Uphold the Worth and Value of God's Word

So good to have you with us tonight as you spend time in the word of the Lord together You know It's always great to be able to understand what God has for us as as a church family and as individuals Realizing the importance of the Word of God as it pertains to your life and to my life and tonight as we continue through our outline We're understanding what it is that helps us build the kind of marriage and family that God would be glorified in and Tonight we want to address the topic on how to uphold and Value the worth or how to uphold and value the worth of the Word of God in other words It is so important to realize that as a family God's Word must be your ultimate authority.

It must be your priority It must be everything about your life. And if we don't uphold the truth of God's Word And value the Word of God then our families will begin to crumble something has to be the Authority by which you make decisions Something has to give you guidance as to how it is you follow through on things in life and God's Word is that which does so and So we realize that the Bible says in Proverbs 23 23 that we are to buy truth and never sell it Never sell it out get wisdom get instruction get understanding is what the text says in Proverbs 23 23 And so in other words We are to pursue those things and understand them because they make all the difference in the world to us Individually and to us in our families And so we realize that God's Word has always been assaulted ever since the beginning in Genesis Chapter 3 when when Satan who is the father of lies?

began by telling lies to Adam and Eve that getting them to doubt and Getting them to trust not to trust the truth of God's Holy Word But Satan is a liar and his assault on truth is relentless It always has been and so as as a family unit You must uphold the worth and value of the Word of God And so if you go back with me in your Bible to the book of Deuteronomy Look what it says as Moses is Exhorting the nation of Israel Helping them to understand that as they embark on the promised land They must adhere to the truth of the Living God These are very familiar words to most of us.

It says in Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse number 1 Now this is the commandment the statutes of the judgments Which the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess So you and your son and your grandson might fear the Lord your God to keep all his statutes And his commandments which I command you all the days of your life And that your days may be prolonged. Oh Israel you should listen and be careful to do it that it may be well with you and that you may multiply Greatly just as the Lord the God of your fathers has promised you in the land flowing with milk and honey Hero, Israel, the Lord is our God.

The Lord is one You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your might These words which I am commanding you today Shall be on your heart You shall teach them diligently to your sons And she'll talk of them when you sit in your house And when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up She'll bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates Moses makes it very clear that the fathers are to teach their children and they are to teach them Compellingly because these words are to be on their hearts In other words, if it's not on your heart, you're not going to translate it into the hearts of your children It's sort of to be an effective teacher.

You must teach Compellingly that is God's Word is on your heart. You love the Lord You are compelled to proclaim the word and then you are to teach them constantly He says these words. He says that these words which I command you today shall be in your heart You should teach them diligently the word diligent means to sharpen We know that children are like arrows in the quiver of a man and those arrows need to be sharpened diligently Constantly you are always sharpening your children Helping them to be able to discern between good and evil right and wrong Well, the way you do that is to teach them what the truth of God's Word says And so you teach them compellingly because it's on your heart you teach them Constantly because you want to teach them diligently day after day after day and then you teach them creatively he says When you sit in your house when you walk by the way when you lie down and when you rise up In other words, there is to be a creative way by which you communicate the truth In other words, this is not a sit-down instruction time The teaching of God's Word is to be constant and it is to be done in a creative kind of way When you walk by the way when you sit down when you rise up in other words in all throughout the avenues of life You want to be involved in teaching your children why because all the things that you're doing Involve an opportunity by which you communicate the truth of God's Word and We as as parents are looking for creative ways to communicate the truth to our children And then not only do you teach them compellingly constantly and creatively you teach them conspicuously Because he says these words He says you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates In other words, you've seen the Jewish nation and those those Hasidic Jews who who had those phylacteries that carry those the the great Shema drew on me chapter 6 verses 4 to 6 in Those little boxes that hang around their forehead and around their their waist They take it literally that they tied them around their their waist They they tied them around their wrists, but that's not what the Lord's talking about He's talking about that that you teach so conspicuously that whatever your hand does it doesn't because it's it's guided by the truth of God's Word wherever you walk whatever you do, whatever you look at.

It's all through the eyes of scripture and therefore you do it Conspicuously, it's supposed to be a part of every aspect of your life And then you do it completely because he says these words are verse 24 So the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes not just some of them but all of them In other words there there is laid out for the nation of Israel a way in which fathers are to communicate to their children The truth of God's Word and that standard and that method and that way is to never change That's the way we do with our children That's how we should be doing it with our children.

