THE WORD

Well, we are continuing our study through the Book of Genesis the first book in the scripture the scripture that says the book of Beginnings. That's what Genesis means and Genesis really gives us a framework for understanding the world that we find ourselves in it tells us who we are it shows us where we are at gives us some understanding of what's gone wrong and it it gives us some insight into where creation is going. It reveals to us that God who was absolutely committed to a creation where he dwells with his people that God created all but even at the height of creation created mankind as Imager. God did not create this world to be separate from himself. God created the world and came into the world to dwell with his people the Genesis reveals to us how centers in in the world is broken and fragmented and have a relationship between God and His images became broken. God's we've been walking through Genesis has been a couple of things have been really really important to me one is to help us understand that the Bible is written for us, but it wasn't written to those were reading Genesis were reading an ancient near Eastern transcript a book a record and it has different cultural assumptions and cultural realities then then what we experience in our present culture and so to understand the actual message and stories at the Book of Genesis trying to give us we've got to place ourselves in that culture. But secondly and intended with that I've I've been trying to draw each week us back to how Genesis actually revealed to us Christ how Genesis is an ancient near Eastern documents, but that does not mean that it's not relevant to us today. It's absolutely relevant to us today because Genesis reveals to us Jesus. And that's a strange statement. I know if you've grown up in modern American evangelicalism, we're all about Jesus. But Jesus is a really big deal. But if you listen to most modern evangelicals talk about Jesus Jesus just shows up randomly the pages of the New Testament Jesus shows up two thousand years ago out of the blue. He's born we celebrate that cuz we did Christmas we teach them Sunday school stories about what happened in his 30 some-odd years of life and then we get to the really important thing his death burial resurrection. And so Jesus came to be born to die to rise again, if we believe in him, then we gets a load off to some place called heaven after we die. Jesus has been reduced to the Agents of Escape. Jesus came to get us out of Earth.

Fortunately for us the good news of the Gospel is actually much better news than that. Jesus didn't just come to get us out of here. Jesus came to bring Redemption to God's creation. And more importantly for our purposes this morning. Jesus did not just show up out of the blue. It breaks my heart that many in the in the modern American western church have shied away from the Old Testament have have moved away from Evangelical Pastor just a year-and-a-half ago so that we should unhitch ourselves from the Old Testament because it's too confusing. It's and the really important thing is that people just need to hear about Jesus if I can pray the prayer that can walk the aisle and they can make sure that after they die they go to heaven.

my response to that besides a deep sigh and shaking of my head is to say how do we understand Jesus at all without the context of the Hebrew scriptures are what we call the Old Testament because the the reality Y'all is that Jesus did not just show up 2,000 years ago. The Jesus that showed up in the Incarnation 2000 years ago is the same. Jesus has been involved as the agent of God's Redemption throughout time and history. Jesus is not someone that just appears in the New Testament. Jesus has always been around in the scriptures show him to us this morning. I want us to see again. how Jesus is the word he is the word of the Lord if you got your Bibles, we're going to start in Genesis chapter 15 Genesis chapter 15. We're in this texted a few weeks ago.

But I want you to see a couple of things in this text again, it says after these things the word of the Lord came to Abram inhibition important details in there. So we have this man Abram who's been called by God. He's been Covenant with God. God has a plan and a purpose for Abram and his life, but God is not only going to bless Abraham through Abram. God is going to bless all the peoples of the Earth. God has shown up in Abraham's life now in Genesis 15 God shows up. In real space-time in Real History. Showed up to the real man Abram it says the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. I don't think this means that she went into some hallucinatory state that they took some some peyote or some drugs or something had some sort of vision know the word of the Lord came to Abram if he was able to see him. abrahamism countering God in the real world And it says this Abram fear not I am your Shield your reward shall be very great. But avram said oh Lord God, what will you give me for a continued childless? The air of my house is Eliezer of Damascus Abraham said butthole. If you've given me no Offspring no seed and a member of my household will be my Heir God shows up and Abram says to him God you say that you're going to protect me you say that you're going to bless me. You promised me when you first called me that you would give me an offspring a seat. If you promise to give me a child, but my wife Sarah and I were still there and we're still infertile. We still have no see no air. Someone else was a member of my household one of my servants. He's going to inherit everything that I have.

