Become an Epistle of Christ by Living a Word-Centered Life

Amen thank you, Marianne, Amy, I love the music that we sing at bacon, and a prelude music that the men play gives you a taste of music at our church and we long for the day that we can meet again and be able to enjoy the singing hymns that glorify the Lord.

I'm in a preface beginning my message with a bit of an illustration. Pastors are not immune from Romans 828 weeks and in a good way that is stretched made. This is been a Romans 828 week on Wednesday I received a call from Alamance Christian school and they let me know that their speaker had to cancel for their graduation on Friday night and they asked if I would fill in. There's not much I wouldn't try to do for the school and I said I would fill in.

So I feverishly began studying for a challenge for the class of 2020 of en route to graduation, I got a phone call from brother Pat Duncan telling me that his son John had died and asking me to come to the house. I spent quite a bit of time with John over the last several months, will I couldn't go with that, had to speak. So we made it through graduation one (spent some time with them and try to encourage them. But those are Romans 828 times at all of us closer and if we realize that God has ordained our every step we can grow and glow during those difficult times. The message that were going to have tonight comes up on a PowerPoint Ryan's checking. This is one of them are Romans 828 times.

I had this idea goes okay becoming epistle of Christ by living a word centered life working to share some principles with you tonight that will enable us to be an epistle of Christ. I like you to turn to Psalm 119 know if you would that's going to be our text Psalm 119 and were going to read verses one through 11, and then will break that down, share some principles as we expositor this Psalm 119, beginning with verse one. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the lawful Lord blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with a whole heart. They also do no iniquity.

They walk in his ways. You have commanded us to keep your precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep your statutes then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all your commandments. I will praise you with uprightness of heart, when I learn your righteous judgments. I will keep your statutes. Oh, do not forsake me utterly. How can a young man cleanse his way by taking heed according to your word with my whole heart have sought you will let me not wander from your commandments.

Your word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against the second Corinthians chapter 3 verses two and three, Paul wrote, you are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men. Clearly you are an epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink but by the spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh that is of the heart your Christian testimony. Your Christian testimony is read like a written message theologian John Stott wrote that we cannot hide what we are indeed what we are speaks as plainly as what we say when these two voices blend the impact of the message is double this key thing that he says in this quote what we are speaks as plainly as what we say to the things that I had a privilege of doing it Alamance Christian school teaching Bible, which I continued to do coaching soccer and I have given illustration report of the young people. If I teach you something in senior Bible and don't live in on the sideline. You don't have any reason to believe that I believe what I've taught you in the classroom and this is what he is saying here what we are speaks as plainly as what we say spiritually spiritually there's nothing like a crisis to reveal the John genuineness of our faith and I think you'd all agree the COBIT 19, coronavirus pandemic is a God-given opportunity for Christians to develop and display two essentials in our Christian life. One of them is faith. The others loving the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind, and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves.

It's an opportunity for love and to be an epistle written message of what it means to be a word centered Christian now ironically this message was first prepared 70 days ago. Yes, I was on the schedule, the preach March 22 and then the lockdown or whatever you want to call it occurred, and that change the scheduling of the public ministry at bacon.

At that time.

My intent with this message was to challenge us to use what lay ahead.

As an opportunity to show forth Christ to be an epistle of Christ. But now 70 days later you can look back since the beginning of this and ask yourself the question, how have I been an epistle of Christ and what might I need to change to be more effective. How have I been an epistle of Christ that they seen Jesus living in me and my interactions of other people and then analyzing either things that I need to change in my life from beginning to end the life story of every Christian is dependent upon God spirit using God's word to make a slight godson for God's glory.

What can we do to ensure that what people read in our lives reflects the written word and points them to the living word of the Lord Jesus Christ and these are the four things I want to share with we must acknowledge God's word in our head of words. Learn we must assimilate God's word and our hearts of the words love it.

We must apply God's word are habits that it must author God's word and our history, and this will be the automatic result of the first three and let me say this to you.

