The Power of God's Word to change us
Notes
Transcript
WE are in week three of 40 Days in the Word. Last week we looked at some rather compelling reasons why we, who believe in God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – must trust the bible and live by his precept, principals, and promises. Today’s focus is on the power of God’s Word to change us. We’re going to start here, with the big bang theory.
Sorry. Wrong one.
This one!
Video Big Bang Theory
For thousands of years scientists believed that the universe was infinite, that it had no beginning and no end. Then Einstein came along with his theory of relativity, and others after him, “proving” that the universe is not eternal, that it had a definite beginning, and it will have a definite end. We don’t know when the end will be, but the Bible has been telling us both of those truths for thousands of years.
It tells how the universe began:
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
If you want to call that a big bang, that in a split second all those stars were spewed out all over, that is in agreement with the Word of God, that God was behind the big bang in the beginning.
Genesis 1:3 (NIV) 3 And God said, "Let there be light," (BANG) and there was light.
The Word of God is the highest power in the universe.
Remember the night, Jesus got into a boat with His disciples? Mark records,
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
That’s the power of God’s Word. That’s the power of the Word of Christ. I can change anything.
When Jesus walked among us 2,000 years ago he brought people back to life by the power of his Word, a fact that was witnessed by two or three people, by four or five hundred, sometimes thousands.
God’s Word is the ultimate power in the universe to create and bring all things into existence. That is enormous power.
But the power of God’s Word did not end at creation.
Hebrews 4:12 “The Word of God is living and active.”
God’s Word is still working today to change heart and lives. Here’s the first way,
It makes us alive to God.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Do you see the word POWER, the Greek word is literally spelled, “dunamis”. Our English word, dynamite comes from that Greek word. God’s Word of the Gospel is the power of God to change hearts from unbelief to faith.
Lee strobel was an atheist. He didn’t believe in God. When He graduated from Yale Law School, he ended up at the Chicago Tribune, as an award-winning legal editor, a position he held for 14 years. He lived his life based solely on proven facts. He was well respected in his field and had no need for organized religion, until his wife—a self-proclaimed agnostic—was converted to Christianity by the power of the gospel. When she started attending church and talking about Jesus, he thought their marriage was over. But he watched her life change, he saw positive changes in her character and values, and the way she treated and cared for others better. That’s when Lee set out on a quest to disprove the Christian faith. After years of investigation, in 1981, the power of gospel he was investigating, changed his heart. Today is a Christian writer, a pastor, and a defender of the faith he once denied and opposed.
Jesus said that his words were more than just words.
John 6:63: “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”
In other words, when Jesus talks, his words are not just words. Christ’s words can transform society, history, and people.
James wrote this concerning the power of God’s Word to change our hearts:
Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Peter said this,
since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;
That’s the first way the Word of God changes us, It makes us alive to God. Here is a second way:
It cleanses me from my sin
Do you remember in the early days of His ministry,
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralysed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Pay attention to what Jesus just said and did. To cure the paralyzed man, Jesus spoke God’s powerful Word of forgiveness. Notice the reaction of the religious leaders:
Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
It true, only God can forgive sins. David confessed that truth,
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.
All our sin is against God, because God is the author of every thing, and every life. Therefore, every sin is against God and only God has the right to forgive sins. Now watch what Jesus does to demonstrate His Authority and POWER of God’s Word of forgiveness in a visible, tangible manner.
Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.…” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
That’ the power of God’s Word of forgiveness brought healing to the paralytic.
On the night of the resurrection, the Risen Christ Speaks His word empowering the 10 disciples to forgive sins.
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Christ authorizes and sends His disciples then, and us today, to offer God’s Word of forgiveness to repentant hearts and withhold it from the unrepentant hearts. You and I are authorized to speak in the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s word of forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ.
Thirdly, God’s powerful word keeps our faith alive.
AS Paul was leaving Ephesus, he said this about to the elders.
“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
God Word does for our faith what weightlifting does for our muscles. God’s Word builds up our faith, keeping our faith alive.
Paul wrote this about the power of God’s Word to keep our faith alive. He wrote this in His second letter to the young pastor, Timothy,
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
I have never seen a Christian fall away from faith when the Word of God was a part of their daily life, when they gathered in weekly worshiped with other believers, and joined in regular bible study with other believers.
Lastly, The Word of God enlightens my mind
The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.
If we’re going to make sense of this crazy world today, and rise above its influence, we need the illumination of the Word of God.
It’s a new year with lots of changes ahead. We need the encouragement of God’s Word in our lives more than ever.
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
With God’s Word of Power in our hands, head, and heart we will be best prepared to face whatever is ahead in Jesus’ name.
Let us pray,
You promised, Lord Jesus, If we remain in Your word, we will remain Your disciples, we will know the truth, and Your Word of truth, Lord Jesus, will make us free. As you opened the minds of the Emmaus Disciples with the power of Your Word, so open our minds that we may know Your Word of truth, fill our hearts with deep and abiding faith in Your words and promise and may You, Holy Spirit strengthen our faith walk, in Jesus’ name.