INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• I hope you have enjoyed our journey through the 7 Hebrew words every Christian should know.
• As we live life we have to make a major decision, that decision is HOW AM I GOING TO LIVE MY LIFE?
• Put another way, one of the gifts we all have is time; however, the gift of time is not something we can stockpile, nor is it something we can purchase more, rather time is a gift that is not guaranteed to us, we live life second by second, never knowing when the clock will run out on us.
• So, the question is, how will you spend the gift of your time?
• The word final word we will examine today gives us something to consider as we ponder how we will chose to live the life we now have.
• Today we conclude with a word that is used only 20 times in the Old Testament.
• The word for today is TOHU (TOE WHO). This word is translated a few different ways in the Old Testament Hebrew because the word is not a one shade of a color like blue, there is sky blue, navy blue, royal blue, teal, light blue, baby blue, ugly 1970’s car blue, etc.…
• This word contains six predominate shades of a color, hence, the reason for six or more various words in the English to try to catch the hue of the day within the context of the passage.
• We will look at all six shades of the color this morning and as we do, I hope we can see why this word is important for us to understand.
• We will survey a few passages this morning as we unfold TOHU, so you can check out the screen, or follow on You Version.
• Let’s begin with our first thought.
• SLIDE #2
SERMON
??????? I. Tohu defined.
• How do we define TOHU?
• There are six predominate shades that bring life to this word, they are all, if you will blue, but the word encompasses various shades of the color. So, what I want to do it to break down those six shades in order of use, from the most used to the least.
• The first way TOHU is translated is by the phrase WORTHLESS THING.
• It is used in this way 8 of the 2 times the word is used in the Old Testament.
• SLIDE #3
• 1 Samuel 12:21 (CSB) Don’t turn away to follow worthless things (TOHU) that can’t profit or rescue you; they are worthless.
• This comes from Samuel’s final speech to as encourages the people to follow God.
• A worthless thing is defined as something that is worthless or unsubstantial.
• This shade of TOHU deals with the pursuit of things that are worthless and unsubstantial.
• The second phrase that is used to translate TOHU is wasteland. TOHU is translated in this manner 4 times.
• SLIDE #4
• Psalm 107:40 (CSB) he pours contempt on nobles and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
• A wasteland is land that is worthless for cultivation, it is uninhabitable.
• A third shade of the TOHU is translated by the word EMPTINESS. It shade of the word is used three times in the Old Testament.
• SLIDE #5
• Job 26:7 (CSB) He stretches the northern skies over empty space; he hangs the earth on nothing.
• Emptiness is a state of containing nothing.
• The fourth shade of TOHU is translated as FORMLESS, which is used two times.
• SLIDE #6
• Genesis 1:2 (CSB) Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
• Formless means having no form or shape.
• The fifth shade of TOHU is MEANINGLESS, which is used two times also.
• SLIDE #7
• Isaiah 40:17 (CSB) All the nations are as nothing before him; they are considered by him as empty nothingness.
• Meaningless denotes having no value or significance.
• SLIDE #8
• The sixth shade of TOHU is desolation. It is used once in this manner.
• Isaiah 34:11 (NIV) The desert owl and screech owl will possess it; the great owl and the raven will nest there. God will stretch out over Edom the measuring line of chaos and the plumb line of desolation.
• Desolation denotes something that is in a state of being decayed or destroyed.
• These seven shades give us the idea of what TOHU means, now let’s move to our next thought.
• Why should this word important to us?
• SLIDE #9
??????? II. What does a tohu life look like?
• I want to make a spiritual application to this word for us today. From what we have seen, TOHU is a word that one would not want to apply to the way they spend their time or live their life.
• What does a life that is described by TOHU look like?
• As one begins to look at the different shades of the color of TOHU, it is not a pretty picture.
• When we go shade by shade we can see how devastating a TOHU life can be.
• A TOHU life is marked by the pursuit of worthless things in life.
• Remember that a worthless thing is something that has no value or is unsubstantial.
• When you examine what you chose to pursue in life, you have to ask yourself if the pursuit is worth the investment or sacrifice you will make.
