We Believe in the Authority of Scripture (Ezra 7:1-10; Nehemiah 8:1-12; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Children, at this time you are dismissed to Children's Church. You can head on back and join Miss Savannah.

! Everyone else, if you have your Bibles, you can turn with me to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.

This morning, I'm always excited to preach the Word of God, but also, we're going to start a new series today.

Now, over the next few weeks, we're going to be looking at some of the core commitments of the church in a series called We Believe.

And so this morning, we're going to be stating that we believe in the authority of God's Word.

We believe in the authority of Scriptures.

And in the weeks ahead, we'll look at how we believe that prayer, gathering together, serving, going,

these are all commitments that we, as a church, want to be the core DNA of why we exist and why we gather together.

So this morning, we'll be looking at We Believe in the authority of Scripture.

And we'll be in Ezra 7 and Nehemiah 8. We'll start in Ezra 7.

We'll see Ezra's personal devotion to the Scriptures and God's Word.

And then in Nehemiah 8, we'll see how Ezra's personal commitment to the Word of God is displayed in their public worship.

So as we're looking through here today, we're going to be looking at how we are to be devoted to the Word of God.

Ezra and Nehemiah, specifically where we're at at this point in the biblical narrative, is that God's people have been living in exile.

God's people are living in exile.

They have disobeyed God's commands.

They have disobeyed God's plans for their lives.

So God has removed His hands of blessing from upon them, and He is allowing them to suffer the consequences of their decisions.

He's allowed foreign armies like the Assyrians, the Babylonians, and the Persians to overtake them, and they are living in exile.

This is where we find stories like Daniel and the lion's den.

Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and the fiery furnace.

Queen Esther and King Xerxes and the plot against the Jews that so many of our Wednesday night groups have just finished studying.

In fact, King Xerxes, the Persian king in Esther's story, he's had a son named him Artaxerxes, and some scholars believe that he would have been like a stepson to Queen Esther herself.

There have been occasional waves of Jews leaving exile to return to Jerusalem.

They've begun to work on rebuilding the walls and the temples.

And while there have been some groups returning to Jerusalem, returning to God's place for them to dwell, and even though they've rebuilt the temple, God's people have found themselves once again in great sin and disobedience.

God's people have found themselves living in great sin and disobedience.

And so we read throughout these books, Ezra 7 and Nehemiah 2, that in the reign of Artaxerxes, he allows Nehemiah, Ezra, and some others to return to Jerusalem from Persian captivity.

And their rebuilding efforts are twofold throughout Ezra and Nehemiah.

Yes, they're working on rebuilding the buildings, the temple and the walls.

But an undergirding theme throughout these two books is that God's people are also being rebuilt.

They're developing a foundation to build this new community upon.

And I pray that today we see exactly what that looks like for us in our lives today.

These people, they've become disoriented, distracted, disobedient to the point where they're unrecognizable as the people of God.

They need a foundation to build their lives upon.

They need direction, wisdom, and something bigger than themselves.

So at this point enters Ezra and the word of God.

Ezra chapter 7 verse 1.

Ezra 7:1

We're introduced to this character named Ezra.

Ezra 7 verse 1.

Ezra 7:1

Notice this.

He clarifies, verse 6.

This Ezra went up from Babylonia.

He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given.

And the king granted him all that he asked for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.

So this Ezra has something going for him.

And though it lists his pedigree, it is not his ancestors that makes his story noteworthy.

It's his priorities.

His priority of the word of God.

And in verse 10, we're going to see that we must personally, individually be committed to the word of God.

Ezra chapter 7.

Ezra 7 · chapter mention

This is the key verse for this part of Ezra.

Verse 10.

For Ezra.

The reason God's hand of blessing is on him.

The reason that God is favoring him for this.

It's because of this.

For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord.

And to do it.

And to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

There's a lot that we can unpack here.

But this is not incredibly complicated.

Ezra read the word of God.

Studied the word of God.

Sought to do it and apply it.

And further, he sought to communicate it to others.

These are simple principles.

But these are ones that we often forget.

We look at Ezra set his heart.

He made a conscious and active decision to devote himself to the scriptures.

He further writes to study the law of the Lord.

And to do it.

Meaning he read it and he applied it.

He wasn't just seeking to read it and check off a box.

He sought to read it in the purpose of comprehending it and understanding it in such a way.

That it transformed his very way of life.

And to teach God's statutes and rules in Israel.

Ezra knew that God's word understood.

God's word applied.

