“Live By The Word”
Hebrews 4:12
INTRO.
Growing up my grandmother had one favorite phrase that she would often use: “No
matter the situation, I’m Living by the Word”
In Jeremiah 37 the prophet Jeremiah has a small problem. He could see that the nation of
Israel is in turmoil, that things are going from bad to worse. The city is in an uproar. The
Babylonian army has surrounded Jerusalem and is now cutting off the cities water and
food supply. The Lord has already told Jeremiah that if king Zedekiah doesn’t surrender
to the Babylonian king, then the city will be burned and king Zedekiah will be killed.
Jeremiah tries to warn the king, but in the process Jeremiah himself is arrested for treason
and then beaten and thrown into prison. In the midst of these terrible circumstances, when
things are at there lowest king Zedekiah calls for the prophet Jeremiah and asks him this
one simple question found in Jeremiah 37:17 the king says, “Is there any word from the
Lord?”
When life is at it’s lowest point, let me suggest that this is what people really want to
know, they want to know “Is there any word from the Lord?” When your marriage is on
the rocks, “Is there any word from the Lord?” When your children rebel against you and
God, “Is there any word from the Lord?” When you lose you job and you don’t know
where that next mortgage payment is going to come from, “Is there any word from the
Lord?” When all your strength is gone and all hope is lost, “Is there any word from the
Lord?” Let me respond with the same statement Jeremiah did in Jeremiah 37:18 when he
said “YES” there is a word from the Lord! “YES” there is hope for your marriage!
“YES” there is hope for your family! “YES” there is hope for your career! When life is at
it’s lowest point “there is a word from the Lord”! But this “word from the Lord” only
happens if we are living by the word! If there is one thing that you remember from this
sermon, is that:
“WE MUST REMEMBER TO LIVE BY THE WORD”
If we are going to live by the word, then we need to know a little bit about the word!
(John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word
was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without
him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of
men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.) Then
down a few verses in (Jn.1:14 says, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among
us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the father full
of grace and truth.) Who is the Word? The Word is JESUS! Why should we live by the
Word? (Acts 4:12 says, Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under
heaven given to men by which we must be saved.) We Must Live By The Word! (Heb
13:8 says, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!) Isn’t that great to
know, that in a world that is constantly changing and lives that are in constant turmoil,
“We serve a Jesus who is the same yesterday, today and forever!” We must remember to
live by the Word! But how do we Live by the Word? We do it by understanding a few
important steps
Read Hebrews 4:12
I. We must understand that the Word is LIVING
Growing up in Orlando, as a kid with no money (not much has changed) a cheap way to
spend a Saturday afternoon was to head down to the John Young Science Center. They
had lot’s of neat stuff like: a electricity ball, the world’s largest bubble maker and indoor
petting zoo. But the greatest exhibit at the Science center were the fossilized remains of a
dinosaur known as the Teranous Rex! It was cool to look at the bones, but after a while
(I will admit it got kind of boring, because all they were was a bunch of bones!) It wasn’t
until the movie Jurassic Park came out that the Teranousrus Rex really came to life for me.
Why? Because I could see it with my eyes, I could hear it with my ears and I could feel
it’s power as I sat on the edge of my seat! The word is the exact same way! You can
look at your Bible on the shelf as it collects dust, and it’s not real to you. However when
you open it up, it comes to life! The reason is because the Word is Living! When life has
you down, when all your strength is gone, when you can’t fight anymore, when there is no
more hope, LIVE BY THE WORD! Because the Word is living! (1 Tim 4:10 says, and
for this we labor and strive, that we have put our hope in the living God who is the Savior
of all men, and especially of those who believe.) This morning I would challenge you to
get into the word daily! Why? Because the word is living and offers hope and help to all
who believe! Live by the word!
II. We must understand that the Word is ACTIVE
Man I loved it when my Aunt would come to visit, because she could make the best
buttermilk biscuits! I loved waking up on a Sunday morning, running downstairs just as
she was taking those biscuits out of the oven (Oh my mouth is watering just thinking
about them). When my Aunt would leave, it was always a sad time (mainly because I
knew I would be getting any more biscuits). One morning however I had a hankering for
some biscuits so I got up went to the kitchen and tired to remember how my Aunt’s recipe
went. I put in 2 cups of flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup vegetable
shortening, 1 egg and 1 cup buttermilk. I mixed it all up, rolled out the dough, cut the
biscuits and put them in the oven. It wasn’t long before the smell of Aunt Bonnies
Famous Buttermilk Biscuits filled the house. I could hardly stand waiting the 15 minutes
until the biscuits would be done, but after passing the time by picking on my sister the
buzzer went off! I hurried into the kitchen opened the door to the oven and pulled out my
biscuits! There was only one problem, the biscuits were as flat as a pancake! In my haste
to make the biscuits I had left out the most important ingredient, 4 teaspoons BAKING
POWDER! I had done everything right except, I left out the active ingredient! Too many
times I feel we can get wrapped up in this thing called life and we can leave out the active
ingredient! We can go to church on Sunday morning, youth group on Wednesday night
and we can wonder why are lives still seem empty, why our lives are still unfulfilled. Let
me suggest that the reason is because we have left out the active ingredient! The active
ingredient in our lives needs to be the Word! (James 1:21-22 says, Therefore get rid of all
moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you
which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves, but do
what it says.) If you want to see things happen in your life, then allow the word to be
active in your life. Do what it says! This morning I would challenge you Live by the
Word by allowing the Word to be active in your life!
