God's Word It's Alive

I was twenty-four years old ... when I first became aware ...... of what it meant ... to be under the scalpel ... of God's word.

It was then ... that I heard and understood clearly ... that I was a sinner .... and as such .... had no right to eternity ... in heaven.

I remember being cut through ... with the conviction of my sin.

There and then ... I received Jesus Christ ... as my personal Savior ... and as my Lord. That was my first experience with the penetrating power of the Word of God ... but it would not be ... my last.

Over the years ... there have been many times ... that the Word of God has cut me .... Taught me ...and convicted me.

Today we come to the classic text on the power of the Word of God ... in Hebrews:

Hear God's Word: BIBLE "For the word of God is living and active, ... sharper than any two-edged sword, ... piercing to the division of soul and spirit, ... of joints and marrow, ... and discerning the thoughts and intentions' of the heart. ...... And no creature hidden from His sight, ... but all are naked ...... and exposed to the eyes of Him ... to whom we must give account." END (Hebrews 4:12-13)

This section begins with the word "for" or "therefore" ... tying what follows ... with what the author has previously told us ... concerning the consequences ... of Israel's disobedience.

The author wants us .... to get it through our thick heads .... that Israel's awful tragedy ... can strike us as well ... if we remain disobedient.

Let us look at this passage ... and hopefully it will become clear ... why we ... as followers of the Christ ...cannot and must not disregard ... the Word of God!

(1 Finger) First, .... The Scriptures are A Living Word.

The Scriptures are clear ... Crystal clear Quote ... "For the word of God .... is living" Un-quote (Hebrews 4:12)

The Scriptures, .... the Word of God, .... is unlike any other book you have ... in your home ... or that is in the library.

The Library of Congress lays claim ... to be the largest library in the world, ... with more than 150 million items on approximately 838 miles of bookshelves.

The collections include more than 32 million books and other printed materials, ... 3 million recordings, ... 15 million photographs, ... 5 million maps, ... and 61 million manuscripts.

Yet among all these volumes ... the only one that lays a claim to being alive and active ... are the Holy Scriptures.

This places The Word of God ... in a unique category ... all to itself.

The word "living" ... is the translation of zon, a present participle of the verb zao "Zah -- O" ... which means "to live, to be alive."

The Word of God is "Zah-O" ... alive, ... actively alive, ... and as the tense indicates, ... constantly alive.

The word of God is no dead letter, ... it is living, ... it is alive.... And it will penetrate you ... separating soul and spirit. (Long Pause)

A man told his pastor that he received no inspiration ... from reading trough the Bible.

His response speaks volumes: "Let it flow through you once," replied the elderly pastor ... "Then you will tell a different story!"

Beloved ... it is so alive that you must not look to read volumes ... but allow each verse ... each chapter to feed you.

(Pick up Bible) These words are so alive ... that our flesh... and the enemy ... are fearful ... that we will even pick up the Scriptures.

(1 Finger) The Word of God is not only a living word but

(2 Fingers) Secondly, ... Is an Active Powerful Word

Hear again this truth from Gods Word BIBLE "For the word of God is living and active." END (Hebrews 4:12)

The word translated active (energes) "N-air-gAce" ...is the Greek word from which we get the English word ... energy and energetic.

The word of God is energetic "N-air-gAce"

The word literally means ... "at work."

Beloved ... The word of God is continually ... at work. (Pause)

The evangelist and pastor ... 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."

Beloved ... It is alive! The Word of God is Alive.

One of the most dramatic examples of the Scriptures divine ability to transform ... involved the famous story of the mutiny ... on the Bounty.

Following their rebellion against the notorious Captain Bligh, ... nine mutineers, ... along with the Tahitian men and women, ... found their way to Pitcairn Island, ... a tiny deserted dot in the South Pacific only two miles long ... and a mile wide.