Being Read By The Word

BEING READ BY THE WORD

Heb. 4:12-13

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: A LAWYER GOES TO HEAVEN

1. A lawyer dies and goes to Heaven. “There must be some mistake,” the lawyer argues. “I’m too young to die. I’m only fifty five.”

2. “Fifty five?” says Saint Peter. “No, according to our calculations, you’re eighty two.” “How’d you get that?” the lawyer asks. Answers St. Peter: “We added up your time sheets.”

B. TEXT

“12 For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

C. THESIS

1. Woody Allen said, "I once took a course in speed reading and was able to read Tolstoy’s (1,392 pages) ‘War and Peace’ in twenty minutes.” When asked what it was about, he replied, “It’s about Russia."

2. My question for you today is “How do you read the Bible?” Like a novel? Like a magazine? Like an online news site? One guy read the N.T. in 2 weeks. When asked what it said, he replied, “It’s about God.” Hopefully we’re going to get more insight than that!

3. So today we’re going to look at Hebrews 4:12-13 and see what it says about how the Word of God ought to affect us! TITLE: “Being Read By The Word.”

I. THE WORD OF GOD IS ALIVE

“For the Word of God is living…”

A. UNIQUE: NOT A NORMAL BOOK

The Bible, the Word of God, is unlike any other book. The Library of Congress lays claims to being the largest library in the world, with 530 miles of bookshelves, 29 million books and 58 million manuscripts. Yet among all these volumes the only one can lay claim to being alive is the Bible! We're not supposed to think it's like other books and we should expect it to do things in our lives that no other book can do!

B. HOW IT’S DESCRIBED

1. The word “living” (zon(e)) means “alive!” -- “active, moving, accomplishing.” It’s not a dead letter, but living oracles (Acts 7:38).

2. It is described as:

a. A flowing river which waters its readers (Ps. 1:1-3),

b. A shining lamp which illumines our paths (Ps. 119:105),

c. A growing seed planted in our hearts which brings us life (Mt. 13:23).

3. “Gipsy Smith told of a man who said he had received no inspiration from the Bible although he had “gone through it several times.” “Let it go through you once,” replied Smith, “then you will tell a different story!” [source unknown - www.bible.org]

II. THE WORD OF GOD IS POWERFUL

“For the word of God is living and powerful.”

A. IT HAS DIVINE ENERGY

1. The word translated “powerful” (energes) is the word from which we get energy and energetic. Energns means “full of power to achieve results.”

2. SCRIPTURAL USAGE:

a. Heb. 11:3, “… the worlds were framed by the Word of God.”

b. Mk. 4:39, “siopa, pephimoso”- “Peace, Be still!” means literally, “Shut up & stay shut up!” or “Put the muzzle on & keep it on!”

3. Charles Swindoll comments, “News articles may inform us. Novels may inspire us. Poetry may enrapture us. But only the living, active Word of God can transform us.” [Charles Swindoll, p. 73]

B. EXAMPLE OF ITS INFLUENCE

1. “One of the most dramatic examples of the Bible’s divine ability to transform men and women involved the famous “Mutiny on the Bounty,” a true story. Following their rebellion against the notorious Captain Bligh, nine mutineers, along with some Tahatian men and women, found their way to Pitcairn Island. After 10 years, only

one man, eleven women, and 23 children were left alive.

2. In time the man, John Adams, came across the “Bounty’s” Bible in the bottom of an old chest. He began to read it, and the divine power of God’s Word reached into the heart of that hardened murderer and changed his life forever. He began to teach the children from the Bible until every person on the island had experienced the same amazing change that he had found. Today, with a population of slightly less than 100, nearly every person on Pitcairn Island is a Christian. [Signs of the Times, August, 1988, p. 5.]

III. THE WORD PENETRATES & DISCERNS

“…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” (12-13).

A. THE WORD’S ABILITY TO CUT/DISSECT

1. Like a sharp sword of the Scripture can open our inner life and expose it to ourselves and to others.