Transcription downloaded from https://yetanothersermon.host/_/church4u/sermons/86567/receive-the-word/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] In James 1, 21 it says, Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the!

[0:30] The Word of God. Someone has said it's a library of 66 books, written by more than 40 different human authors under the Divine Church of the Holy Spirit.

[0:42] The Bible is truly an amazing book. Someone has said it's a library of 66 books, written by more than 40 different human authors under the Divine Inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

[1:02] It's an amazing library that we hold in our hands, not just one book. And these writers wrote independently, knowing almost nothing of the other's part.

[1:14] None had anything common. And their qualifications were diverse too. Moses, for example, was a man of learning, trained in the best universities of his day, of Egypt.

[1:26] And Peter, on the other hand, was a fisherman that some would consider quite unlearned and ignorant. Yet each wrote the wisdom of God with powerful force." End quote.

[1:41] We must have the Word of God. It's an amazing book that we must have. And to not receive His Word is to face His judgment. In John 12, 48, He says, Our Lord says, He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken.

[2:01] The same shall judge him in the last day. So we mustn't reject the Lord Jesus. We must receive Him. Receive His Word.

[2:12] The Bible is called many things. It's called the Word of Life. In Philippians 2 verse 16, Paul tells the Philippians, Holding forth the Word of Life.

[2:23] In Ephesians 6, we read that it is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, part of the armour. In 1 Peter 2, it's spoken of as the sincere milk of the Word.

[2:39] As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word, or the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby. So the Bible is very special. The sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, the Word of Life.

[2:54] There's many other descriptions it has. It's sweeter than honey and the honeycomb, the Word of God. It's of greater value than gold to us, the Word of God.

[3:07] So how are we to receive it? We are to receive it with humility. We are to come humbly and receive it. Psalm 119 verse 73, the psalmist says, Thy hands have made me and fashioned me, give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.

[3:27] Now if we come humbly before him and ask him and prayerfully seek him, as the psalmist said, that I may learn thy commandments. If we come to God with that willingness to learn, with that teachable spirit, with that humility of spirit, then he will do so.

[3:46] In 1 Corinthians 2.14 we read how 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.

[4:01] We need the Holy Spirit to guide us as we open these pages. We need the Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds, to reveal his truth to us, so that we can discern it and be spiritually fed by it.

[4:16] How are we to receive the Word? With humility. It says, receive with meekness the engrafted Word which is able to save your souls. It starts with meekness.

[4:28] We need to come prayerfully, dependently unto our God and let go of our pride and of our own self-will and receive the Word. Let it work in us.

[4:39] Let it minister to us. Let it transform us. Let it shape us and not resist it but receive it. Receive that message, that soul-changing message, that life-transforming message.

[4:52] And as believers we know we can bow to the Lord's authority and obey it, even when it may be difficult or hard. What is going wrong with our world today reflects how the Bible has been put on the dusty shelf and lost to mankind and neglected.

[5:13] There is a sad lack of truth in our day, in our world today. Truth is lacking. There is a truth problem today because people will not receive the Word of God.

[5:26] People think today that truth is relative. You dream up your own truth and I dream up mine. And you can just have your own truth and I can have mine and we will all live together in harmony.

[5:38] People think truth is relative but the truth is the truth. It hasn't changed. The truth is the truth. It always was the truth and it always will be the truth. The truth is the truth.

[5:50] The truth is the truth. You know, I was listening to some message recently and it was saying even like in terms of science and mathematics, you know, 1 plus 1 equals 2.

[6:01] It's always been the truth. And really, it's the same with the Bible. It's always been the truth of God. The truth is not relative. God's truth is absolute.

[6:12] And all truth is really God's truth. He is the God of truth, we read. In John 8, 31, the Lord Jesus spoke to those who believed on him.

[6:25] He says, if you continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. The truth, he says, continue in it, know it, and the truth shall make you free.

[6:44] In John 17, in the Lord's Prayer. Now the Lord's Prayer isn't our Father which art in heaven. It's that the Lord's Prayer is actually in John 17 where he prayed for his church.

[6:55] He prayed for the church to come. And he says, sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. He prayed that God's people, that his own family of believers, the church of God, would be made holy.

