The God Who Speaks

A Sermon on God's Greatness Revealed in Scripture

Over the past few weeks, we've been contemplating the greatness of God together. We've seen His greatness displayed in multiple ways.

We saw His greatness in His eternal nature—God who exists outside of time, who was there at the beginning and will be there at the end. Before the mountains were born, from everlasting to everlasting, He is God.

We saw His greatness in His creative power—God who spoke the universe into existence from absolutely nothing. The God who said "Let there be light," and light appeared. The God who commanded galaxies into being with just a word.

And we saw His greatness in His goodness—God who didn't create a bland, utilitarian world but lavished beauty and flavor upon us. Trees pleasing to the eye and good for food. Sunsets that take our breath away. Relationships that fill our hearts. A God who is not only great, but profoundly good.

Today, we turn our attention to another stunning display of God's greatness: His clear communication with us through Scripture.

Here's what I want to remind you of today: A God who speaks is a great God—and our God speaks.

Now, I'm not a trained counselor—I've had some seminary training in counseling and have done some counseling work as a minister—but even with my limited expertise, I can tell you this: no counselor worth their salt would ever encourage someone to give another person the silent treatment. No counselor would say, "Make them guess how you are feeling." Or "Punish them by being silent, that will make things better." Why? Because every counselor knows that healthy relationships require communication. In fact, one of the first things a counselor will tell a struggling couple is this: "You have to talk to each other." Silence doesn't solve problems—it creates them.

Think about what happens when communication breaks down in human relationships. Parents who won't talk to their children—the teenager desperately trying to understand what they did wrong, but met with cold silence. Spouses giving each other the cold shoulder—days or even weeks go by without meaningful conversation. Friends who ghost each other—text messages left on read, phone calls ignored, explanations never given.

Silence in relationships creates isolation. It breeds misunderstanding. It leaves us wondering, guessing, making assumptions that are often wrong. Silence can feel like rejection, like abandonment, like we don't matter enough to deserve an explanation.

But you know what really gets to me? When powerful, influential people treat regular people this way.

Now imagine if God treated us that way. Imagine if he created us and then gives us the silent treatment.

No explanation of who He is. No clarity about what He expects. No answers to our deepest questions. No comfort in our darkest moments. Just cosmic silence from a distant, uncaring deity.

That would be terrifying, wouldn't it?

But here's something absolutely remarkable about our God: He refuses to give us the silent treatment.

In fact, He's the complete opposite. He has gone to extraordinary lengths—lengths we can barely comprehend—to communicate clearly with us. And the way He has done so reveals His greatness in stunning ways.

I. GOD'S GREATNESS IN REFUSING SILENCE

Think about this for a moment: God didn't have to explain Himself to us.

He's God. He's the Creator. He's infinite and eternal and all-powerful. We're finite creatures, dust and breath, here today and gone tomorrow. He could have created us and left us to figure things out on our own. He owed us nothing.

Many ancient religions portrayed their gods exactly this way—distant, uncommunicating, unknowable. Mysterious deities who remained shrouded in silence, requiring priests and elaborate rituals just to get their attention, and even then offering no guarantees they would respond.

But our God chose differently.

Our God speaks. And He speaks because He loves.

Think about it in human terms. Why do parents talk to their children? Because they care. Because they want relationship. Because silence between parent and child creates distance, but communication creates intimacy and understanding.

God does the same with us. He speaks to us because we matter to Him. He communicates because He wants relationship, not just obedience. He reveals Himself because love refuses to remain hidden.

And here's what's remarkable: God's communication isn't vague or confusing. It's not cryptic riddles or mysterious hints. Granted, there are some mysteries about who God is and there are some portions of the Bible that may be hard to understand. But when it comes down to the things that matter most, He is clear and intentional.

He is clear about His holiness. We're not left guessing about who God is. Throughout Scripture, He reveals His character—His justice, His mercy, His faithfulness, His power.

He is clear about our sin. God doesn't sugarcoat our condition. He tells us plainly: humanity rebelled. We chose our way over His way. Sin entered the world and brought destruction with it. That's hard truth, but it's clear truth.

He is clear about His plan of redemption. God doesn't just diagnose the problem and leave us hopeless. From Genesis to Revelation, He unfolds His rescue plan. He promises a Savior. He sends His Son. He accomplishes redemption. He offers forgiveness.

Listen to what Scripture says about itself:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

God-breathed. These aren't just human words. This is God speaking.

2 Peter 1:20-21 - "No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."

God didn't leave it to chance. He superintended the process. He ensured His message came through clearly.

A God who speaks is a great God. Lesser gods remain mysterious and unknowable. But our God makes Himself known. He steps into the light. He reveals truth. He communicates with clarity.

When we open our Bibles, we're hearing the voice of the Creator. We're receiving communication from the Eternal One.

God refuses to give us the silent treatment. And that is a stunning display of His greatness.

