Latest / Providence Baptist Church - Sermons / Coming to Hear God's Word

Transcript

Coming to Hear God's Word · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

0:00
It's good to see everybody this morning.
0:03
I had a talk with Wes and Nathan about the lights right here.
0:06
! I'm used to speaking on Thursday nights, but I don't have that in my face.
0:08
But it's like impossible to lift your eyes to heaven and actually pray while you're up here.
0:13
But, uh...
0:14
You do that so much, right?
0:15
I know. I try.
0:16
Yeah, it's not too bad.
0:19
But, um, I had one person already say to me,
0:22
I like your pink shirt, and I don't think it's pink.
0:25
I think it's kind of a light color red.
0:27
So, uh, just, uh, settle that real quick, too.
0:33
Um, well, I wanted, uh, this message, we've been in the Gospel of Mark, going through Mark,
0:42
and this isn't necessarily from Mark.
0:44
This is kind of more of a, uh, an aside, a topical message
0:48
that will hopefully help us get more out of God's Word as we come to hear it week by week.
0:55
And, uh, over the Christmas break for the students,
1:00
I was, uh, at home with my parents in North Carolina,
1:04
and I went to their church in, uh, Hiawassee.
1:07
And while I was there, I was not really, I hadn't really prepared my heart to come
1:13
to hear God's Word that morning.
1:15
And so, when the preacher got up and he began teaching on, um, the idea of the birth of Christ
1:22
and the incarnation and the importance of it,
1:25
I just kind of completely zoned out and kind of had this idea of,
1:29
I've heard this so much in my life, and I really don't want to pay attention.
1:34
I already know this.
1:35
I probably, probably could teach this better than he could.
1:37
You know, all these little arrogant, pompous thoughts that showed that I really did not
1:43
believe what it was I was hearing at all.
1:47
And it really convicted me.
1:49
So maybe you, some, some of you have been there before,
1:51
you've heard a sermon that you've heard before,
1:54
and it's really tempting just to check out.
1:57
And instead of asking yourself,
2:00
Okay, Lord, help me pay attention, help me to get something, um, new out of this.
2:07
Speak to me afresh on this.
2:09
And then to ask yourself, do I actually practice what I claim to believe?
2:14
And so, with that, I was really kind of broken and messed up that afternoon.
2:19
I just couldn't get my mind right, because I felt so messed up in my heart.
2:25
So, uh, I went home, back here to Dahlonega,
2:29
and I dug out an old book,
2:32
The Genius of Puritanism.
2:35
Great title.
2:38
Great pictures, too.
2:40
Very scary looking pictures, so.
2:44
But, I don't know how many of you know anything about the Puritans,
2:47
but they were really very, very serious about
2:50
not just the preaching of God's Word,
2:52
but also the, uh,
2:55
the idea of preparing yourself to hear God's Word,
2:57
hearing God's Word,
2:59
and then discussing things after you hear God's Word.
3:03
They were very, um,
3:05
serious about that kind of stuff.
3:07
So, I began reading back through some of the stuff,
3:10
and it was really convicting and challenging.
3:12
And since then,
3:13
it's really helped kind of alter
3:15
my posture and how I come here on Sunday mornings.
3:18
And, uh,
3:19
with that in mind,
3:21
uh,
3:21
this past Wednesday,
3:22
I was with Nathan,
3:23
and I told him,
3:24
you know,
3:25
at some point,
3:26
I think it would be interesting to, uh,
3:29
to speak on
3:30
the idea of coming to hear God's Word,
3:33
the idea of coming to hear
3:35
the preaching of God's Word.
3:37
And,
3:37
and he said,
3:39
how about this Sunday?
3:40
And, uh,
3:41
so,
3:41
and it really was quite providential
3:44
because,
3:45
um,
3:47
where we are in Mark,
3:48
we're about to get into the parables,
3:50
and Jesus says a lot of things like,
3:53
those who have ears to hear,
3:54
let them hear.
3:55
It's this idea of hearing God's Word.
3:58
And so,
3:59
I want you to flip to Luke,
4:01
uh,
4:03
chapter 8,
4:05
and look at
4:07
verse 18,
4:09
just carefully.
4:09
Wow,
4:13
there's multiple water up here.
4:14
Okay.
4:17
Leave that here.
4:24
So,
4:24
in Luke's Gospel,
4:26
after the parable of the sower,
4:28
Jesus makes this comment
4:30
in chapter 8,
4:32
verse 18.
4:32
He says,
4:33
take care then
4:34
how you hear,
4:37
for to the,
4:38
the one who has
4:39
more will be given,
4:41
and from the one who has not,
4:42
even what he thinks
4:43
that he has
4:45
will be taken away.
4:47
Very
4:47
strong words.
4:50
Take care then
4:51
how you hear,
4:52
for to the one who has
4:54
more will be given,
4:55
and for the one
4:56
who has not,
4:57
even what he thinks
4:58
that he has
4:59
will be taken away.
5:01
Just pray with me
5:02
for a second.
5:02
Father,
5:03
I just want to confess
5:05
to you that
5:06
there's nothing
5:08
that can be done
5:09
today in my heart
5:11
or the hearts
5:12
of
5:12
your people
5:13
that are here
5:14
apart from
5:15
your Holy Spirit,
5:16
and
5:17
him
5:18
administering
5:19
the word
5:19
to
5:20
our hearts,
5:21
our minds,
5:22
and God
5:22
has asked for
5:23
help,
5:25
and
5:25
for the Lord
5:27
to open up our ears
5:28
and let us hear
5:29
your truth today.
5:32
Just help us,
5:33
Father,
5:33
in Christ's name.
5:35
Amen.
5:36
So,
5:37
we need to understand
5:39
that
5:39
the way we hear
5:41
God's word
5:41
can be a life
5:42
and death
5:43
thing
5:44
in many ways.
5:46
Jesus
5:46
constantly brought
5:49
this up to the people
5:50
he was teaching.
5:51
He says,
5:52
you know,
5:52
if you actually
5:53
do hear,
5:54
more will be given,
5:55
and if you don't hear,
5:56
what you think you know
5:57
will be taken away.
5:59
So,
5:59
just put that
6:01
in your own life
6:01
in terms of
6:02
hearing God's word.
6:03
And in Mark,
6:05
Jesus says,
6:05
having eyes
6:06
do you not see,
6:07
and having ears
6:07
do you not hear,
6:09
and you do not remember.
6:11
So,
6:11
it's possible
6:12
to have ears
6:13
that fail
6:14
to hear,
6:15
and at the same time,
6:17
even to be hearing
6:18
but not understanding.
6:20
Really
6:20
dangerous stuff.
6:23
And so,
6:24
this is what was
6:24
happening to me.
6:26
And so,
6:27
listening to sermons,
6:28
and the preaching
6:29
of God's word
6:30
is a risky business.
6:32
It will either
6:33
sanctify you
6:34
or it will harden you.
6:35
But one thing
6:36
it won't do
6:36
is leave you unchanged.
6:37
When you go here today,
6:38
something will be different.
6:40
And you either
6:40
will know Christ more
6:42
and want to
6:42
be conformed
6:43
more to his image
6:44
or you'll be hardened.
6:45
It's like,
6:46
it's really one or the other.
6:48
So,
6:48
that should
6:49
scare you a little bit.
6:51
It scares me.
6:53
And also to realize
6:54
that you'll be accountable
6:55
before God
6:57
for everything you hear
6:58
in your soul.
7:01
A lot of you,
7:02
I remember,
7:03
you know,
7:04
back in the day
7:04
when Nathan West
7:06
and I were in school,
7:07
I probably went through
7:07
like a pretty long period
7:09
of time
7:10
where I was just
7:10
learning a lot
7:11
but applying very little.
7:13
And then I just realized
7:14
that all I'm doing
7:16
is making myself
7:17
more accountable
7:17
for what I know.
7:19
Like I'm
7:20
storing up
7:21
all this knowledge
7:22
and I can't obey
7:22
even a quarter of it.
7:25
And God's going to
7:26
hold me to a higher standard
7:28
because of what
7:28
I've been taught.
7:30
And so,
7:31
understand that your faith
7:32
can rise and fall
7:33
based on how you hear
7:35
God's Word.
7:37
Right?
7:37
Romans 10.
7:39
So,
7:40
faith comes by hearing
7:41
and hearing
7:42
through the words of Christ.
7:44
Romans 10.17.
7:46
So,
7:47
briefly,
7:48
this is,
7:49
you know,
7:49
this is
7:50
the written copy
7:52
of God's Word.
7:54
This is not God's Word.
7:56
God's Word is living,
7:58
active.
7:59
Christ Himself
8:00
is the Word of God.
8:02
And on the throne of God
8:03
there's a man,
8:04
not a book.
