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Reverence Necessary In Learning The Word of God
Tonight we want to study why we need to have reverence when we study God’s Word.
What Is Reverence?
• Reverence is not defined by externals
• Reverence is a response to God’s greatness, His power, His holiness and His mercy – to all He is
• Reverence is a deliberate caution in how we approach God, an attitude of modesty, bashfulness toward God
• Reverence is also a fearful attitude toward God based on godliness, our desire to obey God in all things
Introduction
• Scriptures are the inspired Word of God, God breathed words
• In His Word, we are commanded to reverence Him as God
• Our reverence for God will be transferred to His Word; how we listen, study, handle and apply His Word
• God’s Word is our only means to discern His great Name and Will for us
God-Breathed Word
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
God-Breathed Word In Written Form
Ephesians 3:3-4 “that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,”
God’s Word Magnified Above His Name
NKJV Psalm 138:2 “I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.”
Psalm 138:2 “I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.”
God’s Word Magnified Above His Name
Exodus 20:7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.”
Act 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."
King Josiah
2 Kings 22:11 “When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes.”
2 Kings 22:13 "Go, inquire of the LORD for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the LORD that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us."
King Josiah
2 Kings 23:2 “The king went up to the house of the LORD and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.”
King Josiah
2 Kings 23:3 “The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all hisheart and all his soul, to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant.”
Ezra, Nehemiah And The People
Ezra 7:10 “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.”
Nehemiah 8:5 “Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.”
Ezra, Nehemiah And The People
Nehemiah 8:6 “Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD withtheir faces to the ground.”
Cornelius And His Household
Acts 10:2 “a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually.”
Acts 10:33 "So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord."
Irreverence Toward His Word From Irreverence Toward God
The Bible is not a:
- Book of suggestions
- Book of fairy tales
- Book of dramatic readings
- Book of therapy
- Book of subjective truth
- Book to be used as a prop
- The Bible is the absolute, perfect, unalterable Word of Almighty God
- The Bible Is The Absolute Truth From God
John 17:17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”
Irreverence Toward God Leads To Irreverence For His Word
Romans 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”
Romans 1:23 “and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.”
Irreverent Handling of His Word Results In Corrupting The Truth
2 Peter 3:16 “as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.”
Irreverent Handling of His Word Results In Corrupting The Truth
2 Peter 3:17-18 “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own
steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Himbe the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
Reverently Handle God’s Word
2Timothy 2:15-16 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness,”
Reverently Handle God’s Word
1Timothy 4:7 “But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;”
Reverently Handle God’s Word
1Timothy 4:12-13 “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.”
Reverently Handle God’s Word
1Timothy 4:15-16 “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”
A Final Warning
• Some insist if God would speak to me directly I would surely reverence Him and
His Word
• Remember the written Word of God is the Word of the God of Heaven which we
must hear with reverence as if we were in His very presence
A Final Warning
Hebrews 12:25 “See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not
escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape
who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.”
A Final Warning
Hebrews 12:26-29 “And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE
HEAVEN." This expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.”
Reverence Necessary In Learning The Word of God
1. God’s inspired word magnifies His Name
2. We examined examples of those who reverenced God’s Word
3. Irreverence toward God leads to irreverence for His Word
4. A final warning that all are commanded to reverence God.
How about you tonight? Have you humbled yourself to God’s Word? Have you become a Christian by believing, confession, repenting, and being baptized to wash away your sins? Why not start showing the proper reverence for God in your life? When you do this He will lift you up in this life and give you a home in Heaven in the next (James 4:10)! We hope to see you next time on, “Speaking The Truth In Love”.
