Want to apologize to Carol Foresight that I didn't hit the key change there. You were waiting for it, right? You were waiting for it. Yeah. You see this voice? It can't go that high. So, and all the men said, "Amen." All right. Take your Bibles if you will. Go to First Thessalonians chapter 2. How great thou art. That is so true. We'll see that here in our text. As you're turning there. How many of you have either read the book or seen the movie of The Mutiny on the Bounty? What?
Okay. I don't Maybe you're embarrassed to say it. Like, I understand the younger generation may not have read it, but back in my day, it was like we had it was required reading in school. Am I that old? I guess I am, man. Anyways, I've stirred up a lot of controversy with this book, but anyways, it is an amazing story. If you're not familiar with it, they have there was this rebellion that took place on the Bounty, a ship.
It was, the rebel was a man named Captain well, yeah, it was against Captain Blie. There were nine mutineers along with the Tahian men and women who accompanied them and and they they mutinied they took over the ship and they ended up finding their way to what's known as Pit Karen Island, a little dot of an island one mile wide and two miles long in in the Pacific. And 10 years after the mutiny, after they landed on this island, after years of drinking and fighting, one man was left alive. His name was John Adams.
Along with him, there were 11 women and 23 children. That was the entire population on Pit Karen Island. That might seem familiar to you for those four people that apparently have read this book, but the rest of the story is fascinating. That doesn't get told in the book or in the movie. John Adams, the lone man left, after all these years of carousing and harsh living, ended up finding a chest at the bottom of the bounty, at the bottom of the ship.
He opened it up and in that chest was a Bible. John Adams began to read that Bible and in short order, he repented and trusted Christ as his savior. And he began to teach the women and the children of the gospel and they could see not only his teaching but they could see his changed life that this was a different man. It was a stark contrast from what they had seen these last however many years that it wasn't just lip service.
It wasn't just something he acknowledged but there was a life of repentance being lived out. This word had changed him and by 1988 with a population of just under a hundred by that time every single person on Pit Karen Island had received Christ as their savior. That is the power of God's word. The word of God is always at work. And today we're going to see as Paul is continuing to remind these precious saints of his merit as an apostle, his giving this defense of his apostilhip in the course of it here.
He's reminding them not only of his defense as an apostilhip as an apostle, but he's reminding them of the centrality of the word of God. And that's what we'll see. So I'm going to read to you just four verses here this morning. 1 Thessalonians 2. I'm going to read verses 13 to 16 here today. Here's what it says. And we also thank God constantly for this. That when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen, as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out and displeased God, and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as to always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last.
This is the text. I'm going to unashamedly spend the bulk of our time in verse 13, but we'll look a little bit at the whole of the passage. What is the effect of God's word? How do we understand God's word? Well, the first thing I would say to you is this, that it is clearly given by God. Notice what he says here. We thank God constantly. So, and the the word here is the same word as without ceasing. So, we've seen Paul already earlier say that he prays for them constantly or without ceasing.
We're going to see it in chapter 5 that we should pray without ceasing. And here again, he says that use that same word. We thank God constantly. But now here he he brings in some specificity. What am what is it that Paul is specifically thanking God for them about without ceasing? Well, that that they had received the word of God. What does it mean to receive the word of God? Well, in the technical explanation of that word receive is to objectively take something in as fact.
So, they had received the word of God. They had received the message, the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm going to take you back. We keep going back to Acts 17, but we have to understand what it was that started everything off for these believers. What is it? What is it that founded their faith and grounded them in the gospel? In chapter 17:es 3 and 4, I don't think that's actually going to be up on your screen, but Acts 17 3 and 4, it says here, Paul says he explained and proved that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead and saying, "This Jesus whom I proclaimed to you is the Christ."
And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. Remember he's in the synagogue. So there's Jews and there are Greeks. They're both coming to faith in this Jesus. He says in verse three that I proclaim to you who is the Christ or the Messiah. So notice something significant here. We thank God constantly for this that when you received the word of God which you re which you heard from us.
Now, and he goes on to say, you that they accepted it not as the word of men, but as what it really is, the word of God. Now, remember, if you if you were with us through this series so far, the earliest New Testament letters are Galatians and Thessalonians. Before even the gospel accounts, the letter to the Galatians, which probably was maybe a year, maybe two at the most before Thessalonians, likely if it has circulated, it would have just gotten there, probably isn't circulated over to the Thessalonians yet.
