11.28.21 - Isaiah 40:6-8

All right. Good morning.

And open your Bibles to Isaiah, chapter 40. Brandy looking at verses 6 through 8th. That is Isaiah chapter. 40 verses 6 through 8, we're continuing our series titled, who we are and the name of this or rather. The aim of this short series is to be an encouragement and reminder of who we are, why this congregation exists and what we are to Proclaim and live and the subject we come to this morning is that of the word of God and I, or the instrument of the word, we are a church that is radically committed to using Gods. Ordained means his chosen instruments to do the work that he calls us to do. Let me say it again. Here's the theme of this sermon. We are church, that is radically committed to using Gods. Ordained means his chosen instruments to do the work that he calls us to do. You know, they're there are many congregations that have many different ideas about what the church should do. Many congregations, do many different things. In the name of church growth remaining relevant in the 21st century. Attracting people making church services more captivating and having an authentic worship experience. Even read that on Church website, cringey stuff. Many many churches have have. They do many things in the name of keeping children interested and engaged in the face. Assisting spiritual growth of Christians and getting people to quote make a decision for Christ. I think they will try to create as I just sat an authentic worship experience by using loud repetitive music and a light show and a Darkly lit room because that's how you engage people that used to be this church. By the way. I'm not necessarily pointing fingers in a mean-spirited way ride, this hits us too. But I'm going to try to have some kind of emotional manipulation atmospheric experience. They'll have skits and plays during the worship service because they believe that, that will communicate the truth. More effectively than a sermon, they'll, they'll refuse to preach Doctrine. And will instead have preachers sit at a table and tell stories that will just really hit home with people and make them more relevant. Don't refuse to take communion regularly because it's too churchy and Whalley and eight new visitors, don't do silly sermon series. Like at the movies, instead of preaching through portions of scripture because preaching through books of the Bible is boring. Do have youth groups that are essentially little parties each week with a Bible verse read at the end because that's how you engage the children. Write a note on their Pulpit area. You've seen this. I'm sure turn the pulpit area into a basketball court or a horse ring or a stage show or some other gimmick, that's meant to visitors and get them to come back, right? Or doing Outreach. That is mainly just making friends and merely doing good works. Instead of preaching the gospel to unbelievers because they believe if you offend Sinners that they will certainly never come to your church. There are all kinds of ideas for what the church should be doing and how we should be doing things. That's my point that I'm getting out of here. There are books magazines, websites and classes that you can check out that will give you all kinds of gimmicks and ideas for what you should do to grow your church and and and it's Ministries and keep people engaged. I get emails for it all the time. Right, it did. There is just a multimillion-dollar market for this kind of stuff, and professing Evangelical Christians buy into it without ever questioning, its validity, according to God. But the real question is, are those things biblical? Or to put it another way, are those things and buy things. I mean, those techniques those events all that stuff. Are those memes? Are those means what God has ordained at his church. Should use. Or we can put it this way or question, should be this. What has God given to his people? That we are to use to do what he has commanded us to do. Right. He's commanded us at his church, to make disciples to lead people to Christ for salvation to help one another to grow into spiritual maturity. He has called us to instruct our children in the faith and help one another to persevere to the end. That's a tall order to that and and more. But what instruments has God given to his church to do all of this work? What has God promised to bless? What has he given us to use? The answer is this. Turn on the front, end the word and the sacraments. That's what God has given to us. By the way, sacraments is just a fancy word for baptism and the Lord's. Supper the word in the sacraments. Those are God's appointed means for his church. Those are the things or again theological language. These are the instruments that God has given to his people, by which we are to do all that he has commanded us to do. He is giving us his word water, Bread and Wine and he's giving us those things with his Almighty blessing that they will accomplish, or rather. He will accomplish his work through them. Let's go one step further right now. Have time to explain this. If you want to challenge this. I'll talk to you after the service is over. This sacraments baptism in the Lord's. Supper are really just the word of God made visible to our senses. That's what the sacraments are. That's why you must receive them by faith because they are invisible word. Keeping that in mind. Then we can refine our answer even further. What means has God given us. He's giving us his word. He's given us the word of God. That is his appointed means that the church is to use to accomplish the work of God. And that's what I aim to show you this morning from the word of God itself. So again, the church is to use the word of God to do the work of God. And it is the word alone that God has blessed and promised that he will use to accomplish all of his purposes in the church, and I'm going old school this morning. I'm going to use for headings. If you've ever read a Puritan sermon, that's how I'm doing it this morning. I'm going to show you this truth using for headings this morning. One the permanence of the word. Heading number to the power of the word. Heading number 3, the sufficiency of the word. Heading number for God's promise concerning his word. So that's where we're going this morning. And as with the last few weeks, I will be looking at many different portions of scripture to see these things for going to be jumping off from Isaiah chapter 40 verses 6 through 8th. That said if you wouldn't are able please stand with me now for the reading of the inspired inerrant and infallible word of God. Isaiah chapter 40 verses 6 through 8.

