The Word
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Illustration: Ezra afraid of the dark so I taught her:
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
She would repeat this verse back to me and it helps her to calm down at night. The beautiful thing is that there have been 2 times now, one when we were at a family member’s home and the other when we were watching a movie. That Ezra heard this verse and got so excited...She says… mommy, mommy!! That’s my verse”.
It’s amazing to see the impact of God’s word in a four year old. And the excitement she has for knowing that verse and understanding that it applies to her, even at this age.
It made me think 🤔 ....do we adults, do I as an adult...have that same excitement for God’s word?
Well first do we know God’s word well enough to recognize it when we hear it?
And do we get excited about this 66 book letter that God has written that applies to us?
This morning I want to dive into then importance of God’s word.
We will be jumping around a little bit from scripture to scripture but we will be focusing on
Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Background: This scripture in Hebrew’s starts out with talking about entering rest. It just got done talking about the rest that the Israelite’s experienced when they entered the promise land...A physical rest from wandering and a spiritual rest following God. However, if you know the Israelites you know that their wandering does not stop when they enter the promise land.
They spiritually would wonder to and from the Lord. Each time this wondering would cause them to loose that rest God had given them. Their disobedience took peace from them.
Here in Hebrews, the author is urging those listening to not fall into the same disobedience that the Israelites did when they fell away from God. God has a rest, one that we can experience in this world but ultimately leads us to the full presence of God for eternity.
But how?
How do we not disobey God and wonder away? How do remain in him?
THE WORD
So this morning we are going to look at:
God’s Word is Alive
God’s Word Has Purpose
God’s Word Brings Change
GOD’S WORD IS ALIVE
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow,
Prince Philip with the sword of truth: The other night I was reading Ezra sleeping beauty before bed. Some of you may have seen this movie before. The princes is put to sleep by an evil fairy and a brave Prince is the only one who can save her.
Along with a shield, the prince is given a double edge sword 🗡 ( the sword of truth).
Prince Philip uses this sword to slice his way through tons of thorns and defeat a dangerous dragon to safe the princess.
unlike a single edge sword, double edge swords are best for cutting with quick direction changes and most effective in close combat.
Hebrews describes the word of God as sharper than a two edged sword.
First let’s look at the “word of God” here
The “word of God,” has been understood in this context to mean (1) Jesus; (2) the Bible; or (3) the message from God.
James Girdwood and Peter Verkruyse, Hebrews, The College Press NIV Commentary (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1997), Heb 4:12.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The Word here is referring to the Old Testament and the person of Jesus Christ (What God had recently done) bringing salvation through God in flesh...
The Christ who was with God from the very beginning of time.
So Hebrews is talking about scriptures as a whole (The Words of God).
And this word is ALIVE… it’s not just history, it’s not just nice poetry, it’s not just uplifting, it’s not just condemning.
It is breathing life still. When it is read, when it is spoken...in any situation things start happening.
So when we are wanting to obey God, when we want to live in his rest...We fight against what stands in our way...
With this double edge sword.
— comforting and convicting: Prince Phillips cutting through the thorns, piercing the dragon
(THE WAY TO FIGHT UNBELIEF/ disobedience IS CLINGING TO GOD’S WORD/ PROMISES)
Like a double edge sword cuts,
God’s word pierces the division of soul and of spirit, of joint and of marrow.
Do you know what marrow is?
Marrow is the soft tissue inside of your bones..
So what the author of Hebrew’s is telling us that like a sharp sword, that can cut through bone, to the inner (life giving part inside the bone).
God’s word breaks through and distinguishes our soul (our human self, feelings, desires, reasoning) and gets to our spirit (what connects us to God and what God is doing).
So God’s word is alive (it is what will keep us from trusting in ourselves, it is moving and acting)
And this living word has purpose.
GOD’S WORD HAS PURPOSE:
If we continue in Hebrews 4:12b.
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Here we are getting to the purpose of God’s word...
It’s been a week now and if you look outside we still see unmelted snow covering the ground.
Image with me for a second if snow ❄️ fell and right before it hit the ground turned and went straight back up into the clouds...
IDK some of us might like that.
But that would defeat it’s purpose to:
Insulates the ground — protects plants and soil from extreme cold
Stores water — slowly melts to refill rivers, lakes, and groundwater
Regulates climate — reflects sunlight and helps cool the Earth
.
Snow falls and covers the ground in a beautiful white that cares for God’s creation.
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Here God is saying that just like the snow ❄️ has a purpose and does not go back p to the clouds before that purpose is done. God’s word will do the same.
Every word has a purpose.
God’s word convicts and confronts us.
Just like the sword hitting to the marrow....God’s word, as Hebrew’s says, discerns the thoughts and intensions of the heart.
God’s word does not look at just what we do but why we do it...
When we read God’s word we are confronted with the truth.
And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
This word exposes in us what we need to bring before God..
The purpose of God’s word is to draw us to HIM. This entire letter leaves us with the challenge:
When we read of God’s goodness,
salvation,
and plan
we either have to accept it in our hearts and stand before God exposed...or shut it and return to darkness.
When we allow this living word to fulfill it’s purpose in us, then change comes.
GOD’S WORD CHANGES US:
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
When we cling onto God’s word...change happens.
There is a story in the old Testament about the prophet Ezekiel. During this time the Israelites had turned away from God. Ezekiel receives a vision of God’s glory and presence then given words from God to speak to the Israelites...
And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.
(The funny thing is the word God gave to Ezekiel at this time was one to tell Israel that they had fallen into sin and disobedience and they needed to turn back to God and repent....not really that sweet tasting message I would think).
This message was convicting/ Life changing
Lily’s sugar fast: Pastor Lily has been doing this sugar fast/ she’s cut out all sugar. She said that the third day in it felt like her body was in withdraw. It was so used to the sweet sugar put in many things we eat that she physically felt that it was no longer a part of her diet.
Ezekiel here, even though it is a message of conviction, describes the word of God as tasting sweet.
And this is not the only time in the bible that God’s word is described as sweet:
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Gracious words are like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
But why, are words that sometimes might feel bitter and hard to swallow be described as sweet?
But God doesn’t just stop with the message of downfall but give hope for change...
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
....I remember when I first started to really dive into God’s word, I was about 14 years old and I would stay up late just wanting to read more and more and more:
The word that was convicting, that was challenging, was also too sweet to put down.
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
God’s word is sweet, because if we let it, it will change us completely.
YES, it brings us bare before God.. with all of our blemishes,
BUT, When we stand before God and he makes us into a new creation (Born again).
since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;
Conclusion:
I would pray that just like a body can have physical withdraws from sweet sugar...We would be so into God’s word that without it we would feel that withdraw.
I pray that we would be so into God’s word what it would be sweeter to us than honey 🍯 ! That we would crave it more and more.
CHARGE:
Are you getting into the living word of God?
Are you trusting in God’s purpose he shows to us through HIS word even in difficulties ?
Are you letting it change you?
GUESS WHAT, if you aren’t experiencing some kind of change in your life. Then either you aren’t hearing or reading God’s word regularly or you aren’t allowing for it to reside in your heart.
