[0:00] Take your Bibles and go to the book of Haggai, chapter number one, if you would. Haggai, chapter number one. If you have a first word Bible, which is one we print, it's page 1167.
[0:18] Just in case you have one. I want to say thank you for your hospitality. Thank you for a great place to stay. Good time of fellowship.
[0:29] Enjoyed the time at the center today with all of the young people. I don't know if they enjoyed it or not, but I enjoyed the time out there. And it was good.
[0:41] Tonight I want to obviously just give you kind of an outline if I could. I see my time and I have heard your pastor tell me I have a little more time. And I'm looking for a clock.
[0:53] Oh, there it is. Okay. And I just want to make sure where it's at. But last night we looked at when we think of this thing of worthy manner, a worthy way, or the worthy doing it the right way, or glorifying God in the way that we do what we do.
[1:12] Whether it's caring, whether it's going, whether it's giving. That we do it right. And we do it for him. And last night we looked at what will cause that or what will help us with that is the right view of God and seeing God as almighty.
[1:28] Seeing that God has a plan. Seeing that God has given the power. And seeing God has given us the promises. And that's not for us just to read how he did it in the Bible.
[1:41] But we go to the Bible for our examples. But we're to go to the Bible for our examples so that we understand that's what's available to us. So when you read in the Old Testament that God had a plan and he made a people for himself.
[1:57] I'm glad that he did that with Israel. And I'm glad that he showed his power. And he divided the Red Sea. And they crossed the Jordan River. And I'm glad he did all of those miracles that we have in the Old Testament.
[2:11] I'm glad for the promises that he gave to Israel to the Jew. But you know what? I need those myself. So I need to know that God has a plan. And I can be part of that plan.
[2:24] And I can have a part in what he's doing. And I can be attached to him. To get the power that's necessary to fulfill the plan. And then to enjoy the promises.
[2:34] We all like the promises. We like that last part before we get to the first part. And so when I see this, I see we just simply have to have a right view of God.
[2:45] I want you to go to Haggai chapter number one. This was a verse that God gave me when I moved to Milford. Because at First Baptist Church, we have a large emphasis on printing the Word of God.
[2:58] I just got an email earlier today that we just passed right at the 8 million mark for the year. And that's exciting for us because we've set some goals.
[3:10] And what might be our goals? Can we print a million a month? And can we reach 12 million or 15 million? And we only print for that which we have a place for it to go.
[3:24] We don't print to put it in a warehouse. We don't print so we say we have it. We don't print because we want a number. But we have so many outlets and so many more outlets.
[3:35] And we want to make ourselves available for more outlets. So as a missionary, you're here and you need scripture. We want to provide your scripture. And wherever that might be in the world, that's our goal is to provide the scripture.
[3:50] In Haggai chapter number 1, this was the verse that God gave me that helped me to understand what my role at First Baptist Church was during my tenure at First Baptist Church.
[4:03] So much emphasis on the Word of God and it needs to be. But the Bible says here, Then spake Haggai, the Lord's messenger, in the Lord's message.
[4:14] There's two things that are needed to reach the world with Christ. A messenger and a message. And you say, well, I can be the messenger who takes the message.
[4:28] You can if there is a message that is available in their language. So in other words, if that message can be handed to them in a form in which they can read.
[4:42] Do you know that there are about 7,300 languages or dialects in the world? And that a large part of them do not have the Word of God.
[4:55] They don't have the Bible. They cannot open scripture like we open scripture. And so when we go to imagine as a missionary going and you have the only Bible.
[5:07] When I go to preach someplace, I'm looking to see if people have their Bible. It's like, or if you've been out preaching much, and if you ever preached at a banquet.
[5:18] And you preach at a banquet when you say, let's open our Bibles. Nobody has a Bible at a banquet. All they got is a fork and a spoon. They don't have a Bible. And you think, how can I show them something out of the Bible when they don't have a Bible?
[5:33] So you can imagine a missionary going to the foreign field without the Word of God. And so both are necessary. Is it necessary to print as many as we are?
[5:44] The answer is yes. But only if there is those receiving it on that end who then take it and distribute it on the other end. So it takes two things. It takes the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message.