A voice says cry. And I said, what shall I Cry? All flesh is grass and all its beauty is like the flower of the field, the grass withers. The flower Fades, when the breath of the Lord blows on it. Surely, the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower Fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. This is the word of the Lord. Let's pray our great God. We come before you and we humble ourselves. Now, and recognition that we are too dull and too, hard-hearted to understand and receive your word on our own until we humbly ask that you would have mercy upon us. By your spirit, make us glad receivers and understandings of your word. We can't do this on our own. So we ask that you would help us as our lord. Jesus tells us apart from you. We can do nothing apart from your grace. We are groping in the dark. So we ask that you would cause us to see truth this morning Grant to us that we would Delight in it. Grand that we would believe and submit to it and help us the glory in all that you said. We ask now that you would glorify yourself in your church through the preaching of your word. We asked for this in Jesus name and for his sake, amen, may be seated.

So we begin with our first heading, the permanence of the word and we'll Begin by considering the text that we just read the last line. The grass withers the flower Fades, but the word of our God will stand Forever by is very famous verse. But in the immediate context here and Isaiah, the Lord has been speaking through the prophet about future blessing and judgment and the Angelic voice that speaks in our tax to saying that what God has said is certain. And sure what God has said is unchanging and permanent. God has said it has spoken and so it is. When God speaks, what he says is set in stone. His word is not going. Anywhere is what this text tells us. Everything else Fades everything else. Withers, but not the word of God. His word endures. It is permanent. And what's said, here about God's word to Isaiah is true of God's word in general. Why? Because God spoke it. If it comes from God, if it's his word in, this is true about it. He's not just talking about this one word. It's all the words that come from the mouth of God. So then, this is true of the whole Bible, because it felt as Timothy. All scripture is breathed out by God, think about this. Whenever you talk, you can put your hand in front of your mouth and feel the air come out. That's what Paul says, scripture is very Breath of God, God speaks and then there's a scripture to get all scripture for seeds from his mouth. So then God's word, all of it. All of the scriptures is certain unchanging and permanent it indoors. It will all stand forever. Is threatenings God's threatenings, his promises, his warnings, his grace Has His blessings laws demands declarations. All of his words are permanent the word abides forever and I'm going to labor to make this point. I know, I keep saying similar things over and over. I need you to see this our texts as everything else Fades and Withers, but not his word. His word remains even if everything else is gone. Why? Because he remains when everything else is gone and he stands behind his word. So again, since God is going nowhere. His word will not perish or fade as Jesus says in Matthew 24, Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. So, please hear me the book that you hold in your hand. Is the only thing in this world that is not going anywhere. Men will come and go. Worldly wisdom, will fluctuate, and change? Have we not seen that already? Even some of us who has not been alive, very long worldly, wisdom fluctuates and changes Kings and kingdoms will come and go ideas, will come and go technology will come, and go methods will come and go everything in this world has a shelf life, but the book in your hands is the one thing that will never change. It will Outlast everything else. Nortex tells us. That men are unreliable. Doesn't it? We're unreliable. We die. We failed. We cannot do all that. We hope to do. But we do, we do not have power to text. Says, all flesh is grass. Surely. The people are grass. We perish when the Lord breathed upon us. We are weak and we are fading away. But in contrast to us, not the contract. All the people are grass that Withers in parishes and Fades, but the word of our God stands forever in contrast to us and our Frailty God's word is mighty it indoors it does what God intends. You should teach us something profoundly humbling. If we or rather I should say, since we are frail and pass away and surely our schemes and human wisdom and worldly ideas are just, as frail and fallible. Why do I say that because they come from us? If All Flesh is grass, then surely the thoughts of grass, right? It is in early rather the thoughts of flesh is grass as well. Our thoughts or ideas come from us and we are frail impotent infallible. So often we put so much confidence in man-made ideas, especially when it comes to church life and Ministry. Again, you should check out some of these books. They're awful. The ideas are dumb. They're corny. I just real quick. Anyone remember puppet Ministry back in the 90s as a six-year-old. I'm saying that I was like a reformed Christian. I wasn't even converted that point but I like, is this the best idea? This is not cool. Write our ideas are not as good as we often think that they are especially when it comes to church life and Ministry. And we often don't take 2 minutes to consider the our own free bility of our own ideas, but this tax confronts us and says you are grass. And you fade away. You are powerless. It, confronts us and then it redirects us. It teaches us to look away from ourselves, and our abilities, and our wisdom, and look to what the word, the word that stands forever. Brothers and sisters Church growth strategies are from men. So they will pass away and be weak. Silly ideas for church services are from men and not from God's word. And so they will pass away and be week, many ideas will come and go books will come and go again. Corny Ministry, ideas will come and go Church fads will come and go, but the word is, what will last? So then why the labor to make this point? Only person who ever proposed a question to you, in light of all of that, then why wouldn't we invest in that which will never fade away?