[7:12] And he says in his prayer to the Father, sanctify them, make them holy through thy truth. Thy word is truth. There's a truth problem today because people have not received the word of God.

[7:26] There's a sin problem today because the world will not receive the word of God. In Psalm 119 verse 9 it says, wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

[7:41] The cleansing of a young man's way is by taking heed to the word of God. You know, if you've got a sin problem, take heed to the word of God. It will help that cleansing of the soul and heart.

[7:54] The psalmist said, thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119 verse 11. If we'll hide the word in our heart, it will bless us.

[8:06] I know as a young man, I've said this before, I was in a church and the youth minister encouraged the young people to memorize the word of God.

[8:17] And I thank God that I was able to do that. And there's some hundred plus scriptures that we were given, much more than a hundred. And he encouraged the people to take little cards and write those verses down.

[8:32] And in those spare moments of time, those passing fleeting moments that just evaporate so quickly when we're just killing time, just to take those little Bible verses out and to commit those memory verses.

[8:45] And to remind ourselves and to refresh our memory with those Bible verses. And that means so much to me still. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.

[8:58] And the Lord Jesus says to the disciples, he says, Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. We're clean through the word. There's a washing. There's a wonderful, powerful cleansing action that comes through the word.

[9:13] There's a sin problem today because people are not receiving the word of God. There's a peace problem today. A peace problem today because people will not receive the word of God. In Psalm 119 again it says, Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them.

[9:30] Great peace. There's peace because of the word of God. You can have peace in your soul. We can have peace in our world, in our communities, if people will but trust in God.

[9:41] There's a power problem in the world today. Many Christians lack power. Why?

[9:52] Because they will not receive the word of God. Because the Bible is the word of God. The word of God. It carries his power. In Luke 4 verse 32 it says, For they were astonished at his doctrine.

[10:06] For his word was with power. The Lord Jesus, his word was with power. And when we receive the word, there's a power that happens.

[10:19] When we receive the message of salvation through the word that he has given to us. There's a wonderful empowerment as the Holy Spirit fills us and changes us from the inside out.

[10:31] And the Bible has great power. I love the story of the folk who were left after the mutiny on the Bouncy. Some of you might have heard this account before.

[10:43] And it shows the Bible's divine power. That transforming power over the lives of men and women. Following the mutiny on the Bouncy, the notorious Captain Bly and nine mutineers, along with the Tahitian men and women who accompanied them, found their way to Pitcan Island.

[11:06] So, Captain Bly was sent off on his own way. But the nine mutineers, along with the Tahitian men and women, went to the Pitcan Island.

[11:17] A tiny dot in the South Pacific. And ten years later, drink and fighting had left only one man alive. John Adams. Eleven women and 23 children made up the rest of the island's population.

[11:32] And so far, this is the familiar story made famous by the book and the notion picture. But the rest of the story is even more remarkable. About this time, Adams came across the Bouncy's Bible.

[11:47] He found the Bouncy's Bible in a treasure chest and he read it. And the divine power of God's holy book reached into the heart of this hardened murderer on this tiny volcanic rock island.

[12:06] And changed his life forever. And the peace and love that Adams found in the message of the Bible and of salvation replaced the old life that he knew of quarreling and brawling and drink.

[12:20] And he began to teach the children the Bible. Such that an amazing change happened in that community and is still evident today. This was written in 1988.

[12:33] That a population of slightly less than 100, nearly every person on Pitcan Island is a Christian. Certainly at the time of this writing here.

[12:44] So that's an amazing account, isn't it? The power of the Bible. There's a power problem because we're not receiving the Word of God. There's a faith problem today. Because the world is not receiving the Word of God.

[12:57] It says in Romans 10 verse 17. So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Faith comes as we hear the Word.

[13:08] As we hear the Word preached and delivered and expounded and declared. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Most important of all, there's a salvation problem in this planet today.

[13:23] Because people will not receive the Word of God. They would rather stay in their unbelief. Many deny the Gospel. And as I touched on this morning, there's churches that don't deliver the Gospel.

[13:37] The Gospel is conspicuously absent. There's some poor substitute Gospel that's being declared today. There's much talk about making a commitment to Christ.

