The Preeminence of the Word of God — Acts 2

0:00 All of creation is glory. Wow. This is such a wonderful time of the year. The colors change. Praise the name of Jesus.

0:13 You're receiving a handout sheet, and hopefully, we're going to just kind of walk through this and read a lot of scripture today. And the topic this morning is going to be the preeminence of the word of god. The preeminence. And I asked my faithful little Google partner on my belt here. Definition of preeminence, it's having first place.

0:44 It's a word that's used in Colossians referring to the Lord Jesus. He's the firstborn. He's the creator. He's the one that God chose to be the savior, the redeemer. He's above all things in order that he might come to have preeminence.

1:01 Some of the translations say or some of your translations say that he might come to have first place in everything. So, let's pray. Ask the lord to really minister to us through his word. Heavenly father, we thank you for your word. Lord, blood, precious blood was shed, that we could have your word, the blood of your son, first of all.

1:31 The blood of so many, the prophets, the blood of the martyrs, the blood of the Bible translators, William Tyndale, and so many others gave their life, shed their blood that we could have the word of god before us this morning. In our own language and we praise you for that. Lord, we pray that you would help us to see how you view your word and that lord you would help us by your spirit change our lives that we would line up with that. So, we pray in Jesus name be administered to us in Jesus name, amen. Wanna start with the confession that as we walk through this, the preeminence of the word of god is the messenger this morning has not arrived at any of this and so please don't see the messenger up here but hear the word of god.

2:25 God has been speaking to me much about this. When I was asked to speak quite a while ago, seemed almost immediately I had this on my heart, and I trusted... I know it's from the Lord. So the title of preeminence or the supremacy is another good word of the word of god. And our introduction is gonna be, if you open your bibles to acts chapter two verse 42.

2:56 In acts chapter two, the introduction statement there says, what does the word of god teach that we, the church, do when we are together as a local assembly? So we, the church, are everyone who's born again, obviously, whether we're in China right now or right here, the universal church. When we are together, notice I didn't put the word when we meet together, but it's when we are together. So it's when we're together in the backroom, when we're on the phone with each other, when we're having dinner with each other, when the believers are together, what do we see that Acts chapter two shows us what what the word of God teaches that we are doing at that time? So we'll pick it up in verse 42, familiar topics and just again, by introduction is this is review.

3:50 This is stuff for all of us that we probably know, but may god help us to really apply it to our lives. So, first, Peter preached. He was filled with the spirit, then Peter preached, and then many got saved, 3,000, then they got baptized, then what did they do? Verse 42. And they continued steadfastly or continually devoted themselves to the apostles' doctrine, to the fellowship, the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

4:25 Switching here to a translation that I'm there. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles doctrine or teaching. So, that's the New Testament which is the fulfillment of it all. It's god's word complete. They were continually devoting themselves to the fellowship and the word the is in the original, a definite article.

4:50 So, we read in a few verses. We're going to see how they devoted themselves to one another. The word fellowship there is not that that we're drinking coffee in the back together. Not that that's wrong or anything but that's not what he's saying here. They continue devoted themselves to the fellowship, the believers, and to the breaking of bread, the lord's supper, and to prayer.

5:13 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles, and all those who had believed were together and had all things in common. And here's this devoting themselves to the fellowship. Verse 45, they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all as anyone might have need. Day by day, continuing with one mind in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together. So the breaking of bread, in my understanding, is the Lord's Supper, and also we're having meals together from house to house with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God, having favor with all the people, and the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who are being saved.

6:03 So, it's good for us to take an inventory Most of us see the four pillars there in verse 42 that we as the church, the local church focus on and that is number one, the New Testament teaching, the apostle's doctrine to finish the final scriptures in their entirety. And then the fellowship seems like we're really good at that. I mean, this is tremendous group of believers that ministers. I'm one for for example that receives the benefit of the taking care of one another and I see that happening among us all the time. The Lord...

6:44 The apostles' doctrine, the fellowship, the breaking of bread, we sure devote ourselves to that and to prayer. And, seems to me that we, local assembly, we, the church at large, are weak in, or need improvement. I don't wanna say weak. We can see improvement in the first and the last. And so I think you'll see this as we look at the next verse on our study sheet here, and that is number one, which will be Psalm one thirty eight verse one and two.

