Trembling at God's Word, Part 1a

Tonight I want to share with you some things that the Lord has been teaching me over the last several months, some things that I believe are extremely important for your life and for mine. In fact, they are so important I have changed my prayer life for our church, and I've only asked for one thing. I've stopped asking for many things, and I've just condensed. it down to one thing. It's a lot easier for me to pray that way. And so what I have done is changed my prayer life for you as a church. I've changed my prayer life for me as a pastor, as a father, as a husband.

I've changed my prayer life for my wife and for my children. Based on what the word of the Lord says, he wants to see happen in the lives of his people. And so what I want to share tonight is what I want to see happen in my life. What I want to share this evening is what I want to see happen in the life of my family and what I want to see happen in the life of this church. And so I want you to understand that what I'm going to share with you tonight, I'm going to tell you right now, I'm not going to finish it tonight.

Of course, you shouldn't be surprised at But I want to set the tone for what I want to say by having you turn with me to a very familiar story in the Bible.

And so if you have your Bible, turn with me to Mark Chapter 4. Mark Chapter 4. It had been a busy day in the life of our Lord. I would venture to say that every day was a busy day in the life of our Lord. But the Bible records for us the fact that the Pharisees weren't too happy with Jesus. Of course, that's nothing new. And they were upset with him. And Christ, having deflected their arguments, began to speak in parables and teach things pertaining to the kingdom of God. He did that after his mother and his brother came to him and tried to get him to go back to Nazareth for fear that Jesus was going to make a fool out of them, his family.

And Jesus coming to the end of that day would move from the lecture hall to the laboratory of life. And he would want his men to understand something. He would want those closest to him to grasp the truth that would change their lives. That if they could just grasp this one truth, everything else would fall into place. And I want to be able to explain it to you because it is the most important thing you'll ever learned. That's why I told you on Sunday, this is the most significant message I have ever preached at this church.

I venture to say it's the most significant message I've ever preached in over 25 years of pastoral ministry. This is it. So we're going to pick up the narrative in verse number 35 of Mark chapter 4. It says this. And on that day when the evening had come, he said to them, let us go over to the other side. And leaving the multitude, they took him along with them, just as he was in the boat. And other boats were with him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boats so much that the boat was already filling up.

And he himself was in the stern asleep. on the cushion and they awoke him and said to him teacher do you not care that we are perishing and being aroused he rebuked the wind and said to the sea hush be still and the wind died down and it became perfectly calm and he said to them why are you so timid how is it that you have no faith and they became very much afraid and said to one another who then is this that even the wind and the sea obey him this one scenario in the life of these men is the most important scenario in their lives remember we've told you this and I'll remind you of it that faith is believing in what God has already said faith is not about believing something that might happen or that you hope will happen faith is believing in something that God has already said.

That's what faith is. And Jesus said to his men, let us get into the boat and go to the other side. So somewhere in between this five mile journey from one side of the sea to the other, there arose as the Bible says, a fierce gale of wind.

Matthew's account says it was a seismos. It was like an earthquake that took place in the middle of the sea of Galilee. All of a sudden the winds came up and all of a sudden the storm arose and all of a sudden these men were fearful for their lives and all of a sudden they would go to Christ and they would do what every single one of us does. And that is this. That we have this perspective that somehow God doesn't care about our situation. Don't you have that perspective? Sure you do. We all do. Something happens.

Something dreadful happens. Something scary happens. Something that all of a sudden just knocks the props out from under me and we get this notion that somehow God doesn't care. that we are perishing, that we are alone, that we are frightened, that we are sad, that we are in this situation. God doesn't care because God has evidently not done anything to change it. And yet this was part of the sovereign plan of God. They would arouse him. The Lord was asleep. It was a busy day. but these men were drenched from the waves and the wind they awoke him and of course the Bible tells us that he rebuked the wind and the waves sea became like glass now if you've been on the sea of Galilee and if you had the opportunity to be on a boat on the Sea of Galilee.