8:05
But this is
8:05
the recorded
8:06
words of God.
8:09
And over 2,000 times
8:10
in the Old Testament alone,
8:13
the Bible asserts
8:14
that God spoke
8:15
within its pages.
8:16
And the phrase
8:18
the Word of God
8:19
over 40 times
8:21
in the New Testament.
8:22
And so,
8:23
you hear phrases
8:23
such as,
8:25
has not God said?
8:29
What do the Scriptures say?
8:31
Thus says the Lord.
8:32
They're interchangeable
8:33
all throughout the Scripture.
8:34
So,
8:35
they're affirming
8:35
one or the other.
8:36
That the Scripture
8:37
really is
8:37
God's Word.
8:40
And so,
8:40
you're all familiar
8:41
with
8:41
Paul's words
8:43
to Timothy
8:43
where he said
8:43
all Scripture
8:44
is breathed out
8:45
by God
8:46
and is profitable
8:48
for teaching,
8:49
for reproof,
8:49
for correction,
8:50
for training
8:51
in righteousness
8:52
that the man of God
8:54
may be competent
8:54
and equipped
8:55
for every good work.
8:57
Alright,
8:58
so,
8:59
that definitely
8:59
destroys the idea
9:00
that it was only
9:00
relative to the people
9:01
in the past.
9:03
This idea
9:04
that it is
9:04
breathed out
9:06
by God
9:06
and is always
9:07
profitable
9:07
and for training.
9:09
So,
9:10
that word,
9:12
some translations
9:12
may say
9:13
inspired
9:13
or inspired
9:15
by God
9:15
and that's not
9:16
a bad way
9:17
of saying it
9:18
but really
9:19
the literal word
9:21
is a combination
9:23
Greek word.
9:23
It's not used
9:24
anywhere else
9:24
in the whole Bible
9:25
or in classical
9:26
Greek literature
9:27
is theophanoustos
9:29
and it means
9:29
that the idea
9:31
of God
9:31
breathed these things
9:32
out.
9:32
Let's forget our word
9:33
for pneumonia
9:34
or pneumatic
9:35
and God
9:36
breathed out
9:37
these words.
9:38
So,
9:38
it's saying
9:39
that
9:39
that God
9:41
in person
9:42
has spoken
9:43
through these pages
9:44
and so,
9:46
in the scripture,
9:48
the person of God
9:49
and the word of God
9:50
are so interrelated
9:51
that what is true
9:53
about God
9:54
is true about His word.
9:55
God is perfect,
9:57
He's pure,
9:58
He's righteous,
9:58
He's truthful
9:59
and therefore,
10:00
so is His word.
10:02
They're interrelated.
10:04
They're perfect
10:05
in all ways.
10:06
So,
10:07
I have a pastor
10:08
friend of mine,
10:09
he's been
10:10
preaching God's word
10:12
for about
10:13
45 years.
10:15
I don't know
10:15
if he's going to
10:15
hang it up
10:16
sometime soon or not,
10:17
but he's over
10:18
in Northern Ireland
10:19
and his name's
10:20
Billy,
10:20
Billy Reed
10:21
and he told me
10:22
about six years ago
10:24
that we are changed
10:26
and transformed
10:28
by beholding
10:30
the glory of Christ
10:32
and where we see
10:34
the glory of Christ
10:35
most clearly
10:36
is in His word.
10:39
So,
10:39
that's why
10:40
we need to like
10:40
spend daily time
10:42
soaking ourselves,
10:43
meditating in
10:44
God's word.
10:46
But,
10:47
even getting more
10:48
specific,
10:49
you know,
10:49
we're going to talk
10:50
today about the
10:50
preaching of God's word.
10:52
But,
10:53
just understand that
10:54
this is
10:55
the very word of God.
10:58
John Calvin said,
11:00
we owe to the scriptures
11:01
the same reverence
11:03
for which we owe to God
11:04
because it has
11:05
proceeded from Him
11:06
alone and has
11:08
nothing of man
11:08
mixed with it.
11:10
Our own experience
11:11
has taught us
11:12
that the highest
11:13
proof of scripture
11:14
derives in general
11:15
from the fact that
11:16
God in person
11:17
speaks in it.
11:18
It's really good.
11:20
So,
11:21
I think I have
11:22
four or five
11:24
questions
11:25
that we're going to
11:27
kind of look through
11:27
today.
11:28
But,
11:29
first off,
11:30
what,
11:31
the first question
11:31
is,
11:32
what is
11:32
teaching and preaching?
11:35
What is teaching
11:35
and preaching?
11:37
And are they different?
11:39
And the answer is,
11:40
yes,
11:40
they are different.
11:42
God has given
11:43
stewardship,
11:45
given gifts to His church
11:46
for the building up
11:47
of His church
11:48
and for the equipping
11:49
of His church.
11:50
And so,
11:52
the Holy Spirit
11:53
is the agent
11:53
of these gifts.
11:54
And among these gifts,
11:56
all to be used
11:58
for God's glory,
12:00
you mainly see
12:00
speaking gifts
12:01
and serving gifts,
12:03
typically,
12:03
but among them are
12:04
the gifts of teaching
12:06
and preaching.
12:07
So,
12:08
let's look at teaching
12:08
first.
12:11
Teaching,
12:12
at least,
12:12
when it's used
12:13
in the New Testament,
12:14
it means to instruct,
12:16
to clarify,
12:17
to explain,
12:18
to guide,
12:19
to nurture
12:20
the truths
12:21
about God's Word
12:22
into the hearts
12:23
of people
12:24
for the purpose
12:24
of unifying,
12:26
maturing the church
12:27
and maturing
12:28
the body to Christ.
12:30
but understand,
12:31
though,
12:32
that teaching
12:33
is not necessarily
12:33
preaching.
12:35
There's another element
12:36
of preaching
12:36
that kind of goes
12:37
a little further.
12:38
Okay?
12:39
So,
12:40
we have many teachers
12:41
in this room,
12:42
but you may not
12:42
actually be
12:43
a preacher,
12:45
so to say.
12:46
So,
12:46
preaching carries
12:47
another element.
12:49
Preaching,
12:50
also referred to
12:51
as prophecy,
12:53
doesn't necessarily
12:55
mean that
12:56
you're going
12:56
to predict
12:57
future events.
12:59
Most of it,
12:59
even the Bible
13:00
prophets
13:00
didn't really
13:00
do a lot
13:01
of that.
13:01
They mainly
13:01
called God's
13:03
people to
13:04
repent of their
13:04
sin and to
13:05
come back to
13:06
God,
13:06
to be restored
13:07
back to God.
13:09
But,
13:09
it can mean that.
13:11
But,
13:11
at least in the
13:12
New Testament,
13:13
we're going to
13:14
read you a pretty
13:14
cool definition,
13:17
at least of what
13:17
the Greek means
13:18
for preaching.
13:19
Okay?
13:20
It says,
13:21
to be a herald,
13:23
always with the
13:24
suggestion of a
13:24
formality,
13:26
gravity,
13:27
and an authority
13:28
that must be
13:28
listened to and
13:29
obeyed.
13:30
That's what
13:31
preaching kind of
13:32
carries with it.
13:33
So,
13:34
a herald,
13:35
they suggest
13:36
a formality and
13:37
gravity,
13:38
and an authority
13:39
that must be
13:39
listened to and
13:40
obeyed.
13:41
So,
13:42
remember,
13:43
just think
13:43
whatever you can
13:45
from history,
13:45
but a herald's
13:46
message was never
13:47
his own message.
13:49
It usually came
13:50
from a sovereign,
13:50
like King David,
13:52
or Solomon,
13:52
or Caesar,
13:54
for that matter.
13:55
And they carried
13:56
the message from
13:57
this sovereign.
13:59
And he was judged,
14:01
the herald will be
14:01
judged by the
14:03
faithfulness to
14:05
the message.
14:06
He wasn't judged
14:07
by the results of
14:09
what the people did
14:09
with the message.
14:10
He was judged for
14:11
just faithfully
14:11
delivering the
14:13
message to the
14:13
people.
14:14
That was what he
14:15
was judged by.
14:18
So,
14:18
preaching is
14:20
boldly proclaiming
14:21
the Word of God
14:21
unreservedly
14:23
to the people
14:24
of God.
14:25
And so,
14:26
the purpose of it
14:26
is to inform,
14:28
persuade,
14:30
to call forth
14:31
an appropriate
14:31
response to God
14:32
whose message
14:34
is being derived
14:35
from.
14:35
It's God's
14:35
message.
14:37
And so,
14:37
when you unleash
14:38
that,
14:38
it's really up to
14:39
the hearer
14:40
to do something
14:41
with it.
14:41
It's not
14:41
the messenger
14:42
or the herald's
14:43
responsibility
14:44
to see what
14:46
happens with
14:46
the people.