[5:58] And so that became my quest in my tenure at First Baptist Church. So last night we saw we have to have a right vision of the Almighty if we're going to serve in a worthy manner.
[6:13] Tonight I want us to look at this. We need to have a right relationship with the Word of God if we're going to serve in a worthy manner. Now go with me, if you would, to Acts chapter number 1, if you would.
[6:26] Acts chapter number 1. Now I'm turning to Acts 1 in a church that missions is everything. And so you probably have Acts 1 memorized.
[6:38] And you probably know it front and back. I'm not here tonight to give you anything, show you anything new. I'm here tonight to remind us.
[6:49] You know, when I was young, which has been a little while and some of you will know the person I'm going to talk about. If you've ever heard of Vince Lombardi. Okay. Some of you may be on this over here.
[7:02] I see a few heads saying, yes, Vince Lombardi was the coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1959 to 1967. Now I know that's before most of yours lifetime.
[7:14] But during that time, he had a dynasty in football. And he was one of the greatest football coaches of all times, Vince Lombardi.
[7:25] Do you know that Vince Lombardi, every football season, took all of his professional football players, put them in a room like this, grabbed a football, and said, this is a football.
[7:39] And what he was saying is, it's basics. Sometimes the basics become so basic or become so, if we're not careful, insignificant.
[7:55] We pass by on them. We kind of let them slide because we look at something else or we go someplace else. I want to go to Acts tonight.
[8:08] And I want to run you just through the book of Acts very quickly. And I want to look at it from a little distant view instead of a close-up view. So instead of looking at one verse or one simple passage or one chapter number one or one verse, I want to go to several.
[8:24] And I want to talk to you about this thought of having the right view of the Word of God. You're a messenger, many of you who are going in the Lord's message.
[8:37] So you have the message, which is the Word of God, and you are the messenger. This church is preparing messengers at a high level. Our church is providing the message, the written Word of God, at a high level.
[8:51] So we partner together. Why? Because it's going to take both to reach the world with the gospel. Let me pray. Our Father in heaven, thank you for your goodness and your blessings. Thank you for this church, for what I have been encouraged as I've been here.
[9:05] It's been more of a blessing to me than I'm sure I've been to them. The Lord has been refreshing, as pastors spoke about refreshing, and been refreshing for me to see a church that loves you and is on fire for you and has missions not just on their mind but in their heart.
[9:26] And everything that they do and every aspect of the ministry is about getting the gospel around the world. And so, Lord, I pray that you continue to bless them.
[9:36] Bless our time tonight. As we saw last night, we need to have a right view and see God Almighty has a plan, has the power, and has the promises. And, Lord, those are for us as we set out to accomplish serving you in a worthy manner, in a manner that's pleasing to yourself.
[9:57] Lord, help us tonight as we look now at having a right relationship with the Word of God. I thank you for your love and ask in Christ's name. Amen. I want to just take a quick glance.
[10:09] And you know these outlines. And these are simple outlines. Again, just trying to remind you, if I could, we know that Acts chapter number 1 and verse 8 tells us we're to go into all the world.
[10:21] And we know that we're to go into Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria. And we're to go into the uttermost. When you study the book of Acts, primarily the book of Acts divides itself just as that verse divides itself.
[10:34] The first seven chapters are primarily Jerusalem. Chapters number 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 are primarily Judea and Samaria. And then in chapter 13, we have the uttermost.
[10:48] We have Paul being sent out and going to the uttermost in chapter 13 through chapter number 28. So we understand that this book kind of divides itself right along the lines of Acts chapter number 1 and verse number 8.
[11:05] And so we see that the gospel is presented in Jerusalem. We see the gospel is presented in Judea and Samaria. We see the gospel is presented in the uttermost. We see primarily a good example of the fulfillment of the great commission in one book, the book of Acts.
[11:22] He shows us what to do. He shows us how to do it. He gives us an example of it being done. The Bible said in Acts chapter 17, these are those that turn the world upside down.
[11:33] So we know that the gospel reached many in that time. To give us an example of how we're to go in our life. I want to go tonight to Acts chapter number 1.
[11:46] And I draw your attention to verse number 15 to begin with tonight. Acts chapter number 1 and verse 15. And I want you to mark just a phrase to get us started this evening.