So, what is it that he is talking about when he talks about the word of God? Would he have shared with them the Old Testament? Well, certainly. Remember, he's in the synagogue. So in Acts 17, so certainly the word of God would have unfolded the Old Testament. Absolutely. The Old Testament we hear time and again, hear the word of the Lord. Hear the word of the Lord. And so he would have shared with them the word of the Lord. But what would he have done? In Acts 17, remember he showed them that Jesus is the Christ or the Messiah. So he would have probably taken the Old Testament, shown how it pointed to the Messiah, and then shown how Jesus fulfilled everything that it testified to about the coming Messiah, that Jesus is this Messiah.
But they did not have the New Testament yet. And they received it as the word of God. This is quite astonishing. They believed Paul was giving them the very oracle of God. They had heard a lot of faulty gospels by this point. This is a polytheistic culture. Many different gospels, many different gods. But they receive what Paul said as being the word of the one true God because he is an apostle.
Apostles were the ones who brought the word of the Lord. And so confident was Paul in his apostolic calling that he was able to say, "We are so glad that you took it as what it really is." This was not the word of men. This is the word of God. You hear a lot of opponents to the gospel today. Opponents of Christianity who say, "Ah, the Bible is just written by a bunch of men. They're just making stuff up." really even if you even if I were to give you okay sure there was approximately 40 penmen men who were scribing the word it was written over the course of 1500ish years and it's consistent from Genesis to Revelation.
How is that possible? It's only possible if there's one author. It's God. And he used the apostles to bring the the gospel of Jesus Christ to bear. And so we have the letters of Paul, Peter, John, Jude. We have these who are bringing the gospel to the saints, telling them of Jesus Christ. Go with me if you will to First Corinthians chapter 15. The first four verses there say this.
1 Corinthians 15, starting at verse one. Now I would remind you brothers of the gospel I preached to you which you received. So again there's that word received and in which you stand and by which you are saved if you hold fast to the word I preached to you unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what all I also received.
Do you see what Paul's saying there? Paul received the message from God. It wasn't Paul's message. It's God's message. He received it and he delivered it and then they received it and delivered it. And then the other then the next generation received it and delivered. You parents, you have received the word of God and you must now deliver it to your children who Lord willing will receive it and deliver it to their children. This is how the Christian faith continues and will continue until he returns.
This is why the Lord can say with confidence, I will build my church and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. Sure, they can burn our church down. They could shoot me in the head. But guess what? Moms and dads are still going to tell their children the gospel. The church will press on. Praise be to God. It's also on a on a side tangent, not tangent. Tangent is the wrong word. Side note, this is how I can say with a measure of great confidence that the office of apostle has ceased because apostles were used.
Ephesians 2:20 tells us to ground and found the church to give us the scriptures. Acts 2:42 says, "They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching." And there's no new revelation all that we need for life and godliness. Second Peter 1 tells us, "We've been given the the the Bible is a closed cannon." It's called that is to say, there's no new revelation necessary. We've been given all that we have. If there are apostles today, it's chaos. Who do we believe? This new apostle?
There's a new word from the Lord. No. If you have a copy of Jesus Calling or the Shack, throw them out. There's no new revelation. It's all here. God gave it to us by the apostles and we can trust it. We need to receive it. But then that kind of leads into what he says here. Not only did they receive it, they accepted it. You notice that in the text? We thank God constantly for this that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it as the word of God, not the word of men.
What does that mean? Well, John MacArthur says it this way. This conotes an inward welcome of the message, a transference from the mind to the heart. It's not just that you see, yeah, yeah, that's a beautiful word. I the scriptures are lovely. But no, this is God's word and it must be heeded. It must I must I must shape my life around the word of go. The word of God shapes me because it's of God. So I'm letting the Lord shape me. I'm letting the Lord transform me.
He's justified me and he's going to sanctify me and it's all in accordance with his word. That's accepting it. My first couple months here back in 2003, I didn't know people from a hole in the ground. I think there's only a handful of you left from that era. Well done. But I was asked to do a funeral for someone, an old rancher in the community. I'd never met the man, wasn't he wasn't an attender of this church, but I was like, "Yeah, sure.
