Countless Hours 2023

All right, well, this morning I'm going to completely abandon my usual style and method,

and I'm going to tell you right at the start of the message what my main point is and what

the aim is.

This one's for you, Ellie.

This morning, I want to encourage and motivate you to spend countless hours in 2023 with

God in the pages of His Word.

Now, I realize that Christmas is two weeks away, and probably the last thing on your

mind right now is when and where and how much you will read the Bible this next year.

I know that there's lots left to do in preparation for Christmas.

We're just two weeks away, and there's probably shopping and preparations and decorating and

cleaning and tidying, and the list goes on.

And you're right, most of the things of 2023 can just wait until 2023.

But there's one thing that I hope you'll start to think about now before you wake up to a

new year, and it's arguably the most essential and important thing that we can give our time

to in this new year ahead.

It's so foundational to how this next year will go for you and for me.

And so I am praying that by the end of this message, you will take a Bible reading plan

off of the table right there at the back of the sanctuary and resolve to spend countless

hours with our great God and Savior in the pages of His Word and follow through with it.

Let me start by asking you this question.

How do you want 2023 to go?

What kind of year do you want it to be?

Do you believe that the time you spend reading your Bible can make all the difference in the year ahead?

What is this book?

This is the most precious and valuable book on planet Earth.

It's the collection of the many times and various ways that God has spoken to us.

It's the true story of what's been going on in our world since God made it.

And through these pages are written the very words that God has said to men and women and even

children through the ages.

There is no other book like this.

If this book contains the very words of God,

should we not read it and meditate on it again in this year ahead?

Why spend countless hours scrolling through feeds filled with the words of men

when we can spend countless hours turning through these pages that are filled with the words of the living God?

I hope that some of my enthusiasm and passion is contagious,

but I know that it's not enough to change your heart.

And so this morning we want to look at a number of passages from God's Word

that can motivate us and encourage us to give ourselves to His Word in the year ahead.

We're going to start with John 17, verse 3.

John 17:3

All these passages will be on the screen.

And my first reason out of five

for why you should spend countless hours in God's Word in 2023

is because this book is at the heart of our relationship with God.

It's not just a history book or some ancient writings.

This is a book through which we can have relationship with God.

Jesus was praying to His Father in this passage in John 17.

He said,

Father, the hour has come.

Glorify Your Son that Your Son may glorify You.

For You granted Him authority over all people

that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him.

Now this is eternal life,

that they know You,

the only true God,

and Jesus Christ,

whom You have sent.

What is life?

Let's just set aside that adjective eternal for just a moment.

What is life?

This is life,

that they may know You,

the only true God,

and Jesus Christ,

whom You have sent.

How do we know who God is?

We know it from His Word,

from what He has said about Himself,

and revealed to us in the pages of the Bible.

How do we know who Jesus is?

How do we get to know Him better?

We know it through the eyewitnesses accounts

that we have right here

in the Word of God.

Do you want to experience more fully

that abundant life,

that joy

of having relationship with Christ

in this year ahead?

Then you need to get to know Him even better.

And you can do that

by spending countless hours

reading and meditating

on the things God has revealed

about Himself in His book.

This book is at the heart

of our relationship with God.

For my second point,

I'm going to borrow a little from David Jeremiah

and something I heard from him

here in Sunday school a couple weeks back.

This book is the place

where our faith grows.

Another reason why we should spend

countless hours reading it

in this coming year

we often use this language

of growing in our faith.

And it sounds wonderful.

Yeah, I want to grow in my faith.

Can we grow in our faith?

Well, the Bible says,

yes.

Paul, speaking to the church

at Thessalonica,

said this in 2 Thessalonians 1 verse 3.

2 Thessalonians 1:3

We ought always to thank God for you,

brothers and sisters,

and rightly so,

because your faith is growing

more and more.

Can our faith grow?

Yes, it can.

It can increase.

But how does it happen?

Paul wrote this to the church at Rome.