Behold the word of the Lord again that that phrase the word of the Lord. We're so culturally conditioned when we hear the phrase the word of the lord. We think a Bible. Bible

The word of the Lord is an appearance of God himself. The word of the Lord came and said this man shall not be your are your very own son shall be your Heir and he brought him outside a little detail. Sometimes we miss them as we read through the experience the physicality of this text. Has shown up the word of the Lord is there and takes him outside and says look towards the heavens Number the Stars if you're able to number them any said to him, so shall your Offspring be? Reiterates the details of the Covenant Abram I promised you an offspring and I never break my promise. You will have an offspring your Offspring will be great.

We have this beautiful verse in Genesis 15:6 and he believe the Lord he trusted what God had said he gave a leech to he gave us to he put his his trust and his life in God has said and promised and God counted it to him. as righteous Abram is known as the father of faith. This this verse this moment in space-time history where God showed up to Abram and promised him. The God was at work in his life and when Abram believed him. God declares him righteous acceptable. They are in a relationship on the basis of his doesn't accept them because Abrams perfect Abrams not perfect. We've already seen it Genesis how imperfect Abram is and if we keep walking through the rest of it. We're going to see even more failure. That's not what God was looking for. y'all wasn't looking for someone that had it all together. Wasn't looking for someone that was without fault God was looking for someone that would trust him. They would believe him. It would follow Kim. Abram was all in with God and it was counted to him as righteousness. What we saw in this Genesis 15 tax is simply this God showed up. God showed up and it was described in this instance was the word of the Lord. We saw last week, but sometimes when God shows up he shows up and it's called the angel of the lord. We see lots of Angels in the Book of Genesis Divine beings that are made by God. It's him his imagers. There's one that stands out. There's one that's unique when we when we see the angel of the lord. We see this angel doing and saying things that only God does answer. But because languages fluid there's many ways to describe God in Genesis. We not only see him described as the angel of the Lord but as the word of the Lord It's always when we see this appearance of the word of the Lord.

Question becomes what will who is that? Well, it's got

Cuz I want to show you this morning, it's Jesus. It is Jesus as God that shows up, you know, the word of the Lord shows up throughout the Old Testament Hebrew scriptures in multiple places. One of my favorites is 1st Samuel chapter 3 1st Samuel chapter 3 Samuels a young boy who's been dedicated to the Lord and to a life of service in the temple. He is given and placed there by his family to serve the priest Eli and in chapter 3, it starts this way. It says the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli and the word of the Lord was rare in those days. There was no frequent Vision. The context of this story now in the time of Samuel and Eli the appearance of the word of the Lord. That there was no frequent Vision. He wasn't seen. As often as he had been it was rare in these day in the Book of Genesis. It's not rare. It's almost every chapter God is showing up and all the patriarch. He reveals himself to Abraham Abraham's son Isaac. He comes and shows himself to Isaac son Jacob.

But now by the time we get to the the days of Samuel and Eli the appearance of the word of the Lord has become rare infrequent.

At that time Eli whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see was lying down in his own place Lamb of God had not yet gone out and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the Ark of God was and the Lord. Yahweh Call Samuel. God calls to send you and says you're I am. Got showed up.

Samuel Randy Eli and said here I am you called me. Eli said I didn't call you go lie down again. So we went and laid down.

And the Lord called again.

Samuel Samuel Rowe went to Eli and said here. I am for you called me, but I did not call you again.

And wonder about the tone of voice in the way the whole conversation went down. I mean old going blind freeze trying to lay down and get some sleep.

What's going on? Samuel nobody else around I know he called me.

I Samuel verse 7 gives us some insights as now Samuel did not yet know the Lord.

You didn't he did not yet met. Did he know about the Lord? Of course he did he was serving in the temple. He was assisting the priest. He was watching the lamp stand in the presence of the RP knew everything about God, but he had not yet met God.

But there might be were there for some of us. There's a world of difference between knowing about God and knowing god. There's a world of difference between believing some truth and some facts about God and believing in God himself.

Samuel is in the temple he's serving but he has not yet. Known the Lord.

The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. Yet met God. You haven't seen him if he hadn't heard him. So when God came and called he didn't know his voice.

And the Lord called Samuel again the third time.

You Rose and went to Eli and said here I am for you called me and Eli perceive that the Lord was calling the boy takes three times for them to figure this out. Something's going on here. You can just that bad tacos last night like there's something going on.

