The Greatest Treasure of A Christian's Heart (Part 2)
Notes
Transcript
God is good all the time! All the time God is good!
Declaration:
This is my Bible. It is God’s Holy Word. It is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and I will hide its words within my heart that I might not sin against God! Amen!!!
Biblical Reference: Psalms 119
Context
Context
We are continuing our thought from last week, with a focus on the Word of God.
Last week, we were able to see our need for the Word of God by discussing our sin.
We talked about God’s Disgust for Sin. He hates it. He hates it because it separates us from Him, and there is nothing God wants more than to have a relationship with us.
We talked about the Definition of Sin. We discussed what sin is according to the Bible and how we all are sinners, according to how God defines it.
We talked about the Depth of Sin. We were able to see how far we have fallen because of sin and our desperate need for God’s grace.
Finally, we talked about the Discharge of Sin. We discussed how we overcome that sin through seeking God.
Today, I would like to give you a little more practical knowledge on what that looks like.
How are we to overcome sin? More specifically, how does the Word of God play a part in that? Why is the Word of God so important? Why has the Word of God become the centerpiece of Christianity?
Do you realize that? The Word of God is the one constant in every denomination, every language, in every place. Every Christian looks to the Word of God as the final Word of authority for their beliefs, their actions, and their eternal security.
It truly is “The Greatest Treasure of a Christian’s Heart.”
162 I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure.
Content
Content
The Design Of God’s Word
The Design Of God’s Word
Its Composition
Its Composition
Its Living Quality
Its Living Quality
There are two primary Greek words that are used in the NT to describe the “Word” of God.
The first Greek word used is the word “Rhema”.
Rhema is used to describe the “Spoken Word of God”. Any time God physically speaks to someone is considered a rhema word.
We see many examples of this in Scripture, from Adam and Eve in Genesis all the way to John in Revelation. Any time God spoke directly to an individual, like he did many times with Moses on Mt. Sinai, that is a rhema word.
38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”
The second Greek word used is the word “Logos”.
Logos is used in reference to two different aspects of the word of God.
Initially, it is used to describe the “written Word of God”. All of scripture is divinely inspired by Him, and therefore is indeed the “Word of God”.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
Did you know that the Bible calls itself the “Word of God” in some variant or another almost 4,000 times. Is that not insane? This means that the Bible is either the biggest liar this world has ever known, or the most credible piece of written literature known to man.....
16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
Secondly, the word Logos is used to describe Jesus Himself as the Word of God.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
How many of you reverence your Bibles to the same degree as you would Jesus Christ in the flesh? Have you ever thought about that? The same word is used to describe both the written Word and Jesus!!!
We do not have time to dig into these two different distinctions of Christ fully, but we do not want to miss the fact that the two are inseparable.
There is an absolutely seamless relationship between Jesus and the Word of God. The relationship is so seamless that everything Jesus did was in perfect submission to the Word of God previously given unto us.
There are at least 300 verses of the OT quoted in the NT.
We see the phrase “As it is written” 30 times in the NT, which is a reference of those events unfolding as it had been stated in the OT.
We also see the phrase “According the the Scriptures” 4 times in the NT, which is also a reference to events unfolding exactly as they were prophesied to. 2 of those instances are in direct correlation to the Gospel of Christ in 1 Corinthians 15.
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
These verses show us why the same Greek word was used for both Jesus and the written Word of God.
Its Life Giving Abilities
Its Life Giving Abilities
It is important for us to see the correlation between Christ and His Word. Since the Word came from Him and is all about Him, then it is as He is.
The Word of God is not just another book. It is alive. It is a living breathing Book that interacts with its readers on a divine level.
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Every other book in the world is read by you, but the Bible is the only book in the world that actually reads you.
As we have already seen, the Word of God is “divinely inspired” by God. That phrase literally means “God-Breathed”. It means that there is life in these words.
As we read the Bible, it meets us where we are. That is why you will see different applications to God’s Word at different times. As you read the Word of God, the Word of God reads you, and then gives you what you need at that moment.
