We, humans, have more ways to communicate with each other than at any other time in history, from FaceTime, text messaging, phone calls, old-fashioned snail mail, and more. Our propensity for communication comes straight from our Heavenly Father, who created us not only to communicate with others but, most importantly, to communicate with Him. In our Bible study today, we will look at Psalm 19 and discover two primary ways God communicates with us: through His creation and His word.
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1. Read Psalm 19:1-6. What are some of the things God has revealed about Himself through nature?
Psalm 19:1-6
The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 2Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. 3They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. 4Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. 5It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. 6The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat.
2. How have you experienced God speaking through His creation?
3. Read Psalm 19:7-14. Name some of the things God communicates to us through His Word.
Psalm 19:7-14
The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. 9Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. 10They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. 11They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them. 12How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. 13Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. 14May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
4. What is the impact of committing to a lifetime of following God’s instructions in Scripture? How have you experienced the benefits of obeying God’s instructions in your own life?
1. What things in our world today keep us from paying attention to God’s communication to us through His creation and Scripture?
2. Name some of the components of listening to someone, whether they are giving instructions, teaching, or encouragement? How does your answer to this question impact your understanding of what it means to listen to God’s communication to us?
3. What does it look like in our world today to commit to listening to God’s instruction to us?
Divide up into groups of two and three. Share with the people in your group something that is distracting you or threatening to distract you from listening to God’s communication to you. After your group has shared, pray together. Confess any distractions that may be keeping you from listening to Him, commit to letting go of them, and ask Him to help you as you seek to do this.
Scripture is one of the main ways that God communicates with us through His Word. In our study today, we will look at three things God reveals to us in His Word: instructions for living, our inability to keep His instructions in our own power, and our need for a Savior. For the next few minutes, turn to Scripture to study these three things that God makes known as we read His Word.
Of course, one of the main topics revealed to us in His Word is how God’s people are called to live. Scripture introduces the idea of sin, disobedience toward God, and also guides us with instructions on how to live lives that honor God. Take a few moments to read some of God’s instructions to us in His Word.
1. Read Exodus 20:1-17 and Matthew 22:35-40.
Exodus 20:1-17
Then God gave the people all these instructions: 2“I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. 3“You must not have any other god but me. 4“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. 7“You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. 8“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. 12“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 13“You must not murder. 14“You must not commit adultery. 15“You must not steal. 16“You must not testify falsely against your neighbor. 17“You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”
Matthew 22:35-40
One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” 37Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
2. What did Jesus reveal about the 10 Commandments by His response in Matthew 22?
3. Do you think all of these commandments are easy to keep or difficult? Why?
4. How might someone benefit from following all of these instructions in both passages of Scripture you read?
Not only does Scripture give us instructions for living, but it also reveals our own sin and our inability to keep all His instructions perfectly. Because of our sin nature, none of us is perfect. None of us has ever been able to or will be able to perfectly obey all of the instructions God gives us in Scripture. As a result, reading God’s instructions to us in His Word reveals our sin and our inability to perfectly keep God’s commands in Scripture.
1. Read Romans 3:9-20.
Romans 3:9-20
Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. 10As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one. 11No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” 13“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” 14“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 15“They rush to commit murder. 16Destruction and misery always follow them. 17They don’t know where to find peace.” 18“They have no fear of God at all.” 19Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
1. What words do you see repeated in this passage of Scripture? What does their repetition convey to us about our sin problem?
2. How does this passage of Scripture go against the line of thinking that if we are generally “good” people, we can be made right with Him through our good works?
3. Why is revealing “how sinful we are” an important function of Scripture?
Because Scripture reveals our sin and inability to live according to God’s perfect standards, it leads us to conclude that we need help in order to be made right with God and live lives according to His Word. Specifically, we need a Savior, Jesus, who paid the price for our sins and offers the hope of eternal life that can only be found in Him.
1. Read Romans 3:21-26.
Romans 3:21-26
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
2. What is required, according to this passage of Scripture, in order to be made right with God? Why?
3. Is the truth that you cannot do anything in order to be made right with God easy or difficult for you to comprehend? Why or why not?
4. How does this understanding that God “makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus impact the way you think about your relationship with Him and sin’s impact on your life?
The good news of the hope found in Jesus is meant to be shared with everyone around us. The Bridge Illustration, available here and on the Sagebrush App, is a helpful tool for spreading the hope of Christ to everyone around us. Break up into groups of three and practice sharing the Bridge Illustration with each other. Remember, the more you are familiar with it, the better prepared you will be to share your faith when opportunities arise.
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