God's Word is Revealed

Introduction:

Heb 1:1-3 this morning:

Heb 1:1-3 “1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

I also want to look at 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

I want to talk with you a little this morning and for the next couple of Sunday mornings Lord willing on the importance of God’s Word. Today we will explore that God’s Word is Revealed.

It is said ...

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 394 Franklin’s Homemade Bible

That great American, Benjamin Franklin, loved to argue. Occasionally he would find himself overwhelmed by the arguments of his learned friends. At such times he often would say: “Give me a day to think the matter over, for I’m correct.”

Meanwhile he would go to his print shop, set up some type in the style of the Bible, and express his position and argument in Bible language. He would then return next day to his opponents and proudly proclaim; “Whatever you may think, you cannot get away from the fact that Holy Scripture supports my arguments. As it is said in the Book of John …” The ruse worked every time.

This is not what this “spoken unto us by his Son” means -

One has said that Bible as an acronym is:

Bible - Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth

WORD - makes

Without mistake (Manuscript of course)

Ordered of God

R PReserved through time

Divinely Inspired

The Word of God is:

Real

2 Peter 1:21 “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

Pure

God has preserved and protected it down through Centuries - that is an amazing tale for another time - but What we have in our hands, on our phones & tablets is the same Word they were using back then. Not the KJV you understand -

SKIP THIS ILLUSTRATION: I remember hearing a song on a Christian radio program back when I was a teen-ager. I recorded on cassette - boy that dates me doesn’t it. You youngun will never know the tension of waiting for just the right moment to press the play and record button on the recorder to be sure you recorded the song.

Anyway - I found it recently on YouTube it said, “If the KJV was good enough for John the Baptist its good enough for me”

I appreciate the wisdom of our Articles of Faith authors when they included the clause, “when freed from all errors and mistakes of translators, copyists and printers, we recognize as the very Word of God - inerrant, infallible and containing all things necessary to salvation as our sole authority for doctrine.”

Revealed

We wouldn’t and couldn’t know anything about God except what He has opted to reveal to us. God’s Word, the Scripture and even Nature is a revelation to us. It is God disclosing Himself to His creation.

We study the Bible

Because it tells us who God is

John 3:16 “16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Heb 1:1-3 “1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

This shows us a couple of things

The nature of God or at least part of His nature desires to reveal Himself to us

There was no necessity of God’s revelation - but in keeping with His nature of self-giving love - God shared Himself with humanity

Not just a revelation in creation but also revealed Himself to us in Christ

God’s form of self-revelation has varied over time

Spoke to us by the prophets

Now God has spoken to us by His Son Jesus Christ

This doesn’t mean God can’t speak any other way - but this is God’s final word to speak to mankind - Which is recorded for us in the Scriptures

Notice that The Son is the said to be “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person”

The brightness of his glory or some translate it “radiance” its the brightness that shines out from a source of light.

When we behold the Son we see a manifestation of the glory of God

As we read the scripture and see how Jesus acts and lives and teaches He is showing us the Father

But the writer of Hebrews goes on and says that not only is he the brightness but the Son is also the “ the express image of his person”

That word express image refers to the idea of a stamp - when you stamp or emboss something it has the same shape and form. So The Son Jesus Christ bears the very stamp of the Father’s nature.

We couldn’t know this except God revealed this to us and does so through His WORD the Bible.

Because it tells us who we are

James 1:22-25 “22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

Because it tells us who we are supposed to be

We are to be like the Son - Christlikeness

Phil 2:3-5 “3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

1 John 2:6 “6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”

Eph 5:1-2 “1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”

Gal 2:20 “20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Conclusion:

So we see the importance of God revealing Himself to us - we ought to take the time to become familiar and better acquainted with God’s Word.

Instead of scrolling through social media - why not read a chapter or a short book through

Instead of turning on the TV or your favorite show why not read a couple of Psalms or some of the Gospels

Instead of running to some other form of entertainment why not first pick up this Book or open your app and read some of what God has revealed to us of Himself.