Reading Is Fundamental!

Dr. Mike Murphy

April 22, 2023

As he looked out from the pulpit and began to speak, he prayed his message would not only be heard, but felt.  For two weeks he had been promoting this sermon, building up to the word he had been led to give.  As he looked over the congregation, it appeared the excitement had worked.  He saw faces that he rarely saw, and new faces that he had not before seen.  He could see the anticipation in the eyes of those looking back at him.  And this was an anticipation he planned to make the most of.

“Today, I want us to take a hard look at the wisdom of God.  In order to do this, I want each of you to not just hear about His wisdom as I speak, but to see His wisdom.  So to prepare for today, I have placed several extra Bibles in each pew, so that everyone here can follow the verses we are looking at firsthand.  So everyone grab your own Bible, or one of those in the pews and raise them up, so we can see when everyone has one.”

He watched as every pew scrambled to grab a Bible.  Then, one by one, he watched as every person, of every age, raised their Bible into the air.  When every hand was raised, he proceeded with his sermon.

“There is one verse that I think describes for us the wisdom of God far greater than any other.  So today I want us to take a hard look at that verse, and for each of us to read it over and over.  Everyone open your Bibles, and turn to Hezekiah chapter three, verse six.”

He paused and looked out at the congregation as they began to turn through the pages. He watched the faces intently, and watched as everyone reacted differently.  He saw many freeze, not knowing where to begin to turn in their Bibles.  He watched others, as they glanced at those beside them, hoping to see where they were turning.  He watched others still, turning through the pages from front to back.  As they got to the back cover without finding the verse, you could see them turn back to the front and begin to slowly thumb through the pages again.  And he looked into the eyes of others, the puzzled look on their faces as they wondered what was going on.  And elderly woman, who sat near the front, looked up at him and smiled.  He quickly winked at her, letting her know that everything was alright.  For minutes he watched this continue, until finally he heard a man whisper to his wife, “I know I have read this before, but I just cannot seem to find it!”

Finally the pastor asked, “Is everyone ready to begin reading the verse?” He heard the mumbles, and saw the confusion, and finally one man spoke and said he needed help to find the verse.  The pastor mercifully brought an end to his ruse, and told everyone that there was no such book of the Bible as Hezekiah.  In doing so, he watched as relief set in to many of the faces he saw. But as soon as the relief hit, the confusion again soon followed. He could see many begin to wonder, why had he done this in the first place?

“I know many may wonder why I did this, why I would ask you to turn to a verse that does not exist?  The answer is very simple, and one that helps us to recognize the wisdom of God.  Simply put, we cannot know God, the wisdom He longs to share with us, and all He desires for our lives, if we do not first spend time in and know His Word!.  With this in mind, I want us to actually turn to a few real verses, and see why it is so important that we spend time in God’s Word.”

Ask yourself, if you had been sitting in the pew that Sunday, how many of you would have spent time turning through the pages of your Bible looking for that verse in Hezekiah? How many that read this today, are familiar with God’s Word, and knows what it has to say?

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy 3:16-17.  The Greek word for inspired used in this verse actually means “breathed out”.  God gave life to every word we read in our Bible.  He created it with a purpose and an intent in mind.  The answers to the questions that have found their way to the tip of man’s tongue for years, can be found in each of the pages of the Bible that the Lord has so lovingly given to us.  Where did man come from?  What is evil?  What does the future hold?  Is there life after our death?  All questions that man has asked over and over, and all answers that God breathed into each word of His Scripture.  

And God’s wisdom and His Word does not stop there.  The questions and issues we face in our personal life, the Lord also passionately addresses.  How can I change my life? How can I be a good spouse and a good parent?  How can I get the most out of my life? What in this life is most important?  All question the Lord knew we would ask, and all answers He desired to give us as He breathed each word into the Bible.

