Love Worth Finding

Adrian Rogers: One of the reasons that I preach the Bible is, folks, I'm not smart enough to preach anything else. I'll tell you the second reason. I'm too smart to preach anything else. My mama didn't raise a fool. Hey, folks, why preach anything else when you've got this? Sweeter than the honeycomb.

Oh, this is the word by which the gospel is preached unto you. We are to preach it faithfully. We are to preach it fully. I try to give a balanced diet from the Word of God, and I want to say with the Apostle Paul, I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God.

Guest Male: Welcome to Love Worth Finding featuring profound truth simply stated by beloved pastor and Bible teacher Adrian Rogers. Contrary to what you might think, we don't have to be ordained ministers to be in the ministry. In fact, every man and woman that names the name of Jesus partakes in the ministry of the Word of God. If you have your Bible, turn now to 1 Peter chapter 1, we'll begin in verse 22, as Adrian Rogers reveals three steps to becoming ministers of the Word of God.

Adrian Rogers: I want you to take God's Word, the Bible, and I want you to find 1 Peter chapter 1, and I'm going to begin reading in verse 22. 1 Peter chapter 1, we begin in just a moment in verse 22: "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word by which the gospel is preached unto you." And then going right on into chapter 2, "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."

Now I want to take our scripture tonight and I want to just leave three thoughts in your heart about the ministry of the Word of God. What would you do and what should you do if you want to be a minister of the Word of God? And you don't have to be an ordained minister to be a minister of the Word of God. It's a message to every man and woman that names the name of Jesus. Number one, you must receive the Word of God personally into your life. Let me tell you what the Word of God will do for you.

First of all, folks, you're literally conceived by the Word of God. Just as a baby is conceived in its mother's womb, you are conceived by the Word of God. The Word of God is a seed that comes into you and produces life. Look in verse 23: "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God." Friend, in order to see heaven, in order to have spiritual life, you must have a new birth. And in order to have that new birth, you must receive the Word of God.

There's no way possible that anybody can be saved apart from the Word of God. The entrance of thy word gives light. This word is life. James 1 verse 18 says, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth." Friend, we're conceived by this Word. It was the truth of this Word that entered into me, and new life began in me, and I was born again. But not only are we conceived by the Word of God, folks, we're cleansed by the Word of God.

Look in verse 22: "Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love." This Word of God will wash you and cleanse you. That's the reason it is so important that day by day, I want to say to these folks and every one of us, that we let the Word of God dwell in us richly. "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word." You have purified your souls by obeying the truth. There's no way possible for you to live a victorious life without staying in the Bible, the Word of God.

But I want to say thirdly, not only you're conceived by the Word and cleansed by the Word, but you're also completed by the Word of God. You're made strong by the Word of God. Notice in verse 2 of chapter 2: "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." God wants you to be mature. This Word will be to your spiritual life what milk is to a newborn baby.

Suppose you were to come to me and you were to say to me, "You know, Pastor, I just don't feel good. I can hardly get out of bed. I can hardly move across the room. My knees feel like rubber. I have palpitations around the heart. I've got a headache. My muscles are weak. I can hardly get my breath." I say, "Boy, you're in bad shape." "Yes, I really am. I'm just so weak." I say, "Well, maybe it's something you ate." "No, I don't eat anything." "You don't eat anything?" "No, I just don't eat. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm so weak." I tell him, "Well, look, it's simple what's wrong with you. You're starved. You need to take some nourishment."

People say, "I just don't understand why I'm so weak in my Christian life. I just don't understand why I don't have any strength. I don't understand why other Christians seem to be so strong and I'm so weak." It's because you're not feeding on the Word of God. Listen, you are made strong by the Word of God, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word. I've been around enough newborn babes to know one thing, folks. They're interested in one thing, and it's M-I-L-K.

Not a one of them has sent out an order to have the wallpaper changed. They don't give a hoot about that. They are born with a craving for milk, a suckling instinct, and that's the way it is to be with you. You're to be like a newborn baby to crave the Word of God. And so if you would be a minister of the Word, first of all, you must receive the Word. But secondly, not only must you receive the Word, you ought to respect the Word.

Look again beginning in verse 22: "Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever."

I want to say several things about this Bible as you respect it. I want you to respect the inerrancy of the Word of God. Verse 22 calls it the truth: "Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth." Verse 23 calls it the Word of God. There's no need to argue about it, no quibble about it. If it's the Word of God, and God is a God of truth, then it can't have error in it. A God of truth cannot inspire error. It is the product of the Spirit of God. It is thereby totally infallible because God is infallible.

J. Sidlow Baxter was correct, in my estimation, when he said—and I'm quoting him directly now—"The biggest division between Christians is no longer between one denomination and another, but between those who accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God and those who do not." People are lining up, folks, either for the Word or against the Word. Francis Schaeffer wrote this: "The Bible is not such a book as man would write if he could, because it condemns him, or could write if he would, because it surpasses him."

