How Can One Book Change My Life - Part 1

What place does the Bible hold in your heart? Is it just another book or is it God's revelation of himself to humanity?

Your answer has eternal implications. Today on Turning Point, Dr David Jeremiah turns to the 19th Psalm which shares three ways that God reveals himself to us. From the series God I Need Some Answers, here's David to introduce his message, how can one book change my life? You know I've been teaching the Word of God now for about half a century, it's hard to believe but over the years it's just been so interesting to me to observe how people search for God and don't seem to know where to look. They look everywhere, they try to find God in history, they try to find God in legends, they even look within themselves hoping to find God. But God has revealed himself, he has done it in a very specific way and we're going to talk about that today. How can one book change my life?

There's only one place to find God and that's in his Word and we'll talk about it in a moment. As you heard the announcer say, we're in Psalm 19. During the month of September it's our joy to make available to our listeners the calendar for the coming year. The history behind this is we used to do this later in the year and we had lots of people say we need that calendar earlier so we made a couple adjustments. We increased the number of months in the calendar from 12 to 14 adding November and December of the current year and we moved up the month for you to get it to September. We found this to be very helpful to many of our people and the calendar itself is a real blessing. It has a plan written into every page for you to read through the Bible in a year. Every one of the calendar pages has space in every day for you to write your appointments.

All of the national holidays and other special things are in the calendar but the beauty of the calendar is what really strikes you because this year the calendar is called the colors of creation and it truly does jump out at you, these beautiful colors that have been built into this masterpiece. So if you want your calendar for the coming year, here's what you do. You send a gift of any size to Turning Point and request it.

That's all you have to do. Send your gift today. When you send the gift, write in the note, please send me the calendar and we'll know exactly what to do and it will be on its way to you before you know it.

It comes in a rather kind of big package because it's not a small calendar. You'll see it coming and you'll enjoy it every single day. Be sure to get your request in today for this resource of the month. Well, let's begin these two days of discussion on how can one book change my life. After captivating an audience at Yale University, the late novelist, Anne Rand, was asked by a reporter, what's wrong with the modern world? Without a moment's hesitation, she replied quote, never before has the world been so desperately asking for answers to crucial questions and never before has the world been so frantically committed to the idea that no answers are possible. To paraphrase, the Bible wrote this agnostic. The modern attitude is father forgive us for we know not what we are doing and please don't tell us, end of quote. Pretty perceptive statement for an acknowledged agnostic.

Many of us would criticize her, but we must be careful because if we're honest, we would all admit that there's a part of all of us that do want a word from God, but we're really not sure we want the word of God. We know enough to own a Bible, but not enough for the Bible to own us. We pay the Bible lip service, but we fail to give it life service. Survey that was taken by the Barna Research Organization pointed out that only 18% of those who call themselves born again Christians read the Bible every day. In fact, more frightening than that, when they finished the survey, they discovered that 23% of those who profess to be Christian say they never read the Bible at all ever. In a world where the only absolute is the idea that there are no absolutes, we really need to recover the realization that God has spoken and there is absolute truth. No wonder some wag said that the worst dust storm in history would happen if all the church members who were neglecting their Bibles dusted them off simultaneously.

I don't know if that's true or not, but that's a possibility. The thing I'm encouraged about today as I read this Psalm is that God has not left us without answers. He has revealed himself to us.

Isn't that incredible? That the God who created the world, the God who is our Creator has taken the time and the effort to reveal himself to us so that we could know him. In fact, this Psalm is about God's revelation of himself to man.

It's wonderful as it points out the three areas where God has chosen to reveal himself. First of all, God has revealed himself in the skies, says the psalmist. Then he has revealed himself in the scriptures. Finally, and most practically, God has revealed himself in our very soul. The progress of the Psalm is from God's natural revelation in the world to God's specific revelation in his word. There is not a better testimony to God's love for his people than the 19th Psalm, which tells us how God has loved us and how he has revealed himself to us. In the skies, we see his glory. In the scriptures, we see his greatness and in our soul, we sense his grace. So I want you to walk with me through the words of this Psalm today as we ask ourselves the question, how could one book change anybody's life? Before we get to that book, we need to walk past that revelation of God in glory in the skies.