I'll do the funeral." And so there's all the typical things that go into the funeral. There's people giving eulogies and what have you. And then I get up to give a message of hope from the scriptures. And literally this is what I did. Had not said a solitary word yet. Four people stood up and walked out. Everyone else did this. No acceptance. I gave them the truth. I sought to do so gently and kindly, but also clearly.
Whether or not we could say it was received, it sure was not accepted. A few months later, I was in the insurance bureau over there in Turner Valley, what's it called? Western Financial, whatever that place is called over there, and renewing my vehicle insurance. And I overheard in the cubicle beside me, this lady regailing her friend. I was at that church, you know, that Black Diamond Gospel Church for a funeral. That guy was pounding the pulpit. Hell, fire and brimstone. I was like, we were not at the same event. But that is a clear indicator that it was not accepted.
To accept it is to hear it, to heed it, and then to say, Lord, change me. Lord, this is the truth. I believe it's the truth, and it's going to mark my life. Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. We must believe savingly upon the Lord Jesus Christ and then joyfully obey. That's how I know I've accepted the word of God. If I say, "Well, I'm going to believe savingly on Jesus, but I don't actually want to like be sanctified." Well, then how do I know that you're a believer?
No. The belief leads to a saved and changed life. First John chapter 5 reminds us of that. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. And everyone who loves the father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome.
The one who accepts the word of God says, "Yes, I love this word." And it's now the standard by which I live my life because I love the Lord and I want to live in accordance with him in a way that pleases him. And he's revealed to me how to live that way. It's important. This is the most important book you will ever hold in your hands. It's not one book among many. It's not just a lovely book of literature. No, it is the word of God himself. Albert asked me this week because we're making building some offices next door.
I think we the plans been shared with some of you as far most of you as far as what's going to happen here in the next few months. But in the course of it we need to get to make sure we're insured all for over there. All of our insurance things are in place. And he asked me, "Okay, how many books have you got on your shelf for insurance purposes?" And I was like, "I don't know." And so I was guesstimating and he said, 'Well, give me a wise counsel. He said, 'Well, why don't you take a picture of them and ask AI to tell you how many books are on your shelf? One of the very few good uses for AI. Jerry, me and you will talk later.
But I was like, okay, sure. Otherwise, I think AI is pretty dangerous. But I know that there's different opinions on that. But anyways, but I asked AI, count the books. I was I had guessed 8 900 there 1500 books on my bookshelves. This is the only one that counts. All those could be burned up. This is the one that counts. If you're reading John Gisham adnauseium and you barely find time to read this, you need to flip that. This is the book that matters.
It's the word of God. It's not the word of men. It's the word of God. And it is always at work. Look at the end of verse 13. He he said you accepted it as what it really is. The word of God which is at work in you believers. Now we know that the word of God works to make you a believer, right? Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. First Peter chapter 2 two or pardon me chapter 1 verse 23 puts it this way.
Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable through the living and abiding word of God. The word of God is what makes someone alive. If we're going to, by the way, if you're going to be an evangelist, if you're going to share the gospel, and whether that's formally or informally, standing at a podium or talking to your coworker, use the scriptures. The word of God is what people need to hear to be saved. It's the abiding eternal word of the living God about who Jesus is.
So use the scriptures. But more than that, here in Thessalonians, it says the word of God is at work in you believers. So not only does the word work to make you a believer once you become a believer, the word of God is continuously at work in your life. If you're here and you're saved, I imagine you would give a hearty testimony, amen, to that, that the word of God has continuously been a work in you. I found a commentator who put a list together of all the different ways that the scriptures are at work in us.
So whether you want to turn with me to all these passages or you want to write them down and look them up later, I want to go to an inordinate amount of scripture right now. So hang with me. We're going to be going here. How is the word of God at work in the life of the believer? In John 17:1 17, we read that the word of God sanctifies us. Jesus said there, "Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth."
1 Peter chapter 2 and verse two, we read there that the word of God matures us. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk that by it you may grow up into sanctification. Go to John or you can go or write down John chapter 8. There we read that the word of God frees us. John 8:31 Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." The word of God equips us.