8:08 Each one is a song, and yet it's ultimately penned by the lord, the holy spirit himself, teaching us about himself. Verse one, I will praise you, lord, with all my heart before the gods, the false gods. I will sing praises to you. I will worship towards your holy temple and praise your name. Why?

8:30 For your loving kindness and your truth. Why? For you have magnified your word above all your name. That's the New King James version. Some of your translations say, he magnifies above all else his word and his name.

8:49 And I'm no expert but I've studied a little bit in the Hebrew, the original writing of it and it basically says that he's magnified above all else his name, no comma, no and, his word. And so the translators of the New King James, he's magnified above all else his name, his word, they put above all else in the middle. So above... They magnify... He's magnified as we just read his word above even his name.

9:29 It seems to me that that would be a correct rendering, but even if it's not, if it would be, he's magnified above all else, his name, his word, there's no higher. There's no higher in god's estimation. His name, his word, and again, the King James could be rightly translated. He's magnified his word above his name. Why would god think that way?

10:06 I'm not a 100% sure, but it's fact. And I've been praying for myself that I would magnify. The word magnify simply, I looked up that word too in the original, it just simply means to make great. Just like a magnifying glass would make great, make big. Or another place, it's actually translated sometimes just to grow.

10:29 So his word, he wants it, to be magnified. He makes his word great, even greater than his name. Again, one translation or his name and his word greater than all. So these are the two components that is repeated throughout scripture we see. But God sees his word.

10:52 The word word is the expression and the embodiment of a thought, idea, or idea. The expression, the embodiment of a thought, an idea. So, we're doing right now, I'm using words to get thoughts from this source into that source. And so, words become that expression, that embodiment of what is in the heart of one, getting it into the heart of the other. That's what God does with his word.

11:37 I'm convinced that that's why God calls Jesus Christ the word. In the beginning was the word. Jesus Christ is the expression, the embodiment of all that's in God's mind, his thought. And as Christ becomes human flesh, the word becomes flesh, then it says, no one has seen God at any time, but Jesus Christ, who's in the father's bosom, as near as you can be, he has made him known, expressed him. He's this living word.

12:20 Hebrews chapter one says the same thing. In the past, God spoke through the prophets. All that he wants to teach us through the prophets. All that's in his mind, the expression, and the embodiment of his thoughts, his ideas are in the prophets through the prophets. But in these last days, he's what?

12:44 The conclusion, the summary, the the end product of it all. He's spoken to us in in that word in the Greek there in in his son can be translated in his son, by his son, through his son. Not just the red lettering in your New Testament Bible Bible, what Jesus spoke, but all that Jesus is. Everything he's done, who he is, what he's doing, what he will do is the completion, the fulfillment. It's the embodiment, the expression of god's thoughts, god's ideas.

13:45 Isaiah 40 says that. All flesh is like grass. Isaiah 40 verse six through eight. I'm gonna continue quickly here so we can hopefully cover all these scriptures, but you can find them if you like. All flesh is like grass, all the glory of flesh is like the flower of the field, the grass withers, the flower fades.

14:04 But the word of our God stands forever. Stands forever. Remains forever. Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 24. He says, all the heavens, so all the flesh is gonna fade away.

14:18 That's... As you get older, you see that. Some of you youngsters don't realize that yet, but it doesn't take long. You're on your way up, but then you're at the peak, but then you start to just fade away, right, before your own very eyes. But my word, his word stands forever.

14:37 Jesus said all of creation will pass away. Matthew twenty four thirty five, heaven and earth, heaven, all the starry host, all the created heavens and the earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. So his word is eternal. Number three, god's word is just some terms here. Another point that I just wanna side note here on this study, we could be up here for years, literally years, every Sunday, teaching about the word of god, what the Bible says about the word of god.

15:14 So, this in no way is a complete study today. Just a few points. Hopefully, all funneling to the the the conclusion that god exalts his word above all else and that god might help us to join in and follow him with that same love and passion that he has for his word. So Hebrews four twelve says, it's living, it's powerful. Jeremiah twenty three twenty nine, he's talking about, he's comparing, well, some of the false prophets, they were having dreams.

