How to Find Gold in God’s Word: Reading the Bible with Supernatural Help

[Applause] let's pray Lord the reason we pray is because we need supernatural help to do anything of lasting value here and so I ask for help for the hearers and for me I pray that you would fill me with spiritual wisdom and understanding and I pray that you would dig an ear for them so that what goes in would go way way further in than they might have ever experienced before we want to see gold and silver and precious stones and we want to taste honey and be satisfied in our souls with supernatural reality so come and do these impossible things I pray in Jesus name Amen so one of the most illuminating facts to shed light on what I mean by reading the Bible supernaturally is the fact that Jesus didn't think the Pharisees could read at least he didn't think they could read their Old Testament in a way that gets out of it what the authors intended for people to get out of it but that's what reading is getting out of a book what authors intend for you to get out that's what reading is at least handling those words the way the Bible intends for them to be handled and we'll see how unique the Bible is as we go along reading a god-breathed Bible does not mean looking at the words and thinking your own thoughts looking at the words feeling your own feelings looking at the words doing your own thing that's not reading that's what Jesus thought they were doing or real reading they just couldn't do so when the Pharisees saw Jesus and His disciples on the Sabbath picking grain eating it as they walked along they accused them of law-breaking Matthew 12 to look your disciples are doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath Jesus counter accuses in verse 7 and says why do you condemn the guiltless and then to support this counterclaim he says have you never read what David did verse 3 verse 5 have you not read in the law that's got to be infuriating like haven't you Pharisees read your Bible what smack down it's got to be infuriating and of course they had read those texts what's wrong way more often than Jesus had functionally Jesus is saying you haven't read them in verse 7 he sums up citing quoting Hosea 6 verse 6 if you had known what this means I desire mercy and not sacrifice you wouldn't have condemned the innocent have you not read have you not read do you not know what this means no they hadn't read that way they didn't know what Hosea 6:6 meant Matthew 19 the Pharisees come and say what about divorce is it lawful to divorce your wife for any reason Jesus again says have you not read Genesis 1:27 and 2:24 Matthew 21 15 and 16 the scribes complained that these children are all shouting Hosanna Hosanna and they're bent out of shape that Jesus isn't rebuking them and Jesus says haven't you read Psalm 8 the Jewish leaders come he tells them this parable about the tenants where the the tenants kill the son whom the owner sins to collect the harvests and kill him so they can get the farm and he ends that with haven't you read psalm 118 the stone that the builders rejected one more Sadducees are mocking the resurrection yeah right who's gonna be Bill Piper's wife my dad had two wives because my mom died after 36 years of marriage and he married another woman then I did the wedding and they were married 25 years and then they're all dead and the Sadducees are just mocking me so he dad's a polygamous polygamist now haha or he will be at the resurrection too to which he said haven't you read Exodus 3 6 so you to read this and you say what's up with the Pharisees they can't read can you something has gone very wrong Jesus treats them as though they can't read why can't they read he connects their inability to read with their inability to see Jesus for who he is so here's the key text for that connection John 537 the father who sent me has himself borne witness about me his voice you have never heard what were they doing with this his voice you have never heard his form you have never seen and you have you do not have his word abiding in your in you for you do not believe on the one whom he has sent oh there's a connection you don't have any of this in here and the reason I know you don't is cuz you'd have a clue who I am hello which means they were really good at using their brains really good brain power in there to make good weather reports but not any good at using these powers for spiritual purposes Matthew 16 3 you know how to interpret the appearance of the sky but you can't interpret the signs of the times standing right in front of you why next verse they were an evil and adulterous generation you are very shrewd in using your minds to manage the world for your safety but you are blind as a bat in spiritual reality that tampers with your adultery they are spiritually and morally adulterous and that's why they cannot read they talk as though God is there all in all and they have lovers on the side Luke 16 14 Jesus says or luke says the Pharisees were lovers of money that's one of their adulterous Affairs they loved money woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for you clean the outside of the cup and plate but inside you are full of greed and self-indulgence Matthew 23 25 for all their outward religiosity for all their outward religiosity the hearts of the Pharisees were in love with this world big time and one of their adulterous lovers was money here's another one oh how they loved the praise of men and recognition and the power that comes with it Matthew 23 5 they do all their deeds to be seen by others for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces being called rabbi by of what happens to your spiritual capacities to discern what this book is about what happens to your spiritual capacities to see truth to see beauty to see divine glory when you are a lover of money and a lover of the praise of man and I'll read you what happens this is mark chapter 5 verse 40 not mark John chapter 5 verse 44 it's a rhetorical question you supply the answer how can you believe when you receive glory from one another and don't seek the glory that comes from God what's the answer that question you can't is not the meaning how can you believe when you're a