You can picture the men just standing there drenched, water dripping off of them, their hair is soaked, their robes are soaked, they are completely soaked, and all of a sudden the sea becomes like glass. And Jesus says, why?

are you so afraid? Why are you so timid? Why is it you of all people? What's he saying? Have no faith. I can understand the people on the shore not have me faith, but you, Why is it you, of all people, have no faith? You see, faith is believing in what God has already said. What did God say? Get into the boat and let's go to the other side. He had already guaranteed them they were going to the other side. But when the fierce gale arose, what was their conclusion? We're not going to make it to the other side.

God was not true to him. His word. He must not be the Messiah. Lord, don't you care that we are perishing? They weren't perishing. They weren't. They weren't going to die. But they were afraid. And here's the problem in Mark chapter 4. That's your problem and my problem. Just like it was for those men. Here it is. they were more afraid of what they saw than they were of what God said. That's the lesson of Mark chapter 4. They were more afraid of what they saw than they were of what was said. And that's why Christ said, why are you afraid?

They were more afraid, listen, mark it down. They were more afraid of the wind and the waves from the storm than they were of the words and the work of their Savior. And that is the problem in life. They would fear what they could see. They would fear what they could feel. They could fear what they could touch. But they did not fear the. almighty word of God. Why is it you, of all people, have no faith? He didn't say, how can you guys just have a little bit of faith? He said, you guys don't have any faith.

I just told you what we were going to do, and you didn't believe. And the reason you didn't believe is because you feared the wind and the waves more than you fear the words and the work of me. My friends, that lesson for the disciples was the most important lesson for them to learn. It is the most important lesson for you and me to learn. Because the Bible says, listen carefully, the Bible says, To this man, I will look.

To this man, I will delight. To him who is of a broken and contrite heart and who trembles at my word. The text in Isaiah 66, verse number two, does not say, to this man I will look.

to him who reads my word. Or it does not say, to this man will I delight, to him who studies my word. Or to him who listens to my word. It says to this one I will look, to him who is of a broken and contrite heart and who shakes uncontrollably under the authority of mind. holy word. I know lots of people who read the Bible. I know lots of people who study the Bible. I know lots of people come to church and listen to the Bible being preached. But that doesn't mean they shake under the authority of God's holy word.

That they tremble at the word of God. That's the kind of person God's looking for. So now you understand what it is, I'm praying for you, when I'm praying for me, and when I'm praying for my family, that we would be men and women who tremble under the authority of God's holy word. Now, you know what? The Bible is full of people like that. Remember Moses? When he turned and saw the bush that was burning and God spoke to him, what's to say? he was very much afraid. There was great fear in the life of Moses when he heard the bush speak, when he heard the voice of God.

In Daniel chapter 10, verse number 11, listen to what it says about Daniel. After he saw a vision of the glorified Christ, it says, then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. And he said to me, O Daniel, man of high esteem, Understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you. And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Trembling, he stood up. How about Habakkuk? What about him after he had complained to God?

Do you ever complain to God? No, you don't do that. But after he complained to God about the wicked people, the Chaldeans coming in, and destroying God's people. You know, Habakkuk was the prophet of God. He had a problem with that. And so he would go to God, he would complain to God and say, Lord, why are you going to do this? Why use the wicked man to destroy God's people? That doesn't compute with me. And God in chapter 2 would speak to Habakkuk. And this was Habakkuk's response in chapter 3, verse number 16, I heard, and my inward parts trembled.

At the sound my lips quivered, decay entered my bones, and in my place I trembled. Habakkuk realized that when God spoke, it was the authoritative word of almighty Jehovah. And it caused his lips to quiver. It caused his heart to tremble because God had spoken. And that's why the Lord said in Isaiah 66, verse number two, to this man, to this woman, I will look, to the one who was broken and contrite in heart, and who trembles at my word.