Why would we not devote ourselves with our whole Hearts to the one thing that God has given? That is powerful unchanging, certain Shore and permanent. Why would we look to man's fallible and weak ideas? When we have the one thing that God himself says will never fail or pass away. Why would we spend our time on anything? But the word? It is only a fool. Google look to things other than the word of God to do God's work because as this text tells us, all other things are doomed to fade and pass away because they are from Men. So then at the outset, this is what I wanted to see this from the beginning before we get to some other stuff. We see that all flesh is grass and therefore all of our wisdom is grass but the word is eternal. And so we ought to devote ourselves individually and as a congregation to using that which will stand forever, rather than weak human memes that will pass away. But now having seen the permanence of the word. When I turn to our second heading, the power of the word and under this heading, I have three points that I want to make the first Again, with regard to the power of the word, we see that the word is God's appointed means of conversion. The word is what converts centers in 1st Peter chapter 1, verses 23 through 25. We read Peter rights. You have been born again. You have been born again, not perishable seed, but of him, perishable through the living and abiding word of God, for all flesh is grass and all its Glory, like the flower of grass. The grass weather is in the flower Falls with the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you. Peter tells us that Believers have been born again and born again. What does that mean? It means that we've been raised from spiritual death to spiritual life. We've been given New Life given a new nature with new desires to believe God's word and to trust in Christ and follow him. Wherever he leads us. We have been forever changed from the enemies of God to the children of God who are loved by God. We've been born again. Brothers and sisters. This is the language of conversion. Reborn again is to be converted to Christ. It's the language of being made, new and brought the faith in Jesus Christ. And how did that happen? What is Peter say through the living and abiding? Word? That word through is a word of instrumentation. Write it. That is the word of God is what God used to bring about the new birth. And each one of us. It was the chosen instrument. The Chosen means of God to convert US. Nothing else is mentioned here. Just the word. So, can the word is the instrument God used to cause us to be born again? We see James saying the same thing in his letter. James 1:18. He says of his that is God's of his own. Will he brought us forth by the truth? Again, what do we see? Or who, who's the ultimate cause of our being born again? Obviously God was by his will that we were brought forth. That's the language of giving life being born brought forth. It was God's doing, but how did James says the word of Truth? And I like the word through is the language of instrumentation, right? God gave us a new life spiritual life by the means of the word. What this means so far for us is that God uses his word to Grant spiritual life to Sinners. Let's be clear here for a moment. He's God. And so God can choose to work apart from the word, but he doesn't Right, or at least at the minimum we can say we are given no promise from him that he will work apart from his word. He's free to if he so chooses. But we are given no promise that he will work conversion apart from his word. God has chosen that it that it will be through the Declaration of his imperishable. Mighty abiding, word, that he will grant a new birth to Sinners revive, their souls, and bring them to Salvation through faith in Christ. So again, the word is God's appointed means, for converting sinners. What is consider for a moment? Your own conversion? Right? At least. If you can, if you can remember it, unless God was so gracious to convert you to Christ whenever you were so young, which is what I hope happens to all of our kids, right? But a lot of us were converted in later years, but I can tell you what happened, regardless of how, young or old you were. I can tell you what happened because the Bible tells me what happened. You heard the word of God, declared to you. In some way, maybe read a tract or a book or something online. Maybe you had a one-on-one conversation with a Christian who told you the truth, maybe? What you a Church sermon or service and heard a preacher preach. Like I am right now, maybe you even heard a song that spoke about Sin and a holy God, and His wrath against Sinners, but have God sent his son into the world to redeem Sinners through his death and Resurrection, but, however, it was that it happened. You heard the word of God, declared to you. You had to. You heard the word declared and then what happened? God Sovereign Lee worked through that word proclaimed and he gave you new life and he granted you faith, and he granted you repentance and you believed upon Christ and you were saved. God used his appointed means he used his word to convert you. That's what he did to all of us. Price of this shouldn't surprise. You God's means is his word, delivery system might be different, might be again, written word, priest, word, personal conversations, Street evangelism, whatever it is, but the common denominator, is that the word of God is what went out. And that's how God converts people below me drive. This home, a little further by showing you three text real quick from the book of Acts. I'm going to read them quickly. Acts chapter 6, verse 7. After establishing the first-ever diakonia in the church, we read this and the word of God continue to increase and the number of the disciples multiplied, greatly in Jerusalem. Beacon started doing their work so that the ministers, the apostles could continue preaching. And what happened? The word continued to increase. The word went out and disciples were multiplied in the city, where the word was? Preached ask 1224 says, but the word of God, increased and multiplied and they are next 12-24. I take multiplied here to mean that the word multiply disciples like an axe 6:7, lastly, and Acts Chapter 19, Verse 20, we read. So the word of the Lord continue to increase and prevailed mightily. We see in these verses that it is wherever the word goes that disciples were being made. It is the word that multiplies Believers. It is the word that prevails over unbelief and opposition. It is the word that is mighty. Is there anything else mentioned here?

