Christian Maturity part 5 (2)
Notes
Transcript
The Importance of the word.
The Importance of the word.
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
Psalms 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. There the psalmist commits himself to identifying the great significance of the word of God.
111 Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, For they are the rejoicing of my heart.
112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, to the very end.
130 The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.
131 I opened my mouth and panted, For I longed for Your commandments.
The mature believer
++recognized the importance of the Word of of God.
++must have a personal connection to God and His word.
The Testimonies of God
The Testimonies of God
111 Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, For they are the rejoicing of my heart.
Your Testimonies have
++Become my heritage
++Chosen to do it
++Last forever
112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, to the very end.
The Statutes of God
The Statutes of God
The Statutes of God Brings
++Rejoicing to my heart
++Endurance
++Clarity (no more vain thoughts)
++Hope
I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes
Alway, even unto the end.
We must position our heart.
++Incline the heart to the statutes of God
++The heart must become a fixed position
113 SAMECH. I hate vain thoughts: But thy law do I love.
114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
The Law of God
The Law of God
The psalmist
++preferred God's word over vain thought
++had his affection was toward the law of God
The law
++was his hiding place
++was his shield
In God's word he found hope.
In God's word he found hope.
130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; It giveth understanding unto the simple.
131 I opened my mouth, and panted: For I longed for thy commandments.
132 Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, As thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.
133 Order my steps in thy word: And let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
The Mature Christian lets the word speak without manipulation.
The Mature Christian lets the word speak without manipulation.
When the word speaks
++It dispels darkness
++It allows light to enter
++It brings understanding
The desire for the word
++accepts no substitutes
++is a thirst unquenched
++a longing for God's command
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
1 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret,
They pressed to hear the word of God
They pressed to hear the word of God
In the Old Testament
In the Old Testament
++Statutes
++Laws
++Commandment
In the New Testament.
++Hearing
++Doing
15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Hearing
++Is not a physical activity
++Requires insight
Jesus introduces himself to Peter.
Jesus introduces himself to Peter.
He didn't wait
++Jesus saw Peter working
++Peter did not come to his meeting
++Jesus went to Peter
Jesus isn't waiting for you to find him.
Jesus isn't waiting for you to find him.
He is revealing himself to you
++His tool is the word of God
++We must press to hear it
1 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret,
Greek word is logos
++It means insight
++It is information
++It is the imparted knowledge
++It is insight about God
Knowing about God is not enough
++Information is not relationship
++Information is insight.
++Information can lead to relationship
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
The Mature move from insight to relationship
The Mature move from insight to relationship
We must
++Hear the word
++Receive the word
++Respond to the word
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.”
Peter said "At thy word" I will let down the net.
++This word is "rhema"
++Rhema is the command
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.