Sunday at Victory Church I shared the second of three sermons titled: "Walking in the Favor of the Lord."
At Victory Church we have entered into a congregational fast from the first week of January until the last week of February. During this fast we are asking for "God's favor!" Well, if God gives us His favor and I believe He is, then it is going to require us to "walk" in that favor. Therefore, there are three areas we must walk in every day:
1. We must walk daily in Christ
2. We must walk daily in the Scriptures
3. We must walk daily in Prayer
Sunday I shared three ways to daily "walk in the Word."
Eph 4:1 (HCSB) I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received.
As a disciple of Christ walking in the favor of the Lord, you must walk in three things every day of your life: in Christ, in the Scriptures, and in Prayer. These three things are absolute essentials as you live for Christ in the midst of a broken and hurting world.
This morning I would like to focus on “You and Scripture” – Your walk in the Word
o The Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years
o The Bible was written by over 40 different authors (among them were kings, military leaders, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, tax collectors, poets, statesmen, musicians, scholars and shepherds.)
o The Bible was written in many different places, at many different times and by people experiencing many different moods.
o The Bible was written on three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe.
o The Bible was written in three different languages: Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic.
o The Bible is written with many different literary styles: Prose, poetry, historical narrative, romance, law, biography, parable, allegory and prophecy.
o The Bible has for its main character God Himself, made known through the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
1) YOU MUST STUDY THE SCRIPTURES DAILY!
2 Timothy 2:15 (HCSB) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.
1 Timothy 4:15 (HCSB) Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all.
1 Peter 2:2 (HCSB) Like newborn infants, desire the unadulterated spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it in [your] salvation,
Thought: As a Christian, you must study the Scriptures daily. Two significant points need to be noted.
A. The Bible IS God's Word: it is inspired by God.
2 Timothy 3:16 (HCSB) All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness.
The Word "inspired" means breathed by God.
God has given you the Bible so that you will know how to live upon the earth. You are to study the Bible for doctrine or teaching, for reproof/rebuking, for correction, and for instruction or training in righteousness
Note these four things: they cover the whole scope of life—everything we need to live a life that conquers and overflows with the fulness of life.
As a Christian, walking in the favor of God, you must always remember this:
o The Scripture alone will perfect or mature you and equip you to do every good work.
o You were made for God; therefore you must live by the Word of God.
o Your aim must be to study and learn exactly how God wants you to live and minister.
B. You must diligently study and then teach the Word of God.
2 Timothy 2:15 (HCSB) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15 (AMP) Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.
The word "study" means to set your heart upon: be diligent, hurry, rush, and seek the approval of God.
God's approval is to be your concern. A believer is a fool if he does not seek the approval of God. To be disapproved is to be displeasing and unacceptable to God. How then can you secure the approval of God. By being a workman. The idea is that of a diligent worker who toils and labors to the point of exhaustion.
But note: your work is pinpointed and identified. You are to be a workman by studying the Word of God and rightly dividing it. The words "rightly divide" (ortho-tomounta) means to cut straight. You are to cut straight to the truth; you are not to take crooked paths and side tracks to the truth. You are to study the truth and rightly divide it.
Once you have studied and learned the Word of God, you are to accurately teach the Word of God. You are not to teach your own ideas, the theories of other people, what you think, or what other men think. You are not to mishandle the Word of God - twist it to fit what you think or want it to say; add to or take away from it; or over-emphasize or under-emphasize its teachings. Any person who mishandles God's Word is not approved of God.
This is the point of this verse: if you want God's approval—if you want to be acceptable to God—you must study; rush and seek to be a true teacher of God's Word.
You must be a workman who studies God's Word, a workman who studies diligently: who correctly analyzes and accurately divides—rightly handles and skillfully teaches the Word of Truth (Amplified New Testament).
2) YOU MUST MEMORIZE THE SCRIPTURE DAILY!
Psalms 119:9-11 (HCSB) How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping Your word. I have sought You with all my heart; don’t let me wander from Your commands. I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You.
Jeremiah 15:16 (HCSB) Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became a delight to me and the joy of my heart, for I am called by Your name, Lord God of Hosts.