15:49 Let them speak if they want. He says, but my word, this is god speaking in Jeremiah 23. My word is like a fire. It's like a hammer. We've all experienced that as we read the word and it just breaks the hard heart.

16:04 It's like a fire. That's what Jeremiah even said in in himself. He says, when I was silent about the word, it was like a fire burning in my bosom. I love Psalm one one zero three verse 20. If you would look there, it's a it's a powerful verse that shows us that his word...

16:22 There's a difference between... Hear me hear me correctly here. There's a difference between the Bible and his word. What do I mean? The Bible is a book manufactured.

16:31 This is gonna burn up. But the words in it are his word. Right? So everybody understand that. So his word abides forever.

16:43 Even though the man made printed page and all that, whether it's printed or whether it's on my phone when I listen to it or on CDs or whatever, that's gonna pass away, but his word, the message, is never gonna pass away. And here in Psalm one zero three, he tells... He's talking about the angels. All you angels, bless the lord. All you...

17:02 His angels who serve him, who perform his word, what? Obeying the voice of his word. That's why when we read the Bible, when we hear the Bible, the word of God, God speaks. It's God speaking to you. It's not the man.

17:24 It's not the recording. It's not the printed page. It's God. It's his voice. Isaiah 55 says it's always gonna succeed, always gonna accomplish what he wants it to, his perfect will.

17:36 Number four on this list here, creation is by God's word. This is... I mean, we we could talk about this for so many years. Right? And for all eternity with, Lord, how did you...

17:47 From nothing. From nothing. Let there be. And there was. Or if there was already created matter, when he makes the mountains from causes the mountains to lift from the waters, he says, and it was so.

18:05 When God speaks, it happens. When God speaks, he creates. Powerful. The word of God. Number five, turn there in your Bibles if you would to second Peter chapter three, the beginning of creation was by God's word.

19:19 And I couldn't find any way or any actual verse that says he's gonna create the second... The new heavens and the new earth by his word, but I'm sure that's how it's gonna happen. His word creates, destroys, recreates. Number six, faith comes by God's word. Romans ten seventeen says, faith comes by hearing the word of God, some translations say, and some say of Christ.

19:49 But either way, Christ is God. So as we hear God's word, that word hear doesn't just mean the audible, It means in our spirit that we hear. We understand. We grasp. We hear the word of god.

20:05 Faith comes. Saving faith and sanctifying faith. How does a man get saved? Faith cometh by hearing and hearing the word of God. No one gets saved.

20:18 We'll see this in another verse or two in just a moment, how everyone gets saved by hearing, maybe not audibly. I have, I was saying to Helen Keller. Right? She's blind. She can't read it.

20:30 She's deaf. She can't hear it, but she felt somehow God took that word, that expression, that embodiment, got it into her mind through the Braille. I have a dear friend who got saved. He's born blind, totally blind. And I've shared this before.

20:48 His name is Michael. He's Christian. The first thing I'm gonna see is Jesus. First thing I'm gonna see is Jesus. But god takes his word and he gives faith as we read, hear, Braille, however it comes into our mind.

21:05 However, he gets his word, his thought, his idea into our heart, faith comes. Saving faith and also sanctifying faith. And we'll look to second Timothy verse, chapter three verse 15. Saving faith, and that from childhood, Timothy, you have known the sacred writings, the scriptures, the word of God, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. Verse 16, sanctifying faith.

21:45 How do we become holy? Once we're saved, how does God complete the project as we were talking in the first service? How does he make us more like Christ? All scripture all scripture, holy writ, all the word of God is inspired, God breathed is that word. It literally means God breathed.

22:10 Is God breathed by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. Why? Here it is. So the man or the woman, the child of God may be complete, completely equipped for every good work. So we're saved by God's word.

22:35 Verse 16, 17, we just read, we're sanctified by God's word. We're made complete. We're equipped by God's word for every good work. Turn with me also to Ephesians has the same thought. Ephesians chapter five.

