The Word Became Flesh
Notes
Transcript
OFFERING MESSAGE
Psalm 37:3–6 (ESV)
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
I like verse 4, but I must do verse 3 and 5.
TRUST.
Tithing is God’s first test of stewardship.
Psalm 37:23–26 (ESV)
23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; 24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. 26 He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 37
The person who is content is free to do good, e.g., to give generously to those in need. Without such contentment one might be greedy and envious, or else be fearful over one’s own poverty
Tithing is a test of stewardship
Offering is a test of contentment
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HONOR
TITLE — THE WORD BECAME FLESH
What we are going to talk about today is something that is crucial to our faith.
This is something - that if you disagree with this - if you compromise on this issue. I do not believe you are a Christian.
There are open-handed and closed-handed issues. NATIONAL AND STATE BOARDERS
We can disagree on a lot! and that can be healthy
But this — we cannot be in disagreement
I am talking about the incarnation.
How the Word became flesh.
How God put skin on.
This is the celebration of Christmas — Christ came! Jesus is here!
God is here — as a human!
FULLY GOD and FULLY MAN
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
God became one with us so that we might become one with Him.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
PURPOSE OF JOHN
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Christ was in the beginning with God and took part in creation. He IS God.
Different functions but SAME SUBSTANCE
How did God create?
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
God spoke. It was the Word of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Word became flesh — The Word of God is Christ.
This is what we call the incarnation.
Christ is the embodiment of the Word of God.
The embodiment of who God really is.
Christ is God’s self-expression
God - sending His Son - solidifies His Word!
We are not here to hear a message and give mental assent to it. We are not just in some intellectual club.
But through Christ - we SEE the WORD in action.
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Jesus - Is God’s Word in ACTION!
You and I - as follower of Christ — are to be HIS WORD IN ACTION.
Hebrews 1:1–3 (ESV)
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.
God communicates through His Word.
And us - humans - having the Imago Dei - We communicate through words.
We are the only piece of creation that can fully communicate and create languages. Nothing else comes close to our level of communication.
Words are powerful
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
Every person has had to put their foot in their mouth at some point. Some people, like myself, more than others.
In the digital, information age that we live in, words are cheap, constant, and noisy. In our world, one sentence, one six second video, one phrase uttered from your lips could change your life forever through the power of the internet.
Dude who wrote that anti-woke song and blew up …
-Some politician that ruined his career by saying something stupid
The timeless Word of God is more timely than ever and careless and uncontrolled speech can bring much destruction unlike any other time in human history.
How many truths are twisted?
How many lies are told?
How many facts are buried?
How many news stories are fake?
How many classroom lectures are indoctrination?
How many ads are false claims?
How many juicy gossip stories are myths?
How many social media platforms are throttling good and promoting evil?
How many politicians know they are spinning facts rather than serving the Father?
How many lawyers generate income by doing what Paul called suppressing the truth?
How many PR firms are violating the commands against lying and false witness in favor of building and defending a narrative?
In our world of click-bait and ad revenue cashing in on the emotions of anger and fear, loving God with all our tongue is like fighting gravity.
WORDS ARE A GAGE
WORDS ARE A GAGE
So James, being nearly 2,000 years removed from us, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is addressing an issue that is just as important then as it is now … maybe, because of the internet and media, even more so.
You can gage a persons maturity by their words.
Really, James is saying you can judge someone’s life by their words.
Many, if not all, sins begin with a word. It may be spoken outwardly or silently ‘spoken’ inwardly
The thoughts of our mind will lead to the direction of our life.
And your words are the thermometer to your heart. Wanna know the condition of your heart? Check your words.
James, like his older half-brother Jesus, see your words as the barometer of your spirituality.
WORDS ARE DANGEROUS
WORDS ARE DANGEROUS
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
In James’s day the king or emperor would set up his statue in the cities of his realm. If anyone insulted or cursed the statue, they were treated as if they had cursed the emperor to his face, for the statue was the image of the emperor. Therefore the insulting of a person, made in God’s image, is like insulting God himself.
We all are in danger of this fire that can be set ablaze by your words.
The Universal danger is your words and the misuse of your words.
Silence is better than wrongful speech
If the devil can control your tongue he can control your life.
And we’ve all experienced hurtful words … What should we do?
Well, we don’t put those people on blast
Let’s not create MORE DAMAGE by doing the EXACT SAME THING that was done to us
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
If someone offends you --- don’t go talk to 4 other people about it because you need to “vent.”
No that’s called gossip
Where should you go? To the person that offended you.
If you can’t say it to their face then it shouldn’t be said
WORDS ARE A BLESSING
WORDS ARE A BLESSING
I don’t know about you, but I love to receive compliments
I’m a words of affirmation guy and it just makes me feel good.
Girls and guys being so different about this … The one time Cristy Sparkle told me I had pretty eyes when I was 11
They say it takes 17 compliments to outweigh a negative word spoken in your mind
Halley’s Bible Handbook (James 3:1–12. The Tongue)
Our words steer our lives and direct our destiny.
For our words to change - our heart must change
As we are in this Christmas season, it is amazing to point out this emphasis that God put on words in sending His son Jesus
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
This is why you can’t love Jesus and NOT do what He said.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
God’s self-expression became flesh and blood
If God takes such a high value of words — you and I, made in the image of God, shouldn’t we do the same?
Psalm 39:1 (ESV)
1 I said, “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence.”
Psalm 37:30–31 (ESV)
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.