God Has Spoken, Part 9

We have been looking at the book of Hebrews, understanding that God has spoken. And we've been here for a while, in Hebrews 1, verse 1, and 2a, okay? Next week we promise to go on to 2b of Hebrews chapter 1. And hopefully we'll get through 2b and go on to 2c, as we understand the fact that God has spoken in these last days. And so we're trying to help you understand the sufficiency and supremacy of Scripture. So we spent nine weeks looking at this, helping you understand and elevate the Word of God in your mind so that it is the absolute supreme authority in your life.

God's Word is sufficient. God's Word is supreme. And on top of that, God's Word, because it is sufficient and supreme, it is the only satisfaction for your life. It is the only thing that satisfies the thirsty, the hungry, the dry and barren soul. Only God's Word can do that. There's a verse tucked away in the book of Proverbs, the 29th chapter, the 18th verse, that says these words, Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained. Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained. In Hebrew, the word vision is revelation.

So it literally reads, Where there is no revelation, the people are unrestrained. The only way to see is to know what God has said. There is no vision without knowing what God has already said. So without the revelation of God, the people go every way they want to go. They're unrestrained. They're out of control. And that is so true. So the Word of God is a revelation of God. It's a revelation of His person. If it's a revelation of His person, it's a revelation of His precepts. It's a revelation of His promises.

It's a revelation of His providence. It's a revelation of His presence. It's a revelation of His power. It's a revelation of all things pertaining to Christ Himself. Without that revelation, the people have no idea what to do. With the revelation, people understand their responsibility. They understand what it is God requires of them. With the revelation of God, we understand the purposes of God. Because we understand the person of God behind His purposes. And then it says, the second part of the verse, Happy, happy is He who keeps the law.

Without the revelation, the people are unrestrained. But, happy, blessed is He who keeps the law. The blessing comes from the one who sees and understands the revelation of God. And keeps that revelation. It's the same thing of Psalm 19 verse 11. By the Word of God, your servant is warned. And in keeping them, there is great reward. Great reward. And we're trying to help you understand what that reward is. Trying to break it down for you in the simplest of terms. So you understand that in keeping God's revelation, there is great reward.

Happy is the man who keeps the law of God. The Bible says in Matthew 5 verse number 6, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

For they and they only shall be satisfied. Satisfaction comes to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Why? Because the righteousness of God is portrayed in the revelation of God. So we begin to understand all that God is and all that God wants us to be. So the Bible makes it very clear. That the blessed man is the one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness. Because that man will be fully and totally satisfied. Meaning that the revelation of God is that which satisfies the soul. Not only is it sufficient and supreme.

It's completely satisfactory to all those who embrace the Word of God. Because they know in the depths of their soul, there is someone who meets that need. And that's Christ Himself. That's why Peter says, according from Isaiah 28 verse number 16. In 1 Peter 2 verse 6, he says, I forgot. He says, He who believes in Him shall never be disappointed. Quoting from Isaiah 28 verse number 6 which says, In some of your translations, He who believes in Him will never be disturbed. Other translations say, He who believes in Him will never be in a hurry.

A hurry to do what? To leave Him. Why? Because those who believe in Him are never disappointed. This is the great reward. So as we break it down for you, you see. The greatest joy in my life is to study the Word of God and to preach the Word of God. I love to preach the Word of God. It's just so hard to keep me away. My wife said to me yesterday. She goes, How will you ever stand to be able to preach tomorrow? Because I've been in bed the last couple of days, hardly able to move. She goes, How will you be able to stand to preach tomorrow?

She goes, I go, I will be able to stand to preach. I will be able to preach. I might not be able to do anything else. But I'll stand to preach. I'll take my medication. I'll take my three or four different Vicodins. I'll do whatever it takes, but I'll stand to preach. I might not know what I'm saying, but I'm going to stand to preach. Because I just love to. I live to preach. I live to study. This is what I live for. And so as I come before you, I come before you with the fact that in keeping the Word of God, there is great reward.

We've given you 20 points. I'm going to give you 10 more today. 10 more. And like I said last week, it's just the tip of the iceberg. But on your way out, we'll make sure that you have all 30 of them. So we've printed them for you so you don't forget them. Okay? We put them on that famous bookmark. One day we're going to do a 365 day devotional based on all the bookmarks that we've given to you. Because it's so easy to be able to put that together. So if you can write, give me a call. The bottom line is that in keeping them, there is great reward.

So let me give you number 21. Do you know that in keeping the Law of God, there's victory? Victory. We are victorious. If you've got your Bible, turn with me to 1 John chapter 5.