Why because we want to uphold the worth and the value of God's Word Listen if you're not teaching your children conspicuously and creatively and constantly You're not upholding the worth and value of God's Word It should be a part of every aspect of your life No matter whether you're driving whether you're sitting whether you're eating whether you're at a ballgame No matter what you're doing every aspect of your life is to be focused in on the truth of the Living God so important and then over in Psalm 78 Psalm 78 The psalmist says these words He says in verse number five For he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers That the generation to come might know even the children to be yet to be born That they may arise and and tell them to their children That they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments You're to teach your children So they in turn will teach their children So they in turn will teach their children There are four generations in Psalm 78 Well, one of the greatest joys that that Laurie and I have is to watch our children teach their children To watch our children Command their children to follow the things of the Lord That that's just a great thing to see and observe You see, how do you know that you've been effectively teaching your children?

They now are effectively teaching their children so that those children will grow up and teach their children it goes on to say these words in verse number eight and Not be like their fathers a stubborn and rebellious generation a generation that did not prepare his heart and his spirit was not Faithful to God in other words Don't be like the stubborn fathers that didn't teach their children Make sure that you engage your children Make sure you show them your passion for the truth that they might glean from that passion It's so important God gave the responsibility to fathers and to mothers to teach their children Israel didn't have a Sunday school Israel didn't have a youth ministry, right?

They were having the parents teach the children Why because that's our responsibility in the in the The church never Supplants the authority of the parents it supports the authority of the parents it comes alongside the parents authority and Teaches them the truth of the Word of God But we as parents can't just rely upon the church to do something once a week on Sundays or or twice a week If you come on Wednesdays to do what we should be doing daily constantly creatively Conspicuously Completely why because it's a compulsion of ours We are moved to do that.

We want to do that. We want to invest the Word of God into our children So tonight what I want to do is help you understand Why it is we do this why this is so Important and why is it you as a parent? You as a grandparent you as one day wanting to get married and have your own children Lord willing What is it about? Upholding the worth and value of God's Word. Why do we do that? Well number one it it shows me how I can know my Savior in Number two, it shows me how I can know myself If I don't know the Savior, I really don't know myself The only way I can see myself accurately biblically scripturally is knowing Christ Knowing who God is Knowing what he does that gives me an accurate view of myself Unless I know God for who he is.

I have an inaccurate view of who I am And so let me give you some principles that will help you as as a father as a mother That as you begin to teach and train your children as you begin to uphold the worth and value of God's Word in your home Because this is the essence of our our family life It centers around the authority of God's Holy Word And so therefore we realize that when we begin to teach and instruct our children in the ways of God It helps me know who my Savior is and what it does is it testifies number one to God's reality It testifies to the reality of God that there is a God and he does exist in other words The Bible says in Hebrews 11 6 Hugh comes to God must believe That he is That he is what?

Everything the scriptures say That he's real he exists if there is a creation There is a creator If there's an invention there's an inventor and because of who we are as people because of the world we live in it tells us there is a great designer of everything that's been designed and therefore the scriptures Testify to the reality of God listen what the Bible says Isaiah 43 verse number 10 You are my witnesses declares the Lord and my servant whom I have chosen Said you may know and believe me and understand that I am he before me There was no God formed and there will be none After me I Even I am the Lord and there is no Savior besides me it is I Who have declared and saved and proclaimed and there was no strange God among you?

See you are my witnesses declares the Lord and I am God Even from eternity I am he and there is none who can deliver out of my hand I act and who Can reverse it and then over in Isaiah chapter? 44 Verse number 6 thus says the Lord the king of Israel and his Redeemer the Lord of hosts I am the first and I am the last and there is no God besides me Who was like me let him proclaim and declare it?

Yes, let him recount it to me in order from the time that I established the ancient nation And let them declare to them the things that are coming and the events that are going to take place Do not tremble and do not be afraid Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it and you are my witnesses Is there any God beside me or is there any other rock? I? know of None If the on mission God knows of none, then there is none It says over in chapter 5 of Isaiah 46 to whom would you liken me and Make me equal and compare me that we would be alike Down in verse number 9 Remember the former things long past for I am God and there is no other I am God and there was no one like me declaring the end from the beginning and From ancient times things which have not been done saying my purpose will be established and I will accomplish all my good pleasure Calling the bird of prey from the east the man of my purpose from a far country Truly I have spoken truly.