[11:58] And we'll move right along. And I'll simply give you an outline because I heard him say several times seven or eight minutes after eight. So I'll watch my time and I'll guard that if I can.
[12:11] Acts chapter number 1 and verse number 15. In those days, Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and said, parentheses, telling us how many was there.
[12:22] The number of names together was about 120. What did he say? He said, men and brethren, this scripture.
[12:35] I want you to mark that phrase if you would. And I want you in your mind to go with me and take a walk through the disciples life with Jesus. You remember that Jesus on them when he was tempted of Satan, he spoke of the word of God.
[12:53] It is written. It is written. It is written. And he would often speak of it. And we know through the gospels that Jesus often would speak of something that was said maybe in the Old Testament.
[13:04] Something that the word of God tells us. But this is what I realized as best I can figure out. And maybe I'm wrong. And if I'm wrong, you can show me. But I don't know any place that the disciples ever turned to the scripture.
[13:18] Until Jesus was gone. I don't see them ever quoting scripture. I don't see them ever saying this is what the word of God said.
[13:29] I never saw. I never heard them allude to an Old Testament passage of scripture. I never saw them allude to the Old Testament. I never saw them or heard them speak about the scripture.
[13:40] But why would they? They had him. He was incarnate. In the beginning there was a word. The word was with God. And the word was God.
[13:51] So when they wanted something or needed something or they desired something, they went right to him. But we know in Acts chapter number 1, down in verse number 10 and 11, he ascends up into heaven.
[14:04] When he ascends up into heaven, the Bible says to angels, why stand you gazing? Why? Because he whom they have trusted in, he whom they have followed, he whom them have, he said, follow me and I'll make you become fishers of men.
[14:21] They gave their lives for this man. And all of a sudden now, he's gone. What do we do? What does he do? What did Peter do?
[14:32] Peter stood in verse number 16 and he said, men and brethren, this scripture. This scripture. What happened here is the word of God took a new role in the life of Peter and the disciples than it had before in written form.
[14:53] They had him incarnate so he could teach them. But he was no longer present. So what did they have now to teach them? What they had now was the written word that they had.
[15:06] Look what he says in verse number 16. This scripture must needs have been fulfilled. Look if you would in verse number 20.
[15:16] For it is written in the book of what? In the book of Psalms. Go to chapter 2 and verse number 16. Chapter 2 and verse 16. He said, but this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.
[15:30] By the prophet Joel. Look in verse 25. For David speaketh concerning him which I foresaw. Down in verse number 29. Men and brethren, let us freely speak unto you of the patriarch David.
[15:44] What happened was the word of God has taken a place in the life of the disciples that's necessary for them to know how to walk without the presence of God incarnate.
[15:59] So how am I going to live this thing that he has proposed to me and he has given me a commandment? How am I going to do that? What I find is the importance of the word of God.
[16:14] The word of God. The word of God became very important. I look at it this way. I look at three things that the word of God did. Number one, the word of God impacted their life.
[16:26] It impacted their life. You know, I have been in a couple, not many, thank the Lord. But I have been in a couple of car accidents. And being in a couple of car accidents, it's that impact.
[16:39] It's that time when you hit and realize, I've been hit. Or you realize in your days saying, what happened? And you immediately have to realize something's different.
[16:53] May I suggest to you, that's what happens when someone really, as one stood here tonight and said, when I really fell in love with God.
[17:04] When I fell in love with the word of God. When I fell in love with the person of Christ. When it changed my life. When the blind can see.
[17:16] And the deaf can hear. And the dumb to speak. When you see that happen. What happens is you have a woman at the well. Who comes away and is telling others about the one she meets.
[17:29] What happened? Impact. Impact. They were impacted by what? Meeting God. And may I say to you. What takes place here in Acts chapter number 1, 2, 3, and 4.
[17:43] Is that Peter is now using the word of God. He is now allowing the word of God to take its rightful place in his life.
[17:55] And as somebody who is going to go and preach the gospel. And proclaim the gospel. We've got to first allow it to impact our lives first.
[18:06] You can't tell somebody how to love God if you're not loving God. You can't tell somebody how to win. How to do it. But you don't do it yourself. So it has to what?