1 John chapter 5. The Lord God says, through the pen of John, Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.

By this we know that we love the children of God, but we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. The commandments of God never weigh you down. Those who love God hear the commands, and they don't say, Oh, are you kidding me? Do I got to do that? No. God's commands are not burdensome. They don't weigh you down. Listen to what it says. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith.

Who is the one who overcomes the world? But he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Listen. In keeping God's word, there is victory. The word overcome, the verb form is nekao. Nekao means victory. And so the text literally reads, But whatever is born of God is victorious over the world. If you're born of God, you live a life of victory. The noun form is nekao, which means incapable of defeat. It means to win. It means to be a victorious warrior. The Greeks believed that man could never win a battle.

Only the gods win battles. So they had a goddess that they prayed to. The goddess Nike. The victorious warrior god. So before they would go to battle, they would bow before the goddess Nike. Asking for victory. John picks up on that and says that the true God of the universe, if you believe in the true God, who is Jesus Christ our Lord, you are the victorious warrior. You are the winner. There are no losers for those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Who keep his commandments because they are not burdensome.

We get our English word Nike from the Greek goddess Nike. The US military have a Nike missile. A missile that is to be one that causes victory. We live in the realm of victory. We don't live in the realm of defeat. Jesus would say something like this in John 16.33 when he said, In the world you shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer for I have, what? Overcome the world. He is the overcomer. He is the God of overcoming. Because he is the God who overcomes. We who are children of God, now by partakers of his divine nature, are victorious warriors.

We are not losers. We are victory winners. Let me say it to you another way. Romans chapter 8. Listen to this. Verse 35. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? Just as it is written, For your sake we are being put to death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. But in all these things, listen carefully, We overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us. The word is hupernike. We are not just conquerors.

Not just overcomers. We are overwhelmingly conquerors. We conquer in an overwhelming kind of way because of the love of God. Paul says we are supernike people. We are over the top victorious warriors. Because of the one who loved us. We overcome Satan. Later on in Romans 16. He says these words. Romans 16. Verse number 20. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. We are victorious over Satan. We are victorious over sin. And we are victorious over this society. Because we have been born of God.

There is no reason for us to go down to defeat. Because we are overwhelmingly conquerors through him who loves us. Remember the book of Revelation? Revelation 2 and 3? The promise was given to who? Do you remember? We covered it in January, February and March of this year. Do you remember? The promise was given to the overcomer. To the victorious warrior. To the Nike man. It's given to that individual. To him who overcomes, Jesus says.

He says it many times in the book of Revelation. Seven times to all the churches in Revelation. He says it very clearly in Revelation 2. When he says these words. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God. To the victorious warrior, you get the tree of life in the paradise of God. To Smyrna he says these words. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

He who overcomes will never be hurt by the second death. You'll never be hurt by the second death because you are the victorious warrior.

He says these words to the church of Pergamum. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes. To him who is the victorious warrior. To him I will give some of the hidden manna. I will give him a white stone and a new name written on the stone which no one knows. But he who receives it. And on and on it goes. Every church in Revelation, those seven churches all receive a promise given to the victorious warrior. And this is to come in eternity when we are with Christ.

We are the victorious ones. Because we have faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And obey his commandments. We keep his word. Whenever you keep the word of God, you never go down to defeat. You just never do. Because it's the word of God, the powerful word of God, that moves you toward victory. And I could spend a whole day talking about this 1 John 5. 1 to 5 in Revelation 2 and 3. Looking at the overcomer. Because there's so many promises given to us because we're victorious warriors. We are victorious warriors because we serve a God who is the overcoming God.

And John picks up on that and says, Bow down to the one true God who loves you and gave himself for you. And you will be a son of God. And you will live a life of victory. What greater promise is there than that? In keeping the word of God, there is great reward. So, number 21 is victory. Number 22, along with that, is humility. Humility. This is a great reward. Jesus said in Matthew 11, verse 28, Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Come unto me, for my yoke is light.

My yoke is not heavy, my burden is light. If you take my yoke upon you and learn from me, the one who is meek and lowly. Humility is not something that you muster up. You don't wake up today and say, you know what, today I'm going to be a humble man. Humility is a byproduct of something. Humility is a byproduct of Christ's likeness. Christ says, learn from me.

If you're a follower of me, you'll learn from me. If you learn from me, the one who is meek and lowly, you too then will be meek and lowly. Philippians chapter 2. He humbled himself, took on the form of a servant, right? And died for us. He became the ultimate example for how to live this life. In humility. And that's how we are to live our lives. That's why John the Baptist said, he must increase, I must decrease. Why? Because when Jesus came on the scene, John the Baptist knew that he was the king.