A God who speaks is a great God—and our God speaks.

II. GOD'S GREATNESS IN THE DIVERSITY OF SCRIPTURE

Here's something else remarkable: God didn't give us just one type of writing. Instead, the Bible contains an incredible diversity of genres—different types of literature, each reaching us in different ways.

We have narrative and history—Genesis, Exodus, Acts. Real events involving real people. We learn theology by watching God work in the lives of Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, and Paul.

We have poetry—Psalms, Song of Solomon, Lamentations. Expressions of emotion. Worship. Lament. Joy. Grief. God speaks to our hearts, not just our minds.

We have wisdom literature—Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job. Practical guidance for navigating real life in a broken world.

We have prophecy—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Revelation. God pulls back the curtain on the future, showing He's sovereign over all of history.

We have law—Leviticus, Deuteronomy. God's standards revealing His holiness and justice.

We have epistles—Romans through Jude. Theological teaching and practical application for real churches facing real issues.

And we have the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Four perspectives on Jesus Christ, the culmination of everything God promised.

Why does this diversity matter? Because different people learn in different ways. Some connect with story. Some need clear statements and systematic theology. Some are moved by poetry and emotion. Some need practical wisdom.

God knows how we're wired—He made us! And He gives us His Word in forms that reach all of us.

And here's something remarkable about how God communicated: when the New Testament was written, it wasn't in elite, scholarly Greek used by philosophers and aristocrats. It was written in Koine Greek—the common, everyday language of the marketplace. Fishermen and farmers could read it. No advanced degree required.

Why? Because God values clarity over complexity. His message is for all people—rich and poor, educated and uneducated. The gospel isn't reserved for an intellectual elite. It's accessible to everyone.

But despite this incredible diversity, there's profound unity. Sixty-six books. Written over 1,500 years. By forty different authors—kings and shepherds, fishermen and tax collectors, doctors and scholars. Written in three languages. Spanning multiple continents and cultures.

By all human logic, this should be a contradictory mess. But it's not.

It's one coherent story from beginning to end. One message: God's redemptive plan for humanity.

Genesis introduces the problem. The Law shows God's holiness. The Prophets promise a Savior. The Gospels reveal Jesus. The Epistles explain what Jesus accomplished. Revelation shows how it ends—God dwelling with His people, all things made new.

One story. One message. One divine Author orchestrating it all.

This unity in diversity is miraculous. It's God's fingerprints all over every page. Behind the human authors was a divine Author ensuring His message came through clearly.

That's the greatness of God on display.

III. GOD'S GREATNESS IN SCRIPTURE'S POWER

Let me show you another way Scripture demonstrates God's greatness.

Listen to how Hebrews describes God's Word:

Hebrews 4:12 - "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Alive. Active. Sharper than any double-edged sword.

Notice: double-edged. A sword with two edges cuts in two directions. And God's Word does exactly that.

Edge One: Comfort and Hope

Scripture brings encouragement when we're in despair. It offers promises when we're drowning in uncertainty. It provides peace when chaos surrounds us.

Romans 15:4 - "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope."

How many of you have experienced this? You're going through something difficult, you open the Bible, and a verse jumps off the page speaking directly to your situation. I've had that happen countless times in my ministry—times when I didn't know what to say to someone in crisis, and God's Word gave me exactly what they needed to hear. It's like God saying, "I see you. I'm with you. I haven't forgotten you."

That's the comfort edge.

Edge Two: Conviction and Correction

But Scripture doesn't just comfort us. It also confronts us. It exposes sin we'd rather keep hidden. It challenges patterns we've grown comfortable with. It cuts through our self-deception.

2 Timothy 3:16 - "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."

Sometimes we read the Bible and feel uncomfortable because it's revealing something in our hearts that needs to change. It's convicting us of pride, selfishness, bitterness, unforgiveness. Recently in a Bible reading group I’m in someone said after I read today I decided I needed to do something that I said I wouldn’t do. It convicts us.

That's the conviction edge.

We need both edges. Hope without correction leads to complacency. Conviction without hope leads to despair. But God's Word provides the perfect balance.

And notice: the word of God is alive and active. Not "was" alive. Is. Present tense.

This isn't just a historical document. Scripture is living. It still speaks today. It's still transforming lives right now.

I've heard countless testimonies: "This verse changed my life." "God spoke to me through this passage."

That's because God's Word isn't dead letters on a page. It's the living voice of God, still speaking, still working, still powerful.

IV. GOD'S GREATNESS IN SCRIPTURE'S BEAUTY

Psalm 19:7–8 (NIV) — 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

Let me show you one more aspect of God's greatness: Scripture's sheer beauty.

The Bible is considered one of the most influential books in all of literature. It has shaped Western civilization. Even people who don't believe it's true acknowledge its literary power.

Let me pause here and share something personal with you.