I will bring it to pass. I have planned it surely I will do it listen to me you stubborn minded who are far from righteousness I bring near my righteousness it is not far off and my salvation will not delay And I will grant salvation in Zion and my glory for Israel in other words The reason we uphold the worth and value of God's Word is because it testifies to the reality of God There is a God he rules over all and listen.

We know that because of what the Word of God says Now we understand that everybody in the world that's ever been created knows of the existence of God They might deny verbally his existence But the Bible says they truly know of his Existence we know that from Romans chapter 1 it says these words verse number 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness in other words man suppresses truth in unrighteousness by living in unrighteous life Because that which is known about God is evident within them For God made it evident to them So how does man have the evidence of God in him?

simply because Solomon tells us in the book of Ecclesiastes That eternity has been set in the heart of a man in other words man knows There's an eternity man knows that this life isn't all there is man knows that there's something after this life Why? because God set eternity in his heart So he knows that this life isn't all there is now he might say this is it you die There's nothing else just because he wants to suppress the truth in unrighteousness But then it says these words verse 20 for since the creation of the world his invisible attributes his eternal power and divine nature have been Vaguely seen Is that what it says?

No, it says clearly seen very clearly seen Being understood through what has been made said they are without excuse for even though they knew God You see every man knows God They did not honor him as God or give thanks But they became futile in their speculations and their foolish heart was darkened professing to be wise they became fools and Exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and of four-footed animals and crawling creatures In other words, the Bible goes on and on and on about the reality of God and who he is his existence because man knows he exists, but he wants to suppress that truth why because the American religion is Autonomy I want to live without accountability.

I want to live independently from God That's the American religion, but you can't Because everybody's accountable to God So as fathers as mothers we train and teach our children about the reality of God He exists But not only does it testify to God's reality number two it specifies his identity It's not enough to know that there's a God The Bible tells us What his name is it gives us his name so we understand that You see that's very very important When Moses asked who shall I say sent me?

What is your name? The Lord from the burning bush says tell them I am Since you I am that I am sent you and so Jesus would come back and say in John 8 58 before Abraham was I am in John 8 24 the Lord said these words unless you believe that I am You will die in your sins Unless you believe that I am the God who spoke to Moses from the burning bush You will die in your sins why because the Bible specifies the identity of God It tells us exactly who he is You should call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins To understand the identity of Christ is so important.

It tells us that that Jesus is the Messiah We understand who Messiah is we know the name of the Messiah And so it's imperative to understand that the God of the Bible is the Messiah of Israel and To help them to understand the identity that Messiah is so crucial. That's why Christ asked the question Who do men say that I am? What is the popular opinion of who I am well some say you're Elijah some say you're John the Baptist Some say you're one of the prophets everybody's saying that you're great, but nobody's saying that you're God So Peter pipes up and says that weren't the Christ the Messiah the son of the Living God equal in nature to the Living God We know who you are We understand who you are because Christ says but who do you say that I am and that's what Peter comes back and says that What the Christ is son of the Living God You see the Bible specifies the identity of the Messiah You see when you train your children listen very carefully Never dumbed down the language of the Bible when you teach your children Don't substitute Easy verses for hard verses don't think of new words to say listen Jesus said it if Jesus said it it's good enough for your child as it's good enough for you as well So never dumbed down the scriptures There are some things that are hard for even this Us as adults to understand right, but we need to be able to to explain them in a way so our children understand them When sharing Christ with your children don't simplify the gospel Just tell the gospel as it is written in the scriptures Explain it to them as you go along But make sure you tell them what the Bible says You see it's very important that you specify the identity of God So that they know exactly Who he is in what his name is because there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved Well, what name is that?