And so he must have the preeminent place. I'm not going to fight God for preeminence or for popularity. I'm not going to fight against God to get somebody to recognize me. I'm going to step in the background because he must increase, I must decrease. So in Ephesians chapter 4, Paul says these words. Ephesians chapter 4, verse number 1. Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you've been called. Have a walk that's equal to your calling.

In other words, to do that, you must listen to the word of God and walk in truth. And you do it with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love. Wow. The Lord says a byproduct of learning about me is humility. That's a great reward. Why? Because you live like Christ. That's just so great. He was the one who humbled himself and took on the form of a servant and was obedient unto his father, even unto death, for your sake and mine. And when we live a life, even though we're victorious warriors, we live in the realm of humility.

Because we learn from the one who's meek and lowly. And those who exemplify a humble spirit exemplify the fact that they are learning from Christ. Those who exemplify a prideful spirit, let us know that they are not learning very much about the Christ. Because Christ hates pride. Read the book of Proverbs. He hates a haughty spirit. Proverbs 15, 33, before humility, before honor, comes humility. If you want to be honored by God, you must be humble like God. So humility is a byproduct, but it's a great reward.

We may not see it as a great reward because we seek the preeminence. But not only are we living a life of victory, we're living a life of humility because this is part of the great reward that God gives to those who keep his word. The third one, or I guess I should say number 22 or 23, is charity.

So the King James version, old King Jimmy called love. Charity. Now abides faith, hope, and charity. But the greatest of these is charity. It's that great love. That's a great reward. Remember John chapter 13? John chapter 13. The night that was a sorrowful night. That was a shocking night. That was a significant night. A sovereign night. But it truly was a special night. The night before our Lord was crucified. There was no more significant night than this night. There was no more of a shocking night than this night.

No more of a significant night. No more of a sorrowful night. No more of a special night than the night before he dies. He gathers his men together. And as he gathers them together, the Bible says, Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come, that he would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

This is the ultimate in charity. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the very end. And if you read the Gospels together, you realize that there was an argument, a dispute that arises about who was the greatest in the kingdom. And if you know the story, and if you're with us in our study of Luke, you know that Christ would tie a slave's apron around himself and begin to wash the disciples' feet. And Peter said, Lord, what are you doing? You don't wash my feet, I wash yours.

And Christ says, if I don't wash your feet, Peter, you have no part with me. And Peter says, then throw the whole thing on me. Give me a bath, cleanse me. And Christ says, you don't need a bath, Peter, you just need a cleansing.

He washes the disciples' feet. Remember that? And in John 13, Christ says very clearly in verse 15, For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. In other words, if you know what I'm saying, if you understand what I'm saying, and you do these things, you are blessed. And people say, well, if I wash somebody's feet, I'll be blessed. And we told you before, that is not what the text says. The text is always about Christ. And always about your life compared to Christ.

At the greatest need in his life, when no one cared about him, he served about those who didn't care about him. That's what the text says. And you are blessed if you do these things. Why? Because in John 13, 34, and 35, he says, A new commandment I give unto you. A new commandment? We already have over 600 of them. Why give us a new one? Because Christ says, A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another, not as you love yourself, but you love one another as I have loved you.

The new standard. How you love yourself is not the standard. I am the standard. How I have loved you is the standard. A new commandment I give unto you, that you love, that you show charity to those around you, that when people, nobody cares about you, you serve them. You serve the people who don't care about what you're going through. You see, that's completely opposite of what we do. We want people to serve us because of what we're going through. And when they don't, we get all upset and mad. Why don't you care about me?

Why don't you serve me? See how selfish that sounds? We don't want to say it out loud. So we just get depressed and don't answer the phone and crawl up on our bed and cry. Instead of getting out of bed, putting your clothes on and saying, I am serving those who do not care about me, because there's a new commandment and Christ is the standard. And because he's the standard, I am going to show the love and the charity that I need in somebody else. Christ says, if you do this, you are a blessed person.

Blessed are you. Happy are you. You become the joyous one. In other words, in keeping the commandment of God, there is a great reward coming to you. And that's why you show charity as Christ showed charity. Wow. This is such good stuff. And we are just not even into all of it. We're just scratching the surface. There's victory, there's humility, there is charity. And then the next one I want you to see is number 24. Stability. Stability. We've already talked about security, but now I'm going to talk to you about stability.

Psalm 119. Psalm 119, verse number 116. Psalm says these words. Psalm 119, verse 116. Sustain me according to your word, that I may live. Sustain me according to your word, that I may live. Lord, I need you to stabilize my life. And it's only going to happen through your word. So according to your word, Lord, may I be stabilized in order for you to give me the hope and revive my soul. Listen to Psalm 37. Psalm 37, verse number 23. The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and he, God, delights in his way.