Eli said to Samuel go lie down and if he calls you you shall say Speak Lord for your servant hears. So Samuel went and laid down in his place and the Lord came and stood. The Lord came and stood don't miss the physicality. Don't miss this is an actual appearance. This is not some disembodied booming voice. James Earl Jones style whatever this is not just a religious ecstatic experience. This is God's presence on Earth. The Lord came and stood calling as it other times Samuel Samuel and Samuel said speak for your servant here. Just like with Abram Samuel has an encounter with the word of the Lord the word of the Lord appeared to him and stood with him.

I'm going to give him a message. I'm not going to go to the whole message. But I did include verse 11 here. It says this then the Lord said to Samuel behold. I'm about to do a thing in Israel at which the two years of everyone who hears it. Will Tango had to leave at 10 cuz I love to work today. I've got a message for you and everybody who hears it. You could have just quiver just left angle because God has shown up.

when God shows up things change life happens Redemption becomes a reality when God shows up.

everything begins to change the word of the Lord appeared to Abram the word of the Lord appeared to Samuel. There's so many other places that I could go to in the Old Testament the Hebrew scriptures that I want to go to one more Jeremiah the calling of Jeremiah known as the weeping prophet. Play Jeremiah was just a young man. We find it in chapter 1 of Jeremiah. He's called by the word of the Lord. That's not the word of the Lord came to me saying. before I formed you in the womb I knew you. I don't think up think about what this just think about that for a second. the word of the Lord says to him I formed you in the womb.

Who is the author of creation who's got the power and ability to form someone in the womb? The word of the Lord he is God himself to what it looks as before I formed you. I knew you.

I think we need to hear that so so deeply in our culture today. We live in a world where we have deceived ourselves. Into the believe the lie that we control through our human autonomy in our human choices that we are the masters of our own destiny that we get to decide. What is good. What is right? What is true Arbiter of what is important and decent in life that we make ourselves and all the while there is one the word of the Lord who says before you were formed. and oh, by the way before I formed you in the womb I've known you before you were born. I consecrated you and I appointed you as a prophet to the nation. We have so little control over anything you can control when you were conceived didn't control when or how you were born. You can control your gender. You can control your intelligence unit control any of the details of your life, but there is one who controlled them to because before he formed you in your mother's womb he knew you. They not only knows you but he has a plan and a purpose for you. For Jeremiah his plan in his purpose. Was that Jeremiah Was consecrated set apart? To be a prophet to the Nations what High Calling he is given is given this incredibly important calling by God.

And his response I said oh Lord God. I don't know if you've thought about this. A whole lot. I don't know how to speak good. I don't talk good. Cuz I'm just a kid. I'm only a youth. I love the brutal reality of the scripture

most religious documents wood would not reveal the flaws and the lack of faith of the people recorded but not the scriptures of scriptures over and over again. Show us the faults. Jeremiah says God himself come to him the word of the Lord showed up to him and said I've got a job for you to do. I've been planning this before you even in existence. I says to him I don't talk to you like I can't do this any younger. I don't got the capital and influence. Nobody's going to listen to me. Nobody wants to hear what I have to say. You haven't considered my weaknesses. You haven't thought about all of these things. That would hold me back. I can't do it.

And the Lord said to me. Do not say I am only you. I don't want to hear your excuses. I know all about your weaknesses. I know about your limitations. I'm not confused here. I didn't come and call the wrong Jeremiah. I wasn't looking for somebody older. I'm looking for you. I know you I was involved in making you in the womb. I planned this out Jeremih Don't Tell me you can't do it.

Don't give me excuses. For the all who might send you you shall go and wherever I command you you shall speak to not be afraid of them. Or I am with you to deliver you the Claire's.

I know your excuses. I know your weaknesses. I know your limitations. I designed you with all of them. And I've got planned for you. Because your weakness is not weakness to God. And your limitations do not limit. the unlimited mobile. The God Who can do the impossible with man so many things are impossible but With God all things are possible don't give me excuses. Don't use your weakness and your failure don't use your circumstances.

As an excuse to hide behind I'm with you. I'm with you and when God shows up everything changes. This is this is so. Vital to understand the physicality of what's Happening Here, then the Lord put his hand out and touched my mouth.

Who showed up the word of the Lord? Who's speaking to him God? What does God do when he shows up with Jeremiah Jeremiah is a phrase like nobody's going to listen to my words. I'm not going to speak. Well, that's his no. No, I got this covered. It's not about your strengths. It's about mine. It's with a hand of the Lord reached out and touched his mouth and the Lord said to me behold. I put my words in your mouth.