lover you're an adulterer you say he's your husband praise is your husband you want to be noticed that's your God and so you can't believe why because Jesus and everything he is everything he stands for everything he's done undermines that you don't want to get near to anything that undermines your adulterous affair it's fun it feels so good to be in bed with the praise of man I'm just not going there if you undermine my adulterous affair with the praise of man I'm not going there so I can't see you and I can't see your book I'm blind cuz I love money and I love the praise of man so the problem here is not a lack of light it's a love of the dark let me read that to you John 3:19 this is the judgment that light has come into the world he came into the word on Sinai and then the real like the whole light came into the world with Jesus this is a judgment light is coming to the world and people loved they loved note the word love they loved darkness rather than the light because the works were evil for everyone who does wicked things hates the light the love of darkness hatred of light and does not come to the light lest his work should be exposed to the problem of the Pharisees is not that they don't have light there's plenty of light here plenty of light standing in front of them they love dark that's why they can't see light they are going the opposite direction you turn your back on light because you love dark you can't see light this is a love issue this is an emotion issue that's a passion issue this is a gut issue this is not an intellectual issue the Apostle John could say in John 1:14 we have seen his glory glory as of the only son from the father full of grace and truth he's looking at the same Jesus they're looking at looking at the same miracles listening to the same Sermon on the Mount and what does he see we've seen his glory glory as of the only son from the father when they see trouble making trouble from my adultery you can't see Jesus as glorious and supremely satisfying and you can't see what this book is written to reveal as supremely beautiful and satisfying if you're indulge an adulterer and love money and love the praise of man or pick your own Idol implication recognizing Jesus for who he really is and reading the Bible for what it really reveals are supernatural events or they don't happen it's not gonna happen you're not gonna see Jesus is all satisfying you're not gonna recognize in the Torah or the prophets all the Psalms or the Gospels or the epistles or the revelation you're not going to see any of the God willed truth for your salvation as supremely beautiful and supremely satisfying unless a miracle happens in your life a supernatural reading the Peter confessed you remember at one point the truth you are the Christ you are the Christ the Son of the Living God you remember what Jesus said to him blessed are You Simon bar Jonah for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you flesh and blood what's that brains eyeballs seminary College flesh and blood did not reveal this to you my father who is in heaven Matthew 16:17 it was a miracle Peter looked at Jesus same eyes same eyes same eyeballs as the Pharisees and he saw God the Christ the Son of the Living God and they saw darkness after the resurrection the disciples you remember the story in Luke 24 were so slow and so foolish those are Luke's words so slow they actually they were Jesus words so slow is so foolish they couldn't penetrate the scriptures they couldn't penetrate the meaning and Luke says then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures Luke 24 45 that's a miracle seeing divine glories that are really they're really they're not put there after the fact really there can't be seen without a miracle it's always supernatural so you can't know Jesus for who he is and you can't know the Scriptures for what they are without a gracious supernatural intervention of God now I used to describe or define meaning meaning of text as the intention of the author communicated through his words and the aim then the aim then of reading was to seek the author's thoughts after him so I learned in seminary I thought that was gold because you know like most people I'm just coming to grow in whatever I feel or think when I read a text must be useful and to suddenly be taught no they had intentions they may not be yours take some work here to see them take some prayer to see them takes a miracle to see them right I don't take back any of that that's that's right it's just way too limited way to limit it it's like saying the aim of marriage is mutual understanding okay and then you get married to be a to be a I understand her help me understand her well that's good marriage is also about mutual affection sexual intimacy procreation of children replication of a covenant-keeping love between Christ and the church mutually strengthen each other for ministry and on and on and on marriage is a big thing so is the Bible and therefore the thought that the reading of scripture has as its goal the thinking of the thoughts of the author is true and so terribly limiting now I say and I still don't think I have the best way of saying it because I'm always tweaking it it's bad thing when you write books you get stuck with what you've said what I say now is that the meaning of a biblical text is what the author intends by his words or I put put a little red parentheses around because there's two guys back there late of my manuscript what the author intends to communicate I'm sure what that connotes to people it's I get it from Edwards so it connotes a lot to me but what the author so I'm just gonna leave it like this the meaning of a text is what the author intends by his words and the aim of reading here this is to handle those words in such a way as to conform to what he intends I'll only use that definition of reading for the Bible no other text on the planet because all the other texts have to be sifted you may want to conform you may not you don't ever have to worry which means if he intends for his words or by his words that I think a certain way I read in order to think that way if he intends for me to feel a certain way I read in order to feel that way if he intends