Every Word of God

Opener

The Bible isn’t a book. It the collection of 66 books written by 40 authors over a 2,000 year period. Whats amazing is that it does that without contradiction and culminates in one central person. I remember listening to Dr Walter Martin talk about a debate he had with an atheist a number of years ago and the atheist objected to the idea of him appealing to a single source of material, “The Bible”. To then which Dr Walter was pleased to remind him that he wasn’t. The other man looking a bit confused said, “what do you mean?” And that is when He said I am appealing to 66 different books written by 40 different authors over a two thousand year period that are in perfect harmony.

There is a Biblical word for what we call the Bible. That word is “Scripture”. Scripture is the written word of God. And as we are going to see today, Jesus was all about it! The idea of Scripture we are going to see goes back to God Himself actually but something that was whole heartedly affirmed by Jesus Himself. You cannot make an honest claim to Jesus and reject Scripture. Don’t get me wrong people do this. But when they do it they are being inconsistent. When they do it they got a problem… not with me, but with Jesus!

Point 1 Scripture is our ROCK

Matthew 4:1–11 NASB95

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and 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 command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” 8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’ ” 11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

Jesus had just taken on the role of suffering servant at Baptism

This passage is so important. You have the Jesus having just taken on the role of suffering servant and He is driven out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. It is the most direct encounter we see Jesus have with the devil. We know at the cross, 3.5 years later, Jesus would finish this mission and disarm him and his armies, make a spectacle of them, and triumph over them (Colossians 2:15).

Jesus did what Israel couldn’t do

This passage is important for another reason. Jesus as the Messiah was going to fulfill what Israel could not. He was going to walk in perfect obedience. He was that obedient Son. Israel was led into the dessert for 40 years by God being tested. Jesus was driven out into the wilderness to fast for 40 days to be tested.

Deuteronomy 8:2–3 NASB95

2 “You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.

Every verse Jesus is going to quote in this passage comes from Deuteronomy 6-8. And the first one, our main verse for today comes from this very passage. Jesus, in the next chapter of Matthew would say:

Matthew 5:17 NASB95

17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

He was that obedient Son doing what Israel could not do to be their Messiah but not only theirs but the whole world. It is powerful isn’t it.

Jesus, The Word become flesh, quotes Old Testament Scripture

But Matthew 4:4 is important for another reason. It is important because of the Divine Nature of the Messiah. He is the “Word become flesh” as the Gospel of John calls Him. And as The Word incarnate He quotes Old Testament Scripture. And it is not just any Scripture. It is an Old Testament Scripture that speaks to the NATURE of Scripture itself. This passage is a triple wammy. It is no coincidence it is being quoted by Jesus. It is no coincidence it is the first verse Jesus quotes!

Matthew 4:3–4 NASB95

3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ”

It is written

The first part of this phrase I want to bring your attention to are the words “it is written.” This was an authoritative designation for appealing to Scriptural authority. The word used it “γράφω”. This is the verb “to write”. The noun form is used in 2 Timothy 3:16 a passage you all know that also makes a claim regarding the nature of Scripture. It says “All Scripture” or “γραφή” is God breathed and useful. Now it is not just that Matthew 4:4 uses the word but how it uses it. “It is written”. It is being said in an authoritative manner. This is something not only Jesus did but something that we see used as far back as Joshua who was Moses disciple. What did Moses bring down from the mountain? Scripture. Scripture written with the finger of God. Scripture is the written Word of God.

This idea of the written Word is God’s doing. The New Testament Authors, in addition to Jesus pick up on it. “It is written” is used in The New Testament some 60 times and most of the time in this authoritative way to reference Old Testament Scripture.

So a theology of Scripture already exists in The Bible itself. Which makes sense right?

Scripture is a ROCK

We will talk about in a minute how Scripture is Jesus’ bread. But I want you to see here it is Jesus’ ROCK!

The Devil says turn these stones into bread! and Jesus hits Him with The ROCK!

Psalm 19:7 NASB95

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

Psalm 12:6 NASB95

6 The words of the Lord are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.

Isaiah 40:8 NASB95

8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.

Psalm 119:105 NASB95

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

The Word of God, the Written Scriptures, are the perfect solid foundation by which we can navigate life, know what is right and wrong, rebuke the devil and his lies, and do everything we need to do for the Christian life.

An amazing thing happens a few chapters later. Jesus comes out of the desert full of the Holy Spirit preaching the goodnews of the Kingdom. In the very next chapter we get the longest speaking section by Jesus in the entire Bible. Matthew 5-7. We see Jesus’ relationship to Scripture be explored throughout the Sermon. You could sum it up as Moses gave you the Law but I am here to fulfill it or bring it to its fullness. But in chapter 7 He ends his sermon, the longest one we have, with the analogy of the wise man and foolish man. The wise man builds his house on the rock. The foolish on the sand. What is the rock the one who hears and acts on the Words of Jesus.