Romans 10 verse 17.

Romans 10:17

Faith comes from hearing

and hearing from the word of Christ

or hearing from the word of God

depending on your translation.

The point Paul's making here

is that faith comes

when we hear the word of God.

We cannot trust

unless we have something

to trust in.

And God has spoken.

He's given us words.

He's revealed himself to us

so that we could put our faith

in him

and in his word.

And so we can grow

in our faith in God

as we hear and read

and come to understand

more about him.

And the more that we know him

in these pages of his word,

the more we trust him.

The more we see

just how trustworthy he is.

So this book, the Bible,

is the place

where our faith grows

because this is the place

where God speaks.

And think about this.

We want to grow in our faith.

The more that we trust God,

the more faith we have in him,

it changes and affects

everything in our lives,

doesn't it?

Worry gives way to the peace

that passes all understanding.

The problems and the challenges

that we face in our daily lives,

they begin to shrink

as our faith grows

because we know

the good and gracious king

who has promised

to carry us through them.

The one who calms storms

with a word.

As our faith grows,

God leads us down paths

that we might have been reluctant

to choose.

Paths that really will

spare us hardship

and heartache,

pain and trouble.

This book, the Bible,

is the place

where our faith grows.

Do you want your faith

to increase in 2023?

Do you want all the benefits

that come with that?

Then resolve

to spend countless hours

in this coming year

in God's word,

in the greenhouse of faith,

the pages of his word.

number three.

This book is the place

where we find everything

we need for life.

2 Peter 1, verse 3.

2 Peter 1:3

Peter writes and he says,

God's divine power

has given us

everything we need

for a godly life

through our knowledge

of him

who called us

by his own glory

and goodness.

Through these,

he has given us

his very great

and precious promises

so that through them

you may participate

in the divine nature,

having escaped the corruption

in the world

caused by evil desires.

Do you hear this?

We know that God's words

are powerful.

When we go back

to the beginning,

Genesis chapter 1,

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

we read about

how God's words

brought the whole universe

into being.

He spoke and it was.

That same divine power

has also provided you and me

with everything we need

for a godly life.

for life

and godliness.

How does it come to us?

Through our knowledge

of him.

There it is again.

How do we get to know him?

Through the pages

of his word.

This is where he has

revealed himself

through the centuries.

So this book

is the place

where we find

everything

that we need

for a godly life.

Now we might be tempted

to push back here

and say,

really?

Everything?

You know,

I believe the Bible

has lots to help me

with some things.

Maybe spiritual things,

maybe the things

about salvation.

But everything?

Well, I didn't write this.

This is

God's own word.

Everything

we need

for life

and godliness

or for a godly life,

God's word

provides us

with the knowledge

of God

that we need.

That's what it says.

I think that's what it means.

Think about it.

What does God's word,

the Bible,

touch on?

does it not provide

the comprehensive framework

and understanding

of all that we need

to know

for life,

for a godly life?

It tells us

how the universe began,

where life came from,

where we came from,

how and why

God made us,

what the purpose

of our lives is,

how defying God

ruined everything,

how God

in his goodness

has been working

mercifully

to redeem

and save

and restore.

It gives us

many pictures

of how everything

will come

to its final end

in our world,

what the final destiny

will be for the universe

and everything in it.

This book

reveals to us

who God is,

his glory,

his many wonderful

attributes,

how he relates

to all kinds

of people

in all kinds

of situations.

This book

is full of wise words

and loving instruction

for every area

of life,

from the beginning

of life

to the end

of life.

God gives us

what he knows

is essential

for relationships,

for marriage,

for parenting,

finances,

prayer,

worship,

work,

administration,

planning,

speaking,

justice,

for knowing good

and evil,

for helping

the needy,

for how to

prioritize,

for character

building,

for encouraging

those who are

discouraged,

for how to live

together as the

people of God

back then

and today,

for how to make

peace with others,

for how to endure

hardship and suffering,

for how to handle

temptation,

for how to make

decisions,

for how to act

wisely in countless

practical ways,

for how to love

and be a neighbor.

