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.
Ten years later, ... drink and fighting had left only one-man alive ... John Adams.
Along with Eleven women ... and 23 children which made up the rest of the Island's population.
So far ... this is the familiar story made famous in the book ... and the motion picture.
Yet ... the rest of the story ... is even more remarkable.
About this time, ... 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 man ... on a tiny volcanic speck ... in the vast Pacific Ocean .... and changed his life ... forever.
The peace and love that Adams found in the Scriptures ... entirely replaced the old life ... of quarreling, brawling, and liquor.
He began to teach the children from the Scriptures ... until every person on the island ... had experienced the same amazing change ... that he had found. (Pause)
The Scriptures are ...living and active...and when we read its words .... they reach out and touch the needs of our lives.... in an almost ... a tangible way.
The prophet Isaiah describes scripture as being a living agent ... a messenger ... that God sends to touch our lives.
Listen to God promises:
BIBLE ".... My word will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." END (Isaiah 55:11)
So, unlike any other book, ... the Scriptures are (1 Finger) Living ...... (2 Fingers) and active and:
(3 Fingers) Thirdly, ... It is a Penetrating Word
Hear Gods Word: BIBLE "Sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing... penetrating... until it divides soul from spirit, and joints from marrow." END (Hebrews 4:12)
It is like a sharp sword ... which can lay open the human body ... with one slashing blow.
So ... the sword of the Scripture .... can open our inner life.... and expose it ... not only to God ... but to ourselves ... and to others.
In the Roman world, ... there were two distinctly different swords.
There was a large sword, ... it was long, heavy, and destructive.
And There was a short sword, ... called a "ma--ha-rah" it was lightweight ... double-edged ... and deadly ... because it cut both ways.
This "ma-ha-rah" is the sword Peter used ... to cut off the ear of the servant of the High priest... in the garden of Gethsemane .... on the night ... of Jesus arrest (Mark 14:47).
What the author of Hebrews is sharing with us .... is that God's Word ... can reach into the innermost recesses of our very being ... and expose them!
No heart ... is too tough ... no soul ... is too dark. (Pause)
(Slow) When God wills it, ... his word can pierce anyone.
As a certain Mr. Thorpe in 18th century Bristol ... found out.
Thorpe was a part of a band of men who called themselves, ... the "Hell Fire Club."
Their reason for existence ... was to mock and ridicule the work of the famed evangelist, ... George White-field.
On one occasion, ... the "Hell-Fire Club" gathered at a pub for such mockery.
Mr. Thorpe offered his brilliant imitation of White-field, ... whom he and his friends called, ... "Mr. Squintum" ... because of White-field's eyes.
Thorpe delivered his mocking sermon... with brilliant accuracy, .... perfectly imitating White-field's tone and facial expressions ... as he quoted Scripture.
Suddenly amidst the laughter ... Thorpe had to sit down ... for he was pierced through ... and was converted ... on the spot.
Mr. Thorpe was a thoroughly nasty man, .... engaged in nasty actions .... yet the Word of God pierced his heart ... and in an instant ... changed him.
Mr. Thorpe went on to be ... a prominent Christian leader ... in the city of Bristol. (Pause)
Often times ... you will hear people say ... that the Bible is contradictory ... or it doesn't make sense.
Ask them to read it ... and to share the contradictory or unclear portions with you ... via phone ... email or text.
Beloved ... The Scriptures promise ... that they will penetrate them ... and change them.
And You can usually find a response to any question in a commentary or by contacting your pastor ... or a Christian friend. (Pause)
So ... The Word of God Is Not Only (Fingers) ... Living .... Active ... and Penetrating ...... It is also (4 Fingers) a Discerning Word.
It is a discerner ... and judge .... of the thoughts and the intentions ... of our heart.
Hear Gods word from Hebrews:
BIBLE "And no creature is 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)
Beloved...... nothing is hidden ... No thing is hidden God Sees Everything ....... And There Is No Escape from this truth.
We want God to see us ... and come to our aid ... when we are hurting ... and when we are going through difficult times.
Yet ... when it comes to our sin ... and wrongdoing we would rather ... God look ... the other way.
Am I speaking Truth?
Yet we know the Word of God is a ... discerner ... a judge of the thoughts and intentions .... of the heart.
The word judge (kritikos) "Crit -- E- cos" is the Greek word from which we received the English term ... critic.
As the word of God penetrates into the innermost recesses of our being .... it does so as a critic .... As a judge.
God Sees Everything .... There Is No Hiding.
(Pick up Bible) Only the Word of God ... is capable of exposing the thoughts and attitudes ... of each human heart.
Why is it .... when we fear that some-thing is not quite right physically .... That we tend to put off going to the doctor.
Why ... because we fear ... we fear ... we will hear ... bad news.
The same is true spiritually.
Beloved ... Ignoring sin ... will not make it go away .... It will not make it disappear.
All things are naked... all things are laid bare ... before God.
The Greek word used in this passage literally refers to bending someone's neck backward .... so, the face ... is looking ... upwards.
It is a vivid term ... describing either the grip of a wrestler on the neck of his opponent ... or the grip on the neck of a victim ... prepared for sacrifice.
And sometimes ... it was used to describe how a man being led to execution ... had a knife placed beneath his chin ... so that he could not hang his head in shame ... and thus avoid the gaze ... of the onlookers.
To be in the grip of an all-powerful God ... is to be vulnerable, .... To be helpless ... to have all our secrets known.
With God, ... we cannot smooth over our sin ... with outward actions, .... He knows the real intentions ... of our heart.
We may appear to be sincere to others... but God knows our true motives.
God Sees Everything.
The author of Hebrews reminds us... of this Truth: "All things are open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:13)
The Scriptures warn us of what is to come:
Hear God's word from 2nd Corinthians BIBLE "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ ... that each may receive the things done in the body, ... according to what they have done, ... whether good or bad." END (2 Corinthians 5:10)
Guide your life by the Scriptures.
Live by its principles.
Follow its precepts.
No one is uneducated ... who knows the Scriptures, .... and No one is wise ... who is ignorant of its teachings
The word of God is living and active, ... sharper than any two-edged sword, ... piercing until it divides soul from spirit, ... joints from marrow; ... and it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Have you come under the scalpel of the Lord?
Have you given your life to the Lord and aloud his word to come alive in your life?
Beloved .... Are the Scriptures true because you believe them?
Or ... Do you believe them because they are True?
Let me repeat:
Your answer is eternally ... significant.
Beloved ... Believe them .... for not only are they true ... (Slow) But God's word is Discerning, Penetrating ... Active and so very Alive.
Amen and Amen.
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