Renewed by Revelation: The Transformative Power of the Word

[Announce text] In the second week of the series: Psalms for Renewal. We turn to the nineteenth psalm found wisdom literature in the Old Testament. If you have brought your bible please turn with me to this psalm.

[Scripture introduction] As you listen to the Psalmist, you will hear a pattern of what the word of God accomplished through his people. That being said, let’s read the Scripture together.

[Reannounce and read text] Reading of Psalm nineteen, starting in verse one through fourteen.

[Prayer for illumination] Lord, the heavens declare your glory. May these words that come from my lips give you the praise that is due to your name. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

[Introduction] I was told about a time that a person gave a compliment to a preacher: "Nice sermon." And in response, the guy said: "It's not a good sermon unless you do what I said."

The person who gave the compliment was a bit upset. He said to me it wasn't actually a good sermon, he was just giving him a compliment.

Why listen to sermon if they do not affect the way you think or live? Are we just coming to church and going through the motions just because it what we’ve always done?

If that is the case why not just explore nature and see the glory of God there. Maybe there more to see and hear outside that speaks to our hearts.

Staring at the Amarillo sky.

Fishing down by the creek.

Listening to the birds sing as you walk down the road.

Don’t these things reveal the glory of God? Yes, it does. It’s the creative word that God spoke into existence. But you can’t know God personally through the creative word. It has it’s limitations. Even the Psalmist refers God as the impersonal creator. We can see the world sings of his praises and yet we hear nothing.

It’s like a terrible sermon. Someone is doing a lot of talking, but nothing is connecting.

But what if God’s word did something to change our lives? The Psalmist does refer to God’s written word as life transformational.

Revives, makes wise, rejoicing the heart, and enlightens the eyes.

The written word transforms our soul when taken into the inner depths of our heart.

It transforms us because the word of God (Scriptures) is as mirror, fence and a guide.

Mirror to help us see ourselves. See our sins and drives us to Christ for salvation.

Fence to limit our evil and keep it at bay.

Guide to know how to live life as a Christian.

This is the function for the written word of God.

The Word of God is the most valuable commodity we possess. Do we believe it is?

Paul mentions the transformative power from the Word of God.

1 Corinthians 1:21–25 ESV

21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

It brings life and transforms our hearts so we can share our life with God. It is how we know his voice and his Son.

My rock and my redeemer. All the word does over again is drive us to the life of Jesus. The creative and written word serves the Word from heaven who makes us like him.

So what shall we do with the word if it is sweeter than honey and better than gold?

We read it. Meditate on it. For it though the preaching and reading of the word that our lives are revived through the Spirit.

Some time in the year 386, Augustine and his friend Alypius were spending time in Milan. While outdoors, Augustine heard the voice of a child singing a song, the words of which were, "Pick it up and read it. Pick it up and read it." He thought at first that the song was related to some kind of children's game, but could not remember ever having heard such a song before.

Then, realizing that this song might be a command from God to open and read the Scriptures, he located a Bible, picked it up, opened it and read the first passage he saw. It was from the Letter of Paul to the Romans. Augustine read:

Not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual excess and lust, not in quarreling and jealousy. Rather, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. --Romans 13: 13-14

Reading this scripture, Augustine felt as if his heart were flooded with light. He turned totally from his life of sin. He was Baptized by Ambrose during the Easter Vigil April 24, 387. His friend Alypius and his son Adeodatus were Baptized at the same time.

Later, reflecting on this experience, Augustine wrote his famous prayer: You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you. He went on to become a powerful influence on the spirituality and theology of the Christian Church.