Latest / CCC West Covina / The Law of God, Part 2

Transcript

The Law of God, Part 2 · CCC West Covina

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Father God, we thank you for today and all the things that
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you do, and we're grateful, Lord, for the word of the Lord.
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We're grateful that we can study it and that we can learn about
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who you are and that we can grow on our walk with you.
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We're thankful, Lord, that you allow us to gather together in
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the middle of the week to spend time looking deep into the Word
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of God. Tonight.
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Lord, we just ask you to work in all of our hearts 'cause us,
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Lord, to be open and receptive to the things that we hear.
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Help us to have soft hearts and not hard hearts that we might be
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truly broken and understand clearly You're marching orders
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for your your children. We truly want to live like
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children of the King. And so as we study your sermon
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about how to do that, we just pray that you would just direct
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us, lead us and guide us that we might be honoring to you not
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just today, but through all the days of our lives.
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We pray in Jesus name, Amen. Take your Bible and turn to
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Matthew chapter 5 as we continue to look at at the Sermon on the
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Mount. The last time we were together,
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we were looking at Matthew 5, verses 17 to 20 by way of
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introduction. Let me read it for you just to
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set it in your in your minds it says, do not think that I came
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to abolish the law or the prophets.
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I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.
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For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not
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the smallest letter of stroke shall pass from the law until
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all is accomplished. Whoever then knows one of the
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least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same,
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shall be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
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But whoever keeps and teaches them, you should be called great
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in the Kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless
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your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and
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Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
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Now these verses point to a very pivotal aspect to Christ's
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sermon. Because truly He is the
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fulfillment of the law. The law is all about the Christ.
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So he wants everybody on the mountainside to understand that
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he is not saying anything contrary to that which has
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already been said, that He is the fulfillment of the Law.
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So let me illustrate that to you by taking you to the Gospel of
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Luke, Luke chapter 24, the resurrection of Christ.
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Remember in verse #1 of Luke 24 it says on the first day of the
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week, at early dawn they came to the tomb, bringing the spices
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which they had prepared, and they found the stone rolled away
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from the tomb. But when they entered, they did
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not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
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While they were perplexed about this, behold, 2 men suddenly
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stood near them in dazzling clothing.
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As the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground,
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the men said to them, Why do you seek the living One among the
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dead? He is not here, but He has
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risen. Remember how we spoke to you
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while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must
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be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified.
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And the third day rise again. Don't you remember all the
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things that He already said to you specifically about His
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death, burial and resurrection? Move down to verse #13 and
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behold, 2 of them were going that very day to a village named
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Emmaus, which was about 7 miles from Jerusalem, and they were
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talking with each other about all these things which had taken
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place. While they were talking and
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discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began travelling
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with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
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He said to them, What are these words that you are exchanging
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with one another as you are walking?
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And they sit still looking sad. One of them named Cleopas
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answered and said to him, Are you the only one visiting
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Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here
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in these days? And he said to them, what
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things? And they said to him the things
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about Jesus the Nazarene. And remember, Christ never asks
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question to receive information. He knows everything.
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He only asks questions for your illumination, not for his
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information. It's always important to realize
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that. So Jesus asked him, what are you
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talking about? What things?
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So they begin to tell him, they said, Jesus the Nazarene, who
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was a prophet, mighty in deed and word, in the sight of God,
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and all the people and of the chief priests and our rulers,
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delivered him to the sentence of death and crucified him.
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But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem
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Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is
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the third day since these things happen.
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But also some women among us were among us amazed us.
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When they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find
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his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of
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angels who said that he was alive.
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Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it,
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just exactly as the women also had said.
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But Him they did not see. And he, Jesus said to them, O
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foolish men, and slow of heart, to believe in all the prophets
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have spoken. Was it not necessary for the
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Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?
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Christ immediately takes him back to the prophets, the Old
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Testament, to show them that this was all prophesied, because
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he came not to abolish the law. He came to fulfill the law, all
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of the law. Then beginning with Moses and
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with all the prophets, he explained to them the things
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concerning himself in all the Scriptures.
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So he would explain to them him. He would explain to them who He
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is, what the Old Testament said. So they would be without excuse.
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So they would understand that the Old Testament had one theme.
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The theme was the Messiah, the Redeemer, the Deliverer of
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Israel. Verse 28.
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And they approached the village where they were going, and he
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acted as though He was going further.
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But they urged him, saying, Stay with us for his getting toward
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the evening, and the day is now nearly over.
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So He went to stay with them. He reclined at the table with
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them. He took the bread and blessed
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it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them.
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Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he
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vanished from their sight. They said to one another, We're
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not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking to us on
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the road, while he was explaining the Scriptures to us,
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that that verse is so important. Their hearts were not burning
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because of the revelation of the Savior.
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Their hearts were burning because of the revelation of the
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Scriptures. Which begs the question, as you
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were following along and reading with me, was your heart on fire?
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Was your heart burning on the inside?