So this idea of the trustworthiness, importance, and stability of Scripture is carried right into the person of the Messiah. And His words are Scripture. The way Jesus designed this to work was they would be written down by His authoritative witnesses, “the twelve apostles”. The early church from DAY 1 devoted themselves to the teachings of the apostles (see Acts 2:42). Paul quotes the Gospel of Luke as Scripture (See 1 Timothy 5:18 and Luke 10:7). Peter says Paul’s writings are Scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16).

Scripture, the Written Word of God, is a rock. You can build your life on it friends. It is perfectly trustworthy. It is utterly true. As the Scriptures say it will make you wise, it will guard you from sin, and in keeping it there is great reward. Perhaps even most importantly. Kept inside of it is the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Corinthians 15:2–3 NASB95

2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

Notice those beautiful words “in accordance with the Scriptures.” The Scriptures are the ROCK of Truth that contain the most important message ever.

Do not let anyone down play it’s importance in your life. Hide it in your heart and when you need to throw it at the Devil. But you can only do that if you have hidden it in here! Amen?

Warning to charismatic Christians

We believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit in this Church. That includes the gift of prophecy. But prophecy today is NOT Scripture. It for edification, exhortation, and comfort 1 Corinthians 14:3. But it must be tested by Scripture (see 1 Corinthians 14:29 and 1 John 4:1-6). Let me put it another way. Scripture is primary and prophecy, prophetic inclinations, and leading and guiding is at best secondary. So it is not just that we must test the prophetic word it is that Scripture MUST BE primary in our life! Do you know who gives the gift of prophecy? The Holy Spirit. Do you know who the ultimate author of Scripture is? The Holy Spirit. Do you know who is the one that as a born again Christian leads you and guides you? The Holy Spirit. This is His design. And you are not “walking by the Spirit” if Scripture is not PRIMARY in your life! You are not being a doer of the Word by obeying the prophetic voice and ignoring the written WORD. You are not even playing the right game. You showed up to the wrong ball park. If obedience is not built on Scripture it is not obedience to God.

One other warning about prophets

Do not waste your time with internet prophets. Nor with Prophets you do not know that you can’t see how they live their life. Part of the way you recognize a false prophet is by their deeds. And if you are not living in relationship with that person don’t give them the time of day. We will never look to internet prophets to guide our church. If the Lord wants to speak to us, He will speak to us. And it will be our job to HEAR what the Spirit is saying to the CHURCHES.

When we stand before God the SCRIPTURE is the primary thing you will be held accountable to.

Point 2 Scripture is our BREAD

Matthew 4:4 NASB95

4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ”

In Deuteronomy 8 we are told plainly the Lord led them through the wilderness those 40 years to test them and to humble them. Would obeying Him. Would obeying His commandments be their priority or would their own interests. Notice I didn’t say own preference I said own interest. We are operating in the category of necessity here not want. It says

Deuteronomy 8:3 NASB95

3 “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.

When I say Scripture must be primary in our life I really mean it friends! You eat three meals a day, maybe more, but how often do you feast on the Word of God? We would all affirm the claims I making today of Scripture in our heads, at least I would hope so, but does the rubber meat the road. Our heart is where our treasure is. Take a minute examine how you use your day and what priority do you give the Word of God? I didn’t say devotional. I said Scripture. A devotional is no replacement for Scripture. Go to the real thing. What priority does Scripture play in your daily life?

“God told me to stop reading the Bible.”

I have told this story before but some of you haven’t heard it. I had a friend one time that said God told him to stop reading the Bible. Does that sound like the Author of Scripture to you? That “prophetic word” fails on so many levels. He said I know a lot of Scripture but I am not doing it. Okay so do it, but don’t stop reading your Bible. As if those things are in conflict. Let me just say this. The more I read the word the more I realize my need for the Word! None of us our so spiritual that we can toss the Bible aside like an old text book… “I think I got that down.” May it never be. Besides the fact that the Bible is 66 books long, you would be an arrogant fool to pretend you have mastered it all, it is not souly meant to educate. It is meant for spiritual enlightenment and revelation. It is living and active. It is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Are you the master of every good work? I think not. Open your Bible. But don’t open it just to read, but to DO it. We are called to be doers of the Word.

Doer of the Word

You are not living on God’s word like your daily bread unless you are doing it. Notice Jesus He didn’t just read it. He stored it up. He hid it in His heart. That meant He spent time with it. Then when the opportunities came He did it. He did what was right. He didn’t compromise. Because Jesus died for your sins and you have been born again you can follow Jesus’ example here friends. We must way our fildelity to God’s word on wether or not we are doers of the Word!

Let me get really practical today.

Seek God in the morning.

Psalm 5:3 NASB95

3 In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.

Start your day with God. You can make a case for ending your day with God as well. Seeking Him in the watches of the night.