[13:48] But what about a conversion to Christ? It's not about making a commitment to Christ. Although that's part and parcel of it. But it's more so a conversion to Christ.

[13:59] This is what we're missing. It's like has been said. It's all about numbers of decisions. No. It's about numbers of disciples. Numbers of disciples. It's about conversions.

[14:11] And only the Bible can convert the soul. Only the message of the Bible. It says in 1 Peter 1, verse 23, Being born again, not of corruptible seed.

[14:22] In other words, seed that decays and disintegrates and loses its power. And I can testify of that. You know, Julie knows the story how we had a veggie patch at one house we lived in.

[14:37] And I dug the ground faithfully and turned it over and had it all laid out. All these lovely veggie plots. And I made little footpaths with stones in between the little footpaths in between the veggie plots.

[14:54] And I had some old seed packets in the garden shed. And, you know, it said expired about, you know, five years ago on some of them. And I tried those seeds and they didn't work.

[15:05] They were corruptible seeds. I tried and tried. I put them in the ground. I watered and watered, at least for a couple of weeks or so. And nothing to show for it. So I gave up all that idea of the veggie growing fairly quickly.

[15:19] The problem wasn't the ground so much as the seed was corruptible. But thank God we're not born of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible. Incorruptible.

[15:30] In other words, it cannot decay or vanish away. But it is there. As a seed that will grow and blossom and bear fruit.

[15:41] Incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is as the flower of the grass.

[15:56] The grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away. But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

[16:10] The gospel has a life transforming power. A converting power. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3, And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.

[16:29] The Holy Scriptures can make us wise unto salvation. This book is the only book that has that message of salvation. It's able to make you wise unto salvation.

[16:41] And in Hebrews 4 verse 2 it says that the gospel preached, it says, The word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. That's Hebrews 4 verse 2.

[16:53] So when we receive the word, when we receive the gospel, it's got to be mixed with faith. You know, there's lots of people who have this Bible, let alone other Bibles, and yet still don't have salvation.

[17:06] You know, there's some good Mormons who've got this good book. But they don't have the saviour of the book because the message has not been mixed with faith. The word's got to be mixed with faith.

[17:18] Otherwise it will not profit them that hear it. And so we thank God the Bible has power to convert. It's not just something to impart information.

[17:29] Like someone has said, drug addicts have been cured by it. Homosexuals have been freed by it. Derelicts have been transformed by it. Criminals have been reformed by it.

[17:40] The hopeless have been encouraged by it. Sinners have been sanctified by it. Sceptics have been convinced and convicted by it. The message of this book is precious and critical, vital.

[17:52] Transforming information. Converting. A converting message. So salvation is missing because we missed the book.

[18:04] Light is missing. Many walk in darkness today. The light problem is because they don't have the Bible. They will not receive it. It says, The entrance of thy words giveth light.

[18:16] It giveth understanding to the simple. Psalm 119 verse 130. And everyone should know this one. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

[18:27] Psalm 119 verse 105. Not just only a lamp unto my feet. You know, as you hold the lamp and you can see where your immediate steps are to go. But a light unto your path.

[18:39] It will show you the direction for life. The direction to take. And as the word says, this is the way. Walk ye in it. He gives us the way to live. He gives us the way of life. And it says, we take heed to his truth.

[18:52] Because we know only too well, there is a way which seemeth right unto a man. But the end thereof are the ways of death. Got to make sure we're walking in the right way.

[19:04] And walk in the light. There's a victory problem in the church today. Because people will not receive the word of God. You know, all the answers are here.

[19:17] Really they are. All the answers that we need are here. For what is our trouble? For what is our concern? For what we weigh down by? The answers are here for us.

[19:28] There's a victory problem. Joshua 1 verse 8. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth. But thou shalt meditate therein day and night.

[19:41] That thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then shalt thou make thy way prosperous. And then thou shalt have good success. Meditate therein day and night.

[19:54] There's victory because of God's word. Healing. When we receive the word, we receive God's healing touch. Of course we know in the natural, not all of our earthly, physical afflictions may necessarily be healed.

[20:09] One day I'm going to die. Whether it's of old age or whatever it might be. It might be the stress of being a pastor. One day I'm going to pass away. And these grey hairs will fall out and there will just be a skull in an empty casket one day.