The word didn't. Your search in vain to see any mention of human skill. Cutting ideas or methods, even the Apostle. Paul says, I am not a good speaker. But in my preaching, as you see what God is doing, you know, that the power is from him and not me. Human skill is never mentioned. It is God, working through his word to convert. Sinners to Christ. That's what we see all throughout scripture. So, again, hear me, you will search the scriptures in vain to find another instrument through which God has promised to convert sinners. There isn't anything else. So what else you going to try to use to go to church with? Are you a fool? The word proclaimed. That's what grows the church. That's what God has promised to bless. And so, we are not, please hear me. We are not to assume to ourselves the right to add to what God has given to us. He calls the shots. You're not us. So we are to use the word and the word alone to bring people to Christ. Secondly, with regard to the word being powerful. Not only is it the means of conversion but it is God's appointed means of sanctification. Acts 20:32. We read the Apostle Paul saying and now I commend you to God and the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. By the way, this is a classic texts about the means of Grace. If you want to study that idea what I'm talking about the word being a means of Grace is what I'm talking about. I didn't contacts tear, the Apostle Paul. He's giving a farewell address to the Elders of the church in Ephesus. Nearly the end of his speech. Paul says, I commend you to the word of God. The word of his grace, the word of God's grace, God's word tells them here, at the word, is to be Central to their Ministry. Why? Because it's able to build them up. It is able to build up the church. Paul is commending and here's the word, use the word make the word primary and everything. That's what he saying in this farewell address, because this word is going to be the source of all true spiritual growth. And so he tells the elders in the Church of Ephesus, take in the word meditate upon it. Make it central to everything that you do and Proclaim it. Why? Because this is what God has given that will build up his church. We see this again in 1st Peter 2:2 is a pretty famous. One. Peter says like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk that by it. You may grow up into salvation. Peter is telling Believers that we are to feed upon that which will increase our growth and maturity in the faith. And it's this picture is really Vivid, right specially. If you had like a been around like a little baby, he's saying, just like a baby greedily feeds upon his mother's milk because he needs it to grow into maturity. We are to Crave and feast upon that which will sustain and grow us.

