Thy Word is a Lamp

Service Notes

Prayer for the Summit

In place of missionary updates / 5 will be baptized in NYC on Sunday, Kason Bloom is workig towards securing a bulding

Introduction

14 section

Loving the sweetness of God’s Word

Never-ending confidence in God’s Word

The life that the disciples lived with journey was a continual journey

Guess how many miles are estimated that Jesus walked with His disciples. 21,525

Disciples might be asking “are we there yet” the answer would have to be “yes and no”

As a teenager I looked at God’s Will as a destination not a life following Jesus.

I thought about finding a wife, not all the steps of obedience I would be asked to take after finding her.

I thought about finding my place in a ministry, but didn’t consider how many decisions will be left on a weekly basis.

If you are here asking God to show you your NEXT STEP. Great! So am I and Lord willing always will be.

As I look back on my life to being a teenager it seems like a few minutes but a million little steps

Story of driving 3 hours out of way on a 16 hour trip. Going to a library in Denver

[Greatly influenced by a war theme John R Mott went said in regards to another battlefield].. “That field is in our own hearts, and the way against pride, against hypocrisy, against selfishness, against slothfulness, and irresolution, against prayerlessness, against disobedience to the heavenly vision.. if we can win the battle in our own hearts we shall have victory on all other fields.”

Goal of this moment

Praying that God allows me to encourage you to make a decision today concerning His Word

As you allow it to guide your steps I am praying it will guide many of your steps to the foreign field

When you get there I pray it will not stop leading you

“If you don’t steep your mind in the Bible, the best you can hope for is a weak Christian life.”

How are we to to walk?

Psalm 119:105 “105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

It’s possible to step and not know where you are going.

Bible helps us walk the way God wants us to walk.

Our steps can be dangerous but they are ones we must make. Psalm 119:109 “109 My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.”

We know that we never have to rely on the uncertainty of our own limited capabilities if we lean on Him for His direction in our lives. Proverbs 3:5-6 “5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

How are we to walk?

Ephesians 4:1 (KJV)

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Isaiah 57:2 (KJV)

2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

1 John 1:7 (KJV)

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Micah 6:8 (KJV)

8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

How are we to do this?

We need light.

The Word is light. Lamp

Shows the next step we need to take. Light

Christian living is a living on the word of God.

Decision: Trusting the life-giving power of God’s word.

If you take the word out of the way, God becomes just of your own making.

You might fill Him up with your own dreams about what he’s like, but as far as communing with him in the truth that He is, you can’t do it without the word.

Seven Commitments to the Word of God

Psalm 119:106 “106 I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.”

Present Guide, Provide a Guard, and Produce Gladness

Present Guidance

1. It will be my guide

Psalm 119:105 “105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

How do we show our love for the Word?

Keeping up with it, yes.

Read it, certainly.

Greatest demonstration is living it out.

Jesus highlights this with the religious of His day

John 5:39 “39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

They read but due to a lack of obedience could not understand

They are the crowd that will say “Lord, Lord”

Love to the Word, esteem for the Word, are best evidenced by making practical use of it with your life.

Don't live in conformity with this world. Live in conformity to God's Word Romans 12:2 “2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

“That you may prove” - become a discerner of the will of God

Summary: a declaration that the psalmist aspires for God's Word to be his rule in every aspect of life. He wants to live out God's Word in all of life.

2. I will conform my life to God’s Word

Psalm 119:106 “106 I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.”

Some Christians are afraid of vows and oaths

Matthew 5:37 “37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”

Many well many Christians teach this means do not ever make a vow or commitment

We have Jesus making a vow at the last supper. Luke 22:18 “18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.”

We see Paul makes and follow through with vows in Acts 18

We pray our kids are seeing many husbands and wives living out the promise of their wedding vows

Summary: All conformity in our lives should be connected to obedience to God’s Word

3. Vowed to not look away

Psalm 119:107 “107 I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word.”

The Psalmist prayer to be quickened implies that he was at the point of death. [He isn’t referring to getting to Leviticus in his bible reading]

Do not despise afflications

“The faithful servants of God may be ‘afflicted’; they may be ‘very much’ and grieviously afflicted: but let them consider, that, by afflictions, their corruptions are purged away, their faith is tried, their patience is perfected, their brethren are edified, and their Master is glorified.” (Horne)

Summary: Do not look to for rescue anywhere but from You, Lord. Do not devise a self-rescue plan that's not based on Your Word.

Provide a Guard

4. My delight will be found in my worship of God

Psalm 119:108 “108 Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me thy judgments.

Freewill Offering: These offerings are offerings that are not part of the schedule of required offerings. These are offerings that you offer because you want to offer them.

Many people approach their religion the way they do a cold bath. They might think it's good for them but they’re not looking forward to it and they’re sure glad when it's over!” John Newton

It is through the truth of God’s Word we are able to stand in awe of God and worship Him.

Can you say ““Lord, teach me Your Word! I really love to worship.”

“What if Bible reading wasn’t the diet but it was the cake”

Summary: God’s Word provides the constant reminder that our God is worthy of our worship and our next step.

5. Commit to not forget God’s law

Psalm 119:109 “109 My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.”

Will we hold our lives in our hands and refuse to forget God's Word or will we hold God's Word in our hands loosely and refuse to let go of our lives?

No matter what comes our way, we must stay committed to His Word.

A vow should a commitment to keep God’s Word

Thomas Cranmer recanted then watched two of his friends die at the stake, “I'd like you to bring that statement that I signed back to me because I'd like to tear it up.”

Watching friends of his in resolve be willing to die for the truth strengthened his own resolve.

As they lit the flames, he stuck his right hand in the flames first and he said, “You betrayed me. You burn first.”

Even when commitment will cost you, do not forget His Word.

Psalm 119:110 “110 The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.”

Summary: God’s Word needs to be hid in our hearts. On our journey there are often decisions or steps we must take that unexpected so they must be principled.

Produce Gladness

6. God’s Word will be treasured more than anything in this world

Psalm 119:111 “111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.”

“The greatest error of most who profess the true religion is that they do not make enough of it.” -William Plumer

At the end of life we don't want to have everything but Christ; we would rather have nothing but Christ.

It should be the great desire of our lives. Psalm 119:18 “18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.”

If you see the wonders in the Bible for what they are, they will amaze you beyond anything you could see in this world.

Jesus often asks the religious leaders of His day if they had not read

In Matthew 19 the Pharisees asked if it’s lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause. And again Jesus says, “Have you not read Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24?”

In Matthew 21, the Scribes complained that the children are shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” and Jesus says, “Have you never read Psalm 8?”

Then Jesus tells these Jewish leaders the parable of the tenants who killed the son of the owner to get the farm for themselves. And again, he asks in Matthew 21, “Have you never read Psalm 118?”

And then the Sadducees tried to make a mockery, in Matthew 22, out of the resurrection, and Jesus said, in Matthew 22:31, “Have you never read Exodus 3:6?” “You know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God”

Summary: When the joy and gladness has been lost in our lives there is always a “have you not read” question that could be asked of us.

7. This is the commitment for all of my days

Psalm 119:112 “112 I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.”

This is God’s Word, it alone will be my guide, I will conform my life to this Word and will not ask it to conform to me. When life gets difficult I will keep my head down and my eyes unwavering to these unchanging Words. With all that is in me I delight to find my delight through the Worship that will tale place as I study this Book. I will treasure the truth found here over anything found in this world. My days will be spent looking to know my God from His infallible Word.