Would affect not just the individual.

But God's people can be transformed by the word of God.

Through it we are sanctified.

Transformed to live again for our creator.

For our covenantal God.

Friends, if there's something for us to learn in this.

If there's an application that we can glean from this.

It is that we must personally, individually be committed to the word of God.

To study it.

To do it.

And to share it with others.

There is no other authority that bears any significance more than the word of God in our lives.

We are entering into a new calendar year.

And I promise you.

You'll see posts on Facebook and social media.

About people starting the Bible recap.

And other Bible reading plans.

You're going to see a lot of people starting Bible reading plans.

At least for January.

And it may falter as it goes forward.

But people are going to start reading God's word more and more.

As it's a natural on-ramp.

For people to read God's word in the new year.

And friends.

There's a lot of confusion sometimes.

On what type of Bible reading plans best for the Christian.

It can look different.

Some people will advocate that you need to read the Bible chronologically.

In the order of the events in which they occur.

Some will argue you need to read it canonically.

In the ways in which it's just put together in the word of God.

Some will say that you need to read the New Testament.

Because it's more important than the Old Testament.

I disagree with that.

But that's something that people will say.

Start in the New Testament.

Some people will say you need to read the whole Bible in a year.

Three chapters a day.

You can do it in like 15 minutes.

And you'll read the whole Bible.

But friends.

Here's the thing I've learned in my years of living.

The best possible Bible reading plan for you to start January 1st or better yet.

Today December 28th.

Is the one that you actually use.

The best Bible reading plan for you is the one that you actually use.

We can purchase as a church Bibles.

We can purchase journals.

We can make podcasts.

Provide study resources.

All day long.

But unless you individually, personally set your heart on the word of God.

There's not a lot else that we can do.

The author of Hebrews and Hebrews 5 compares the scriptures to food.

Chastising God's people.

Though while they should be chewing on the solid meat of scripture.

Instead they're in need of the spiritual milk.

The elementary things of God.

He writes that they're immature.

Unskilled.

Because they have not devoted themselves to the word of God.

Friends, the scriptures like food.

And you're relying on a single meal on a Sunday to satisfy you.

Then you're going to find yourself desperate for something else.

And when you're not feasting regularly on the word of God.

You'll find that the word of man can be quite appealing when you're hungry.

Hungry for wisdom.

Hungry for peace.

Hungry for direction.

All of which we can find in God's word if we'd simply devote ourselves to it.

It's been said before that if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.

And Ezra, he stood for the word of God.

He was devoted to the scriptures.

And in a time when God's people had abandoned his commands, he stood firmly committed to God's word.

So what is it about God's word that allows Ezra to be so committed to it?

Well, there are biblical principles we can find all throughout the scriptures that give us some understanding about the importance of God's word.

But I'm going to lean on 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17 for a few minutes here.

Just for us to think about how God's word is inspired, transformative, and sufficient.

First, God's word is inspired.

2 Timothy 3, 16.

Paul writes, all scripture is breathed out by God.

It is breathed out by God.

These words may be penned by human authors, but a divine author inspired them.

The spirit of God working in the people of God provided us with the word of God.

Over 40 human authors, over 1,500 years of history, all while maintaining a central message without any substantive variation or discrepancy.

God's word is beautiful in that.

There's consistency in it.

There's an old saying that has three sides to every story.

Your side, my side, and the truth.

So the only explanation that God's word can be so consistent as it is, is that it is breathed out, inspired, divinely brought together by God's spirit working in God's people.

God's word is inspired, breathed out by God.

It is inerrant, meaning it is without error or any falsity.

It is trustworthy.

It is true because it is God's word.

Further, Paul reminds us that God's word is transformative.

2 Timothy 3, 16, all scriptures breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.

Meaning this, God's word is intended to teach you something.

It's intended to change you.

It is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, to train you in righteousness.

It is intended to change you.

Finally, God's word is sufficient.

16 and 17 again.

All scripture is breathed out by God, profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.

Verse 17.

That, so that, so that, the purpose being, the man of God may be complete.

Equipped for every good work.

That the man of God might be complete.

That we may be complete.

God's word is sufficient.

If you feel as though your life is lacking something,

odds are what you're lacking can be remedied by this book.

Your addictions, your suffering, your doubt, your desires, your obsessions, your sin

can be addressed and remedied through this book.

The inspired, inerrant, trustworthy, true, sufficient word of God

can make you complete.

Equipped for every good work.

