Purpose: The importance of teaching God's Word and learn how to pay better attention.
1. Probably one thing that all religious groups in the world would agree upon is that there should be preaching of God's Word during the worship services of the church.
2. This sermon will have two main purposes:
a. First, why should God's Word be preached?
b. Second, how can we better prepare ourselves to hear God's Word preached?
A. Because we are given an explicit command to preach God's Word.
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:2-4).
1. In this passage, we are told to preach the word even when it is not popular.
2. We're told that the reason we must preach is because people are going to turn away from the truth and turn themselves to fables. There is no salvation in fables!
3. People today are turning themselves to fables of every kind. What we need as a country is a good dose of God's Word. Popular or not!
B. Because we are given an example of God's Word being preached.
"And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight." (Acts 20:7)
C. Because there is no other way to know God's Will than by studying His Word.
1. God's tells us His will.
"But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Cororinthians 2:10-16).
a. You cannot read my thoughts and I cannot read yours.
b. The only way for you to know what I am thinking is for me to reveal it to you. Either with words or actions of some sort.
c. The inspired writers of the Bible were given God's Word by His Spirit.
2. God directs us better than we direct ourselves.
"O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." (Jeremiah).
3. What a blessing it is to have God's Word!!!
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15).
D. Because it is profitable for all spiritual matters.
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
1. The Word of God tells you when you're right, tells you when you're wrong, tells you how to get right, and tells you how to stay right.
2. No other book is needed! Not the book of Mormon. Not the "Living Bible." Not the Apocrypha.
E. Because we will be judged by it.
1. His words will judge us.
"He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." (John 12:48).
2. We can not avoid the judgment.
"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." (Revelation 20:12).
A. Love God.
1. Realizing everything that God has done for us, how can we help but love Him.
2. If we truly love Him, we will want to hear what He has to say.
3. Do we view sermons as something that we have to endure or something to be enjoyed?
B. Have a proper respect for God's Word.
1. When God's Word is taught or studied; it is God talking to us.
2. Do we show the proper respect.
3. Sometimes we show more reverence when we're talking to God than when He is talking to us.
C. Remember the power of God's Word.
1. "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12).
2. "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:10-11).
D. Throw your bias out the door when the sermon starts.
1. Too many times, people don't want to be confused with the facts.
2. If the preacher preaches the truth (God's Word) and not his opinions; we are left with two options. Obey and be saved; or don't and be lost.
3. Our obedience is not to that preacher but to God.
E. Get a good night's sleep.
1. Get to bed early so that you will be ready and alert for the service.
2. That way we won't fall asleep during the sermon.
F. Take notes and follow along in your Bible.
1. This will help to keep you alert.
2. It will also help you to make sure that you are being taught the truth.
3. Also, you'll have that sermon forever, to reference when needed.
1. The preaching and teaching of God's Word is a very important act of worship.
2. However, it shouldn't just be confined to worship.
3. We should try to teach everyone that we can about what the Bible has to say.
4. Do you know what the Bible has to say about what you must do to be saved?
-- Ralph Price, February 2000--
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