[20:24] And this breath will no longer breathe. It's man's lot to pass away unless the Lord comes first. But there is still healing in the word.

[20:36] It says in Psalm 107 verse 20, He sent His word and He healed them and delivered them from their destruction. So of course we can think of all manner of healing of the soul, of the mind, of the thinking, of the affections and emotions.

[20:53] There's healing. There's healing because of these pages today. He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds. Psalm 147 verse 3.

[21:05] Isn't that a blessing? Take that one and remember that one. He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds. Maybe you're feeling broken in heart.

[21:16] Maybe there's wounds you're bearing today. He healeth the broken in heart and He bindeth up their wounds. Psalm 147 verse 3. So friends, I just want to urge you here today to consider the word of God and have that new appreciation for it.

[21:34] What is God's plan for His church? God's plan is that we receive the word. That we believe it and obey it. Put it into action. In Acts 2 when the message went out and they that gladly received His word were baptised.

[21:50] And the same day were added unto them about 3,000 souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. The church blossomed because why?

[22:03] Number one, the first thing they did, they gladly received the word. It all started when they received the word and they obeyed it. So why have we got a reception problem in the church today?

[22:16] I put it to you, there's different blockages that are blocking the receptivity to the word. Blockages. Now I can recall having some reception problem with my television.

[22:30] And we engaged a TV antenna mechanic who put a new TV antenna on our roof. And that fixed the reception problem.

[22:42] Now we haven't watched TV since but there could be that there's too much static, there's too much interference so that the message, the signal is not getting through. Sadly there's many blockages to receiving the word.

[22:56] Blockages. Matthew 13 we see the sower went out to sow and it says that seed among the thorns, he also that received seed among the thorns, is he that heareth the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word.

[23:11] And he becath unfruitful, the seed was choked, it was stifled, it was stopped, it was hindered, it was blocked. Friends, when there's a blockage sometimes we've got to take some heavy duty action.

[23:26] Heavy duty action. I know there's been occasions where some things have been blocked. And I've had to get out a hammer and hit a pipe to free the blockage that was inside the pipe.

[23:42] I had to get this big heavy mallet and smash that pipe on the outside so that the blockage could be freed and so that pipe could be opened again. And the answer to get rid of this blockage of receptivity to the word of God, this choking of the word, is the hammer.

[23:58] Jeremiah 23 verse 29, it says, Is not my word like a hammer? Is not my word like a fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces.

[24:10] Is not my word like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces. Sometimes we need the hammering of God's word to get the blockages out of the ear rolls.

[24:22] We don't sometimes appreciate the Bible enough. We sometimes don't appreciate the word. What are some Bible doctrines about the Bible?

[24:33] One is inspiration. Inspiration. You know, pretty much every church will have it in their doctrinal statement. But we believe the Bible is the inspired word of God.

[24:44] How we need an appreciation that the word of God is inspired. There's inspiration. We need a new appreciation of the word of God and its inspiration. What does Paul tell Timothy?

[24:56] All scripture. 2 Timothy 3.16-3.17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for improvement, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all good works.

[25:16] There's inspiration. That's why we can trust this book. That's why we should receive the Bible. It's because of inspiration. Another doctrine is the authority of the Bible.

[25:27] How we need a new appreciation of the authority of the Bible. It's the word of the Lord. The word of the Lord.

[25:38] The word of the Lord. There's authority there. Tremendous authority. Every command of the Bible is the directive of God. We ought to take that on board.

[25:52] We ought to take heed of that. It's the word of God. It's the word of God. It's got divine origin. The Bible. The phrase, thus saith the Lord, or its equivalent in different forms.

[26:03] Someone has calculated it occurs more than 2,000 times in the Old Testament. Thus saith the Lord. You know, this is the word of the Lord or something along that line.

[26:15] Some 2,000 words. 2,000 times rather. And the Bible is powerful and effective. For the word of God is quick or alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intent of the heart.

[26:37] The word of God is alive, powerful. Praise God. It's powerful. It's got authority. These are not just words on a page. It's the message of the giver of life.

