Blessed by the Word

1. Blessed by the Word Revelation 1:3

2. “In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Saviour gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man‘s welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it. To you I return my sincere thanks for the very elegant copy of the great Book of God which you present” (Abraham Lincoln to the Loyal Colored People of Baltimore, September 1864).

3. John, with the aid of inspiration, understood the blessings of the Word.

4. John, with the aid of inspiration, understood the blessings of the Word. • “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near”(Rev 1:3, ESV).

5. John, with the aid of inspiration, understood the blessings of the Word. • “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near”(Rev 1:3, ESV). • The Book of Revelation contains 7 Beatitudes & the first one concerns the blessings of Scripture.

6. John, with the aid of inspiration, understood the blessings of the Word. • “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near”(Rev 1:3, ESV). • The Book of Revelation contains 7 Beatitudes & the first one concerns the blessings of Scripture. • We want to study this Beatitude that we might be “Blessed by the Word.”

7. John, with the aid of inspiration, understood the blessings of the Word. • “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near”(Rev 1:3, ESV). • Who are those “Blessed by the Word”?

8. John, with the aid of inspiration, understood the blessings of the Word. • “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near”(Rev 1:3, ESV). • Who are those “Blessed by the Word”? Those who: • DELIVER THE WORD; • DISCOVER THE WORD; • DISCHARGE THE WORD.

9. They are blessed who DELIVER THE WORD “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy” (ESV).

10. The ESV translators have added “aloud” but with good reason.

11. The ESV translators have added “aloud” but with good reason. • It’s obvious that reading aloud is intended, for John also pronounces a blessing on the one who hears.

12. The ESV translators have added “aloud” but with good reason. • It’s obvious that reading aloud is intended, for John also pronounces a blessing on the one who hears. • In the early church, the reading of Scripture was very important.

13. The ESV translators have added “aloud” but with good reason. • It’s obvious that reading aloud is intended, for John also pronounces a blessing on the one who hears. • In the early church, the reading of Scripture was very important. • “When this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea”(Col 4:16, ESV).

14. The ESV translators have added “aloud” but with good reason. • It’s obvious that reading aloud is intended, for John also pronounces a blessing on the one who hears. • In the early church, the reading of Scripture was very important. • Col 4:16. • “I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers” (1 Thess 5:27, ESV).

15. The ESV translators have added “aloud” but with good reason. • It’s obvious that reading aloud is intended, for John also pronounces a blessing on the one who hears. • In the early church, the reading of Scripture was very important. • Col 4:16. • 1 Thess 5:27. • “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Tm 4:13, ESV).

16. Justin Martyr, writing his First Apology, in the middle of the second century says, “On the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits.”

17. In the early church, the reading of Scripture was quite important.

18. In the early church, the reading of Scripture was quite important. • Many in the early church were illiterate.

19. In the early church, the reading of Scripture was quite important. • Many in the early church were illiterate. • Scripture had to be copied by hand.

20. The inspired epistle sent to a congregation would be the only one in existence.

21. The inspired epistle sent to a congregation would be the only one in existence. • Books were very, very expensive.

22. The inspired epistle sent to a congregation would be the only one in existence. • Books were very, very expensive. • Because of the expense of books, copyists saved space/money by cramming words together.

23. The inspired epistle sent to a congregation would be the only one in existence. • Books were very, very expensive. • Because of the expense of books, copyists saved space/money by cramming words together. • The entire New Testament was written without spaces between words.

24. The inspired epistle sent to a congregation would be the only one in existence. • Books were very, very expensive. • Because of the expense of books, copyists saved space/money by cramming words together. • The entire New Testament was written without spaces between words. • Therefore, people read aloud to sound out the words & provide the spaces.

25. How does that affect us today?

26. This points to the importance of Scripture.

27. This points to the importance of Scripture. • The church came together to hear the Word of God.

28. This points to the importance of Scripture. • The church came together to hear the Word of God. • Scripture is important – it is the Word of God.

29. This points to the importance of Scripture. • The church came together to hear the Word of God. • Scripture is important – it is the Word of God. • “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tm 3:16, ESV).

30. This points to the importance of Scripture. • The church came together to hear the Word of God. • Scripture is important – it is the Word of God. • 2 Tm 3:16. • Paul was thankful that the Thessalonians accepted the word he preached “not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God” (1 Thess 2:13, ESV).

31. This points to the importance of Scripture. • This also points to the importance of sharing the Scriptures.

32. This points to the importance of Scripture. • This also points to the importance of sharing the Scriptures. • Those who could read didn’t keep the Word of God from those who could not read.

33. This points to the importance of Scripture. • This also points to the importance of sharing the Scriptures. • Those who could read didn’t keep the Word of God from those who could not read. • We cannot keep the Word of God from others.

34. This points to the importance of Scripture. • This also points to the importance of sharing the Scriptures. • Those who could read didn’t keep the Word of God from those who could not read. • We cannot keep the Word of God from others. • When Paul wrote to the Colossians, he says that the gospel “has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven” (Col 1:23, ESV).

35. This points to the importance of Scripture. • This also points to the importance of sharing the Scriptures. • Those who could read didn’t keep the Word of God from those who could not read. • We cannot keep the Word of God from others. • When Paul wrote to the Colossians, he says that the gospel “has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven” (Col 1:23, ESV). • Has the gospel “been proclaimed in all creation under heaven” in our day?

36. They are blessed who DISCOVER THE WORD “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear.”

37. God’s people have often wanted to hear God’s Word.

38. God’s people have often wanted to hear God’s Word. • Ezra “read from [the Law] facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law” (Neh 8:3, ESV).

39. God’s people have often wanted to hear God’s Word. • Ezra “read from [the Law] facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law” (Neh 8:3, ESV). • “They stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God” (Neh 9:3, ESV).

40. Why is hearing the Word of God so important?

41. It is by hearing the word that we learn about God.

42. It is by hearing the word that we learn about God. • Moses commanded the elders to read the Law to all the people every 7 years.

43. It is by hearing the word that we learn about God. • Moses commanded the elders to read the Law to all the people every 7 years. “That they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess” (Deut 31:12-13, ESV).

44. It is by hearing the word that we learn about God. • Moses commanded the elders to read the Law to all the people every 7 years (Deut 31:12-13). • The Law was read to the people after the Babylonian Captivity (Neh 13:1).

45. It is by hearing the word that we learn about God. • Moses commanded the elders to read the Law to all the people every 7 years (Deut 31:12-13). • The Law was read to the people after the Babylonian Captivity (Neh 13:1). • As the people heard the Law, they “found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God”(Neh 13:1, ESV). • The people then put the foreigners out of their midst (Neh 13:3).

46. It is by hearing the word that we learn about God. • Moses commanded the elders to read the Law to all the people every 7 years (Deut 31:12-13). • The Law was read to the people after the Babylonian Captivity (Neh 13:1). • As the people heard the Law, they “found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God”(Neh 13:1, ESV). • The people then put the foreigners out of their midst (Neh 13:3). • They didn’t know God’s Law about foreigners, because they didn’t know the Word of God.

47. It is by hearing that faith comes.

48. It is by hearing that faith comes. • “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17, ESV).

49. It is by hearing that faith comes. • “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17, ESV). • Faith only comes through the hearing of Scripture.

50. Obedience also comes through hearing the Word.