its cleanness and smell the freshness that it possesses. It's like putting on something after you have washed it in both Tide and Downy Fabric Softener. You can feel it, smell it and enjoy it. It's clean. It smells good and it feels good.
It's like sitting down and getting ready to eat some new potatoes. Weeks earlier you planted them and cared for them as they grew. Now, you dug some up and after cooking them for a while you sit down to take a bite or two. You relish the goodness of the taste of those new potatoes and are glad that you either harvested them or merely bought them at the store.
It's like sitting down on a cool day and sipping a wonderful drink - coffee, lemonade or tea and enjoying a snack or two. Enjoying some banana bread or a lemon poppy seed muffin or even an Oreo cookie or two. You just take a sip and a nibble of a snack and enjoy life.
You rest and feel the wind as it blows all around you. You look around and see all the beauty of nature surrounding you. You hear the sounds of life - the sounds of children, the sound of traffic or if possible the quietness of nature. You take a moment and enjoy life as you sip your drink allowing it to not only refresh your body but your soul as well.
As I worked on this sermon I felt led to go to a small church nearby that has a picnic area. I went there to feel the cool wind, to take in the beauty of the nature that surrounds it and to hear the noise of the traffic on the road nearby. Every now and then you could hear a flock of birds as they flew over or hear the birds calling to one another in the nearby trees.
The grass in the fields nearby were filled with all kinds of different wild flowers. Some were purple, others were yellow and still others were white. The trees were almost in full bloom and the sky was blue with little pockets of clouds moving across it. It's was a wonderful day to just read, study and enjoy God's Word and His Presence.
It's was a great time to take a walk and reflect on what I had just read and studied. It was a great time to just talk to God as we walked together around the outside of the church on this little path. It's was a great time to just rest and experience the joy of the LORD.
For that is where God wants us to end. God wants us to go beyond reading and studying. God wants us to allow the Bible to open up to us the very windows and doors of heaven. God wants us to carve out some time to just be in His Word and with Him - God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God invites us to spend some time in His Presence, soaking Him into our thoughts, our minds and even our pores.
You see, this morning, the Bible enables us to have access to its Author - God. It enables us to place ourselves in His Very Presence. We must remember that the Writer of the Words in our Bibles is with us each time we open up His Word. God is here. God is speaking and perhaps greatest of all - God is Listening. That's right - when we read God's Word - God is always there ready to listen to us; to hear our deepest thoughts, our highest ambitions and to heal our weary and troubled souls. There is grace given to us as we read God's Word. God's Word is Alive. God's Word touches our innermost beings if we open up our hearts, our minds and our souls.
Reading and studying God's Bible can be the most wonderful and magnificent experience we can enjoy on a daily basis. But only if we invite the Author of Life to enjoy it with us as we read.
So often, I am afraid, people pick up their Bibles, hurriedly read a verse or two, put it down and then try to do their best to slough through the day. They treat God's Word as they would treat a cup of coffee that is hurriedly chugged or a breakfast sandwich that is wolfed down as you run out the door.
We need time each day to just be with God - be it 10 minutes, 20 minutes or more. Just God and Us time. Reading, studying and absorbing His Word. Allowing His Words to come alive in us. Allowing God to speak to our inner hearts, minds and souls. Allowing ourselves to be comforted and cleansed by God.
If we are not careful we will have lived our life here on this Good Earth without spending the time we need with Our Creator, Savior and Sustainer. If we are not careful we will do our best to live in our own strength and power and we will be the poorer for it.
This morning, one of the greatest ways for us to have direct access to God is through His Holy Word. Let's commit ourselves to reading His Word, to studying His Word and to just rest in His Word. Let us become what John Wesley called himself - a man of One Book - The Bible. That didn't mean that Wesley only read the Bible. My gracious the man read everything - the Bible, History, Geography, Biology, Finance - Wesley was dedicated to learning as much as he could in this life. But his utmost desire was to be a man of the Bible. A person who constantly and consistently read the Bible, studied the Bible and rested in the Bible.
This morning, as we close let us commit to begin today to read God's Holy Word. For His Word opens up the door to having a deep and intimate walk with God.
Closing Song: Traditional - How Firm A Foundation
Contemporary - Thy Word by Amy Grant or Word of God Speak by MercyMe
* An acrostic is a poem (or other form of writing) in which the first letter (or syllable, or word) of each line (or paragraph, or other recurring feature in the text) spells out a word, message or the alphabet.