In second Timothy chapter 3 in verses 16 to1 17 it says this. All scriptures breathed out by God and profitable for teaching for reproof for correction for training and righteousness that the man of God may be complete equipped for every good work. In Psalm 119 the largest psalm that there is. Psalm 119 verse 24.
There we read that the word of God counsels us. Your testimonies are my delight. They are my counselors. In Acts chap 20 and verse 32 there we read that the word of God builds us up. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. The word roots us in Psalm 1.
We are planted like a tree beside streams of living water. The word of God roots us. It grounds us. The word of God gives us hope. We read in Psalm 119 again. Let me take you there. Psalm 119 verse 147. I rise before dawn and cry for help. I hope in your words. Do you get the point?
If you're like, "Pastor Matt, I get it already. I'm drowning in the number of scriptures here." That's the point. This We've only touched the tip of the iceberg. This is how the word of God is continuously at work in your life, in my life. This is a blessing. You have in your hands the word that brings life to you and for the rest of your life grows you up, sanctifies you, builds you up, frees you, gives you hope, reminds you of eternity, etc., etc., etc.
This is the precious word of God. Why? How is it possible that the word of God can do all that? Well, I'm so glad you asked that question. In Hebrews chapter 4:es 12 and 13. If you've grown up in the church, these may be familiar verses to you, but there's a reason why they're familiar verses. Chapter 12 say or chapter 4:12 says this. For the word of God is, okay, we're about to hear what the word of God is.
Living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of the soul and of the spirit, of the joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight. But all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. This is the word of God. It pierces. Have you ever felt that? Have you ever read a passage where you're like, "Oh, yep. That's exposing my sin. Yep.
I need to repent here. I need to turn from this. I need to live in a more godly way." That's good. That's good pain. We all know good pain from bad pain, right? There's bad pain and there's good pain. You break your arm, that's bad pain. When they have to set it, that's good pain. The word of God like a knife to the heart showing you your sin, your need for repentance, your need for sanctification. That's good pain.
The word of God brings that to us because his words endure forever. It is the men just finished the book of Ephesians and we looked at the armor of God. So men, if you were there, you know what we're talking about here. What is the only offensive weapon we have in according to the armor of God? It's the word of God. It is the sword of the spirit. Every other armor, piece of the armor is defensive. But the scriptures, the word of God is offensive. It it helps us continue and press on in this world.
Go with me if you will for a moment to Psalm 138. Verse two. There we read this. I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness. For you have exalted above all things your name and your word.
This is the testimony of God. He's exalted above all things the name of God and the word of God because the word of God tells us of the name of God and who he is. So you might be sitting here going, "Well, what do we Okay, that's great. Now, what do we do with it?" Well, I'll tell you. Actually, I'm not going to tell you what to do. The Lord's going to tell you what to do with this information. In Jeremiah 15:16, when I was taking a class a few weeks ago at Miller, the prophet for our Romans class recited this verse quickly. This has been his favorite verse since he was 5 years old.
And he know he he says it to his own heart every single day. He has since he was five. He's now 71. Your words were found and I ate them. And your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart. For I am called by your name, oh Lord God of hosts. They're precious. So hide the word of God in your heart. Don't just know it academically. Hide it in your heart. Allow the word of God to penetrate deep that you might live in accordance with it.
You who are adventure club kids, it's awesome that you're going to that. So good. Keep going. When you're when you're going, you're memorizing scripture. For you adults who don't know, they memorize a lot of verses. It's awesome. And you part of the thing you do when you memorize verses, you adventure club people, help me out here. Does do they get a check mark or like something? Is there a prize for them at the end or stickers? Sure. And that's cool. That's great. It's neat to get fun prizes like that. But if I can encourage you kids, you know what the greatest motivation is to hide to to memorize these verses?
The stickers are fun. The the check mark is fun. The accolades from your leaders when they pat you on the shoulder, that's fun. But the reason to hide the word of God in the heart is it's the word of God. This is the treasure of your life. It tells you about Jesus. It tells you about what he's done to save you. And that can ne if you hide it in your heart, it can never be taken from you. So if I can encourage you, let that be the motivator of your heart that you would just say, I want to the word of God in me. It's so important.