Let me tell you something. There is blessing in reading the Bible. There is blessing in keeping the Bible. the words of the Bible. There is blessing in hearing the Bible. Luke 1128, Revelation chapter 1, verse number 3, speak of the blessing that comes to those who hear it. But this goes way beyond that. It goes to those who shake uncontrollably under its authority. There are very few people who do that. and that's the kind of person God's looking for now listen if you know the kind of person God's looking for don't you want to be that kind of person sure you do I do and we need to understand what the Bible says you say wait a bit of course Moses is going to shake God's speaking to him in a bush on top of Sinai with a fiery finger out of heaven heaven.

Of course he's going to shake and tremble. And of course Daniel's going to shake. You got the glorified son of man, the pre-incirate Christ, and there he sees him in blazing glory. Of course he's going to shake. And you got John in Revelation chapter 1, verse number 17, who falls down at the feet of Jesus like a dead man. Of course he's going to be afraid. You got a Bacac who hears the voice of God come thundering out of heaven. Of course his lips are going to quiver. Of course this heart is going to try.

I would too. And yet let me tell you about a man who didn't hear the voice of God who didn't see a fiery bush who didn't get a vision of the glorified Christ who unlike the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus and unlike John on the island of Patmos and unlike Daniel and Abacca and Moses would tremble in fear.

Turn with me to second king, chapter 19. There was a young man who became a king at age eight. I don't know about you, but when I was eight years old, I wasn't worthy to be a king. I'm 45, soon to be 46, and I'm still not worthy to be a king, but Josiah was eight years old, and he became the king of Judah. in the 16th year of his reign something happened this man being in his mid-20s during the repairing of the of the house of God they found something they found the book of the law how much of the book I don't know was it the whole law we don't know was it a few pages more like that and listen to what the Bible says as Hilkaya would take this law to Chaffan and he would read it in the presence of this young king in his mid-20s It says in verse number 11 And it came about when the king heard the words of the book of the law That he tore his clothes He ripped his clothes He tore his clothes in fear of what he heard And what was happening I'm sorry, this is 2nd King's 22 That's the 2nd King's 19?

I meant 2nd King's 22 Now we're in verse 13 of chapter 22. He says, Josiah does go inquire the Lord from me and the people on all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that burns against us because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book to do according to all that is written concerning us. Josiah realized that his fathers had not listened and obeyed the words of the book of the law. But when he heard it, When someone would open the book and read it, he tore his clothes.

And now listen to this. Because Hoda, the prophetess, would give these words to Josiah in verse number 15. Thus says the Lord God of Israel, tell the man who sent you to me. Thus says the Lord, behold, I bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants. Even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read, because they have forsaken me and have burned incense to other gods and that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands. Therefore my wrath burns against this place and it shall not be quenched but to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord.

Thus shall you say to him, thus says the Lord God of Israel. Regarding the words which you have heard, because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse and you have torn your clothes and wept before me I truly have heard you declares the Lord therefore behold I will gather you to your fathers and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace neither shall your eyes see all the evil which I will bring on this place.

Because you trembled at my word, because you humbled yourself at my word, because you were broken over your sin when you heard the word, because your heart had melted under the authority of the word of God. To this man I will look. Josiah I have found favor, bestowed favor upon you. you because of your response to the book that was read. You see that? You know, folks, listen, if we go to see a movie called The Passion, and it moves us more than the Word of God moves us, we have a problem. we have a problem.

And I don't want to, you know, dampen your spirits or throw cold water on your party about going to see the movie, the passion. I don't want to do that. In fact, I think you need to go see it if you want to go see it. I'm not against that at all. I'm going to go see it. But yet you need to understand some things that a lot of people miss. And people, you know, is it's red with flippancy it's red with an arrogant spirit sometimes unfortunately it's red as if it makes no difference it's read as if it's a duty to do so i'll get it done today this is the word of almighty god and he says to this man i will look to him who is of a broken and contrite heart and who trembles at my word.