With each syllable of God’s Word, we see the depth of each answer, and we see the inerrant and infallible truth in all that He has to say to us.  The Lord does not just give us His Word and say, “Trust Me”.   With each word of Scripture, God shows us why we can trust Him! The Bible is the only holy book that gives us the details and the definitions so we can go out and test the historical, the scientific, and the prophetic accuracy of every word.  Only one word has ever been able to hold up to that standard, and that is God’s Word!  God has purposefully shown us that if we can have complete trust in all He has to say in each of these areas, then we can also trust everything He tells us about the spiritual world that we cannot so often see.

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”, Matthew 4:4.  Just as we take the time each day to feed our bodies, giving it the nutrition we need to face the day, we also need to give our spirit, soul. and mind the nutrition it requires each day also.  So often we hear people make the excuse, “I just do not have time to read my Bible everyday!”.  These words were once said to the famous evangelist D.L. Moody. At hearing this, Moody calmly looked over to the man and said, “My friend, if you are too busy to read the Bible every day you are busier than Almighty God ever intended any human being should be.”  When we set aside time for the Lord each day, we often do not realize what those short few minutes can do for our own life. The Lord desires nothing more than for us to have a personal relationship with Him.  A “love affair” that grows each day, and fulfills our lives in ways we could only hope for.  Just like any relationship, the more time we spend with that person we love, the more our lives are changed by that person. We hear their thoughts, we learn their tendencies, and we become accustomed to their likes and their dislikes.  We soon become one, not knowing where their life ends and our life begins.  We begin to realize that we cannot imagine our life without them in it, and we find that each day, we look for ways to please them before we even begin to think of ourselves.  The same is with the Lord!  And each minute we spend with Him, we find ourselves deeper in a “love affair” that will never end!   

With each word we read of God’s Word, we see how our relationship with the Lord grows.  With each prayer, and with each quiet moment we find ourselves studying His Word, we realize the difference that He is making in our life.  He teaches us the commitment, the focus, the obedience, and the wisdom that enriches our lives each day, and it is reflected in us as we go into the world around us.  We show the world that God is not distant, but close at hand, alive and well in each of us.  Those around us see a God that is more than just a simple story in a popular book, more than just a fairytale that has often been told. We help bring the Lord to life, and the breathe He breathed into the Scripture is heard and felt in each of us.  With each word we read of Scripture, we are led to show the world, “With the Lord on our side, absolutely nothing is impossible!” And with each moment we spend in God’s Word, we realize just how powerful that statement is, and how much truth is found in each word of that statement!

Each day as we pick up our Bibles, and begin to read His Word, we realize we do not do this out of habit, but out of desire.  The desire to know our Lord a little better today than we knew Him yesterday.  And as we read today, we know tomorrow holds the promise that we will even know Him better.  This desire of which I speak, leads us to read the Scripture with a passion.  An eagerness to understand Him more each day, an anticipation the wisdom of His Word will bring us, and a willingness of knowing that with each word we read, we find ourselves further enclosed in the security of His arms.  

Every time we read God’s Word, we need to take that passion and bring a purpose to it.  As we sit down to read, we need to first seek the Lord in prayer. Ask the Lord for the wisdom to understand the verse or passages you are reading, so that His Word may be your word.  As you read His Word, study His Word.  So many today will tell you to read a chapter a day.  I would suggest to you something a little different!  If you read a chapter and God gives you a full understanding of that chapter, great!  But if you only read one verse, and feel the Lord leading you to better understand that verse, read no farther! Take the time to fully understand that verse before you proceed.  God may have you stop at that verse or two for a reason, there may be things in those few words that the Lord desperately needs you to see.  You need to look no farther than the story of Philip(Acts 8:26-40)  to see the perfect example of this.

Philip was preaching in Samaria with great success(Acts 8:5-8).  But when he heard the voice of the Lord call him to the desert road that led to Gaza, he found himself on the road without hesitation.  As Philip is travelling the road, he sees an Ethiopian man sitting in his chariot and reading from the Book of Isaiah.  This was no ordinary man, he was the head of the Treasury for the queen, and had come to Jerusalem to worship.  Philip approached the man, and asked him one simple question, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man told Philip he did not, and asked Philip to join him and help explain what the words in Isaiah proclaimed.