Some might be out there watching and say this is kid stuff I need more me I would share with you folks that if you don't get one, two and three down and don't remind yourself of these things often. The history won't be that effective, we must acknowledge God's word on her head and one way that I know whether I acknowledge God's word in my head is white. Do I have an all, I realize that I have the word of God in my hands. If I do then I want to read it and assimilated into my heart, my essential self. And then I'll apply it to my habits and author Charles Spurgeon knows that the one theme of this whole chapter Psalm 119 is the word of God.

He says that the word of God is referred to in some form in all but 576 versus and were going to look at verses 1 to 11 as we consider becoming an epistle of Christ by living word centered life.

The first thing that will look at to be an epistle of Christ, we must acknowledge God's word in our head acknowledge means to recognize the rights, authority or status of something to recognize it as genuine or valid to express agreement gratitude or obligation in the context of that definition do you acknowledge the Bible is the very word of the living God, acknowledging the Bible is the very word of God can range from apathy to adoration. Some people say yeah I believe the Bible is the word of God.

But the really apathetic about how do you know how often did they get in the word of God because a lot of how often do they get in the word of God because they recognize it for what it is and they love it. It can range from apathy to as we said a love for the word of God acknowledging the Bible is the very word of God has a great range, but David gives us his first consideration. David's pronouncement of blessing recognizes the correctness. What is prerequisite for us becoming epistle of Christ. He says in verse verses 1 to 3 Blessed are the undefiled in the way you walk in the law of the Lord Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with a whole heart. They do no iniquity. They walk in this place. When we look at verses 1 to 3. They describe people who are word centered when it comes to the lifestyle look at the words again. He uses the word walk keep seek do no iniquity walk in his way. 133 describe people who are word centered when it comes to the lifestyle listen to these two quotes. If you would. Paul Elliott states true Christians believe that the Bible is the inspired and errant and fallible, providentially preserve word of God that it's authoritative in every sense does that describe you think that's a wonderful statement true Christians believe that the Bible is the inspired and errant and fallible, providentially preserve word of God and that it is authoritative in every sense and listen carefully to this quote by Jack JI Packer. I may repeat a couple of things in it because it's it's good I believe Jeff Packer says believers are not worried and worried and flurry and they are not in perplexity as to how to conduct themselves, for they have a perfect rule which they are happy to walk about the law of the Lord is not some irksome thing to them. It does not appear to them to be an impossible law. Note this theoretically admirable but practically absurd. Theoretically admirable Bible is a great book, but practically absurd is outdated. That's a thought that he's getting across. He goes on true Christians walk by, and in they do not consult that now and then as a sort of rectifier of their wanderer. They wander off course get back in the word of God and that brings them back on course.

True Christians don't hit in Miss their interaction with the word of God. They use it as a chart for their daily sailing a map, a map of the road for the life journey and here's the thing. Critical question. Does your lifestyle clearly reflect your word centered does your lifestyle clearly reflect that you are word centered. But then David goes on in verses four through six and David's prayer for God's grace to obey reveals a problem you'll see this in the verses starting with verse four. You have commanded us to keep your precepts diligently. All that my ways were directed to keep your statutes then I would not be a shame when I look in all your commandments verse for keeping the precepts of God diligently is a command. It is not an out option, but verse five implies that we are prone to wander from this duty, notice what David laments, oh that my ways were directed to keep your statutes.

Spurgeon says this about verse five verse five is a sigh of regret. Because the psalmist dear feels that he is not The precepts diligently.

It's a cry of weakness appealing for help to one who can a it's a request of bewilderment from 1 Who Has Lost His Way and would be directed in and it's a petition of faith from one who loves God and trust him for grace.

So verse five we find that we are prone to wander. That's the problem.