I am amazed by authors who can write a compelling novel. I think about writers like C.S. Lewis (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) or J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter)—how they created entire worlds with their words, characters that feel real, stories that stay with you long after you've turned the last page. That takes extraordinary talent.

I am amazed by poets who can create words that move me. Now, I was never much for poetry in high school. It just didn't connect with me. But I remember reading Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken"—"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood"—and for the first time, I got it. I was moved by the arrangement of words. Suddenly I understood how a poet could capture something profound about life and choice in just a few carefully crafted lines.

I am astounded by composers who can create a symphony or a musical that moves me to tears. We lived in Philadelphia, and we would go to New York City on occasion. I'll always remember going to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. I sat there blown away by the music, wondering how amazing it is that someone could compose this. How do you create melodies and harmonies that bypass the mind and go straight to the soul? How do you arrange notes in such a way that they can make you weep or fill you with joy?

These are all displays of human creativity and brilliance. Gifts from God, certainly, but human gifts nonetheless.

But here's what I want you to grasp: if we're amazed by what human authors, poets, and composers can create, how much more should we be astounded by what God has done in the pages of Scripture?

The Bible isn't just another book. It's not just beautiful poetry or compelling narrative or moving prose—though it's all of those things.

It's a book that has the same power—no, even greater power—than Frost's poetry or Andrew Lloyd Webber's compositions. But it doesn't just move us emotionally for a moment. It changes lives. It transforms them. It turns enemies of God into children of God. It turns hateful people into loving people. It turns despairing people into hope-filled people.

It's a book that has given hope to millions across thousands of years. In every conceivable circumstance—persecution, poverty, illness, grief, injustice—people have opened this book and found reason to keep going, to keep believing.

It's a book that moves us to action. People have read Scripture and then gone out to fight injustice, care for the poor, feed the hungry, heal the sick, spread the gospel. Sometimes at great personal cost. Even to the point of death.

No other book in human history has done this. Not Shakespeare. Not Homer. Not Plato.

Only Scripture.

Why? Because behind the human authors was a divine Author. God Himself. The One who invented language, who created human minds, who understands the depths of the human heart.

When we read the Bible, we're not just reading human words about God. We're reading God's words to us.

That's why Scripture has power no other book possesses. That's why it's still changing lives 2,000 years later. That's why it will continue changing lives until Jesus returns.

The greatness of human creativity points us to something even greater—the creativity and power and love of God displayed in His Word.

Scripture also has layered meaning. There's a surface level a child can understand. Jesus loves me. God is good. Trust Him.

But there are also depths scholars spend a lifetime exploring and still discover new insights. You can read the same passage ten times and see something different each time.

It's both simple enough for a child and profound enough for the most brilliant theologian. That's intentional design. That's God's greatness.

A God who speaks is a great God—and our God speaks. And He speaks beautifully and powerfully.

V. SO HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We've seen God's greatness displayed in Scripture. He refuses to remain silent. He uses diverse genres to reach all types of people. He makes His Word powerful and beautiful.

So how do we respond?

First, read it regularly. God went to extraordinary lengths to communicate. The least we can do is read what He said. Commit to daily reading. Even five minutes. Even one chapter. Make it a habit.

Second, study it deeply. Don't just read—dig in. Ask questions. Use study tools. Join a Bible study. The more you study, the more you'll discover.

Third, believe it fully. Trust that God's Word is true. All of it. Let Scripture shape your worldview. When culture conflicts with Scripture, trust God's Word.

Fourth, obey it faithfully. James 1:22 - "Do not merely listen to the word. Do what it says." Knowledge without application is incomplete. When Scripture convicts you, repent. When it commands you to love, love. When it tells you to serve, serve.

Fifth, share it boldly. The good news is too good to keep to ourselves. Share verses that have encouraged you. Invite someone to read the Bible with you. Trust that God's Word is powerful.

CONCLUSION

What is our part – to listen!

Will you pick up your Bible this week? Will you read it with fresh eyes as the great and good God has spoken to us!

Will you let it comfort you when you're hurting? Will you let it convict you when you're straying? Will you let it transform you day by day?

He's waiting to speak to you. His Word is alive. And He has something to say to you today.

A God who speaks is a great God—and our God speaks.

God has spoken. The question is: Are we listening?

Let's pray.

PRAYER:

Father, thank You for refusing to give us the silent treatment. Thank You for speaking clearly, powerfully, beautifully through Your Word.

Forgive us for the times we've ignored what You've said. Forgive us for letting our Bibles gather dust while we searched for answers everywhere else.

Open our eyes to see Your greatness revealed in Scripture. Give us hunger to read it, wisdom to understand it, courage to believe it, and strength to obey it.

Help us this week to spend time in Your Word. Speak to us. Comfort us where we're hurting. Convict us where we're wrong. Transform us by the power of Your truth.

We love You, Lord. Thank You for speaking. Help us to listen.

In Jesus' name, Amen.