And the list

could go on.

This book

really does

reveal to us

everything that we

need for life,

for a godly life.

It touches on

every emotion

that we will

experience.

It speaks to us

about what to do

with all of them,

whether it's anger

or frustration

or grief

or unforgiveness

or bitterness,

sorrow,

worry,

anxiety,

fear,

doubt and unbelief,

joy,

happiness,

passion,

zeal,

laziness,

apathy,

the list goes on.

It speaks to all

of it.

And what's so

beautiful about

this book is that

it doesn't just

come to us

all this knowledge

of God in the

form of a rule book

or a dictionary

or an encyclopedia.

God gives it all

through a great

variety of genres.

History

and poetry,

law

and love song,

liturgy

and victory

chant,

proverbs

and parables,

spectacular

visions

and dreams,

records

and personal

letters,

covenants

and confessions,

prophecies

and proclamation,

wisdom

and oracle,

all of these

woven together

through the

great narrative

telling us

the story

of God

and of us

and our world.

This book

really is the place

where we find

everything we need

for life

and godliness,

the place

where we grow

in our knowledge

of God.

So,

why should we

spend countless

hours

in God's words

in 2023?

three,

we've heard

a few

different reasons.

Number one,

this book

is at the heart

of our relationship

with God.

This book

is the place

where our faith

grows.

This book

is the place

where we find

everything we need

for life

and godliness.

And number four,

this book

is full

of very

great

and precious

promises.

We're still

in 2 Peter

chapter one

verse four.

Peter says,

through these,

through his

greatness

and glory,

he has given

us his very

great

and precious

promises

so that through

them you may

participate

in the divine

nature.

Having escaped

the corruption

in the world

caused by evil

desires.

Do you know

that the Bible

is full

of very

great

and precious

promises?

One pastor

said it this way.

He said,

the entire Bible

can be summed

up like this.

Old Testament

promises

made.

New Testament

promises

kept.

God's word

is full

of promises

and not

just any

old promises

but very

great

promises.

Precious

promises.

And as we

read through

God's word

we see that

we see part

of why they're

so precious

is because

God always

keeps his

promises.

He is

faithful.

He proves

it over

and over

and over

again

throughout

history.

Let me

ask you

something.

Do you

want to

know

all that

God has

in store

for you?

If you

are a

Christian,

if you

are a

believer

in Jesus?

I do.

It's all

in here.

Countless

promises.

Both the

details of

what he

has promised

and the

assurance

that he

will deliver

on those

promises

through our

relationship

with Jesus.

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:20

chapter 1

verse 20.

I love

this verse.

Paul says,

for no matter

how many

promises God

has made,

they are

yes in

Christ.

It's as

though Paul

reflects back

on all the

promises God

has made

throughout

history,

throughout the

Old Testament

and he

says,

the answer

to all

of them

is yes,

I will

do that

for you

through Jesus

Christ,

my son,

through the

union that

we have

with him

when we

come to

believe and

be born

again.

God keeps

every promise

he's ever

made to

Jesus,

the son of

man,

and all

those who

have been

united with

him through

his death

and resurrection

by faith.

It's a

wonderful

assurance that

God gives.

But notice

what else

Peter has

to say

about these

very great

and precious

promises.

He has

given us

his very

great and

precious

promises so

that through

them you

may participate

in the

divine nature.

What does

that mean?

I love

this verse.

God speaking

through Peter,

God is

not afraid

to tell

us how

close we

can get

to him

through his

promises.

We get

so close

to God

through the

promises that

we find in

the pages

of his

word that

we become

partakers

of the

divine

nature.

Would you

like to

partake

of God's

divine

nature?

Would you

like to

participate

and be

brought

into

this

wonderful

person,

God,

this

glorious

God?