Verse six he says, then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all your commandments. If failure to learn and live the precepts of God does not bring you shame you should be seriously concerned about your spiritual well-being. Let me read that again if failure to learn and to live the precepts of God does not bring you shame you should be seriously concerned about your spiritual well-being brother do you have an example of that. Who said oh wretched man that I am perhaps the greatest Christian in the New Testament. The apostle Paul and we find that the more we grow in the grace and knowledge of God, the more sensitive we become to our wanderer.

That's the bottom line. Then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all your commandments the words look into mean to scan or look intently at by implication, to regard with pleasure favor or care to consider to have respect does not describe you. I'm not talking about when you're at beacon I'm talking about when you're alone with the word of God.

Does that describe you the word learn needs to go or to teach.

He then jumps to verses seven and eight and David gives us a pledge that reflects personal study and a plea for God's presence, personal study, and a plea for God's present verse seven personal study I will praise you with uprightness of heart, when I learned the righteous judgment you notice he doesn't say if I learned he says when I learned he was purposeful.

I found in my own life I don't purpose to get in the word of God. It won't happen but II must say in the same breath, and God knows my heart when I say this I do not have to force myself to get in the word of God, and I think that any Christian who is been a Christian for any length of time and has practiced getting in the word of God, because it's right in because they want to 10 relate to. I don't have to force myself to get into the word of God and you know sometimes it camps and whatnot they'll use the term quiet time. That's not a bad term. Quiet time when you are alone with God and his word personal study I will praise you with uprightness of heart, when I learn of your righteous judgments and here's a question. Would you place your trust in the surgeon a commercial airlines pilot or defense lawyer whose preparation paralleled your study of the Bible.

Would you place your trust in the surgeon a commercial pilot or defense lawyer whose preparation paralleled your study the Bible if you were tuned in or present this morning and heard Pastor Kearns passionately you know that you better take preparation for life after death very seriously because there is a hell to be feared and happened to be getting to faith or Jesus Christ. Would you place your trust in the surgeon commercial pilot defense lawyer whose preparation paralleled your study of the Bible men. Verse eight David gives a plea for God's presence. He says I will keep your statutes old. Do not forsake me utterly while we wait the context of chapter 119 folks the content shows this is not referring to losing his salvation.

What David is fearing is hindered fellowship with God, who is blessed and you you understand that if you're Christian you understand that there are times when you know you've offended God is not done on the shoulder you've done some things that you shouldn't of done and there's a broken fellowship. There you almost say, why should he listen to me you know there that's what David is fearing and he he expresses the same fear of broken fellowship or corn spirit elsewhere in his prayers and I'm gonna read a couple of them to you that are on your screen. As far as the address Psalm 51 1112 he says do not cast me away from your presence.

Do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me by your generous spirit and commentary after commentary again agrees that this is not talking about losing the Holy Spirit are losing salvation. He's talking about losing that unbroken fellowship with God. You know, Psalm 51 is when David dealt with this sin with Bathsheba and for our silver sign. Listen carefully to these next two or three verses because I thought this was interesting and Psalm 71. Nine. David said do not cast me off in the time of old age. Do not forsake me when my spring fails.

Verses 17 and 18, oh God. You have taught me from my youth, and to this day I declare your work wondrous works now. Also, when I'm old and gray headed. Oh, God, do not forsake me, until I declare your strength of this generation your power to everyone to come.

You know what I get out of that those verses is that we as people who are growing older, better make certain we immerse ourselves in the word of God assimilate the word of God and are essentially being while we can still think clearly understand what rating and make profitable application, we should not fear like a fellowship with God. As we grow older and I've mentioned this to several of our silver site if they got a weekly prayer sheet and they use that as one of the best ministries they could possibly have one of the best ministries they could possibly have. Spurgeon says this. It's as if David said I made a solemn vow.

But what if I uttered it in my own strength. What if God should lead me to myself and our responses. Praise God for his promise I will never leave the site. He doesn't leave us to ourselves.