It's the name of Jesus for at the name of Jesus Every knee will bow every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father So you tell them what his name is that he is the Alpha and the Omega the Holy One of Israel the Lord of hosts the Lord of glory Explaining those things to your children is important Because the Bible doesn't leave us dumbfounded as to the identity of God makes it very clear and So all you have to do is read it and study it and that's why we uphold the worth and value of God's Word why because it testifies to the reality of God and specifies the Identity of God it tells us exactly who he is Number three it amplifies the glory of God it amplifies the glory of God Now remember Moses said show me your glory Exodus chapter 33.

I want to see your nature. I want to know your attributes I want to know you God so show me your glory and the Lord says I will pass by you and I will Proclaim to you my name. I will proclaim to you all of my goodness So his goodness is equated to his glory. So you understand that the glory of the Lord speaks of the brilliance in the splendor and the nature and the attributes of God As God explains to Moses who he is Detailing his glory of set of verses quoted 34 times in the Old Testament Because it's so specific as to the attributes of God The Bible just amplifies the glory of the Lord We speak of the glory of the Lord you speak of the brightness of God the the the bigness of God the beauty of God That that's all Detailed in the attributes of God in terms of who he is his glory is his nature is glorious who he is See in the Bible just amplifies it over and over and over again I love what it says in Psalm 1 45 Psalm 1 45 verse number 8 the Lord is gracious and merciful slow to anger and great and loving kindness The Lord is good to all his mercies over all his works all you work So give thanks to you O Lord and your godly one shall bless you They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and talk of your power To make known to the sons of men your mighty acts and the glory of the majesty of your kingdom Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and your dominion endures throughout all generations Remember on the mountains Transfiguration when the Lord Jesus Christ was up there with James and and and John and Peter He unzipped his flesh and the glory of the Lord would shine all around them the the brightness of God would would shine in his fullness and and and and Peter says in 2nd Peter chapter 1 that we we have a more sure prophetic word than what I Saw on the the mount of majesty when I beheld the the glory of the Lord to to emphasize the fact that that God's Word is his glory and When you when you when you read the Word of God and you study the Word of God It just amplifies the beauty and splendor and majesty of God That's why we uphold the worth in value of God's Word because everything about his words just screams glory Because it's all about the praise due to our God so We get to know our Lord because it testifies to his reality.

It specifies his identity It amplifies his glory and number four it magnifies his authority It magnifies his Authority in other words our Lord is The all-authoritative one Matthew 28 Christ says all authority Has been granted to me by my father who is in heaven all authority both in heaven and On earth unlimited authority Exousia is the word it speaks of the unlimited unparalleled authority of God in The Bible is that which magnifies his authority So when Christ was on the earth, he had the authority over Demons, right?

He would cast out demons. He had authority over all Demons because he rules overall He had authority over death He rose people from the dead He had authority over disease, right? He healed the blind the sick the lame He had authority over the deep why because he could calm the sea and The greatest authority was that no one takes my life away from me. I lay it down on my own initiative John 10 verse number 18 and if I lay it down on my own initiative, I'll take it back up again That's authority, right?

And so when you're teaching your children, you're teaching your children how the Scriptures Magnified the fact that God is all authoritative He's the one with all the authority. So whatever he says we do Because he's in charge he rules and Therefore we submit to his Authority and then number five We uphold the worth and value of God's Word because it ratifies his story It ratifies his story in other words everything about what he says is confirmed all throughout life Why because history is his story anyway, right?

He writes history He's the historian He's the one who puts it all together and The Scriptures are that which ratify his Story in other words everything that Christ prophesied came true I mean, that's why we we we went through the the Christ of Christmas During the month of December, right? Those 25 different prophecies that we could share with you that you would help you understand that the story of Christ is seen all throughout the Scriptures and That whatever he said was going to come true exactly as he said it and to understand prophecy and we told you in the book and we've said to you many times of the 333 prophecies centered around the arrival of the Messiah 109 of them were fulfilled in his first coming leaving 224 yet to be fulfilled in a second coming so if you examine the the first 109 and realize how they all came to be you realize that the next 224 will come forth just exactly as he said why because the text ratifies his story Everything is confirmed in the Scriptures God does not lie He speaks the truth therefore we understand the truth of the living God and Next it clarifies his ministry Why do we uphold the worth and value of the Word of God because it clarifies his ministry?

