Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleThe Most Valuable Word
Bible TextRomans 15:4
Synopsis The Bible is the most valuable word in this world. Listen
Date16-Feb-2020
Series Romans 2018
Article Type Sermon Notes
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
Audio HI-FI Listen: The Most Valuable Word (32 kbps)
Audio CD Quality Listen: The Most Valuable Word (128 kbps)
Length 43 min.
 

Series: Romans 
Title: The Most Valuable Word 
Text: Romans 15: 4 
Date: Feb 16 ,2020 
Place: SGBC, NJ 
  
Romans 15: 4: For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 
  
We have students in this congregation.  Can you imagine taking an important class but never reading your text book?  The things of God are the most important things we can ever learn and the Bible is our text book.  It is impossible to pass the tests God gives, if we never read the scriptures. 
  
Proposition: The Bible is the most valuable word in this world. 
  
The scriptures are the very word of God.  The living word of God.  The word that abideth forever. No other word can do for us what this word can do. 
  
1 Peter 1: 23: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24: For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. 2: 1: Wherefore [seeing this word is the most valuable in the world] laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2: As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 
  
2 Peter 1: 16: For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17: For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18: And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 
  
Surely nothing could be more valuable than seeing the Lord Jesus Christ transfigured in all his glory! 
  
2 Peter 1: 19: We have also a more sure word of prophecy; [this word is more sure, more valuable than beholding Christ transfigured] whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the Day Star [Christ the Sun of Righteousness] arise in your hearts: 20: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21: For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 
  
In other words, this word is the very word of God.  That is why this book is the priceless book. 
  
Yet this word is esteemed worthless by most.  Eternity bound sinners spend countless hours reading fiction and telling others about it.  Those are idle words for which God says sinners shall give account in the day of judgment.  Imagine the horror in the end when God makes sinners know how priceless the scriptures are while they esteemed them worthless. 
  
Subject: The Most Valuable Word 
  
Divisions: The scriptures are 1) For our learning, 2) To give patience and comfort 3) To give hope 
  
LEARNING
  
God has given the scriptures for his people for our learning. 
  
What does Paul mean by “whatsoever things were written aforetime?”  In his day, he meant the old testament scriptures.  He did not have the new testament at that time—he and others were being used of God to write the new testament as the Holy Spirit gave them the words.  But in our day, it refers to the whole word of God. 
  
Whatsoever things” means all things written in God’s word are for God’s people and all are profitable.  This word is written to God’s people for God’s people and every word is profitable 
  
2 Timothy 3: 15:…from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 
  
What does God make his people learn from this word? Christ Jesus our Salvation.
  
Ephesians 4: 20: But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus. 
  
We learn Christ by hearing him being taught by him and Christ himself is the truth we learn.  The Lord Jesus Christ is the incarnate Word of Truth! 
  
John 1: 14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 
  
Joh 14:6  Jesus saith…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 
  
We learn Christ through the preaching of the gospel of Christ contained in this word by the Lord Jesus himself effectually commanding us to: 
  
Matthew 11: 29: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 
  
What do we learn of Christ?  Through the preaching of the scriptures we learn that Christ himself is the LORD our Righteousness. 
  
Jeremiah 51:10: The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God. 
  
The LORD brought forth our righteousness by sending his Son into the world. 
  
Romans 3: 25: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26: To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 
 
The great truth God makes us learn is “how should a man be just with God?” (Job 9:2)  “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.” (Job 14:4)  “How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?” (Job 25:4)  How can holy God pour out justice upon his people unto eternal death yet have mercy upon us unto eternal life?   
  
Romans 5: 21: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 
  
In Christ crucified grace reigned through righteousness.  Grace and Righteousness reigned in Christ.  Grace and Justice reigned in Christ crucified. Mercy and Truth both reigned.  All God’s elect were crucified in righteousness while at the same time all were reconciled to God in grace. 
  
What else do we learn from this word?  Beholding the necessity of God’s own Son laying down his life for his people, we learn that we are vile and ruined sinners incapable of saving ourselves or of even knowing these things. 
  
Psalm 39: 5: …verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. 
  
Isaiah 64: 6: we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Not only must Christ make us righteous, we must be born of the Spirit of God before we know these things 
  
1 Corinthians 2: 12: Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13: Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. [scripture with scripture] 14: But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 
  
May God be pleased today to make his people learn our total ruin and make us learn Christ is the only Righteousness given us through faith in him! 
  