When the context of Peters letter, which I just read chapter 1 verses 23 through. 25 about how we were born again through the imperishable and abiding word of God. It's that exact saying it's 2 versus later. He tells us to feed on the pure spiritual milk. What's he talking about about the milk of the word would have the King James version translated to paraphrase, but that's what the King James version says. It's a good translation. There are weird to continue feeding on the thing that gave us spiritual life. At the beginning. It's the word wife because that same one that caused us to be born again. Is the same where that's going to cause us to grow and sustain us throughout our life as Christians. Soaking wet feet on what is pure. In Psalm 19 verse 7, says, the law of the Lord is pure pure Christian teaching, is found only in scripture. So then the children of God, Those whom God has given spiritual birth to our to continually feed upon his word. We don't just need the word in the beginning. Right. We need it to grow. And it'll actually, with this point, consider 2nd, Timothy 3:16, very famous text, or I'll look at it by three more times. Paul says, all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof for correction, and for training in righteousness and Timothy that the word of God, the scriptures, when they are rightly hand and rightly proclaimed, they are profitable to teach us the truth about God and his ways and is will they teach us and it's profitable to reprove us. Another word for rebuke. The word shows us our sin and where we fall short of how God demands us to live. But noticing this point out our errors, does it? Paul says for reproof and for correction. It shows us the right way to go, the proper path to take. And it trains Us in righteousness, that we would learn again, slowly over time, training being disciplined to live. The way that God would have us brothers and sisters. This is sanctification. That be taught the truth, have your error pointed out, and then instructed in the proper way to go and encouraged in the right way to live. That's sanctification. That's the means of Christian growth. Impulse. As it comes through what the word comes to the word. Brothers and sisters at the word as it is blessed by God, it works change in a slowly but surely because it's constantly reminding us of things and implanting the truth into our hearts. It's constantly declaring that God is the creator of. We are the creature and so we owe him everything. It points out our sin and weakness and then it shows us a better way to go. It teaches us, the mind of God, that we would learn to love what he loves and hate what he hates and it trains us to think God's Own thoughts after him. The more than that, the word constantly reminds us of the Gospel. That we are more wretched and sinful than we could ever have imagined. But that were also more loved by God, and we could have ever dared. Hope for It reminds us that God gave his son to live and die for our sins. That Christ is fully satisfied. The wrath of God for us and if he was raised on the third day for our justification, The word that we received constantly reminds us of our freedom from sin. It reminds us of what God has done for us in Christ that he's worked a true change and our hearts and meet new people through the blood of his son and through all of this reminding and implanting the truth in our hearts. God works by his spirit. I don't know. He doesn't tell me how he's tells me. This is what he does. Write any Stokes our affections and he molds us rather our Wills to be made more like his and he gives us a greater and greater desires to live. Then again. All this comes through the instrumentation of the word of God. Putting the truth into our hearts that God them glasses and causes to bear fruit. So Hear Me? This is personal application here. There will be no change, no growth in Grace, no growth in Holiness, apart from taking, in believing meditating upon and obeying the word of God. There will be no grows apart from that.

