God Is Not Silent - Look Up and Listen Well

Introduction

As Baptists, we are Protestants. Just over 500 years ago, God used a man named Martin Luther to call the church back to the teachings of Scripture and the idea that people should be able to read Scripture for themselves in their own language. The truth of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. 500 years ago marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation as Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of Wittenberg Castle calling on the Roman Catholic Church to reform to the teachings of the New Testament in multiple areas. You can imagine how that went over for the Catholic leadership - they weren’t a fan of Luther in the slightest. In fact, they had killed multiple men before Luther who had dared challenge church teachings - people like Jan Haus and John Wycliffe. So, here Luther stood in 1521 at the Diet of Worms and was commanded to recant his teachings and to publicly fall in line with Catholic teaching. Knowing his life was at stake, Luther said this:

“Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason, my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience would be neither right nor safe. God help me. Here I stand, I can do no other.”

Luther’s defense when his life was on the line was to default to the Word of God - in fact, he declared that his conscience was captive to the Word. He was bound to the Word. The Word was his authority. Do you know the very first thing that we see in God’s Word? Genesis 1:1 - in the beginning God created… how did He create? Verse 3 - And God said… The God of the Bible is not a silent God. No, He has revealed Himself to us. He has revealed Himself to all the world through Creation, and He has revealed Himself to us especially through His Word, the Bible. This morning as we continue walking through the book of Psalms, we come to Psalm 19 - a Psalm that reminds us that God speaks through creation, Scripture, and supremely through His Son so that people like you and I can know Him and be saved today! This morning, my prayer for us is that our conscience too would be captive to the Word of God and that we would walk in obedience today by looking up, looking down, and looking within. Let’s read this incredible chapter together!

Psalm 19 CSB

For the choir director. A psalm of David. 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge. 3 There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard. 4 Their message has gone out to the whole earth, and their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming from his home; it rejoices like an athlete running a course. 6 It rises from one end of the heavens and circles to their other end; nothing is hidden from its heat. 7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous. 10 They are more desirable than gold— than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. 11 In addition, your servant is warned by them, and in keeping them there is an abundant reward. 12 Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. 13 Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins; do not let them rule me. Then I will be blameless and cleansed from blatant rebellion. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

God’s Word is beautiful and we see so many benefits that it brings to our lives in this incredible chapter! Maybe you know God’s Word well… maybe this is your first time hearing God’s Word proclaimed… maybe you enjoy getting into the Word… maybe it’s challenging to get into the Word. Whatever your past is and wherever you land this morning, let’s pray that God would help us grow in our understanding of and hunger for His Word today, let’s pray

God Speaks through the Sky (1-6) - Look Up

This week during VBS we were reminded about all that God has made - from the big things to the little things, everything that He created exists to proclaim His greatness. Psalm 8 reminded us of this last Sunday as we saw God’s power in creating the sun, moon, and massive stars that are so big that it’s hard for our brains to even comprehend how massive God is. This morning, we see another reminder of what God has done as Psalm 19 tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God. God has a message for creation in His creation and that message shows us just how BIG He is and how GOOD He is. David says that God shows us how glorious God is through creation. That word for glory can be hard for us to understand. This specific use of the word is similar to how we understand words like important or weighty - God shows us how important He is simply through creation. And this is something that isn’t exclusive to us in Springfield, Missouri - God demonstrates this to every person across the entire world - verse 2 tells us that creation communicates knowledge. In other words, God communicates His greatness and glory to the entire world through creation.

Whenever you see that we are in the perfect zone for life to thrive on planet Earth, that is God speaking of His grace and provision. Whenever you see the moon give light to us at night, that is God speaking of His provision and care for us. Whenever we look up we see that God is speaking not only of His existence but of His power through creation. Day after day. Night after night. It doesn’t matter if you live in the United States, United Kingdom, Ethiopia, Australia, Switzerland, or Brazil - God speaks to creation through His creation. Consider what Romans 1:20 says about this

Romans 1:20 CSB

20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse.

