"God is working . . . Through the Word"
Psalm 119:89-96
• Do you have a passion for God’s Word? If not, you cannot be all that God is calling you to be!
• Having a passion for God’s word is so important - listen to what some famous
individuals have had to say about God’s word:
- "I am a man of one Book." John Wesley.
- "Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet-anchor of your liberties. Write its precepts in your hearts, and practice them in your lives." Civil war hero & former president U.S. Grant.
- "The N.T. is the very best book that was or ever will be known in the world." Author Charles Dickens.
- "Within the covers of one single book, the Bible, are all the answers to all the problems that face us today--if only we would read and believe." Former president Ronald Reagan.
- "It is impossible to righteously govern the world without God and the Bible." 1st president of the US George Washington.
• God’s word is powerful, as you can see from these quotes, however many Christians in the church today do not have a great knowledge or understanding of God’s word. Just yesterday, in my office, a minister from w/in 2 hours of Lincoln shared his frustration w/ the lack of passion for God’s word in the leadership and specifically the eldership of his church (even has one elder who has to look up page numbers in the front of his Bible because he does not know the location of the various books of the Bible)
• In his book, The Second Coming of the Church, George Barna shares the following:
- The most quoted "Bible verse" in America is: "God helps those who help themselves" - 82% of Americans surveyed in a January 1997 OmniPoll recognized this verse from scripture - one problem - it was uttered by Thomas Jefferson just a couple of centuries ago.
- 40% stated all religious faiths teach equally valid truths.
- 60% claim Satan is not a living being, but just a symbol of evil.
- And the Barna conclusion was this: "while many American Christians may know some of the fundamental truths of God’s Word, fewer than 10% of American Christians actually possess a biblical worldview" (p. 23)
• "Draw Swords" at Moweaqua - Sunday night youth service - Hezekiah 17:7 - some adults are still looking for the book of Hezekiah.
• Our text for today from Psalm 119 states how God is working - through His Word. Notice I did not say "God has worked" (only past tense) - no God is working (yesterday, today and tomorrow) through the power of His written word. That stated, lets look at our text for today
PSALM 119:89-96:
"Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your Faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth and it endures. Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you. If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life. Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts. The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes. To all perfection I see a limit; but your commands are boundless."
THREE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:
I. God’s Word is FOREVER.
- we live in a day and time where it appears nothing is forever
- The Roman Empire - looked as if it would never come to an end - it failed.
- In the late 1930’s and early 1940’s, Germany was a nation and a military force that seemed destined to rule the world - by 1945, Germany was defeated and Hitler had, in an incredible act of cowardice, taken his own life.
- 1984 - the movie "The Day After" - nuclear threat - USA vs. USSR - we were told by teachers and others - our world will be destroyed. Today, we do not even discuss the threat of Nuclear War, instead, we deal w/ terrorism and acts of terror.
- Today - Air Force generals have permission to shoot down American commercial airlines in American air space - unheard of just one month ago.
- Tomorrow? I don’t know - Two months ago I planned to share about how the Chicago Cubs looked like they were destined for the World Series, but I guess some things actually do stay the same - oh well, there is always next year!
- However, out text today specifically states that God’s Word is forever:
v. 89 - "Your word is eternal"
v. 90 - "Your faithfulness continues through all generations"
v. 91 - "Your laws endure to this day"
"Nothing is forever" - except the Word of God!
N.T. passage: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
(Scripture shared during the service at the National Cathedral following the devastating attacks of Sept. 11 by minister from Houston, Texas)
"Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen in temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
- What do you spend your time thinking about? What do you spend your energy working on? Things which don’t really matter? Or the eternal? Make sure you are impacting your world in a way that will make an eternal difference!
* Because God’s Word is FOREVER, we need to have a passion for the Word!
II. God’s Word is OUR FREEDOM.
- Years in Y.M. showed me a common opinion of the Bible by many teens:
"the idea God’s word holds me down, ties me down, keeps me from having fun"
* nothing could be farther from the truth.
• Illustration of teenage girl - sexually active, caught by parents, her attitude: "it cannot be wrong because I like it, my boyfriend likes it, and it feels so right". Only one problem - it goes against the word of God; against the will of God - 1 Thess. 4:3
a. God’s Word RESCUES us. (v. 92) - "If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction"
- Not only do we have a God who hears us in our time of troubles, he helps us.
- The Psalmist tells us how he was able to get through his "valley of the shadow of death" - his lifelong pattern of studying, meditating, and learning God’s law.
- Is this your pattern in life? Do you allow God’s word to speak to you?
b. God’s Word RENEWS us. (v. 93) - "I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life"
- NIV - "preserved me"; NASB - "revived me"; I like the CEV - "you give me NEW LIFE"
- Plano problems in 1991/ taking 22 hours from Lincoln to finish college; struggles w/ morality by some at the church; found myself trying to be “all things to all people” – and failing in many ways - went home to Champaign to "get away" - ended up in my bedroom - alone and in tears - found myself crying on a pillow I made in VBS when I was nine - the verse? 1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your cares upon him, because He cares for you." The cynic would say - it’s just a coincidence - and maybe it was - but this I do know - God’s word renewed me, gave me "new life" - just when I needed it most.
c. God’s Word SAVES us. (vv. 94-95) - "Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts. The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes."