Ezra, he was committed to the word of God personally.

But friends, it would impact his ministry publicly.

Turn to the next book over, Nehemiah.

We'll be in chapter 8.

Ezra will spend the rest of our time this morning.

Where we're introduced to Ezra for the first time in this book, Nehemiah chapter 8.

Nehemiah 8 · chapter mention

And we see that secondly, we don't only need to be personally and privately, individually committed.

As the church, when we gather together, we must corporately be committed to the word of God.

Nehemiah chapter 8, starting in verse 1.

Nehemiah 8 · chapter mention

And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the water gate.

And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel.

So Ezra, the priest, brought the law before the assembly.

Both men and women and all who could understand what they heard on the first day of the seventh month.

And he read from it, facing the square before the water gate from early morning until midday.

In the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand.

And the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.

And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for this purpose.

And beside him stood Mattathiah, Shema, Ananiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseah on his right hand.

And Padaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashem, Hashbadanah, Zechariah, and Meshulam on his left hand.

And Ezra, verse 5, opened the book in the sight of all the people.

For he was above all the people.

And as he opened it, all the people stood.

And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God.

And all the people answered, Amen, Amen.

Lifting up their hands and they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

Also, Jeshua, Benai, Sherebiah, Jamin, Aqab, Shabbathiah, Hodiah, Messiah, Kalita, Azariah, Josabat, Hanan, Peleah, the Levites.

Helped the people to understand the law.

While the people remained in their places.

They read from the book, from the law of God clearly.

And they gave the sense so that the people understood the reading.

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people,

This day is holy to the Lord your God.

Do not mourn or weep.

For all the people wept as they heard the words of the law.

And he said to them, Go your way.

Eat the fat.

Drink sweet wine.

Send portions to anyone who has nothing ready.

For this day is holy to our Lord.

And do not be grieved.

For the joy of the Lord is your strength.

So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, Be quiet.

For this day is holy.

Do not be grieved.

And all the people went their way to eat and drink and send portions and to make great rejoicing.

Because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

So when the first half of the book of Ezra talks about the rebuilding of the temple, and the first half of Nehemiah speaks on the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem,

Well, the second half of Ezra and the second half of Nehemiah covers the rebuilding of God's people.

Now we can see clearly from this passage exactly how that's going to happen.

These people, God's people, become a people centered on the word of God.

They gather in the water gate, and it says they commanded Ezra in verse 1.

Bring out the book, the book of the law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel.

And if we want to be a people that say we believe in the authority of God's word,

then there are a few things that we can glean and learn from the Israelites in this passage.

First, we learn from them that we must desire the word of God in public worship.

Ezra didn't guilt the congregation into the word of God.

The people demanded the holy scriptures be brought forward.

They had a desire to hear the commands of God read publicly for all who could understand.

All the men, all the women, and even the children who had the capability to understand God's commands,

they all gathered together and demanded God's word be read from them and read to them.

And it says Ezra read from this book, notice this, from early morning to midday.

I don't want to hear if my sermon went long, friends.

They stayed from early morning to midday.

And it says in verse 3,

And the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.

Kept their attention.

There's something living and active and important here to where they listened and desired it.

Oh, that we would be a people that desired God's word in this way.

That we would be a people that would desire God's word to be read over us,

for us to study and hear and be changed by it.

God's people desired God's word to be proclaimed in public worship.

We exist in such a consumeristic culture.

To where there's an immense pressure to do everything except read from God's word.

Many churches exchange it for entertainment.

Sprinkling in just the bare minimum of God's word while they instead exchange it for politics, psychology, or even prosperity.

We don't need stump speeches from the pulpit.

We don't need self-help from the pulpit.

We don't need the heresy of the prosperity gospel from the pulpit.

Friends, there's no substitute for the living and active word of God.

We need the scriptures.

Above all else, we need God's word.

It is the word of God that we get to meet and hear from God.

And the reading of God's word here leads to the worship of God in verse 6.

It says,

And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered,

Amen, Amen, lifting their hands, and they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

It was the word of God that led to the worship of God.

If you know me at all, you know that I absolutely love Christian music.

I love songs, hymns, and spiritual songs.

I love music, biblical worship.

Music that is grounded into the scriptures, that calls the people of God to sing the praises of God.

And we're given many commands in scripture to sing.

We're given a songbook in scripture.

There's a scriptural precedent for enlisting trusted godly leaders to lead us in the corporate singing of God's word to God.

But friends, I've got to note this from this passage.