As Christ stirred the hearts of those who followed Him, so the Word stirs the hearts of believers as it is read and studied.
As Christ is, the Word is. They are seamless.
Its Capacity
Its Capacity
A Source of Victory
A Source of Victory
45 And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.
Just as Jesus used the Word of God to overcome Satan in the wilderness, we too gain the victory over evil when we use the Word of God to fight our battles.
A Source of Growth
A Source of Growth
32 I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart.
If a person were to come to me and say, “I’m am so weak in my physical life. I can hardly get out of bed, I am not able to work, and can barely do anything for myself. I don’t know what is wrong with me.”
I might say, “What’s the matter? Have you been to the doctor?”
“No”, he says.
“Have you got a disease?”
“I don’t think so”, he says.
“What are you eating?”
“Well, I have this restaurant that I go to on Sunday’s, but I only go if the weather is not bad. That’s all I eat. Nothing else,” he says.
“You mean that’s all you eat? You just go to this restaurant on Sunday and get a meal, but only when the weather is good. You don’t eat anything else?”
“That’s right, nothing else.”
Of course a person that is doing this would be weak. There is not enough nutrition entering his body. Friend, a sermon on Sunday is designed to whet your appetite. If you don’t learn how to feed yourself the Word of God, you’re not going to grow. The Bible says, “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Pet. 2:2). The Word of God is your source of growth.
A Source of Joy
A Source of Joy
54 Your statutes have been my songs In the house of my pilgrimage.
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
The Word of God is your source of joy.
A Source of Power
A Source of Power
28 My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word.
A refrigerator is amazing, but if you do not plug in the chord, it will not do you much good. When it is plugged in, it becomes an amazing tool that we can’t hardly live without.
You are an untapped potential of energy. God created you! Plug yourself in and see what happens!
The Word of God is your power source for victorious living.
A Source of Guidance
A Source of Guidance
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
We can find our way when we study and meditate upon His word. It may be dark, but His Word will show us the way if we trust in Him.
The Desire For God’s Word
The Desire For God’s Word
Revival
Revival
88 Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.
11 times in this chapter, the Psalmist writes, “Revive me”.
When we begin to lean into the Word of God, it shows us just how much God loves us. It shows us how much we need God’s Word in our lives.
12 times he said he loved God’s Word.
9 times he said he takes delight in God’s Word.
4 times he said that he rejoiced in God’s Word.
4 times he said that he praised God because of what he read.
When we get serious about the intake of God’s Word, it will spawn a revival in our hearts to want Him even more.
Relationship
Relationship
10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
As we consistently read the Word of God, a real relationship begins to form. It is not just something we talk about. It is not something we say because we have heard others say it. It becomes real.
You will find yourself talking to Him more. You will find yourself thinking about Him more. You will find yourself loving Him deeper. My what a beautiful thing it is.
You even begin to look at your life on a deeper spiritual level. You begin to love God so much, that you start to look for things that might separate you from Him. When that happens, you begin praying verse 37:
36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness.
37 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.
Keep my eyes on You God. I don’t want to see anything else. I don’t want to be distracted by this worldly stuff. Change my heart so that all I desire is You!
174 I long for Your salvation, O Lord, And Your law is my delight.
This becomes your reality. 4 times in this chapter he says, “I long for you”. Do you long for Him? Do you have a relationship with Him?
Replication
Replication
As we allow God’s Word to fill our hearts, we also begin to have a desire to be like Him. We want to be more and more like Him every single day.
I remember when I was young, we would go out in the middle of winter to split wood and haul it to the house. There would be snow on the ground and I would be walking behind dad. As he took a step, I would them mimic his steps, trying to see how many steps I could go without stepping outside of His.
The more our love grows for God, the more we try to walk in His steps.
33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end.
10 times he says, “Teach Me”.
5 times he says, “Give me understanding”.
30 times he says that he will “Obey God’s Word”.
133 Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me.
The Devotion Of God’s Word
The Devotion Of God’s Word
Pray Over The Word Of God
Pray Over The Word Of God
12 Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes.
