GOD’S WORD IS LIVING AND ACTIVE (Outline)
October 9, 2022 – Pentecost 18 – HEBREWS 4:9-13
INTRO: God’s word is living and active. These familiar words in today’s text serve as out theme. Over the years of our Christian lives, we value God’s Word. It is completely true in every detail. The Bible is our Strength. Way. Life. "Your words came to me, and I devoured them. Your words became my joy, the delight of my heart, because I bear your name, O LORD God of Armies” (JEREMIAH 15:16). God’s power-filled word brings believers together to hear his word. God’s word is our joy and our heart’s delight. GOD’S WORD IS LIVING AND ACTIVE. I. Rest for weary souls. II. Reveals everything.
I. GOD’S WORD PROVIDES REST FOR WEARY SOULS
A. Verse 9. “So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” Sabbath is the Hebrew word for rest.
1. The Lord provides rest (sabbath) as his gift “for the people of God.”
2. Those who are not “the people of God” do not know or care about God’s gift of Sabbath rest.
B. Verse 10. “For the one who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God rested from his work.”
1. Here the rest is physical rest. Physical rest from one’s labors.
2. The Lord created the heavens, earth, and universe in six (6) days. Then he rested.
3. The Lord did not need to rest. Sabbath rest was to be special. Set aside as holy.
C. Verse 11. “Therefore, let us make every effort to enter that rest…” Effort to enter rest?
1. Rest is an absence of work, labor. “…effort to enter…” moves beyond physical to spiritual.
2. In verse before our text speaks of Joshua leading people into Promised Land. Was not rest.
D. The Lord himself rested after creation. What is good and right for the Lord God of Armies is also good and right for us. Our bodies need rest. This wicked world is rather wearisome. We grow tired of all the fear that we hear every day. Some would like to control us by making us think the sky is falling. A quick look at news headlines proves this fear mongering. Our climate is causing catastrophic weather events. We are the guilty ones. Prices are increasing. The economy is decreasing. There are shortages. Fear. Worry. Uncertainty. Such scary announcements rule the day. A certain uneasiness can easily creep into our thinking. "It is useless for you to get up early and to work late, worrying about bread to eat, because God grants sleep to the one he loves" (PSALM 127:2). We really don’t worry about bread to eat. We think more about what kind of bread to eat. The Lord provides us rest. Blessed sleep.
E. We know that our loving, heavenly Father is especially concerned about our spiritual welfare. Our Savior Jesus Christ invites us to enjoy rest for our souls. Peace with God. “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (MATTHEW 11:28, 29). We are weary. We are burdened. We need rest. Rest for our souls. All our actions are tainted by sin. We are born as enemies of God. We rightly deserve eternal punishment for our sinful thoughts, words, and deeds. We are yoked together to the Lord Jesus. His life, death, and resurrection forgives our sins. Removes our guilt.
F. How can we enjoy peace with God? The word of God IS living and active. The scriptures reveal to us all that we need to know about the love of the Lord for us. For the world. In the Bible we learn the truth about God’s grace. Mercy. Peace. "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples. You will also know the truth, and the truth will set you free’" (JOHN 8:31, 32). God’s truth sets us free. This is our comfort and strength in a world that lives by changing the truth. We are sinners. We are forgiven. Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins gives us peace with God. Peace with God! Amazing grace! We do not always have peace with our own family. We do have peace with God.
THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND ACTIVE. Jesus is / provides our Sabbath rest.
II. GOD’S WORD REVEALS EVERYTHING
A. Verse 12a. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword.”
1. Rome ruled the world. Roman soldiers were posted in every city Rome controlled.
2. They carried a short sword. It had two sharp edges. It was made for cutting both ways.
B. Verse 12b. The sword of the Lord is able to do the impossible. Sharper than any known sword.
1. God’s sword is able to divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow. Physically impossible.
2. Even more the word (sword) of the Lord judges “the ideas and thoughts of the heart.”
a. Humanly impossible. b. Divinely possible. c. Lord’s sword powerful.
C. Verse 13. Nothing in all creation is hidden from the Lord God of Armies.
1. Everything in the world is revealed before the Lord. Even evil ideas and thoughts.
2. In the end, Judgment Day – Last Day, all will give an account before the King of kings.
D. Some try to hide their sins. After all, we cannot look into the hearts of anyone else. The Lord alone judges “the ideas and thoughts of the heart.” The wicked do their wickedness without any regard for the consequences. They think no one is looking. Our society dismisses the crimes they consider not to have physically hurt someone. Sin is sin. We cannot dismiss any evil that lurks in the heart. Our hearts. All our righteous acts are like filthy rages. Conceived in sin. Born in sin. Lives filled with sin. Evil does not go unnoticed. "Yes, God will bring everything that is done into judgment, including everything that is hidden, whether good or evil" (ECCLESIASTES 12:14). God’s word is living and active. God’s word is alive and acting in our hearts and lives. God’s children do desire to do what is good and right in God’s sight.
E. There is a vast difference between good and evil. Right and wrong. We dare not blur the distinct differences between the two. Our world has redefined wickedness. Sin. Modern thinking has adjusted to accepting what is repulsive in the eyes of the Lord. Abortion has become acceptable. Lawlessness is allowed to prosper. The love of most has grown cold. All of this points to the coming of the Lord Jesus on Judgment Day, the Last Day. The differences between children of the world and children of the Lord continues to widen. "He reveals deep things and hidden things. He knows what is in the dark, and the light dwells with him" (DANIEL 2:22). Light still lives with the Lord. We are God’s children of light.
F. All will stand before the Lord to give an account. For the unbeliever there will fear. Dread. Weeping. Gnashing of teeth. They will be cast out of the presence of the Lord, forever. What about us? What is our account to be given? First, it is not our account that matters. It is the redemption of our Savior Jesus Christ that counts. "And he who searches our hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints, according to God’s will" (ROMANS 8:27). The Holy Spirit intervenes for believers by providing us with faith. Jesus, who sits at the right of our heavenly Father, pleads our case. Jesus’ robe of righteousness covers up our unrighteousness. His sinlessness perfectly pays for our sinfulness. We stand before the Lord. Jesus’ credits his life, death, and resurrection to/for our account.
CONC.: God’s word IS living and active! It is sharper and more powerful than any double-edged sword. Everything is revealed. Even hidden things. The word of the Lord gives us rest. Rest for our weary souls. Our sins are forgiven. Heaven is our home. "We also have the completely reliable prophetic word. You do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts…” (2 PETER 1:19). The Light of Christ grows in our hearts. GOD’S WORD IS LIVING AND ACTIVE...in us…for our benefit and to benefit others. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
PENTECOST 18 rdgs.: AMOS 8:4-7; 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-8; LUKE 16:1-13; (PSALM 38)
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