Why Stay in the Word

Intro

We talk about it all the time, .... the necessity of staying or living in the Word of God.

It is important, that is the message we hear communicated to us all the time, read the word of God, study it, memorize it, keep it close to your heart.

why?

Well that is what I want us to consider this evening, is just taking a little bit of time to sit back and say, communicate why the word of God is so crucial to our everyday lives.

This is not an exhaustive study by any means, but hopefully it will help us keep the word as a part of the focus of our lives.

So let me begin by asking you?

When you are faced with the question of why stay in the word of God.. what is your answer?

(let them answer........)

My thought ***** The Word of God speaks to every area of life

So lets talk it out if you will as we examine what the word of God says about all this as well.

1. The Word of God instructs us too stay in the word....

When I think about this topic I am reminded of Joshua as he prepared to led the children of Israel over into the promised land.

God himself knew the heart and mind of Joshua, he could only have success has we stayed focused upon the word of God.

Joshua 1:8 ESV

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful 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.

This application was given to Joshua as they prepared to head over the river into the promised land.

God knew that His word was essential to not only Joshua, to everyone as they sought to follow the Lord their God.

God in His sovereign strength knew that the task before him was to big, to complicated and to much for him to handle alone, He needed the Word to encourage him, sustain Him and give him strength and courage in the days to come.

Does the word help you when you have something to face that is larger than you?

We knew to stay in the Word of God for many reasons, one of the main ways is that it is essential to our walk with the Lord.

2. Studying the Word of God leads to action in our lives.

When you look at the word of God it is clear that the message of the Bible tells us that our faith and practice go hand in hand. Studying the Word of God helps us act on what we know to be true from Scripture.

If you look at James chapter 1, we find that James is exhorting us to be a doer of the Word.

look at the passage with me...

James 1:22 ESV

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Hearing the word, knowing the word of God leads us into the action of practice.

It would appear that James is referring to Jesus teaching on the “Sermon on the Mount” and here is why...

The Sermon on the mount is verses 21-29 in . But just stop with me and listen to verse 21

Matthew 7:21 ESV

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

And then as Jesus turns his attention to the story of the house built upon the rock, we find

that Jesus repeats it. Listen to verse 24 as he speaks to listneing...

Matthew 7:24 ESV

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

One cannot just hear the word of God, read or study the word and it not produce action in this life. We must be doers of the word of God as well.

3. Our reading of the Word reminds us of His true priority in our life.

As you study and read the Word of God, the Bible will help teach you about the true priorities of your life and yes what must come first.

As I thought about this I realized the very first thing the Bible taught me is simply that we are to have no other God’s before us.

As god gave the 10 commandments to the children of Israel, the first one was in exodus 20:3

Exodus 20:3 ESV

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

There is a priority there, a sense of urgency. God knew and wanted man to know that in order to walk in relationship with Him, he had to be first, the priority, the only God.

This is a simple truth that plays over into every other area of life as well. As God has to be first in our walk with Him, he teaches us that the best relationships of life must have a priority attached to them, a singular focus.

What do I mean by that.. Consider marriage. Marriage tells us that our relationship must be between our spouses must be singular, a priority that places God at the center and one one else before Him, but also no one else before our spouses.

Also the Word of God reminds us that Jesus taught us that prayer was a priority. When you look at the life of Jesus one finds that Jesus stole away often for the sheer task of spending time praying, communing with the Father in Heaven.

is an example of this...

Luke 4:42 ESV

42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them,

Jesus knew he could not carry out the day to day plan of the father if he did not spend time with him.

, the day before he begins to choose the 12 disciples, we find that instead of sleeping and eating, Jesus spends that night in prayer in preparation for the ministry of calling men t follow Him.

Luke 6:12 ESV

12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.

Jesus teaches us that prayer has to be a priority.

Also Jesus teaches us in the word that our priorities must have a Spiritual focus about them, they must be God centered if the rest are going to be in their right spot in life.

One place we see this is when Jesus teaches in what we know as the sermon on the mount”

In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus addresses the needs of man, food, clothing and so forth. Man chases after these things not understanding that God is aware of our needs and stands ready to provide. But we fail to seek him as the first priority of our life and we miss the blessing and provission of God.

Jesus told us in Mattew 6:33

Matthew 6:33 ESV

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

God must be the first priority of our life, without him our priorities are out of whack.

And this brings me to my last thought for the evening my friends.

4. Our reading of the Word of God tells us of our life to come.

This is the one of the best functions of the Word of God to me, it tells me about my life now, how I should think, act and walk before God. But it also encourages us because of the life to come.

4. OUr reading of the Word of God tells us of our life to come

Eternal life leads to a eternal home. Man that is peaceful is it not?

The Word gives us the assurance that Jesus will return for the believers, that a home awaits us.

John 14:1–3 ESV

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

And as the disciples watched Jesus leave this world, the angels stood there reminding them that Jesus would return.

Acts 1:11 ESV

11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

The Bible tells us just how the return of the Lord will come, that He will come once in the air to receive his church, which we call the rapture and then He will come again and establish His Kingdom.

There we will rule and reign with him, but the absolute joy of our life will be that we will be in His presence for ever and ever.

verse 9 tells us that we will walk int he land of the living...

Psalm 116:9 ESV

9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

and we will worship the Lord in heaven

Psalm 16:9–11 ESV

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. 10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. 11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Oh my freinds the home to come we have looked at some over the last few weeks talking about heaven. Stay in the word so you can know more and more about it.

Conclusion

The word of God is given to us to teach, to edify or build up, to strengthen us and to help us each day as we live in front of our heavenly Father.