for me to do a certain thing I read in order to do it so much bigger that is then the aim of reading is to think an author's thoughts after him I don't think that I'm stretching the word meaning too far when I broaden it out like that because I think the biblical authors would be very happy to hear me say that because I think they would say many times I mean for you to think something and many times I mean for you to feel something and many times I mean for you to do something so you're not reading me rightly unless you are pursuing that thinking that feeling and that doing because that's what I mean for you to do I mean for you to go there through my words thoughts affections action and the reason that the Bible read that way has to be a supernatural event it's because all thinking all feeling and all acting that the biblical writers intend cannot be thought or felt or acted apart from the grace of supernatural work of God through the word mmm not so sure that you're saying well the simplest sentence to make that point would be whatever you think whatever you feel whatever you do do all to the glory of God 1st Corinthians 10:31 which means any thinking that is not to the glory of God any feeling that is not to the glory of God any doing that is not to the glory of God it's not what they mean they're not blowing smoke like I don't care whether you do and feel and think that's natural man or spiritual man I don't care the thoughts the feelings the doings throw the same with your born-again or not and not God holds his nose at the same deed done by an unbeliever that a believer does to his glory you can't respond as the biblical authors intend without a miracle nobody pursues the glory of God without a work of God in their heart and everything must be pursued to the glory of God or it's sin that's the point of Romans 1 what you think what you feel what you do do all to the glory of God such reading must be supernatural everything God requires of us everything that is pleasing in his sight is an outgrowth of a new life in Christ called the new birth and with that new birth comes a new way of seeing a new way of believing a new way of tasting spiritually and that's where I want to go next is the last half of last part of this this message so let's talk about life new life then we talk about new seeing then we talk about new believing and new tasting and reputable biblical authors intend that is they mean that through their words through these words we experience the miracle of supernatural spiritual life these words are written for life here's the text there are more than one but this one is I think straight to the point this is first Peter 1:23 you have been born again that's two of you you have been born again that is you have life not a perishable seed but of imperishable through the living and abiding Word of God for all flesh is like grass and all this flower was glory like the flower of grass the grass withers the flower falls but the word of the Lord remains forever and that word is the gospel that was preached to you how does the miracle of life happen by the Spirit through the word when you when it hits you that through the word everlasting life happens it makes you tremble tremble makes you want to kiss this we're not we're not Dibley all actors I remember a professor who was trying to make that point he went through the Bible into the garbage can a seminary class not ours I would never do that but I got the point I get the point here's James 1:18 version of that point of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures how did you get to be a new creation in Christ he brought you forth by the word tremblingly glorious that the word is the instrument of the miracle of everlasting life so the new birth the beginning of the entire Christian life is a miracle of the word of the word the writers intend that their words would be a means to that miracle of new life so it's not surprising then that if the lifelong drama of the Christian life began by the word with the miracle of life everything else everything else that pleases God and counts for eternity comes by the word through that supernatural work because you're alive you're the one doing it and you're a new person the fruit of this new life is supernatural just like the life itself is and it comes by the word and I want to mention three of them three of these fruits one seeing believing tasting so let's take those one at a time supernatural seeing these these are the most important things that happen in the reading of the Bible supernatural seeing the biblical authors intend that is they mean for us to see the glory of Christ through what they write the glory of Christ what what John said in John 1:14 we have seen his glory the Pharisees couldn't they mean for you to see it see it here's the text several texts second Corinthians 3:18 we all with unveiled face beholding seeing the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another this comes from the Lord who is the spirit in other words it's supernatural so the process of transformation sanctification in the Christian life is described here as we're seeing we're seeing Christ as glorious as supremely beautiful as all satisfying we're seeing him that way because the Spirit is doing it as we read our Bibles oh but it doesn't say that you just added that Bibles just looking about nothing up Bibles in verse 18 verse 18 doesn't have a word about where to see it so where you getting this idea that verse 18 happens in the Bible I'm getting it by just getting rid of chapter division and looking three verses later chapter 4 verse 4 where it goes like this the god of this world had blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ where's the light shine the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ the gospel is the word and the rest of the word is undergirding gospel spinning out implications from the gospel applying gospel there's no doubt where the glory of Christ is seen it seemed pre-eminently in the narrative of God's work in the world he is limited to the gospel that says what he mentions here that can't happen without a miracle you can't see glory in the word without a miracle because of what verse 6 of 2nd