• People have sacrificed their families at the altar of seeking “success.” The pursuit took them away from home so much that they lost their family.
• Folks have sacrificed their salvation while pursuing things that, when it was all said and done, was not lasting.
• A TOHU life is one spent on things that in the end have no value.
• SLIDE #10
• Matthew 16:26 (CSB) For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?
• A TOHU life is marked by not thinking about this.
• Another mark of a TOHU marred life is the life becomes a wasteland.
• A wasteland is defined as land that is worthless for cultivation, it is uninhabitable.
• A TOHU life is one that is marked by not living a life that cultivates faith, a life that does not allow faith to grow and thrive.
• Their life is like Jesus described with was find in Matthew 13 when Jesus shared the parable of the sower.
• The life that is a wasteland is a life that matches the seed that feel on the hard path, the seed could not take root.
• A third mark of the TOHU life is a life that is marked by emptiness.
• Emptiness is a state of nothing. When you take stock of your life, what do you take inventory of? Stuff? Bank account? Those things in the end are nothing.
• A person who is empty is one who does not have God filling the God-shaped hole within them.
• A fourth mark of a TOHU life is a life that is formless.
• Formless means without shape.
• Do you remember your child’s first potter project in art class? They presented it to you and you were proud, but you really could not tell what the project was.
• A formless life is one that has no form, you cannot see what the life is supposed to be.
• We see this in church, a person will wear a cross, they will come to church when it is convenient, they will give occasionally. They have one foot in the kingdom and one foot in the world.
• When you look at the life, you cannot tell what it represents.
• A fifth mark of a TOHU life is a life that I meaningless.
• Meaningless means no value or significance.
• This ties in closely to the other marks. I have seen folks who have all the world has to offer, yet what they have is of no eternal value.
• The sixth mark of a TOHU life is a life marred by desolation.
• Desolation is a state of being decayed or destroyed.
• When one centers their life in this world, this is the state of their life.
• SLIDE #11
• Matthew 6:19–20 (CSB) 19 “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal.
• Treasures on earth are in a state of decay and destruction.
• This is not a life one should strive for, this life is void of joy and peace.
• Think about a home where TOHU is the norm, is that home a solid home?
• Faith in Jesus is not just about heaven, it is about the life we now live.
• Aren’t you tired of fighting through life? Do you want real meaning to your life other than stuff?
• If you do, let’s look at our final thought.
• SLIDE #12
??????? III. How to avoid living the tohu life.
• How can I ensure that my life is not a TOHU life?
• It comes down to my priorities. It comes down to what is important to me in life.
• The answer is not earth shattering, it is all about fostering a relationship with Jesus.
• As this relationship develops, it will shape our lives into something meaningful and beautiful.
• In Genesis 1:2, we saw that the earth was formless and void, UNTIL God did something with it.
• God can take your formless life and make it into something wonderful!
• Jesus tells gives some great insight concerning life.
• SLIDE #13
• Matthew 6:20–21 (CSB) But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
• The key to avoiding a TOHU life is deciding where your treasure is.
• Jesus tells us where our treasure is, our heart will be also.
• To live the Christian life, you have to love the Christian life.
• When you pursue Jesus, your life will be so much different, it will not be a TOHU life.
• Those who call themselves Christians need to get to where we are truly in a relationship with Jesus.
• Our relationship with Jesus has to go much deeper than a necklace, everything that makes our life count springs from our relationship with Jesus.
• Paul nailed it in Galatians 2:20
• SLIDE #14
• Galatians 2:20 (CSB) I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
• A relationship with Jesus is much more than coming to church once in a while, it is more than praying once and a while or reading the bible once and a while.
• Jesus gave His all for you, we are called to give our all to Him.
• Do you think a marriage where each person or one person in the relationship decides to just put a small effort into the relationship?
• To the level you allow yourself to love Jesus, is level at which your faith will be.
CONCLUSION
• TOHU, this word should remind us of the type of life we do not want to live.
• We should strive to be all in with Jesus, when you are, life will never be the same!
• Next week we being a series entitled GREAT DELIVERS.