One of the discussions I remember having as a teenager in Sunday School classes was this, “What happens to people who never hear the name of Jesus? They didn’t know that God existed. What happens to that person?” Have you ever wondered this as well? I’m thankful for the student leaders I had because they put up with a lot of crazy questions from me and my friends - and today, I’m thankful for Braden and our awesome student ministry team because I know that tough questions are part of student ministry. Really, though, what is our answer to this question? Whenever we have tough questions, we go to Scripture and let Scripture help us find the answer.

What is our chief problem as humans?

Sin

What is the solution?

Jesus Christ

How are we saved?

By grace through faith in Christ

What if someone doesn’t place their faith in Jesus?

They will pay the penalty for their sins and be separated from God forever

Who has sinned? Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned. Not just Christians or non-Christians or people who have read the Bible or people who have never read the Bible, we all have sinned. This means that we all need a Savior. Romans 1:20 is so helpful to us because it shows us of what many call “General Revelation” in other words, God has revealed Himself to all people generally through creation. Whenever you see the sunset, whenever you’re at the beach and you feel the waves hit your toes, whenever you’re at Table Rock fishing and enjoying time under the stars, this shows us that there is a God who created it all. We all are responsible before God simply because of what we know in our hearts from the day we were born, there is a Creator who made all of this. This Creator is speaking to us through His creation.

Do you see how this is our motivation for missions? My dad has been a Mission’s Pastor for almost a decade now and has led dozens of trips to Mexico, Guatemala, Europe, Southeast Asia, and dozens more throughout the United States. Between having a father who loves missions and being a part of LIT, I caught the Mission’s Bug as well at a young age. I love going and serving and seeing the Gospel change lives! We have 7 going to Guatemala next month and as you think about sharing the Gospel with someone that you have language and cultural barriers with, that can be intimidating. Until you look across the valley of their village and see a 12,000 foot Volcano standing before you. Suddenly, you know where to start. Creation. Genesis. In the beginning, God created… These individuals largely don’t believe that those massive volcanoes formed through billions of years of geological processes. They have cultural stories passed down from generation to generation, some talking about how the Mayan gods made them. Romans 1:20 - Psalm 19:2-4 remind us that everyone knows there is a Creator. Why do we go and tell? We go because God has revealed Himself to all people, and we go to tell them that they can know the Creator. We go because of Romans 10:14

Romans 10:14 CSB

14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher?

Romans 10:17 CSB

17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.

The reason we go to our neighbors and the nations is because general revelation makes us excuse-less before God. Some wonder how that can be the case. How can everyone be held accountable to God just because of the witness of creation? Psalm 19 tells us that creation sings a song. Consider this - if people could be saved because of ignorance, in other words if you could be saved because you never heard the Gospel, then the most unloving thing that we can do as Christians is to share the Gospel… They have a 100% salvation if they never hear, or at least this is what some people truly believe. Yet we see over and over in the Bible a call to go to the world and share the Gospel! Why? Because faith comes from hearing and hearing the message of the Gospel. As the Getty’s penned a few years ago in the song Facing a Task Unfinished, “Unnumbered souls are dying and pass into the night.” This is why we go - because God has revealed Himself to all people through creation. He speaks of His existence through what He has made.

If you were standing a few feet away from someone and you shout as loud as you can “God Is Real!” and they don’t respond, and you do this again, and again, and again, and they still don’t respond. What is your conclusion? Either that person cannot hear, or they are ignoring you. As we look at creation, some hear this beautiful melody… and, some don’t. Some look at creation and don’t hear God’s song. If this is you, if you don’t see God’s glory in the universe, you must ask: Am I deaf? Or, could it be that I am actively ignoring God by turning my back toward Him and closing my ears to His truth? Look up and see that God speaks through the Skies!

