“AND THESE WORDS…”
Text: Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Introduction
A. Read Dt. 6:4-9
B. Illustration: Recite the words to “The Ballad of Jed Clampet.”
C. Why is it that we can memorize the words to something as insignificant as “The Ballad of Jed Clampet,” but we cannot memorize the Word of God?
D. “Many Christians look upon the Spiritual Discipline of memorizing God’s Word as something tantamount to modern-day martyrdom” (Whitney, 41).
E. But God commands us to memorize His Word.
1. Shall Be In Your Heart
2. You Shall Teach Them To Your Children.
a. Talk of them in your home
b. When you walk
c. Lie down
d. Rise up
3. Write them on your doorposts.
F. It seems pretty clear that God desires for us to memorize His Word.
THESIS: IF WE ARE GOING TO BE PEOPLE OF THE WORD THEN WE MUST DISCIPLINE OURSELVES TO MEMORIZE GOD’S WORD.
I. MEMORIZING SUPPLIES SPIRITUAL POWER (PS. 119:11).
A. Hidden In My Heart
1. This verse tells us that we should hide God’s Word in our hearts.
2. The word “hidden,” means “storing or treasuring things on account of their value” (TWOT, vol.2; 774).
3. I can’t think of anything more valuable than God’s Word!
4. It tells us of God’s promise and provision for us.
B. Might Not Sin
1. However, the biggest value of God’s Word is keeping us from sin!
2. When Jesus was tempted in the desert He didn’t try and outsmart of argue with the devil, He just hit him with the Word.
3. Eph. 6:17 – “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.”
4. The word is our spiritual weapon, but we can’t use it if we don’t know it.
Transition: In addition to supplying spiritual strength…
II. MEMORIZATION STRENGTHENS OUR FAITH (Prov. 22:17-19).
A. Fixed Upon Your Lips
1. Illustration: Do you remember the story of the little train that thought he could?
2. Just like that little train when we speak the word of God it adds power to our faith.
3. Rom. 4:17 – “…the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were” (NIV)
4. Even if we can’t see it, we know what God’s word says, and, “we walk by faith and not by sight.”
B. Trust In the Lord
1. The word of God tells us “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
2. The word of God says, “faith is the evidence of things not yet seen” (Heb. 11:1).
3. It doesn’t matter what we see with our eyes because “thus says the Lord!”
4. Rom. 15:4 – “For whatever things were written in the past were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”
Transition: Memorizing the word keeps us from losing hope.
III. FIVE STEPS TO MEMORIZATION
A. You Can Do It!
1. The biggest obstacle to overcome is convincing yourself that you can do it.
2. Memorizing is simply a matter of motivation.
3. If we can memorize telephone numbers and addresses we can memorize Scripture.
B. Develop A Plan
1. Select a verse that deals with a topic that you are going through right now.
2. If you are having a problem with faith, chose a verse that talks about faith.
3. If it’s worry, chose a verse that deals with worry.
4. If it’s a habit chose a verse that will help you exercise victory over that habit.
C. Write Out the Verse
1. Some people say that we recall more by writing than we do by listening.
2. Make a list of verses on a piece of paper.
3. Take each verse and write it out on an index card, and carry it with you.
D. Memorize the Verse Word For Word
1. Good isn’t good enough!
2. Memorize it word for word.
3. Also learn the reference.
E. Review and Meditate Daily
1. If you don’t review it you’ll lose it!
2. Don’t just learn it and forget about it.
Transition: Allow God to write His word on the tablet of your heart.
Conclusion
A. Memorizing Scripture
1. Supplies Spiritual Power
2. Strengthens Our Faith
B. Five Step Plan
1. You Can Do It!
2. Develop A Plan
3. Write Out the Verse
4. Memorize the Verse Word For Word
5. Review and Meditate Daily
C. God has called us to memorize His word.
1. Let us all make a new commitment to memorize the word.
2. Let us all make a commitment to continue to review that which we have memorized.
3. If we can memorize insignificant things then we can memorize God’s life giving word.