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Because you see the Lord said to Jeremiah the prophet Jeremiah
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2329 is not my word like a fire? It is.
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We have to ask ourselves the question, why is it when we read
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the word that a fire doesn't well up within our soul?
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Why is it we can read it and be so cold?
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Why is it we read it and we not moved or motivated?
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Why is it when we read it, it's as if it's just another book?
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But these people, these two men on the road to Emmaus, had Jesus
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explaining to them the Scriptures, and their hearts
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burned within them when they came to realize that the
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Scriptures spoke only of Christ, and He was able to explain that
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to them. They would go back to Jerusalem,
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they would meet with the other apostles.
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And Jesus said these words in verse #44 Now He said to them,
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These are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with
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you, that all things which are written by about me in the law
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of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.
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Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and
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He said to them, Thus it is written that the Christ would
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suffer and rise again from the dead the third day.
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He would open their eyes, help them understand that.
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Listen, everything in the law of God, everything written by the
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prophets, everything written in the Psalms, everything in your
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Scripture is all about me, the light of the world.
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And therefore, whenever God's Word is explained to you, there
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must be something within you that wells up on the inside.
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There must be something in you that catches a blaze.
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There must be some flicker of a flame in your heart that when
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God's Word is read and explained, you are motivated and
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you are moved to action. There's something about it that
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excites you, and if there's not, you got to ask yourself the
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question why? Why is it I am not motivated?
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The Bible says in First Thessalonians 2 verse #13 that
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God's Word works effectively in those who believe.
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It could be that you don't believe.
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We don't think of it that way. But if you're a believer and you
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hear the Word of God, it does something on the inside of you.
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There's something to motivate you.
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It does something to to excite you.
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It does it does something to cause you to want to obey
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because it always works in those who believe in fact, listen to
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this verse, the book of Colossians, the book of
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Colossians, the first chapter. Listen to what Paul says.
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Colossians chapter one verse #5 He says, because of the hope
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laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in
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the word of truth. So the word which is true has
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given you a hope of heaven, just as in all the world, or excuse
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me, the word truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as
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in all the world also, it is constantly bearing fruit and
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increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day
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you heard of it and understood the grace of God In truth.
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He says since the day you heard of the gospel of truth, you
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began bearing fruit, and you continue to bear fruit because
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of the word of truth. In other words, he is affirming
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First Thessalonians 213 that God is using His word to always work
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in the life of the believer. This is the uniqueness of the
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power of God's word. That's why Paul would say I am
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not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of
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God and His salvation to the Jew 1st and also to the Greek there
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is power in the gospel. So here's the point.
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If when you hear the Word of God and you read the Word of God and
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you understand the word of God, if you're not moved by that,
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there's a good chance you are not a believer in Christ, Then
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you are a believer in Christ because it's always bearing
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fruit in you and continuing to do so even to this day.
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Paul says to the Church of Colossae, we have to stop
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thinking that people are saved when they live like the unsaved.
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We have to stop thinking people and assuring people that they
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are born again because of some decision that they made one day
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down the road or some prayer they prayed 20 years ago.
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Is there fruit bearing in their lives?
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Is there evidence of the word of God bearing fruit in them,
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motivating them to live for Christ?
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Because it effectively works in those who believe.
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That means it doesn't work in those who do not believe.
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And so we need to understand that from the very beginning,
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because here is Christ saying, I've come not to to abolish the
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law, to get rid of the law. Instead, I've come to fulfill
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it. I am the embodiment of the law.
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And so the words I'm going to give to you are not going to be
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contrary to the words that have already been spoken to you in
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the word of the living God. It's there.
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I am it, which leads us to our introduction, which leads us to
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the brilliance of the law. We talked about this two weeks
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ago. And from the brilliance of the
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law, we're going to, we're going to move from there and we are
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automatically going to talk about the importance of the law,
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the endurance of the law, and the relevance of relevance of
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the law. But I want to take you back and
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look once again at the brilliance of the law because
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it's so powerful, it's so unique.
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And we need to understand how magnificent, how brilliant, how
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incredible God's Word is. So let's go back to Psalm 19
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because that's where we left off 2 weeks ago to help you
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understand the brilliance of the word of the living God told you
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last time. Then the 1st 6 verses he talks
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about the beauty of the work of God.
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And now he talks about the brilliance of the Word of God in
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verses 9 or excuse me, verses 7, the following because it's
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absolutely brilliant. And he gives 6 titles for the
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word of God. We covered these last time.
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The law of the Lord is perfect, complete, sufficient, restoring,
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converting, redeeming the soul. There's nothing more complete
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than the word of God to redeem a soul.
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And then he says the testimony of the Lord, the divine witness
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of the Lord Christ is his own witness, but the divine witness
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of the Lord is immovable. It's sure it's unshakeable,
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making wise the simple. The simple person becomes
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extremely wise simply because of the testimony of the Lord.
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Then it says the presets of the Lord are right.