Would you

like to

have that

most intimate

of relationships

with him?

Peter says

that's what

these very

great and

precious

promises

do for

us.

That's where

they lead

us.

Now some

of you

might be

thinking,

whoa,

this sounds

close to

blasphemy.

Are you

saying that

we are

going to

become

God?

No.

Let me

clarify.

Peter's not

saying that

we become

God,

but that

we become

partakers

in God's

nature.

How does

it work?

Well,

elsewhere,

Jesus and

Paul teach

us very

clearly that

we who

believe in

Christ and

are born

again by

his spirit

we become

one with

Jesus.

We are

united to

Christ so

deeply,

born again

by his

spirit.

So much

so are we

one, are we

united that

we are said

to be co-heirs

with Christ,

sons of

God,

adopted into

the family.

We get to

share in

Christ's

glory.

we get to

share in

his reign.

And there

are many

things that

Christ has

that we

will have

forever.

Life,

immortality,

holiness,

perfection,

incorruptibility,

glory.

And like

Jesus, we

will have the

most intimate

relationship with

God that

we can

ever imagine.

Let's look at

a couple

quick passages.

Colossians

Colossians 1:27

chapter 1

verse 27.

To them

God has

chosen to

make known

among the

Gentiles the

glorious riches

of this

mystery which

is Christ

in you.

The hope

of glory.

A little

later in the

same letter,

Colossians

Colossians 3:3

chapter 3

verses 3

and 4,

Paul says

to them,

for you

died and

your life

is now

hidden with

Christ in

God.

When Christ

who is your

life appears,

you also

will appear

with him

in glory.

There's this

union that

we have

with Jesus.

And a

passage we

haven't got

to yet in

John chapter

John 17 · chapter mention

17 is

Jesus prays

to his

father.

He says,

my prayer is

not for my

disciples alone,

that's the

ones with

him that

evening.

I pray

also for

those who

will believe

in me

through their

message,

that all of

them may be

one,

Father,

just as you

are in me

and I

am in you.

May they

also be in

us so that

the world

may believe

that you

have sent

me.

I have

given them

the glory

that you

gave me,

that they

may be

one as

we are

one.

I in

them and

you in

me so

that they

may be

brought to

complete

unity.

These are

wonderful

words.

There is

only one

God and

there will

only ever

be one

God.

We

sometimes

refer to

God as

the

Trinity,

Father,

Son,

and Holy

Spirit.

And the

good news

of Jesus

is that

we by

faith can

become

united to

a member

of the

Trinity,

united with

Christ,

that he

and his

spirit live

in us

and we

in them.

And so

God lives

in us

and we

in him.

We can

become

partakers

in this

way of

his divine

nature.

And this

comes as a

gift of

his glory

and goodness

through

his promises.

through

believing

his promises

and receiving

what they

offer.

So we

ought to

give

ourselves

to

countless

hours

in this

book,

carefully

reading it,

meditating on

it in this

year ahead,

because it's

through the

promises found

here that we

can become

partakers of

the divine

nature,

lovingly

joined to

God

forever.

this book

is full

of

very

great

and

precious

promises

which

believed

and

embraced

will

lead us

up

into

the

glory

of

God,

into

union

with

God,

through

union

with

Christ.

There's a

second half

to this

one,

a part

B for

those of

you who

love

outlines.

God's

very

great

and precious

promises,

not only do

they make

us

partakers

of the

divine

nature,

but it's

actually

through

them that

we are

empowered

to

overcome

evil

here in

the world

right now.

Back to

2 Peter 1

2 Peter 1:4

verse 4.

He has

given us

his very

great and

precious

promises so

that through

them you

may participate

in the

divine

nature,

having

escaped

the

corruption

in the

world

caused

by evil

desires.

How do

we

break

free

from

the

allure

of

sin?

How do

we win

the battle

when we're

tempted

and enticed

to do

evil?

How are we

set free

from the

corruption

in this

world?