Corinthians 4 says God who said let light shine out of darkness has shown God the creator of light has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God light of knowledge of glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ how does how does your heart in reading this word see glory God shines through the word in your heart such seeing is not a seen with the eyes of the head but with the eyes of the heart which is not a poetic expression that I made up it's taken out of Ephesians 1:18 which goes like this I pray that the eyes of your hearts that's Paul's apostolic phrase so if you don't know what that is you need to spend your life figuring it up because this is important that the eyes of your hearts be enlightened that you may know and that knowing it's almost added the word knowing I mean I had 10 I had 10 things that grow out of life and I'm only given you 3 knowing would be one of those 10 a new kind of knowing there's knowing and then there's knowing and this knowing is the knowing of what the heart does when the hearts I see the eyes of your heart are enlightened that you may know what is the hope to which he's called you what are the riches of the glorious inheritance what is the immeasurable greatness of his power you feel what you feel it right you just sitting there with your Bible in your hand and you're said I don't I don't I know I'm supposed to not don't don't see how big this hope is I don't see how great the inheritance is I don't feel how immeasurable the power is god help me that's all that's all I do when I go to the Bible god help me I'm so blank Oh for heaven he would be done with so much drag I mean is it amazing that Jesus would use the words slow heavy sluggish here's the Apostles on the on the road to Emmaus and he's just picturing them as dragging themselves along after the resurrection utterly unable to see anything glorious that's you and me apart from a miracle this called revival if it happens to a lot of people at one time number two supernatural believing that was seeing now supernatural believing the Bible authors intend they mean for us to experience the miracle of faith through what they write the new birth is a miracle of God that gives rise to supernatural faith listen to first John 5:1 everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God has been not will be has been faith is an evidence a fruit a confirmation that you're alive you've been born which means it's it's a miracle it's part of the miraculous life but it comes through the word right faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ Romans 10:17 or John 20:31 these things are written that you may believe it comes through the word through the written word and yet is a miracle and what is this word created miraculous face it's not what demons do who affirm Orthodox truth demons believe and tremble they know they have faith that is they believe facts and and those facts scare the out of them you wish what is faith in if it's not that John 6:35 whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst which I take to mean that faith is a coming to Christ so as to have my soul hunger and my soul thirsts satisfied in him or this is what I've been thinking about most in my preparation but I can save discussion for this later maybe Hebrews 11:1 faith is this substance translating the ESV assurance of salvation sure surance of things hoped for q pasta cysts used one other time chapter 1 verse 3 essence substance faith is the substance which I take to mean faith is a substantial foretaste of the promised banquet and the reason I used that language is because as I read and I read it again this morning as I read right through Hebrews 11 by faith Abraham by faith Moses by faith Sara by faith by faith by faith that that works that works it works especially with Moses by faith Moses considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt for he was looking to the reward by faith he counted reproach as wealth because faith was looking so to the reward that he's had tasted and it was so good it made Egypt look ridiculously lousy the way Paul talks right I count everything is lost because of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus that's faith that's a miracle wouldn't you all love to be like Paul look at everything in this world and then look at Jesus and say you are truly I'm not blowing it off so that BCS will be impressed ah you are more precious to me Jesus than everything he who loves mother or father more than me is not worthy of me he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me you either treasure Jesus above all or you're not saved you don't have saving faith which means the supernatural business of reading the Bible is very very important let's go one more time supernatural tasting now I know that I just used the word taste a substantial taste of a future promised banquet is what faith is faith can taste it it gets a down payment in the soul of the joy of the banquet such that the substance of the thing promised is already in measure being enjoyed here which makes the assurance unbreakable now I know I just used the word taste that way but tasting is so important I'm gonna give it its own subheading here and here it is number three it's the last one supernatural tasting the biblical authors intend they mean for us to experience the miracle of a soul tasting a supernatural tasting of the goodness of God through what they write where do I get that I get it from first Peter 1 and 2 so in chapter 1 verses 23 to 25 to the end of the chapter we have just been born again through the living and abiding Word of God which is the gospel take away the chapter break again not help fall put away all all slander and all envy and hypocrisy and and like newborn babies he's picking up on you just got born so verse 2 of chapter 2 like newborn babies desire the pure milk meaning the word not distinguishing it from meat at all I thought that's what's going on here this is just to get at it how do babies how do babies want the Bible got me crazy shut up no feed him feed him that's the point these babies won't they will shut up they're hungry so like like that like that desire the pure spiritual milk that by it you may