John Piper's powerful message about Scripture memorisation

John Piper begins this 47 minute sermon with a 15 minute recitation of Psalms 1, 16, 103, Romans 5:1-8 and chapter 8, Matthew 6:25-34, concluding with 1 Corinthians 13.

He says that although he has attended church all of his life, it was not until he was aged 32 that he heard someone recite God's Word in church. It had a powerful impact on him and has led him to pursue memorising Scripture ever since.

If it is worth an actor learning his lines so that he doesn't have to hold a book in front of him while he plays his part; and if a musician will practise until she can play her whole program of pieces without reference to the sheet music, why don't we think it is worth committing the Word of the living God to memory also?

Piper points out some of the numerous benefits of having Christ's words abide in you:

1. Memorizing Scripture makes meditation possible at times when I can’t be reading the Bible, and meditation is the pathway of deeper understanding.
2. Memorizing Scripture strengthens my faith because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ, and that happens when I am hearing the word in my head.
3. Memorizing Scripture shapes the way I view the world by conforming my mind to God’s viewpoint.
4. Memorizing Scripture makes God’s word more readily accessible for overcoming temptation to sin, because God’s warnings and promises are the way we conquer the deceitful promises of sin.
5. Memorizing Scripture guards my mind by making it easier to detect error—and the world is filled with error, since the god of this world is a liar.
6. Memorizing Scripture enables me to hit the devil in the face with a force he cannot resist, and so protect myself and my family from his assaults.
7. Memorizing Scripture provides the strongest and sweetest words for ministering to others in need.
8. Memorizing Scripture provides the matrix for fellowship with Jesus because he talks to me through his word, and I talk to him in prayer.