[26:49] There's authority here. It's alive. It's stamped with God's authority. And it cuts to the heart and converts the soul. Another Bible doctrine about the Bible is inerrancy.

[27:01] Inerrancy. Pretty much every church will have such a statement that the Bible is inerrant. Inerrant. In other words, it doesn't have error. It's without error.

[27:13] It's a fundamental doctrine. In Psalm 119 verse 140, it says, Thy word is very pure. Therefore thy servant loveth it. Thy word is very pure. Do we trust the word of God?

[27:30] It says in Hosea 4 verse 6, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. It's when we put the book on the shelf. You know, you might have the King James that have it on the shelf. It's going to do you no good. The best Bible is a red Bible.

[27:42] A red Bible. Make sure you have a red Bible. Whatever it is. Make sure it's a red Bible. Thy word is very pure. Therefore thy servant loveth it. The inerrancy of the scriptures means this book is without error.

[27:53] You know, it's been said that men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them. It's so true, isn't it? That's why people don't want the Bible.

[28:04] Because the Bible will cut to the heart. It will stab them. It will provoke them. It will convict them. Someone has said for practical purposes the words infallible and inerrant are interchangeable.

[28:16] When we apply them to the Bible, what we are saying is that only those who accept them as from God, all that the scripture proves to tell us, promise us or require of us, can ever fully please Him.

[28:30] We must accept them from God. It's inerrant. Another Bible doctrine about the Bible is sufficiency. The sufficiency of the Bible. How we need a new appreciation of the word of God and its sufficiency.

[28:44] Sufficiency. In other words, it's complete. There's a canon. You know, the early church determined 66 books. That's it. They closed the canon.

[28:56] And there's no need for supposed new revelations and new visions or new words from the Lord. There's a sufficiency to the Bible. It's the only revelation of God.

[29:07] It's not to be diminished and not to be added to. Another fact about the Bible is reverence. How we need to have a new appreciation of the word of God and hold it in reverence.

[29:20] In reverence. We should tremble at this book. The preacher should tremble and quake in his boots when he stands before the people of God to deliver this message. Because it's a holy message.

[29:32] It's a message that should make us tremble. In Isaiah 66 verse 2 it says, In part, to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word.

[29:48] I know I heard a brother say just this morning how he was rather nervous last time, last week when he gave a communion message. And I said, that's a good thing brother. It's a good thing to be nervous.

[30:00] It's a good thing to take it seriously when you want to deliver something to God's people. Because it's no light thing to do so. And the minute that we think that we're sufficient to the task is when we'll be realising how inadequate.

[30:14] And the minute we stop depending on God is the minute that we will fail him. And if we trust in our own strength. We must have the reverence for the word of God. And another aspect is an application of the word of God.

[30:28] An application of the word of God. Again, as I say, you can have this good old book on your shelf, Gathering Dust. But unless you apply it, it will do you no good. Being doers of the word and not hearers only.

[30:40] Deceiving your own selves. We need to have an application of the word of God. And realise the benefits of an application of the word of God to our situation.

[30:52] Friends today, I don't know where you're at in your life this evening. But whatever your situation in life, the answers are here. The answers are here.

[31:03] If you need comfort, the answers are here. You know, those little Gideon New Testaments, they, they, I think they've diminished the quality of them now.

[31:17] But at one time, they had these references. If you're feeling afraid, go to Psalm such and such. If you're feeling disappointed, go to such and such a verse.

[31:28] If you're feeling, um, like you're grieving, here's a verse you can look up. And I thought that was a very valuable thing about those little Gideon New Testaments.

[31:41] And it's true still today that whatever your situation of life, I'm just going to touch on a few real quickly, because we won't have time to say much on that front. But whatever your situation of life, whatever your emotional state, whatever your burden that you're carrying in your life today, there's an application of the word of God for you.

[32:02] An application of it. So for example, comfort. Romans 15 verse 4, it says, These things were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

[32:14] There's hope here, there's comfort here through the application, through the patience and comfort of the scriptures. You know, an old time preacher, Martin Lloyd-Jones said, Our supreme need is to know God.

[32:28] How can we know Him except we turn to the message that He's given to us? His love letter to mankind. Our supreme need is to know God. And the answer to that need is in this book.