grow up into salvation and then he adds this if clause which has always blown me away Peter why'd you add this next clause verse 3 of 1st Peter to so earnestly desire the the pure spiritual milk which I think is the word that by which we were born again so you were conceived by the word you're gonna grow by the word desire the word that you may grow into salvation if you have tasted that the Lord is God or the goodness the kindness of the Lord we mean if look what's that that is if you've never tasted in and through the word the precious kindness of the Lord to you then you're not going to come like this you're not gonna come I'm saying come come drink come drink and if you haven't tasted you'll come to church friends at church good reputation in the community you're not coming to him these are drinking you're not eating cuz you've never tasted this taste is everything this is what the new birth gives you a new taste natural people don't want to read their Bibles spiritual people with a new taste want to read their Bibles because they love Christ they love the kindness of the Lord they get up in the morning and they need to feel the kindness of God again live without the kindness of Almighty God on them and it's draining out like a weak I'll leaky bucket and so this is the only place I can taste that he might be for me today I have to be told again by an authority above me that he's for me again today that's the way spiritual people live by every word that comes out of the mouth of God it's like honey and Edwards has been so moving to me here let me read one quote to help you see what I'm trying to say this is a quote from religious affections Edward says something is perceived by a true Saint something is perceived by a true Saint in spiritual and divine things as entirely different from anything perceived by natural men as the sweet taste of honey is different from the ideas of men that they get from only looking at it or feeling it so if you look at a jar of brown viscous fluid you look at it it looks like honey that sure feels like honey you're not yet saved you can go to church and sing about how brown it is and how sticky it is forever there is a infinite qualitative difference between knowing by inference that's sweet it's honey honey it's sweet logic so the devil knows that but you do this on the tongue of your newborn soul your spiritual eyes glisten that's how was made for then you break it you know you're born again so let me sum up I'll skip my summary in fact we have time more time for questions when clothes like this let's close with a glimpse of what it might look like if you do it tonight look let's say tomorrow morning all right and I'm gonna pretend that you're married and most of you here aren't because I'm married and I'm talking out of my experience and I'm can you have kids teenagers in fact all right so you make all the necessary changes because it applies in either case so you just got up early before anybody else is moving around except you can hear your wife stirring teenagers probably not up but school is coming so he might be dragging himself out and you're reading your Bible in your favorite quiet secluded place you're reading about God and about his ways and then quietly perhaps unexpectedly God supernaturally shifts your mindset and you are no longer merely reading about him you are quietly aware he is here The Living risen Christ is in this room and he is speaking to you through that page and your soul shifts from thinking about him to speaking to him now you are turning the word into statements to him to the effect that this is who you are and then supernaturally another mindset shifts and you find yourself not simply speaking to him what you are learning about him from the text but you find yourself saying I love you I love you I love your patience I love your mercy I love your power I love your wisdom I love the way you shut down proud people and look tenderly on the broken which makes me realize Jesus how sorry I am for last night's sin and the word as you move on is awakening and informing the ongoing communion with the Living God through Christ and in that communion you are seeing his glory how many facets of this diamond there are and you are tasting His goodness and you are being drawn to trust his promise and the anxieties of the day are beginning to fall away with an inexpressible peace and you get up you may have been there 15 minutes you may have been there half an hour you may have been there an hour you get up with the promises of God giving you a super natural peace that passes all understanding and you go find your wife and you put her cheeks between your hands and you look right into her eyes and you say you are a precious gift of God to me just felt like saying and then you go up to your kids bedroom and you knock on the door yeah and you open the door and you say I just need to say how sorry I am for last night's outburst it was wrong and I need you to forgive me but for a good work and you eat breakfast and you got to the garage and get a shovel you put in the trunk and head off to work because yesterday you remember a guy grousing at work about how he's gonna have to plant a tall tree tonight in his yard and it's gonna take a really deep hole and he hates to dig and after work you go help him dig and maybe supernaturally he says what's the reason for the hope that is in you and you tell them what you read in the book in the morning and maybe by grace supernaturally he glorifies God on the day visitation that's the aim of reading the Bible supernaturally so it's pray and then we'll make a transition Lord I am the most needy person I know when it comes to your help and so I'll pray for myself I pray for all of us here who are hungry to see Christ hungry to believe Christ hungry to taste Christ hungry to live in a supernatural way and be of use in this world for your great name so give us all the help we need through your word I pray in Jesus name Amen

Channel: Desiring God

Views: 302,555

Keywords: Desiring God, John Piper, God, Jesus Christ, Christianity, Christian Hedonism, Bible, Scripture

Id: 0lvGW5tw-wA

Length: 53min 34sec (3214 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 04 2017