She upset you this day over nations in over kingdoms to pluck up and to break down to destroying to overthrow to build and to plant.

Just like Abram. Just like Samuel. Jeremiah meets the word of the Lord materially in the real world Jeremiah feels weak and incapable Andy what? But that was not a limit to God. Self is with him. God reaches out and touches his lips. Putting his words in his mouth. when God shows up our weaknesses and failures and liabilities vanish in the power of His grace Abram Samuel Jeremiah met with the word of the Lord they met with God himself. God showed up.

then we get the opening prologue of John's gospel.

John writing about the life and Ministry of Jesus starts his gospel this way in the beginning was the word.

And the Word was with God and the Word was God. He's intentionally taking us back to Genesis chapter 1 in the beginning.

He saying I want to tell you about Jesus and in order for me to tell you about Jesus, I got to start Way Way Back At the beginning because in the beginning was the word.

I've heard a lot of sermons and read a lot of commentaries that want to look at this phrase mean in this this this this description about the word and they want to talk about the Greek and Roman concept of the logo because the Greek word that is used here in this gospel is the word log Austin and end for Greek philosophy that there's a whole philosophical understanding of what the law got Citizen and so many want to say the John is is taking this this Greek and Roman concept and and superimposing Jesus on it. And I think that's a terrible way to read John because John is not a Greek philosopher. John is a Hebrew Old Testament scripture loving man. I just because he uses the Greek word logos doesn't mean that he's not referring to the Hebrew concept of the word which we find all throughout the Hebrew scriptures.

Jonathan I'm going to tell you about Jesus in order for me to tell you about Jesus. I've got to tell you about the word. The word was with God and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God. Show up out of nowhere. If you want to know about Jesus John said you got to know about the one who was with God the one who is it is God's the one who's been there from the very beginning.

You guys on all things were made through him and without him was not anything made that was made. When I'm going to tell you about John says he's been involved from the very beginning. He upholds and sustains God's creation in his power. The word is God.

Goes on in in John 1 later in chapter 1 and that word became flesh.

And we beheld his glory the glory of the only begotten. John says if you want to know about this Jesus, but I'm going to tell you about you got to know that he didn't just show up here.

He's always been around. This Jesus that I'm going to tell you about what the one who spoke creation into existence. This Jesus that I'm going to tell you about is the word of God the same word that came to Abram has now come to us in flesh the same one that called Samuel has now come to us and we get to hear his voice the same one that touch the lips of Jeremiah has now been born unto you today.

Jesus has shown up. Again, and it is different and he showed up in the past that he touched and he talked and and he engaged. But now he comes. in Flash Tabernacles with us enters into the creation as a part of the creation. It is unique. It is different is unprecedented and it was unexpected.

But it's not the beginning. of the Redemptive work of Jesus It's the climax. It is not the start of Jesus interceding and involving himself in his creation. It's the high point.

That's the same were. The call to Abram and Abraham believed him and it was credited as righteousness is now the word made flesh.

a little bit later in John's gospel John chapter 8 Jesus finds himself in deep conflict with many of Abraham's descendants. Many of the religious Jewish leaders of the day, we're deeply offended by the things that Jesus was saying and they were deeply offended that so many people were being drawn to him. You taught and spoke as one with authority not like any of the leaders and the masses were flocking to Jesus. Every follower. Jesus gain was a follower loss. And the Pharisees could not stand up to his wisdom and they could not match his miracle.

Play accused him in this text. Of having a demon of being demon possessed of actually being an agent of the enemy not an agent of God.

They come down now and John chapter 8 verse 53. With this accusation. Are you greater? Then our Father Abraham who died. And the prophets who died who you make yourself out to be at that actually a really great question. But as with all great questions be careful how and who you ask it to because Jesus is got an answer that they have not anticipated and they're not ready for Jesus. Who do you say that you are you think you're greater than Abraham you think you're greater than the prophets?

Jesus answer

I glorify myself. My car is not really anything anybody can say anything about this up. It's not really who I think that I am. It's who does God think that I am. he says it is my father who glorifies me of whom you say he is our God not really important what I think I am but my father My father is the one who glorifies me. Oh, by the way, my father. the one you called.

