Why the Word Matters!
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Intro:
Intro:
The Original attack against our First Parents by satan was an attack against the Word of God.
1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden.
3 But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’ ”
4 “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman.
5 “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
(1) Satan created doubt “Did God Really Say?”
Do you think Satan was aware what God said?
It is relatively clear Satan was on the scene in the garden from it’s inception.
What did God say?
15 The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden,
17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”
(17) “You will certainly die” in Hebrew the literal translation is “Dying you shall die!” the CSB render’s that “you will certainly die” This is death without an ambiguity. Notice what the woman says in Genesis 3:3
3 But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’ ”
(3) “you must not eat it or touch it, or you will die” in this small phrase in response to the Serpent. Even both “added” and “Subtracted” from the word of God.
She added-We can’t touch it. She made the prohibition more restrictive.
She subtracted-The absoluteness of Death. She made the consequence ambiguous.
4 “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman.
(4) Satan move from creating doubt to defying God’s word. Once he saw that “Eve” was willing to add/subtract and distort the word of God he had her!!!! Not can go in for the killshot.
(4) Rather than use the same “Hebrew Construction” as Eve Satan referred back to the original construction in Genesis 2:17
17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”
(17) Satan did not defy Eve’s hermeneutic of God’s word he went to the source.
Satan says to Eve. You are good! the Consequence of God found in (17) have no validity. He only said that because he is concerned about competition. He does not want any equals so he fabricated this consequence to scare you into submission.
Since the Beginning of Human History Satan has been on a concerted mission to deconstruct the reliablity, inspiration and perspicuity of the text. He has done this because he is well aware of what it is able to produce.
Jesus recognizes the importance of the reliablity of the scripture as he live his life in alignment of the 300 OT prophecy that he had to fulfill listen to him on the Cross bleeding out yet still fulfilling OT prophecy in John 19:28
28 After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now finished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, he said, “I’m thirsty.”
I. The Word is our Spiritual Trainer
I. The Word is our Spiritual Trainer
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,
17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
(16) “All scripture is inspired by God”
is the Christian doctrine that God supernaturally guided the human authors of the Bible so that their writings accurately communicate His word and will. In Christian theology, it means the Bible is not merely a collection of human ideas, but is uniquely (), carrying divine authority.
Verbal Plenary-The belief that God superintended the writing process so that the exact words (verbal) of the entire Bible(plenary) are divinely inspired, while still preserving the human author's unique style and personality.
Conceptual Inspiration-The view that God inspired the core thoughts and concepts of the text, but left the human authors completely free to choose their own words and expressions. Under this view, the wording itself is not divinely protected.
Mechanical Dictation Theory-The belief that human authors were passive instruments—essentially dictation machines or robots—who simply wrote down audible words spoken by God, bypassing their own personalities entirely.
Illumination/Neo Orthodox view-The belief that the text itself is not inherently the word of God, but it becomes inspired dynamically when the Holy Spirit uses it to speak to a reader's heart.
The Verbal Plenary view captures the essence of the “theopneustos” or “God-Breathed”
21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
The message was not trump up by man but under the auspices of the spirit.
“Men Spoke” within the parameters of their own personalities, intelligence level, and experiences
“carried along” this word carries the idea of the wind the presses against a sail that moves a boat.
Teaching: Establishing core doctrines and showing us the right path to walk.
Rebuking: Pointing out where we have stepped off the path or gone astray.
Correcting: Showing us how to get back on the right path and make things right.
Training in righteousness: Providing ongoing discipline to stay on the path and live a life that honors God.
II. The Word is our revealer
II. The Word is our revealer
12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
(12) The Word of God is living and effective-This description by the writer of Hebrews tells us this book is wholy different than any other book because it appeals to and transform the Spiritual part of us.
Rather you believe in Tripartism or Bipartism-We all recognize we are body and spirit.
The word is called living and effective because it does surgery on the spirit. No other book does that.
(12) “Sharper than any double-edged sword” The Roman Sword was sharpened to kill. The word of God is sharpened to heal. It is not a sword but a surgeon scapel.
(12) It penetrates as far as the seperation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. Notice the physical metaphor. It goes beyond the bones but inside the bones to the marrow.
(12) “it judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” most books address actions, but the bible address both the actions and the actual motives of the actions.
III. The Word is our guide
III. The Word is our guide
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.
Notice the metaphor David uses in the Psalm. He describes the word as a “lamp” or “lantern”
How important where lights in the ancient world?
In the absence of lights in the ancient world it was pitch black. A “lamp” in the ancient world allowed you to function even when’s its dark.
This text tells us “God’s Word” allows us to function when all the lights are turned off.