We've all memorized, if we've been to church very long, some of these words. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork. In the eighth Psalm, it talks about the moon and the stars. Somebody said, that's the night Psalm. In this Psalm, it talks about the sun in the heavens.

That's the day Psalm. Whether it's night or day, God through his creation has revealed himself to us. While this is not the main focus of what I want to share with you today, we can't pass over these six verses without making some observations about God's revelation of himself in the skies. Please note, first of all, that this revelation is an undeniable message. He says, in the heavens and in the firmament, he has shown forth his handiwork.

The word firmament really means the expanse of God's creation. It's as if God has written in the sky everywhere you look a finger that points back to the creator so that no matter where you go in this great universe, all you have to do is but look up and there is an undeniable testimony to the creator, God. Not only is this revelation of God in the skies an undeniable message, but read on and discover that it's an unending message. It says, night unto night and day unto day, God showeth forth his power. It's like the day takes the glory of God and hands it off to the night and the night lets it shine and when it's finished, it hands it off back to the day. So whether it's day or night, God is always sending out his message that he is the powerful creator of the world.

Not only is it undeniable and unending, but it is universal. Read what the Psalm says. There is no speech, says the Psalmist, nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out throughout all the earth and their words to the end of the world. In the New Testament, the writers pick up on the 19th Psalm, especially Paul in the book of Romans, and he's trying to demonstrate in his writing in Romans chapter one that all of the world is guilty before God.

One of the most often asked questions, especially if you get into college groups and where people feel like can really go for your jugular vein as a teacher. They want to know about the heathen in Africa. They want to know about the people who've never heard about Jesus Christ in India or in some part of the globe where the world message of the gospel has not been spoken. And you know what Paul said? Paul said in Romans chapter one and verse 20, for since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead.

So that, says the writer, they are without excuse. I don't pretend to comprehend all of that, but I've read enough stories from the mission field. I've read enough testimony from men and women who've gone to places where nobody has ever told them about Jesus Christ. And as they have in their animistic ways tried to worship the sun and the stars, the moon, they've come to the realization that there has to be something beyond that, something behind it. And in their searching for the truth behind the creation, God has brought them into an encounter with the gospel message of Jesus Christ. What Paul is saying is that there's enough revelation in God's creative work so that if man would just follow the revelation God has given him, it would take him to the knowledge of who God is.

But what have we done? Once again Paul says we've taken the creation and we've worshiped the creation instead of the creator. And so all over the world, wherever you see pagan people, you see them bowing down to the sun, bowing down to the moon, worshiping the stars.

And by the way, we worship the stars in this country, don't we? Well, the psalmist wants us to understand that God has spoken in the skies and he's told us the story of his glory. Not only is it an undeniable message and an unending message, but it is universal.

It is everywhere. In fact, I love what the psalmist has said. He says, their line has gone throughout all the earth and their words to the end of the world. This is the surveyor's line and the psalmist gives us the picture of the surveyor surveying all the world. And when he finished surveying all the world, there's no place where God's testimony in his creative work has not been preached. I wish I had time to talk to you about the center of the psalmist's picture in the sun, S-U-N.

But we must hasten on to the next section. God's wonderful message told in the glory of the skies, but secondly, God's wonderful message told in the greatness of the scriptures. Beginning at verse 7, the psalmist switches his gear from talking about the creation into talking about the written word.

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. And if you read those verses again, you will discover that there are six groups of three. The psalmist is clever and creative and helping us to understand how powerful is this book we call the Bible. He tells us, first of all, that it is a book which cannot be described in one word. So go down through your Bible and look at the words he uses. He talks about the law and the testimony and the statutes and the commandments and the fear and the judgments.

These are all the titles of the Word of God which are listed for us here in the 19th Psalm. Down through the centuries, the Bible has always been something that has been hated and scorned. It is something that has created a great deal of opposition and men have gone out of their way to try to abolish it. Voltaire's satire and Ingersoll's slander and Hitler's soldiers and Bishop Pike's skepticism, all of this has turned to be human hammers that are broken on the anvil of God's Word. They wear themselves out on the Bible and they never seem to get anywhere. Through the centuries, emperors have demanded the destruction of the Bible. Church leaders have placed their superstitious traditions over it.