He was reading Isaiah 53:7-8.  “Like a lamb that is lead to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.  By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgressions of my people, to whom the stroke was due?”  Philip began by explaining to the man these two verses, then used other verses to bring the man to Christ.  From these two verses, these few words, God would change the world!  And look at the impact that reading and understanding these few words had on the world in our example.  A powerful Ethiopian man, who would bring the message of Christ to a part of the world that had yet to hear the Good News!  The world forever changed because one man read no further, but stopped and sought to understand the words that the Lord had placed in front of him!  

With just a few words, God’s Word can speak to us in incredible ways.  It informs us, it guides us, it motivate us. it commands us, and above all, it changes us.  With each verse, with each word that we read, God speaks to us.  He tells us of His ways, and the beauty of the path that those ways will show us.  And with each word, He also shows us our own ways, and the dangers that lie ahead if we follow those ways.  With each verse we read, we understand the Lord a little more.  And with each verse that we place in front of our eyes, we understand more the purpose and plan He has for our life.  We see the love that went into making us, and willful passion that went into Him giving His life so that He could save us. With each verse we read, the Word comes to life, and draws us to take the words off the pages of our Bible, and to share the beauty of those words with the world around us.

So many today look at the Bible, read God’s Word, and tell us it is nothing more than another story.  Just a fairytale given from above to inspire us.  Each time I open the cover of my Bible, I feel for these people, and I pray for each of them.  How they read the glory of each verse, and cannot see that the Lord has brought this”fairytale” to life, is beyond my simple comprehension.  He has reached down and pulled the words off the pages, and made each of us a part of this incredible story.  He came Himself to fill the lead role in this amazing story, and He offered each of us a supporting role on the stage beside Him.  Every minute of every day shows us how this so-called “fairytale” is being performed live around us, playing out in each of our lives just as the words He gave us said it would.  How they cannot see that the Script of this miraculous play has been written, and the cast is being set, is beyond me.  If only they would just read the Script, and not try to edit the Script with their own words, seeking their own desired ending, they would come to see the reality and beauty that this Script holds.  If only they could see the allure in willfully following the Script, opening their eyes to the delicacy, the love, and the grace that the Lord has poured into every word.  If only they could feel and hear the breath the Lord placed into each syllable of this amazing Script.  If only they would seek the wisdom of the Author of this Script, the knowing and understanding He longs for each of us to see in every word He has written.  If only they would pick up the Script anew, and read it aloud with Him, they would see the perfection in the fundamentals of the Script, and begin to understand just how this Script must be played out.  Their eyes would be open to see, reading is fundamental!

Praying the fundamentals of your life can be found in the words of the Script.

I AM.

 Dr. Mike Murphy

April 16, 2023

“I thought these eyes had seen everything.  That these ears had heard all they could ever hear.  I heard the words He spoke at the pool of Bethesda, and I watched in amazement as a man who could not walk for thirty-eight years got on his feet.  On a hillside near Capernaum, I listened as the words He spoke took away the pride and deception of so many hearts.  And as I looked in the eyes of the crowd that day, I watched in amazement as those same hearts were filled with a loving faith.  I watched as a man wrecked with leprosy fell at His feet, and I heard his words of praise as he walked away without one sore.  I watched as a Roman officer bowed to my King, and I heard a faith from that officer that was greater than that of any man.  I watched as the tears of a widow in Nain filled the ground for her only son who had just died.  And I heard the shouts of joy as that young boy sat up and talked to his mom again.  I watched as the sea began to rise and as the waves began to pound the boat we found ourselves in.  I saw the fears of those around me, and I heard the desperation in their voice.  I then watched as He calmly stood, and I listened to the storm calm as soon as He spoke.”

