THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD
HEB. 4:12
I. INTRODUCTION
OUT OF ALL THE WORDS KNOWN TO MAN, THERE IS NOTHING MORE POWERFUL THAN THE WORD OF GOD. PHILOSOPHY, WITH IT UNENDING QUESTIONS, FAILS IN ITS COMPARISON TO THE WORD OF GOD. SCIENCE, WITH ITS CONCEPTS AND FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS, DOES NOT MEASURE UP TO THE WORD OF GOD. IF YOU TAKE ALL OF THE PROMINENT SPEAKERS FROM ALL AGES, AND COMPARE WHAT THEY HAVE SAID TO WHAT GOD HAS SAID, THEIR WORDS WILL BE AS A SOUNDING BRASS AND A TINKLING CYMBAL. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN AN INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP; WHOS WORDS CARRY MORE AUTHORITY THAN GOD’S. FOR IT WAS BY HIS WORD THAT WORLDS CAME INTO EXISTENCE. YES, MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, HIS WORD HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE LIVES, LIFT UP BOWED DOWN HEADS, SOOTHE US IN OUR MOMENTS OF MISERY. HIS WORD INSTRUCTS US HOW TO LIVE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS WORD TELLS US IF WE ARE LIVING UNRIGHTEOUS. THERE ARE NO WORDS, SPOKEN OR WRITTEN THAT HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD.
II. THE TEXT
THE WRITER OF THIS MARVELOUS MESSAGE LET’S THE READER KNOW THE POTENCY OF GOD’S WORD. HE IS CONVINCED BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD IS UNPARALLELED.
THE AUTHOR BEGINS BY STATING THAT GOD’S WORD IS QUICK, WHICH MEANS THAT IT IS ALIVE. THE WORD OF GOD IS NOT SOME FABRICATED FAIRY TALE, THAT’S WHY IT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME. JESUS SAYS IN MATT. 24:35, “HEAVEN AND EARTH SHALL PASS AWAY, BUT MY WORDS SHALL NOT PASS AWAY.”
NOT ONLY IS GOD’S WORD ALIVE, BUT IT IS POWERFUL, THAT’S WHY GOD’S WORD WILL NEVER BECOME OBSOLETE. HIS WORD IS SO POWERFUL AND AUTHORATATIVE THAT ANGELS MOVE AT HIS COMMAND.
NOT ONLY IS THE WORD OF GOD QUICK AND POWERFUL, IT IS SHARPER THAN ANY TWO EDGED SWORD, WHICH MEANS HIS WORD HAS THE UNCANNY ABILITY TO CUT WITH ACCURATE, SURGICAL PERCISION. HIS WORD CUTS GOING IN AND CUTS COMING OUT. THE POWER OF HIS WORD IS SO EXACT THAT EVERY MOTIVE OF OUR HEARTS ARE MADE BARE BEFORE GOD. IF WE ARE LIARS, HIS WORD REVEALS IT; FORNICATORS, HIS WORD REVEALS IT; SEXUALLY IMMORAL AND PROMISCUOUS, HIS WORD REVEALS IT; CHEATERS, BACKBITERS, THE POWER OF HIS WORD REVEALS IT.
III. APPLICATION
AS A CHILD OF GOD WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT JUST BEING HEARERS OF THE WORD, BUT DOERS ALSO. SINCE WE BEAR WITNESS TO THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD, AND SINCE WE ARE AWARE OF THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS ON OUR LIVES, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE SPEND MORE TIME IN HIS WORD. IT’S ONE THING TO READ HIS WORD, AND ANOTHER THING TO STUDY HIS WORD.
IT’S AMAZING HOW MANY CHRISTIANS HAVE ACCESS TO THIS AWESOME POWER, BUT FAIL TO USE IT. IT BLOWS MY MIND THAT CHRISTIANS WILL SPEND MORE TIME IN GOSSIP THAN THEY WILL IN THE GOSPEL. IT’S INTERESTING, HOW MANY FOLK NEVER STUDY GOD’S WORD UNTIL A CRISIS COMES. BUT MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, I WANT TO TELL YOU TODAY THAT THERE IS REAL POWER IN GOD’S WORD.
BY THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD SINNERS BECOME SAINTS. BY THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD DISMAL LIVES ARE TRANSFORMED INTO VICTORIOUS DISCIPLES. THE POWER OF HIS WORD IS A LAMP UNTO MY FEET, AND A LIGHT UNTO MY PATH. THE POWER OF HIS WORD IS THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS A HARDENED HEART.
· HIS WORD IS A BED TO REST UPON.
· HIS WORD IS A SURE FOUNDATION.
· BREAD TO THE HUNGRY.
· COMFORT TO THE LONELY.
· HOPE TO THE HOPELESS.
· REST TO THE WEARY.
· EVEN THOUGH THE WINDS OF PERSECUTION HAVE BLOWN AGAINST IT, IT STILL REMAINS.
· EVEN THOUGH THE WAVES OF IMMORALITY HAVE LASHED OUT AGAINST IT, IT STILL REMAINS.
· EVEN THOUGH THE SHARP AXE OF THE ATHEISTS HAVE TRIED TO HEW IT DOWN, IT STILL REMAINS.
BUT LET ME TELL WHY I’M SO THANKFUL FOR HIS WORD. IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, AND THE WORD WAS GOD. JESUS CHRIST IS THE LIVING WORD OF GOD, AND IT’S THE LIVING WORD OF GOD THAT SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME.
