How To Read the Bible Part 2
The Bible Revolution • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewEvery Word of the Lord is life and rest.
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God and Country - Pledge Christian, then American - thank you to veterans
Every Word of the Lord is life and rest
Every Word of the Lord is life and rest
Kids - you’ll be listening for three words if you have a worship guide - Word, Rest and Jesus.
As I mentioned last week, Matt Smethurst has written a little booklet titled “Before You Open Your Bible.”
Subtitled, “Nine Heart Postures for Approaching God’s Word.”
The book was a gift from the Pillar Network’s Unite Conference Luke and I attended a few weeks back.
I don’t normally use a book for my sermon outlines - you guys know that from experience.
But this little booklet has really revolutionized my Bible reading.
And it has helped me so much, I am kind of hoping it will help you a little bit too.
Every pastor that has ever lived has told us to read the Bible.
Every one from me encouraging you to read at least one verse a day
To the guilt trippers who have told me I should be reading and praying hours a day.
But no one has ever said how to read it so it means something
Something more than just a daily bible reading.
I suspect you’ve done this - I have - I’ve used the Bible like a magic 8 ball
Remember those
You ask it a question, then you flip it over and a little triangle thing pops up with an answer?
“Will Nan Albright go to the sock-hop with me?” a 9th grade Randy asked.
“Ask again later,” it might answer or worse, it might say
“Outlook not so good.”
Have you ever taken your Bible and said, “Lord, I need a word from you.”
Then you let it flop open and you put your finger on a verse and read:
Numbers 10:25 “Then the standard of the camp of the people of Dan, acting as the rear guard of all the camps, set out by their companies, and over their company was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.”
So you let it flop open again only you give it a little nudge towards the New Testament:
Acts 1:1 “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,”
“I guess the Lord just didn’t have something to say to me today.”
We look at the Bible as a book and so we approach it like a book
I’m going to read this book and its going to say something to me.
So we read it like a text book or maybe even just a good book
But it’s not a text book and it’s not just a good book - it is God speaking to us.
God wants us to hear Him
He’s a talkative God and He knows when His Words land, that they will rock our world.
So how do we revolutionize our Bible reading so we can hear Him?
Last week we said we approach the Bible prayerfully and humbly.
We pray before we read for the Lord to show us who He is.
We don’t necessarily approach the Bible looking for answers to our problems so much
As we approach the Bible looking for the Lord to show us who He so we know what to expect from Him
And oddly enough, that seems to answer our questions.
We can rest in Jesus because we know what God is going to do in our lives.
Last week we said prayerfully and humbly - I’m looking for you Lord, I’m not going to think about me for a few minutes.
This week is desperately and studiously and let’s explain those this way:
And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
I suspect this story is familiar.
Jesus has gone into the wilderness and has fasted for 40 days - a very long, long time - and he’s sure enough hungry at this point.
Satan tends to hit us the hardest when we are hungry, angry, lonely and tired.
I suspect Jesus is at least two of those.
He’s not questioning who Jesus is - He knows who Jesus is.
Satan is questioning what type of Son Jesus is.
“We both know you came to suffer, but you don’t have to suffer right now - you can make bread
In fact, Jesus will make enough bread to feed over 15,000 people with 5 small loaves one day - this is wholly possible.
Jesus could do it if He wanted.
But He wasn’t that kind of Son.
Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
Jesus was desperate and studied.
Now before you wig out that I said Jesus was desperate, let me explain.
The picture you see on the screens is of a section of the Appalachian Trail in Tennessee - I grabbed it from their website.
I was lost somewhere around there once.
I got separated from my group and ended up alone walking a trail just like this one.
I was scared out of my mind and absolutely not thinking straight - I was desperate in a sense, but not like Jesus.
But if I had stayed lost long enough, I would have come to my senses.
I was carrying enough food for 10 days - which could easily be stretched longer.
There was water everywhere.
I had the provisions to build me a make shift tent.
