Go! And... Let the Word cut deep - Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)
INTRODUCTION — “THE BOOK THAT READS YOU”
If you were to walk into a surgery and see an X-ray machine glowing, you would understand its power: it reveals what the naked eye cannot see. In the same way, when you open your Bible, something far greater happens—the Word of God opens you.
Today, in our Go! And… series, we look at a verse that has thundered through the centuries, a verse that exposes hearts, saves souls, and strengthens saints.
HEBREWS 4:12 (NLT): “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
SERMON OUTLINE:
Go! And… Believe the Word Is Alive
Go! And… Submit to the Word That Cuts
Go! And… Obey the Word That Transforms
1. GO! AND… BELIEVE THE WORD IS ALIVE
“The word of God is alive”—the Greek word here is ??? (zao) which means to live, to be active, to breathe.
God’s Word does not simply contain life; it is life. It pulses with divine energy because it comes from the living God.
The Book of Hebrews was written to discouraged Jewish Christians tempted to drift back into religion. They needed reminding that the Living Word (Christ) and the written Word (Scripture) were their life-line.
1 Peter 1:23 (NLT): “Your new life will last for ever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.”
Greek: logos zontos — “the living Word.”
Peter reminds persecuted believers that the Bible endures when everything else collapses.
In the 21st century, people trust influencers, algorithms, and shifting opinions. But Christians stand on an unshakeable foundation—the living Word.
John Piper: “The Word of God is not a passive book. It is active. It has power. It does things.”
Piper is right—the Bible is not ink on a page; it is God’s breath still warm from His mouth. When you read Scripture, Scripture reads you.
The Bible That Saved a Man in Prison
Years ago, a violent criminal in an American prison stole a Gideon Bible—not to read it, but to use the pages to roll cigarettes. One night he read the page before tearing it out. Convicted deeply, he surrendered to Christ. That man later became a missionary.
Why? Because the Word is alive.
2. GO! AND… SUBMIT TO THE WORD THAT CUTS
Hebrews 4:12b — “Sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword”
Greek: µ??a??a (machaira) — a short Roman sword used for precise, penetrating strikes.
The Word doesn't wound to destroy; it wounds to heal.
It cuts what shouldn’t remain.
“Cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow”
This is not anatomy; it is discernment.
Only God’s Word can separate motives from actions, truth from excuse, repentance from regret.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NLT): “All Scripture is inspired by God… It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”
Greek: theopneustos — “God-breathed.”
The breath of God does not pamper; it purifies.
Jeremiah 23:29 (NLT): “Does not my word burn like fire? … Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?”
Jeremiah preached to a nation numb to sin. God’s Word had to break their hardness.
R.T. Kendall: “You can’t have the God of the Bible without the Bible of God.”
Kendall reminds us: if we want the God who saves, sanctifies, and speaks, we must surrender to His Word even when it hurts.
The Surgeon’s Knife
Imagine resisting a surgeon’s scalpel because “it might hurt.”
But if the cancer is killing you, the cut is mercy.
The Bible cuts deeper than any surgeon, removing the tumours of pride, lust, bitterness, unbelief.
Don't resist the cut—yield to it.
Allow Scripture to confront your sin.
Let it tell you truths you don’t want to hear.
Let it expose the idols you protect.
The Christian who will not submit to the Word cannot grow in spiritual maturity.
3. GO! AND… OBEY THE WORD THAT TRANSFORMS
Hebrews 4:12c — “It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
Greek: ???t???? (kritikos) — meaning “able to judge, to sift, to discern.”
The Word is God’s divine courtroom where motives stand trial.
Psalm 119:105 (NLT): “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
James 1:22 (NLT): “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says.”
Charles Stanley: “Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.”
Stanley’s words echo James—obedience is the pathway to blessing. If you want transformation, don’t merely admire the Bible… obey it.
We cannot claim to believe the Bible while living contrary to it.
A closed Bible leads to a closed heart.
An open Bible leads to an open heaven.
THE GOSPEL — THE WORD MADE FLESH
The written Word points us to the Living Word — Jesus Christ.
John 1:14 (NLT): “So the Word became human and made his home among us.”
This living Word:
Took on flesh
Lived a sinless life
Died in our place on the cross
Was buried
Rose again on the third day
Ascended into heaven
Will return in glory
Hebrews 4:12 exposes our sin, but Hebrews 4:16 invites us to the Saviour!
“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.”
We can come boldly because Jesus shed His blood to open the way.
CALL TO ACTION — LET THE WORD LEAD YOUR LIFE
Believer, what must you do?
Open the Bible daily.
Obey what God reveals.
Confess the sins it exposes.
Allow the Spirit to transform your desires.
Let Scripture shape your relationships, decisions, and priorities.
A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to a believer who isn’t.
INVITATION TO SALVATION:
Perhaps tonight you feel the Word of God cutting deep.
Perhaps it has exposed what you have tried to hide.
Let me lovingly tell you: you cannot save yourself.
But Jesus can.
Romans 10:9 (NLT): “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Come to Christ.
Repent—turn from sin.
Believe—trust in His death and resurrection.
Receive—embrace Him as Lord and Saviour.
Today can be the day of salvation.
BENEDICTION:
May the living Word of God dwell richly in your heart,
May the sharp Word of God cut away all that hinders,
And may the transforming Word of God guide your steps,
So that you may Go! And… Live the Word,
For the glory of Christ,
In the power of the Spirit,
To the praise of the Father.
Amen.
