Title: Want to Hear God - Open His Book!
Scripture: Psalm 119:169-176; 2 Timothy 3:10-17
Continuation of a Lenten Season on Being Able to Hear God – through His Holy Word.
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
Have you ever been denied admission or permission?
Have you ever been denied the right of entry to a certain building or into a gated community?
Have you ever had some difficulty accessing your emails, your Facebook page or perhaps your Netflix or Hulu account?
Have you ever been locked out of your ATM or Amazon Prime account?
I am sure some of here this morning have encountered such aggravation and inconveniences. It can happen when you use your phone, your Roku account or even your bank card.
You put in what you think is all the correct information and suddenly the screen pops up and you read some words that go like this –
+Access denied +“Further Verification required”
+Sorry, you do not have permission to access this account
+Forget your password?
Have you ever been in line at the store or somewhere else and suddenly cannot remember the pin number to your card? There you are with a line of people behind you and you simply cannot remember your pin number. People begin looking at you like either you are losing it or you have stolen someone’s card.
We live in a world in which more and more we need a special key, word or a code. After all, 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 put in one wrong number 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.
In Psalms 119, our writer’s deepest desire is to have access to the heart of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. Most Bible scholars believe that King David is the author of Psalm 119.
In the section we read this morning (the last section of the Psalm; the Taw section), we see that David is desperately seeking access to the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. He has spent 168 verses sharing with us all kinds of lessons, praises and blessings. And now as he closes this psalm, his heart is crying out for God to hear him and to grant him wisdom, knowledge and supernatural insight. David wants to do what is right and the only way he knows to do that is for God to show him the correct path.
For the past few weeks we have been looking at some different ways that we can better hear God. We have looked at the lives of Joshua, Abraham and Ruth and how each one of them was able to distinctively hear God and obey His directions.
+For Joshua, it was through lingering with God; taking the time to just rest in God’s Presence.
+For Abraham, it was being open to however God wanted to talk to him and purposely and progressively getting rid of any distractions.
+For Ruth, it was paying attention to God’s little nudges.
This morning, I want us to look at what many believe is the best way to hear God and that is through His Word – the Bible.
I. God’s Holy Word
I believe outside of Full Salvation, the greatest gift God has ever given to humankind is His Word/His Holy Word.
Let me say that again – I believe that outside of Full Salvation, the greatest gift that God has given to humankind is the Word of God/Bible.
I wonder this morning, if we fully appreciate the wonder of what we have the ability to hold in our hands, to read, to study and to enjoy. I wonder if we understand the power, the majesty and the splendor of being able to read God’s Holy Word.
John Wesley believed that the Church stood on four major tenets:
+ Scripture (God's Word) +Tradition
+Reason + Experience
Now, Wesley did not see all of those four things as equal – He believed that we needed tradition, we needed reason and we needed experience but more than those things we needed God’s Holy Word. God’s Holy Word in Wesley’s mind was tantamount. In other words, for Wesley - God’s Holy Word is Supreme.
God’s Holy Word reveals to us the greatest message of all – a message that can be wrapped up in these words (see Richard Foster) –
“I am with you”
That is the message what we discover as we read God’s Word.
The Bible reveals to us who God is – His Character, His Heart, His Will.
The Bible reveals to us that God loves us – so much so that He died for us.
The Bible over and over again asks us a simple question – a question from the heart of the LORD - “Are you willing to be with Me?”
And then the Bible reveals what it means to live a life with God. What it means to live with God …. daily … hourly … in the present.
Today, the Bible is under attack. Even in some churches the Bible is under attack.
There are those who have made it their mission 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), Mohammed (the Koran) or the Vedas of the Hindu faith. They sincerely believe 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.
This morning, I believe that the Bible is the very Word of God – the True God – the Good God of Creation – God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
While I don’t doubt other people sincerity in not believing the Bible is the greatest of all things given to humans, I just don’t agree with them. I believe that they are being blinded to the real truth. I believe that the Bible is what it says it is – it is God’s Holy Word.
For the more you read the Bible and the more you allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you, the more I believe you will come to the realization that the Bible is not just one book among many other books. I believe that you will come to the truth that the Bible is God’s Holy Word given to our World.
The Bible is this wonderful co-operative adventure between God and humankind. This is what the Apostle Paul shares with us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
We have to pause and reflect on these words - "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 a life of Salvation.
+The Bible was written to help us understand the LORD.
+The Bible was written to help us experience the New Birth/ A Life of Holiness.
+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.
+The Bible was written for us to understand how to live as one with one another.
So, what do we do with this Bible?
1. 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 abandon us even in the midst of our persistent rebellion and sin.
+We read how God has provided a way of for us to be rescued, 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 cleansed, 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 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 individually and corporately.
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 we chose to read about 30 minutes a day it would take us a little over a month to read the New Testament in its entirety.
Now, of course the Old Testament takes a bit longer. To read through the whole Old Testament it takes a little over 60 hours.
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.
2. WE STUDY IT
As 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’s 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"
Psalm 23 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.
"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 rest near still waters. He knew what it meant to have his soul restored. He also knew what it meant to be under God's Protection. 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 also 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 challenged to open our hearts, our minds and our souls to be taught and guided by God's Holy Spirit. We are challenged 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.
This morning, I encourage everyone here to avail themselves to 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 and know God. The better we know God’s Word the better we know how to live the Abundant Life and how to live with one another here on this earth.
The Bible gives us Access to God's Mind, Heart and Will.
3. RESIDE IN GOD’S WORD
– Allow its Words to Shape Us and Mold Us
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 relish 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 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. It’s like 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.
It’s like when you sit outside on a warm day 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 and allow nature to refresh your mind, your mind and soul as well.
As I worked on this sermon I felt guided by the Holy Spirit 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 was 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 was a wonderful day to just read, study and enjoy God's Word and His Presence.
It 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 the LORD wants us to fully experience. The LORD wants us to go beyond reading and studying. He wants us to allow His Word to open up to us the very windows and doors of heaven. The LORD wants us to carve out some time to just be in His Word and with Him - God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The LORD 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 true 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. Let us commit to allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us how to read His Word. Let us then allow God’s Word to form our thoughts, to renew our hearts and to lead us to living the best life possible here on God’s Good Earth.
Closing Song/Prayer/Blessing