God Speaks through the Scripture (7-10) - Look Down

God speaks through the skies and this is called general revelation - everyone experiences this. But this isn’t where David stops in Psalm 19, in fact, David is just getting started because we see a massive shift in verse 7 and following as David transitions from talking about how the heavens declare the glory of God to suddenly talking about the Word of God. From creation to Scripture. From the general to the specific. Yes, God speaks through creation, but God speaks supremely through His Word. We can think about it like this, “We can know about God through the sky, but we can actually know God through Scripture.” You can learn about God through creation - God is powerful, caring, kind, and so many other things. But that’s not the Gospel message that provides salvation. That message is found in Scripture. David wants his audience to not just know about God, but to actually know God. Brothers and sisters, many people attend church and know many things about God. They can feel close to God in worship. They can even do things for God. And they miss heaven by 18 inches - the distance between the head and the heart. James tells us that even the demons know about God - in fact James 2 says that the demons “believe in God” but they aren’t saved because salvation isn’t just about knowing facts, although there are things that we must know in order to be saved… salvation is about a changed mind that is brought about by a changed heart. Scripture is crucial for us to experience this life-changing transformation as Scripture tells us about who God is, who we are, why the world is broken, how we can experience hope, and where truth is truly found! General revelation about God in creation leaves us without excuse, it leaves us condemned… even the person who never hears the Gospel and lives on an abandoned island, this person is not sinless. They see God’s general revelation in creation, but general revelation cannot save. This is why we need Scripture - because it shares the life-giving message of the Gospel. Look at just a couple of passages that teach us about God’s Word

2 Timothy 3:16–17 CSB

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:20–21 CSB

20 Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

John 17:17 CSB

17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

God’s Word is true. It is inspired by God. God inspired men through His Holy Spirit to write what they wrote. God speaks through His Word - as the popular Christian meme depicts, “If you want to hear God speak, read His Word. If you hear God speak audibly, read your Bible out loud. We speak to God in prayer, God speaks to us through His Word, by the power and presence of His Spirit. Many people in our world will use the line “God told me” and use that to justify things and make decisions. One of the best things that we can do as Bereans (see Acts 17) is to always check what we hear with God’s Word. That goes for things inside church, and especially outside. I’m thankful that many of you have reached out with questions about things in Scripture because that’s what a pastor does. That’s also why we at South Gate often go through books of the Bible verse by verse, so we don’t skip over difficult parts and better understand how all of Scripture connects with one another. If someone says “God told me” then you should be able to do a simple litmus test: Book/Chapter/Verse. Because God speaks through His Word. God can convict us through the Holy Spirit. God can lead us a certain direction through the Holy Spirit. But Hebrews 1:1 tells us that the audible hearing from the Lord is no longer needed because we have what we need in this book because God spoke finally and ultimately through His Son

Hebrews 1:1–2 CSB

1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. 2 In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him.

God convicts and comforts us with His Spirit - but there is no longer a need for Him to speak audibly because we have what we need in this book. God’s revelation in Scripture is sufficient for salvation. God has spoken through His Son and God inspired the authors of Scripture to write what they wrote. David, in Psalm 19, some 1,000 years before Jesus Christ, tells us 12 remarkable truths about Scripture. 6 in verses 7-9 and 6 more in verses 10-14.

12 Truths about God’s Word

God’s Word is Perfect (v. 7)

Verse 7 tells us that the instruction of the Lord is perfect. Like in Psalm 8, the word for Lord here is the personal name of God (Yahweh). The instruction of the Lord is what the Jews referred to as the Torah or the Law. Notice what David says about the Law of God - it is perfect. We can say that God’s Word is perfectly complete - meaning that it doesn’t require revision or addition. And it is completely perfect - meaning that it cannot be improved upon. God’s Word is sufficient as 2 Timothy 3:16-17 told us that God’s Word equips us for every good work. It brings life to us. General revelation can condemn, but it cannot save. The Bible is what we call special revelation. God has revealed Himself specially through His Word. In the Word we learn of God’s plan to create a perfect world and to redeem that world from the evils of sin and death. God’s Word converts us, changes us, comforts us, and completes us. The Word revives us from death, and we can also say that it sustains us each day. Matthew 4:4

Matthew 4:4 CSB

4 He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

The Scriptures are greater than bread. They are our meat and our potatoes. God’s Word provides us with life.