You know, there's modern liberal theologians and New Testament Scholars who write books and massive volume saying Jesus never claimed to be God had no understanding. He was just some marginalized backwood peasant to letter Revolution.

And they work really really hard to escape the obvious. Because right here right now, Jesus is clearly articulating unity and equality with the father.

But you not know him. These are the religious leaders those who speak for God those who claim to know the scriptures those who claim to be on the inside track and Jesus just cause a nice cuz you don't know him.

But I do. If I were to say that I do not know him. I would be a liar just like you.

I appreciate sometimes just the straight or word. Just articulation of truth that Jesus gives us no, one of the caricatures of modern-day. Jesus is a warm fluffy squishy Jesus who never would make us feel guilty. He would never say anything that was uncomfortable who would never call us out on our sin. Thankfully that's not the Jesus that we find in scripture. It's not the Jesus of History. Jesus is the way the truth and the life. Jesus calls out truth that you don't know the father. I know him. If I said, I didn't know I'd be a liar like you But I do know him and I keep his work. Keep his word. Then it gets really strange. Jesus says, it's your father Abraham. Rejoice that he would see my day saw it and was glad you guys loved Abraham the father of the Patriarchs the man of Faith you love that you're Abraham's descendants, but Abraham's. That you don't know I actually know him cuz I found him in and you know what Abraham long and rejoiced to see my day to see me. Guess what he saw it. and was black Jesus saying here is an Abraham.

The best day of Abraham's life was when he met with me. That's what Jesus to say. And that's exactly what they understand to be saying because they they respond to him and they say

how have you seen Abraham? Jesus makes it incredibly starting claim. You guys are so big on Abraham Abraham's best day was when he met me. I like you to not even 50. How dare you say you met Abraham and Jesus said to them truly truly. I say to you before Abraham what? I am

I am Jesus claims the Divine name of God the one and we're going to go there next week who meets Moses in the bush and flea Claire's I am that I am. Jesus says you think I'm not old enough to have been with Abraham before Abraham was born I am. Before the waters separated from the land. I am after the unfolding of the earth and its remaking and renewal. I am Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever he is.

Jesus is the word made flesh. The Fulfillment of all the anticipation of the Hebrew scriptures the same word that appeared to Abram is the word that came in flesh as Jesus.

Jesus is such a big deal He's such a bigger deal than we've made him out to be. It breaks my heart. That isn't so much of the modern Evangelical Church. We have reduced Jesus to our get out of hell free card. We reduced his life Amir 30 some-odd years 2000 years ago where he came and was born and he died and was buried and rose again. And then he loaded off towards heaven. And if we just pray some prayer and believe some truth about him and we get the load off towards heaven after we die. My friends Jesus is so much bigger and so much better than that. The word that was made flash that was born and died. That was buried and that Rise Again is the same one that spoke creation into existence in Genesis chapter 1 Santa. He's the same one who will re speak creation into existence that we find in Revelations behold. I have made all things new Jesus is the word of God and he has been and he always will be God's agent of redemption and the scriptures testify about him. I love I love what that John says in chapter 5 what what Jesus says and John records and job John chapter 5 in another conflict with the religious leaders. Jesus says to them. He says you search the scriptures. Because you think that in them you have eternal life.

The religious leaders of Jesus's day like many of the religious today. believe that the life salvation Prosperity Freedom healing can be found through objective truth or learning a religious practice.

Turn the word of God into a deep personalized non-relational religious paradigm.

Well, they know all about God.

But at the end they know nothing. He says you search the scriptures. Because you think that in the scriptures you've got the secret.

You got this religious truth. You've got this religious pathway. But it is there. that bear Witness

about me

they bear witness about me. The truth and the power of the scripture is not in objective statements.

but in their Witness other word the word made flesh Jesus Our Redeemer and Savior Jesus the great king of God's kingdom Jesus the great and faithful high priest who ever lives to make intercession for the Saints Jesus the word. maid flash

if we read Genesis. We don't see Jesus. We're not here in Genesis. If we read any of the Hebrew scriptures and we don't see Jesus, we're missing the plan on talking about superimposing Jesus in the every little detail of every story but I am saying that he is dead air. Throughout the narrative. It is always been about Jesus. It will always be about Jesus. He is the Alpha and the Omega he is the beginning and the end. He is the king of kings and the Lord of lords. He has been raised to that place above every power and authority both physical and invisible. and at his name every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is