I promise I see this all the time as a minister. I'm not calling anyone out here. But I see this all the time, as a minister those who grow are those who devote themselves to the word and not just reading it but who earnestly want to understand it and who earnestly want to believe and submit to what they read. And it is always to a man, almost those who take a very casual approach to the word of God who remains stagnant and even may fall away over time. This is what I see is why everyone jokes. And if they come to me for some kind of pastoral Council, you're going to tell me to pray and read my Bible more. Yep. This is what God has given for your growth. I hope you help you and I'll guide you and Nate are irrelevant text. Maybe you didn't know, were in there that you need to meditate upon and submit to that, the end of the day. It's the word that's going to cause us to grow. Then that's why God tells us through his word often to listen and take heed to what he said. So, then to summarize this point, we see clearly that the word of God is God's appointed means of sanctification. thirdly, still under the heading of Powerful word. We now consider that the word is God's appointed means of preservation. So conversion, sanctification and now preservation, and I can look at many passages of scripture right now, but I only have time for one. I think in 1st Corinthians chapter 10, not a happy chapter in 1st Corinthians. Chapter 10, the Apostle Paul is writing to the church in Corinth and apparently just looking at what Paul says here. Apparently, there were many in that church who believe that since they have been baptized and partake of the Lord's Supper that they could then live in any way that they wanted to and that everything was going to be okay. And a fight such Wicked thinking the Apostle recounts to them, how God led the Israelites out of Egypt and how they had received a foreshadow of baptism and a foreshadow of the Lord's Supper. But because of their unbelief and idolatry and sin, God struck many of them down in the wilderness. And then Paul comes to a conclusion in light of that 1st Corinthians, 10 verses 11, and 12 is just now these things happen to them, to the Israelites, these things happen to them as an example. But they were written down for our instruction on whom the end of the ages has come, therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands, take heed, lest he fall. God gives a warning to the Corinthians, doesn't he gives a warning here and he gives it to them. How will through the writing of the Apostle and through the Old Testament, that is through scripture. God gives them a warning, God warns the Corinthians here in 1st Corinthians, 10 that if they do not repent, they will perish God warned them that though many seem to be in the face at first, that those who persist in their wickedness will be cut down and Damned. And then giving this morning. Maybe never thought about it this way. God is preserving his elect. He's preserving his people by warning. What, how do I say that? Because those who actually belong to him, will listen to it. They will heed the warning. They will fear it. Do hear it truly and act upon the warning and so be preserved unto salvation. Brothers and sisters. My point is that God's word preserves us and it does so many times by warning us Don't Fall Away. There's no contradiction in the scriptures, right? In teaching us that a True Believer. Cannot lose his salvation if he's actually been converted and also the texts that say, make sure you don't fall away. There's no contradiction there. God is preserving us through the warnings to ensure that his elect will persevere to the end. That's why the warnings are there. Teaches us back to Christ Christ. Repent, and so be preserved. God will ensure that those who truly belong to him will hear fear, and heed his word. And so be saved. The word of God preserves Us by warning us. But not just the warnings. Buy, let's think about this positively. God gives us so many precious promises that preserve us and help us to run. Dog reminds us time and time again of his great blessings and rewards that also help us to continue following Christ. How often do we read in? Scripture of God, holding out the Splendor of Heaven? A promise of eternal life to the one who perseveres to the end. But one day we will be without sin and the fight though. It is Raging now will one day be over and we will look back and say we have conquered through the blood of the Lamb.