God’s Word is Trustworthy (v. 7)

God’s Word teaches us. It is true and trustworthy. These days it can be difficult to know who to trust or what to trust. From people to news to problems, where can we find something or someone to trust? Friends, you can always trust God’s Word because the author is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His Word makes the inexperienced wise. Think about the disciples of Christ. They had a 3 year seminary crash course with Jesus and what happened after Jesus left? God providentially used those men to turn the world upside down. Can I let you in on one of my favorite descriptions of Christians in the entire Bible?

Acts 17:6–7 CSB

6 When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, 7 and Jason has welcomed them. They are all acting contrary to Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king—Jesus.”

South Gate, we do have a King. His name is Jesus Christ. These hillbillies from Galilee turned the world upside down because the Word of God Word had changed their lives… guess what? God’s true Word continues to change lives today and provides us with wisdom. We need this wisdom. We need God’s Word!

God’s Word is Right (v. 8)

Verse 8 says the precepts of the Lord are right. Precepts are like rules or guidelines. Now, who likes rules? I remember going on LIT trips and having FOBOB time (Flat on Back on Bed) and for the life of me, as a 5-6th grader, I couldn’t understand the importance of FOBOB. But as a high school helper and, now as a dad of young boys, I would say that after a long day in the summer heat, the precepts of FOBOB are right, because we need a good Baptist nap. We don’t always like having rules, but God’s Word does give us some rules and regulations and guidelines. And whenever the Bible does this it is for our good because God’s Word is right. Whenever we obey God, things might be hard in this life, but our heart experiences a joy unlike anything this world has to offer. Our heart is glad as we obey God’s Word because God’s Word is right.

God’s Word is Radiant (v. 8)

God’s command is radiant - what does that mean? Literally this word means pure or free from sin and darkness. Imagine walking through your home in complete darkness. You know where the bathroom is, you know how to get to the kitchen, you know how many steps there are as you go upstairs or downstairs because you have familiarity with your house… but even then, you can’t see where the edge of your bed is. You can’t see legos on the floor. You can’t see certain things and that means that you can get hurt. Now imagine walking through this life in complete darkness. No idea where a cliff is. No idea where highways are. No idea where the water is. That’s dangerous as you walk into walls and fall into pits. God’s Word lights our eyes light up. God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. It allows us to see the world like never before!

God’s Word is Pure (v. 9)

The fear of the Lord is pure or clean - we don’t usually think of fearing the Lord, and that’s a modern construct. We want to make God out to be our best friend, a gentleman, a butler who does what we want when we want… the God of the Bible is frightening. Isaiah in Isaiah 6 says that he is ruined after seeing a vision of the Lord seated on His throne. In Revelation 1, John thought he was dead after seeing the risen Christ. There should be a genuine fear that we have of the Lord and His power and His holiness as we remember that He is God and we are not. That as we follow Him, as we serve Him, as our love for Him grows, we have assurance that we will be with Him forever.

God’s Word is Reliable (v. 9)

The ordinances of the Lord are reliable - ordinances are divine decisions. What God decides to do is righteous and reliable. God will never do something unjust, wrong, or incorrect. What we read in the Bible that God has chosen to do is never wrong, but always right. So whenever we don’t know what to do, we can trust that whenever God acts in Scripture, He does so rightly and we can glean wisdom from God’s just actions.

God’s Word is Valuable (v. 10)

Think of things that we view as valuable today. Stocks, gold, houses, land. Video games, shoes, popularity. How many of us would say that the Bible is valuable? Some, it’s church after all! But more valuable than gold? Not just some gold, but an abundance of gold? Do we really believe that? We believe that this is God’s Word and it is for us. If we take the things this world loves the most and values the most and put them on one side of the scale, and put God’s Word on the other side of the scale, David is saying that it’s not even a contest. Scripture is more valuable. More important. Do we treat it that way, though? I know there are seasons where I’m tempted to treat the Word as less valuable than it truly is.