Thought: As a Christian walking in the favor of the Lord, you must memorize the Word of God; you must let the Word of God dwell in you richly.
Colossians 3:16 (HCSB) Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Three significant points are made about the Word of God in Colossians 3:16.
A. The choice is up to YOU.
The Word of Christ does not naturally dwell within your heart. The word "dwell" (enoikeito) means to be at home or to make a home; to abide or dwell within. You must make room within your heart for the Word of Christ. You must let the Word of Christ enter your heart and make a home within your heart. You must let the Word of Christ dwell and abide in your heart. You must clean out all the old furnishings of your heart and let the Word of Christ settle down as the permanent resident within your heart.
Note the word "richly." It is important, for the Word of Christ must be allowed to dwell richly within your heart.
You are not to be satisfied with just a meager visit by the Word of Christ. You are to let the Word of Christ dwell richly within you. The Word of Christ must be allowed to furnish your heart with all the wealth of its commandments and promises, instructions and warnings.
B. The reason why you are to let the Word of Christ dwell within you is clearly stated: you are to teach and admonish others in all wisdom.
Colossians 3:16 (HCSB) Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God.
This is the believer's task, the very reason God has not yet taken us home to heaven: to teach and admonish one another. Teaching is meant the instruction of the Word. Admonishing is meant the warning of Scripture. But how can we teach and admonish others if we do not know the Word of Christ? If we do not let the Word of Christ dwell in us? The answer is obvious: we can't.
And note another fact: it is not enough to know the Word of Christ. You must be living the Word of Christ. Knowing the Word and not living it is hypocrisy.
As a Christian walking in the favor of the Lord, your very life must be the home, the dwelling place for the Word of Christ. When people look at you, they must immediately see that your life is indwelt by the Word of Christ.
C. There is a way to tell whether or not the Word of Christ dwells in you: Are you teaching and admonishing others in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord?
Colossians 3:16 (HCSB) Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God.
As you walk throughout the day are you talking about Christ? Are you sharing the Word of Christ with others? Are you teaching others about Christ? Are you admonishing and encouraging and warning others in Christ? Are you singing to yourself and with others about Christ?
What a contrasting picture of how so many of us live!
3) YOU MUST APPLY THE SCRIPTURES TO YOUR LIFE DAILY!
2 Timothy 3:14 (HCSB) But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing those from whom you learned,
Thought: As a Christian walking in the favor of the Lord, you must continue on in the Scriptures—studying and living as Scripture dictates.
Note the Scripture above. Timothy had been taught the Scriptures all of his life. When he was only a child, his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois had rooted him in the Scriptures (2 Tim. 1:5; 2 Tim. 3:15). They were both strong believers in the Lord. Paul had also grounded Timothy in the Scriptures.
But note a most critical point: it is not enough to have learned the Scripture. It is not enough to be assured that the teachings of Scripture are true. It is not enough to know that your teachers teach the truth.
Timothy knew all this. He had learned the Scriptures and he had found the Scriptures to be true. The claims and promises of Scripture had worked in his own life. Timothy also knew his teachers; their lives bore testimony to the truth of Scripture. But this was not enough.
Note the word "continue" (mene) means to abide, dwell, remain, and stay in the Scripture.
Simply stated, you must live in the Scripture—live, move, and have your being in the Scripture.
And more, you must live out the Scripture—continue to walk in the truths of the Scripture.
As a Christian walking in the favor of the Lord, you must do what Scripture says. Note four significant points in this verse.
a. You must learn the Scripture.
b. You must firmly believe the Scriptures, apply them to your life, and experience the truth and assurance of them.
c. You must know your teachers, those whom you sit under at worship and bible studies; you must make sure they teach the truth of the Scripture.
d. You must continue in the Scripture
i. You must abide and dwell, remain and stay in the Scripture.
ii. You must live and move and have your being in Scripture.
iii. You must live out the Scripture—walk day by day obeying and doing exactly what God says and commands in the Scripture.
Conclusion:
To walk in the favor of the Lord, you must learn to walk in the Word!
Are you walking in the Word?
1. Are you studying the Word of God?
2. Are you memorizing the Word of God?
3. Are you applying the Word of God?
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