God's Word is worth more than a thousand images.
Read / Listen
Read 2 Peter 1:16-21
Listen to passage & devotional:
Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 98
Q. But may not images be
permitted in the churches
as teaching aids for the unlearned?
A. No, we shouldn’t try to be
wiser than God.
He wants his people instructed
by the living preaching of his Word—
not by idols that cannot even talk.
Summary
In the early Christian Church, when the people of God gathered for worship, they would read from God’s Word. It is incredible to think that the people of God have been hearing from this very same Word in worship for thousands of years.
Just as you have read and listened to scripture read during worship this year, believers all over the world have as well. Just as you have read and listened to scripture during worship this year, so too have believers for centuries.
The Apostle Peter reminds the Church that the Word of God, the Bible, is completely reliable. It shines a light on the darkness of this world, telling you of God’s incredible power, sovereignty, and grace as it helps you to understand who God is, and how much he loves you. God reveals Himself to you in his Word.
Dig Deeper
On Tuesday, we briefly discussed the three parts of a worship service: Approach, Word, Response. The Word is central to our worship. We hear from the Bible, God’s Word. The sermon expounds upon God’s word, helping us to better understand what God wants from His people as it instructs us how we can worship and serve Him. The Lord’s Supper and baptism are visible signs of God’s incredible grace, helping us to understand in a tangible way what he has done for us.
The Word is central to worship because of how important it is to the Christian life. If we are not spending time in God’s Word, how can we be transformed by the Holy Spirit through it? The Apostle Peter reminds fellow believers that the prophets foretold of Jesus. They spoke of the one who would come: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (Is. 7:14).”
God did not give the Church images or pictures for worship; He gave us the Bible. The Bible is to be read in worship, just as it has been for thousands of years. The scriptures are to be used for preaching and teaching God’s people. God wants us to know Him. The only way to know God is to read His Word, and hear it preached.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Heavenly Father, who cannot be depicted in an image;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: May I seek out the true preaching of your word so that I may be transformed by it;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 7
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