III. We must understand that the Word PENETRATES
If your like me, your glad it’s almost summer time. When I was growing up summer
meant no school, no homework and most importantly working on my sun tan out by the
pool. Now I should tell you that when I was younger, I was a real man (and real men
don’t wear sun screen) I would go outside with my bottle of Iced Tea and hop on my
float, with that my day was set. After about 5 hours of soaking up the golden rays of the
sun. I decided that I had been out long enough. I went inside and looked at my skin.
“I’ve been out in the sun all day and I can’t even tell a difference” or so I thought. As day
turned into night, I started to notice that my skin was starting to turn pink and was starting
to burn. By the next morning my skin was bright red and had begun to blister and every
move that I made (I thought might be my last) It had taken all day and night for the full
effect of the sun to penetrate my skin and take hold. The same is true with the Word!
Once you are touched by the Word it will begin to penetrate into all aspects and areas of
your life. Now at first you may not notice it working, but in time you will see it’s life
changing effects! (Isaiah 55:11 sums it up when it says, so is my word that goes out from
my mouth. It will not return empty; but will accomplish what I desire, and achieve the
purpose for which I have sent it.) What is the desired purpose of the word? The desired
purpose is to live by the Word! To allow the word to penetrate into your life, to allow the
word to give you strength, to allow the word to give you wisdom during the trials and
temptations of your life! My challenge this morning is for you to live by the word and
allow the word to penetrate into every nook and cranny of your life!
IV. We must understand that the Word JUDGES
We live in a time where a common phrase thrown around by some people and groups is,
“Don’t Judge Me”! You can almost hear them saying, “It’s my life, or it’s my choice or
what gives you the right?” We also live in a time where those words are enough to detour
most people. They say, “We’ll maybe their right or maybe I am being a little closed
minded”. However let me assure you we are living in the Last Days! We are living in a
time where the words of the apostle Paul seem so fitting (The hour has come for you to
wake up from your slumber, because our Salvation is nearer now than when we first
believed) The problem that we sometimes run into though, is our attitude. When we see
people addicted to drugs, alcohol, pornography, our first impulse is to look down on
them! We say things like why can’t that person get control of their life. When we do
those sort of things we leave no room for God’s Judgment and let me assure you friends
that isn’t a safe place to be! (James 4:12 says, Their is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the
one who is able to save and destroy. But you who are you to judge your neighbor.) We
are called to be a light and witness to those we come in contact with, we are called to love
and encourage one another, we are called to gently instruct those who have gone astray.
However we are never called to look down and judge those around us, because all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God! The word and the word alone had the ability to
Judge the thoughts and attitudes of the heart! My challenge for us this morning is to live
by the word by understanding that it is the Word and not us that judges!
CONCLUSION
Remember how at the beginning I told you about my Grandmother who was simply living
by the word! Let me try to sum up what it means to be living by the word: When my
grandfather and grandmother were married they were not Christians. At the age of 22 my
grandmother came in contact with the living word! From that time on, she made it her
life’s mission to live by the word! Through the years she raised seven children according
to the word. She was faithful to the word, even when her husband wasn’t. She took
comfort from the word, when one of her children passed away. She looked to the promise
of the word, when it says “never will I leave nor forsake you”. Years later when her
husband came to Christ, she thanked God because of His unchanging word. And in 1999
when she passed away, all we had, were the memories and the legacy she left: “Living By
The Word!”
This morning let me encourage you, let me plead with you to Live by the Word! When
life is holding you down and you don’t have to strength to go on, remember: there is hope
for your life, there is a purpose for your future, there is strength for the far journey! Why?
Because we have a word from the Lord! We serve a God who is Living! Who is the same
yesterday, today and forever! We serve a God who is Active in our daily lives! We serve
a God who Penetrates our hearts and minds! We serve a God who Judges our actions and
calls us to repentance! “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any double
edged sword. It penetrates to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the
thoughts and attitudes of the heart”! Is it any reason, that we are called to Live By The
Word! This morning let me assure you that God is calling you to live in accordance with
the word! He isn’t calling the person sitting next to you, He’s calling you! Will you
accept His invitation this morning to live by the word!