Let's go back to our text though. Something that we have to we and Paul does not ever sugarcoat. Paul is the least seeker friendly preacher in history. Paul tells it like it is. He preaches it like it is. He does not shrink back. And so should every preacher be today. If there are preachers that shrink back or just kind of sidestep certain things and don't speak to certain verses, that's a church to mark and avoid. Quite frankly, we need to preach the whole council of scripture. Paul goes to the hard places.
And the hard place he goes to here is bringing this reality to bear that when we center our life on the word of God, it will bring opposition. It will bring opposition. The brothers here imitated the churches of God and that were in Judea and they suffered for it. See what it says here? You suffered the same things. It says here from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews.
We know about that suffering again in Acts 17. We read we read about it verse 5 and other verses there that speak about how wicked the punishment was against those who simply heeded and heard and believed received accepted the word of God. And he goes on to say, "You received and suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out and displeased God."
Now, some might look at that, if you pull, this is why, by the way, we need to always read the whole council of scripture. Never pull verses out of context. Look at how every verse fits into the bigger picture. Because if you pulled this verse out, you could make it seem that the Apostle Paul is anti-semitic. He's against the Jews, right? Look what it says. The the Jews verse verse 15 killed Jesus. The prophets drove us out. They displeased God.
So does does Paul hate the Jews? By no means. Go with me if you will to Acts 9. Not Acts 9, Romans 9. Just the first three verses of Romans nine. This is the Apostle Paul as well. And there here in Romans nine, listen to the heart of the Apostle Paul. I am speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are the Israelites. Paul said, and what he's saying here is, if it meant their salvation, I would rather me go to hell if it meant that they would be saved. That's love. Paul does not hate the Jews. He loves them. What is he doing here in First Thessalonians? He's telling the truth. Is that not true? Is it not true that the Jews, the not all the Jews, right?
When he says the Jews, we have to understand what this means, right? The apostate, wicked, falsely religious Jews who hated Jesus. They're the ones who had him killed. They're the ones who killed the prophets. They're the ones who drove them out. Is that not true? Here's the thing. We have a We live in a world, and you and I have all seen it in the last six months. We've seen it everywhere on TV. We have a world today that bristles against truth that's grounded on scriptural fact.
Th that is reality. If you want evidence of that, look at what happened to Charlie Kirk. Truth based on logic and scripture. The world hates it. Paul says here's something that's just plain simple truth. This is what happened. All because of the word of God. You might say, "Well, how does it how does this tie into the word of God?" Well, when Paul would preach the gospel to the Gentiles and some would get saved, it caused ripple effects in those various communities.
If you remember, if you were here last week, we looked at what happened in Philippi before he went to Thessalonica. And if you remember, let me just take you back real quick there to Acts 16. Here's what happened. Paul and Silas, they met this slave girl who had a spirit of divination. And it says in Acts 16:16, "And they brought her owners much gain by fortuneelling." So what does Paul do? Paul and and she she would follow Paul and she would say, "These men are servants of the most high God who proclaimed to you the way of salvation."
She was creating chaos because she declared what was true. They were men of God preaching the way of salvation. And she kept doing this for many days. It says in verse 18, so Paul having become greatly annoyed, this is what it says, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out of her that very hour. And the owners, verse 19, saw that their hope of gain was gone. And after that, chaos ensued. The gospel was having ripple effects around the known world at that time.
And the Thessalonians were undoubtedly hearing what happened in Philippi and didn't want that same thing to happen in their community or in the neighboring community of Berea. And so they were aggressively hostile against the preaching of the resurrected Christ from the word of God. And so they were casting aside the Apostle Paul. And in in doing so, according to verse 15, they were opposing all mankind. How is it that they were opposing all mankind?
Look at the text. They opposed all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they may be saved. That is to give them the word of God. Paul as an apostle was giving the word of God and they were being hindered from giving the word of God which opposes all mankind. How does that oppose all mankind? Mankind's only hope is Jesus Christ. When you oppose the proclamation of Jesus Christ, you're opposing what mankind needs.
And this is what was happening. Don't be surprised if you are teaching and preaching and heralding and as gently as possible the truth of the gospel from the scriptures. Don't be s Don't be surprised if you were met with hostility. If you were met with hatred, opposition, they hated Jesus. They're going to hate his followers, those who proclaim him.