When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the one who holds his hand. Talk about stability. Have you ever fallen, tripped, and stumbled, and wondered why there was no one there to hold your hand? In the spiritual realm, it's God who does. Psalm says, I have been young, and now I am old, and yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread. Verse 28, for the Lord loves justice and does not forsake his godly ones. They are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked, they'll be cut off.

The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of God is in his heart. His steps do not slip. Talk about being stabilized. When the law of God is in your heart, you do not slip when you walk every day. There is a stabilizing factor that every one of us needs when we walk with the Lord to keep us from stumbling, to keep us from falling away, and the only thing that does that is the word of God. We need to be strong.

We need to be steadfast. We need to be immovable. And when the law of God is in our hearts, we do not slip when we take our steps. That's the great reward. Stability. Every one of us needs it, because by nature we live unstable lives, but it's the law of God that makes our lives immovable. The next is fervency. Oh, I love this. Do you know that fervency is a result of the great reward in keeping the law of God? If you got your Bible, turn with me to Acts chapter 18.

Acts chapter 18. You ever heard of a man named Apollos? There was no one in the New Testament more fervent than Apollos, except for maybe the Apostle Paul. In Acts chapter 18 it says, in verse 24, Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus, and he was mighty in the Scriptures. Wow. Can that be said about you? That you are mighty in the Scriptures? Well, let me show you if you are.

It says this, This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit. Here it is. Fervency. Why? He was instructed in the law of the Lord. He was mighty in the Scriptures. The by-product of that is fervency. It means to boil over. Same word used in Romans 12 verse 11, where we are to be not lagging in spirit, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Every one of us who serve the Lord should be fervent, should be boiling over, absolutely ecstatic, enthusiastic about serving the Lord.

I can tell whether or not you are mighty in the Scriptures by the way you serve the Lord. If you're enthusiastic, if you're on fire, if you're boiling over, you are instructed in the law of God, and you are mighty in the Scriptures, and you can't wait to serve the Lord. There's an enthusiasm that cannot be contained. That's the way we need to live our lives. It's a great reward, because for the most part, we're not fervent in spirit. For the most part, we're pretty boring people. We're dull. We drag things out.

We're grumpy. We moan and groan and complain. But to be fervent in spirit? That was Apollos. He was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John. He began to speak out boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. This is humility at its best. Here was the man, mighty in the Scriptures, fervent in spirit, but he only knew about the baptism of John.

He had not heard about the baptism of Jesus. And so what happens? Priscilla and Aquila take him aside and instruct him in a way more accurately. He didn't say, I don't need to hear from you guys. I don't need to learn anything else. I know what I'm doing. No, they took him aside. Now watch what happens. And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. And when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Wow. Man, to be like Apollos, mighty in the Scriptures, because you've been instructed in the way of the Lord, and now you become fervent in spirit. Fervency is a great reward. We need more enthusiasm in our ministry. We need more drive, more passion behind what we do. If you came to church every week and I sat up here and I said, you know, open your Bible. We got to study the Bible today. I'm not sure what I'm going to say, but I hope it comes out okay. I really want to move you guys to excellence.

I want you to be on fire for Jesus. I really do. You'd be like, dude, I'm out of here. What's wrong with you? You're boring. So one thing I'm not is boring. I'm not. I've never been accused in 30 years of preaching that I'm a boring preacher, because I'm enthusiastic about what I'm talking about, because it's the Word of the Lord. And a byproduct of keeping God's Word is fervency. Oh, we must hurry. Must hurry, because we've got to finish today. We've got to go on to verse 2b of Hebrews chapter 1.

The next thing I want to give you is testimony. And I'll just briefly give this to you. Testimony. Do you know what's a great reward? A testimony that honors the Lord. Paul, over in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, or 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, talks about his testimony. He says, For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. But after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness of God to speak to you the gospel of God and in much opposition.

For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not pleasing men, but God, who examines our hearts. For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed. God is witness. Nor do we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though, as apostles of Christ, we might have asserted our authority. But we prove to be gentle among you as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children, having so fond an affection for you.

We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our lives, because you had become very dear to us. For you know, brethren, you recall, brethren, our labor, our hardship, how working night and day, so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaim to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses. He says, you know, you know, you know. How do they know? Because they saw his testimony. They saw his life. And it testified to the greatness of God. Because he was one who kept the law of God.