[32:40] We need to receive His word. Think of the promises of the Bible for a moment. Someone has calculated this astounding figure. Someone has reckoned that in the pages of your Bible, there's some 3,573 promises.

[32:58] 3,573 promises. Now I haven't added them all up myself, but I'll take that person's word for it. Now there's some 3,500 promises in this book.

[33:12] It's jam packed with promises from heaven. It says in 2 Peter 1, Wherefore are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

[33:31] Exceeding great and precious promises. What a blessing. And friends, here's a quick quote. It's perfect, comprehensive, sure, clear, true, totally transforms the person.

[33:47] It makes the undiscerning skilled. It makes the dark things light. It endures forever. Every culture, every place, every age, every person finds it relevant.

[33:59] And it produces comprehensive righteousness. There's a sufficiency of scripture. Just think of some of these things I was talking before. Where do I go?

[34:10] Where do I go when I'm in trouble? You can go to Psalm 46 verse 1. God is a very present help in time of trouble. God is our refuge and strength.

[34:21] A very present help in trouble. Where can I go when I'm feeling lonely? Psalm 145 verse 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him.

[34:35] To all that call upon Him in truth. You might be feeling all alone in the world. God says, the Lord is nigh unto them that call upon Him.

[34:48] Praise God for that. You don't have to ever feel lonely. Never ever feel lonely. Now I knew a man and he was lonely and he passed away last week. And he's not lonely anymore.

[35:02] He's with the Saviour. He had some mental health problems. Yet he's with the Lord now. And we need to look out for one another. There could be people here that need your care and your words of comfort.

[35:18] But even when you do not receive a human word of comfort, know that the Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him. Take that to heart, brother, sister, tonight.

[35:29] When you're feeling weary, it says, Come unto me all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11, 28. When you're feeling weary, be careful for nothing.

[35:41] But in everything by prayer and supplication, make your requests known. When you're feeling weary, when you're in need. But my God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

[36:03] Philippians 4, verse 19. When you're feeling afraid, afraid, remember the Lord has promised. Isaiah 41, verse 10. Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God.

[36:16] I will strengthen thee. Yea, I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. When you're hurting, Psalm 34, verse 18.

[36:27] The Lord is mine unto them that are of broken heart, and saiveth such as be of a contrite spirit. When you're feeling tempted, 1 Corinthians 10, verse 13.

[36:39] There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

[36:57] And then when you're grieving, Revelation 21. When you're saying goodbye to a friend as I did last week. Revelation 21, verse 4.

[37:08] And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away.

[37:21] Can't you see how the Word of God is that resource for you? And sadly, it's an untapped resource for many believers.

[37:32] Man's problems all started from rejecting God's Word in Genesis 3. Yea, hath God said there was a doubt of God's Word. Verse 1, Genesis 3.

[37:44] There was an addition to God's Word. When the woman said to the serpent, God hath said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

[37:56] They added to God's Word. There's a contradiction of God's Word. Where the serpent says, You shall not surely die. In verse 4. And such like. And there was a transgression of God's Word.

[38:08] And the woman saw the tree and took of the fruit and did eat. A doubt of God's Word. An addition to God's Word. A contradiction of God's Word.

[38:19] And a transgression of God's Word. How much better had it been that there was a reception of God's Word? How much better had they received it and obeyed it?

[38:30] We wouldn't be in such trouble here today had they done so. Friends, to wrap up, think of these things tonight.

[38:41] Will we receive the Word? We receive the Word. In James it says, To receive the Word with meekness. Receive it with meekness. Sometimes we've got to humble ourselves and realise our dependency upon God, upon His Holy Spirit.

[38:58] To realise that we need to fit ourselves to the Word instead of trying to make it fit with us. You know some people, it's as if their Bible's got all these holes in it.

[39:10] They get the scissors out, Oh I don't like that verse, cut that one out. I'm not going to obey that one. You know whatever it might be. It's like, oh I'll pick and choose the bits I want. You know I'll get my, oh what's God telling me today?

[39:23] You know it's as if they use it, hit and miss, piecemeal. You know rather than taking it as rare. And of course we know that some is addressed to the Hebrew nation, some of it is addressed to the early church in particular places.