And not many people really do get eaten by bears on the trail - which was my biggest fear at that moment.
Strange forests make lots of strange noises.
Happy ending - I finally came to my senses and realized I was ahead of my group so I stopped and sure enough, an hour later, they caught up to me.
But Jesus wasn’t in a place like that.
This is where Jesus was.
This is the Judean wilderness - the blue water is the Dead Sea - drink it and you are dead.
There is no food here.
There is no water here.
There is no where to build a shelter from the sun.
And there are wild animals.
Get lost here and you die.
With each ticking moment, your chances of survival grow smaller and smaller.
It is the most stark place I have ever been and that where Jesus was.
But that is not why Jesus was desperate.
I was desperate to be found.
Jesus was desperate for His Father.
Not a desperation because of fear - but a desperation because of love.
Jesus was desperate to hear from His Father - so He went to a very desolate place to talk and listen.
Jesus tells us in John 15:5 “...apart from me you (meaning us) can do nothing.”
If we can’t do anything apart from Jesus - then we should be desperate to hear from Jesus
Desperate to hear about Jesus, about who He is and what He does.
Desperate to know why I can count on Him
How can I rest in Jesus if I don’t know why I can count on Him.
"Well, you can count on Him because He’s the son of God.
“Well, zip-a-dee-do-dah, that’s about as satisfying to me as someone saying, “Because I said so.”
Why - wwhhhyyyy can I count on Him?
What does He Himself say to me about wwwhhhhyyyy?
He tells me - He tells me why.
Turn with me to Psalm 147.
I told you, I am reading through the Psalms and as I read this one, I prayed, I looked for Jesus rather than for an answer for me, I was desperate to hear Jesus say something to me and I took my time with it - I “studied” on it as it were.
Let’s read it through with those things in mind - what is Jesus telling us about who HE is and why we should count on Him and let’s see if it makes a difference.
Psalm 147:1 “Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.”
I’m going to be frank and honest here, while those words are true and right - telling me to praise Jesus again is just telling me to praise Jesus again.
Read your Bible.
Pray.
Go to church.
Tithe.
I’ve heard it a million times, - It’s truth - but it hit me like just something else to do.
Psalm 147:2 “The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.”
Hamas attacked Israel, then Hezbollah attacked Israel.
American students at major universities are chanting things that would have made Hitler blush.
Who would ever in a billion years thought Americans - AMERICANS would call for the death of Israel.
Iran is allying with Russia and China.
Every prophecy that I’ve ever been told seems to be happening.
I am truly frightened by the world right now -
And yet - the Lord builds up and the Lord gathers
Jesus impressed on me as I read this that He is in charge - totally, completely.
And if Jesus is in charge, I don’t have to be - right?
I can rest and know that doing my part for the kingdom is enough.
If He needs my help, He’ll let me know.
Until then, He’s telling me He’ll worry about it - not me.
Psalm 147:3–4 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.”
Yes, I set the sun, moon and stars in place
But I see your broken heart and it matters to me.
I know your pain - I’ll bind up your wounds.
We live blissfully ignorant of what is happening in the house next door
Goodness - sometimes in the room next to mine.
I thought I was good friends with someone at Bellsouth until they told me they were getting a divorce.
I had no clue their marriage was even in trouble.
This week I’ve talked assisted living, dying, a world turned upside down - and who knew?
Yet as I read verse 3 and 4 - Jesus told me not to get lost in the grandeur of God.
Yes, He does great things.
But the greatest thing He does, is He binds up the wounds of the brokenhearted.
It reminded me of something else said about Jesus, “Matthew 12:20
a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory;
I suspect many of us are bruised and we feel our fire is about out.
Jesus says, “That’s ok, come to me and I’ll make it better.”
Psalm 147:5–6 “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. The Lord lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.”
This is what I heard - I feel powerless - He has abundant power.
I’m as dense as a brick - He understands everything that needs to be understood.