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The statutes of the Lord, the divine principles of the Lord
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are right. Not not necessarily right as
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opposed to wrong, but right in terms of directing in a straight
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path, a direct path so you know which way to go.
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Rejoicing the heart. And then he says the commandment
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of the Lord, the mandates of the Lord, they're not optional.
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They're mandates is pure, lucid, clear, enlightening the eyes.
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In other words, there's no mystery here.
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There's there's nothing confusing in the Word of God.
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Yeah, there are some things that are hard to understand.
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That's true. And Peter speaks about that.
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But it doesn't mean that's confusing.
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It's very clear. The fear of the Lord is clean.
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In other words, the fear of the Lord is another title for the
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word of the Lord. Isaiah 33 verse #6 says the fear
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of the Lord is His treasure. In other words, the fear of the
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Lord is another title for the word itself.
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That's why the Proverbs says in Proverbs one verse #7 that the
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fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
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Where does wisdom begin? It begins with the dispensing of
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God's fear, which is His truth that it gives you.
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Proverbs 9 verse #10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
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wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
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So here he says that the fear of the Lord, which is His treasure
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is clean and it endures forever. The judgements of the Lord are,
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are true. In other words, when God passes
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judgement, it's never an error. It's always done righteously and
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true. They are righteous all together.
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And that is that is the, what we call the, the preciousness of
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the word of God. God, God's Word is so precious
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that it's sufficient enough to make sure that our we, we have
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the vision that we need, the joy that we need, the eyes that
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clearly see, and that we are righteous all together and that
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we are able to endure. God's Word does all that.
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That's why it's so precious. And then we move from its
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preciousness to its pleasurableness.
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It's absolutely pleasurable. That's what he says in verse #10
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They are more desirable than gold.
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Yes, and much fine gold. Sweeter also than honey and the
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drippings of the honeycomb. There is nothing more
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pleasurable than the truth of God's Word, nothing more
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valuable than the truth of God's Word.
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And David's trying to explain to us how great, how brilliant it
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really is. Nothing more desirable than the
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truth of God's Word. We are to feed on that and we
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are to hunger for it. That's why Christ said, blessed
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are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they and
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they only shall be satisfied. The other people are not
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satisfied. They're always looking to
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satisfy the the the inner longings of the soul.
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But but the believer is satisfied by the truth that they
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embrace. That's why Jeremiah said, Thy
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words are found. And I did eat them, and they
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were the joy and the rejoicing of my heart.
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And Jeremiah could say that even though he was all alone and even
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though no one would listen to the words in which he said, and
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although God said you can't get married, so he was all alone,
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even though he'd be thrown into a pit, Jeremiah said, I got your
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word. As long as I got your word, I'm
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good, I'm satisfied. But for us, it's like we need
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something else. We need to live in boys.
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If God's word is not sufficient for my loneliness, it's not
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sufficient for my isolation, it's not sufficient for my pain,
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it's not sufficient for my difficulties, it's not
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sufficient for whatever it is I'm going through.
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But Jeremiah says, Oh no, I found your words.
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I ate them. I consumed them because they
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were the joy and rejoiced in them.
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They satisfied my heart because listen, no one's, no one's going
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to listen to the word of God anyway.
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No one's going to follow God anyway.
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They're going to throw me in a pit anyway.
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I can't get buried anyway. So.
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So where does my joy come from? It comes from the relationship I
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have with the living God and the word that He gives me to impart
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to others. But for us today, that's just
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not enough. We are saying to God, your
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words, your word's great. It's just not sufficient enough
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to meet me in my time of need. Really.
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Do we really have that attitude? And David's saying, aw man,
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God's word is so desirable. It's so sweet.
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Even the drippings of the honeycomb can't match the
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sweetness of God's holy word. Those are the two points we
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covered last week under the brilliance of His, of His word.
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Number one is precious #2 it's pleasurable.
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Here's #3 it's protective. God's word is so brilliant, it
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protects you. We all, we all want protection.
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We all want to be watched over. We all want to be safe, right?
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Listen, there's only one safe space.
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It's right here there, there is no no room, no person, no place
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that's going to cause you to be safe and protected.
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But the word of God, nothing. There's something there you will
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fear, but God's word is a protective agent unlike anything
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else. That's the way he says, MO over
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by them. Your servant is warned, and in
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keeping them there is great reward.
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In other words, there's something about the Word of God
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that warns me of impending danger.
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It warns me of sin. It warns me of temptation.
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It warns me of false teaching. It warns me about wrong
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relationships. It warns me about error.
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God, God's Word, protects me from falling into error
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falsities. It protects me from falling the
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sin and temptation. Listen to what Solomon said in
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Proverbs chapter 4 verse one. Hear, O sons, the instruction of
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a father, and give attention that you may gain understanding,
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for I give you sound teaching. Do not abandon my instruction
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When I was a son to my father tender, and the only son in the
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side of my mother. Then he taught me and said to
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me, Let your heart hold fast my words, keep my commandments and
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live. Those 4 verses should
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revolutionize every dad in the room.