I've got to point out what we see here.

There's no background music as the scriptures are being proclaimed.

There's no three-part harmony ushering us into the presence of God.

There's no tactics or a manipulation of emotions being used to keep people's attention or to get them in the proper mindset for worship.

The word of God is sufficient to draw us into the presence of God.

Scriptures are read.

So while we are commanded in scriptures to sing, and there's an endless supply of gospel-centered, God-exalting, worshipful music for us to sing, many songs like we sing today,

we must never neglect nor exchange the central role that scripture is to play in our public corporate worship.

Perhaps our consumeristic culture of the day has tempted us at times to chase the worship of God through shallow popular music,

trendy artists with hidden or sometimes public sins,

or worship concerts with a manufactured sense of all through all the smoke and lights.

It's possible for us to reduce worship to a genre of music instead of a proper posture before the Almighty God.

The word of God is sufficient to give us access to God.

We must desire the word of God in our corporate worship so much so that we prepare for it.

The people came ready to hear.

They built a wooden platform beforehand for this purpose.

They didn't have other appointments to get to.

They desired God's word so much that they stood for hours in the heat of day just to hear it read over them.

They desired the word of God.

Secondly, though, they also sought understanding of the word of God in public worship.

They sought understanding.

There are 26 other men that are listed here that you probably heard me fumble through those names.

There are 26 other men aside from Ezra that are present in this passage among the crowd.

And Nehemiah 8, 7, and 8 tells us what they're doing.

It says that they helped the people to understand the law.

And while the people remained in their places, they read from the book, from the law of God clearly,

and they gave the sense so that the people understood the reading.

Meaning this, they didn't just read the word of God or listen to the word of God.

They sought understanding of the word of God.

They gathered around these godly men and trusted to explain the scriptures.

And just like Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord,

these people, out of their commitment to God and their love of God

and their belief in the authority of God's word,

wanted to study it, not just simply read it.

I was listening to Pastor David Platt recently,

speaking about what it looks like for us to have a love for the word of God

and a desire to study it.

And he likened this task to when he'd received a letter from his wife before they were married.

In fact, he'd never dated a woman before,

so he received this letter from his current girlfriend,

and he said it just, he read it differently than other kinds of male.

This is what he writes about how he read that letter from his future wife.

He says, and so I would devour every word like, dear David.

Dear.

What a sweet opening.

She thinks I'm dear.

Or she'd write this sentence.

What does she mean by that?

She put a smiley face here,

and I'd be like, why is there a smiley face at that point?

Where she'd say, I'm praying for you,

and I wonder what she means.

She's saying, I'm praying for you like I pray for anybody?

Or I'm praying for you like I'm praying for my future husband,

and you come to mind.

Is that what she means?

I'm just devouring every word.

And he might be like, David, you're obsessed.

And yes, I was.

I was obsessed.

I was in love.

That's kind of the point.

When you love somebody,

you love their words.

You're soaking it in.

You see, as God's people,

it's not just enough to read God's word.

We need to seek understanding of God's word.

Not out of some ritualistic or legalistic manner,

but because we love God.

Because we love God and love his word.

Now, this is why we're here today in public worship,

with the reading of God's word,

and someone that's been entrusted to give the sense.

This is what Savannah, our children's director,

is doing right now with our children,

and she does an incredible job each week

explaining the scriptures to those children.

On a normal week,

many of you stick around for Sunday school,

or you come back on Wednesday nights,

where again, someone is entrusted

to help us understand the word of God.

And we don't gather together

out of a ritualistic or legalistic demand

for church attendance or engagement,

but because we have a love for God,

and a desire to understand his word,

to apply his word to our lives,

to do it,

and share his word with others.

So we must desire God's word in public worship.

We must seek understanding of God's word

in public worship.

Further, we see in this passage

that we must allow the word of God

to confront us of our sins in public worship.

Verse 8,

Having read God's word

and had God's word explained to them

in a clear manner

to where they understood the scriptures,

we see in verse 9

what follows this understanding of God's word.

Verse 9,

And Nehemiah, who was governor,

and Ezra, the priest and scribe,

and the Levites,

all those names of people

who taught the people,

said to all the people,

This day is holy to the Lord your God.

Do not mourn or weep.

And notice this,

For all the people wept

as they heard the words of the law.

They began to weep

because they understood

the implications of God's law.

They understood what was being said to them

when the scriptures are held up

before our lives.

Each of them began to see the reality

of the sin that is present within them.