This is what Jesus said in John chapter 15. And so he says, "This is to fill up the measure of their sins. That is to say, to make it clear that these are in fact wicked men. But he says, "Wrath has come upon them at last." And what does that mean? You who are in small groups, I'd be fascinated to hear what you came up with there. The short answer to what does that mean when it says wrath has come upon them at last? Here's the short answer. You ready for it? I have no idea. No one does. It could mean a few different things.
It could mean he could be speaking of some localized world event that took place in that period amongst these people. So there was the riot and massacre of Jerusalem in AD 48 and 49. There was the expulsion of the Jews from Rome in 49 AD. It could be one of those things he's talking about that the wrath of God has come upon them at last. That that could be what's in view. Or he could be speaking about the future wrath of God that is coming to the unredeemed people.
And he's speaking of it in the past tense because it's a certainty. It's a shorty. It's as good as done. And you might say, well, why would he say it that way? The scriptures, we have that type of language everywhere. Something that's about to come. It hasn't come yet, but because of how sure it is, it's spoken of in the past tense because of the character of God and the faithfulness of God. Give you two examples. John 31 or pardon me in 13, pardon me, John does not have 31 chapters. John chapter 13:31, Jesus is speaking and he says this, "Now is the son of man glorified and God is glorified in him."
Well, was Jesus at this moment glorified? Did he have his glorified body yet? No. But it was a certainty. He was going to die. He was going to rise again. He would have a glorified body. And so certain was that he said, "Now is present tense the son of man glorified." Romans chapter 8. In that passage that Sandy read for us earlier, notice what it says here in verse 30. Those whom he predestined past tense, he also called past tense. And those whom he called, past tense, he also justified, past tense.
And those whom he justified, past tense, he also what? Glorified, past tense. Anyone here glorified yet? But so certain is your salvation. So secure is your salvation. If you are in Christ, you're as good as glorified. It's the truth of the scriptures. And so it could be that that's what he's talking about when he says the wrath of God has come upon them at last.
We're not sure. Whatever the case, whatever that means, what we can know with certainty is that there's judgment coming for those who oppose God and for those who oppose his people and for those who oppose his word. God will have the last word. God will not be mocked. And so fear not, brothers and sisters. Find yourself faithful in the word of God. Anchor yourself, root yourself in the truth of the word that you might worship the God of the word with all of your life and with all of your heart.
Pastor Andrew Moffett went to Sri Lanka to on a missions trip and they were doing well projects because on the east side of Sri Lanka the water was just terrible. It was not healthy. People were dying like crazy as as as a result of the poor water supply over there. And so the Salvation Army granted a sizable amount of money that they could go and drill wells and put in filtration systems and what have you. 18 different wells were drilled in that part of Sri Lanka. And so he went as part of that team and while he was there, he was asked to preach to the locals and it was an entirely Buddhist crowd that he was speaking to.
And so as he was praying about what it is he should preach, he decided to preach from Psalm 10 verse1 17 which says this. You Lord hear the desire of the afflicted. You encourage them and you listen to their cry. And so he preached from that verse and drew them to the gospel of Jesus out of that. And afterwards the village leader approached him and told him that she had now become a a follower of Jesus Christ as a result of that verse.
The power of the word of God. So brothers and sisters, God's work is at work in you. I want to read to you verse one of the song we're about to sing. So don't just sing it. Sing it as a prayer in the hope that this is how you will live your life. The verse one of the song we're about to sing says this. It is so sweet to trust in Jesus just to take him at his word just to rest upon his promise.
Just to know thus saith the Lord. May that be true in our hearts. That that is the sweetness of our soul now and always. So God, I pray that you would minister to us. That you would keep us anchored and tethered to the truth of the gospel. That the word of God would continue to do the work of God in the hearts of men. Would you continue to redeem and save the lost through the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus and would you continue to grow and sanctify your people through the word of God as well.
Guard our hearts, we pray, and may we find great joy and love in the scriptures. May we take and eat and feast upon the word of God. And may it be the treasure of our soul, not merely as great literature. No, no, but as the word of God by which we must live our lives. Give us a repentant heart in this. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Let's stand and sing together.
Transcribed automatically from YouTube captions, so names and words may be misheard.
