November 23, 2014                                                                                          

Key Passage: Psalm 19

 

                                    “Loving Jesus by Loving His Word”

 

As complex as life can be, it all comes down to priorities.  Much of the time, mine are completely out of whack.  Instead of Jesus, Lynn, children, friends and work, I jumble the combo around – most notably, placing Jesus somewhere in the middle of the pack instead of #1.  Shockingly, that’s when the #2 usually hits the fan.  Which begs the question: Does my life revolve around Jesus, or do I expect Him to revolve around me?  Most of us here today say we love Jesus, but spend little time getting to know Him through His Word.  We have more Bibles in our house than verses in our heart.  Listen, if you take nothing else away from today’s lesson, I hope you’ll embrace this Truth: just as Jesus took away the option of “many paths to Heaven” when he declared He is the only way in John 14:6, so He takes away the notion that the Bible is a book of great principles but flawed truth because it’s written by men, in John 1:1.  If Jesus is the Word, then the Word is inerrant from cover to cover.  Either we believe Jesus is who he says he is and He IS the embodiment of the Word, or we don’t. 

 

1.     John 1:1                            God has revealed Himself through Jesus                     

• Ever heard someone say, “I’d believe God if he showed up in front of me and told me what to do!”?  Well… He did – through his Son – the Word.
• Much like Jesus, many people “respect” the Bible – it’s a holy book with some great suggestions and stories about how to live life.  Followers of Christ believe in absolute truth, which is God’s Word manifest in Christ; as such, they have a desire to know Him through his Word.

2.     Psalm 19:7-11                   God has revealed Himself generally in His Word        

• God’s Word is authoritative, adequate, accurate, absolute and abrasive.  Notice the nouns used in these verses: law, testimony, precepts, commandment, respect, judgment.  Now, notice the adjectives:  perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, and true.

 

3.   Luke 24:25-27                   God has revealed Himself specifically in His Word     

• Jesus interpreted ALL of Scripture, not bits and pieces.  The disciples he was walking with had chosen to pick and choose what they believed … most Christians do the same today.

 

4.     Hebrews 4:12-13               Jesus is the Word, and the Word is a double-edged sword

• “Living” – If the Bible doesn’t seem alive to you, we can draw one of two conclusions: 1) the Word is dead, or 2) your heart is in trouble.  Even Jesus says that hearing the Word is like a farmer sowing seed.  When the seed of the Word of God goes into believer’s hearts, it comes alive.  It takes on a life of its own.
• “Active” – It’s active, it grows, it affects, it moves us.  We get our word “energy” from the Greek form of “active.”  “News may inform us; novels may inspire us; poetry can enrapture us, but only the Word of God can transform us.”
• “Penetrates” – What’s the big deal about a double-edged sword?  It cuts both ways.  The reason why the Roman Empire was so powerful was because they created the double-edged sword – it was the atom bomb of its day (and it’s what Peter used to cut off the ear of the soldier).  No surgical technique can change bad attitudes, lust, hypocrisy, greed, hatred, and an unforgiving spirit.  Only the Word of God can change the hearts of people.
• “Judges” – “judge” here doesn’t mean “condemn” – it means “assess.”  Remember, every time someone met Jesus their heart was revealed to Him – and to them (e.g. the woman at the well).  The Word discerns the intentions and motives of the heart – and reveals them to us by conviction.
• “Lays Bare” – this is a sacrificial term – the phrase they used to describe an animal whose neck is being bent back before their throat is slit….there’s a nice visual for you, but that’s actually us.

 

Bottom Line:  As I’ve aged and studied God’s Word, I’ve learned that Jesus doesn’t call people to “accept” him, but to FOLLOW him.  The truth of the matter is that in the difficult, confusing, and painful times we are called to trust God.  When it comes down to it, faith is pretty simple: we either trust God at his word by being in his Word, or we don’t.