23:11 Husbands, love your wives. I just saw the women nudging their husbands right now with their elbows. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her, but it doesn't stop there. Next verse is so important. It's describing Christ, but it also applies to the husband because that's the whole concept here.

23:33 Husbands love, agape your wives, just as Christ also agape the church, the believers, and gave himself up for her so that he might sanctify her, set her apart. How? Having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word. Interesting. He didn't say by the blood there.

23:52 Of course, the blood does cleanse us. But here he's focusing on the sanctification. How does a wife get sanctified? Same way a husband gets sanctified, by the... By Jesus using his word to make us holy, to set us apart.

24:06 And it seems to me that the application would be that the husband's responsibility is twofold. Love your wives as Christ loved the church and sanctify her, washing her with the word. And so a a side application would clearly be just that. Husbands, love your wives like Christ loved the church, gave himself up for her, and spend time in the word of God with her. Doesn't mean you gotta be a great bible teacher.

24:35 Mean, what happens if the wife was saved first and she's ten years, twenty years in the faith, and finally the husband gets saved? The husband doesn't have to pretend like he's more spiritual in the understanding, but husbands take the role of the shepherd, the leader in the home, the priest in the home, and read the word of God in the family. That's how she gets sanctified. That's how we get sanctified. First Peter chapter one talks again how we're born again.

25:03 Chapter one verse 23, Peter makes it very clear. For you have been born again, not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable that is born again through the living and enduring word of god. So, we're born again by the word of god. We hear the word of god. It's like a seed.

25:30 God makes it grow. It's only he can do and gives the conversion when the holy spirit gives the new birth. Turn the page over. Revival only can come by the word of God. Psalm one nineteen, if you'll turn there, the longest chapter in the Bible, a 176 verses apparently, I haven't gone through and counted them all but others have said that there's only three verses that don't mention or give reference to the word of God.

26:12 It's not always called the word. Sometimes it's called his testimonies, his ordinances, his commands, but always speaking about the word of God. So I want to just run through some of these verses that I I we could again, this is a tremendous chapter. I know a dear pastor and his wife. I I know the pastors with his with the lord now and I think his wife might be also but she never mentioned this, but I was in a prayer meeting with him and he was commending his wife and how she memorized Psalm one nineteen.

26:50 And if you ever read Psalm one nineteen, you find out, boy, that's... Every verse is very similar in some ways. And yet she loved the word of God so much. She wanted to memorize this chapter, which is all about, again, the word of God. Interesting.

27:08 Psalm one nineteen, I'll just read some of these. We're gonna scroll through some of these. Verse nine, how can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to your word. Verse 11, your word I've treasured or cherished in my heart that I may not sin against you.

27:28 So how are we gonna get victory over sin? Hiding, cherishing, treasuring his word in our hearts. We're gonna keep our way pure? By keeping it according to your word. And again, the messenger hasn't arrived at any of this.

27:41 The messenger is hearing just as much as you are. Verse 17, deal bountifully with your servant that I may live and what? For what purpose? Keep your word. Verse 25, my soul cleaves to the dust.

27:57 I cry this out to the lord many times. Revive me, lord, according to your word. Lord, my soul, I'm dry. I'm crawling on the desert floor. Need some some water, some life.

28:10 Revive me according to your word. Verse 28, similar, my soul weeps because of grief. Strengthen me according to your word. Verse 37, turn my eyes away from looking at vanity. This is a great prayer.

28:27 This is a great prayer. Lord, turn my eyes away from looking at vanity. And this isn't necessarily profanity, which that's vanity also, but anything that's vain. And revive me in what? Your ways.

28:40 In your ways. Number 50, verse 50. This is my comfort in my affliction. When I'm afflicted, this is my comfort that your word has revived me. How many of us have found revival, refreshment in God's word when we're suffering?

28:58 Verse 67. Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word. God chastises us, chastens us so that we'll keep his word. Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word. Verse 71, the writer says, it's good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn your statutes.

29:19 72, the next verse. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. Oh, Lord, make this true in our lives, that we love your word more than we love the pleasures of Egypt. Scroll down a bit yet. Verse 89.