Smart seminary professors have written it off as being beneath their sophisticated scholarship. But the Bible defiantly, victoriously, convincingly still stands. The Bible's pages continue to tell the grace of God and the message remains the only inerrant, infallible, complete revelation that man has ever gotten from his living God.

And so today we look back on history and all the critics and we realize that in a strange way, Moses has outlived Voltaire and Isaiah has outlasted Ingersoll and the apostles have outsmarted the agnostics and the prophets have overpowered the professors and the Bible still stands as God's wonderful message to man. The six titles tell us of the majesty of God's Word. But after the six titles, after reading of the law and the testimony and the statute and the commandment and the fear and the judgments, we see the six descriptions. Read back through that text again and you will discover that here the Bible is described in six ways. It is perfect, it is sure, it is right, it is pure, it is clean, and it is true.

I wish I had time to take every one of those descriptions and tell you all of the truth that's wrapped up in them. The Bible is perfect. The Bible is sure.

You can count on it. The Bible is right. It's always right. The Bible is pure. The Bible is clean and the Bible is true. The law, the testimony, the statutes, the commandments, perfect, pure, clean, true. The psalmist literally uses 18 different expressions to try to get to our attention the importance of centering our thoughts on God's Word.

But the last six words have to do with its effectiveness. Does it really change your life? I mean, come on, pastor, I know you're paid to say stuff like this, but does the Bible really change your life? I remember reading a story about an old lady who lived way back in the country. One day there was a knock at her door and it was a vacuum cleaner salesman. He came into her house and began to give the woman his high pressure sales talk. He said, madam, I've got the greatest product you've ever seen. This vacuum cleaner will eat up anything.

In fact, if I don't control it, it will suck the carpet right off your floor. Before the woman could do anything or say anything, he said, I want to give you a demonstration. He went over to the fireplace, scooped out some of the ashes and threw them in the middle of carpet. Then he took a bag that he carried in with him and some dirt and threw it on top of the ashes.

Some more junk on top of that. After making a thorough mess, he said, madam, I want you to watch this vacuum cleaner at work. I guarantee it will suck up everything I've thrown on your rug. The woman kind of overwhelmed by this, stood there aghast, speechless. The salesman went on to say, lady, if it doesn't suck up every bit of this, I will personally eat it all with a spoon. The woman looked at the salesman and finally found her voice.

She said, well, sir, start eating. We ain't got no electricity. I wish I could have been there to watch, don't you? Somebody always needs to get caught like that when they do that sort of thing. But it kind of reminds me that before you pitch a product, you better be dead sure you can deliver, right?

For whatever reason. Let me tell you, I am absolutely certain about what I'm going to say to you about the scripture. I know this is true. This is what the Bible will do for you. The Psalmist says it will restore your soul.

Refreshing your inner life like food does your body. The King James says converting the soul. And that reminds us that there is no way that you can even come to know God apart from the scriptures. But the one thing the Bible will do for you that you can't find any other book that will ever do for you is the Bible will deal with your soul. The Bible will deal with the real you, not the external facade that you walk around in, but the real you. The Bible will get down deep into where you live and help you to understand who you are. And if you take it at face value, you will discover that this book begins to refresh you and restore you.

Sometimes there's a little bit of tearing down first, isn't there? Sometimes the Bible has to tear out all that's bad so that it can begin to build up that which is good. But I promise you that I know this book will do that. It will restore your soul.

Keep reading. Not only will it restore your soul, but the Bible will renew your mind. The Psalmist says that it makes wise the simple. It gives practical guidance to the inexperienced. Did you know men and women that there is wisdom in this book for every situation you face? I found help in this book for my family. I found help in this book for my financial challenges. I found help in this book for health, believe it or not. The book has some very interesting principles about health.

I found help in this book about discipline. I've discovered some hard truths in this book about the fact that the Christian life doesn't just descend upon you, that godliness comes through discipline. This book makes you wise. The Psalmist says it will rejoice your heart, bringing delight and pleasure to you when you obey it. It rejoices your heart.