We need to make certain that we have a plea for God's presence and that plea will be accompanied by keeping his statute and then verse nine David's purity required preservation through the word familiar versus all of us. How can a young man cleanse his way by taking heed according to your word. Verse nine, the words taking heed means to hedge about as with forms to guard or protect the word of God is our guide. In our guard for our purity against the wiles of the devil and I can give you an example. Psalm 103 and Psalm 101 verse three says I will set nothing wicked before my eyes. I hate about the work of those who fall away, it shall not cleaned. It's an intentional decision on our part to do something that the word of God says we ought to do set. Nothing wicked before our eyes. The word of God is our guide and our guard our purity against the wiles of the devil, taken as a whole.

Verses one through nine.

You several words to remind us that we must acknowledge God's word in our head. If were to be an epistle of Christ.

I'm going to read some of these in a moment. Folks, but again I mentioned this earlier. You might have the attitude that this is basic so let me tell you something championship teams focus on basic stock good players focus on basic stock when I coached. We did fundamentals every practice because it might come down with 15 seconds left in the game and you gotta make the move that you never practice" were getting at is this acknowledging that this is the word of God is something that we should regularly I don't think this is a silly illustration I throw it out.

Our home email address is Bob Jane mature@yahoo.com. It is not Bob and Jane mature@yahoo.com. I had intentionally chose to put Bob Jane mature because every time I get on it reminds me that we are not to connected in marriage. We are one. Bob Jane mature and the point being, this folks, the word of God should be so much a part of us fundamentally so much a part of us.

We acknowledge that often in our heads.

Notice this, he reminds us of this verse one law of the Lord. Verse two. His testimonies verse three is ways verse for your precepts verse five your statutes. Verse six. Your commandments verse seven. Your righteous judgments. Verse eight. Your statutes.

Verse nine. Your word and emphasis upon the word of God acknowledging in our head to the Bible is inspired and Aaron all sufficient divinely preserved word of the living God is critical, but is not complete and as I turned to II.

Not to worry because two, three and four take up less time than one, but important. We acknowledge in our head, but there are a lot of people that have had knowledge like Judas that are now. Secondly we got assimilated into our lives to be an epistle of Christ, we must assimilate God's word in our hearts assimilate means to take in and utilize as nourishment to absorb into the system. There's a great disconnect in the lives of many professing Christians between their heads and their hearts they know biblical content in their head but have no commitment in their heart that disconnect shows up in their habits. I would dare say that Judas knew through three years of intimate interaction with Christ, the living word more than you and I know about the written what did that had knowledge get it and I would offer you this caution for three years Judas habits fooled everyone but Christ fool everyone but Christ, I gave this illustration at the graduation the other night my wife and I were watching a news program very well known prominent political figure made some comment like this will my Christian beliefs and not 5 to 10 seconds after making that statement.

My Christian beliefs.

The woman took the Lord's name in vain blatantly took Christ's name and that she may have ahead knowledge of something, but it certainly is not what it means to be a Christian. It certainly is not what it means to be a Christian to be an epistle of Christ, we must assimilate God's word. Our hearts note verse seven. Again, David said I will praise you with uprightness of heart, when I learn your righteous judgments.

Praise from an upright heart parallels learning and assimilating the word of God, but that begs the question, how how do we assimilate God's word and our heart brought down verses 10 and 11. The last two that will consider tonight. He says, with my whole heart. I sought you will let me not wander from your commandments. Your word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Three things under this pursue God with your whole heart.

Verse 10 with the entirety of my thoughts will and emotions.

In other words, with all that I am in folks no one does that prove and when were talking about pursuing God with our whole heart, with the Bible speaks of God or about are we pursuing a greater and greater net greater knowledge of God. Quite frankly, the greater our knowledge of God is, the more we can bow the knee to heart Providence there sometimes God brings tough things in our lives. Like I mentioned earlier, but when I don't understand what he's doing. I trust who is what I don't understand what he's doing because he's gone and I'm not.