Thank God for the inerrancy of the Bible. But not only should you respect its inerrancy, but if you respect its inerrancy, then you have to respect its authority because it is the Word of God. Now when we were little kids, my brother, my sister would say, "Adrian, go do this or go do that." And I would lip off at them and I'd say, "Says who?" And every now and then they'd say, "Daddy says so," and I'd say, "Okay, Daddy says so." Says who? When the Bible speaks, God speaks.

A while back, I had the joy of spending several hours with Dr. Billy Graham in his home in Montreat, North Carolina. And we sat before a fire and talked, and it was one of the most enjoyable times that I've spent. We had a cup of coffee. And I asked him to tell me again about that time in his life when he got this matter settled about the Word of God. Billy Graham told me how he as a youngster had heard all of the machinations and all of the protestations of the liberal theologians, and he was being bombarded on every side.

He said, "I went alone in the mountains to get it settled. I took my Bible. I read it over and over and over again. And I went out there and I prayed to God. Finally, I knew I had to make a decision. And I said, 'Lord God, I have preached this Bible already enough to see its mighty effect, its power in the lives of men. I may not understand everything. I may not be able to answer all of the arguments. But God, I believe that book is your Word, and I'm going to preach it that way.'"

And I believe if there's been any secret to the ministry of Billy Graham—I know he's made mistakes, I've made them, you've made them, we've all made them—but God has honored one thing. Billy has a way of preaching and saying, "The Bible says. The Bible says." Oh friend, the inerrancy of the Word of God leads to the authority of the Word of God. But I want you to think not only of its inerrancy and not only of its authority, but I want you to think of its vitality.

Look again, if you will, in verse 23: "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth." This book is alive. You read other books, but this book reads you. This Bible pulsates with life. Jesus said, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life." Hebrews 4:12 says, "The word of God is quick and powerful." That literally means it's alive. It is zoe energes. It is quick. It is powerful. Because it's alive, it has power.

Friend, I know this Bible has power. I've preached it long enough to see the power of God. I've had folks come to listen to me and they wonder, "Who is this guy? Where'd he come from? He's another one of those religious flim-flam artists." I've watched them. They sit there and look out under their eyebrows as if to say, "What's his angle?" You know, we've been lied to and gypped and conned and maneuvered and been flim-flammed and pushed around so much that all of us have a built-in sales resistance, don't we?

But I've watched, dear friend, as I have taken the Word of God Sunday after Sunday after Sunday after Sunday and preached that Word. Do you know what the Bible says about the Word of God? "Is not my word like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" You can take the hardest rock and a sledgehammer and just begin to tap. It'll break. By the way, which tap breaks it? The last one or all of them? Think about it tonight in your sleep.

All right. You just keep tapping, and the hardest rock will break. "Is not my word like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" Why? Because, folks, there is power in the Word of God. You'll never tell me there's not power in the Word of God. I've preached it so long, I know there's power in the Word of God. Friend, I have seen it change lives. I'm not talking about a preacher's little silly outlines and illustrations and all of that.

I am talking about this Word of God because of its inerrancy and because of its authority and because of its vitality. But I want to speak not only about those things, dear friend. I want you to think about its eternity. Look in verses 23 and following. Verse 23 says the Word of God lives and, watch it, it abideth forever. Look in verse 25: "The word of the Lord endureth for ever." The Bible cannot fade. It cannot decay. It is timeless truth. It was here before you got here. It will be here when you're gone.

Now there was a Roman emperor whose name was Diocletian. He hated the Word of God. He called in all of the copies of the Word of God that there were, burned them, and erected a monument, and he said this: "The name Christian is now extinguished." Diocletian is gone, friend. I'm preaching the Word of God tonight. The Bible is always being attacked. Almost every week you'll read something in some secular magazine or newspaper about why the Bible is wrong.

You have the cults who twist the Bible. You have the liberals who water the Bible down. You have the humanists who ignore the Bible. You have so-called Christians, many of them, who claim to love it but they don't study it. There's enough dust on some Bibles to write "damnation" with your fingertips. These hath God married and no man shall part: dust on the Bible and drought in the heart. But in spite of all of that, dear friend, the Bible goes on.

Endless, timeless, dateless, measureless. "Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven." Don't be afraid of the enemies of the Bible. They'll not destroy the Bible. Years ago, I read a story of a man who was commissioned to build a wall four feet high that could not be destroyed. So he said, "All right, very well." He said, "I'll build it four feet high and five feet wide. If they knock it over, it'll be taller than it was before they knocked it over." And that's the way the Bible is, dear friend.

People come against the Bible, but the Word of God lives and abides forever. It's timeless, ultimate, indestructible, infallible, and eternal. Now one last thing I want to say. Not only must we receive the Bible—we're conceived by it, we're cleansed by it, we're completed by it. Not only must we respect the Bible. But oh, ladies and gentlemen, we need to go that third step and we need to release the Bible. We need to preach the Bible.