PATIENCE AND COMFORT
  
God gives his children patience by the comfort of the scriptures. 
  
What is godly patience? It is more than mere calm disposition in difficulties.   Godly patience is willingly submitting to God’s will in providence as we wait on God to save us.  It is the whole course of a believer’s life.  Our sinful flesh may first react as if we do not even know God.  But by the scriptures, the Spirit of God settles us, making us patiently endure the trial though all appears dark and hopeless to natural eyes.  Therefore, patience gives us experience and maturity.  As we patiently endure this trial, beholding God bring glory to himself and good to his people, next time we will have the experience to patiently wait on God. 

Romans 5: 3:..we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4: And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 
  
There are different types of races: sprints, the 100-yard dash and marathons.  In a marathon the runner must run with patience.  He must pace himself.  The race of faith is not a sprint, it is marathon.  Therefore, the scriptures teach us to… 
  
Hebrews 12: 1:…run with patience the race that is set before us, 2: Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 
  
God gives us patience by comfort of the scriptures.  Our sinful, fleshly reaction is the impatience of fear and unbelief.  But when we have comfort that all is well, we can patiently wait on God.  Through the scriptures, God reminds his child that Christ has put away our sins and shall not let us go, so God gives us patience and comfort of the scriptures.
  
Isaiah 40: 1: Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2: Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins. (Isa 40:1-2) 
  
Fleshly feelings make us reel to and fro in trials. But the scriptures remind us that God’s mind is always on us, his hand always keeps us, even when our feelings are otherwise. Martin Luther wrote, 
  
God's Word shall stand forever,
The Bible shall prevail;
God's Word shall stand forever,
His truth can never, never fail. 
  
For feelings come and feelings go,
And feelings are deceiving;
My warrant is the Word of God,
Naught else is worth believing. 
  
Tho' all my heart should feel condemned
For want of some sweet token,
There is One greater than my heart
Whose Word cannot be broken. 
  
I'll trust in God's unchanging Word
'Til soul and body sever:
For tho' all things shall pass away,
His Word shall stand forever. 
  
he comfort of the scriptures is God’s unchanging love and mercy toward us who are his elect. 
  
Psalm 103:17: But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; 
  
Isaiah 45:17: But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. 
  
Romans 11:29: For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 
  
The comfort of the scriptures are God’s precious promises in Christ. 
  
Hebrews 6:18: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation [strong comfort] who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 
  
The comfort of the scriptures is “Thy God reigneth!”—in creation, providence and salvation! God has left no part in our hands! He reigns in all! 
  
HOPE
  
Through the scriptures God gives and increases hope in a believer.  It is from “the God of hope” (Rom 15: 30) through “the hope of the gospel” (Col 1: 23) whereby God makes your faith and hope [to be] be in God” (1 Pet 1:21).  Hope is the confident expectation that God shall give us his purposed end which he has promised to all who believe on his Son. 
  
Jeremiah 29: 11: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Jer 29:11) 
  
Since our hope is in and by the precious blood of Christ therefore, God himself is our hope. 
  
Psalm 75: 5: Thou art my hope, O Lord God; thou art my trust from my youth! 
  
Jeremiah 17: 7:  Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is! 
  
Psalm 130: 7: Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. 
 
Hebrews 6: 19: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; 20: Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 
  
Since it is by the scriptures that God gives this hope, we say, Psalm 130: 5: In his word do I hope
  
Believer, God has given us much right now.  Right now we have eternal life.  We are more than conquerors through Christ that loved us right now.  Right now Christ reigns within us keeping our sin-nature from dominating us. 
  
But the best is yet to come!  We hope for Christ Jesus our Lord to return for us and perfectly conform us in his image so that we shall know him as he is.  We hope to be glorified together with him and vindicated before all our enemies in that day.  We hope to enter the new heavens and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness where we shall live with God our Father and the Lamb for all eternity!  Therefore, God exhorts his people to “hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto them, at the revelation of Jesus Christ”, (1 Peter 1:13; Titus 2:13).
 
May God cause us to value the scriptures above all other books.  May God cause us to search the scriptures daily that we might learn Christ, that we might patiently wait for Christ by the comfort of the scriptures, that we might hope to the end 
  
Amen!