[18:17] It has to impact our lives first. How do we do that? Three ways. We acknowledge it. He had to acknowledge it. The first thing he did is this scripture.
[18:28] He acknowledged the word of God. He acknowledged it. He had to personally submit to it. You see, to this point, when Jesus said, go, they went.
[18:41] Where were they going to get their direction now? Where was they going to get the word to move now? Where were they going to get that? That we're going to get it from the scripture.
[18:53] The necessity of the scripture. When do I do what I do? I do when the scripture tells me that I should do it. It impacts their life. It impacted them immediately.
[19:06] In chapters 1 through 5, you see the impact in Peter's life. In chapter 7, you see the impact in Stephen's life. In chapter 8, you find the impact of Philip's life. In chapter 10, the impact of the word of God in Cornelius's life.
[19:21] You see the impact of the word of God in Antioch. They're first called Christians in Antioch. Why? Because they had been given and been taught the what? Word of God. The word of God.
[19:31] The necessity of it. Three verses I'm sure you have marked. The first one's found in Acts chapter number 6 and verse number 7. Acts chapter 6 and verse 7.
[19:43] I'll give you all three of them and I'll move right through my last couple of minutes here. Acts chapter 6 and verse 7. Would you mark this phrase if you don't have it marked? And the word of God increased.
[19:55] Go to chapter 12 and verse 24. Again, just a reminder. I'm sure you have them marked. I'm sure you've heard this before. But look what happens here in chapter 12 and verse 24.
[20:06] But the word of God grew and multiplied. If you go on to chapter number 19. If you would, chapter number 19. And verse number 20.
[20:22] So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. You see, just as you see in a progression of Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria to the uttermost.
[20:34] Just as you see an impact of the word of God in Peter's life. And then John's life. And then Philip's life. And then Stephen's life.
[20:45] And then Cornelius' life. And then in Antioch. And then in Paul's life. It's an increase. So what's happening? Is this. That the word of God is number one.
[20:56] The word of God is increasing. The word of God number two then. Begins to grow and multiply. And number three. The word of God then prevails.
[21:07] When you think of it. Think of it this way. They had to allow the word of God to impact their life. Once it impacted their life. They had to take the word of God for instruction.
[21:20] And I look at that as the second portion of the book of Acts. For instruction. So what do we have? We have the word of God going from impacting their life. To instructing their life.
[21:32] You see I was saved at the age of nine. And. I surrendered to what God wanted for me in the age of 17. To preach. And the word of God had.
[21:44] An impact in my life that changed my life. And then the word of God now begins to be the instruction in my life. So where do I get. What I'm to do.
[21:55] And where I'm to go. And. How am I supposed to know that? The word of God now moves to a place of instruction in a person's life. And then the last one is.
[22:06] The Bible says that the word of God prevailed. And I want to say to you. That's influences. That's when the word of God. Tells you what you're going to do. When you get done reading it.
[22:17] You say yes Lord. You say okay Lord. You say I surrender Lord. You say I submit Lord. What has happened. The word of God.
[22:28] Has increased in your life. Because it impacted you. It has become your instruction guide. God. But sometime along the way. The best place you want the word of God to get in your life.
[22:42] Is where it's prevailing. Where the word of God is directing. Your life. Day to day. And you can't. Live without it.
[22:53] You can't go without it. You long for it. That's when the word of God prevails. In a person's life. Let's pray. Father thank you for your goodness and your blessings.
[23:05] Thank you for the word of God. I pray that you would help us to understand. For us we can talk about the need for this to happen in our lives. But Lord for so many.
[23:17] They don't even have it. So it can't impact them. It's not used for instruction in their life. And it's not prevailing.
[23:28] And so Lord the reason is. Is they just don't have it. So we have a responsibility as a church. To send it. To distribute it. To proclaim it.
[23:40] To provide it. To protect it. And I pray that you'd help us to do our part. In doing what's necessary for the word of God. To get to the world. Because we need the Lord's messenger.
[23:53] In the Lord's message. To restore the world with the gospel. I thank you for yourself. Bless this church in Christ's name. Amen. Amen. Thank you.
[24:03] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.