INTRODUCTION
A. Look Closely At Hebrews 4:12-13
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” NKJV
B. Notice At One Moment It Seems To Be Talking About Scripture, And The Next Moment It Seems To Be Talking About The Son Of God (i.e., “there is no creature hidden from HIS sight…”)
I. WHICH IS HEBREWS TALKING ABOUT – SCRIPTURE OR THE SON?
A. Is It Talking About…
1. The word in print or the Word made flesh?
2. Word of God inspired or the Word of God incarnate?
B. Indeed There Is A Distinction
1. “Word of God” in Bible does refer to “scripture”
(Rev 20:4) “Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God , who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands.” [Notice “word of God” is lowercase – when referring to scripture]
2. Yet Jesus is also referred to as the “Word”
(John 1:1-2) “In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”
(1 John 5:7-8) “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word , and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.”
(Rev 19:13-14) “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.” [Notice “Word of God” is upper case - when referring to the Son]
B. In Truth –Hebrews 4:12-13 Referring To Both!
1. The revelation of God through the scriptures – “For the word of God is living and powerful” – notice the lower case
2. The revelation of God through the Son – “And there is no creature hidden from His sight…”
C. Christ and His Word Must Go Together – They Are Inseparable
1. As Christ reveals God, so this Book reveals Christ
2. The Bible both contains truth and proclaims The Truth
3. Christ not only proclaimed scripture, He fulfilled scripture
II. WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE WORD OF GOD TO BE “LIVING”
A. King James Version Uses “Quick”
1. Instance of old English translation
2. “Quick” meant “alive”
a. heard of “quickening the dead” or quicken our spirits”
b. to rouse, to enliven, to make alive
3. Doesn’t mean “quick” like “swift”
a. some would assume “swiftly” read through Bible
b. quick & hurry through devotions – NO!
4. Richest devotions are those where take time – go slow – one verse at a time, one verse a day, marinating in it!
5. So what does it mean to be “living”?
6. By “living”, we don’t mean –
a. some figment of our imaginations
b. something that was once non-living that’s now living just because man made it “living”
c. 1931 movie Frankenstein - The mad scientist (Dr. Henry Frankenstein) shouted, "It’s alive" with the stirring of life within his non-human Monster
B. Spring 2006 Senate Confirmation Hearings on Supreme Court Nominee Alito
1. Specter said Alito views the Constitution as "a living thing in the sense that it protects rights by setting out principles to be applied in changing circumstances."
2. Alito: “I think the Constitution is a living thing in the sense that matters, and that is that it is -- it sets up a framework of government and a protection of fundamental rights that we have lived under very successfully for 200 years. And the genius of it is that it is not terribly specific on certain things. It sets out -- some things are very specific, but it sets out some general principles and then leaves it for each generation to apply those to the particular factual situations that come up. ...”
3. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. wrote in 1920, "The constitution’s words called into life a being" whose "development … could not have been foreseen completely by the most gifted of its begetters." Hence we must interpret our Constitution "in the light of our whole experience and not merely in that of what was said a hundred years ago."
4. In some sense, you might say that the Bible is “living” in the sense that the US Constitution is “living”
a. setting out Kingdom of God principles
b. to be prayerfully applied to particular time & place situations
c. example = Gal 5:13-14 “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
C. In Larger Sense, Bible Is “Living” In A Way That No Other Book Or Document Is!
1. It has indescribable vitality in it that breaths, speaks, conquers, creates
a. in Genesis 1 – 10 times it says that “God said”
b. each time – followed by a creation work
2. Solomon said, (Prov 6:20-23) “My son, keep your father’s command, And do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you. For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light;”
3. The word of God
a. wrestles with me, convicts me & comforts me
b. smiles on me & frowns on me
c. holds my hand and gives me courage
d. warms my heart, weeps with me, laughs with me, sings with me
e. preaches to me & whispers to me
f. whether it was my very first Bible – Children’s Living Bible or Bible of my Teen Years – New American Standard or Bible of my Seminary Years – Greek NT or Bible I use now – New KJV it’s still the word of God
i. never out of date
4. Never out of print - #1 bestseller of all time; most translated book!
5. Dictators & atheists could not destroy it
a. some tried to slay it with persecution
b. others tried to smother it with worldliness
c. others tried to crush it with error
d. some tried to starve it with neglect
e. some tried to poison it with misrepresentation
f. … but as God lives, His word lives – the gospel can’t be killed!
6. A living book – chapter-to-chapter – cover-to-cover
7. It’s the living “word of God” - full of strange & mystic vitality - which makes it have pre-eminence over every other writing for the Child of God
8. Preachers & Pulpits don’t have to “bring life” to the word
a. the only reason why preaching is life-less
- not because the word of God is life-less
- but the preacher’s dry & dull
b. our job
#1 - draw life from scripture & communicate it
#2 –disciple others in how to draw life for themselves
c. like a seed – it’s dry, but not dead – packed with life - plant it in the soil of hearts – wow!
d. this is how the Reformation started
- word of God hidden from people - only for the “elite”
- a single copy of scriptures left in seclusion of monetary – found my M. Luther- his heart furnished soil for that 1 seed to grow
9. Almost 100% of Christians that feel “dead” aren’t into the Word!
III. APPLICATION – HOW TO DRAW LIFE FROM THE WORD OF GOD
A. Pick What’s Plain - start with a Bible version that’s easiest for you to understand
B. Depart From Distractions
1. Quiet place
2. Reasonable time
C. Ask The Author
1. Pray before you read
2. Ask God to speak to you
D. Read The Red
1. Words of Jesus
2. Start in Gospel according to John
E. Take Small Bites
1. There are 66 books
2. Easily get overwhelmed
3. Again, start in Gospels, then letters
F. Personalize (not Patronize) It
1. By patronizing it
– treating with condensation
- consulting it as “the good book” (not just “good”, it’s “ALIVE!”)
- reading because of “duty”
- full of yourself – not with humility
- like a history lesson
2. But personalize it
- humility – God really wants to speak to me
- down to earth – meaningful for me today
- yes, it’s history – but also His-story for you, in you
H. Open For Discussion: What Helps You
1. Not “make it come” alive
2. But to “draw out the life” that’s already in it?