I’m about as low as a snakes belly in a ditch - but He picks me up and He protects me.
Great is our Lord.
Yeah, it’s pretty great that I have someone who will do that for me.
I have someone who will show me mercy regardless of whether anybody else does or not.
Me - yeah us - the church
But me - as low as I might get.
I can rest from my heartbreak - Jesus really does love me.
That is why I am desperate to hear and quick to ponder.
I’m desperate to hear why I can trust Jesus and I’m lingering long enough on the verses to hear his voice.
Psalm 147:7–11 “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre! He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry. His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.”
It’s like Jesus said to me, “Listen, I do all of this stuff but do you know what really makes me happy?
“It’s those moments when I see you really trusting me and you rest for a minute.
“I know they don’t last and I’m OK with that.
“Because just like I have to keep sending rain or everything will die, I’ll keep loving you, so you won’t die.
When you stop and linger over these verses - you can see the clouds and rain and grass - you see deer and hear that plaintive cry of a bird on a really cold day.
Things I really enjoy when I stop long enough to see them.
But then I hear Jesus say, “Those things are really cool - but they don’t compare to when you give up and let me take the weight of the world off your shoulders.
“It makes me happy when you let me do my job and you do what I created you to do - to follow me and enjoy me.”
Psalm 147:12–13 “Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you.”
“I protect you and your family.
Psalm 147:14 “He makes peace in your borders; he fills you with the finest of the wheat.”
“I put your heart to rest and then I feed you a feast.”
Psalm 147:15–18 “He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold? He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.”
Now remember both pictures - of the Appalachian where I got lost and the Negev where Jesus fasted.
In both places, no water and too much or too little heat and you die.
In those places, your life is literally in danger - and if I watch enough news and read enough bulletins, I can believe my life is in danger right now.
Right this minute we have people watching the cameras and Sheriff’s deputies and Gray police roaming our halls
To make us feel safe - because we know the world is a dangerous place.
Jesus said to me, “I speak and things happen.
“Day by day, “I take things that scare you and by my word, I turn them into a blessing for you.”
The cold becomes heat, the breezes keep us cool, the snow turns to water
That someone uses to make Sweet Tea.
So I can sit on the porch, and enjoy what I see, and enjoy what I’m drinking
And never give it a second thought - resting in Jesus - who knew he wanted it like this?
Psalm 147:19–20 “He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and rules to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his rules. Praise the Lord!”
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,
It helps me to know, that as much of a train wreck as I think I am sometimes
And as much of a train wreck I can be sometimes
That I am still chosen.
There are so many people that don’t know the Lord or refuse to know the Lord - they don’t know his rules.
Like the rule that says, Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Yeah, I’ve used that one a lot lately.
Desperate people do that - they see their desperation and they look for something to help.
And there is the help we are looking for.
And this is the help that is ours when we come to Jesus.
We got a bad review on Google the other week.
The person was upset that one of our families passed out tracts and invite cards along with candy on Halloween.
They ended their review with, “we don’t need your Sky Daddy pushed on us.”
I was amused by the name “Sky Daddy.”
If you were to read Psalm 147 with no thought - just plow through it to read it
You could get the idea of a Sky Daddy - somebody out there who wound this place up
And takes care of it - from a distance.
But when I came to this text, prayerfully, humbly, desperate and ready to study it, I didn’t hear Sky Daddy.
I heard that for all of my unholy mess, the God who created all that is was heartbroken.
He knew I was bound for His punishment and I would never again see His face.
So He sent His Son to die the death that was mine to die
So He could give me a relationship with Him that belonged to His son
He chose this for me - He chose me.
So that when this world overwhelms me, I can rest in His arms.
That I can come to Him for wisdom and common sense.
So I can cry out to Him to rescue me - mostly from myself.
So I can call Him, “Abba - Father.”
So He can give me rest.
That’s what Jesus said to me through Psalm 147.
He wrote it for you too.
That’s why you can depend on Him.
Let us pray.