“I watched as He fed thousands with nothing more than a small boy would have to eat.  And I listened to the fullness of that crowd as they ate until they could eat no more.  I watched as His feet stood where no man could stand, and I heard as His voice called to me, bringing me out of the boat to join Him.  I watched as He drove out demons, and I heard their screams at the sound of His voice.  I watched as the blind were made to see, and I heard as the hardest of hearts were made to believe.  I have seen and heard it all, or so I thought.  But with just two words, He proved me wrong.  I watched Him speak those two words, and with all I heard, I knew this world would never be the same.”

As Christ taught in the temple courts that day, my mind will only allow me to begin to imagine what the disciples must of heard and seen.  The emotions that filled them and the reality that must have overwhelmed them.  It was a day unlike any other they had been a part of.  As Jesus was teaching that morning, they watched as religious leaders tried to set a trap for Him.  They brought a woman who had been caught in adultery to Jesus, looking to trick Him into saying something they could use against Him.  They brought the woman to His feet, but did not bring the man who was caught in the adultery with her.  And as they threw the woman in front of Him, they knew they had violated the Law of Moses by not bringing forward two innocent witnesses to the adultery, as the law required.  The disciples watched as the religious leaders brought forward the woman to simply gather ammunition they could use against Jesus.  If Jesus refused to condemn the woman to be stoned, they would say He was ignoring the Law.  And if He said to stone the woman, they knew He would be violating Roman law, which did not permit the Jews to carry out their own executions. But as the disciples watched, they heard Jesus turn the tables on the religious leaders, telling them that only He who was innocent of sin could judge sin.  They watched as each dropped his stone, and walked away.  They heard Jesus turn to the woman and asked her where those that condemned her now were.  And as He spoke to her, they listened as His words did not end there, telling her to go and sin no more.  They saw One with the authority to forgive sin, and listened as the only One with the power to judge her, told her to turn from her sin and from the destruction sin was bringing to her life.

They then watched as He turned to the crowd, telling everyone who would listen that He was the Light of the world.  The disciples looked into the eyes of many in that crowd, and saw those who thought Jesus was either a lunatic or a liar.  But as their eyes came back to Christ, they heard Him give the crowd a third alternative, that He was telling the truth.  They then watched that day as the hardened hearts of many melted away.

Later that day, they heard Jesus tell the crowd that those who followed Him would know the truth, and the truth would set them free.  He went on to say, those that followed Him would have everlasting life, never would death hold a price over them.  As many heard these words, they called Jesus a devil, possessed by a demon.  The disciples could hear the yells from the crowd, proclaiming that every man would die, even Abraham and the prophets had faced death.  They watched many in the crowd look at Jesus, and mockingly ask Him just who He thought He was.  Christ’ reply left no doubt.  It required no further questions, as it provided the answer to every question they could ever ask.  The disciples watched as Jesus looked to the crowd and proclaimed, “Truly, truly, before Abraham was, I AM.”(John 8:58).  The disciples watched as many in the crowd picked up the same stones they had sought to kill the adulterous woman with earlier that day.  They heard the cries for His death, and they knew that as Christ spoke those two words, their lives would never be the same. 

With just two words, Christ changed the lives of each of the disciples. With just two words, Christ would write every page of history.  With just two words, Christ would forever change this world.  With just two words, Christ demanded an answer from everyone in the crowd that day.  And with just two words, Christ would ask each of us the same question today.  Is Christ who He proclaimed He was?

“Prin Abraam genesthai ego eimi”.  These words in Greek literally say, “Before Abraham was existing, I AM”.  The power of these words could never be duplicated, and they are words that could never be mistaken.  These words do not say “I have been”, or “I was”, but carry the power that can only be found in the two words “I AM”.  By using the words “I AM”, Jesus not only stated His timeless existence prior to Abraham, but spoke to His very nature.  As Christ spoke these words, everyone that heard His voice that day knew exactly what He was saying, and they knew exactly what He was proclaiming.