What's his ministry? He came to seek and to save that which is lost Luke 19 10, right? Christ Jesus came to the world to save sinners Paul says in 1st Timothy 1 15 and I am the chief of all the sinners So he knows that We know that Christ is the Savior of all men, especially those who believe We understand that Jesus Christ is a Savior So what does the Bible do it clarifies his ministry? So when the Bible says?

Everything about our Lord it talks was about why he came first John chapter 3 Son of man was born why that he might destroy the works of the devil the son of man was born Why that he might remove all of our iniquity take away our sin?

He had a ministry He came yes to fulfill Old Testament prophecy, but in doing so he came to save man from his sin and So we understand this God in the scriptures his name who he is and what he did based on the fact that God's Word is all authoritative and upholds the truth To the highest so we believe that when we read the scripture it clarifies the ministry of our Lord Son of man came not to be served but to serve and it gave his life a ransom for many. That's who he is He's a Savior of man, he's a deliverer He's a rescuer so all throughout the Bible you have the threat of redemption that runs from Genesis to Revelation Because he's a Redeemer He's a rescuer.

He's a Savior that's why They had good news of great joy at the birth of Christ For unto you this day in the city of David been born a Savior who is Christ the Lord the Savior has come Everything that was prophesied has come to be everything that the Old Testament pointed to all the shadows and and all the symbols and and all the Ceremonies and all the rituals are all now going to come to fruition in this one Born in Bethlehem this Messiah this Christ this Lord the Savior so it clarifies his ministry and then lastly it solidifies his sovereignty It solidifies his sovereignty In other words, it solidifies his sovereignty in our minds We understand that God has sovereignty rules overall It's so great to understand that when you when you read the Bible and you read verses like Romans chapter 11 Verse 33.

Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God How unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable his ways For who has known the mind of the Lord or who became his counselor or who has first given to him that it might be brought Paid back to him again For from him and through him and to him are all things to him be the glory forever.

Amen everything runs through him because everything is from him and everything comes back to him again and so when we Uphold the worth and value of God's Word. It solidifies the fact that God is sovereign. He rules over all Psalm 115 tells us or Psalm 99 verse number 1 our Lord Reigns let the people tremble right? The Bible tells us that our Lord is sovereign. He rules over all He's established his throne in the heavens his sovereignty rules over everything Because he's a sovereign ruler of the universe and all throughout the Bible it screams of God's sovereignty remember Acts chapter 2 what a beautiful portion of Scripture in Acts the second chapter in Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost when he says in verse 22 men of Israel Listen to these words Jesus of Nazarene a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through him in your midst Just as you yourselves know this man delivered over by the predetermined plan and four lines of God You nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put him to death It's all about the sovereignty of God He was delivered up by the predetermined plan and four lines of God You nailed him to the cross But he was delivered up by his father.

You see why because he's in charge That's why the the whole study of the last week of our Lord's life and in the crucifixion is so important because everything acted according to a precise timetable that was run by God and he did not give up his life until your redemption and mine had been paid on Calvary's cross and Then he would give up his life because he was in charge of Life he was in charge of death. He holds the keys to death and Hades. That's authority. That's sovereignty That's power. That's why we uphold the value and the worth of God's Holy Word Why because it solidifies the sovereignty it clarifies his ministry it testifies to his reality It specifies his identity.

It amplifies his glory And all that helps us understand who Jesus Christ is and That's why as parents We teach our children That's why we invest in our children. That's why we teach them conspicuously and compellingly. That's why we teach them Constantly and creatively and completely why because we believe in the authority of God's Word It is our life It's what governs how we live and make decisions so once I understand My savior now I can better understand myself And that's where the second point comes in We uphold the worth and value of God's Word because it verifies my iniquity It verifies my iniquity I am a sinner All of sin that follows short of the glory of God and the wages of sin is death But the gift of God's eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord the soul that sins Ezekiel tells us it shall die How do I know I'm a sinner?

Because the Bible tells me I'm a sinner. I Was born a sinner in sin did my mother conceive me David says I've been born a sinner I'm not a sinner because I sin I'm born a sinner and I need a Savior and so the Bible Verifies my iniquity. There is none good. No, not one people ask the question Why do bad things happen to good people? They don't because there are no good people Why do good things happen to bad people? That's the right question because everybody's bad. There's none good Why do good things happen to bad people because God is graceful.

