LANGUAGE:
The Transformative Power Of God’s Word
Today I am starting a new sermon series entitled the transformative power of God’s Word. Research tells us that people who are fully engaged in the Bible, flourish in every area of life. It also tells us that no matter the circumstances, those who connect with God through His Word are happier than those who do not.[i]
For several months I have felt that God would have us focus on the importance of the Bible to our lives. I am a tea drinker. At tea-time I drop a tea-bag into a cup of water, and then place it in the micro-wave. As the heat is applied, the water is transformed into a delightful drink. Like the tea leaves permeating my cup of hot water, the Bible is meant to permeate the intentions of my heart, training me to discern good and evil. So as followers of Jesus, we purposely meet weekly to study the Word of God so that it permeates our minds, transforming our thoughts and intentions, and training us to discern good and evil.[ii]
Dr. Francis Schaffer writes: “. . . but looking back to the Old Testament and the time of Christ, with tears we must say that because of a lack of determination and faithfulness on the part of God's people, God's Word has many times been ‘made’ to conform to the surrounding changing culture of the moment[iii] rather than to stand as the inerrant Word of God, judging the spirit of the world and the surrounding culture of that moment.”[iv] In fact, the prophet Isaiah spoke of a ‘coming’ day when truth would stumble in the public square,[v] and that is where we are today. Truth is indeed stumbling in the public square.
Let’s pray: Lord, your word is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Speak to us today through your word, Amen.
No matter what stage we are in in our walk with God, God is constantly inviting us to a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him. One of the key ways to grow in our relationship with God is being immersed in His Word. God’s Word is not dormant. It’s not just a bunch of letters on a scroll, or piece of paper, or an electronic device, or bound in a book. Hebrews 4:12(NIV84) tells us that God’s Word is very much alive and active. Some of the functions of God’s Word for us are:
Every now-and-again as we flip through the TV channels, we’ll pause on PBS Antique Roadshow. I am fascinated by what people bring to the show that turn out to be of great value. Recently I read about an elderly man from Arizona who brought an old blanket that he had inherited to the PBS Antique Roadshow. For many years it had been draped over the back of his rocking chair as decoration. At the presentation the appraiser was stunned by the fine detail and condition it was in. He told the elderly man that the style and colors pointed it to be a Navajo chief’s blanket, most likely woven around the 1840’s. Because of its rarity and historical significance, he appraised this old blanket as high as $500,000.
Unknown to this elderly Arizonian, he had an old blanket pushing a half million dollars. Choked up and with tears pouring from his eyes, he asked to hear the amount again. The article pointed out that following the appraisal this man walked out of the building with security guards on either side of him, drove straight to a bank, and placed the blanket in a safety deposit box. What had been a mere accent on an old rocking chair, suddenly became a precious treasure.[vi]
In Psalm 19:10–11 (GW) King David made his appraisal of the Word of God. It said it was/is 10 more desirable than gold, even the finest gold . . . 11As your servant I am warned by it. There is a great reward in following ‘it’. For David, the Bible wasn’t just any old book tossed on a bookshelf to collect dust, but a priceless treasure.
Tim Challies writes: More than just words, the Bible is the very Word of God! More than ink on a page, the Bible is alive and active. It contains exactly what God wants ‘us’ to know about Him and about ourselves. It is the awesome, amazing, living revelation of an awesome, amazing, powerful God to His created beings.[vii] The Bible is our Lord’s revelation of Himself and His plan of redemption.
Charles Stanley highlights for us some of the topics it covers:
The Bible stands out from all the writings in the world that have ever been written, that are being written, and that will be written, because it is God’s own explanation of the ultimate meaning of nature, history, and life. I like how John Piper lays it out for us. He writes, The Bible is God’s infallible and authoritative explanation, in human language, of what everything means in relation to the eternal plan of redemption.[ix]
The reason we should treasure the Bible is because we believe that God has laid out truly for us His thoughts about everything we need to know about life and godliness.[x] When God speaks He speaks truly. John 17:17, His word is truth, and by it we are sanctified in truth. 1 Timothy 4:6-10, by it we are constantly nourished as to the words of the faith and sound doctrine so we’re told to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness, for it is for this we (all) labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.[xi]
Psalm 119 is probably the center piece for us as to the centrality of God’s Word to our lives. In verse 17, King David makes a striking request for God to be good to him while he lives. Why? So that he may "obey" the words of the Lord. That is some request. Get this, he is asking God to preserve him so that he might live the ways of God. For this to happen he asks the Lord to open his eyes to show him wondrous things in His word so that he can do just that (v18).
