Psalm 119:60

Jefferson & Greg

braille illustration

A man in Kansas City was severely injured in an explosion

face was badly disfigured, lost his eyesight & both hands

new Christian, greatest disapp — no longer read Bible

heard about lady in England who read Braille with lips

sent for some books of the Bible in Braille

discovered — nerve endings in lips had been destroyed

One day, as he brought one of the Braille pages to his lips, his tongue happened to touch a few of the raised characters and he could feel them.

I can read the Bible using my tongue.

Robert Sumner book, “read” entire Bible four times

read whole Bible attainable???

do you want to? not ability but desire

break down into bite size

5 Day plan

never read NT??? then do that (DM accountable)

2026 challenge — read more intentional not less

Can read plan and mess it up

read like fiction novel

read as duty

read for showy/empty obedience 

read & not obey

Motives Matter

sermon — Biblical theology of obedience

why read the Bible?

wrong reasons

Jeopardy (trivia)

feel guilty when don’t

right reasons

know God

general revelation vs special revelation

creation vs relationships through covenant

read to know Author

read to know how I am to respond to Him

Psalm 119:60 pew Bible # 608

Joseph (Jesus’ earthly father), Philip (Acts 8)

heart posture for Bible reading

immediate (moldable clay)

how is your heart posture?

obey on your own terms

if I feel like it; when I feel like it

parental advice to children

do what you are told

when you are told

with a respectful attitude

is that our posture to God’s Word?

systematic theology view of Bible

Bible is God’s words thus to obey/disobey

“The authority of Scripture means that all the words in Scripture are God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.”

James 1:22

why obey the Bible (God’s Word)?

wrong reasons

feel better soothe conscious

look down on others be in awe of my piety (holiness)

Pharisee — really “religious” (showy)leaders in Israel

think it accomplishes something

position at work/church

Pharisee

heaven (fixes broken relationship with God)

right reasons

response to God’s gracious act

Exodus 20:1–3

salvation

how much more since we have been saved not from physical slavery, but eternal punishment, through Christ

Romans 12:1

obedience is form of worship

obedience without faith is empty

obedience > sacrifice

motive > action

sing pretty melodies and harmonies

just to hear yourself or so that others hear you

is like bringing a pretty sacrifice to the sanctuary

but leaving your heartfelt repentance at home

it’s more about worshiping yourself (abilities)

than bringing glory to One who saved you

black screen

how do we get from obedience of Noah and Abraham as revered to “obedience” of Pharisees as revered?

which one is what God wants? easy answer

which one are we prone to?

self righteous

look at me

prayer of Pharisee and tax collector (Luke 18:9-14)

reading Bible

attending church

giving money

doing what is right for wrong reasons

veneer (illustrate) of obedience can mask sinful heart

Pharisee

Matthew 23:27–28

without faith obedience is empty

God’s intent for obedience is to flow out of faith

black screen

abuse alert — always been temptation to pass off religiosity as obedience

distorted view

have showy obedience that flows out of self-reliance/pride

did what was told but heart not in it

Cain vs Abel

Leviticus — sacrificial system…abused

Saul

1 Samuel 15:22

God doesn’t need sacrifices (or empty works)

David

Psalm 51:16–17

after sin with Uriah and Bathsheba

sacrifice/burnt offering not gonna make it go away

God doesn’t want your money (animal sacrifice/burnt offering) after you sin

like money can make your sin go away

He wants your broken heart, so He can put it back together

He wants your life to respond to Him in worship

Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Psalm 40:6–8

the sacrificial system was to show weight of sin

not give some easy way to make sin disappear

but to acknowledge you fall short and animal must give life

then to do it all over again

God wants your heart; He doesn’t need your money (sacrifice)

Israel prone to bring their sacrifice & leave their heart at home

Isaiah 1:11-20 pew Bible # 673

obedience > sacrifice (1:16-17)

Isaiah 66:1-6pew Bible # 742

66:1-2

thought sacrificial system = forgiveness

bring animal, slaughtered, sin forgiven (WRONG)

motives matter — 66:2b

with wrong motive = 66:3-6

black screen

religiosity = spiritually dead

do all the right churchy things

“Open to God but far from Him. Active in religion but spiritually dead.”

read Bible but find meaningless 

only black words on white page

even our best obedience is fickle and cannot be trusted

Noah

Genesis 6:9

Genesis 6:14 “Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.”

Genesis 9:21

Abraham

Genesis 12:4

Genesis 12:13

Genesis 15:6

Gen 16 Sarai presents Hagar = Ishmael

David

Goliath

1 Samuel 17:45–47 (2x)

2 Samuel 11 — Uriah and Bathsheba

James 1:22

can be a trap

not Word’s fault but motive of the heart

try to show obedience but for wrong motive

self (pat on back) vs glory of the Lord

Luke 17:10

God owes us NOTHING

we owe Him EVERYTHING

that is a great motive check

black screen

glad our salvation is not a result of our obedience but Jesus’ obedience/righteousness

Jesus being fully human obeyed God perfectly

even going to the cross in our place, as our perfect, sinless substitute

plan to read God’s Word this year

as read, ask God to grow faith and obedience

faith should be increasing therefore obedience increasing

Genesis 22:8 “Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.”

mature faith

faith growing therefore obedience growing

I want each one of us to grow in these 2 areas:

Great Commission — mission

Dann Spader — “It was an everyday commission, given to every believer for every moment of his or her life…it is an everyday commission for every believer for every moment of their everyday lives.” 4 Chair Discipling, 35

Great Commandment — motive

if we love God and love people, we will make disciples

our motive (love) drives our mission (make disciples)

Psalm 119:60 “I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments.”