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Those 4 verses should challenge every dad in the room.
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Listen to your father's instruction.
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Listen to what I'm going to tell you.
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Because when I was young, Stalin was saying this when I was
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young, and I was very tender. I remember sitting with my
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father, it was King David and he telling me the truth of the word
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of God, that somehow he would teach me and say, let your heart
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hold fast my words, keep my commandments and you will live.
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You remember that. What are your sons and daughters
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going to remember about what you taught them?
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Are they going to be able to say excuse me to their children?
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When I was young and I was tender and I was being raised by
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my mom and by my dad, my dad taught me keep my commandments
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and live. So I'm going to teach you God's
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commandments so you can live. But I wonder what your children
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would say today. Would they be able to reminisce
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as Solomon did and remember what his father taught him when he
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was young? Read on.
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Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding.
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Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
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Do not forsake her. She will guard you.
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Love her, she will watch over you.
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See that God's Word is protective.
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Acquire wisdom, get understanding.
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Where do you get that from? The truth of the living God.
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Don't forsake her. Don't turn your back on her.
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Why? She's going to watch over you,
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going to guard you, protect you. Verse 7.
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The beginning of wisdom is acquire wisdom and with all your
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acquiring, get understanding. Prize her and she would exalt
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you. She will honor you if you
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embrace her. She will place on your head a
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Garland of grace. She will present you with a
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crown of beauty. Hear my son and accept my
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sayings, and the years of your life will be many.
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I have directed you in the way of wisdom.
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I have led you in upright paths. When you walk, your steps will
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not be impeded, and if you run, you will not stumble.
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See, God's word is protective. Take hold of instruction.
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Do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life.
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Wow, God's Word is your life. Later in Proverbs 6, he would
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say this verse 20, my son, observe the commandment of your
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father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
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Bind them continually on your heart.
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Tie them around your neck. Now these are he's teaching them
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the commandments of God. He's not teaching them his
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opinion. He's not giving them some kind
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of secular education. He's giving them the
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commandments of God, the truth of God's word.
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Bind them around your heart. You see, we, we, we, we are so
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we, we are so into our children doing their homework from school
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but not doing any studying of the word of God.
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And one gives life and the other doesn't.
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But yet we are so in tune with our educational system and
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making sure our children receive the right kind of education.
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And I do agree you should receive an education, but not at
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the expense of biblical instruction and learning what
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the Bible says. He says when you walk about,
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they will guide you. I'm going to give you the word
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of God because you need guidance.
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So whenever you walk about, you're going to be going in the
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right direction because you're going to know what the word of
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God says. And he says this, when you
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sleep, they will watch over you. Now, how does God's word watch
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over you? Because it's protective.
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And so when you are being guided by the Word of God, being led by
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the word of God, knowing that you are taking a step in the
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power of the Spirit of God, under the guidance of the Word
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of God, guess what? You sleep like a baby at night.
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Why? Because you're inside the will
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of God. And you, you sleep well when you
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awake, they will talk to you. That's that's just so good.
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The commandments of God will talk to you.
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But this is the word of God, right?
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This is the, the, the God breathed word.
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So God is going to speak to each and everyone of you through his
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word. He's already spoken everything
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He needs to say. He's already said.
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He said in His words. So every time you open the book
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and you read the word of God, God is speaking to you because
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these are His words. And so He wants to converse with
30:31
you. How does God converse with you?
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He's giving you His word. Read it.
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Whenever you read it, you're conversing with God.
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He's talking to you. Your prayer life is responding
30:42
back to Him. Your obedience is responding
30:44
back to Him, but God is conversing with you through His
30:48
Word. And so he speaks.
30:53
So Solomon says to his son, I'm going to give you instruction.
30:57
I'm going to give you the commandments of God.
30:59
So when you, when you walk about, they're going to guide
31:01
you so much so that that you, you know, you're going the right
31:04
way so that when you go to bed at night, they'll watch over
31:07
you. And then when you get to the
31:09
next day, you're going to talk to God some more.
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You're going to converse with God some more and you're going
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to read his word. He's going to talk to you.
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He's going to he's going to explain to you who he is and
31:17
what he wants for you. He's going to converse with you.
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And then he says for the commandment is a lamp and the
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teaching is light. Not only do you get direction,
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protection, conversation, you get illumination because his
31:42
commandments are are light. And then he says and reproves
31:49
for discipline on the way of life.
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Admonition. God's Word will admonish you.
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God will speak to you through His word.
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You read it, you'll be admonished when you're out of
32:02
line, when you're out of step, and God's Word will do that to
32:06
you. Verse 24 to keep you from the
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evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress, God's
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word's going to protect you, guide you, watch over, you see
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that this is the brilliance of the word of God.
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But we, we have, we have minimized the impact of God's
32:30
word. We've taken God's word, we've
32:32
set it aside. We'll, we'll, we'll pick it up
32:33
on Wednesday night when we go to church for Bible study.