So what we have here is a basic prayer for insight, a request for the Holy Spirit to search the deep things of the Lord[xii] and revel them that he/we might "understand the things freely given ‘to us’ by God".[xiii]
And unless our Creator God does this, the Bible will remain a dead letter, a message that we cannot receive to our benefit. And that’s why the psalmist's makes this specific requests for insight into God's instruction. And his request becomes a model for our requests for digging deeper into God’s Word.
One of Jesus’s most repeated sayings in the Gospels goes something like this: “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:23). Why did Jesus stress the importance of listening? Hebrews 2:1 states it this way for us, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. If we’re not paying attention, we may not notice we are drifting. To spiritually drift is to lose sight of the path that Jesus has laid out for us.[xiv] The point for us is, to be a Jesus follower, we must be very attentive, because we are living in a very destructive distracting time frame. Ephesians 5:16–17 (NASB95) 16make the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Everything hangs on how well we are paying attention.
With that in ‘our hip pockets’, let’s turn over to Hebrews chap 4. Here we are told about the danger of not being attentive to God’s Word. Chap 4, vs 11 (NASB95) Therefore, let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. The word rest, in context, has to do with God’s salvation. Resting means stop trying to please God by our feeble, fleshly works. God’s perfect rest is resting in His free grace. It also means freedom from whatever worries that disturb you.[xv]
To not be diligent to enter God’s resting grace, is to follow a model of disobedience. So here’s the question: who is the model of disobedience and what disobedience is in mind here?
Look at v11. Notice it begins with the word Therefore. Therefore is a transition word, telling us that we need to get a handle on what was previously said. To know what was previously said, we need to go back to v2, where the writer says we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.
Follow me. Who are the ‘they’ the writers has in mind? And what was the good news preached? The message of good news was preached to the generation of the Exodus concerning a land flowing with milk and honey, which was an emphasizes on the fertility of the soil and bounty of the promised land that awaited God's chosen people.[xvi] But they did not receive the promise. Why? Because they refused to believe what God had promised.
God had given Israel the Word of promise, they heard His Word of promise, but they failed to trust God’s Word of promise because of unbelief. V6, they formerly received the good news (God’s Word of promise) but failed to take hold of the promise because of disobedience. The disobedience in mind is captured in Chap 3, v8, Do not harden your hearts as when Israel provoked me in the wilderness.
So let’s understand v2. They disbelieved the good news that was preached to them concerning God’s promise . . . the good news did not profit them because they did not wrap their minds around it in faith. Don’t miss this: God’s good news (that would be God’s Word of promise) did not profit them, because they did not believe it.
So when we come to v11, we are told to straight up "Be diligent to hear God’s word. That is, believe God’s word, trust God’s word, embrace God’s Word, and be satisfied by God’s Word. Why? So that we don't go back to the old way of life, the life in Egypt, the life of sin.
Why should we pay diligent attention to the Word of God? Chap 3:12–13 (NASB95)12. . . that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13So encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. The issue on the table is an unbelieving heart that comes because of the deceitfulness of sin. Chap 4:12 (NASB95) The reason for diligence is that the Word of God is living and active, piercing our thoughts and intentions. It bores deep into our motives, exposing them for what they are . . . bent, twisted, and deceitful[xvii]. So James tells us that if we merely listen to the word of God, without internalizing it, we will live a life of deception.[xviii] Romans 10:17 (NASB95) faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Faith is believing what one has been told about God’s offer of salvation and trusting the one who has been spoken about.[xix]
This is a good place to step back and let this all sink in. The point of today’s message is to help us wrestle with the lightness that we generally have towards the Word of God for our lives. What’s at stake is entering God’s rest. To put it another way, what’s at stake is our eternal destination. The greatest danger of life is our unbelieving thoughts that crop up because of a hardening brought by the deceitfulness of sin.[xx] Chap 3, v19, remember, it was because of hard unbelieving hearts, refusing to believe God’s Word they could not enter God’s rest.
As I close I want you to jot down three important truths to take with you this week.
We need to fight against careless attitudes that we have as to God’s Word. We need protection from thoughtless unbelief.[xxi] v12, we need to hunker down with the Word of God in our minds so that it shields us from the messages of the world, the lust of our flesh, the lust of our eyes, the pride of life.[xxii] The Word of God exposes our belief or unbelief. It is designed to evaluate our thoughts and intentions as to whether our faith is genuine or not. We can’t take our attitudes and thoughts for granted.