[39:41] But we need to take it in its context. But we need to take it. You know these things are written for our learning. No matter who it was addressing. And we can learn through the mistakes. But thank God, one of the good things about the Bible, as I talked about briefly this morning, is it shows people warts and all doesn't it?

[39:58] The failings and the miserable character faults of some of the people that God chose to use through His Word. Thank God for that. There's hope for me. There's hope for you tonight.

[40:10] If you have some character faults or some skeletons in the cupboard, you've got some dreadful shadowy things in your past, God can wipe it all out and give you a brand new start.

[40:23] And a brand new life. And there's hope for anyone tonight because of the blood of Jesus Christ shed for the remission of sins. And so thank God, receive the Word.

[40:35] In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul says that you receive the Word of God. Not as the Word of man, but as the Word of God, which effectually worketh in you that believe. In 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 10, he talks about some they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

[40:52] Now it's a very important thing to receive the message. Receive it. And of course we need to discern the message. Whoever it is that preaches, we know we should search the Scriptures, see if these things are so.

[41:04] You know, just because it's someone that you trust, it doesn't mean that you have to take everything that they say is gospel. You need to check it and discern it, question it, criticise it, ask questions and learn from what you hear.

[41:21] But prayerfully that we'll hear what the Spirit is saying to His church, through His Word. And so, friends, tonight we've got a wonderful blessing in this book, in the Bible.

[41:32] The faith once delivered to the saints. In these last days it's marked by mockers and murmurers and scoffers. We see that in the last days scoffers will come.

[41:43] Oh, this promise of His coming. It's ungodly pride that shows its ugly head in the sceptics and such like. But we need rather to have godly humility and pray for the preacher.

[41:56] Prepare your heart when you come to hear the Word of God. Ask yourself, as you read the Word in your private study, what's this saying to me today? What's the application? How can I do this work?

[42:08] How can I do this? How can I apply this? Bring your Bible to church. Take notes. Learn and be receptive. Friends, to close, 1 John 5 it says, For this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life.

[42:24] And this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. And John says to the people he addresses here in the first letter of John, He says, These things have I written unto you, that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

[42:48] And that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. Now this is the record. I urge you tonight, one and all, to take the message and receive it.

[43:00] Receive the record that God has given of His Son. And that these things are written that you may know that you have eternal life. Friends, there's many sad people in the world today, they've got a hope so kind of salvation.

[43:14] Oh, I'm hoping, I'm hoping, hoping against hope, hoping, hoping, hoping, hoping really hard that I'm going to make it. I'm just going to make the grade. I'm just going to get a C minus, minus, minus, minus, and just make the grade.

[43:29] Just going to make that pass mark to get into glory. I'm not a bad person. I'm not as bad as him or her or them. But it's not good enough.

[43:40] I hope so, salvation is not a salvation at all. I think so, salvation. I think I'm saved. I think one day I went down the front and said some little words, I repeated some words after someone.

[43:55] And I even went into some water. And I had all these, whoa, all these crazy experiences. Oh, I think I'm saved because that's what happened to me.

[44:06] No. It's not enough. It's not enough to think that you're saved. You can have the know-so of salvation that is here. This is the record that you may know.

[44:18] Know that you know that you know that you know that you have. Have, have, present tense. Salvation. You have eternal life.

[44:31] Eternal, never ending, everlasting, forever and ever life. But you may know that you have eternal life. You that believe on the name of the Son of God. It's simple faith.

[44:43]  It's simple faith. I don't have to say some magic words over you. Or blow holy smoke over you. Or sprinkle holy water over you. or say some Latin words over you or whatever it might be or hear your confession or hear your Hail Mary's or whatever it might be the only thing that can save your soul is to receive the message of salvation receive the Saviour the only Saviour receive and believe on his name say yes Lord I believe I call on your name bang you're in heaven faith simple faith of course that faith is allied with a total revolution on the inside of you where there's a total revolution 180 degrees turn because it's a whole new brand new way of living of being there's a transformation that happens when you trust him and friends this word receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls there's no other book can do this for you not the writings of Buddha or Mohammed or you name it the engrafted word in other words it becomes part of your fibre and soul it becomes part of you it's planted within you it's able to save your souls but be ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves you you