God's Living Word
Notes
Transcript
God's Living Word-
Introduction-
Wise parents desire the best for their children, wise people should desire the best for themselves if they don't have children. Individuals with integrity will seek the best investment of time, talents, and treasures. In every area of our lives, to settle for less would be wasteful, foolish, and irresponsible. Yet there is a unnatural pull to move toward what is convenient and comfortable, which is not necessarily best.
In biblical times the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ was difficult for the Jews and Gentiles to accept. Even though the Jews had been looking for the Messiah to come for centuries, they were entrenched in thinking and worshipping in traditional forms of Judaism. Following Jesus seem to repudiate their marvelous heritage and scriptures. With caution and questions they listen to the gospel, but many rejected it and sought to eliminate this so called heresy in their eyes. Some of those who did except Jesus found themselves torn slipping back into familiar routines, trying to live a hybrid faith.
This scary and dangerous, living a hybrid faith can make someone question the words of the bible. Which means if they are trying to serve two masters and start to be pulled away from God they may start to wonder if the word of God is dead. How many dead books have we read in our life. How many dead words have we use in our life. How many dead songs have we listen to in our life. I heard a famous rap artist say that people believe the bible is like a comic book.
We have to examine today what the writer of Hebrews says about the word of God because by the leading of the holy spirit he wrote the encouragement and warning to those Christians who were struggle with their faith. So if you are struggle to believe today, if you are struggling wanting to go back to the rituals of your old belief before you met Christ, I pray that this word encourages you today to stand firm.
Hebrews 4:12 NRSV
12 Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.
Background-
Premise-
The first-century audience of Hebrews was experiencing opposition to their faith in Jesus and facing pressure to give up. The writer reassures them that everything they seek can be found in Christ. Hope in Christ is so much better than what society has to offer. Once their entire lives are transformed in Christ, the believers can withstand any persecution the world throws their way.
Recipitants
The Christians who first received Hebrews were probably the target of social rejection from Jews and increasing pressure from those of other religions. The recipients may have lived in Rome or the surrounding area, as indicated by the greetings sent by people from Italy. Heb 13:24
Those who were following Jesus was creating tension with the surrounding world, and they were unsure of which way to go. The author of Hebrews was concerned that they were close to abandoning their faith in Jesus—and it seems that some from the community had already done so. He writes to remind these wavering believers that Christ is superior to everything else. He challenges them to remain committed to their confession and to bear suffering with patient endurance. Rather than becoming discouraged by looking around them, they should look to Christ and to heroes of faith who have gone before.
When we face times of doubt and fatigue, we still have a source of hope: We will never find anything better to anchor us than Christ. He is worthy of our full devotion; he is the human incarnation of the image of God. And we know that in Him we have one who can sympathize with our weaknesses, for He Himself was tempted but was without sin (4:15). Our hardships should not be the primary object of our focus—instead, we are called to turn our focus on Jesus.
Observation-
Hebrews 4:12 NRSV
12 Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.
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The beautiful thing about God's word is that it is living and it is active. But also it is not only living and active in the spirit realm it is also living and active in the earth. There are things that we know of that are living but they are not active. We know people who are living but not active. Let me clarify, I am not talking about people who are paralyzed are the sick who are not able to be active.
But I am talking about people who have the God given ability to live and be active in this world and they are not. There are words that live in this world but they are not active. What I mean is that there are words that live in this world that come from the devil that come from people that want to deter you from being active for Christ.
The great thing is that God's word doesn't deter us from being active it is a word that promotes action. Which means that we don't believe in a dead God or a dead book. He is living and active and His word is living and active for His people.
When God's word was revealed at creation God was speaking and things were happening. When God's word was revealed as law, if you didn't obey that law it was active that you would face a consequences for not obeying. When God's word was revealed as prophecy he spoke it or it was an active movement to the hearts and lips of the prophets, and also with prophecy came an active promise. That promise was fulfilled by judgment or by blessing.
In which God's word is so alive and active it causes our minds, hearts and souls, to choose. Which do we want judgment or blessing? God's word is os alive and active that He even told us in Deut. 30:19 "I have given you the choice between life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants might live. "
GOd's word is so living and active, He talks about earlier in this chapter about the promise of rest for His people. That promise of rest is connected to another promise of His people being in the promise land. These promises came true for those who believed and were obediant. Those that were not obediant didn't receive the promise. But that is a great picture for us today because in our context heaven is our promise land, but the question is are we going to live like disciples of the promise. Are we going to be alive and active with God's word.