32:36
We'll pick it up on Sunday morning or, or we might read a
32:38
verse here or a verse there. You know, a verse a day keeps
32:41
the devil away. And so we'll just read it a
32:43
little bit here, a little bit there, but we don't dive into
32:45
it. We don't, we don't study it.
32:47
We don't. We don't grapple with it.
32:49
We don't examine it. And yet this is how God speaks
32:55
to you through His Word. It's His conversation to you.
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It's how He communicates to you. He wants you to hear Him speak,
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and He speaks through the written word that He's already
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given to us. This is the power of the Word of
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God. And so we need to recognize how
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protective God's word truly is. So the brilliance of God's word
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is simply that it is precious, it is pleasurable, it is
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protective, and it is powerful, powerful.
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And again, I want to emphasize this because I think that we
33:39
don't understand the power of the Word of God.
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And so let me just give you a a few words that will explain it
33:49
to you. OK, you have to write these
33:52
down. Just follow along with me as I
33:54
go to show you the power of the word of God.
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God's word is powerful enough to crush your soul.
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Is not my word like a fire? Jeremiah 2329 And then he says,
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is not my word like a hammer? Listen, you know, somebody's got
34:19
a hard heart. You, you can't break their
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heart. You can't crush the hardness of
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their soul, but God's word can. You see, it's a spiritual
34:32
battle, right? Only be one through spiritual
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means. So it's only through the word of
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God that a heart is crushed, a soul is crushed.
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It's not my word like a hammer. That's why.
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What if you said today? If you hear his voice, do not
34:48
harden your hearts as in the day of provocation in the
34:51
wilderness. If you hear the voice of God, if
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you hear the word of God, don't turn away from it.
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Don't turn your back on it. You'll become hardened.
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Let the word of God crush your soul.
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Let it shatter your independence, because God's Word
35:07
does that. But we don't necessarily believe
35:13
that, and we kind of write people off, but we need to
35:18
recognize that through the constant reiteration of the Word
35:23
of God by giving them what God's Word says, not my opinion, not
35:28
my philosophy, not my ideas. God's Word says this.
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It brings conviction on people's hearts, which is number 2.
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It crushes the soul. It convicts the soul. 1st
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Corinthians 1424 and 25 If you prophecy that as you speak forth
35:50
the truth of God's word, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man
35:54
enters your congregation, he is convicted by all.
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He is called to account by all. The secrets of his heart are
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disclosed, and so he will fall on his face and worship God,
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declaring that God is certainly among you.
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Paul. Paul is trying to help you
36:11
understand. Look, you're all concerned about
36:13
speaking in tongues and making sure that you had this ecstatic
36:16
utterance. But if you just understand that
36:19
the prophecy, the the teaching of the Word of God, the giving
36:22
forth of the Word of God, when someone who's an unbeliever
36:24
walks into your assembly and they hear the word of God,
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that's what's going to convict them.
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It's going to cause them to fall on their face and worship the
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living God. Your ecstatic utterances is not
36:39
going to do that, but God's word will.
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It brings conviction upon the soul because it crushes the soul
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#3 it converts the soul. We read it in Psalm 19 verse #7
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The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.
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Romans 10/17 Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by a
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specific utterance of the words concerning the Christ.
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The only way a person's ever converted is because of the
37:10
truth of the Word of God. And so you preach the word, you
37:15
teach the word. When you go out and do you go
37:18
door to door evangelism or you go and you, you preach the
37:21
gospel or, or you go to talk to your friends, you, you give them
37:24
the Word of God because the Word of God convicts, it crushes and
37:29
it converts the soul. Nothing else does.
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That's how powerful God's word is.
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It cleanses the soul. That's number four, John 15,
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three. You are already made clean to
37:43
the word that I've spoken unto you.
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Psalm 119. How could a man keep his way
37:49
pure? By keeping it according to the
37:54
Word of God? The only way a soul is cleansed
37:59
is through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of
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the Spirit of God. It comes through God's holy
38:07
Word. You are made clean through the
38:10
word that I've spoken unto you. You've heard it said many times
38:16
before. I'll say it to you again, that
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sin will keep you from this book, or this book will keep you
38:25
from sin. It's true.
38:29
So you master the truth, you memorize the truth, you learn
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the truth, you bathe yourself in the truth of the living God.
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It corrects the soul. Second to me. 316 all scriptures
38:42
inspired by God and it's profitable for correction.
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It turns you back around again. It puts you on the right path.
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It number number six, I think it is.
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It conquers the enemy of your soul.
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How do you conquer the enemy of your soul?
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The word of God? Read Matthew chapter 4.
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Christ temptation in the wilderness.
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What did he do? He quoted the book of
39:08
Deuteronomy. He quoted the word of God.
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Did he have to do that? No.
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It whatever he spoke would be the word of God.
39:16
But he quoted the Old Testament. Why?