I've understood that a lot more in recent days than ever before. Do you know this book is filled with truth that sometimes it just kind of explodes in your heart and you cannot contain yourself. I sometimes go to a special place. I'm not going to tell you where it is, but I have a special place that I go to. It's beautiful, beautiful water and mountains. I go there to read the Bible and to pray.

And you know what? Sometimes when I've been reading the Bible and I'm all there by myself, I forget where I am and I just, I start having a party. I get so excited about what I've read.

I just want to shout and sing and beep the horn. I don't know, you know, just whatever you can do because the word of God rejoices your heart. Oh, I know there are times when the word of God works you over, but there are also many times when you study the Bible and really come to grips with its truth. Just gets in your soul and it makes you happy. And if you haven't known that, it's because you haven't gotten into the book.

Keep reading. What else will it do? It renews your mind. It rejoices your heart. It'll refocus your vision. The Psalmist says that the Bible enlightens the eye, illuminating the dark. Do you know what this book has done for me? It's helped me to stay off of a lot of dead end streets. It's given me wisdom and knowledge so that I've had kind of, I've always said to my wife, it's a sixth sense.

No it's not. It's a biblical sense. It's the awareness of biblical principles that I may not even pull out at the time that I've learned and that I've been taught and that I've read. And when I start to go in a direction, there's an uncomfortable feeling that comes and I get my focus changed and it's refocused now because God's word has helped me.

If you want to have a biblical lifestyle, it's not about a bunch of rules and a whole list of do's and don'ts. It's about getting into the book and the word of God will get into the sinews and the flesh of your being so that when you start to walk in a direction, the word of God will keep you from getting into trouble. How many of you would like to have the ability to read the word of God to such a degree that you'd have a sense when somebody's trying to put a scam on you?

Somebody's trying to take you down a dead end street, take your money, take away the things that are important to you. How many of you would like to read the word of God so much that when you see your children heading in a direction, you just have a sense that that's not good. You can sit them down and help them understand. That's what this book will do. It'll refocus your vision. And then it says it'll remain forever. The word of God is eternal. You know, I thought about this week, if God allows his son to tarry his coming, he doesn't come for another 50 years. They'll still be preaching the same book 50 years from now and applying its truth to that generation. And it will be just as accurate and just as powerful as it is today because it is a timeless book. The principles live on. You know, most of the books we buy today, they're outdated in a couple of months. A lot of the people that I talk with in the medical field and in the engineering field say they have to keep reading and reading because the stuff they read last month is already dated. But the word of God is timeless.

It remains forever. And I've proven that in my own life, and I've seen it work in everybody's lives. These principles that God has given us in his book are just as important and meaningful today as they were when they were penned. And that's why every day you open the Bible, it speaks to your heart.

That's why you listen to this broadcast because we teach the word of God and the word of God informs our lives and makes us the people that we are. Tomorrow, part two of How Can One Book Change My Life, Thursday and Friday, we're going to talk about how to face our fears. Hey, I want to tell you about something that's coming up toward the end of the month. On the 30th of September, we're going to have a one-night live online event, a sort of replacement for the rallies that we normally have during the fall. We can't do that this year because of COVID-19, but we're going to do it the best we can and we want to invite you to attend.

We're going to have some special guests including Sheila Walsh, musical guest Anthony Evans. I'm going to talk to Pastor Levi Lusko. I'll give a short message and we'll end up with a special prayer for our nation as we head into the election. So be sure to put this down on your calendar to join us on September 30th at 9pm Eastern and Pacific time and we will have a good time together.

See you tomorrow. For more information on Dr. Jeremiah's current series, God I Need Some Answers, please visit our website where we offer two free ways to help you stay connected, our monthly magazine Turning Points and our daily email devotional. Sign up today at davidjeremiah.org. That's davidjeremiah.org forward slash radio. And when you do, ask for your copy of our 14 month 2021 calendar, Colors of Creation.

It highlights God's breathtaking handiwork and it's yours for a gift of any amount. You can also purchase the Jeremiah Study Bible in the English Standard and New International versions as well as in standard or large print in the New King James with helpful notes from over 40 years of study by Dr. Jeremiah. Visit davidjeremiah.org forward slash radio for details. I'm Gary Hooke Fleet. Join us tomorrow as we continue God, I Need Some Answers. That's here on Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah.