Transformed By The Word Series

Matt 4:4 - Jesus: "It is written: ’Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’"

People need more than bread for their life; we must feed on every Word of God.

The truth transforms us.

Imagine the Power of God’s Word - in Genesis, things come into being - not by His hands, but His spoken Word. He speaks, and there was light!

There is POWER in the Word - power to change lives.

When God creates, He just SPEAKS forth. Jesus needs only to say, BE HEALED... and things change. When we read, believe and act on God’s Word, we experience a CHANGE.

EXPOSURE TO THE WORD CHANGES YOU - opposite of Superman - stone ciptymite

The Word of God has never been expressed as KNOWLEDGE.

LIFE Jesus - "...the words that I have spoken to you are life." (John 6:63 NAS).

BREAD Job - "I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread." (Job 23:12).

Jesus - "It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’" (Matt 4:4)

MILK 1 Pet 2:2 "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation..."

SOLID FOOD 1 Cor 3:1-2 "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly-mere infants in Christ. 2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready."

SWEET DESSERT Ps 119:103 "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth."

Like a 4-course meal - God’s menu for our SPIRITUAL strength and nourishment.

· Are you a person easily discouraged?

· When you are down, are you one that stays DOWN and find it very difficult to GET UP again?

· Like a sick man - no strength; depressed; everything looks gloomy...

There are symptoms of the LACK OF NOURISHMENT - the Word.

Spiritual malnutrition shows up when a CRISIS hits...

When you LOST THE SENSE OF HIS PRESENCE, HIS CARE, THAT HE IS IN CONTROL

The FEEDING ON THE WORD is not good.

(1) Not eating regularly Devotion

(2) Not eating well (digestion) Too much of something... No balance diet...

(3) Not eating right (knowledge) BIBLE TRIVIA, Bible=Literature

Table Manners At God’s Table:

* Accept the seating.

* Read the menu. Know what God has prepared.

* Do your own chewing

* Finish the meal. Don’t just read the Gospel stories all your life

* Count the fruit. You’re not bearing fruit means you’re not eating well.

MINDSET (1) I Must APPREHEND ITS AUTHOR

Understand the PERSON behind the WORD - Fall in Love with the Person who wrote.

Goal is not KNOWLEDGE of the Word but RELATIONSHIP with the PERSON

John 1:1-5 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

The WORD has never been expressed to us as KNOWLEDGE, but a PERSON

In Him was LIFE - the WORD is not just a doctrinal guidebook, literature...

It generates life - the Word transforms us - and that’s why it is always pictured as FOOD.

God uses His WORD to make us like the Son of God.

The more you look at Him, the more you reflect His image.

Jesus says, "The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life." (John 6:63)

WORSHIP flows from my understanding of Him - anchored upon the WORD.

The more I know Him, the more I can worship Him.

Privilege of being a PASTOR - prepare sermon, read and study... as a vocation!

· EXPOSURE TO THE WORD changes me. My attitudes. My treatment of pp.

· Read and Study - moved to tears...

A Bible in your hand is worthless. We can still be spiritually dead with a bible in hand.

We must take it in. HOW? Rick Warren’s says we must ASSIMILATE ITS TRUTH

Receive - Read - Research - Remember - Reflect

Parable of the Sower: Jesus identifies 3 unreceptive attitudes:

- a closed mind (hard path), a superficial mind (rocky), a distracted mind (weeds)

- Consider how you listen - RECEPTIVE heart

Receive - Read - Research - Remember - Reflect

Daily reading means tuning to His frequency, keeping us in range of God’s voice.

Receive - Read - Research - Remember - Reflect

Receive - Read - Research - Remember - Reflect