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Illustration-
I came to Christ when I was 25 years old. And I would hear people say that the bible unbelievable because it was written by men and men were the ones who put the bible together and all of these things like it was a dead book. Alot of the times what people miss is the holy spirit was and is active in the writing of the bible and the putting it together. The reason why I say this is because when we come to God's word there is a interaction like no other book. I'm sitting there with this book at 25 years old and this was something else that I had never experience. I was reading the bible, but the bible was also reading me. With every page turn came hope and conviction. When I came to Christ I was coming from a whole another belief. As I took this daily walk with the living and active word of God, I started to see and feel His power that this is something different than going to mass, this is something different than going to confession, this is something different that praying the rosary.
I was Catholic, but in coming to Christ I had to remove myself from the church because this living and active word of Christ was showing me that salvation came through Him. And I was convicted of all the things I was doing and I had to choose to let God change me or I would stay the same.
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Observation-
12 Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.
In our context of scripture the writer of Hebrews talks about this living and active word being like a two-edge sword. But it says that it is sharper than any two-edge sword which in the culture there were other two edge swords but this one which is God's word is like know other.
The writer of Hebrews says it pierces until it divides, alot of people don't want to encounter God's word because they do not want that piercing. But in our culture we will get everything pierced our ears our nose, lips and other body parts. But this type of spiritual piercing can hurt a little more because it divides.
The writer of Hebrews says that it divides the soul from the spirit. Now let's slow down a little bit and deal with this. So there is a belief that is called dichotomy which means that some people will say that the human body is soul and spirit. There is another belief that is called trichotomy that says that the human body is mind, body, and soul. In the context of the bible sometimes soul and spirit are used parallel with each other. The soul is what animates us it is also connected to our personality. So the soul is connected to our thoughts, our attitudes, and the intentions of our hearts. The spirit is what gives us our connection to God. It is what gives us a unique status above the plants and the animals because of our spiritual connection to God.
So whatever you believe if you believe in dichotomy which is the body is soul and spirit, or if you believe in trichomony which is the body is mind body and soul 3 parts. The writer of Hebrews tells us that the two edge sword goes so deep it can pierce every area of our heart intentions, those deep dark areas that are covered by sin in which the sword in co-laboring with the holy spirit does this spiritual surgery to bring God's word to the innermost parts of ourselves.
I believe that the writer of Hebrews is trying to let us know about the invasive quality of the Word of God. Which means that something undesirable that spreads very quickly and that is very difficult to stop from spreading. This is the perfect analogy because what is God's word to a unbeliever, what is God's word to a disobedient Christian, undesirable.
This is why I believe the writer of Hebrews is trying to encourage the people to desire Christ and His word is desirable, because earlier in chp. 4 he talks about God's rest that He offers to the believer which is His salvation. That wonderful rest that He offers, this is why I believe that the writer of Hebrews is echoing the Old Testament because he does not want his readers to become replicas or copy cats of the wilderness generation.
In our language the writer of Hebrews doesn’t want believers to become sus. Sus is used as a synonym of suspicious, or suspect, as in “you've been acting pretty sus, I think you're up to something.” It's a slang word used to say that someone or something shouldn't be trusted.
If were not trusted to uphold the standard of the faith how can God trust us and how can people trust us, and then they wont trust God because of the way we are acting.
12 Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.
This is why I am thankful that the writer of Hebrews says that no creature is hidden. The writer moves from the word of God to talking about God himself. The idea here of being naked is that all things are opened to be examined by God. Exposure to the word of God means, exposure to God specific dealings with us in our lives. Because it is all laid bare for His eyes. All things render themselves to His power, like the bible says in Philippians 2:10-11, every knee shall bow every tongue shall confess that Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father.
Closing-
Christ can see everything He is not near sighted, He is not far sighted He is clear sighted, He doesn't have 20/20 vision, He has eternal vision, and there is nothing in our lives we can conceal from him. He discerns whether we are responding with faith or unbelief, even before our thoughts find expression in our actions. God knows us through and through, while we are so often sin-deceived and self-deceived. Let us welcome the powerful and discerning word of God to work deeply in us to transform and change us.