14:47
He's supposed
14:48
to deliver
14:48
the message.
14:49
And so,
14:51
understand though
14:52
that when that
14:54
happens,
14:54
God's Word can
14:55
break you,
14:57
convict you of
14:58
sin,
14:59
can make you
14:59
feel pretty rough,
15:01
and at the same
15:02
time,
15:02
it will heal and
15:03
restore you and
15:03
give you strength
15:04
right after that.
15:06
It's pretty cool.
15:08
So,
15:09
but understand
15:09
though,
15:10
that a lot of
15:11
preachers today,
15:12
they like to give
15:13
you their words
15:15
or a good word
15:17
or tell stories.
15:18
you don't want
15:19
that.
15:20
People are
15:21
outside their
15:22
authority unless
15:23
they're speaking
15:23
God's Word.
15:25
We're commanded
15:26
as preachers
15:27
to preach
15:28
the Word.
15:29
Not a good
15:30
one or just
15:30
a cool one,
15:31
but the Word,
15:32
God's Word.
15:34
And in the
15:34
Scripture itself,
15:36
you see that
15:37
if a so-called
15:39
preacher ventures
15:39
outside of
15:40
God's Word,
15:41
he no longer
15:42
has any authority.
15:44
He no longer
15:44
should even be
15:45
listened to.
15:46
And so,
15:47
I'll give you
15:48
two examples
15:48
of that.
15:49
Alright,
15:49
Stephen in
15:50
Acts 7,
15:51
before the
15:52
Sanhedrin,
15:53
walked through
15:53
the Old Testament
15:54
from Abraham
15:55
into the
15:56
patriarchs,
15:57
and he walked
15:57
all the way
15:58
into the
15:59
New Testament
16:00
where Christ
16:00
comes in,
16:01
showing that
16:02
he was the
16:02
fulfillment of
16:03
these things.
16:04
Then Peter
16:04
also,
16:05
before that,
16:07
in Acts 2,
16:08
he expounded
16:09
on the Old
16:09
Testament.
16:10
He used the
16:10
Scripture as
16:11
his authority
16:12
to show that
16:13
Jesus was the
16:14
Christ.
16:14
Christ.
16:15
Right?
16:15
So even the
16:16
ones in the
16:18
Scripture themselves,
16:19
they use God's
16:20
Word as their
16:20
authority.
16:21
So,
16:22
when you say,
16:23
thus says the
16:24
Lord,
16:25
you better know
16:26
what the Lord
16:27
saith.
16:27
Right?
16:27
You better know
16:28
you're in trouble.
16:30
God won't
16:31
tolerate that.
16:33
Paul said to the
16:34
Corinthians,
16:35
for we are not
16:36
like so many
16:38
peddlers of
16:40
God's Word,
16:40
but as men
16:42
sincerely
16:43
commissioned by
16:44
God,
16:45
in the sight of
16:46
God,
16:46
we speak
16:47
Christ.
16:49
Guys,
16:51
and girls to
16:51
a degree,
16:52
but especially
16:52
guys,
16:54
some of you
16:54
may like to
16:55
teach,
16:56
to be heard,
16:57
teach to be
16:58
seen,
16:59
and you need
17:00
to understand,
17:00
I mean,
17:00
I'm even kind
17:01
of fear and
17:02
trembling a little
17:03
this morning,
17:03
but James
17:04
says that those
17:05
who desire,
17:06
not many of you
17:07
should desire to
17:08
teach,
17:08
he says,
17:09
because you'll be
17:09
held to a
17:10
higher standard
17:10
by God,
17:12
because you're
17:14
influencing people
17:15
by what you
17:16
say,
17:17
and God will
17:18
hold you
17:18
accountable for
17:18
that.
17:19
That's James
17:19
3.
17:20
You cannot
17:20
peddle with
17:21
God's Word
17:22
or treat it
17:22
cheaply.
17:23
It's to be
17:24
taken seriously.
17:26
Turn to
17:27
1 Thessalonians.
17:29
I'll just
17:29
look at
17:30
something real
17:30
quick.
17:31
1 Thessalonians
17:32
chapter 2.
17:40
1 Thessalonians
17:41
chapter 2
17:42
verse 11.
17:43
So in
17:44
Thessalonica,
17:45
Paul had
17:45
preached the
17:46
gospel.
17:47
He had
17:47
lived an
17:48
upright life
17:48
before them
17:49
to encourage
17:50
them,
17:51
exhort them,
17:51
but above all
17:51
things,
17:52
he gave them
17:52
God's Word.
17:53
He ministered
17:54
and faithfully
17:55
taught God's
17:55
Word.
17:57
So we look
17:57
at verse 11.
18:00
He says,
18:01
And we
18:02
also thank
18:03
God constantly
18:04
for this,
18:05
that when
18:05
you received
18:06
the Word
18:07
of God,
18:08
which you
18:08
heard from
18:09
us,
18:10
you accepted
18:11
it not as
18:12
the Word
18:12
of men,
18:13
but as it
18:14
really was
18:15
the Word
18:16
of God,
18:17
which is at
18:18
work in you
18:19
believers.
18:21
So,
18:22
see that?
18:23
So it is
18:24
God's Word,
18:26
and all that a
18:27
human preacher
18:27
is supposed to
18:28
do is just
18:28
to expound
18:29
upon what
18:30
God has
18:30
said,
18:30
and nothing
18:31
else.
18:32
He's supposed
18:32
to teach
18:33
what God
18:33
has already
18:33
said.
18:35
And they
18:35
said that,
18:36
Paul said
18:37
that the
18:38
reason why
18:38
this did
18:38
you so
18:39
good is
18:39
because you
18:39
didn't think
18:40
it was our
18:40
words,
18:40
you understood
18:41
that it was
18:41
God's very
18:42
words spoken
18:43
from us
18:44
to you.
18:45
So a lot
18:46
of helpful
18:48
things that I
18:48
pulled out of
18:49
this,
18:50
but commenting
18:50
on this
18:51
passage,
18:51
there was a
18:52
guy named
18:53
Jeremiah
18:53
Burroughs,
18:54
and he wrote
18:54
a book called
18:54
Gospel
18:55
Worship,
18:56
and his
18:56
idea of how
18:57
do we come
18:59
and worship
19:00
together as
19:01
a body,
19:02
and have
19:03
God administer
19:03
the gospel to
19:04
our hearts,
19:05
and a huge
19:06
section on
19:06
hearing the
19:07
word of God
19:07
is there,
19:08
but he remarks
19:09
on this passage,
19:10
when you come
19:12
to hear the
19:13
word,
19:14
if you would
19:15
sanctify God's
19:16
name,
19:17
you must
19:18
possess your
19:18
souls of what
19:19
it is you
19:20
are going to
19:20
hear,
19:21
that is,
19:22
what you
19:22
are going to
19:23
hear is the
19:23
word of God,
19:25
therefore you
19:26
find the
19:26
apostle writing
19:27
to the
19:27
Thessalonians,
19:29
gives them the
19:29
reason why the
19:31
word did them
19:31
so much good
19:32
as it did,
19:33
it was because
19:34
they did hear
19:35
it as the
19:36
word of God,
19:37
so sanctify
19:40
God's name in
19:41
your heart
19:41
before you
19:42
come,
19:44
so the
19:45
second question
19:45
is what are
19:47
responsibilities
19:48
before hearing
19:50
God's word,
19:51
alright,
19:51
what are
19:52
responsibilities
19:52
before hearing
19:53
God's word,
19:55
so understand
19:56
that like the
19:57
corporate gathering
19:57
of God's people
19:58
is a huge
19:59
blessing,
20:00
there's so many
20:00
places in the
20:01
world where this
20:02
couldn't happen,
20:02
and it's such
20:04
a blessing,
20:05
God administers
20:05
and strengthens
20:07
us while we're
20:08
together here
20:09
as a people,
20:10
we're commanded
20:11
to be together,
20:13
so,
20:14