That helps does that not push us onward. And so preserve our souls? He promises time and again that he will help us and give us Grace to get through our trials. If we will only call upon him in our time of need and then based on his promise. We cry out to him and he comes to our Aid and preserves our souls. He promises us that we will never walk alone. So long as we humble ourselves under his mighty power and so we are encouraged then humble ourselves before him and ask him to help us. And then he does and preserves. Any promises us that it will all be worth it in the end, if we will only continue taking one step at a time and that's as if his fatherly hand is behind us with this promised pushing us forward and so preserving, our souls.

More than that, consider the constant promise of our Assurance of Pardon and our surance of Salvation. God, constantly reminds us that we can indeed continue on in the faith because our Salvation ultimately does not rest upon us but rest in Christ, so if it rested on Christ, surely I can continue going And with his assurances of Pardon in the word, he preserves our souls, all of these things. Preserve us and help us to persevere. And where are they found? In the word. In the word. So, then the word is indeed God's appointed means of preserving us. But now we've seen the permanents in the power of the word and now we come to the third heading, the sufficiency of the word and almost breaks the whole sermon on this one. Don't worry. It's going to be okay, the sufficiency of the word and when I say sufficiency, I I mean this, the word of God is all we need to be instructed in what to believe to be saved. And how to live in order to please God in all areas of our life. The word is sufficient for the life of faith and really before I even get into a text then we're going to look at 2nd Timothy 3:16 and 17. If you want to flip their but really this is just a logical, isn't it? If the word is, and does everything that we've seen so far and just real quick, and it does right if the word is and does everything that I said to you so far and shown from the scriptures if it will never fade away, if it is powerful to convert centers to Christ. If it's sanctifies and teaches us how to please God. It preserves our souls. What else do we need? In order to know God be saved and live a life that pleases him. What else then do we need to live the life of Faith? What else? Then at corporately. Do we need to be a fruitful and effective Church? Nothing.

But we don't rest on logic alone, the word of God Bears. This out 2nd, Timothy, 3:16 and 17. We read all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof for correction, and for training in righteousness. That the man of God, may be complete equipped for every good work.

The word of God says. Brother, Paul says that the word of God makes the man of God. And by the way, that's a reference to the pastor, right? That's a pastor. Makes them, man of God, complete and equipped for every good work. If the man of God has the Bible, he is complete. And what is complete mean? Lacking? Nothing. If something is complete, there's nothing else that you need. Right. That's how the word works. I'm not, this isn't just me. That's what the word means. If the man of God is complete, then he has all he needs and wants a complete for Is equipped for every good work? He's completely equipped for every good work. This means that there is nothing that God will call the pastor to do in his personal life or Ministry that the pastor is not ready for so long as he has the word rightly understood. And maybe you're sitting there thinking and I get it, but I'm not a pastor. So what does this have to do with me? Well, I'm glad you asked her to pretend like you asked cuz I have a microphone and you don't. If this is true for the pastor, then it's true, even more for everyone else. Why? Because the pastor's work is often more spiritually demanding. If I as an elder. As one who has to give an example to the flock and the lead you all in following Christ. If I am complete and fully equipped to do everything that God has called me to do in my personal life and Ministry then. So is everybody else here?

If we have the word rightly understood and Proclaim, then we don't need anything else. That's what Paul is saying to Timothy. He's saying that the word of God is sufficient, it teaches us and trains Us in everything. We need to know and do to live the life of faith. Brothers and sisters. We have the very word of God in our hands.

We don't need man's ideas for church growth. We don't need strategies from CEOs. We don't need emotional manipulations. We don't need Trends or fads. We don't need anything. We are complete because we have the word. So all we need to do is believe and Proclaim what God has said and instructed us in the book.

We have an official word from God. We have the word that is sufficient to convert. Sinners, sanctify Saints, and preserve the elect. We have the word that is sufficient to show us how the church should govern itself. We have the word that is sufficient to show us how we are to worship. God corporately and privately we have. The word that is sufficient to show us how to cancel one another. We have the word that is sufficient to keep us relevant in the 21st century because it speaks to all of life. Give the word that is sufficient to bring our children to faith in Christ and to keep them. Use the word that is sufficient and equips us to do every single thing that God desires us to do. We have God's very word and that is enough.