Peter says

it's by,

it's through

the very

great and

precious

promises

that God

has made.

Now what

does that

mean?

what does

that look

like?

Sin and

temptation

make promises

to us as

well.

Do this

thing and

it will make

you happy.

Try this

thing over

here, it

will satisfy

you, it

will give

you what

you long

for.

And these

promises that

sin and

temptation make,

they're powerful.

We feel them

so deeply.

But these

promises of

sin and

temptation start

to lose their

power and

their appeal

when we see

the far

greater promises

that God

has made to

us, to

those who

love him.

Let me give

an example.

I'd love to

be rich and

have all the

pleasures and

comforts of

this world.

But Christ

warns me that

if I were

even able to

obtain all of

that, it

wouldn't last.

the day

would come

when my

life would

be demanded

from me.

Death will

come knocking

on my

door.

And so

Jesus promises

me that if

I give up

my life for

me in this

world and

lay it down,

die to

myself and

follow him,

he will give

me something

far greater

that does

last forever,

eternal life

and the

salvation of

my soul for

eternity.

This is

just one of

many very

great and

precious promises

that kills

the appeal

of earthly

riches.

It breaks

the power of

greed.

It helps us

escape the

corruption in

the world

caused by

evil desire,

specifically the

evil desire to

get more and

more and more

and more for

myself.

And amazingly,

this promise of

Christ breaks

the power of

greed by

offering me

a superior

treasure.

Something that

just when I get

my gaze on it,

it enables me to

let go of the

treasures of this

world, the

things this world

loves so dearly.

It's truly a

wonderful thing.

How does God

help us win

against temptation?

He offers

more.

He guarantees

something better

in its place.

Superior

pleasures,

delights,

experiences,

greater possessions

than this earth

contains for a

life that never

ends in the

glorious kingdom

of God when

Jesus returns.

The promises of

God give us the

power that we

need to say

no to temptation

and to evil

desires.

Which means

that to

overcome sin

and temptation

in 2023,

we need to

keep these

very great

and precious

promises right

there in front

of us.

Reading them,

meditating on

them, even

memorizing them.

Do you see the

benefit of spending

countless hours

in these pages

days in the

year ahead?

This book is at

the heart of our

relationship with

God.

This book is the

place where our

faith grows.

This book is the

place where we find

everything we need

for life.

This book is full of

very great and

precious promises

which enable us to

partake in the

divine nature and

escape the

corruption in the

world caused by

evil desires.

And number

five, this book

is full of the

instructions that

we need to

stand firm

through 2023 and

through the rest

of our lives.

Matthew chapter

Matthew 7:24

7, verse 24.

Jesus said this,

he said,

everyone who

hears these

words of mine

and puts them

into practice is

like a wise man

who built his

house on the

rock.

The rain came

down and the

streams rose and

the winds blew

and beat against

that house, yet it

did not fall because

it had its foundation

on the rock.

But everyone who

hears these words

of mine and does

not put them into

practice is like a

foolish man who

built his house on

sand.

The rain came

down, the streams

rose and the winds

blew and beat

against that house

and it fell.

with a great

crash.

This little

parable gives us

such a powerful

illustration.

How will you

fare through the

storms, through the

challenges, through

the difficulties of

this coming year,

2023?

Jesus says it all

depends on whether

you hear his words

and put them into

practice.

practice.

And to put them into

practice, you must

first hear what he

has to say.

And to hear what

Jesus says, you must

spend time in this

book listening to

what he has to say.

Jesus says if you

hear his words and

don't put them into

practice, you're a

fool.

You're an idiot.

The way you're living

your life is like a

guy building his main

residence on the

sand of a beach.

church.

How short-sighted.

It's going to be a

disaster.

Why is he a fool?

Because he was told

where and how he

should build it.

And he chose to

ignore it.

Foolishness.

But there's something

even more foolish

than this.