29:39 Forever, oh, Lord, your word is settled or fixed in heaven. Again, the eternality of the word of God. 97, oh, how I love your word, your law. It is my meditation all the day. One zero seven, I'm exceedingly afflicted.

29:58 Revive me, oh lord, according to your word. So, brethren, when we're down, when we need refreshment, when we need strength, which I don't know about you, which to me, it's it's constant. We can only find it in one place, god's word. Verse one twenty, my flesh trembles for fear of you, and I'm afraid of your judgments. Verse one thirty three, establish my footsteps in your word.

30:23 The the writer here is crying this out. What a great lord. Establish my footsteps in your word. Do not let any iniquity have dominion over me. If we would pray these, if we would cry out these things to the Lord, the Lord would revive our hearts.

30:40 Hear my voice, one forty nine. I'm sorry. One forty nine. Hear my voice according to your loving kindness. Revive me, oh Lord, according to your ordinances.

30:49 Now he puts loving kindnesses, loving kindness in his word on the same plane. One fifty four, plead my cause and redeem me. Revive me according to your word. One fifty six, great are your mercies, oh lord, revive me according to your ordinances. I wanna give you a picture of a real national revival in second Chronicles chapter 34.

31:52 And he's a young man, but he's the king, and the word of God is been rediscovered as as Josiah's been trying to see the kingdom rebuilt and brought back instead of worshiping all the false gods but to return to the word of god and and they find literally, they literally find the book, the word of god. Verse 18, and oh how America, oh how we, the church, need this again in our own lives. How god could change. It just took a generation. One king to the next.

32:23 Went from being on fire for the lord to being worshiping Satan and all his bales. Incredible. Verse 18. I'll skim through this. Moreover, Shephan, the scribe, told the king saying, Hilkiah, the priest, gave me a book.

32:38 We found this book. And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. So he starts to read the word of God. When the king heard the words of the law, he ripped, he tore his clothes. Then the king commanded Hilkiah so and so...

32:53 From so and so. Verse 21, go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah concerning the words of the book which has been found for great is the wrath of the Lord which is poured out on us because our fathers have not observed the word of the Lord to do according to all there's written in the book. And then they take this message to this prophetess and she gives her what what apparently the Lord spoke. Verse 25, here's what he... Holder sends back to the king.

33:29 Because they have forsaken me, this is God speaking, but apparently through this this prophetess, and burned incense to other gods that they may provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore, my wrath will be poured out on this place and it shall not be quenched. But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus you will say to him, thus says the Lord God of Israel regarding the words which you have heard because... Look at verse 27. This is so precious.

33:57 Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and against its inhabitants and because you humbled yourself before me, you tore your clothes and you wept before me. I truly have heard you, declares the Lord. He goes on and he says, I'm gonna gather you to your fathers. You shall be gathered to your grave in peace so your eyes will not see all the evil that's gonna be coming upon us. Verse 29.

34:28 Then the king sent, okay, when he gets this wonderful response that he's gonna be spared from the judgment, it's still gonna come, but he's gonna be spared. He's not gonna see it. Verse 29. What's he do then? He gathers all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

34:40 The king went up to the house of the Lord and all the men of Judah, the inhabitants in Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people from the greatest to the least, and he read. He read the word of God, and they're hearing all the words of the book of the covenant, which was found in the house of the Lord. Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord. He read the word of God, makes a covenant before the word of God, to the word of God, to walk after the Lord, to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart, with all his soul to perform the words of the covenant written in the book. Moreover, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand with him.

35:22 Now the king could force that upon the people at that time. But here, may God help us all, starting with me, to renew a covenant to keep the words of the word of God. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. Josiah removed. What happens when we start to make a recommitment to the word of God?

35:44 Josiah removed the abominations from all the lands belonging to the sons of Israel, made all who were present in Israel to serve the Lord their God throughout his lifetime. They did not turn from following the Lord, the God of their fathers. Number eight on the sheet here. How do we then, as god's people, magnify god's word? Individually and also when we are together.

36:33 We'll start with verse one. Thus says the lord, heaven is my throne. The earth is my footstool. Where then is a house you could build for me? Where is a place that I may rest?