Jesus did both. He would get up while it was still dark and go spend time with God. Another time He stayed up all night praying.

2. Meditate on God’s Word.

Psalm 119:11 NASB95

11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

Psalm 63:6 NASB95

6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches,

Meditating on God’s Word is turning it over and over again in your heart and mind. I want to give you an example of what this could look like:

You might grab one verse from your daily Bible reading and roughly memorize it and cary it with you for the rest of the day. You start to think about it as you go about the day. As you get ready, as you go to work or get the kids going. You then think about it the free moments you have.

So take our key verse from today: “Man can’t live in bread alone but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” You might start to think on the word “live”. What does it mean to live? Does it matter if I am fat and happy and have all my needs met. Don’t we all go to the grave anyways both rich and poor both successful and failures? Life must be more than food! I am called to live for a purpose. God’s word is the key to me unlocking that purpose. You then notice it says “every word”. Why does it say every word? Well I can’t just pick and chose the things I want to obey. I need to truly be humble before all of God’s word if I am going to claim to live by it. In fact it reminds of 2 Timothy 3:16 where it says “all Scripture is God breathed.” You might even get convicted of something and you start to pray about it: “Lord I do not treasure your Scripture like I should. Help me to live by your Word. Help me to seek you. Expand my heart to run in obedience after you!”

It is super rewarding friend. The more you do it the more rewarding it gets.

Point 3 SCRIPTURE culminates in Christ

I already mentioned how the New Testament Scripture cary on this idea of Scripture and saw the teaching of the Messiah as Scripture. Remember those who hear and do HIS words are those who build on the Rock. But He also says this:

Matthew 5:17–20 NASB95

17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Notice in the passage He says your righteousness must surpass the scribes and Pharisees or you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. This would have been devastating news to hearers. Your righteousness must surpass those who serve God full time. Wait what? I don’t have a chance! But it gets more extreme:

Matthew 5:48 NASB95

48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

A few key words “as” and “heavenly father.” If this would have said be perfect as Stephen is perfect you all would be fine. But it said as God Himself. I don’t think you can make it to verse 48 and still think you are righteous but if you did this one gets you.

But it doesn’t get Jesus. He was perfect. He really did obey every word. He was perfectly obedient. And here is the good news. Because He was perfectly obedient He could be that perfect sacrifice on the cross that takes away are sin. That brings us back into right relationship with God, as our father, being adopted in Christ as sons.

If the Bible becomes a way for your to strive for a righteousness of your own you will have missed the whole message of the Bible. Jesus did what you couldn’t do. You simply must trust in Him. We are saved by Grace, the work of Jesus on the cross dying for our sins, through faith, our trusting in Him.

The Bible is the keeper of the Gospel Message

The Bible is first and foremost the authoritative keeper of this sacred truth! It guards the integrity of the Gospel. It preserves the Gospel for all generations in writing. You do not know Jesus, you are not saved, apart from the message of the Gospel recorded in Scripture. The Gospel is the most important message for mankind for all eternity. There is nothing to come for all eternity that will hold a candle to it. Because the message of the Gospel is the POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION. It is not a book on how to live your best life now. There is tons of wisdom in it. But if you think of the Bible at its culmination in those mediocre terms you will go well there are really helpful books written today that are very practical and very helpful. But if I go can they save your soul from hell? You see the Bible is in a different weight class. There is nothing like it.

One modern day false teacher said this:

“That’s why the Bible is not a book about going to heaven. The action is here. The life is here. The point is here. It’s a library of books about the healing and restoring and reconciling and renewing of this world. Our home.”

This is so crafty a statement because it contains an element if truth. The Bible is not just focused on the next life. But the primary thing is not the world our your life now which you might come away with simply reading that quote especially when it contrasts it with heaven. The primary thing is God. Restored to who? Reconciled to who? The main thing is that through the Jesus on the cross we are being reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 5

18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,

19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them,

The Bible in Context of Relationship with God

Secondly, because Jesus has died for your sins, and you have put faith in Him, and you are a born again believer, you can walk as Jesus walked. The Holy Spirit is making you an effective Christ follower. An effective doer of the Word. And what I am about to say friends is really important. If you have fallen asleep on me wake back up for this. That the time in the Word of God. That time being plugged into the sacred Scriptures is all about time with Jesus. It is all about walking in right relationship with God. As soon as you devoid Bible reading from Jesus Himself, as soon as you make it non personal, you make it fleshly, earthly, and at best academic. Now it can be academic also but it must primarily be heart felt devotion to the Lord Himself. He is the vine. We are the branches. Apart from Him we can do nothing. But in Him we bear much fruit.

Practicals

One really easy and practical way for you to do this is after reading the Word or meditating on it is to ask the Lord in light of the Scripture is their anything I need to change in my life? And see if there is anything He brings to mind. That is a very practical way to keep relationship center as we approach Scripture.