Martin Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981), called it “theology on fire.” Stephen Olford (1918-2004) called it “unction.” And John Piper calls is “expositional exultation.” They were referring to those powerful moments when God speaks to you in such power and glory through His Word by His Spirit that you are compelled to worship. 

It is in those moments of divine revelation that the Word of God becomes a window for you to see God in His glory. It is when words on a page become an internal witness that changes your heart. It is the supernatural encounter with God through His Word. 

We have had those moments in a small group Bible studies, when the Bible is taught or read. It is when you have what some call an “ah ha” moment, and you see what you had never seen before. As thrilling as those moments are, there is something uniquely different when we gather together with God’s people and hear the Word of God. There is something special and refreshing when we gather together, and the Word of God is read and preached in the context of corporate worship. Many of you understand what I mean because you have experienced it. I even experience it when I am preaching—God sometimes reveals something while I am preaching that I did not see in my preparation. 

As we study today, it is my prayer that God will give us understanding about those “ah ha” moments, and teach us to appreciate the importance of the preaching of the Word, as We Gather Together.