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Because He set a pattern for you and me on how to conquer the
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enemy of your soul. Man shall not live by bread
39:25
alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
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That's why He's given us the sword of the Spirit, which is
39:30
the word of God, right? And through the sword of the
39:33
Spirit, we're able to conquer the enemy of our soul, simply
39:36
because we are able to take whatever temptation comes our
39:40
way and take it specifically to a passage of Scripture and
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defeat the enemy that wants to destroy our lives.
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Only God's Word does that, nothing else.
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It comforts the soul. It comforts the soul.
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Psalm 9419 One of my anxious thoughts, overwhelming thy
40:03
consolations, comfort my soul. Psalm 11950 This is my comfort
40:11
in my affliction. Your word has revived me.
40:15
Verse 52 I've remembered your ordinance from of old, O Lord,
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and comfort myself. Verse 76 O may your loving
40:25
kindness comfort me according to your word to your servant.
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The only comfort a soul will ever receive that is satisfying
40:39
is the truth of the living God. That's how powerful God's Word
40:42
is. So it crushes the soul,
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convicts, converts, cleanses, corrects, conquers the enemy of
40:50
your soul. It comforts the soul.
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It cheers the soul. Psalm 19.
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Verse #8 The presets of the Lord are right.
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Rejoicing the heart. Psalm 1/19/14 I have rejoiced in
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the way of Your testimonies as much as in all riches.
41:11
Verse 16. I shed the light in Your
41:13
statutes. I should not forget Your word.
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Verse 35. Make me walk in the path of Your
41:19
commandments, for I delight in it.
41:23
The only soul that can be cheered is a soul that truly is
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sold out for Christ in the Word of the living God.
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That's it. God's Word does that.
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God's Word counsels the soul. Psalm 1/19/24.
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Psalm 1/19/24. Your testimonies also are my
41:49
delight. They are my counselors.
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There is no better counselor than the word of God.
41:58
It says in verse 105, Your word is the lamp to my feet, a light
42:01
to my path. Verse 130.
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The unfolding of your word gives light.
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It gives understanding to the simple.
42:09
God's Word counsels the soul. God's Word compels the soul.
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Psalm 11932 I've chosen the faithful way.
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I've placed your ordinances before me.
42:30
I've chosen the faithful way. I've I'm compelled to do the
42:35
right thing. Why?
42:38
Because of your word. It compels the soul.
42:44
It critiques the soul. He was 412 For the Word of God
42:49
is living and active and sharper than any 2 edged sword, and
42:53
piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both
42:56
joints and Morrow, and able to judge the thoughts and
43:00
intentions of the heart. God's Word critiques the soul,
43:07
so when you read it, it goes to the depths of your soul and
43:12
divides it up and shows you where you're in error so you can
43:16
do the right thing. It challenges the soul.
43:19
Psalm 11937 Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity and
43:25
revive me in your ways. Verse 133 Establish my footsteps
43:30
in Your Word, and do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.
43:35
Nothing will challenge you more than the truth of the living
43:38
God. It confirms the soul.
43:41
Psalm 11928 My soul weeps because of grief.
43:44
Strengthen me, confirm me according to Your word.
43:48
Sustain me, verse 118. Excuse me 116.
43:51
Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live, and do
43:55
not let me be ashamed of my hope.
43:58
God's Word is a strengthening agent to confirm you, to
44:01
establish you, to make you as solid as granite.
44:06
It controls the soul. Colossians 316.
44:10
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you with all
44:13
wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns
44:17
and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your heart
44:20
to the Lord. In other words, let the word of
44:26
Christ be at home in your heart. Let dwell safely within you.
44:30
Why? Because it controls you.
44:32
It moves you to action. It clarifies the soul.
44:37
Psalm 1/19, 1:40 Your word is very, very clear, therefore Your
44:42
servant loves it. Psalm 19-8 Precepts of the Lord
44:47
are right. Rejoice in the heart.
44:49
The command of the Lord is pure, enlightening the soul.
44:54
So it clarifies. It clarifies which direction to
44:57
go. It clarifies what decision to
44:59
make. It clarifies what relationships
45:01
to have and not have. It clarifies everything.
45:04
It condemns the soul. Proverbs 1313 The one who
45:09
despises the word will be in debt to the Word.
45:16
So God's word condemns the soul, but God's word also completes
45:20
the soul. The law of the Lord is complete
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or perfect, restoring the soul. Psalm like 19 verse #7 it
45:26
consecrates the soul. Nehemiah 1028 to 29.
45:30
The people consecrated their lives unto God based on what the
45:33
Word of God said. So you can count on the Word of
45:40
God to do exactly what it says. See, that's the power of the
45:45
Word of God. But do we trust it enough to
45:49
confirm our soul, to cheer the soul, to critique the soul, to
45:53
challenge the soul, to convert the soul, to crush the soul?
45:57
Do we trust the Word of God to do all that stuff we should?
46:02
Because the psalmist says in Psalm 19, these words verse 12,
46:08
who can discern errors, equip me of hidden faults and also keep
46:15
back your servant from presumptuous sins.