God’s Word is Sweet (v. 10)

Next we see the Word is more sweet than honey. Just as honey is sweet for our taste buds, God’s Word is sweet for our soul. But the Bible does something more. Honey tastes sweet for a moment and then it’s gone. God’s Word satisfies. The Bible is better than power, popularity, or pleasure - the Bible satisfies our soul!

We look up at the sky and we see God’s glory… but the reason we see God’s glory in creation is because we see His glory in Scripture. This isn’t coincidence, it’s providence. God speaks through Scripture. God’s Word is true. God’s Word is living, active, stronger than a double edged sword. Maybe you’re here and you think that you can’t stand on Scripture in our world because there are things that you simply don’t fully understand. Get this, it doesn’t take a spectacular mind to stand on Scripture, it takes a sturdy spine. Don’t be afraid of the pushback people in our world give to Scripture. This is God’s Word. We stand on it!

God’s Servants Must Listen (11-14) - Look In

We move from the majesty of God’s Word to the humility of God’s Worshipper. David goes from looking up at creation to down into God’s Word to inside of himself and he notes that God changes us.

9th we see that

God’s Word is Helpful (v. 11)

God’s Word warns God’s Worshippers and when keeping God’s Word, there is an abundant reward. Caution signs aren’t always fun, but they are important. God’s Word is a like a big NEON caution sign as it alerts of of the danger of sin. It warns us that the way of the world might look fun, but it leads to ruin. God’s Word not only warns us but it helps us understand what is right, what to do, what to say, and what is wrong, what not to do, and what not to say. As we obey the Word and abide in the Lord, we are changed and we produce fruit.

Look at David’s response to God’s Word in these final chapters - he goes straight to his sins. His errors. His rebellion. David’s prayer is for the Lord to make it clear where he has sinned and to be equipped and helped in fighting these areas of unintentional sins as well as kept from and forgiven for intentional sins. Have you discovered that there is a difference? There are things that we did before Christ that were unintentional sins - take cursing. This shouldn’t be debatable in the church, but for whatever reason today it often is: those 4 letter words are sinful. How can we know this? Ephesians 4:29

Ephesians 4:29 CSB

29 No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.

What is sin? Anything we think, say, do, or don’t do that displeases God. Foul language displeases God. What about for the person that doesn’t know Ephesians 4:29 and believes that some words are culturally appropriate? Unintentional sin. In other words, even a non-believer will be held accountable for the things they do that displease God because it’s still sin. There are times as Christians that we look back in our lives and think, “Why on earth did I do that!?” Sin confuses us. It distorts the picture. It looks really attractive and makes massive promises and then fails to deliver on them. We see here our 10th truth about God’s Word

God’s Word is Illuminating (v. 12)

God’s Word helps us see things for what they are.

Spurgeon put it like this, “If I hate sin because of the punishment, I have not repented of sin, I merely regret that God is just.” Why does David pray in this Psalm for the Lord to cleanse him from his sins and faults and to not be ruled by rebellion? Because he wants to live a life that glorifies the Lord. Because he wants what the Lord wants. Friends, our response to sin in relation to Psalm 19 cannot be to just try harder and harder… it must be “Praise the Lord for Jesus who did for me what I couldn’t do for myself.”

11th, God’s Word is Liberating (v. 13)

Some people talk about generational curses or generational sin or sin that is so powerful that you are helpless to stand against it. Today, friend, there is hope. Psalm 19:11 gives us a reminder that even when we desire to sin and disobey, we can be set free from this blatant rebellion. You and I will always fall short of the mark. We aren’t perfect. We certainly aren’t sinless. But there is one person who lived a sinless life. There is one person who didn’t rebel against God. This is only true of Jesus. And because Jesus lived a perfect life. 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us that Jesus knew no sin. He was blameless! Jesus, as the Word made flesh, provides us with hope in the midst of our struggle. Through reading God’s Word and trusting in God’s Spirit, we can be liberated from the chains of sin and death - not by trying harder or doing better, but by submitting fully to Jesus.