God is merciful. God is loving God is kind right you are here tonight because of the goodness of God You're here tonight because the grace of God You breathe because of his grace you live because of his grace everything that you have you receive from God You see good things happen to bad people. We can testify to that because the Bible verifies my iniquity and Because it does number two it identifies my Adversary I Uphold the worth and value of God's word because it identifies my adversary.

How many times have I told you over the years? Your adversary is not your spouse Your adversary is not your boss Your adversary is not your neighbor Your adversary is not your teammate Your adversary is Satan himself and Peter knew that Peter would write about it Having been tempted by the devil having denied the Christ He knows that Satan goes about like a roaring lion seeking who may meet of our first Peter 5 8 he knows about that That's why you take up the whole armor of God because why?

You're not fighting against flesh and blood in the Bible is the the truth that identifies my true adversary Job knows this job had one adversary. They weren't as three miserable comfortable comforters either And it wasn't his wife who told him to curse God and die. It was Satan himself That's our adversary And we need to understand that as we go through life because you need to be prepared be prepared for battle every single day And so why do we uphold the worth and value of God's Holy Word because it helps me understand myself Helps me see My iniquity verifies my iniquity identifies my adversary and number three it fortifies my spirituality It fortifies my spirituality Psalm 119 verse number 28 says these words Strengthen me according to your word Psalm 119 verse 116 Sustain me according to your word In other words, the only way I can be fortified spiritually is through the truth of God's Word and Therefore I need to be in the word and under the word constantly That's why Paul said in Acts 20 32 I committed to God in the word of his grace, which is able to build you up to strengthen you to establish you To cause you to build spiritual muscles The scriptures fortify my spirituality.

That's why his newborn babes is either pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby And once it fortifies my spirituality it satisfies my poverty it satisfies My poverty Christ came to preach the gospel to the poor The spiritually poor he could end the church at Laodicea in Revelation chapter 3 because they thought they were rich But yet they were poor miserable blind and naked They thought they had they were in need of nothing, but they were in need of everything because they didn't have Christ So the Bible says these words over in Psalm 90 Psalm 90 Verse number 14 Oh satisfy us in the morning with your loving-kindness That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days Psalm 103 Says it this way Psalm 103 Bless the Lord.

Oh my soul and all that is within me. Bless his holy name Bless the Lord. Oh my soul and forget none of his benefits Who pardons all your iniquities who heals all your diseases who redeems your life from the pit who crowns you with loving-kindness and compassion Who satisfies your years with good things so that you your youth is renewed? like the eagle There's only one who can satisfy your poverty The Bible says in Matthew 5 verse number 3 blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven blessed are those who realize they have nothing to offer God and They cry out to God because they see themselves as spiritual paupers and then of course in Matthew chapter 5 or 7 6 it says Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they and they only shall be satisfied only the poor in spirit Hunger and thirst and those who are going to thirst are the ones who are satisfied because they've cried out to God And he is the one who satisfies Their poverty On top of that we realize We uphold the worth and value of God's Word because it qualifies my victory Not only today but tomorrow I'm a victor because Christ is a victor.

I Have victory over death because Christ was a victor over death. I Have victory over sin because Christ conquered sin. I Have victory over Satan because Christ crushed Satan's head. That's why it says in Romans 16 verse number 20 that he will soon crush Satan under your feet We have victory and that victory is qualified in the text read Revelation 2 and Revelation 3 as it talks about the promise given to the victorious warrior the overcomer and All the promises that God gives to him we're we're not defeated foes.

We are victorious warriors That's why it says in in Romans chapter chapter 8 verse number 30 31 or excuse me verse number 37, but in all these things we are overwhelmingly conquered conquerors through him who loves us Us first John chapter 5 Verse 3 for this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome Whoever whatever is born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that overcomes the world our faith The Bible qualifies our victory.

That's why there is no sting in death for you and me That's why the grave is I have victory over you and me why? Because we have no fear of death because death is a doorway that leads to eternal glory with our Lord and therefore it qualifies My victory that's I why I uphold the worth and value of God's Word and then next it certifies my destiny It certifies my destiny. Listen, I know where I'm going when I die because what the Bible says These things are written that you may know first John 5 11 that you have eternal life Not that you may think you have eternal life But you may know That you have eternal life It certifies the destiny of Israel.