The person who has

all the words of

Christ right here

in his Bible

and doesn't even

open it to listen,

to hear.

Imagine that you

were there as Jesus

was speaking these

words to the crowd.

And you look beside

you and there's this

guy there who's got a

scowl on his face.

And he takes his

fingers and he puts

them in his ears.

I don't need to

listen to this guy.

That's you.

That's me.

When we look at our

Bible sitting on the

shelf or on the

coffee table and say,

eh, I don't need to

do that.

I've got better

things to do, more

important things to

do.

That's boring.

You're an idiot,

says Jesus.

You're a fool.

If you disregard my

words, the house of

your life will go

splat.

So let's resolve

today, before this

new year, to not be

idiots and fools, let's

resolve today to spend

countless hours with

Jesus, listening to

his word, reading it,

meditating on it in

2023.

This book is at the

heart of our

relationship with God.

This book is the

place where our faith

grows.

This book is the

place where we find

everything we need for

life.

It's full of very

great and precious

promises, and it's

full of the instructions

that we need to stand

firm through 2023 and

the rest of our lives.

As elders, we were

talking about this, and

we've agreed that each

of us elders are going to

read through the Bible,

the whole thing, in

2023.

We want this to be the

normal for those in

leadership in our

church.

kind of the unwritten

expectation for everyone

who serves as an elder in

this church, that every

year we carefully and

prayerfully read through

God's word, cover to

cover.

And we want to encourage

all of you, we want to

invite you to join us, to

read God's word with us.

And so on the table at the

back, we've made available a

few different kinds of Bible

reading plans so that you can

do that.

Now, we know that

everybody's at a different

place.

For some of you, you've

maybe never tried this

before.

And so reading through the

whole Bible may be a bit

much for you.

We've got a plan for you.

Five by five by five plan,

five minutes a day, five

days a week, read through

the whole New Testament in

the year.

And you get two days a week

just to catch up and

reflect in case you get

behind.

We've got a plan for kids.

We want all the kids to

read.

Parents, help your kids

read through God's word

this year.

We've got a plan back

there called the sweeter

than honey plan.

And it just takes kids

right through select

chapters through the main

story of the Bible with a

good mix of old and new

testaments, Psalms, and

Proverbs.

If you're thinking, yeah, I

want to feast on God's word

this year.

Give me the whole Bible this

year.

We've got two plans for you.

We've got one that takes you

through the Old Testament

chronologically.

It even puts the Psalms and

the prophets in their place

in the narrative so you can

kind of know when they

happen and when they spoke.

That's at the back there.

And we've got a plan called

the book at a time plan where

you just work through a book

at a time alternating back

and forth between the Old

and the New Testament.

And all of these plans are

just 25 readings per month so

you get days for catch up and

reflection.

Christian, and let's do

this.

This could be a really good

year for us as a church.

This is how we grow in our

faith as a church.

If you're really up for a

challenge, maybe you've

already been through the

Bible several times and you

just want to go deeper, I've

got something special for you.

I will give you your own copy

of the Holman Bible Atlas with

all the maps, all the stuff that

talks about what happened in

those trickier parts, where

the Assyrian Empire went down

to attack and blah, blah,

blah, blah, blah.

It's all back there.

You can have a look at that

and just throw your name down

there.

If you want a copy of that, I

will give that to you as my

Christmas gift this year.

Read through it with your

Bible reading plan this year.

Finally, if you don't have a

Bible, we would love to just

give you one as a church.

We've got Bibles for kids of a

couple different ages.

We've got Bibles for just nice

Bibles for you if you're an

adult and we would be happy to

just give you that.

We want to see you know God and

know his son Jesus and we want

this to be an awesome year for

everyone.

Let's pray.

Father in heaven, thank you for

the gift of your word.

I pray and ask that you would

work in our hearts, that we would

hunger and thirst for it, that we

would know that we do not live by

bread alone, but by every word that

proceeds from your mouth.

Work that into each one of us, we

pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.