36:44 Verse two, for my hand made all these things. Thus, all these things came into being, declares the Lord. But to this one, I will look. To him who is humble and contrite of spirit and who trembles at my word. Oh lord, make it so in me and in us today that we would become men and women who are humble, contrite of spirit, and truly tremble at your word.

37:17 So how do we magnify God's word individually? And then when we are together, and again, when we come together, but when we are together, our conversation when we're together, our goal that we're always encouraging each other with the word of God, sharing the word of God. What is it? It's real simple. It's four things.

37:33 Real simple. Number one, read it. Read the word of God. Read the word of God. Read it, which means, again, either written or audibly so it could be spoken.

37:44 Number two, meditate on the word of God, which actually in the original Hebrew, in Joshua one eight and Psalm one, it can be translated where it says to meditate on the word day and night. The word meditate can be translated to to speak softly. So, again, it has something to do with us taking time reading the word. And this has been a big sin of mine lately. I've read the word every day since I've been saved by God's grace, but how quickly, how how much recently it's become just routine.

38:17 And I'm not stopping and really just meditating, chewing on it, thinking about it, and letting it get into my heart. And that's what Joshua one eight says, this word of the Lord shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night. Then you'll have success. Then you can do what I told you to do. Psalm one, the first three verses says the same thing.

38:40 Blessed is the man who wants... Who doesn't wanna be blessed. Right? To be blessed of God, completely satisfied. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, doesn't stand in the path of sinners, doesn't sit in the seat of the scornful, but his, her delight is in the law, the word of God, the law of the Lord.

39:00 And he meditates in it day and night. Be like a tree firmly planted by the rivers of water. You're gonna be strong. You're gonna get fed. You...

39:08 Your soul is not gonna shrivel up. Your leaf's not gonna wither. You're gonna produce fruit. And whatever you do, you'll prosper. Number three, how do we magnify God's word?

39:20 God magnifies it above his name or at least equal with his name. How do we magnify his word? We read it. We meditate on it. We believe and obey it.

39:28 We believe the promises, and we be doers of the word, not just hearers only. And the fourth, how do we magnify God's word? We share it. And there was a misprint. Interesting.

39:38 I just saw that this morning. Share the word of go. It's supposed to be God, obviously. Share the word of God, but, yeah, God wants us to go with his word. He wants us to go with his word.

39:50 We can share his word on paper. We should get gospel tracks, carry them with us. We should get gospels of John, carry them with us, and give them to people. This is what God says. This is how we can magnify his word.

40:03 Give it out to people. Read it ourselves. Meditate on it. Do what it says, and pass it on to others. Last point, how do we magnify god's word from this pulpit?

40:15 Specifically, when we come together and the pulpit. And it's the same concepts, really. Turn with me a few verses. Colossians four verse 16. Interesting.

40:32 The holy spirit uses Paul as his pen, but it's the holy spirit who says, when this letter is read among you. Wow. What a novice idea. Come together and from the pulpit, read the word of God and read it the way it was written. Now I am doing a topical study about this topic, which is when Paul...

40:59 When Colossae, the church at Colossae, received this letter, Paul says, read it. Read it. Now we do studies and help us to understand the translation. We're gonna see something else they did too, but for the point for the point now, read it. Look at what he says.

41:14 Have this letter read among you. Have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans, a different church, a different assembly. And you, for your part, there's a letter I wrote to them. You get that letter, bring it back, and you read it. So, read the word of god.

41:29 That's what this pulpit is for. Is to read the word of god. It goes a little further. First Timothy chapter four. Verse 13.

41:46 Paul telling his disciple, Timothy, what he should do. He's talking about don't be... We'll read verse 12 before that. Let no one look down on your youthfulness. We've heard that many times.

41:58 You know, Timothy, you're young, but don't don't let that stop you, hinder you. If it's the word of God, you've got all the authority of heaven behind you. But rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. Verse 13, until I come, give attention to the reading. The public reading of the scriptures, to the exhortation of the scriptures, that's the encouragement, and to the teaching of the scriptures.

42:25 So we're to read it. We're to exhort from it. We're supposed to teach from it. Second Timothy chapter four Paul's final words. Paul's final words.