I trust who he is pursue God with your whole heart first and also says I have sought you sought means to tread or frequent, usually to follow your pursuit or search, and I asked this question. Does your life reflect serious pursuit of God through committed study of his word, and the pursuit gotta be intentional, intimate and intense, and we could branch off on that we don't have time to do it but it's an intentional pursuit I get in the word of God. To learn more about him. It's an intimate pursuit is not just pure academics, will I know more about God than someone else know it's for intimate purposes and then it's intense why because life is serious and life is going to end at a time when we may not expect. So it is an intense pursuit of God secondly purposed to stand course firsthand.

David said all let me not want in his him come, thou fount of every blessing Robert Robinson wrote prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart my essential self everything that I am okay concealing seal it for thy courts above. As we mentioned earlier, the Bible is like a man, but beloved, even the most accurate map must be the help even the most accurate map must be heated to be helpful. Often the care with which we follow on that depends upon how intensely we desire to reach our goal in destination Nitro often the care which we follow a man depends upon how intently we desire to reach our goal in destination and then finally, how do we assimilate God's word and end our heart. Protect yourself with the word. Verse 11 word if I hid my heart and the purposes that I might not sin against you.

David, as we emphasizing what he taught verse nine about taking heed to the word and that word hidden the word hidden means to cover Overgaard order protect hiding God's word in the heart were absorbing it into our essential self. I thought well of emotion requires for thanks memorization of meditation. What does this mean a motive of wanting to please God and finally applying it to our methods, acknowledging in our head that the Bible is inspired and Aaron all sufficient word of the living God does nothing to proclaim the glory of God and to pursue the good of others unless the word is applied are at. This is where we live. A word centered life and become a clear epistle of Christ. This is weakening knowledge and head we can absorb it in our we can profit greatly from but this next step is how we become an epistle of Christ. III to be an epistle of Christ we must apply God's word and her habits.

I want you to look at the verses as I go down this and I want you to see the action words in our text we talked about references to the word and all of the verses in 129 now look at the action words to be an epistle of Christ. We must apply God's word in her habits verse one walk first to keep verse to see verse three walk verse four. Keep verse five. Keep verse six look into verse seven praise for seven learn verse eight. Keep verse nine. Take heed. Verse 10 C verse 11 hi action words we have it in her head. We love it in our heart we apply it to our action.

Jesus said if you love me will keep my commandments in this obedience is not a matter of legalism. It's a matter of love. We want to demonstrate our sincere gratitude to God for what he did for us through his son and then this important thing that we need to keep in mind people read the pattern of your actions. When I mess up periodically and be forgiven for the people read the pattern of your actions, your habits do your habits indicate others that you are clearly an epistle of Christ a living sacrifice, who proclaims the gospel in lip and life. That's the question that's the question do your habits indicate others that were clearly a written letter of Christ a living sacrifice, who proclaims the gospel in lip and one and remember beloved that actions that are sinful include things like judging others tail bearing, backbiting, slander, anger, sowing discord and a lack of forgiveness of other people first Corinthians 11 one Paul said this imitate me just as I also imitate Christ. And I wrote my notes while to be able to say imitate me just as I also imitate Christ is a wild statement that should be the pattern with or the goal that we have in life. We probably will not come close to fulfilling that, but it should be our goal or final consideration of nine to be an epistle of Christ, we must author or right God's word and our history never heard that little phrase and the rest is history. Off the top my head. I don't source of that for the mid-many times throughout that if you don't get 1213 right.

The rest is history. If you don't acknowledge the word of God in your head, assimilate the word of God in your heart.