This will change everything. By the way, if we actually believe this.

Some assassin. Do you believe this? Do you really truly believe that the word of God is sufficient? Because hear me, people will say that they believe this churches will say it and pastors will say it. And then they will contradict every word. They've said, by how they do things in the church and their own personal lives. They'll look to all manner of worldly. Wisdom and man's ideas for what to do and how to live instead of looking for the word alone.

Let me give you some examples of someone says to win people to Christ and grow the church. We need to do X and if x as anything other than priests the word faithfully and go to the unbeliever with the word, then they are functionally denying the sufficiency of scripture. Even if in a theology test, they would say they believe it.

If someone says, you know, to keep people interested and engaged in the worship service, we need to X. And if x is anything other than give them the word of God, Red Sun prayed priests and seeing the sacraments are functionally. Denying the sufficiency of scripture.

For one. Final example, of someone says to help people grow in the faith. We need to X. And if x is anything other than teaching, them sound Doctrine from the word and getting them more engaged with and submissive to the scriptures. Then they do not believe in the sufficiency of the word of God.

Brothers and sisters, please hear me. The word is enough. And it's time to the church as a whole believed it and acted like it.

And by God's grace, we will be at church that believes and acts according to what God has said about his own word. You might have that. We now come to our fourth and final heading. God's promise concerning his word.

And Isaiah 55:10 and 11. We read this. Press the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there. But water the Earth making it bring forth and Sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So shall my word be? That comes from my mouth. It shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that, which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Just as he sends rain and snow down to the Earth in order to water the Earth and give life just as he sends down, water for a purpose and that purpose is accomplished. So also does he send out his word when the word of God goes out? It goes out with a purpose from God. When the word is proclaimed. God will not fail to bring about the purpose for which he gave that word. God's word will always accomplish whatever he desires it to accomplish. Always does exactly what God intends it to do as we saw last week. Our God is sovereign. And he always accomplishes his purposes and he's chosen to do so by his word. This is God's promise concerning his word. Here it is. It will always do something. It always do something. Whether that's convert a center or Harden him in his sin, the word will do something. What are that's sanctify? A saint or increase their guilt because they will not listen, the word will always do something. Promises. It will always do something. Never does nothing. Brothers and sisters. This means that are preaching our Declaration of the word of God in public or private, written or spoken. Whatever, it may be, the Declaration of the word is never in vain. God is always active when his word is proclaimed. He's always accomplishing a sovereign purposes. When his word is proclaimed. So then we ought to be devoted to the proclamation of the word. And even more devoted in our own personal reception of it. God is always at work and it all and he will never fail to bring about his purposes. Why? Because he didn't give his word in vain. Get this tattooed on your forehead. God doesn't waste his breath. He breathes out his word. It will do what he intends it to do. So many people want to try to devise clever, methods for the church in this is because they don't, they don't believe what God actually says. In this verse. If they did, they wouldn't come up with the goofy stuff Church, believe him. His word is never proclaimed in vain.

I hope you see here that God calls us to use, his means. In only his means. I'm just real quick. This shouldn't surprise us should. It does not sound like something that God would do, but never read something in the Bible. You like. That's a very good thing, right? Like, based off what I seen elsewhere in scripture. I'm not surprised that this is how he did it. This is one of those things. God has ordained that she will use his word to accomplish his will, in his church. And obviously, he's done this. He's ordered things this way. Why will receive all the glory? If this is how we does things and it is then at the end of the day, what are we forced to sit back as as as, as people were forced to sit back and say he did all of it. He did all of it. How do you know that? Because I just told people what he already said. I just send the book. I just read the book. I explain the book. That was it. Clearly. He did it. He did it this way so that he would receive all glory. Imagine this, especially if you're as optimistic about the long-term future as I am, God's going to conquer the nations of this world.