42:39 There's not too many words that he wrote right directly after this in this chapter, but he knows his time has come. He's finished the race. He knows that he's going to be murdered, and he was. First three verses, chapter four, I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and by his kingdom. Wow.

43:06 I charge you because Jesus Christ is coming to judge the living and the dead. He's gonna appear and his kingdom is coming to do what? Verse two, preach, which simply means proclaim. Proclaim, tell the word. Be ready in season and out of season.

43:23 Do what with it? Reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction. Two of the three are in the negative sense to bring correction when it's necessary, to point out sin and to give warnings with it, but then the exhortation to encourage and motivate to do what's right with great patience and great instruction. Nehemiah chapter eight. Nehemiah chapter eight.

44:27 Verse three, he read from it before the square, which was in the front of the water gate from early morning. That word early morning in the Hebrew simply means light. From sunrise. From sunrise until midday, and that word means middle. So that's the middle of the day.

44:44 In the presence of men and women, those who could understand, and all the people were attentive to the book of the law, the word of God. Ezra the scribe stood at the wooden podium, which they had made for the purpose, and beside him, all these other men, we'll skip to verse five. Ezra opened the word of God, the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above on this platform, all the people, not that you have to do that. And when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, amen.

45:14 Amen. This is for... From sun up till midday. While lifting up their hands, then they bowed low and they worshiped the lord with their faces to the ground. And all these other men, verse eight, they read from the book, from the law of god, and I like what the King James says.

45:33 It says, they gave a sense of the meaning. They simply read from it, so they read distinctly from the book in the law of God, and they gave the sense and helped the people understand the reading. Let me go to one other translation here real quick. It says, they read from the book of the law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage. It's that simple.

46:30 He was dying, and, God started to save all these hippies, these drug addicts, and just people way down and outers and things. They all started coming to, his little local church, and, the people would have long hair and beads and and blue jeans, but they got newly converted, they'd come walk down the front, and they'd sit down on the floor. And, of course, all the old traditional people, suits and ties, there was stuff going on there. But at the same time, God was working in his heart. He said, what am I gonna preach this Sunday?

47:00 What am I gonna preach this Sunday? I gotta write another sermon. It's Saturday night, and I still don't have a message. And God just said, just teach my word. And from that day on, he started to teach the word of God verse by verse.

47:14 He started with first John, I believe. And that started incredible revival. Again, God was doing a unique thing, reviving, saving many souls, and young people were getting filled with the word of God and growing like weeds. Hundreds, thousands of churches came out of that movement from that, from the word of God. And his little phrase saying is is really powerful.

47:39 He just simply... He said this. He said, simply teach the word of god. Simply. Let me say that again.

47:50 Simply teach the word of god. Simply. There's one of those brands of church here in Cleveland, and I've been there, and there's a great, good brother in the Lord there. He's a pastor. Some of you even here have been involved with him.

48:06 And, they teach the word of God verse by verse starting in Genesis, finish at Revelation, they do it again. They're working... They've been here twenty five years or so. They've gone through the New Testament. I think they're starting fourth or fifth time in the Old Testament the same.

48:20 They do the New Testament. I'm not saying we have to do this exactly, but I'm just sharing how the word of god. God exalts his word above all things. Last verse, Ezra seven ten. Ezra says, it says of Ezra, he purposed in his heart to study the law of the lord, do what it says, and teach it to Israel.

48:45 I'm going to pause for some silent prayer and may god help us all to maybe recommit our lives to doing the same. Lord, I wanna study your word. I wanna know you. I want you to speak to me. It's your voice.

48:58 I need revival. I wanna get to the place where I exalt your word above everything else. Lord, get me to the place that's spending time alone in you and your word and doing what it says and then going out and teaching your word to wherever you would take me becomes the most important thing in my life. Let's pray. Father, you have spoken.

49:23 Would you give us humble hearts like Josiah when he first heard that word? Lord, he wept. Tore his clothes, he was humbled, and he turned back to you and your word and wanted to bring everybody with him. Lord, please make it so in our in our midst. Lord, your word has been spoken.

49:50 You've spoken to us here this morning. You can do that. Do this we pray for the glory of Jesus.