Have you ever prayed like that? “Lord God, be my teacher.”
As we sit down to read the Word of God, we must first pray for God to reveal Himself unto us. Because the Word of God is infilled with the presence of God, it takes God’s help to understand it.
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Before we just open the Bible and begin to read, we should ask for God to open our eyes to see the hidden truths held within its pages.
18 Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.
Ponder The Word Of God
Ponder The Word Of God
15 I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways.
Meditating on the Word of God seems to be a long-forgotten principle of Bible intake in our day.
In the book of Joshua, God has chosen a new leader. Moses has died and God now needs a new person to lead His people. He calls Joshua for the task. As God is commissioning Joshua for leadership, this is what He says:
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Meditation is key to understanding the Word of God.
Let’s use the illustration of a tea bag to paint the picture.
Simply hearing the Word of God is like taking a tea bag and dipping it in the water for just a second or two. Some of the flavor is absorbed by the water, but not nearly enough for the water to fully affected as it could have been.
Reading the Word of God, Studying the Word of God, and even memorizing the Word of God are all equivalent to additional dips in the water.
But as we meditate, we stick the tea bag in the water and allow it to soak. The longer it stays, the more of the flavor that is passed onto the cup of water and the more we are able to enjoy it. This permeation of flavor continues until all of the flavor has been soaked up.
Without meditating on God’s Word, we are missing out on the fullness of what it has to offer.
It would be better to read less and meditate more, than to pass through large amounts of Scripture and not meditate at all.
It is so important, that it should be made a priority in our Bible Intake Process. Listen to what the Psalmist says concerning meditation:
147 I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word.
148 My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.
If you must rise early to meditate on God’s Word, do it. If you must stay up late, do it. But find a way to do it nonetheless!!!
Preserve The Word of God
Preserve The Word of God
After you pray and ponder over the Word of God, you must preserve the Word of God.
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
16 I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.
You can remember more than you think you can. Actually, we operate by memory. From getting up in the morning and going through our daily routine to the same at night, is all done by memory.
If you prioritize the Word of God in your memory banks, you will remember more of it.
Practice The Word Of God
Practice The Word Of God
1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the Lord!
2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!
3 They also do no iniquity; They walk in His ways.
It is not enough to recite the promises without obeying the commandments. Do you want to learn more about the Word of God? Then obey the part you already know. That is so simple. The Bible says, “For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance” (Matt. 13:12).
The more you obey, the more you will learn. There may be mysteries and things that you don’t understand like the third toe on the left foot of a beast in Revelation. But I will tell you one thing that you can understand, “Love one another”. You can understand when the Bible gives you clear and plain commandments. And, if you will begin to keep the things that you do understand, the Word of God will become real to you.
Proclaim The Word Of God
Proclaim The Word Of God
13 With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth.
46 I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, And will not be ashamed.
172 My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.
Let the Word of God be constantly in your mouth. Stow it in your heart, show it in your life, sow it in the world. The more of the Word of God you give away, the more of it will stick to you.
Pray From The Word Of God
Pray From The Word Of God
We end at the beginning. I used to not do this, but I have learned to. I used to pray before my studies and ask God to bless my efforts, open my eyes to see, fill my heart with understanding of Him. We should do this. We must do this.
I have learned though that prayer on the backside of Bible Intake is probably more effective prayer all together. After I have read, studied, memorized, and meditated on God’s Word, I go back to God in prayer.
Now I can speak to Him directly from His Word. Based upon what He has chosen to reveal unto me, I can now humbly speak to God from that Word. Instead of having a very broad prayer, I can now speak very directly to Him concerning certain areas of my life that I have either been convicted about or encouraged.
This time is much more personal as it allows me to speak to God of His goodness that has been directly seen in my life or to ask for very specific requests based upon the needs that has been revealed unto me through His Word.
We must pray as we begin reading God’s Word, but do not forget to double back and spend that extra-special time with God on the back end. You will not regret it.
Commitment
Commitment