God’s Word is Transforming (v. 14)

Again, who is the only person who lived a perfect life that was completely sinless and acceptable before God? Jesus Christ. Today, because of Jesus, we can be transformed. Because of the blood of Jesus, whenever God looks at you, He can say that you are acceptable - not because you have lived a perfect life. Not because you are all that in a bag of potato chips. But because the blood of Jesus has washed you white as snow. Because His Spirit lives inside of you. Because you are a new creation - the old is gone, the new has come! How can we discover this hope? Through God’s transforming Word.

Church, God speaks through the skies, He speaks through Scripture, but are we listening? We live in such a busy world where many seem to already have their mind made up about God that they don’t listen to what He has said in His Word. Have you ever been talking with someone before and while they’re talking, you’re already working on your response to that person? You think that you know where they’re going, that you stop listening so that you can get ready to respond? This is what many have done with God. They have stopped listening. They have hardened their hearts. They have shut their eyes. They don’t listen. Today, God still speaks. He speaks through Creation. He speaks through His Word. He uses people like you and me to share His Gospel message far and wide. The preacher of Hebrews says this in Hebrews 3

Hebrews 3:7–8 CSB

7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,

Hebrews 3:13 CSB

13 But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.

Today there is still time to listen, to respond, to be changed. Don’t harden your heart. Don’t close your ears. Don’t shut your eyes.

Application

God’s Word is so good. It is so valuable. It is so helpful. Do we believe this to be true? We are the only person who can answer the question of if we are taking this task seriously or not. Your parent can’t. Your spouse can’t. Your accountability partner can’t. The only person who truly knows your spiritual walk is the man or woman who stares at you every time you look into the mirror. What we must realize is this: We have a great need for Christ, and we have a great Christ for our need. As a pastor friend recently told his church, “We must follow the Bible wherever it takes us and understand we’ll never go wrong. We may go against loved ones, we may go alone, we may even go to the grave like brave men and women of old, but we’ll go with the applause of heaven.”

We must settle it today that we will dive into Scripture, stand boldly on it, and be changed by it.

3 pieces of application from Psalm 19 for us today:

Because God’s Word is still True, We Must Submit to It

God’s Word is inspired by God. God is still on His throne. God’s Word doesn’t change to fit the culture or times that we’re living in. It is our ultimate authority as we try to figure out what to do and what to believe. We don’t have the power or authority to rewrite the Bible to fit our times - God’s Word is true, therefore when the Bible speaks on gender, marriage, truth, or the purpose of the church - we submit to Scripture because when it speaks, God speaks.

Because God’s Word is still Valuable, We Must Treasure It

Psalm 19 told us that God’s Word is more valuable than gold. The more we understand the value of Scripture in our lives, the more we treasure it. Psalm 1 said that the blessed man meditates on God’s Word day and night. Scripture changes us and equips us for the things that we face in life. The more we value Scripture and what God says about things, the more we will treasure it and spend time in it.

Because God’s Word is still Life-Changing, We Must Proclaim It

Scripture isn’t just something for us to meditate on… it is something that we are called to proclaim because it truly changes lives. It is living, active, inspired, authoritative, and changes us one page at a time.

At South Gate, our conscience is bound to the Word of God because whenever the Bible speaks, God speaks. God has spoken through creation to all of humanity - this is our call to share the Gospel to our neighbors and the nations and to tell them that God has also spoken through Scripture. Today have you responded to this message of salvation? Creation makes all of us without excuse… but today the Cross can make you a new person. We’re going to pray, we’re going to sing about God’s goodness, and today if you haven’t responded to God’s message in Scripture, I’d love to pray with you up front about what it means to follow Jesus. Maybe, though, as you’ve looked at Psalm 19 and the power of God’s Word you’re convicted of an area where you’re falling short - as we pray, ask the Lord to change your heart and help you dive deep into the riches of Scripture. Let’s pray