Hearing God’s Voice from His Word
James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
Take a moment and turn your attention to God. Tell God that you desire to trust and obey Him. Ask God to speak to you from His word.
Psalm of the Day
Psalm 74:1-12
Why have you rejected us forever, God? Why does your anger burn
against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember your congregation, which you purchased long ago
and redeemed as the tribe for your own possession.
Remember Mount Zion where you dwell.
3 Make your way to the perpetual ruins, to all that the enemy has destroyed in the sanctuary.
4 Your adversaries roared in the meeting place where you met with us.
They set up their emblems as signs.
5 It was like men in a thicket of trees, wielding axes,
6 then smashing all the carvings with hatchets and picks.
7 They set your sanctuary on fire; they utterly desecrated
the dwelling place of your name.
8 They said in their hearts, “Let’s oppress them relentlessly.”
They burned every place throughout the land where God met with us.
9 There are no signs for us to see. There is no longer a prophet.
And none of us knows how long this will last.
10 God, how long will the enemy mock? Will the foe insult your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand?
Stretch out your right hand and destroy them!
12 God my King is from ancient times,
performing saving acts on the earth.
Read the Entire Psalm
This is a long list of how the temple has been destroyed. The temple is the place where God made his presence known. Destroying the temple was an offense but also an attempt to make the nation question God’s supremacy. The Psalmist cries out to God for justice. He looks to God, the King, to intervene. God is not threatened. He will always be King and ruler of the universe.
SCRIPTURE READING:
John 1:1-18 – New Living Translation
1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.
6 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”
16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.
Having God’s Ear through Prayer
- Express thanksgiving to God.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal sin to you.
- Confess your sin to Him and receive forgiveness.
(1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sin He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins.”) - Bring your personal requests to God.
(Psalm 62:8 “Pour out your heart before God”) - Pray for someone in your small group.
- Join with others from River and pray for those who do not know God. Ask God to help you see the lost people around you and have compassion for them. Ask God for opportunities to build trust. Ask God to give you opportunities to have gospel conversations.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
John the Baptist had an important job. John the Baptist had a tough job. He was, among all the prophets, the one who was contemporary with the long-awaited Savior. The ones before him pointed forward to the Christ who would come long after they had died. John pointed AT the Savior who stood before him and said, “There he is, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Clearly, his role in human history was important. However, before you wish you had such an important role, his life was very difficult. He lived in physically challenging circumstances. His message was not a happy one; it was very simply “repent.” He was not well received, and eventually he was murdered by the government. Prior to that many of the followers he had collected left him and followed Christ. Sure, he was on the center stage for a bit, but eventually he was mostly alone, in jail, and then executed. John was faithful. John famously said, “He must increase, I must decrease.” (John 3). None of us have John’s specific calling, but all of us have his general calling. Our calling is to be found faithful in all God brings our way, and our continual life message needs to be, “Jesus must increase, I must decrease.” We will come back to this theme in a few weeks.