but many of
20:14
us,
20:15
I'm guilty
20:16
myself,
20:17
I'm trying
20:18
very hard to
20:19
fight now
20:20
against this,
20:21
because I know
20:22
I'll be held to
20:22
this standard by
20:23
God because I'm
20:24
speaking it to
20:24
you today,
20:25
but many of
20:26
us come here
20:27
with very little
20:28
soul preparation
20:30
at all to be
20:32
here with the
20:32
people of God
20:33
and especially
20:33
to hear God's
20:35
word,
20:37
and I only
20:38
have just a few
20:39
places for you
20:39
to turn,
20:40
but look at
20:41
Ecclesiastes 5
20:42
really quick,
20:47
Ecclesiastes 5,
20:50
so most of us
20:55
come with very
20:56
little preparation
20:56
to engage our
20:57
hearts and minds,
20:59
and this is
21:02
Solomon,
21:03
probably,
21:03
most likely
21:04
Solomon,
21:05
writing this
21:06
in chapter 5,
21:08
verse 1,
21:10
he says,
21:11
guard your
21:12
steps when you
21:13
go to the
21:14
house of God,
21:15
to draw near
21:16
to listen is
21:18
better than to
21:19
offer the
21:19
sacrifice of
21:20
fools,
21:21
for they do
21:21
not know what
21:22
they are doing
21:23
is evil,
21:25
be not rash
21:26
with your mouth,
21:27
nor let your
21:27
heart be hasty
21:28
to utter a
21:29
word before
21:30
God,
21:31
for God is in
21:32
heaven and you
21:32
are on the
21:33
earth,
21:34
therefore,
21:35
let your
21:36
words be
21:37
few,
21:37
so,
21:40
understand
21:41
that this
21:42
building,
21:43
and no
21:43
building for
21:43
that matter,
21:44
is God's
21:44
house,
21:45
that's not
21:46
what we're
21:46
going at here,
21:48
many guys
21:48
will try to
21:48
interpret it
21:49
that way,
21:50
so when you
21:50
come to this
21:51
place,
21:51
you know,
21:51
it's not
21:52
really the
21:52
point,
21:53
we are now
21:54
the temple
21:54
of God
21:55
because of
21:56
what Christ
21:56
has done
21:56
and the
21:57
Holy Spirit
21:58
dwells in
21:58
us,
22:00
but we
22:01
can learn
22:01
some serious
22:02
things though
22:03
about corporate
22:04
worship from
22:05
this text,
22:06
so when
22:08
the
22:09
ecclesia,
22:10
the gathering
22:10
of God's
22:11
people,
22:11
the bride
22:12
of Christ
22:12
comes together
22:14
for multiple
22:16
purposes,
22:17
so in
22:18
context,
22:19
this is
22:19
obviously
22:20
probably
22:20
Solomon's
22:21
temple that
22:22
he built,
22:23
but also
22:24
if you
22:25
go online,
22:28
you can
22:28
find pictures
22:29
of this,
22:31
but
22:31
Herod's
22:32
temple,
22:33
at the time
22:34
of Jesus,
22:34
you can
22:34
actually go
22:35
to the
22:35
southern
22:36
southern
22:37
part of
22:37
the temple
22:37
mount,
22:38
and the
22:38
stairs of
22:38
that temple
22:39
are still
22:39
there,
22:40
I've seen,
22:41
I'd like to
22:42
go there
22:42
one day,
22:43
we have a
22:43
few ladies
22:44
who went
22:44
recently,
22:45
but the
22:45
stairs of
22:46
the temple
22:46
are still
22:47
there,
22:48
and what's
22:48
interesting is
22:49
if you look
22:49
at it,
22:49
you would
22:50
think that
22:50
it was
22:50
just an
22:51
engineering
22:52
disaster,
22:54
but it
22:55
really wasn't,
22:56
more than
22:57
likely,
22:58
the men
22:59
who built
23:00
that did
23:01
it for a
23:01
very specific
23:02
reason,
23:02
but the
23:03
stairs of
23:03
that going
23:05
up to
23:05
the temple
23:05
mount,
23:06
they're
23:07
different
23:07
widths,
23:08
and different
23:09
heights,
23:10
constantly,
23:10
so it's
23:11
like you
23:11
can't just
23:11
kind of run
23:12
right up the
23:13
stairs,
23:13
they're constantly
23:14
kind of staggered
23:14
in a really
23:15
weird,
23:16
strange way,
23:17
and a lot of
23:18
people believe
23:19
that they built
23:20
it that way,
23:21
so that it would
23:21
force people
23:22
who were coming
23:23
to the temple
23:24
to slow down
23:26
and actually
23:27
think about
23:28
what it was
23:28
they were going
23:29
to do,
23:30
to think about
23:31
they were going
23:31
to offer up
23:32
sacrifices
23:33
and to
23:34
worship
23:34
Yahweh,
23:36
so that's
23:37
a pretty cool
23:38
thought,
23:39
to slow
23:40
you down
23:40
and to
23:41
think about
23:42
it,
23:43
so this
23:45
indicates the
23:46
seriousness of
23:47
what it means
23:47
to come to
23:49
worship with
23:49
God's people,
23:50
and you have
23:52
to fight to
23:53
not let your
23:54
hearts be
23:55
directed for
23:55
other reasons,
23:56
some of you
23:56
may be here
23:57
because you
23:58
think a girl
23:58
is cute or
23:59
vice versa,
24:00
you may be
24:00
here just
24:00
because you
24:01
want to see
24:01
this person
24:01
and hang
24:02
out,
24:04
or because
24:04
you thought
24:05
it was just
24:05
the right
24:05
thing to
24:06
do,
24:06
but you
24:06
don't want
24:07
to be
24:07
here,
24:08
you could
24:08
be here
24:08
for like
24:09
our coffee,
24:09
like whatever,
24:10
there could
24:10
be a thousand
24:11
reasons why
24:12
you're here,
24:13
but you have
24:13
to fight to
24:14
keep in mind
24:15
why it is
24:16
that you're
24:17
here,
24:18
so you
24:19
have to
24:19
fight that,
24:21
to be slow
24:22
in what we
24:22
say before
24:23
God,
24:24
so some
24:25
of you come
24:25
here and you
24:26
sing,
24:27
you sing
24:27
songs,
24:29
you hear
24:29
God's word,
24:30
and deep
24:31
down,
24:33
what you
24:33
confess with
24:34
your mouth
24:34
is very
24:35
far from
24:35
your heart,
24:36
and it
24:37
shows when
24:38
we leave,
24:40
we go to
24:41
a thousand
24:41
different things
24:42
after we
24:42
leave,
24:43
our minds
24:44
and our
24:44
hearts do,
24:45
so God
24:46
is saying,
24:47
be careful,
24:49
guard your
24:49
steps when you
24:50
come together
24:51
to worship
24:52
with God's
24:52
people,
24:53
and you will
24:54
be held
24:54
accountable for
24:55
every word
24:55
that you
24:55
say,
24:56
Jesus says,
24:57
and it's
24:58
a scary
24:59
thought,
24:59
come
24:59
rather to
25:00
listen than
25:02
to offer
25:02
up the
25:02
sacrifice of
25:03
fools,
25:05
so many
25:06
of us,
25:06
we're talking
25:07
about before
25:08
hearing God's
25:09
word,
25:09
many of us,
25:10
like I said,
25:11
have very
25:11
little preparation,
25:14
probably,
25:15
most of us
25:16
here sadly,
25:18
spend more
25:18
time preparing
25:19
our physical
25:20
looks than
25:21
preparing our
25:22
souls,
25:23
others of
25:24
you for
25:25
maybe some
25:27
crazy,
25:28
ridiculous
25:28
reason,
25:29
college
25:29
students,
25:30
especially
25:30
talking to
25:30
you,
25:31
you stay
25:32
up super
25:33
late on
25:34
Saturday night,
25:35
and then
25:35
you're even
25:36
up to the
25:36
a.m.
25:37
on Sunday
25:38
morning,
25:39
and you're
25:39
in a wreck
25:40
this morning,
25:40
you can
25:40
hardly even
25:41
keep your
25:41
eyes open
25:42
and pay
25:43
attention to
25:43
what's being
25:44
said,
25:45
some of you
25:46
guys,
25:46
you have
25:46
sticks in
25:46
your hair,
25:47
and you
25:47
have the
25:47
pillow smear
25:48
across your
25:49
face,
25:49
like you
25:49
just literally
25:50
walked out
25:50
of bed
25:51
and came
25:51
here,
25:52
it's not
25:52
the right
25:52
way to
25:53
prepare to
25:54
come and
25:54
hear God's
25:55
word,
25:56
it's serious
25:57
business,
25:58
some people
25:59
may be
25:59
concerned with
26:00
overdressing,
26:01
and some
26:02
don't really
26:02
care at all
26:03
what they
26:03
wear,
26:04
and sometimes
26:05
we wish that
26:05
they would
26:06
think about
26:07
that from
26:07
time to
26:08
time,
26:09
but we're
26:12
not legalistic
26:12
here,
26:13
you don't have
26:13
to dress a
26:13
certain way
26:14
to be
26:14
accepted
26:14
here,
26:16
God cares
26:16
definitely
26:17
more about
26:17
what's on
26:19
your heart,
26:20
the motive
26:20
behind it,
26:21
moderation
26:22
is the
26:23
rule,
26:24
but if
26:25
you're
26:26
trying to
26:26
dress,
26:27
to come
26:28
here to
26:28
draw attention
26:28
to yourself,
26:30
you need
26:30
to stop
26:31
and think,
26:32
this is not
26:33
why you're
26:33
here,
26:34
this is why
26:34
Paul addresses
26:35
that kind
26:36
of stuff in
26:36
his letters
26:38
to Timothy,
26:39
where women
26:40
particularly were
26:40
dressing up
26:41
extremely
26:41
extravagant
26:43
type stuff
26:44
to draw
26:45
attention to
26:46
themselves,
26:46
and he's
26:46
like,
26:47
no,
26:47
this is not
26:48
why you're
26:48
here,
26:48
you're
26:49
here to
26:50
engage
26:51
with God,
26:53
so,
26:54
flip to
26:54
Nehemiah
26:55
chapter 8,
26:58
by the
27:01
way,
27:01
I understand
27:02
that some
27:02
of you
27:02
have
27:03
legitimate
27:03
reasons
27:03
for being
27:04
tired,
27:05
especially
27:05
the ones
27:06
with children,
27:07
and I have
27:08
no idea
27:08
what that
27:08
would be
27:09
like,
27:09
but I
27:09
mean,
27:09
I know
27:10
that for
27:10
some
27:11
reasons
27:11
you're
27:11
legitimately
27:11
tired,
27:12
and God
27:13
will help
27:13
you through
27:13
that,
27:14
you know,
27:14
so,
27:15
I'm just
27:15
talking about
27:16
the deliberate
27:16
entering into
27:18
stuff,
27:18
flipping
27:18
or
27:19
half
27:19
heartedly,
27:20
before
27:20
you come
27:21
here,
27:22
it should
27:26
never be
27:26
done
27:26
flippantly
27:27
or
27:27
light
27:27
heartedly,
27:28
so,
27:30
so,
27:31
a few
27:31
tips
27:32
underneath
27:32
this,
27:33
okay,
27:34
how do we
27:34
prepare
27:34
ourselves
27:35
to hear
27:35
God's
27:35
word,
27:36
one thing
27:37
is to
27:37
sanctify
27:38
this time
27:38
as holy,
27:40
set apart
27:40
this time
27:41
as holy,
27:43
alright,
27:44
learn to
27:45
sanctify it
27:45
as holy,
27:46
because you're
27:47
coming to
27:47
here,
27:47
not my
27:49
words or
27:49
Nathan's or
27:50
anybody else's,
27:51
but God's
27:51
word,
27:52
you're coming
27:53
to hear this,
27:54
and you're
27:54
hearing it
27:55
through a
27:55
human preacher,
27:56
but hopefully,
27:56
like I said,
27:56
we're expounding
27:57
on what God
27:58
himself has
27:59
said,
28:00
so when the
28:01
Bible is
28:01
faithfully
28:02
taught,
28:03
God ministers
28:04
grace to
28:05
our hearts,
28:06
and builds
28:07
us up,
28:08
we're going to
28:09
see here,
28:09
this awesome
28:11
chapter,
28:12
I encourage
28:12
you to
28:12
go and
28:13
read all
28:13
chapter 8,
28:14
but when
28:16
the Israelites
28:17
returned from
28:18
the Babylonian
28:19
captivity,
28:20
many of
28:20
them had
28:21
never heard
28:22
God's
28:24
word read
28:25
at all,
28:26
can you
28:27
imagine that,
28:27
like they
28:28
had no idea,
28:29
they understood
28:29
that they
28:30
were the
28:30
people of
28:31
God,
28:31
but they
28:31
didn't
28:31
really
28:32
never hear
28:32
God's
28:33
word,
28:34
so as
28:36
prescribed in
28:36
the feast of
28:37
Booth in
28:38
Deuteronomy
28:38
31,
28:39
they gathered
28:40
together near
28:41
the water
28:42
gate in
28:42
Jerusalem to
28:43
hear the
28:44
proclamation of
28:44
the scriptures,
28:45
the Torah,
28:46
most of that
28:48
would have been
28:48
the Torah,
28:48
some of the
28:49
wisdom writings,
28:50
and Ezra the
28:51
scribe and
28:52
some other
28:53
Levites took
28:54
turns reading
28:55
from the
28:57
word of God,
28:58
the law,
28:59
and they
29:00
read for a
29:01
very long
29:02
time,
29:03
they read,
29:03
I want to
29:04
say,
29:06
yeah,
29:06
from early
29:07
morning to
29:08
like midday,
29:08
that is
29:09
read,
29:10
and they
29:10
even stopped
29:11
and explained
29:12
what the
29:13
scriptures meant
29:13
along the
29:14
way,
29:14
so you
29:14
see the
29:14
teaching
29:15
aspect of
29:16
God's
29:16
word there,
29:18
so they
29:19
worshiped
29:19
together here,
29:20
so look at
29:21
verse 8,
29:23
chapter 8,
29:25
it says,
29:25
they read
29:26
from the
29:27
book,
29:28
from the
29:29
law of
29:29
God,
29:29
clearly,
29:31
and gave
29:31
the sense
29:32
so that the
29:32
people understood
29:33
the reading,
29:35
God's word
29:36
has to be
29:36
explained a
29:37
lot,
29:38
there's
29:38
things in
29:39
here that
29:39
are hard
29:39
to understand,
29:41
and Nehemiah
29:42
who was the
29:42
governor,
29:43
and Ezra
29:44
the priest,
29:45
and the
29:45
scribe,
29:46
and the
29:46
Levites
29:47
who taught
29:47
the people,
29:48
said to
29:48
the people,
29:49
this day
29:50
is holy
29:51
to the
29:51
Lord your
29:52
God,
29:53
do not
29:53
mourn
29:54
or weep,
29:55
for all
29:55
the people
29:56
wept as
29:56
they heard
29:57
the words
29:58
of the
29:58
law,
30:00
so hear
30:00
that,
30:01
they're
30:01
hearing
30:01
the
30:02
scripture
30:02
and they're
30:02
breaking
30:03
down,
30:03
they're
30:04
feeling the
30:04
conviction
30:04
and weight
30:05
of God's
30:06
word,
30:07
and he
30:07
says,
30:08
then he
30:08
said to
30:08
them,
30:10
go your
30:10
way,
30:12
eat fat
30:12
and drink
30:13
sweet wine
30:13
and send
30:14
portions to
30:15
anyone who
30:16
has nothing
30:16
ready,
30:17
for this
30:18
day is
30:18
holy to
30:19
our
30:19
Lord,
30:20
do not
30:20
be grieved,
30:22
for the joy
30:23
of the Lord
30:23
is your
30:24
strength,
30:25
like wow,
30:27
a beautiful
30:27
example of
30:28
God's word
30:29
being taught
30:31
faithfully
30:32
to the
30:32
people,
30:33
and you're
30:33
seeing the
30:34
effects of
30:34
it,
30:35
right,
30:36
so,
30:37
understand
30:38
that this
30:38
is a
30:39
holy time,
30:40
alright,
30:42
and,
30:42
I mean,
30:43
those of you
30:43
who know me
30:44
well know
30:44
this is a
30:45
pretty big
30:46
soapbox I
30:46
get on,
30:47
so I'm
30:47
not going
30:47
to stay
30:48
on it for
30:48
just maybe
30:49
a minute
30:49
or two,
30:50
but,
30:51
particularly
30:52
you college
30:54
students,
30:55
you have
30:56
to absolutely
30:56
put to
30:57
death,
30:57
destroy
30:58
the idea
30:59
that worship
31:01
is simply
31:02
music,
31:04
that worship
31:04
is simply
31:05
just coming
31:05
to hear
31:06
music,
31:07
music can
31:08
be an
31:09
act of
31:09
worship,
31:10
but it's
31:10
not alone
31:11
by itself,
31:13
just worship,
31:14
if you read
31:15
this passage,
31:15
what you see
31:16
is the
31:17
hearing of
31:18
God's word,
31:20
them paying
31:20
attention,
31:22
them sitting
31:22
upright and
31:23
listening to
31:24
God's word
31:24
is an act
31:25
of worship,
31:27
modern day
31:27
terms of
31:29
worship,
31:29
worship would
31:29
totally confuse
31:30
these people
31:31
in the
31:31
scripture,
31:31
they'd be
31:32
like,
31:32
what are
31:33
you talking
31:33
about,
31:33
they would
31:34
have no
31:34
idea,
31:35
like,
31:36
what you
31:36
meant,
31:37
this idea
31:37
of hey,
31:38
let's enter
31:38
into this
31:39
time of
31:40
worship,
31:40
and it's
31:40
like,
31:41
what have
31:41
you been
31:42
doing all
31:42
day,
31:43
not
31:43
worshiping,
31:44
you know,
31:44
it's like it
31:45
doesn't make
31:46
any sense,
31:46
the idea of
31:47
our English
31:47
word,
31:48
worship,
31:49
comes from
31:50
the word
31:51
worship,
31:52
whatever it
31:53
is you
31:53
value and
31:54
treasure and
31:55
consider to be
31:55
the most
31:56
worthy,
31:57
and that's
31:57
shown,
31:58
enter in how
31:58
you live and
31:59
life,
32:00
right,
32:01
I mean,
32:01
that's what
32:01
worship really
32:03
is,
32:03
so you're
32:04
listening and
32:05
you're paying
32:05
attention to
32:06
God's word,
32:07
is worship,
32:09
and see,
32:09
what I see is a
32:10
lot of people
32:10
listening and
32:11
kind of all
32:12
into the
32:14
music aspect,
32:14
when they sit
32:15
down,
32:15
it's like,
32:16
just turn
32:17
off,
32:18
and it's
32:19
okay to
32:20
goof off and
32:20
mess with your
32:21
buddies,
32:21
and no,
32:22
like,
32:23
this is a
32:23
serious time,
32:25
worship of
32:25
God's people
32:26
is continuing,
32:27
especially His
32:29
word,
32:29
being spoken
32:30
to you,
32:32
it has to be
32:33
that way,
32:33
this is what
32:33
we see here,
32:35
and this
32:35
same word
32:36
broke the
32:37
people,
32:38
it convicted
32:38
them of
32:39
sin,
32:40
they were
32:40
weeping,
32:41
and no
32:42
doubtfully,
32:42
Nehemiah,
32:43
being led
32:43
by the
32:43
Spirit,
32:44
said,
32:46
understood,
32:47
that this
32:48
same word
32:48
that was
32:48
doing that
32:49
would be
32:49
the same
32:50
word that
32:51
gave them
32:51
strength and
32:52
joy to
32:52
keep going
32:53
and pressing
32:53
on to what
32:54
they were
32:55
doing,
32:56
so he
32:56
brought that
32:57
up to
32:57
them,
32:57
even the
32:59
idea of
32:59
the pulpit,
33:00
they built
33:01
a large
33:01
platform in
33:03
Nehemiah
33:03
for them to
33:05
stand on,
33:06
to read the
33:06
word,
33:06
and to
33:06
teach it,
33:08
definitely for
33:10
audio purposes,
33:11
so that people
33:12
could see them
33:12
and hear them,
33:13
but I think
33:14
it's kind of
33:15
cool,
33:16
a lot of
33:16
our heroes
33:17
from church
33:18
history,
33:19
the reformers,
33:21
Luther,
33:21
Calvin,
33:22
Spurgeon,
33:22
the Puritans,
33:24
they kind of
33:25
took the
33:25
pulpit and
33:26
had a
33:26
different idea
33:27
for it,
33:28
pulpits,
33:29
if you go
33:29
along,
33:30
it's really
33:30
old,
33:31
I had a
33:31
picture of
33:32
one I was
33:32
going to
33:32
try to
33:32
show,
33:33
but Calvin's
33:34
pulpit in
33:34
Geneva,
33:35
it's like it
33:36
has this
33:36
staircase and
33:37
it goes up,
33:38
then,
33:39
you know,
33:40
you can't
33:40
really see
33:40
it,
33:41
that's okay,
33:42
but it
33:43
goes up,
33:45
and so,
33:46
the point
33:46
is,
33:47
not to
33:48
show the
33:48
importance of
33:49
the man
33:49
who was
33:50
going up
33:51
there and
33:51
how important
33:51
he was,
33:52
but it
33:53
was to
33:53
say that
33:54
we stand
33:55
under the
33:56
preaching of
33:57
God's
33:57
word,
33:58
and so,
33:58
when a
33:59
man went
34:00
up those
34:00
stairs to
34:02
deliver a
34:03
sermon on
34:03
God's
34:04
word,
34:04
he did it
34:04
with fear
34:05
and trembling,
34:06
and with a
34:06
great responsibility
34:07
as he began
34:08
walking up
34:09
those stairs,
34:11
I think it's
34:11
pretty cool,
34:13
so he climbed
34:13
those stairs
34:14
with great
34:14
reverence and
34:15
joy,
34:16
so,
34:16
just a cool
34:18
thing to know
34:18
about pulpits,
34:20
but,
34:21
so,
34:21
yeah,
34:22
sanctify,
34:23
this time
34:24
as holy,
34:24
so another
34:25
thing is
34:26
pray
34:26
expectantly,
34:29
come expecting
34:30
to hear from
34:30
God,
34:31
right,
34:32
without faith
34:33
it's impossible
34:34
to please
34:34
God,
34:35
you have to
34:35
understand that
34:36
you have to,
34:37
your heart is
34:38
naturally shut up
34:39
against God,
34:40
you need prayer
34:41
to soften the
34:42
soil of your
34:43
heart,
34:44
so it's vital
34:45
at all times,
34:45
but especially
34:46
at this time,
34:48
so,
34:49
excuse me,
34:50
that,
34:51
sorry,
34:53
pray,
34:54
as David
34:54
prayed,
34:56
great,
34:56
great scripture
34:57
here,
34:57
Psalm 119,
34:58
verse 17,
34:59
deal bountifully
35:00
with your
35:01
servant,
35:02
that I may
35:02
live and keep
35:03
your word,
35:04
open my eyes,
35:05
that I may
35:05
behold wondrous
35:06
things out of
35:07
your law,
35:08
I'm a sojourner
35:09
on earth,
35:10
hide not your
35:11
commandments from
35:12
me,
35:12
help me to
35:13
behold wonderful
35:14
things in your
35:14
law,
35:15
he's praying
35:15
this,
35:16
so,
35:17
Jeremiah Burroughs
35:18
again,
35:19
on this idea,
35:20
he says,
35:21
pray beforehand
35:22
that God
35:23
would open
35:23
thine eyes,
35:24
open thine
35:25
heart,
35:26
and accompany
35:26
his word,
35:27
as David
35:28
did,
35:29
and you
35:29
know what
35:30
it is said
35:30
of Lydia,
35:31
the Lord
35:32
opened her
35:32
heart to
35:33
attend the
35:33
word which
35:34
was spoken,
35:35
you have
35:35
need to
35:36
pray,
35:36
oh Lord,
35:38
my eyes
35:38
and my
35:39
heart,
35:40
Lord,
35:40
my heart
35:40
is naturally
35:41
locked up
35:42
against your
35:42
word,
35:44
and are
35:44
the words
35:44
in my
35:45
heart,
35:45
that except
35:46
apart from
35:48
you,
35:49
cannot be,
35:50
will not
35:50
open to
35:51
your word,
35:52
Lord,
35:52
I have
35:53
often gone
35:53
to thy
35:54
word,
35:55
and had
35:55
the key
35:56
stuck in
35:56
it,
35:57
and had
35:58
failed to
35:58
open it,
35:59
but Lord,
35:59
if you
36:00
would,
36:00
but fit it,
36:01
and turn it
36:02
in your
36:02
hand,
36:03
my heart
36:03
would open,
36:05
oh come
36:05
with such a
36:06
praying heart
36:07
to the
36:08
word of
36:08
God,
36:09
that he
36:09
may be
36:09
glorified in
36:10
you,
36:10
and you
36:11
would be
36:11
profited,
36:12
so pray,
36:13
even while you're
36:14
in the car
36:14
on the way
36:14
here,
36:14
that God
36:15
would use
36:16
this time
36:16
to minister
36:16
to your
36:17
hearts,
36:18
so,
36:19
that's before
36:20
you hear the
36:21
word,
36:21
what about
36:21
while you're
36:22
hearing the
36:22
word,
36:22
right now,
36:24
some duties,
36:25
responsibilities,
36:27
one,
36:29
hang on the
36:30
words you
36:30
hear,
36:31
hang on the
36:32
words you
36:32
hear,
36:33
so we
36:34
read in
36:35
Luke 19,
36:36
something
36:36
interesting about
36:37
after Jesus
36:38
cleanses the
36:39
temple,
36:39
and he's
36:39
teaching,
36:40
this is
36:41
something
36:41
that said,
36:43
it says,
36:43
he was
36:43
teaching daily
36:44
in the
36:44
temple,
36:45
the chief
36:45
priests and
36:46
the scribes
36:47
and the
36:47
principal men
36:47
were seeking
36:49
to destroy
36:49
him,
36:50
but they
36:50
did not
36:51
find anything
36:51
they could
36:52
do,
36:53
listen to this,
36:53
for all
36:53
the people
36:54
were hanging
36:55
on his
36:56
words,
36:57
as he
36:57
taught,
36:57
they were
36:58
just completely
36:59
hanging on
36:59
his words,
37:01
and it
37:01
says here,
37:03
another
37:03
Puritan,
37:04
John
37:04
Wells,
37:04
said,
37:05
it is
37:06
said of
37:06
Christ's
37:06
auditors,
37:07
that they
37:08
did hang
37:08
upon his
37:09
mouth in
37:10
their hearing,
37:11
the ear
37:12
is the
37:13
proper door
37:14
to the
37:14
heart,
37:15
study then
37:16
to make
37:16
it a
37:17
door to
37:17
salvation,
37:18
by serious
37:19
and diligent
37:20
attention,
37:21
the ear
37:21
lies in
37:22
the way
37:22
to the
37:23
soul,
37:23
as the
37:24
light shines
37:24
not into
37:25
a house,
37:27
but by
37:27
the window,
37:29
let us
37:29
not lose
37:30
the blessed
37:30
truths by
37:31
neglectful
37:32
hearing,
37:33
which Christ
37:34
had brought
37:34
by his
37:35
painful
37:35
bleeding,
37:37
okay,
37:38
so,
37:39
these things
37:40
are our
37:40
life,
37:41
when Moses
37:42
and Deuteronomy
37:42
was speaking,
37:43
it's like,
37:43
these words,
37:45
these commandments
37:45
are your
37:46
life,
37:47
so,
37:47
like,
37:47
come to
37:48
hear the
37:49
scripture in
37:49
that way,
37:51
another thing
37:51
to do,
37:52
pray sporadically
37:54
during this
37:55
time,
37:56
I mean,
37:57
there's often
37:57
times,
37:58
especially when
37:58
I knew that
37:59
Nathan or
37:59
Wes or
38:00
Kyle or
38:00
somebody was
38:01
up here
38:01
teaching on
38:01
a hard
38:02
subject,
38:03
and I'm
38:03
back there
38:03
in the
38:03
back just
38:04
thinking,
38:05
man,
38:05
I'm glad
38:06
to,
38:06
but I'm
38:07
not up
38:07
there today,
38:08
I'm glad
38:08
it's him,
38:09
and I'm
38:10
like,
38:11
and I can
38:11
see their
38:11
face,
38:12
and then
38:12
like,
38:12
just,
38:13
just,
38:14
my Lord,
38:15
help them
38:15
to explain
38:16
this well,
38:17
help them
38:17
to teach
38:18
the people
38:18
well,
38:19
pray for
38:20
the preacher,
38:21
pray for
38:22
your neighbors,
38:23
and pray for
38:23
your own
38:24
heart while
38:24
you're hearing
38:25
God's word,
38:26
pray sporadically,
38:28
Samuel Ansley,
38:30
another period,
38:31
he said,
38:31
mix your
38:31
hearing with
38:32
prayer,
38:33
jog your
38:34
hearts as
38:34
you do
38:34
your sleeping
38:35
neighbors,
38:36
right,
38:37
call in
38:38
your thoughts
38:38
while they
38:40
are within
38:40
call,
38:41
and as
38:41
far as
38:42
possible,
38:42
think of
38:43
nothing but
38:44
what you
38:44
are about,
38:45
which is
38:45
hearing God's
38:46
word,
38:47
right,
38:48
so one
38:49
more thing
38:50
you can do
38:50
during this
38:51
time is
38:52
personalize
38:53
your hearing,
38:54
personalize
38:55
your hearing,
38:55
it often
38:56
helps to
38:57
think of
38:57
God
38:57
addressing
38:58
you
38:58
personally,
39:01
if I
39:02
was to
39:02
say,
39:03
Cody,
39:04
and I
39:05
looked at
39:05
him,
39:05
he
39:06
immediately
39:06
would
39:06
buck
39:06
up,
39:07
and if
39:07
I
39:07
called
39:07
your
39:07
name,
39:07
you
39:07
would
39:08
buck
39:08
up
39:08
too,
39:09
right,
39:09
so think
39:10
of it,
39:11
is God
39:12
personally
39:12
addressing
39:12
you,
39:13
Jeremiah
39:14
Burroughs,
39:15
he says,
39:16
as a man
39:17
that is
39:17
asleep,
39:18
if there
39:19
is a
39:19
noise
39:19
made,
39:20
it will
39:20
usually
39:21
not
39:21
awaken
39:21
him
39:22
so soon,
39:22
but,
39:23
come and
39:24
call out
39:24
his name
39:25
and say
39:25
John
39:26
or Thomas,
39:27
and he
39:27
will awake
39:28
sooner
39:28
than a
39:29
great
39:29
noise
39:30
will,
39:31
so,
39:31
when the
39:31
word makes
39:32
a noise,
39:33
when it
39:33
is delivered
39:34
only in
39:34
general,
39:35
men take
39:36
little notice
39:36
of it,
39:37
right,
39:38
so,
39:38
if I'm just
39:38
kind of
39:39
delivering it
39:39
to everybody,
39:40
you may
39:41
not,
39:41
may not
39:42
possibly hear,
39:44
but when the
39:45
word is
39:46
particularly
39:47
to the
39:48
souls of
39:48
men,
39:49
as it
39:50
were,
39:50
called
39:50
their
39:50
names,
39:51
it
39:51
awakens
39:51
them,
39:52
so,
39:53
think of
39:53
it like
39:53
me,
39:54
this is
39:55
being
39:55
spoken
39:55
to me,
39:56
and I
39:57
need to
39:57
hear this,
39:59
so,
39:59
those things,
40:00
hang on the
40:01
words you
40:01
hear,
40:02
pray sporadically,
40:03
personalize
40:04
your hearing,
40:05
the fourth
40:06
question,
40:08
this is the
40:08
last question,
40:10
what are
40:11
our
40:11
responsibilities
40:11
after
40:12
hearing the
40:13
word of
40:14
God,
40:14
so,
40:15
when you
40:15
go from
40:15
here,
40:17
what happens,
40:18
typical,
40:20
guilty,
40:21
most people
40:22
set their
40:23
souls solely
40:24
on the
40:25
meal before
40:25
them,
40:26
right,
40:27
you think,
40:27
like man,
40:28
like you
40:28
start to
40:29
think,
40:29
like where
40:29
can we
40:30
go eat,
40:30
where am I
40:30
going to
40:31
eat,
40:31
what are
40:31
we going
40:31
to do
40:32
after this,
40:33
who am I
40:33
going to
40:33
hang out
40:34
with,
40:35
a thousand
40:35
different
40:36
directions
40:36
your mind
40:38
goes,
40:38
some for
40:38
more urgent
40:40
reasons,
40:40
and some
40:40
for not so
40:41
urgent reasons,
40:43
but regardless,
40:44
the word of
40:44
God is
40:45
quickly snuffed
40:46
out,
40:47
a lot
40:47
of the
40:47
time from
40:47
your
40:48
heart,
40:49
so,
40:49
some things
40:51
you can
40:51
do to
40:53
think about
40:53
this,
40:54
alright,
40:56
right,
40:57
others you
40:58
may say
40:58
there's
40:59
like an
40:59
important
40:59
sports game
41:00
I want to
41:01
go watch,
41:01
there's this,
41:02
there's that,
41:03
there's a ton
41:03
of things,
41:04
some of you
41:04
are going to
41:04
go home and
41:05
go to sleep
41:05
for probably
41:06
five hours,
41:07
don't do it,
41:08
unless you
41:08
got like one
41:09
hour of sleep
41:09
last night,
41:10
for a good
41:11
reason,
41:12
right,
41:12
so,
41:13
don't allow
41:14
the word
41:14
to be so
41:15
quickly snuffed
41:15
out,
41:16
recognize right
41:17
now that when
41:18
you leave,
41:19
I want you to
41:19
like pay
41:20
attention to
41:20
this,
41:20
there's going
41:20
to be a
41:21
thousand things
41:21
like,
41:22
look at me,
41:23
look at me,
41:24
forget about
41:24
the word of
41:26
God you heard,
41:26
and think about
41:27
this,
41:28
right,
41:29
recognize and
41:30
embrace that
41:31
reality,
41:32
there's going to
41:32
be a thousand
41:33
things trying to
41:33
pull you away,
41:35
prone to wander,
41:36
Lord,
41:36
I feel it,
41:37
that's like what
41:37
you're going to
41:38
feel like when
41:38
you leave here,
41:38
so,
41:41
our Lord
41:42
himself said,
41:43
a wise man
41:44
is a one who
41:46
hears the words
41:47
and does them,
41:49
and a fool
41:49
is the opposite,
41:50
he only hears
41:51
but does not
41:51
do,
41:53
right,
41:54
so,
41:55
right down
41:56
underneath this,
41:58
be a doer
41:58
of the word,
42:00
okay,
42:00
be a doer
42:00
of the word,
42:01
look at James
42:02
