Note: Before I get into the message, I need to share my heart. It’s hard for me to concentrate on the Word this morning. I watched the video of the police shooting of Terrence Crutcher yesterday. It’s hard for me to get it out of my head or my heart. Law enforcement just arrested Ahmad Khan Rahimi in connection with the bombings in NYC this past weekend. This man committed a terrorist act on U.S. soil and was taken alive. Terrence Crutcher’s vehicle broke down, and now he is dead. It’s almost incomprehensible. I ask you to pray for the Crutcher family and please, pray for our nation.
This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”. We have been studying the parable of the sower for months. Before I move on to the next topic, I feel led to recap what we have learned from this powerful parable. This is recap #3.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Jesus taught a parable that put an emphasis on freeing your heart of all distractors so you can receive, understand and apply the Word of God. Why did Jesus place so much emphasis on the Word of God? Because the Word of God teaches us about the the character, attributes and nature of God.
2. The more you know the Word of God, the more you will know the God of the Word.
3. The purpose of the Bible is not for you to quote scriptures, win debates or excel in Bible trivia. The purpose of the Bible is so you can get to know God.
4. The Bible is not a textbook to study, but rather a life-book to live. When you read the Bible you must turn the corner from information to application.
5. You should not read the Bible only to hear what God SAID. No, you read what He SAID with the intent on hearing what He is SAYING to you today.
6. The more Word you get down in your heart, the better positioned you will be to:
a) Hear what God is saying. When you condition your heart to align with God’s Word, your heart will be attuned to His voice.
b) Discern God’s voice. Many people tell me that they don’t hear God. God is always speaking. We are not always listening. A quick way to know if a thought you just received came from God or not is to check it against the Word. But if you don’t know the Word, you don’t have anything to check it against.
c) Live a life pleasing to God. When you fill your heart with the Word of God and it becomes the foundation for your conduct and character, God can look down on you and say, “This is my beloved son/daughter, in whom I am well pleased”.
Today I will close with both a confession and a prayer.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I bring my life into focus in 2016 by giving careful attention to Your Word. The more I get Your Word down in my heart, the more I get to know You, the more I will hear Your voice, and the more I will live a life pleasing in Your sight. I read what You said with the intent of hearing what You are saying to me every day. You speak, I listen, I obey, and I win! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Prayer for our nation: Father, we come to you in the name of our Lord and Your Son, Jesus the Christ. We take authority over the division plaguing our nation. You are the God of justice and recompense. We ask You to get involved in our justice system in the United States of America. That every unlawful act would be ruled as such. That police officers would not away with murder, just because they were issued a badge. That angels would go forth and establish a hedge of protection ‘round about the innocent. That You would bless law enforcement to operate with discretion. That You would give them wisdom. That you would protect them from all harm, and help them perform their duties in a way that is pleasing to You. That they would bring to justice all criminals in a way that is humane and safe for both the criminals and law enforcement. And that Your love would permeate through every believer, in this season, so love can overtake hate, and so Your power can bring racial reconciliation to a nation that truly needs it. Our eyes are upon You and our confidence is in You Father. We pray this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
