Taste What Is Good
Introduction:
“Give Me the
Bible” This song relates the idea that we need the Bible for
nourishment. David had tasted and as a result, had seen that the
Lord was good. The nation of Israel was promised that if they were
faithful to Jehovah, they would experience His goodness. They would
be blessed with every good thing. But is this truth still valid for
us today?
Text:
Psalms 34:8-10
(Psalm of David)
Body:
I. Uses of
Taste in the New Testament
-
Hebrews 6:4-5 –
Those who
have tasted new “life” in Christ
II Corinthians 5:17
Being in Christ brings wonderful blessings.
Ephesians 1:3
We are united with Christ.
Romans 8:10
We shall live with Him.
Romans 6:8
-
To “taste”
the good Word of God is presented throughout the Bible as
delicious. God’s Word is symbolized as something we are to
taste.
-
Psalms 119:103
We are craving for the words of God. See:
Psalms 119:131.
-
Deuteronomy 8:3
We have a spiritual side of us that can only be satisfied by
tasting God’s Word. Jesus quotes this in
Matthew 4:4
when He is tempted by Satan to turn stones into bread. We learn
that physical bread doesn’t sustain life, God does.
-
I
Peter 2:3
We long for the Word with all of our being. Once someone has
experienced the delights of the Lord, he should want to return
again and again. (Just as one will return again and again to a
good restaurant.) The Word causes us to grow and mature in the
faith. Only the “pure” word is tasty. In ancient times, milk
was mixed with gypsum to increase volume, but it contaminated
the milk. It was not as good for you. The same is true with
the Word of God. If it is tainted, it will stunt your growth.
-
Hebrews 5:12-14
When we are sometimes sluggish, we need to be taught again the
first principles. First we eat baby food, but then we need to
develop a taste or appetite for meat, the deeper things in God’s
Word. Learn to enjoy the Word. This involves exercising your
senses to distinguish right from wrong. Exercise increases our
appetite.
-
Bread,
milk, honey, solid food: All of these must be received within
if any physical good results. You will starve if all you
do is look at pictures of food. Note:
James 1:21
II. Eating
Food
Jesus equated
doing God’s will with eating food.
John
4:31-34
God’s will is nourishment for the soul. Christ’s purpose was not to
satisfy fleshly desires, but to do the Father’s will. Often He
became so absorbed in accomplishing His mission, He often forgot
about eating.
Job
23:12
III.
Banqueting Feast
The Kingdom of
Heaven is pictured as a banquet in which men from regions all over
the world would sit down with patriarchs.
Matthew 8:11
We shall enjoy
the blessings and benefits of the fruit of the tree of life.
Revelation 22:1-2
Taste how gracious the Lord is !
Invitation:
Jesus invites
each of us to that eternal feast. Come in faith and obedience.
Bobby Stafford
April 8, 2012
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