46:18
Let them not rule over me. Then I will be blameless and I
46:22
should be acquitted of great transgression.
46:25
God, you were does that it corrects me, it cleanses me.
46:29
It keeps me on the straight and narrow.
46:30
It moves me in the right direction.
46:32
It's so important for us to understand this why?
46:35
Because the brilliance of the Word of God is everything.
46:40
Which leads us to our last point, and that is this.
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God's word is precious, pleasurable, protective,
46:48
powerful, and priceless. That's why it's so brilliant.
46:54
Proverbs 2323 Buy truth and never sell it.
47:00
Why buy truth? Listen, the cost of truth is
47:06
high. Truth will cost you your family.
47:12
Truth will cost you your friends.
47:15
Truth might even cost you your job.
47:19
Buy truth, Never compromise it. Do whatever you have to do to
47:23
obtain it, and never sell it out.
47:27
Why? It's priceless.
47:31
It's so valuable. The Bible says in the book of
47:39
Matthew 13 chapter, the Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure
47:45
hidden in the field which a man found and hid again, and from
47:50
joy over he goes and sells all that he has and buys the field.
47:58
Christ is talking about the inestimable, inestimable value
48:02
of the Kingdom of God. Verse 45 again, the Kingdom of
48:06
heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon
48:09
finding 1 Pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had
48:15
and he bought it. That's why Christ says in
48:19
Matthew 16 these words, What would a profit a man if he gains
48:26
the whole world and forfeits his soul?
48:30
Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
48:38
That's the question Christ asks. The word exchange is a banking
48:43
term. When you get saved, there's a
48:47
transaction that takes place. I'm not sure you understand this
48:50
or not, but there is a there is a transaction that takes place
48:54
when you are saved, and that is you are willing to give your
49:00
life away in order to obtain life's, Christ's life.
49:07
That's the exchange in salvation.
49:09
What's the profit a man if he gains the whole world, but he
49:12
loses his own soul? If he gained everything in the
49:14
world, What profit is it there if when it's all said and done,
49:18
you lose your soul? So what will you now give in
49:21
exchange for your soul? Will you give your life away in
49:26
order to obtain Christ's life? That's what salvation is to
49:32
recognize, recognizing that I have nothing to offer.
49:35
I have nothing to give, but I'm going to give away my life to
49:40
Christ so that He owns my life because He bought my life.
49:47
He died for my life. So Lord, you paid the ransom.
49:51
I'm going to give you my life. That's my exchange.
49:54
That's my transaction. That's all I have to give.
49:56
I'm just going to give my life away so I can have your life.
50:02
That's what salvation is. It's a transaction that takes
50:06
place between you and God, which says my life is nothing.
50:09
I can't earn heaven, I can't gain heaven, I can't buy heaven.
50:14
I can't do anything to get heaven.
50:16
The Kingdom of God is so valuable.
50:18
I'm willing to do all I can to obtain it, but I can't because I
50:21
have nothing to offer. So, Lord, just take my life.
50:24
Let it be wholly consecrated unto Thee.
50:28
That's it. What would a man give in
50:31
exchange for his soul? You see, God's Word is
50:36
priceless. It's so valuable that when you
50:43
understand the gospel, you're willing to sell all that you
50:48
have to obtain what Christ offers.
50:52
That's what the parable of the lost treasure and the pearls all
50:56
about. There's nothing in the world
50:58
that's more valuable than the priceless treasure of the
51:02
gospel, the truth, God's holy Word.
51:08
It's so valuable. That's why it's so brilliant,
51:13
because there's nothing that compares to it.
51:15
Nothing on earth compares to the eternal word of the living God,
51:20
which is his truth. You see, when I, when I preach
51:26
this, my heart burns on the inside.
51:31
My, my heart's a flame on the inside.
51:35
There's not, there's not a, a flicker that's there.
51:38
My, my heart on the inside's on fire because of the truth of
51:42
God's Word, because of the power of God's Word, the pleasure of
51:46
God's Word, the preciousness of God's Word, the pricelessness of
51:52
God's Word, it's everything. That's why it's brilliant.
52:00
So what are some principles? Let me give them to you real
52:02
quick, really quick. If God's word is precious, God's
52:09
word is pleasurable, God's word is protective, God's word is
52:15
powerful, and God's word is priceless.
52:20
Principle number one is as I would do all I can to protect
52:23
it, I will guard it. I will protect it, Paul tells
52:32
Timothy in First Timothy chapter 6 these words.
52:40
Oh Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you.
52:45
Protect it Timothy in verse 14 of chapter 6, he said keep
52:51
guard, Protect the commandment without stain or reproach until
52:55
the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ.
52:58
In second Timothy 1 he says, verse 14, guard through the Holy
53:02
Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been
53:04
entrusted to you. Guard it, protect it.
53:08
Jude says, contend earnestly for the faith that was once
53:11
delivered to the Saints. Do all you can to watch over,
53:14
keep guard. Protect the priceless treasure,
53:19
that precious treasure of the Word of God.