And the testimony of Paul was one of purity and holiness. So all who heard and saw him knew that what he said was true, because his life matched what he said. A great reward is testimony. That's number 25. Number 26 is unity. Unity. We get that from Ephesians chapter 4, when Paul talks about how we are to walk worthy of our calling. He says this, we are to be diligent. We are to preserve the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. We are to work hard at preserving unity. We don't get unity. We don't develop unity.

We are already unified in Christ. We are unified because Christ has placed us all in one body. So we endeavor to keep that. How do you do that? By walking worthy of the calling. By matching your life with the truth of God's word. And the byproduct of that will be a unity among the church. A unity of believers who come together and praise God and honor him together. Because we're one in spirit. We're one in body. We're one because we serve the same God. And unity is a byproduct of those who hear the word of God and keep the word of God.

Number 27. Number 27, and I must hurry, is family. Family. What a great, great byproduct. Listen to Luke chapter 8. Luke chapter 8, verse number 21. Sorry, verse number 19. And his mother and brothers came to him and they were unable to get to him because of the crowd. And it was reported to him, Your mother and your brothers are standing outside wishing to see you. But he answered and said to them, My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it. These are the mothers and brothers of Christ.

This is the family of God. Those who hear the word of God and do it. In other words, family. We are family. We are brothers and sisters of Christ. We are fathers and mothers one to another. We are family. And those who keep the law of God, who hear the word of God and keep it, they are the mothers and brothers of Jesus Christ himself. We are one in the family. And that moves on to our next point. If you've got your Bible, Mark chapter 10. And we've read this before. But Peter says, Lord, we have left everything and followed you.

And Jesus said, Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms for my sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children. You are a hundred times over my mother and my brother and my sister. You are the great reward. Good to know that each of us is a great reward to each other because we're part of the family. And farms along with, ready, along with persecutions and the age to come eternal life.

Persecutions. That should be number 29, I think, in your outline. Is it 28? 29. Adversity. I think I got them all. Adversity. Do you know that's a great reward? Christ says, There is no one who has left everything to follow me who in this life won't experience adversity.

Wow! Listen, if God is sovereign, and He is, He rules over all, and He does, then adversity is a part of the great reward in hearing the word of God and keeping the word of God. Wow! Now listen, Psalm 90. Psalm 90 says this, verse 12. I'm sorry, verse 15. Make us glad according to the days when you afflicted us. Wow! And the years, and the years we have seen evil. Lord, make us glad. There was something during the days of adversity that made us glad. There was something about the days of adversity that caused us to be dependent upon you, to follow you, to serve you, to honor you, to live for you.

There was something about the days of adversity, Lord, that when we were dependent upon you, we had the joy, but now amidst all of our prosperity, amidst all the things that you've given to us, we've neglected you, and now we live as if there is no God. Lord, make us glad according to the days that you afflicted us. Let me tell you something.

There's a great reward in adversity because it drives you to God. It drives you to a deeper intimacy with God. It makes you dependent upon God for everything, and you experience the joy of the Lord. My time is gone, but I'll give you one more. One more, all right? Legacy. This is number 30. Legacy. Legacy. Legacy is a great reward. Listen to what the Scriptures say in Psalm 112, verses 1 and 2. Psalm 112. Psalm 112. Praise the Lord. How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments.

His descendants will be mighty on the earth. That's a great reward. The man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in the commandments of God, his descendants will be mighty on the earth. Remember Proverbs 20, verse number 7. A righteous man who walks in his integrity, how blessed are his sons after him. The man who walks in his integrity is a man who matches his life with his lips. And the life of a man matches the lips of the man because of the law of God in his heart. Years ago, I think it was my father's last trip to Israel.

He's now gone home to be with the Lord. He wanted to get for his daughters, his granddaughters, his descendants, a little necklace that says, 3 John 4. And so he purchased them for his granddaughters. And he wanted them to know that the greatest thing was to walk in truth. I have no greater joy, 3 John 4 says, than to hear that my children walk in truth. That's the great joy. That's the legacy. There's no greater joy than that. When we, as parents, delight in the law of God, something happens in the lives of our descendants.

They see that love for the Lord. They hear that love for the Lord. They pick up that fervency, that passion, that drive, that desire. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. A legacy left behind. That's the great reward. I don't think there's anybody in the room that doesn't want a legacy that's left with children who walk in truth. Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, to pass it down from generation to generation to generation. That's our responsibility. And that is a great reward.

Let me pray with you. Father, we thank you for today and the joy you give us to hear your word. Truly, Lord, you are a great God, and you alone are worthy of praise. Our prayer, Father, is that you would take the word of God and indelibly etch it in the heart of every man and woman, that we might live the truth of your word, that we might experience the great reward in keeping the law of God. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.