- God’s word is our salvation
- Jesus in Luke 4 - tempted three times - each time uses a weapon - the Word!
- The Word can be our salvation as well, but only if we will allow it!
N.T. passage to consider: John 8:31-32 - "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ’If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
• Are you allowing God’s word to be the liberating force in your life it can be?
• Because God’s Word is Our FREEDOM, we need to have a passion for the Word!
III. God’s Word is OUR FOUNDATION.
v. 96 - "To all perfection I see a limit; but your commands are boundless"
This verse ties together the truth of God’s eternal word in vv. 89-91 and the freedom it brings as illustrated in vv. 92-95.
How do you treat the word of God? Like a computer manual - only time I have ever read the computer manual? When my computer crashed - last thanksgiving weekend. If the only time we go to God’s word is when our life crashes, we miss God’s design and plan.
Derek Kidner: "This verse could well be a summary of Ecclesiastes, where every earthly
enterprise has its day and comes to nothing, and where only in God and his commandments do we get beyond these frustrating limits."
N.T. passage to consider: Matthew 7:24-27 - wise man/foolish man - rock/sand
- I worked construction in HS - my boss let me do many things - roofing, building walls, painting, insulation - he never let me do anything involved w/ the foundation. Why? He wanted an expert doing the most important part.
- where have you built your foundation? On the rock of God’s Word? Or on the shifting sands of this world?
• Because God’s Word is Our FOUNDATION, we need to have a passion for the Word!
FIVE PRACTICAL STEPS WE CAN TAKE TO MAKE SCRIPTURE A PRIORITY:
First, Make God’s Word your BEST BOOK.
- "Never let good books take the place of the Bible. Drink from the Well, not from the streams that flow from the Well." Amy Carmichael.
- Preacher illustration (all I need is God’s word!) - extreme and not productive, but the principle that "God’s Word" is my most important book is crucial!
- Illustration of H.S. and "cliff notes" - the reason literature class was always a struggle for me? I only spent the minimum time w/ the books we were assigned in order to get an average grade - many Christians treat God’s word like this.
Second, Make the reading of scripture a DAILY EXERCISE. (seek accountability)
- Illustration of Running - I look at Sackett, Zorn, Spellman, Ewald and others - I am really impressed (not enough to start running) - marathons - practice all the time - don’t just wake up and go run a marathon.
- don’t just read for the sake of reading - study for purpose
- phone call Monday night - mother worried about baptism and eternal security
(I get off the phone - I dive in and study - I should do this all the time)
Third, Watch your DIET (You are what you eat)
- VH1 - taped six hours Friday night - garbage! Much of the music I encountered was blatantly un-Christian or anti-Christian.
- Movies - American Pie 2 - just garbage - several of the movies released w/in the last several years are blatantly un-Christian or anti-Christian
- Television - South Park - many shows are blatantly un-Christian or anti-Christian.
- You are what you eat! - What is your spiritual diet like? 10 minutes in the Word and 10 hours in a dumpster each day will not do much for your soul!
- Let go of the crud of this world for - digest the Word of God!
Fourth, Seek God’s Will for your life through his Word.
- "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and I light unto my path"
(running into the wall in new office in the dark - are you going through your spiritual life in the dark? Or have you found the light of God’s word?)
- When I read about Paul - it is hard NOT to have a missionary heart
- When I read about David - it is hard NOT to seek after the heart of God
- When I read about Barnabas - it is hard NOT to encourage and uplift others
- When I read about Esther - it is hard NOT to take a stand when called to do so
- When I read about Jesus - it is hard NOT to be a disciple
- Are you seeking God’s will for your life? Are you in the Word?
Fifth, Don’t just read God’s word - DO WHAT IT SAYS. (James 1)
- James 1:22 - "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do
what it says."
- Odd Fellows illustration (individuals who are hydro-cephalic - their head is too large for their bodies -- as a result, many cannot function in life) Same image comes to mind for the Christian who "knows" much scripture, but does not put the Word into practice - they cannot function in the Christian life.
- The most frustrated person in the local church is usually the person who knows so much but does not allow the knowledge to change their heart or their life.
- Shared from Matt 7 earlier - "hears these words of mine and puts them into
practice" - it is not assumed that if we hear, then we will put them into practice.
Transition t/d conclusion
It really boils down to two issues:
1st, what is the authority for your life? - Two options, the world or God’s Word.
"Thy Word is a Lamp Unto My Feet and I Light Unto my Path" - can you sing this?
2nd, what are the priorities of your life? - Is God’s Word a serious priority?
Luke 18 - parable about priorities - what are the major priorities in your life?
• Do you have a passion for God’s Word? If not, you cannot be all that God is calling you to be!
Martin Luther once said of God’s Word, “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me. The Bible is not antique or modern. It is eternal.”
Sola Scriptura: The Protestant Position on the Bible – 1995
God is working through his Word – we need to be students of the Word of God!