And after generations and generations

of living among foreign and pagan nations,

after generations of disobedience,

being confronted

about their present sin in their lives

was likely not a common occurrence.

It likely wasn't something they were used to.

And friends,

that hasn't changed a lot today.

The world around us

is constantly seeking

to make sinful practices,

desires, and behaviors seem normal.

Our world wants us to be comfortable

in what the Bible calls sin.

Our own flesh will seek to numb

the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

We'll seek to distract ourselves

with temporary and fleeting pleasures.

But when we gather together

and the Word of God is proclaimed over us,

when the Word of God is put on

display,

it should shine a light

that uncovers the darkest parts

of our lives.

I love going to Sunday school

some weeks.

Now I sit next to Chad

and Molly Hicks

and Chad will just kind of

lean over Molly and say,

man, Brett was just stomping

all over my toes this morning.

And I usually say,

good, good.

God's Word is not intended

to make us comfortable

in our sin.

It's there to remind us

that we are dead in our sin

and have no hope apart from Christ.

The Word of God

isn't intended to make us comfortable.

The Word of God

is to remind us

that we are dead in our sins,

guilty of what Jonathan Edwards

would call cosmic treason

against a holy God.

Our sin makes us guilty.

And the punishment for that sin

is eternal torment

and damnation

in a place called hell.

The Bible speaks clearly

about this reality

and it should absolutely

drive us to our knees

in sorrow and repentance

when we're made aware of this.

There's a present tension

in the church today

as many pastors and churches

seek to lighten the blow

or not offend

when it comes to addressing sin.

But friends,

the Word of God,

when it's held up

against our lives,

it will show us

what God intended

to show us in God's Word,

that there is none

that is righteous,

no, not one.

When God's Word

is held up before our lives,

it should show us

very clearly

that there is none

that is righteous,

no, not one.

And when we gather together

under the reading

of God's Word,

each of us

on this side of heaven

should be confronted

with the present sin

in our lives.

And that conviction

should draw us

towards sorrowful repentance

before God.

Transitions a bit

in these final few verses.

We see Nehemiah and Ezra

point these worshipers

from sorrow, though,

to joy.

The timing of this gathering

landed during the festival

of booths.

God had ordained

the Passover,

the Feast of Weeks,

and the Feast of Booths

back in Deuteronomy 16,

which is one of the passages

they would have read

in this gathering.

These festivals

were designed

and orchestrated

as a time for Israel

to slow down,

stop,

and remember

God's faithfulness.

To remember

His provision

for His people.

And despite their present sin,

despite their disobedience,

they were to be reminded

that God has consistently

and has consistently

made a way

for them to experience

life,

forgiveness,

and provision

in the Lord.

These festivals

were to be a time

of joyful remembrance

that sparked

greater dependence

on obedience

from God's people.

So Ezra and Nehemiah,

they remind these people

that the joy

of the Lord,

the joy of the Lord

is their strength,

their refuge,

their sanctuary,

their rest.

Sorrow over sin

and repentance

are necessary,

but God's plan

in God's word

goes a bit further.

You see,

the bad news

that we see in Scripture

is that each of us

are sinners

deserving of God's wrath.

Every one of us

sin,

none of us are perfect,

each of us stand

as guilty before God,

every bit deserving

of His wrath

and judgment.

And the worst news,

there's not a thing

you can do about it.

There's no amount

of good works,

no amount

of righteous deeds

that you may do

because your righteous acts

are as filthy rags

before the Lord

and there's no amount

of penance

that you can declare

that will overcome

the effects of sin

in your life

nor remove its stain

from your flesh.

Bad news,

we're sinners.

Worst news,

nothing we can do

about it.

But the good news

that we see

in God's word

is that God

gave His Son Jesus

as a substitute,

as a substitute

to live a perfect life

free from sin

and He handed Him over

to death

on a sinner's cross.

Having no sin of His own,

instead He bore

the sins of mankind,

your sin and mine,

so that on the cross

the debt that we owe

due to our sin

was paid in full

by the shedding

of His blood.

He then rose again

from the dead

and ascended to the Father

that we may have life

in His name.

The best news

is that that can make

a difference in your life today.

You can experience

salvation,

forgiveness of sins,

rest,

and joy in Christ

right now,

today.

Romans 10, 9

says that if you confess

with your mouth

that Jesus is Lord

and believe in your heart

that God raised Him

from the dead,

you will be saved.