It certifies the destiny of the ungodly It certainly said it certifies the destiny of the godly we know that absent from the body we are present with the Lord and Therefore we have the assurance the ironclad security that when I die I go home to be with Jesus Christ my Lord And the Bible certifies my destiny and lastly it edifies my family It edifies my family it lifts my family There's nothing that will edify your family more you take it all the way back again to Deuteronomy chapter 6 psalm 78 That we read earlier at the start of our time together this evening Takes you right back to the beginning why?

psalm 127 verse number 1 Unless the Lord builds the house They labor in vain who build it, right? How does the Lord build the house Proverbs 24 3 and 4 by wisdom a house is built? By understanding it is established in my knowledge all the rooms are filled with precious and pleasant riches The only way a family is edified is through the authority of Scripture That's why we uphold the worth and value of the Word of God Every once in a while my son Cade will call me or text me about the conversations he has at his school As you know he teaches and coaches football at a Catholic school And so the conversations he has With the other coaches other teachers is quite fascinating Because he gets them to question what it is they believe and why?

And to be able to hear the things he asks and how he asked them in Dealing with the students that he teaches and coaches is quite fascinating Knowing that he takes them back to the scriptures doesn't take them back to the Catholic tradition But takes them back to the scriptures and asks them about why they worship Mary why they? pray to Mary And it challenged their belief structure Why? Because he recognizes that God's Word is the ultimate authority That tradition is not that the church is not And if there's only one mediator between God and man, and that's the man Christ Jesus It can't be Mary because there's only one mediator Then say there's two mediators who says there's one It's the man Christ Jesus And he can tell them that everybody gets to God Catholics Muslims Buddhists Jehovah Witnesses everybody gets to God But the only way to the father is to Jesus Christ our Lord, right?

For Christ says I am the way the truth and the life and no man comes into the father but by me And if you don't get to the to the father You will get to God, but he will be your judge, and you will be condemned But to listen to his conversation and his ability to stand strong on the truth is very very important why Because the students have all kinds of questions about the Catholic faith That they don't understand or they cannot articulate So when Kate would question them about those things even as coaches Question them about the things that they believe in and they have no answers because they can't go back to the Bible and prove their answers But Kate takes them back to the scriptures to show them what the Bible says So I was sharing with Kate just just the other day that you know what God has you there for for a short time And when you're gone They will miss Your conversations They'll miss the things you've challenged them on Because they won't have that anymore, but this is their time and so you challenge them today is the day of salvation Right because they might not hear from anybody else I Use an illustration because you know Cade was raised in this church He was raised in my family, but he was raised in this church, right and this church would Reiterate over and over again the things that were taught in his home And so he had it coming on Sundays and Wednesdays as well as Monday through Sunday at home And to be able to watch your children grow up and begin to take those things with them AJ does the same thing at his high school in Redlands by challenging the students as To what it means to be a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and to really follow Christ as a true disciple of his drew drew teaches that a University in in Terre Haute.

He's a pastor. We've been asked as to be an adjunct professor now he has the opportunity in an ethics and philosophy class to present Christ as King and Lord and so all three of my boys have been Planted in positions that will allow them to have an influence in a sphere that I don't have but they do have and So it's imperative that you teach and train your children in the truth of the Living God Why because you teach them diligently you're sharpening them Why because one day you're going to shoot them into society And where that arrow lands in which place of employment in which school in which business Who knows only the Lord knows?

But it's our responsibility to sharpen them diligently To make sure that they are fine-tuned and ready to stick into the crawl of the culture So they know That they can stand firm on the faith And the faith that they they believed in when they were young and were taught why they were young Will go with them into the future So they in turn will then teach their children to do the same thing That's why John says I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth That's just the greatest joy of a parent To watch your children walk in truth That will happen When you uphold the worth and value of the Word of God in your family Let's pray Father we thank you for today the opportunity you give us to spend time in your word We are so grateful that you grant us this opportunity Our prayer is that you would continue to go before us Teach us lead us move us as Parents may we be compelled From our hearts with all of our hearts all of our mind all of our strength To love you that we might impart that passion to our children That they would know that Christ reigns supreme in our heart and lives That they might be passionate about the things that we're passionate about the truth of your Holy Word in Jesus name Amen