To fully understand just what the crowd heard that day, we need to go back to a day that every Israelite studied and cherished.  A day at the time of the Exodus, when Moses was speaking to God. In Exodus 3:13-15, Moses asked God what name he should tell the Jewish people had sent him to speak to them, basically asking God His name. God responds by saying, “I AM that I AM”.  He told Moses to tell the people, “I AM has sent me to you”.   God then goes on to explain further about His name, by telling Moses, “The Lord,the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial from generation to generation”. In this God is not only proclaiming Himself as “I AM”, but also as “HE IS”.  

It is from these verses that we get the name Yahweh(YHVH), the sacred, unspoken, and eternal name of the Lord.  A name that not only proclaims His existence, but announces His presence. In Hebrew, a name carried meaning, and communicated something about the character of the one who had the name. In Yahweh, God proclaimed His infinite wisdom and sovereignty by revealing to mankind so much about Himself.  The Lord tells us in His name that He has always been there, that He is with us now, and He will be present forever.

When the Israelites asked Jesus who He was that day, they had no doubt who He was proclaiming to be.  He told them He was Yahweh, the One who was there when the world was formed, the One who stood in their presence that day, and the One who would still be here when this world would end.  They knew that the One who stood in front of them, called Himself by a name no man was allowed to use, no man could ever proclaim.  He claimed to be the Lord, standing among the crowd that day, right in their very presence.  He was not a just a prophet, nor was he simply a healer.  He was God!  And when they looked into His eyes, they looked on the face of their Creator!

This was a defining statement, one that left no middle ground.  Either Jesus was exactly who He said He was, or He had committed a sin so great, His own death would be required.  In two words, Christ either brought a man to his knees, or He brought him to reach for the ground to find the nearest stone.  As many of the Jewish leaders looked upon their Savior that day, they reached for the ground instead of falling on their knees.  They looked into the eyes of the Lord, and did not recognize the characteristics of His face.  They knew so little of Him, they no longer remembered Him.  They had so little love for Him, they treated Him as a hated stranger, an enemy that had found His way into their midst.

John tells us just two chapters later, they would look on Him as a stranger again.  John 10:30-33 says, “The Father and I are one.  The Jewish leaders picked up rocks again to stone him to death.  Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good deeds  from the Father.  For which one of them are you going to stone me?  The Jewish leaders replied, “We are not going to stone you for a good deed but for blasphemy, because you, a man, are claiming to be God.”  Both times they choose to pick up stones, after Jesus proclaimed to be our Lord.  Both times they looked in the eyes of our Lord, and did not know Him.  Both times, “I AM” stood in front of them, and they did not know Him by His name. 

With every word He spoke, Jesus defined the words “I AM”.  Several other times He would use those words, and each time He showed us a little more of the characteristics that made up His name.  I AM the bread of life(John 6:35-51).  I AM the Light of the world(John 8:12).  I AM the door of the sheep(John 10:7-10). I AM the good shepherd(John 10:11-18). I AM the resurrection and the life(John 11:25-26).  I AM the way, the truth, and the life(John 14:6).  I AM the vine(John 15:1-11).  With each “I AM”, His name became a little clearer, His voice became a little louder, and His purpose and plan became a lot more obvious.  And as “I AM” walked among us, hope could be seen in His face, and hope could be felt in this world.

I AM.  No more profound statement has ever been spoken.  No more important words have ever been heard.  With two words, Christ erased all doubts. With two words, Christ placed one question into the heart of all who heard His voice that day.  The same question that fills each of our hearts to this very day. Was Christ who He said He was?  And with this question, we have the same two options today that crowd faced so many years ago.  Do we angrily reach to the ground to find the nearest stone?  Or do we fall to our knees as we look into the eyes of our Savior?   With each “I AM” the question is answered. With each “I AM” the lines in His face are defined a little more.  With each “I AM” we realize that we are staring into the eyes of our Lord.  I AM leaves us no doubt that HE IS!

Praying this day no stone is found in your hand.