God's Sure Word
God’s Sure Word
Isaiah 55:10-11
I believe that this is the first time that I have preached a message about the Word of God on Sunday morning. It seems that we often reserve these messages for Sunday or Wednesday evenings. I cannot give you a good reason as to why that is, but here we are on Sunday morning, and I am going to preach a sermon all about the Word of God, which is going to be different than preaching all around the Word of God. We have no reason to minimize the Bible on any day of the week or during any service. Listen to what God says about His Word.
Isaiah 42:21 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.
Psalms 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
Magnify—to make it larger, to bring it into sharper focus. We need to know what this Word says, and we need to magnify its precepts in our lives. This Book is essential for us because it reveals God’s thoughts to us. Look at verses 8 and 9. Let me give you a little help this morning; our thoughts get us into trouble.
Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
It is our thoughts that teach us all religions are ok. It is our thoughts that lead us to do this, that or the other. We need Divine guidance to steer our thoughts in the right direction, and that is one reason why we have the Word of God today. Think about this: God, who has thoughts infinitely higher than ours, allowed His thoughts to be preserved in written form, so that we could have them for our own good, but for His sake. I want you to look at our two text verses for this message and consider one central idea. There is surety flowing from every corner of these words. There is not a feeling of hope so, or maybe, or it might come to pass, but there is confidence, guarantees, and assurance associated with God’s Word. I am going to preach a message called, “God’s Sure Word.”
1. The Surety of its origin( verse 10a). Like rain and snow, the Word of God has been sent forth from heaven. The battle of the origin of the Word of God can be traced back to the beginning of human history in the Garden of Eden. The Devil, disguised as a serpent, cleverly twisted the truth of the Word to Eve, “Yea, hath God said.” No matter what man chooses to believe, and how much scholars debate the issue, the Word of God has been sent from God to us. There are over 4,000 times in the Scripture where the Word is described as being the Word of God, or from God. Charles Wesley said the Bible was written either by God, good men and good angels, or bad men and bad angels. He said it couldn’t have been bad men and bad angels, because the Bible condemns them, and they would not condemn themselves. He said it couldn’t have been good men and good angels because they would not have lied to us in saying that it was of God. So it must have been God. That is just a logical mental exercise to get us back where we are supposed to be.
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Psalms 119:89 For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.
How about this verse from the book of James?
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Has man tried to prevent the rain or stop the snow? I am sure he as, but his efforts have always been futile. Will man continue to fight the origin of the Word of God? Yes he will, but his efforts will continue to be futile.
2. The Surety of its blessings (verse 10b). One drop of rain, or one snowflake seems pretty insignificant. But when you multiply the raindrops of a thunderstorm, or the snowflakes of winter day, you will see that there is much benefit. Look at the words used in verse 10: watereth, bring forth and bud, seed, and bread. We are looking at the cycle of plant life here. The rain comes down and waters seed that we do not even think about. Before too long we begin to see green shoots coming from the earth, then they bud, develop more seed, and eventually fruit that is used to feed both man and beast. Then there is the snow. This what the Bible says the purpose of the snow is.
Psalms 147:16 He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. It has an insulating effect. We would get our first snow usually by the first or second week of December. By January, we usually had a thick layer of snow on the ground. That was our way of life, and you just learned to live with it. We would have some bitter cold, with temperature well below zero. Then sometime in March the Sun would show up and begin to melt the snow away. It was a soggy, muddy mess. But do you know what we would see as the snow melted? Little shoots of green grass. If it had not of snowed, the extreme cold would have severely damaged the plant, but the snow preserved life. Is there a verse in the Bible that makes this precept real to you and me?
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
3. The Surety of its effectiveness (verse 11). We have this Word that is sure in its origin and that it will be a blessing. But in order for us to fully appreciate this Word, we have to understand that it will be effective. God does not sit on His throne in Heaven empty-handed The Bible says that there is no chance of this Word producing emptiness. In order for something to be effective, it must be powerful, energized, or prolific.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Allow to show you some areas where the Word of God is very effective.
A. In showing man his condition. We are all familiar with Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; but how do we know what sin is?
Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
It would have done me no good if I knew that I was sinful, but did not understand the escape. The Bible teaches the way out of sins grip is an act of grace through faith.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
But where does one find the application of this faith? We can have faith in many creeds, sayings, and objects, but where is saving faith explained?
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. After salvation there is the promise of spiritual growth from the Word.
Acts 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
God’s Word is effective in giving us direction.
Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
The Word of God is effective in healing the broken hearted. Jeremiah 8:21-22 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me. Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
Let me tell one of my secrets of the Scriptures. When I am discouraged or wounded I head for the Psalms. Not all of the Psalms are uplifting, but so many of them are good medicine for the wounded soul. When you feel like men are turned against you Psalm 23.
Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
When you are fearful about the future, Psalm 91 gives comfort.
Psalms 91:1-2 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
If you ever wonder if God is listening, read Psalm 5. When you have expended all of your energy and efforts, and have come up empty-handed, turn to Psalm 121.
Psalms 121:1-2 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
I want illustrate the effectiveness of the word of God with this account. "Luke Short was a farmer in New England who attained his hundredth year in exceptional vigour though without having sought peace with God. One day as he sat in his fields reflecting upon his long life, he recalled a sermon he had heard in Dartmouth [England] as a boy before he sailed to America. The horror of dying under the curse of God was impressed upon him as he meditated on the words he had heard so long ago and he was converted to Christ--eighty-five years later.
The Word of God has proven itself sure if you are saved this morning. But what are you doing with it now? Will it leave the shelf, or the car, or will it not be opened until the next church service? Learn to fall in love with the Word, and you will learn wonderful lessons for this life.