Look in verse 25: "But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word by which the gospel is preached unto you." How should we preach it and how should we release the Word of God? Well, we need to release it faithfully. Faithfully. I've tried to be faithful to the Bible. I've had faults, and God knows I have many of them and I hate them. But I believe if you were to follow my ministry, you'd say he's been a man of the Bible.

Folks, I believed it when I began and I believe it more now. I'm not finding hidden flaws; I'm finding hidden beauties. It's an amazing book. And the more I study it, the greater respect I have for the Word of God. And I'm going to be faithful to the Word of God. And I'll tell you, if there ever comes a time in my life when I don't believe the Bible is the Word of God, I'm going to be honest enough to resign and get out of the ministry rather than stand behind the sacred desk and prostitute the ministry.

Preach it faithfully. Do you know why I preach the Word of God? Two reasons. Reason number one: I'm not smart enough to preach anything else. Oh, I'm not the dumbest guy in the world either. God's given me a fair mind. I could study hard, and I could make some good speeches. I could give a few orations. I could talk on current events. I could give some moralistic book reviews. But after a while, I'd run out of gas.

I preach about six times a week, every week, and sometimes more than that. Do you know why I preach the Bible? I'm not smart enough to preach anything else. Folks, I've got to have something to draw from. I've got to have some truth. I've got to have something behind me. I've got to have a well to dig out of. If I didn't have the Bible, after a while, you'd get sick and tired of listening to me or anybody else for that matter. I don't care who.

You'd be climbing the walls wanting to get out. But you don't get sick and tired of the Word of God. One of the reasons that I preach the Bible is, folks, I'm not smart enough to preach anything else. I'll tell you the second reason. I'm too smart to preach anything else. Hey folks, why preach anything else when you've got this? Sweeter than the honeycomb. Oh, this is the word by which the gospel is preached unto you. We are to preach it faithfully.

We are to preach it fully. I try to preach the whole counsel of God. I try to preach from the Old Testament and the New Testament. I try to preach on doctrine and practical living. I try to preach on prophecy and praise. I try to give a balanced diet from the Word of God, and I want to say with the Apostle Paul, I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God. Friend, release it faithfully, release it fully, and release it freely.

It's like sowing seed. As newborn babes, desire it. But as men of God, share it and preach it and proclaim it. I want to ask those of you tonight who may not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. If you'd like to know Him as your personal Savior, I want to help you to know Him. I want to tell you tonight how you can know that you know that your sin is forgiven. How you can know beyond any shadow of a doubt if you died, you'd go straight to heaven.

How you can have God in your heart. And it is by trusting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. He is the Son of God. He died on the cross for your sins. He was buried. He was raised again the third day by the power of God. And the Bible says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

To be saved means that every sin is forgiven, that Christ lives in your heart, and when you die, you'll go to heaven. If you would pray a prayer like this: Lord Jesus, I need you, I want you. I open my heart, I receive you as my Lord and Savior. Come into my heart, forgive my sin and save me. I promise you He will save you if you ask Him and trust Him to do so. Father, I pray that many in this place tonight will say yes to Christ and be saved. In His name I pray. Amen.

Guest Male: Release the gospel faithfully, fully, and freely. Share it, preach it, proclaim it. If you have questions regarding your faith or how to share it with others, we would love to offer you an insightful resource on our website. It's our "Discover Jesus" page. There you'll find answers you may need about your faith. We have resources free to use as you begin sharing it with others. It's simply LWF.org/radio, and when you get there, click on the tab that says "Discover Jesus." Let us hear from you today.

Cary Vaughan: Hi, this is Cary Vaughan, and this program has been brought to you by Love Worth Finding, a non-profit ministry showcasing the powerful preaching and teaching of Pastor Adrian Rogers. We operate solely through the generous gifts of individual supporters just like you. To give a gift today, call 1-877-LOVEGOD. That's 1-877-LOVEGOD. Or write to us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38-600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183.

You can also connect with us online by going to LWF.org/radio. There, we offer helpful resources inspired by the timeless teachings of Pastor Adrian Rogers. Additionally, you can sign up for daily emails, donate to the ministry, and learn more about how to become an ambassador of the Word. Thank you so much for listening today. Be sure to join us next time for more profound truth simply stated right here on Love Worth Finding.

Guest Male: I want to share what a student had to say about one of our new online courses. He wrote, "I trust Pastor Rogers and have been a listener for a long time. These courses have opened my eyes to quite a few practices I need to do in my life. Thank you all for continuing to bring his teachings and God-given wisdom to people like me." Well, that warms our heart here at Love Worth Finding because we are so honored to be able to continue to share these timeless teachings and then the exciting new resources we develop to help you flourish in your faith.

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