chapter 1,
42:03
this is the last
42:04
thing you have
42:04
to look at,
42:04
James chapter 1,
42:06
James chapter 1,
42:09
verse 22,
42:11
and you know,
42:15
by the way,
42:15
the wise man
42:16
that built his
42:17
house on the
42:18
rock and obeyed
42:19
and took action
42:21
on the words of
42:21
Christ,
42:22
he's the one
42:22
who survived
42:23
the flood
42:24
and the storm,
42:25
and the one
42:26
who did not
42:27
apply what he
42:28
heard,
42:29
said great was
42:29
the fall of
42:30
his house,
42:31
great was the
42:32
fall of his
42:32
house,
42:34
so,
42:35
James chapter 1,
42:36
verse 22,
42:37
with this in
42:38
mind,
42:38
James says,
42:39
but be doers
42:40
of the word
42:41
and not hearers
42:43
only,
42:44
deceiving yourselves,
42:46
for if anyone
42:47
is a hearer of
42:48
the word
42:48
and not a doer,
42:49
he is like a
42:50
man who looks
42:51
intently at his
42:52
natural face
42:53
in a mirror,
42:54
for he looks at
42:55
himself and goes
42:55
away and at
42:57
once forgets
42:57
what he was
42:58
like,
42:59
but the one
42:59
who looks
43:00
into the
43:01
perfect law,
43:02
the law of
43:03
liberty,
43:05
and preserves,
43:06
being,
43:07
excuse me,
43:07
perseveres,
43:08
and being
43:09
no hearer
43:10
who forgets
43:10
but a doer
43:11
who acts,
43:12
he will be
43:13
blessed in
43:13
all his
43:13
doing,
43:15
strong words,
43:16
verse 22,
43:19
you see the
43:19
word like
43:19
deceiving
43:20
yourselves,
43:21
it's used of
43:22
a mathematical
43:23
miscalculation,
43:26
right,
43:26
that's what you
43:27
see here,
43:28
so those of
43:28
you who just
43:29
merely hear,
43:30
but then fail
43:31
to do,
43:32
he's saying
43:33
that you've
43:34
made a
43:34
serious,
43:35
grave,
43:36
spiritual
43:36
miscalculation,
43:37
if that's
43:38
what you've
43:38
done,
43:38
it's like
43:38
what he's
43:39
saying,
43:39
it doesn't
43:40
add up,
43:41
and it's
43:42
not right,
43:43
and the
43:44
perfect law
43:45
that's spoken
43:45
about here
43:46
is obviously
43:46
the scripture,
43:48
what you look
43:49
into and gaze
43:49
into God's
43:51
perfect law,
43:52
but if you ever
43:52
just looked at
43:53
a mirror,
43:54
and then just
43:54
walked away
43:55
real quick,
43:55
and then you
43:56
really just
43:56
forgot what
43:57
you looked
43:57
at,
43:58
you might
43:58
like to
43:58
jump back
43:59
and look
43:59
again,
43:59
I do
44:01
that with
44:01
my beard
44:02
all the
44:02
time,
44:03
because sometimes
44:03
there's like
44:03
parts that are
44:04
out of order,
44:06
so what he's
44:08
saying is,
44:10
you need to
44:11
not just take
44:12
a quick glance
44:13
and walk
44:14
away,
44:14
you need to
44:14
look intently
44:15
into the
44:17
perfect law,
44:18
right,
44:19
furthermore,
44:20
unless you
44:21
act promptly
44:21
after this
44:22
time,
44:23
unless you
44:24
act promptly
44:24
after you
44:25
go from
44:25
your hearing,
44:26
you'll
44:27
forget
44:27
adjustments
44:28
and changes
44:29
that need
44:29
to be made
44:29
to your
44:30
soul,
44:30
just like
44:30
if you
44:31
look in
44:31
the mirror
44:31
and walk
44:32
away,
44:32
you'll
44:32
forget
44:33
what God
44:34
convicted
44:35
you of
44:35
and showed
44:35
you here,
44:36
so act
44:37
promptly,
44:39
right,
44:40
it'll build
44:41
more faith,
44:43
joy,
44:43
peace,
44:43
and hope
44:43
in you,
44:44
be a doer
44:45
of the word
44:45
and not
44:46
just a hearer,
44:46
since the
44:47
doers will
44:47
be blessed
44:48
by God,
44:49
right,
44:50
so be a
44:52
doer of the
44:52
word,
44:53
and then
44:53
two other
44:54
things,
44:56
one,
44:57
discuss the
44:58
sermon when
44:58
you leave,
44:59
with whoever
44:59
you're with,
45:00
talk about
45:01
it,
45:02
and men,
45:02
you must
45:03
lead in
45:03
this,
45:03
you've got
45:04
to like
45:04
step up
45:06
and bring
45:06
this up
45:07
in the
45:07
groups that
45:07
you're in,
45:08
fathers,
45:10
I know a lot,
45:10
I'm thankful a lot
45:11
of men here
45:11
actually do do
45:12
that,
45:13
but college
45:13
students,
45:14
guys,
45:14
take the
45:14
lead,
45:15
talk about
45:15
how this
45:16
convicted you,
45:17
how this
45:17
encouraged you,
45:18
anything,
45:18
how it's
45:19
always a benefit
45:20
to hear what
45:21
other people
45:21
saw from
45:22
the scripture,
45:24
right,
45:25
it helps bring
45:26
further
45:26
illumination,
45:28
another
45:29
Puritan,
45:30
Thomas
45:30
Sonor,
45:31
he said,
45:32
repeat it in
45:33
your families,
45:34
talk of it as
45:35
you go from
45:36
your hearing,
45:37
pray to the
45:37
Lord that he
45:39
would preserve
45:39
the word in
45:40
your hearts by
45:40
his spirit,
45:42
the devil would
45:42
snatch away the
45:43
word of God
45:44
from us if
45:45
they were not
45:46
as stronger to
45:46
guard it,
45:47
the Holy
45:47
Spirit,
45:48
right,
45:49
so talk about
45:49
it as you
45:50
go,
45:50
lastly,
45:53
pray the
45:55
Holy Spirit
45:55
enables us to
45:56
hide the
45:57
word in our
45:57
hearts,
45:58
as David
45:59
did,
46:00
Psalm 119
46:01
verse 10,
46:03
with my whole
46:03
heart I seek
46:04
you,
46:05
let me not
46:06
wander from
46:07
your commandments,
46:08
I have stored
46:09
up your word
46:09
in my heart,
46:11
that I might
46:11
not sin against
46:12
you,
46:13
so pray that
46:14
the Holy Spirit
46:14
would hide the
46:15
scripture in
46:15
your hearts,
46:17
and then the
46:17
last thing by
46:18
Burroughs,
46:20
he says,
46:20
about this
46:22
text,
46:23
we must hide
46:23
the word in
46:24
our hearts,
46:25
we must not
46:26
only hear,
46:27
but keep it,
46:28
preserve it,
46:29
and then do
46:30
what we declare
46:32
on account of
46:33
the word of
46:33
God,
46:34
and if we do,
46:35
we actually say
46:36
that the word of
46:36
God is worth
46:37
something,
46:38
indeed,
46:39
if thou
46:40
wouldn't
46:40
sanctify the
46:41
name of God
46:42
in the hearing
46:42
of his word,
46:43
turn it into
46:44
practice,
46:45
listen,
46:46
as he's saying,
46:46
if you don't
46:47
turn it into
46:47
practice,
46:48
this is what
46:48
happens,
46:48
he says,
46:49
if you fail
46:50
to turn it
46:50
into practice,
46:51
otherwise the
46:52
name of God
46:53
is blasphemed,
46:54
or at least
46:55
taken in vain,
46:56
that's serious
46:58
stuff,
46:59
so we need
47:00
to learn to
47:01
treasure this,
47:02
and treasure
47:02
how it's
47:03
taught,
47:04
and if you
47:04
ever hear
47:05
any man
47:06
come up here
47:07
and say
47:07
something that's
47:08
outside of
47:08
this,
47:09
humbly bring
47:10
him back to
47:10
it and say
47:10
that this is
47:11
what we
47:12
believe here,
47:12
this is what
47:13
we proclaim
47:14
here,
47:14
Christ,
47:15
we behold
47:16
the glory of
47:17
Christ in
47:17
the scripture,
47:18
and that's
47:18
how we're
47:18
changed and
47:20
transformed,
47:21
so I hope
47:23
that some of
47:23
that stuff
47:24
will help
47:24
you come
47:26
here,
47:26
and not just
47:26
get more out
47:27
of it,
47:27
but it will
47:28
come here,
47:28
it will help
47:29
you glorify
47:29
God in your
47:30
hearing,
47:31
and your
47:31
listening,
47:32
and your
47:32
paying attention,
47:33
and while you
47:34
go,
47:34
it will help
47:34
you apply
47:35
what you know
47:36
into your
47:36
life,
47:38
so let's
47:39
just pray
47:40
together.
47:40
Thank you.