Apply the word of God in your habits. The rest of history is not going to speak to favorably toward you. Hebrews 11 says of able. He being dead yet speaks beloved every one of us being dead yet speak you think of people that have gone on to be with the Lord, and there are things that stand out there things that stand out. I can think of people in our church who were pillars of our church that had pet sayings that they would say will give the answer to this but you know who used to say Marinette that many of you do you know who's who used to say Jesus is a wonderful Savior and as he and his wife would call people in the church on their birthday and sing to them. We being dead yet speak how to our history through our history and one century history is the total of your habits, although Christ is the author and finisher of our faith. Every one of us contributes our autobiography by what we do and what we say and sadly we really take the time to pray about your plan for what were going to write in her history. Each day, how do you do that begin the word begin the day with prayer and in the work fortify your mind fortify your heart to prayer and reading the word your Christian testimony is seen as fact or fiction is the real thing or make-believe. You recall that I read earlier. Second Corinthians 3223, Paul said, you are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men. Clearly you are an epistle of written message of Christ that reminds me of the saying, I can read you like a book, an old saying is sober and consequent. I want to put up a little paragraph that I think has a powerful punch to when the glory of God is our goal in the word of God is our guy, the spirit of God will enable us to be like the son of God or life.

This is especially true during times of trial and testing. We will progressively become an epistle of Christ by living a word centerline. Look at that first sentence again. Beloved one. The glory of God is our goal in the word of God is our guy, the spirit of God will enable us to be like the son of God through our life and we ended with. This is especially true during times of trial and testing. We will progressively become an epistle of Christ by living word centerline. So what if we looked at tonight for things to be an epistle of Christ, we will and must acknowledge God's word in our heads.

My question is do you personally value the word of God enough to look into it in happily for the purpose of learning it and leaving it in your history that speaks of all. Secondly, to be an epistle of Christ, we must assimilate God's Word in our hearts. You cherish the word of God enough to absorb it into the very essence of who you are and to take it as you do your necessary food as speaks of adoration, awe and adoration. Third, to be an epistle of Christ we must apply God's word to her habits you daily and deliberately guide and guard your life by its precepts that's activation it's active, inactive or doing the work of God, and finally to be an epistle of Christ, we must author God's word and our history when you look back at your own life. Do you see evidence of the word of God has been and continues to be central in shaping your relationship with your goals, what work will be associate that with affirmation people look at the history of your life and in the firm. Batman, that woman was a Christian will they say that you will they say that it may I leave you with a quote plan on an unknown author to ponder he said in all his dispensation.

God is at work for our good and prosperity.

He tries our gratitude and mediocrity. Our contentment and misfortune our submission and darkness are faith under temptation are steadfastness to watch this and at all times.

Our obedience and trust in him. Looking back, since all of this started as your life clearly been an epistle of Christ, especially during this COBIT 19 crisis. Looking ahead, what needs to change to make more easy reading for those who interact with you.

I want to close our service tonight. We were all together. We would sing this.

I'm not sure I read all six verses, but our theme tonight is acknowledging assimilating applying and offering word of God. How firm a foundation, what a wonderful hymn that will love singing. Listen if you would as I read it. How firm a foundation you saints of the Lord is laid for your faith in his excellent word. What more can he say than to you he has said to you for rep. Jesus flicked in every condition, and sickness in hell and poverty's veil are abounding and well at home or abroad on land or the sea as days may demand by string everything, fear not, I am with the OB. Not dismayed, for I am thy God I will give still get the aid of strengthening healthy and costly to stand up held by my gracious omnipotent hand went through the deep waters.

I called Lee to go the rivers of Sorell shall not overflow, for I will be with thy trials to glass eyedrops out and sanctify to be stress. Verse five when through fiery trials by pathway shall lie. My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply. The flame shall not hurt. I only design by dross to consume my gold refined and finally sold it on Jesus have lien for repose.

I will not, I will not desert was suppose that sold though all hell should endeavor to shape, I'll never know. Never, never say please close as I give the benediction fathers, we come before you again. We do pray the we share tonight to challenge folks we all need to evaluate ourselves to see where the word of God comes in our lives. Are we acknowledging it with all we assimilating it with adoration. Are we applying it actively applying consistently applying it to our lives. Are we affirming that we are Christians to the history that were writing.

May we all asked those questions and be honest in answering. May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and all, just as we do to you so that he may establish your hearts blameless and holy for our God and father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his same