Digesting the Word of God
Revelation • Sermon • Submitted
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· 10 viewsWhat does "digesting" God's word mean? Does it change us? We'll explore these questions and more.
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Digestion
Digestion
Ever since your 9th grade health class…and perhaps even before…we are all aware…in general…about how the body works...
I bring this up because today’s sermon is titled “Digesting the Word of God”
Now Digestion is defined as “The process by which food is converted into substances that can be absorbed and assimilated by a living organism.”
Using that definition…and without getting into too much detail about human digestion…its safe to say at least three things about digestion:
First, one must eat something that needs to be digested
Two the body must convert that food…
Three, that conversion of the food needs to be able to be absorbed and assimilated...
That’s for your body?
But what about your soul or spirit?
What is the “food” that you eat…in order to sustain you spiritually?
Our daily bread
Our daily bread
As Christians…as people of the Book…the Bible…we eat the food that God gives us...
Exodus 16:4 (ESV)
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you...”
that was one of the ways God provided for his people in the wilderness....
In the gospel of John 6 we are told that Jesus says:
“I am the bread of life...” and “I am the living bread...that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give... for the life of the world... is my flesh.”
Jesus is the personified manna from heaven sent to sustain us…and to help us to recognize that we are completely dependent on God…for everything...
And as Jesus said to satan in Matthew 4 when tempted to feed his body...by turning stones into bread… Jesus replied:
“Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
And Jesus says in John 4:34
John 4:34 (ESV)
“My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”
Scripture affirms the truth…that God is the provider of spiritual…as well as physical…sustenance…
and God does that through God’s holy written word…the Bible…which in all its parts…points humanity to the living Word...Jesus Christ…and trusting in him alone…for all our needs...
So what is our food? Jesus is our food…we will commune together with Christ …this morning at his table...
The Lord’s supper…or Eucharist (thanksgiving meal) is the sign and seal of our communion with the crucified and risen Lord.
He is the vine…we are the branches…(the branches get their energy…from the vine)...
...when we commune with Christ…we take him in…we take his teachings in…we listen to what scripture says about him…we read the whole Bible (even the parts we are not big fans of) and follow its teachings and struggle with its meanings...
Our spiritual food…Jesus Christ…is the written and living Word of God...
Back to Revelation
Back to Revelation
This morning in our continued journey through the book of Revelation…we take a step back from last week.
Last week we finished the 7 trumpet judgement…but in doing so…I skipped over chapter 10…the second interlude (interruption)...that describes a peculiar scene…where John is presented with and then eats a tiny scroll…
...which was sweet as honey to the mouth…because the word of God is always good...
…but bitter in the stomach…because in this case…the word of God is filled with woes...a call to continued prophesy…challenging the ways of the world…calling the world to repentance…and telling them of judgment to come...
You’ll remember that the prophet Ezekiel (ch. 3) also ate a scroll and also had a message of destruction and judgment for God’s people...
God’s word is sweet…but it can be bitter as well…when we must reluctantly speak it against others…of their need of repentance and the warning of judgment...
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In many churches…today…we don’t here a lot about the need for repentance…we more often here the call for acceptance and accommodation for difference…which…admittedly...the church can always do better at…no doubt...
…but that does not preclude repentance...biblically speaking…all of humanity is in need of repentance...
not just one group
not just one race
not just one system or structure or philosophy...
All of us…now and always…need to have repentance as part of our spiritual lives…
...repentance is what helps us properly digest the word of God…it gives us a dose of humility…recognizing that we are not God…and we rely completely on God’s goodness and grace…for our salvation...
John’s revelation here reiterates God’s design through these visions of judgments…that people might repent…and be saved...
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Revelation 10:7 (ESV)
but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel... the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.
That word… “announced”…(God announced to his servants the prophets)…that word is euangelisen…which indeed means to announce…to proclaim…to declare…
…but to announce what? To announce “good news”…it's the same word we have for gospel…God’s gospel…God’s good news…is found throughout the Bible…Old and New Testaments…and it was often announced through warnings of judgment and calls to repentance...
…from Adam and Eve to John in Revelation…God has been proclaiming His good news…to the whole earth…and that’s what he’s doing here…in the book of Revelation...
Closing
Closing
So John ate the scroll and “prophesied about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”
and then we come to chapter a 11…and we must remember this is between the 6th and 7th trumpet judgments…and we talked last week about how the 7th trumpet is the “eschaton”…the return of Christ…to reign over all the earth...
So the events in chapter 11... happen before the return of Jesus…and they are an outworking…of what it looks like to be sold out to God…to be filled by the Spirit…nourished by the word of God...
There’s so much good stuff in chapter 11 but I want to look at the two witnesses…as being those who have feasted on a steady diet of God’s word...
The two witnesses…who some believe are Elijah and Moses based on their similarity to close up the heavens…and call down fire (like Elijah) and the ability to turn water into blood and bring on plagues (like Moses in Egypt)… also “Moses and Elijah” are the two that appear with Jesus…and their names are synonomous with summing up “the law and the prophets”...
…However, others see the two witnesses as an symbol… an example…or model…for the entire church…who will be mourning and repentant…while world ..rejoices and gives gifts after the witnesses are killed...
The two witnesses harass the people of the earth…who are sold out for the Beast and his system…for three years…they rejoice at their death…because they no longer have to hear about their need to repent...
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When we take in…or eat…the Word of God…we become filled to overflowing…in a spiritual sense…we can’t help but be affected and changed by our continued diet on God’s word and understanding....the two witness are a great example of that...
Digesting God’s word means an openness to it and a willingness to consume it (let it feed our souls)…and an awareness that all of scripture speaks to us about Christ…as Jesus said as much in Luke 24:27.
Throughout the book of Revelation…John…has had:
open ears to hear God’s call...
…open eyes to see God’s plan for the church and the world...
…and a heart of obedience…willing to put aside his own will and way…in favor of God’s will and way...
The two witnesses in chapter 11…are two people committed to God’s way…and speaking the Truth…regardless of the consequences…which means their death…their martyrdom…and of course their ultimate resurrection…and going to be with God forever!
We’ll get to the beast (first time mentioned)…who persecutes not just the witnesses…but also all the saints…we’ll get to him in chapters 13-17 as we dive into his plan to destroy God and God’s people…and his ultimate defeat by God...
but for now...
My encouragement to you all today…the encouragement not doubt this vision had on John…and the churches of his day…is to devote ourselves to study the word of God…the Bible…and commit ourselves to truly “digesting” what it has to say to us...
May we absorb and assimilate what it says to us…as it points us to the living Word…Jesus Christ…the KING of KINGS…and LORD of LORDS...
Let each of us be his witnesses here and now...
Thanks be to God…AMEN.