There’s a deceitfulness of sin, that without being constantly immersed in the Bible, will harden our hearts . . . making us think we’re okay when in actuality we are not. Sin whispers through our desires and the rationalizations of our minds such things as . . .
That’s where v12 comes. The Word of God pierces our motives and intentions, exposing them for what they are. Peter tells us in his second letter that God has given us good news, His enduring Word filled with 3His divine promises by which He has granted to us everything we need for life and godliness which comes through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust (2 Peter 1:3-4).
In Psalm 119:103 (NASB95) David wrote, how sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! For David, honey represented the wonder of God’s Words. It brought a sweetness to his lips, lingering thoughts on God.[xxiv]
Reading and reflecting on God’s Word is like plunging your spoon, or perhaps your fingers, into the syrupy depths of a honeycomb to scoop out and eat.
Andrew Wilson sums up the sweetness of God’s Word with these powerful words: . . . that the Word of God is rich, tasty, satisfying, and enjoyable. It brightens one’s eyes and enlivens one’s soul. It doesn’t need any flavoring or preservatives to make it taste better, and you cannot add to it or take away from it. It lasts through the centuries and never goes out of date. In a world filled with processed products and hybrid wisdom, the words of God are pure, golden, and luxuriously sweet.[xxv]
Interestingly the Hebrew word translated sweet means smooth or pleasant, representing God’s promises to carry us through life’s hardships. When Israel was in the desert God gave them water from the rock which was described as “honey from the rock” in Psalm 81:16.[xxvi] Honey is descriptive of the abundant sweetness of God’s gracious provisions. His Words cannot be earned, horse-traded, bought, or exchanged. They can only be received. And so we are invited to taste the sweetness of God’s Word and allow them to brighten our eyes and refresh our souls. As the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 34:8 “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!”. Psalm 18:30 (NASB95)As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
Psalm 119 urges us to immerse ourselves in the Word of God for protection. V9 (NASB95) How can a young man keep his way pure? Answer: By keeping it according to Your word.
Our desire for sin is embedded deep in us. Purity and faithfulness are hard lifestyle choices. The fight for purity and faithfulness takes more than willpower. These choices do not come naturally. To be faithful to our God we must push in the Word of God into the deep recesses of our minds. Embedded in our minds, v105, God’s Word becomes a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. It directs our steps so that we don’t fall off the path, it shines a light on the right, healthiest, and safest course to take. When we consult the Scriptures and follow their directives we can walk in purity.
How do we resist sins temptations? V11 tells us by storing up God’s word in our hearts, so that we might not sin against Him. If you ever wanted to be a hoarder, this is what you want to hoard, the Word of God. By it we are better able to resist sinful temptations, Satan’s traps, and the messages of the world. Hoarding the Word of God helps us amass an arsenal of God truths to fight back against sin. In light of this, how do we read the Bible.
There is only one thing to fear: Fear unbelief as to the promises of God. Because as long as you are trusting in the promises of God you can be utterly fearless in the face of anything, even death, even God.[xxviii]
Let’s pray close in prayer.
Sovereign Lord, Thank you that Your Holy Spirit helps us discern and understand your Word. Give us a hunger to feed our souls on Your Word every day, reminding us that we cannot live by bread alone but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4). Today we recognize that living according to Your Word gives us a firm foundation for this life and the life to come because “your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). Thank you that your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path so that I can walk securely. (Psalm 119:105) We ask today that You use Your Word to teach us, rebuke us, correct us, and train us in righteousness so that we can be completely equipped to do every good work You have prepared for us. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) As You children empower us to embrace Your words of life more than we embrace our fears, our insecurities, and the lies that so easily ensnare. 24Now to You who is able to keep us from stumbling and to present us blameless before the presence of Your glory with great joy, 25the only God, our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, for all time and now and forever more. (Jude 24–25 (ESV)). Amen.