1 John 1, 9

that if you confess

your sins to God,

He is faithful

and just

to cleanse you

from all unrighteousness.

Meaning that the Israelites,

when they went

to this festival,

they were to remember

that though sin

may have defined

their lives

and judgment

had been pending,

a sacrifice

stood in their place

so that they

may have life.

And this passage

ends with the people

celebrating this festival

with great rejoicing

because they had

understood

the words

that were

declared

to them.

Many years later

in the Gospels,

we'll read of Jesus

at the same festival.

He says this

in Matthew 11, 28.

Come to me,

all who labor

and are heavy laden,

and I

will give you

rest.

Take my yoke

upon you,

learn from me,

for I am gentle

and lowly in heart,

and you

will find

rest,

refuge,

strength

for yourselves.

Friends,

true,

genuine

joy

can only be found

and experienced

in the Lord

and His Word.

The joy of the Lord

is our strength.

This is what we find

when we devote ourselves

to the Scriptures.

This is what we find

when we bend

our lives

to the authority

of God's Word.

Rest

and joy

in the Lord.

This morning,

as we conclude,

we're reminded

in this passage

that we must be

committed to the Word

of God,

both personally

and publicly,

privately

and corporately.

So I've got to ask

a few questions.

What has your relationship

with God's Word

been like?

Do you believe

in the authority

of God's Word,

that it is central

and above all

when it comes to

the authority

of our lives?

What foundation

have you been

building your life upon?

I'm inviting you

to be honest

with yourself

this morning.

As we enter

into a new year,

maybe the problem

isn't a short

attention span.

Maybe we just

don't believe

it's actually

that true

and important.

Maybe our problem

isn't that we're

too busy.

Maybe we just

don't like the reminder

that our sin

in our lives

must be dealt with.

Or maybe we've

grown comfortable

living like the world

and perhaps you've

never truly considered

that you're in need

of a Savior.

This morning,

we're going to sing

a verse of invitation.

We're going to have

a time for making

commitments.

Maybe,

perhaps,

you need to

set your heart

on the Scriptures.

Committing to studying,

applying,

and sharing God's Word

more this upcoming year.

On the table

as you leave,

you'll see some

Bible reading plans

printed out.

Again,

the best one for you

is the one you actually use.

So maybe you need to

commit your heart

this morning.

Set your heart

on actually reading

and digging into

and studying

God's Word this year.

Perhaps to attend

one of our small groups

on Sunday mornings

or Wednesday nights

where you can have

God's Word explained

to you

and you can grow in that.

Maybe God's laying

a desire on your heart

to give the sense

to teach or preach

God's Word

and you need to surrender

to that calling today.

Or perhaps

you recognize

that you're living in sin

and the only way

forward for you

is to lay that sin

at the feet of Jesus

and surrender

your life to Him.

Whatever commitment

you need to make today,

we're going to pray

and then sing

and as Clay sings

and lead us,

I invite you to step forward.

Come see myself

or Pastor Brett

and if there is

any way

that you need

to respond today,

I invite you

to come as we sing.

Let's pray.

Father,

we want to thank you

so much for your Word.

God,

had it not been

for your Word,

I wouldn't have known

that I'm a sinner.

I would have known

the great truths

of the Gospel

that though I'm a sinner,

you demonstrated

your love

so that you died for us

while we were still sinners.

Lord,

that we have hope,

peace,

joy,

love,

life,

forgiveness

because of you.

God,

your plan

isn't for us

to suffer

or feel

just necessarily condemned.

Lord,

your plan

was to draw us

back to you.

So Lord,

I pray for this congregation

right now.

Lord,

I pray for myself

that as we enter

into a new calendar year

that we may devote

ourselves to the Scriptures,

that we may boldly

proclaim through our

lifestyles

that we believe

in the authority

of God's Word.

And that is evident

in my private life,

my private discipline,

but Lord,

as we gather together,

your Word

is central

above all else.

Lord,

it convicts us

of our sins

and we allow that.

We're changed by it.

And Lord,

we're ultimately

through your Gospel,

through your Word,

drawn into a joy,

a refuge

that this world

can never duplicate.

Lord,

we encounter you

in your Word.

Lord,

so help us

to love you more,

to love your Word,

to commit ourselves

to that this year.

Lord,

I pray that as we sing,

if there's anyone

that needs to respond

in any way at this time,

they'll step forward.

In your holy name we pray.

Amen.

Let's stand together

and as we sing,

if you need to respond,

feel free to come forward.