53:26
So you protect it #2 you proclaim it sick.
53:33
Activity 42 Preach the Word in season, out of season.
53:38
Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and patience, But
53:44
you preach it in season, out of the season.
53:46
If it's that powerful, if it's that protective, it's that
53:50
pleasurable, it's that priceless.
53:53
What are you talking about? Talk about the Word.
53:57
Preach the Word, give the word. If it actually says it does what
54:03
it promises, then why don't I preach it?
54:06
All the more so people will respond in obedience to the Word
54:10
of God. I think that the reason we don't
54:14
preach the Word in season and out of season is because we
54:17
really don't believe it crushes the soul or converts the soul or
54:21
convicts the soul, or condemns the soul or cheers the soul or
54:26
critiques the soul. We don't really believe that
54:29
because if you did, you'd be preaching it all the time,
54:34
telling people this is the priceless treasure, the
54:36
brilliance of the Word of God. You got to obtain it.
54:39
You got to digest it, you got to examine it, you got to, you got
54:42
to buy into the truth of the Word of God and never sell it
54:45
because it's everything. So you, you protect it, you
54:53
preach it. How about this?
54:56
You pray it? Psalm 145, verse #18 The Lord is
55:04
near to all those who call upon Him, to all those who call upon
55:09
Him in truth, in truth to all those who call upon Him in
55:17
truth. So in other words, I pray truth.
55:23
Do you pray the truth? Do you pray the Word of God?
55:29
Are you praying what God has already said so that you're
55:32
lying? Your life is in line with His
55:34
line. We need to pray the truth if
55:39
it's that priceless, if it's that pleasurable, if it's that
55:42
protective, that I need to pray. Proverbs 4, Proverbs chapter 6,
55:47
Psalm 19, Psalm 119. I need to pray those truths
55:52
because the Lord is near to those who call upon Him in
55:56
truth. Think about that.
56:01
So you protect it, you proclaim it, you pray it, and you
56:08
practice it. You just live it out.
56:12
You practice the truth. That's where Matthew 519 comes
56:17
in. Christ says those great in the
56:20
Kingdom of God, they teach the word of God and they keep the
56:23
word of God. They teach it so others can hear
56:28
it and keep it. We talked about it on Sunday.
56:32
Revelation 1, Revelation 22, Revelation, Revelation 1, three.
56:35
Revelation 22 seven Blessed are those who hear the word of God
56:40
and keep it. So what do we do?
56:43
We practice it. We we live it out reminded of
56:48
the the words of our Lord in John 14.
56:55
He says he who has my commandments and keeps them as
56:57
the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by
57:01
my father and I will love him and will disclose myself to him.
57:04
Verse 23 If anyone loves me, He will keep my word, and my Father
57:11
will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with
57:14
Him. He who does not love me does not
57:17
keep my words. I mean, that's just so clear.
57:23
Can you get any clearer than that?
57:25
If you love me, you just practice what I say.
57:30
But if you don't love me, guess what?
57:32
You don't keep my words. Just do what you want to do in
57:39
the life of our Lord. Luke 11 Jesus was preaching,
57:48
teaching, and somebody interrupts them.
57:53
I can't imagine interrupting Christ.
57:55
But they did. And one of the women in the
57:59
crowd raised her voice and said to him, Blessed is the womb that
58:02
bore you in the breast at which you nursed.
58:06
There's Jesus speaking and teaching, and some woman stands
58:09
up and yells that out. Jesus very calmly says these
58:14
words. On the contrary, I wish I could
58:18
have been there. On the contrary, blessed are
58:22
those who hear the word of God and observe it.
58:30
That's a blessed person, just so, so pointed, so clear, so
58:36
concise. Blessed is the womb that bore
58:41
you. Blessed are the breasts that fed
58:44
you. Christ says, Oh no, you want to
58:48
know true blessing, I'm going to give it to you, those who hear
58:52
my word and keep it. That's where the true blessing
58:57
comes. And so we, we are committed to,
59:01
to preaching the word of God and praying the word of God and, and
59:04
practicing the word of God. And we are committed to
59:08
protecting the word of God because it's priceless.
59:13
Nothing more valuable in all the world than the word of God.
59:17
Nothing buy it, never sell it. It protects, it pleasures, it's
59:25
precious, it's powerful. That's the brilliance of the
59:33
word of God. May God give us the grace to
59:38
accomplish what he has said. Let's pray to God.
59:43
Lord God, we thank you for tonight.
59:45
And we have spent a few moments in the word of the living God.
59:49
And our prayer is that we would adhere to all that you've said,
59:54
that truly we would believe what we've read.
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It's true. And our prayer, Lord, is that
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you would work in all of our hearts and cause us to live in
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accordance with your word. That we would leave here
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believing in its power, believing in its pleasure,
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believing, believing in its protection, knowing that there's
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nothing more valuable. Than the priceless truth of the
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living God, Pray in Jesus name, Amen.