[i] Ryan Foley, Scripture Engaged Christians ‘flourish in every domain of human experience’: Survey, https://www.christiantoday.com/article/scripture.engaged.christians.flourish.in.every.domain.of.human.experience.survey/140351.htm
[ii] Hebrews 4:12 (NASB95) 12For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 5:12–14 (NASB95) 12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. 1 John 4:1 (NASB95) 1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (NASB95) 21But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;
[iii]Janet Thompson, 4 Reasons Christians Compromise with the Culture, https://www.kathyhoward.org/4-reasons-christians-compromise-culture/ 1. Indulge our own desires – This is probably the most frequent reason. We have sinful desires and sometimes we give in to them. Let’s remember – We never have to give in to temptation. God will always provide a way out if we will take it (1 Corinthians 10:13).2. Ignorance of God’s Word – Sometimes believers live like the world in one or more areas simply because they don’t know God’s standard. Yet God calls us to “not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance,” but to be holy in all we do (1 Peter 1:13-15). Thankfully we can learn since we have full access to His Word! (Also see “God’s Truth Trumps Culture Every Time.”) 3 Fear of being “labeled” – Sometimes believers worry more about what the world will think of us than what God will think of us. We don’t want to be considered a “bigot” or “self-righteous.” We don’t want to be different or stand out in a crowd. So we compromise to fit in. 4 Misguided attempt to be relevant – I’ve heard and seen Christians – even Christian leaders – dress and speak in questionable ways in an attempt to connect with the culture. If our speech or dress or behavior shocks or offends even a handful of Christians in the room, we should reconsider. Jesus and His message of salvation are always relevant. We don’t have to compromise to share them.
[iv] Dr. Francis Schaffer, The Great Evangelical Disaster, https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/706617-god-s-word-will-never-pass-away-but-looking-back-to
[v] Isaiah 59:14–15 (NASB95) 14Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot enter. 15Yes, truth is lacking; And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey. Now the LORD saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. 2 Timothy 4:3–4 (NASB95) 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
[vi] Tim Challies, The Infinite Value of Scripture, https://www.challies.com/articles/the-infinite-value-of-scripture/
[vii] Ibid.
[viii] Charles Stanley, The Worth of God’s Word, https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/the-worth-of-god-s-word
[ix] John Piper, The Infinite Worth of the Word of God, https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-infinite-worth-of-the-word-of-god
[x] 2 Peter 1:2–3 (NASB95)2Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
[xi] Colossians 1:28 (NASB95) 28We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. Ephesians 4:13 (NASB95) 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. John 4:42 (NASB95) 42and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.” ; 1 Timothy 2:4 (NASB95) 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
[xii] Romans 8:27 (NASB95) 27and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
[xiii] 1 Corinthians 2:9–12 (NASB95) 9but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” 10For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,
[xiv] Hebrews 12:1–3 (NASB95) 1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 2 Peter 1:5–11 (NASB95) 5Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
[xv] John F. MacArthur Jr., Hebrews, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1983), 96.
[xvi] William L. Lane, Hebrews 1–8, vol. 47A, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1991), 98. Cf., Leviticus 20:24 (NASB95) 24‘Hence I have said to you, “You are to possess their land, and I Myself will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from the peoples . . . emphasizing the fertility of the soil and bounty that awaited God’s chosen people.
[xvii] Jeremiah 17:9 (NASB95) 9“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? Ecclesiastes 9:3 (NASB95) 3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead.; Mark 7:21–22 (NASB95) 21“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.
[xviii] James 1:22 (NASB95) 22But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
[xix] Bruce B. Barton, David Veerman, and Neil S. Wilson, Romans, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), 203.
[xx] Hebrews 4:13 (NASB95) 13And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
[xxi] Hebrews 3:13 (NASB95) 13But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 10:24–25 (NASB95) 24and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
[xxii] 1 John 2:16 (NASB95) 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
[xxiii] John Piper, Be Diligent to Enter God’s Rest (Hebrews 4:1-11), https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/be-diligent-to-enter-gods-rest
[xxiv] Both Ezekiel and John describe visions in which they eat the scroll of God’s Word and it tastes as sweet as honey in their mouths (Ezekiel 3:3 (NASB95) 3He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.” Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth. ; Revelation 10:9–10 (NASB95) 9So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, “Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. .
[xxv] Andrew Wilson, Taste God’s Goodness in the Sweetness of Honey https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/gods-goodness-honey/. Proverbs 24:13 (NASB95) My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;
[xxvi] manna tastes of honey. Exodus 16:31 (NASB95) 31The house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey.
[xxvii] https://pastordaveonline.org/2018/10/26/studies-in-psalm-119-the-protection-of-the-word/
[xxviii] Cf., John Piper, Be Diligent to Enter God’s Rest (Hebrews 4:1-11), https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/be-diligent-to-enter-gods-rest. Hebrews 4:16 (NASB95) Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.