Saints as christian our journey is lived in the physical world but our movement in the mission of God is spiritual. Every decision, every friendship, every interactions has spiritual ramifications. But none of us can see into the spirit world. That is invisible to us. But if would lean on the word it allows us to move and function in a world that is invisible to us and have maximum impact in the kingdom.
The early church was persecuted because their testimony and impact was being felt not only in the physical world but more importantly in the spiritual world.
Your children, who you said would be plunder, your sons who don’t yet know good from evil, will enter there. I will give them the land, and they will take possession of it.
IV. The Word is our teacher
IV. The Word is our teacher
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 For learning wisdom and discipline; for understanding insightful sayings;
3 for receiving prudent instruction in righteousness, justice, and integrity;
4 for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced, knowledge and discretion to a young man—
5 let a wise person listen and increase learning, and let a discerning person obtain guidance—
6 for understanding a proverb or a parable, the words of the wise, and their riddles.
(1) Pithy Statements, Truism or observation
What is the intent of proverbial statements?
(2) Learning wisdom and discipline, for understanding insightful sayings
Wisdom-application of knowledge. The Hebrews defined it as “Skill at living”
(3) The Proverbs part of the wisdom literature is meant to lead us into righteousness(right living), justice, and integrity.
Justice carries the idea of “consistency”
11 For there is no favoritism with God.
(11) “favortism or partiality” this word means- “one the face” “or “according to the face” justice means to not make decision according to “the face” but according to truth.
(4) The word is the only thing that helps you “grow up” Men of God this is unrelated to age. You can have a 30 year old man with more wisdom and understanding than a 70 year old. Because the 30 year old has spent time in the word learning and applying the knowledge he has gained.
V. The Word is our restrainer
V. The Word is our restrainer
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping your word.
10 I have sought you with all my heart; don’t let me wander from your commands.
11 I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.
(9) Notice the simplicity of this answer. I can hear some of yall. Pastor it ain’t that simple!!!! When I hear people say that the have not yet learned to use the word as a sword and yield themselves to the text. It’s a submission issue not a word issue.
(10) “don’t let me wander from your commands” The word will restrain you from wander!
3 O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above….Come thou fount of every blessing
(11) “treasured” means to shelter or store up. David says I have ‘hid” you word in my heart then he tells us why?
“so that I may not sin against you”
David says one of properties of the word is its ability “to restraining” us.
Men it’s not magic. Its supernatural power that comes from scripture that applies to places that we struggle.
Every man should know his own propensity?
14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire.
(14) “Entice” is the word lured. Each man is “lured” by his own flesh.
Application: You must have scripture that addresses your own struggles.
Worry
25 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?
2. Anger
28 A person who does not control his temper is like a city whose wall is broken down.
3. Lust
28 But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
22 Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
4. Sexual Immorality
18 Flee sexual immorality! Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body.
19 Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
20 for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.
5. Pride
18 Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
VI. The Word is our Weapon
VI. The Word is our Weapon
13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.
14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest,
15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace.
16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God.
What do you notice about the full of armor of God especially as it relates to the Sword?
It is the only offensive weapon we have against the world, the flesh and the devil
Will power
Black Power
White power
Political affiliation
accountablity without the word
All of these will fail against “The world, flesh and devil” the only thing these three enemies can’t defeat is the word. Let’s take a quick look at Jesus:
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2 After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
3 Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,
6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, and they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”
7 Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
9 And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and began to serve him.
Tell me what repeated phrase you see in this narrative?
(4,6,7) “it is written”
Tell me why you think Jesus didn’t just tell Satan to “shut up” but instead appealed to scripture?
Remember Jesus must win this battle within the bound of his humanity based on the Genesis 3:15
15 I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.
So he is also showing us how to battle spiritual forces despite our human limitations. Jesus fought Satan with only the OT as NT belie
VII. The Word is the only place biblical hope comes from
VII. The Word is the only place biblical hope comes from
4 For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.
15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
14 The Lord then said to Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua: I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven.”
15 And Moses built an altar and named it, “The Lord Is My Banner.”
16 He said, “Indeed, my hand is lifted up toward the Lord’s throne. The Lord will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Why did Moses build this altar?
The Lord is my Banner-Jehovah Nissah
(4) “For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction” The OT is our life story. It is our new family tree. All the stories that apply to the OT saints with the warnings and blessing.
and why?
so that we may have “hope”-is the confident, patient, and joyful expectation of good things to come based on the character and promises of God.
Saints our Hope is built on God’s promises not probablities like the world.
So we can look past our trials & tribulations to something greater because we know this is not our final destinations. Listen to what the Hebrew writer said motivated Jesus to keep going Hebrews 12:2
2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus look past the pain to the glory!!! and he found strength from the OT prophets, priest, and people from the OT.
VII. The Word is our only means for Salvation
VII. The Word is our only means for Salvation
10 as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.
11 There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one.
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.
13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
