The Bible is Like a Lamp

Welcome to 2022. This year, I’ve chosen a theme for our sermons that I’m calling, “The Disciples’ Journey.” Our mission is to make more and better followers of Jesus Christ. A follower of Jesus is a disciple. Others call a disciple a student, a learner, or an apprentice. I’ve chosen to use the plural “Disciples’” to draw us together as a church in this journey of following Jesus. We are all on a journey. This year in 2022, I want to drive home some specific themes that I feel are foundational for followers of Jesus. Over the course of 2022, we will talk about a Journey in the Word from Psalm 119. We’ll look at a Journey with Jesus from the gospel of Luke. In May, Lord willing, we’ll address a Journey of Witness from 2 and 3 John, and Jude. Over the summer, we plan to study Ezekiel in a Journey of Renewal. We plan to look at the themes of Rhythm, Leadership (Judges), Service (1 Peter 4), and Holiness from 1 Thessalonians. I’m excited to see how God will use our time in our worship gatherings as we seek to make more and better followers of Jesus as we look at “The Disciples’ Journey.”

For the month of January, we’ll be looking at the theme of “ A Journey in the Word from Psalm 119. Psalm 119 contains 176 verses on the value and importance of God’s Word. I’m asking everyone to bring your Bible to church so that we can get a better grasp and understanding of God’s Word which is a key foundation for our relationship with Him. If you need a Bible, then let us and know and we will be happy to provide you a Bible. Theodore Roosevelt is quoted as saying, “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education” (George Grant, The Courage and Character of Theodore Roosevelt: A Hero Among Leaders, p. 167).

Psalm 119 composed of 176 verses in 22 stanzas, one stanza for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In each stanza, all 8 verses begin with the same letter. To put it in English, Psalm 119 is the ABC’s of the Bible. C.S. Lewis in his book, Reflections on the Psalms (p. 68) wrote about Psalm 119, “It is a pattern, a thing done like embroidery stitch by stitch, through long, quiet hours, for love of the subject and for the delight in leisurely, disciplined craftsmanship.”

Here at Berlin Christian Church, we describe spiritual growth in four stages: seed, seedling, tree, and orchard. Greg Hawkins & Cally Parkinson in their book, Move—What 1,000 Churches Reveal About Spiritual Growth, have identified, “Reflection on Scripture is, by far, the most influential personal spiritual practice for every segment across all three movements” (p. 117). So, it is with this belief that we launch into the longest Psalm of the Bible this month.

Listen to the words of Psalm 119.105-112. I would summarize this stanza from Psalm 119 as, “God’s Word guides us in God’s way.” He guides us with the light of His Word in three specific ways.

First, Light Gives Direction (Psalm 119.105-106). When you are driving, when a vehicle has a turn signal, that helps you understand their intentions. Traffic lights have a left turn signal to alert you when it is safe to turn left. Headlights are helpful to show you where you need to go when it is dark. My dad had a Lincoln Town Car when I was in high school. It was such a fun car. But it had a wiring issue. After a few minutes of having your headlights on brights, the headlights would just go off for a few seconds and they come back on. It was really fun to put the brights on when we were on our way to the Spook Light near Hornet, MO and watch the lights go on and off. Headlights give direction.

God’s Word is described as a light for my path and a lamp for my feet (Psalm 119.105). Later in Psalm 119.130, we read, “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” God’s Word gives us direction.

A few weeks ago, I shared with you one method of Scripture reading that I remembered this summer, while reading, Leading on Empty, by Wayne Cordeiro, he reminded me of a Bible reading practice that I have found helpful. He uses the acrostic S.O.A.P. Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. I encourage you to find a consistent plan to get into Scripture each day. For the month of January, you may want to mine the riches of Psalm 119. J.K. Jones in his book with Mark Scott, Letting the Text Win, offers this challenge, “Investigate the vastness of Psalm 119 like you were Meriwether Lewis or William Clark. Walk around the text as if you were John Muir exploring the California Sierras.”

Another resource we wan to share with you is the Right Now Media study by Michael DeFazio called, “How to read the Bible.” It is an eight session course to help you understand the Bible. Michael and I walked through the Holy Land together back in 2016. I commend his teaching to you. If you need help signing up for your free Right Now Media Account, please contact the church office at 217-488-6204.

Second, Light gives Warnings (Psalm 119.107-110). We encounter many different types of warning lights: warnings lights on the dash of our cars, fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, and road construction lights. In our community, each night we are greeted by scores of red lights on top of the wind turbines. During planting and harvest seasons, we’ll see yellow and orange lights on the slow moving farm machinery. Warning lights keep us safe.

“If I were the devil, one of my first aims would be to stop folk from digging into the Bible. Knowing that it is the Word of God, teaching (people) to know and love and serve the God of the Word, I should do all I could to surround it with the spiritual equivalent of pits, thorn hedges, and man traps, to frighten people off…At all costs I should want to keep them from using their minds in a disciplined way to get the measure of its message” (Knowing Scripture. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1979, pg. 9-10).

Proverbs 6.20-24, shows how a fathers commands guide and direct and warn their children. In Proverbs 6.23, we read, “For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life.” Solomon further warns that these commands and instructions will keep you from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.

Third, Light Gives Life (Psalm 119.111-112). We need light to live. Plants survive by transferring light into energy. Plants produce oxygen. We need oxygen to live. Without light, we die. Sunlight gives us vitamin D which many people are deficient because we spend so much time indoors. A sunny day seems to yield better attitudes.

Psalm 119.111-112, describes the testimonies of God are my heritage forever. There’s a legacy that follows people who enjoy God’s Word. By following, God’s testimonies, we leave a legacy that will outlast us. I think of Joe Wilson and World Mission Builders. He’s left an imprint of this congregation when he teamed up with Don Miller and volunteers from several states to build this facility. Joe has gone home to be with Jesus, but his legacy still stands.

However, it is not just in physical things. Our joy for the testimonies of God, or God’s Word will yield to more followers of Jesus. As Michael shared last week, heaven will be full of people from all nations. Have you thought about your influence of people? More people could enjoy heaven because of your love for God and His Word.

The first words ever spoken in Scripture are from Genesis 1.3, “Let there be light.” In John 8.12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus, the light of the world guides us, warns us, and gives us life. Jesus is called the Word in John 1.1. So, when you pick up your Bible, you are spending time with Jesus the one who guides, warns, and gives you life.

Donald Whitney raised the perfect question. He asked: “if your growth in godliness were measured by the quality of your Bible intake, what would be the result? This is an important question, for the truth is, your growth in godliness is greatly affected by the quality of your Bible intake” (Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 1991, pg. 33).